Russian Demographic Data Sheet 2016

The Russian Demographic Datasheet 2016 shows key demographic data, population trends and projections until 2035. It covers fertility, mortality, migration, population structure including population ageing and their changes. The datasheet combines data for the national level, all regions and districts, and features maps, population pyramids, rankings, graphs and a glossary. It pays special attention to the importance of alternative indicators of population ageing for the current and future population changes across Russia. All information is provided in both languages, Russian and English. The project is a collaboration between IIASA, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), and the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

PeTTSy : a computational tool for perturbation analysis of complex systems biology models

Background Over the last decade sensitivity analysis techniques have been shown to be very useful to analyse complex and high dimensional Systems Biology models. However, many of the currently available toolboxes have either used parameter sampling, been focused on a restricted set of model observables of interest, studied optimisation of a objective function, or have not dealt with multiple simultaneous model parameter changes where the changes can be permanent or temporary. Results Here we introduce our new, freely downloadable toolbox, PeTTSy (Perturbation Theory Toolbox for Systems). PeTTSy is a package for MATLAB which implements a wide array of techniques for the perturbation theory and sensitivity analysis of large and complex ordinary differential equation (ODE) based models. PeTTSy is a comprehensive modelling framework that introduces a number of new approaches and that fully addresses analysis of oscillatory systems. It examines sensitivity analysis of the models to perturbations of parameters, where the perturbation timing, strength, length and overall shape can be controlled by the user. This can be done in a system-global setting, namely, the user can determine how many parameters to perturb, by how much and for how long. PeTTSy also offers the user the ability to explore the effect of the parameter perturbations on many different types of outputs: period, phase (timing of peak) and model solutions. PeTTSy can be employed on a wide range of mathematical models including free-running and forced oscillators and signalling systems. To enable experimental optimisation using the Fisher Information Matrix it efficiently allows one to combine multiple variants of a model (i.e. a model with multiple experimental conditions) in order to determine the value of new experiments. It is especially useful in the analysis of large and complex models involving many variables and parameters. Conclusions PeTTSy is a comprehensive tool for analysing large and complex models of regulatory and signalling systems. It allows for simulation and analysis of models under a variety of environmental conditions and for experimental optimisation of complex combined experiments. With its unique set of tools it makes a valuable addition to the current library of sensitivity analysis toolboxes. We believe that this software will be of great use to the wider biological, systems biology and modelling communities

Stochastic beamforming for cochlear implant coding

Cochlear implants are prosthetic devices used to provide hearing to people who would otherwise be profoundly deaf. The deliberate addition of noise to the electrode signals could increase the amount of information transmitted, but standard cochlear implants do not replicate the noise characteristic of normal hearing because if noise is added in an uncontrolled manner with a limited number of electrodes then it will almost certainly lead to worse performance. Only if partially independent stochastic activity can be achieved in each nerve fibre can mechanisms like suprathreshold stochastic resonance be effective. We are investigating the use of stochastic beamforming to achieve greater independence. The strategy involves presenting each electrode with a linear combination of independent Gaussian noise sources. Because the cochlea is filled with conductive salt solutions, the noise currents from the electrodes interact and the effective stimulus for each nerve fibre will therefore be a different weighted sum of the noise sources. To some extent therefore, the effective stimulus for a nerve fibre will be independent of the effective stimulus of neighbouring fibres. For a particular patient, the electrode position and the amount of current spread are fixed. The objective is therefore to find the linear combination of noise sources that leads to the greatest independence between nerve discharges. In this theoretical study we show that it is possible to get one independent point of excitation (one null) for each electrode and that stochastic beamforming can greatly decrease the correlation between the noise exciting different regions of the cochlea. © 2007 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Competitive resource vrio-profile of a high-tech enterprise

Achieving competitive success of Russian high-tech enterprises in the conditions of economy of knowledge, technology and innovation is largely driven by the effective use and accelerated development of their own resource base. In this regard, there is a need for continuous monitoring and analysis of the enterprises’ resource potential dynamics. The aim of this article is to develop a methodological tool for assessing the competitiveness of high-tech industrial enterprises on the basis of indicators characterizing the manifestation rate of competitive properties in the resources. The proposed method furthers theoretical and methodological aspects of the resource theory developed by Jay Barney, in particular the qualitative assessment the VRIO framework parameters: Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Organization. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the interpretation of the VRIO criteria set, the development of quantitative methods for calculation of their parameters and combining numeric values of these criteria in the integral evaluation - a competitive resource VRIO-profile of the enterprise. Its use allows us to carry out in-house analysis of the status and dynamics of the resource potential, to identify timely negative trends in the development of resources competitive properties, to select reasonable management strategies in order to improve competitiveness, and also to define priority measures within an innovative development program of high-tech enterprises. The practical importance of this research is that its results and conclusions can be used in strategic economic activity planning of high-tech industrial enterprises. Separate theoretical and methodological positions can be of interest to educational institutions and research organizations and applied in the development and implementation of programs to enhance competitiveness.Достижение конкурентного успеха российских высокотехнологичных предприятий в условиях экономики знаний, технологий и инноваций в значительной степени обусловливается эффективным использованием и ускоренным развитием их собственной ресурсной базы. В связи с этим возникает потребность в непрерывном мониторинге и анализе динамики развития ресурсного потенциала данных предприятий. Целью настоящей статьи является разработка методического инструмента оценки конкурентоспособности высокотехнологичных промышленных предприятий на базе индикаторов, характеризующих степень проявления в ресурсах конкурентных свойств. Предложенная методика развивает теоретические и методологические аспекты ресурсной теории Джея Барни в части количественной оценки ресурсных параметров: ценности (Value), редкости (Rarity), неимитируемости (Inimitability) и организованности (Organization). Научная новизна исследования состоит в интерпретации набора критериев VRIО, разработке методики расчета их параметров и объединении численных показателей этих критериев в интегральную оценку - конкурентный ресурсный VRIO-профиль предприятия. Его применение позволяет проводить внутрифирменный анализ состояния и динамики ресурсного потенциала, своевременно выявлять негативные тенденции в формировании конкурентных свойств ресурсов, а также обоснованно подходить к выбору управленческой стратегии повышения конкурентоспособности и определять приоритетные мероприятия в рамках реализации программ инновационного развития высокотехнологичных предприятий. Практическая значимость данного исследования заключается в том, что его результаты и выводы могут быть использованы в стратегическом планировании хозяйственной деятельности современных высокотехнологичных промышленных предприятий. Отдельные теоретические и методологические положения работы могут представлять интерес для университетов и исследовательских организаций и применяться при разработке и реализации программ повышения конкурентоспособности

Decision making tool for determining the points of innovation and technological development of the region

A research purpose is to modify the model of a patent landscape on an algorithm for the complex construction of the technological landscape, taking into account the ecological and economic features of the region. Technological landscape as a management tool for determining the points of innovation and technological development involves three basic stages. The first stage is to analyze the ecological and resource conditions in the region. The second is to build the model of the well-known patent landscape. In the third stage, identification of the chosen direction, affect investment and development opportunities are presented to support the innovation and technological development of the region. Technological landscape opportunities in the direction of iron metallurgy are constructed for the Sverdlovsk region. The methodology of building technological landscapes over time may be useful in the construction and analysis of the technological trend of the studied direction. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd

SECTORAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS BASED ON LEAN PRINCIPLES

In the article the sectoral production systems development problems based on lean principles are presented that allows to define the whole features list and also the multi-industry model for the development of production systems. The article contains investigation results of the existing problems

COVID-19 and excess mortality in Russia: Regional estimates of life expectancy losses in 2020 and excess deaths in 2021

Accurately counting the human cost of the COVID-19 at both the national and regional level is a policy priority. The Russian Federation currently reports one of the higher COVID-19 mortality rates in the world; but estimates of mortality differ significantly. Using a statistical method accounting for changes in the population age structure, we present the first national and regional estimates of excess mortality for 2021; calculations of excess mortality by age, gender, and urban/rural status for 2020; and mean remaining years of life expectancy lost at the regional level. We estimate that there were 351,158 excess deaths in 2020 and 678,022 in 2021 in the Russian Federation; and, in 2020, around 2.0 years of life expectancy lost. While the Russian Federation exhibits very high levels of excess mortality compared to other countries, there is a wide degree of regional variation: in 2021, excess deaths expressed as a percentage of expected deaths at the regional level range from 27% to 52%. Life expectancy loss is generally greater for males; while excess mortality is greater in urban areas. For Russia as whole, an average person who died due to the pandemic in 2020 would have otherwise lived for a further 14 more years (and as high as 18 years in some regions), disproving the widely held view that excess mortality during the pandemic period was concentrated among those with few years of life remaining–especially for females. At a regional level, less densely populated, more remote regions, rural regions appear to have fared better regarding excess mortality and life expectancy loss–however, a part of this differential could be owing to measurement issues. The calculations demonstrate more clearly the true degree of the human cost of the pandemic in the Russian Federation

Possibilities of peripheral magnetic neuromodulation in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men

Introduction. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in men and are associated with a significant decrease in quality of life. To date, there is no universal approach to the treatment of LUTS, which determines the need to search for new methods for influencing the lower urinary tract.Purpose of the study. To test the hypothesis that the use of peripheral magnetic neuromodulation (PMN) in male patients with LUTS will reduce the severity of LUTS.Materials and methods. Sixty-eight men with LUTS were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio for PMN or drug therapy with an alpha-1-blocker (tamsulosin). The primary endpoint was a reduction the LUTS severity such as urinary frequency during the day, nocturia and urgency as assessed using the IPSS questionnaire and urination diary. Improvements in urodynamic parameters such as maximum urine flow rate (Q max), mean urine flow rate (Q ave), and residual urine volume (PVR) were the secondary endpoint of the study. The results were evaluated on equal terms (10 days and 1 month) in both groups.Results. Sixty-seven (98.5%) subjects were included in the final base. Ten days after the start of therapy in the magnetic stimulation group, symptom relief was noted by 21 people (61.7%), the mean IPSS score showed a decrease from 18.1 ± 2.1 to 16.9 ± 3.2 points (p = 0.037). The number of urinations per day decreased from 14 (6 - 20) to 10 (6 - 14) times (p < 0.001). Objective indicators of urodynamics did not change in both groups. At a period of 1 month, PMN occurred in 22 (64.7%) patients, the IPSS score was 16.6 ± 3.7 points (p = 0.032), the number of urinations 9 (6 - 14) times (p < 0.001). Objective indicators have not changed. In the tamsulosin group, IPSS score changed from 19.27 ± 5.08 to 15.4 ± 4.85 (p < 0.001), Q max 14.36 ± 2.82 ml/s increased to 15.94 ± 2.71 ml/s (p = 0.032), while the Q ave did not change (p = 0.17). The number of urinations decreased from 13 (6 - 19) times to 10 (6 - 14) times (p <0.001).Conclusion. The study demonstrated the promise of PMN in men with LUTS in terms of improving the quality of life. The proposed method may be preferable for patients dissatisfied with drug therapy. Further placebo-controlled studies are required to help determine the role of PMN in the management of patients with LUTS