Digital Diplomacy and Social Media Networks: Contemporary Practices of Innovation in Foreign Policy

Introduction. The article is devoted to contemporary digital diplomacy, which is implemented within the framework of social networks. Unlike traditional diplomacy digital one operates in a different communicative space where blogs, electronic media and global social networks are the key communication channels. Using these tools allows digital diplomacy actors to influence events and communities in other countries. Methods and materials. Method of mixing qualitative and quantitative data, hashtag-analysis, comparative analysis of the social networks’ messages and accounts were able to understand the dynamics and interactions in social networks, engagement and possibilities of institutional and private actors in digital diplomacy. Analysis. In the 2000s foreign policy and public diplomacy began forming based on data on the mood of users of social networks and their preferences in politics. Thanks to this, digital diplomacy may well become one of the innovative tools for resolving modern global problems. Digital diplomacy, as a new method and the tool for implementing foreign policy, contributes to the effective functioning of departments and ministries of foreign affairs, their response to the needs of citizens, to emerging challenges and threats to state security, like a global epidemic or natural disasters. Using digital tools, it is possible to shape the norms of communication, interaction and decision-making by which diplomats perform their work, modifying the diplomatic process. Besides this digital diplomacy increases the attractiveness of the state in the eyes of the world community. Results. Based on a comparative analysis study of the content of social networks, it could be concluded that over almost a decade, from the 2010s to the 2020s, digital diplomacy has developed from a “soft power” mechanism to a method of information warfare and propaganda which involves artificial intelligence tools and big data. But this is predominantly characteristic of technologically developed countries. It is possible to conclude about future co-existence of traditional and digital diplomacies in a new hybrid variety. Authors’ contribution. In this article Liudmila M. Reshetnikova has contributed Introduction, Research Methods, Analysis and Results sections: identified risks and threats to digital diplomacy, analyzed the development of the soft power methods, identified features and tools of digital diplomacy. Irina M. Samokhina has contributed Analysis and Results sections: analyzed social networks and digital infrastructure for digital diplomacy and diplomatic activity, contemporary computer tools for learning about social networks

Survey of public awareness of services provided by employment centers

Background: The relevance of the study stems from the necessity to inform people about the work of the employment centers regarding the implementation of an effective state policy on the labor market. Thus, the article aims to identify the most and least popular public services provided by employment centers. This method of research on public awareness can be applied to study other public services in any city or region. Methodology: The basic approach used in the following study involved polling people on the streets of Moscow, the method of comparative and correlation analysis and statistical data analysis. Respondents were selected according to the requirements of the study, which enabled a detailed consideration of the awareness of people in Moscow regarding the public services provided by employment centers/local branches, as well as people’s opinion on the quality of services provided by employment centers/local branches people applied to. Choice of the region – the city of Moscow – was made due to the highest concentration of people from different social strata, as well as representatives of different cultures. Findings: The paper presents the findings of the comprehensive study conducted during 2016 that allowed distinguishing three levels of demand for public services: - Level 1 including the most popular public service – “Assistance in job search”; - Level 2 which embraces services providing information on the labor market; - Level 3 covering public services that make it easier for people to find work. Little demand for public services “Vocational training of the unemployed” and “Career advice” prevents increasing the labor mobility in the times of crisis. The material of the article can be used in developing measures to improve the availability of information on job offers and the variety of services, as well as when preparing documents for the study of public awareness on operation of various government agencies.peer-reviewe

Element composition of solid airborne particles deposited in snow in the vicinity of gas-fired heating plant

Local heating plants are the main pollution source of rural areas. Currently, there are few studies on the composition of local heating plants emissions. The article deals with the research results of air pollution level with solid airborne particles in the vicinity of local gas-fired heating plants of some districts of Tomsk region. The snow sampling was conducted for the purpose of solid airborne particles extraction from snow cover. The content of 28 chemical elements (heavy metals, rare earth and radioactive elements, aurum, argentum, bromine) in the samples was detected using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mercury content was determined by the flameless atomic absorption. The results have shown that the dust load value corresponds to low pollution level and 3,5 times exceeds the background value. It was detected, the content of studied elements exceeds the baseline data, and level of pollution with these elements corresponds to the average pollution level. It is suggested, the income of solid airborne particles containing these elements is connected both with emission of gas-fired heating plant, and local and trans-border sources

Fluorine concentration in snow cover within the impact area of aluminium production plant (Krasnoyarsk city) and coal and gas-fired power plant (Tomsk city)

The fluorine contents in snow melt water find in the impact areas of aluminum production plant and coal and gas-fired power plant are compared. In melt water, soluble fluoride is found in the form of fluoride ion, the content of which was determined by the potentiometric method using ion-selective electrode. According to the measurements of 2013-2014, fluoride content in melt water ranges 10.6-15.4 mg/dm{3} at the distance 1-3 km from the borders of Krasnoyarsk aluminum plant with the mean value 13.1 mg/dm{3}. Four-year monitoring from 2012 to 2015 in the impact area of Tomsk coal and gas-fired power plant showed that fluoride content in melt water in vicinity of the thermal power plant is significantly lower than in the samples from the impact area of the aluminum plant. But higher content of fluoride ion (0.2-0.3 mg/dm{3}) in snow samples in vicinity of coal and gas-fired power plant was revealed in winter of 2015. Intake of soluble fluoride is mostly explained by dust-aerosol emissions of study plants and deposition of fluorine compounds from air

ESTIMATION OF METASTATIC NEOGENESIS IN ASCITIC EXUDATE BY AN AUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL LIQUIDS

The aim is to carry out an automated analysis of biological liquids for the estimation of metastatic neogenesis in ascitic exudates.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of 40 case histories of patients with the ascitic syndrome of non-tumour (cirrhotic) and tumour genesis was performed. Traditional cytology was accompanied by an automated analysis of exudative fluids. The final diagnosis was verified using instrumental and pathomorphological methods. The processing of statistical data included an assessment of the intergroup difference significance.Results. Compared with cirrhotic ascites, the following parameters of the automated analysis of biological fluids are found to be statistically significant (p30% in the atypical cell screening system has been established. In the absence of an acute inflammatory reaction, the presence of eosinophils in the exudate should be interpreted as an indirect marker of a tumour process. According to the data obtained, the content of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in ascitic fluids does not depend on the nature of the process (p>0.05).Conclusion. The diagnostic capabilities of automated analysis of ascitic fluids are analysed. In the system of differential diagnosis of tumour and non-tumour processes, the following parameters are established to possess the greatest informative value: TCN, HF, and the presence of eosinophils (EO).Conflict of interest: the authors declare no conflict of interest

Rapid genotyping using pyrene-perylene locked nucleic acid complexes

We have developed an assay for single strand DNA and RNA detection which is based on novel pyrene−perylene FRET pairs attached to short LNA/DNA probes. The assay is based on ratiometric emission upon binding of target DNA/RNA by three combinations of fluorescent LNA/DNA reporter strands. Specific geometry of the pyrene fluorophore attached to the 2′-amino group of 2′-amino-LNA in position 4 allows for the first time to efficiently utilize dipole−dipole orientation parameter for sensing of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nucleic acid targets by FRET. Using novel probes, SNP detection is achieved with advantages of large Stokes shift (115 nm), high fluorescence quantum yields and low limit of target detection values (< 5 nM). Rapid and accurate genotyping of highly polymorphic HIV Pol cDNA and RNA fragments performed herein proves the possibility for broad application of the novel pyrene−perylene FRET pairs, e.g., in imaging and clinical diagnostics