Natural and medical sciences

In Russia, the polarization of the centers of human-geographic research is increasing. The role of Moscow as a leading center of human geography is growing. One of the centers of the secondary level, where the research is actively developing, is Kaliningrad. Its scientists collaborate with the other research centers and actively participate in network projects studying the socio-economic geography of Russia. Based on the eLibrary database, the scientific potential of Kaliningrad, and, above all, IKBFU is considered. IKBFU concentrates many economic geographers of the region (4 professors and 13 PhDs in the field of “Economic, social, political and recreational geography”). The article assesses the publication activity of university scientists using some scientometric indicators and presents the main directions of research conducted in 2018—2021. A list of the main projects carried out by Kaliningrad residents and a list of publications grouped by areas of research is compiled.

The change in borders as a result of World War II spawned massive displacements of millions of people that affected East Prussia, ceded to the USSR and Poland. The article examines the migration processes caused by these changes in the territory of the former German province, i. e. in the Kaliningrad region of the RSFSR, the Klaipeda region of the Lithuanian SSR and the Olsztyn voivodship of Poland. The purpose of the study is to compare the conditions, course and results of the deportation of Germans to Germany and the settlement of the region with new people in 1945—1950, to identify common features and characteristics.

It was established that the eviction of Germans took place on the general principles approved by the decisions of the Potsdam Conference, however, deportation in the Kaliningrad region was carried out on the basis of German citizenship, while exceptions were made for Poles and Lithuanians from the original population in the Klaipeda region, Warmia and Mazury. The population formed as a result of the resettlement action in all three regions turned out to be very diverse, with different historical and cultural experiences. Though the majority of population of the Kaliningrad region, more than two-thirds, was made up of Russians, migrants from Belarus, Ukraine and other republics of the USSR were also represented there. The countryside in the Klaipeda region was settled by peasants from Lithuania, and the Russian-s peaking population, mainly from the three Slavic republics, prevailed in the cities. Poles absolutely dominated (over 90 %) in the Olsztyn Voivodeship, but they were represented by very different groups: a fifth were indigenous people, some came from the USSR, and the rest were immigrants from the central voivodeships of Poland. In general, post-war migrations in the Southeastern Baltic significantly affected the development of three specific types of regional identities.

The Kaliningrad region, as an exclave of the Russian Federation, which does not have common borders with the main part of the country, is significantly dependent in its development on the external situation, including the military-political environment. The latter determines the ratio of the military and civilian components of regional development, as well as the military-strategic significance of the region for Russia, the number and composition of the Russian military forces in the region. In doing so, NATO’s policies and activities, as well as the nature of the relationship between NATO and Russia, play a crucial role. The purpose of the study is to identify how relations with Russia and NATO and the expansion of this military bloc have influenced and continue to influence the military-strategic significance of the Kaliningrad region and its defense capability. For this, a periodization of changes in the military-strategic significance of the Kaliningrad region was carried out in the context of relations between Russia and NATO. The author concludes that in the current geopolitical situation, Russia will be forced to strengthen the deterrent role of the Kaliningrad region against a potential aggressor.

Municipalities of the Kaliningrad region are increasingly differentiated in the pace and nature of their socio-economic development in the paradigm of the center-peripheral model. The economic center and the coastal zone bordering on it are increasingly pulling together economic and human resources, increasing the risks of sustainable functioning of the eastern peripheral municipalities. This also applies to the entrepreneurial activity of the population, expressed in the number of operating SMEs. Federal institutions and the regional government are implementing measures to support the subjects of the IPU, including in the peripheral municipalities of the region. At the same time, the analysis of the current situation shows that along with programs to support existing organizations, a lot of important aspect is the implementation of programs aimed at increasing entrepreneurial activity among the local population, mainly in rural areas of semi-peripheral and peripheral municipalities of the Kaliningrad region

Multi-activity special economic zones occupy a certain place among the Russian SEZs and have fundamentally differ from other types of economic zones. The peculiarities of their position in the strategically important regions of Russia determines the special mode of operation, separate federal laws, as well as interest for researchers. This article discusses the multi-activity SEZ of the Russian Federation located in the Kaliningrad region, Magadan region, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sebastopol from an economic-geographical point of view. Comparative geographic analysis included such indicators as GRP, employment, investment, position and specialization of residents, as well as the characteristic physiographic features of the regions. As a result of the study, the main features of multi-activity SEZ in Russia were identified. The author analyzed the impact of the SEZs on the economy of the regions, residents, their position and specialization, and identified the main sales markets. The conclusion is made about the logical interaction of the geographical location and the functioning of the SEZ in these regions.

The article provides data on the present-day species composition of Sphagna in the Wittgirrensky peatland (the territory of the Carbon Polygon “Rossyanka”, Slavsk District, Kaliningrad Region). The authors found 8 species of Sphagnum mostly growing in hydrophilic habitats at the bottom of drainage ditches and flooded depressions on the outskirts of the peatland, while the major part of the peatland shows unfavorable environmental conditions for the development of Sphagnum. The situation may well be changed via implementation of the rewetting project. In this case, the species of Sphagna become a significant bioindicator for environmental monitoring in the whole ecosystem. The hydrophilic habitats might be considered as shelters (refugia) for Sphagna as well as important study objects for investigation of Green House Gas emission/sequestration within the Carbon Polygon Programme.

Microalgae are common in soil, marine and freshwater ecological systems. They are able to accumulate valuable biologically active substances in the course of life. At present, microalgae have not been studied well enough. Thus, the purpose of this project was to study the physicochemical properties of microalgae of the Baltic Sea in the Kaliningrad region. The amount of protein was determined by the Bradford method, while lipids were assessed by the Folch method. As a result of the work, it was proved that the maximum value of the indicator — optical density — was noted in the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. Pleurochrysis carterae and Arthrospira platensis are characterized by the highest suspension density after 7 days of cultivation. The smallest is Chlorella vulgaris. High values of dynamic viscosity were found in suspensions of Dunaliella salina and Pleurochrysis carterae microalgae. Suspension of microalgae Arthrospira platensis is characterized by the lowest value of dynamic viscosity. It has been established that the value of the active acidity of the suspension of all the studied samples of microalgae have different values, but all the studied microalgae is found to grow and actively develop in an alkaline environment. It has been shown that during the cultivation of microalgae cell culture, the largest amount of protein accumulates in Arthrospira platensis. The amount of protein in the cultivation of Dunaliella salina and Chlorella vulgaris cell cultures was approximately the same. It is planned to create dietary supplements and functional foods from secondary metabolites of microalgae.

The research evaluates the effect of amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) on the growth and content of biologically active substances in the culture of bearded roots of Hyssopys officinalis. The study of the effect of amino acids on the growth of raw biomass of bearded roots of H. officinalis showed that when phenylalanine and tyrosine were introduced into the nutrient medium at a concentration of 1 μM, the maximum increase in biomass was observed. The content of biologically active substances in the bearded roots of H. officinalis, such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids and the antioxidant activity of extracts, were higher when tyrosine was introduced into the nutrient medium compared with phenylalanine supplements.

Obesity is a global health problem. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese patients is 62—93 %, in type 2 diabetes is prevalent and reaches 55.5 %. The development of chronic subclinical inflammation in obesity contributes to the development of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which underlie the pathogenesis of obesity-associated diseases, i. e., type 2 diabetes and NAFLD.

The study included 130 patients with morbid obesity and comorbid diseases (NAFLD and type 2 diabetes). The gene expression level (NRF2, TFAM, AMPK, HSF1, HSP70) was determined by real-time PCR and the detection of protein products was confirmed by Western blot. The concentration of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8) was measured in plasma by multiplex analysis in flow fluorometry format. It was demonstrated that an increase in the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-8 in blood plasma was associated with the development of NAFLD and type 2 diabetes in patients with morbid obesity. It was found that an increase in the expression of HSF1 in liver tissue was positively associated with the presence of steatosis and negatively associated with the expression of AMPK. It was found that a decrease in the expression of NRF2 and TFAM in the liver may indicate mitochondrial dysfunction of hepatocytes. Thus, the key factor contributing to the development of NAFLD and type 2 diabetes in morbid obesity is the disruption of the function of systems that maintain redox balance by suppressing the production of the factors NRF2, TFAM, AMPK, HSF1, HSP70 in liver tissue.