INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CASE FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION IN TERMS OF SMART ECONOMICS

This research analyses information and communication technology as an effective tool and infrastructural basis for tertiary education development. The paper aimed to determine common roadmap of ICT implementation into national educational system taking into account variable factors of smart economics, global digitalisation and conditions of the international environment. Sufficient evidence of European countries’ willingness to ICT transformation is illustrated. A subsidiary objective of this research involves the building of a logical model outlining correlation between tertiary education and level of ICT access by the example of some European member states and Ukraine. Statistical data were based on variable indicators describing ICT infrastructure, education effectiveness and economics. The methodology of statistical methods and GAP-analysis was applied. This allowed revealing complex recommendations for the transformation of education into a smart education. The research highlights key considerations and important trends in the development of European education under the digitalisation

Fructose transport-deficient Staphylococcus aureus reveals important role of epithelial glucose transporters in limiting sugar-driven bacterial growth in airway surface liquid.

Hyperglycaemia as a result of diabetes mellitus or acute illness is associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory infection with Staphylococcus aureus. Hyperglycaemia increases the concentration of glucose in airway surface liquid (ASL) and promotes the growth of S. aureus in vitro and in vivo. Whether elevation of other sugars in the blood, such as fructose, also results in increased concentrations in ASL is unknown and whether sugars in ASL are directly utilised by S. aureus for growth has not been investigated. We obtained mutant S. aureus JE2 strains with transposon disrupted sugar transport genes. NE768(fruA) exhibited restricted growth in 10 mM fructose. In H441 airway epithelial-bacterial co-culture, elevation of basolateral sugar concentration (5-20 mM) increased the apical growth of JE2. However, sugar-induced growth of NE768(fruA) was significantly less when basolateral fructose rather than glucose was elevated. This is the first experimental evidence to show that S. aureus directly utilises sugars present in the ASL for growth. Interestingly, JE2 growth was promoted less by glucose than fructose. Net transepithelial flux of D-glucose was lower than D-fructose. However, uptake of D-glucose was higher than D-fructose across both apical and basolateral membranes consistent with the presence of GLUT1/10 in the airway epithelium. Therefore, we propose that the preferential uptake of glucose (compared to fructose) limits its accumulation in ASL. Pre-treatment with metformin increased transepithelial resistance and reduced the sugar-dependent growth of S. aureus. Thus, epithelial paracellular permeability and glucose transport mechanisms are vital to maintain low glucose concentration in ASL and limit bacterial nutrient sources as a defence against infection

Communicating the Foreign Policy Strategy: on Instruments and Means of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The worldwide practice demonstrates that foreign policy of the states is often directed by a some set of strategic priorities referred to as foreign policy strategy. By communicating this strategy, states declare their intentions and prime concerns, which both aid their internal policy integrity and international perception as a consistent actor. Modern technology and media enable states to conduct systematic outreach or at least sporadically cover of their foreign policy priorities. The purpose of the article is to characterize the problems of application of communication tools in the foreign policy process and determine their role in forming a positive image of Ukraine in the modern world. As the mission of providing of foreign policy is vested in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, its communication practices and tools are examined. The raised issue involves the consideration of modern aspects of diplomacy and communication relations, including the concepts of public diplomacy, as well as media and digital diplomacy. Their tools and practices have been embraced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in order to convey some strategic foreign policy directions and state-branding messages, as the well-rounded foreign policy strategy is absent in Ukraine