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Relevance. The need to significantly improve living standards of population in the regions of the Russian Federation. This task is defined in a number of strategic development documents at the federal level and has been repeatedly outlined in the studies of domestic scientists. Moreover, foreign economists are actively engaged in its solution in relation to their own territories. However, the complexity and multidimensionality of the concept of "standard of living" leads to the fact that contradictions are observed not only at the conceptual level, but also with regard to the methods of measuring this indicator. Aim. To analyse the existing approaches to assessing the standard of living of the population for further selection of the most appropriate or development of our own approach. Method. Comparison of various domestic and foreign approaches, including the analysis of the indicators used. Results. Show that several key methods of assessing the standard of living of the population can be distinguished. These include, first of all, various assessments of the population finances, including the analysis of the amount of income, expenditures, poverty and inequality. Indirect characteristics describing macroeconomic parameters of development of regions and countries are also used, and in some cases – alternative metrics. A separate group consists of methods based on population surveys and expert assessments. At the same time, the most promising direction is the formation of comprehensive indicators that take into account various components of the standard of living. The prospects for further research lie in development of an approach that would allow not only comprehensively assessing the current standard of living in Russian regions, but also analyzing the feasibility of implementing a particular government policy in this area.

Copyright of Transition: Journal of Economic & Politics of Transition / Tranzicija: Časopis za Ekonomiju i Politiku Tranzicije is the property of Ekonomski Institut Tuzla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The capercaillie as one of the most important hunting objects in Russia has not yet been included in the list of esti-mated hunting trophies due to the lack of an acceptable assessment methodology. The aim of the work is to develop a method for assessing the trophy advantages of a capercaillie. The objects of the study were morphological indicators which expressed the size and the age of the birds caught. The study involved 39 stuffed animals of capercaillie, 47 carcasses of freshly caught birds and 105 skulls from research collections. Measurement of taxidermy products (stuffed animals and museum carcasses) gives inaccurate information about the fowl caught. It is preferable to use the skull of a male capercaillie as a trophy. In the system of the International Council for the Hunting and Preservation of the Wildlife (CIC) the traditional measurements of the skull are the maximum length and width. In trophy animals, the scull size sufficiently reflects the sum of these indicators, therefore they are chosen for trophy assessment. For capercaillie, the correlation of similar pro-meters with body weight was not so close r = 0.489. In authors’ opinion, the assessment method should include the size of the interorbital space as an addi-tional parameter. This measurement is used in methods for determining the age of capercaillies caught. The formula for scoring is the product of the interorbital space by the sum of the maximum length and width of the skull. The correlation coeffi-cient between the trophy rating by this formula and the bird weight in this study is rm = 0.931, and the trophy rating and age rv = 0.920. The intervals of the final points for awarding the medals are: bronze  55-59.99 points, silver  60-64.99, gold  more than 65 points. This assessment system was successfully tested at two exhibitions of hunting trophies held in the Kirov region in 2017, and was approved by expert commissions.

Recreation is an important social, health and cultural phenomenon, but it is also a reflection of lifestyle and the result of long-term societal development. The development processes inherit the traditions and habits which now form part of the life of the nation; the family, friendly relationships, group interests and interpersonal communications. The social activities include trips to nature, camping, collecting natural elements and mushrooms, and also the social communication with specialised knowledge of the recreational areas and their past cultural history and way of life. There are also the accompanying folk festivals with local food, wine, music and skill competitions; and a further important contemporary part of modern recreation is performance of sports activities at an amateur level. The social aspects of recreation create the demand category, and the natural and technical background constitutes the supply category. This background for recreational activities comprises a wide range of natural circumstances and anthropogenic artefacts created by the development of social systems and formations, and it therefore establishes the recreational potential of the landscape at different quality levels and determines the recreational value of the landscape.

Objectives. Solving the main tasks of designing construction objects in accordance with environmental standards is impossible without computer-aided design and database management systems. The article discusses a part of the software package that will automate the process of ensuring compliance of the object with the standards of "green" construction.Method. The basis of the project development is the criteria of the system of voluntary environmental certification of real estate objects, approved by the order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, as well as the criteria of LEED standards. For data analysis, the software complex MapInfo was used.Result. The structure of the software product has been developed, which will answer the main questions arising in the design of any building, taking into account the standards of green building. For each category the underlying factors (input data) are the corresponding data for each criterion.Conclusion. The developed software package will provide an opportunity to minimize the impact of a construction object on the environment and increase the energy efficiency of the object under construction. Also, improve the quality of organizational and technological decisions of the construction process, reduce the impact of the construction project on the environment and effectively use resources. Full implementation of the algorithm will make it possible to reduce the time and cost of designing buildings and structures, increase the accuracy of drawing details and structural elements, improve the quality and technical and economic level of the design results, and minimize the costs of manual modeling and testing.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease which can result in chronic pain, loss of joint function and consequently decline in quality of life.Research Question: A variety of instruments that measure the different dimensions of health status in patients with OA are available. However, despite the fact that WOMAC and other questionnaires and scales may provide additional understanding regarding the patient's condition, some studies have reported discrepancies between patients' perceptions and their actual ability to perform the task. The aim of the present study was investigate the physical capabilities with the function domain of WOMAC.Methods: This study has a cross-sectional design including patients diagnosed with moderate to severe knee OA (i.e., grades II, III and IV) according to the Kellgren-Lawrence. These patients were submitted to the battery of functional tests recommended by the OARSI group (30-second chair stand test, 40 m fast paced walking test, Stair climb test, timed "Up and Go", and Six-minute walking test) and filled the WOMAC. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression was applied.Results: A total of 153 patients were included. A significant and weak correlation was observed between WOMAC and the 40-meter walking test, TUG, stair-climbing test, and the 6MWT. In addition, 30-second chair stand test demonstrated a significant and moderate correlation (r=-0.503). The multiple regression analysis results indicated that only 30-second chair stand test was a significant (p = 0.001) predictor of WOMAC. This result remains significant even after adjusting for age, BMI, total muscle mass, and number of knees affected SIGNIFICANCE: The 30-second chair stand test is associated with the WOMAC function domain. There is no correlation of this domain with any other functional tests, emphasizing the importance of including other tests for a global evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to determine the effect of assessment methods on students' academic achievement in the course of Curriculum Development at undergraduate level in the University of the Punjab. Pre-test post-test quasi experimental design was used for the present study. The sample of the study consisted of 87 students who were present in two groups, later named as control group and experimental group. Intact groups were chosen for the study although treatment was randomly given to the groups. Experimental group was exposed to treatment while control group was assessed through conventional method. Data were collected through worksheets, class tests, pretest and post-test. The tests were developed in the light of basic rules/principles of test construction and Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Collected data were analyzed by using various statistical techniques such as independent samples t-test, dependent samples t-test and one way ANOVA. Results revealed that students who were exposed to the treatment achieved higher scores than those students who did not receive the treatment. The findings suggest that assessment methods used in this study significantly enhance the achievement of the students. All three assessment methods equally enhance students' achievement. Think-Pair-Share was found the most effective and efficient method of assessment as compared to Agree/Disagree Circles and Exit Ticket. The findings of the study may be helpful for the students in a way to improve their learning as well as for the teachers to carry out effective instruction in the classroom. The study opens doors for innovations and intervention in the classrooms to use different assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article tries to apply methods of building multifactor industrial functions for solving the problem of assessing the investment appeal of regions in the Russian Federation. As a concrete instrument the author proposes to calculate regressive equation which can allow us to show the form and level of contribution of private factors in the total volume of cash raised in the region. Misbalance of regional development is an acute problem for Russia and many other countries that chose the way of building civilized market economy. Raising foreign capital can become a solution to this problem, as a region excluded from the system of interrelations cannot find a point of growth in order to overcome its economic problems. In the issue of raising capital at the regional level this topic implies the integral assessment of the ability to raise funds. How can it be achieved? Which regional factors can affect it? Can it show the ability of the region to use the money? These methodological questions are discussed in the article, factor analysis, multifactor industrial function, assessing the level of investment appeal of the region.

Learned the characteristic of the risk in a company; the causes of occurrence of risk situations are revealed, methods for assessing risk situations and identified ways to eliminate the risk in the enterprise. Situation of risk in the company it is a main opportunity of company development. It is mean that in different cases company may manage of this risk and forward there to best way for the whole company.

Durability tests against fungi action for wood-plastic composites are carried out in accordance with European standard ENV 12038, but the authors of the manuscript try to prove that the assessment of the results done according to these methods is imprecise and suffers from a significant error. Fungi exposure is always accompanied by high humidity, so the result of tests made by such method is always burdened with the influence of moisture, which can lead to a wrong assessment of the negative effects of action fungus itself. The manuscript has shown a modification of such a method that separates the destructive effect of fungi from moisture accompanying the test’s destructive effect. The functional properties selected to prove the proposed modification are changes in the mass and bending strength after subsequent environmental exposure. It was found that intensive action of moisture measured in the culture chamber of about (70 ± 5)%, i.e., for 16 weeks, at (22 ± 2) °C, which was the fungi culture, which was accompanying period, led to changes in the mass of the wood-plastic composites, amounting to 50% of the final result of the fungi resistance test, and changes in the bending strength amounting to 30–46% of the final test result. As a result of the research, the correction for assessing the durability of wood-polymer composites to biological corrosion has been proposed. The laboratory tests were compared with the products’ test results following three years of exposure to the natural environment.

Recreation is an important social, health and cultural phenomenon, but it is also a reflection of lifestyle and the result of long-term societal development. The development processes inherit the traditions and habits which now form part of the life of the nation; the family, friendly relationships, group interests and interpersonal communications. The social activities include trips to nature, camping, collecting natural elements and mushrooms, and also the social communication with specialised knowledge of the recreational areas and their past cultural history and way of life. There are also the accompanying folk festivals with local food, wine, music and skill competitions; and a further important contemporary part of modern recreation is performance of sports activities at an amateur level. The social aspects of recreation create the demand category, and the natural and technical background constitutes the supply category. This background for recreational activities comprises a wide range of natural circumstances and anthropogenic artefacts created by the development of social systems and formations, and it therefore establishes the recreational potential of the landscape at different quality levels and determines the recreational value of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effectiveness of self-, peer-, and teacher assessments in assessing EFL students'oral presentations. It also examined consistencies and differences among these three methods of assessment. Students'attitudes towards self-assessment and peer assessment were also investigated. This study is a mixedmethods sequential explanatory research in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Using an adapted rating scale, 60 Iranian students in four advanced English courses were requested to assess their oral presentations and the oral presentations of their peers. Four teachers used the same rating scale to assess all students'oral presentations. To obtain students'attitudes towards self- and peer assessments, a questionnaire was administered before and after the employment of the rating scale. Students who revealed changes in their attitudes were also interviewed. Although the results showed no significant differences in the three assessment methods, the analysis of the mean scores revealed that teachers employed the strictest scoring criteria while peer assessors used the most lax ones. While the results of peer- and teacher assessments appeared to be consistent, no consistencies were discovered in self- and peer- assessments and in self- and teacher assessments. This study highlights that EFL students'involvement in assessing their own and peers'oral presentations can enhance their motivation to learn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the case world-wide, the English language is central in Saudi schools and universities. Despite its prominence, students' level of English language proficiency is generally believed to be unsatisfactory. This study explores this issue by investigating the quality of teaching with reference to the extent to which professors do employ the course assessment methods of learning domains specified in the course specifications template, provided by the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment in Saudi Arabia, as one of the main factors for improving teaching processes. To this end, 12 courses in the English BA program at Shaqra university, a newly established university in Saudi Arabia, were investigated. The results have shown a significant problem in the quality of teaching English language. First, the learning domains, i.e. Knowledge, Cognitive Skills, Interpersonal Skills, were barely seen in the exam papers. Second, the methods of assessments specified in the course specifications were moderately used by instructors. The study closes with some suggestions for future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex nature of changes dictates the need for the formation and advancing of the intellectual potential, which results in the initial development of assessment tools to ensure intellectual development of entrepreneurship. These circumstances make high demands for business structures, to their ability to achieve results with the use of adapted management practices for the growth of economic indicators. On this basis in the article author provides a critical analysis of the available marks of the intelligent software assessment.

Wind spatial redistribution of snow influences on exploitation of linear constructions; it is one of the principal factors of snow cornice’s forming on slopes. Calculation of snow-drift transport is indispensable when solving of practical problems. There are not enough actual data on snowstorm’s characteristics for many regions ofRussia, so we should use substituted data when we calculate the volume of snow-drift transport. Currently, the snow-drift observations are not carrying out on the network of hydrometeorological stations. There are several methods to calculate volume of snow-drift transport using only data of hydrometeorological stations (methods of D.M. Melnik, A.K. Dyunin and others). In this paper, we calculated the intensity and volume of snow-drift transport for two parts of west coast of SouthSakhalinusing different methods. And we should conclude that there is necessity to improve snow drifting research having the aim to solve practical problems.

Copyright of Business Consultant / Poslovni Konsultant is the property of FINconsult Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urgency of the research. The importance of adequate economic and mathematical evaluation of sustainable rural development at the regional level explains the new needs of decentralization of power. Target setting. As part of the Sustainable Development Strategy "Ukraine - 2020", it is advisable to explore the possibilities regions to accelerate the sustainable development of rural areas. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. We note the publication of such scholars as M. Adamovich, M. Zgurovsky, E. Libanova, M. Hvesyk, A. Sokolova et al. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. Scientists have not worked on regional assessment of sustainable rural development through influencing constituent component on the final value of the integral index. The research objective. Form a assessment method for sustainable rural development using modern economic and mathematical tools that avoids a number of errors related to subjectivity experts. The statement of basic materials. The article presents a SWOT-analysis of methods for assessing the level of sustainable development, which allowed distinguish the new assessment system, which is not used by experts. Using factor and mathematical analysis, integrated assessment methodology, etc., possible to increase the objectivity of received regional assessments of sustainable rural development Ukraine and minimize errors associated with the human factor. Conclusions. Using the proposed technique has allowed to rank rural areas of Ukraine at the regional level and identify leaders (Chernivtsi, Sumy, Volyn and Rivne region.), whose experience is subject to study and imitate other areas. In the process of calculation was established unification rural employment, which exhibits low economic (business) activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers essence and necessity of determining the market cost of a company under modern market conditions. It clarifies the company notion and marks out important role of entrepreneurship as the leading sector of market economy. It considers three main methodical approaches to determining the market cost of a company, clarifies their content and essence and marks out main methods of assessment. It studies specific features of each of methodical approaches, advantages and shortcomings of their application in practice when assessing a company. It identifies the most common goals for conducting company assessment. It justifies a possibility of use of relevant methodical approaches for assessing the market cost of a company. It pays attention to the notion of the cost of a company as a complex characteristic of its stable economic development. It justifies a requirement in a complex approach to assessment of the cost of a company on the basis of a combination of several methodical approaches.В статье рассматривается сущность и необходимость определения рыночной стоимости предприятия в современных рыночных условиях. Раскрыто понятие «предприятие» и отмечена важная роль предпринимательства как ведущего сектора рыночной экономики. Рассмотрены три основные методические подходы к определению рыночной стоимости предприятия, раскрыто их содержание и сущность, выделены основные методы оценки. Исследованы особенности каждого из методических подходов, достоинства и недостатки при их применении на практике при оценке предприятия. Определены наиболее распространенные цели для проведения оценки предприятий. Обоснована возможность использования соответствующих методических подходов для оценки рыночной стоимости предприятия. Уделено внимание понятию стоимости предприятия как комплексной характеристике его устойчивого экономического развития. Обоснована потребность в комплексном подходе к оценке стоимости предприятия на основе сочетания нескольких методических подходов.

The competitiveness of a country's region is significantly influenced by the structure of the industrial companies operating therein. Review of literature on the issue revealed that the majority of research is focused on a thorough assessment of changes to the said structure. It is an attempt to identify branches of industry the results of which are best for other branches. In other instances it is assessed with respect to exports of the branches, still in other instances the focus is on the economic results of the branches of industry. This allows us to conclude that today there are no methods for the complex quantitative assessment of the industry structure of a country's region. The purpose of this paper is to reveal issues of quantitative assessment of the industry structure of a country's region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Processes Management is the property of Sumy State University, Economic Theory Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies / Sodobna Pedagogika is the property of Association of Slovenian Educationalists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several studies have shown that the standard error of measurement (SEM) can be used as an additional 'safety net' to reduce the frequency of false-positive or false-negative student grading classifications. Practical examinations in clinical anatomy are often used as diagnostic tests to admit students to course final examinations. The aim of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of SEM using the likelihood ratio (LR) in establishing decisions about students with practical examination scores at or below the pass/fail cutoff score in a clinical anatomy course. Two hundred sixty-seven students took three clinical anatomy practical examinations in 2011. The students were asked to identify 40 anatomical structures in images and prosected specimens in the practical examination. Practical examination scores were then divided according to the following cutoff scores: 2, 1 SEM below, and 0, 1, 2 SEM above the pass score. The positive predictive value (+PV) and LR of passing the final examination were estimated for each category to explore the diagnostic value of practical examination scores. The +PV (LR) in the six categories defined by the SEM was 39.1% (0.08), 70.0% (0.30), 88.9% (1.04), 91.7% (1.43), 95.8% (3.00), and 97.8% (5.74), respectively. The LR of categories 2 SEM above/below the pass score generated a moderate/large shift in the pre- to post-test probability of passing. The LR increased the usefulness and practical value of SEM by improving confidence in decisions about the progress of students with borderline scores 2 SEM above/below the pass score in practical examinations in clinical anatomy courses. Anat Sci Educ. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychiatria Polska is the property of Editorial Committee of Polish Psychiatric Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Triptans are the treatment of choice for migraine sufferers with disabling attacks. However, the proportion of patients reporting side effects after any acute treatment may vary in regard to the method of assessment. This study was conducted in a neurology office focusing on headache in Italy. We prospectively surveyed adult headache sufferers who had been using the same triptan for at least 3 months (from March 2001 to May 2003). Participants were asked about their headache and treatment history. Subjects then completed a standardized questionnaire, assessing adverse events in two different ways. First, subjects were asked if they had any adverse events when using the triptan. If they answered yes, they were asked to list them and grade their severity as mild, moderate, or severe. After returning the first part of the questionnaire, subjects received a second form, where 49 possible adverse events were listed. Most of them were known triptan side effects; some confounders (side effects not expected to be related with triptan use) were added. We contrasted and correlated both sets of answers. We surveyed 108 subjects, (87.1% female, mean age 39.5 years). Most patients (65.5%) reported no side effects in the unprompted questionnaire. However, most of them (54.1%) reported at least one side effect in the prompted questionnaire. The majority of patients that reported side effects in the unprompted questionnaire said they had only one adverse event, while most reported two or more side effects in the prompted questionnaire. Both in the unprompted and in the prompted questionnaires, most side effects were rated as mild or moderate. Two (1.9%) subjects graded their adverse events as severe in the prompted questionnaire, but had not self-reported them. We conclude that when assessing the adverse events of triptans (or any class of medication), the method of data collection may dramatically influence the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.—A recent study conducted in triptan-naïve migraine patients showed that tolerability was the second most important attribute of an acute treatment. However, the proportion of patients reporting side effects after any acute treatment may vary with regard to the method of assessment.Objectives.—To contrast two methods of assessing adverse events (prompted and unprompted) in those with headache using triptans.Methods.—This study was conducted in two sites, a headache center in the United States, and a neurology office focusing on headache in Italy. We prospectively surveyed 415 adults with headache, who had been using the same triptan for at least 3 months. Participants were asked about their headache and treatment history. Subjects then completed a standardized questionnaire, assessing adverse events in two different ways. First, subjects were asked if they had any adverse events when using the triptan. After returning the first part of the questionnaire, subjects received a second form, where 49 possible adverse events were listed. We contrasted and correlated both sets of answers.Results.—Most patients (U.S.= 74.9%, Italy= 65.5%) reported no side effects in the unprompted questionnaire. However, most of them (U.S.= 62.9%, Italy= 54.1%) reported at least one side effect in the prompted questionnaire. Most patients that reported side effects in the unprompted questionnaire said they had just one adverse event, while most reported two or more side effects in the prompted questionnaire. Both in the unprompted and in the prompted questionnaires, most side effects were rated as mild or moderate. Interestingly, 31 (7.5%) subjects (pooling data from both sites together) graded their adverse events as severe in the prompted questionnaire, but had not self-reported them.Conclusions.—(1) When assessing adverse events, the method of data collection may dramatically influence the results. (2) From those subjects who did not self-report adverse events after using a triptan, most of them will report positively if presented with a list of side effects.(Headache2004;44:978-982) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shares some of the challenges we faced and the lessons we learned over the past two years, with the intention of helping pave the way for others who are faced with the unfamiliar task of creating and implementing a workable assessment program. Four methods of assessment were used: a computerized senior exam, intership supervisor ratings, an alumni survey and mosaic focus groups. Although faculty were initially resistant to the process, unintentional gains from undergoing the first round of program assessment have been invaluable. These include development of a standardized advisor's handbook; instituting a pre-major; major revision of the capstone intership experience, application for the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation for the academic program, and addition of a CFLE area of concentration to the major. Continued enthusiasm for program improvement is anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Durability tests against fungi action for wood-plastic composites are carried out in accordance with European standard ENV 12038, but the authors of the manuscript try to prove that the assessment of the results done according to these methods is imprecise and suffers from a significant error. Fungi exposure is always accompanied by high humidity, so the result of tests made by such method is always burdened with the influence of moisture, which can lead to a wrong assessment of the negative effects of action fungus itself. The manuscript has shown a modification of such a method that separates the destructive effect of fungi from moisture accompanying the test's destructive effect. The functional properties selected to prove the proposed modification are changes in the mass and bending strength after subsequent environmental exposure. It was found that intensive action of moisture measured in the culture chamber of about (70 ± 5)%, i.e., for 16 weeks, at (22 ± 2) °C, which was the fungi culture, which was accompanying period, led to changes in the mass of the wood-plastic composites, amounting to 50% of the final result of the fungi resistance test, and changes in the bending strength amounting to 30–46% of the final test result. As a result of the research, the correction for assessing the durability of wood-polymer composites to biological corrosion has been proposed. The laboratory tests were compared with the products' test results following three years of exposure to the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]