Measuring social well-being in the rural areas of the Kaliningrad region

This article evaluates the social wellbeing of rural municipalities of the Kaliningrad region. The degree of social wellbeing is assessed on the basis of an analysis of statistical data and expert evaluations. Rural districts were identified in the Kaliningrad region on the basis of the following criteria: the share of population residing in the rural areas (threshold value of 50 %); the share of non-residential areas (threshold value of 75 %), the share of agricultural lands (threshold value of 50 %). Further analysis was based on the indices of geodemographic situation, investment potential, and production development. Rural municipalities were ranked according to these indices. The study showed that the best performing area are the suburban districts of Guryevsk and Bagrationovsk and the agricultural districts of Nesterov and Pravdinsk, whereas the worst performing ones are those of Gvardeisk, Krasnoznamensk, Ozersk, and Chernykhovsk. A comparison with the other constituent entities of the Northwestern federal district proved that the level of social wellbeing of Kaliningrad rural municipalities is rather high and most of them have made the transition from depression to sustainable development

THE USE OF AUTHENTIC VIDEOS IN TEACHING RUSSIAN CONVERSATION OUTSIDE THE LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT

The use of authentic films offers great opportunities for developing the range of skills and abilities required in all aspects of speech activity. This type of activity is particularly important for students who study Russian outside the language environment. This article examines the criteria for selecting video films as linguo-didactic material, which can be used in teaching foreign higher education students with advanced language skills based on modern methodological principles, i.e. communicative approaches and linguo-cultural information about the studied country, as well as increasing personal motivation among students for learning. Analyzing the results of a trial survey conducted among foreign students, as well as identifying the linguistic and extra-linguistic features of selected films, the authors suggest ways to use video with the help of new technologies. Article visualizations

The effect of railway network evolution on the Kaliningrad region's landscape environment

This article addresses methodology of modern landscape studies from the perspective of natural and man-made components of a territory. Railway infrastructure is not only an important system-building element of economic and settlement patterns; it also affects cultural landscapes. The study of cartographic materials and historiography made it possible to identify the main stages of the development of the Kaliningrad railway network in terms of its territorial scope and to describe causes of the observed changes. Historically, changes in the political, economic, and military environment were key factors behind the development of the Kaliningrad railway network. Nature was less important. The existing Kaliningrad railway network is to a great degree the legacy of the earlier, pre-war times. Today, its primary function is to provide international cargo and passenger transportation. Two types of railway infrastructure are identified in the Kaliningrad region - modern (functioning) and relic (abandoned) ones. In the Kaliningrad region, the process of land reclamation of the railway system starts when the maintenance of railroads is discontinued, which is followed by the formation of primitive soils and emerging biocenoses enhanced by fill soils and artificial relief

The Effects of Consumer Cultural Values on Ethical Judgment and Performance of Global Brands Among Young Consumers

This study uses well-developed and tested scales to examine differences across two countries in the effects of consumer cultural values on ethical judgment and global brand performance. The study measured consumer attention toward two global brands – Nike and KFC. The research was conducted using over 804 young consumers from Russia and China. The research includes two studies specifically focused on young consumers (18-25) and their attention toward two brands. The first study showed that young Chinese and Russian consumers with strong cultural values are more ethical consumers than unethical. However, consumers who demonstrated strong cultural value such as achievement showed active unethical behavior in both samples. The second study confirmed that two cultural values in young consumers, hedonism and achievement, strongly affected KFC brand performance in both countries. However, young Russian consumers with hedonism and power cultural values strongly affected Nike brand performance, as well as young Chinese consumers with universalism cultural values

Land Use, Settlement, and Modern Landscapes

The paper summarizes main factors influencing the look of contemporary regional landscape, i.e. the system of land use management and settlement patterns that are organically shaped by the region's geological structure and terrain.  The case in question – the Kaliningrad region – has seen its fair share of redrafting of administrative and state borders over the past century. Not only that: this territory, largely devoid of natural contrasts, has experienced dramatic shifts in economy, settlement systems, and ethnic composition of its population, - all of which is reflected in the way the regional landscape is presented today. Keywords: modern landscape; land use; settlement systems; landscape genesis JEL Classifications: J1; Q00; R

Pharmacogenetic research in Kazakhstan

Introduction: Pharmacogenomics is an emerging field of medicine that combines genetics and pharmacology. Pharmacogenomic research is relatively new in Kazahkstan, but, in recent years, significant progress has been made in this field. The National Scientific Laboratory for Biotechnology has launched several government-funded research projects focused on finding genetic markers that determine susceptibility to various drugs. Another goal of pharmacogenetic research in the laboratory is to find the pharmacogenomic markers that target cardiovascular diseases, accounting for allelic frequencies in selected genes in the Kazakh population. In addition, pharmacogenomic testing kits allow patients to choose the drug dosage. For example, the drug Warfarin has been developed within the framework of the "Technology Commercialization Project,” funded jointly by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the World Bank.Material and methods: The pharmacogenomic studies were conducted using the real-time PCR and direct DNA sequencing. DNA was isolated from venous blood or buccal cells, collected from patients.Results: To date, we have identified the most promising areas of research in the field of pharmacogenomics in Kazakhstan. The allelic frequencies of a number of polymorphisms in the Kazakh population have been calculated (CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4, VKORC1, CYP4F2, GGCX, CYP2D6, CYP1A2, NAT2, GSTP1, SLC47A1). A unique repository of DNA samples was established and is being replenished during the implementation of aforementioned projects. Development of the testing kit for individual selection of Warfarin dosage is nearing completion. A patent, named "Method of Selection Based Dose Warfarin Genotyping for the Kazakh Population" has been recently obtained. An application for another patent, titled "Express Method of Correction of Warfarin Dosing, Based on Real-time PCR" has received positive evaluation. The results of domestic pharmacogenomic studies will allow a more rational selection of drugs and their dosage regimens specific to the Kazakh population

Frequency of NAT2 and GSTP1 polymorphisms in the Kazakh population

Introduction: Phase II xenobiotic biotransformation enzymes perform detoxification of hydrophilic and often toxic Phase I products by glutathionetransferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDF), N-acetyltransferase (NAT) families and other enzymes. GST protein family metabolizes a large number of electrophilic xenobiotics, including drugs, by conjugating them with glutathione. Arylamine-N-acetyltransferase (NAT) catalyzes the acetylation of the aromatic and heterocyclic amines.Materials and methods: The current study has assessed the frequencies of NAT2 and GSTP1 genes polymorphisms in 326 healthy individuals from different regions of Kazakhstan by using Real-Time PCR and direct sequencing methods.Results: Allele frequencies were derived for NAT2*5 (0.54) and GSTP1 (0.27). GSTP1 alleles were in Hardy – Weinberg equilibrium (p > 0.05), while NAT2*5 (p = 0.00) were not.  The population differences between North, Northeast and South Kazakhstan regions were determined. Statistically significant differences in the frequency of genotypes were not found.Conclusion: Allelic polymorphisms of NAT2*5 and GSTP1 genes vary widely in different populations. Kazakh population was significantly different from Asian, Caucasoid, African-American and Hispanic ones by NAT2*5 and GSTP1 genes. Allelic variants of the NAT2*5 were detected with a low frequency in Asian populations. Allelic frequency in other world populations varies from 30 to 50%. The differences between Kazakh (0.54) and the world population were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The frequency of GSTP1 (rs1695) in the African American population is 42%. The frequency of GSTP1 in Asian populations varies from 11% to 23%, in Caucasoid populations it is about 30%. The differences between Kazakh population (0.27) and other populations selected from the literature were statistically significant (p < 0.05).The study of mutations in GSTP1 and NAT2 genes is necessary to assess the risk of the development of various diseases, such as cancer. Information on allelic polymorphisms also might be useful for personalized drug prescription for such drugs as cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, methotrexate, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and rifampin

Regulation of the Duration of Spawning Cycles of Catfish in Industrial Aquaculture

This article is devoted to the study of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus eggs produced at different durations of the inter-spawning interval. Eggs were produced artificially using sex hormones. In industrial aquaculture, the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus does not reproduce naturally. Therefore, the problem of obtaining high-quality eggs that will be used for in-vitro fertilization is urgent. To implement artificial spawning of fish in industrial aquaculture, it is necessary to correctly choose the effective hormonal stimulator and empirically select its dose. Sex hormones are involved in regulating the duration of the inter-spawning interval and affect the quality of eggs produced both for fertilization and for food purposes. The pituitary gland of the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus and surfagon were used as gametogenesis stimulators. The aim of the work was to study the optimal duration of the inter-spawning interval and the effect of hormonal inducers used to stimulate artificial spawning in industrial aquaculture. The use of the catfish pituitary gland in fresh or acetonated form as a hormonal stimulator provided higher-quality eggs, compared to the synthetic hormonal drug - surfagon. Stimulation with acetonated pituitary injections reduced the inter-spawning interval of the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus to three months, and the use of surfagon prolonged the inter-spawning interval to four months. Reducing the duration of the inter-spawning interval is important for the production of the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus eggs for food purposes. Studies have shown that reducing the optimal duration of the inter-spawning interval negatively affects the quality of the produced eggs and their quantity. This research was financially supported by a grant from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research, project No. 18-016-00127. Keywords: aquaculture, African Catfish Clarias gariepinus, eggs, inter-spawning period, sex hormones, oocyte

Strategic directions of the country’s ensuring financial security

It is grounded in the article that it is necessary to form a new fiscal policy paradigm and it is preconditioned by its orientation to provide economic growth and country’s national security. The change of the geopolitical situation, slow down of the global growth pace, decrease of the global demand on the traditional commodities require to work out the interconnected set of measures, based on the creation of conditions for the Russian economy to transit to a new technological structure, for Russia to be among the leading countries in terms of gross domestic product and to oppose the impact of external and internal threats successfully. The objective of this work is to research the strategic directions of the Russian financial security aimed at analysis and indicative forecasting of a wide range of factors determining the financial and banking system stability, preserving its integrity and unity, overcoming Russia's internal and external threats in the financial sphere. To meet this objective the following tasks are set: to reveal the fundamentals and economic content of financial security; to structure the most important aspects of the financial security strategy; to identify specific features of budgetary security as a key component of financial security and determine fiscal consolidation priorities; to disclose methodological approaches to the formation of a financial security indicators system. The article draws conclusions about the need for an integrated approach to the financial security strategy formation that stimulates economic growth, improves the quality of public administration, the banking and financial system stability, human potential development.peer-reviewe