Локальные сообщества в городах как субъект контроля за решением вопросов местного значения

The subject. This article is devoted to exploring the possibilities of formalizing the institution of local communities of citizens in urban areas, with the goal to more extensively involve local population in solving local issues, including controlling the organization of relevant processes.The purpose of the article to refute or confirm the hypothesis that local communities may exercise local control functions effectively to improve the quality of local services and reduce the number of local government officials.The methodology of the study includes methods of theoretical analysis, as well as legal methods, including the formal legal method.The main results and scope of their application. The activities of subjects of municipal ad‐ ministration – bodies and officials of local government, aiming at improvement of control over the solution of local issues are subject to difficulties, and institutional and organizational measures to develop the mechanism of municipal management in this case are not sufficient. The territorial reorganization of the city administration is also not justified ‐ the creation of intracity municipalities, as well as the formation of territorial subdivisions of the citywide administration is often costly and inefficient. At the same time, the population, being both a beneficiary of the solution of local issues, and, theoretically, the main subject of self‐government and a source of legitimation of municipal authority in cities, is excluded from the mechanism of control over the organization of relevant processes.The creation of local communities, in turn, could be an alternative to the proliferation of the apparatus of municipal bureaucracy in cities, providing legal guarantees for the implementation of citizens’  right to self‐government directly in territories of their residence. At the same time, local communities, unlike the territorial public self‐government, should be included into the general municipal management mechanism, which would ensure their financing at the expense of local administration. However, in contrast with the territorial bodies of city administrations, the functioning of local communities’ bodies should presup‐ pose mainly volunteer beginnings in their activities, whereas financial and material support should only assist in realization of their competence.Conclusions. The expansion of existing forms of control over the solution of local issues by local communities would contribute to improving the efficiency and quality of municipal services, the livelihood of the local population in urban areas.Исследуются возможности формализации института локальных сообществ граждан на городских территориях с целью более широкого привлечения местного населения к решению вопросов местного значения, включая контроль за организацией соответствующих процессов. Отмечаются сложности, возникающие у субъектов муниципального управления – органов и должностных лиц местного самоуправления – по решению задач в рассматриваемой сфере, и утверждается, что одних лишь институциональных и организационных мер по развитию механизма муниципального управления здесь явно недостаточно. Создание локальных сообществ, в свою очередь, могло бы стать альтернативой разрастанию аппарата муниципальной бюрократии в городах и обеспечить законодательные гарантии реализации права граждан на самоуправление непосредственно на территориях их проживания

Local communities as а tool for urban conflict resolution

A modern city is a concentration of a whole range of diverse processes and activities, residents with different needs, traditions and beliefs. The city is also an arena of clashing economic, political and social interests. Urban development trends are expressed both in the need for centralized determination of the direction of urban environment, and public demand for greater civic engagement. Accordingly, conflicts cannot be avoided, but it is important not to accept this obvious truth, but to create a tradition of constant thoughtful analysis of ongoing processes, identifying causes and searching for solutions. As awareness of the importance of collective efforts in creating a comfortable urban environment grows, knowledge about the approaches and public technologies used to resolve urban conflicts becomes more in demand. One of the effective tools for resolving urban conflicts are local communities created on sub-municipal territories within the city boundaries. However, the effectiveness of this tool depends on the proper organization of intra-urban communities and provision of legal guarantees for their functioning. This study is carried out using a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, implying the analysis of urban development and urban environment through the prism of law. The study of Russian and foreign doctrinal sources, along with normative legal acts and materials of judicial and law enforcement practice, allows to form a sufficient picture of the state of urban conflictology and substantiate the role of local communities in their resolution

On the nature of citrate-derived surface species on Ag nanoparticles: insights from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Citrate is an important stabilizing, reducing, and complexing reagent in the wet chemical synthesis of nanoparticles of silver and other metals, however, the exact nature of adsorbates, and its mechanism of action are still uncertain. Here, we applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, soft X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, and other techniques in order to determine the surface composition and to specify the citrate-related species at Ag nanoparticles 3 immobilized from the dense hydrosol prepared using room-temperature reduction of aqueous Ag+ ions with ferrous ions and citrate as stabilizer (Carey Lea method). It was found that, contrary to the common view, the species adsorbed on the Ag nanoparticles are, in large part, products of citrate decomposition comprising an alcohol group and one or two carboxylate bound to the surface Ag, and minor unbound carboxylate group; these may also be mixtures of citrate with lower molecular weight anions. No ketone groups were specified, and very minor surface Ag(I) and Fe (mainly, ferric oxyhydroxides) species were detected. Moreover, the adsorbates were different at AgNPs having various size and shape. The relation between the capping and the particle growth, colloidal stability of the high-concentration sol and properties of AgNPs is briefly considered

On the nature of citrate-derived surface species on Ag nanoparticles: insights from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Citrate is an important stabilizing, reducing, and complexing reagent in the wet chemical synthesis of nanoparticles of silver and other metals, however, the exact nature of adsorbates, and its mechanism of action are still uncertain. Here, we applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, soft X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, and other techniques in order to determine the surface composition and to specify the citrate-related species at Ag nanoparticles 3 immobilized from the dense hydrosol prepared using room-temperature reduction of aqueous Ag+ ions with ferrous ions and citrate as stabilizer (Carey Lea method). It was found that, contrary to the common view, the species adsorbed on the Ag nanoparticles are, in large part, products of citrate decomposition comprising an alcohol group and one or two carboxylate bound to the surface Ag, and minor unbound carboxylate group; these may also be mixtures of citrate with lower molecular weight anions. No ketone groups were specified, and very minor surface Ag(I) and Fe (mainly, ferric oxyhydroxides) species were detected. Moreover, the adsorbates were different at AgNPs having various size and shape. The relation between the capping and the particle growth, colloidal stability of the high-concentration sol and properties of AgNPs is briefly considered

Cultivation of Cells in a Physiological Plasmax Medium Increases Mitochondrial Respiratory Capacity and Reduces Replication Levels of RNA Viruses

Changes in metabolic pathways are often associated with the development of various pathologies including cancer, inflammatory diseases, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Identification of the particular metabolic events that are dysregulated may yield strategies for pharmacologic intervention. However, such studies are hampered by the use of classic cell media that do not reflect the metabolite composition that exists in blood plasma and which cause non-physiological adaptations in cultured cells. In recent years two groups presented media that aim to reflect the composition of human plasma, namely human plasma-like medium (HPLM) and Plasmax. Here we describe that, in four different mammalian cell lines, Plasmax enhances mitochondrial respiration. This is associated with the formation of vast mitochondrial networks and enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interestingly, cells cultivated in Plasmax displayed significantly less lysosomes than when any standard media were used. Finally, cells cultivated in Plasmax support replication of various RNA viruses, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) influenza A virus (IAV), severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and several others, albeit at lower levels and with delayed kinetics. In conclusion, studies of metabolism in the context of viral infections, especially those concerning mitochondria, lysosomes, or redox systems, should be performed in Plasmax medium