The relevance of the work is determined by the importance of solving the problem of processing chromium-containing stored tailings, which represent a promising resource for increasing the production of chromium concentrate and reducing the environmental impact on the environment. The object of this study is the processing of chromium-containing tailings using flotation technology. The subject of the study is samples of stored tails of the Donskoy Mining and Processing Complex. The purpose of the research is to determine the optimal parameters of the flotation enrichment of the chromium-containing tailings. The main objectives of the research are to determine the rational interval of the fraction size of chromium-containing tailings, the processing of which by the flotation method would be effective from the point of view of obtaining a concentrate with acceptable recovery of a valuable component, and to determine the optimal collector consumption, ensuring the required final results of flotation enrichment in plane the recovery and quality of the chromium concentrate. To select rational enrichment modes, a method for optimizing the flotation enrichment of stored chromium-containing tailings has been applied, which is based on the use of a new economically oriented criterion - a function of the cost of non-recoverable metal and losses due to a decrease in the quality of the concentrate obtained (reduced chromium losses).The results of the conducted research are the optimal parameters of flotation enrichment of stored chromium-containing tailings. The optimal collector consumption has been determined, at which the lowest value of the reduced chromium losses is achieved. When using the selected collector flow rate, the Cr2 O3 content is achieved in the range of 47–50 %, which corresponds to the M3 concentrate grade, subject to restrictions on the mass fraction of iron and silicon oxide. It is shown that the range of fineness of the tail fraction chosen for flotation enrichment, despite the different flotation capacity of individual fineness classes, does not require adjustment by additional grinding or additional desliming. The main conclusion from the conducted research is to substantiate the possibility and expediency of using flotation technology for processing stored chromium-containing tailings of a wide range of fineness, which makes it possible to obtain branded M3 concentrate with 72–76 % Cr2 O3 recovery tailings using flotation technology.

Due to the fact that in Russia the share of students in the total population is quite significant, the study of issues of consumer preferences of this segment of the population in the field of credit products seems relevant. The object of the study is students of universities in the city of Samara. The subject of the study is consumer preferences of students of universities in the city of Samara in the field of credit products and services. The goal of the study is the analysis of consumer preferences of university students in choosing credit services provided by various credit institutions. The author has outlined the following tasks: firstly, to carry out a theoretical analysis of the most cited works in the field of formation of consumer preferences of students in order to identify key research trends in the selected problem area; secondly, to develop a specialized questionnaire aimed at identifying key consumer preferences among young people studying at universities; thirdly, to carry out a sociological study with subsequent statistical processing of the results; fourthly, to formulate conclusions and recommendations. The following are chosen as key tools for the study: theoretical (analysis of the scientific layer of works in the field of research into the formation of consumer preferences among students), sociological (development of a specialized questionnaire with subsequent organization and conduct of an anonymous survey), statistical (processing of the results, their assessment and interpretation in order to form conclusions and recommendations). The conclusion is formulated that students belong to a special group of the population, on the one hand, differing in the range of their needs, and on the other hand, as a rule, not possessing the necessary knowledge in the field of financial literacy and characterized by a low level of awareness of available credit products. According to the conclusions made, the following factors can influence the formation of students’ consumer preferences: increasing the level of financial literacy, improving tools for informing students about the possibilities of using credit and financial products, subsidizing loans, information support for students on lending issues.

The article considers the ecological and geochemical state of soils in agricultural areas of the Irkutsk region. The ecological and geochemical state was assessed based on soil contamination with heavy metals using the integral index Zc, which characterizes the level of contamination hazard and allows obtaining relatively reliable ideas about the accumulation of heavy metals in soils. From this point of view, the relevance of this article is beyond doubt. The object of the study was soils selected from different agricultural lands in the main state of soils contaminated with heavy metals using the integral index Zc. The main objectives were to determine the degree of contamination of agricultural lands with heavy metals. The methodological approach was based on scientific research in the field of “technogenesis-biosphere” by V. I. Vernadsky, A. I. Perelman, V. V. Dobrovolsky, in the field of the influence of heavy metals on the ecological and geochemical state of landscapes by M. A. Glazovskaya, V. A. Kovda, Yu. N. Vodyanitsky. The study material included soil samples taken from different agricultural lands: arable land, pasture, meadow. The soils were tested for heavy metal content using methods M 02-902-125-2005 and M-MVI-80-2008, RD 52.18.289-90. The ecological and geochemical state of soils was assessed based on the content of heavy metals in mobile and gross forms. The study results showed that the causes of agricultural land pollution in the areas are industrial emissions from enterprises. Based on the results obtained, the integral indicator Zc was determined, which made it possible to assess the current level of soil pollution on various agricultural lands in the main agricultural areas of the Irkutsk region. The results obtained allowed to conclude that the level of soil pollution in agricultural lands affected by industrial emissions from enterprises ranges from highly hazardous to moderately hazardous. The main source of toxic substances entering the soil from industrial enterprises is the deposition of gas and dust emissions.

The article is based on the materials of the monograph “Methodology of the systematics of matter”, which presents the results of scientific research published in 8 monographs and in more than a hundred scientific articles by the author. They review and systematize the results of the research on issues of the methodology as a way of scientific knowledge of the nature and evolution of the Universe. An original methodological technique is used, combining in a matrix rectangular table many elements of a system organization, the structure of nature, grouped into rows and columns. This design reflects and models everything that happens in the world. The world in this system is viewed as a projection of events taking place in a deeper, basic reality. The proposed matrix allows us to identify the logic of the origin and the relationship of individual elements of the energy systems of the Universe, including the humanity, to understand the patterns of evolutionary transformations, to outline the contours of the future. The relevance of the research is to obtain breakthrough results in the field of interdisciplinary natural sciences on the evolution of the universe and the energy processes of its self–organization and structuring. The object of the research is energy systems of self-organization and structuring of matter. The subject of the research is presented by the models of structural energy systems. The purpose of the study is to create new structural models of the object of research using the method of system modeling, clarifying the features of the evolution of the Universe. The objectives of the research are to gain new knowledge in the field of natural sciences about the evolution of the Universe, to create a methodological model of the structural and energy levels of the organization of matter. The research has established three material-energy systems, eight basic energy processes that reveal the essence of the evolutionary self-organization of matter and the methodological system of their cognition, solving a scientific problem. Matrix systematics has clarified the systemic law of the energy evolution of the universe. Structural systems are the technological components of creating artificial intelligence (AI) for future computer programs.

The relevance of the study manifests itself in the scientific problem – the activities of Cambridge Analytics in the context of allegations of personal data misuse belonging to voters obtained by the company from various electronic sources. The focus is the problem of using personal data from social media. The subject of the research is the response and actions of Cambridge Analytics in the context of accusations of illegal manipulation of users’ electronic data. The aim is to identify the connection between the system of theoretical ideas of the Cambridge Analytics managers and election campaign strategies. Specific aspects of the research are as follows: to identify the Cambridge Analytics management’s approach to using Facebook users` information; to examine the company’s behavior; to analyze the consequences of the Cambridge Analytics incident for the evolution of political technologies. The research methodology is based on approaches specific to intellectual history, focusing, among other things, on identifying the consequences of introducing new “political technologies”. The media attention is focused on the ways of obtaining data and sources of corporations` funding associated with Cambridge Analytics. At the same time, one of the themes has become the inferences on which strategies used by the company to influence voters are founded. These strategies are based on a five-factor psychometric model, which contained the features missed by the media. In this model, special political significance is attributed to such characteristics as “consciousness”, which correlated with conservative political views, and “openness to experience” which corresponded to the liberal ones. The conclusion is the following: publications about the company have demonstrated the real functioning of the “polarization” mechanism, which presents the main threat to the democratic process. The strong belief of professionals in the endurance of political views leads to the choice of strategies aimed at mobilizing their supporters and ignoring the opposite side, thus creating a situation in which the opponents in the electoral process cease to communicate with each other; as a result, prejudices about the fundamental intolerance of different political views are clearly confirmed

geochemistry represents a range of new approaches that have been developed for purpose of evaluating the trace elements’ accumulation, including rare earth and radioactive elements, which indicate long-term changes in the biosphere. It is important to investigate and comprehend natural and technical processes to evaluate their nagative effects on the natural environment. The data obtained allowed us to assess the influence of local and global processes affecting the specific formation of dendrogeochemical indicators in the territory of the Republic of Vietnam. This research is relevant and pioneering in Vietnam. The object of the research is ecological and geochemical situation of the location of the city of Dalat, Republic of Vietnam. The purpose is identification of the dynamics of changes in the dendrogeochemical parameters of the Dalat pine (Pinus dalatensis Ferré), depending on the ecological and geochemical situation of the territory of the city of Dalat, Republic of Vietnam. Dendrogeochemical methods have identified indicators for the ratios of rare earth and radioactive elements in the natural anomalies found in Dalat city. It has been established that the maximum concentration of chemical elements, including fissile radionuclides, has been recorded in the period from the 40s to the 60s. In general, it has been shown that the elemental composition of bark and wood varied in concentrations of certain chemical elements. The maximum content is related to the presence of natural and technogenic sources, including those corresponding to the period of military conflict. The presence of hot particles in the tree rings indicates the influence of global nuclear engineering factors on the formation of the ecological and geochemical situation of the studied area and tree rings can be used as an indicator of the long-term state in the biosphere.

The processing of refractory gold ores is a challenging task. Refractory ores include ores that cannot be easily processed due to the fine dissemination of gold in sulphide minerals and the presence of preg-robbing carbonaceous matter. Two processes have been studied: flotation of low-grade double refractory gold ore ­using new carbon depression reagents; gravity – cleaner flotation of rougher flotation concentrate followed by pressure oxidation and the CIL treatment of POX cakes. The study is aimed to optimize the processing of low-grade (Au 0.6 g/t) refractory gold ore and achieve high process parameters. The study included the following steps: the reduction of organic carbon mass fraction (< 0.6 %) in concentrates reporting to hydrometallurgical treatment; experiments on the hydrometallurgical treatment of flotation concentrates using two process options: pressure oxidation (POX) of the initial flotation concentrate followed by the CIL treatment of POX cakes and preliminary gravity – cleaner flotation of the initial flotation followed by pressure oxidation and the CIL treatment of POX cakes. The research methodology is based on studying the influence of carbon depressant reagents on the flotation properties of organic carbon during the flotation process. When carrying out flotation experiments, the equipment of JSC Irgiredmet was used, installed at the semi-industrial testing site (laboratory mills, mechanical flotation machines and auxiliary equipment). The study is carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods of ore preparation and flotation concentration. The mass fraction of organic carbon in the flotation concentrate decreased from 2.0 to 0.5 %. It has been achieved by the use of new reagents for carbon depression (carbon depression reagents). The products of refractory gold ore flotation using new reagents for carbon depression were flotation concentrates suitable for further hydrometallurgical treatment. According to the experiments on rougher flotation concentrate pressure oxidation and subsequent POX cake cyanide leaching, the recovery of gold on the carbon adsorbent was 83.5 %. Preliminary gra­vity – cleaner flotation of the concentrate before pressure oxidation improved the loading of gold on the carbon adsorbent to 96.6 %.

The article is devoted to the current problem of industrial development in the context of increasing external financial risks. A significant share of the production of Russian industrial enterprises is focused on exporting their products. Restrictions on foreign trade and sanctions may lead to threats to the implementation of planned product output on international markets. External financial threats to industry also include declining foreign investment and limited access to advanced technologies. The object of the study is industrial enterprises of the Ural Federal District, operating in conditions of increasing external financial risks. The purpose of the study is to construct a forecast for the industrial development of the Urals based on a simulation model that takes into account the influence of both internal growth factors and external financial risks. The fulfillment of this goal predetermines the solution of the following tasks: to determine the conditions and factors for the competitive development of industry in modern conditions; identify key indicators reflecting the dependence of industry on external and internal factors; build an exponential econometric model for forecasting the development of regions of the Ural Federal District in the context of the implementation of external financial risks – a reduction in imports and foreign investment; to determine the conditions and factors for leveling external financial risks for industrial enterprises of the Urals The study used methods of statistical, comparative and structural analysis. To build the model, the multiple linear regression (MLS) method has been used. The work uses available data from the Federal Customs Service and the Federal Statistics Service for the period 2013-2020. As a result of assessing the parameters of the obtained regression models, the hypothesis about the significant average statistical impact of external financial threats (imports and foreign investments) on the manufacturing and mining production of the subjects of the Ural Federal District has not been confirmed. The results of the study can serve as a guide for further study of the impact of external financial risks on the development of regional industrial systems.

The extraction of hydrocarbon raw materials has always been accompanied by a negative impact on environmental components. The object of the research is waste generated during the drilling process. The subject of the research is toxicity of drilling fluids for Daphnia magna. The urgency of the problem lies in solving the problem of their use and disposal. As a rule, these are multicomponent mixtures, which, when released into water bodies and soil cover, can exhibit toxic properties towards hydrobionts and pedofauna. The purpose of the research is to study the toxicity of drilling waste to the cladocera Daphnia magna. The objectives are as follows: to study the effect of drilling fluids on the survival of daphnia; determine the effect of the toxicant on the reproductive function of crustaceans. The article presents the results of a study of the effect of drilling waste on the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. During the experiment, the effect on daphnia of the liquid phase of both the original drilling waste and in the dilution range of 1:1 – 1:100 was studied using biotesting. Acute and chronic toxicity (4 and 30 days, respectively) was assessed by changes in the survival and reproductive function of crustaceans. It has been determined that in a short experiment, by the 4th day of observation, 40 and 64 % of crustaceans survived in the variants with the maximum dilution (1:10 and 1:100, respectively) of the drilling fluid. In a chronic experiment, the survival rate of daphnia decreased in proportion to the substance content. The toxicity of drilling waste also manifested itself in disruption of the reproductive function of crustaceans: delayed onset of sexual maturity and a decrease in the total number of juveniles. Based on the conducted research, the following conclusions are obtained. Drilling fluids exhibit acute and chronic toxicity to Daphnia magna, reducing their survival by 40 % when the toxicant is diluted 10 and 100 times, respectively. The effect of drilling solutions on the reproductive function of crustaceans is manifested in the inhibition of the timing of puberty (by 2–3 days compared to the control variant) and the overall fertility of daphnia: the number of juveniles that has appeared by the 30th day of the experiment was lower than the control values by 33–50 % (depending on drilling fluid concentrations).

The relevance of the problem is that the final product of flotation of the Eastern Transbaikalia deposit to be sold, has a low content. The object of the research is as follows: technological sample of the original ore of the gold deposit in Eastern Transbaikalia. The purpose of the research includes the search for the optimal reagent regime during the flotation process to improve technological performance. The research objectives are to study the chemical and mineral composition and to investigate the possibility of using reagents based on alcohols and C4-C8 esters “KETGOL”, “KETGOL improved”, “KON-92”. The research methodology is based on studying the properties of the components and their influence on the flotation process. The material composition of the ores has been studied by methods of atomic emission spectral quantitative analysis, X-ray fluorescence, phase atomic absorption analyzes and atomic emission analysis with inductively coupled plasma ICP-AES. The mass fraction of total and organic carbon is determined by the infrared absorption method. The gold content in the original ore is based on assay data. When conducting flotation experiments, the equipment of JSC Irgiredmet has been used. As a result of the research, the material composition is studied and laboratory studies of flotation enrichment of the ore sample are carried out. Conclusions on the material composition are as follows: the studied ore sample belongs to the primary gold-quartz, moderate sulfide mineral type of ore. The gold content is 3.12 g/t, silver – 6.9 g/t. The gold in the ore is mostly small and thin, its fineness is 708. The results of flotation enrichment have showed that the use of the KETGOL reagent as an additional collector to potassium butyl xanthate (BX) in a 2:1 ratio with a total consumption of 90 g/t is an effective means of increasing gold recovery to ~87–89 %, with In this case, the quality of the main flotation concentrate remains at the level of ~15.5–16.5 g/t.