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Goals. To identify methodological contradictions and inconsistencies between different approaches to measuring the digital economy as a whole, the digital transformation of enterprises; to assess the effectiveness of digital transformations, and to outline the contours of the modern paradigm of digital transformation management in the post-Covid world. Results. The changes in the conceptual approaches to the measurement of the digital economy and digital transformation due to new trends in the development of digital transformation have been revealed. It has been shown which factors and actions determine the results of the digital transformation of enterprises, based on which the modern paradigm of digital transformation management has been formed. The features of the national digital transformation strategy have been analyzed. Conclusion. In the new post-Covid reality, enterprises will change dramatically, and to achieve success they will need a new paradigm of digital transformation management, organically combining economic and social aspects, a strategic and operational approach, considering transformation management as a flexible self-learning ecosystem.

Introduction Vaporization of the prostate (VP) and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) are reliable and frequently used methods for BPO relief. Both surgeries utilize lasers and EAU recommends them in similar patient cohorts. Our objective was to compare intra- and perioperative results of patients who had undergone VP and EEP. Evidence acquisition A systematic literature search was performed in three databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus). The detailed search strategy is available at Prospero, CRD42020204739. Primary outcomes were functional results (IPSS, QoL, PVR, Qmax), and secondary outcomes were intraoperative results, postoperative PSA and prostate volume, complications, and recurrence rate. Evidence synthesis VP required less operative time compared to EEP, mean difference=-5.51 (95%CI -7.52; -3.50). IPSS and Qmax for VP were worse after 12-month follow-up, mean difference=0.89 (95%CI 0.52; 1.27) and -3.7 (95%CI -4.56; -2.85), respectively, while QoL did not differ significantly. Postoperative PSA level was higher in the VP group, mean difference=2.28 (95%CI 2.00; 2.55). VP was associated with reduced Clavien-Dindo grade I (OR=4.16; 95%CI 2.96; 5.84) and grade II (OR=3.79; 95%CI 2.25; 6.39) complication rate, especially in terms of the percentage of blood transfusion and transient urinary incontinence. The rate of complications grade IIIa and higher was similar (3 - 6%). Reoperation rate was only estimated in one study and was significantly higher in the PVP group at 60 months of follow-up, 2.7% vs 0%, p Conclusions EEP and VP share the efficacy and safety in BPH management. Our meta-analysis shows comparable complication rate in Clavien-Dindo III, VP superiority in operation time, and EEP superiority in long-term functional outcomes and PSA reduction.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated the digitalization of education around the world. There has been a lot of recent research on university students’ attitudes towards digital educational technologies (DET) in different countries, but much fewer studies examine how these attitudes change during the pandemic. The purpose of the present exploratory study is to compare the attitudes towards DET among Russian university students majoring in psychology before the start of the pandemic and at its different stages. A mixed method research design was used. The quantitative part of the study included The University Students’ Attitudes toward DET Questionnaire developed by the authors, and the qualitative part of this study included percentage and thematic analyses of answers to additional multiple choice and open-ended questions. The main findings of the study confirm significant changes in attitudes towards DET at the very beginning of the pandemic, and their relative stabilization later. Additional analysis based on the literature review revealed that the advantages and disadvantages of DET listed by Russian university students and students from other countries, generally coincide. The data obtained will be useful in the development of digital competence among university students.

The search for factors and determinants of effective foreign (second) language acquisition (FLA/SLA) is an interdisciplinary problem that is becoming more and more practically important in the modern globalising world. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the correlation between personality traits and the foreign language proficiency (FLP) level among students of various university specialties. The total sample includes 241 first- and second-year undergraduate students (74% females), of which 128 students (82.5% females) study at the Linguistics Department and 113 students (64% females) belong to other departments. All the students learn English as a primary foreign language (FL). The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness) were measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Russian adaptation by S. Biryukov and M. Bodunov). In testing the foreign language proficiency levels, we used the traditional Academic Performance Index (semester Final Grades in English) and assessments of the foreign language proficiency levels made by English teachers in relation to their students according to the Foreign Language Proficiency Scale (10 indices and the total score) developed by the authors. To process the data in the R software environment, version 3.5.2, the methods of descriptive statistics, Cronbachs alpha and Macdonalds omega coefficients, Spearmans rank correlation analysis and Wilcoxons T -test were used. The findings of our research showed that FLP is most closely related to Openness in linguistics students and to Conscientiousness in non-linguistics students. These facts should be taken into account by the developers of programmes for psychological and pedagogical support of the FL learning process in Russian universities.

Currently, ethnic stereotypes are considered as phenomena that mediate the processes of intercultural perception, dialogue and interaction. This fact determines the relevance of it comprehensive interdisciplinary study by different sciences (sociology, political science, psychology, linguistics, etc.). In this article, ethnic stereotypes are analyzed, firstly, at the psychological level (types, functions, structure), and secondly, at the psycholinguistic and psychosemantic levels (from the point of view of the rationale for it diagnosis with using the semantic differential). The possibilities of the semantic differential for studying the content, consistency, direction and intensity of social stereotypes in general, as well as the method modifications for diagnosis ethnic stereotypes, are examined. The heuristic potential of semantic differential for diagnosing ethnic stereotypes as phenomena, on the one hand, reflecting various aspects of intercultural perception and dialogue, and, on the other hand, directly affecting the intercultural interaction, is shown on the example of empirical studies on ethnic stereotypes in the intercultural communication context. The results of ethnic stereotypes studies are of high practical importance for the development of programs for increase intercultural competence, which are in demand in various areas of modern society in the face of e globalization and the growth of intercultural contacts (education, business, tourism, etc.).

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Nowadays the most commonly used methods of BPH surgical treatment are vaporization (PVP) and enucleation of the prostate (EEP). We aimed to compare intra- and perioperati...

International audience; A dozen species of human and animal pathogens have been described to date in the Bordetella genus, with the majority being respiratory tract pathogens. Bordetella avium lipopolysaccharides have been shown to be important virulence factors for this bird pathogen. B. hinzii is closely related to the B. avium species, but has also been isolated from humans. B. trematum is associated to ear and blood infections in humans. Its lipid A structure, the biological active moiety of LPS, was found to be closely related to those of B. avium and B. hinzii. It is important to unveil the subtle structural modifications orchestrated during the LPS biosynthetic pathway to better understand host adaptation. The present data are also important in the context of deciphering the virulence pathways of this important genus containing the major pathogens B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, responsible for whooping cough. We recently reported the isolated lipid A structures of the three presented species, following the previously identified O-chain structures. In the present study, we provide details on the free and O-chain-linked core oligosaccharides which were required to characterize the complete LPS structures. Data are presented here in relation to relevant biosynthesis genes. The present characterization of the three species is well illustrated by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry experiments, and data were obtained mainly on native LPS molecules for the first time. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Societe Francaise de Biochimie et Biologie Moleculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

International audience; The identification of a functional molecular moiety relating the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) to their capacity to induce inflammation-mediated metabolic diseases needed to be performed. We previously described a proportional increase in the relative abundance of the 16 SrDNA bacterial gene from the genus Ralstonia, within the microbiota from the adipose tissue stroma vascular fraction of obese patients, suggesting a causal role of the bacteria. Therefore, we first characterized the structures of the lipids A, the inflammatory inducing moieties of LPSs, of three Ralstonia species: Ralstonia eutropha, R. mannitolilytica and R. pickettii, and then compared each, in terms of in vitro inflammatory capacities. R. pickettii lipid A displaying only 5 Fatty Acids (FA) was a weaker inducer of inflammation, compared to the two other species harboring hexa-acylated lipids A, despite the presence of 2 AraN substituents on the phosphate groups. With regard to in vitro pro-inflammatory activities, TNF-alpha and IL-6 inducing capacities were compared on THP-1 cells treated with LPSs isolated from the three Ralstonia. R. pickettii, with low inflammatory capacities, and recently involved in nosocomial outcomes, could explain the low inflammatory level reported in previous studies on diabetic patients and animals. In addition, transmission electron microscopy was performed on the three Ralstonia species. It showed that the R. pickettii under-acylated LPSs, with a higher level of phosphate substitution had the capacity of producing more outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). The latter could facilitate transfer of LPSs to the blood and explain the increased low-grade inflammation observed in obese/diabetic patients. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. and Societe Francaise de Biochimie et Biologie Moleculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Digital twins of materials allow to achieve accurate predictions that help creating novel and tailor-made materials with higher standards. In this paper, we are interested in the characterization of porous media. Our attention is drawn to develop a method to describe accurately the pore network microstructure of porous materials as presented in [7]. This work proposes an efficient algorithm based on the distance transform method [12] which is a widely used method in image processing. The followed approach suggests that a distance transform map, obtained from a microstructure image, passes through different steps. Starting from local maxima extraction and filtering operation, to end up with another distance transform with source propagation. We illustrate our algorithm with the well-known Pore Network Model of the literature [13], which supposes that the pore structure is either a network of connected cylinders or cylinders and spheres. Our approach is also applied on multi-scale Boolean random models modelling complex porous media microstructures [11]. The porous media morphological characteristics extracted could be used to simulate complex phenomena as the physisorption isotherms or other experimental techniques.

The structure of 166416 gene chains of various dimensions consisting of polylocus combinations of 12 polymorphic positions which forming cytokine gene network which associated with the development of uterine fibroids was studied. The structural and functional organization of the cytokine gene network, which associated with uterine fibroids resistance, was also studied for comparison. Computer modeling of network interactions of cytokine genotypes of various nature involved in the regulation of inflammation, angiogenesis, destruction and remodeling of connective tissue involved in the pathogenesis of polygenic diseases, including uterine fibroids, was performed using the Cytoscape bioinformatics platform. Analysis of the topology of this gene network allowed us to identify the main genes and the main intergenic interactions that make the greatest contribution to the development of uterine fibroids. The main genes for the development of uterine fibroids can be 3 polymorphisms: IL1B-31TC, VEGF+936CT and IL10-592CA. These genes form the main nodes in the gene network because they have the most interactions with other genes. The main intergenic interactions are the following paired combinations of polymorphisms: [IL1B-31TC : IL10-592CA] (13,5%), [TNF-238GG : IL1B-31TC] (12,0%), [IL1B-31TC : IL10-1082AG] (10,5%), [TNF-863CC : IL1B-31TC] (9,7%), [TNF-238GG : VEGF+936CT] (9,0%), since they account for 55% of all major interactions in the gene network associated with uterine fibroids development. These composite gene patterns can determine the predisposition to the uterine fibroids development, affecting the intensity of immune inflammation processes and the activity of neoangiogenesis in the myometrium. On the other hand, a characteristic feature of the structural and functional organization of the cytokine gene network, which associated with uterine fibroids resistance, is its ability to self-regulate the levels of promoter activity of angiogenesis and inflammation regulator genes due to regulatory circuits with a common hub in the form of the homozygous VEGF+936CC genotype. The most frequent intergenic interactions are associated with this vertex: [TNF-238 GG : VEGF+936 CC] (13.2%), [TNF-863 CC : VEGF+936 CC] (13.2%), [IL4-590 CC :VEGF+936 CC] (7.9%), and [VEGF+936 CC : MMP9-1562 CC] (7.9%). This gene network ensures the balanced flow of angiogenesis processes, the functioning of the extracellular matrix and the processes of inflammation in the myometrium, which prevents the development of uterine fibroids.

Foreign (second) language (FL/SL) proficiency is one of the most important competencies for a modern person, and is necessary for both professional and personal fulfillment. The purpose of this study is to consider and compare personality traits and creativity as predictors of success in foreign language acquisition (FLA). The sample includes 128 (105 female and 23 male) first- and second-year university linguistics students. Creativity is measured by the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA). The FFM personality traits are measured by the Russian NEO Five-Factor Inventory adaptation by S. Biryukov and M. Bodunov. To assess the level of FL proficiency, we used a traditional academic achievement indicator (the semester&rsquo, s final grades in English), as well as the English teachers&rsquo, assessment of the level of language proficiency of their students according to the &ldquo, Foreign Language Proficiency Scale&rdquo, (10 indicators and total score). Descriptive statistics methods and a multiple regression analysis were used to process the data in the R software environment, version 3.5.2. The findings of our research showed that creativity indicators have a stronger but contradictory impact on the level of FL proficiency compared to personality traits. We suggest that teachers, most likely, lack knowledge on the manifestations of student creativity in the process of FL learning.

The search for predictors of intercultural competence (ICC) development is one of the important challenges of modern psychology in connection with globalization in all the spheres of modern life, including university education. The purpose of the present research is to show that the ethno-national attitudes (ENA), which Khukhlaev et al. consider as an individual&rsquo, s predisposition to assess the nationality/ethnicity can determine the severity of ICC features in male and female university students. The sample includes 219 (75% female) first&ndash, third year Russian university students. ICC was measured with the author&rsquo, s modification of the intercultural sensitivity scale (ISS) by Khuhlaev and Chibisova. ISS is based on the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, (DMIS) by Bennett and includes 4 subscales: Minimization, Absolutization, Ambivalence, Acceptance. ENA (Nationalistic, Patriotic, Neutral, Negativistic) were determined with the &ldquo, Scale of ethno-national attitudes&rdquo, by Khukhlaev, Kuznetsov, and Tkachenko. Descriptive statistics methods, Wilcoxon W-test, and multiple regression analysis were used for statistical analysis in the R software environment, version 3.5.2. The findings of our research showed that Nationalistic and Patriotic ENA are the strongest predictors of studied ICC scales and have an opposite negative impact on Acceptance and Absolutization in both male and female students. This fact should be taken into account in the context of ICC developments.

Vitreoscilla filiformis is a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from spa waters and described for its beneficial effects on the skin. We characterized the detailed structure of its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) lipid A moiety, an active component of the bacterium that contributes to the observed skin activation properties. Two different batches differing in postculture cell recovery were tested. Chemical analyses and mass spectra, obtained before and after mild-alkali treatments, revealed that these lipids A share the common bisphosphorylated β-(1→6)-linked d-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxydecanoic acid in an amide linkage. Short-chain FAs, hydroxydecanoic and dodecanoic acid, were found in a 2:1 ratio. The two lipid A structures differed by the relative amount of the hexa-acyl molecular species and phosphoethanolamine substitution of the phosphate groups. The two V. filiformis LPS batches induced variable interleukin-6 and TNF-α secretion by stimulated myelomonocytic THP-1 cells, without any difference in reactive oxygen species production or activation of caspase 3/7. Other different well-known highly purified LPS samples were characterized structurally and used as standards. The structural data obtained in this work explain the low inflammatory response observed for V. filiformis LPS and the previously demonstrated beneficial effects on the skin.

The article is devoted to the study of intercultural competence (ICC) as a psychological phenomenon including the analysis of its models, factors, and profiles. The results of an empirical study in two major multinational Russian universities (388 students, of which 254 young women and 134 young men) are presented. The aim of the study was to identify the typological profiles of the ICC and their characteristics in relation to personality traits. ICC was studied based on the “Dynamic model of intercultural sensitivity” by M. Bennet. The author’s modification of the “Scale of intercultural sensitivity” by O.E. Khuhlaev and M.Y. Chibisova in the adaptation of Y.A. Lopashenko was used for the ICC diagnostics. Personality traits were considered in the framework of the Five-Factor Model (P. Costa and R. McCrae) and were measured by a short form of the “Five-Factor Questionnaire” in Russian adaptation by M.V. Bodunov and S.D. Biryukov. We identified four ICC profiles of students provisionally called “ethnocentrists”, “negativists”, “undecided (ambivalent)”, and “ethnorelativists”. It is shown that the profiles differ not only in the correlation between the severity of parameters of the ICC, but also in personality traits. The results can be used for the design of ICC development and formation programs, based on the identified psychological specifics of ICC profiles.