Regional population expenditure for foodstuffs in the Russian Federation: componential and cluster analyses

The article describes the solving of the problem of conducting the component and cluster analyses of population expenditure on food as one of the most important components of the standard of living. The purpose of the analysis is to develop the regional clusters of the Russian Federation, which vary in the structure of household expenditure for foodstuffs. The foodstuffs are presented in absolute units taking into integral account the standard of living index. The methods of intellectual analysis such as component and cluster analyses are applied as the research methods. The procedure for the data intellectual analysis based on the interconnected performance of component and cluster analyses is proposed. The procedure of the data intellectual analysis considers the interrelation between the results received by different methods, and also the possibility to return to the previous method for the purpose of repeating the analysis to specify consistently the clusters composition. Few clusters of the wealthy regions characterized by the high and average levels of expenditure for foodstuffs are revealed as well as the quite many clusters of not enough wealthy and not wealthy regions characterized by the low level of expenditure for foodstuffs. It is shown that the growth of standard of living characterized by the size of a gross regional product per capita is followed by the growth of the Gini coefficient, which indicates both the inequality of income distribution and reduction in expenditure for low-value foodstuffs. The results of the analysis can be applied to the development of the decision-making support system intended for the analysis of the scenarios of macroeconomic regulation in the eld of income policy for the purpose of increasing the standard of living of population. The analysis of the population expenditure for foodstuffs has allowed to reveal the cluster structure of the regions of the Russian Federation, to show it according to the generalized indications, to formulate the specific characteristics of the clusters of the regions and important management decisions

Methodological Approach to Measure the Quality of Life of the Region’s Population

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of the regional development, i.e. to the development of methodological tools to evaluate the quality of life of the population in the region. The article considers the concept of “quality of life”, and the terms related thereto; and substantiate the author’s position with respect to the concept. The existing domestic and foreign approaches to evaluate the quality of life of the population were analyzed, and the application of the comprehensive approach was reasoned within this study. The criteria for evaluation of the quality of life of the population were distinguished. The authors proposed the methodological approach that considers not only objective indicators of the quality of life presented in the statistical reports of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, but also employs subjective evaluations of the local population enabling more appropriate evaluation of the quality of life in the region. The methodological tools of the research include mathematical methods of statistical data processing and online survey of the population about the level of satisfaction with various aspects of their life. The methodological tools were tested using the example of the Sverdlovsk Region that is characterized both by the steady improvement of statistical indicators of the quality of life and by low satisfaction of population with certain aspects of the quality of life, which generally decreases the integrated indicator of the quality of life despite positive dynamics of social and economic development of the region and vigorous social policy of the regional authorities. The proposed methodology was used in the evaluation of the quality of life of the Sverdlovsk Region population as part of the development of the Concept of comprehensive regional program “New quality of life of Ural residents” (Decree of the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region No. 45-UG dated January 29, 2014 “On the Concept of the life quality improvement for the Sverdlovsk Region population before 2030 year — “New quality of life of Ural residents”).The article has been prepared with the support of the grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) No. 15-06-09169 “Development of methodical measurement tools and evaluation of the impact of social, economic, medical and demographic factors on mortality rates of working-age population”

PEER TUTORING IN LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AS A NON-MAJOR

Introduction. The problems of stimulation cognitive activity and improvement of student learning motivation are of interest for many Russian and foreign researchers. One of the approaches to solve these problems, actively implemented in educational process abroad, is peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is a form of collaborative learning based on the models of student interactions organized in pairs or groups with shared roles «peer tutor- tutee». The aim of the study is to analyze effective models of peer tutoring used abroad, to develop alternate models and apply them while teaching reading and translation at foreign language lessons in non-linguistic university.Methodology and research methods. Peer tutoring is studied by using both qualitative and quantitative research methods such as data collection, analysis and generalizations along with the experiment and observation.Results and scientific novelty. As a result the peer tutoring models have been developed and implemented within the regular classroom settings while teaching reading and translation to students in non-linguistic university. The offered models of tutoring involve preparation realities of the Russian higher education institutions; meanwhile, there are no special centers of mentoring with separate teaching staff and psychologists in foreign universities. The advantages of peer tutoring over traditional forms of education and a group form of work when students solve a problem are designated, but their roles are not accurately distributed. The undertaken experiment lasted for two years, showed that peer tutoring advantages in foreign language training consist in the following: firstly, such way of lessons allows teachers to avoid time-losing monotonous reading and translations of texts discouraging students; secondly, exchanging opinions, students study each other and gain skills of estimation of personal and others' work; thirdly, interacting in pairs or small groups, pupils are more active, than during the independent work or work organized by the teacher, they react to the arising educational situations; finally, such training considerably solves a problem of shortage of class periods on teaching the subject "Foreign language" as students manage to cope with much large scope of a training material as compared they manage to make during the traditional organization of an educational process. Practical significance. The obtained data contribute to the study of educational problems of adaptation and motivation, and can be used in teaching foreign languages as well as major subjects at higher educational institutions.Введение. Проблемы стимулирования познавательной деятельности и формирования учебной мотивации студентов актуальны для сферы профессионального образования как в России, так и в других странах. Одним из способов решения данных проблем, активно внедряемых в образовательный процесс за рубежом, является наставничество сверстников, положительно зарекомендовавшее себя в университетах США и Европы. Оно представляет собой разновидность интерактивного обучения, основу которого составляют модели взаимодействий студентов в парах или малых группах с распределением ролей «наставник» – «подопечный». Целью изложенного в статье исследования стал поиск методов оптимизации изучения иностранных языков в высшем учебном заведении студентами нелингвистических специальностей. Методология и методика исследования. В работе применялись методы анализа и обобщения прогрессивного педагогического опыта, а также экспериментальные методы и наблюдение. Результаты и научная новизна. На основе изученных моделей наставничества сверстников, эффективно применяющихся в образовательных учреждениях разных стран, разработан и апробирован в естественной учебной среде авторский вариант обучения чтению и переводу иноязычных текстов. В предлагаемых моделях наставничества учтены реалии подготовки в российских вузах, где в отличие от зарубежных университетов нет специальных центров наставничества с отдельным штатом преподавателей и психологов. Обозначены преимущества наставничества сверстников перед традиционными формами обучения и групповой формой работы, когда студенты совместно решают задачу, но их роли четко не распределены. Предпринятый эксперимент продолжительностью в два года показал, что достоинства наставничества в обучении иностранному языку заключаются в следующем: во-первых, такой формат занятий позволяет избежать затратного по времени монотонного чтения и перевода текста по цепочке, отбивающего интерес к дисциплине; во-вторых, обмениваясь мнениями, студенты учатся друг у друга и приобретают навыки оценивания своей и чужой работы; в-третьих, взаимодействуя в паре или малой группе, учащиеся активнее, чем в ходе самостоятельной работы или работы, организованной преподавателем, реагируют на возникающие учебные ситуации; наконец, такое обучение в значительной мере реша- ет проблему нехватки учебных часов на преподавание предмета «Иностранный язык», так как студентам удается справиться с намного большим объемом учебного материала в сравнении с тем, что они успевают сделать при традиционной организации учебного процесса.Практическая значимость. Полученные в ходе проведенного эксперимента результаты вносят вклад в исследование проблем учебной адаптации и мотивации и могут быть использованы при обучении не только иностранным языкам, но и профильным дисциплинам в неязыковом вузе.

Spin-transfer mechanism of ferromagnetism in polymerized fullerenes: AbinitioAb initio calculations

A mechanism of the high temperature ferromagnetism in polymerized fullerenes is suggested. It is assumed that some of the C$_{60}$ molecules in the crystal become magnetically active due to spin and charge transfer from the paramagnetic impurities (atoms or groups), such as hydrogen, fluorine, hydroxyl group OH, amino group NH$_2$, or methyl group CH$_3$, dispersed in the fullerene matrix. The exchange interaction between the spins localized on the magnetically active fullerenes is evaluated using \textit{ab initio} calculations. The nearest neighbour and next nearest neighbour exchange interaction is found to be in the range $0.1\div 0.3$ eV, that is, high enough to account for the room temperature ferromagnetism.Comment: typos corrected, 8 pages, 3 figures, LaTe

PEER TUTORING IN LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AS A NON-MAJOR

Introduction. The problems of stimulation cognitive activity and improvement of student learning motivation are of interest for many Russian and foreign researchers. One of the approaches to solve these problems, actively implemented in educational process abroad, is peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is a form of collaborative learning based on the models of student interactions organized in pairs or groups with shared roles «peer tutor- tutee».The aim of the study is to analyze effective models of peer tutoring used abroad, to develop alternate models and apply them while teaching reading and translation at foreign language lessons in non-linguistic university.Methodology and research methods. Peer tutoring is studied by using both qualitative and quantitative research methods such as data collection, analysis and generalizations along with the experiment and observation.Results and scientific novelty. As a result the peer tutoring models have been developed and implemented within the regular classroom settings while teaching reading and translation to students in non-linguistic university. The offered models of tutoring involve preparation realities of the Russian higher education institutions; meanwhile, there are no special centers of mentoring with separate teaching staff and psychologists in foreign universities. The advantages of peer tutoring over traditional forms of education and a group form of work when students solve a problem are designated, but their roles are not accurately distributed. The undertaken experiment lasted for two years, showed that peer tutoring advantages in foreign language training consist in the following: firstly, such way of lessons allows teachers to avoid time-losing monotonous reading and translations of texts discouraging students; secondly, exchanging opinions, students study each other and gain skills of estimation of personal and others' work; thirdly, interacting in pairs or small groups, pupils are more active, than during the independent work or work organized by the teacher, they react to the arising educational situations; finally, such training considerably solves a problem of shortage of class periods on teaching the subject "Foreign language" as students manage to cope with much large scope of a training material as compared they manage to make during the traditional organization of an educational process.Practical significance. The obtained data contribute to the study of educational problems of adaptation and motivation, and can be used in teaching foreign languages as well as major subjects at higher educational institutions

Tidal dwarfs in the M81 group: the second generation?

We derive quantitative star formation histories of the four suspected tidal dwarf galaxies in the M81 group, HolmbergIX, BK3N, Arp-loop (A0952+69), and Garland, using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Planetary Camera2 images in F606W and F814W obtained as part of a Snapshot survey of dwarf galaxies in the Local Universe. We consider the spatial distribution and ages of resolved stellar populations in these dwarf irregular galaxies. We use synthetic color-magnitude diagrams to derive the ages of the major star formation episodes, star formation rates, and approximate metallicity ranges. All the galaxies show evidence of continuous star formation between about 20 and 200 Myr ago with star formation rates in the range 7.5*10^(-3)- 7.6*10^(-4) M(sun)/yr. The metallicity of the detected stars spans a wide range, and have lower than solar abundance. A possible scenario is that all four dwarf galaxies were formed from material in the metal-poor outer part of the giant spiral galaxy M81 after the tidal interaction between M81, M82, and NGC3077 about 200 Myr ago. While we do not directly detect pronounced old stellar populations, the photometric limits of our data are such that the presence of such a population is not entirely ruled out

Kramers-Kronig constrained variational analysis of optical spectra

A universal method of extraction of the complex dielectric function $\epsilon(\omega)=\epsilon_{1}(\omega)+i\epsilon_{2}(\omega)$ from experimentally accessible optical quantities is developed. The central idea is that $\epsilon_{2}(\omega)$ is parameterized independently at each node of a properly chosen anchor frequency mesh, while $\epsilon_{1}(\omega)$ is dynamically coupled to $\epsilon_{2}(\omega)$ by the Kramers-Kronig (KK) transformation. This approach can be regarded as a limiting case of the multi-oscillator fitting of spectra, when the number of oscillators is of the order of the number of experimental points. In the case of the normal-incidence reflectivity from a semi-infinite isotropic sample the new method gives essentially the same result as the conventional KK transformation of reflectivity. In contrast to the conventional approaches, the proposed technique is applicable, without readaptation, to virtually all types of linear-response optical measurements, or arbitrary combinations of measurements, such as reflectivity, transmission, ellipsometry {\it etc.}, done on different types of samples, including thin films and anisotropic crystals.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Associations of Dwarf Galaxies

Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Cameras for Surveys has been used to determine accurate distances for 20 galaxies from measurements of the luminosity of the brightest red giant branch stars. Five associations of dwarf galaxies that had originally been identified based on strong correlations on the plane of the sky and in velocity are shown to be equally well correlated in distance. Two more associations with similar properties have been discovered. Another association is identified that is suggested to be unbound through tidal disruption. The associations have the spatial and kinematic properties expected of bound structures with 1 - 10 x 10^11 solar mass. However, these entities have little light with the consequence that mass-to-light ratios are in the range 100 - 1000 in solar units. Within a well surveyed volume extending to 3 Mpc, all but one known galaxy lies within one of the groups or associations that have been identified.Comment: 50 pages, 2 tables, 15 encapsulated figures, 1 (3 part) jpg figure. Submitted to Astronomical Journa

Galaxy Flow in the Canes Venatici I Cloud

We present an analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 images of eighteen galaxies in the Canes Venatici I cloud. We derive their distances from the luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch stars with a typical accuracy of ~12 %. The resulting distances are 3.9 Mpc (UGC 6541), 4.9 Mpc (NGC 3738), 3.0 Mpc (NGC 3741), 4.5 Mpc (KK 109), >6.3 Mpc (NGC 4150), 4.2 Mpc (UGC 7298), 4.5 Mpc (NGC 4244), 4.6 Mpc (NGC 4395), 4.9 Mpc (UGC 7559), 4.2 Mpc (NGC 4449), 4.4 Mpc (UGC 7605), 4.6 Mpc (IC 3687), 4.7 Mpc (KK 166), 4.7 Mpc (NGC 4736), 4.2 Mpc (UGC 8308), 4.3 Mpc (UGC 8320), 4.6 Mpc (NGC 5204), and 3.2 Mpc (UGC 8833). The CVn I cloud has a mean radial velocity of 286 +- 9 km/s, a mean distance of 4.1 +- 0.2 Mpc, a radial velocity dispersion of 50 km/s, a mean projected radius of 760 kpc, and a total blue luminosity of 2.2 * 10^{10} L_{\sun}. Assuming virial or closed orbital motions for the galaxies, we estimated their virial and their orbital mass-to-luminosity ratio to be 176 and 88 M_{\sun}/L_{\sun}, respectively. However, the CVn I cloud is characterized by a crossing time of 15 Gyr, and is thus far from a state of dynamical equilibrium. The large crossing time for the cloud, its low content of dSph galaxies ($< 6$ %), and the almost ``primordial'' shape of its luminosity function show that the CVn I complex is in a transient dynamical state, driven rather by the free Hubble expansion than by galaxy interactions.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, A&A in preparation. The version does not include Figure 2. High resolution figures 1 and 2 (11311k) are available at http://luna.sao.ru/~sme/figsCVn.tar.g