The results of a paleoecological study of a peat deposit in Radomsky Mokh area (Smolensk Oblast, Krasninsky District) made it possible to reconstruct the history of the region's landscapes over the ...last 4 thousand years and identify its 4 contrasting periods. The reservoir was a lake at first, after which the pollen spectrum is dominated by pollen from native tree species. After a series of fires on the boundary of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages (3173–2969 14C calendar years ago) (2σ, 99.7%)) a forested mesotrophic swamp formed at the site of the lake, and pollen from pioneer trees with an admixture of alder started to dominate the pollen spectrum. At the third stage, the swamp became mesotrophic, and the landscapes around it become open, which is evidenced by an increase in the proportion of grasses and anthropogenic indicators in the pollen spectrum. The same period is marked with the appearance of pollen of cultivated grasses (2992–2912 simulated years ago), which coincides with the distribution of the monuments of the Dnieper-Dvinian culture in the study area. At the last stage, the swamp became oligotrophic, and a stable curve of cultivated grasses appeared (mid-1st Millennium AD), indicating the spread of agriculture in the study area. The absence of known archaeological sites in an 8-kilometer radius around Radomsky Mokh most likely indicates an insufficient archaeological study level of the area, whereas the economic development of the vicinity of the tract started at the boundary of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.
Russian Arctic is a positive example of the introduction of information technologies (Industry 4.0.) as well as artificial intelligence technologies (Industry 5.0.). In the 21st century, ...IT-technologies have significantly improved quality of life in the Russian Arctic — development of IT camps, access to the Internet from the tundra. Arctic projects related to the AI technologies implementation are becoming increasingly popular: the article provides a list of such Arctic AI projects. An analysis of IT and AI vacancies in all subjects of the Russian Arctic on the website of the headhunter recruitment agency showed that the largest number of IT vacancies was posted directly in the Murmansk Oblast (74 vacancies). The study also analyzed job seek-ers’ resumes in the Murmansk Oblast, posted in the Artificial Intelligence section. The study shows that knowledge of Python programming language, SQL databases and English language is a prerequisite for all AI specialists. It was also determined that the salary of AI specialists is significantly higher than that of IT specialists. The Murmansk Oblast is becoming a leader in the development and implementation of both IT and AI technologies; this is primarily due to the development of logistics and the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to existing sea routes.
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The article examines a belt of municipal districts on the border of Kostroma and Vologda oblasts—a territory that simultaneously belongs to the periphery of both regions, the periphery of economic ...areas and modern federal districts, and the “inner periphery” of European Russia. These territories are part of the old-developed Non-Chernozem Zone, characterized by rapid depopulation and shrinkage of the developed space. The aim of the study is to identify the spatial differentiation of districts along the border and its role in the formation of differences between territories. Various methods were used: study of historical maps, analysis of modern statistics, qualitative sociology methods, and field observations. The study showed the predominantly barrier function of the regional border, largely due to physical and geographical reasons: the watershed of the Volga and White Sea basins and the configuration of rivers along which local systems of rural settlement and transport corridors were historically formed. The historical multidirectionality of the spatial gravity of districts on different sides of the border, combined with institutional barriers, led to differentiation of economic and social processes in municipal districts. Thus, the socioeconomic indicators of the territories on the Vologda side of the border are generally more prosperous and differ less from each other than on the Kostroma side. The study also revealed the extremely important role that interregional routes could play. With a general trend towards a decrease in the rural population and fragmentation of the local economy, the territories on both sides of the border are heterogeneous and different combinations of functions of place are forming. At the same time, it is premature to classify the belt of territory peripheral to many centers as a zone of a spontaneously emerging natural reserve.
Although HIV infection in the Russian Federation was historically concentrated among marginalized populations (people who inject drugs, sex workers, MSM, and the prison population), recent evidence ...suggests that it has become a more generalized epidemic. The objective of our research was to explore how these trends in HIV prevalence and HIV-related mortality compare across Russia.
We calculated HIV-associated mortality for both male and female individuals in each region (oblast) of the Russian Federation using data from the Russian Fertility and Mortality Database (RusFMD). Using current data on HIV prevalence, we computed the correlation between HIV prevalence and HIV-associated mortality. We also used oblast-level data to examine the associations between HIV prevalence and the risk factors most commonly associated with HIV infection.
Over the past 20 years, the Russian Federation has experienced a rapid increase in HIV-associated mortality in both male and female individuals. Our findings revealed significant heterogeneity, with higher rates of HIV-associated mortality reported in oblasts in the Siberian and Ural Federal Districts. There is a strong correlation (0.8) between HIV-associated mortality and virus prevalence. These findings confirm that there are regional disparities in access and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), as indicated by the low correlation (-0.4) between virus prevalence and access to ART coverage. The results from our modeling analysis revealed that, in addition to the factors most commonly associated with this disease (e.g. intravenous drug use), knowledge about sexual transmission of HIV in the general population has a broad impact on its prevalence at the oblast level.
Interventions that reduce HIV prevalence, for example, opioid substitution therapy and needle-sharing programs for people who inject drugs, as well as the increased availability of educational and preventive programs may halt the spread of HIV across the Russian Federation. Similarly, increased access to treatment could help in reducing HIV-related mortality.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, local communities have been adapting to new political and socioeconomic realities. These changes have prompted dramatic outmigration among rural populations, ...especially in the Russian Arctic. Despite these changes, some communities remain viable, with some residents exploring new economic opportunities. This study uses findings from qualitative interviews to understand what factors shape community viability, interviewing residents and relevant regional stakeholders in two case areas in the Arkhangelsk oblast: the Solovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea and islands in the delta of the Northern Dvina River. The results indicate that community viability and the reluctance of community members to leave their traditional settlements are shaped by livelihoods, employment opportunities, and social capital. Social capital is characterized by such empirically identified factors as shared perceptions of change and a willingness to address changes, place attachment, and local values. We conclude that further development or enhancement of community viability and support for local livelihoods also depends on 1) bottom-up initiatives of engaged individuals and their access to economic support and 2) top-down investments that contribute to local value creation and employment opportunities.
A comprehensive look into how Macau's recent decades of
gambling-related growth produced one of the wealthiest territories
on the planet
Betting on Macau delves into the radical transformation
of ...what was formerly the last remaining European territory in Asia,
returned to the People's Republic of China in 1999 after nearly
half a millennium of Portuguese rule. Examining the unprecedented
scale of its development and its key role in China's economic
revolution, Tim Simpson follows Macau's emergence from historical
obscurity to become the most profitable casino gaming locale in the
world.
Identified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and renowned for its
unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese colonial-era architecture,
contemporary Macau has metamorphosed into a surreal, hypermodern
urban landscape augmented by massive casino megaresorts, including
two of the world's largest buildings. Simpson situates Macau's
origins as a strategic trading port and its ensuing history
alongside the emergence of the global capitalist system, charting
the massive influx of foreign investment, construction, and tourism
in the past two decades that helped generate the territory's
enormous wealth.
Presented through a cross section of postcolonial studies and
social theory with extensive insight into the global gambling
industry, Betting on Macau uncovers the various roots of
the territory's lucrative casino capitalism. In turn, its trenchant
analysis provides a distinctive view into China's broader project
of urbanization, its post-Mao economic reforms, and the continued
rise of its consumer culture.
•Knowledge flows among farmers and other actors in the Donbass Region are complex.•Farmers prefer to use their own resources, including peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.•The Internet is a ...widely-consulted source of information and advice by farmers.•Tacit knowledge is highly valued by farmers in their relationships with advisors.•An information brokering service could enhance knowledge flows between actors.
The agriculture sector of the Donbass Region in eastern Ukraine is facing serious challenges caused by the ongoing military conflict and consequent disruption of the earlier-established value chains. An advisory service potentially could help farmers to adapt to the changed circumstances. To inform the development process, an interview survey was conducted among 80 farmers in the region of their perceived information and advisory needs. Most interviewees stated that many issues affect the performance of their farm. Of all the given farmer × issue ‘interactions’ (i.e. a given farmer facing a specific issue), advice had been sought in around 70 per cent of instances. For any specific issue, most farmers sought advice from several sources. Interviewees attached very high importance to accessibility, convenience, previous personal experience, personal recommendation and confidence in the quality of advice given. Friends and family was the most popular source of advice, with farmers’ organisations, local government agencies and agricultural Internet portals all being consulted by more than half of the interviewees. Many other sources were used by fewer than ten farmers. Twelve interviewees said that they would seek advice from advisory services if this was available. Following the analysis of the questionnaire results, three farmer focus groups were held to help interpret them. We conclude that, even in the absence of a formal advisory service, many farmers in the region are actively acquiring and sharing knowledge and that the agricultural innovation system continues to function despite the disruption caused by the conflict. Any new intervention should recognise this fact and be designed to improve knowledge flows between actors further, rather than to replace those that currently exist.
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