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The ports of the Baltic States have handled Russian cargoes for many years. Thus, there is no apparent need for Russia to reroute all freight flows to domestic ports. Eastern Baltic ports were just recently considered competitors, but the current geopolitical situation has drastically reshaped the framework for regional transport cooperation. Competition and cooperation strategies are often equally acceptable for the ports of the Eastern Baltic. Yet volatility in global commodity markets, the unstable positions of leading exporters and importers, and changes in the economic and political environment call for new strategies and forms of collaboration. This study aims to understand to what degree port authorities in the Eastern Baltic can combine competition and cooperation policies when formulating their development concepts and handling transit cargoes. The article draws on official statistics and Russian and international publications on the theory and practice of transport routing and the functioning of hub infrastructure. The methods of case study and statistical and comparative analysis are adopted to outline the current situation in the ports of the Eastern Baltic and a variety of ways for the ports to attract more cargo flows from Russia. The article tests the hypothesis that Eastern Baltic port authorities should pursue a co-opetition strategy. The study concludes that, in the immediate future, this strategy can be employed only in cases of extraordinary circumstances, for example, at peak loads.

Ablation of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) in patients with structural heart disease (SHD) has been associated with advanced heart failure and poor survival.This matched case-control study sought to assess the difference in survival after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and/or heart transplantation (HTX) in SHD patients undergoing VT ablation. From the initial cohort of 309 SHD patients undergoing VT ablation (187 ischemic cardiomyopathy, mean age 64 ± 12 years, ejection fraction of 34 ± 13%), 15 patients received an LVAD and nine patients HTX after VT ablation during a follow-up period of 44 ± 33 months. Long-term survival after LVAD did not differ from the matched control group (p = 0.761), although the cause of lethal events was different. All post-HTX patients survived during follow-up.In this matched case-control study on patients with SHD undergoing VT ablation, patients that received LVAD implantation had similar survival compared to the control group after 4‑year follow-up, while the patients with HTX had a significantly better outcome.EINFüHRUNG: Die Ablation ventrikulärer Tachykardien (VT) bei Patienten mit struktureller Herzerkrankung wird mit fortgeschrittener Herzinsuffizienz und schlechter Überlebensprognose assoziiert.Diese gematchte Fall-Kontroll-Studie untersuchte den Einfluss einer linksventrikulären Assist-Device(LVAD)-Implantation und/oder einer Herztransplantation (HTX) auf die Überlebensprognose von Patienten mit struktureller Herzerkrankung und stattgehabter VT-Ablation. Von den initial 309 Patienten, die für eine VT-Ablation eingewiesen wurden (187 mit ischämischer Kardiomyopathie, mittleres Alter 64 ± 12 Jahre, Ejektionsfraktion 34 ± 13 %), erhielten 15 ein LVAD und 9 eine HTX während des Follow-ups von 44 ± 33 Monaten. Die Langzeitüberlebensraten nach LVAD-Implantation waren ähnlich wie in der gematchten Kontrollgruppe (p = 0,761), aber die Todesursachen waren unterschiedlich. Alle Patienten nach HTX überlebten bis zum Ende des Follow-ups.In unserer Studie zu Patienten mit struktureller Herzerkrankung und stattgehabter VT-Ablation zeigten die Patienten mit LVAD-Implantation nach 4 Jahren Follow-up ähnliche Überlebensraten wie die Kontrollgruppe, während Patienten mit HTX ein deutlich besseres Langzeitergebnis hatten.

Russian Federation and Canada are the largest arctic powers that have similar features in evolving their Arctic zones. In the mid-1920s both countries formalized their rights to the northern territories. Russian and Canadian arctic regions are located in harsh climatic zones,geographically distant from national political and business centers, poorly populated, and rich in natural resources. At the same time, there are obvious differences in political institutions,“core-periphery” relationships, business organization, and social activities of aboriginal people and newcomers. The purpose of this study is a comparative evaluation how the rich resource base and industrial production impact on the socio-economic development of the Arctic regions of Russia and Canada. To reach the goal authors use the official statistical sources of the Russian Federation and Canada. Case study method, comparative analysis, and econometric calculations are applied. As a result similar and distinctive features of the industrial development of the Arctic regions of these countries were identified. It can be explained, first of all, by the institutional characteristics of Russia and Canada. Comparing an evidence of the leading extractive companies completed the empirical analysis. Authors concluded that the regions under consideration are characterized by a high or medium share of the extractive industry in the regional economy. Specialization in natural resources extraction and primary processing does not have a negative impact on the economic development of the territories. However, outer companies are engaged in this business that increases the dependence of the regional economy on the conjuncture of world markets. The article investigates in empirical studying common features of the extractive industry in the peripheral Russian and Canadian Arctic territories and its impact on the socio-economic development of these regions.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began a year ago was marked by mass isolation of the population and transition to the remote interaction in many areas of human life. In this regard the ability of the domestic vocational education system to fully function through electronic, mobile and remote forms and means of carrying out educational activities is of particular importance. Thus, the problem arises of choosing a software platform for a distance education system that can meet the criteria for organizing and implementing a high-quality and uninterrupted educational process at a university under conditions of distance learning. The article presents the experience of implementing e-learning in the conditions of isolation of students and teachers of Rostov State University of Economics (RINH). The purpose of the article is to analyze the educational capabilities of the Module distance education system based on the experience of its practical application. The research methods used are methods for collecting and accumulating data, methods of assessment and experiential learning. The practical use of the Module system has revealed such shortcomings as the lack of the possibility of conducting interactive lessons in the mode of videoconferencing and the built-in system for testing students' knowledge. Nevertheless, the authors have concluded that the platform is acceptable for solving educational problems. The experience gained in distance learning made it possible to determine the main subsystems that software tools for implementing the distance learning process must meet

The idea that ports might be a factor of regional economic development has been discussed for the last decades. This paper contributes to the studies of regional economic development by exploring how ports’ cargo turnover affects basic indicators such as gross regional product, level of employment and job creation. Authors compare two north-western Russian regions (St. Petersburg and Leningrad Province) and two western European regions (Antwerp Province and Groot-Rijnmond) for the period 2000–2015. Practical implementation of regional studies for Russian and European Union ports was conducted with the use of statistical methods. The findings do not support the thesis that ports play a crucial role in regional economic development generally, but they do indicate some economic similarities across the selected regions. Authors conclude that the ports under consideration vary in their impact on regional socio-economic development. The case of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Province does not fit with the general hypothesis due to very little industrial activity in the ports’ zones and federal ownership on the general ports’ assets.

This article is dedicated to the problem of formation of national style in the architecture of French Renaissance. The indicated problem is the topic of intense discussion within the historiography of Renaissance. Leaning the concept of J. Burckhardt, who describes Renaissance as a specifically Italian phenomenon, a number of scholars identity French Renaissance with “Italianism”. On the other hand, there is a contradictory historiographical trend that acclaims national medieval tradition that views the revival of classical antiquity as a foreign and shallow phenomenon. An attempt is made to examine the problem from the perspective Renaissance itself, relying on the reasoning and assessments expressed by the three theoreticians of architecture: Sebastian Serlio, Philibert de l'Orme, and Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau. The conclusion is made that the theoreticians of French Renaissance were not prone to contrapose the shapes borrowed from antiquity to national tradition. They perceived antiquity as the common past of the entire contemporary to them culture. They did not see any preponderance of Italian Renaissance over the national culture. The contradiction between antiquity and Gothicism was interpreted as a contradiction between the ancient and the new, rather than foreign and native. In creation of the style of Renaissance architecture they resorted to synthesizing heritage of the antiquity with national medieval tradition.

Bioprocesses involving more than one species can alleviate restrictions posed by limited substrate range of single species. Coupled, multistage cultures can be useful when heterogeneous substrates, such as lignocellulosic biomass, are exploited. Here, microbial production of α-olefins (C11) from lignocellulosic substrates, namely cellulose and technical lignin, was investigated. A two-stage culture with cellulose fermentation to organic acids by Clostridium cellulolyticum and subsequent upgrading of the organic acids to 1-undecene by engineered Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 was established. As a result, A. baylyi ADP1 synthesised 107 μg L-1 of 1-undecene from cellulose. Additionally, ligninolytic effects by A. baylyi ADP1 on softwood were confirmed and downstream processing for continuous 1-undecene collection was introduced. In addition, the synthesis of poly-α-olefin trimers (C33) by the oligomerization of 1-undecene was demonstrated. This study demonstrates the potential of integrated multistage processes in treating challenging substrates. publishedVersion

The transfer of education into the sphere of rendering services expands the status of a university teacher with the relevant competencies of a manager of educational interaction. The recognition of emotional intelligence as one of the main components of the professional success of a modern specialist actualizes the need to develop the skills of understanding and managing emotions in a university teacher. The research problem is the awareness of the need for the development of emotional intelligence in a university teacher. The purpose of the research is to determine the significance for students of the presence of basic skills of emotional intelligence in a teacher. The research methods are questioning, analysis, synthesis, generalization. The results of the study are as follows: a questionnaire has been developed on the basic communication skills of emotional intelligence; students' survey has been conducted to identify their attitude to a teacher's emotional competence; the following skills have been prioritized: to address them by name; to be friendly when communicating; to give emotional color to the material presented; do not interrupt students in the process of communication; to be able to feel his emotional state and, on the basis of this, to build communication with him. Key conclusions: students are aware of the need for a teacher to carry out professional activities based on emotional intelligence; they expect a positive manifestation of his emotional competence associated with interpersonal interaction; remote learning mode actualize the competent manifestation of the emotional intelligence of the teacher, performing a compensatory function in remote interaction.

Formation of national advantages based on the vocational education system development is a relevant topic in the context of Russia’s involvement in global technological competition. Amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is necessary for countries and regions to use their competitive advantages effectively. A number of national strategies and socio-economic development programs aim to help the Russian Federation make a breakthrough and enter global competition. At the same time, strong differentiation of the country’s territories and scant attention to spatial development factors impede the socio-economic development of Russian regions. The paper investigates the issues of the regional vocational education system (RVES) development and establishes the directions of regional policy that take into account the distinctive features of its spatial elements. The methodological basis of the study includes spatial development theories, the humanistic approach and socioeconomics as one of its components. The research methods are correlation and regression analysis and building econometric models to test the formulated hypotheses and identify the priorities of regional policy in the field of vocational education development. The statistical base is the obtained index values of RVES spatial organization and the selected statistical indicators for the period of 2004–2017. The research results prove the hypotheses about the impact of RVES’s contribution to the formation of the regional economy labour potential. The study can be of interest for the federal and regional authorities when drawing up a strategy for the vocational education system development.

Crude glycerol is an excellent carbon source for bacterial production systems. Bacterial fermentation often generates by-products that can offer an additional carbon pool to improve the product profile for optimal valorization. In this study, the properties of two phylogenetically distinct bacteria, Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 and Clostridium butyricum, were coupled in a one-pot batch process to co-produce 1,3 propanediol (PDO) and long-chain alkyl esters (wax esters, WEs) from crude glycerol. In the process, A. baylyi deoxidized the growth medium allowing glycerol fermentation and PDO production by C. butyricum. Reaeration of the co-cultivations enabled A. baylyi to metabolize the fermentation by-products, acetate and butyrate, and synthesize intracellular WEs. To improve PDO production and A. baylyi growth, carbon and macronutrients in the growth medium were screened and optimized using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken models. The validation experiment revealed a good correlation between the observed and predicted values. The salting-out method recovered 89.5% PDO from the fermentation broth and in vacuo extraction resulted in a PDO content of 5.3 g L-1. Nuclear magnetic resonance revealed a WE content and yield of 34.4 ± 1.4 mg L-1 and 34.2 ± 3.2 mg WE g-1 dry cell weight, respectively. A molar yield of 0.65 mol PDO mol-1 and 0.62 µmol WE mol-1 crude glycerol was achieved with the synthetic consortium. This work emphasizes the strength of response surface methodology in improving production processes from the mutualistic association of divergent bacterial species in consortium. The co-production of PDO and WEs from crude glycerol is demonstrated for the first time in this study. acceptedVersion

Since “Belt and Road initiative” (BRI) has been launched, the major volume of academic studies focus on the consideration of Eurasian land and maritime transport routes. Experts on Chinese foreign policy and geopolitical strategy emphasize possible positive and negative aspects of the initiative for the states involved. The business and political circles from Eastern Baltic Sea region are looking for possible ways to attract cargo to its ports. Yet, the possible transformations of Chinese foreign trade flows in the context of BRI are now under academic consideration. We focus on the evaluation of ports’ possibilities to handle Chinese cargo. The key issues of our study include the choice of cargo transportation routes and opportunities to attract Chinese investment to expand port and logistics infrastructure. The methodology of the research is based on statistical data analysis for the further comparison of transport routes. Our empirical results demonstrate that Eastern Baltic Sea ports can attract little part of Chinese trade flows.

Lignin has potential as a sustainable feedstock for microbial production of industrially relevant molecules. However, the required lignin depolymerization yields a heterogenic mixture of aromatic monomers that are challenging substrates for the microorganisms commonly used in the industry. Here, we investigated the properties of lignin-related aromatic compounds (LRAs), namely coumarate, ferulate, and caffeate, in the synthesis of biomass and products in an LRA-utilizing bacterial host Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. The biosynthesis products, wax esters, and alkanes are relevant compounds for the chemical and fuel industries. Here, wax esters were produced by a native pathway of ADP1, whereas alkanes were produced by a synthetic pathway introduced to the host. Using individual LRAs as substrates, the growth and product formation were monitored with internal biosensors and off-line analytics. Of the tested LRAs, coumarate was the most propitious in terms of product synthesis. Wax esters were produced from coumarate with yield and titer of 37 mg/gcoumarate and 202 mg/L, whereas alkanes were produced with a yield of 62.3 µg /gcoumarate and titer of 152 µg/L. This study demonstrates the microbial preference for certain LRAs and highlights the potential of A. baylyi ADP1 as a host for LRA upgrading to value-added products.

Innovative development of the national economy is Russia's main strategic aim in a globally competitive environment. In general, innovation processes should start with transformations within regions, as it is the regions in Russia that form the basis of the national economic system. The purpose of this paper is to identify prospective directions for qualitative changes in the development of the regional vocational education system, which is the object of the study. The authors focus on the financing of regional vocational education system development, since this system is considered one of the most important factors of economic competitiveness, national security, and at the same time, vocational training is the basis for human capital accumulation and development. Regional programs, which are one of the instruments for financing education systems at regional level, are analyzed.

Background Patients with transmural myocardial infarction (MI) who undergo endocardial-only substrate ablation are at increased risk for ventricular tachycardia recurrence. Late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) can be used to assess infarct transmurality (IT). However, the degree of IT associated with an epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate (AS) has not been determined. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of IT observed by LGE-CMR and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) that predicts the presence of epicardial AS. Methods The study included 38 post-MI patients. Ten patients with a subendocardial infarction underwent endocardial-only mapping, and 28 with a classic transmural MI (C-TMI), defined as hyperenhancement ≥75% of myocardial wall thickness (WT), underwent endo–epicardial mapping. LGE-CMR/MDCT data were registered to high-density endocardial or epicardial maps to be analyzed for the presence of AS. Results Of the 28 post-MI patients with C-TMI, 18 had epicardial AS (64%) and 10 (36%) did not. An epicardial scar area ≥14 cm2 on LGE-CMR identified patients with epicardial AS (sensitivity 1, specificity 1). Mean WT in the epicardial scar area in these patients was lower than in patients without epicardial AS (3.14 ± 1.16 mm vs 5.54 ± 1.78 mm; P = .008). A mean WT cutoff value ≤3.59 mm identified patients with epicardial AS (sensitivity 0.91, specificity 0.93). Conclusion An epicardial scar area ≥14 cm2 on LGE-CMR and mean CT-WT ≤3.59 mm predict epicardial AS in post-MI patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the impact of untreated preoperative severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR) on outcomes after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. METHODS: Of the 234 patients who received LVAD therapy in our centre during a 6-year period, we selected those who had echocardio-graphic images of good quality and excluded those who underwent mitral valve replacement prior to or mitral valve repair during LVAD placement. The 128 patients selected were divided into 2 groups: Group A with severe MR (n = 65) and Group B with none to moderate MR (n = 63, 28 with moderate MR). We evaluated transthoracic echocardiography preoperatively [15 (7-28) days before LVAD implantation; median (interquartile range)] and postoperatively up to the last available follow-up [501 (283-848) days after LVAD]. We collected mortality, complications and clinical status indicators of the patient cohort. RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in the severity of MR after LVAD implantation (severe MR 51% pre-vs 6% post-LVAD implantation, P < 0.001). There was no difference between groups in terms of right heart failure, rate of urgent heart transplantation, pump thrombosis or ventricular arrhythmias. There was no difference in 1-year survival and 3-year survival (87.7% vs 88.4% and 71.8% vs 66.6% for Groups A and B, respectively, P = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative severe MR resolves in the majority of patients early on after LVAD implantation and is not associated with worse clinical outcomes or intermediate-term survival.

The pulp and paper industry together with lignocellulosic biofuel production provides plentiful streams of lignin and lignin-derived molecules (LDMs) that currently remain underutilized. The heterogeneity and complexity of lignin along with the lack of convenient tools significantly hamper its utilization. Selective separation of these LDMs from streams using specific tools would allow the recovery of aromatic compounds, as well as facilitate biological processes aiming at lignin valorization. To this end, here we report the isolation and characterization of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against ferulate, coumarate, and caffeate, which are the molecular representatives of LDMs. Binders for the target LDMs were enriched by interrogating a synthetic scFv library with the phage display technique. As a result, scFv binders specific against each of the target molecules were obtained with affinities in the micromolar range. The selectivity of scFvs towards specific LDMs was proved by recovering caffeate from simulated LDM solution, Kraft lignin, and rice straw hydrolysate samples. Further proof of concept studies with model compounds demonstrated the applicability of antibody-based binders as a detection tool for monitoring microbial LDM conversion. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of scFv binders as a specific toolset for lignin compound recovery and analysis. publishedVersion

The altered metabolism of cancer cells, first recognized by Warburg as aerobic glycolysis, has often been ascribed to answering increased needs for macromolecular biosynthesis to support rapid tumor growth. Recent discoveries that mutations leading to accumulation of fumarate, succinate or 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) may drive cancer via targeting chromatin and DNA modifying enzymes have forced a reevaluation. Indeed, multiple metabolic intermediates can modulate chromatin modifiers, suggesting that altered metabolism may drive epigenetic changes enabling carcinogenesis. Our work has implicated a distinct mechanism, whereby metabolic reprogramming and altered chromatin promote genomic instability and cellular immortality, two hallmarks of cancer. This work began with efforts to target the Warburg effect with small-molecule glucose uptake inhibitors. While targeting glycolysis failed to affect cell proliferation on its own, treated cells were sensitized to radiation, displaying a loss of DNA repair and increased cellular senescence. Working downstream, we found much of this effect was mediated by the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) which brings together glucose and glutamine to produce N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) to support protein glycosylation. Thousands of nuclear, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial protein serine and threonine residues can be modified by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and the resulting O-GlcNAcylation is linked to stress and DNA damage tolerance. Our data implicated the polycomb repressive complexes PRC1 and 2 and their catalytic subunits BMI1 and EZH2 as key OGT targets. Small molecule inhibitors and/or RNAi targeting the HBP, OGT, BMI1 or EZH2 similarly delayed DSB repair and induced senescence after irradiation. In light of others' work linking the histone H3 K27 methyltransferase activity of EZH2 to 53BP1 binding at DSBs to drive repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), these studies suggest a pathway from the Warburg effect to O-GlcNAcylation and rapid, error-prone DSB repair. Working downstream to validate this mechanism, we discovered that glycolysis and the HBP balanced an antagonistic effect of the TCA cycle on DSB repair. Excess α-ketoglutarate (2-OG) serves as a cofactor for diverse dioxygenases, including the lysine demethylases (KDMs) that antagonize histone methyltransferases such as EZH2. Activating the TCA cycle or providing exogenous 2-OG blocked DSB repair after irradiation and increased senescence while inhibiting all 2-OG-dependent dioxygenases or only the KDM enzymes that remove histone modifications by EZH2 at H3 K27 or G9A at H3 K9 restored DSB repair. This led us to examine the effects of treating cells with the oncometabolite 2-HG, known to mediate its effects by serving as a 2-OG-dependent dioxygenase inhibitor. While prior attention has largely focused on TET DNA demethylases as 2-HG targets and epigenetic mechanisms for carcinogenesis, we observed 2-HG blocking KDM enzymes to accelerate error-prone NHEJ repair, suggesting a role in genomic instability in IDH mutant cells. Toward translation, we have examined the effects of blocking O-GlcNAcylation in vivo as a means to sensitize tumors to radiation. Animals bearing tumors expressing shRNA targeting OGT or treated with OGT inhibitors and then irradiated displayed decreased protein O-GlcNAcylation, a delay in DSB repair, greater cell death, delayed cell recovery and increased senescence. In turn, when animals were treated with GlcNAc or with shRNA or inhibitors targeting O-GlcNAcase, their tumors displayed increased O-GlcNAcylation and dramatic radiation resistance, indicating accelerated DSB repair in vivo. These results implicate OGT and O-GlcNAcyation as a new mechanism by which the Warburg effect may mediate resistance to radiation therapy. Further, our studies point to dietary interventions and/or drugs targeting OGT as a route to improving outcomes from radiotherapy in the clinic. Taken together, an implication of this work is that cancer metabolism may help drive carcinogenesis by shifting repair to NHEJ and away from HR, leading to genomic instability, as well as by overcoming barriers to transformation such as accelerated senescence to promote cell immortality. Our studies argue for renewed efforts to explore cancer metabolism as a target for prevention and therapy, with a focus on leveraging crosstalk with pathways regulating cellular responses to DNA damage. Citation Format: Elena Efimova, Yue Liu, Julian Lutze, Tamica Collins, Amy Flor, Jacqueline Brinkman, Don Wolfgeher, Sara Warrington, Stephen J. Kron. Shutting off cancer's fountain of youth: Targeting metabolism to block repair and reverse immortality [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY21-03.

Background Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are common in patients after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of VAs and their impact on mortality in LVAD patients. Methods A total of 98 consecutive patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (86 [88%] male, mean age 57 ± 10 years), 57 [58%] with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy) who had received an LVAD between May 2011 and December 2013 at our institution were included in the study. Results Mean left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter were 20% ± 8% and 73 ± 11 mm, respectively. Seventy-three patients (75%) had atrial fibrillation (AF). During the 12 months before LVAD implantation, 38 patients (39%) had experienced ≥1 episode of VAs (11.5 ± 20) requiring ICD therapies. The number of patients with VAs was comparable among all types of ICDs (P = .48). During the 12-month follow-up after LVAD implantation, 48 patients (49%) experienced ≥1 episode of VAs (30 ± 98) with appropriate ICD therapies. The prevalence of VAs was significantly higher among patients with pre-LVAD VAs compared to those without VAs during the year before LVAD implantation (66% vs 38%; P = .008). In a binary multiple logistic regression analysis, pre-LVAD VAs (hazard ratio 5.36, 95% confidence interval 2.0–14.3; P = .001) and AF (hazard ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval 1.1–11.9; P = .024) predicted post-LVAD VAs. Conclusion Pre-LVAD VAs and AF predict the occurrence of VAs after LVAD implantation. According to the latest data on the negative impact of post-LVAD VAs on all-cause mortality, further studies should clarify the reasonability of maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with AF and/or prophylactic catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardias before LVAD implantation.

In this paper, a structuration model is developed to evaluate opportunities and constraints that may arise for a port authority operating a port in the Arctic. The study builds upon the new institutionalist approach to transport infrastructure policy. It argues that given the specificity of operational conditions in the Arctic, as well as the expectations of the resource-driven future transformations, the conventional port development models cannot accurately depict factors of Arctic port activity. The proposed structuration approach focuses on how four dimensions of the policy environment (physical, economic, institutional, and environmental) enable and constrain policy choices available to a port authority. Application of this model to the case of Sabetta, a deep-sea multi-functional port constructed in the Ob estuary of the Yamal peninsula (Russia), demonstrates the inextricable links between actions and institutions and pinpoints the uncertainty factors that affect Arctic port development ‘from scratch’. The practical objective of this research is to introduce a dynamic multi-factor model for systematic evaluation of the policy environment in Arctic port development. Given that industrial activities in the Arctic region will proceed at the current speed or accelerate, lessons learned from the case of Sabetta will be relevant to other port infrastructure projects in the Arctic.

Novel monoisomeric perylene imide derivatives with terpyridinyl and pyrrolidinyl substituents were synthesized and deposited onto solid substrates, such as a thin film of Al2 O3 and mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticle layer, by using a simple dip-by-dip method. Arrays of up to 33 layers were built on Al2 O3 . In the case of mesoporous TiO2 , the interstitial volume between the particles was filled up with dye assemblies. Deposition could produce either layers of microcrystals or molecular layers if an appropriate washing procedure was used. The resultant arrays were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, and UV/Vis absorption.

The primary aim of the paper is to evaluate the influence of road transportation on the basic regional indicators. Using official statistics, the authoritative theoretical and methodological proven methods we discovered that high traffic volume and traffic congestion together lead to extra spending of car-owners. In the paper we are working out the formula to evaluate these ‘losses’ and apply it to the transport system of Saint Petersburg. We determine the interrelatedness of socio-economic indexes and transport system indicators. The study proves the relevance of transport strategy development in Saint Petersburg.

Epicardial radiofrequency catheter ablation is currently considered as the therapeutic option of choice in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) and recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT). We hypothesised that inducibility of VT may guide the ablation strategy and thereby affect long-term results. Additional epicardial ablation was only performed if VT were still inducible after thorough endocardial ablation. The objective was to examine an inducibility-guided ablation approach by comparing the long-term results between endocardial and epi-endocardial radiofrequency catheter ablation of VT in a large cohort of patients with ARVD/C. We studied from our ARVD/C registry (70 patients in total, 48 males, age 53.2 ± 14.0) 45 patients (64.3% of all patients) who underwent catheter ablation of VT. All patients received endocardial VT ablation. After endocardial ablation, 24 patients (53.3%) remained inducible. Additional epicardial ablation was performed in 22 patients (48.9%). After ablation, non-inducibility was achieved in overall 38 patients (84.4%). During a mean follow-up of 31.1 ± 27.4 months, 13 patients in each group (59.1% after endo- and epicardial ablation, 56.5% after endocardial ablation) remained free from VT recurrence (P = 0.862). An inducibility-guided catheter ablation strategy of VT in patients with ARVD/C prevents unnecessary epicardial ablation and may therefore be considered as an alternative to primary combined endo- and epicardial ablation.

Metabolic engineering can be used as a powerful tool to redirect cell resources towards product synthesis, also in conditions that are not optimal. An example of a synthesis pathway strongly dependent on external conditions is the production of storage lipids, which typically requires high carbon/nitrogen ratio.Acinetobacter baylyiADP1 is known for its ability to produce industrially interesting storage lipids, namely wax esters (WEs). Here, we engineered the central carbon metabolism ofA. baylyiADP1 by deletion of the geneaceAencoding for isocitrate lyase in order to allow redirection of carbon towards WEs. The production was further enhanced by overexpression of fatty acyl-CoA reductase Acr1 in the wax ester production pathway. This strategy led to 3-fold improvement in yield (0.075 g/g glucose) and 3.15-fold improvement in titer (1.82 g/L) and productivity (0.038 g/L/h) by a simple one-stage batch cultivation with glucose as carbon source. The engineered strain accumulated up to 27% WEs of cell dry weight. The titer and cellular WE content are the highest reported to date among microbes. We further showed that the engineering strategy alleviated the inherent requirement for high carbon/nitrogen ratio and demonstrated the production of wax esters using nitrogen-rich substrates including casamino acids, yeast extract and baker’s yeast hydrolysate, which support biomass production but not WE production in wild-type cells. The study demonstrates the power of metabolic engineering in overcoming natural limitations in the production of storage lipids.

Metabolic engineering can be used as a powerful tool to redirect cell resources towards product synthesis, also in conditions that are not optimal for the production. An example of synthesis strongly dependent on external conditions is the production of storage lipids, which typically requires a high carbon/nitrogen ratio. This requirement also limits the use of abundant nitrogen-rich materials, such as industrial protein by-products, as substrates for lipid production. Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is known for its ability to produce industrially interesting storage lipids, namely wax esters (WEs). Here, we engineered A. baylyi ADP1 by deleting the gene aceA encoding for isocitrate lyase and overexpressing fatty acyl-CoA reductase Acr1 in the wax ester production pathway to allow redirection of carbon towards WEs. This strategy led to 3-fold improvement in yield (0.075 ​g/g glucose) and 3.15-fold improvement in titer (1.82 ​g/L) and productivity (0.038 ​g/L/h) by a simple one-stage batch cultivation with glucose as carbon source. The engineered strain accumulated up to 27% WEs of cell dry weight. The titer and cellular WE content are the highest reported to date among microbes. We further showed that the engineering strategy alleviated the inherent requirement for high carbon/nitrogen ratio and demonstrated the production of wax esters using nitrogen-rich substrates including casamino acids, yeast extract, and baker’s yeast hydrolysate, which support biomass production but not WE production in wild-type cells. The study demonstrates the power of metabolic engineering in overcoming natural limitations in the production of storage lipids., Highlights • Efficient wax ester (WE) accumulation with low carbon/nitrogen ratio was demonstrated • Deletion of aceA and overexpression of acr1 enhanced WE production in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 • The highest WE titer, productivity, and cellular WE content reported to date was achieved • Engineered strain produced WEs directly from nitrogen-rich substrates • Metabolic engineering alleviated the native restrictions behind WE synthesis

World economic crises, anti-Russian sanctions and counter sanctions destabilized handled cargo volumes in the Eastern Baltic ports. Seeking new cargo resources became an important problem for the port authorities. Asian direction, Chinese in particular, attract an attention of official institutes and business entities that are involved in transportation activities. Chinese-European traffic can be implemented differently: via railway, marine, avia infrastructure. Commodities owners - primary beneficiaries of transport networks - choose routes and logistical technologies to provide shortest, cheapest and fastest delivery of goods. Spatial development and logistics theories demonstrate simple and easy mechanisms of cargo routing traffic. The statistical data analysis permits us to issue the main hypothesis concerning the idea that in spite of the fact that Russia still occupies essential role in East-West transport traffic, one could observe the following phenomena: Baltic states substitute the former Soviet into Chinese traffic and trade flows. The goal of this paper is to identify major motives and triggers of Asian-European cargo traffic planning. To reach the goal we observe the following objectives: compare and analyze international trade flows between different countries (Baltic, Nordic, Russia, Kazakhstan) under consideration, summarize Eastern Baltic Port Authorities (Gdansk, Klaipeda, Riga) features, evaluate the political factor influence on trade and transport sector activities.

Lignin has potential as a sustainable feedstock for microbial production of industrially relevant molecules. However, the required lignin depolymerization yields a heterogenic mixture of aromatic monomers that are challenging substrates for the microorganisms commonly used in industry. Here, we investigated the properties of lignin-derived molecules (LDMs), namely coumarate, ferulate, and caffeate, in the synthesis of biomass and products in a LDM-utilizing bacterial hostAcinetobacter baylyiADP1. The biosynthesis products, wax esters and alkanes, are relevant compounds for the chemical and fuel industries. InA. baylyiADP1, wax esters are produced by a native pathway, whereas alkanes are produced by a synthetic pathway introduced to the host. Using individual LDMs as substrates, the growth, product formation, and toxicity to cells were monitored with internal biosensors. Of the tested LDMs, coumarate was the most propitious in terms of product synthesis. Wax esters were produced from coumarate with a yield and titer of 40 mg /gcoumarateand 221 mg/L, whereas alkanes were produced with a yield of 62.3 μg /gcoumarateand titer of 152 μg/L. This study demonstrates the microbial preference for certain LDMs, and highlights the potential ofA. baylyiADP1 as a convenient host for LDM upgrading to value-added products.

For improving the microbial production of fuels and chemicals, gene knock-outs and overexpression are routinely applied to intensify the carbon flow from substrate to product. However, their possibilities in dynamic control of the flux between the biomass and product synthesis are limited, whereas dynamic metabolic switches can be used for optimizing the distribution of carbon and resources. The production of single cell oils is especially challenging, as the synthesis is strictly regulated, competes directly with biomass, and requires defined conditions, such as nitrogen limitation. Here, we engineered a metabolic switch for redirecting carbon flow from biomass to wax ester production in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 using acetate as a carbon source. Isocitrate lyase, an essential enzyme for growth on acetate, was expressed under an arabinose inducible promoter. The autonomous downregulation of the expression is based on the gradual oxidation of the arabinose inducer by a glucose dehydrogenase gcd. The depletion of the inducer, occurring simultaneously to acetate consumption, switches the cells from a biomass mode to a lipid synthesis mode, enabling the efficient channelling of carbon to wax esters in a simple batch culture. In the engineered strain, the yield and titer of wax esters were improved by 3.8 and 3.1 folds, respectively, over the control strain. In addition, the engineered strain accumulated wax esters 19% of cell dry weight, being the highest reported among microbes. The study provides important insights into the dynamic engineering of the biomass-dependent synthesis pathways for the improved production of biocompounds from low-cost and sustainable substrates. Keywords: Lipid biosynthesis, Wax esters, Acetate, Dynamic control, Decoupling, Autonomous circuit

Intranatal aspiration syndrome (AS) in newborns remains a relevant topic in neonatology. Less attention was paid to postnatal aspiration in neonates and infants, despite its clinical significance. Objective of the research - to study AS frequency and structure in children under one year of age, improvement of diagnostic and therapeutic tactics for this pathology. Authors analyzed history of 1052 children (624 neonates and 428 infants), hospitalized in the Department of breast somatic of St. Vladimir9s Children9s Clinical Hospital in 2014. Aspiration was suspected in 115 children (10,9% of all admissions to the department), including 70 newborns (11,2% of those hospitalized in the neonatal period) and 45 infants (10,5% respectively). AS was confirmed in 57 children (5,4% of all hospitalizations). AS frequency in neonates was 6,1%, including intranatal aspiration - 2,2%, postnatal aspiration - 3,8%. AS frequency in infants was 4,4%. Intranatal AS (24,6% of AS structure in children under one year of age) most often leads to aspiration pneumonia development (21,4%). Postnatal AS in neonates and infants occurs much more frequently (75,4%), however, it does not give such a high frequency of inflammatory complications (11,6%), and its most common cause is regurgitation syndrome. Severe AS in this group of children is associated with severe gastroesophageal reflux. Timely examination of newborns and infants with regurgitation and vomiting syndromes is the basis for prevention of severe postnatal AS in the first year of life.

Background Integration of synthetic metabolic pathways to catabolically diverse chassis provides new opportunities for sustainable production. One attractive scenario is the use of abundant waste material to produce a readily collectable product, which can reduce the production costs. Towards that end, we established a cellular platform for the production of semivolatile medium-chain α-olefins from lignin-derived molecules: we constructed 1-undecene synthesis pathway in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 using ferulate, a lignin-derived model compound, as the sole carbon source for both cell growth and product synthesis. Results In order to overcome the toxicity of ferulate, we first applied adaptive laboratory evolution to A. baylyi ADP1, resulting in a highly ferulate-tolerant strain. The adapted strain exhibited robust growth in 100 mM ferulate while the growth of the wild type strain was completely inhibited. Next, we expressed two heterologous enzymes in the wild type strain to confer 1-undecene production from glucose: a fatty acid decarboxylase UndA from Pseudomonas putida, and a thioesterase ‘TesA from Escherichia coli. Finally, we constructed the 1-undecene synthesis pathway in the ferulate-tolerant strain. The engineered cells were able to produce biomass and 1-undecene solely from ferulate, and excreted the product directly to the culture headspace. Conclusions In this study, we employed a bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 to integrate a natural aromatics degrading pathway to a synthetic production route, allowing the upgradation of lignin derived molecules to value-added products. We developed a highly ferulate-tolerant strain and established the biosynthesis of an industrially relevant chemical, 1-undecene, solely from the lignin-derived model compound. This study reports the production of alkenes from lignin derived molecules for the first time and demonstrates the potential of lignin as a sustainable resource in the bio-based synthesis of valuable products. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1097-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

For improving the microbial production of fuels and chemicals, gene knock-outs and overexpression are routinely applied to intensify the carbon flow from substrate to product. However, their possibilities in dynamic control of the flux between the biomass and product synthesis are limited, whereas dynamic metabolic switches can be used for optimizing the distribution of carbon and resources. The production of single cell oils is especially challenging, as the synthesis is strongly regulated, competes directly with biomass, and requires defined conditions, such as nitrogen limitation. Here, we engineered a metabolic switch for redirecting carbon flow from biomass to wax ester production in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 using acetate as a carbon source. Isocitrate lyase, an essential enzyme for growth on acetate, was expressed under an arabinose inducible promoter. The autonomous downregulation of the expression is based on the gradual oxidation of the arabinose inducer by a glucose dehydrogenase gcd. The depletion of the inducer, occurring simultaneously to acetate consumption, switches the cells from a biomass mode to a lipid synthesis mode, enabling the efficient channelling of carbon to wax esters in a simple batch culture. In the engineered strain, the yield and titer of wax esters were improved by 3.8 and 3.1 folds, respectively, over the control strain. In addition, the engineered strain accumulated wax esters 19% of cell dry weight, being the highest reported among microbes. The study provides important insights into the dynamic engineering of the biomass-dependent synthesis pathways for the improved production of biocompounds from low-cost, sustainable substrates.

Introduction: Contested Russian Arctic Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen Part 1: Energy and economy Chapter 1. Economic Development of the Arctic Regions of Russia Shinichiro Tabata, Tomoko Tabata Chapter 2. Perspectives of Oil and Gas Development in the Russian Arctic Masumi Motomura Chapter 3. Northern Sea Route (NSR) shipping, current status and its feasibility Natsuhiko Otsuka, Toru Tamura, Masahiko Furuichi Chapter 4. Planning for a Sustainable Arctic: Regional development in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Russia) Daria Gritsenko, Elena Efimova Part 2: Diplomacy and security Chapter 5. The Twofold Development of the Arctic - where do the Arctic states stand? Lassi Heininen Chapter 6. Potential transboundary maritime energy disputes in the Arctic: the Russian perspective Valery Konyshev, Alexander Sergunin Chapter 7. Examining the execution of Russian military-security policies and programs in the Arctic Pavel K. Baev Part 3: Business and environment Chapter 8. Russian Arctic Development and Environmental Discourse Masahiro Tokunaga Chapter 9. Are Finnish Firms Willing to Explore the Russian Maritime and Offshore Industry? Perceptions of Finnish SMEs of the Russian Market and Export Collaboration Hanna Makinen, Eini Haaja Chapter 10. Cutting through Channels: Local Entrepreneurship of Indigenous Actors in Arctic Russia Masanori Goto Chapter 11. Disappearing White Fish and Remaining Black Fish in the Lower Ob' River and Its Tributaries: Conflict over the Use of Fish Resources between Indigenous People and Non-locals Yuka Oishi Part 4: Identity and community Chapter 12. Telling domestic and international policy stories: The case of Russian Arctic policy Daria Gritsenko, Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen Chapter 13. Simulating Sovereignty: The Role of the Arctic in Constructing Russian Post-Imperial Identity Sergei Medvedev Chapter 14. The Arctic in Russia's Fin-de-Siecle Imagination: The Paintings and Writings of Aleksandr Borisov Otto Boele Chapter 15. The image of the Russian North in I.Bilibin's creative work Dmitry Baranov

BackgroundThe versatility of microbial metabolic pathways enables their utilization in vast number of applications. However, the electron and carbon recovery rates, essentially constrained by limitations of cell energetics, are often too low in terms of process feasibility. Cocultivation of divergent microbial species in a single process broadens the metabolic landscape and thus, the possibilities for more complete carbon and energy utilization.ResultsIn this study, we integrated the metabolisms of two bacteria, an obligate anaerobeClostridium butyricumand an obligate aerobeAcinetobacter baylyiADP1. In the process, a glucose-negative mutant ofA. baylyiADP1 first deoxidized the culture allowingC. butyricumto grow and produce hydrogen from glucose. In the next phase, ADP1 produced long chain alkyl esters utilizing the by-products ofC. butyricum, namely acetate and butyrate.ConclusionsThe cocultivation of strictly anaerobic and aerobic bacteria allowed the production of both hydrogen gas and long-chain alkyl esters in a simple one-pot batch process. The study demonstrates the potential of ‘metabolic pairing’ using designed microbial consortia for optimal electron and carbon recovery.

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising technology for the reduction of carbon dioxide into value-added multicarbon molecules. In order to broaden the product profile of MES processes, we developed a two-stage process for microbial conversion of carbon dioxide and electricity into long chain alkyl esters. In the first stage, the carbon dioxide is reduced to organic compounds, mainly acetate, in a MES process by Sporomusa ovata. In the second stage, the liquid end-products of the MES process are converted to the final product by a second microorganism, Acinetobacter baylyi in an aerobic bioprocess. In this proof-of-principle study, we demonstrate for the first time the bacterial production of long alkyl esters (wax esters) from carbon dioxide and electricity as the sole sources of carbon and energy. The process holds potential for the efficient production of carbon-neutral chemicals or biofuels. acceptedVersion

This study aimed to analyze the influence of scar distribution between the endocardium and the epicardium in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C). Electroanatomical mapping data were derived from our ARVD/C registry. Myocardial voltage distribution between the endocardium and the epicardium was analyzed in 28 patients (18 men, 49.9 ± 13.0 years) with previous ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation and complete right ventricular maps. During the follow-up period of 28 ± 22 months after ablation, 18 of 28 patients (64.3%) remained free from VT recurrence. In univariate analysis, five variables associated with VT recurrence, i. e., advanced age, right ventricular (RV) myocardial voltage ratio ≥0.58, inducibility of VT after ablation, and longer procedure and fluoroscopy time. In binary logistic regression analysis only RV myocardial voltage ratio ≥0.58 (hazard ratio 11.667, 95% confidence interval 1.487–91.543, p = 0.012) remained associated with an increased risk of VT recurrence. The myocardial voltage ratio (bipolar low voltage area/unipolar low voltage area) as a potential surrogate parameter for scar distribution between the endocardium and the epicardium is significantly associated with the outcome after VT ablation in ARVD/C.

The goal of the paper concerns essential issue of economic growth diffusion and innovation diffusion in the context of its spatial dissemination forming framework of the electro technical industry of Russia and the Netherlands main actors micro-level growth comparison. Comparison of two companies economic growth and innovation diffusion proves that Russian high-tech LOMO4 having inormous innnovation portfolio but lack of financial capital could proceed only organic growth and hierarchical innovation diffusion compared to financial and innovational world giant Philips which shows growth scenario of organic and inorganic growth assimilation that implies hierarchical innovation diffusion priority and higher competitiveness than LOMO. JEL codes: D22, L63, O00, O31.