SARS-Like Coronaviruses in Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus spp.) in Russia, 2020

We found and genetically described two novel SARS-like coronaviruses in feces and oral swabs of the greater (R. ferrumequinum) and the lesser (R. hipposideros) horseshoe bats in southern regions of Russia. The viruses, named Khosta-1 and Khosta-2, together with related viruses from Bulgaria and Kenya, form a separate phylogenetic lineage. We found evidence of recombination events in the evolutionary history of Khosta-1, which involved the acquisition of the structural proteins S, E, and M, as well as the nonstructural genes ORF3, ORF6, ORF7a, and ORF7b, from a virus that is related to the Kenyan isolate BtKY72. The examination of bats by RT-PCR revealed that 62.5% of the greater horseshoe bats in one of the caves were positive for Khosta-1 virus, while its overall prevalence was 14%. The prevalence of Khosta-2 was 1.75%. Our results show that SARS-like coronaviruses circulate in horseshoe bats in the region, and we provide new data on their genetic diversity.

ICBrainDB: An Integrated Database for Finding Associations between Genetic Factors and EEG Markers of Depressive Disorders

In this study, we collected and systemized diverse information related to depressive and anxiety disorders as the first step on the way to investigate the associations between molecular genetics, electrophysiological, behavioral, and psychological characteristics of people. Keeping that in mind, we developed an internet resource including a database and tools for primary presentation of the collected data of genetic factors, the results of electroencephalography (EEG) tests, and psychological questionnaires. The sample of our study was 1010 people from different regions of Russia. We created the integrated ICBrainDB database that enables users to easily access, download, and further process information about individual behavioral characteristics and psychophysiological responses along with inherited trait data. The data obtained can be useful in training neural networks and in machine learning construction processes in Big Data analysis. We believe that the existence of such a resource will play an important role in the further search for associations of genetic factors and EEG markers of depression.

Mobile medical teams during the Covid‑19 pandemic: legal aspects and implementation experience

During the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection Covid 19, the healthcare system faced serious challenges, one of which is a shortage of qualified personnel. One of the methods for solving this problem was the creation of mobile multidisciplinary mobile teams on the basis of federal medical institutions. In this article, the authors analyze the legal aspects of the functioning of mobile teams, and also give the experience of the employees of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Bashkir State Medical University in the regions of Russia and abroad.

Waste Disposal or Recycling: Changes in Waste Management in Russia and its Regions

The article examines the theoretical and legal aspects of waste management, describes the state of the waste management sector in Russia and the problems associated with it. On the basis of cluster analysis, regional differentiation in the considered sphere is determined. The efficiency of waste management in terms of current costs and investments in fixed assets, aimed at preventing the harmful effects of waste, for the national economy and at the level of the regions of Russia is assessed. The directions of improving of waste management sphere in Russia are formulated.

Development of higher education in Russian regions

Study was devoted to the assessment of indicators characterizing the number and structure of research and teaching staff at universities and other institutions of higher education in the regions of Russia. These indicators were the number of teachers working in higher education, per thousand residents and per hundred students, proportion of professors and associate professors in the whole number of teachers. Research used official statistical information for 82 regions of Russia. We used density functions of normal distribution as models. Study showed that on average, there was a little more than one teacher working in higher education organizations per thousand residents. It is proved that on average, every seventh teacher in all regions held the position of professor. Approximately two-thirds of all teachers held associate professor positions, there were five teachers per one hundred students.

Development of higher education in the regions of Russia: pedagogical staff number

This research aimed to assess the indicators that characterize the number of teaching staff at universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) in the regions of Russia. These indicators were: (1) the number of teachers per thousand working-age residents of each of the regions, (2) the average number of teachers per HEI in the region, (3) the proportion of teachers who have a Doctor of Science (DSc) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in the number of teachers working in HEIs in the region, and (4) the number of students per teacher working in HEIs. We used official statistical information of 82 regions of Russia. We found that, on average, there are slightly more than two teachers working in HIEs per thousand working-age residents. The average number of teachers per HIE in Russia is 158. In universities, the average number of students per teacher is more than 20. The proposed methodological approach and the obtained results are a scientific novelty, since the assessment of regional characteristics of the number of teaching staff in the regions of Russia has not been carried out before.

Agaricoid and boletoid fungi of Russia: the modern country-scale checklist of scientific names based on literature data

The authors of this paper summarize the majority of published data on the distribution of agaricoid and boletoid fungi recorded in Russia, covering the period from 1824 through 2020. A comprehensive list of 6867 scientific names based on 954 publications was compiled for the first time for the whole territory of Russia. All records have been checked through Index Fungorum. The work consists of a review section and five appendices. The review section discusses the intensity of field research and accumulation of data on the distribution of agaricoid and boletoid fungi in Russia, both historically and in its current state. The authors discuss the current state of knowledge on the biodiversity of regions of Russia and point out blank spots, thus providing a reference and an “action plan” for the future. Appendix A presents a list of 6142 taxa unambiguously ascribed to 3246 accepted current names. Appendix B contains 727 names that cannot be ascribed to any accepted current names unequivocally, with reasons given (e.g., no current name, wrong authors’ citations, absence from Index Fungorum). Names from both checklists are supplemented with data on the distribution of these taxa within the Russian Federation and references to published records. Appendix C contains a list of accepted current names reported from only one region. Appendix D is an overview of the nearly 200 years of research of agaricoid and boletoid fungi for all regions of Russia. Appendix E is a list of references used for checklists and study history preparation.

Regional-industry analysis from the point of view of ideas of a joint economy (using the example of industry in the Northern regions of Russia)

The article analyses the industry in the northern regions of Russia from the point of view of assessing the practical results of the traditional theory of competition. The purpose of the study is to develop the theoretical and methodological foundations of the transformation of economics from the ideas of rivalry to unity and harmony in social relations. The relevance of the topic is determined by an active public discussion about the possibilities of Russia's transition from a market-capitalist to a social, human-oriented economy. It is shown that the main existing model is aimed either at the individual benefit of organizations, or at the attractiveness of industries for corporate or state interests, but not at the needs of the common person. The idea of the increasing attention to “people of labor” by bringing all the analyzed indicators to a single denominator — one employed — is defended. The following empirical research methods were used: observation, comparison and visualization. On the example of industry of the northern regions of Russia, ultra-hight intersectoral and interregional imbalances were revealed, arising, according to the author, due to the lopsided orientation of enterprises to maximize profits and the export and resource structure of the economy. The ratio of value added elements by region is demonstrated, the classification of territories is carried out depending on the combination of these components. The low-suitability of the classical understanding of competition to solve issues of capital overflow and equalization of profitability is indicated. The thesis is put forward about the possibility of overcoming the existing problems by the internal spiritual and moral transformation of managers and workers themselves, the transition from competition to cooperation. The prospects of the study are associated with the expansion of the toolkit due to social indicators, as well as in the study of the micro-level — municipalities, sub-sectors, and the primary reporting of organizations.

Revealing of the specificity of mortgage housing lending based on the results of clustering of regions

Subject. This article deals with the particularities of the development of housing mortgage lending in the regions of Russia. Objectives. The article aims to substantiate the need for clustering of territorial entities by level of development of mortgage housing lending in Russia and test the most effective algorithm for mortgage clustering of regions. Methods. For the study, we used a systems approach, including scientific abstraction, analysis and synthesis, and statistical methods of data analysis. The algorithm k-medoids – Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) was also used. Results. Based on the results of the study of regional statistics of the Russian Federation, the article reveals a significant asymmetry in the values of key socioeconomic indices that determine the level and dynamics of housing mortgages in the regions. This necessitates the clustering of territorial entities according to the level of development of mortgage housing lending in the country. To take into account the impact of various local conditions in assessing the prospects for the development of regional housing mortgages, the article proposes an indicator, namely, the integral regional mortgage affordability index. On its basis, in accordance with the selected clustering procedure, the article identifies five mortgage clusters in Russia and identifies their representative regions. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of the specificity of the development of regional mortgages in the Tula Oblast, taking into account the implementation of the target State programme, the article concludes that it is necessary to improve the mechanisms for financing regional mortgage programmes and justifies the need to develop differentiated programmes for the development of housing mortgages in groups of Russian regions.

Comparison of early forecasts of the incidence of thyroid cancer in residents of the Russian Federation after the Chernobyl accident with observational data

A review of methods for assessing doses in the thyroid gland, predictions of the long-term consequences of its irradiation and the actual incidence of thyroid cancer in residents of four regions of the Russian Federation with the most significant radioactive fallout after the Chernobyl accident are presented. The method for assessing doses in the thyroid gland is based on the results of monitoring in May-June 1986 of radioiodine in the environment, food and in the body of residents. Thyroid doses in the population were used to justify medical and social protection measures, as well as epidemiological studies. In addition, the authorities needed forecasts of the possible morbidity of the population in order to organize adequate medical care. Most of the thyroid cancer cases were predicted among the adult population, which was not confirmed by observations 35 years after the accident. The prognosis of the incidence of thyroid cancer in preschool children differed in different studies due to the use of different coefficients of reducing the biological effectiveness of 131I radiation in the thyroid gland and long-term external and internal irradiation of the whole body with a low dose rate compared to the effect of acute exposure. The increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer among children began five years after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Examples of the dynamics of the incidence for children in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation are given. The 2018 UNSCEAR Report showed that for 1986-2015, among children and adolescents under 18 years of age on the day of the accident in Belarus, Ukraine and four regions of Russia, more than 19 thousand thyroid cancer cases were detected, of which the share of radiation-induced diseases was estimated at 25%. For four regions of Russia, this amounts to 460 cases with a range of possible estimates from 130 to 900 cases. The highest morbidity was manifested among younger children exposed at the age of 0-4 years. In older children and adolescents, the proportion of radiation-induced diseases has significantly decreased 30 years after the accident. In general, early forecasts of radiation-induced thyroid cancer incidence in children in four regions of the Russian Federation with high levels of radioactive fallout are consistent with the data of subsequent 30-year epidemiological observations within an order of magnitude. With regard to thyroid cancer in adults, such a comparison is difficult, since no radiogenic increase in the incidence has been detected.