Mass Media and Conflicts: Media-Geographical Studies

This article presents the results of media geographical studies of publications of American and European mass media covering conflicts and crises of different levels and scales (global, international, regional, and local). Through the prism of media-geographical views on the processes of media reality formation, the author examined mass media approaches of different countries on the topic of coverage. The research methodology included media metric analysis, rank analysis (rank distributions of the popularity of semantic categories for Internet audiences around the world), quantitative and qualitative content analysis of media texts and analysis of publications according to the criteria of the theory of peaceful journalism. The results of the rank analysis illustrated the possibilities of using this method to study the mental landscapes of different countries and regions. Special attention was paid to the interpretation of meanings and their transformation in space and time, as well as to the spatial analysis of big data (based on Google Trends statistics) with an emphasis on the dynamics of changes in media behavior and media consumption of Internet audiences in different time periods. The empirical basis for content analysis was made up of publications of online versions of 10 American and European mass media in English, German and French of 2020. The main result of the study: the majority of media texts — about 80 % — do not contribute to the search for ways of peaceful settlement of conflicts (they abound in emotionally colored vocabulary, negative markers, categorical assessments, journalists do not make attempts to deeply analyze the situation, synthesize different positions and search for creative non-violent ways to resolve contradictions). Mass media publications often become a source of increasing tension in society, the parties of conflicts are represented as antagonists in media texts, journalists fail to establish a connection between them and bridge the gap between their interests. The results of a comparative analysis of media texts according to the criteria of the theory of peaceful journalism allowed us to classify the main approaches for the mass media conflicts covering and develop a number of proposals and recommendations to use in journalistic practice.

Gender Systematics in the NRAO Proposal Review System

Several recent investigations indicate the existence of gender-related systematic trends in the peer review of proposals for observations on astronomical facilities. This includes the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) where there is evidence of a gender imbalance in the rank of proposals with male principal investigators (PIs) favored over female PIs. Since semester 2017A (17A), the NRAO has taken the following steps: (1) inform science review panels (SRPs) and the telescope time allocation committee (TAC) about the gender imbalance; and (2) increase the female representation on SRPs and the TAC to reflect the community demographics. Here we analyze SRP normalized rank-ordered scores, or linear ranks, by PI gender for NRAO observing proposals from semesters 12A–21A. We use bootstrap resampling to generate modeled distributions and the Anderson–Darling (AD) test to evaluate the probability that the linear rank distributions for male and female PIs are drawn from the same parent sample. We find that between semesters 12A–17A that male PIs are favored over female PIs (AD p-value 0.0084), whereas between semesters 17B–21A female PIs are favored over male PIs, but at a lower significance (AD p-value 0.11). Therefore the gender imbalance is currently being ameliorated, but this imbalance may have been reversed. Regardless, we plan to adopt a dual-anonymous approach to proposal review to reduce the possibility of bias to occur.

STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF RANKINGS IN SPORTS AND GAMES

Any collection can be ranked. Sports and games are common examples of ranked systems: players and teams are constantly ranked using different methods. The statistical properties of rankings have been studied for almost a century in a variety of fields. More recently, data availability has allowed us to study rank dynamics: how elements of a ranking change in time. Here, we study the rank distributions and rank dynamics of 12 datasets from different sports and games. To study rank dynamics, we consider measures that we have defined previously: rank diversity, change probability, rank entropy, and rank complexity. We also introduce a new measure that we call “system closure” that reflects how many elements enter or leave the rankings in time. We use a random walk model to reproduce the observed rank dynamics, showing that a simple mechanism can generate similar statistical properties as the ones observed in the datasets. Our results show that while rank distributions vary considerably for different rankings, rank dynamics have similar behaviors, independently of the nature and competitiveness of the sport or game and its ranking method. Our results also suggest that our measures of rank dynamics are general and applicable for complex systems of different natures.

Ecological consolidation of lands and federal districts in Russia

It is proposed to identify the hierarchy of federal districts in terms of ecological opportunities for consolidation of vegetation cover by three classes of soil cover according to the UN classification (grass + shrub + trees) on the territory of Russia by ranking the shares of vegetation cover and human-modified lands, as well as ecological coefficients. The total ecological coefficient is calculated by dividing the share of vegetation by the total share of anthropogenic land. The forest-agricultural coefficient is convenient as the ratio of the forest area to the arable land area. The article contains the identification method revealing stable regularities of rank distributions in the form of trends and wave equations.

Rank distribution of wood removal from forest land

The article is devoted to the problem of modeling the speed of movement of timber trucks in various natural conditions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The results were obtained on the basis of multiple observations of the speed of timber trucks on various sections of forest roads. The results presented in the article are based on the selection and analysis of factors that can presumably have any effect on the speed of movement of timber trucks when hauling timber. The article presents the results of creating a multifactorial dependence for calculating the speed of timber transport. The analysis of the quality factor of each of the factors is carried out by the rank distribution of the obtained regularities and by compiling a rating of the conducted field experiments on the multivariate analysis of timber removal. The calculations and modeling were carried out in the CurveExpert-1.40 software environment and the Microsoft Office Excel software package in the RANK environment. Using the CurveExpert-1.40 software environment, the adequacy of the regularities of the rank distributions of the factors of timber removal from the forest area was assessed by the correlation coefficient. As a result, we obtained models of the total and private influence of factors from themselves (monar ratio) by ranks, which were placed before modeling for each factor in the direction of changing the level of their preference for factors from worse to better. When analyzing the quality factor of experiments, all analyzed factors received a correlation coefficient above 0,97, which corresponds to the level of adequacy of the «strongest factor relationship». This made it possible to add up the ranks of all 35 factors and, by the sum of the ranks, reveal the rating in the system of factors. The paper presents the mathematical dependences of rank distributions and graphs constructed from them. As a result of modeling, regression dependences were obtained and the quality factor of the values of the factors used by the authors in the course of production experiments was proved.

Frequency-rank Distributions in Proteomics

This paper analyzes the protein abundances in 8 organisms to determine if they fit any of a number of commonly-seen distributions in frequency-rank analyses, with the intention of drawing analogies between biochemistry and linguistics. The organisms were chosen so as to be representative and come from a wide range of body complexities. Our analysis suggests that while individual organisms fit certain distributions quite well, there is no overarching thread that unifies the protein distributions found across the living world, at least on the scale of individual proteins.

The prevalence of adolescent obesity in the world and the Russian Federation in 2012–2018

Introduction. The spread of obesity in the world is currently a severe problem. WHO considered it possible to view obesity a “non-communicable epidemic of the XXI century.” Obesity in the adolescent generation is a determining factor in the development of diseases in adulthood. The paper analyzes the prevalence of adolescent obesity in the Russian Federation as a whole and the regions of the Federation and various countries of the world. The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence of obesity in adolescents and assess the dynamics of the spread of this disease in Russia and the world, as well as factors affecting it and issues of prevention of this pathology. Methods. The authors used analytical and statistical methods and performed the study and generalization of experience and comparative analysis. This study was retrospective and was conducted using statistical data from the Rosstat database and who databases. Histograms were used to illustrate rank distributions and dynamics of indicators. Calculated growth coefficients and chain and basic growth rates were used as statistical indices of disease dynamics. Results. The paper deals with the dynamics of adolescent obesity in the world and the Russian Federation. The authors analyze the factors that affect obesity and issues of prevention of this pathology and determine the need to take urgent preventive measures to reduce the incidence of obesity. Conclusion. The spread of obesity globally, which is already close to an epidemic, is a severe problem. Obesity in adolescents is the leading risk factor for developing obesity in adulthood. In this way, the state can create conditions that will help contain and possibly reduce the increase in the incidence of adolescent obesity.

Factor Analysis of the Parameters of Samples of the Steppe Soil and Grass of Mongolia and Inland Mongolia of China on the Eastern Transsect of the Eurasian Steppe

Regularities of rank distributions and binary relations between nine parameters are given. The most active are the geographical coordinates of 48 test sites. This proves that the geomorphology of the steppes in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia is becoming decisive. Factor analysis showed that the first four places for influencing variables and dependent indicators are the same: in the first place is the northern latitude, the second is the east longitude, the third is the average annual precipitation, and the fourth is the intensity of sheep grazing. The rest of the factors are located in different ways. The density of organic carbon was only in ninth place as an influencing variable, and in seventh place as a dependent indicator. This is based on the fact that organic carbon is an accumulative (cumulative) parameter over many years. The productivity of the biomass of steppe grass as an influencing variable is in sixth place, and as a dependent indicator (criterion) only in ninth place. This parameter is seasonal, therefore, in comparison with organic carbon, it is highly dynamic. The average annual temperature as an influencing variable is in fifth place, but as a dependent indicator only in eighth place. This was influenced by the strong averaging of the parameter (average value for the year). Plants are strongly influenced by the temperature dynamics during the growing season, and even more by the sum of temperatures during the growing season. With the productivity of steppe grass less than 75 g / m2, the intensity of sheep grazing is zero. According to the second term of the trend, an optimum of 270 g / m2 appears with the maximum intensity of sheep grazing on average 65 pcs / km2. The first fluctuation shows that with an increase in grass biomass, there is a loss of stability of the grass cover with an exponential growth of the amplitude. The second oscillation is dangerous in that with an increase in the biomass of the grass, the half-period of the oscillation sharply decreases and this will also lead to the collapse of the steppe grass. From the remnants of the effect of sheep grazing on grass biomass, it can be seen that there are three clusters: 1) from 0 to 30; 2) from 30 to 95; 3) more than 95 pcs / km2. In this case, the variability of the productivity of the grass decreases.

ECOLOGICAL CONSOLIDATION OF LANDS IN RUSSIA AND FEDERAL DISTRICTS

It is proposed to identify the hierarchy of federal districts in terms of ecological opportunities for consolidation of vegetation cover according to three classes of soil cover according to the UN classification (grass + shrub + trees) on the land territory of Russia by ranking the shares of vegetation cover and human-modified lands, as well as ecological coefficients. The total ecological coefficient is calculated by dividing the share of vegetation by the total share of anthropogenic land. The forest-agricultural coefficient is convenient as the ratio of the forest area to the arable land area. The identification method revealed stable regularities of rank distributions in the form of trends and wave equations.