THE INNOVATION RECEPTIVITY OF ENTERPRISES AS THE BASIS OF THEIR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

The paper deals with issues related to the innovation receptivity of enterprises which is indicative of their preparedness and ability to introduce innovations and intensify their innovative activity. High innovation receptivity may be interpreted as an indicator of the ability of an enterprise to gain competitive advantages, and hence, to exert certain competitive pressure on the other market players. Assessing the innovation receptivity helps identify weak spots in the performance of an enterprise and specify opportunities and actions for dealing with them

THE LIFE CYCLE OF PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMPANIES IN THE RUSSIAN ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

Professional players on the Russian market in microelectronics form temporary partnerships so that they can design and develop microelectronic devices with a certain life cycle. This paper proves that the capacity of such partnerships to develop successfully and to achieve the goals they have set depends on the stages of their development, i.e. the stages of a partnership life cycle. The materialisation of these partnerships refers to all stages of the technological value chain of microelectronic devices, which allows each professional player on the Russian market in microelectronics to perform their functions. Each stage of the partnership life cycle relates to specific features and key success factors. By analysing the stages of partnerships life cycles, it is possible to predict and identify potential problems in terms of the materialisation and development of interorganisational relationships

Attenuated palmitoylation of serotonin receptor 5-HT1A affects receptor function and contributes to depression-like behaviors

The serotonergic system and in particular serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1AR) are implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we demonstrated that 5-HT1AR is palmitoylated in human and rodent brains, and identified ZDHHC21 as a major palmitoyl acyltransferase, whose depletion reduced palmitoylation and consequently signaling functions of 5-HT1AR. Two rodent models for depression-like behavior show reduced brain ZDHHC21 expression and attenuated 5-HT1AR palmitoylation. Moreover, selective knock-down of ZDHHC21 in the murine forebrain induced depression-like behavior. We also identified the microRNA miR-30e as a negative regulator of Zdhhc21 expression. Through analysis of the post-mortem brain samples in individuals with MDD that died by suicide we find that miR-30e expression is increased, while ZDHHC21 expression, as well as palmitoylation of 5-HT1AR, are reduced within the prefrontal cortex. Our study suggests that downregulation of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation is a mechanism involved in depression, making the restoration of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation a promising clinical strategy for the treatment of MDD

Genetic landscape in Russian patients with familial left ventricular noncompaction

BackgroundLeft ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) cardiomyopathy is a disorder that can be complicated by heart failure, arrhythmias, thromboembolism, and sudden cardiac death. The aim of this study is to clarify the genetic landscape of LVNC in a large cohort of well-phenotyped Russian patients with LVNC, including 48 families (n=214).MethodsAll index patients underwent clinical examination and genetic analysis, as well as family members who agreed to participate in the clinical study and/or in the genetic testing. The genetic testing included next generation sequencing and genetic classification according to ACMG guidelines.ResultsA total of 55 alleles of 54 pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in 24 genes were identified, with the largest number in the MYH7 and TTN genes. A significant proportion of variants −8 of 54 (14.8%) −have not been described earlier in other populations and may be specific to LVNC patients in Russia. In LVNC patients, the presence of each subsequent variant is associated with increased odds of having more severe LVNC subtypes than isolated LVNC with preserved ejection fraction. The corresponding odds ratio is 2.77 (1.37 −7.37; p <0.001) per variant after adjustment for sex, age, and family.ConclusionOverall, the genetic analysis of LVNC patients, accompanied by cardiomyopathy-related family history analysis, resulted in a high diagnostic yield of 89.6%. These results suggest that genetic screening should be applied to the diagnosis and prognosis of LVNC patients

USING INTERNET SOURCES IN TEACHING ECONOMIC SUBJECTS

This paper examines the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the learning process by using economic and scientific information sources. The authors demonstrate that for improving the quality of higher education it is necessary to use Internet resources that have been previously assessed by the experts. Open information resources should be grouped and classified according to certain criteria. Such an approach enables not to take much time to search for sources of employment information at lectures and seminars. Orientation on formation of necessary information competencies among the students is also shown

Evaporation as a Method for Obtaining Plant Concentrates

Low-pressure vacuum evaporation is an effective way to obtain dry concentrates. However, some factors may affect its efficiency and speed. This article introduces the effect of technological factors on the evaporation process in a rotary evaporator. The research objective was to select the optimal mode to obtain concentrates and extracts from plant materials. The experimental studies involved standard research methods and a BUCHI Rotavapor laboratory rotary evaporator (BUCHI, Switzerland). The research featured a water-alcohol extract of wild blueberries and an enzymatic hydrolysate of grain sorghum (durra), obtained by biotechnological treatment with amylolytic enzyme preparations. The optimal evaporation mode included the following values: the volume of the evaporation flask was 1 L; the wall thickness of the flask was 1.8 mm; the angle of inclination was 25°; the rotation speed was 280 rpm; the temperature heating bath was 50–60°C; the steam temperature in the evaporator was 30–40°C. For condensation, the temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser was 10–20°C. The experiment yielded a concentrate of blue-violet blueberries with 70–72% solids. The content of polyphenolic compounds was 1.86 times as high as in the original water-alcohol extract while that of anthocyanins was 1.4 times as high. The enzymatic hydrolysate of grain sorghum yielded a condensed sugar syrup with 78–80% solids and 91–92% reducing sugars in terms of glucose equivalent. The research provided optimal modes of evaporation for extracts and enzymatic hydrolysates from plant raw materials in a rotary evaporator. The plant concentrates had a high content of solids and maintained the sensory properties of the raw material

Study of the Cathode Pt-Electrocatalysts Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide with Pt-SnO₂ Hetero-Clusters

A complex study of the structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties of the Pt20/SnO210/RGO electrocatalyst is presented. The advantage of the chemical synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (c-RGO) compared to thermal methods (t-RGO) is due to the formation of graphene plates with amorphous carbon black agglomerates and the chemical composition of the surface. The nature of the interaction between platinum and tin dioxide particles and a conclusion about the formation of heterostructures Pt-SnO2 with the surface interaction of lattices excluding the formation of hetero phases has been established. This achieves high dispersity during the formation of platinum particles without significant agglomeration and increases the electrochemical surface area (ESA) of platinum to 85 m2 g−1 vs. carbon black. In addition, the surface interaction of particles and the formation of hetero-clusters Pt-SnO2 can cause the improved activity and stability of the Pt20/SnO210/c-RGO electrocatalyst

Attenuated palmitoylation of serotonin receptor 5-HT1A affects receptor function and contributes to depression-like behaviors

The serotonergic system and in particular serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1AR) are implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we demonstrated that 5-HT1AR is palmitoylated in human and rodent brains, and identified ZDHHC21 as a major palmitoyl acyltransferase, whose depletion reduced palmitoylation and consequently signaling functions of 5-HT1AR. Two rodent models for depression-like behavior show reduced brain ZDHHC21 expression and attenuated 5-HT1AR palmitoylation. Moreover, selective knock-down of ZDHHC21 in the murine forebrain induced depression-like behavior. We also identified the microRNA miR-30e as a negative regulator of Zdhhc21 expression. Through analysis of the post-mortem brain samples in individuals with MDD that died by suicide we find that miR-30e expression is increased, while ZDHHC21 expression, as well as palmitoylation of 5-HT1AR, are reduced within the prefrontal cortex. Our study suggests that downregulation of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation is a mechanism involved in depression, making the restoration of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation a promising clinical strategy for the treatment of MDD