Rostov Oblast Research Articles

Geography of research networks in the Big South of Russia

The geography of research and innovation activity is a traditional topic of research in human geography. Classical studies of the clustering and diffusion of innovation in the 1960s and 70s received a new impetus in the 21st century with the understanding of the openness of innovation and the importance of interregional collaborative networks. Digitalization has played an important role, providing access to new sources of large geocoded data on the movement of key elements of the knowledge economy, including publications as a formalized outcome of scientific activity. The purpose of the article is to identify the center-periphery research ties of one of the largest macroregions of Russia – the Big South of Russia. The aim was to assess the territorial patterns of interregional research networks with the identification of gravity poles and interconnections at the local and national levels. The study uses the method of spatial scientometrics. Geocoded data on publications from the Scopus bibliographic database were used. In the course of the study the hypotheses of “Moscow-centricity” and “St. Petersburg-centricity” of the knowledge domain of the macroregion are tested, the influence of the factor of geographical proximity and the role of the diversity of interregional ties are evaluated, and the “heights-lowlands” of the landscape are revealed. The results of the research have shown a high degree of connectivity between the regions of the Big South of Russia in the research area. The hypothesis about the presence of several centers of gravity of scientific activity in the macroregion was confirmed. First of all, the peaks of the “scientific ridge” of the Big South form Rostov oblast with the largest urban agglomeration in the south of the country, the Rostov urban agglomeration, as well as the Krasnodar krai and Volgograd oblast. The hypothesis of the existence of several centers of scientific activity in the macroregion was confirmed. The influence of the factor of territorial proximity in the formation of research ties is not high and is manifested mainly in the southern Russian regions with relatively low indicators of research output (primarily, it is typical for national republics). Interregional research cooperation between advanced regions is not limited to immediate geographical proximity but is due to a combination of non-territorial factors. The “Moscow-centricity” of the scientific agenda of the regions of the Big South of Russia is true for most of the southern regions of the Russian Federation, which is particularly pronounced in regions with low internal scientific potential and in new regions undergoing a period of transformation of their scientific systems.

Effectiveness of Stem Rust Resistance Genes in Southern Russia

ABSTRACTWheat stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici) is a damaging disease widespread in all grain‐producing regions of the world. In this work, the effectiveness of Sr genes was analysed under field conditions in the southern region of Russia (Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai and Rostov Oblast) during 2016‐2021. The data were obtained using a set of 46 isogenic lines and varieties with artificial inoculation. The Sr31 gene proved absolute effectiveness in the field. Effective (1R–10R) Sr genes were the following: 5, 12, 35 and 37; moderately effective (10MR–30MR) Sr genes: 1, 6, 9g, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 32, 33, 38 and WLD. Lines with Sr genes 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 9d, 9e, 9f, 16, 17, 19, 21, 26, 27, 29, 30, 36, 39, 40, 44, Dp2, Gt and Tmp were ineffective in the adult plant phase (30MS–70S). Polymorphism of infection types and disease severity was noted for most of these lines in different years. Ongoing analysis of the efficiency of Sr genes in the region is important to prevent the risk of epidemics, and lines with stem rust resistance genes that have shown efficiency can be used as donors in breeding programmes.

Features of the course of menopause in women under chronic stress: An observational cohort study

Background. Functional processes in the female organism at the stage of reproductive function failure in menopause attract considerable interest of researchers. The paper presents a study of great medical, biological and social importance into reproductive function failure in women living in the territories with permanent military operations for a long time and, thus, suffering from post-traumatic syndrome, which significantly affects the character of menopause. Objectives. To identify the features of menopausal syndrome in women who have been living under chronic stress (6–8 years) in the zone of ongoing military operations, namely in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and in women from Rostov Oblast — the region free from active military operations.Methods. An observational cohort study involved 60 women (refugees), long-term residents of the territories with ongoing military operations and 60 long-term residents of the territories without military operations, aged 50–65 years, with clinical manifestations of menopausal syndrome; all women were patients of the Research Institute of Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Rostov State Medical University. In accordance with the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW+10) classification and clinical manifestations of menopause, two clinical groups (n = 30) were formed from the representatives of each region of residence. Group I included 30 women, aged 50–55, from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, who had late menopausal transition (stage -1 of STRAW+10) and menopausal syndrome. Group II involved 30 postmenopausal patients (stages +1 and +2 of STRAW+10), aged 60–65, with menopausal syndrome. Group 1 enrolled 30 residents of Rostov Oblast, aged 50–55, who had late menopausal transition (stage -1 of STRAW+10) and menopausal syndrome, group 2 included 30 postmenopausal patients (stages +1 and +2 of STRAW+10), aged 60–65, with menopausal syndrome. Modified menopausal index was considered as the main indicator of the study. Statistical data processing was carried out by means of Statistica 10.01 (StatSoft, USA), Microsoft Excel 2010 (Microsoft, USA), IBM SPSS 24.0 (IBM, USA), and MedCalc (MedCalc Software, Belgium).Results. Long-term female residents of the territories with ongoing military operations were reported to develop menopausal syndrome more often. Rostov Oblast female residents in the late menopausal transition revealed a statistically significant prevalence of a mild degree of menopausal syndrome in 63.3 % of cases compared to 36.7 % of a similar severity of menopausal syndrome in residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Meanwhile, women from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics were indicated with moderate menopausal syndrome in 50.0 % of cases in late menopausal transition and severe syndrome in 33.3 % in postmenopause versus 23.4 % and 10 % of women from Rostov Oblast, respectively. The intensity of neurovegetative and psycho-emotional disorders in women of both regions increases with the aging process of the reproductive system and appears most pronounced in the postmenopausal period.Conclusion. Residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, who live in the war zone and are exposed to constant threat to life, develop post-traumatic syndrome which significantly intensifies and modulates the already existing functional and hormonal restructuring in the brain subsystems during perimenopause. Non-uniform functional shifts at different levels of the central nervous system under conditions of chronic stress lead to a significant change in intracerebral processes and to an increase in the occurrence and severity of various dysfunctional deviations.

Assessment of Control Impacts on Winter Wheat Productivity under Changing Agroclimatic Resources: A Case Study for the Rostov Oblast

Assessment of Control Impacts on Winter Wheat Productivity under Changing Agroclimatic Resources: A Case Study for the Rostov Oblast

Maps of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential in the Russian Croplands

Adoption of the farming systems that aim to sequester carbon in agricultural soils is one of the ways to mitigate global climate change. This study focuses on the estimation of organic carbon sequestration potential of the Russian croplands in the upper (0–30 cm) soil layer by creating a set of maps using the data from global and national databases as the input data. The maps are generated within the FAO Global Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential Map (GSOCseq) project according to the unified methodology using the RothC model to predict the rate of carbon sequestration in 2020–2040 under a business as usual scenario (BAU), as well as under sustainable soil management scenarios with additional different C input (+5, +10, and +20%) resulting from the use of sustainable soil management (SSM) scenarios. The total potential sequestration rate by the croplands of the Russian Federation in the 0–30-cm layer under a BAU scenario is assessed at 8.5 Mt/year and the estimate under SSM scenarios, up to 25.5 Mt/year. The carbon sequestration by the cropland of each soil ecological zone (except for the light chestnut (Eutric Cambisols (Protocalcic)) and brown semidesert (Luvic Calcisols) soils, where it is around zero) and on a national scale is positive. The Altai krai, Omsk oblast, Novosibirsk oblast, and Krasnoyarsk krai have the greatest potential for sequestration. Several subjects of the Russian Federation—Krasnodar krai, Republic of Crimea, Rostov oblast, Primorskii krai, Republic of Adygea, and Kaliningrad oblast—demand the adoption of sustainable management of soil resources.

Influence of breed and environment on leukocyte telomere length in cattle.

High milk yield is associated with reduced longevity in high-producing dairy cattle breeds. Pre-term culling leads to high replacement heifer demand and economic losses for the dairy industry. Selection for this trait is limited because of low heritability and difficulties in phenotype measurement. Telomeres are elements found at the ends of chromosomes, consisting of repetitive DNA sequences, several thousand base pairs in length, coupled with nucleoprotein complexes. Eventually, in humans and most other animals, telomere length reduces with age. When telomeric DNA is truncated to a critical length, cell ageing, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis are induced. As a result, telomere length can be considered as a predictor of health risks and an individual's lifespan. The leukocyte telomere length may be used as a proxy phenotype of productive lifespan to improve cattle selection. Our objectives were to assess the effects of breed and breed group (dairy vs. beef) on the leukocyte telomere length and to estimate the effect of cold climate on this trait in Kalmyk cattle populations from the South (Rostov Oblast) and Far North (Republic of Sakha) regions of Russia. The leukocyte telomere lengths were estimated computationally from whole-genome resequencing data. We leveraged data on leukocyte telomere length, sex, and age of 239 animals from 17 cattle breeds. The breed factor had a significant effect on leukocyte telomere length across our sample. There was no difference in leukocyte telomere length between dairy and beef groups. The population factor had a significant effect on leukocyte telomere length in Kalmyk animals. In conclusion, we found that breed, but not breed group (dairy vs. beef), was significantly associated with leukocyte telomere length in cattle. Residence in colder climates was associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in Kalmyk breed cattle.

“You are Needed and You Exist”: Motivation for Social Participation of Older Activists, Rostov Oblast, Russia

“You are Needed and You Exist”: Motivation for Social Participation of Older Activists, Rostov Oblast, Russia

Winemaking in Southern Russia: Barriers to development and positioning strategies

Russian wineries are currently facing the need to adapt to dynamic changes in the economic and legal environment. At the same time, they are confronted with market issues such as consumer behavior inertia and decreasing effectiveness of conventional promotion strategies. In the article, we analyze economic, institutional, consumer, and communication barriers to the development of wine brands in Southern Russia. The theoretical framework of the study covers the principles of institutional and narrative economics, marketing, sociology of consumption, and visual sociology. The research methods include content analysis and analysis of marketing information. The empirical data consist of economic statistics of the wine industry from 2018 to 2022 and the results of the analysis of 290 wine product lines manufactured by 63 enterprises in the Southern Federal District. High speed and ambivalent dynamics of institutional change can be observed in the Russian wine industry. Using the empirical data, we have identified three communication strategies (global, foreign, and local) for wine brand positioning. The results of the research show that reliance on global and foreign strategies is a common trend in Krasnodar krai, the Republic of Crimea, and the city of Sevastopol, while producers in Rostov oblast pursue the local positioning strategy. The research results contribute to the understanding of the institutional and consumer determinants of the wine market development in Russia, associated with producers’ orientation towards global and foreign positioning strategies.

Agrotourism as a direction of production companies business diversification in Rostov oblast, Russia

Agrotourism is fairly new, but rapidly developing tourism format in Russian Federation in a reorientation population to domestic tourism and careful attention by the state to ensuring tourist needs of the population within the country. The article is aimed at identifying the relevant array of formats for rural tourism development in Rostov oblast’s countryside, the system of natural and geographical and production factors of sector dynamics, and array of forms which production companies may be included in the composition of tourism-oriented business, using a rural tourism as a diversification tool. The research methods were SWOT analysis (tourism specialization development of production companies, factors and mechanisms analysis for the implementation of this strategy, statistical analysis of the production dynamics and tourism companies’ indicators involved in rural tourism. On the basis of the data obtained in the course of research a SWOT analysis an entering production companies into the agrotourism business was formed by authors. Authors formulated a system of macro-, meso- and micro-level factors. The study analysed models for the inclusion of regional production companies into tourism activities. The results obtained are the basis for the formation of regulatory measures and assistance to the development of the corresponding segment of tourism in Rostov oblast.

Farm typology analysis in Russian regions with different small entrepreneurship development level

Based on the results of cluster analysis, the article identifies four types of peasant farms: small, medium, large and very large, in the highest (Rostov Oblast and the Republic of Tatarstan) and lowest (Perm Krai and Smolensk Oblast) groups of Russian regions by the level of development of peasant farms. The number of clusters by regions was determined by the "elbow" method and the "silhouettes" coefficient. In each of the studied regions the effect of scale of production can be traced, larger farms are also more efficient. The groups identified by the cluster analysis method in the regions with the same level of development of peasant farms differ significantly in size, but at the same time they are similar in the regions from different groups (Rostov Oblast and Perm Krai). As a result, when developing a typology of peasant farms, it is proposed to ignore regional peculiarities and to establish uniform criteria for their classification for the entire territory of the Russian Federation, for example, based on the income of peasant farms, as it is done in the USA and the EU.

Transformation of the concept of rural development in the context of sustainability

The development of post-industrial society lies in the plane of conceptual transformations in the functioning of rural areas, which have additional potential opportunities that are currently unused. Their identification and development through the allocation of state support funds will allow not only to restructure social and economic processes in rural areas, but will also lead to the achievement of more strategic goals, for example, in the field of sustainable development. The system of state support for rural areas should adopt a new vector of development to overcome rural migration, poverty of these territories, socio-economic instability. At the same time, it is important to propose such a conceptual scheme of socio-economic development of rural areas, which will make it possible, through in-depth analysis, to identify negative aspects of the functioning of localities, to transform or adapt for further development, both in the direction of economic stability and within the framework of achieving the goals of environmental sustainability. The empirical part of the study involves the collection and processing of statistical data reflecting the results of the functioning of a number of rural territories of Rostov Oblast, and a selection of the most promising rural territories that are already focused on achieving sustainable development goals will be made. It should also be noted the universality that the authors will strive for in the framework of the study, as the value of the concept is that it can be applied to rural areas throughout the country.

Насильственное перемещение этнических калмыков г. Таганрога на принудительные работы в Третий рейх: опыт микроисторической эвристики

Introduction. The article deals with one interesting pattern of research heuristics tackled to create a unified empirical database on forced labor relocations of Rostov Oblast-based Soviet citizens to Nazi Germany. Goals. The source study primarily attempts a consistent reconstruction of individual elements to the ethnic stratification among the O starbeiter (‘Eastern workers’) from the selected region, the former to be facilitated by the current identification of ethnic Kalmyks among such displaced individuals. This specific epistemological perspective has never been addressed by the preceding historiographic tradition, which makes the research practice relevant enough. Materials and methods. The integrated use of traditional archival search methods at the Taganrog Office of Rostov Oblast Archive (Russia) and the City Archive of Lüdenscheid (Germany) made it possible to identify an approximate circle of Kalmyk Soviet citizens forcibly displaced from Taganrog. Results. The paper contributes to a consistent understanding of how Nazi Germany’s forced labor civilian deportations from occupied territories took place, and outlines the phenomenon’s dynamics. The undertaken reconstruction of the ethnic stratification among forcibly displaced Soviet citizens clearly illustrates the rigid universalism of the occupation authorities that were seeking to gain ‘living space’ for ‘true Aryans’. The integrated object for Nazi repressive actions was civilian populations of occupied regions viewed as inferior communities, with no special privileges for any certain ethnic group. A particularly valuable result is that the study has yielded preliminary verifications for a number of ethnic Kalmyks that experienced such forced labor relocations to Nazi Germany.

Burial complexes of the Catacomb culture: To the 20th anniversary of the work of the Steppe Archaeological Expedition of State Historical Museum in Remontnensky district in Rostov region

The study discusses the results of the excavations and the studies of the burial complexes of two local variants of the catacomb culture of the Middle Bronze Age of the Northwestern Caspian Sea region in the Remontnoye district (Rostov oblast). Being based on a comparative analysis, the author argues the validity of the allocation of local variants of catacomb culture - Eastern and Western that were adjacent to each other and entered into cultural contact. It is manifested in the use of similar tools, weapons, jewelry and dishes decorated in the same style but with the allocation of the local features of production technology figuration. According to the author, these features are the hallmark for determining the cultural identity of the burials of the Manych catacomb cultures.

COVID and Sanctions Resiliency in a Russian Region: The Case of Rostov Oblast 2010–2022

Using convergence estimations, the economies of the towns and districts of Rostov Oblast are shown to be resilient to four shocks to the economy – initial sanctions (2019), initial COVID and continuing sanctions (2020), continuing sanctions and worsening COVID (2021), war, harsher sanctions and declining COVID (2022). Agricultural output is resilient and represents an important growth sector for the Russian economy. Housing and floor area construction are resilient with even gross production being maintained. Labor indicators show a severe shock to unemployment and vacancies in 2020 followed by recovery in 2021 and a much tighter labor market in 2022.

Simulation Cognitive Modeling Approach to the Regional Sustainable Complex System Development for Improving Quality of Life

This article presents study results of the region’s sustainable development possibility, thus improving the population’s life quality using cognitive simulation methods of complex systems. The main theoretical provisions of cognitive modeling developed and tested earlier in various socioeconomic system modeling are briefly outlined. The cognitive modeling application’s mathematical apparatus and CMCS software No. 2018661506 system were developed using quantitative data from one of Russia’s southern regions (Rostov oblast). The task was to study the region, model, understand, explain, and develop possible situation development scenarios, and foresee this complex system’s possible future outcome. The main statistical socioeconomic indicators of the state region were studied and processed. Data analysis necessary for developing and researching a cognitive model is given. The regional economic mechanism cognitive model is a functional graph consisting of quantitative and qualitative concepts. Between them, relationships are given in the form of functions, which is the novelty of research. The results of several scenarios of impulse modeling are presented, making it possible to predict future desirable and undesirable processes in the system. Scenario analysis was carried out, making it possible to propose a number of recommendations for the region’s sustainable development. A direction for the region’s development of further cognitive research is proposed.

A 5-year single-center experience in heart transplantation in Rostov oblast

Objective: to evaluate the outcomes of heart transplants performed at Rostov Regional Clinical Hospital within five years.Materials and methods. Between 2017 and 2022, 29 orthotopic heart transplants (HT) were performed in our clinic. Heart failure was caused by postinfarction cardiosclerosis (21 cases, 72.4%) and dilated cardiomyopathy (8 cases, 27.6%). Among the recipients, 27 (93.1%) were men and 2 (6.9%) were women. Mean age was 53.14 ± 8.7 years (34 to 67 years). All patients received quadruple-drug immunosuppressive therapy, including induction with monoclonal antibodies; calcineurin inhibitor, mycophenolic acid, and corticosteroid were used after HT.Results. In-hospital mortality was 10.34% (n = 3). The causes of death were multiple organ failure and infectious and septic complications. After discharge, 4 (13.8%) recipients died over 5 years. Rejection reaction with the development of graft dysfunction (3 recipients, 75%), infectious and septic complications (1 recipient, 25%) were the causes of death in the long-term period. The survival rate was analyzed according to the Kaplan–Meier estimate. One-year survival was 80.9%. Three-year survival rate corresponded to the 5-year survival rate – 70.56%. Five-year survival of patients surviving the first year after HT was 86.1%. Maximum follow-up period was 64 months.Conclusion. HT continues to be the gold standard for patients with end-stage heart failure. Five-year HT experience in our center has shown a survival rate that is comparable to that of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).

Introduced resistant grape variety Frontenac Blanc

Th e paper presents a variety trial and technological evaluation of the wine material from Frontenac Blanc grape, isolated as a color mutation in Canada plantations of the Frontenac Gris variety in 2006. Th e study was carried out in 2020–2022 in compliance with vitiviniculture recognized methodology in soil and climatic conditions of Potapenko All-Russian Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking, a branch of Federal Rostov Agrarian Scientifi c Centre, Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russia. Vineyards are open-earth, rainfed, graft ed, with Kober 5BB rootstock, 3.0×1.5 m planting scheme, shaping: double-shouldered low (40 cm) horizontal cordon, short pruning on knots. Agricultural technology is standard, generally recognized. Frontenac Blanc is found to obtain high winter hardiness, promising for open-earth cultivation. Th e variety has good resistance to infections: to mildew (2.0 score), oidium (2.5 score); grey rot has not been observed. Th erefore, frequent use of pesticides is not required and vineyard maintenance is simplifi ed. Th e high level of sugars (248 g/dm3) and t itratable acids (10.4 g/dm3) in t h e juice ensures a harmonious wine with well-balanced acidity. Due to such characteristics, the variety is considered to be promising for the production of diff erent wine styles, including dry still, semi-dry, as well as sparkling and liqueur wines. Th e wine material from Frontenac Blanc presents a distinguishing character, bright fruit aromas, rich structured fl avor, and lingering fi nish. Th e average tasting score of the wine material comprises 8.6 points (on a 1–10 scale). Th e variety has a high yield (16 tonnes/ha), which does not adversely aff ect the quality of products. Frontenac Blanc is resistant to cold and early ripening period (120 days) and can be eff ectively grown in regions with previously limited production due to extreme climatic conditions. Considering that, an innovative development of the wine industry in areas with cool and uncertain climate possesses a high potential.

Mongolian Women’s Gugu Headdress from the Peschany I Burial Ground in Rostov Oblast: Reconstruction and Chronology

Mongolian Women’s Gugu Headdress from the Peschany I Burial Ground in Rostov Oblast: Reconstruction and Chronology

Preservation of ethnocultural diversity and fairness in interethnic relations in the estimations of the population of the south of Russia

The article examines views on the issue of preserving and reproducing ethnocultural diversity in the context of multicultural regions in Southern Russia, within the framework of the perception of the implementation of the state's national policy in the categories of social justice in interethnic relations. The authors consider this issue within the discourse of public policy and the everyday perception of ethnic groups residing in Southern Russia. The article is based on materials from exploratory sociological research conducted through questionnaire surveys of the population in the regions of Southern Russia, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with experts in the field of implementing the state's national policy (government officials, scholars, researchers, diaspora representatives). The research covered five regions of Southern Russia (Rostov Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, Republic of Kalmykia, Republic of Crimea, Karachay-Cherkess Republic).
 The article analyses perceptions of ethnocultural diversity in the context of justice in interethnic relations at the regional level. It also explores the connection between identification and socio-psychological characteristics (subjective assessments of violations of rights based on nationality) and the conviction of ethnic groups regarding the observance of justice while preserving the cultural diversity of their people in the region of residence (culture, language, and the development of ethnocultural infrastructure).
 The conducted analysis reveals that issues related to the preservation and development of ethnocultural diversity hold a prominent position in the population's views in the Southern Russian regions regarding the fair regulation of interethnic relations. Points of contention that translate social tension into interethnic tension often revolve around questions of historical memory linked to various forms of ethnic-based deprivation. It is established that the demand for the reproduction of ethnocultural diversity in the regions of Southern Russia is determined by the subjective experience of perceiving violations of rights based on nationality, assessments of justice in managing interethnic relations by the state, and the respondent's type of identity. The core understanding of justice for ethnic groups is linked to sociocultural aspects, and their demand for preserving culture, language, and traditions, regardless of their region of residence, is associated with concerns about their potential loss.

Tax benefits as a basic component of the investment tax expenditure management system in the region

The article investigates tax and budget components of the investment tax expenditure management system in the region with a focus on tax benefits and tax powers of the authorities. The information base of the study is the federal and regional legislation, publications in scientific journals, open data of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, and the Government of the Rostov Oblast. Following general scientific methods of knowledge were used as a methodological basis: comparison, systematic logical and semantic analysis, synthesis of theoretical and practical materials. It allowed to substantiate expediency of significant changes in tax component of the investment tax expenditure management system. The definition of tax exemption, which has not changed during the 25-year period, has been clarified. Tax powers of public authorities of the Russian constituent entities on property and profit taxes of organizations have been expanded. The abandonment of tax costs assessment has been carried out by their supervisors in favor of software product of the Federal Tax Service of Russia developed jointly with the Ministry of Finance of Russia. The results of the study can be used by the authorities when developing proposals to improve tax and budget legislation.