Cross-country Spatial Patterns in Terms of Human Development Indices

The present study attempts to answer the question, which is not considered in the United Nations’ annual Human Development Reports, namely, how spatial patterns of the world countries differ in terms of human development indices. The quantitative research includes three phases. First, functional relations between indices were analysed based on Moran’s I and data fitted by linear regression. Second, clustering of the world countries by human development indices revealed seven spatial clusters. Third, the countries were classified by the types of significant human development problems. The classification distinguished various types of countries: prosperous, problematic and problematic in certain areas. Correlation and spatial dependence analysis demonstrated an important relationship between education and child indicators, in particular, years of education and life expectancy. As a result, the territorial concentration of countries with similar human development was noticed. According to all four groups of indices, 51 prosperous countries (the majority of which are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) are characterised by the lack of serious problems. The group of problematic countries includes 51 territories mostly located in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in Asia, Latin America and Oceania. The findings on relative similarity observed in the identified clusters and groups can be used for developing standard solutions to improve human development. Further research in this direction seems promising.

Ultrastructure and energy dispersive spectroscopy-based elemental analysis of the fruit exocarps of Musa sinensis L. (Banana) and Musa paradisiaca L. (Plantain) (Musaceae)

Ultrastructural investigation and analysis of the elemental spectra composition of Musa sinensis L. and Musa paradisiaca L. exocarp (peels) was carried out using the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) respectively. Microstructures such as interlocked, polyhedral epidermal cells, ellipsoid-shaped stomata, guard cells, intercellular space, anticlinal-patterned walls and subsidiary cells were observed, with direct and indirect implications in the deposition of important primary and secondary metabolites, thus connoting some medicinal significance. Furthermore, the energy dispersive x-ray spectra revealed the presence of some important elements such as potassium (K), iron (Fe), carbon (C), oxygen (O), silicon (Si) and gold (Au), with high to relatively high carbon and oxygen peaks consistently observed in Musa sinensis and Musa paradisiaca. In the same vein, the relative similarity observed in the constituents of quite a number of the elemental spectra (carbon, oxygen, silicon, gold) in M. sinensis and M. paradisiaca peels, also reflects species relatedness between M. sinensis and M. paradisiaca.

What do farmers bring to market? Exploring good types, number of vendors, and founding dates by SES and race/ethnicity

Farmers markets have been promoted as an avenue to improve access to food in neighborhoods that have been traditionally underserved by other outlets. Residents of these neighborhoods are encouraged to attend market sessions because the foods available are thought to increase access to foods that are healthier and of more variety. While previous studies have shown that farmers markets are choosing to locate in underserved areas, little research has examined how often this is occurring and what these markets offer to customers. Using survey data from 560 farmers markets across nine U.S. states and demographic data from the American Community Survey, this analysis contributes to this understanding by comparing and contrasting the founding years, number of vendors, and types of goods available at markets by neighborhood socio-economic status and racial/ethnic composition. Results show a more recent growth of farmers markets in low-income neighborhoods when compared to more affluent neighborhoods and a relative similarity of growth when looking at racial and ethnic composition. However, the types of goods available and number of vendors are significantly lower in low socio-economic status and high racial and ethnic minority neighborhoods when compared to more affluent and whiter neighborhoods. This suggests that there is continued and increasing farmers market presence in areas traditionally underrepresented, but that there is more work to be done to increase the number of vendors present and the diversity of offerings at these markets.

INFLUENCE OF BORINATION, BORON CEMENTATION OF STEEL 45 AND VISCOSITY OF A LUBRICANT ON THE PARAMETERS OF ADHESION BOND IN THE STEEL 45 - 40X SYSTEM

In the work, the regularities of changes in the shear strength of the adhesive bond τ and the piezoelectric coefficient β in the metal systems "steel 45 - 40X", "steel 45+В-40Х", "steel 45+ВС-40Х" were obtained during physical modeling of the materials I-20A, Wolf 10W-40, TAD-17i, Litol-24 with distinctive dynamic viscosities using the additional equipment of the SMTs-2 friction machine. It has been established that a twofold increase in the shear rate causes a decrease in the piezoelectric coefficient in the "steel 45+VS - 40X" system by a factor of 1.2-1.6 for Wolf 10W-40, TAD-17i, Litol-24 lubricants and its relative similarity independent of dynamic viscosity. At the same time, a twofold increase in the shear rate in the "steel 45+B-40X" system also causes a decrease in the piezoelectric coefficient by a factor of 1.16-1.38 for all tested lubricants and its alignments, as in the "steel 45+VS" system, does not observed. It was found that the clearly expressed regularity of the effect of the equivalent dynamic viscosity on the strength of the adhesive bond at p = 0 MPa is not revealed, and the nature of the manifestation is predetermined by a possible change in the mechanism of intermolecular interaction, which depends on the structure of the molecules of lubricants. It was determined that the piezoelectric coefficient naturally decreases with an increase in dynamic viscosity in the entire considered range of normal pressures.

Multistage Evolution in Transverse Aeolian Ridges

Transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) are poorly understood relict aeolian Martian surface features. Processes that create TARs are not well-constrained, and understanding their formation is complicated since they appear to share some features of ripples, megaripples, and dunes. While some evidence of multi-stage TAR formation has been documented in Nirgal Vallis, here we present additional evidence for this process at nine locations on Mars using cratering superposition between different ridge morphologies. Most occurrences of multistage evolution will not preserve the precise series of cratering and formation events documented here, which potentially means that this formative process may have been more common than even these new widespread observations suggest. This formative process can help determine the relative similarity of TARs to ripples, megaripples and dunes. Based on our observations, we conclude that primary TAR forms are most like megaripples, and that subsequent ridges formed like aqueous ripple spurs.

Relative Similarity Programming Model for Uncertain Multiple Attribute Decision-Making Objects and Its Application

This paper is concerned with the uncertain multiattribute decision-making (UMADM) of which the attribute value is triangular fuzzy number. Firstly, the max-relative similarity degree and min-relative similarity degree of alternative decision-making objects are given based on the relative similarity degree of triangular fuzzy number, the advantage relation theories to comparative relative similarity degree of triangular fuzzy number are proposed, and some good properties, relations, and conclusions are derived. Secondly, in order to determine the attribute weight vector, a triangular fuzzy number-based decision-making object relative similarity programming model is established with the help of maximizing possibility degree algorithm rules in the cooperative game theory. Subsequently, by aggregating the comparison overall relative similarity degree values of all decision-making objects, we could pick over and sort the set of alternative objects and gather a new model algorithm for the relative similarity programming of triangular fuzzy number-based multiple attribute decision-making alternatives. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the feasibility and practicability of the model algorithm presented in this paper.

Możliwości zastosowania azjatyckiego modelu rozwojowego w wybranych krajach Azji Południowo-Wschodniej

The applicability of the Asian development model in selected Southeast Asian countries The aim of this article was to analyze the applicability of the Asian development model in selected Southeast Asian countries. The presentation of the main assumptions of the model together with an analysis of the initial conditions of Japan from 1950–1960 allowed for a comparison, of which the conclusion was the relative similarity of Vietnamese and Laotian economies to post-war Japan. Next, the case study of China’s policies endeavoured to highlight the adaptability of the model to domestic specifities. Henceforth, the article aimed at formulating policies featuring the usage of Asian development model, which could be implemented by Vietnam and Laos. Its main conclusion was the observation, that after adjusting certain assumptions of the model to domestic conditions, it still remains an attractive alternative for countries wishing to pursue development through industrialisation.

Features and problems of the administrative and legal regime of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine - the prospect of the issue

At the beginning of the XXI century, human civilization has made anincredible break through in all spheres of science and life. Gradually,progress open edupmore and morenewop portunities for humanity and ways to solve problems. It seem edthat such a termas "forcemajeure" could eventually disappear from legal practice. However, theend of 2019 and the whole of 2020 showed theo pposite, as th eworld faced a new problem. A new challenge for humanitywasthevirus SARS-CoV-2, which inturnled to the emergence of a new "international" mode of the pandemic coronavirus COVID-19. The question of combating a new thre at hasarisen before the whole world. At a time when the world has notinvente done hundred percent effectived rugsagainst COVID-19, the only salvation for humanity is the quarantine mode, whichis a series of specific responsibilities and restrictions to combat the viraldisease. Despite the relative similarity of quarantine modes in different countries, the situation is very different. Thus, in some countries, the relative stability of COVID-19 distribution problems is relative lystable, and in others, despite the measures taken, the situation is exacerbated, the problem is developing rapidly. Unfortunately, the situation in Ukraine is also very ambiguous. Although the author it iesim posera ther strictrestrictions, the situation is gradually deteriorating. Thereis a questionof a real and effective quarantine mode, which will not only provide an opportunity to solve the problem and the possibility of sane existence of the state in a pandemic but also all ow you toquick lyget out of the quarantine mode and return to regular life. Thus, there is a need to investigate the administrative and legal regime of quarantine in Ukraine. It is necessary to identify the problems of the domestic routine and find appropriate ways to solve them, taking into account the global situation of the pandemic, as well as the successful experience and mistakes of other countries in the fight against the virus.

The development of transformation tolerant visual representations differs between the human brain and convolutional neural networks

Existing single cell neural recording findings predict that, as information ascends the visual processing hierarchy in the primate brain, the relative similarity among the objects would be increasingly preserved across identity-preserving image transformations. Here we confirm this prediction and show that object category representational structure becomes increasingly invariant across position and size changes as information ascends the human ventral visual processing pathway. Such a representation, however, is not found in 14 different convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained for object categorization that varied in architecture, depth and the presence/absence of recurrent processing. CNNs thus do not appear to form or maintain brain-like transformation-tolerant object identity representations at higher levels of visual processing despite the fact that CNNs may classify objects under various transformations. This limitation could potentially contribute to the large number of training data required to train CNNs and their limited ability to generalize to objects not included in training.