Regularities of the distribution of macrozoobenthos communities in the conditions of the rivers of Central and Northern Altai as an indicator of the ecological state of water bodies

In modern conditions of Gorny Altai, with an increase in anthropogenic load on the ecosystems of the region, it becomes important to assess environmental pollution. The state of the environment monitoring is a topical direction of science. The work analyzes the distribution and structural features of macrozoobenthos communities in the rivers of Altai. Revealed 25 species of invertebrate aquatic organisms belonging to 4 types and 6 classes. Benthic communities of 12 different water bodies of the Northern and Central Altai have been analyzed. Analysis of the studied structure of groups based on Euclidean distances for the shares of species in communities showed that they can be divided into three classes depending on the dominant species in them. The scheme based on the Jaccard index made it possible to reveal the influence of environmental factors that determine the structure of macrozoobenthos communities in Altai rivers. It was revealed that the anthropogenic factor has an indirect effect on the structure of communities of aquatic organisms; therefore, the macrofauna of aquatic organisms can be used as a primary indicator of the state of aquatic ecosystems

Assessment of registered and hidden epidemic process of tick-borne encephalitis in the Republic of Karelia

Introduction. The incidence of tick-borne encephalitis in the Russia remains relevant. The assessment of the epidemic process in the Republic of Karelia is important not only in terms of understanding its general patterns, but in connection with the growth of tourist attendance in the region. Aims: To assess the current epidemic situation of tick-borne encephalitis in the Republic of Karelia, and to compare the characteristics of registered and hidden epidemic processes. Materials and methods. The risk of infection and incidence were estimated based on the analysis of the registered cases of seeking medical help in connection with tick bites, the results of a study of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection rate in ticks, and the epidemiological investigation of cases of tick-borne encephalitis in 1992–2022. Clinical, gender and age structure, territorial distribution of patients and victims of the tick bites were compared with the results of serological studies of 2379 blood samples of the adult population, conducted in 2011–2022. Results. Infection rates of ticks removed from humans ranged from 23.6–27.0% in 2002–2005 to 1.0% in 2022. In 2004, the TBEV antigen was detected in mosquitoes. The territory of risk is the southern part of Republic. However, the increase in number of cases of seeking medical help was observed in the northern part of Republic. The incidence rates exceeded the national average, especially in 2003–2004 (15.3–11.6 per 100 thousand). In 2021–2022, it decreased to 1.8–1.5 per 100,000. The dynamics of incidence had a high-degree correlation with the dynamics of seeking medical help and infection rates in ticks (R = 0.92 and 0.73). The reported incidence was lower than the estimated risk of infection. The meningeal forms of infection were most often diagnosed. The risk of the disease was higher in the elderly and in men, which was determined by the conditions of infection. Antibodies to TBEV were detected in 11.8 ± 0.7% of the examined persons. Conclusion. A steady decrease in rates of registered tick-borne encephalitis incidence has been revealed in the Republic of Karelia, mainly due to the action of biological and natural factors. The assessment of seroprevalence made it possible to reveal the hidden part of the epidemic process

Scientific Opportunities for Heterogeneous Catalysis Research at the SuperXAS and SNBL Beam Lines

In this short review, we describe the complementary experimental capabilities for catalysis research at two beam lines available to the Swiss community, SuperXAS at SLS (Swiss Light Source, Villigen) and SNBL (Swiss Norwegian Beam lines) at ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble). Over the years, these two facilities have been developed to provide powerful techniques for structural studies under in situ and operando conditions. These techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) in combination with Raman or infrared spectroscopy provide new avenues for structure–performance studies of catalysts. Several exemplary studies are used to demonstrate the capability of these facilities

A high-temperature furnace for in situ synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy under controlled atmospheric conditions.

A high-temperature furnace with an induction heater coil has been designed and constructed for in situ X-ray spectroscopic experiments under controlled atmospheric conditions and temperatures up to 3275 K. The multi-purpose chamber design allows working in backscattering and normal fluorescence mode for synchrotron X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. The use of the furnace is demonstrated in a study of the in situ formation of Cr oxide between 1823 K and 2023 K at logPO(2) values between -10.0 and -11.3 using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. The set-up is of particular interest for studying liquid metals, alloys and other electrically conductive materials under extreme conditions

Evaluation of financial and analytical activities of the biggest car makers of the Russian federation

Companies need an internal management control system to develop successfully in the current conditions of a market economy. This statement is true irrespective of an organisational form of a company. Financial indicators (such as profit) can give a full picture of absolute effectiveness of the company's performance. The main activities of any company can be split into the following groups: production, sales, procurement, financial and investment activities. According to the 2013-2016 consolidated financial statements prepared under IFRS, Russia’s largest car producers include AVTOVAZ Group, GAZ Group, KAMAZ Group and SOLLERS Group. They all used a three-factor model of return on equity and other mathematical tools. Analysis of the three-factor model of return on equity enabled us to formulate several statements. The main factor affecting return on equity is the sales margin. When the sales margin is measured within a certain period of time, there can be either a negative or a positive influence on the final financial results of a company. The two other factors that influence return on equity are less significant. The factor of margin is the most significant and the index of capital intensity is the least significant factor of the three. Our practical innovation is a new model to analyse financial reporting of a car making company, which showcases the financial position of a company

In Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of LaFeO₃ and LaFeO₃/LaNiO₃ Thin Films in the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

We study the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to track the dynamics of the valence state and the covalence of the metal ions of LaFeO3 and LaFeO3/LaNiO3 thin films. The active materials are 8 unit cells grown epitaxially on 100 nm conductive La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layers using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The perovskite layers are supported on monolayer Ca2Nb3O10 nanosheet-buffered 100 nm SiNx membranes. The in situ Fe and Ni K-edges XAS spectra were measured from the backside of the SiNx membrane using fluorescence yield detection under electrocatalytic reaction conditions. The XAS spectra show significant spectral changes, which indicate that (1) the metal (co)valencies increase, and (2) the number of 3d electrons remains constant with applied potential. We find that the whole 8 unit cells react to the potential changes, including the buried LaNiO3 film.</p

Removing the barriers to cross-border charitable activities via European foundations

Der europäische Stiftungssektor hat eine bedeutsame Mitwirkung bei der Promotion der Grundwerte und der Erreichung der bürgerorientierten Ziele der Europäischen Union. Er stellt auch eine große wirtschaftliche Kraft dar. In den letzten Jahrzehnten war der europäische Stiftungssektor einem wachsenden Interesse an internationalen Aktivitäten ausgesetzt. In der globalisierten Gesellschaft sind Menschen und Unternehmen nicht länger an ein einzigen Land gebunden, und ihre Tätigkeit hört nicht an den nationalen Grenzen auf. Jedoch lassen sich die rechtlichen Barrieren für grenzüberschreitende karitative Aktivitäten sowohl im Zivilrecht als auch im Steuerrecht immer noch finden. Ferner verursachen diese Barrieren zusätzliche Kosten für Stiftungen und ihre Spender und erschweren die internationale Erweiterung der Wohltätigkeit. Diese Diplomarbeit befasst sich mit der rechtlichen Barrieren für grenzüberschreitende wohltätige Aktivitäten und beschreibt die Mechanismen für deren Beseitigung auf der Ebene der Mitgliedstaaten, der EU und der privaten Initiativen. In diesem Zusammenhang liegt der Schwerpunkt auf der Gesetzesinitiative der Europäischen Kommission, nämlich der Einführung einer Europäischen Stiftung oder Fundatio Europaea (FE) – einer neuen supranationalen Rechtsform für gemeinnützige Zwecke. Ebenfalls hat die Europäische Kommission im Jahr 2012 einen Vorschlag für eine Verordnung des Rates über das Statut der Europäischen Stiftung (FE) (der Vorschlag) vorgelegt. Im Jahr 2015 hat sie aber den Vorschlag zurückgezogen, weil keine Einigung zwischen den 28 Mitgliedstaaten vorliegen würde. Darüber hinaus gibt diese Diplomarbeit einen Überblick über den Vorschlag und analysiert, inwieweit die Einführung von FEs die Barriere für grenzüberschreitende wohltätige Aktivitäten beseitigen könnte. Ferner erkennt sie auch den wahrscheinlichsten Grund für das Scheitern des Vorschlags – seine Steuervorschriften. Abschließend behandelt sich die Diplomarbeit mit der aktuellen Situation grenzübergreifender karitative Aktivitäten. Weiterhin erläutert sie, was wir aus dem Scheitern des Vorschlags lernen und daraus ableiten können, um den europäischen Stiftungssektor in Zukunft effizienter zu machen.The European foundation sector significantly contributes to the promotion of the fundamental values and the attainment of the citizen-oriented objectives of the European Union. It also represents a major economic force. Over the last decades, the European foundation sector faced a growing interest in cross-border activities. In the globalized society, people and businesses are no longer bound to one country, and their operations do not stop at the national borders. However, the legal barriers to cross-border charitable activities can still be found both in civil law and in tax law. The barriers cause additional costs for foundations and their donors and hinder the international expansion of the charity. This paper looks into the legal barriers to cross-border charitable activities and reviews the mechanisms for removing them on the Member States level, the EU level and the level of private initiatives. In this context, it focuses on the legislative initiative of the European Commission aimed at the removal of these barriers, namely the introduction of a European Foundation or Fundatio Europaea (FE) – a new supranational legal form for public benefit purposes. The European Commission introduced a proposal for a Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Foundation (FE) (the Proposal) in 2012. In 2015, it withdrew the Proposal seeing no prospects for reaching an agreement among the 28 Member States. This paper provides an overview of the Proposal and analyses to what extent the introduction of FEs could remove the barriers to cross-border charitable activities. It also identifies the most probable reason for the Proposal’s failure – its tax provisions. Finally, the paper addresses the current situation of cross-border charitable activities. It elaborates on what we can learn from the Proposal’s failure and what we can take away from it to make the European foundation sector more efficient in the future