Статистическое исследование средней заработной платы в Республике Беларусь с учетом гендерного фактора

The article presents an overview of the labour market in the Republic of Belarus, taking into account the gender factor. Indeed, the labour market of any state has a certain level of gender segregation and to reliably assess this phenomenon, first of all, it is necessary to develop a better understanding of the emerging patterns and trends in the dynamics of the core statistical indicators, and of what processes reduce or fuel gender asymmetry. The author carried out a statistical study on the wage levels of employed in the economy of the Republic of Belarus, and a comparative analysis of its average values for men and women. Despite the fact that the right to work and equal remuneration for men and women are enshrined in law, the problem of gender segregation in the labour market remains relevant. The effective solution of issues of gender inequality is impossible without taking into account the existing gender issues in the country and the main trends reflected in statistical indicators. The author applies statistical methodology of socio-economic analysis to show manifestations of gender inequality in its various forms, for example, hiring discrimination against women, gender pay gap, gender asymmetry in the distribution of workers between economic sectors and activities. Methods of variance analysis serve as a basis to study the relationship between the type of economic activity which employs Belarusian men and women and the level of average wages. Objective statistics suggests that the differences between men and women are often due not so much to biological factors as to social conditions (demands and development of culture, norms of society, etc.). Disclosing wage problems with statistical means, the author argues that gender equality acts not only as a goal but also as an essential means of achieving sustainable development, which is impossible without modernizing existing political and socio-economic mechanisms.В статье представлен обзор рынка труда Республики Беларусь с учетом гендерного фактора. Констатируется, что рынок труда любого государства характеризуется определенным уровнем гендерной сегрегации и для достоверной оценки этого явления прежде всего необходимо сформировать четкое представление о складывающихся закономерностях и тенденциях в динамике основных статистических показателей, о том, какие процессы способствуют снижению или усилению гендерной асимметрии. В частности, проведено статистическое исследование уровня заработной платы работающих в экономике Республики Беларусь, а также осуществлен сравнительный анализ ее средних значений для мужчин и женщин. По мнению автора, несмотря на то, что в Республике Беларусь закреплено право на труд и обеспечение равного вознаграждения за труд мужчинам и женщинам, актуальной остается проблема гендерной сегрегации на рынке труда. Эффективное решение проблем гендерного неравенства невозможно без учета имеющихся в стране гендерных проблем и основных тенденций, отражаемых в статистических индикаторах. Автор с применением статистической методологии социально-экономического анализа показывает проявления гендерного неравенства в разных формах, например дискриминация женщин при приеме на работу, различия в уровнях заработной платы, гендерная асимметрия в распределении работников между секторами экономики и видами деятельности. На основе методов дисперсионного анализа изучена взаимосвязь между видом экономической деятельности, в котором заняты белорусские мужчины и женщины, и уровнем их средней заработной платы. Объективная статистика позволяет сделать вывод о том, что различия между мужчинами и женщинами зачастую обусловлены не столько биологическими факторами, сколько условиями социального характера (требованиями и развитием культуры, нормами общества и т. д.). Раскрывая статистическими средствами проблемы в оплате труда, автор аргументирует свою позицию по поводу того, что гендерное равенство выступает не только в качестве цели, но и как важное средство достижения устойчивого развития, которое невозможно без модернизации существующих политических и социально-экономических механизмов

Response of beam-to-column web cleated joints for FRP pultruded members

Physical testing is used to characterize the structural properties of beam-to-column joints, comprising pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) H-shapes of depth 203 mm, connected by 128 mm-long web cleats and two M16 bolts per leg. Testing is performed on two batches of nominally identical specimens. One batch had web cleats of pultruded FRP and the other had structural steel. The structural behavior of the joints is based on their moment-rotation responses, failure modes, and serviceability vertical deflection limits. Joints with FRP cleats failed by delamination cracking at the top of the cleats, and when the cleats were of steel, the FRP failure occurred inside the column members. Neither failure mode is reported in the design manuals from pultruders. At the onset of the FRP damage, it was found that the steel joints were twice as stiff as the FRP joints. On the basis of a characteristic (damage) rotation, calculated in accordance with Eurocode 0, the serviceability deflection limits are established to be span/300 and span/650 for the joints with FRP and steel cleats, respectively. This finding suggests that appropriate deflection limits, in relation to cleated connections, should be proposed in manufactures’ design manuals and relative design standards and design codes. Failure to address the serviceability, by the engineer of record, could lead to unreliable designs

Phosphonic Acid-Functionalized Diblock Copolymer Nano-Objects via Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly: Synthesis, Characterization, and Occlusion into Calcite Crystals

Dialkylphosphonate-functionalized and phosphonic acid-functionalized macromolecular chain transfer agents (macro-CTAs) were utilized for the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) at 20% w/w solids in methanol at 64 °C. Spherical, worm-like and vesicular nano-objects could all be generated through systematic variation of the mean degree of polymerization of the core-forming PBzMA block when using relatively short macro-CTAs. Construction of detailed phase diagrams is essential for the reproducible targeting of pure copolymer morphologies, where these were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). For nano-objects prepared using the phosphonic acid-based macro-CTA, transfer from methanol dispersion to water leads to the development of anionic surface charge as a result of ionization of the stabilizer chains, but this does not adversely affect the copolymer morphology. Given the well-known strong affinity of phosphonic acid for calcium ions, selected nano-objects were evaluated for their in-situ occlusion within growing CaCO3 crystals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies provide convincing evidence for the occlusion of both worm-like and vesicular phosphonic acid-based nano-objects and hence the production of a series of interesting new organic-inorganic nanocomposites

White light induced covalent modification of graphene using phenazine dye

Herein, we report a novel strategy for a covalent modification of graphene nanoplatelets with photoactive dyes. Functionalization of the graphene surface was carried out using white light to photochemically generate phenazine radicals and the reaction progress was followed up spectrophotometrically. Characterization of the modified material was carried out by FTIR, XRD, UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy and SEM imaging. This hybrid material has improved solubility, shows an optical band gap of 1.95 eV and is highly emissive in the visible wavelength region

In search of the origins and enduring impact of agile software development

The Agile Manifesto is a philosophical touchpoint for all agile software development (ASD) methods. We examine the manifesto and some of its associated agile methods in an effort to identify the major impacts of ASD. We have encountered some difficulty in delineating agile and non-agile software processes, which is partially the result of terminological confusion. It is clear from the volume of published research that ASD has made a significant contribution, and we have identified two lasting and important impacts. Firstly, the reduction in iteration durations and secondly, the push for reduced levels of documentation (especially in relation to software requirements). Other aspects of the Agile Manifesto may not have exerted a significant impact; for example, the use of tooling to automate processes has become central to continuous software engineering (CSE) and may not be wholly congruent with the manifesto. Furthermore, many organisations may still rely on business contracts despite calls in the manifesto for greater levels of informal customer collaboration

Статистическая модель гомодинного акустооптического спектроанализатора

Introduction. Acousto-optic spectrum analyzers interferometric schemes have been developed to increase dynamic range. It was assumed that dynamic range, expressed in dB, would double. An expected increase was not achieved yet.Aim. To analyze the homodyne acousto-optic spectrum analyzer noise characteristics, to estimate the signal-tonoise ratio and the dynamic range.Materials and methods. A mathematical model was compiled which took into account the need to form quadrature components to obtain an amplitude spectrum of an input signal, shot noise and readout noise.Results. An interferometric scheme did not allow to achieve dynamic range doubling compared to an acoustooptical power spectrum analyzer. The dynamic range increase was less than 1.35 dB. Constant illumination led to a significant increase of the spectrum analyzer self-noise due to shot noise, compared to which thermal noise and readout noise became insignificant. The spurious-free dynamic range estimation expression was obtained. It was prior determined by acousto-optic interaction nonlinearity. With typical analyzer blocks parameters the spurious-free dynamic range covered a single-signal dynamic range. Signal-to-noise ratio estimation expression was presented.Conclusion. The homodyne acousto-optic spectrum analyzer single-signal dynamic range is determined primarily by the photosensor saturation charge. One needs to optimize their relation by taking into account light source power, acousto-optical modulator diffraction efficiency and photosensor saturation charge. Presented noise model gives more accurate estimation of the dynamic range with an error of 1 dB.Введение. Интерференционные схемы акустооптических спектроанализаторов были разработаны для увеличения динамического диапазона за счет формирования амплитудного спектра исследуемого сигнала вместо спектра мощности. Предполагалось, что это позволит удвоить динамический диапазон, выраженный в децибелах. В настоящей статье показано, что это теоретически невозможно и ожидания, связанные с переходом к интерференционным схемам, завышены.Цель работы. Анализ шумовых характеристик гомодинного акустооптического спектроанализатора (ГАОСА), оценка отношения сигнал/шум и динамического диапазона на выходе устройства.Материалы и методы. Представлена математическая модель описания работы ГАОСА с учетом формирования квадратурных компонентов для получения амплитудного спектра входного сигнала. Модель учитывает дробовые шумы и шумы, возникающие при считывании заряда.Результаты. Показано, что использование интерферометрической схемы не позволяет достичь двукратного выигрыша (при измерении в децибелах) в динамическом диапазоне по сравнению с простой схемой акустооптического спектроанализатора с пространственным интегрированием. Коэффициент увеличения динамического диапазона составляет не более 1.35 дБ. С учетом специфики работы акустооптических устройств получено выражение для оценки динамического диапазона спектроанализатора по интермодуляционным искажениям третьего порядка. Определяющим фактором при этом является нелинейность акустооптического взаимодействия. Показано, что при типовых параметрах узлов устройства динамический диапазон по интермодуляционным искажениям включает в себя односигнальный динамический диапазон. Представлено выражение для оценки отношения сигнал/шум.Заключение. Односигнальный динамический диапазон ГАОСА определяется в первую очередь уровнем заряда насыщения фотоприемника. При макетировании необходимо решать вопрос оптимального соотношения обоих параметров с учетом мощности источника излучения, эффективности дифракции в акустооптическом модуляторе и заряда насыщения фотоприемника. Представленная статистическая модель ГАОСА с фотоприемником с накоплением дает более точную оценку динамического диапазона с ошибкой в 1 дБ

Reduction in Phencyclidine Induced Sensorimotor Gating Deficits in the Rat Following Increased System Xc − Activity in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Rationale: Aspects of schizophrenia, including deficits in sensorimotor gating, have been linked to glutamate dysfunction and/or oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex. System xc −, a cystine–glutamate antiporter, is a poorly understood mechanism that contributes to both cellular antioxidant capacity and glutamate homeostasis. Objectives: Our goal was to determine whether increased system xc − activity within the prefrontal cortex would normalize a rodent measure of sensorimotor gating. Methods: In situ hybridization was used to map messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of xCT, the active subunit of system xc −, in the prefrontal cortex. Prepulse inhibition was used to measure sensorimotor gating; deficits in prepulse inhibition were produced using phencyclidine (0.3–3 mg/kg, sc). N-Acetylcysteine (10–100 μM) and the system xc − inhibitor (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine (CPG, 0.5 μM) were used to increase and decrease system xc − activity, respectively. The uptake of 14C-cystine into tissue punches obtained from the prefrontal cortex was used to assay system xc − activity. Results: The expression of xCT mRNA in the prefrontal cortex was most prominent in a lateral band spanning primarily the prelimbic cortex. Although phencyclidine did not alter the uptake of 14C-cystine in prefrontal cortical tissue punches, intraprefrontal cortical infusion of N-acetylcysteine (10–100 μM) significantly reduced phencyclidine- (1.5 mg/kg, sc) induced deficits in prepulse inhibition. N-Acetylcysteine was without effect when coinfused with CPG (0.5 μM), indicating an involvement of system xc −. Conclusions: These results indicate that phencyclidine disrupts sensorimotor gating through system xc − independent mechanisms, but that increasing cystine–glutamate exchange in the prefrontal cortex is sufficient to reduce behavioral deficits produced by phencyclidine

The role of Comprehension in Requirements and Implications for Use Case Descriptions

Within requirements engineering it is generally accepted that in writing specifications (or indeed any requirements phase document), one attempts to produce an artefact which will be simple to comprehend for the user. That is, whether the document is intended for customers to validate requirements, or engineers to understand what the design must deliver, comprehension is an important goal for the author. Indeed, advice on producing ‘readable’ or ‘understandable’ documents is often included in courses on requirements engineering. However, few researchers, particularly within the software engineering domain, have attempted either to define or to understand the nature of comprehension and it’s implications for guidance on the production of quality requirements. Therefore, this paper examines thoroughly the nature of textual comprehension, drawing heavily from research in discourse process, and suggests some implications for requirements (and other) software documentation. In essence, we find that the guidance on writing requirements, often prevalent within software engineering, may be based upon assumptions which are an oversimplification of the nature of comprehension. Hence, the paper examines guidelines which have been proposed, in this case for use case descriptions, and the extent to which they agree with discourse process theory; before suggesting refinements to the guidelines which attempt to utilise lessons learned from our richer understanding of the underlying discourse process theory. For example, we suggest subtly different sets of writing guidelines for the different tasks of requirements, specification and design