Objective: to develop methods for constructing small predictive systems for determining the changing trends of the economic situation.Method: process, system, abstract-logical, conceptual-methodological methods.Results: the scientific approaches to the definition of economic activity indicators are analyzed, the shortcomings and limitations of the leading factors method is identified. The method of indicative component of production cost is developed and presented, focused on the use in the creation of small-size predictive systems. The method implies the presence of an indicative component in the cost of production that translates the relationship with the economic cycle dynamics at the subsequent stages of the production process. The use of the energy component of the production cost as an indicator of changes in the macroeconomic situation is scientifically substantiated.Scientific novelty: based on the summarized ideas of the Russian and foreign economists, the article presents options for solving the problem of finding the economic activity indicators, as well as the principles of disaggregated predictive models construction. The basis is the author’s method of indicative components of the production cost, developing the M. I. Tugan-Baranovsky’s idea on the presence of indicative properties in certain materials used for the I division production, related to the change of current trends in the dynamics of the economic conjuncture. Based on the first-ever synthesis of this idea with the “energy” views by S. A. Podolinsky, the practice-oriented approach to the study of the economic systems dynamics is formed. Practical significance: orientation of the work provisions, results and conclusions to be widely used in solving the problems of effective economic management. The work includes practical solutions for the formation of small-scale predictive systems for further application in the interests of the real economy.

Objective: to identify the environmental aspects of sustainable regional development of the Volga Federal district.Methods: multidimensional comparative analysis, method of Euclidean distances.Results: today, environmental factors largely determine the economic potential of regional systems. The article summarizes the concepts of sustainable development and states the need to calculate the integral indicator of environmental aspects of the region. Based on the chosen method, using Rosstat data, environmental, economic and social indicators of sustainable development of the Volga federal district regions are presented. On the basis of these indicators, an integral indicator of the stability of the Volga Federal district regions is determined. The main inhibiting factor of the territories complex sustainable development is identified, i.e., weak or problematic environmental development of the regions. As a result, it is determined that all the Volga Federal district regions have a close to sustainable development, although the spread between the territories is significant.Scientific novelty: the article assesses the impact of a range of environmental factors on sustainable development of territories by the example of the Volga Federal district. Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used by the regional authorities to identify environmental problems in the regions and to take effective environmental measures to increase sustainable territorial development.

Objective: to develop a single-level optimization approach to the management of socio-economic systems.Methods: methods of system analysis, econometric method of factor analysis of dependencies, optimization methods. Results: a single-level optimization approach to the management of socio-economic systems, including their analysis and synthesis of management decisions, is presented. It contains the construction of partial and integral indicators of the system functioning, built on the basis of communication models of factor and effective signs, representing the production functions. The expected values (norms, standards) for the system operation results are determined according to communication models. Synthesis of managerial decisions is to find the specified levels of the state and impact factors, in which the actual values of the effective signs coincide with the standards. Visualization of the approach is presented in the form of cybernetic and process models.Scientific novelty: the peculiarity of the presented approach is a combination of two stages: the stage of socio-economic systems analysis, which includes defining the specific and integral performance indicators, designed by the author’s method and forming the given system development trajectory based on the constructed models of its state and functioning; and the stage of synthesis of managerial decisions, which is generally reduced to the problem of multi-criteria optimization. Practical significance: the approach can be used as a basis for improving the management of socio-economic systems at the level of a region, municipality or individual economic entity.

Objective: to identify the institutional features of the processes of universities integration within the modern reforms of higher education in Russia and European countries.Methods: comparative institutional analysis of the main parameters of the reforms aimed at universities integration. Results: the institutional specificity of reforms aimed at the universities integration is revealed. Through specific illustrations and characteristics of the ongoing reforms in a number of European countries (Great Britain, Romania, Spain) and the United States, the relationship is demonstrated between the institutional environment of the national higher education systems, the characteristics of the socio-economic and demographic situation in these countries, and the results of the reforms. A possible range of forms and types of integration and interaction of universities, including their merger (acquisition), as well as various forms of long-term cooperation (alliances), is shown; some advantages of these forms are described. Scientific novelty: based on the comparative institutional analysis and the study of international experience in universities integration, the author reveals the institutional specifics of reforms in some countries and specifies the possibilities of using both mergers (acquisitions) of universities and some types of long-term associative interaction between individual universities in order to improve the quality of the provided services, research, and internationalization of education process. Practical significance: the obtained results can be used to specify the public policy in the sphere of higher education and science in order to adjust the forms of effective interaction of universities to improve the quality of educational services and research.

Objective: modeling the mechanism of minimizing the enterprise’s integrated operating costs by combining the technological operation, permissible for environmental limitations. Methods: fuzzy mathematical programming methods were used for the model construction. Results: the modern principles of regulation of the industrial enterprises having a significant negative impact on the environment are based on the best available technologies conception, which stimulates the innovative “green” technologies development. In view of the complexity of identifying the best of competing alternative technologies, the development of models and methods for evaluating alternative options is an urgent task. The article presents a model for choosing the combination of various technologies admissible on ecological restrictions for minimizing the total operational costs of an enterprise when ensuring the admissible level of negative impact on the environment. In some cases it enables to make a more effective ecologically and economically choice. Scientific novelty: in contrast to the existing models of choice, which a priori identify a single technology, the proposed model allows to expand the set of available alternatives to include not only the basic one, but also a combination of operations from different technologies.Practical relevance: the model allows enterprises to implement the optimal choice of the best available technology in environmentally and economically conflict situations.

Objective: to determine ways of forming the consumer value of goods/services on the basis of existing approaches and methods. Methods: comparative analysis, dialectical method of scientific cognition, logical analysis were used. Content analysis was used in the study of documentary sources. Methods of description and generalization are involved.The study uses a systematic approach, which consists in allocating the methodological principles to consider the studied approaches to the formation of consumer value of goods/services.Results: in marketing, one of the most important categories is the approach based on the assessment of a product or service value by a consumer. The article emphasizes the need to take into account the contradictions in the understanding of goods value by the consumer and the manufacturer when forming a corporate strategy. The author analyzes the existing approaches to the formation of consumer value of goods/services, and studies the features of these approaches. There are significant factors that must be taken into account when creating customer value. In particular, the author analyzes the concepts of the provided consumer value, the quality management theory, and the concept of joint value creation, which is currently one of the key trends in the business community. Also, the process and levels formation of chains of consumer value creation are considered.Scientific novelty: the contradiction is indicated between significant factors of consumer value of goods/services for the company and for the consumer; the division of consumer values into four enlarged groups is proposed.Practical significance: the study results can be used to form the consumer value of goods/services, providing the company with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Objective: to analyze the impact of crime as a social capital measure on economic growth in the regions and municipalities of the Russian Federation.Methods: general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis; econometric modeling.Results: the paper reviews the literature on the relationship between social capital and crime rate, as well as the impact of crime on economic growth The bonding social capital may generate groups competing for the public goods, which leads to a zero or negative impact of social capital.It also presents an analysis of the impact of crime rate as measures of negative social capital on the economic growth of the Russian Federation regions, including municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan. The number of registered crimes served as a measure of social capital. The assessment of such an element of social capital as norms through the number of crimes, the level of crime and other indicators is one of the generally recognized approaches. The analysis was carried out using an extended regression model based on the Cobb-Douglas production function. Social capital, measured by the number of reported crimes, was included as an additional factor in the model.It is scientifically proved that crime in foreign countries affects economic development and economic growth. The econometric modeling carried out in this article proves the existence of this relationship at the regional and municipal level in Russia. Scientific novelty: at present, the impact of norms as an element of social capital on the regional economic development is little studied. In this study, based on the approaches of economic and mathematical modeling, the influence of such an element of social capital as the norms, measured by the number of crimes on the gross regional product of the Russian Federation subjects and the gross territorial product of the Republic of Tatarstan municipalities for 2008-2016, is proved.Practical significance: the findings of the study can be applied in the activities of regional and municipal authorities forming the regional or municipal policy in the Russian Federation.

Objective: to formulate the notion, features and types of corrupt behavior.Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena, allowing to analyze them in the historical development and functioning in the context of a set of objective and subjective factors, which determined the choice of the following research methods: formal-logical, comparative-legal, sociological.Results: An analysis of more than 300 public corruption convictions occurring over a three-year period was conducted. A conclusion is made that corruption is misconduct beyond favors received for actions typical of a public official's position. This holding makes it unclear the degree to which the use of an official office for personal advantage, or that of another, can be considered corruption. At the same time, considering these issues is essential for effective prevention, identification and suppression of corrupt behavior. Scientific novelty: the paper contributes to science in that an empirical typology of corruption behaviors was developed. The corpus delicti and methods for several hundred corruption cases were identified. It was discovered that eight distinct types of corrupt conduct exist, pursuing two broad illicit objectives. Therefore, despite the multiplicity of charges brought in corruption cases, there exist a limited number of behaviors that underlie this conduct. Besides, the authors compare these findings with the previous literature on corruption. The utility of the typology for understanding the underlying behavioral aspects of corruption is explained with implications for reducing its occurrence.Practical significance: the key results and conclusions of the paper can be used in scientific, educational and law-enforcing activities when considering the issues related to prevention, identification and suppression of corrupt behavior.

Objective: to analyze the influence of machine intelligence on legal practice and services.Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena, allowing to analyze them in the historical development and functioning in the context of a set of objective and subjective factors, which determined the choice of the following research methods: formal-logical, comparative-legal, state and legal modeling.Results: The market for electronic legal services is at a relatively early, yet significant, stage in terms of the disruptive effect of machine intelligence in undermining lawyers' monopoly. As machine intelligence in lawyering develops exponentially, it will take an increasingly larger role in legal practice. Eventually, machine intelligence will prove faster and more efficient than many lawyers in providing those services. Lawyers will continue to provide services that cannot be commoditized if they are superstars, practice in highly specialized areas of law subject to rapid change, appear in court, or provide services where human relationships are central to their quality. Otherwise, no effective barriers to the advance of machine lawyering in legal practices exist - not even in the law and ethics of lawyering. Lawyers will continue to embrace machine intelligence as an input and fail to prevent non-lawyers from using it to deliver legal services. Ultimately, therefore, the disruptive effect of machine intelligence will trigger the end of lawyers' monopoly and provide a benefit to society and clients as legal services become more transparent and affordable to consumers, and access to justice thereby becomes more widely available. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the authors formulate the five areas of legal practice which will significantly change in the nearest future under the influence of machine intelligence: (1) discovery, (2) legal search, (3) generation of documents, (4) creation of briefs and memoranda, and (5) predictive analytics. Machine intelligence has already begun to significantly compete with lawyers and undermine their monopoly. Today, sizeable financial industries use machine intelligence to deliver legal services, even though the most economically significant developments have occurred in only three of the five areas identified above. The three areas that have proven most profitable are legal research, discovery, and document generation. Practical significance: the key results and conclusions of the research can be used in scientific, educational and law-enforcing activities when considering the issues related to the influence of machine intelligence on legal practice and services.

Objective: from the standpoint of theoretical validity, to study the current changes in the Russian legislation on natural monopolies.Methods: modern economic theory, methods of applied system analysis, descriptive and normative modeling.Results: the article analyzes the Russian practice of state regulation related to the noticeable trend of leveling the specificity of natural monopolies and unification of management approaches. The orientation to mainly universal approaches is assessed, when the action of tools not aimed at infrastructural features analysis is extended to specific, first of all technologically specific, objects. The possibilities are shown of systemic research and assessment of the trend towards unification in a number of areas, suggesting the feasibility of taking into account the natural monopoly specificity and determining the effectiveness of management decisions in this area.Scientific novelty: for the first time, the directions of systemiс assessment are investigated, which determine the expediency of universal unification of management approaches in the areas of Russian natural monopolies and/or accounting of natural monopoly specificity.Practical significance: the approaches proposed in this paper expand the possibilities of substantiating management decisions in the system of state regulation of the Russian natural monopolies, taking into account the natural monopoly specificity. Practical application may be associated with the distinguishing of a certain discussion angle and the adjusting and supplementing the provisions initiated by legislative initiatives in the areas of natural monopolies.

Objective: full and objective evaluation of a tutorial “Criminological victimology” by P. A. Kabanov and R. R. Magizov, published in 2018 at Kazan Federal University.Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena, allowing to analyze them in the historical development and functioning in the context of a set of objective and subjective factors, which determined the choice of the following research methods: formal-legal, comparative-legal, etc.Results: the presented concept of modern criminological victimology as an academic discipline is analyzed, as well as its structure, relationships with other disciplines, and the main trends and prospects of its development. It is emphasized that the publication is undoubtedly useful, for those who study the criminal law direction of jurisprudence, first of all, because, as the authors rightly point out, modern criminological victimology is an extremely dynamic interdisciplinary field of knowledge, in respect of which a single approach in understanding its basic categories has not yet been developed. The reviewers’ views on the status, structure, subject of criminological victimology as a branch of criminological science are presented. The conclusions obtained by the authors as a result of their research are evaluated, the contradictions between the authors’ research results and the tutorial content are revealed.Scientific novelty: for the first time the tutorial by P. A. Kabanov and R. R. Magizov “Criminological victimology” is evaluated; its main advantages and the provisions requiring additional scientific study are revealed. The paper describes the current state of Russian criminological victimology as an academic discipline in the sphere of jurisprudence and outlines the prospects of its conceptual development. A conclusion is made about the significant contribution of the authors to the development of the Russian legal doctrine.Practical significance: the reviewers concluded that the tutorial by P. A. Kabanov and R. R. Magizov can be used by researchers, professors of law schools and faculties, practicing lawyers, representatives of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system, undergraduate and graduate students.