We consider the likely economic impact and prospects for monetary integration among Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine as part of the Single Economic Space they have agreed to set up. A monetary union among these countries poses three interesting issues for the structure and process of integration: they have already been members of a wider currency union that collapsed, so ...

Five geranylflavonoids, one prenylated flavonoid, and a simple flavanone were isolated from an ethanolic extract of Paulownia tomentosa fruit. Tomentodiplacol (1), 3'-O-methyl-5'-methoxydiplacol (2), 6-isopentenyl-3'-O-methyltaxifolin (3), and dihydrotricin (4) are reported from a natural source for the first time and 3'-O-methyldiplacone (6) for the first time from the genus Paulownia. The str...

In this study we described the seed rain generated by bats under four Cerrado's tree species common within pastures, Buchenavia tomentosa, Couepia grandiflora, Licania humilis and Qualea grandiflora. We analyzed the similarity among the four tree species in terms of seed rain composition, and compared the number of seeds and seed species deposited under them. Besides that, we assessed the relat...

OBJECTIVE To study the cultural differences in moral disengagement, which lends support to attitudes used to justify violence. METHODS We carried out classroom surveys of a total of 3122 students in the USA (Houston, TX, and Washington, DC) and in four European countries--Estonia (Tartu), Finland (Helsinki), Romania (Satu Mare) and the Russian Federation (St Petersburg). Data were also taken ...

Abstract. Establishing whether uptake of rainwater-recharged soil water (RRS) can increase plant transpiration in response to rainfall pulses requires an investigation evaluate adaptability, especially water-limited regions where rainwater is the only replenishable source. In this study, sources from RRS and three layers, predawn leaf potential (Ψpd), midday (Ψm), gradient (Ψpd−Ψm), were analyz...

Biomolecular motors have inspired the design and construction of artificial nanoscale motors and machines based on nucleic acids, small molecules, and inorganic nanostructures. However, the high degree of sophistication and efficiency of biomolecular motors, as well as their specific biological function, derives from the complexity afforded by protein building blocks. Here, we discuss a novel b...

Genus Salsola, a genus of annual semi-dwarf to dwarf shrubs and woody tree species, is widely distributed across the arid and semi-arid areas of the world. Several features like high fodder value, abundant seed production, tolerance to extreme climatic conditions like high temperature and prolonged drought conditions contributed significantly towards its success as a potential forage species in...