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Russia
Kinds of Russia Selected AbstractsFOREST CONSERVATION IN RUSSIA: ISSUES AND STRATEGIESGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Elena Lioubimtseva No abstract is available for this article. [source] INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTION ON MACROPHYTOBENTHOS OF THE AVACHA BAY (SOUTHEAST KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA)JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000N.G. Klotchkova Most industrial and agricultural enterprises of the Kamchatsky district are situated along the coast of the Avacha Bay and its river drainage. Intensive water pollution resulted in extreme deterioration of the bay's ecology. The destruction of macrophytobenthos under the influence of pollution was investigated. Materials were regularly collected at the same sampling sites in different seasons of the year from 1988 up to 1999. Analysis of our data allowed us to determine directions of long-term changes of species composition and macrophytobenthos structure, speed of degradation of different types of vegetational communities and reasons for all these processes. The Avacha Bay's flora consisted of more than 160 species up to 1970s, including species belonged to 104 genera, 47 families, 23 orders, 3 divisions (30 Chlorophyta, 48 Phaeophyta, 82 Rhodophyta). Flora of the internal part of the bay differed from that of the bay's mouth and consisted of 143 and 146 species, respectively. Presently, the whole flora of the bay (internal part+ throat) includes only 94 species. Along the urban coast 18 poly- and mesosaprobious species are found only. They are characterized by small sizes, low productivity and short life cycles. Most of them are ephemeral with a primitive morphology. The responsive reaction of algae to pollution resulted in decreases in size and weight of the thalli, and appearance of anomalies of development. Laminaria bongardiana was used as a bioindicator. The changes of weight and sizes of its plants allow us to determine degree of the pollution in different parts of the coast of the Avacha Bay. [source] Governing Emerging Stock Markets: legal vs administrative governanceCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2005Katharina Pistor Transition economies face a fundamental dilemma. They need to develop financial markets, and yet they lack the ingredients it takes to do so. Recipes for legal governance mechanisms that have worked elsewhere, including reactive law enforcement by courts and proactive law enforcement by regulators, may not help in the short to medium term. Using evidence from stock market development in China and Russia, this paper suggests that at least in the short term, administrative governance may be a viable alternative to legal governance in emerging stock markets. [source] Corporate Governance in the Russian Federation: the relevance of the OECD Principles on shareholder rights and equitable treatmentCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2001Fianna Jesover Despite progress in developing extensive legislation and regulations, there is still a long way to go before the standards of corporate governance in Russia will instil widespread confidence in investors. The emphasis is now on their implementation and enforcement by the state and private sector institutions. Transparent, equitable rules and predictable enforcement mechanisms are necessary to make the Russian economy attractive to both domestic and foreign investors, and enhance public confidence in the overall reform process. This paper uses the first two chapters of the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance on shareholder rights and their equitable treatment and looks through their prism at the Russian corporate governance condition. [source] A case study of shell at Sakhalin: having a whale of a time?CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Subhasis Ray Abstract This is a case study on the world's largest oil and gas project, at the Sakhalin Islands, Russia. Shell is the key promoter of this project. The case highlights the sustainability challenges that Shell faced when working on the mega-project. By their very nature, all such projects involve disruptions in the environmental and social fabric of the project site. NGOs often take up these issues and create international headlines, bringing pressure on the management team. The Russian government also changed its stand over a period of time. While many of these issues are valid in their own way, they often create managerial dilemmas. Traditional management approaches to community development and environmental conservation fell short of stakeholder expectations at Sakhalin. The issue of saving around 100 endangered whales put a cloud of doubt over this $20 billion project. The case highlights strategic issues involved in crafting sustainability strategies at mega-projects, possible pitfalls and the challenge of balancing project execution and stakeholder commitments against an unstable political backdrop. As Shell plans to start many exploration projects in bio-diversity rich parts of the world, the Sakhalin project acts as a pilot to and reminder of social responsibility challenges to big multi-nationals. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] SELF-CONTROL, CRIMINAL MOTIVATION AND DETERRENCE: AN INVESTIGATION USING RUSSIAN RESPONDENTSCRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2005CHARLES R. TITTLE With data from respondents in Nizhni Novgorod, Russia, we address the generality of self-control theory. We also assess two hypotheses. The first focuses on the attractiveness of criminal acts, that is, motivation toward crime. The second concerns the contention that the mediating link between self-control and criminal conduct is the failure of those with less self-control to anticipate the long-term costs of misbehavior. Although the magnitude of associations between self-control and indicators of criminal behavior is about the same in this study as it is in others, which suggests that the theory is not culturally bound, those associations are largely overshadowed by criminal attraction. Consistent with that, failure to anticipate costly long-term consequences does not appear to be the mediating link between self-control and criminal behavior: the evidence shows no tendency for sanction fear to be greater among those with greater self-control. In fact, sanction fear is modestly and significantly related to the crime measures independent of self-control, though sanction fear also appears to be influenced by criminal attraction. The results suggest that in the production of criminal behavior, motivation may be more important than controls inhibiting criminal impulses. [source] A Case of Aptos Thread Migration and Partial ExpulsionDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2005José G. Silva-Siwady MD Background In our practice, the use of dented polypropylene suture has become a very simple, conservative, and effective procedure for lifting flabby ptosed facial tissue, improving it without surgery. As with some cosmetic procedures, we have seen complications with this technique. Objective To present a case report of migration and partial expulsion of Aptos thread (TOTAL Charm, Moscow, Russia). Methods After successful fixation of facial tissue with 10 Aptos threads (5 on each side, 3 in the upper and central cheek, and 2 in the mandibular area), the patient returned 28 days later owing to migration and partial expulsion of one of the Aptos threads. Results The expulsed thread was easily removed, and the patient was treated with antibiotic therapy without further complications. Conclusion After this experience, we can conclude that Aptos threads are an additional tool in our arsenal for the treatment of facial aging. We must be especially cautious and aware that our patients can present with previously unknown complications secondary to newly described procedures, as with this recent technique. JOSé G. SILVA-SIWADY, MD, CELINA DÍAZ-GARZA, AND JORGE OCAMPO-CANDIANI, MD, HAVE INDICATED NO SIGNIFICANT INTEREST WITH COMMERCIAL SUPPORTERS. [source] The Rapid Rise of Supermarkets in Central and Eastern Europe: Implications for the Agrifood Sector and Rural DevelopmentDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 5 2004Liesbeth Dries During the 1990s transition period in Central and Eastern Europe, the retail sector was privatised and some domestic-capital supermarket chains gradually emerged. Massive inflows of foreign direct investment followed and competitive domestic investments drove a rapid take-off of large-format modern retail sector development from a tiny ,luxury' niche of around 5% of food retail in the mid-1990s to 40,50% by 2003 in ,firstwave' and 20,40% in ,second-wave' countries. In ,third-wave' countries like Russia, it is still only 10% but growing very fast. In most countries there is rapid multi-nationalisation and consolidation of the supermarket sector, with profound changes in procurement systems affecting the conditions facing farmers, and creating important opportunities and challenges. [source] Mammals of Russia and Adjacent Regions: LagomorphsACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010Irina Ruf No abstract is available for this article. [source] The histology of the Upper Silurian osteostracan Timanaspis kossovoii Obruchev (Agnatha) from North Timan, RussiaACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2009Olga B. Afanassieva Abstract The fine structure of the exoskeleton of Timanaspis kossovoii Obruchev 1962 was investigated based on new well-preserved material. The remains come from the lower part of the Eptarma Formation (Upper Silurian). Timanaspis kossovoii was referred by Obruchev to the family Tremataspididae and most authors agree with the placement of Timanaspis among tremataspidid osteostracans. Histological study of the shield of T. kossovoii has revealed the presence of unusual features in the exoskeletal structure. The smooth and shiny surface of the ventral side of the shield of T. kossovoii is similar to that of species of Tremataspis, but thin sections show differences in histological composition. The exoskeleton of T. kossovoii consists mainly of dense bony tissue in the middle layer and a laminated basal layer. No osteocyte cavities of typical form and size were found in the middle layer. The upper parts of the elongated tubercles of the dorsal side of the shield are formed by a well-developed dentine-like tissue; the arrangement of numerous tubules within this tissue is far more regular than in the mesodentine of Tremataspis. No traces of perforated septa, pore fields or a polygonal model were detected in the structure of the exoskeleton of Timanaspis. We conclude that Timanaspis can be differentiated from conventional tremataspidids by histological features and refer it to the new family Timanaspididae. Moreover, the Timanaspis exoskeleton provides evidence that an acellular condition of bony tissue does not appear to be characteristic of only Late Devonian osteostracans. [source] Geographical segregation in Dunlin Calidris alpina populations wintering along the East Atlantic migratory flyway , evidence from mitochondrial DNA analysisDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 5 2008Ricardo J. Lopes ABSTRACT Dunlin Calidris alpina is one of the most abundant shorebirds using coastal habitats in the East Atlantic migratory flyway, that links arctic breeding locations (Greenland to Siberia) with wintering grounds (West Europe to West Africa). Differential migration and winter segregation between populations have been indicated by morphometrics and ringing recoveries. Here, we analyse the potential of genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA , mtDNA) to validate and enhance such findings. We compared mtDNA haplotypes frequencies at different wintering sites (from north-west Europe to West Africa). All birds from West Africa had western (European) haplotypes, while the eastern (Siberian) haplotypes were only present in European winter samples, reaching higher frequencies further north in Europe. Compilation of published results from migrating birds also confirmed these differences, with the sole presence of European haplotypes in Iberia and West Africa and increasingly higher frequencies of Siberian haplotypes from south-west to north-west Europe. Comparison with published haplotype frequencies of breeding populations shows that birds from Greenland, Iceland, and North Europe were predominant in wintering grounds in West Africa, while populations wintering in West Europe originated from more eastern breeding grounds (e.g. North Russia). These results show that genetic markers can be used to enhance the integrative monitoring of wintering and breeding populations, by providing biogeographical evidence that validate the winter segregation of breeding populations. [source] The earliest evidence of host,parasite interactions in vertebratesACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2009evics, ns Luk Abstract Traces of parasite action have been discovered in the Middle,Upper Devonian fish from Estonia, Latvia and European Russia. Such traces are known in heterostracan Psammolepis venyukovi, antiarchs Asterolepis radiata and Bothriolepis ciecere, sarcopterygians Holoptychius sp., Ventalepis ketleriensis and Eusthenodon sp. nov. The traces include evidence of parasitic fixation and penetration as well as dwelling traces. Pathologies are developed as (1) round fossulae on the external surface of bones and scales; (2) oval fossulae with a slight elevation in the centre of the pit; (3) hollow swellings (possible galls); (4) openings (perforations) that have been repaired to various degrees; (5) variously shaped buttresses on the visceral surface of sarcopterygian scales; and (6) porous spongy formations on the non-overlapped surface of sarcopterygian scales. The round fossulae in sarcopterygian, placoderm and psammosteid skeletal elements could be produced by parasites that are similar to copepod crustaceans. Gall formation in Asterolepis is most likely to be caused by a larva, possibly of a trematode. The perforations of scales (and dermal bones) might arise from the attacks of ectoparasites (copepods?) or different worms. The spongy formations on the Holoptychius scales could be the result of invasion of a unicellular parasite. [source] Listing BRICs: Stock Issuers from Brazil, Russia, India, and China in New York, London, and LuxembourgECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2010Dariusz Wójcik abstract In the past decade, hundreds of companies from emerging markets have listed their shares on American and European stock markets. Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) are the main countries of origin of issuers, and stock exchanges in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg are the main destinations involved in the process. We use a comprehensive data set for these home and host markets for the end of 2008 to explore the intensity of foreign listings, the subnational geography of cross-listed firms, and the destinations of foreign listings. Cross-listing firms tend to be relatively large and come from capital-intensive, export-oriented, and high-growth sectors. Trading links with and industrial specialization of the host markets affect the choice of destination markets. These patterns, however, are not universal across countries. There is a high concentration of cross-listed firms in the leading financial centers of the BRIC countries, particularly in Russia and Brazil. Firms outside of the leading centers rarely cross-list, and when they do, they enter second-tier host markets. While BRIC countries have a large potential for further foreign listings, the process remains politically sensitive. Our results highlight the shortcomings of the literature on cross-listing in economics and the significance of the cross-listing phenomenon to future research in financial geographies. [source] Serfdom and social capital in Bohemia and Russia1ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 3 2007T. K. DENNISON The ,horizontal' social capital generated by networks and communities is widely regarded as inherently antagonistic to ,vertical' hierarchies such as serfdom. This article examines this view using evidence from pre-Emancipation Bohemia and Russia. It finds that serf communes generated a substantial ,social capital' of shared norms, common information, and collective sanctions. But communal social capital was manipulated by village elites who collaborated with overlords in taxation, land regulation, and demographic control. This benefited communal oligarchies, but harmed ordinary serfs and the wider economy. Horizontal social capital and vertical hierarchies, the article demonstrates, can as easily collude as conflict. [source] The production and consumption of bar iron in early modern England and WalesECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2005PETER KING Errata. The Economic History Review 59: 1, 64 The production and consumption of bar iron in early modern England and Wales. An estimate made of the bar iron production in England shows two periods when production grew rapidly, 1540-1620 and 1785-1810. Both of these were related to the adoption of new technology-the finery forge in the first case, and potting and stamping and then puddling in the second. Imports of iron from Spain declined sharply after 1540, but those from Sweden became significant from the mid-seventeenth century, and those from Russia after 1730. Consumption grew rapidly in the late sixteenth century, and again during the eighteenth. Hence, the industrial revolution was the culmination of a long period of growth. [source] Baltic iron and the British iron industry in the eighteenth centuryECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 4 2002Chris Evans Before the revolution in coal technology that swept the British iron industry in the last years of the eighteenth century, native ironmasters were unable to meet the burgeoning demand for malleable bar iron. The shortfall was made good by imports of bar iron from the Baltic, first from Sweden, then from Russia. This article presents new empirical evidence on the role played by Baltic iron in the Georgian economy. It also considers the impact of Swedish and Russian iron on domestic ironmasters as they sought organizational, as well as technological, ways to overcome the energy constraints facing the industry. [source] The Russian ,flat tax' reformECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 43 2005Anna Ivanova SUMMARY Russian's ,flat tax' In 2001, Russia dramatically reduced its higher rates of personal income tax (PIT), establishing a single marginal rate at the low level of 13%. In the following year, real revenue from the PIT increased by about 26%. This ,flat tax' experience has attracted much attention (and emulation), making it perhaps the most important tax reform of recent years. But it has been little studied. This paper asks whether the strong performance of PIT revenue was itself a consequence of this reform, using both macro evidence and, in particular, micro level data on the experiences of individuals and households affected by the reform to varying degrees. It concludes that there is no evidence of a strong supply side effect of the reform. Compliance, however, does appear to have improved quite substantially , by about one third, according to our estimates , though it remains unclear whether this was due to the parametric tax reform or to accompanying changes in enforcement. , Anna Ivanova, Michael Keen and Alexander Klemm [source] Identifying Welfare Effects from Subjective QuestionsECONOMICA, Issue 271 2001Martin Ravallion We argue that the welfare inferences drawn from answers to subjective,qualitative survey questions are clouded by concerns over the structure of measurement errors and how latent psychological factors influence observed respondent characteristics. We propose a panel data model that allows more robust tests and we estimate the model on a high-quality survey for Russia. We find significant income effects on an individual's subjective economic welfare. Demographic effects are weak at given income per capita. Ill-health and becoming unemployed lower welfare at given current income, although the unemployment effect is not robust, and returning to work does not restore welfare without an income gain. [source] Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infectionADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Elijah Paintsil ABSTRACT Aims To understand the epidemiology and transmission patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV), the predominant blood borne-pathogen infecting injection drug users (IDUs), in a part of the former Soviet Union. Design Cross-sectional respondent-driven sample of IDUs. Setting St Petersburg, Russia. Participants A total of 387 IDUs were recruited in late 2005 and throughout 2006. Measurements Participants were surveyed to collect demographic, medical and both general and dyad-specific drug injection and sexual behaviors. A blood sample was collected to detect antibodies to hepatitis C and to amplify viral RNA for molecular analysis. The molecular data, including genotypes, were analyzed spatially and linkage patterns were compared to the social linkages obtained by respondent-driven sampling (RDS) for chains of respondents and among the injection dyads. Findings HCV infection was all but ubiquitous: 94.6% of IDUs were HCV-seropositive. Among the 209 viral sequences amplified, genotype 3a predominated (n = 119, 56.9%), followed by 1b (n = 61, 29.2%) and 1a (n = 25, 11.9%). There was no significant clustering of genotypes spatially. Neither genotypes nor closely related sequences were clustered within RDS chains. Analysis of HCV sequences from dyads failed to find associations of genotype or sequence homology within pairs. Conclusions Genotyping reveals that there have been at least five unique introductions of HCV genotypes into the IDU community in St Petersburg. Analysis of prevalent infections does not appear to correlate with the social networks of IDUs, suggesting that simple approaches to link these networks to prevalent infections, rather than incident transmission, will not prove meaningful. On a more positive note, the majority of IDUs are infected with 3a genotype that is associated with sustained virological response to antiviral therapy. [source] Alcohol and Russian mortality: a continuing crisisADDICTION, Issue 10 2009David A. Leon ABSTRACT Background Russia remains in the grip of a mortality crisis in which alcohol plays a central role. In 2007, male life expectancy at birth was 61 years, while for females it was 74 years. Alcohol is implicated particularly in deaths among working-age men. Aims To review the current state of knowledge about the contribution of alcohol to the continuing very high mortality seen among Russian adults Results Conservative estimates attribute 31,43% of deaths among working-age men to alcohol. This latter estimate would imply a minimum of 170 000 excess deaths due to hazardous alcohol consumption in Russia per year. Men drink appreciably more than women in Russia. Hazardous drinking is most prevalent among people with low levels of education and those who are economically disadvantaged, partly because some of the available sources of ethanol are very cheap and easy to obtain. The best estimates available suggest that per capita consumption among adults is 15,18 litres of pure ethanol per year. However, reliable estimation of the total volume of alcohol consumed per capita in Russia is very difficult because of the diversity of sources of ethanol that are available, for many of which data do not exist. These include both illegal spirits, as well as legal non-beverage alcohols (such as medicinal tinctures). In 2006 regulations were introduced aimed at reducing the production and sale of non-beverage alcohols that are commonly drunk. These appear to have been only partially successful. Conclusion There is convincing evidence that alcohol plays an important role in explaining high mortality in Russia, in particular among working age men. However, there remain important uncertainties about the precise scale of the problem and about the health effects of the distinctive pattern of alcohol consumption that is prevalent in Russia today. While there is a need for further research, enough is known to justify the development of a comprehensive inter-sectoral alcohol control strategy. The recent fall in life expectancy in Russia should give a renewed urgency to attempts to move the policy agenda forward. [source] Carcinogenicity of acetaldehyde in alcoholic beverages: risk assessment outside ethanol metabolismADDICTION, Issue 4 2009Dirk W. Lachenmeier ABSTRACT Aims In addition to being produced in ethanol metabolism, acetaldehyde occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages. Limited epidemiological evidence points to acetaldehyde as an independent risk factor for cancer during alcohol consumption, in addition to the effects of ethanol. This study aims to estimate human exposure to acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages and provide a quantitative risk assessment. Methods The human dietary intake of acetaldehyde via alcoholic beverages was estimated based on World Health Organization (WHO) consumption data and literature on the acetaldehyde contents of different beverage groups (beer, wine, spirits and unrecorded alcohol). The risk assessment was conducted using the European Food Safety Authority's margin of exposure (MOE) approach with benchmark doses obtained from dose,response modelling of animal experiments. Life-time cancer risk was calculated using the T25 dose descriptor. Results The average exposure to acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages was estimated at 0.112 mg/kg body weight/day. The MOE was calculated to be 498, and the life-time cancer risk at 7.6 in 10 000. Higher risk may exist for people exposed to high acetaldehyde contaminations, as we have found in certain unrecorded alcohol beverages in Guatemala and Russia, for which we have demonstrated possible exposure scenarios, with risks in the range of 1 in 1000. Conclusions The life-time cancer risks for acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages greatly exceed the usual limits for cancer risks from the environment set between 1 : 10 000 and 1 : 1 000 000. Alcohol consumption has thus been identified as a direct source of acetaldehyde exposure, which in conjunction with other sources (food flavourings, tobacco) results in a magnitude of risk requiring intervention. An initial public health measure could be to reduce the acetaldehyde content in alcoholic beverages as low as technologically possible, and to restrict its use as a food flavour additive. [source] Taxonomic Notes on Myllocerus malignus Faust (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Entiminae)ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2003Kyungduk HAN ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Myllocerus malignus Faust was described new to science from Korea in 1887. Since then, the species collected from Korea and Far-east Russia has been misidentified as Eumyllocerus gratiosus Sharp, E. filicornis (Reitter), or E. longulus Egorov et Zherikhin. A taxonomic review of Myllocerus malignus Faust (1887) with its synonymy and the clarification of sexual dimorphism is presented. As a results, Myllocerus viridiaureus Suvorov (1915) and Eumyllocerus longulus Egorov et Zherikhin (1990) are synonymized with Myllocerus malignus. [source] Descriptions and biological notes of Ctenoplectra bees from Southeast Asia and Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Ctenoplectrini) with a new species from North BorneoENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009I-Hsin SUNG Abstract Six Ctenoplectra species are recorded from Southeast Asia and Taiwan. They are C. chalybea Smith, C. cornuta Gribodo, C. davidi Vachal, C. elsei Engel, C. sandakana sp. nov. and C. vagans Cockerell. Females of C. sandakana sp. nov. from North Borneo are similar to the mainland species C. chalybea, but differ mainly in the clypeal keel and the length of the antennal segments. The small blackish species, C. cornuta, is distributed in Myanmar, China and Taiwan and C. davidi is distributed in China, Russia and Taiwan; both species are seen at the flowers of Thladiantha. Ctenoplectra chalybea was collected from the Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam. Ctenoplectra apicalis Smith and C. kelloggi Cockerell are allied to C. chalybea; however, C. kelloggi is excluded from this study due to insufficient material. A key to the six known Ctenoplectra species is given. The large metallic species, C. chalybea and C. elsei, visit flowers of Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. For the first time observations on the nest structures of C. chalybea and C. cornuta are presented. They choose remarkable places, such as artificial structures and buildings, for nest sites. The nest architecture prevents rain and direct sunlight from entering the nest. Bees used pre-existing holes or crevices in wood for nesting shelters and collected soil and appeared to mix it with some other substance to build nests. The cell lining materials and rubbing behaviors against the cell wall suggest that Ctenoplectra bees use floral oil mainly for cell lining materials. [source] Entrepreneurship in Russia and China: The Impact of Formal Institutional VoidsENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2010Sheila M. Puffer Transition economies are often characterized by underdeveloped formal institutions, often resulting in an unstable environment and creating a void usually filled by informal ones. Entrepreneurs in transition environments thus face more uncertainty and risk than those in more developed economies. This article examines the relationship of institutions and entrepreneurship in Russia and China in the context of institutional theory by analyzing private property as a formal institution, as well as trust and blat/guanxi as informal institutions. This article thus contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship and institutional theory by focusing on these topics in transition economies, and by emphasizing how their relationship differs from that in developed economies. We conclude that full convergence toward entrepreneurs' reliance on formal institutions may not readily occur in countries like Russia and China due to the embeddedness of informal institutions. Instead, such countries and their entrepreneurs may develop unique balances between informal and formal institutions that better fit their circumstances. Implications for the theory and practice of entrepreneurship in such environments are also offered. [source] Emission trading regimes and incentives to participate in international climate agreementsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2004Barbara Buchner This paper analyses whether different emission trading regimes provide different incentives to participate in a cooperative climate agreement. Different incentive structures are discussed for those countries, namely the US, Russia and China, that are most important in the climate negotiation process. Our analysis confirms the conjecture that, by appropriately designing the emission trading regime, it is possible to enhance the incentives to participate in a climate agreement. Therefore, participation and optimal policy should be jointly analysed. Moreover, our results show that the US, Russia and China have different most preferred climate coalitions and therefore adopt conflicting negotiation strategies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis among injecting drug users in Russia: a multi-city studyADDICTION, Issue 2 2006Tim Rhodes ABSTRACT Objectives To estimate the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Russia. Methods Unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey of 1473 IDUs recruited from non-treatment settings in Moscow, Volgograd and Barnaul (Siberia), with oral fluid sample collection for HIV, HCV antibody (anti-HIV, anti-HCV) and syphilis testing. Results Prevalence of antibody to HIV was 14% in Moscow, 3% in Volgograd and 9% in Barnaul. HCV prevalence was 67% in Moscow, 70% in Volgograd and 54% in Barnaul. Prevalence of positive syphilis serology was 8% in Moscow, 20% in Volgograd and 6% in Barnaul. Half of those HIV positive and a third of those HCV positive were unaware of their positive status. Common risk factors associated with HIV and HCV infection across the cities included both direct and indirect sharing of injecting equipment and injection of home-produced drugs. Among environmental risk factors, we found increased odds of anti-HIV associated with being in prison in Moscow, and some association between official registration as a drug user and anti-HIV and anti-HCV. No associations were found between sexual risk behaviours and anti-HIV in any city. Conclusions HIV prevalence among IDUs was markedly higher than city routine surveillance data suggests and at potentially critical levels in terms of HIV prevention in two cities. HCV prevalence was high in all cities. Syphilis prevalence highlights the potential for sexual risk and sexual HIV transmission. Despite large-scale testing programmes, knowledge of positive status was poor. The scaling-up of harm reduction for IDUs in Russia, including sexual risk reduction, is an urgent priority. [source] Problems of resistance development in arthropod pests of agricultural crops in RussiaEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 1 2008G. I. Sukhoruchenko This paper presents the results of long-term monitoring of insecticide resistance in populations of agricultural pests in Russia. Over the last 45 years, resistance developments were recorded for 36 arthropod pest species in 11 agricultural crops and pastures in relation to nearly all commonly used plant protection products. Development of group, cross and multiple resistance has been revealed in populations of many economically important pests. Toxicological and phenotypical (for Colorado potato beetle) methods have been devised to monitor the development of pesticide resistance. Based on experience over the last century, systems aimed at preventing the development of pest resistance to insecticides and acaricides are elaborated. These systems are based on resistance monitoring and using plant protection measures which minimize the toxic pressure on agroecosystems. [source] New occurrence of Ips duplicatus Sahlberg in Herstal (Liege, Belgium)EPPO BULLETIN, Issue 3 2006F. Piel The double-spined spruce engraver Ips duplicatus is not present in Belgium and France. In summer 2003, several adult Ips duplicatus beetles were caught near quays in Herstal (Liege) during a survey. Large volumes of spruce logs, from Russia and the Baltic countries, had been imported to the immediate locality where the beetles had been caught. Thus, it is most likely that the capture specimens were introduced with these consignments. [source] Plum pox virus (PPV) in RussiaEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2006Y. Prichodko No abstract is available for this article. [source] Alcohol and homicide in RussiaADDICTION, Issue 8 2004INGEBORG ROSSOW No abstract is available for this article. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||