Home – Home – Jornals – Siberian Scientific Medical Journal 2020 number 3

The delay in detecting the position and shape of the plasma confined by a tokamak increases plasma instability and decreases the accuracy of plasma control in the tokamak. In this article, two techniques called periodogram and cross-spectral analysis are used to provide a quantitative approach for computing the time delay between the data obtained by two different coils from one source (plasma fluctuations) in the IR-T1 tokamak. After performing the Fourier transform of the data, the periodogram, square coherency, and phase diagram are plotted in terms of frequency in three different time intervals. In the time interval 29000 < τ < 30000 µ, where the plasma current is almost constant, the average phase shift between the frequency components of the data is obtained by using the phase spectrum analysis. The time delay between the data for the Rogowski and Mirnov coils is observed at the frequency of the highest coherency: τ_d = 1,831 µ.

Two algorithms for determining the coordinates of optical vortices are considered. In one of them, the vortex position is found from the branching of interference fringes, and in the second algorithm, by processing the distribution of gradients of the wave front. It is shown that both algorithms allow recording coordinates with high accuracy; in addition, it is possible to determine displacements of singular points resulting from radiation diffraction Keywords: optical vortices, branch points of interference fringes, local inclinations, Shack-Hartmann sensor

A control algorithm based on required differential equations in terms of deviations is proposed for solving the problem of tracking the desired trajectory in terms of the target position. Route planning is performed on the basis of the authors' method of calculating a plane trajectory consisting of oriented segments of straight lines connected by clothoids. Hardware and software for the automatic flight control are presented. The workability of the control system in the presence of measurement noise and external disturbances is confirmed by results of experiments on indoor quadrotor flight control

A method of setting the vertical by monitoring the measuring beam flare displacement in absolute laser ballistic gravimeters is described. The method is based on video recording of the displacement trajectory of a measuring beam reflected from a corner reflector during free-fall of the body. The magnitude and angle of the measuring beam deflection from the vertical are determined by frame-by-frame processing of the captured video sequence. An experimental verification of the method has shown that the error in setting the vertical is less than 3 • 10^-5 rad

This paper presents the results of numerical studies of the influence of rounding errors on the statistics distribution of statistical hypothesis testing criteria. The effect of rounding on the distribution of statistics of various goodness-of-fit test and homogeneity tests is examined. It is shown that if the rounding errors in analyzed samples are commensurable with the standard deviation of measurement errors, the distributions of test statistics can vary significantly. Under such conditions, the application of tests in data processing systems using classic results can lead to wrong conclusions. Recommendations to solve this problem are proposed

A mathematical model is considered, which allows one to estimate the root-mean-square deviation of beat noise arising in photodetecting of sub-carrier channel signals with QPSK and M-QAM modulation formats. Based on the theory and simulation results, a formula is derived for calculating the spectral distribution of beat noise as a function of the number of signals and the number of modulation formats used

The estimation of the scale parameter of a generalized Weibull probability density function is considered an analyzed by the minimum conditional risk criterion. Optimal estimates are obtained for the envelope intensity of signals reflected from extended objects provided that the intervals in the motion of these objects are independent of random variables. The above estimates are compared with the best unbiased estimate for various loss functions. It is shown that the risk convergence of the best unbiased estimate with the risk of an optimal estimate for the loss function equal to the error modulus is faster than the quadratic loss function. It is noted that optimal estimates for the invariant and power-law loss functions coincide. The lower and upper ε-confidence boundaries are obtained, and conditions under which these estimates correspond to estimates of the Weibull distribution parameter are determined

A method for describing and evaluating the state of a multidimensional dynamic object has been developed, which includes a numerical and analytical representation of the general solution of the differential equation for the dynamic object and its measured output, taking into account the range of admissibility of time values and the initial condition, as well as the uncertainty parameters on the right side of the equation. The required quality of representation is achieved using a family of high-precision reference integral curves (of necessary volume) constructed in advance and the principle of smooth dependence of the solution and measured coordinates in a given admissibility region for a wide class of dynamic objects. The error of the method is estimated, and recommendations for choosing its main parameters are given

In problems of automatic threshold image segmentation by brightness, the important questions are those about the number of brightness classes and, as a result, the required number of thresholds. A solution to the problem of estimating the number of classes in an image is often based on representing its distribution as a mixture of distributions of brightness classes. It is known that this problem (splitting the mixture) has a solution only for certain types of distributions, and, if the distributions of brightness classes are unknown, difficulties arise in its application. In this paper, a nonparametric method for determining the number of classes is presented, based on rank histograms and using the property of local spatial grouping of elements of each brightness class in an image. Comparing the proposed method with various criteria for estimating the number of classes in images shows that the method under consideration is effective

A method of guiding of a solar telescope with a high spatial resolution and an angular field of vision smaller than the angular size of the Solar disk with the use of an auxiliary guiding telescope whose field of vision covers the entire Solar disk and its vicinity is analyzed. Requirements to the guiding telescope resolution, guiding modes, and structural scheme of the guiding process are considered.

An experimental testbed and its automation for studying a heat generator based on Couette -Taylor flows between independently rotating multicylinder rotors is described. The flow structure is investigated using a technique for analyzing the pulsation spectra of the angular moment of resistance to rotation of the heat generator rotors. Methods for recording the generated heat power and studying the frequency characteristics of the flow inhomogeneities in a fluid located in cylindrical slot spaces with moving walls are presented. The developed equipment and measurement techniques make it possible to obtain experimental data on the influence of the heat generator operating modes and the working fluid parameters on the heat energy generation process

The possibility of developing a complex of spasers inside artificially created closed membrane shells (liposomes) is experimentally investigated. Localization of these complexes inside liposomes is confirmed using a scanning confocal microscope. It is demonstrated that, in this case, the spasers retain their performance. As shown by the results, encapsulating spasers into liposomes may turn out to be effective agents of theranostics

This paper describes studies of various schemes for implementing simultaneous mode synchronization and Q-switching of a resonator using a spherical mirror and an acousto-optic modulator (the SMAOM method) of a traveling wave in Nd:YAG laser. The time and energy output characteristics of diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser with SMAOM are presented along with the obtained high-power picosecond tunable radiation in a range of ~620 nm on the basis of cascade frequency conversion of a superluminescent parametric oscillator pumped by such a laser

The chemical composition (ions, elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) of atmospheric aerosol in the North Atlantic, in the European and Russian parts of the Arctic Ocean and in the seas of the northern latitudes and the Far East was analyzed. The studies were carried out on board the research vessels along their cruise routes (RV “Akademik Treshnikov", RV “Akademik Mstislav Keldysh", RV “Professor Multanovsky"). The air was sampled using the methodology accepted by the international networks operating under the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP). The analysis of the chemical composition of the aerosol along the routes of the research cruises showed the following below. The total ion content and the concentrations of individual ions in the aerosol of the North Atlantic and in the European part of the Arctic Ocean correspond to the data that was obtained within the measurement work fulfilled in the Laptev and Kara Seas in 2018 and 2019. The increased values of the sum of PAHs in Russia's central regions in the Arctic correspond quite well to the increased concentrations of ions and trace elements in the content of the aerosol. Trace elements are noted to have different concentrations in the content of the aerosols of the North Atlantic and Russia's central regions of the Arctic. This fact can point at different sources of these components.

As a result of microbiological research, information on the number and diversity of psychrotolerant yeast isolated from high-altitude and ground-based samples of atmospheric aerosol in the south of Western Siberia were obtained. In certain phenotypic and genomic characteristics, the yeast isolates were referred to the genera Saccharomyces , Candida , Sporidiobolus , Aureobasidium , Sporobolomyces , Cryptococcus , Rhodotorula , and other. Both saprophytic and pathogenic microorganisms were detected. The strain of yeasts of the genus Aureobasidium actively producing exopolysaccharides and melanin and being perspective for biotechnological developments were revealed.

Field measurements of the concentrations of oxygenated organics in urban air and in forest were carried out. The results were used to test the model of atmospheric transformation of biogenic compounds. The simulation showed that condensable compounds of several classes are formed: hydroperoxides, peroxides, alkylperoxynitrates and nitrites, peracids. Their aerosol-generating potential was evaluated on the basis of the calculated steady-state concentrations of the direct precursors of aerosol phase. It was discovered that the main precursors of the nuclei of solid phase are hydroperoxides and peracids. The reason of their efficiency is their photolysis with the formation of oxygenated free radicals, which initiate gas-to-particle conversion through polymerization of unsaturated compounds via the free radical mechanism.

The regional correction of the EMEP inventory data (European Monitoring and Evaluation Program) is one of the ways to improve the accuracy of model calculations of pollutant concentrations based on chemical transport models (CTM). Methods for correcting original EMEP emissions are proposed and described. On the example of CTM CHIMERE calculations for the Moscow region, the effectiveness of the application of the emission correction procedure is shown, which is confirmed by a decrease in the errors of model calculations of the PM₁₀ concentration. The completed regional developments for the correction of emissions can be used for other regions of Russia.

The article presents the assessment result of the pyrogenic factor contribution to atmospheric pollution in the background territories of the Tomsk region based on the analysis of heavy metal (Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd) atmospheric deposition within the Bakchar bog (the north-eastern part of the Great Vasyugan mire). The analysis of atmospheric depositions of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd was carried out using the method of passive dust deposition by the content of particles per 1 m² during 2018-2019. Data analysis showed an excess of Zn in atmospheric depositions that persists for three years after a fire in a drained mire during both summer and winter observation periods with a maximum value of 3.63 mg/m² per month in 2018. The impact of the fire on Cd and Pb content was maintained for two years after the fire. The Cu content in atmospheric depositions is not affected by the pyrogenic factor. The analysis of seasonal dynamics showed that the content of Zn, Cd, and Pb in the composition of atmospheric depositions was influenced by wild fires that cause the transfer of pollutants both on the local and regional scales.

The comparative analysis of chemical composition of water- and acid-soluble fractions of aerosols, collected in autumn, winter, and spring by passive sampling is performed. Statistical data manipulation is carried out, coefficient of aerosols’ accumulation and absolute amount of aerosol enrichment are calculated. Seasonal changes in the chemical composition of aerosol fractions are revealed, furthermore, tracer elements of heat-power industry.

Technique for generation of cefazolin aerosol particles with the size from 80 to 1400 nm is described. Experiments with aerosol drug administration on laboratory animals (mice) showed the efficiency of this cefazolin delivery technique to be close to the efficiency of intravenous injection.

The earlier proposed hypothesis (Zuev et al., 2014) about the possibility of nanodispersed black carbon particles formation in eruptive column of volcanic eruption with VEI ³ 4 is discussed. The probable characteristics of volcanogenic soot particles and their distinctive features from stratospheric black carbon particles of other origin are analyzed. A brief review of suitable instrumental methods for detecting particles is carried out, and observational facts that indicate the possible detection of particles of volcanic soot earlier are presented. The idea of a complex experiment for observational confirmation of the hypothesis is proposed.

A method for determining the ion of height of rise of smoke plumes from pipes of industrial enterprises from using satellite information is suggested. It is tested on the example of the thermal power station in Novosibirsk. The results are compared with the results of calculations according to conventional methods. Possibilities of application of this approach to different meteorological conditions and characteristics of underlying surface are discussed.

Stationary motion of a large non-volatile spherical aerosol particle, inside which heat sources operate, under the effect of the gradients of temperature and binary gas mixture component concentrations in the external field is described in the Stokes approximation. The average surface temperature of the particle is assumed to significantly differ from the temperature of the surrounding binary gas mixture. The gas dynamics equations are solved with power temperature dependences of the coefficients of viscosity, thermal conductivity, diffusion, and density of the gaseous medium. Diffusive and thermal sliding motions are taken into account in the boundary conditions. Numerical estimates have shown that the photo-thermal and diffusiophoretic force and velocity significantly depend on the average temperature of the particle surface.

Adsorption and photocatalytic properties of precipitated indic oxide aerosol particles are studied under ambient air conditions. The composition analysis of the adsorbed layer of aerosol particles is carried out. The quantum yields and its spectral dependences of oxygen photoadsorption and carbon monoxide photocatalytic oxidation are determined. Photocatalytic activity of carbon monoxide oxidation is detected during the absorption of light quanta from the region of indirect electron transitions (quantum energy < 2.9 eV).

Sedimentation of the pollen particulates of goat willow, bay willow, asian black birch, hoary plantain, white goosefoot, and sieversian wormwood is studied. It is shown that the dispersion of the pollen of these six species provides a considerable number of clusters of two or more grains, composing from 32.4 to 53.3% of the resulting particles. These clusters contain from 59.4 to 79.2% of the pollen dispersed. The sedimentation rate of the clusters, including from 1 to 6 pollen grains, is estimated. The dependence of the agglomerate sedimentation rate on the number of the pollen grains included is derived. The impossibility of formation of similar clusters on impactor substrates when spraying pollen is shown.

Analysis of vegetation dynamics of the Myldzhinsky oil-producing territory in the Tomsk region using time series of satellite data is performed. All estimates are based on annual time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery for growing season from 2015 to 2019. By means of geoinformation system ArcGis, circular zones around the Myldzhinskoye field with radii of 10, 20, 30, and 40 km were built. Average values of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were calculated for each of the constructed zones. Analysis of the results showed specific seasonal cyclicity of EVI, in the “inner" zone (10 km diameter) of Myldzhinsky field, which manifests itself in the reduction of the growing season plant communities.

The results of an experimental study of dynamics of the formation of liquid-drop aerosol cloud during the destruction of a spherical liquid core with an initial volume of 2-80 ml during its gravitational sedimentation are presented. The system of similitude criteria which determines the dynamics of the destruction of a liquid macro-volume with the formation of a polydisperse liquid-drop aerosol cloud was derived by the Rayleigh method. It is shown that the prevailing mechanism of the decay of the liquid macro-volume is the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instability when the critical value of the Bond number is reached. A criterion equation is derived for determining the distance passed by a liquid macro-volume to its complete destruction from the Bond number characterizing the influence of surface tension forces. The maximum droplet size in the aerosol cloud was estimated depending on the critical value of the Weber number.

Applied engineering of new development mechanisms for Russian regions is relevant due to the inefficiency of innovation strategies currently in force and the fact that science and technology (S&T) are detached from the sectoral capabilities of the territories. Russia’s new spatial development strategy, adopted in 2019, has led to a conflict between promising sectoral economic specializations and real problems in territories of different types. When coordinating sectoral and territorial approaches, one called “smart specialization" may play a dominant role. The article describes the differences between traditional and smart specializations. In the case of the latter, it is not separate branches that are chosen as “points", but a set of various economic activities in conjunction with regional competences is defined as a fuzzy core with blurred boundaries. Here we give characteristics to sectoral, patent, innovation and publication components as constituent parts of the methodological approach being elaborated. All components are linked through the priorities of the Science and Technology Development Strategy, which acts as a national research platform (program) reflecting the long-term economic and social priorities. A well-coordinated choice of regional development prospects solves the problem of isolated technological forecasts for territories. The developed matrix for selecting sectoral and S&T priorities for the territory can be viewed as a basis for regional investment projects selection. Thus, the federal executive authorities will be able to set a general outline for the most spatially desirable S&T objectives and take on venture risks with supporting technological startups and emerging industries.

The main purpose of the article is to offer recommendations aimed at improving the system for monitoring income inequality in Russian regions. For this, a comprehensive analysis of income inequality measurement procedures is carried out, with a particular focus on the comparison of income inequality indicators used in the official statistical data and alternative ones. As alternative measures, we consider inequality indicators used by international organizations, as well as those applied in various economic studies. The analysis is empirically based on microdata from the 2017 Sample Inquiry of Income and Participation in Social Programs. Based on the calculations of official and alternative indicators, we have selected a number of indicators in the research to identify regional features of income inequality. The study has also produced a list of regions requiring additional inequality indicators, where they are most relevant. Adopting additional factors of income differentiation may provide policymakers with important information and help develop effective measures for combating inequality.

The article considers a modified interregional input-output optimization model of rail transport (OMMM-RT), namely the one with an additional algorithm and module using the theory of dual problems by K.A. Bagrinovsky and A.G. Aganbegyan but as applied to large-scale capital investments in general. We calculate the final consumption fund in the initial OMMM-RT model; following this operation, based on the dual problem theory, the obtained value of the final consumption fund serves as a lower boundary. In our case, the dual problem consists in minimizing the amount of capital investment in large-scale railway projects. The article proves that the same conditions as in finding the maximum of a target function lead to a solution for the problem with lower capital investment.

The article substantiates the universal character of complaints as a non-market feedback signal. The complaints institution is actively used today in social states as legal civic protests. In Russia, the administrative complaints institution served to collect feedback throughout the entire history of the razdatok (“distributive ") economy. We show different stages of the evolution of institutional forms of complaints, from petitions to administrative complaints organically embedded in the hierarchical resource distribution system. The article demonstrates a mechanism for using complaints in decision-making at various management levels and compares Russian and western practices of including civil complaints in the public administration process. In the West, civil complaints are used in the public sector when providing services to citizens. We emphasize the transformation of administrative complaints into civil ones, including legal protest action.

Further vocational education (FVE) is an important subsystem of the social institution of education, whose dynamic development lies in the fact that, in this day and age, it is impossible to ensure the relevance of one’s knowledge for life. Economic globalization, accelerated technological advances, the rapid development of manufacturing processes and innovative technology, newly establishing information and knowledge societies, and increased competition in the labor market-every one of these factors contribute to the growing social need for further education, as well as create and improve an individual’s motivation to resume and continue their lifelong learning. Under the current socio-economic conditions, the FVE system requires fresh approaches. The present trend is to build an FVE system aimed at satisfying professional, educational, and personal needs expressed by the main consumers of these educational services (students of FVE programs and employers) to the fullest extent possible. Further vocational education is gaining in social importance and becoming a key area that provides an enabling environment for professional development, maintaining and improving competitiveness in the labor market, along with self-fulfillment, cultural growth, and personal empowerment. Moreover, FVE is a more mobile and flexible system than higher education, which makes it possible to rapidly and timely update the content or reorient FVE curricula to constantly changing societal and government demands. The article reviews the main stages of the institutional evolution of further vocational education in Russia, revealing its social functions at each stage; identifies factors contributing to the growing demand for FVE in present-day society; presents the results of a sociological study on social conditions affecting the work and development of FVE in the region (specifically Belgorod Oblast).

The article presents a detailed analysis of the financial behavior found in the population of Tuva and Kalmykia. The authors demonstrate poor knowledge of the designated object of study. Methodologically, the study is based on the provisions of the socio-cultural approach. Methodically, the analysis is based on a comparison of sociological and statistical indicators that allow characterizing the financial behavior of residents in the republics under discussion. The information base of the research has been formed by the following sources: 1) the results of the 2018 Financial Literacy Rating of Russian Regions, sociological research; 2) official Rosstat statistics; 3) information on funds placed and raised by the Central Bank of Russia. All indicators used for the analysis are publicly available on the official websites of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, Rosstat, and the Bank of Russia. Relying upon the indicator analysis, we draw a conclusion that the regions are facing a challenging socio-economic situation, accompanied by a decrease in real household income. At the same time, the situation in the Republic of Kalmykia is slightly better than that in the Republic of Tuva. According to the 2018 Financial Literacy Rating of the Regions of Russia, the regions are classified into different groups: Kalmykia has high financial literacy, whereas Tuva is defined by its low levels. A detailed analysis of the indicators underlying the final financial literacy index revealed three major differences in financial behavior among Kalmykia residents, which ensured the republic's high ranking, namely: being able to point out features of a financial pyramid, extensive use of bank cards, and online banking operations. Otherwise, the population demonstrates similar financial behavior, determined by the priority of credit practices over savings, high delinquency rate, and severe undersaving. In general, trends in the development of lending and savings processes in the republics coincide with the national ones (consistently growing financial performance with a sharp decline during the 2014-2015 economic crisis), although the ratio of loans to deposits is fundamentally different. An important peculiarity of financial behavior in Tuva and Kalmykia is high public trust in banks (higher than in the rest of Russia). Starting from 2014 in Tuva and from 2018 in Kalmykia, their authorities have been working on improving citizens' financial literacy and treating it as one of the strategic objectives. We conclude with a hypothesis for further research: the financial culture among the residents of Tuva and Kalmykia has Russia-specific sociocultural grounds, which need to be studied in order to devise effective measures for improving the population’s financial literacy in these regions.

In this paper, we evaluate the impact of monetary policy on investment in Siberian regions. At the first stage of the study, we have assessed the regional investment responses to changes in the interbank market rate using structural vector autoregression. At the second stage, regression equations have been calculated with accumulated impulse responses as dependent variables and assumed explanatory factors as independent ones. Regions with a larger share of manufacturing and small businesses and a higher ratio of exports to GRP are found to be more affected by rising monetary policy rates than regions with fewer small firms, more diversified industries, and a lower export component in GRP. It is also discovered that factors such as the share of small businesses in the regions and the ratio of exports to GRP explain the differences in the responses of regional investments to the shock of monetary policy better than the share of manufacturing in GRP. Furthermore, it is revealed that the higher the risk level at the local enterprises, the greater the decrease in investment with monetary tightening measures in place. Differences in the efficiency of monetary instruments application for Siberia’s regions should be considered when developing regional economic policy. For example, the losses in regions where monetary tightening leads to a greater decline in investment can be compensated through fiscal policies.

One of the most widely applicable indicators of sustainability of the economic development is the “genuine savings " indicator. To obtain more accurate estimates of the sustainability of the development of the Russian Far Eastern regions, the article uses a modification of the World Bank’s genuine savings assessment method considering the characteristics of the regions and the most detailed set of open statistics. According to the results of the study, we have identified “anti-sustainable" trends in the development of a few resource-type regions of the Russian Far East, which could be explained by the intensification of mining. The transition to sustainable development in the Far East as a whole will only be possible if all its regions are provided with sustainable development, i.e. the territories will not only be used as a resource-rich ground to replenish the federal budget and generate profits for companies involved in subsoil use but also as a truly strategic center for the country’s development, focused primarily on the accelerated growth of investment in human capital.

The article discusses approaches to improving the spatial development of the Russian Federation and increasing the performance of public regional, science and technology policies by enhancing cross-border cooperation in the East of Russia. We analyze the problems related to the “eastern vector" of the country’s spatial development and conclude that much of the reserves are being unused. This priority area of spatial development and cross-border interactions in Asian Russia does not yet receive sizeable research support, and major activities and projects take shape on the initiative of state corporations and vertically integrated companies. In this regard, the article shows the need to establish, within the structure of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, an International Research Center for Cross-border Interactions in North and North-East Asia, which would focus on creating and putting into practice the concept of a modernized eastern vector of Russia’s development and derived government policy on that basis. The emphasis for such a center should be on strengthening the role of Siberian and Far Eastern regions in economic and sci-tech intercountry relations in North-East Asia. The article ends up with the goals, objectives and main lines of research at the Center as a new-type network scientific and organizational structure functioning like analytical think tanks.

The paper presents a brief description of the state of power supply to the Baikal-Hovsgol cross-border territory covering the Tunka area of the Republic of Buryatia and the Hijvsgiol aymag of Mongolia. Power is supplied via an extended radial power line, which is characterized by poor reliability and low voltage levels for the consumer. The territory has a special status of nature management due to the recreational zones and large national parks of Russia and Mongolia adjacent to each other. We propose the use of renewable energy sources for the development of power supply systems as one of the strategic directions of the Russia-Mongolia energy cooperation. The paper provides a brief description of the state of renewable energy development in the Republic of Buryatia and Mongolia and normative acts aimed at its stimulation. We analyze available solar and wind energy resources in the territory and divide the Baikal-HUvsgol cross-border territory into zones in terms of solar radiation and average annual wind speed. Based on a comparison of the calculated performance indices of the photovoltaic (PV) module and wind turbine for the considered territory, the paper concludes that priority should be given to PV power stations.

This article provides a thorough review of a new textbook “Urban Studies. Urban Economics, Development and Governance" from a collective body led by Prof. and D.Sc. (Econ.) L.E. Limonov. We have analyzed in great detail all parts of this monumental work, identified the textbook’s strengths and suggested improvements for possible reprints. Such a critical review takes into account our academic position and experience, which is expressed in comments on present-day urbanization trends within the information society and digital economy. We conclude that there is great merit in this textbook, which is an organic combination of theory and practice of urban studies and economics, on the one hand, plus domestic and international experience, on the other. It is one of the few textbooks on urbanism that describes some of the activities related to urban development management in a fairly comprehensive manner. The textbook is based on the creative use of contemporary research and study materials on economics of Russian and foreign origin, detailed statistics, and author’s developments. It can be useful not only for students in higher education but also for state and municipal officials in their professional retraining. As remarks, we propose to enhance the sections about new urbanization trends against the challenges and threats of the XXI century. Thus, it is recommended to include the following new sections in the textbook: Digital Economy and Urban Development; Green Economy and Urban Development; Creative Cities as National Innovation and Communication Hubs; Cognitive Geoinformatics and Intellectual Geoinformatics Systems in Urban Development and Governance, etc. We also critically evaluate the sections dedicated to the current urban development planning and urbanization trends in Russia, which in our opinion are too “neutral" and do not fully cover complex problems pertaining to the development and management of Russian cities. Overall, “‘Urban Studies. Urban Economics, Development and Governance " receives an exceptionally high appraisal. The review shows that the textbook can be of great use to its main target audience (undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students specializing in economics and economic geography; state and municipal officials) and that it holds the potential for regular ““updates " of the material constantly supplemented with novel information, best urban development practices, video lessons, news items, and others. This will provide an opportunity for a future reader to experience almost all aspects of urban studies, urban economics, social environment in modern cities, and municipal development management.

The evidences in favor of efficiency of shock-wave in ischemic heart disease therapy are originated mainly from small, uncontrolled observational studies. The experiments have relatively short duration. The shock-wave therapy benefits for ischemic heart disease have been explained by heightened myocardial perfusion and angiogenesis attributed among others to activation of vascular endothelial growth factors of the VEGF group. The role of VEGF in heart diseases and atherosclerosis is ambivalent; along with potential benefit it may contribute to fibrosis. A shock wave induces tissue cavitation and shear stress to membranes. The vulnerability of cardiac muscle cells under conditions of ischemia is increased. Additional damage may contribute to the cell loss. Reported effects of shock-wave treatment may be transient and reactive in their nature. Clinical improvements in humans are caused, at least in part, by the placebo effect. Placebo therapy is beneficial for some patients; however, placebo must be harmless by definition. In conclusion, animal experiments with a longer follow-up are needed prior to the initiation of clinical research with large cohorts of patients. However, some possible late outcomes such as increased vascularization of atherosclerotic plaques and their instability cannot be reliably reproduced in experiments. A promising approach to the evaluation of net harm or benefit could be lifelong animal experiments with comparisons of average life span between test and control groups.