Contemporary information social risks in the post-modern era

The article analyses the global social risks related to the expansion of information technologies, mass digitalisation, and the accessibility of sources of all information. The possibility of risky situations arising in different areas of society under postmodern conditions has been demonstrated. This is due to the massive spread of information and Internet technology, global changes in the structure of values of modern society, and the reassessment of a number of historical events and characters by some social groups. The focus is on the destruction of traditional mechanisms for transmitting social experience and memory and the transformation of perceptions of history through the use of virtual forms of communication. A different, own interpretation of historical events, the liberation of historical knowledge from politicisation and mythologisation can lead to risks of distortion of historical memory and even to conflicting situations of interpretation of the past. Case studies show that this, in turn, can lead to a set of risks in the economic sphere, for example: the risk of a situation of global redistribution of economic resources, the risk of losing the source of legitimacy of an economic resource, the risk of loss the reputation of a memory entity. These processes negatively affect social stability in society and distort the integrity of historical memory.Particular attention is paid to the topic of cognitive transformation risk related to the mass use of virtual media in the educational process. On the one hand, they are an effective teaching tool based on rapid search, transformation and storage of learning information. But, on the other hand, practice shows that knowledge loses its consistency and becomes “mosaic”, “clichéd”. The consequences of these processes are of a lasting nature and require further in-depth study by the scientific community, including psychologists, educators, and sociologists.

First report of rubber tree wilt caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata in China

The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an important economic resource for the rubber and latex industry. During November 2013 and June 2016, rubber trees showing typical wilt symptoms were found in Mengla, Xishuangbannan, Yunnan, China (N 21° 28', E 101° 33'). Symptomatic trees initially exhibited wilting of foliage on individual branches, then spread to the whole canopy, finally followed by death of the whole tree. Dark-blue to black discoloration was observed in the inner bark and affected xylem, a grayish layer of fungal growth and sporulation occasionally. The disease was detected on 20% of trees surveyed. The diseased tissues of three rubber trees were surface disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s and 0.1% mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for 2 min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C. After 7 days, a fungus was consistently observed growing from the tissue. Three single-spore isolates were obtained. In culture, colonies reaching 69 mm diam within 10 days, mycelium was initially white, then becoming celadon. After 5 days of perithecium formation, observed perithecia were black, globose (173.1 - 237.9 × 175.6 - 217.2 μm) and showed a long black neck (507.3 - 794.1 μm). Ascospore with outer cell wall forming a brim, hat-shaped at the tips of ostiolar hyphae (3.43 × 5.63 μm). Cylindrical endoconidia (10.5 - 39.7 × 3.5 - 6.6 μm) were hyaline. Chain of barrel-shaped conidia (7.2 - 9.5 × 4.1 - 6.2 μm) was found. Aleuroconidia were ovoid or obpyriform, and smooth (10.2 - 14.1 × 8.4 - 10.6 μm). Morphological characteristics of the fungus were consistent with the description of Ceratocystis fimbriata (Engelbrecht and Harrington 2005). The genomic DNA was extracted from isolates (XJm10-2-5, XJm8-2-5, XJm4) using the Chelex-100 method (Xu et al. 2020). The ITS region of rDNA was sequenced using the procedures of Thorpe et al. (2005). Analysis of ITS sequence data (GenBank accessions KJ511488, KJ511485, KT963149) showed that the isolates were 100% homologous to those of the isolates on Punica granatum and Colocasia esculenta from China (GenBank accessions KT963152, MH793673) by BLAST analysis. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic analyse were performed using MEGA 6.06 based on ITS sequences (Fig. 1). Analyses showed that all isolates located on the same clade with all C. fimbriata with a high bootstrap support. Therefore, the fungus was identified as C. fimbriata based on morphology and molecular evidences. Pathogenicity of C. fimbriata isolated from this study was tested by inoculation of three one-year-old pot-grown (3L) seedlings of rubber tree. The soil of three seedlings was inoculated by drenching with 30 ml spore suspension (2.0 × 106 spores / ml). Three control plants were inoculated with 30 ml of sterile distilled water. The experiment was repeated three times. The plants were kept in a controlled greenhouse at 25°C and watered weekly. After the inoculation for one month, all the isolates produced typical wilt symptoms, while control plants showed no symptoms. The original fungus was successfully re-isolated from inoculated trees and identified as C. fimbriata according to the methods described above. The pathogenicity assay showed that C. fimbriata was pathogenic to rubber trees. C. fimbriata was first reported on rubber tree in Brazil (Albuquerque et al. 1972; Silveira et al. 1985). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fimbriata causing wilt of rubber tree in China. This finding contributes to understanding the diversity of this pathogen, and it appears to be a significant threat to rubber trees in its ecosystem.

Environmental resilience and physical structure of Bazian City

The ability of an organism or system to restore form and position elastically following a disturbance or interruption of any type is the true meaning of resilience. How often does the term “resilience” appear in regional or metropolitan contexts to allude to a local socio-economic system’s ability to rebound from a shock or disruption? Resilience can be characterized in a variety of ways. Another term is buffer capacity, which refers to a system’s ability to absorb disturbances and the quantity of disturbance before the system’s structure is altered by modifying the variables and processes that influence behavior. The study concludes that industrial activities affect the city in general and the city’s environment in particular through the pollutants caused by these activities. In order to develop planning solutions to address any change in the city under the concept of environmental resilience, the researchers paid attention to this aspect, which provides treatments, solutions, and suggestions in order to preserve the city from crises and Industrial activities that negatively affect the environment of the city, that the city of Bazian contains industrial factories for the manufacture of cement and bricks because it is rich in raw materials. Of the importance of industrial activities that contribute to the production of an economic resource for the region, but there are deficiencies in the ecological systems that maintain the direct impact of these industries on the environment, the insufficiency of regulations and legislation within the framework of industrial determinants.

Determinants of Women’s Empowerment and Household Poverty Reduction in Imbulpe DS Division, Sri Lanka

Women empowerment and poverty reduction are interrelated key driving forces to achieve the sustainable development of a country. However, most of the women farmers in rural areas have lack of access to adequate assets and resources, credit facilities and freedom of decision making within the households. Therefore, women empowerment is a timely important requirement to reduce the household poverty among them. This study was conducted to identify the determinants of empowerment of women farmers and also roles of them in reduction of poverty in Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat (DS) Division in Sri Lanka. In this study, 238 women farmers were selected using simple random sampling method, from purposively identified seven Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions in this area. Primary data was gathered from a field survey using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire from May to July 2019. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used as the statistical methods in data analyzing process. The result revealed that, age, education, monthly income of the respondents, economic resource accessibility, participation in decision making and freedom of mobility act as the determinants of empowerment of women farmers. The moderately significant positive nature of relationship was showed between the age of the women farmers and their role in poverty reduction. And also, the level of education, monthly income, economic resources accessibility of the respondents and participation of decision making within the household of the women farmers were showed moderately significant positive relationship with their role in poverty reduction. Therefore, encourage women farmers as rural entrepreneurs while performing their farming practices to earn additional income, enhance economic resource accessibility and motivate women farmers to express their ideas for enhance the active participation in the household decision making process are timely important requirements to empower women farmers and enhance their role in poverty reduction.

Smart city development as a driver of efficiency reorganization and improvement of cities

Purpose: The aim of this work is to show how smart cities can drive the reorganization and efficiency of existing cities.Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes modern achievements in the field of a smart city, the latest achievements of cities and technological solutions they introduce. The paper analyzes when and why this concept appears, development stages and prospects of this concept. The world problems of the urbanization process in new territories and ways to solve them.Research findings: The paper considers relevant reports and studies highlighting the problems and solutions of urbanization and the ecological situation in cities, the negative impact on the environment.Practical implications: One of the ways to solve such problems is the implementation of a set of solutions included in the smart city concept. How modern technological solutions and large data volume assist in the communal and economic resource management, overcome environmental challenges of today and make the city more accessible to its residents. How historical cities can actively integrate and improve urban environment with minimal intervention.Originality/value: Attempts are made to answer whether cities need to become smart, what the consequences may be. As a consequence of emerging issues, many problem must be discussed in future research.

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL PROBLEMS OF AQUATIC BIORESOURCES USE AS AN OBJECT OF WILDLIFE IN THE CONDITIONS OF ENSURING OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

Current trends for expansion of aquatic bioresources consumption by human, considering their importance for food security governance, maintenance of life and poverty alleviation inevitably lead to the urgency of balancing consumer interest with the ecological interest, which involve ensuring the rational use, proper protection and preservation condition of aquatic bioresources stock. Aquatic bioresources are an important economic resource, on the one hand, and on the other – an integrated component of wildlife as an object of environmental protection. It determines the regulation of the legal regime of aquatic bioresources use by norms of environmental, agriculture and business law. According to the Aquatic Animal Health Strategy 2021‑2025, approves by the World Organization for Animal Health, demand for aquatic animal products has been increasing and is predicted to rise by at least 32% by 2030, just as the increase of production of such products is wield major influence on achievement of many UN Sustainable Development Goals. In view of this, the position that the concept of fisheries development in a civilized society should be focused not only on meeting the economic needs of the state, but also aimed at ensuring the rational use of aquatic bioresources, their effective reproduction, appealing to those ecological functions they perform in the natural ecosystem, is substantiated in the article. Achieving this goal is seen in the ecologization of economic activity, reinforcement guarantees of unimpeded access of citizens to aquatic bioresources and improving the management component in the studied area. Moreover, the paper reflects issues related to the prospects of implementing of key provisions of the EU Common Fisheries Policy in national environmental legislation.

MODAL SOSIAL KELOMPOK TANI BUDI MARGOMULYO II DALAM PEMENUHAN KEBUTUHAN SUMBERDAYA EKONOMI USAHATANI PADI (Studi Kasus Di Desa Pontang Kecamatan Ambulu Kabupaten Jember)

The Budi Margomulyo II Farmer Group is a farmer group located in Pontang Village, Ambulu District, Jember Regency who has problems related to the availability of economic resources in rice farming. This study was aimed to determine existing social capital in the Budi Margomulyo II Farmer Group in meeting economic resources needs in terms of resource components, social structure, and actions at the micro and meso levels. The location selection is determined purposively (purposive method), on the reasoning that there is a good potential in the agricultural sector and that Budi Margomulyo Farmer Group is an active farmer group with various achievements and has succeeded in becoming one of the pioneers in establishing a union. This research is qualitative research with purposive sampling used while choosing the informants. Data analysis of this research employed the Interactive Method of Miles and Huberman. The results showed that the economic resource needs of group members can be met with the existence of social capital in the farmer group both at the micro and meso levels

Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

The article discusses gender equality as an integral part of democratic values. It is a democratic state that should be based not only on political and social, but also on the idea of gender equality, which means ensuring equal rights and responsibilities, responsibilities and equal participation in socio-political life. The 5th goal of the United Nations-Sustainable Development is to ensure gender equality in society. Therefore, the Government of Georgia is actively working to ensure economic empowerment of women and equal economic opportunities in the country by 2030 and to protect the gender balance in the decision-making process. According to global studies, female potential is the least used economic resource in the world, and a pandemic exacerbates this problem. According to world studies, globally, the rate of job losses in women due to pandemics is about 1.8 times higher than the same rate in men. The article extensively covers additional risk factors for gender equality, such as poverty, as women often do not have access to adequate nutrition, fresh air, water, doctor visits, and housing. For example, the production of textiles is one of the most important polluting industries in the world. 90% of the employees in this field are women. Similarly, in Georgia, the majority of employees in garment factories are women. Our observations show that women earn an average of 400-500 GEL per month, in return for having to work hard, working overtime, which also increases their health risks. Similar problems exist in other industry conditions. For example, the city of Rustavi, where the degree of air pollution is 3-4 times higher than the allowable norms. That is why most women complain of weak immunity, various allergic and oncological diseases. It should also be noted that in Georgia, the integration of gender issues in the development of legislative policies, laws, strategies and programs does not happen often and, unfortunately, the state puts the interest of business profit ahead of the needs of society. The UN Office in Georgia has set up an Extended Gender Thematic Group (GTG) to achieve the goals and objectives set out in the 2021-2025 Partnership Agreement, which brings together all gender contacts and works to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in the country. Keywords: Gender equality, sustainable development, cooperation agreement, women's empowerment, women's rights.

The Current State of Knowledge of Shea Butter Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertner.) for Nutritional Value and Tree Improvement in West and Central Africa

Vitellaria paradoxa (C.F.Gaertn.) is a multi-purpose tree species distributed in a narrow band across sub-Saharan Africa. The species is integrated into cropping and agroforestry systems as a nutritional and economic resource, which provides a range of environmental services. Integration of the species into land-use systems provides an essential source of livelihoods and income for local populations. The economic potential of the shea butter tree derives from its edible products, which also serve cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. To understand the current state of knowledge about V. paradoxa, this paper summarizes information about the ecology, population structure, and genetic diversity of the species, also considering compositional variation in the pulp and kernels, management practices, and efforts towards its domestication. Despite the great potential of the shea butter tree, there are some gaps in the understanding of the genetics of the species. This review presents up-to-date information related to the species for further domestication and breeding purposes.