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Using novel longitudinal data, this paper studies the short- and medium-term effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 on social trust of adolescents in Germany. Comparing adolescents who responded to our survey shortly before the start of the war with those who responded shortly after the conflict began and applying difference-in-differences (DiD) models over time, we find a significant decline in the outcome after the war started. These findings provide new evidence on how armed conflicts influence social trust and well-being among young people in a country not directly involved in the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of a study of the properties of Poletaevsky kaolin with the aim of using it in the ceramic industry. Based on the results of determining the chemical, mineral and granulometric composition. The mineral composition of Poletaevsky kaolin is kaolinite 80–85 wt %, muscovite and illite 10–15 wt %, quartz up to 10–15 wt %. It has been established that the Hinckley index for Poletaevsky kaolin is 0.68, compared to 1.38 for Glukhovetsky one. The ratio of highly ordered kaolinite to low ordered kaolinite for Poletaevsky kaolin is 22 : 78, for Glukhovetsky kaolin the ratio of highly ordered kaolinite to low-ordered kaolinite is 57 : 43. It was established that Poletaevsky kaolin can be used in the production of ceramic materials by plastic or semi-dry molding. The determined low content of high-ordered kaolinite and the insignificant content of particles less than 2 μm according to the results of laser diffraction analysis can lead to the production of an unstable slip. When firing samples of Poletaevsky kaolin, a minimum water absorption of 5.5 % was achieved at a firing temperature of 1450 °C. In this case, the resulting maximum apparent density was 2.17 g/cm3, the maximum mullite content was 38 %, and the maximum compressive strength was 32 MPa. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: On-site measurement of methanethiol (CH3SH) was performed for three years on ships and cars near a pulp and paper plant standing on the shore of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, to investigate the behavior and impact of atmospheric CH3SH emitted from a point source. Despite its strong odor, there are few reports on atmospheric CH3SH, while many investigations have been carried out on dimethyl sulfide (DMS). In this work, CH3SH and DMS were measured every 15 min by a recently developed automated instrument based on single column trapping/separation and chemiluminescence measurement. Hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and ozone were also measured simultaneously by individual instruments. Of these sulfur compounds, CH3SH was dominant and its concentration sometimes reached several tens of ppbv. The concentration of CH3SH was high at night, because of the lack of photodecomposition and local winds from the mountain to the lake. Such time variation was marked in the summer. The CH3SH level decreased significantly downwind, while decreases in concentrations of other compounds such as DMS and SO2 were relatively small. From these temporal and spatial variations, the behavior of CH3SH is described in this paper. The impact of CH3SH near the Siberian big sources is discussed with the presented data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vladimir Petrovich Demikhov, a Soviet physiologist and surgeon, made meticulous attempts at reviving heart and lung transplantation in the last century. Herein, we present an English translation of Demikhov''s 1969 paper of Transplantation of the Heart, Lungs and other Organs (published in Eksperimental''naia Khirurgiia i Anesteziologiia), which represented a synopsis of his experiences with experimental transplantation. A brief account of Demikhov''s life and contributions to transplant medicine is also given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Details major achievements in space explorations of the Russia Federation as documented by the National Paper of the Russian Federation. Doubts on the political support given to space explorations; Outline of main areas intended to be pursued in the early twenty-first century; Emphasis placed on communications, remote sensing, navigation, and space science.

This paper examines the effect of financial sanctions at the most disaggregated level possible, individual bank accounts. Using data from the Eurosystem's real-time gross settlement system TARGET2, we provide empirical evidence that sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russian banks following Russia's aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 have sizably reduced financial transactions with sanctioned Russian bank accounts, both along the extensive and intensive margins. Among the various sanction measures taken, exclusion from SWIFT, a global provider of secure financial messaging services, turns out to have the largest effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• War attention is an important driver of stock volatility. • The war attention index uses NLP and dimensionality reduction. • New GARCH-MIDAS models, adding war-attention extreme effects, are used. • War attention index enhances S&P500 volatility predictability. This paper aims to explore the impact of war attention on stock volatility predictability by constructing a new war attention index and employing an extended GARCH-MIDAS-ES model. The war attention index is developed by incorporating the Google search volume data for 56 war-related keywords using natural language processing methods and dimensionality reduction techniques. Since war attention is considered an exogenous shock, we modify the new extended MIDAS model by incorporating the extreme effects caused by war attention into the GARCH-MIDAS-ES framework. Compelling evidence demonstrates that our proposed war attention index is a statistically significant driver of S&P 500 volatility, and our extended model exhibits higher out-of-sample predictive accuracy as it captures both the normal and extreme effects of war attention on stock volatility within the MIDAS framework. By examining how war attention affects stock volatility predictability during the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war, we observe that the extended model's forecasting performance deteriorates as the forecasting horizon increases to a relatively large extent, which is in line with the findings of Andrei and Hasler (2015). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is devoted to the development of a thermal scheme for the conversion of a cogeneration power plant to threegeneration with the production of hydrogen as a new product. The purpose of the work is to assess the possibility and potential of hydrogen production from MSW at the existing thermal power plants of St. Petersburg. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop a methodology for selecting the site of an existing thermal power plant in order to integrate a hydrogen production complex by the MSW gasification method, as well as a methodology for estimating the amount of hydrogen that can potentially be obtained from a given amount of MSW. The research methods include simulation of the thermal circuit of a steam power plant in the United Cycle program. The paper proposes an algorithm for selecting the site of an operating thermal power plant for the integration of a complex for the production of hydrogen by the method of MSW gasification. The algorithm can be applied to any subjects of the Russian Federation, and its relevance is confirmed by strategic documents. Potential locations for the new TPP are being considered in the territories of TPP-21 and TPP-22, which have the necessary resources and good infrastructure. As a result of the study, the site of TPP-22 was selected as the most suitable for the placement of new facilities. A new thermal scheme of a threegeneration power plant has been developed, including a hydrogen generation unit by the MSW gasification method. This allows the production of hydrogen in parallel with the production of electricity and heat. The efficiency evaluation criterion is the fuel heat utilization factor (FHUF). Regardless of the hydrogen content in the generated synthesis gas, the integration of the synthesis gas cooler into the thermal circuit of the TPP leads to an increase in the FHUF and an additional energy effect. This scheme increases the efficiency of existing TPP plants, regardless of the morphological composition of municipal solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the discourse of the Russia–Ukraine war to outline the dominant narrative schemas anchored in the spatial geopolitical representations of globalness and localness. It uses tools from the domains of critical cognitive discourse studies and narrative research (alternative futures, discourse scenarios, deictic space, proximization) to distinguish between two most salient schemas: the Global Conflict Reality (GCR) narrative and the Local Conflict Reality (LCR) narrative. The GCR narrative conceptualizes the Russia–Ukraine war as a growing international conflict, producing serious political, economic and material consequences for the global community. GCR uses coercive rhetoric to call for immediate measures to support Ukraine so the war can be stopped before spreading beyond its current borders. The principal narrator of GCR is Ukraine, though the narrative is re-contextualized in other countries located in geographical proximity to the conflict. The LCR narrative, performed mostly by the Kremlin, construes the war as a local conflict providing no reasons for foreign intervention. LCR is distinctive for its large number of sub-narratives appropriated for different geopolitical audiences, which include the Russian and Ukrainian people, and different audience groups in the West and the Global South. The latter groups re-contextualize the LCR narrative, focusing primarily on economic issues. • Outlines the competing narrative schemas in the discourse of the Russia–Ukraine war. • Uses an interdisciplinary collection of tools to define 'global conflict' and 'local conflict' narratives. • Identifies a complex network of re-contextualizations of the principal narratives outside the main scene of the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous small mammal localities assigned to the beginning of the Late Middle Pleistocene (Holstein, Likhvin, Hoxne Interglacial) were discovered in Europe during the last years. The stratigraphical position of a number of these faunas and the regional differences are discussed in the paper. The new Likhvin small mammal locality Rybnaya Sloboda (Lower Kama basin, Volga basin, Russia) is the easternmost site of this age in Europe. The rich fauna was discovered in fluvial deposits of the 3rd terrace (III) of the Kama River; sediments that are covered by loess deposits with a series of paleosols. The Rybnaya Sloboda fauna includes 16 species of insectivores, lagomorphs and rodents. Remains of the archaic water vole Arvicola cantianus and the Middle Pleistocene steppe lemming Lagurus transiens dominate the fossils assemblage. The evolutional level of the Arvicolinae remains permits the assignment to the Gun'kovian small mammal assemblage and a correlation with the Likhvin Interglacial (MIS 11) (∼424–374 ka BP). The ecological features of the small mammal assemblage indicate a forest-steppe landscape in the lower Kama basin during MIS 11. The comparison with, and the analysis of numerous European Likhvin (= Holsteinian, = Hoxnian) small mammal faunas indicate a geographical biozonation that shows similarities with the biozonation reconstructed for the Eemian (= Mikulino, MIS 5e) Interglacial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the overlapping influence of China in Russia and five countries that have experienced democratic backsliding: Azerbaijan, Nicaragua, Serbia, Turkey, and Uganda. Drawing on a wide range of data sources, including media watchdog reports, key informant interviews, and quantitative data, the paper maps the portfolio of specific digital censorship tools – legislative, institutional, and technological—that governments in China and Russia use to censor their domestic digital content. Then the digital censorship tools in the five case study countries are documented to examine where their governments' tactics overlapped with those of the Kremlin and Beijing. These case study countries differ in their levels of development and democracy, with Russia, China, and the West all vying for influence. Key findings include the importance of timing when installing a digital censorship regime, and that Uganda and Nicaragua stand out among the case study countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of space exploration, the moon has significant value for scientific research. However, because of such research's costs and risks, international cooperation will be critical for the future lunar exploration. In 2021, China and Russia jointly initiated the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project and released the Guide for Partnership (V1.0). However, the basic regulatory framework for creating the ILRS project is not yet in place, posing a challenge to pursuing this complex and technically ambitious endeavor. The paradigm of international cooperation that was the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project set a good example of how scientific research could transcend geographic boundaries. This paper examines the ITER Agreement, the constitutive agreement of the ITER, and analyzes the successful experience of large-scale international cooperation on a complex scientific project. Then, in view of the characteristics of the ILRS project and the existing space law, the main elements of a regulatory framework for international cooperation on this project are proposed, which follows the ITER Agreement closely. The paper concludes that such a regulatory framework for international cooperation on the ILRS project may contribute to the peaceful exploration and use of the moon, thus promoting the well-being and interests of humankind. • The moon has significant value for scientific research. • International cooperation will be critical for the future lunar exploration. • A regulatory framework for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is not in place. • The paradigm of international cooperation on the ITER set a good example. • The main elements of a regulatory framework for the ILRS are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of cataloged debris produced, the anti-satellite test carried out by Russia, in November 2021, at an altitude of about 480 km, leading to the destruction of the old satellite Cosmos 1408, was the second worst to date and represented the third worst fragmentation in orbit. It generated more than 1/4 of the cataloged debris produced over 55 years by all such tests and almost twice as many as were produced by all previous Soviet tests. After placing this event in its historical context, this paper analyzes in detail how the evolution of the Cosmos 1408 debris cloud affected the environment below 600 km in the first seven months, focusing on the two operational space stations and the Starlink large constellation of satellites. During the first six months following the test, the Cosmos 1408 cloud of fragments nearly doubled the average flux of cataloged objects on the International Space Station and increased by about 3/4 that on China's Tiangong. In the same period, the Starlink large constellation saw an average increase in the flux of cataloged objects of about 20%. Some orbital planes, the "counter-rotating" ones with respect to the Cosmos 1408 debris cloud, were more affected than others, and the affected planes gradually changed over time, due to the differential precession of cloud and constellation nodes. However, being the Starlink constellation 70 km higher up, the flux of Cosmos 1408 cataloged debris steadily decreased over the period analyzed, due to the cloud orbital decay, reducing to just over a quarter of its extrapolated initial value after seven months. • A review of ASAT tests as a source of orbital debris was presented. • The impact of the Cosmos 1408 destruction was put into context. • The cataloged debris flux increase on space stations was computed and discussed. • The debris flux increase and evolution on Starlink orbit planes was analyzed. • A moratorium on this type of ASAT tests was recommended, including low LEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how dictator giving varies by social context and worthiness of the recipient. We conduct lab-in-the-field experiments in Kamchatka, Russia, and Western Alaska, as well as a lab experiment with university students, in which we vary social distance and recipient characteristics across treatments. We ask what motivates individuals to share and whether offers from a dictator game, where dictators give from own-earnings, can tell us something more fundamental about social norms and sharing. Results indicate that subjects living in rural Indigenous communities, in both Russia and Alaska, who depend heavily on wild food harvests and possess strong sharing norms, are significantly more likely to give positive amounts compared to university students. We also find that in Indigenous communities, family relations and financial needs are prioritized in giving decisions. We suggest that treatment differences correspond to social norm differences in our study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A generalized mathematical model has been proposed to analysis COVID-19. • Deterministic and stochastic SIQR models with vaccination and treatment are studied. • Conditions for the extinction of the epidemic are obtained. • The theoretical results of model are verified by the epidemic data of Russia and Serbia. • We make the short-term prediction of COVID-19 in Russia and Serbia. In this paper, we propose and investigate the SIQR epidemic model with a generalized incidence rate function, a general treatment function and vaccination term. We firstly consider the existence and uniqueness of the global nonnegative solution to the deterministic model. Further, we show the locally asymptotic stability of the disease-free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium of the deterministic model, and obtain the basic reproduction number R 0. Then we study the existence and uniqueness of the global positive solution to the stochastic model with any positive initial value. Meanwhile, we obtain sufficient conditions for the extinction of the disease in the stochastic epidemic model, and find that the large noise can make the disease die out exponentially. Finally, we make an empirical analysis by the COVID-19 data of Russia and Serbia. By the performance comparison of different models, it shows that the model with vaccination and treatment we proposed is better for the real situation, which is also verified by different estimation methods. Especially, that shows the recovery rate of the infected increases by 0.042 and the death rate of the recovered is 1.525 times that of normal human in Russia. Through statistical analysis, the short-term trend of epidemic transmission is predicted: under the condition of unchanged prevention and control policies, it may reach a stable endemic equilibrium state in Russia and the epidemic will eventually extinct in Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers the task of creating an instrumental system for optimizing the exchange of active power of the trunk and distribution networks, taking into account the price indicators of electricity in a joint and separate mode of operation. As part of the development of a simulation model of the automated control system of the local intelligent power system MicroGrid, the results of modeling the exchange of active power of the power connection from the main network of the main South of Russia main electrical networks and the distribution network of the university campus (in which classical sources of generation are combined with solar, wind and hydrogen energy) are presented. In a single model, the electrical mode of operation of networks is simulated in the voltage range of 0.4–500 kV. Simulation is carried out in steady state and transient mode. Slow, real and fast time modes are available. Simulation of emergency control systems has been implemented. The modes of synchronization of the main and distribution networks in normal and emergency circuits are considered. Reliability control and monitoring of the main operating parameters are carried out. The active power exchange module created on the basis of the results of the simulation as part of the software package « RETREN » will make it possible to use this complex to automate the management of local power system. The energy system, in addition to power from the grid, includes gas generation, solar panels installed on the roofs of campus buildings, wind turbines and stationary hydrogen power plants operating on hydrogen fuel cells. The complex of designers allows organizing human-machine interfaces of any complexity on completely domestic software products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that anarchic societies can successfully engage in military innovation. To do so, it explores the novel case of the Ukrainian civil war of 1917–21 and the anarchist movement of Nestor Makhno. The anarchists' primary military innovation was the tachanka, a sprung-wheel cart that was pulled by four horses and featured a machine gun platform, which allowed for firing on the go. Tachanka formed the core of Makhno's army and enabled it to achieve a multitude of crushing victories against numerically superior state armies. Makhno's forces were able to successfully innovate for three reasons. First, the anarchists were incentivized to substitute innovative capital combinations for labor because of their small numbers and large territory to defend. Second, the anarchists used their local knowledge and spread their influence in southeastern Ukraine, the only region with an abundance of a specific asset needed for tachanka-centered innovation: the sprung-wheel cart. Third, the cooperation of Ukrainian peasants secured through social closeness and norms allowed the anarchists to create an innovative system of horse-changing stations, through which tachankas retained top mobility. My analysis adds to the literature on military innovation and innovation without the state, and it has implications for modern times, particularly amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as it shows that even with the potential for state collapse, military innovation can continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the severity and frequency of extreme events have seriously threatened the stability of fossil energy markets, this paper conducts multilayer dynamic network analysis to demonstrate the evolution of the entire market structure during extreme events. Based on the data of 64 Chinese energy firms ranging from March 2018 to February 2023, this paper examines the sectoral discrepancies, and identifies systemically important companies during different crises. The results indicate that the risk transmission mechanisms among fossil energy markets are different induced by the two crises, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Specifically, the COVID-19 has rendered greater influence on the oil and gas industry, while the Russia–Ukraine conflict has brought instability to the coal industry. Additionally, the heterogeneous effects of these events on individual energy firms are identified, and the results suggest that both small and large firms have played prominent roles in risk transmission. • Extreme risk contagions among fossil energy firms are examined. • The dynamic evolution of market structure is demonstrated by multilayer network. • Topological characteristics are presented from market, sector, and firm levels. • The COVID-19 has rendered significant impacts on the oil and gas sectors. • The Russia–Ukraine conflict has brought instability to the coal sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy crisis generated by the Russia-Ukraine war has further highlighted the urgency of addressing energy poverty. A comprehensive understanding of its incidence, severity, and drivers is crucial to contrast its increasing diffusion effectively. This need is even more evident in the Italian social housing sector, characterized by the deep obsolescence of the building stock and the economic precariousness of its users, but still, little examined due to the scarce availability of data. According to the Capability approach, this paper aims to estimate the incidence and severity of multidimensional energy poverty in the social housing building stocks by presenting a pilot survey by administering a questionnaire to 431 households living in public housing stock in the Province of Viterbo (Italy). Although the dual cut-off identification procedure is considered the traditional approach to multidimensional poverty, it is significantly influenced by researchers' choices on weights and trade-offs between dimensions. Conversely, the partially ordered set (poset) does not require any compensation between energy dimensions. To overcome the limits of the counting approach, this paper adopts the poset to estimate the multidimensional headcount ratio and poverty gap indices. The results show a high diffusion of the phenomenon among the interviewed households: 71,23% experienced severe forms of energy deprivation, on which the inability to cool the dwelling in the summer adequately exerts a significant influence. The survey suggests the ineffectiveness of the eligibility criteria of social measures in reducing the incidence of energy poverty in this specific sector, which requires long-term structural solutions such as energy requalification programs. • Paper examines energy poverty in the Italian social housing sector. • Uses the theory of partially ordered set (poset) to estimate incidence and severity. • 71.23% of households experienced severe energy deprivation. • Ineffectiveness of social measures in reducing energy poverty. • Long-term solutions like energy requalification programs needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow chart of GVMD-ELM-ARIMA [Display omitted] Establishing an accurate and efficient prediction model is of great significance for governments and other social organizations to formulate prevention and control policies and curb the explosive spread of the pandemic. To improve prediction accuracy of cumulative COVID-19 confirmed data, a new hybrid prediction model based on gradient-based optimizer variational mode decomposition (GVMD), extreme learning machine (ELM), and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), named GVMD-ELM-ARIMA, is proposed. To solve the problem of selecting the k value and the penalty factor α in variational mode decomposition (VMD), this paper proposes gradient-based optimizer variational mode decomposition (GVMD), which realizes the self-adaptive determination of k value and α value. Firstly, GVMD decomposes the cumulative COVID-19 confirmed data into some intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residual component (IMFr). Secondly, IMFs are predicted by ELM. Then, IMFr is predicted by ARIMA. Finally, the final prediction results are obtained by reconstructing the prediction result of IMFs and IMFr. The cumulative COVID-19 confirmed data of the United States, India and Russia is used to verify its effectiveness. Taking the United States as an example, compared with the average MAPE, RMSE and MAE of the single model, the average MAPE of the hybrid model is reduced by 47.27%, the average RMSE is reduced by 44.50%, and the average MAE is reduced by 55.34%. Compared with GVMD-ELM-ELM, GVMD-ELM-ARIMA proposed in this paper reduces the MAPE by 60%, the RMSE by 56.85%, and the MAE by 61.61%. The experimental results show that GVMD-ELM-ARIMA has best prediction accuracy, and it provides a new method for predicting the cumulative COVID-19 confirmed data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Socio-economic parameters explain the choice of means of transport. • Moreover, we identified psychological setting of potential users of transport technologies. • This approach сan be useful for the transportation policy and for related processes. This paper studies the willingness among Russia's population to try out three new transport technologies: electric cars, car-sharing, and autonomous driving. The assumption is that these three offerings will in the near future appear as autonomously driving vehicles booked on a subscription basis. Next to socio-economic parameters such as age, gender, place of living or holding a driver's licence, we introduce three measures: values of self-expression, attitudes towards science and technology and attitudes towards novelties in general to explain the likelihood to try out these transport innovations. Thereby, this paper increases the understanding of the preconditions that lead to wide-spread acceptance of transport innovations. An analysis of the psychological set-up of the respondents allowed for the identification of a group of enthusiasts that are excited to try out these new transportation offerings. We argue that application of such an approach deepens the understanding of social mechanisms behind technology adoption and can be useful for the identification of social groups that support related processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the impact of green finance and renewable energy on energy efficiency in E−7 economies. We analyzed the nonlinear and asymmetric effects of green finance and renewable energy on energy efficiency. We collected data from 1985 to 2017 and applied the NARDL and 2SLS methods. The results reveal that the differences in green finance development in the E−7 region are as follows: China (0.61), Brazil (0.55), India (0.53), Indonesia (0.49), Mexico (0.37), and Russia (0.39). In 2019, the Gini coefficient was the largest in Russia (0.57), followed by Turkey. Based on empirical findings, the largest barrier to green energy efficiency is insufficient private and governmental investment in the energy sector to improve access to power, to increase energy security and promote economic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner. The findings point to a promising but vulnerable future for renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment in E−7 countries. This paper emphasizes that green financing and renewable energy policy limitations must be addressed to realize the funding potential of energy efficiency in E−7 countries. • We have analyzed the barrieres for renewable energy and energy efficiency. • Non-linear and asymmetric effects is observed on energy efficiency. • We have applied NARDL model to examine the relationship among variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the connectedness among the climate change index, green financial assets, renewable energy markets, and geopolitical risk index from June 1, 2012 to June 13, 2022, using Quantile Vector Autoregressive (QVAR) and wavelet coherence (WC). The Total connectedness index (TCI) varies as long as the highest TCI originates in the upper quantile. We also note that the higher TCI decreases after the second wave of COVID-19 and increases during the first 100 days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moreover, the results show that Geopolitical risk (GPR) is a net transmitter of the climate change index during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The green bond and clean energy markets are negatively connected to the GPR at extreme 10 th and 90 th quantiles. The wavelet coherence confirms the QVAR results that the climate change market can be a safe haven against GPR during the Russian invasion. The climate change index, green financial assets, and clean energy are strong influencers in the financial markets and are vital to international peace, reducing geopolitical risk. The study reports a few novel conclusions and implications from a sustainable development perspective. • Connectedness among climate change index, green financial assets, renewable energy markets. • Daily data was used from June 1, 2012 to June 13, 2022. • Role of geopolitical risk for green financial assets and renewable energy market. • Climate change index, green financial assets, and clean energy are strong influencers in the financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with an overview of early anthropogenic impact on the landscapes of the southeastern Baltic region and is based on the results of palaeolimnological and archaeological studies carried out on the Vishtynets Upland, Kaliningrad oblast, Russian Federation. The detailed study of available palynological (including microcharcoal), geochemical and archaeological data has revealed possible signs of anthropogenic impact on the landscape from the Early Mesolithic to the Middle Ages, while the results of lithological, geochronological and diatom analyses provided a basis for a better understanding of natural processes. Palynological data have shown that the first signs of human impact on landscapes date back to the Early Mesolithic (approximately from 10,000 cal yr. BP), indicating the existence of local deforested areas. The presence of pollen from plantindicators of open habitats and pastures, as well as Pteridium and Corylus , combined with elevated Ba and Sr values as indicators of burning, suggests the deliberate burning of forests for the enhancement of hunting and mobility, as well as for the propagation of edible plants. The correlation of microcharcoal and pollen data has revealed several peaks of human activity in the Neolithic and showed that cultivation of Cerealia on the Vishtynets Upland began during this period (5120 - 4000 cal yr. BP). The first signs of metallurgy in the region emerged in the period 4500–3000 cal yr. BP (the late Neolithic – the Bronze Age) and are indicated by the simultaneous growth of V, Pb, Ni, Zn, As, Fe 2 O 3 and microcharcoal curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the results of siliceous microfossils studies performed in a "staircase" of four isolation basins (33.7 m–2.9 m a.s.l.) on Big Solovetskiy Island (Solovki Archipelago, the White Sea). Diatoms were used as a primary group for paleoinferences, while chrysophyte cysts and sponge spicules also demonstrated high indicative potential. In all study lakes, the siliceous microfossils stratigraphy revealed three main stages of their evolution, i.e. large-basin, transitional and small-lake stages, each characterized by certain composition of the diatom assemblages and floristic diversity, relative abundances of chrysophyte cysts and sponge spicules, and siliceous microfossils concentrations. In the uppermost lake, glaciolacustrine environments unfavorable for aquatic biota existed during the large-basin stage. The proglacial lake stage terminated prior to ca. 10.4 cal ka BP, followed by a (semi)terrestrial episode before the transition to small-lake environments. In the other three lakes, marine environments were inferred at the earlier stage, characterized by the predominance of marine and brackish-marine diatoms, increased proportions of sponge spicules and low "cysts to diatoms" ratio. At the transitional marine-freshwater stage, mass growth of small fragilarioid diatoms and decreased abundances of spicules indicated unstable environments, while increased proportions of cysts pointed to progressive freshening of the basins. The duration of the marine-freshwater transition expectedly prolonged from ca. 200 yr in the upper basin (16.6 m a.s.l) to ca. 500 yr in the lowermost lake (2.9 m a.s.l.). The isolation from the sea took place between ca. 6.3 and 1.4 cal ka BP. At the small-lake stage, siliceous microfossils stratigraphies reflected local specifics of the basins and their catchments. We argue that besides traditionally used diatom data, relative and absolute abundances of siliceous microfossils also possess high indicative value for isolation basin studies. Our study demonstrated that marine waters on Big Solovetskiy Island never reached ca. 34 m a.s.l. during the Holocene, unlike the western coast of the Onega Bay where the Preboreal marine intrusion was recorded even at higher elevated localities. Different rates and amplitudes of shoreline displacement are thus suggested for the inner and outer parts of the Onega Bay. During the mid-Holocene Tapes transgression, before ca. 6.3 cal ka BP, the relative sea level on Big Solovetskiy Island exceeded 17 m a.s.l. The average estimated rates of the shoreline retreat during the second half of the Holocene gradually decreased from 0.28 cm year−1 to 0.2 cm year−1, indicating slowed isostatic uplift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precambrian paleosols provide important evidence for deciphering ancient atmospheric conditions; however, reconstruction using the Archean–Early Proterozoic weathering crusts is challenging due to reworking by later superimposed events. In this paper, we describe 2.6 Ga paleoweathering crusts developed on ultramafic rocks recognized in the Eastern Fennoscandian Shield of northwest Karelia, Russia. Mafic index of alteration shows an increasing trend from parent rock to the paleosol and indicates moderate weathering. Geochemical and mineralogical data provide evidence for paleosol formation under anoxic acidic conditions. The results allow reconstruction of palaeoatmospheric p O 2 and p CO 2 levels estimated to be 1 × 10−4 PAL and 22 PAL, respectively. Analysis of the paleosols in the Eastern Fennoscandian Shield reveals that the anoxic weathering seems to have prevailed over Archean–Early Proterozoic interval. The study contributes to understanding of evolution of atmospheric oxygen levels and paleoenvironmental conditions prior to the Great Oxidation Event. • Neoarchean paleosols have been recognized in the Eastern Fennoscandian Shield • Pitkilampi paleosols developed under a cool to temperate and humid climate • Anoxic weathering in the Eastern Fennoscandian Shield during pre-GOE timeframe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong–strong beam–beam simulations for circular colliders are very time-consuming. Thus far, such simulations have predominantly utilized a linear transfer matrix to represent the full nonlinear lattice. Otherwise, when nonlinear lattices were included, beam–beam interactions were usually studied by using weak–strong or quasi-strong–strong numerical models. The next-generation circular colliders, including FCC-ee at CERN, CEPC in China, and the Super Tau-Charm Factories in China and Russia, will leverage the crab waist collision scheme with a large Piwinski angle. This scheme has already been employed in the two currently operational colliders, DAFNE and SuperKEKB. Accurate predictions of the performance of such colliders call for strong–strong beam–beam simulations, taking into account the interplay of the beam–beam interaction with lattice nonlinearities, impedances, and other collective effects. To answer this call, a novel code APES-T that allows integrating the direct strong–strong beam–beam simulations with element-by-element nonlinear tracking has been developed. To overcome the limitations in computing time, APES-T employs parallelization techniques. Specifically, the beam–beam module is parallelized using MPI programming, while the element-by-element tracking modules are parallelized using GPU programming. In this paper, we present the development of the APES-T code, its benchmark against the SAD code, and its application to the CEPC in investigating the interplay between beam–beam interaction, beamstrahlung, and lattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GHG emissions of Arctic LNG transportation are estimated. • Emissions related environmental costs are accounted. • Unit cost of LNG transportation via Northern Sea Route is estimated. • LNG may be the most efficient fuel in total cost saving and emission reduction. • Policy suggestions for energy use on Arctic routes have been recommended. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) might be a promising route for LNG transportation from the LNG plants in Russia's Yamal Peninsula to Northeast Asia countries with significant savings in sailing distance and time compared to traditional Suez Canal Route (SCR). However, surging transportation activities along NSR might harm the environment with the greenhouse gas (GHG) and atmospheric pollutant emissions. Little research has been done to investigate the environmental and techno-economic potential of transporting LNG via NSR. Furthermore, this paper analyses the relevance of an Arc4 ice-class vessel, not currently used for this route. This paper targets to address the question that how much GHGs and atmospheric pollutants does a carrier emit and how is the feasibility of different fuel types for the summer and winter transportation considering environmental impacts. An environmental and techno-economic model quantifying the emissions and total costs have been developed and 3 scenarios of using different fuel types (HFO, MDO, LNG) are proposed to investigate the environmental and economic performances in summer and winter respectively. Our results reveal that the unit cost of transporting LNG via NSR is around 90 U.S. $ cents/GJ in summer and 120 $ cents/GJ in winter considering environmental cost. The findings also show that in the short run when regardless of environmental cost, HFO is still the preferable option for ships by its competitive cost. While when considering the environmental cost, LNG has better economic and environmental performance than other fuel types. So, for the long run, LNG might be encouraged to be the main fuel used in Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by large oil price swings, high economic and geopolitical uncertainties, and the financialization of oil, this paper examines the frequency spillovers and co-movements between oil shocks (risk and demand) and the stock markets of top oil-producer and consumer countries, namely, Canada, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the US. The analysis uses the time-domain spillover index of [1], the frequency-domain spillover of [2]; and the wavelet coherence approach. The findings reveal that spillovers run from the U.S., Canada, and, to a lesser extent, Russia to oil shocks. On the other hand, oil shocks, Saudi Arabia, and China constitute net receivers of shocks. The intensity of spillovers is heavier in the short-term frequency than in the intermediate- and long-term. Furthermore, the direction of spillovers is more defined in the long-term. The U.S. stock market exerts a strong impact on oil risk in general, but the impact is stronger in the short-term. Conversely, an oil demand shock is susceptible to innovations from Canada and Russia that are stronger in the long-term. This means that oil risk shock stemming from innovations in financial markets is short-lived and dissipates quickly due to quick reactions from market participants. On the contrary, long-term links characterize the relationship between oil demand shock and financial markets, mirroring the macroeconomic nature of the linkages. Finally, while the 2008 crisis, EDC, oil price crash, and the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with strong spillovers in the short-term, the COVID-19 era was marked by higher spillovers in the long term. The findings provide important information for investors and policymakers in terms of diversification, risk management, and efforts to mitigate contagion. • This paper examines the frequency spillovers and co-movements between oil shocks and the stock markets. • We use the time-frequency spillover index method and the wavelet coherence approach. • Spillovers run from the U.S., Canada, and, to a lesser extent, Russia to oil shocks. • Oil shocks, Saudi Arabia, and China constitute net receivers of shocks. • The intensity of spillovers is heavier in the short-term frequency than in the intermediate- and long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents new data on the subfossil insects and molluscs, as well a new radiocarbon date for the Gornovo site in the Southern Fore-Urals. As a result, the stratigraphic interpretation of the sediments of the lower part of the first above floodplain terrace of the Belaya River is corrected and they are assigned to the Tabulda Horizon (MIS 3) of the Upper Pleistocene in the regional scheme of the Fore-Urals Quaternary. The malacofauna of the locality is represented by 27 species of terrestrial and freshwater molluscs. The composition of molluscs in the deposits of MIS 3 indicates the succession of deposit accumulation in the river valley from the stage of reservoirs that periodically connecting with the river to the stage of the overgrown oxbow lake. Single occurrence of mollusc shells in the loams of MIS 2 is a result of sharp climate change. New insect material includes 136 species of Coleoptera from 17 families, as well as Heteroptera and Hymenoptera representatives. 29 species of beetles (Carabidae, Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, Tenebrionidae, Chrysomelidae, Brentidae and Curculionidae) are recorded for the Pleistocene for the first time. The insect assemblages from Gornovo site are assigned to periglacial and humid boreal faunal types. The entomofauna of the periglacial type has no analogues in the recent fauna; it corresponds to the deposits assigned to the middle of MIS 3. This entomofauna is characteristic to the MIS 2 and MIS 3 insect assemblages from the south of West Siberian Plain. Based on entomological data, the climate of the middle of MIS 3 of the Southern Fore-Urals is reconstructed as dry and cold, extracontinental, with mean July temperature not exceeding +15 °C. Steppe landscapes likely prevailed in open areas and coniferous forests were restricted to river valleys. Beetles from deposits dated to end of MIS 3 are assigned to the fauna of the boreal humid type. These insect assemblages are significantly poorer in diversity than periglacial type assemblages and are represented mainly by near water and forest Coleoptera. Based on these species, meadow and forest landscapes were reconstructed. The reconstructed mean air temperature of July ranged from +16 to +19 °C. This suggests a trend towards more mild conditions in the region connected to the climate warming at the end of MIS 3. It is likely that humidification during this period was regional, determined by the proximity of the site to the Southern Urals Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Russia demonstrates low vaccination intentions compared to most European countries and some emerging economies. • The paper uses a nationally representative dataset for Russia (RLMS HSE-2020) to analyze the scope of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and resistance prior to the start of the vaccination campaign. • 43% of the Russian adult population were resistant towards vaccination, while 13% were hesitant. • Vaccination attitudes depend on age, family composition, education, type of settlement, employment, self-rated health, previous COVID-19 experience, and self-perceived risk of being infected. • Personality traits, risk attitudes, and trust, reflect the deep-rooted causes of vaccination attitudes and strongly predict vaccination intentions. Vaccination is the main tool available to handle the COVID-19 pandemic globally. Though no vaccine is proven to be 100% effective, vaccination secures against getting seriously ill and dying from the disease. Russia announced the development of its first domestic vaccine back in August 2020 and launched the nationwide immunization campaign at the beginning of 2021. Despite these achievements, as of mid-October 2021, only 36% of the population got at least one shot of the vaccine. Massive vaccination hesitancy and refusal pose a great threat to public health and postpone social and economic recovery. Using nationally representative data from the general adult population of Russia, this study explores the scope of vaccination hesitancy and refusal as well as the determinants of vaccination attitudes. The results suggest that only 45% of the Russian population demonstrated positive attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination prior to the launch of a nationwide vaccination program. We analyze a wide array of demographic, socio-economic, and health-related factors in relation to vaccination intentions and explore the deep-rooted causes of vaccination reluctance by looking at personality traits, religiosity, and trust. The obtained results are vital for designing policy measures to promote vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship between the prehistoric human and the surrounding fauna has always been of a complex nature and consisted of material and non-material elements. Sculptural images of animals and birds made of various materials (bone, antler, flint, or wood) are a typical feature of the surviving evidence of the spiritual culture of Mesolithic and Neolithic population in Eastern Europe and the Urals. Realistic and stylized animal images were used to decorate ceremonial and everyday objects including weapons and knives, skis and paddles, axes and wooden utensils. This paper aims to evaluate some patterns in decorative activities and priorities in depicting certain zoomorphic images on an example of small series of Late Mesolithic artefacts from well-known site Zamostje 2, which is located in the Volga-Oka region. Unique preservation conditions in this wetland settlement contributed to accumulation of rich and diverse materials including a large set of decorated objects. This paper focuses on zoomorphic knife handle ends and stylized animal figurines made of bone and wood, which are brought together and considered in this perspective for the first time ever. All knives and pins were involved in production or domestic activities, while some figures carried a non-utilitarian magic function. The site area, obviously, served both for everyday life and for performance of some rites. For the first time for scope of Late Mesolithic settlements, a conclusion is drawn about a possible connection between the image of a duck and a snake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to establish conceptual foundations for analyzing the economic dimensions of a territorial military conflict. The Intraregional Trade Disruption from War Simulator (ITDW-Simulator) attempts to estimate the heterogeneous macroeconomic effects of the military conflict. The model suggests two primary indicators and four secondary indicators. The final trade suffocation index (TS-Index) and the final investment desgrowth from war function (− δ w) measure trade disruption's potential impact on international trade patterns and economic development. The agriculture exports, industrial and manufacturing exports, service exports, and FDI flows capture the trade and investment interdependency. The model investigates the impact of the Russo-Ukraine military conflict on the bilateral trade and investment between the Russian Federation and the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has underscored the criticality related to the dependence on energy supply from Russia and the lack of energy autonomy by European countries. To obtain a progressive detachment from the Russian energy supply dependency, European countries have been adopting some measures, aimed at switching the natural gas supply from Russia to other countries, reducing the consumption of natural gas, and replacing energy source typology, e.g., switching from methane to coal or renewable sources. This paper develops a tool based on the Input-Output methodology, named Global Sustainability Dashboard (GSD), designed for assessing the potential consequences of a national strategy aimed at replacing energy source suppliers. GSD adopts 14 indicators to consider the three main sustainability dimensions (i.e., economic, environmental, and social) at both the national and global scale. As an illustrative case, the Italian energy diversification strategy is analyzed, to demonstrate the practical implementation of GSD. Findings are discussed from the numerical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the formation of a list of critical facilities in Russia's gas transportation system in terms of energy security, and the substantiation of potential ways to minimize the negative effects of emergency situations on operation of these facilities. To date the lists of critical facilities in the energy systems have been formed on the basis of the performance analysis of certain facilities. The paper addresses the problem of identification of such facilities depending on their impact on overall operability of the system. This is accomplished by analyzing the level of negative impact caused by termination or disturbance of operation of a certain facility on consumers. The analysis employs the software "Russia's Oil and Gas" ("ROG"). The principles of identifying critical facilities in Russia's gas transportation system are demonstrated, specific examples are shown, and potential ways to mitigate the negative impact of emergency situations at such facilities on gas consumers are formulated. • Features of Russian gas transportation system. • Principles for identification of critical facilities in the gas transportation system. • Model base for the work of the software "Russia's oil and gas". • Meeting the needs of the gas in case of failure of the largest critical facilities. • Sections of main gas pipelines for increasing bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated navigation of single-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial navigation system (INS) has broad application prospects with the development of multi-constellation GNSS. However, GNSS signals are susceptible to interference from a complex environment, which results in low-quality observations. The combination of frequencies cannot be applied for a single-frequency signal, so it is difficult to fix the ambiguity and process cycle slip. Therefore, the method of ambiguity resolution and cycle slip processing with INS aiding is proposed in this paper. When full ambiguities cannot be completely fixed, a subset of ambiguity is determined based on the elevation angle and posteriori residuals. The satellite is firstly eliminated one by one if the absolute value of posteriori residual is over the set threshold. And if the ambiguities still cannot be fixed, the satellite with the minimum elevation angle is eliminated each one. The short-term and high-accuracy position predicted by the INS was used as the constraint equation of the cycle slip detection. The unit weight mean square error of the cycle slip detection equation was used to identify the epoch where the cycle slip occurs, and the residual calculated by robust estimation was used to detect and repair the cycle slip. A set of data collected by a vehicle was used to analyze the proposed method. The experimental results showed that the proposed partial ambiguity resolution can obtain the optimal ambiguity fixing rate and positioning performance compared with the full ambiguity resolution and partial ambiguity resolution based on the elevation angle. The proposed algorithm can effectively detect and accurately repair the cycle slip for the simulated small and large cycle slips, and the cycle slips can still be detected when the global positioning system (GPS), global navigation satellite system of Russia (GLONASS), and BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) were outage for 10 s, 5 s, and 10 s without sufficient visible satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new field and laboratory data combined with previously published materials on interglacial sediments underlying two upper tills of northern European Russia and West Siberia. The emphasis is on the structure and chronometric data of marine strata with shells of boreal molluscs of Cyrtodaria genus indicative of the Atlantic marine invasion into these sedimentary basins during the late Middle Pleistocene. Another line of evidence for this time span is inferred from inter-till terrestrial sequences in the European Northeast with forest pollen spectra suggesting a climate much warmer than today. The decisive correlation signal is provided by optically stimulated luminescence and electron-spin resonance dates, indicating MIS 7 time, and by the geological position of two interglacial formations between the first, second and third from the surface glacial complexes. The collected evidence disagrees with the model of the unique boreal transgression and confirms that saline Atlantic water at least twice invaded northern Russia during the last 250 kyears. The sedimentary formations of the penultimate interglaciation can serve as a new intra-regional stratigraphic marker for the northern Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Paper studies bureaucrats' heterogeneity in attitude to the problem of corruption. • We implement a list experiment among public procurement officials in Russia. • Female bureaucrats consider corruption to be an obstacle of procurement development. • Male bureaucrats are not sensitive to corruption. • Gender difference in attitude to corruption holds even at the high-level positions. A high level of corruption usually constrains economic development in emerging countries. However, anti-corruption campaigns often fail because the relevant policies need to be implemented by existing corrupt governments. This article studies the extent of bureaucrats' heterogeneity in attitude to the problem of corruption. Due to the sensitivity of direct questions on corruption, we conduct the list experiment among public procurement officials in Russia. We show that female bureaucrats consider corruption an obstacle to public procurement development, and find no such evidence for male bureaucrats. This heterogeneity holds even at the high-level occupied positions. Although the negative attitude to corruption does not necessarily imply the anti-corruption activity by women, recognition of the problem seems to be a prerequisite for supporting an anti-corruption policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Srednaya Akhtuba outcrop provides a detailed record of the Late Pleistocene continental and marine deposits and paleosols from MIS5 to MIS1. The MIS5 chronozone is presented by a continuous pedosedimentary sequence with three well-developed paleosols. The paper is based on the study of depositional environment and pedostratigraphy, with OSL chronological framework and precise altitude references. Field data are supported by chemical analyses, micromorphology, and clay mineralogy. A detailed study of MIS5 paleosols was first conducted for the Lower Volga area. Pedosedimentary sequence at that time developed on the river terrace in a backswamp and/or wetland influenced by extremely slow-moving stream after long seasonal floods. Thin loess layers were deposited during the brief episodes of low flood activity, while fluvial heavy loams – at the time of more intensive flooding. Mollic Gleysols and Fluvic Chernozems have been formed in the arid or semi-arid climate with seasonal freezing under productive wet meadows. Changes in the depositional environment resulted in the formation of welded paleosols, marked by textural difference, cryogenic levels, and accretionary humus horizons. Despite the complicated depositional pattern and the influence of seasonal floods, the MIS5 pedosedimentary sequence may serve as a good stratigraphic marker for the onset of Late Pleistocene allowing correlation with loess-paleosol sequences of the whole Ponto-Caspian region and linking it with the global stratigraphic schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on extraterrestrial civilisations in Russia date back to the end of the 19th century. The modern period of SETI studies began in the USSR in the early 1960s. The first edition of the I.S. Shklovsky's book Universe, Life, Intelligence published in 1962 was a founding stone of SETI research in the USSR. A number of observational projects in radio and optical domains were conducted in the 1960s–1990s. Theoretical studies focused on defining optimal spectral domains for search of artificial electromagnetic signals, selection of celestial targets in search for ETI, optimal methods for encoding and decoding of interstellar messages, estimating the magnitude of astro-engineering activity of ETI, and developing philosophical background of the SETI problem. Later, in the 1990s and in the first two decades of the 21st century, in spite of acute underfunding and other problems facing the scientific community in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, SETI-oriented research continued. In particular, SETI collaborations conducted a number of surveys of Sun-like stars in the Milky Way, searched for Dyson spheres and artificial optical signals. Several space broadcasting programs were conducted too, including a radio transmission toward selected stars. Serious rethinking was given to incentives for passive and active participation of space civilisations in SETI and CETI. This paper gives an overview of past SETI activities. It also gives a comprehensive list of publications by authors from Russia, the Soviet Union and the post-Soviet space, as well as some SETI publications by other authors. The rich heritage of SETI research presented in the paper might offer a potentially useful background and starting point for developing strategy and specific research programs of the near future. • Search for extraterrestrial intelligence as a multi-disciplinary science topic. • A century-long history of studies on cosmic civilisations in Russia and USSR. • A comprehensive list of references on search of extraterrestrial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Audiences of low-brow literature are strongly differentiated along categorical lines. • Gender and age, not religion or ethnicity, differentiate low-brow tastes. • High-brow tastes tend to be less gender-specific, than low-brow. • High-brow tastes tend to be less cohort-specific, than low-brow. • Age correlates negatively with the brow-level of the preferred literature. In his paper establishing the foundations of omnivorousness theory, Richard Peterson suggested that the system of tastes is organised as a pyramid "with one elite taste at the top and more and more alternative forms at about the same level as one moves down the pyramid toward its base", with tastes at the bottom "mark[ing] the status boundaries between taste groups defined by age, gender, race, region, religion, lifestyle" (1992, p.254). Whereas high-status individuals are likely to consume a few genres at all levels of the taste pyramid, low-status ones tend to patronise only one genre situated at the bottom. One of the predictions following from this model concerning the omnivorounsness of privileged groups has been tested in numerous studies, but the thesis of low-brow tastes having stronger structural embeddedness has been researched much less extensively. If Peterson is correct, we should find that the consumption of high-brow objects strongly correlates with status characteristics such as education where the consumption of low- and middle-brow does not; by the same token, the consumption of low-brow objects would correlate with gender, age, ethnicity, or other groupings where the consumption of high-brow objects does not. In this paper, we use a dataset from a St Petersburg public library system to analyse 1 300 000 book choices of over 100 000 readers to find out whether these predictions hold. We find that there is indeed a strong negative correlation between the attractiveness of authors for predominantly educated readers and the gender and age specificity of their audience. We discuss three possible theoretical explanations of this finding which can be discerned from the literature: (1) "group" and (2) "grid" interpretations, using the terms from Mary Douglas's cultural theory, and (3) the opposition between relaxational and self-cultivating usages of culture. We argue that the particular differentiation pattern speaks against the "group interpretation" prevalent in other literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In 2013, the well-known Chelyabinsk meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia. It is estimated that the meteor exploded at altitude near 30 km, which damaged thousands of buildings and injured a thousand of residents. The estimated size of the meteor is approximately 20 m. Because the meteor approached to Earth from Sun direction, no ground-based observatories could not detect until the impact. Considering such situations, the paper proposes a concept to detect Chelyabinsk-class small Near-Earth Objects. The concept addresses a "last-minute" warning system of NEO impact, in the same manner of "Tsunami" warning. To achieve the mission objective, two locations are assumed for the space telescope installation point i.e., Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1, SEL1 and Artificial Equilibrium Point, AEP. SEL1 is one of the natural equilibrium points, on the other hand, AEP is artificially equilibrated point by Sun and Earth gravity, centrifugal force and low-thrust acceleration. The magnitude of the acceleration to keep AEP is sufficiently small near 1 au radius orbit around the Sun i.e., the order of μm/s2 which can be achieved by solar sail. Through some cases of numerical simulations considering the size of NEOs and detector capability, this paper will show the feasibility of the proposed concept. Highlights • This is a concept study of a hazardous NEO detection and impact warning system. • It is assumed to use space-based telescopes to detect virtual impactors before the impact. • Sun-Earth L1 point and Artificial Equilibrium Point are used for space-telescope. • SEL1 case shows the deficiency to detect NEOs in-coming from Sun-direction. • On the other hand, AEP case shows almost 100% detectability of NEOs.5th IAA Planetary Defense Conference – PDC 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The specific of this paper are summary geological, mineralogical and isotope characteristics of calcic skarn ore deposits (at 17 deposits and prospects) of the Northeast Asia. • Major skarn mineralization formed during the Late Mesozoic time. • The type of host rocks, more rarely granitoid type, and the type of ore mineralization control the composition of garnet and pyroxene formed in the skarn deposits. • Garnet from Sn skarn deposits have high concentrations of Sn. • Garnet from skarn deposits in terrigenous terranes have higher TiO 2 content than one from carbonate terranes. • During skarn formation, the Fe content of garnet and pyroxene increases. • Ore mineralization that accompanied skarn has crustal Pb isotopic compositions, and relatively light isotope composition of sulfur in sulfides. Abstract In this paper, we summarize characteristics of calcic skarn ore deposits in Northeast Asia. The study area includes a wide variety of terranes, which experienced both subduction and collisional granite magmatism, and contains a skarn deposits of various types, mostly of sub-economic. This provides an opportunity to examine the relationships among skarn metal types, host rocks, and plutons, within various tectonic settings. The paper is based on the authors' observations (at 17 deposits and prospects) as well as on a review of published data on these and other skarn deposits. Major skarn mineralization in Northeast Asia was formed in the Late Mesozoic accretionary and post-accretionary periods. Skarn deposits of Fe, W, Mo, Pb-Zn, and Au (Co) show the same type of skarn mineralogy. The type of host rocks, more rarely granitoid, and the type of mineralization control the composition of garnet and pyroxene, formed in the skarn deposits. Garnet and vesuvianite, associated with tin skarn deposits, have high Sn concentrations. The garnet, associated with skarn deposits in terrigenous terranes, has higher TiO 2 concentrations than those in the garnet in skarn deposits from carbonate platform terranes. During skarn deposit formation, the Fe content of the main skarn minerals (garnet and pyroxene) increases. Ore mineralization, which accompanied skarns, exposes isotopic compositions of crustal Pb. Island arc granitoids have primitive 87Sr/86Sr values, while collision granitoids show more elevated crustal 87Sr/86Sr signatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southern steppes of European Russia are rich in archaeological monuments that were extensively studied for many decades. Nevertheless, paleosols buried under the burial mounds and especially the big kurgans of the Bronze Age in the Ponto-Caspian area did not receive proper attention. The paper focuses on soil evolution and climate dynamics during the Bronze Age based on the study of soils buried during several stages of earthen mound construction within one big kurgan in the Kuban-Azov Plain, Russia. The kurgan 1 in the Beysuzhek-9 kurgan cemetery of the Bronze Age, situated in the Korenovsky District, Krasnodar Region, consists of three earthen mounds made at different times. The soils, buried under three mounds of the kurgan, are located in close vicinity from each other and have similar lithology and geomorphic position. They form a chronosequence representing three time slices. Moreover, the chronosequence displays a certain chronological order of burial: paleosols were first buried in the center of the kurgan and later closer to its periphery. The height of the kurgan is about 4 m that ensures good preservation of the buried soils. The research is based on the comparative analysis of morphology, micromorphology and analytical properties of three paleosols buried under different constructions in the kurgan and surface soil. Also, the palynological analysis was performed for the uppermost layers (0–5 cm) of three paleosols. During the first stage of the kurgan construction, the Novotitorovo archaeological culture of the Early Bronze Age at the 27th-22nd centuries BC, the climate of the region was sufficiently humid and provided a high bioproductivity for surrounding landscapes. The interval between the second and third stages of kurgan construction was marked by the gradual increase in aridity. During the third stage of the kurgan construction (the Catacomb archaeological culture, the Middle Bronze Age, the 21st −16th centuries BC), the climate was mostly arid. The results of the palynological analysis are in agreement with the study of paleosols. During the construction of the kurgan , the vegetation pattern corresponded to a Southern forest-steppe. The percentage of herbaceous plants increased markedly, and steppe species appeared during the time of Catacomb culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International humanitarian law is a branch of public international law that seeks to moderate the conduct of wars to protect those who are not taking part in the hostilities. Under international humanitarian law, belligerents may not intentionally target civilians or installations that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. While collateral harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure may occur, international humanitarian law prohibits attacks that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. In practice, these principles have not always been honored or enforced. State and non-state actors have deliberately targeted civilians and/or disregarded civilian impacts, often for the purpose of pressuring political leaders to capitulate. The increasing occurrence and severity of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure in modern conflicts calls into question the continuing relevance of what were once viewed as fundamental protections. In this paper, we present a case study involving Russia's 2022–23 attacks on Ukraine's electric power infrastructure, which left millions of civilians without heat, water, or other basic services for extended periods in harsh winter conditions. Considering the scope, scale, and long-term impacts of these attacks, we conclude that Russia violated international law. We also suggest that a new international protocol may be necessary in order to more effectively deter and punish attacks on civilian infrastructure in future armed conflicts and military occupations. • "What the Ukrainian energy system has been experiencing since October 2022, no energy system in the world has ever experienced." • "Russia came frighteningly close to taking down the entire power grid in Europe's second-largest nation." • "Russia's effort to disrupt power delivery systems throughout Ukraine violated international laws" • "We propose the adoption of a new international code of conduct to better protect civilian access to electric power." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a hybrid model that combines wavelet transformation of the raw data and an artificial neural network with long short-term memory (LSTM). This model allows researchers to increase the accuracy of time series forecasting. The model is based on data from environmental monitoring of greenhouse gases on the Belyy Island of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The raw data for building the proposed model were obtained in July–August 2016. The CH 4 concentration time series was decomposed using a discrete wavelet transform into four components - one approximating and three detailing. These components, along with a timed temperature series, were used to train six ANNs—two exogenous input autoregressive networks (NAR) and four LSTM networks. The forecast was calculated as the sum of forecasts for each of the components. Forecast accuracy was assessed using several indices (mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean square relative error (RMSRE), Willmott's agreement index (IA1, IA2)) and a Taylor diagram. The hybrid model based on LSTM showed the best accuracy. The hybrid model based on LSTM showed the best accuracy. MAE, RMSE, and RMSRE errors decreased by more than 70%. In terms of IA1 and IA2, the models improved by 11% and 30% (when comparing the best hybrid models LSTM and NAR. For the hybrid LSTM model errors RMSE, RMSRE, and MAE are more than 20% less than for the base LSTM model for training in which data without wavelet transform were used. Willmott agreement indices (IA1, IA2) rose from 32% to 59%, depending on the models being compared. So, the increase in accuracy after applying the described approach was up to 79% for models based on LSTM (more precisely, from 20% to 79%, depending on the indicator). Applying wavelet transform data to train the NAR-based model reduced MAE, RMSE, and RMSRE errors by 27%, 30%, and 31%, respectively. The Willmott agreement indices (IA1, IA2) rose from 41% to 45% respectively. The Taylor diagram also shows the advantage of the proposed approach. • Measurements of the methane concentration were done. • Six models to predict the dynamics of were built. • Hybrid model with data wavelet transformation and LSTM showed the best accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries are far from achieving the 17 SDGs by 2030 with the crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and climate change. For this reason, this paper proposes a way of grouping countries based on the k-means machine learning technique to better understand the differences between countries beyond just having the score of meeting the 17 SDGs. In the first scenario, clustering analysis was applied involving the 17 SDGs and in the second scenario, the 17 SDGs and the Household Food Waste Indicator were considered for the clustering analysis. The results show that for the first scenario three clusters are formed, where one cluster called "High Sustainability" is characterized by the highest scores on fifteen SDGs and the lowest scores on SDG 12: Responsible Production and Consumption and SDG 13: Climate Action. In the second scenario, four groups were obtained, where the group "High Sustainability" with the highest scores in the SDGs has the lowest amount of household food waste, while the countries in the group with medium-high sustainability have the highest amount of household food waste. Thus, more appropriate compliance pathways can be established for each typology, as they share similar progress in meeting the 17 SDGs. • Country typing by k-means in two scenarios of SDG compliance and household food waste. • The number of groups in the first scenario was 3 and in the second it was 4. • A cluster has the highest scores in 15 SDGs and the lowest scores in goals 12 and 13. • The group with the worst SDG scores has more than twice as much household food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Foundations of experimental geothermic studies were significantly improved. • Advanced technique was applied to study the Volga-Ural oil and gas basin. • Field experiment included 7 cycles of temperature logging during 186 days of well shut-in. • Unique data on temperature and its gradient behavior after drilling were obtained. • A significant increase in heat flow with depth was established. • The necessity for new, special experimental estimations of heat flow is demonstrated. • Thermal core profiling is needed for estimation the detailed variations of heat flow. • One more prove that heat flow data obtained with common technique are unreliable. The paper describes the results of experimental geothermal studies of the formation surrounding Savitskaya-300 well (depth 3555 m) drilled in the Volga-Ural oil and gas basin (Orenburg region, Russia). The work was aimed, firstly, at obtaining geothermal data for basin modeling and, secondly, at improving the instrumental and methodological foundations of experimental studies. Continuous core profiling of the rock thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity, and thermal anisotropy was performed on all 2886 recovered core samples with the total length of 329.1 m. Additional measurements were conducted at fluid saturation and elevated temperatures. For non-cored intervals, the rock thermal properties were determined from well-logging data and via measurements on rock cuttings. The studied formation is characterized by high thermal heterogeneity at both the level of strata (horizons) and individual samples. Significant thermal anisotropy up to 1.50–1.66 in the lower part of the well has been observed. To obtain data on vertical variations of equilibrium temperature and its gradient, temperature logging was performed 7 times within the 2 to 186 days of well shut-in. New data on the recovery of temperature and its gradient after drilling are important for the practice of applied and fundamental geothermal surveys. A significant increase in heat flow with depth was established based on the results of temperature gradient and rock thermal conductivity determination for 34 depth intervals. The observed general vertical variation in the whole depth range of the well up to ∼3.3 km depth can be attributed to paleoclimatic effect in the Late Pleistocene-Holocene, while the sharp increase in heat flow at ∼3.3 km within Fransian sediments is possibly due to advective heat transfer by fluid filtration. The apparent heat flow was established to be 84.3 mW⋅m−2 in the lower section of the well, below 3.3 km. The value may be close to the steady-state heat flow value, which is 84% higher than the previous published average data for the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the views proposed by researchers over the years on the dating of the Great Shigir Idol (originally found in a Ural peat bog) and the interpretation of images carved on the body of the wooden sculpture. Special attention is paid to finds from the Volvoncha I settlement (the Eneolithic) located on the Konda River in Western Siberia: these discoveries allow a comparison with the anthropomorphic creatures on the idol, composed in the skeleton version of the X-ray style. Analogues of the Shigir images can be found among figurative images in cave carvings. An anthropomorphic image from the Far Hall of the Ignatievka cave allows us to not only identify the sex of the characters at the base of the idol, but also to propose a radical revision of the age of the Shigir sculpture. 14C calibrated dates obtained in Russia and Germany indicate that the larch from which the idol is carved is from the early Holocene, which demonstrates the validity of searching for parallels in other artefacts of late Paleolithic art. This is relevant to not only cave painting, but also to small art objects found in Western European monuments, which implement similar artistic techniques like the transfer of perspective. It is from this point of view that the carvings - chevrons above some of the likenesses on the idol – are studied in this paper. Each element of the chevron reflects a separate figurative image, following the principle "pars pro toto". In the Shigir sculpture, one can discern a new iconographic canon in the representation of anthropomorphic images, with wide variation in the X-ray style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An encounter trajectory that meets the needs of Deep Space Mission ASTER was identified and is presented. • Expected results achievable in a successful exploration of asteroid 2001SN263 are presented. • ALR_Sim_Tracks – A mission analysis simulation tool dedicated to optical instruments in this mission was created. In cooperation with Russia, the Brazilian deep space mission ASTER plans to send a small spacecraft to investigate the triple asteroid 2001-SN263. The nearest launch opportunities for this project include June 2022 and June 2025. One main exploration campaign is being planned with focus on the largest asteroid (Alpha). Among the instruments under development, a laser altimeter (named ALR) was preliminarily designed and presented in 2010–2011. Many studies to define mission and instruments requirements were performed aiming at the characterization of important issues for the successful realization of the mission. Among them, the identification of a suitable trajectory that could be followed by the ASTER spacecraft in the encounter phase, when the main campaign will take place. This paper describes the effort undertaken with focus on the laser altimeter operation. Possible encounter trajectories were modelled and simulated to identify suitable approach parameters and conditions allowing the accomplishment of the intended investigation. The simulation also involves the instrument operation, considering approach geometry, attitude, relative motion, time/date, and the dynamics of the main asteroid. From the laser altimeter point of view, keeping in mind the desired coverage results (50% minimum surface coverage of asteroid Alpha, complying with horizontal and vertical resolution requirements), results point out crucial features for the encounter trajectory, like the need for a small inclination (10-6 degrees; with respect to the asteroid's orbit), the most favourable spacecraft positioning (between the Sun and the asteroid) and pointing condition (back to the Sun), the minimum amount of achievable surface coverage (58%, focused on central areas), and the most proper time to conduct the main campaign (January 2025). Concerning the instrument, results offer refined values for divergence angle (500 to 650 μrad, half-cone), pulse repetition frequencies (from 1/20 to 1 Hz), and consequent data generation rates. A simulation tool that can use any 3D generated trajectories as input data was created for the analyses presented here. Although created for the ALR in this mission, this simple analysis tool can be adapted to other instruments in this or other missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]