Institutional Basics of Tariffs in Housing and Communal Services: Cross-Country Analysis

The aim of the article is a review and summarizing methods of tariffs in housing and communal services in foreign countries, and also reasoning of opportunity to use of state marketing in the regulation of tariffs and the main directions of its usage, both in Russia and abroad. The result of this article is the formulation of conclusions and predictions for further development of tariff setting, as well as the social consequences of this policy in the sphere of housing and communal services. The institutional character of the social practices of HCS, according to the authors, is associated with the provision of living conditions for the population in the sphere of material practices and with the finding of ways to optimize the economy of the industrial and postindustrial societies. In the service social practices HCS special factor is the change of goal setting, re-orientation of social action for the client from the process that is not always connected with rational components of the social actions of individuals, and also with the operation of irrational components. Besides, there is a kind of "soft" technologization in the service social practices of HCS. Pricing policy in the sphere of housing and communal services detects a contradiction, on the one hand, between a wide range of services and agents that shows the democratization processes in the maintenance and strengthening of processes of self-administration, and on the other side of rising prices and low quality of services provided. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3p2

Effect of Silicon Content on Carbide Precipitation and Low-Temperature Toughness of Pressure Vessel Steels

Cr – Mn – Mo – Ni pressure vessel steels containing 0.54 and 1.55% Si are studied. Metallographic and fractographic analyses of the steels after tempering at 650 and 700°C are performed. The impact toughness at – 30°C and the hardness of the steels are determined. The mass fraction of the carbide phase in the steels is computed with the help of the J-MatPro 4.0 software

Comparative characteristics of the properties of Halpic Chernozem of the Kursk Region of different land use

Analytical data show that prolonged extensive agricultural use of typical Chernozem of Kursk region (Haplic Chernozem) results in adverse changes in some soil properties. This primarily concerns the humus content and the structural state of the Chernozem. Under the influence of continuous winter wheat growing (for 54 years) the losses of humus made up 24% of its content in virgin soil. The permanent corn growing (for 54 years) led to humus 32% losses, and under the influence of the bare fallow (for 54 years) – 48%. As a result of mineralization of humus, which is one of the main aggregative agents, water resistance of Chernozem structure has deteriorated. The number of water-resistant aggregates in variants with continuous winter wheat and continuous corn decreased in comparison with virgin soil (by 30% and 39% respectively). In terms of water resistance, the structure of Chernozem was transformed in agrocenoses from “extremely high” to “good”. Under the influence of the bare fallow the content of water-resistant units decreased by 75%, and the structure became “non-water resistant”. At the same time, the average diameter of waterproof aggregates decreased 2.8, 3.6 and 4.8 times in variants with continuous winter wheat, corn and permanent bare fallow, respectively, whereas the content of the water peptized clay increased 2.8–4.7-fold, and pH of medium increased by 0.16–0.57. At the same time, the content of soil exchangeable calcium reduced (more than 1.1-fold), as well as hydrolytic acidity (1.1–1.7-fold), the content of organic forms of phosphorus (1.1–1.4-fold) and the ratio of organic forms of phosphorus to mineral ones also decreased 2.1–4.1-fold. When the bare fallow is transferred to the abandoned land, the properties of Chernozem vary with different intensity. The most significant changes occurred with water-resistant aggregates. Their content has increased by 53% over 20 years, and the structure has transformed from “non-water resistant” to “good”, while the content water peptized clay has decreased 2.1 times. During the 20-year period, the content of exchangeable calcium and hydrolytic acidity increased by 1.9 and 1.03 mg-eq/100 g of soil. The content of humus has increased by 0.78%, i. e. humus content restoration occurred with a speed of only 0.04% per year. It is necessary to consider this factor when regulating the humus status of the plowed and eroded soils. In general, the impact of continuous bare fallow on the properties of Chernozem was so profound that 20 years after its transfer to the category of abandoned lands, the properties of Chernozem, in most cases, have been restored only to the level typical of variants with crop cultivation

Meixner class of non-commutative generalized stochastic processes with freely independent values I. A characterization

Let $T$ be an underlying space with a non-atomic measure $\sigma$ on it (e.g. $T=\mathbb R^d$ and $\sigma$ is the Lebesgue measure). We introduce and study a class of non-commutative generalized stochastic processes, indexed by points of $T$, with freely independent values. Such a process (field), $\omega=\omega(t)$, $t\in T$, is given a rigorous meaning through smearing out with test functions on $T$, with $\int_T \sigma(dt)f(t)\omega(t)$ being a (bounded) linear operator in a full Fock space. We define a set $\mathbf{CP}$ of all continuous polynomials of $\omega$, and then define a con-commutative $L^2$-space $L^2(\tau)$ by taking the closure of $\mathbf{CP}$ in the norm $\|P\|_{L^2(\tau)}:=\|P\Omega\|$, where $\Omega$ is the vacuum in the Fock space. Through procedure of orthogonalization of polynomials, we construct a unitary isomorphism between $L^2(\tau)$ and a (Fock-space-type) Hilbert space $\mathbb F=\mathbb R\oplus\bigoplus_{n=1}^\infty L^2(T^n,\gamma_n)$, with explicitly given measures $\gamma_n$. We identify the Meixner class as those processes for which the procedure of orthogonalization leaves the set $\mathbf {CP}$ invariant. (Note that, in the general case, the projection of a continuous monomial of oder $n$ onto the $n$-th chaos need not remain a continuous polynomial.) Each element of the Meixner class is characterized by two continuous functions $\lambda$ and $\eta\ge0$ on $T$, such that, in the $\mathbb F$ space, $\omega$ has representation \omega(t)=\di_t^\dag+\lambda(t)\di_t^\dag\di_t+\di_t+\eta(t)\di_t^\dag\di^2_t, where \di_t^\dag and \di_t are the usual creation and annihilation operators at point $t$

THE DYNAMICS OF THE THYROID HORMONE WHILE MODELING OF STANDARD FRACTURE IN RABBITS

The participation of Se in the structure of deiodinases during the metabolism of thyroid hormones defined the interest to the research of its possible impact to the processes of reparative regeneration of bone tissue in the experiment. The aim of the paper is to reveal the dynamics of thyroid hormone secretion at further adding of selenium under the conditions of standard fracture healing in rabbits. The most general response of the thyroid gland at the reparative regeneration of bone tissue was revealed, it is the reduction of Т, T4 and free T4 concentration during the nearest postoperative period. It is shown, that the use of the preparation of Se changes the reaction of thyroid to the dosed damage of the bone and metabolism of iodothyronines as well. The change of T3 concentration was the most evident. Rabbits having extra preparation of Se were less susceptible to fluctuations in the secretion of iodothyronines typical for the dosed damage of the bone but the syndrome of «low Т3» redoubled and peripheral conversion of thyroid hormone reduced

Аутоиммунные поражения печени у пациентов с болезнью Шёгрена, ассоциированной с антицентромерными антителами

Objective: to determine the frequency, spectrum and severity of liver affection in anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) positive patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS).Patients and methods. 119 ACA-positive patients with pSS were included in the study, 37 (31%) of them had signs of liver damage, 3 of these patients were excluded from the study (2 had cholelithiasis, 1 had viral hepatitis B). Signs of autoimmune liver damage were found in 34 (28.6%) patients, most of them were seropositive for antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA). The diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was established according to the recommendations of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the Russian Gastroenterological Association and the Russian Society for the Study of the Liver. In 5 (14.7%) patients the cause of cholestasis remained unspecified.Results and discussion. AMA were found in 73.5% of patients, elevated serum IgM levels – in 57.6%. Clinically liver damage in most cases was characterized by an asymptomatic, slowly progressive course without a dramatic increase of symptoms over time. Liver cirrhosis was found in 14.7% of patients. According to clinical, laboratory and morphological manifestations, PBC was diagnosed in 21 patients, 4 of them also had a cross syndrome with AIH. AMA-negative PBC was found in 3 patients and isolated AIH – in 1. In most cases, histological stage I of PBC was detected. During follow-up, median of 7 years (range from 2 to 15 years), in 7 patients with stage I PBC and in 7 AMA-positive patients without functional liver disorders no clinical, laboratory or instrumental progression of liver damage was noted. In this regard, it was suggested that these patients have epitheliitis of the biliary ducts as manifestation of glandular affection in pSS, and not true PBC.Conclusion. Autoimmune liver lesions are detected in 28.6% of ACA-positive patients with pSS, most (41.2%) of them develop epitheliitis of the biliary ducts as pSS manifestation or a combination of pSS with PBC (with the same frequency), less often PBC / AIH cross syndrome is diagnosed. PBC / pSS-related epitheliitis of the biliary ducts in ACA-positive patients is characterized by a slowly progressive asymptomatic course in most cases and rarely leads to the development of liver cirrhosis.Цель настоящего исследования – определить частоту, спектр и тяжесть течения поражений печени у позитивных по антицентромерным антителам (АЦА) пациентов с болезнью Шёгрена (БШ).Пациенты и методы. У 37 (31%) из 119 включенных в исследование АЦА-позитивных пациентов с БШ при обследовании выявлены признаки поражения печени, 3 из них были исключены из исследования (у 2 имелась желчнокаменная болезнь, у 1 – вирусный гепатит В). Признаки аутоиммунного поражения печени обнаружены у 34 (28,6%) больных, большинство из которых были серопозитивны по антимитохондриальным антителам (АМА). Диагноз первичного билиарного холангита (ПБХ) и аутоиммунного гепатита (АИГ) устанавливался согласно рекомендациям Американской ассоциации по изучению заболеваний печени, Российской гастроэнтерологической ассоциации и Российского общества по изучению печени. Причина холестаза у 5 (14,7%) пациентов осталась неуточненной.Результаты и обсуждение. АМА обнаружены у 73,5% пациентов, повышение уровня IgM – у 57,6%. Клинически поражение печени в большинстве случаев характеризовалось бессимптомным медленно прогрессирующим течением, как правило, без выраженного нарастания симптомов в динамике. Признаки цирроза выявлены у 14,7% пациентов. На основании клинико-лабораторно-морфологических проявлений ПБХ диагностирован у 21 больного, у 4 из которых также имелся перекрестный синдром с АИГ. АМА-негативный ПБХ установлен у 3 пациентов и изолированный АИГ – у 1. В большинстве случаев определялась I гистологическая стадия ПБХ. При динамическом наблюдении, медиана которого составила 7 лет (мин. 2 года, макс. 15 лет), у 7 пациентов с I стадией ПБХ и у 7 АМА-позитивных больных без функциональных нарушений печени в течение всего периода наблюдения клинического и лабораторно-инструментального прогрессирования поражения печени не отмечено. В связи с этим сделано предположение, что у данных пациентов имеется эпителиит билиарных протоков как проявление железистых поражений при БШ, а не истинный ПБХ.Заключение. Аутоиммунные поражения печени выявляются у 28,6% АЦА-позитивных пациентов с БШ, у большинства из них с одинаковой частотой (41,2%) развиваются эпителиит билиарных протоков в рамках БШ либо сочетание БШ с ПБХ, реже диагностируется перекрестный синдром ПБХ/АИГ. ПБХ/эпителиит билиарных протоков в рамках БШ у АЦА-позитивных пациентов в большинстве случаев характеризуется медленно прогрессирующим бессимптомным течением и редко приводит к развитию цирроза печени

NIBBS-Search for Fast and Accurate Prediction of Phenotype-Biased Metabolic Systems

Understanding of genotype-phenotype associations is important not only for furthering our knowledge on internal cellular processes, but also essential for providing the foundation necessary for genetic engineering of microorganisms for industrial use (e.g., production of bioenergy or biofuels). However, genotype-phenotype associations alone do not provide enough information to alter an organism's genome to either suppress or exhibit a phenotype. It is important to look at the phenotype-related genes in the context of the genome-scale network to understand how the genes interact with other genes in the organism. Identification of metabolic subsystems involved in the expression of the phenotype is one way of placing the phenotype-related genes in the context of the entire network. A metabolic system refers to a metabolic network subgraph; nodes are compounds and edges labels are the enzymes that catalyze the reaction. The metabolic subsystem could be part of a single metabolic pathway or span parts of multiple pathways. Arguably, comparative genome-scale metabolic network analysis is a promising strategy to identify these phenotype-related metabolic subsystems. Network Instance-Based Biased Subgraph Search (NIBBS) is a graph-theoretic method for genome-scale metabolic network comparative analysis that can identify metabolic systems that are statistically biased toward phenotype-expressing organismal networks. We set up experiments with target phenotypes like hydrogen production, TCA expression, and acid-tolerance. We show via extensive literature search that some of the resulting metabolic subsystems are indeed phenotype-related and formulate hypotheses for other systems in terms of their role in phenotype expression. NIBBS is also orders of magnitude faster than MULE, one of the most efficient maximal frequent subgraph mining algorithms that could be adjusted for this problem. Also, the set of phenotype-biased metabolic systems output by NIBBS comes very close to the set of phenotype-biased subgraphs output by an exact maximally-biased subgraph enumeration algorithm ( MBS-Enum ). The code (NIBBS and the module to visualize the identified subsystems) is available at http://freescience.org/cs/NIBBS

Russian population health-related quality of life indicators calculated using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire

Objectives. The paper aims was forming the first health-related quality of life population indicators using EQ-5D–3L survey that represents the Russian population by gender and age, as well as by the attained level of education. Material and methods. For compiling population indicators, we use the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. The study was conducted on the adult Russian population aged 18 to 75 years. A representative sample was 12616 respondents. Results. 59.3 % of the sample is in good health (profile 11111). The proportion of respondents reporting any health problems increases with age. The average score on a 100-point visual analogue scale is 72.4 (standard deviation 18,1; 95 per cent confidence interval from 72,1 to 72,7). Men, on average, tend to assess their health higher than women. However there are no statistically significant differences in health scores among educational groups, taking into account gender and age data. Conclusions. Comparison of health-related quality of life estimations with normative population data allows us to track differences in health between population groups, as well as to analyze the health status and progress in treating patients. The Russian health-related quality indicators from EQ-5D-3L survey are similar to the Hungary population indices, as well as to many European countries, the USA, and Argentina for age cohorts under 45 years of age. For the cohorts of respondents older than 45 years, Russian estimations are much lower than in other countries. This evidence confirms that borrowing scales from other countries for converting EQ-5D-3L values into a preference EQ-5D-3L index is not acceptable for Russian patients, especially for the elderly