Individual alcohol consumption by the population of Russia versus regional living conditions

Background:There are substantial regional differences in drinking alcohol in Russia,both at the population and individual levels.However,the causes of these differences have not been studied yet.Objective:The goal of our study was to examine the effect of regional living conditions on individual alcohol consumption by the population of Russia.Methods:For the analysis,we used data from a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted in 2013-2014.The final analytical sample included 18,130 people aged 25-64 years.We conducted the interviews face to face,based on which any drinking in the last year,as well as alcohol abuse,were considered as a response.Alcohol abuse was recorded when the respondent consumed 5.75 or more grams of pure ethanol per day(75th percentile of average daily alcohol consumption among alcohol drinkers).The assessment of the regional living conditions was accomplished via integral indexing,which was previously performed based on publicly available data for 2010-2014.Associations were assessed using generalized scoring equations with unchanging standard errors.The associations were expressed by odds ratios(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(C).Results:Deterioration of social conditions and increase in demographic depression in the region of residence increased the odds of any drinking(OR 1.51,95%CI:1.33 to 1.72,P<0.001 and OR 1.22,95%CI:1.05 to 1.41,P=0.oo9,respectively).The odds of alcohol abuse increased with the deterioration of social living conditions and the growth of the industrial development in the region:OR 1.35,95%CI:1.14 to 1.59,P<0.001 and OR 1.16,95%CI:1.05 to 1.28,P=0.002,respectively.Conclusion:Our analysis allowed assessing the impact of the regional living conditions on individual drinking alcohol in the population of Russia.

Regional deprivation and cause-specific mortality in Russian adults in 2006-2022

Objective:The relationship between cause-specific mortality and regional socio-economic and environmental indicators remains poorly studied in Russia.The study first aims to study regional differences in cause-specific mortality among the population aged 20 years and older in Russia,and second to investigate the association between regional deprivation and cause-specific mortality.Material and methods:Russian deprivation index was used to measure level of deprivation.The index consists of three components:social,economic and environmental.The index measures general deprivation,and its compo-nents measure social,economic and environmental deprivation.The mortality data by age(five-year groups)and sex in the subjects of Russia from 2006 to 2022 were extracted from the Russian Fertility and Mortality Database of the Center of Demographic Research of the New Economic School.Results:In the most general deprived areas,mortality rate from infectious and parasitic diseases increased by more than twice in the total population,women and men as compared to the least deprived quantile(Q1).Fully adjusted negative binomial regression showed an increase in mortality rate from injuries,poisoning and external causes and infectious and parasitic diseases in more social deprived areas as compared to Q1 in the total population,women and men.In men,there was a significantly higher mortality rate from neoplasms and from infectious and parasitic diseases in more economic deprived areas as compared to Q1.Both in total population and in women,there was a trend towards an increase in mortality from neoplasms depending on the level of environmental deprivation.Conclusions:This is the first study examining the relationship of contextual factors with cause-specific mortality that takes into account sex,age and year of death at the population level in Russia.General,social,economic and environmental deprivation are associated with cause-specific mortality.

Evolution and Prospects of Russia’s“Turn to the East”

With the escalation of the Ukraine crisis,Russia’s policy of“Turn to the East”has evolved into“Turn to the Non-West”at an accelerated pace.Involving both a shift of focus in diplomacy and economics and the“de-Westernization”in financial and ideological areas,it has become a strategy to break through Western diplomatic and economic blockade.The transition will continue in the medium term,but adjustments or twists and turns are likely under the influence of internal and external factors.

Assessment of Ecosystems Damages Caused by Russian War against Ukraine

The question of the impact of war on ecosystems still remains secondary in the internal and external policy of states, society and the agenda of international organizations. From the point of view of losses in monetary terms, the values of ecosystem damages obtained in the work, which are a consequence of the impact of hostilities on the environment, correspond to the annual budgets of the largest countries in the world or exceed them. The presented calculations significantly exceed the known normative methods, the use of which in the conditions of war is limited in space and time. Objective difficulties associated with the uncertainty of many processes of the development of ecological systems and their reaction to the multifactorial impact of war are also significant limitations. Therefore, as part of the study, a method of assessing the impact of war on the environment is proposed, which is based on the patterns of energy flows in ecosystems from the moment it is binding by producers. This made it possible to take into account in the calculations the principle of functional integrity of the ecological system, according to which the destruction or damage of the components of a functionally whole environment will necessarily cause negative phenomena in the development of ecological systems. The results are presented in the form of real values of ecological losses in energy and monetary equivalents, as consequences of the loss of ecosystem services. As the results of the research show, the minimum amount of damage to ecosystems from Russian tanks is 43,500 USD per day. Environmental damage from Russian fighter jets has been estimated at $1.5 billion per week since the start of the war. Noise from military operations causes losses of at least 2.3 billion US dollars per year. The obtained results create prerequisites for improving the system of ensuring environmental safety at the local, state, and international levels and transferring the obtained solutions into safety-shaping practice.

CIIS Delegation Visits Russia

From May 26 to 31,CIIS President Chen Bo led a delegation to Russia.During the visit,they participated in the 22nd China-Russia Bilateral Academic Seminar,hosted by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.The delegation also engaged in discussions with scholars from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

CIIS President Attends Russia-India-China Trilateral Academic Conference

From October 8 to 12, CIIS PresidentChen Bo led a delegation to Russia andattended the 19th Russia-India-ChinaTrilateral Academic Conference, held bythe Institute of China and ContemporaryAsia of the Russian Academy of Sciences(ICCA-RAS). During the visit, Chen,along with the heads of Russian and Indiandelegations, was received by Russia’sDeputy Minister of Foreign AffairsAndrey Rudenko. The CIIS delegationalso exchanged views with experts andscholars from the Russian InternationalAffairs Council, ICCA-RAS, and India’sInstitute of Chinese Studies, respectively,on China-Russia relations, China-India relations, the current internationalsituation, and cooperation betweenresearch institutions.

Exploring well-being disparities between urban and rural areas:A case study in the Stavropol Territory,Russia

Rural areas are crucial for a country’s sustainable economy.New strategies are needed to develop rural areas to improve the well-being of rural population and generate new job opportunities.This is especially important in countries where agricultural production accounts for a significant share of the gross product,such as Russia.In this study,we identified the key indicators of satisfaction and differences between rural and urban citizens based on their social,economic,and environmental backgrounds,and determined whether there are well-being disparities between rural and urban areas in the Stavropol Territory,Russia.We collected primary data through a survey based on the European Social Survey framework to investigate the potential differences between rural and urban areas.By computing the regional well-being index using principal component analysis,we found that there was no statistically significant difference in well-being between rural and urban areas.Results of key indicators showed that rural residents felt psychologically more comfortable and safer,assessed their family relationships better,and adhered more to traditions and customs.However,urban residents showed better economic and social conditions(e.g.,infrastructures,medical care,education,and Internet access).The results of this study imply that we can better understand the local needs,advantages,and unique qualities,thereby gaining insight into the effectiveness of government programs.Policy-makers and local authorities can consider targeted interventions based on the findings of this study and strive to enhance the well-being of both urban and rural residents.

Analysis of European Energy Development from the Perspective of Russia-Europe Energy Relations

Energy dependency has long been a weakness in Europe’s foreign strategy.As the most developed industrial center in the world,Europe’s energy demand has always been considerable.Constrained by its relatively weak indigenous oil and gas resources,Europe has engaged in over a century of energy cooperation with major global energy suppliers such as the Middle East and the Soviet Union/Russia,fostering an asymmetric reliance that has witnessed numerous tumultuous episodes.With the United States achieving energy independence and seeking to expand its natural gas market,it has actively fueled geopolitical tensions.The Russia-Ukraine conflict accelerated the decoupling of Russian and European energy ties,pushing them further apart,as Europe turns anew to the United States and the Middle East for oil and gas.However,Europe must ponder several questions:Will detaching from Russia truly eliminate dependence?Does importing the United States liquefied natural gas(LNG)create a new form of reliance?Will the critical metals needed for the development of renewable energy become a new external dependency for Europe?And should Europe seek to break free from these dependencies?This article,through a comprehensive analysis of Europe’s energy issues,delves into these questions,enhancing our understanding of Europe’s current energy quandary.Given China’s status as a major energy importer with a transformation process sharing similarities with Europe’s,this study also offers insights for China’s energy transition.

The Volga River Is Russia’s Lifeline and in Need of Maintenance, Mitigation and Restoration

The Volga River flows entirely through Russia and the watershed includes three of the country’s ten largest cities. The river is the longest in Europe and western Russia’s principal waterway. The Volga River basin is home to approximately half of Russia’s population and occupies almost two-fifth of European Russia. It covers much of the Volga region and stretches 3530 kilometers from its source in the Valdai Hills to the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland water body. Its economic, cultural, and historic importance makes it one of the world’s greatest rivers. The Volga basin makes up 8 percent of the Russian territory. Stalingrad, located on the banks of the Volga River, has been described as the site of the greatest de-feat in the history of the German Army. It is often identified as the turning point on the Eastern Front of WWII, in the war against Germany, and in the entire WWII. The meeting point of the Eurasian Civilization was historically the Volga River. The river has some of the world’s largest reservoirs and is a major source of livelihood for millions of people. Many factories and cities empty their waste including sewage, industrial waste, fertilizers, and pesticides into the Volga River. Pollutants tend to settle in the reservoirs and contain several meters of heavily contaminated muck. The primary objectives are to assess lessons learned, manage, and restore the Volga River system lifeline in Russia.

Russia's Big Stone River

Activity 1.Think about the following questions and write down your answers before reading the text.1.What do you think are the cultural or historical significances of Big Stone River for the local people of Russia?2.Suppose you were a researcher studying Big Stone River,what aspects would you focus on and why?

The role of wild goose(Anser) populations of Russia and theTibet Plateau in the spread of the avian influenza virus

Wild birds of the orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes represent a natural reservoir of low pathogenic avian influenza(LPAI) viruses(family Orthomyxoviridae).Wild geese(order Anseriformes)relating to waterfowls undertake extensive migration flights reaching thousands of kilometers.Isolation of the avian influenza virus(AIV) from wild geese is quite low or absent.The aims of this study are to monitor the AIV in different wild goose species,nesting on Russian territory and the Tibet Plateau and to analyze the derived data for the purpose of determining the role of these wild bird species in spreading pathogens.In our study 3245 samples from nine wild goose species in nine regions of Russia and on the territory of the Tibet Plateau(the Xizang Autonomous Region) were tested and no AIV were detected.Our study shows the non-essential role of wild geese in the spread of the AIV over long distances and reaches theconclusion that geese are probably not natural reservoirs for the primary viruses.However,further inquiry of AIV in wild goose populations is required.Studies of wild geese and AIV ecology will allow us to obtainmore information about pathogen-host relationships and to make arrangements for the maintenance ofwild goose populations.

Platinum-group Element Geochemistry of Magnetite from Porphyry-Cu-Mo Deposits and their Host Rocks(Siberia,Russia)

The concentrations of platinum-group elements （PGE） have been analyzed in primary magmatic magnetite samples from the Zhireken, Shakhtama and Aksug porphyry Cu-Mo deposits （Siberia, Russia） by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine the range of PGE contents in magnetites and to check whether magnetite from two main rock suites （barren plutonic suite and mineralized porphyry suite） has distinct PGE composition. The results presented here indicate that magnetites are enriched in PGE relative to whole-rocks. Comparison of ore-related porphyry and barren plutonic suites shows that magnetite exhibit relatively similar PGE distribution patterns in both suites. Variations in Rh and Ru contents were controlled by the oxygen fugacity during magma crystallization.

Transnational Economic Connection Analysis Based on Railway Class Accessibility Between China and Russia

Under the background of ‘the Belt and Road’ initiative, the economic cooperation has great potential between China and Russia. The railway accessibility has an important influence on the economic connections of cities along the railway line. This paper studied the Sino-Russian transnational economic connection based on the railway class accessibility along Trans-Siberian railway(the transnational China railway branch line). The results are as following. First, the railway accessibility of the Chinese nodes is stronger than that of the Russian nodes, which in general displays a tendency of space attenuation from China to the Sino-Russian border, then to Russia. Spatially, the railway accessibility within the study area shows a ‘High East, Low West’ and ‘High South, Low North’ spatial pattern. The railway accessibility of the nodes, which are located at the beginning and end of the railway line, is weaker than those nodes located in the middle of the line. Second, the railway accessibility and external economic connection intensity summation of the nodes show a positive relationship along the railway line. The economic connection intensity summation of different nodes presents obvious regional differentiation. Finally, as economic connection network has evolved, the small world effect of Sino-Russian railway economic connection network becomes strong.

Investment Environment Assessment and Strategic Policy for Subjects of Federation in Russia

Russia is the largest neighboring country of China. Between the two countries, the resources and industry are complemented, the political mutual trust is at a high level, and trade cooperation has a broad prospect. Choosing the best regions and the best industries to strengthen investment in Russia has a major strategic significance in promoting ‘the Belt and Road Initiative’ and China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor Construction. However, the related researches are extremely limited. The investment environment is unclear, and the investment risk is unknown, which seriously restrict the investment in Russia and the trade cooperation with Russia. Our research team carried out scientific expedition, government visits and scientific research cooperation in Russia for several years, and obtained a great number of first-hand valuable data. According to the analysis on the data and Russian regional policies, this study constructed an investment environment evaluation model(ESI-PRA model), scientific assessed the investment environment for 83 subjects of federation in Russia, in terms of economic, social, infrastructure, policy, resource and accessibility, classified 4 types of investment regions, chose 3 investment priority regions, revealed the investment priority industries, demonstrated the main investment risks, and proposed the strategic policies. The research results provide direct scientific and technological support for strategic decisions, such as investment in Russia, bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and overseas layout of Chinese-funded enterprises. Moreover, it has an important practical and strategic significance for improving overseas geo-strategic interests of China and ensuring the construction of China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.

Cost-profit analysis for Japan-Russia and Japan-South Korea interconnectors

This paper describes the results of cost-profit analysis related to interconnectors for Japan-Russia and JapanSouth Korea based on the Asia International Grid Connection Study Group 2^(nd) report. The Group has been established in 2016 for conducting research on international electric power networks in Asia from the viewpoint of technology, investment and legal framework. 2^(nd) report of the Group was published in June 2018, examining the profitability of an interconnectors between Japan and neighboring countries. The Group has calculated expected profit from operation of these interconnectors.The Group has categorized interconnector business into four models from the survey of preceding and current business on grids and interconnectors. To clarify profitability, expected internal rate of return(IRR) was calculated for each business model based on estimated investment cost for each route. When interconnector is dedicated to specific power plants or suppliers and electricity can be sold at Japan wholesale market at 2016-2017 price level, positive IRR levels are expected in case that Free on Board(FOB) price lower than 7 JPY/kWh. When the investment will be covered by electricity tariff by final consumers, tariff for consumers will just slightly increase by approximately 0.1 JPY/kWh.

GIS tools for correlation of tectonics and seismicity in the Altay-Sayan area,Russia

Fault-block structures of the Altay-Sayan folded area （ASFA） southeastern Siberia of Russia were used as the basis for creating a 3-D model. The surface structures were projected to depths by previous correlations between long and deep faults, with all layers and deformation factors defined. The mean deformation factor （Ds） is 0.12 unit/km^3 in the upper layer, 0.012 unit/km^3 in the intermediate layer, and 0.007 unit/km^3 in the lower layer of the 3-D ASFA neotectonic model. Ds allows correlation of the three distinguished layers with theological bodies that differ in their potential for accumulating elastic energy. 3-D modeling can be used as a methodological approach to projections in seismic prone areas such as the Krasnoyarsk region, for earthquake-hazard monitoring.

Education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Russia:A systematic review of the available evidence

BACKGROUND: To summarise and appraise cumulative published scientific evidence relevant to cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) education in Russia.DATA RESOURCES: We searched Medline, Scopus, Science Direct and Russian Science Citation Index databases from December 1991 to December 2016 to identify studies pertaining to the field of CPR education that were carried out by Russian researchers and/or investigated the topic of interest for Russia/Russian population. Reference lists of eligible publications, contents pages of relevant Russian journals and Google Scholar were also searched. There was no limitation based on publication language or study design.RESULTS: Of 7 964 unique citations identified, 22 studies were included. All studies were published from 2009 to 2016, mainly in Russian. Only three studies were reported to be randomized controlled. Non-medical individuals constituted 17% of studied populations. Most of the studies aimed to assess effects of CPR educational interventions, generally suggesting positive influence of the training conducted. The studies were highly heterogeneous as for methodological approaches, structure and duration of educational interventions, evaluation methods and criteria being used. Methodological quality was generally poor, with >40% publications not passing quality screening and only 2 studies meeting the criteria of moderate high quality.CONCLUSION: The results suggest paucity, low population coverage, high thematic and methodological heterogeneity and low quality of the studies addressing CPR education, which were carried out in the Russian Federation. There is a critical need in conducting methodologically consistent, large-scale, randomized, controlled studies evaluating and comparing efficiency of educational interventions for teaching CPR in different population categories of Russia.

Route designs and cost estimation for Japan-Russia and Japan-South Korea interconnections

This paper describes route designs and cost estimation for possible interconnections between Japan-Russia and between Japan-South Korea based on the Asia International Grid Connection Study Group 2^(nd) report. The Group has conducted a desktop study to design several cable routes as possible options. To optimize the route, the group studied a wide range of open data, regarding sea depth, fishery zones, geographic condition, available transmission capacity in connecting points inside Japan and so on. The result of desktop study shows that it is possible to keep sea depth for planned routes less than 300 m and length for most of designed routes is less than 600 km. Compare to existing undersea cables in Europe, proposed routes are not challenging from technical and geological viewpoints.The study shows that investment cost range, including cost for grid enhancement inside Japan, is from around 200 bn JPY to 600 bn JPY, depending on the routes. Annualized cost range is from around 8 to 24 bn JPY(for 25-year operation), which is not so large compare to 1800 bn JPY-average annual investment in transmission infrastructure by 10 power utilities in the past 23 years.

Economic growth and nutrition transition: an empirical analysis comparing demand elasticities for foods in China and Russia

This study provides empirical evidence on the link between economic growth and nutrition transition in two emerging economies, China and Russia. Both countries have experienced rising average incomes, accompanied by an increasing rate of nutrition-related chronic diseases in recent years. Given the regional heterogeneity between these two countries, we analyze the extent to which income growth as a major driver of nutrition transition has a significant effect on the consumption of different food aggregates and how these effects differ between Chinese and Russian consumers. Our results indicate that with increasing household incomes over time the demand for carbohydrates decreases, while the demand for meat and dairy products, as well as fruits increases. This is a development generally known as nutrition transition. Further, we estimate a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System（QUAIDS） for nine different food aggregates for China and Russia. Our results indicate that in both countries all food aggregates have positive expenditure elasticities and are thus normal goods. Moreover, our results indicate that in 2008/2009 meat is still a luxury good in China yet a necessity good in Russia. For 2009, the highest own-price elasticities in China are found for non-meat protein sources and dairy products. Within the meat group, beef, poultry and mutton have the highest price elasticities in China. In Russia, the milk and dairy group, together with the vegetable group, is the most price-elastic food group in 2008. In line with the definition of a nutrition transition, our overall results underscore the finding that income growth in China and Russia tends to increase the demand for animal-based products much stronger than, for example, the demand for carbohydrates. Despite being a positive signal for problems of malnutrition in rural China, this trend of increasing meat consumption might further increase the incidence of chronic diseases in urban areas since there is convincing scientific evidence that increasing meat consumption, especially red and processed meat, is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases.

Active-Layer Soil Moisture Content Regional Variations in Alaska and Russia by Ground-Based and Satellite-Based Methods, 2002 through 2014

Soil moisture is a vital physical parameter of the active-layer in permafrost environments, and associated biological and geophysical processes operative at the microscopic to hemispheric spatial scales and at hourly to multi-decadal time scales. While?in-situ?measurements can give the highest quality of information on a site-specific basis, the vast permafrost terrains of North America and Eurasia require space-based techniques for assessments of cause and effect and long-term changes and impacts from the changes of permafrost and the active-layer. Satellite-based 6.925 and 10.65 GHz sensor algorithmic retrievals of soil moisture by Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observation System (AMSR-E) onboard NASA-Aqua and follow-on AMSR2 onboard JAXA-Global Change Observation Mission—Water-1 are ongoing since July 2002. Accurate land-surface temperature and vegetation parameters are critical to the success of passive microwave algorithmic retrieval schemes. Strategically located soil moisture measurements are needed for spatial and temporal co-location evaluation and validation of the space-based algorithmic estimates. We compare on a daily basis ground-based (subsurface-probe) 50- and 70-MHz radio-frequency soil moisture measurements with NASA- and JAXA-algorithmic retrieval passive microwave retrievals. We find improvements in performance of the JAXA-algorithm (AMSR-E reprocessed and AMSR2 ongoing) relative to the earlier NASA-algorithm version. In the boreal forest regions, accurate land-surface temperatures and vegetation parameters are still needed for algorithmic retrieval success. Over the period of AMSR-E retrievals, we find evidence of at the high northern latitudes of growing terrestrial radio-frequency interference in the 10.65 GHz channel soil moisture content. This is an important error source for satellite-based active and passive microwave remote sensing soil moisture retrievals in Arctic regions that must be addressed.