Understanding Eurasian Convergence: Application Of Kohonen Self-Organizing Maps

Kohonen self-organizing maps (SOMs) are employed to examine economic and social convergence of Eurasian countries based on a set of twenty-eight socio-economic measures. A core of European Union states is identified that provides a benchmark against which convergence of post-socialist transition economies may be judged. The Central European Visegrád countries and Baltics show the greatest economic convergence to Western Europe, while other states form clusters that lag behind. Initial conditions on the social dimension can either facilitate or constrain economic convergence, as discovered in Central Europe vis-à-vis the Central Asian Republics. Disquiet in the convergence literature is resolved by providing an analysis of the Eurasian states over time

Обзор целевых объектов применения беспилотных летательных аппаратов, работающих в составе группы

Currently, the big number of companies, and specifically in Russia, is engaged in designing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It is caused by the tendency to reduce human labor in various fields of activity, in particular, associated with a great risk to life and health. All these factors lead to the steady growth of different-type missions for the UAV application. Urgency of the research generates considerable interest towards the issues of the UAV application. As part of developing a method for determining UAV design parameters, the author analyzed the results in this domain, considering the operation in a group of aircraft. In order to propose a conceptual aircraft solution for designing a model, the analysis of target objects for the UAV group application was conducted. The article considers various target objects for the application of UAV groups. The result of the analysis for target objects can form the basis for the conclusion involved with the imposed requirements for the design of this UAV class. Compared to other specialists’ articles, this paper is distinguished by synthesizing the achievements in the sphere of group-operated UAV design, as well as by establishing the basic trends for their application while conducting warfare.В настоящее время большое количество фирм, в том числе и в России, занимается разработкой в сфере беспилотных летательных аппаратов (БПЛА). Это объясняется стремлением к уменьшению человеческого труда в различных сферах деятельности, в частности связанных с большим риском для жизни и здоровья. Все это ведет к постоянному расширению спектра задач применения беспилотных аппаратов. Большой интерес к проблемам группового применения БПЛА показывает актуальность выбранной темы исследования. В рамках разработки метода определения проектных параметров беспилотного самолета, учитывая функционирование в группе аппаратов, авторы провели анализ результатов в этой области. Постановке задачи формирования облика как концептуальной характеристики аппарата предшествует анализ целевых объектов применения группы БПЛА. В статье рассмотрены различные целевые объекты применения групп аппаратов. Результат анализа целевых объектов может быть заложен в основу вывода о предъявляемых требованиях к проектированию данного класса БПЛА. Элементом новизны работы, по сравнению с работами других специалистов, является обобщение материалов опыта достижений в области разработки БПЛА, работающих в составе групп, а также выявление основных сценариев их применения при выполнении спецопераций

Exploration speed in captivity predicts foraging tactics and diet in free-living red knots

1. Variation in foraging tactics and diet is usually attributed to differences in morphology, experience and prey availability. Recently, consistent individual differences in behaviour (personality) have been shown to be associated with foraging strategies. Bolder or more exploratory individuals are predicted to have a faster pace‐of‐life and offset the costs of moving more or in risky areas, with higher energetic gains by encountering profitable foraging opportunities and prey. However, the relationship between personality, foraging and diet is poorly understood. 2. We investigated how exploratory behaviour in red knots Calidris canutus is associated with foraging tactics and diet by combining laboratory experiments, field observations and stable isotope analysis. First, we developed a mobile experimental arena to measure exploration speed in controlled settings. We validated the method by repeated testing of individuals over time and contexts. This setup allowed us to measure exploratory personality at the field site, eliminating the need to bring birds into captivity for long periods of time. After releasing birds within days of their capture, we asked whether exploration speed was associated with differences in foraging tactics and diet in the wild. 3. We found that tactile foraging red knots mainly caught hard‐shelled prey that are buried in the sediment, whereas visual foraging knots only captured soft preys located close to or on the surface. We also found that faster explorers showed a higher percentage of visual foraging than slower explorers. By contrast, morphology (bill length and gizzard size) had no significant effect on foraging tactics. Diet analysis based on δ(15)N and δ(13)C stable isotope values of plasma and red blood cells confirmed our field observations with slower explorers mainly consumed hard‐shelled prey while faster explorers consumed more soft than hard‐shelled prey. 4. Our results show that foraging tactics and diet are associated with a personality trait, independent of morphological differences. We discuss how consistent behaviour might develop early in life through positive feedbacks between foraging tactics, prey type and foraging efficiency

2-(4-Meth­oxy-2-methyl­anilino)-1,2-diphenyl­ethanone

The title compound, C22H21NO2, was synthesized from 4-meth­oxy-2-methyl­aniline and 2-hy­droxy-1,2-diphenyl­ethanone. In the title compound, the C—C—C—N—C backbone adopts an all-trans conformation. The crystal structure is stabilized by weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter­actions

Global Health and Economic Impacts of Future Ozone Pollution

Abstract and PDF report are also available on the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://globalchange.mit.edu/).We assess the human health and economic impacts of projected 2000-2050 changes in ozone pollution using the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis-Health Effects (EPPA-HE) model, in combination with results from the GEOS-Chem global tropospheric chemistry model that simulated climate and chemistry effects of IPCC SRES emissions. We use EPPA to assess the human health damages (including acute mortality and morbidity outcomes) caused by ozone pollution and quantify their economic impacts in sixteen world regions. We compare the costs of ozone pollution under scenarios with 2000 and 2050 ozone precursor and greenhouse gas emissions (SRES A1B scenario). We estimate that health costs due to global ozone pollution above pre-industrial levels by 2050 will be $580 billion (year 2000$) and that acute mortalities will exceed 2 million. We find that previous methodologies underestimate costs of air pollution by more than a third because they do not take into account the long-term, compounding effects of health costs. The economic effects of emissions changes far exceed the influence of climate alone.United States Department of Energy, Office of Science (BER) grants DE-FG02-94ER61937 and DE-FG02-93ER61677, the United States Environmental Protection Agency grant EPA-XA-83344601-0, and the industrial and foundation sponsors of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change

Ceramics of the Old Bering Sea Culture from the Kozhevnikov Cliff Site (Cape Schmidt): Features of Pottery Technology

During the excavations of a dugout at the Kozhevnikov Cliff site (Cape Schmidt), N.N. Dikov obtained a collection of pottery vessels of the Old Bering Sea culture (fourteen specimens). The technology of ceramic production was analyzed using the methodology developed by A.A. Bobrinsky. It was determined that potters selected iron-rich clays of two subtypes, differing in the amount of natural sand content, for pottery production. Five recipes for the molding clay were identified, including three unmixed: 1) clay + sand (7 specimens); 2) clay + wool (3 specimens); 3) clay + organic solution (2 specimens); and two mixed – 4) clay + sand + organic solution (1 specimen); and 5) clay + sand + wool (1 specimen). The vessels were made in a base form, and the shape was additionally formed by paddling. On the outer surface of one artifact, a strap handle with an ear for threading a cord was made, and the remaining hole on the inside was patched with a cloth scrap. The surfaces of the vessels were treated by mechanical smoothing with a hard-smooth tool and/or fingers. Firing took place at temperatures above clay calcination and could be done in bonfires or hearths. The heterogeneity of pottery traditions was found among the population living in the dugout. The two identified two-component recipes for molding clay were formed as a result of mixing the adaptive pottery skills of bearers of different traditions of making unmixed recipes for molding clay. This indicates the beginning of cultural integration processes among bearers of different pottery skills that began to occur under the dominance of the tradition of using low-sanded clay of the first subtype and artificial sand addition in a 1 : 1 concentration

Chemical cycling and deposition of atmospheric mercury in Polar Regions: review of recent measurements and comparison with models

Mercury (Hg) is a worldwide contaminant that can cause adverse health effects to wildlife and humans. While atmospheric modeling traces the link from emissions to deposition of Hg onto environmental surfaces, large uncertainties arise from our incomplete understanding of atmospheric processes (oxidation pathways, deposition, and re-emission). Atmospheric Hg reactivity is exacerbated in high latitudes and there is still much to be learned from polar regions in terms of atmospheric processes. This paper provides a synthesis of the atmospheric Hg monitoring data available in recent years (2011–2015) in the Arctic and in Antarctica along with a comparison of these observations with numerical simulations using four cutting-edge global models. The cycle of atmospheric Hg in the Arctic and in Antarctica presents both similarities and differences. Coastal sites in the two regions are both influenced by springtime atmospheric Hg depletion events and by summertime snowpack re-emission and oceanic evasion of Hg. The cycle of atmospheric Hg differs between the two regions primarily because of their different geography. While Arctic sites are significantly influenced by northern hemispheric Hg emissions especially in winter, coastal Antarctic sites are significantly influenced by the reactivity observed on the East Antarctic ice sheet due to katabatic winds. Based on the comparison of multi-model simulations with observations, this paper discusses whether the processes that affect atmospheric Hg seasonality and interannual variability are appropriately represented in the models and identifies research gaps in our understanding of the atmospheric Hg cycling in high latitudes