Methodological Approach to Measure the Quality of Life of the Region’s Population

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of the regional development, i.e. to the development of methodological tools to evaluate the quality of life of the population in the region. The article considers the concept of “quality of life”, and the terms related thereto; and substantiate the author’s position with respect to the concept. The existing domestic and foreign approaches to evaluate the quality of life of the population were analyzed, and the application of the comprehensive approach was reasoned within this study. The criteria for evaluation of the quality of life of the population were distinguished. The authors proposed the methodological approach that considers not only objective indicators of the quality of life presented in the statistical reports of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, but also employs subjective evaluations of the local population enabling more appropriate evaluation of the quality of life in the region. The methodological tools of the research include mathematical methods of statistical data processing and online survey of the population about the level of satisfaction with various aspects of their life. The methodological tools were tested using the example of the Sverdlovsk Region that is characterized both by the steady improvement of statistical indicators of the quality of life and by low satisfaction of population with certain aspects of the quality of life, which generally decreases the integrated indicator of the quality of life despite positive dynamics of social and economic development of the region and vigorous social policy of the regional authorities. The proposed methodology was used in the evaluation of the quality of life of the Sverdlovsk Region population as part of the development of the Concept of comprehensive regional program “New quality of life of Ural residents” (Decree of the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region No. 45-UG dated January 29, 2014 “On the Concept of the life quality improvement for the Sverdlovsk Region population before 2030 year — “New quality of life of Ural residents”).The article has been prepared with the support of the grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) No. 15-06-09169 “Development of methodical measurement tools and evaluation of the impact of social, economic, medical and demographic factors on mortality rates of working-age population”

Gastroesophageal reflux disease associated with diseases of the respiratory tract

The European community of gastroenterologists in 1997 recognized GERB as "illness of the 21st century". Diseases of a respiratory tract take the leading place among all extra esophageal implications of a gastroesophageal reflux disease. Among them bronchial asthma and a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are the most widespread. The study of the features of the current and modern methods of diagnosing bronchial asthma, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease is of great importance for identifying potential obstacles to effective treatment and preventing an increase in the risk of hospitalizations of patients with this co-morbid pathology. The morbidity of the pathology of the respiratory tract, combined with gastroesophageal reflux disease, is steadily growing. There is a large number of publications concerning the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, but the etiopathogenesis and the cause-and-effect relationship of these diseases remain in question. 1t is interesting to note that the syndrome of obstructive sleep apnea is not included in the list of extra-oesophageal manifestations, both probably and reliably associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (according to the Montreal Consensus, 2006), but is of great interest to researchers in recent years

Soil Contamination Mapping with Hyperspectral Imagery: Pre- Dnieper Chemical Plant (Ukraine) Case Study

Radioactive contamination of soils is an issue of severe importance for Ukraine remaining with a significant post-Soviet baggage of not settled problems regarding radioactive waste. Regular radioecological observations and up-to-date contamination mapping based on advanced geoinformation techniques give an ability to prepare for, respond to, and manage potential adverse effects from pollution with radionuclides and heavy metals. Hyperspectral satellite imagery provides potentially powerful tool for soil contamination detection and mapping. An intention to find a relation between remotely sensed hyperspectral and ground-based measured soil contamination fractions in area of the uranium mill tailings deposits near Kamianske city was made. An advanced algorithm based on known TCMI (target-constrained minimal interference)-matched filter with a nonnegative constraint was applied to determine the soil contamination fractions by hyperspectral imagery. The time series maps of spatial distribution of the soil contamination fractions within study area around the Sukhachevske tailings dump are presented. Time series analysis of the map resulted in two independent parameters: the average value for the entire observation period and the daily mean increment of the soil contamination fractions

Teaching Academic English to Russian-speaking Academic Staff: The Case of the Office of Academic Writing

The paper discusses the preliminary results of teaching academic writing to scientific and academic staff at South Ural State University (national research university) within the framework of advanced training courses. The 36 and 72-hour training programs were developed by the academic and methodological department of the Office of Academic Writing. The Office was opened at the university in 2016 in order to improve the academic literacy of the university’s academic staff, develop professional communication skills in English, and assist authors who aspire to get their papers published in top rated scientific journals indexed in the scientific citation databases Scopus and Web of Science. Upon completion of these programs, authors of scientific papers gain knowledge about the basics of academic writing, the structure of a scientific paper, the English scientific style and its lexical and grammatical features, as well as editing a paper, working with scientific citation databases, and elaborating a publishing strategy. We conducted a study from October 2016 to December 2018 and calculated data on the attendees’ affiliation (an institute or higher school), the contingent (position), and the importance of the offered training programs (the number of attendees in each course). The obtained data indicates that representatives of social-humanitarian and technical fields show a special interest in the courses. The courses of academic writing are most popular among associate professors who have experience in publishing papers in Russian. Authors are especially interested in intensive practice-oriented programs. Upon completion of the courses and with the support of the Office of Academic Writing, attendees prepared scientific texts in English and submitted them to top rated journals and conference proceedings. The educational activity of the Office of Academic Writing can be developed through elaboration and implementation of new advanced training programs, including the distance ones. Their effectiveness will be evaluated by an increase in the publication activity of the university’s employees

ОКРЕМI ЕПIДЕМIОЛОГIЧНI РИЗИКИ ДЛЯ БIОЛОГIЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ

The article adduces the issues of epidemiological risks to Ukraine’s biosecurity and other relevant military threats. The authors predicted directions of possible changes in the biological situation regarding infectious morbidity in Ukraine and bioterrorism, raised questions about the necessity of carrying out anti-epidemic and preventive measures.Розглянуті питання епідеміологічних ризиків для біологічної безпеки України та інші актуальні воєнні загрози. Авторами спрогнозовані напрямки можливих змін біологічної ситуації щодо інфекційної захворюваності в Україні та біотероризму, порушені питання необхідності проведення протиепідемічних і профілактичних заходів

Distribution, Abundance, and Epidemiological Significance of <I>Ixodes ricinus</I> Ticks in the Territory of the Tula Region

Based on the analysis of the information concerning distribution and abundance of Ixodidae ticks in the territory of the Tula Region (1998-2012), obtained have been the new data on the expansion of I. ricinus habitat. Results of phyto-geographical zoning of the region have served as a landscape base for investigation of regularities as regards spatial distribution of the species. Specified have been the territories with low, medium, and high population density rate. Biotopes with the most favorable environmental conditions for the species are situated in the mixed woods of the Prioksky region and broad-leaved forests - of the Zasechny one. As for the forest-steppe areas, optimum biotopes are localized in the highland and steppificated oakwoods in the south of South-Eastern Region. Thus it has been established that in the recent decade I. ricinus ticks can be found not only in the forest areas, but in the forest-steppe ones too. This may be related to the increase in their numbers under favorable environmental conditions, reduction of farming lands, and shrub invasion. Average value for I. ricinus numbers in the forest area reaches 39.4 specimen/flag-kilometer; in the forest-steppe zone - 23.7 specimen/flag-kilometer. Identified have been potentially hazardous territories as regards natural-focal tick-borne infections, the agent circulation and transmission of which is sustained by I. ricinus. The finding in its turn sets the grounds for carrying out specific epizootiological surveillance and regulation of preventive measures

МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ЭЛЕКТРОННЫХ И МАГНИТНЫХ СВОЙСТВ НИЗКОРАЗМЕРНЫХ МАТЕРИАЛОВ С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ ПЕРВОПРИНЦИПНЫХ МЕТОДОВ

The result of electronic and magnetic properties investigation of ZnO granular films and quasi-two-dimensional structures of TiS2 and TiSe2 were presented. Quantum-mechanical approach in software package VASP was used during the calculation procedure, in particular the method of augmented plane wave (PAW-method). The values of the electronic states’ density of the compounds were presented, the distribution of the magnetic density of ZnO granular films were shown.В рамках квантово-механического подхода исследованы электронные и магнитные свойства зернистых пленок ZnO и квазидвухмерных структур TiS2 и TiSe2. В качестве среды моделирования использован программный пакет VASP, в частности метод присоединенных плоских волн (PAW-метод). Рассчитаны значения плотности электронных состояний соединений, приведено распределение магнитной плотности зернистых пленок ZnO