bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual Lifestyle and Male Fertility
Authors: Osadchuk L. V. , Osadchuk A. V.
Published: April 2024

Over the past decades, there has been a significant decline in the birth rate in many countries raising the question of the role and degree of involvement of biological factors in this process. Up to 30% of couples of reproductive age have fertility problems, and in half of the cases, the cause is the male factor. However, up to 40% of cases of male infertility are idiopathic, i.e. with unexplained causes. More and more evidence suggests that environmental factors are the causes of growing male infertility and subfertility, among which the individual lifestyle seems to be the most significant. Many researchers believe that lifestyle factors make a significant contribution to the existing negative trend of global decline in male reproductive potential. The main factors of an individual lifestyle that cause a weakening of male reproductive health are considered to be obesity, nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, psychological stress, low-level radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (mobile telephones and portable computers), aging and others. Many factors of an individual lifestyle can reduce the sperm production, mobility and normal morphology, increase damage to the DNA of spermatozoa, and have a negative impact on the endocrine control of reproductive function, which can lead to male subfertility and infertility. In recent years, a significant amount of data has been accumulated that allows us to create an exhaustive and multifaceted picture of the lifestyle effects on the male reproductive function. This review focuses on the negative impact of the most common factors: obesity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol consumption on spermatogenesis and the profile of reproductive hormones in men.
Continuous Theta-Burst Stimulation of the Primary Motor Cortex Induces Specific Influence on Novel Vocabulary Acquisition in Different Learning Environments
Authors: Perikova E. I. , Blinova E. N. , Andriushchenko E. A. , Blagovechtchenski E. D. , Shcherbakova O. V. , Shtyrov Y. Y.
Published: April 2024

The primary motor cortex takes part in various stages of language learning accompanied by human motor activity. However, previous studies of causal relationships between the activation of primary motor cortex and efficiency of language tasks reveal contradictory results, likely due to diverging learning environments and specific movement patterns required by different experimental designs. The goal of this research was to comprehensively investigate the effect of continuous theta-burst magnetic stimulation (cTBS) of the primary motor cortex on the acquisition of new words while modulating the learning environment and the motor response during the learning process. Following cTBS of the primary motor cortex or control conditions (sham and active control cTBS), the subjects (n = 96) completed a novel word learning task, which involved associating visually presented objects with spoken word forms using a virtual reality (VR) or conventional computer monitor environment. In each environment, the subjects were exposed to eight novel words embedded into questions about visual stimulus properties in order to prompt novel associations. Responses to these questions could be performed either by distal or by proximal hand movements. The outcome of the word acquisition was measured using a free recall task immediately after the training and on the next day. The results showed significant differences in the success of recalling new words immediately after the learning session and on the next day only in those subjects who received cTBS of the primary motor cortex; furthermore, this effect was specific to proximal movements in both learning environments. The results suggest that the motor cortex is directly involved in acquiring novel vocabulary during active interaction with the learning material.
State of the Retina and Optic Nerve in 21-Day Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest
Authors: Gracheva M. A. , Kazakova A. A. , Manko O. M.
Published: April 2024

Studies in conditions of head-down tilt bed rest are widely used experiments which imitate redistribution of body fluids similar to the redistribution of fluid media in microgravity. To study the mechanism of development of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) in head-down tilt bed rest studies scientists have evaluated, among other things, participants’ visual system parameters. The main symptom of SANS is an edema of an optic disc and a retina. To date, the results describing the influence of head-down tilt bed rest on the visual system are ambiguous, which determines the relevance of further research. The aim of the study is to analyze retinal morphometry in the optic disc area and macular area in participants before and after 21-day head-down tilt bed rest. The study was performed using an optical coherence tomography with angiography function (Optovue RTVue XR Avanti System) before and after 21-days of head-down tilt bed rest. In 4 participants (8 eyes) (men, mean age ± standard deviation: 29.3 ± 3.9 years) the macular zone and optic disc area were evaluated according to standard scanning modes. To analyze the values obtained, we used mean tendency scores, mean comparison criteria, and graphical analysis. The results of the retinal thickness in the optic disc zone were consistent with those of other researchers, indicating a possible increase in retinal thickness, but our results did not reach the level of statistical significance. A statistically significant thickening of the retina in the macular zone was shown for the first time, but the increase is significantly less in amplitude than the thickening of the nerve fiber layer in the optic disc zone. Analysis of vascular density under head-down tilt bed rest conditions was performed for the first time both for the optic disc zone and the macula zone, but additional studies are required to obtain steady conclusions. For the first time, an increase in retinal thickness in the macula zone in participants of head-down tilt bed rest experiments was shown; for the optic disc zone, data consistent with the results of other researchers were obtained. For the first time, angiographic data were obtained for the macula and optic disk areas, but the obtained differences in vascular density did not reach the level of statistical significance.
Cardiorespiratory Reactions During Submaximal Exercise in Humans after 14-Day Simulated Lunar Gravity
Authors: Puchkova A. A. , Shpakov A. V. , Katuntsev V. P. , Stavrovskaya D. M. , Primachenko G. K.
Published: April 2024

The paper presents main results of a study on the influence of the physiological effects of simulated lunar gravity on cardiorespiratory responses to exercise in humans. Twelve healthy male volunteers aged 19–31 years (M ± SD: 22.5 ± 4.0 years) took part in the study. They were under 14-day head-up bed rest at +9.6° angle (HUBR) relative to the horizon as a model for the physiological effects of lunar gravity. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed 7 days before the onset of HUBR and on the next day after the end of the experimental exposure. A 3-stage cycle ergometer test with 5-minute platforms at 125, 150, and 175 watts was used as a CPET protocol. Exposure of subjects to simulated lunar gravity reduced their tolerance to physical load. This was indicated by more pronounced changes for such parameters of cardiorespiratory system as heart rate, minute ventilation of the lungs, ventilatory equivalents for oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as a less pronounced increase in oxygen consumption and oxygen pulse during CPET after 14 days of exposure to HUBR.
Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Daytime Sleepiness During Prolonged Isolation
Authors: Kovrov G. V. , Isaeva O. N. , Chernikova A. G.
Published: April 2024

The 120-day isolation experiment (SIRIUS-19 program) within the SIRIUS project (http://sirius.imbp.ru/) involved 6 volunteers aged 28 to 44 years (three men and three women). Research methods included daily ECG registration to assess heart rate variability, blood pressure measurement and self-assessment of sleep quality over the past night using a visual analogue scale. The studies were carried out in the morning after waking up. Once a week in the evening (17.00–19.00), volunteers filled out a scale of clinical daytime sleepiness self-assessment, which allows evaluate the subjective condition over the past day. During the regression analysis, the possibility of predicting the appearance of daytime sleepiness in terms of cardiac activity was assessed. It was found, that the heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability indicators recorded in the morning time make it possible to measure the quality of past sleep and predict the level of subsequent daytime sleepiness. We assume that the increased activity of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system in the morning characterizes both the previous lack of sleep and the risk of developing sleep inertia and daytime sleepiness in general.
Boundary of the Glass Formation Region in the Tm–As–S and Tm–As–Se Ternary Systems
Authors: Il’yasly T. M. , Gahramanova G. G. , Ismailov Z. I.
Published: April 2024

Based on the data obtained by complex methods of physicochemical analysis on studying various sections of ternary Tm–As–S(Se) systems and using the published data, the boundary of the glass formation region of the Tm–As–S and Tm–As–Se system is determined. It is established that at a cooling rate of 10 deg/min in the Tm–As–S system, the glass formation area of the system’s glass is 33 at % of the total area of the triangle; and at a cooling rate of 102 deg/min, 51 at % of the total area of the triangle. In the Tm–As–Se system under the specified cooling regimes, the glass area is 35 and 54 at %, respectively.
Effect of Disorder in the Structure of a Ferroelectric Composite Material xPbSe·(1 – x)PbSeO3 on the Smearing of the Phase Transition
Authors: Tomaev V. V. , Danilovich D. P. , Proshkin S. S.
Published: April 2024

This paper analyzes the experimental and theoretical studies of the problem of a diffuse phase transition (PTC) in a composite material xPbSe⋅(1 – x)PbSeO3, in which x varies from 0 to 1. The decrease in stability in the virtual cubic phase of lead selenide (PbSe) is achieved by oxidizing it with atmospheric oxygen and forming a ferroelectric disordered monoclinic phase of lead selenite (PbSeO3). The mechanism of lead selenide oxidation by air oxygen is studied by X-ray diffractometry, optical reflection in the infrared region of the spectrum, X-ray emission analysis (the chemical shift method), nuclear magnetic resonance, studies of AC and DC conductivity, differential scanning calorimetry, and other methods. The reason for the smearing of the phase transition in the xPbSe⋅(1 – x)PbSeO3 composite, in which x varies from 0 to 1, is analyzed based on the previously obtained experimental results of its detection.
Self-Consistent Set of Lennard–Jones Potential Parameters for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Oxide Materials
Authors: Makarov G. I. , Shilkova K. S. , Shunailov A. V. , Pavlov P. V. , Makarova T. M.
Published: April 2024

A forcefield for high-performance molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of inorganic oxide substances, including borosilicate glasses, based on a combination of electrostatic interactions with the 6–12 type of Lennard–Jones potentials is developed. The forcefield parameters are selected to reproduce the structures and bulk moduli of the binary oxides of a wide spectrum of elements. The proposed forcefield is able to accurate reproduce structures of minerals containing two to three types of cations during the MD simulations. Application of the 6–12 potential makes it possible to carry out simultaneous MD simulations of the organic and inorganic phases, for example, in modeling composite materials with mineral and glass fillers.
Molecular Dynamics Modeling of SiO2 Melts and Glass Formation Processes
Authors: Mysovsky A. S. , Paklin A. S.
Published: April 2024

Molecular dynamics (MD) with ReaxFF potentials is used to study the melting process of quartz and cristobalite together with the amorphous structures obtained at different stages of melting by cooling the melt. The long-term preservation of an excess of eight-membered rings inherited from the crystalline phase is found in the quartz melts, while in the cristobalite melts, the similar preservation of six-membered rings is not observed. Thus, it can be stated that the quartz melts and glasses obtained from them have structural memory, in contrast to cristobalite melts. An increase in the number of four-membered rings with increasing temperature is revealed. A number of other features of the obtained amorphous structures, which we consider as models for glasses, are discussed.
Field Tests of Protective Epoxy Coatings in a Humid Tropical Climate
Authors: Kondratenko Yu. A. , Golubeva N. K. , Kochina T. A. , Nguyễn Chi  Văn , Shilova O. A.
Published: April 2024

The results of a study of the resistance of protective coatings of three compositions to atmospheric corrosion in a humid tropical climate (SR Vietnam) are presented. The process of the biological fouling of coatings in the natural conditions of the South China Sea is studied. Coatings based on cycloaliphatic epoxy resin modified with epoxy rubber with fillers (mica-muscovite, TiO2) are chosen as the objects of research. To improve the anticorrosion and antifouling properties of the coatings, a triethanolamine complex with cobalt(II) cinnamate, which has a pronounced antimicrobial activity, is introduced into their composition.
Superthin Basalt Fiber as the Base of a Matrix of the Fire-Resistant Filling of Deformation Joints in Building Structures
Authors: Prusakov V. A. , Gravit M. V. , Simonenko Ya. B.
Published: April 2024

This article investigates the fire resistance of a structure with a fire barrier based on super-thin basalt fiber for the fire-resistant sealing of joints in reinforced concrete structures under conditions of alternating deformation. In European regulations, such fire barriers are specifically designed for use in expansion joints and operate in the compression, tension, and shear of the joint. In Russia, products and materials that perform the function of a fire barrier are not tested under conditions of alternating load. This article presents a test method for fire resistance for an expansion joint in a reinforced concrete structure. The results are obtained on the parameters of integrity (E) and heat-insulating capacity (I) for reinforced concrete slabs, followed by an increase in the width of the gap between the slabs and their shift relative to each other by +25% of at least 245 min.
Determination of the Electrokinetic Potential of Porous Glass by the Streaming Potential Method in a Flat Capillary
Authors: Ermakova L. E. , Kuznetsova A. S. , Antropova T. V.
Published: April 2024

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"failing forward": freedom of movement reforms in the European Union during crises
Authors: Potemkina Olga Yur'evna
Published: April 2024

The article addresses the reforms of border security, migration and asylum policies in times of recent crises in the European Union. The author turns to the analysis of the refugee crisis and closing borders during pandemic in the framework of the «failing forward» approach, which combines the ideas of both liberal intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism. Describing the process of reforming the Schengen Border Code and the Dublin Regulation, the article demonstrates how the Commission’s ambitious initiatives to promote communitarian method of governance were reduced in the Council to a minimum common denominator. These decisions contributed to the temporary settlement of migration and border security problems, which were aggravated by crisis. They promoted the process of European integration to a certain extent, but did not guarantee from future events of force majeure. The cases of refugee crisis and pandemic allow to prove the author’s argument that a new Schengen reform was required to legitimize restrictions of citizens' trips. Concentrating on the analysis of this new reform, the author comes to conclusion that the EU's choice of an intergovernmental way of Schengen governance does not ensure success in case of a new crisis. Thereby the logic of “failing forward” will be reproduced with a high probability.
Prospects for Greenland's economic autonomy
Authors: Kravchuk Alexey Andreevich
Published: April 2024

In 2019, the attention of the world community to Greenland increased significantly after US President Donald Trump offered to buy the island. Although the proposal was immediately rejected, it caused a rethinking of Greenland’s importance in the Arctic international relations system. Greenland’s government also felt the growth of attention, which took a sharper course towards independence from Denmark. The author intends to explore whether Greenland has the economic basis for being an independent state. Thus, the current state of the key export sectors of its economy (fishing, mining and tourism) was analyzed. As is shown, having a negative trade balance Greenland is deeply dependent on Danish financial support which equals 78% of export revenues, up to 50% of the local budget and 20% of GDP. Moreover, Denmark is the main trade partner of Greenland. The paper also considers the main factors pushing Greenlanders to gain independence from Denmark - resentment for the colonial period of their joint history and the economic advantages of free disposal of the island’s territory and its resources. The intent to become independent is largely fueled by U.S.-China competition for influence on Greenland, as both countries are attracted by the island’s geostrategic location and its resources, including rare earth minerals and uranium. The analysis of key export sectors development prospects demonstrates that by modernizing its seafood industry, putting into operation new tourism infrastructure and implementing ongoing mining projects Greenland could receive funds in an amount sufficient to replace Denmark’s financial support. However, this will require time, foreign investment and, most importantly, consistent policy for working with foreign companies, which Greenland lacks currently.
The prospects for CSTO activities after the end of the peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan
Authors: Korenev Evgeny Sergeevich
Published: April 2024

The study assesses the prospects of CSTO activity after the end of the peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan. In 2022 important security processes were taking place in the geographical area of the CSTO (conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, including aggravation of the situation on the borders of Armenia, the activation of NATO), which indicates the relevance of the topic. The aim of the study is to establish the pro-spects of the CSTO activity after the completion of the peacekeeping operation in Ka-zakhstan in conditions of rapid changes at the international and regional level. The methodological basis of the research consists of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison). The author believes that in the near fu-ture, even taking into account the special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, which affects the intensification of Russian-Belarusian defense coopera-tion, CSTO activity is unlikely to change. At the same time the activation of NATO will make certain adjustments in the practical work of the CSTO, for example, it will affect the practice of specific actions in the course of exercises. The article offers the prognostic possibilities in the study of different issues related to the analysis of CSTO activity in the future, including in the context of Russia's national interests.
The peace of Westphalia and religion in the context of the evolution of public law in Europe
Authors: Borshch Irina Valer'evna
Published: April 2024

The article describes the consequences of the «post-secular turn» in social sciences, in particular, in the history of law and the theory of international relations as applied to the study of the Congress of Westphalia and the Peace Treaty of 1648. The author shows how new approaches in the international theory (from realism to constructivism and neorealism) contributed to the criticism of the «secular myth of Westphalia». The author considers new perspectives on the religious issue at the Westphalian Peace Congress in terms of the evolution of public law in Europe. Westphalia is seen as a set of religion ideas, which caused a revolution in the concept and practice of sovereignty and Westphalia as the last Christian Peace. The article discusses the role of the legal principles of religious freedom and the confessional truce of the XVII century in the formation of the Westphalian system of security guarantees in Europe. The changes in the role of the Pope in international law during and after the Westphalian negotiations and the consequences of the Treaty for protestant and catholic conditions are indicated. The study reveals how various Christian denominations participated (ideologically and politically) in the Westphalian negotiations, while discussing the «special case» of Orthodoxy, taking into account the diplomatic rapprochement of Moscow, Stockholm and Paris before the Westphalian Peace Congress.
Iceland and China: Strategic Partnership in the Arctic and Euro-Atlantic
Authors: Babaev Kirill Vladimirovich
Published: April 2024

The article analyses the development of China-Iceland relations which led to a full-scale political and economic partnership between the two countries, the current issues in Chinese policies towards Iceland, its plans to use the island as a starting point for expansion in Europe, Atlantic and Arctic regions. The paper explores the interests of the two states, stages of development of their relations, recent development with China's return to Iceland after three years of the pandemic, and Chinese intentions to enhance the partnership in order to extend its influence in Arctics and Euro-Atlantics. This analysis sheds light on the Chinese policy in the Arctic which is important for the future of Russo-Chinese relations in the region, and on how the Chinese entrenchment in Northern Europe may change the balance of power and interest not only in the Arctic, but in the Euro-Atlantic region. The article reveals that China, as a non-Arctic state, is striving to intensify cooperation with Iceland, but the relations in recent years have begun to sour both due to the pressure from the United States and the EU, as well as pandemic restrictions. Despite Iceland's tense relations with the European partners and the United States and the active assistance of China, in the future Iceland may be inclined to choose the United States as a strategic partner.
The Kosovo problem: Serbia faces a decisive choice
Authors: Kandel Pavel Efimovich
Published: April 2024

The article concentrates on the agreements between Belgrade and Pristina reached on February 27, 2023 in Brussels, and on March 18, 2023 in Ohrid through mediation of the EU and the USA. It also traces the chronology of the process that led to the current result and discusses “The Agreement on the Path to Normalisation of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia” and the “Implementation Annex”. The analysis indicates the perception of the documents by society and political forces both in Kosovo and Serbia. Based on sociological surveys the study examines the attitude towards various ways of resolving the “Kosovo problem”, towards the EU, NATO, and Russia. It also draws attention to the change in the position of the influential Serbian Orthodox Church, and speculates on the reasons for this turn. The article makes an assumption regarding the future course of behavior of the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia along with representatives of the EU and the United States. Whether Serbia joins the anti-Russian sanctions is an open question. The choice should be made between interests and emotions, national mythology and material goods, tradition and the future. The Western push to further promote accession of Serbia to the EU in exchange for recognition of Kosovo's independence means essential revision of the national Serbian national identity. It is about a historical choice, which will require a corresponding response from Russia.
The EU assistance in solving the problem of scientific and technological development of Jordan
Authors: Shugurov Mark Vladimirovich
Published: April 2024

The peculiarities of the policy of contemporary Jordan in light of shortages of natural resources and problems of a socio-economic nature include stimulation of the research and development sector, as well as the creation of an effective innovation system. The purpose of the article is to conceptualize the priorities, main directions, forms and results of the European Union's assistance to scientific, technological and innovative development of Jordan since 2010s. The study reveals the synergy of EU assistance in the implementation of Jordan's policy to strengthen its competitiveness in the field of science, technology and innovation in the form of programs and projects at the multilateral and bilateral level. The article substantiates the conclusion about the contradictory nature of the results of this assistance. While it increases the research potential of Jordan, the EU is not interested in integrating the country into global value chains. This leads to a slowdown in its economic development and simultaneously to a slowdown in the development of the national innovation system due to the lack of effective commercialisation of knowledge and technologies in the national and international markets. Jordan's integration into the European Research Area involves solving a number of problems, for example, participation in the process of establishing priorities for regional cooperation in science and technology.
Theology and politics. political attempts to subordinate the Church
Authors: Schipkov Alexandr Vladimirovich
Published: April 2024

The article reviews a cultural hybrid, which is defined as religious political science or “theopolitics”. Within the framework of this phenomenon, according to the author, the language of church mission and catechetical practices is subordinated to the discourse of political activists. Among the examples of such subordination are the so-called “maidan theology”, the Declaration on the “Russian World” Teaching, Polish political Catholicism, the accession of the Hrodna episcopate clergy to the “zmagar” political opposition in 2020, etc. Religious political science tends to consider politics itself as a religious practice; political theology, on the contrary, looks at political issues as something that should be brought in accordance with a theological canon. The goals of theopolitics are reached with the close application of modernist theology. The latter seeks to transform the Christian canon according to the secularism, in particular, to sacralize specific events in secular history - this principle is characteristic of concepts from the category of the so-called “theology after” (after Auschwitz, after 9/11, after the global pandemic, etc.) According to the author, the field of church mission is thus taken under control, preaching is reinterpreted in line with the political propaganda, the church is represented as a subsystem of a “civil society”. The author emphasizes the importance of the motives of the “weak Church” and “weak God” for creating a “theological” justification of the ideas of religious political science and concludes that theopolitics is one of the manifestations of the “new Reformation” (otherwise: secular reformation) aimed at secularisation of church institutions.
Europeans in Japan: from trade to knowledge
Authors: Nosov Mikhail Grigor'evich
Published: April 2024

The Dutch trading posts, first at Hirado and later at Deshima in northwest Kyushu, existed from 1609 to 1855. These almost two and a half centuries can be roughly divided in two parts. In the XVII th and the beginning of the XVIII th century the relations between the Dutch and the Japanese were marked by the mutual interest in trade and by the readiness of the Dutch to unconditionally obey the strict rules of their presence in Japan. The second half of Dutch presence at Desima is characterized by decline of trade and increase of mutual interest. Trade began to decline after the Shogunate prohibited the export of gold and silver in 1668. In 1743 for the first time trade with Japan became unprofitable. In 1799 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ceased to exist. This was due both to the loss of its markets in Persia, India, and Europe and to increased competition with England and France for colonial markets. Another reason for the company's bankruptcy was the managerial errors of its management - the company was paying dividends to shareholders in Holland that exceeded its profits. Despite the economic losses, both sides were in no hurry to end the relationship. For Japan, Deshima remained a small window to Europe, through which they learned about the outside world and its scientific and technological achievements. The emergence of qualified translators from the Dutch language in Japan coincided with the Shogunate's interest in the development of science, opened up a source of knowledge for the country and the emergence of a new branch of science, Rangaku, which means «Dutch science». The Netherlands, maintaining its trading post in Japan, proceeded not only from the desire to maintain its status as a global empire, but also got a chance to study and appreciate the rather unique intellectual and cultural potential of the Japanese, becoming a unique source of knowledge about this country for Europe. Last 15 years of Tokugawa period is called Bakumatsu (what means the «end of Tokugawa period»), which was followed by Meiji restoration, and development of intensive contacts between Europe and Japan.
Portrayal of Russian Foreign Policy towards Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 in the Western and Russian Academia
Authors: Arslan Orkun
Published: April 2024

This study examines how the Russo-Georgian War in 2008 and the Ukraine Crisis in 2014 were discussed in Western and Russian academic circles. The findings show that historical accounts as well as various theoretical frameworks were used to explain the Russian foreign policy (RFP) regarding these conflicts. In comparison, although mono-theoretical models were utilized in both cases, they are more dominant in the works of Western scholars. On the other hand, inductive historical explanations were used more in the works of Russian scholars. Another important point is that in the latter studies, alternative accounts to the Western unilateralism are more popular. These accounts reveal themselves with concepts such as “multipolar world” or “Eurasianism”. As for the mono theoretical accounts, realist approaches seem to be the dominant framework in both cases. Realist frameworks emphasize the improved material capabilities of Russia and external pressures in its sphere of influence. The later component of the realist approach is stressed more by scholars from both academic circles. Moreover, even the studies that utilize different approaches, such as ideational explanations, domestic political factors, decision-maker related approaches, or the ones that highlight the regional competition, emphasize the role of the strategic or geopolitical imperatives as a factor that cannot be ignored regarding how RFP is formed and implemented.
French-speaking jewish community in contemporary Israel: sociological and political profile
Authors: Khanin Vladimir (Ze'ev) , Oskolkov Petr Viktorovich
Published: April 2024

The article examines the sociological, demographic, and political characteristics of a French-speaking repatriate community in Israel. The community is an important factor in both Israeli and French internal politics and the bilateral relations between Israel and European countries. The authors conclude that multiple identities are preserved, consisting of French-speaking, Jewish, and Israeli elements, and underline the quantitative and qualitative difference between the 2010s wave of repatriation and the previous waves. The difference is tainted by the reasons that pushed the French Jews to their historic homeland and by the difficulties of economic integration. A well-developed infrastructural network is created that buttresses the identitarian multiplicity. There are also indicators that the identity infrastructure might be complemented by the organized political representation that is now realized through the positions reserved non-officially in the national party lists. Because of its predominantly right-wing conservative political orientation, the French Jewish community is considered an electoral resource for the incumbent coalition of right-wing conservative, nationalist, and ultraorthodox parties, and the need for further stimulation of the French aliya is now voiced.
The french nuclear challenge to the eu green energy governance
Authors: Baykov Andrey , Crowley-vigneau Anne , Kalyuzhnova Yelena
Published: April 2024

This paper explores the role of nuclear power in substituting fossil fuels and contributing to the net zero. It considers to what extent the French position on nuclear energy is viable within the framework of EU green energy governance. The analysis of EU legal attempts to develop a common strategy for member countries and the case study of France reveal the controversial nature of nuclear energy. The authors argue that the EU could work towards easing off nuclear energy and could successfully overcome the pro-nuclear views of countries which currently depend on it for electricity production. The limited climate benefits of nuclear energy, when the whole life-cycle of nuclear reactors is considered, and the unease of the population with nuclear energy, even in countries that depend on it, chart a probable new course for a renewable energy mix in the EU. This phasing-out of nuclear energy is likely to be progressive so as to avoid lost investments in developing the technology and will hinge on how rapidly renewables reach their technological maturity.
The first post-war electoral campaign in the modern statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Eremin Denis Pavlovich
Published: April 2024

The article examines the preparation, course and practical results of the first post-war election campaign of 1996 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 1995 Dayton Accords, which became the foundation of modern Bosnian-Herzegovinan statehood, represented a compromise imposed from without and it could not resolve the fundamental contradictions of the country's national communities. Consequently, the situation in Bosnia retained a significant conflict potential. Сoncerned international actors, primarily the United States and the EU countries, that directed the process of resolving the crisis in Bosnia, used institutional peace-building as the main method of post-conflict settlement. Therefore, the first post-war election campaign played a key role in building a new political system of BiH, since the process of formation of new authorities depended on its results. The lack of real harmonization of community relations, their mutual bitterness on national and religious grounds predetermined the inability of ethnic parties to reach the necessary compromises independently. This fact, fully represented by the first post-war election campaign, predetermined high involvement of Western countries in the state's domestic political life, the formation of a supranational structure of governance and the transformation of Bosnia into an international protectorate. The research is developed on unintroduced for scientific use materials of the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation (AVP RF) and based on historical method.
Russia and Japan: the beginning of the hard journey
Authors: Nosov Mikhail Grigor'evich
Published: April 2024

In the middle of the 18th century, neighboring Russia began to show interest in Japan. Russia acquired vast territories of Eastern Siberia and Far East which made the countries the closest neighbors. In 1648 on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk the first Russian settlement Kosoy Ostrozhok appeared, which marked the beginning of the development of the new lands of the Far East by Cossack detachments. Russians first learned about Japan from European books describing travels to that country and from the few notes of those Russians who had been to China and got acquainted with Japanese culture there. Before its "opening" in 1853, Japan allowed only the Dutch and Chinese into the country. The closure was partly due to attempts by the Portuguese to convert the Japanese to the Catholic faith, but mainly to protect the country from the threat of European colonialism. Having become Japan's neighbor, the Russians tried to establish ties with Japan with neither religious nor invasive plans. However, despite repeated attempts by Peter the Great and his successors to convince the Japanese, they failed to do so. Russians got there very rarely and only as prisoners, and the Japanese happened to be in Russia after shipwrecks or navigational errors. The more Russia learned about Japan, the stronger was the desire to establish relations with it. Since the beginning of the 18th century Russia repeatedly sent maritime expeditions to explore the Kurils and Sakhalin. Similar efforts were made by the Japanese. These territories, including Hokkaido, were inhabited mainly by the Ainu and Nivkhi, and Russians and Japanese appeared from time to time on these islands, but the attempt to determine their state affiliation was made only in 1855. Until that time all Russian attempts to establish diplomatic and trade relations with Japan had failed. At the same time the result of these efforts was an accumulation of knowledge about each other and a growing mutual interest. Peter's interest in Japan was determined primarily by the fact that Russia's access to the Pacific Ocean required the development of new lands, and trade relations with Japan could be an important element in their economic development.
Latvia and Estonia: the soviet period of economic development
Authors: Simonyan Renald Khikarovich
Published: April 2024

The article analyses the Soviet period of Latvia and Estonia, which turned out to be very productive for their socio-economic development. In the Baltic republics, there were nо resources necessary for the development of the national economy. Latvia and Estonia were almost completely dependent on supplies from outside the region. At the same time, they had the advantage over other republics in terms of geographic position, in particular a network of seaports. The transit potential of the Baltic States was one of the main factors of preferential investment. New industrial enterprises were created, power plants, seaports, airfields were built, transport highways were laid. The processes of modernization were supported by labour migration from other republics of the USSR and subsidised by the central government. At the same time a highly qualified and skilled personnel was formed, trained both in educational institutions of Latvia and Estonia, and in leading universities in Moscow, Leningrad and other cities of the Soviet Union. Today Latvia and Estonia, along with the Czech Republic and Slovenia, occupy leading positions among the post-socialist countries of Europe in terms of socio-economic development. Based on a broad factual material, it is demonstrated that a significant contribution to their development belongs to the Soviet heritage.
Priorities of Poland’s policy towards Ukraine
Authors: Mikhalev Oleg Yur'evich
Published: April 2024

The article explores the main factors that determine Polish policy towards Ukraine in the long term and also during special military operation. Based on the analysis of Polish sources, the research points out that the Ukrainian direction has never been a priority for Poland, because its main aim is integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. Ukraine is important primarily from the point of view of ensuring the security of the Polish state because its independence and territorial integrity are perceived as a barrier to Russia's “imperial ambitions”. The more noticeable impact on Ukraine Moscow exerts, the more resistance it meets from Warsaw. After February 2022 Polish diplomatic efforts were aimed at uniting Western countries to support Ukraine, providing it with military-technical, financial and humanitarian assistance. At the same time Warsaw strives to stay within the framework of the common course of the EU and NATO towards Ukraine and does not try to play an independent role, as it understands the limitations of its resources. Poland intends to use the events in Ukraine to increase its own geopolitical role but only within the Euro-Atlantic coalition.
Too Little, Too Late: the Catalan Debacle in Light of the Slovenian Attainment of Independence
Authors: González-villa Carlos , Radeljić Branislav
Published: April 2024

The failed Catalan sovereignty process, launched in 2012 and then crushed by the intervention of the Spanish central government in 2017, relied to a certain extent on a discursive framework based on the evocation of previous secessionist experiences in Europe. Among these, the case of Slovenia (successfully completed in 1992) stood out. A close examination of these cases outlines the limitations of these analogies, notably through their differences in terms of political and social articulation and, in particular, the diverging success of external engagement. Beyond political and social articulation and the degree of economic development (heterogeneous aspects in many successful statehood processes), the comparison of these cases demonstrates that a sound internationalization strategy is essential for statehood attainment. The success of such a strategy does not solely depend on the secessionist actors’ ability to reach out to the relevant international players, but also on the latter’s readiness to provide necessary support. While the Slovenes managed to promptly engage with the rapid geopolitical changes in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, the Catalan bid for secession found receptiveness only among marginal actors within major powers, all together unwilling to push for border changes of a state located in a sensitive area of the Euro-Atlantic security complex.
Factors of foreign trade resilience on the example of the North Europe countries. Ability to recover
Authors: Plyusnin Roman Mikhaylovich , Vasilchenko Alexander Dmitrievich
Published: April 2024

The article analyses the factors of foreign trade resilience of countries, as well as makes their quantitative assessment on the example of the North Europe countries. These factors are divided into two large groups: reflecting the country's resilience and characterising its ability to recover. The factors described in this article are divided into congenital and acquired. This article is devoted to the analysis of only those factors that characterise the ability to recover. Mutual trade dependence and flexibility of the structure of the economy of the exporter's home region are identified as innate. And as acquired - diversification of trade relations, redundancy in the trading network, its modularity. Indicators to help characterise these factors are calculated for the North Europe countries. As a result, a picture of foreign trade resilience was obtained in terms of the ability of these countries to recover after shocks. The import and export positions of Finland, Sweden and Denmark in this regard turned out to be quite strong. This situation has become possible due to their wide specialisation, high diversification of trade networks, as well as the high redundancy of the EU-27 trade network. The situation in Norway and Iceland appeared to be less stable due to the fact that they have a pronounced foreign trade specialisation. These factors should theoretically contribute to a relatively high rate of recovery of foreign trade of the country in question after shocks. This was confirmed by the correlation coefficient calculated for them and the elasticity of a foreign trade.
Trade unions in Germany: challenges and solutions
Authors: Rozhin Alexander Aleksandrovich
Published: April 2024

German trade unions traditionally play critical role in securing fair work conditions and wages. However, in the XXI century they are facing significant challenges, caused by effects of globalization, structural changes in the labor market and others. The most prominent problem is gradually declining membership and therefore shrinking resource capacity. Necessity to attract new members encourages them to undertake many different actions: from increasing protest activity to altering their work models. Author considers the cases of German trade unions and how they react to the acute issues and their connection to the protests. Author draws a conclusion that structural transformations of the labor market have been more impactful than changes in their public perception. Worker unions have remained a significant and influential force in political and social fields. Nevertheless, format of their work requires significant modifications to strengthen them as organizations that truly represent workers interests.
Islam in Yamal: features of integration in the Arctic zone
Authors: Starostin Alexey Nikolaevich , Yarkov Alexander Pavlovich
Published: April 2024

On the basis of the analysis of sources, works of researchers, interviews, field studies, participant observation, features of the Islamic religion in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug are traced. During the Middle Ages the territory of Yamal was included in trade with the countries of the East through the “fur route”, as evidenced by a significant number of archaeological finds of oriental objects, and later it was formally part of such Muslim states as the Tyumen and Siberian Khanates, but the presence of Muslims in Yamal was minimal. However, since the middle of the 20th century the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug began to attract migrants who created communities in cities and in shift camps. The majority of believers, despite the difference in places of exodus, adhere to Islam traditional for Russia (Hanafi and Shafi'i madhhabs), building relationships with authorities, representatives of other faiths and worldviews. They believe that it is only through dialogue that relations can be harmonized, while respecting the traditions and norms that have developed in the district. The specificity of the confession of Islam in the conditions of the Arctic is also obvious. The radicals tried to instill into the minds of fellow believers that extremist ideology and terrorist acts should become a tool in building a caliphate. For such propaganda and crimes, other Islamists are serving sentences (including life imprisonment), having different conditions for observing rituals. Security in the district, which is of strategic importance in political and economic terms, should take into account both the peculiarities of the organization of the local society and its experience in countering extremism. The article explores how Islam in Yamal passed a path in a short time that took centuries for other regions of the world.