Evaluation of the efficiency of projects implemented on the basis of the principles of public-private partnerships

This article analyzes the methodology for assessing the efficiency of projects implemented on the basis of the principles of public-private partnership (PPP). The stages of evaluation of the efficiency of projects, their implementation in the conditions of development of the regulatory and legal framework in the field of PPPs in the Republic of Belarus are disclosed. The article explores the specifics of assessing the efficiency of PPP projects abroad. An analytical review of foreign methods for assessment of the effectiveness of PPP projects has showed that the following indicators should be included in the national methodology: debt load (helps objectively assess the credit load of a private partner before attracting new loans and credits); Liquidity (solvency): an indicator of current liquidity, fast liquidity; Budgetary efficiency: assessment of the increase in the budget load as a result of the adoption of additional obligations, the risks of project implementation (the risk of underutilization of the facility), the discounted indicator of budget efficiency, the budget efficiency index, etc. It seems that the least developed are the issues of the balance of interests of the project stakeholders. Ignoring the need to take into account the interests of the parties in PPP projects increases the risks of the project, which can become a negative factor for the national economy of the country as a whole. The authors formulated provisions for improving the current methodology for assessing the effectiveness of PPP projects in the Republic of Belarus. For the purpose of the achievement of the aim, the authors apply generally accepted economic research methods

Evaluation of the efficiency of projects implemented on the basis of the principles of public-private partnerships

This article analyzes the methodology for assessing the efficiency of projects implemented on the basis of the principles of public-private partnership (PPP). The stages of evaluation of the efficiency of projects, their implementation in the conditions of development of the regulatory and legal framework in the field of PPPs in the Republic of Belarus are disclosed. The article explores the specifics of assessing the efficiency of PPP projects abroad. An analytical review of foreign methods for assessment of the effectiveness of PPP projects has showed that the following indicators should be included in the national methodology: debt load (helps objectively assess the credit load of a private partner before attracting new loans and credits); Liquidity (solvency): an indicator of current liquidity, fast liquidity; Budgetary efficiency: assessment of the increase in the budget load as a result of the adoption of additional obligations, the risks of project implementation (the risk of underutilization of the facility), the discounted indicator of budget efficiency, the budget efficiency index, etc. It seems that the least developed are the issues of the balance of interests of the project stakeholders. Ignoring the need to take into account the interests of the parties in PPP projects increases the risks of the project, which can become a negative factor for the national economy of the country as a whole. The authors formulated provisions for improving the current methodology for assessing the effectiveness of PPP projects in the Republic of Belarus. For the purpose of the achievement of the aim, the authors apply generally accepted economic research methods

Public-Private Partnership As A Mechanism To Stimulate Innovation In Belarus Republic

The article is devoted to the research of the tendency and specifics of public-private partnerships in the development of the innovation sphere. The article reveals the organizational and economic essence of public-private partnership as a universal mechanism of effective interaction between the state, private business and higher education institutions and other organizations engaged in innovative developments in the implementation of innovative products (services). The assessment of factors that impede the implementation of innovations in the industrial organizations of the Republic of Belarus is carried out. To overcome the negative trends impeding innovation, it is proposed to take a set of measures to stimulate innovation. It is proposed to create an industrial and innovative cluster for the implementation of innovative developments based on the principles of public-private partnership, as one of the main directions of development of public-private partnership mechanisms. The study developed a scheme of interaction of subjects of industrial and innovative cluster for the implementation of innovative developments on the basis of the principles of public-private partnership. The main advantages of the participants of the industrial-innovative cluster – state, science and business – are named. The results allow to expand the idea of public-private partnership as a form to stimulate innovation. The effective work of the industrial-innovative cluster for the implementation of innovative developments on the principles of public-private partnership will contribute to the achievement of predictive indicators of science and innovation; it will lead to the active integration of the Republic of Belarus into the world economy

Direct imaging of spatial heterogeneities in type II superconductors

Understanding the exotic properties of quantum materials, including high-temperature superconductors, remains a formidable challenge that demands direct insights into electronic conductivity. Current methodologies either capture a bulk average or near-atomically-resolved information, missing direct measurements at the critical intermediate length scales. Here, using the superconductor Fe(Se,Te) as a model system, we use low-temperature conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) to bridge this gap. Contrary to the uniform superconductivity anticipated from bulk assessments, cAFM uncovers micron-scale conductive intrusions within a relatively insulating matrix. Subsequent compositional mapping through atom probe tomography, shows that differences in conductivity correlated with local changes in composition. cAFM, supported by advanced microscopy and microanalysis, represents a methodological breakthrough that can be used to navigate the intricate landscape of high-temperature superconductors and the broader realm of quantum materials. Such fundamental information is critical for theoretical understanding and future guided design

Measurement & Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia

The temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) is the shortest time interval at which an observer can discriminate two sequential stimuli as being asynchronous (typically 30-50 ms). It has been shown to be abnormal (prolonged) in neurological disorders, including cervical dystonia, a phenotype of adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia. The TDT is a quantitative measure of the ability to perceive rapid changes in the environment and is considered indicative of the behavior of the visual neurons in the superior colliculus, a key node in covert attentional orienting. This article sets out methods for measuring the TDT (including two hardware options and two modes of stimuli presentation). We also explore two approaches of data analysis and TDT calculation. The application of the assessment of temporal discrimination to the understanding of the pathogenesis of cervical dystonia and adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia is also discussed

Elemental assessment of vegetation via portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry

Please read abstract in the article.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvman2019-03-15hj2019Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Comparative analysis of miRNAs and their targets across four plant species

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA (miRNA) mediated regulation of gene expression has been recognized as a major posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism also in plants. We performed a comparative analysis of miRNAs and their respective gene targets across four plant species: Arabidopsis thaliana (Ath), Medicago truncatula(Mtr), Brassica napus (Bna), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Cre). RESULTS: miRNAs were obtained from mirBase with 218 miRNAs for Ath, 375 for Mtr, 46 for Bna, and 73 for Cre, annotated for each species respectively. miRNA targets were obtained from available database annotations, bioinformatic predictions using RNAhybrid as well as predicted from an analysis of mRNA degradation products (degradome sequencing) aimed at identifying miRNA cleavage products. On average, and considering both experimental and bioinformatic predictions together, every miRNA was associated with about 46 unique gene transcripts with considerably variation across species. We observed a positive and linear correlation between the number miRNAs and the total number of transcripts across different plant species suggesting that the repertoire of miRNAs correlates with the size of the transcriptome of an organism. Conserved miRNA-target pairs were found to be associated with developmental processes and transcriptional regulation, while species-specific (in particular, Ath) pairs are involved in signal transduction and response to stress processes. Conserved miRNAs have more targets and higher expression values than non-conserved miRNAs. We found evidence for a conservation of not only the sequence of miRNAs, but their expression levels as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the notion of a high birth and death rate of miRNAs and that miRNAs serve many species specific functions, while conserved miRNA are related mainly to developmental processes and transcriptional regulation with conservation operating at both the sequence and expression level

Associated risk factors of STIs and multiple sexual relationships among youths in Malawi

Having unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners (MSP) is the greatest risk factor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among youths. Young people with MSPs are less likely to use a condom and the greater the risk for STIs. This study examines the associated risk factors of STIs and multiple sexual partnerships among youths aged 15–24 years. The Malawi Demographic Health Survey 2010 data was used. Out of a sample of 2,987 males and 9,559 females aged 15–24 years, 2,026 males and 6,470 females were considered in the study. Chi square test and logistic regression techniques were performed. Analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.Article writing fellowships were received from the Research Development Office, University of the Western Cape, 7535 Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa.Web of Scienc

Assessing composition in modeling approaches

Modeling approaches are based on various paradigms, e.g., aspect-oriented, feature-oriented, object-oriented, and logic-based. Modeling approaches may cover requirements models to low-level design models, are developed for various purposes, use various means of composition, and thus are difficult to compare. However, such comparisons are critical to help practitioners know under which conditions approaches are most applicable, and how they might be successfully generalized and combined to achieve end-to-end methods. This paper reports on work done at the 2nd International Comparing Modeling Approaches (CMA) workshop towards the goal of identifying potential comprehensive modeling methodologies with a particular emphasis on composition: (i) an improved set of comparison criteria; (ii) 19 assessments of modeling approaches based on the comparison criteria and a common, focused case study

The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset

Academic researchers, government agencies, industry groups, and individuals have produced forecasts at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. To leverage these forecasts, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with an academic research lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub. Launched in April 2020, the Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national, levels in the United States. Included forecasts represent a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread of COVID-19. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages