Eurasian Future of Russia: Alternating Integration and Disintegration Cycles

Russia needs to fit into the international geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. The formation of this landscape is largely determined by alternating integration and disintegration cycles in the development of the world economy. The second global disintegration cycle that started in 2008 is expected to last 15—20 years. It will be followed by a new integration cycle, largely dependent on China (Pax Sinensis instead of Pax Americana). This change necessitates a number of steps: a significant strengthening of the Eastern vector in the development of Russia, the formation of the Moscow-Beijing-New Delhi triangle (Evgeny Primakov's idea) as well as providing access of energy-intensive and water-intensive goods from East Siberia by railway to the Chinese and Indian markets. Russia has expressed its interest in the construction of a railway from China to India. It will allow Russia to reduce transportation costs and use a potentially heavy transit traffic for the modernization of the Transsibirian railway. These steps could radically change the role of the Baltic exclave of Russia: from being a ‘window to Europe’ the region is to turn into the westernmost point of a infrastructure axis extending from east to west. The creation of such an axis, combined with a sharp fall in transportation costs will facilitate the access of energy-intensive and water-intensive goods from the Urals and Siberia to the Asian and European markets. The Kaliningrad region is increasingly taking on business facilitating functions, which used to be performed by the Soviet Baltic republics in the past. The region can play a more important role in the formation of Eurasia stretching from Shanghai to St. Petersburg (according to Dmitry Trenin), instead of the Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok

Thomas Malthus Modern Sounding

Thomas Malthus was perceived in history as a man of one idea, of one law, namely, as the author of ‘the law of population’. His ideas have been inspiring hot arguments and discussions for over 200 years. In our article we want to present Thomas Malthus as a profoundly decent man, social thinker, humanist and zealous servant of the ideals of Enlightenment

Optimization of the diagnosis of respiratory extraesophageal symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease

The problem of the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease has recently attracted the attention of doctors from different countries of the world due to the increasing prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, especially in elderly patients, a wide range of extraesophageal complaints, and the development of serious complications

Проблемы геополитического положения России в свете задач экономической модернизации

The steady extension of European Union, according to the opinion of the author, results in decreasing of the integration stability and its economic efficiency. Democracy decline in the contemporary world doesn't permit to consider European Union keep to the ascending trend either. At the same time, the axis of the world development is moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Under these circumstances the main defect of Russian geopolitical position is its extreme weakness particularly in the Far East region. This condition forces to one-sided orientation toward European Union model in the country modernization, though China, India, Japan and Five small dragons could be considered as the base of modernization too.Продолжающееся расширение Европейского Союза (ЕС) приводит, по мнению автора, к уменьшению устойчивости и снижению экономической эффективности этой интеграции. Упадок демократии в современном мире в результате размывания среднего класса и других последствий постиндустриальной трансформации не позволяет считать, что ЕС находится на восходящей ветви траектории. Между тем ось мирового развития перемещается из Атлантического региона в Тихоокеанский. В этих условиях самым существенным дефектом геополитического положения России становится ее крайняя слабость на Дальнем Востоке, что обусловливает одностороннюю ориентацию на ЕС в модернизации страны, хотя Китай, Япония и «Пять малых драконов» также могли бы быть базой ее модернизации

Strategies Employed by Community-Based Service Providers to Address HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Challenges: A Qualitative Study

Background: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and other causes of neurocognitive challenges experienced by people living with HIV (PLWH) persist as public health concerns in developed countries. Consequently, PLWH who experience neurocognitive challenges increasingly require social support and mental health services from community-based providers in the HIV sector. Methods: Thirty-three providers from 22 AIDS service organizations across Ontario, Canada, were interviewed to determine the strategies they used to support PLWH experiencing neurocognitive difficulties. Thematic analysis was conducted to determine key themes from the interview data. Results: Three types of strategies were identified: (a) intrapersonal, (b) interpersonal, and (c) organizational. Intrapersonal strategies involved learning and staying informed about causes of neurocognitive challenges. Interpersonal strategies included providing practical assistance, information, counseling, and/or referrals to PLWH. Organizational strategies included creating dedicated support groups for PLWH experiencing neurocognitive challenges, partnering with other organizations with services not available within their own organization, and advocating for greater access to services with expertise and experience working with PLWH. Conclusion: Through concerted efforts in the future, it is likely that empirically investigating, developing, and customizing these strategies specifically to address HIV-associated neurocognitive challenges will yield improved social support and mental health outcomes for PLWH

Investigating the emotional content of older adults engaging in a fall prevention exercise program integrated with dance movement therapy: a preliminary study

Fall prevention interventions for older adults have primarily focused on the physical aspects, overlooking the emotional aspects inherent in falls. This qualitative study presents a novel fall prevention intervention that integrates physical therapy exercise (PTE) based on the Otago Exercise Program with Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to address the emotional experience during PTE. The aim of this study is to explore the emotional content expressed by older adults during balance-focused exercises and the unique emotional content expressions following the PTE + DMT intervention compared to the PTE intervention. Eleven older adults (aged 81–91 years) from a day center were randomly assigned to either the PTE + DMT group (n = 6) or the PTE group (n = 5). Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the instructors’ observations and process diary identified three themes that emerged during the sessions: (1) self-image and self-worth, (2) the individual in relation to others, and (3) past memories. These themes highlight both similarities and differences between the groups. These findings provide valuable insights into the emotional experiences encountered by older adults, particularly in the context of falls prevention practices. Recognizing, understanding, and facilitating the expression of these experiences can enhance the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions and contribute to the overall health of older adults

Апология Мальтуса

The theory of population of Maltus, contradictory and interptered in a multiple way, is still influencing economic and social thought. In this article, we examine the demographic side of this theory, make an attempt to recomprehend the theoretical views of Maltus from the point of view of contemporary tendencies of the development of society.Теория народонаселения Т. Мальтуса, противоречивая и неоднозначно трактуемая, продолжает оказывать влияние на экономическую и социальную мысль. В настоящей статье рассматривается демографическая сторона данной теории, делается попытка переосмыслить теоретические воззрения Т. Мальтуса с точки зрения современных тенденций развития общества

ERYTHROPOIETIN SYNTESIS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE DEPENDING ON COMORBID PATHOLOGY

Introduction. Decreased production of erythropoietin by the kidneys plays crucial role in the development of anemia in patients with chronic heart failure, especially on the background of comorbid diabetes mellitus type 2. In diabetic patients due to early damage of the kidney vessels and following erythropoietin deficiency anemia develops much earlier than clinically significant decrease of glomerular filtration rate. The aim of the study was to find out possible dependence of changes in the erythropoietinsynthesizing function of the kidneys on the degree of severity of anemic hypoxia in elderly and senile patients with chronic heart failure, including those with comorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods. 120 patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin, type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild and moderate anemia were examined. Control group comprised 12 people with chronic heart failure without comorbid pathology. The examined groups were comparable in terms of gender and age, differing in the presence of comorbid diabetes mellitus and degree of severity of anemic syndrome. The level of erythropoietin in blood serum was determined by standard enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Results. Type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic heart failure results in a significant decrease in erythropoietin production by 25 % compared to the control group (p<0,05). Comorbid to heart failure anemia leads to an increase in the level of erythropoietin by 74,4 % (р<0,05), and in the case of chronic heart failure and type 2 diabetes mellitus on the background of concomitant anemia – only by 39,5 % (р<0,05). As the severity of anemia in patients with chronic heart failure without diabetes progresses, the severity of the compensatory response of the kidneys to chronic anemic hypoxia is significantly higher than in patients with heart failure and comorbid type 2 diabetes. Conclusions. Diabetic nephropathy in patients with chronic heart failure and comorbid anemia leads to a significant deterioration of the erythropoietin-synthesizing function of the kidneys, complicating the course of both main and comorbid diseases