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In recent decades, scientists have been discussing ways of involving the population in social and political processes. Terms such as “civic participation,” “civic control,” “participation in the government of the power-poor,” etc. are widely used in scholarly discourse on this subject. The research related to social and political activities is conducted within various thematic areas based on “political participation theory” and “participatory democracy theory,” as well as on “theories of economic and digital inequalities.” According to the vast majority of scientists, increasing digitalization is known to expand the forms of participation and transform the public administration at all levels concerning joint governance and a citizen-centric approach, taking into consideration the opinion and active participation of citizens in the production and execution of policy decisions. This article presents the results of a study that investigated whether modern digital services allow citizens to participate in and influence the social and political processes taking place at various levels of government. In addition, the study demonstrates how modern digital technologies promote the maximum participation of the most socially vulnerable categories of the population, as well as how such factors as the level of digital competence, the level of income of the population, and the level of digitalization of territories limit this participation. In order to assess the modern digital forms and the use of these forms in a citizen’s interaction with the authorities, a survey of 1,200 residents of villages and towns located in the south Tyumen Region was conducted. The ways in which the residents living in the towns and villages of the Tyumen Region were able to express their civic positions were determined and the proportion of citizens using digital technologies was noted. The study also assessed the availability and demand for digital technologies by citizens to express their social and political activities, as well as the primary factors that limit their social and political participation. Moreover, this research showed that age, education, and digital competence and awareness were the main factors influencing a citizen’s propensity to use modern digital technologies for social and political activity. The hypothesis that the demand for digital services by citizens living in remote districts should be higher than that of urban residents was not confirmed. On the contrary, for a wide range of services, the assessments of demand and accessibility are higher among the residents of cities than among the residents of rural municipal districts, with the highest assessments coming from the residents of the regional capital. This fact is associated with a higher level of digital competence among citizens, a higher level of digitalization of the regional capital, as well as a higher level of income, which allows them to more actively master and use all these services. Additionally, this article is addressed to researchers interested in various aspects of social and political participation, as well as to politicians who make decisions regarding the development and implementation of new forms of digital interaction between citizens and the authorities that enable citizens to demonstrate their civic position.

Considering the current ecological situation in the modern world, the quality of life depends not so much on a stable energy supply as on an environmentally friendly way of producing and consuming energy, which has turned social and research attention to the opportunities of renewable energy systems (RES). In spite of the vital necessity of transitioning to environmentally friendly energy production, the implementation and development of renewable energy technologies face a range of barriers: socio-cultural, technological, economic, institutional and environmental. To overcome these barriers, the authors of this article use the systems approach to gain deeper understanding of RES interconnection and interdependence. They apply STEEP analysis for classification and qualitative analysis of RES development barriers in Russia. The article proposes the analytical methodology, which reveals system specifications of the national RES development barriers and predicts the chain reaction of overcoming particular barriers. Using this methodology, the authors identify the main socio-cultural roots of RES development barriers in Russia: state control of the development of the energy sector, the political stake in hydrocarbons and the lack of consistent policies on RES development. The authors’ suggested analysis methodology is appropriate for identifying the root problems in energy socio-economic systems and for effective decision-making process in the energy sector.

Hepatitis A is a widespread infectious disease. The prevalence of the disease is closely related to socioeconomic status (SES) and environmental factors. Understanding its prevalence is essential for instituting appropriate precautions. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis A and evaluate the associated demographic features in children and young adults in Istanbul. In total, 630 individuals between the ages of 5-24 were included in the study. They were classified into four age groups (5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and 20-24 years). The seropositivity of hepatitis A in the whole study population was 40%. Age-specific prevalence was 11.4% in children 5-9 years old, 29% in those 10-14 years old, 49.7% in those 15-19 years old and 69% in those 20-25 years old. Seropositivity was associated with increasing age, low SES, large family size, low maternal educational level, use of unsafe drinking water and living in regions with poor infrastructure and incomplete urbanization. When we compared our results with previous seroprevalence studies performed in Istanbul, we found an epidemiological shift towards increasing age. Factors associated with changes in prevalence were urbanization and associated infrastructure improvement, knowledge of the disease by the population, use of good hygiene and use of vaccination in those at high risk., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

In this study, the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic features of forty adult malaria patients referred our clinic between February 1996-September 2009, were assessed retrospectively. Diagnosis was established by Giemsa-stained thick and/or thin blood smears in all cases. Thirty-four patients were male and 6 patients were female and mean age was 31.1 years. All patients had a history of travel to endemic areas (24 cases to Africa, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Arabian Peninsula, 16 cases to Southestern Anatolia Region), and none of them had chemoprophylaxis. Plasmodium vivax was detected in 20 patients, and P.falciparum in 18 and mixed (P. vivax and P. falciparum) in two. Parasitemia ranged from 0.5%- 25%. Fever (100%), periodic fever (62.5%), splenomegaly (72.5%), hepatomegaly (45.0%), anemia (67.5%), leukopenia (32.5%), thrombocytopenia (75.0%), a rise in erytrocyte sedimentation rate (65.0%), abnormalities in hepatic enzymes (62.5%), hyponatremia (32.5%), hypoglisemia (25%) and an elevated serum creatinine level (27.5%) were determined in the patients. Two patients with P. falciparum developed acute renal failure and cerebral involvement died soon after admission. Acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral involvement and dissemine intravasculer coagulation were observed in one patient with falciparum malaria who recovered completely. In conclusion, every febril patients with a history of travel to the endemic regions should raise the suspicion of malaria. Effective pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis and personal protection measures should be provided to travellers visiting endemic regions.