Digital transition of industrial enterprises into the “smart” ecosystem

Digital transformation is the foundation for the development of industrial enterprises and inevitably leads to interconnected changes in products, services, strategies, business processes and relations between enterprises and market segments. Smart production cannot develop effectively in the form of isolated projects since development is required in the context of market sectors. So industrial enterprises expand their ecosystems, and thanks to coordinated innovations, the active introduction and dissemination of their digital transformation processes begins. In the context of digitalization, the “smart” ecosystem is becoming a global and growing multisectoral environment not only for industrial enterprises, but also for all market participants – suppliers, partners, public organizations, customers, etc. These associations contribute to faster adoption of innovative technologies, connecting resources for maximum results, flexible response to sharp changes in the market, which, in the context of digital transformation, require enterprises to achieve comprehensive results. The purpose of this study is to identify and identify the features of the digital transition of industrial enterprises to the smart ecosystem. The author determined what conditions contribute to the emergence of fundamentally new ecosystems of industrial enterprises that initiate the active development of innovative technologies and products, as well as the emergence of new opportunities for expanding the sphere of activity. An analysis of the stages of creating an effective “smart” ecosystem of industrial enterprises was carried out, and the characteristics of each of them were identified. It is noted that this smart ecosystem development plan will allow industrial enterprises to make more effective preparations for active external cooperation even in limited industry conditions. The study identifies six key factors, which include: synchronization of the life cycles of the enterprise; providing intelligent software and network connectivity for traditional industrial products; use analytics to take stock of production activities and make decisions based on data from a variety of sources, including products connected to the network; in-house production should be flexible; the transition to a smart ecosystem should start with an all-as-a-service business model; creating and managing smart ecosystems. These factors affect the successful and efficient functioning of the smart ecosystem of industrial enterprises in modern conditions, which will subsequently allow the provision of personalized, contextual, innovative services that generate regular revenues.

Intensity of logistics processes of production

Increasing the intensity of the production process is directly related to improving the quality of human life. Today, there is a need for a quick and flexible response to changing consumer priorities. The solution to this complex problem is taken over by logistics. The logistics process is a sequence of operations that are organized in a certain way in time, allowing you to achieve your goals. The subject of the study of the logistics process is the organization, coordination, and optimization of the movement of material and related flows. The structure of the logistics process includes the following links: natural resources; mining; recycling; storage; distribution; transpor- tation of products. A simulation model of the logistics chain consisting of the above-listed links has been devel- oped. Resources are an energy source that feeds the logistics chain and ensures the movement of the material flow. Recycling transformation, transformation of resources into a specific type of product. Transport repre- sents active losses. Storage the delay in the movement of the material flow for the duration of storage. Distribu- tion costs for the trading sector. Mathematical models for studying the intensity of production processes using the Mathcad program are developed. The analysis was carried out: of a market model of the intensity of the flows of the production process of the market economy with a different resource bases; of a planned model of the inten- sity of the flows of the production process of the planned economy with different resource bases.

Trends in the development of vocational education in railway transport: expert opinions

The popularity of secondary vocational education is growing rapidly. Today it is an open system that develops in alliance with employers, students and educators. The openness of the system, constant updating of the content, prompt flexible response to socio-economic changes and problems, harmonization of learning outcomes with the requirements in the world of work determine the possibilities of adapting secondary vocational education to external changes.The issues of training mid-level personnel for the transport industry are in the center of attention of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Transport and universities under the jurisdiction of Roszheldor. Thus, representatives of the Public Council under Roszheldor spoke about the need for full funding of secondary vocational education, which will allow the implementation of training programs for secondary vocational education for the railway industry of better quality and ensure a greater flow of young specialists.The editors invited leading scientists and leaders of the first level of the universities of communications to speak on the pages of the journal about the main trends in the development of vocational education in railway transport, share the experience gained, highlight particularly topical issues.

Language education as the basis for the development of the communicative competence in future teachers

Статья посвящена поиску путей развития коммуникативной компетенции будущих педагогов в образовательном процессе в вузе. Одним из таких путей может стать совершенствование процесса языковой подготовки студентов, формирования общих и профессионально значимых умений и навыков речевого поведения. В статье определены компоненты языковой компетенции как основы коммуникативной компетенции, направления языковой и речевой подготовки, описаны способы и приемы формирования коммуникативных умений будущих педагогов, в том числе, с использованием информационно-коммуникационных технологий в процессе изучения лингвистических дисциплин. Таким образом, коммуникативная компетенция включает в себя не только высокий уровень знания и владения языковыми средствами, но и коммуникативной (и речевой) ситуацией: определение всех ее компонентов, планирование речевого взаимодействия в зависимости от конкретных условий общения (места и времени), коммуникативных намерений, личности коммуникаторов (возраста, статуса, особенностей восприятия информации и т.д.), реализацию плана, использование приемов гибкого реагирования, подыгрывания или оказания противодействия и т.д. С этой целью предлагаются задания аналитического и конструктивного характера: анализ художественных текстов (изучается речевая ситуация и взаимодействие ее участников), моделирование различных коммуникативных ситуаций (родительское собрание, собеседование при приеме на работу, встреча-знакомство и т.д.), ролевые игры. Важную роль здесь играет умение инициировать общение, выслушать, найти общие точки взаимодействия, проявить эмпатию, эмоционально окрашивать диалог, быть внимательным и гибким, адекватно реагировать на реплики собеседника и т.д. Все это способствует формированию не только коммуникативных, но и личностных качеств будущих специалистов. The article is devoted to the search for ways to develop the communicative competence of future teachers in the educational process at the university. One of these ways may be to improve the process of language training of students, the formation of general and professionally significant skills and skills of speech behavior. The article defines the components of language competence as the basis of communicative competence, the directions of language and speech training, describes the ways and techniques of forming the communicative skills of future teachers, including using information and communication technologies in the process of studying linguistic disciplines. Thus, communicative competence includes not only a high level of knowledge and proficiency in language means, but also a communicative (and speech) situation: the definition of all its components, the planning of speech interaction depending on the specific conditions of communication (place and time), communicative intentions, personality of communicators (age, status, features of information perception, etc.), the implementation of the plan, the use of flexible response techniques, playing along or countering, etc. For this purpose, tasks of an analytical and constructive nature are offered: analysis of literary texts (the speech situation and the interaction of its participants are studied), modeling of various communicative situations (parent meeting, job interview, meeting-acquaintance, etc.), role-playing games. An important role here is played by the ability to initiate communication, listen, find common points of interaction, show empathy, emotionally color the dialogue, be attentive and flexible, respond adequately to the interlocutor's remarks, etc. All this contributes to the formation of not only communicative, but also personal qualities of future specialists.

International political uncertainty and institutional instability as a response to COVID-19

The article examines the features of international political uncertainty and institutional instability that act as a reaction to COVID-19. It is concluding that the greater the "non-stationary" component of the business environment, the less important are the long-term dynamic opportunities and the less reliable are the models aimed at predicting policy changes. By focusing exclusively on the basic institutions or specific risks, a firm can easily lose sight of where, why and by whom the unknowns are generated, and what this threatens it in the future. This implies the need for greater progress towards a real option strategic logic with components of strategic and operational modularity, which allows for flexible response to changes in the institutional environment. Business analysts in the coming years should focus on the specific qualities of political leaders and how they influence countless firm decisions. Perhaps this is the only way to give firms and managers a chance to adapt to a rapidly changing global situation.

Differential Response in Child Welfare

In the late 1990s, child welfare jurisdictions in the United States and other countries began to implement an alternative approach to allow for a more flexible response to differing needs and circumstance of families reported to child protective services (CPS). This alternative approach to structuring child welfare services is commonly referred to as differential response (DR); it is also called alternative response (AR), family assessment response (FAR), multiple response (MR), or dual track. Currently, thirty-two states have legislation to enact or pilot-test a DR approach. DR is not a practice model but rather a policy orientation that focuses on broadly assessing the family’s situation to identify underlying needs and issues. DR consists of practice reforms intended to provide families involved with the child welfare system with the concrete services and supports needed to provide a safe environment for their children. In jurisdictions with DR, accepted reports (i.e., reports to CPS that meet a legal definition of abuse or neglect) are assigned to either an investigation response (IR) or an alternative response, depending on the type of allegation and factors such as safety concerns, risks, prior reports of abuse or neglect, the victim’s age and relationship to the alleged perpetrator, reports of domestic violence, and substance use. The IR involves a forensic approach to gather the evidence needed to formally determine whether an incident of child abuse or neglect occurred, as defined by state law. Cases assigned AR are accepted reports of child abuse and neglect that are generally low- and moderate-risk cases, With AR cases, social workers conduct a comprehensive assessment and work to meet families’ needs with concrete services and supports. In addition, AR cases do not require a formal determination of child abuse or neglect, and the names of alleged perpetrators are not entered into a central registry. The track assignment for AR families can change if new information is discovered or if the family’s situation changes, necessitating an IR.

Medical education in Russia: vectors of reboot in pandemic conditions

The pandemic of the new coronavirus infection, determined, the need for accelerated transformations in the fi of national health, as well as a change in the usual principles and approaches in the system of higher medical education. The article, using the example of the Sechenov University case as the flagship of higher medical education in the country, analyzes the experience of operational restructuring of the organization of the university’s activities and highlights the key vectors of the educational process reorganization and training of medical personnel in the context of the spread of COVID-19.Sechenov University, based on the existing digital content modified the lecture materials into a digital format, adapted individual distance learning algorithms to the educational process of a medical university. The result is the preservation of the quality of education, the adaptation of educational programs, taking into account new formats and technologies for the delivery of knowledge, a flexible response to the demands of consumers of educational services of the University.

Flexible Item Response Modeling in R with the Flexmet Package

The filtered monotonic polynomial (FMP) model is a semi-parametric item response model that allows flexible response function shapes but also includes traditional item response models as special cases. The flexmet package for R facilitates the routine use of the FMP model in real data analysis and simulation studies. This tutorial provides several code examples illustrating how the flexmet package may be used to simulate FMP model parameters and data (both for dichotomous and polytomously scored items), estimate FMP model parameters, transform traditional item response models to different metrics, and more. This tutorial serves as both an introduction to the unique features of the FMP model and as a practical guide to its implementation in R via the flexmet package.

A Hospital-Based Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Service: Demand and Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and aimRecent UK policy hasfocussed on improving support for victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), in healthcare settings. DVA victims attending hospital are often at highest risk of harm, yet DVA support in hospitals has been inadequate. A targeted service supportinghigh risk DVA victims, was implemented at a hospital Trust in North West England. The service was provided by Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs).An evaluation exploredthe processes and outcomes associated with the service. The evaluation coincided with the COVID-19 pandemicand societal restrictions (lockdown), during which concern about DVA increased. This paper examines the hospital-based IDVA service during the COVID-19 period and addresses the research questions: What was the demand for the service? How did the service respond? What facilitated this response?MethodsA mixed-methods study was undertaken. Quantitative data on referrals to the service were examined using simple descriptive statistics and compared to other DVA services.Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with IDVAs and other hospital staff involved with the service and the data subjected to thematic analysis. ResultsThe quantitative analysis showed that referrals dropped at the start of lockdown, then increased and continued to rise; the qualitative findings reiterated this pattern. Referrals came from a range of departments across the Trust, with the majority from A&E. Pre-pandemic, the population supported by the service included higher proportions of males and people aged 40 and over than atother IDVA services; this continuedduring the pandemic. The qualitative findings indicated an effective, flexible response during the pandemic, enabled by strong working relationships and by using workarounds.ConclusionsThe hospital-based IDVA service provided a robust response to victims during the COVID-19 pandemic. Referrals increased during the firstlockdown and subsequent relaxing of restrictions. Locating the IDVAswithina team working across the organisation, and building good working relationships facilitatedan effective disclosure and referral route, which endured through social restrictions. The IDVAs supported high-risk victims who may otherwise not have been identified in traditional community-based DVA settings during the pandemic. Hospital-based IDVA services can broaden accessby supporting vulnerable, at risk populations whose needs may not be identified at other services.

IgA Vasculitis: Etiology, Treatment, Biomarkers and Epigenetic Changes

IgA, previously called Henoch-Schönlein vasculitis, is an essential immune component that drives the host immune response to the external environment. As IgA has the unique characteristic of a flexible response to broad types of microorganisms, it sometimes causes an autoreactive response in the host human body. IgA vasculitis and related organ dysfunction are representative IgA-mediated autoimmune diseases; bacterial and viral infections often trigger IgA vasculitis. Recent drug developments and the presence of COVID-19 have revealed that these agents can also trigger IgA vasculitis. These findings provide a novel understanding of the pathogenesis of IgA vasculitis. In this review, we focus on the characteristics of IgA and symptoms of IgA vasculitis and other organ dysfunction. We also mention the therapeutic approach, biomarkers, novel triggers for IgA vasculitis, and epigenetic modifications in patients with IgA vasculitis.