Wednesday, April 29, 2015

В ИНСТИТУТЕ МОЛЕКУЛЯРНОЙ БИОЛОГИИ И ГЕНЕТИКИ РАЗРАБОТАЛИ МЕТОДЫ РАННЕЙ ДИАГНОСТИКИ ТЯЖЁЛЫХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ

Проблема своевременной диагностики в сфере охраны здоровья является актуальной для всех стран, особенно для Украины, где до сих пор нет программы ранней диагностики населения на предмет наличия тяжёлых заболеваний – сердечно-сосудистых, онкологических, а также сахарного диабета. Современные и относительно надёжные методы диагностики, например, томографическое обследование, могут быть либо вредными для живого организма, либо слишком дорогими для массового внедрения. При этом они не способны зафиксировать наличие патологии на клеточном уровне.

В Институте молекулярной биологии и генетики Национальной академии наук Украины учёные разработали новые методы ранней диагностики. И хотя это в основном фундаментальные исследования, они тесно связаны с прикладными, так как их результаты дают возможность разработать моноклональные антитела для детекции белков, которые используют в диагностических тест-системах. Уже сегодня с помощью этих систем по анализу крови пациента можно обнаружить патологию при наличии лишь одной повреждённой клетки.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Ukrainian researchers make weighty contribution to world science

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

Summing up the results of work in 2009-2014, participants in the report-back session of a general meeting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) pointed out world-class achievements of Ukrainian researchers.

In particular, Ukrainian mathematicians solved the Hille problem, which scientists in other countries had been tackling for 70 years. NASU institutes have achieved successes in research on the novel materials that are characterized by high-temperature strength and resistance to wear.

For the first time in history of astrophysical research Ukrainian scientists measured the force of solar radiation when energy was being emitted from the interior of the sun. NASU researchers have obtained the data, which shed light on one of the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease.

It was pointed out at the meeting that an increase in Ukrainian researchers’ contribution to world science would be the priority task of the concept of NASU development for the period ending in 2023.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Yatsenyuk government accused of corruption

By Vladimir V. Sytin
The Ukrainian Times

Nikolai Gordienko, former head of the State Financial Inspection Board, has presented the facts of violations committed by the companies, which were financed at the expense of the Ukrainian state budget. According to him, the puppet government of Ukraine received kickbacks from dummy firms through close associates of the so-called prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

At the meeting of a parliamentary committee on counteraction against corruption Mr. Gordienko stated that damage done by the corrupt entourage of Yatsenyuk had amounted to 3.5 billion grivnas in the second half of last year alone. For instance, the violations exposed at the state rail transportation administration UkrZaliznitsa are estimated at 300 million grn. “According to my estimates, the damage done by the corrupt government will amount to dozens of billions if you conduct a planned audit to the full,” he concluded.

Participants in the meeting decided to establish the interim fact-finding committee on corruption of the Yatsenyuk government.

Western observers think the neo-Nazi junta in Kiev will continue to wallow in corruption. Greece, with only eight million citizens, ought to serve as a warning to the European Union of the consequences of pushing an incompatible economy into integration with states that maintain a stricter fiscal policy and lack widespread corruption. Ukraine, with 42 million people, is poorer and would bring more problems to the EU at a time when the latter simply cannot afford it nor cope with it politically.

It is small wonder that Transparency International’s Global Corruption Index ranks Ukraine 142nd out of 175 states. After the neo-Nazi coup in Kiev last year, this country has a worse record than after the ‘orange’ coup in 2004.

Practically all sectors of Ukraine’s government, business and civic life are affected by widespread corruption. Bribery and extortion are particularly common in the Ukrainian public health system.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Russia remains Ukraine’s main trading partner

In the first quarter of this year Ukraine’s foreign trade turnover totaled $18.7 billion, export amounting to $9.5 billion and import to $9.2 billion. Ukraine conducted foreign trade transactions with 200 countries.

In the main, this country imported goods from Russia (18%), China (12%), Germany (11%), Byelorussia (6%) and Poland (5%). At the same time, Ukraine exported the greater part of its goods to Russia (11%), China (7%), Turkey (7%), Egypt (6%), Italy (6%) and Poland (5%).

It is important to note that Russia remains the main trading partner of Ukraine.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Ukrainian, Russian scientists always cooperate on the basis of mutual benefit

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

According to Boris Paton, president of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), cooperation with Russian scientists has always been mutually advantageous and effective.

In 2006 the NASU and the Russian Fundamental Research Foundation initiated four contests for the implementation of joint scientific projects. The projects resulted in more than 1,000 scientific works and 30 patents on inventions.

Unfortunately, the NASU did not stage contests last year in cooperation with the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation and the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Overall, the intensity of the exchange of scientific information, participation of Ukrainian and Russian scientists in joint conferences and seminars has lessened of late.

Boris Paton believes professional and business contacts between Ukrainian and Russian researchers should be regarded as one of the effective mechanisms for building up trust between scientific communities of the two fraternal countries. In addition, these contacts could be informal means of communication with Ukrainian and Russian civil societies.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Greater part of remittances sent by Ukrainian guest workers from Russia, exceeding IMF loans

Data from the central bank NBU show that over the last five years Ukrainian guest workers have transferred more than $34 billion to their families in this country. Importantly, the greater part of remittances (36%) was sent from Russia last year.

It is worth noting too that the total amount of remittances exceeds greatly the total amount of loans, which Ukraine received from the International Monetary Fund over the same period of five years.

According to parliamentary opposition leader Yuri Boiko, the puppet government of Ukraine has become a mere appendage to the faulty fund. He thinks the IMF shock therapy mafia is destroying the real sector of the economy, small and mid-sized businesses.

What innovation can Ukrainian scientists give the world in the 21st century?

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

In the 20th century a relative handful of inventors, tinkers and scientists – working in relative isolation, often with little funding – had given the world the automobile, radio, atomic power, moving pictures, airplanes, air-conditioning, the pill, antibiotics and the internet.

We are 15 years into the 21st century. Can you think of a single innovation that is equal to the airplane, the pill or antibiotics? Alas, all we can think of is WhatApp, Twitter and other apps that are more trouble than they are worth.

In recent years, however, work on the creation of nanoclinics, namely magnetically sensitive nanocomposites with multilevel hierarchical architecture and functions of biomedical nanorobots, has acquired priority significance in world science. This complex of functions includes recognition of specific microbiological objects in biological media, the delivery of drugs to targeted organs and cells, magnetic resonance diagnosis and cytotherapy, adsorption of cellular debris after the therapy and their removal from the body with the help of a magnetic field.

Scientists of the A.A. Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry under the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) conducted thorough research for the purpose of substantiating the concept of chemical design of magnetically sensitive nanocomposites with multilevel hierarchical architecture and functions of biomedical nanorobots, as well as proved their functional potentialities by experiments.

Fortunately, (and here you see The Ukrainian Times sunny side coming through the clouds) one of the practical results of the above work is the development of a new magnetically sensitive pharmaceutical form, which will be applied in oncology. Experts of the R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology under the NASU, together with their colleagues from the A.A. Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry, have evolved and patented a method for enhancing antitumor activity of the chemotherapeutic drug called cysplatin. The cytotoxic effect of the drug is heightened in vitro and in vivo owing to its combination with the nanoparticles of magnetic fluid that brings about a twofold increase in destruction of tumor cells without additional toxicoallergic side effects, compared with the free form of a drug. This method can be used now in clinical practice for treating malignant growths.

To implement the results of scientific research in practice and organize the mass production of a new pharmaceutical form, specialists of the A.A. Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry have elaborated a provisional flow chart in terms of the manufacture of the substance Magnetite-U and obtained patents on it.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Вурдалак Тарас Шевченко, Олесь Бузина

Читать бесплатно книгу Вурдалак Тарас Шевченко, Олесь Бузина

70% of Ukrainians think the country on the wrong track

By Vladimir V. Sytin
The Ukrainian Times

According to a recent poll, some 70% of citizens of Ukraine think this country is on the wrong track. About 43% of respondents believe that only in a distant prospect can Ukraine extricate itself from a crisis, whereas a mere 11% of the pollees say the crisis will come to an end this year.

Meanwhile, in this country social media criticism shifted from the decadent West to its Ukro-fascist stooges in Kiev and the International Monetary Fund.

Owing to the IMF shock therapy mafia and neo-Nazi junta in Kiev, Ukrainian households will pay for natural gas 2.4 times more than they earn. “It’s all stuff and nonsense as far as the world economy is concerned,” said Alexander Okhrimenko, head of the Ukrainian Analytical Center, expressing a sense felt across this country. “Although gas prices are high in other countries, the level of wages is much higher there than in Ukraine.”

By comparison, a ratio of gas prices to an after-tax average wage accounts for 30% and 24% in Germany and France respectively.

At present, Ukraine is in a state of economic collapse. Prices of utilities have skyrocketed, whereas starvation wages and pensions remain unchanged.

As Alexander Okhrimenko put it, recommendations of the International Monetary Fund proved erroneous. “Instead of prosperity the Ukrainian economy has gone into a tailspin,” he said. “IMF specialists have a vague idea of the economic model of this country and they are inclined to consider the Ukrainian economy as some page in a textbook on the economy of an American college.”

Many analysts say there is no sense in getting loans from the IMF because they do not help the situation. They think the IMF shock therapy mafia is virtually destroying Ukraine.

What is required is a proper Robin Hood economy: take from the rich and give to the poor. The Ukrainian society should encourage business people to invest efficiently – and create real wealth – not argue how much to tax them. Also, it is necessary to carry out a program for the regeneration of the national economy, relying on the Ukrainian labor and scientific potential. Wealth is in everything from food to factories, fertile land to pharmaceutical laboratories.

Readers of The Ukrainian Times know that cooperation with the IMF (or International Monetary Fiasco, as the joke has it) is the catalyst of crises and defaults. Note that South Korea successfully rode out a crisis without slavishly following the IMF rule book, as it had timely realized a danger to its economic security and discontinued cooperation with the faulty fund. Like a knot that tightens when you wriggle, the IMF loans’ response to a crisis creates the next problem.

Today Ukrainian taxpayer is stuck with massive loans to the IMF, loans that will take generations to pay off. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is morally wrong. Especially when Peter is a hard-working taxpayer.

Overall, Western observers describe the foreign aid as “poor people in rich countries giving money to rich people in poor countries” (read: Ukrainian oligarchs Poroshenko, Kolomoiskiy, Taruta and Timoshenko). Cronies in the private sector make sure strings get attached to the air package. Money to El Salvador, for example, was withheld until the country agreed to buy genetically-modified seeds from Monsanto.

When idiot authorities in Kiev act as if they are immune from economic reality, the problem now for citizens of Ukraine is to know how all this chaos will affect their standard of life.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

ОБЪЁМ ТОРГОВЛИ МЕЖДУ УКРАИНОЙ И РОССИЕЙ ОСТАЁТСЯ САМЫМ ВЫСОКИМ

За три месяца текущего года общий внешнеторговый оборот Украины составил 18,7 миллиардов долларов: 9,2 млрд. долларов – импорт и 9,5 млрд. долларов – экспорт.

Импортные операции преимущественно проводились с Россией (18%). Китаем (12%), Германией (11%), Белоруссией (6%) и Польшей (5%). Самые крупные суммы платежей в государственный бюджет были получены от импорта нефти и нефтепродуктов (18,4%), легковых автомобилей (4,4%), а также каменного угля и антрацита (4,1%).

Экспортировались украинские товары в основном в Россию (11%), Турцию и Китай (по 7%), Египет и Италию (по 6%), Польшу (5%).

In the last analysis Ukraine’s economy in a state of paralysis

By Vladimir V. Sytin
The Ukrainian Times

Official data show that 25% of industry has shut down in Ukraine and every tenth enterprise has been destroyed. Industrial output decreased by 20% in January, compared with the same period last year.

The loss of foreign markets has paralyzed the machine building industry in this country.

Over the course of 12 months the grivna has depreciated to a third of the dollar. It is a waste of time to try to analyze the financial policy of the puppet government of Ukraine. You are likely to find an ice cube in the Sahara as any trace of validity or sense in this policy.

According to Alexander Okhrimenko, president of the Ukrainian Analytical Center, 40% of the employable population, chiefly teachers and public servants, will swell the ranks of the unemployed this year.

So, negative news is coming in like drone attacks. Today the neo-Nazi junta in Kiev expends daily more than $5 million on a criminal war against heroic defenders of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, or Novorossia (New Russia).

Alas, the drama continues.

Friday, April 17, 2015

ВКЛАД УКРАИНСКИХ УЧЁНЫХ В МИРОВУЮ НАУКУ ЯВЛЯЕТСЯ ПРИОРИТЕТНОЙ ЗАДАЧЕЙ НАНУ

На отчётной сессии общего собрания Национальной академии наук Украины (НАНУ) по итогам 2009-2014 годов были отмечены достижения украинских учёных мирового значения.

В частности, это успех украинских математиков, решивших проблему Хилле, над которой 70 лет работали учёные всего мира. В институтах НАНУ добились первых успехов в исследовании материалов принципиально нового класса с уникальной высокотемпературной прочностью и износоустойчивостью.

Впервые в истории астрофизических исследований измерена мощность излучения Солнца непосредственно в момент выделения энергии в его недрах. Получены важные фундаментальные данные, которые проливают свет на один из возможных механизмов формирования болезни Альцгеймера.

Рост вклада украинских учёных в мировую науку является приоритетной задачей Концепции развития НАНУ на 2014-2023 годы.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

War veterans from 23 countries invited to military parade in Moscow on Victory Day

According to Russian defense minister Sergey Shoigu, 160 veterans have been invited to the military parade on Red Square in Moscow to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) over Nazi Germany. In particular, 75 war veterans from 23 countries are expected to come to the Russian capital city.

Reportedly, 194 armored vehicles, more than 15,000 servicemen, 150 warplanes and helicopters are due to take part in the military parade. For the first time, the self-propelled artillery mount Koalitsia-SV, coast missile systems Bal and Bastion will rumble along Red Square. The parade will be held in Moscow on May 9.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫЕ КОНТАКТЫ, СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВО УЧЁНЫХ УКРАИНЫ И РОССИИ ВСЕГДА БУДУТ ВЗАИМОВЫГОДНЫМИ

Сотрудничество украинских учёных с российскими коллегами всегда было очень эффективным и взаимовыгодным, сказал президент Национальной академии наук Украины (НАНУ) Борис Патон.

В 2006 году украинская Академия и Российский фонд фундаментальных исследований инициировали конкурсы на выполнение совместных научных проектов. Было проведено четыре таких конкурса. Результатами осуществления проектов стали более 1000 научных работ и 30 патентов на изобретения.

К сожалению, НАНУ не объявляла в прошлом году очередных конкурсов с Российским гуманитарным научным фондом, а также с Сибирским отделением Российской Академии наук. И в целом существенно уменьшилась интенсивность обмена научной информацией, участия в совместных с российскими коллегами конференциях и семинарах.

По мнению Бориса Патона, профессиональные и деловые контакты научных работников Украины и России следует рассматривать как один из действенных механизмов формирования доверия между научными сообществами братских стран, а также как неформальное средство независимой коммуникации с российским гражданским обществом.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Ukrainian authorities make fatal mistake of imposing Ukrainian ethnicity on large Russian population

By Vladimir V. Sytin
The Ukrainian Times

As is known, there is a fundamental cultural divide between the east and west Ukraine, which is becoming more acute as economic crises and election campaigns tug the loyalties of this country’s 42 million population. After Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, east and west Ukraine continue to be divided along linguistic and religious lines.

The eastern half of the country, formerly part of the Russian Empire going back to 1654, is Russian-speaking and Orthodox, while the western half, part of which was in Poland and part in the Austro-Hungarian empire, is predominantly Ukrainian-speaking and largely Catholic. Importantly, most easterners, far outnumbering westerners, would like to see Ukraine re-unify with Russia, as was eventually the case in Crimea and the Donbas region.

According to Western observers, after 1991 Ukrainian leaders made the profound mistake of imposing Ukrainian ethnicity upon the large Russian population. This was in stark contrast to Byelorussia and Kazakhstan, where the government made Russian the second official language.

They think the West should encourage Kiev to establish a federation, ideally, or at least a confederation. Citizens of Ukraine would benefit from living in a federated or confederated state. In the south and east portions of Ukraine (also known as Novorossia) the arrangement could provide a home base for Russian self-expression, which is currently stifled by the Ukrainian neo-Nazi junta.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

ХАРЬКОВ ГОТОВИТСЯ К ПРАЗДНОВАНИЮ 70-ЛЕТИЯ ПОБЕДЫ В ВЕЛИКОЙ ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ ВОЙНЕ НАД ГЕРМАНСКИМ ФАШИЗМОМ

В Харькове идёт подготовка к 70-летию Победы Советского Союза в Великой Отечественной войне над нацистской Германией. В парке Победы высадили 50 крупнолистных лип, которые, по словам директора отдела коммунального хозяйства городского совета Виктора Китанина, были закуплены в запорожском питомнике.

Чиновник отметил, что в скверах и парках Харькова обычно приживаются 99,9% деревьев. В прошлом году в городе было посажено 1,5 тысячи деревьев, и в этом году городские власти намерены посадить не меньше.

Ведутся работы на всех объектах, символизирующих Победу в Великой Отечественной войне 1941-1945 годов. В частности, на городских кладбищах с мемориальными комплексами, где похоронены советские солдаты и офицеры, горсовет Харькова решил привести в порядок памятники и выделил на это один миллион гривен.

Ukrainian veterinary medicines appeal to CIS markets

The Ukrainian association for producers and distributors of veterinary medicines has asked the State Veterinary and Phytologic Service to help introduce domestic drugs into production. Importantly, quality preparations of Ukrainian make are 3-10 times cheaper than comparable veterinary medicines made abroad.

Last year the corporation UkrZooVetPromPostavka developed more than 10 veterinary preparations and organized their production at its enterprises. Not only are these preparations applied in Ukraine, but they appeal to CIS markets.

Incidentally, Western observers think Ukraine would be better suited to orient itself on the emerging markets of the Commonwealth of Independent States
and guided to be one of the commercial centers within the Eurasian economic space. Its natural state is to serve as a bridge between East and West. The current instability in Ukraine offers an opportunity for the West to usher a new economic paradigm in Eurasia.

Friday, April 10, 2015

ВЕТЕРАН ВОВ ОТМЕЧАЕТ 100-ЛЕТИЕ, ЖЕЛАЕТ МИРА НА ДОНБАССЕ

Никогда не думал ветеран Великой Отечественной войны (ВОВ) Спиридон Августи, что на своё 100-летие самым главным для него станет пожелание мира, за который он когда-то воевал с немецко-фашистскими захватчиками. Спиридону Августи удалось уцелеть в боях на фронтах войны с германскими нацистами, а сейчас украинские неонацисты разрушают его Донецкий край. Несмотря на солидный возраст, ветеран ВОВ и труда и сегодня не представляет своей жизни без работы и надеется ещё раз испытать счастье от наступившего послевоенного мира.

АНТИФАШИСТСКИЙ ФИЛЬМ «БИТВА ЗА СЕВАСТОПОЛЬ» ВЫШЕЛ НА ЭКРАНЫ РОССИИ, УКРАИНЫ

Премьера фильма «Битва за Севастополь», посвящённого 70-летию Победы Советского Союза в Великой Отечественной войне над нацисткой Германией, прошла в Киеве и Москве практически одновременно. Только на Украине его назвали «Несокрушимая».

Снимали картину в обеих странах. Фильм рассказывает об истории советской женщины-снайпера Людмилы Павличенко, уничтожившей во время Великой Отечественной войны 309 фашистов и получившей прозвище «Леди Смерть».

По словам министра культуры Российской Федерации Владимира Мединского, в этом фильме об общей истории, борьбе и победе России и Украины над германским нацизмом, правдив каждый кадр. В нём реален каждый герой в отличие от фантастических американских фильмов о Великой Отечественной войне.

Эксперты считают, что у фильма «Битва за Севастополь» есть всё, чтобы привлечь и интернациональную аудиторию. Его уже купили Китай и Южная Корея на только что завершившемся телекинорынке FILMART в Гонконге.

Impoverishment of population continues as puppet government of Ukraine becomes appendage to IMF

By Vladimir V. Sytin
The Ukrainian Times

According to parliamentary opposition leader Yuri Boiko, impoverishment of the population and social plundering of pensioners continue in Ukraine while unemployment is going through the roof. A fall in Ukraine’s GDP accounted for 15% in the first quarter, inflation made up 38% and prices of utilities increased sevenfold.

As Mr. Boiko put it, the puppet government of Ukraine has become a mere appendage to the International Monetary Fund. He thinks the IMF shock therapy mafia is destroying the real sector of the economy, small and mid-sized businesses. Meanwhile, negative news is coming in like drone attacks and the neo-Nazi junta in Kiev shifts all its failures to a civil war in the Russian-speaking Donbas region, whereas the Ukro-fascist coalition ignores Minsk peace accords.

As a matter of fact, many observers maintain that with the conclusion of the February 12 Minsk-II Peace Accord, Russian President Vladimir Putin enhanced his international position, especially against the United States, and was granted by France and Germany an implied endorsement to influence Ukraine’s internal affairs. In other words, Paris and Berlin agree that Ukraine should lie within Moscow’s sphere of influence.

And it is worth recalling that the U.S. and West European attempts to brazenly interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine have been a failure. The ‘Euromaidan’ overthrow of democratically elected president Viktor Yanukovich (also known as the CIA-perpetrated fascist coup) provided the context for the recent reunification of Crimea with Russia and de facto departure of the Donbas region.

Alas, the drama continues.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

В ВИННИЦКОМ РАЙОНЕ РЕКОНСТРУИРУЮТ ДВОРЕЦ ГРОХОЛЬСКИХ-МОЖАЙСКИХ

Грант в размере 300 тысяч евро получил Винницкий район от Европейского союза на реализацию проекта «Туризм – залог динамичного социально-экономического развития сельских общин». По словам местных чиновников, основной целью проекта является создание благоприятных условий для развития экономического потенциала района путём возрождения туристической зоны.

Проектом, в частности, предусмотрена реконструкция памятника национального значения 18 столетия в селе Вороновица. Это бывший дворец Грохольских-Можайских
и окружающий его парк. Именно здесь русский морской офицер в отставке Александр Можайский проводил испытания, которые помогли ему создать самолёт.

Russian film festival

Онлайн кинофестиваль Дубль Дв@

Institute of Gas, Giprokoks to implement project of producing alternative fuel

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

In Ukrainian cities motor transport releases 90% of carcinogenic discharge in the air. Starting production of competitive alternative fuel from coal and gas enables a substantial reduction in this contamination of air, as well as supplies the petroleum products market with a new kind of motor fuel.

The Institute of Gas under the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has accumulated a considerable amount of experience of the oxygen conversion of natural gas on an industrial scale to obtain gaseous products containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Together with the Kharkov-based institute Giprokoks, the Institute of Gas is preparing for the implementation of the international project Hydrogen Power Engineering whose purpose is to produce motor fuel from the coal of Ukrainian deposits on the basis of its steam-oxygen gasification.

The processes of coking coal, as well as synthesizing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, particularly in accordance with the Fischer-Tropsch process, are sources of producing alternative fuel. The Republic of South Africa found industrial uses of such synthesis as three plants owned by the company Sasol have been producing annually a total of 4.5 million tons of motor fuel since 1983. Coal-rich and oil-poor South Africa became a pioneer of this production during the apartheid era. Sanctions blocked imports of oil, but it required transport fuel at any cost.

In the 1990s several natural-gas processing plants were built in conformity with the Fischer-Tropsch method. Currently, a Qatar-based complex is converting 45 million cubic meters of natural gas into diesel oil, aviation fuel and lubricants.

Today China takes a keen interest in this technology. Specifically, Sasol and the corporation China Shenhua Energy plan to organize production of fuel from coal in 2016. Meanwhile, the Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis under the Russian Academy of Sciences works out similar techniques.

Synthetic motor fuel conforms to active quality requirements that enables its use in the existent fuel infrastructure. Importantly, Ukraine has the raw materials and facilities for research, which can ensure production of alternative fuel.

Additional information: bbikiev@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

«ПОЛТАВАМАШ» ЭКСПОРТИРУЕТ 90% ПРОДУКЦИИ В ПОСТСОВЕТСКИЕ РЕСПУБЛИКИ

Делегация из Североказахской области Республики Казахстан недавно посетила полтавский машиностроительный завод «Полтавамаш». В настоящее время завод тесно связан с постсоветскими республиками, куда экспортируется 90% его продукции.

По словам председателя правления «Полтавамаш» Александра Григоренко, основным источником доходов предприятия является производство энергозапчастей, в частности, лопаток для тепловых турбин. Они не уступают образцам известных торговых марок, и при этом в 10 раз дешевле западноевропейских.

Заместитель начальника управления индустриально-инновационного развития Североказахской области Алексей Иванищев отметил, что они прибыли в Полтавскую область, чтобы в перспективе создать совместное производство. На Украине есть пример такого сотрудничества между предприятием «Хмельниксельмаш» и заводом сельскохозяйственной техники в Петропавловске. Поэтому среди членов казахской делегации были руководители сельхозпредприятий, заинтересованных в переработке мяса и молока.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Gazprom, Neftegaz seal gas deal

The Russian gas group Gazprom and the Ukraine’s state energy group Neftegaz have signed an addendum to a contract in terms of natural-gas supplies. The document extends the validity of the ‘winter package’ until the end of June. As expected, Neftegaz will buy gas from Russia at $248 a thousand cubic meters in the second quarter.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Economic indicators: output

The latest numbers from the State Committee for Statistics of Ukraine show that mining industries decreased output by 26.5% in January and February, compared with the same period last year.

The enterprises that produce food, tobacco and drinks decreased output by 10.9%.

In the pharmaceutical industry a fall in production accounted for 18.4% in January and February.

Woodworking enterprises, pulp and paper, printing industries and publishing houses decreased output by 15.3%.

Chemical industries decreased output by 22.9% in January and February from the year-earlier period.

Metallurgical plants and metalworking industry enterprises decreased output by 23.1%.

Unfortunately, a prospective investor who had woken after sleeping for the last 12 months would be alarmed at the above numbers.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

ИНСТИТУТ ГАЗА, «ГИПРОКОКС» ЗАНИМАЮТСЯ ПОДГОТОВКОЙ ПРОЕКТА ПРОИЗВОДСТВА АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНОГО ТОПЛИВА

90% вредных канцерогенных выбросов в атмосферу крупных городов Украины приходится на автотранспорт. Значительно снизить их и во тоже время обеспечить рынок нефтепродуктов новым видом моторного топлива возможно, начав производство конкурентного альтернативного топлива из угля и газа.

В Институте газа Национальной академии наук Украины накоплен значительный опыт промышленной реализации процесса кислородной конверсии природного газа с получением газоподобных продуктов, содержащих оксид углерода и водород. Сейчас Институт газа совместно с харьковским институтом «Гипрококс» готовится к осуществлению международного проекта «Водородная энергетика», целью которого является производство моторного топлива из угля украинских месторождений на основе его парокислородной газификации.

Источниками получения альтернативного топлива являются процессы коксования угля и синтеза оксида углерода и водорода, в частности,
по методу Фишера-Тропша. Этот синтез нашёл применение в ЮАР, где с 1983 года эксплуатировались три завода компании Sasol
суммарной мощностью 4,5 миллиона тонн моторного топлива в год. Организация этого производства была вынужденной мерой, связанной с действием эмбарго на поставки нефти в ЮАР.

В 90-х годах соорудили несколько установок синтеза по методу Фишера-Тропша на природном газе. Сегодня в Катаре работает комплекс, где перерабатывают 45 млн. кубических метров природного газа в дизельное топливо, авиационное топливо и смазочные материалы.

В настоящее время интерес к этой технологии проявляют в Китае. Компания Sasol и корпорация «Шеньхуа» планируют в 2016 году начать совместное производство
топлива из угля. Ведутся работы в России в Институте нефтехимического синтеза Российской академии наук.

Синтетическое моторное топливо соответствует действующим стандартам качества, что позволяет использовать его в существующей топливной инфраструктуре. На Украине есть сырьё и научная база, способная обеспечить производство альтернативного топлива.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Turkish poachers seized near the Serpent Island

The Ukrainian coast guard arrested the Turkish poaching boat ZOR at a distance of 50 sea miles from the Serpent Island. Reportedly, the foreign vessel was escorted to the Odessa commercial seaport.

On inspection the coast guard sniffed something fishy… and detected 10 kilometers of fishing nets onboard. The carrying capacity of the Turkish boat is estimated at about 43 tons.

Incidentally, a kilogram of plaice costs $15 at Turkish markets.