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Abstract  China, Russia, and India are playing an increasingly important role in global nanotechnology research and development (R&D). This paper comparatively inspects the paper and patent publications by these three countries in the Thomson Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI) database and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database (1976–2007). Bibliographic, content map, and citation network analyses are used to evaluate country productivity, dominant research topics, and knowledge diffusion patterns. Significant and consistent growth in nanotechnology papers are noted in the three countries. Between 2000 and 2007, the average annual growth rate was 31.43% in China, 11.88% in Russia, and 33.51% in India. During the same time, the growth patterns were less consistent in patent publications: the corresponding average rates are 31.13, 10.41, and 5.96%. The three countries’ paper impact measured by the average number of citations has been lower than the world average. However, from 2000 to 2007, it experienced rapid increases of about 12.8 times in China, 8 times in India, and 1.6 times in Russia. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were the most productive institutions in paper publication, with 12,334, 6,773, and 1,831 papers, respectively. The three countries emphasized some common research topics such as “Quantum dots,” “Carbon nanotubes,” “Atomic force microscopy,” and “Scanning electron microscopy,” while Russia and India reported more research on nano-devices as compared with China. CAS, RAS, and IIT played key roles in the respective domestic knowledge diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been found that people with disabilities remain at the margin as far as the different aspects of their lives are concerned. This paper tests the hypothesis that disability leads to lower quality of life among older adults in low and middle-income countries. The data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) was used in this study which was conducted in Ghana, China, India, Russia, South Africa and Mexico. The disability scores have been made utilising Item Response Theory, Partial Credit Model and are centered on eight functioning and health areas. Bivariate analysis, binary logistic regression and pooled regression analysis have been used to fulfil the objectives of the paper. The findings reveal that disability acts as a hindrance in attaining a high quality of life (HQOL) amongst the older adults in the above mentioned low and middle-income countries. The older adults with disability are as much as 60% less likely to enjoy an HQOL with respect to the older adults without disability. Better socio-economic development like improved health care for disabled older adults with disability enhanced living standards for both abled and disabled, efficient pension schemes for older adults with disability and effective social service schemes would be very much essential to improve overall QOL among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of industries and population, the need for energy consumption has increased, which has inevitably increased greenhouse gas emissions. Further use of fossil fuel for energy consumption exacerbates the situation making it one of the major issues for climate change. China, India, the USA, and Russia are the world's leading countries in energy consumption and emissions and are responsible for climate change. These countries account for 54% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the global environment. This paper investigates the energy consumption of China, India, the USA, and Russia and its trend in greenhouse gas emissions. Using four available datasets from 1980 to 2018 for China, India, USA, and 1992 to 2018 for Russia, we employed three advanced machine learning algorithms (support vector machine, artificial neural network, and long-short term memory) and verified its predicted capability with actual greenhouse gas emissions. The obtained results were evaluated with three statistical metrics (route mean square, mean absolute percentage error, and mean bias error). The predicted results with three machine learning algorithms were very close to actual greenhouse gas emissions. Besides, we forecasted the trend of greenhouse gas emissions in these countries from 2019 to 2023. The forecasted results with the long-short term memory model confirm an increase in CO2, methane, and Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the case of China and India; in contrast, the results indicate a slowdown of CO2, methane, and N2O emissions in the USA and Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ever-increasing political tensions between China and Russia on one side and the EU and the US on the other, it only seems a matter of time until protectionist policies cause a decoupling of global value chains. This paper uses a computable general equilibrium trade model calibrated with the latest version of the GTAP database to simulate the effect of such a decoupling–implemented by doubling non-tariff barriers–between the two blocks on trade and welfare. Imposing import barriers almost completely eliminates bilateral imports. In addition, changes in price levels lead to higher imports and lower exports of the imposing country group from and to the rest of the world. The targeted country group increases exports to the rest of the world and reduces imports. Welfare falls in all countries involved, suggesting that governments should strive to cooperate rather than turn away from each other. By imposing a trade war on Russia, the political West could inflict severe damage on the Russian economy because of the latter's smaller relative economic size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though a continued increase in life expectancy is a significant public health achievement, keeping older adults active and maintaining their well-being is challenging. Active aging requires physical health, mental health, functional independence, economic stability, social participation, and spiritual identification. Among all these factors, social cohesion has significant importance, but there is a dearth of studies focusing on older adults' social cohesion. Thus, the present study focuses on the level of social cohesion among older adults and its variation among the different economic classes. This article uses data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa during 2007–10. Social cohesion scores have been constructed using Item Response Theory Partial Credit Model. Also, bivariate analysis, concentration curves, concentration indices, and multivariate regressions have been used for the analysis presented in this paper. This study confirms the strong predictive power of age, wealth, education, and working status of older adults on their social cohesion across the countries. Higher social non-cohesion is found among the economically poor older adults in Mexico, Russia, India, and China. In contrast, it is just opposite in the case of older adults in South Africa. Governments should develop policies to foster a society with a high level of social inclusion, social capital, and social diversity, to achieve further advancement in social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do multinational corporations (MNCs) frequently encounter corporate social responsibility (CSR) crises in leading emerging markets in the new century? Existing research about institutional impacts on MNC CSR has developed a void-based account about how the flawed institutional system allows misdeeds to happen. But the fact that such misdeeds have turned into increasing CSR crises in the new century along with institutional change is rarely taken into account. This paper combines studies of institutional voids, institutional entrepreneurship, and stakeholder theory to develop a concept of institutional sophistication, which refers to both the top-down maturation of the regulatory system that standardizes firm behavior and the bottom-up diversification and intensification of grassroots initiatives that redefine stakeholder membership. Based on this concept, we developed a framework to comprehensively demonstrate how both institutional voids and sophistication drive the MNC CSR crisis in leading emerging markets. Empirically, we established an original database that includes 309 publicized CSR crises encountered by major foreign MNCs in China, India, and Russia, 2000-2011. Through a content analysis, the paper reveals six common sophistication processes that drive the MNC crisis across contexts and also specifies stakeholder strategies that make these processes happen and vary by social problems and national contexts. We also discussed the value of studying corporate social irresponsible behavior in understanding the institution-MNC relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies focusing on China and Russia, whose relationship is of key importance to the configuration of the international system, have been evolving dynamically in various disciplines. We analyze the evolution of this research by focusing on the fields of International Relations and Area Studies. This novel bibliometric study employs Biblioshiny, AntConc, and VOSviewer to analyze 947 publications collected from the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing specifically on 266 publications in International Relations and Area Studies. While mapping research on China and Russia over the last three decades (1990–2019), we identify the main trends regarding the annual distribution of papers, document types, dominant journals, collaboration networks between countries, and the most productive authors. We also establish prevailing research themes resulting from keyword analysis and their respective growth over time, as well as the density of the most frequently used terms and methods employed in the selected research fields. Finally, we identify fruitful avenues for further research, while also demonstrating how the bibliometric approach can inform and direct developments on China and Russia studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the volatility transmission effect between Brent oil futures and stock markets in the major global oil producing and consuming countries – the U.S., Russia, China and Saudi Arabia. In that process, we employ a mixture of novel and elaborate methodologies – wavelet signal decomposing procedure, GARCH model with complex distribution and recently developed robust quantile regression. Our results indicate that the effect is stronger in short-term horizon than in midterm and long-term in most cases. The magnitude is much stronger in turbulent times, whereas in tranquil times, this effect is very weak. We find that Russian RTS index endures the strongest volatility transmission effect from oil market. Surprisingly, Saudi stock market does not suffer heavy spillover effect even in the periods of increased market unrest. In the U.S. and China, the effect is much stronger from stocks to oil than vice-versa, and this particularly applies for the U.S. case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide emission is an important environmental issue, and it has also become an important reference factor for governments to formulate social and economic policies. The objective and accurate prediction of carbon dioxide emissions can provide reference and early warning for the implementation of the government's environmental strategy. The change of the original data of carbon dioxide emissions is S-type, but not saturated S-type. The grey Verhulst model is mainly used to describe the process with saturation state, which is suitable for modeling S-type data series. However, it is found that there are inherent errors and limitations in this model. In this paper, the grey action of the grey Verhulst model is improved, a new action Verhulst model is obtained, and its properties are studied. Finally, the new model is used to predict the carbon dioxide emissions of China and Russia, and ARIMA model is added for comparison. The results show that compared with the original Verhulst model, the simulation and prediction accuracy of the optimized Verhulst model are improved by more than 10%, and the ARIMA model underestimates the carbon dioxide emissions. From the result analysis, China and Russia need to formulate strong energy conservation and emission reduction policies, vigorously develop clean energy industry, and promote green production and lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the assessment of equivalence of the spectral radiance scales in the wavelength range from 250 to 2500 nm, reproduced at the national metrology institutes of Korea (KRISS), China (NIM), and Russia (VNIIOFI), carried out in the framework of international comparisons. The common set of three tungsten strip lamps was used as an artefact. Based on a series of blind measurements of the lamps spectral radiance performed at each laboratory alternately, the reference value of the comparison was determined at each wavelength as a weighted mean of the measured data of three laboratories. The degree of equivalence of each laboratory was then calculated as the deviation of the measurement data of that participant from the reference value. A data analysis method was proposed for calculating the degree of equivalences and their uncertainties. The method is based on processing spectral radiance ratios, rather than differences, which allows eliminating the influence of a result of one particular participant to results of other laboratories. The comparison results confirm the equivalence of spectral radiance scales of all the laboratories within their expanded uncertainties (k = 2) except a few wavelength points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the predictive power of the U.S. term structure over return volatility in emerging stock markets. Decomposing the term structure of U.S. Treasury yields into two components, the expectations factor and the maturity premium, we show that the U.S. term structure indeed contains predictive information over emerging stock market volatility, even after controlling for country specific factors including turnover and market size. While we observe heterogeneous patterns across emerging markets in terms of their predictability with respect to the U.S. term structure, we find that the market's expectation of future short term rates, implied by the expectations factor, serves as a stronger predictor of stock market volatility compared to the maturity premium component of the yield spread. We also find that the U.S. term structure has gained further predictive value following the global financial crisis, particularly for the BRICS nations of China, Russia, and S. Africa. Overall, our findings suggest that policymakers and investors can utilize interest rate signals from the U.S. Treasury yields to make projections over stock market volatility in their local markets, however, distinguishing between the two components of the yield curve could provide additional forecasting power depending on the country of focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we attempt to analyze the China-Russia cooperation within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For this end, the prospects for and challenges toward the alignment of the two countries' Eurasia strategies and the impact of such cooperation on the economics, politics, and security of the region and beyond are examined. Exploring the two nations' actual and potential points of convergence and divergence, we maintain that China-Russia strategic partnership stands at the center of the BRI's expansion in Eurasia. Economically, the cooperation aims to boost development in the region by spurring infrastructure, connectivity, and innovation. Politically, it seeks to create a more institutionalized and harmonious regional existence via an economy-driven approach to security to address such threats as extremism, separatism, and terrorism. Therefore, in the long run, we argue that the China-Russia cooperation on the BRI is poised to remake the Eurasian geoeconomic and geopolitical landscape with major implications for regional and global politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asian Economies (CAEs) have diverse exchange rate policies. They have recorded higher volatility in the foreign exchange market since inception. High volatility of the transition era has drifted these economies towards partial dollarization. Monetary authorities in CAEs, (already have a challenge of maintaining monetary policy autonomy) have a gigantic task of price stability and stopping the spread of dollarization. This study is directed towards assessing the drivers and the determinants of foreign exchange market pressure in CAEs. The results, based on panel data analysis and the System GMM model, have provided useful insights about the exchange market pressure determinants particularly USD, Euro, Ruble, and Renminbi. The results show that China and Russia exchange market pressure has a negative effect on the exchange market pressure of CAEs. While the dollar index shows a positive impact on the exchange market pressure of CAEs. Overall, the findings imply that China and Russia currency appreciation results in a trade deficit across CAEs. The policy implication suggests that the floating exchange rate regime (inflation targeting regime) is not in favor of CAEs, and they must use managed-float to reduce their trade deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a multi-region, multi-sector computable general equilibrium model, this paper analyzes the effects of international emissions trading (IET) with a focus on labor market distortions. We construct four separate models with several different labor market specifications: (1) a model without labor market distortions; (2) a model with taxinteraction effects in the labor market; (3) a model with a minimum wage; and (4) a model in which a wage curve determines wages. We use these models to analyze how the effects of IET change according to model specification. The main results from the analysis are as follows. First, we found that IET generates gains for all participants in the model without labor market distortions. Second, even in the models with labor market distortions, importers of emissions permits are highly likely to benefit. Conversely, we show that the possibility of a welfare loss from IET is not as small for exporters of permits. In particular, in the minimum wage and wage curve models, we found that the exporters of emissions permits are likely to be disadvantaged. However, this also depends on the region in question. For example, China is likely to suffer under IET, whereas Russia is likely to benefit. Finally, if we implement policies to alleviate labor market distortion simultaneously with emissions regulation, all regions receive benefit from IET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents some reflections and activities developed by researchers and teachers involved in teacher education programs on cultural transposition. The construct of cultural transposition is presented as a condition for decentralizing the didactic practice of a specific cultural context through contact with other didactic practices of different cultural contexts. We discuss the background theoretical issues of this approach and also give an analysis of two examples of cultural transposition experiences carried out in Italy. In particular, by means of qualitative analysis of some excerpts, discussions, and interviews, we show that the contact with different perspectives coming from China and Russia fostered educational practices and reflections on whole number arithmetic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of complex international situation, how to build the special geo-economic space of China-Russia border lies in strengthening their foreign trade resilience against external shocks. Based on empirical evidence from ten prefecture-level China-Russia border regions in Northeast China, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of foreign trade resilience under different shocks. Furthermore, through the Panel Regression model, the mechanism of the industrial structure on the foreign trade resilience in contraction period and expansion period was discussed. The results showed that: 1) from 2004 to 2021, foreign trade in China-Russia border regions experienced five phases. The overall foreign trade resilience was higher than expected, showing a rising volatility trend, but there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the ability of cities to cope with shocks. 2) Highly specialized clusters were mainly concentrated in Yichun, Heihe and Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture, while Mudanjiang and Yanbian performed better in related and unrelated diversification. 3) In different stages of economic system evolution, the response mode, degree and result of border foreign trade resilience to regional industrial structure showed obvious stage characteristics. During the contraction period, related diversification was more conducive to improving the resistance through risk spillovers. During the expansion period, specialization played a more significant role in improving regional resilience through self-reinforcing effect. These results are beneficial for expanding the resilience theory, ensuring border economic security and optimizing border industrial investment layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four species of pearl mussels inhabit the Amur River basin: Dahurinaia prozarovae Bog. et Star. in: Bog et al., 2003; D. dahurica (Midd, 1850); D. ussuriensis Bog., Proz. et Star., 2003; and D. tiunovae Bog. et Star., 1988. The name of Dahurinaia transbaicalica Klishko, 2008 is shown to be a synonym for D. ussuriensis. The finding of D. sujfunensis Moskv., 1973 in the Upper Amur basin turned out to be questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-site monitoring is very important for understanding formation mechanisms of frost hazards frequently occurring in pipeline foundation soils and for designing and deploying according mitigative measures in permafrost regions. Significant thaw subsidence of ground surfaces along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP) from Mo'he to Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China have been observed at some segments underlain by ice-rich, warm (>1.0°C) permafrost since the official operation in January 2011. Recent monitoring results of the thermal states of foundation soils at the kilometer post (KP) 304 site along the CRCOP are presented in this paper. The results indicate that during the period from 2012 to 2014, shallow soils (at the depths from 0.8 to 4.0 m from ground surface) has warmed by approximately 1.0°C in the lateral range of 1.2 to 2.1 m away from the pipeline axis, and deeper permafrost (such as at the depth of 15 m, or the depth of zero annual amplitude of ground temperatures) by 0.08°C per year 4 m away from the pipe axis, and 0.07°C per year 5 m away from the pipeline axis. The results indicate an all-season talik has developed around and along the CRCOP. The thaw bulb, with a faster lateral expansion (compared with the vertical growth), enlarges in summer and shrinks in winter. This research will provide important references and bases for evaluating thermal influences of warm pipeline on permafrost and for design, construction, operation and maintenance of pipelines in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How stock markets relate to each other is very important because this could have positive effects (such as enhancing economic growth) but also negative effects (possible contagion risks). Considering this issue, this study proposes continuous evaluation of the cross-correlations between markets, applying a sliding windows approach based on the detrended cross-correlation analysis correlation coefficient. Measuring the cross-correlations between the USA and other eight stock markets (the remainder of the G7 plus China and Russia), this allows dynamic analysis of the evolution of cross-correlations and also continuous analysis of the contagion effect. The results show that in the period before the crisis the correlation levels with the US stock market decreased, while post-crisis the results point to a contagion effect. As the proposed approach could be used for continuous monitoring of cross-correlations, this kind of information could be important for the different agents involved in stock markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global reproductive landscapes and with them cross-border routes are rapidly changing. This paper examines the reproductive routes and choices of fertility travellers from China to Russia as reported by medical professionals and fertility service providers. Providing new empirical data, it raises new ethical questions on the facilitation of cross-border reproductive travel and the commercialisation of reproductive treatment. The relaxation of the one-child policy in 2014 in China, the increasing demand for ART exceeding the capacity of national fertility clinics and the difficulty of accessing treatment with donor eggs concomitant with a growing economic power of the upper–middle class are shaping the ART industry in Asia in new ways. A new development is Chinese citizens increasingly seeking ART treatment in Russia, which has a long-standing practice of ART governed by a liberal legislation. Furthermore, as China prohibits the export of gametes, Chinese fertility travellers rely on acquiring donor gametes once starting treatment abroad. Clinicians in Russia report three strategies amongst their Chinese patients: One group is using donor eggs of women of Asian appearance living in Russia or is hiring women of resembling appearance from third-party countries to donate their eggs in Russia to create resemblance in their offspring. Another group is buying white donor gametes to create Eurasian mixed children and thus 'enhance' their offspring. Providing novel empirical data, this article informs ethical deliberation and raises imminent questions for further research in this understudied geographic region and on cross-border reproductive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate under which conditions non-democratic political regimes are capable of making credible commitments to maintain a certain level of local autonomy and to incentivize local bureaucrats. For this purpose, we compare two big non-democratic countries-Russia and China. While China has managed to establish a relatively stable system, with substantial decision-making rights resting with sub-national governments, in Russia relations between the center and the regions have been highly unstable and driven primarily by the extent to which central elites consolidated their power. We argue that China has been able to make credible commitments because its non-democratic rule is based on competition between vertical elite networks that span regional and central political arenas, and because the country has limited access to natural resources: these two characteristics explain the difference between the two cases we investigate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tegotheriid docodontan Sibirotherium rossicum from the Early Cretaceous of Western Siberia, Russia, was considered to have six lower premolars, as in the tegotheriids Agilodocodon and Microdocodon from the Middle Jurassic of China. The micro-computed tomography of two dentary specimens with a supposed submolariform ultimate deciduous premolar (dp6) revealed absence of a replacing tooth germ in this locus. Also, the morphology of the roots of this tooth is more consistent with that of molariform teeth. Based on the new data, we interpret Sibirotherium to possess five lower premolars rather than six and that the supposed dp6 might in fact be better interpreted as the first molariform (m1). The results of our phylogenetic analysis suggest that this is a plesiomorphic condition for Docodonta and, under slow character optimization, for Tegotheriidae, with the number of premolars reduced to three to four in Docodontidae (Haldanodon, Docodon, and Docofossor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state is a key driver of corporate social responsibility across developed and developing countries. But the existing research provides comparatively little knowledge about: (1) how companies strategically manage the relationship with the state through corporate social responsibility (CSR); (2) how this strategy takes shape under the influence of political institutions. Understanding these questions captures a realistic picture of how a company applies CSR to interacting with the state, particularly in countries where the state relationship is critical to the business operation. This article draws on political legitimacy as a useful concept to directly address both strategic and politically embedded natures of CSR. This work extends the currently under-specified political implication of the strategic view of CSR and provides fresh insights to the political legitimacy research by specifying a typology of CSR-based legitimacy strategies and its contextual variation. China and Russia are the focal settings. A qualitative analysis of business-state interaction cases is done using a database that contains the majority of CSR reports published in Chinese and Russian as the end of 2009. As a result, this paper identifies four qualitatively different types of CSR-based political legitimacy strategies and reveals how the adoption of these strategies differs across Chinese companies, Russian companies, and multinational corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses China and Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian regional organisation established in 2001 and consisting of China, Russia and the four Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. I argue that while the two largest members of the SCO are essential to the organisation, they at the same time prevent the SCO from becoming a more comprehensive regional organisation. Moreover, the actions and presence of China and Russia in Central Asia, together with inherently inauspicious characteristics of the region when compared to the post-Cold War new regionalist thinking, hinder the overall regionalisation in the area. However, regionalisation, hopefully in time leading to greater regional cooperation in Central Asia, is very much in the interests of Europe and the European Union (EU) as a potential peaceful way forward in the development of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our paper is to contribute to the literature on autocracy promotion by analyzing Central Asia as the most-likely case, considering both Russia and China as relevant external actors. We develop a concept for our analysis based on the different strategies of Russia and China towards the region and present the results of a qualitative study of the main dimensions of autocracy promotion (regional organizations, economic cooperation, and interference and threat). Based on this qualitative study, we define variables measuring the potential for autocracy promotion and test our hypotheses using panel data for 24 post-communist countries. The somewhat surprising result of our analysis is that, in contrast to Russia's dominance mode of operation, China's doing-business approach towards its neighbors in Central Asia may have-although unintentionally-even positive effects in terms of improving governance and undermining autocratic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes realization of a university information storage and retrieval system using Semantic Web technology. A portal is designed on the base of the Research Institute platform provided by the Russian Academy of Sciences. The subject domain ontology developed by the author, the system architecture, its resources and services are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic zone of Rajin-Seonbong (Raseon) is located at the north-eastern border of North Korea, adjacent to China and Russia. Although its attractiveness to foreign investors has remained limited since its creation in 1991, Raseon is of growing interest as a transit port for Russian and Chinese trade. This paper reviews some theories on the constraints and advantages of remotely located ports, arguing that limited economic base can be overcome by a strategy based on transhipment flows to and from China, South Korea, Russia and Japan. In particular, it develops the idea that economic factors, such as remoteness from the nation’s core region, are not sufficient to explain the uneven success of the project. More likely is the mismatch between local industries and port facilities. Unlike the Chinese free-trade zone experiment, port and logistics development in North Korea may take place prior to industrial development, strengthening Raseon as a potential gateway and growth pole in Northeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expands on Kingsley Davis's demographic thesis of change and response. Specifically, we consider the social context that accounts for the primacy of particular birth control methods that bring about fertility change during specific time periods. We examine the relevance of state policy (including national family planning programs), the international population establishment, the medical profession, organized religion, and women's groups using case studies from Japan, Russia, Puerto Rico, China, India, and Cameroon. Some of these countries are undergoing the second demographic transition, others the first. Despite variations in context, heavy reliance on sterilization and/or abortion as a means of birth control is a major response in most of these countries. The key roles of the medical profession and state policy are discussed, along with the general lack of influence of religion and of women's groups in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about Natural Gas Conversion VII, an international symposium held in Dalian, Liaoning Sheng, China, from June 6-10, 2004. The Dalian symposium gathered some 450 participants from 26 countries, including five scientists from Russia. There were 110 oral reports, including 40 from China, and 90 poster papers. The materials presented at the symposium demonstrated that gas conversion science has made rapid progress in recent years. New technologies and catalysts have been developed, and there has been growing aspiration to realize the industrial application of scientific achievements.

The paper deals with comparative summary of sediment loads and particulate trace metals (V, Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) transport in the largest Asian rivers of Russia and China. Environmental conditions and human interventions in the selected catchments (Lena, Ob, Enisey, Selenga, Kolyma, Amur, Yellow, Yangtze, Pearl) are analyzed with respect to the rate and composition of suspended sediment loads. The paper presents calculations of sediment load changes at the downstream sections of the rivers and new database of the chemical composition of suspended matter which involves all recent studies of the last decade for the sediment geochemistry. The results indicate that fluvial system and its human modifications are the most significant drivers of sediment load. Fluvial erosion in the unconfined channels exerts a significant control on the sediment load changes due to observed permafrost melting. We concluded that construction of reservoirs has the most important influence on land-ocean sediment fluxes in the largest rivers of Asia but plays relatively weak role in heavy metal composition in suspended particulate matter (SPM) due to lowest sedimentation rates of the fine clay particles, which are mostly enriched with heavy metals. The paper also presents novel mapping approaches related to cartographic recognition of the fluvial system and its human modification and sediment transfer processes in the largest Asian rivers of Russia and China, linked with a specific legend. Finally, analysis of uncertainties associated with estimating the SPM composition in the rivers was done with respect to spatial and temporal variability. It was shown that the main error occurs due to incorporation of data only from particular hydrological seasons which usually ignore high flood conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been a great deal of research into environmental pollution using a variety of techniques in response to growing environmental concerns. Convergence analysis, one of these techniques, helps determine whether the developing countries will catch up with the rich countries in pollution using unit root tests. However, the vast majority of the research in the field has generally used conventional unit root tests. Since many economic series contain structural breaks, using unit root tests that account for structural breaks is essential for accurate prediction. More specifically, if the series has a fractional process, conventional unit root tests may erroneously conclude that the departure from linearity is permanent. Moreover, the existing literature mainly uses gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, which represent pollution weakly. Therefore, we use per capita ecological footprint (EF hereafter) as a more comprehensive pollution indicator of environmental degradation. In this direction, the study aims to determine whether BRICS-T countries' EF converges to the average of the BRICS-T for the 1992–2017 period. Besides the ADF unit root test, we employed the Fourier ADF unit root test, which considers the structural breaks, and the Fractional Frequency Fourier ADF unit root test, which accounts for structural breaks by considering fractional values. Our results showed that EF converges in Russia and Turkey according to the conventional ADF test, in China and Russia according to the Fourier ADF test, and in Brazil and China according to the Fractional Fourier Frequency test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to establish the interrelations and mutual influence of organizational culture transformation, national culture, and innovative business models' formation under the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the study goal, a multi-stage comprehensive exploratory study based on primary information obtained by expert interviewing was implemented. The developed methodological approach was tested on the example of small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia and China. As a result of the conducted testing, the previously formulated hypotheses were fully proved. H1: the negative shock of the pandemic and the ensuing quarantine restrictions caused critical changes in the business environment, cancelling the relevance of previously effective business models. H2: the new business environment required enterprises to significantly transform their organizational culture. H3: under the conditions of shock changes in the business environment and forced transformation of organizational culture the main condition for the sustainable development of enterprises is innovative business models. Н4: implementation of innovative business models depends on both the business environment and the influence of national culture. The main obstacles to the implementation of innovative business models in small and medium-sized enterprises were also identified. The developed methodological approach can be used in the real sector of the economy by state organizations and non-state funds in the development of programs to assist small and medium-sized businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the study results may be of interest to academic researchers, suggesting empirically determined stable relationships (hypotheses H1, H2, H3, H4) between the transformation of organizational culture, national culture, and innovative business models' formation to ensure sustainable development of enterprises under the COVID-19 pandemic and opening new promising directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Food insecurity and multimoribidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) may be linked bidirectionally, but there are no studies on this topic from LMICs. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between food insecurity and physical multimorbidity in a large representative sample of older adults from six LMICs. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based data on adults aged ≥ 50 years from the World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa were analyzed. A total of 11 chronic physical conditions were assessed. Past 12 month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations. Results: Data on 34,129 adults aged ≥ 50 years [mean (SD) age 62.4 (16.0) years; age range 50–114 years; 47.9% males] were analyzed. After adjustment for potential confounders, in the overall sample, compared to being food secure, moderate and severe food insecurity were associated with 1.29 (95% CI 1.06–1.56) and 1.56 (95% CI 1.13–2.16) times higher odds for multimorbidity, respectively Conclusion: Food insecurity was associated with greater odds for multimorbidity in older adults from LMICs. Addressing food insecurity in the general population may reduce risk for multimorbidity, while screening for food insecurity and addressing it among those with multimorbidity may lead to better clinical outcomes, pending future longitudinal research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability concerns are growing worldwide. Many recent studies have focused on key indicators of CO2 emissions, but less consideration has been given to human capital. This study examines the impact of human capital on CO2 emissions in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) economies from 1991 to 2019 using a nonlinear panel autoregressive distributed lag approach. Findings show that positive change in education has reduced CO2 emissions, while a negative change in education has increased CO2 emissions in the long run in a group of BRICS. Regarding economy-wise analysis, a positive change in education reduces CO2 emissions in Russia, China, and South Africa in the long run, but a negative change in education has an increasing impact on CO2 emissions in Brazil and China. The results of robustness are also maintained in group and economy-wise empirical analysis. Policymakers should develop the education sector infrastructure in order to support the decrease of CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the empirical literature by analyzing the dynamic impacts of insurance sector development on CO2 emissions of emerging economies for the period of 1991–2018. By using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approach, our findings show that increased life insurance sector development significantly reduces CO2 emissions of Russia, China and South Africa and decreased life insurance sector development significantly enhances CO2 emissions of Russia only. While China and South Africa have also reduced CO2 emissions due to the negative shock of life insurance sector development in the long run. Findings also show that increased non-life insurance sector development boosts CO2 emissions in Russia and China, while negatively significant in case of South Africa. Moreover, decreased non-life insurance sector development reduces CO2 emissions in Russia, India and China and positively significant in case of South Africa in long run. The short-run outcomes are also country-specific in our analysis. Finally, we provide some helpful suggestions for investors, and consumers and policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Headache disorders are disabling, with major consequences for productivity, yet the literature is silent on the relationship between headache-attributed disability and lost productivity, often erroneously regarding the two as synonymous. We evaluated the relationship empirically, having earlier found that investment in structured headache services would be cost saving, not merely cost-effective, if reductions in headache-attributed disability led to > 20% pro rata recovery of lost productivity. Methods: We used individual participant data from Global Campaign population-based studies conducted in China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Russia, and from Eurolight in Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain. We assessed relationships in migraine and probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH), the most disabling common headache disorders. Available symptom data included headache frequency, usual duration and usual intensity. We used frequency and duration to estimate proportion of time in ictal state (pTIS). Disability, in the sense used by the Global Burden of Disease study, was measured as the product of pTIS and disability weight for the ictal state. Impairment was measured as pTIS * intensity. Lost productivity was measured as lost days (absence or < 50% productivity) from paid work and corresponding losses from household work over the preceding 3 months. We used Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses. Results: For migraine, in a linear model, we found positive associations with lost paid worktime, significant (p < 0.05) in many countries and highly significant (p < 0.001) in some despite low values of R2 (0–0.16) due to high variance. With lost household worktime and total lost productivity (paid + household), associations were highly significant in almost all countries, although still with low R2 (0.04–0.22). Applying the regression equations for each country to the population mean migraine-attributed disability, we found pro rata recoveries of lost productivity in the range 16–56% (> 20% in all countries but Pakistan). Analysing impairment rather than disability increased variability. For pMOH, with smaller numbers, associations were generally weaker, occasionally negative and mostly not significant. Conclusion: Relief of disability through effective treatment of migraine is expected, in most countries, to recover > 20% pro rata of lost productivity, above the threshold for investment in structured headache services to be cost saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The association between visual impairment and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has not been investigated to date. Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (China, India, Ghana, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa) using nationally representative datasets. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Visual acuity was measured using the tumbling ElogMAR chart, and vision impairment (at distance and near) was defined as visual acuity worse than 6/18 (0.48 logMAR) in the better-seeing eye. The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted. Results: Data on 32,715 individuals aged ≥ 50 years [mean (SD) age 62.1 (15.6) years; 51.2% females] were analyzed. Compared to those without far or near vision impairment, those with near vision impairment but not far vision impairment (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.16–1.52), and those with both far and near vision impairment (OR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.27–2.29) had significantly higher odds for MCI. Only having far vision impairment was not significantly associated with MCI. Conclusions: Visual impairment is associated with increased odds for MCI among older adults in LMICs with the exception of far vision impairment only. Future longitudinal and intervention studies should examine causality and whether improvements in visual acuity, or early intervention, can reduce risk for MCI and ultimately, dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Active layer is a key component for permafrost environment studies as many subsurface biological, biogeochemical, ecological, and pedogenic activities prevail in this layer. This study focuses on active layer temperature monitoring in an area with sporadic permafrost at two adjacent sites along China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP), North-East China. Site T1 is located in disturbed ground on the right-of-way (on-ROW) 2 m away from the center of the oil pipeline. T2 is located in a natural and undisturbed site, around 16.6 m off-ROW. Our objective was to study seasonal variability of the active layer depth and thermal regime from October 2017 to September 2018. The monitoring sites consist of soil temperature probes arranged in a vertical array at different depths at both sites. The following parameters were computed: number of isothermal days (ID), freezing days (FD), thawing days (TD), freezing degree days (FDD), thawing degree days (TDD), number of freeze-thaw days (FTD). The mean air temperature in the monitoring period reached - 3.2°C. The temperature profile indicates that the maximum active layer thickness observed during the study period was 10 m at T1 and 2 m at T2. The majority of the soil temperatures were above or close to 0°C, resulting in great values of TDD, especially in the first 4 m depth. TDD for T1 were predominant and ranged between 600–1160°C·days (0–4 m depth) reflecting the influence of oil temperature from the pipeline. In T2 borehole FDD were predominant for all the soil layer depths resulting in less permafrost degradation. This comparison emphasizes the significant influence of vegetation removal and the dispersed heat from the pipeline on the active layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 presents novel challenges and opportunities for the use of phylogenetics to understand and control its spread. Here, we analyze the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in Russia in March and April 2020. Combining phylogeographic analysis with travel history data, we estimate that the sampled viral diversity has originated from at least 67 closely timed introductions into Russia, mostly in late February to early March. All but one of these introductions were not from China, suggesting that border closure with China has helped delay establishment of SARS-CoV-2 in Russia. These introductions resulted in at least 9 distinct Russian lineages corresponding to domestic transmission. A notable transmission cluster corresponded to a nosocomial outbreak at the Vreden hospital in Saint Petersburg; phylodynamic analysis of this cluster reveals multiple (2-3) introductions each giving rise to a large number of cases, with a high initial effective reproduction number of 3.0 [1.9, 4.3]. The COVID-19 epidemic began later in Russia than many European countries, possibly due to restrictions on travel from China. Here, the authors analyze whole genome sequences sampled early in the epidemic in Russia, and find that most strains were not linked to China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the post–Cold War era, China and Russia have been committed to creating a strategic partnership in an attempt to contain the US hegemony and bring the world a new international order. As a part of this partnership and their efforts in achieving the above goals, these two states have increasingly intensified their military cooperation over the past two decades. The rapidly enhanced military cooperation is a visible manifestation of China's quest for military modernization to meet the challenges of a potentially military intervention launched by the USA in Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea as well as for a delicate moment of global power shift caused by the rise of China. It also shows China's strategic intention of enhancing its "hard" power in order to elevate its status at the systemic (global) level. In so doing, China wishes to achieve two interconnected objectives. One is related to China's strategic and security environment that, from the Chinese perspectives, has been drastically aggravated by the US containment of its rise. The other relates to China's long cherished dream of restoring its past glory of "Fuqiang" (wealth and power) by enhancing its national power and rising in the global power hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the features in the morphology and dynamics of river beds and floodplains located in different natural zones and in different conditions of development of channel deformations. In preparing small-scale thematic maps (geomorphological, landscape and other maps), river valleys and their constituent river beds and floodplains are displayed in a simplified fashion using a common linear conventional sign. However, the procedure neglects the influence on the formation and development of riverbeds and floodplains from zonal processes associated with climatic features of river basins. For revealing this influence, an original small-scale map of riverbeds on a large territory of the East of the Eurasian continent covering the Asian part of Russia, Mongolia and China (Eastern transect), was compiled. The climatic zonality of both plains and highlands is widely manifested in this territory and the influence of zonality on intrazonal channel processes is emphasized. Of course, the leading factors are fluvial, but they are actively influenced by zonal natural factors. In the nival zone, they are represented by cryogenic processes, and in the semiarid zone by aeolian and halogen processes (salinization of floodplains). In the highlands, the role of horizontal zonality is less (it is manifested only in the semiarid highlands), but there the influence of azonal slope processes is intensified. Only in the humid zone, the nonfluvial factors of channel and floodplain processes are almost not manifested. The identified regularities are associated with the occurrence of dangerous emergency and extreme channel processes which differ in their specificity in each natural zone. This should be taken into account when mapping them and using river resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented are the results from investigating the environmental impact of the mining industry in the Baikal region and Mongolia where in accordance with the tripartite international agreements it is planned to create the China−Mongolia−Russia transport economic corridors. The investigation was made for the areas traversed by the sections of the transport and economic corridors: the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Ulan-Ude−Ulaanbaatar railroad to the border with China, and the Karymskoe−Zabaikalsk railroad. The algorithm of the study implies a model in which the mining complex is considered as an intricately shaped natural-technogenic system. Elements of this system are production sites for the extraction of mineral raw materials and the environment in the field of technological impact, including natural and socio-economic components. The cartographic method is used as a key technique. Maps serve as a systematic methodology for research and are the result of a component-wise and integral assessment of the technogenic impact of mining on the environment and population. A system of indicators is suggested, which was used in assessing and mapping the technogenic impact at the local (areas of development of deposits) and areal (administrative districts) levels. Methods for compiling maps and their contents are outlined. The problems and prospects of research are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions of the roles of emerging powers in a changing world have been simmering for many years, with many arguing that non-Western powers should build an alternative global order given the growing influence of their money, natural resources, manpower, and products. Focusing on Russia and China, this article argues that both Russia's energy diplomacy and China's One Belt One Road policy are mostly 'mercantile' in handling their respective domestic challenges over the short and medium terms and do not help build political leadership. The economic structures of the two strongest emerging powers do not support strategies that require the disbursement of economic resources to build an alternative global order—if these two countries truly have such a strategy. This article challenges the myth of emerging powers and suggests that the economic strength of these emerging powers is insufficient to radically shift the diplomatic status quo of a Western-dominated world order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the ongoing Global Campaign endeavour to improve knowledge and awareness of headache prevalence worldwide, Mongolia is a country of interest. It sits between Russia and China, in which prevalence is, respectively, much higher and much lower than the estimated global mean. We conducted a population-based study in Mongolia both to add to knowledge and to inform local health policy. Methods: Using standardized methodology with cluster random sampling, we selected Mongolian adults (aged 18–65 years) from five regions reflecting the country's diversities. They were interviewed by trained researchers, cold-calling at their homes, using the Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) structured questionnaire following pilot-testing. ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria were applied. Results: N = 2043 (mean age 38.0 [±13.4] years, 40% urban-dwelling and 60% rural), with a non-participation proportion of 1.7%. Males were somewhat underrepresented, for which corrections were made. The crude 1-year prevalence of any headache was 66.1% (95% CI: 64.0–68.2%), with a strong female preponderance (OR: 2.2; p < 0.0001). Age- and gender-adjusted prevalences were: migraine 23.1% (for females, OR = 2.2; p < 0.0001); tension-type headache (TTH) 29.1% (no gender difference); probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH) 5.7% (trending towards higher in females); other headache on ≥15 days/month 5.0% (for females, OR = 2.2; p = 0.0008). Unclassified cases were only 35 (1.7%). Any headache yesterday was reported by 410 (20.1%; for females, OR = 2.4; p < 0.0001). Only pMOH showed a strong association with age, peaking in middle years with a 5-fold increase in prevalence. Migraine showed a consistent association with educational level, while pMOH showed the reverse, and was also more common among other groups than among participants who were single (never married). Migraine was less common among rural participants than urban (OR: 0.80; p = 0.0326), while pMOH again showed the reverse (OR: 2.4; p < 0.0001). Finally, pMOH (but not migraine or TTH) was significantly associated with obesity (OR: 1.8; p = 0.0214). Conclusion: Headache disorders are common in Mongolia, with, most notably, a very high prevalence of headache on ≥15 days/month corroborated by the high prevalence of headache yesterday. The picture is very like that in Russia, and dissimilar to China. There are messages for national health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the attitude of the Russian society toward the Russian-Chinese relations in general and toward the One Belt — One Road (OBOR) megaproject in particular. An analysis is made of the Russian scientific, official and expert discourse, based on methods of critical geopolitics, as well as investigating the grass-roots ideas concerning China and the OBOR Initiative. It is found that expert discourse is dominated by negative and neutral analytical publications, whereas official discourse and grass-rout ideas have a clearly positive connotation, although occasionally with some wariness. The critical nature of expert discourse in respect of China reflects distrust Chinese politics from Russian specialists, associated with the lack of comparability of the demographic and economic potentials of the two countries and the ambitions of the Chinese leadership. It is established that in foreign scientific circles, the Russian strategy of the "turn to the East" is perceived skeptically. The authors do not believe in a real possibility that Chinese and Russian projects can be reconciled in the implementation of the strategic interests of the Russian Federation, referring to the different interests of the two countries. It is noted that the fears of unequal competition are encouraged by the approach of the Chinese side approach to joint projects focused primarily on the needs of China, as well as by the obvious difference in the interests of the two States. The main obstacle to a further development of bilateral cooperation is a credibility gap on either side of the Russian-Chinese border. Field studies in the Russian-Chinese borderland in Zabaikalskii krai confirmed this conclusion, showing that at the regional and local level the Russian-Chinese relations are sharply asymmetric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief geographical description is provided for Lake Khanka and its drainage basin where the Russian part accounts for more than 90% of the area. Sixteen rivers on the Russian territory and eight rivers on the Chinese territory flow into the lake. Only one river, Sungacha, flows out of the lake; it is a border river and connects Lake Khanka with the Ussuri river. A historical analysis of the water level dynamics in Lake Khanka for the last 10 thousand years showed that rises of the lake water level, shore erosion, an increase in flood frequency and duration, and an increase of the degree of waterlogging of the valleys corresponded to warm climatic phases. The cold phases showed a decrease in hydraulicity of the rivers and in the lake level, and an enhancement in aeolian processes in the coastal zone of the lake and its river valleys. Seismic processes and changes in groundwater flow can also be responsible for changes in the lake water level. Morphostructural analysis indicates a potentially high seismic activity of this territory and risks of magnitude 8 earthquakes. In the 20th century, the natural processes of water level fluctuations in the lake began to be influenced by anthropogenic factors, such as the water withdrawal for irrigation of paddy fields and streamflow control. The territory of China within the Lake Malaya Khanka drainage basin is the home for extensive paddy systems which are supplied with water from the Muling river basin. The water is then directed to Lake Malaya Khanka, and through the drain facilities it enters Lake Khanka. In fact, an inter-basin transboundary water transfer is carried out, which can affect significantly the water level in the lake. Characteristics of the existing nature management practices in the Russian portion of the lake drainage basin, and also lake pollution assessments are given. The main geo-ecological problems in the Lake Khanka transboundary drainage basin associated with water level fluctuations, geodynamic processes and environmental pollution are identified. Geo-ecological problems are considered to mean changes in natural processes accompanied by the transformation of separate natural components and landscapes in general, and causing, as a rule, negative consequences for humans and for various forms of nature management. The primary and related components of the geo-ecological problems highlighted. The main directions of comprehensive research within the framework of cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation in order to work out the plan for governance of sustainable nature management in the transboundary drainage basin of Lake Khanka are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study primarily uses Berry's theoretical model to examine national identity, acculturation (to South Korea), ethnic identity, and enculturation (to country-of-origin), and how they are linked to immigrant adolescents' aggression and depression in South Korea. Data were collected from 120 immigrant youths (i.e., those born in South Korea and those born in their country-of-origin) in eight middle schools. Analyses include multivariate regression and cluster analyses. Findings indicate that South Korean identity (m = 48, F = 77.0, p <.001), acculturation to South Korean culture (m = 44.9, F = 52.3, p <.01), and mother's Korean proficiency (m = 3.6, F = 10.9, p <.001) were higher among Korea-born adolescents. Enculturation (m = 35.5, F = 13.7, p <.001) and depression (m = 36.4, F = 15.3, p <.001) were higher among foreign-born adolescents. Aggression (r = −.26, p <.01) and depression (r = −.46, p <.01) were lower among native-born Korean adolescents. South Korean identity (B = −.27, p =.02) and acculturation (B = −.28, p =.01) were negatively associated with aggression. South Korean identity (B = −.22, p =.04), acculturation (B = −.21, p =.03), and ethnic identity (B = −.17, p =.02) were negatively associated with depression. Integration youth (M = 12.7) and assimilation youth (M = 11.5) reported lower aggression than marginalization youth (M = 15.8, F = 5.48, p <.01). Assimilation type had better outcomes than separation and marginalization types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review is devoted to the main results of the FRACTALCOMS international research program in the field of fractal electrodynamics and designing modern ultra-wideband or multiband fractal antennas and other basic electrodynamic structures for breakthrough information and communication technologies. Promising directions of further research are presented. The main results obtained by the author in research institutes of Russia and China in the fields of radio electronics and radio physics on the basis of the theory of fractals and scaling effects are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]