Institutional and organizational features of cross-border cargo traffic in the post-soviet space integration terms. Part I

The article covers the technical, technological, institutional, and organizational barriers of cross-border transportation of cargo. The study uses an institutional approach as a methodological alternative to other approaches. The study touches on institutional and organizational problems of border crossing checkpoints arrangement, the consequences of the application of unified transport documents and the introduction of electronic communication forms. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of demonstrative actions and the daily practice of reducing the time of customs procedures and reducing transaction costs of cross-border cargo traffic. Herewith it is indicated that the most effective way to improve the efficiency of cross-border transportation of cargo suggests simultaneous implementation of technical and institutional innovations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the institutional and organizational features of the international road transportation of cargo, in particular, the problems of the evolution of the guaranteed customs duties payment institute, the permission system in the implementation of cross-border cargo traffic. The fact that the state support of national entrepreneurs requires a mechanism to ensure the parity of Russian and foreign carriers, at least in the field of cargo transportation for state needs, with the involvement of credit resources of government-linked banks is highlighted. It is underlined that the first step towards improving the institutional environment of international road transportation should envisage the elimination of all informal (shadow) relations in this sphere. The article identifies institutional features of cargo transportation in specific areas such as deliveries by road to China through Kazakhstan, and the challenges and prospects for the use and development of transit potential of Kaliningrad Region. The article shows institutional and organizational characteristics of combined transportation in cross-border traffic. The article concludes that the development of cross-border transportation of cargo and the implementation of transport and transit potential of EAEU member states may and should become a powerful source of income for business entities, budgets of all levels and households, as well as the driving force of industrial and technological upgrading and institutional and organizational evolution of economic systems of the countries and integration associations.The article has been prepared with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project № 15-06-06939 a «Modelling the cyclical evolution of mutual influence of the national transport system and the state of the markets of goods (services), labor and capital in terms of integration and global instability»)

System for Biomechanical Study and Simultaneous Improving of the Rowing Cycle

Studies of the biomechanical characteristics of the rowing cycle began at the end of the past and the beginning of the present century: I. Stock, 1860, W. Gud, 1889, C. Atkinson, 1896, Lefevre I Pailliote, 1904, Alexander, 1927. In more recent time, the biomechanical characteristics, the factors constituting the technical skill of the oarsman and their relation to the physical and the psychological conditioning of the competitor were examined by A. Tsvetkov, K. Boichev, T. Tonev, 1976, T. Ischico, 1976, E. Schneider, 1977, 1979, T. Asami, 1977, 1981, A. Dalmonte, 1979, V. Zatsiorski, N. Jakunin, 1980, F. Angst, 1982, E. Bachert, 1982, V. Mihailov, 1984, F. Nolte, 1985, A. Tsvetkov, V. Bachev, 1986. 1987. The studies and the applied experience accumulated, allow to formulate an algorithm for carrying out complex up to date investigations and to utilize the results obtained

Implementing Urgent Transport and Transit Projects Based on Public-private Partnership in Russia

The article examines the main areas for implementing urgent transport and transit projects based on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Russia. This paper continues the study of theory and practice of using PPP to implement the investment projects aimed at developing and realizing the transport and transit potential of Russia. The authors used the methodological basis of the evolutionary and institutional theory, historical approach, system analysis, and theory of the rm to examine the ongoing projects aimed at developing the transport and transit system in Russia based on PPP, such as construction of high-speed Moscow — Kazan highway with its subsequent extension to the Chinese border, functioning of transport and logistics system in the Chelyabinsk region, infrastructural support for transit cargo shipments along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), participation of foreign investors in the development of Russian sea ports and approaches to them. It is shown that the provision of competitive advantages offered by transit shipping operations on a particular route requires a high speed of cargo transportation with a minimum of stops, handling, and transshipments along the route. The revenues from realizing transport and transit potential can be compared with the amount of resource rent only when Russia builds not just a transit sector but the production and transit sector in its economy. In this regard, the authors focused on defining the opportunity and necessity of organizational transformations associated with building a large public-private transport company that would be able to compete with global sea container companies on Asia—Europe routes. The article elaborated the main areas and measures under the proposed national project “Developing the Transit Economy in Russia: Uniting Eurasia” and its subprogram “Developing the Innovative Rolling Stock for Container and Multimodal Shipping Operations.” The finding of the study presented in the article may be used for preparing the state programs and projects that include a system of measures to develop and realize the transport and transit potential of Russia based on institutional and organizational transformations.The article has been prepared with the support of Russian Science Foundation (Project № 16–18–10149)

Serotonin Modulates Oscillations of the Membrane Potential in Isolated Spinal Neurons from Lampreys

Studies were performed on spinal neurons from lampreys isolated by an enzymatic/mechanical method using pronase. The effects of 100 µM serotonin (5-HT) on membrane potential oscillations induced by a variety of excitatory amino acids were studied. 5-HT was found to depolarize branched cells (presumptive motoneurons and interneurons) by 2–6 mV without inducing membrane potential oscillations. However, when oscillations were already present because of an excitatory amino acid, 5-HT changed the parameters of these oscillations, increasing the amplitudes of all types of oscillations, increasing the frequency of irregular oscillations, and increasing the duration of the depolarization plateaus accompanied by action potentials. Serotonin modulation of the effects of excitatory amino acids and the electrical activity of cells in the neural locomotor network facilitates motor activity and leads to increases in the contraction of truncal muscles and more intense movements by the animal. The possible mechanisms of receptor coactivation are discussed, along with increases in action potential frequency and changes in the parameters of the locomotor rhythm

Redshifts and Luminosities for 112 Gamma Ray Bursts

Two different luminosity indicators have recently been proposed for Gamma Ray Bursts that use gamma-ray observations alone. They relate the burst luminosity (L) with the time lag between peaks in hard and soft energies, and the spikiness or variability of the burst's light curve (V). These relations are currently justified and calibrated with only 6 or 7 bursts with known red shifts. We have examined BATSE data for the lag and V for 112 bursts. (1) A strong correlation between the lag and V exists, and it is exactly as predicted from the two proposed relations. This is proof that both luminosity indicators are reliable. (2) GRB830801 is the all-time brightest burst, yet with a small V and a large lag, and hence is likely the closest known event being perhaps as close as 3.2 Mpc. (3) We have combined the luminosities as derived from both indicators as a means to improve the statistical and systematic accuracy when compared with the accuracy from either method alone. The result is a list of 112 bursts with good luminosities and hence red shifts. (4) The burst averaged hardness ratio rises strongly with the luminosity of the burst. (5) The burst luminosity function is a broken power law, with the break at L = 2x10^{52} erg/s. The luminosity function has power law indices of -2.8+-0.2 above the break and -1.7+-0.1 below the break. (6) The number density of GRBs varies with red shift roughly as (1+z)^(2.5+-0.3) between 0.2<z<5. Excitingly, this result also provides a measure of the star formation rate out to z~5 with no effects from reddening, and the rate is rising uniformly for red shifts above 2.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ApJLet

Nonlinear emission dynamics of a GaAs microcavity with embedded quantum wells

The emission dynamics of a GaAs microcavity at different angles of observation with respect to the sample normal under conditions of nonresonant picosecond-pulse excitation is measured. At sufficiently high excitation densities, the decay time of the lower-polariton emission increases with the polariton wavevector; at low excitation densities the decay time is independent of the wavevector. The effect of additional nonresonant continuous illumination on the emission originating from the bottom of the lower polariton branch is investigated. The additional illumination leads to a substantial increase in the emission intensity (considerably larger than the intensity of the photoluminescence excited by this illumination alone). This fact is explained in terms of acceleration of the polariton relaxation to the radiative states due to scattering by charge carriers created by the additional illumination. The results obtained show, that at large negative detunings between the photon and exciton modes, polariton-polariton and polariton-free carrier scattering are the main processes responsible for the filling of states near the bottom of the lower polariton branch.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Physics: Condesed Matter. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from i