bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creativity in management and creative management: meta-analysis
Authors: Saukh Iryna , Vikarchuk Olha
Published: April 2021

In the article the authors stated that management had become one of the major factors in the efficiency and competitiveness of developed countries' economies during the twentieth century. The tendency of scales steady growth and a share of organizational-managerial innovations in the total volume of organization management activity is proved. The essence of the «creative management» concept is revealed as a component of the enterprise management system. The paper aims to analyze the approaches to define the main research directions in creative management and creativity in management. The analysis findings proved that creative management or creativity in management issues is one of the mainstream of investigation in papers devoted to modern management, which formed different scientific directions. The findings of investigation allow concluding that the topic of «creative management» or «creativity in management» wasn't popular among scientists until 2004 according to the WoS database and 2006 according to Scopus. After these years, the numbers of papers were growing up to 2018 throughout the analyzed period at an average growth rate of almost 50% in WoS database and 39% in Scopus database. Using VOSviewer software allowed defining 8 clusters of keywords that analyzed the creative management or creativity in management issues. All of them have close connections. The biggest cluster consists of 60 items and includes the follows big data, commerce, communication, competition, competitiveness, creative management, creative society, information and communication, information society, information management, information system, information technology, knowledge-based system, knowledge management, SMEs, surveys, strategic planning, sustainable development, technological development etc. The second biggest cluster merged the sphere of urban economy and the development of the creative industry. The findings proved that intellectual property rights protection is an important part of creative management or creativity in management issues. Creative management or creativity in management issues is becoming popular in the last decade in analyses.
gray-market, gray-market products, brand image, price consciousness, price-quality inference, risk averseness.
Authors: Maqsood Syed Muhammad , Soomro Yasir Ali
Published: April 2021

This study aims to determine the factors of consumer willingness to buy gray-market goods. The authors considered the impact of gray-market products on the product's brand image through Pakistan's empirical evidence. This study included three factors of gray goods: price consciousness, price-quality inference, and risk averseness and to check their impact individually and collectively on brand image. A field survey was conducted in this study to check the respondent's behavior toward gray markets and its impact on their brand image. The respondents of this research were those individuals who were habitual buyers of gray-market perfume products. Therefore, the population size was large enough to apply the probabilistic sampling method of Simple Random Sampling. The sample size of 350 was determined adequately. Hence, 350 respondents were asked to fill the questionnaire. The instrument of this study was self-developed. The close-ended questions by a Likert scale (7 points) were used to collect quantitative data. The internal consistency of the data was checked through the «Cronbach's Alpha» value. Hence, Cronbach's alpha's value was 81.7%. It was more than 70% threshold and showed the data was reliable and internally consistent for further data analysis. Regression analysis was performed on the data set to test the significance of hypothesized hypothesis. The result indicated that overall, there was a significant positive impact of gray-market goods on the companies' brand image. This study concluded that price consciousness did not significantly impact the purchase of gray goods. Thus, consumers are not price-sensitive, particularly in the Pakistan market. At the same time, gray goods impact the brand image in the Pakistani context. Simultaneously, the price-quality and risk averseness factors of gray goods a concern. These factors showed that companies' brand image is affected negatively. The policy and market regulators must consider the two factors pointed out in this research to mitigate the problem of gray-market goods in the developing economies.
The regional innovations governance: Slovakia with regard to convergence criteria
Authors: Korcsmaros Eniko , Machova Renata , Seben Zoltan , Zsigmond Tibor
Published: April 2021

The introduction of the euro in Europe is subject to several criteria. In 1979, the European Community created the «European Exchange Rate Mechanism» (ERM). On 16 April, 2003, Slovakia, together with nine other countries, signed the EU Accession Treaty in Athens. These countries promised to adopt the single currency (the euro). It has been 10 years since the introduction of the euro in Slovakia. It stands to highlight factors that have contributed to the economic, innovation development experienced in recent years regarding introducing a single currency. This article aims to briefly introduce the euro area and present each country's accession in historical order. the authors presented the general conditions for introducing the euro and then went on to the events related to the regional innovations governance of Slovakia. Using the data from the statistical site Eurostat, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to indicate the closeness of relationships between the average values of inflation and government deficit and the average values of inflation and the public debt. The limitations of the research are that Eurostat's values are only indicative and, in the event of a possible accession, EU bodies would certainly use other, more reliable data. Furthermore, the ERM II criterion for joining the euro area cannot be examined due lack of statistics available on the Slovak koruna's value after the introduction. Another limitation is that the EU sometimes makes adjustments to calculating inflation and average nominal long-term interest rates. There is a lack of a significant relationship between the examined variables in the case of Slovakia. Based on the 2018 inflation rate, the introduction would not have been possible, as it was slightly higher (2.5 per cent) than the limit (2.23 per cent). Therefore, the authors assumed that Slovakia had adopted the euro on time, as if it had not done so on 1 January 2009, it would probably have had to wait a few years for the new opportunity. Although their results are only indicative and not decisive without taking ERM II into account, it is possible to do without specific indicators.
Formation of mutual relations between enterprises and business partners in the process of preparation and production of new products
Authors: Iastremska Olena , Strokovyc Hanna , Iastremska Olesia , Kalantaridis Christos , Somosi Mariann Veresne
Published: April 2021

This article summarizes the scientific approaches to improving the quality of relations between the enterprise and business partners in preparation for the release and production of new products in today's economic realities. The study's main purpose is to substantiate and develop a methodological approach for determining effective relationship models between enterprises and business partners to prepare and produce new products. The article presents a developed four-stage methodological approach. The first stage of the study presents an analysis of existing approaches to forming relationships between the enterprise and business-business partners to prepare and produce new products. In the second stage, factual data on machine-building industry enterprises' functioning were collected to determine the effectiveness of cooperation and success, which are the key components that improve the quality of relations between the enterprise and business partners in preparing new products. At the third stage, partners' priority was determined to characterize the quality of the relationship between machine-building enterprises and business-business partners. The fourth stage determined the relationship between the qualitative levels of business partners' priority and appropriate relationship models to prepare and produce new products. The study used expert methods, multidimensional factor analysis, additive convolution method, structural-logical method, graphical method. A survey of enterprise representatives was conducted to assess the effectiveness of cooperation on 12 surveyed machine-building enterprises. Partial indicators were identified and substantiated by multidimensional factor analysis, generalized for making decisions about business partner enterprises' existing opportunities to prepare and produce new products. Based on the calculation of the integrated indicator, partners' priority was determined. That characterized the quality of relations between machine-building enterprises and business-business partners in preparing and producing new products. According to the Harrington scale specified for the economic conditions of Ukraine, the qualitative levels of partner companies' priority were determined. The proposed effective models of relationships for preparing and producing new products are put in line with them. The study results could improve the quality and validity of the formation and maintenance of relationships between enterprises and business partners in preparing and producing new products.
Auditing and controlling as a tool for sme marketing risk management
Authors: Kupec Vaclav , Písar Premysl
Published: April 2021

The current hyper-competitive environment, rapid marketing tools, and modern techniques provide many opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. Such opportunities could bring much in the way of rewards both for the individual companies and the wider economy. However, there are many threats associated with these business environments which cannot be overlooked. Small and medium-sized businesses are a significant stabilizing economic power within the European Union. Therefore, it is not surprising that small and medium-sized businesses competitiveness and their long-term stability are vital factors for European cohesion and development. This research aims to analyze risk management within small and medium-sized businesses, identify critical risk factors, and develop risk management, which could be applied to small and medium-sized businesses. The authors analyzed risk management's consequences and explained the variables as follows: ROA, Auditing, Controlling Management, Marketing, and Corporate Culture. Based on the research findings, the goal was to increase their interaction effectiveness, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses long-term stability and competitiveness. For achieving these aims, the paper provides two research questions and designs three hypotheses. This research was conducted from 2017 to 2020 on sample n = 432 EU small and medium-sized businesses. The reached data were analyzed by statistical method and experimental «in practice» testing. Based on the result and its experimental testing, a marketing risk management model was designed, tested, and verified using practical methods. This model could be used for the identification and avoidance of potential risks when developing a marketing strategy. The findings reached should be used to advance research and similarly for practical use within the business sphere.
Bank efficiency analysis of financial innovations: dea model application for the institutional concept
Authors: Ibrahimov Zohrab , Hajiyeva Sakina , Nazarov Vuqar , Qasimova Lamiya , Ahadov Vasif
Published: April 2021

Globalization and digitization of the banking and financial market are well known. They are the trends of this decade-defining the context and efficiency of the banking business. Financial innovations introduced by new technologies have provided banks with the necessary utilities to seize the possibilities to tap into efficiency and competitive advantage gains. In this context, this study seeks to assess the overall efficiency of Azerbaijanian banks in adopting and utilizing financial innovation in providing financial products and services. The data envelopment analysis was applied to compute and compare the ability of financial intermediaries to adopt financial innovations via modern technologies efficiently. Based on the institutional value-added concept, the aggregate efficiency score for each of the 14 banking institutions was calculated. The inefficiency sources were derived from the overall technical efficiency decomposition into pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. The results showed that only four banks had utilized financial innovations in the banking production process to increase their value-added during 2017-2019. Decomposition results further indicated that slight values of the overall technical inefficiency were caused by scale inefficiency. Thus, these banks' had the capacity for banking business value-added growth by 5-16% just by adjusting scales. Simultaneously, all significant deviations from the absolute overall technical efficiency caused by both pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Therefore, there is still much room for banking institutions to increase value-added by adjusting scales and enhancing banking operations and management.
Innovation development and migration: panel data approach
Authors: Pudryk Denys , Legenkyi Mykola , Alioshkina Liudmyla
Published: April 2021

The intellectual capital is a catalysator of the country’s economic growth. The developed countries try to develop attractive conditions for highly qualified migrants to diffuse the knowledge and innovations. The authors provided the bibliometric analysis of the papers, which focused on the analysis of the migrant issues was done. For the bibliometric analysis, the metadata of 2 500 papers was selected from Scopus. The results showed that the numbers of Scopus documents on the allocated theme have increased for 2015 year. The most powerful investigations were provided by scientists from the USA, Canada, France, United Kingdom. The bibliometric analysis findings confirmed that the scientists allocated a vast range of the determinants that could stimulate or restrict the migrants in the country. Thus, the governance efficiency had the mediation role between the migration and innovation development of the country. In this case, the paper aims to check the hypothesis that the increasing (decreasing) level of country innovation development and government efficiency from year t − 1 to year t positively (negatively) affects net migration in year t + 1. The panel data for 2011-2018 was generated from IndexMundi, EU Data Portal, WorldBank. The object of the investigation was Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania. The dependent variables – net migration rate, the independent variables – World Government Indicators: Control of Corruption, Government Effectiveness, Political Stability, Rule of Law, Regulatory Quality, Voice and Accountability (for assessment of government efficiency), Innovation Index (for assessment of country's innovation development). In the paper, to check the hypothesis, the authors used the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square for homogeneous and heterogeneous models. The findings confirmed that innovation development and governance efficiency (Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Regulatory Quality, Voice and Accountability) had a statistically significant impact on the migration rate. The findings could be used to identify the strategic goals of innovation development to overcome the demographic issues and support the migration of the high qualified workforces.
MODEL OF WORKING SHIP CROSSING CHANNEL
Authors:   College of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, He Zhang , Yuanyuan Hao , Cheng Xu , Luying Qin
Published: April 2021

An application method for working ship crossing safely is proposed to determine how to make navigation scheme at a certain time. This method makes it possible for decision makers to make reasonable judgments at different times. In this paper, the position relationship between working ship and navigation vessel in waterway is analysed by considering the ship size, hydrological conditions of waterway, ship arrival model and ship navigation trajectory. Using genetic algorithm, the operation scheme of keeping a safe distance between the working ship and the vessel in the channel is solved by taking the speed and direction of the working ship as genetic factors. By analysing the crossing scheme at each starting time in a given time range, the optimal crossing scheme with the farthest distance between the working ship and the vessels in the channel is obtained. According to the measured data, the simulation is carried out with MATLAB to verify the model of working ship crossing channel. The results show that it is safe and reliable to choose the navigation scheme proposed in this paper, which has strong application value.
Reconsidering HR competency models: entrepreneurship and digital competency
Authors: Enkhjav Tumentsetseg , Szira Zoltán , Varga Erika
Published: April 2021

Drawing from related empirical studies, the paper critically analyzes previously validated HR competency models and their effectiveness to address the current pandemic situation all around the globe. These HR competency models have not been tested or examined in uncertain and chaotic situations like the COVID-19 pandemic we have been facing now. It is definitely time for HR professionals to set new standards for employees’ well-being, performance, and communication style in the workplaces and support organizations by leading employees to adjust to the smooth transition to the technology-intensive business and the digital workplace. Based on the literature that is reviewed by researchers, it may be reasonable to assume that previously validated HR competency models in different contexts are not being fully applicable and supportive to HR people, who are getting challenged to solve the enormous number of workplace-related problems, caused by the pandemic all around the world today. This study suggests that the globally accepted HR competency models should be updated and redesigned based on the concept of “digital skills”, HR relations skills” and “entrepreneurship” as a competency of HR professionals because businesses need to restart and reshape their operational structure in order to fit the virtual and technological-based business world. As a conclusion, we can state that due to the current global health issue and economic situation, redefining the most important HR competencies that support businesses to overcome obstacles and difficulties, is vital in this time of our history in life.
The analysis of the relationship between CO2 level and economic growth
Authors: Szira Zoltán , Kinga Ilona Bárdos , Alghamdi Hani , Enkhjav Tumentsetseg , Varga Erika
Published: April 2021

2019 was Earth's second warmest year since 1850. In 2019 the global mean temperature was cooler than in 2016, but warmer than any other year explicitly measured. Consequently, 2016 is still the warmest year in historical observation history. Year-to-year rankings are likely to reflect natural fluctuations in the short term, but the overall pattern remains consistent with a long-term global warming trend. This would be predicted from global warming, caused by greenhouse gases, temperature increase across the globe is broadly spread, impacting almost all areas of land and oceans. “Climate change" and "global warming" are often used interchangeably, but are of distinct significance. Global warming is the long-term heating of the Earth's climate system, observed since the pre-industrial period as a result of human activities, mainly the combustion of fossil fuel, which raises the heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the Earth's air. The term is often used interchangeably with the term climate change, as the latter applies to warming, caused both humanly and naturally, and the impact it has on our planet. This is most generally calculated as the average increase in global surface temperature on Earth. In our research, we examine the relationship between the regulation of carbon emissions and the GDP / capita relationship between developed and developing countries. We assumed applying carbon abatement policies will reduce economic growth and GDP in developed countries, but it will rise economic growth and GDP in developing countries.
How Policy Institutions Filter Conflict: The (De)Escalation of Policy Conflict through Closing Down or Opening Up the Space for Contestation
Authors: Wolf Eva
Published: April 2021

This article argues that in situations of policy conflict, policymaking institutions that act as de facto conflict arbiters may escalate the conflict they are trying to settle. The role of institutions in policy conflicts is studied in the lengthy and highly contested policymaking process
of the multibillion-euro 'Oosterweelconnection' highway in Antwerp (Belgium). The article concludes that while narrowing the scope of conflict through standardized institutional procedures initially disciplined the Oosterweel conflict, it ultimately drove further escalation, as residual topics
of conflict remained and sought new institutional outlets. At the same time, more flexible institutions, while being able to finally settle the Oosterweel conflict, produced an agreement that remained institutionally unembedded and therefore more vulnerable to exploitation because it was not
formally enforceable.
From Impasse to Improvisation: Grand Paris Express as a Negotiation Agent in a Fragmented Metropolis
Authors: Belkind Lara
Published: April 2021

This article examines a conflict between two narratives for the future development of Greater Paris – the 'just city' versus the 'global city' – embodied in two competing regional rail proposals, one put forward by the Regional Council and the other by the French State.
The first, Arc Express, was developed by Regional Council to reduce existing territorial inequity. A counterproposal, the Grand Huit, was formulated by the French state to serve a network of new economic clusters. A political impasse between these conflicting plans, though a
prelude to broader institutional transition, empowered new actors in the negotiation of metropolitan planning. It also engendered experimental tools, such as collective territorial development agreements, with which local stakeholders leveraged the state's agenda to achieve their own objectives
and gained greater metropolitan citizenship.
Paricalcitol in management of chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder
Authors: Eremkina A. K. , Mokrysheva M. G.
Published: April 2021

Mineral and bone disorders in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a systemic disorder of mineral and bone metabolism due to CKD manifested by either one or a combination of the following: abnormalities of calcium, phosphorus, PTH, or vitamin D metabolism  (secondary hyperparathyroidism); abnormalities in  bone turnover, mineralization, volume, linear growth, or strength; or vascular or other soft tissue calcification. Decreasing 1,25(OH)2D (calcitriol) and rising parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels occur on early stages of CKD. Secondary hyperparathyroidism contributes to the high morbidity and mortality noted in this population. Long-term decompensation of  secondary hyperparathyroidism in  patients with impaired renal function leads to irreversible changes in multiple organ systems, resistance to conservative treatment and the requirement for surgical intervention. Suppress of renal CYP27B1 and the calcitriol deficiency play a major role in the development of mineral and bone disorders in CKD, thus VDR activators are widely used for management of secondary hyperparathyroidism. These medications are effective in suppression of PTH and demonstrate the positive effects on bone metabolism. There is evidence of pleiotropic effects of VDR activators that are crucial for the prevention of renal fibrosis and extraskeletal calcification. This review focuses on the involvement of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of mineral and bone disorders and the role of paricalcitol in their correction. The efficacy of paricalcitol in patients with various stages of CKD has been evaluated in a large number of observational and randomized clinical trials, the comparative effectiveness of paricalcitol therapy has been summarized in several metanalyses.
The effect of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockers on SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults: a systematic review of studies and meta-analyzes
Authors: Leonova М. V.
Published: April 2021

The article discusses the role of immune dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection, the participation of ACE2 for the penetration of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus into cells and the possible role of RAAS blockers, which have a direct effect on the pathological activity of the RAAS, in the development of and the severity of the disease. It is noted that the beneficial organoprotective effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs may protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their withdrawal may lead to clinical decompensation in patients at high risk of cardiovascular risk. Since then, a number of observational cohort studies have been carried out to address the main questions: does the use of an ACE inhibitor or ARB increase the risk of contracting the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and whether the use of RAAS blockers is associated with worse outcomes of COVID-19 disease. The article provides an overview of the scientific evidence on the relationship between the use of RASS blockers and COVID-19 infection. Several cohort studies and two meta-analyzes found no association between prior use of an ACE inhibitor/ARB and the risk of COVID-19 infection (RR 0.96–0.99). In studies on the study of clinical and laboratory features of the action of RAAS blockers in COVID-19, a significantly larger number of subpopulations of T-lymphocytes CD3+ and CD8+, lower concentrations of biomarkers (C-reactive protein, ferritin, IL-6, procalcitonin), as well as a lower viral load. In clinical outcomes, with the use of an ACE inhibitor/ARB, there was a lower incidence of severe/critical forms, and a shorter duration of hospitalization. In large cohort studies with >1000 patients, the use of an ACE inhibitor/ARB was not associated with an increase in the risk of death in patients with COVID-19 (RR < 1.0), and some studies showed a 37–67% decrease in RR. Meta-analyzes also confirmed the absence of the effect of RAAS blockers on the risk of mortality, and in the population of patients with hypertension, a significant reduction in the risk of mortality and severe course of COVID-19 was revealed. Most international associations of specialists, as well as the Russian Cardiological Society, are recommended to continue the use of RAAS blockers in patients with cardiovascular diseases and not to be canceled in case of COVID-19 disease. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to generate new evidence.
Treatment of hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic: questions about the blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
Authors: Kanorskiy S. G.
Published: April 2021

Arterial hypertension was one of the most common comorbidities associated with a high risk of death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Patients with hypertension are routinely and according to standards treated with angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) II. ACE inhibitors or ARB II are included in fixed combinations of antihypertensive drugs recommended for patients with uncomplicated hypertension, as well as when combined with various comorbidities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were suggestions about the potential for a negative effect of drugs of these classes on the course and outcomes of a new coronavirus infection. There was a need for a quick response from the most reputable medical organizations to the question of the use of ACE inhibitors and ARB II during the COVID-19 pandemic. The expert position was soon published despite the lack of evidence from randomized clinical trials. Was there any reason for concern about the treatment of ACE inhibitors and ARB II for COVID-19? What are the relationships between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and COVID-19? Is there any new data from clinical trials that can confirm or deny the previously presented position of professional societies regarding the use of RAAS blockers in COVID-19? What is the role of the difference in the mechanism of action of an ACE inhibitor and ARB II in COVID-19? Is it possible that RAAS blockers will be helpful in treating COVID-19? Will the tactics of hypertension pharmacotherapy change in the near future? In this review article, modern concepts on this problem are discussed and answers to the listed questions reflecting the achieved level of knowledge are formulated.
Foreign economic cooperation between St. Petersburg and Denmark in the 21st century: Main trends, problems, prospects
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Novikova Irina , Popov Dmitry ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: April 2021

Russian-Danish economic cooperation has a long and rich history, in which St. Petersburg, due to its geographical location, has always played an important role. The study of the role of large megacities in national foreign economic policy is now of great scientific and practical importance. The authors of this article attempt to examine the economic sphere of paradiplomacy based on the example of St. Petersburg. The article analyzes the legal framework for economic cooperation between St. Petersburg and Denmark, trade and investment cooperation, determines the place of St. Petersburg in the total trade turnover of Russia with Denmark, and the importance of Danish exports and imports for St. Petersburg’s economy. Special attention is paid to the period 2014–2020, namely, the impact of the sanctions regime on Danish and St. Petersburg economic cooperation, as well as the new role of the Danish autonomous regions — the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The authors determine that there were no drastic changes in the economic interaction between St. Petersburg and Denmark after the introduction of sanctions. Although the counter-sanctions reduced the supply of Danish food products, the export of St. Petersburg goods to Denmark increased. The vacuum created by the reduction in the supply of Danish products was filled by enterprising residents of the Faroe Islands, who are not members of the European Union (EU). St. Petersburg has become one of the key centers of consumption of Faroese fish and seafood. The main obstacles to the development of economic cooperation between St. Petersburg and Denmark remain: value differences between the Russian Federation and the EU, the sanctions regime, an outdated regulatory framework, and a high degree of distrust between partners, which is beginning to affect the pragmatic sphere of the economy. The global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic also has a negative impact on economic cooperation between St. Petersburg and Denmark. However, the epidemic opens up new opportunities for cooperation in areas that were on the periphery of Danish-Russian economic relations: digitalization of the economy and education, urbanism and the implementation of the ideas of a “smart city”, cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, and cybersecurity.
Debating the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe: What Germany expects from Russia
Authors:   Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, Meier Oliver
Published: April 2021

The recent debate in Germany about nuclear sharing confirmed the broad support among decision-makers for continued involvement in the political dimension of NATO’s sharing arrangements, i. e., participation in the Alliance’s nuclear consultative bodies. At the same time, German decision-makers hold divergent views on continued participation in the operational and technical aspects of nuclear sharing. Russia’s arsenal of approximately 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons is of great concern to Germany and many in Berlin are worried that Russia is systematically expanding its nuclear arsenal. German decision-makers and the government support NATO’s dual-track policy of deterring and engaging Russia. German policy-makers’ arguments on the added military value of forward-deployed US nuclear weapons remain vague and there are few specific ideas about what type of arms control would be best suited to reduce the role and number of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. There are four frameworks in which tactical nuclear weapons could be discussed with Russia, namely the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), other multilateral fora, the Russian — US bilateral dialogue on strategic stability, and the NATO — Russia Council. If Russia is serious about reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons in Europe, it should accept the reciprocity paradigm and drop some worn-out demands and positions that have little relevance for political debates around arms control in Berlin and elsewhere.
Compulsory licensing in favor of patentholders of dependent pharmaceutical inventions
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorozhevich Arina S.
Published: April 2021

The article analyzes the conditions for issuing a compulsory license in favor of the patent holders of dependent pharmaceutical inventions on the basis of Paragraph 2, Article 1362 of the Russian Civil Code. The criteria for the relevance of a dependent invention to important technical advancements with significant economic advantages are disclosed. An analysis of the emerging Russian court practice on the issuance of compulsory licenses in the pharmaceutical market, meanwhile, showed that Russian courts lack a clear understanding of when a patent holder can and cannot apply for a compulsory license. The author proves that compulsory licensing is an effective mechanism to prevent abuse of the right (first of all, to standard-essential patent) in the markets of complex innovations (IT, electronics and telecommunications). At the same time, its implementation on the pharmaceutical market can lead to negative consequences: discourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in the development of new drugs, register breakthrough drugs in Russia; reduce foreign investment in the pharmaceutical sector. In this case, the provision of compulsory licenses should be interpreted as an exceptional tool. The issuance of a compulsory license in favor of the owner of the dependent invention can be justified only if such an invention represents a genuine innovation, an important step in the development of pharmaceuticals. The licensee must offer the market a new drug with improved characteristics: increased therapeutic efficacy and (or) safety, which has no available alternatives.
The implementation of optional powers of local self-government bodies in cities
Authors:   Omsk State University named after F. M. Dostoevsky, Dityatkovskiy Mikhail Yu.
Published: April 2021

The article characterizes the problems of implementation in cities of the right of local governments to address issues that are not related to issues of local importance. The topic is insufficiently studied and not well understood. The work attempts to determine the place and right of local governing bodies to address issues not related to local matters, within the competence of local governments, and the author explores the history of the legislative consolidation of the rights of local governments to resolve such issues. Accordingly, on the basis of the Federal Law of October 6, 2003 No. 131 “On the General Principles of Organizing Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation”, as well as analyzing the work of a number of scholars, the author classifies the powers exercised by the bodies and officials of local self-government depending on the areas within which these powers are exercised. In addition, the article provides a list of features that are characteristic of the right of local governments of cities to resolve issues. The conclusions reached by the author are correlated with the purpose of his research — to understand the legislative consolidation of the concept of “the rights of local governments of cities to solve issues not related to issues of local importance”. A deep theoretical study of this concept and the mechanism of its implementation is required, followed by a change in the above Federal Law.
Validity and efficacy of international law according to the pure theory of law
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kraevsky Arseny A.
Published: April 2021

At the beginning of its development, the science of international law was inextricably linked to the doctrine of natural law. The latter was seen as the basis of international law. The very problem of the foundations of international law became acute in the 19th century, when the prevailing legal positivism abandoned the idea of natural law. All proposed solutions were based on the idea of self-obligation of sovereign states. Some of them questioned the very existence of international law, while others required the introduction of explicit fictions. In an attempt to solve this problem, the pure theory of law developed by Hans Kelsen and his students proposed a theory of a hierarchical structure of international and domestic law. The relationship between the levels of the normative system is based on the empowering norms, which transfer the property of legal validity to the lower norms created on their basis. The concept of validity corresponds to the concept of efficacy of the norm. The interrelation of validity and efficacy of legal norms in international law differs significantly from their interrelation in domestic law; the study of this relationship in Kelsen’s theory was the main purpose of this study. The structure of international law according to Kelsen is a pyramid, the highest level of which is customary international law, based on the basic norm of international law that establishes the binding force of international custom. In this case, from the point of view of the pure theory of law, a special role in international law is played by the principle of effectiveness — recognition of the existing factual state of affairs as legitimate. The greater importance of this principle in international law is explained by the absence of a centralized system of coercion in the latter because decentralized legal order does not allow the application of organized sanctions in instances of violation of international legal norms.
Semantics of life models in the information field of social networks
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kostromina Svetlana , Odintsova Maria ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: April 2021

In the context of the rapid development of the information environment, a person’s life path, identity, and the living space of an individual are not only presented in real life, but also in the virtual world, as well as in augmented reality. The mixing of virtual and real spaces cannot but affect the daily life of young people. This article attempts to describe and structure the elements of life models as fragments of a life scenario, broadcast through communities in social networks. The social network VKontakte has become a meaningful field for analysis as it is the most popular and frequently used online platform in the information space for the purpose of transmitting interesting and relevant information among Russian peers. The starting point of the study was the assumption that the content of social network posts describing the spheres of life can serve as a basis for building elements of life models broadcast on the Internet. The research consisted of several stages: preparatory (questioning young people about their preferred Internet content) and the main one (semantic and content analysis of the content of social networks). The sample of the preparatory stage was 110 respondents, the average age was 22 years (SD=2.8). The main sample consisted of over 200,000 posts from the top 20 social media communities (with an average of 4 million subscribers, with entertainment and non-themed content) over the past 2 years. With the help of special program codes and computer programs, the posts devoted to the most significant spheres of human activity were analyzed. It was found that the most popular marker words denoting areas of life in posts are work, relationships, and family. The data of automated semantic and content analysis showed that most often, through posts in communities, a model of an active and purposeful person is declared. This is an individual who is ready for action, flexible, mobile with respect to work and self-development, but conservative in regard to building family relationships. The results obtained confirm the assumption that the characteristics of the components of life models are presented most vividly in the posts of Internet communities, are actively broadcast and have their own characteristics. The results of the research data can contribute to the study of the main mechanisms of transmission between contemporaries of characteristics of behavior in real life, values and information through Internet content, as well as the work of practicing psychologists when referring to the profile on social networks or preferred client communities.
Reconstruction of argumentation about the possibility of natural theology in confessional polemics at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine, Savinov Rodion V.
Published: April 2021

This article describes the problem of the possibility of natural theology, as it was understood in the discussion between Catholics and Protestants at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The topic is relevant because on the one hand, the category theologia naturalis by this time accumulated a lot of theological and philosophical values, and it is for some traditions a system-forming category that identifies the relation of certain concepts of early modern science. On the other hand, it formed a point around which arguments for and against fundamental decisions were built in the field of ontology, epistemology, anthropology, etc. Thus, the problem of natural theology, its possibilities, composition, and connection with the theology of Revelation (theologia revelata) is a fundamental factor in the development of confessional thought in the early modern period. In studying this problem, emphasis is placed on the ways to conceptualize the idea of natural theology, since this factor determined some strategy of argumentation, that a thinker chooses, justifying a positive or negative assessment of the significance of this problem. A special attribute of the approach is the consideration of how the problem of the possibility of natural theology was understood within the agenda of a specific strategy of theological and philosophical argumentation (in particular, in William Ames’ theological works). The approach allowed us to reveal an authentic understanding of the scope and structure of the problem of the possibility of natural theology, characteristic of authors at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as to describe ways to systematize various arguments into a single strategy for positive or negative evaluation of the phenomenon of natural theology.
Análise geoquímica das águas subterrâneas no município de Boquira, no semiárido baiano - Brasil
Authors: Gomes Maria da Conceição , Melo Danilo , da Costa Maíra , dos Anjos José Ângelo , Trinta Michael , Cavalcante Itabaraci
Published: April 2021

The geochemical analysis was carried out in the center-south portion of the state of Bahia, in the semi-arid region of Bahia, where outcrop the Paramirim Complex, Boquira Unit, Boquira Granite, Veredinha Granite, Serra do Espinhaço, detritus coverings and alluvial deposits. The Boquira Unit is known for lead-zinc mineralization. In this unit operated the Boquira mine, considered the largest lead and zinc mine in Brazil, until it was suddenly abandoned, leaving significant environmental liabilities of toxic metals such as lead, zinc, silver, barium, copper, chromium and nickel. To characterize the groundwater 16 physical-chemical parameters from 24 wells were used, obtained from the Water and Sanitation Engineering Company of Bahia - CERB. Its classification was made in the Piper Diagram and the ionic relations in meq/L. To evaluate the quality of the water we used the Consolidation Ordinance no 5/2017 of the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization. With the PHREEQC 3.5 hydrochemical model, the saturation index of the analyzed elements was calculated. The results showed predominance of calcium chloride waters (71% of the samples), with ionic relations of type rCa2+> rMg2+>rNa+ and rCl->rHCO3->rSO42+. Geochemical modeling indicated calcite (CaCO3), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) and quartz (SiO2) as the main minerals with a tendency to precipitation. The first two were associated with the dissolution of the Boquira Unit carbonates and the third one with the quartzites of the Serra do Espinhaço Formation. The concentrations of calcium and chloride showed 54% and 25% of the samples above the Maximum Allowable Value for human consumption, respectively, representing a risk factor to the health of the population in the area.
Role of Natural Plant Products Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Varshney Himanshi , Siddique Yasir Hasan
Published: April 2021

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the major neurodegenerative disorders. Deposition of amyloid fibrils and tau protein is associated with various pathological symptoms. Currently, limited medication is available for AD treatment. Most of the drugs are basically cholinesterase inhibitors and associated with various side effects. Natural plant products have shown potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of AD symptoms. A variety of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenols are used to reduce the progression of the disease. Plant products have fewer or no side effects and are easily available. The present review gives a detailed account of the potential of natural plant products against AD symptoms.
Does Human Alpha-Synuclein Behave Like Prions?
Authors: Siddique Yasir H.
Published: April 2021

Alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) is a protein that is abundantly found in the brain and in a
lesser amount in the heart and muscles. The exact role of α-synucleinis is not known, but it is considered
to control the movement of synaptic vesicles. Its overexpression in the neurons leads to the
formation of Lewy bodies that damage the dopaminergic neurons in the subtantianigra of the midbrain
and leads to the progression of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). There are evidences showing that
aggregates of α-synuclein behave like prions. The present review is an attempt to put forth the nature
of α-synuclein as prions.