QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Higher education is broadly recognized as one of the most significant components of modern social and economic development. The quality of education at a university depends on factors such as how the university is managed, how effective the management decisions are, and what consequences they have for the advancement of society. While the consequences have numerous hardly equitable aspects, this article hypothesizes that it is possible to build a synthetic model for the assessment of university management, that takes into account a full range of existing quantitative and qualitative effects. The study aims to identify the relationship between the quality of management and the performance variables needed to build the model. The research methodology includes the application of econometric analysis for the formation, ranking, and determination of point values of a balanced scorecard (BSC). Finally, the findings of this research led to the creation of a workable model that allows both direct and reverse translation of a quantitative management assessment into a qualitative (verbal) one. Further, the verification using the available empirical data confirmed the model’s validity. We would thus recommend this model for solving a whole range of university management issues, especially in areas with predominant ripple and indirect effects, i.e., in the interaction of higher education entities with regional and local communities. &nbsp

Mathematical modeling of tomographic scanning of cylindrically shaped test objects

The paper formulates mathematical relationships that describe the length of the radiation absorption band in the test object for the first generation tomographic scan scheme. A cylindrically shaped test object containing an arbitrary number of standard circular irregularities is used to perform mathematical modeling. The obtained mathematical relationships are corrected with respect to chemical composition and density of the test object material. The equations are derived to calculate the resulting attenuation radiation from cobalt-60 isotope when passing through the test object. An algorithm to calculate the radiation flux intensity is provided. The presented graphs describe the dependence of the change in the [gamma]-quantum flux intensity on the change in the radiation source position and the scanning angle of the test object

Tree-Ring Structure of the Pinus sibirica and Pinus cembra Grafts as a Reflection of the Interaction of Scion and Rootstock

Проведен анализ анатомических характеристик годичных колец у подвоев P. sylvestris L. и привоев двух климатипов P. sibirica Du Tour (емельяновского и сургутского) и одного климатипа P. cembra L. (карпатского) за 10 лет их совместного роста. У привоев P. sibirica относительно контрольных деревьев увеличивается число трахеид, их радиальный диаметр и толщина клеточной стенки (кроме клеточной стенки сургутских привоев). В то же время в годичных кольцах подвоев P. sylvestris число трахеид и размеры данных характеристик уменьшаются относительно контрольных деревьев. Исключение составляет сосна обыкновенная, являющаяся подвоем для привоев сургутского климатипа, у которой радиальный диаметр трахеид переходной зоны увеличивается. Сезонная динамика радиального диаметра трахеид и толщины клеточной стенки привитых деревьев сохраняет свою видовую особенность, характерную для непривитых деревьев, что свидетельствует о стабильности генетической программы дифференциации ксилемы. Адаптация привоев к климатическим условиям их места происхождения не влияет на анатомическую структуру годичных колец подвоев в годы, близкие по условиям к климату региона происхождения привоевThe analysis of the anatomical characteristics of tree rings of P. sylvestris L. rootstocks and scions of P. sibirica Du Tour (Emelianovo and Surgut provenances) and P. cembra L. (Karpat provenance) has been carried out for 10 years of their joint growth. The number of tracheids, their radial diameter and the cell wall thickness for the P. sibirica scions increases relative to control trees (with the exception of the cell wall thickness for Surgut scions). At the same time, in the annual rings of the P. sylvestris rootstocks these characteristics as well as the number of tracheids decrease relative to the control trees. An exception is the Scots pine, which is the rootstock for Surgut provenance scion, for which the radial tracheid diameter of the transition zone increases. The seasonal dynamics of the radial tracheid diameter and the cell wall thickness of the grafted trees retains the species features typical for the ungrafted trees, suggesting the stability of the genetic program of xylem differentiation. The adaptation of scions to the climatic conditions of their place of origin does not affect the anatomical structure of the tree rings of the rootstocks during the years in which the conditions are close to the climate of the region of origin of the scion

Gender Imbalance In Vietnam: Problems And Solutions

In the modern world gender imbalance occurs on a global scale and it is especially aggravated in Asian countries. This phenomenon is understood as a change in the sexual structure of the population in the unfavourable direction, which depends on many factors. When examining the problem of gender imbalance, demographers consider the unbalanced sex ratio at birth to be the most important factor. In Vietnam over the last ten years, the imbalanced sex ratio at birth has been growing with inevitable consequences and is expanding throughout the country. Although the Vietnam government has taken into account the current situation and its decisions in China, India, pursuing policies aimed to its prevention, but the situation of gender imbalance has not been controlled yet. In recent years, the consequences of the gender imbalance for the country's socio-economic development and safe life of the population have been noted. The purpose of this article is to examine the current state of gender imbalance in Vietnam and to propose comprehensive measures of solving this problem in the future, in the context of implementing the third of the eight Millennium Development Goals in the UN Declaration, that is Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women. Data and methods: This article is based on the information from the officially published materials and statistical data of Vietnam, international organizations and other countries. While studying and analysing data and discussing the problems, the statistical, mathematical and sociological methods of research are used

The incidence of Wolbachia bacterial endosymbiont in bisexual and parthenogenetic populations of the psyllid genus Cacopsylla (Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

Wolbachia is one of the most common intracellular bacteria; it infects a wide variety of insects, other arthropods, and some nematodes. Wolbachia is ordinarily transmitted vertically from mother to offspring and can manipulate physiology and reproduction of their hosts in different ways, e.g., induce feminization, male killing, and parthenogenesis. Despite the great interest in Wolbachia, many aspects of its biology remain unclear and its incidence across many insect orders, including Hemiptera, is still poorly understood. In this report, we present data on Wolbachia infection in five jumping plant-lice species (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the genus Cacopsylla Ossiannilsson, 1970 with different reproductive strategies and test the hypothesis that Wolbachia mediates parthenogenetic and bisexual patterns observed in some Cacopsylla species. We show that the five species studied are infected with a single Wolbachia strain, belonging to the supergroup B. This strain has also been found in different insect orders (Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Plecoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera) and even in acariform mites (Trombidiformes), suggesting extensive horizontal transmission of Wolbachia between representatives of these taxa. Our survey did not reveal significant differences in infection frequency between parthenogenetic and bisexual populations or between males and females within bisexual populations. However, infection rate varied notably in different Cacopsylla species or within distinct populations of the same species. Overall, we demonstrate that Wolbachia infects a high proportion of Cacopsylla individuals and populations, suggesting the essential role of this bacterium in their biology.</p

Trace Element Patterns in Shells of Mussels (Bivalvia) Allow to Distinguish between Fresh- and Brackish-Water Coastal Environments of the Subarctic and Boreal Zone

The accumulation of trace metals in the shells of bivalves allows quantitative assessments of environmental pollution and helps to reconstruct paleo aquatic environments. However, the understanding on how marine and freshwater mollusks control the level of trace elements in their shells remains very limited. Here, we compared the trace element composition of marine and freshwater bivalves from boreal and subarctic habitats, using examples of widely distributed species of marine (Mytilus edulis, M. trossulus) and freshwater (Anodonta anatina, Unio sp., Beringiana beringiana) mussels. Sizable differences in several trace element concentrations were detected between different species, depending on their environmental niches. A multiparametric statistical treatment of the shell’s elemental composition allowed to distinguish the impact of external factors (water and sediment chemical composition) from active metabolic (biological) control. In particular, the obtained results demonstrated that Ba:Ca and Pb:Ca ratios in mussels’ shells are closely related to the primary productivity of aquatic ecosystems. The Mn:Ca ratio allowed to constrain the environmental conditions of mussels’ species depending on the trophic state of inhabited waterbody. Overall, the marine mussels exhibited stronger biological control of trace element accumulation, whereas trace element pattern in shells of freshwater mussels was chiefly controlled by environmental factors. The obtained results might help to use the trace element composition of bivalves in distinguishing marine and freshwater habitats of mollusks in paleo environments

Point mutations affecting yeast prion propagation change the structure of its amyloid fibrils

We investigated the effect of the point substitutions in the N-terminal domain of the yeast prion protein Sup35 (Sup35NMp) on the structure of its amyloid fibrils. As the objects of the study, proteins with mutations that have different influence on the [PSI+] prion propagation, but do not prevent the aggregation of Sup35NMp in vitro were chosen. The use of the wide range of physico-chemical methods allowed us to show significant differences in the structure of these aggregates, their physical size, clumping tendency. Also we demonstrated that the fluorescent probe thioflavin T (ThT) can be successfully used for investigation of subtle changes in the structural organization of fibrils formed from various Sup35NMp. The obtained results and our theoretical predictions allowed us to conclude that some of selected amino acid substitutions delimit the region of the protein that forms the core of amyloid fibrils, and change the fibrils structure. The relationship of structural features of in vitro Sup35NMp amyloid aggregates with the stability of the [PSI+] prion in vivo allowed us to suggest that oligopeptide repeats (R) of the amyloidogenic N-terminal domain of Sup35NMp from R0 to R2 play a key role in protein aggregation. Their arrangement rather than just presence is critical for propagation of the strong [PSI+] prion variants. The results confirm the suitability of the proposed combination of theoretical and empirical approaches for identifying changes in the amyloid fibrils structure, which, in turn, can significantly affect both the functional stability of amyloid fibrils and their pathogenicity.Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivo

Dependence of volume of blood perfusion in tissue of periodont from the degree of stress resistance and the anxiety level

To determine the dependence of the blood perfusion volume in the periodontal tissues on the degree of stress resistance and anxiety level in patients, we performed an examination, a survey and an index evaluation of periodontal disease. We also found out the level of emotional and psychological stress, the degree of anxiety and neurotic state in the subjects. Using laser Doppler flowmetry with a spectral analysis of blood flow oscillations, using the customary method on the LAKCOP apparatus, using a personalized kappa with a detachable fixative, the data on the parodontal blood supply parameters were determined. Patients with low stress tolerance and a high level of anxiety have significant differences from other study groups in virtually all parameters of dental status, in particular, with an increase in the level of psychoemotional tension, the intensity of carious diseases and inflammatory diseases of periodontal tissues increases. We got a significant decrease in the blood flow velocity in patients with psychoemotional stress .The rate of hemodynamics in the microcirculatory bed of periodontal tissues in patients of the control group is 1.5 times lower than in the patients of the third group and in 1.8 times in the patients of the fourth group.Для определения зависимости объёма перфузии крови в тканях пародонта от степени стрессоустойчивости и уровня тревожности у пациентов нами был проведен осмотр, опрос и индексная оценка пародонта. также мы выяснили уровень эмоционально-психологического напряжения, степень тревожности и невротического состояния у обследуемых. При помощи лазерной допплеровской флоуметрии со спектральным анализом колебаний кровотока по общепризнанной методике на аппарате ЛАККОП с применением персональной каппы со съемным фиксатором определили данные показателей кровоснабжения пародонта. Пациенты с низкой стрессоустойчивостью и высоким уровнем тревожности имеют достоверные отличия от других групп исследования фактически по всем параметрам стоматологического статуса, в частности, с увеличением уровня психоэмоционального напряжения возрастает интенсивность кариозных заболеваний и воспалительных заболеваний тканей пародонта. Получено значительное снижение скорости кровотока у пациентов в состоянии психоэмоционального напряжения. Скорость гемодинамики в микроциркуляторном русле тканей пародонта у пациентов контрольной группы в 1,5 раза ниже, чем у пациентов третьей группы и в 1,8 раза — у пациентов четвертой группы