Digital Platform for Modeling the Development of Regional Innovation Systems of Russian Federation

The paper aims at the design of a digital tool for analyzing the impact of scientific and technological progress on socioeconomic problems and sustainable development of the region. The research focuses on the consistent development of a digital platform for analyzing and visualizing digital data on regional innovation development, as well as predicting the sustainable development of regions based on the available regional infrastructure of innovation systems and the Russian regions' cluster structure. When designing the digital platform, we gave special attention to ensuring efficient data collection, processing, and analysis processes required for studying the socio-economic system. In the course of the work, an automated process of working with data was developed. The digital platform is being developed as a flexible tool for a wide range of users, from research centers, investors, and private enterprises to individual users interested in regional innovation development models. As part of the work, the process of selecting technical tools for the software implementation of the platform in terms of tasks and technical features of designing digital platforms is presented. The result of the work is a prototype of the Russian regional innovation system digital platform with the implemented functionality of a personal account, a module of simulation experiments, and various approaches to data analysis and visualization. The research is carried out as part of a project to develop a digital model of the regional innovation system of the Russian Federation as a driver of sustainable development

Technological Windows of Opportunity for Russian Arctic Regions: Modeling and Exploitation Prospects

The problems of exploitation of technological windows of opportunity are of particular scientific and practical interest in terms of the development of Russia’s national economy, and the Arctic region, which has a strong mineral and raw materials potential, is important in terms of its use for achieving the technological and national security of the Russian state. Considering this, the study of the theoretical and methodical aspects of the development of emerging technological windows of opportunity is important and relevant for the regions of the Russian Arctic zone. The purpose of this study is to assess the potential and reserves for exploitation of the emerging technological windows of opportunity during the deployment of a new technological order by mobilizing material and human capital in the Arctic regions. Methodological tools for the study of this problem included dynamic series analysis, structural analysis, comparison, description, descriptive statistics, cross-correlation analysis, production function model and its visualization. An analytical review of scientific publications, a set of tools and methods of research, allowed to obtain the following scientific results: A significant variability in the contribution of science-intensive and high-tech industry to the formation of gross value added in the Arctic region has been revealed; meanwhile, we can note stable dynamics of the contribution of the Arctic economy to the gross domestic product (GRP) of Russia as a whole. There is a steady excess of the productivity index over the Russian average, which can be regarded as a potential for growth of high-tech components of labor in the development of the economy of the Arctic region. There is a negative statistically significant relationship between the share of the gross regional product of the Arctic in the Russian GRP and the share of gross value added (GVA) of science-intensive products in the Arctic GRP, which can be regarded as a factor preventing the exploitation of the emerging technological windows of opportunity. The construction of a model of production function of technological windows of opportunities for the Arctic zone of Russia pointed to the presence of potential in the exploitation of emerging technological windows in the Arctic zone of Russia in the development of human capital through the activation and use of high labor productivity, creating high-performance jobs. The results of the study, its findings and its proposals can be used in the development, monitoring and implementation of state federal and regional programs and projects aimed at improving the level of technology and science intensity of production in the Arctic zone, improving its competitiveness, which is highly important for the national economy

Serine Proteinases Secreted by Two Isolates of the Fungus Alternaria solani

It is well-known Alternaria solani Sorauer is the causative agent of alternariosis. In this paper, serine proteinases secretion by two genetically related isolates of the fungus, collected from potato and tomato plants grown in central Russia have been studied. The data clarify functions of these enzymes in the process of pathogenesis in which they can play a pivotal role. Also, the data should allow classifying Alternaria’s strains more precisely. It was found that the two isolates produced trypsin-like and subtilisin-like proteinases during growth both in synthetic culture medium and in medium containing heat-stable vegetable proteins. There were significant differences in the influence of the environment on the serine proteinase secretion by the potato and tomato isolates of A. solani. The proportion of such serine proteinases as trypsin-like and subtilisin-like enzymes depends on the composition of the growth medium, especially on the available organic nitrogen form, as well as features both of the pathogenic fungus and of the host plant. So, the tomato isolate demonstrated weak growth and low level or absence of serine proteinase excretion on cultivation with the medium containing proteins extracted from potato tubers and pea seeds. The potato isolate secreted many more serine proteinases, among which the trypsin-like enzymes dominated. Our data suggest that the tomato isolate, when grown on medium with proteins extracted from potato tubers, lost pathogenicity and became to behave as a saprophyte, while the potato isolate retained its pathogenic properties on growth on any tested medium

Serine Proteinases Secreted by Two Isolates of the Fungus Alternaria solani

It is well-known Alternaria solani Sorauer is the causative agent of alternariosis. In this paper, serine proteinases secretion by two genetically related isolates of the fungus, collected from potato and tomato plants grown in central Russia have been studied. The data clarify functions of these enzymes in the process of pathogenesis in which they can play a pivotal role. Also, the data should allow classifying Alternaria’s strains more precisely. It was found that the two isolates produced trypsin-like and subtilisin-like proteinases during growth both in synthetic culture medium and in medium containing heat-stable vegetable proteins. There were significant differences in the influence of the environment on the serine proteinase secretion by the potato and tomato isolates of A. solani. The proportion of such serine proteinases as trypsin-like and subtilisin-like enzymes depends on the composition of the growth medium, especially on the available organic nitrogen form, as well as features both of the pathogenic fungus and of the host plant. So, the tomato isolate demonstrated weak growth and low level or absence of serine proteinase excretion on cultivation with the medium containing proteins extracted from potato tubers and pea seeds. The potato isolate secreted many more serine proteinases, among which the trypsin-like enzymes dominated. Our data suggest that the tomato isolate, when grown on medium with proteins extracted from potato tubers, lost pathogenicity and became to behave as a saprophyte, while the potato isolate retained its pathogenic properties on growth on any tested medium

Characterization of repeated DNA sequences in genomes of blue-flowered flax

Abstract Background Members of different sections of the genus Linum are characterized by wide variability in size, morphology and number of chromosomes in karyotypes. Since such variability is determined mainly by the amount and composition of repeated sequences, we conducted a comparative study of the repeatomes of species from four sections forming a clade of blue-flowered flax. Based on the results of high-throughput genome sequencing performed in this study as well as available WGS data, bioinformatic analyses of repeated sequences from 12 flax samples were carried out using a graph-based clustering method. Results It was found that the genomes of closely related species, which have a similar karyotype structure, are also similar in the repeatome composition. In contrast, the repeatomes of karyologically distinct species differed significantly, and no similar tandem-organized repeats have been identified in their genomes. At the same time, many common mobile element families have been identified in genomes of all species, among them, Athila Ty3/gypsy LTR retrotransposon was the most abundant. The 30-chromosome members of the sect. Linum (including the cultivated species L. usitatissimum) differed significantly from other studied species by a great number of satellite DNA families as well as their relative content in genomes. Conclusions The evolution of studied flax species was accompanied by waves of amplification of satellite DNAs and LTR retrotransposons. The observed inverse correlation between the total contents of dispersed repeats and satellite DNAs allowed to suggest a relationship between both classes of repeating sequences. Significant interspecific differences in satellite DNA sets indicated a high rate of evolution of this genomic fraction. The phylogenetic relationships between the investigated flax species, obtained by comparison of the repeatomes, agreed with the results of previous molecular phylogenetic studies

Biocompatibility of Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts in Different Modes of RGD Modification

Modification with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptides is a promising approach to improve biocompatibility of small-calibre vascular grafts but it is unknown how different RGD sequence composition impacts graft performance. Here we manufactured 1.5 mm poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/poly(ε-caprolactone) grafts modified by distinct linear or cyclic RGD peptides immobilized by short or long amine linker arms. Modified vascular prostheses were tested in vitro to assess their mechanical properties, hemocompatibility, thrombogenicity and endothelialisation. We also implanted these grafts into rat abdominal aortas with the following histological examination at 1 and 3 months to evaluate their primary patency, cellular composition and detect possible calcification. Our results demonstrated that all modes of RGD modification reduce ultimate tensile strength of the grafts. Modification of prostheses does not cause haemolysis upon the contact with modified grafts, yet all the RGD-treated grafts display a tendency to promote platelet aggregation in comparison with unmodified counterparts. In vivo findings identify that cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp-Phe-Lys peptide in combination with trioxa-1,13-tridecanediamine linker group substantially improve graft biocompatibility. To conclude, here we for the first time compared synthetic small-diameter vascular prostheses with different modes of RGD modification. We suggest our graft modification regimen as enhancing graft performance and thus recommend it for future use in tissue engineering

Vascular endothelial growth factor improves physico-mechanical properties and enhances endothelialization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/poly(ε-caprolactone) small-diameter vascular grafts in vivo

The combination of a natural hydrophilic polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and a synthetic hydrophobic polymer poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is promising for the preparation of biodegradable and biocompatible small-diameter vascular grafts for bypass surgery. However, physico-mechanical properties and endothelialization rate of PHBV/PCL grafts are poor. We suggested that incorporation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into PHBV/PCL grafts may improve their physico-mechanical properties and enhance endothelialization. Here we compared morphology, physico-mechanical properties, and in vivo performance of electrospun small-diameter vascular grafts prepared from PHBV/PCL with and without VEGF. Structure of the graft surface and physico-mechanical properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy and universal testing machine, respectively. Grafts were implanted into rat abdominal aorta for 1, 3, and 6 months with the further histological, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence examination. PHBV/PCL grafts with and without VEGF were highly porous and consisted mostly of nanoscale and microscale fibers, respectively. Mean pore diameter and mean pore area were significantly lower in PHBV/PCL/VEGF compared to PHBV/PCL grafts (1.47 µm and 10.05 µm2; 2.63 µm and 47.13 µm2, respectively). Durability, elasticity, and stiffness of PHBV/PCL grafts with VEGF were more similar to internal mammary artery compared to those without, particularly 6 months postimplantation. Both qualitative examination and quantitative image analysis showed that three-fourths of PHBV/PCL grafts with VEGF were patent and had many CD31-, CD34-, and vWF-positive cells at their inner surface. However, all PHBV/PCL grafts without VEGF were occluded and had no or a few CD31-positive cells at the inner surface. Therefore, VEGF enhanced endothelialization and improved graft patency at all the time points in a rat abdominal aorta replacement model. In conclusion, PHBV/PCL grafts with VEGF have better biocompatibility and physico-mechanical properties compared to those without. Incorporation of VEGF improves graft patency and accelerates formation of endothelial cell monolayer

Conjugation with RGD Peptides and Incorporation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Are Equally Efficient for Biofunctionalization of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts

The blend of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has recently been considered promising for vascular tissue engineering. However, it was shown that PHBV/PCL grafts require biofunctionalization to achieve high primary patency rate. Here we compared immobilization of arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD)-containing peptides and the incorporation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as two widely established biofunctionalization approaches. Electrospun PHBV/PCL small-diameter grafts with either RGD peptides or VEGF, as well as unmodified grafts were implanted into rat abdominal aortas for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following histological and immunofluorescence assessment. We detected CD31+/CD34+/vWF+ cells 1 and 3 months postimplantation at the luminal surface of PHBV/PCL/RGD and PHBV/PCL/VEGF, but not in unmodified grafts, with the further observation of CD31+CD34−vWF+ phenotype. These cells were considered as endothelial and produced a collagen-positive layer resembling a basement membrane. Detection of CD31+/CD34+ cells at the early stages with subsequent loss of CD34 indicated cell adhesion from the bloodstream. Therefore, either conjugation with RGD peptides or the incorporation of VEGF promoted the formation of a functional endothelial cell layer. Furthermore, both modifications increased primary patency rate three-fold. In conclusion, both of these biofunctionalization approaches can be considered as equally efficient for the modification of tissue-engineered vascular grafts

Gene expression profiling of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) under edaphic stress

Abstract Background Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is widely used for production of textile, food, chemical and pharmaceutical products. However, various stresses decrease flax production. Search for genes, which are involved in stress response, is necessary for breeding of adaptive cultivars. Imbalanced concentration of nutrient elements in soil decrease flax yields and also results in heritable changes in some flax lines. The appearance of Linum Insertion Sequence 1 (LIS-1) is the most studied modification. However, LIS-1 function is still unclear. Results High-throughput sequencing of transcriptome of flax plants grown under normal (N), phosphate deficient (P), and nutrient excess (NPK) conditions was carried out using Illumina platform. The assembly of transcriptome was performed, and a total of 34924, 33797, and 33698 unique transcripts for N, P, and NPK sequencing libraries were identified, respectively. We have not revealed any LIS-1 derived mRNA in our sequencing data. The analysis of high-throughput sequencing data allowed us to identify genes with potentially differential expression under imbalanced nutrition. For further investigation with qPCR, 15 genes were chosen and their expression levels were evaluated in the extended sampling of 31 flax plants. Significant expression alterations were revealed for genes encoding WRKY and JAZ protein families under P and NPK conditions. Moreover, the alterations of WRKY family genes differed depending on LIS-1 presence in flax plant genome. Besides, we revealed slight and LIS-1 independent mRNA level changes of KRP2 and ING1 genes, which are adjacent to LIS-1, under nutrition stress. Conclusions Differentially expressed genes were identified in flax plants, which were grown under phosphate deficiency and excess nutrition, on the basis of high-throughput sequencing and qPCR data. We showed that WRKY and JAS gene families participate in flax response to imbalanced nutrient content in soil. Besides, we have not identified any mRNA, which could be derived from LIS-1, in our transcriptome sequencing data. Expression of LIS-1 flanking genes, ING1 and KRP2, was suggested not to be nutrient stress-induced. Obtained results provide new insights into edaphic stress response in flax and the role of LIS-1 in these process