Journal articles on the topic 'Evaluation of economic–geographical position'

This paper presents questions of evaluation of economic–geographical position (EGP) with cartographic analysis of integration potential. As you know, EGP always carries some information about the possibility of further development of the object, i. e. about the potential of EGP. In most papers on the evaluation of the potential of EGP is assessing its relative favourable or adverse in comparison with other objects (regions, cities, etc.), while the maximum value of EGP not only installed but not even considered. The main methods of this research paper are analysis and synthesis, mapping and geographical comparison, but also a method for the assessment of the integration potential of EGP suggested by V. I. Banitsa of the Institute of Geography the SB RAS. In the process, was obtained information about the interactions of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, in particular, the Khanty–Mansi Autonomous district — Yugra and its neighbours 1st order using map of maps and visual analysis. In our opinion, the methods of calculating the integration potential of the EGP will help to solve the problem of evaluating the EGP. It is proposed to use the concept of “ideal integration potential” and “real integration potential” (taking into account the transport accessibility of the neighbouring regions). Under ideal integration potentially refers to the evaluation of the neighbour’s position in the region to the largest possible number of neighbouring regions, i. e. corresponding to a situation where one region shares borders with all the others. In the case of “real integration potential” is required to consider the transport accessibility of neighbouring regions. The paper has practical value for the geographical assessment of EGP of any region, in the solution of modern problems of the Russian economy and other countries, and assess the future development of their regions.

Consistent socio-economic development is one of the strategic goals of the European Union (EU) functioning. The research results presented in the literature focus mainly on the comparison of the position occupied by certain EU countries with respect to other member countries. However, it is also important to address the issue of the EU consistency and to assess the extent of development disparities between individual member countries. The aim of the study is a comparative analysis of the disproportions between the EU countries in the area of sustainable development. Sustainable development indicators for the years 2008—2014 available in the Eurostat database were used in the paper. A dynamic version of the relative taxonomy proposed by Stanisław Wydymus was used in the study. The analysis showed that there are strong disproportions in the development of the EU member countries — it turned out that in every geographical region of Europe there are countries with high positions in the ranking, as well as those with low positions. The leader in the whole analysed period was Sweden, with the last place taken by Malta.

An economically strong city is an overall evaluation of a city that is taking the lead in economy, society and environment etc. as well as exerting its radiant and aggregate effect. To be an economically strong city, Tangshan should not only make full use of its geographical advantages of being around Beijing and Tianjin and along Bohai, its advantages in resources, and its leading position in the development, but also realize its own advantages and disadvantages of becoming an economically strong city, thus promoting its economic development better.

The article explores the innovation position of motor transport enterprises amidst modern challenges, particularly the unstable economic situation, the destruction of transport infra­structure, and the security threats associated with the war in Ukraine. The focus is on developing a comprehensive approach to evaluating the innovation position of enterprises, enabling them to assess their capacity for implementing innovative solutions and identifying the necessary organizational changes. The proposed approach encompasses both internal enterprise resources (innovation potential) and the external conditions in which it operates (innovation climate). The innovation potential of an enterprise is assessed through six main blocks: product-service, functional, resource, organizational, managerial, and security. Each block includes key indicators that reflect the enterprise’s readiness to implement innovative projects. The identified indicators are evaluated using a five-point scale, taking into account minimum and maximum values based on statistical data and industry standards. A weighted sum method is used to obtain weighted scores for each indicator, considering the significance of each one. The innovation climate of the enterprise covers the environment of direct and indirect influence. Factors of direct influence include customers, competitors, suppliers, and partners, while the macro environment involves economic, political, technological, social, and natural-geographical factors. Key indicators that reflect the favorability of the external environment for innovation activities are also used to assess the innovation climate. Based on the evaluation of the innovation potential and climate, a matrix of the enterprise’s innovation position is proposed, which allows for determining the level of necessity for organizatio­nal changes. The matrix shows the relationship between the level of internal resources and external conditions affecting innovation activities. The results of the matrix evaluation help to select development strategies that take into account both internal capabilities and external challenges. The proposed approach enables motor transport enterprises to objectively assess their innovation position, identify strengths and weaknesses in implementing innovations, and make effective management decisions regarding organizational changes. This is particularly relevant in times of instability and rapid changes in the external environment, where enterprises must quickly adapt and implement innovative strategies to maintain competitiveness and enhance operational efficiency.

Greek municipalities involved in mandatory mergers from the Kallikratis program after the end of 2010. The purpose of this study is the accounting evaluation of Greek municipalities after the implementation of the Kallikratis program in the period of the economic crisis in Greece (2011 and onwards). To examine the success of the Kallikratis program in a difficult era for Greece we examine public accounting data for several accounting measures for the Greek municipalities; also we try to reveal if any municipalities’ geographical area gained better performance under these circumstances. The results of this study showed that with the Kallikratis program, several municipalities, apart of new increased responsibilities in the post-Kallikratis period and with reduced state financial support, managed to achieve better results with increased their cash and cash equivalents, their securities and decreased their short-term debt. Last, according to the geographical area, these mandatory municipal mergers were more beneficial for some municipalities than to others, with better financial performance, limiting its obligations and improving its net position, thus providing us new insights to local development for Greece.

Paper deals with analysis of consumption expenditures of European households at the beginning and at the end of decade 2000–2009. The aim is to evaluate the impacts of economic development on the life situation of households from a specific point of view. The period represents one phase of the economic cycle in Europe – it is characterized by economic boom as well as declines leading to current crisis. Data was obtained from the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Subjects of analysis were individual European countries and groups EU 27 and EU 15. Using the cluster analysis method it was found that there are certain groups of countries with similar structures of household expenditures. These groups were relatively stable over time and corresponded to the traditional perception of similarity between countries in terms of geographical, cultural, political, etc. factors. However, some exceptions occurred – e.g. position of Ireland close to South European countries or Estonia close to Central European countries. Results serve as a basis for evaluation of economic development and can be also used as an indicator of impacts of economic development on people’s living situation.

With the development of economic globalization and economic integration, the regional capital flow accelerated, the flow of resources to expand the scope of the financial industry agglomeration effect is most obvious, leading to form a financial center in some areas highly concentrated. The paper analyzes the agglomeration of China’s current banking industry, securities industry and the insurance industry three big financial pillar industries, through the establishment of comprehensive evaluation index system of financial agglomeration, of China’s provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) of the financial agglomeration level determination. The relevant panel data collected from 2006-2015 in 31 provinces in China, combined with the geographical position, building spatial econometric model, to study China’s financial agglomeration on the spatial spillover effect of economic growth. The empirical results show that the provincial financial agglomeration has a significant impact on the economy and the surrounding provinces, and has a significant spatial spillover effect. At the same time, the financial agglomeration has different characteristics on the economic development of the eastern, central and western regions. The paper puts forward some policy suggestions on the development of the financial industry under the new situation of the supply side reform in different regions.

In many regions of the world, human head lice infestations caused by Pediculus capitis are a major health concern among school-aged children. This study was carried out to explain variables influencing pediculosis prevention and control from the perspective of parents and teachers of female elementary school pupils, as well as healthcare practitioners in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Participants in this qualitative study included 23 participants, including parents and teachers of primary school girls, as well as healthcare practitioners. Purposive sampling was employed and sustained until data saturation was reached. Data was acquired through in-depth interviews and evaluated using content analysis in the form of constant comparison. To assess the quality of the outcomes, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were used. The data were extracted into 2 primary categories, including challenges and facilitators to controlling pediculosis, each with several subcategories as follows: 1) economic-political aspects; 2) family factors; 3) social-cultural elements; 4) personal and mental issues; 5) geographical position of the investigated region; 6) school and education factors; and 7) factors related to medications and therapy. There were 2 types of facilitators: 1) informative factors and 2) social-cultural variables. According to the findings, pediculosis prevention, control, and treatment necessitate multifaceted and multi-level intervention. Some solutions must be addressed at the personal-psychological, familial, political-economic, geographical, and informational levels, as well as school-related concerns, social stigma elimination, and evaluation of cultural components of the issue at the social level.

The proposed study will direct particular attention to firstly, geographical contexts of a state, and its perceptions and policies will be identified via consideration of various set of factors like Geographical–the description, evaluation and changing value and changing perception of locational and regional factors including, for example, proximity, relative location, degree of control of strategic waterways and to degree of access to strategic resources. The Economic-the stability and change of economic linkages in order to maximize economic security. The Political –causes of regional peace and conflict and changing threat perceptions. Secondly, State perceptions and policies will be especially concerned with the perceived global and regional positions. For instance, Pakistan’s perception of its ‘regional centrality’ in South Asia and its sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean. Further, the state policy documents which identify particular orientations or changes in orientations in geopolitics, geoeconomics and geostrategic terms. These analyses, will lead to an increased understanding of the behaviour of Pakistan as a state in the Indian Ocean Region. That will contribute to an environment of peace and stability in the region.

The primary goal of our analysis is to evaluate the effects of changes in the Slovak agriculture subsidy system on the selected farms located in different production areas between the years 2003 and 2004. Our comparative analysis divides the farms into two groups: The first group represents all those farms that operate in good farming conditions i.e. primarily the land is more productive (PA). The second group of farms operates in less favorable farming conditions (LFA). The regions differ from each other in terms of geographical position, location, production and climatic conditions, as well as the quality of land. We analyzed data of 119 farms.

Progress of agriculture is becoming increasingly reliant on the successful application of technology. However, many developing countries depend on technology transfer from other countries to be utilized in large and complex projects in agriculture. This study intends to identify strategic directions for successful technology transfer in developing countries’ agriculture with Kazakhstan as a case study. A SWOT analysis was conducted using Internal Factor Evaluation, External Factor Evaluation, Strategic Position and Action Evaluation, and Quantitative Strategic Planning matrices as analytical methods, based on primary data from interviews and secondary data from reports. With a weight of 52%, opportunities prevail in external factors, with emerging good geographical position, land area latitude, and participation in economic integrations as the most significant ones. On the other hand, internal factors such as emerging low skills in agricultural innovation, insufficient resources in agriculture, old technologies and worn-out equipment, and lack of mechanisms for effective adaptation of foreign technologies to local conditions are indicated as weaknesses, with the percentage of 82%. This study includes twenty-six strategies that were specially designed for technology transfer, and nine of them are considered the most relevant in overcoming internal weaknesses by exploiting external opportunities. Promoting agriculture in an innovative direction, expanding the resource base necessary for technology transfer, and increasing sources of funding for the transfer of technology and the R&D expenditures in agriculture make a top 3 of these strategies. These results will be of interest for policymakers in decision-making on technology transfer in agriculture.

Abstract The aim of the article is to present the chronology of activities that led to the emergence of the discipline ‘socio-economic geography and spatial management’ in the new classification of science in Poland which has been in force since 2018. The path of emergence of the discussed discipline is analysed from the standpoint of one of the participants of this process. The article also presents positive and negative consequences of implementing this classification in the context of two different structural models of geography as a science. Among positive consequences one can mention (1) preservation of the name ‘geography’ on the list of scientific disciplines, and (2) a favourable formal and legal ‘empowerment’ of socio-economic geography in the system of the organisation and evaluation of science in Poland. Among the greatest threats one can see (1) a reduction in the importance of socio-economic geography in favour of spatial management, and (2) the organisational disintegration of some geographical communities, institutions and research units. However, there are also attempts at the reintegration of geography around two of its basic segments, i.e. physical geography and human geography. In the author's opinion, future activities should focus on the means to strengthen realistically (and not only declaratively) the position of the new discipline and its constituent subdisciplines against other scientific disciplines.

Urban economy has been deemed to be the leading power for regional economic and social development and it has everything to do with citizen income increase, local financial strengthen and organizational economic vigor. Weifang has a sound geographic position for it shares the common border of coastal and inland cities, which is beneficial to the whole provincial economic development. AHP methodology is applied to construct the evaluation system for urban economic development competence and an index system developed out of it is employed to compare the economic development competence from 2005 to 2009. Finally, the analysis of problems and weaknesses occurred thereby in the past five years is made, accompanied by constructive comments and suggestions. In recent years, rapid development has made Weifang among the tops in total economic volume in Shandong.To research Weifang’s economic development competence, to clarify Weifang’s regional economic development strategy, and to seize the opportunity to develop Weifang are meaningful to Weifang and Shandong.This article uses multiple statistic methods and social economic statistic software SPSS to standardize the indexes of Weifang from 2005 to 2009. It uses AHP to calculate each index’s weight, and gets the final comprehensive score of its economic development competence, on the basis of which it analyze Weifang’s economy and find the weak points so as to strengthen its economic development competence by giving relative suggestions.

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important ecological defense and economic zone in China and occupies a very important position in the economy and society of China. Premise condition of ecological protection and development of high quality in YRB is the greening of the industry. Based on the data of 35 cities in YRB in 2012, 2015, and 2018, this paper constructs an evaluation index system for the industrial green development (IGD) and explores spatial differentiation characteristics of the IGD by the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method. On this basis, this paper uses the geographical weighted regression (GWR) model to analyze the influencing factors. The results indicate the following: (1) in general, IGD in YRB shows an upward trend. (2) The Global Moran’s I index of IGD shows a small increase; the distribution of local spatial correlation is basically unchanged. (3) There are obvious regional differences in the influencing factors of IGD. The degree of influence of each factor on IGD is openness > industrial upgrading index > urbanization rate > science and technology expenditures > reduction rate of energy consumption.

AbstractThe paper deals with the evaluation of the effectiveness of the construction of high-speed rails/HSR in the Czech Republic with an emphasis on the perception of their potential impact on labour market integration. The introductory part analyses the position of the main Central European metropolises in the HSR network as a tool for transnational integration, where the leading position of German and Swiss metropolises was confirmed. The main goal of the paper is assessing the impact of HSR construction projects on the work attractiveness of Czech metropolitan regions using the model of marginal rate of labour mobility model determined by the ratio of income and cost increases (including variant scenarios of lost time costs as negative externality). Its application combines economic and geographic analysis and thus contributes to the integration of space and time into economic theory. The performed analyses demonstrate the most significant positive impacts of the construction of HSR on the work attractiveness of Prague, followed by Brno. Regarding the adequate effects of the operating speed, it is possible to evaluate them as secondary due to the small distances of the affected residential centres. Overall, we expect that the implementation of the discussed projects will not have a significant impact on the labour mobility of the population and it is therefore necessary to pay attention to their other benefits.

Background The recent economic recession has hit Greece with economic, political, and social repercussions. Structural reforms in the real economy and public sector are considered to be of paramount importance for introducing a new consumption and production paradigm to achieve sustainable economic growth. Methods The present paper aims to highlight Big Data and the Internet of Things as part of the 4th Industrial Revolution as a potential enabler for the necessary leap in the 21st century for the Greek public sector on the theoretical basis of the Unified Growth Theory and the Washington Doctrine. In the present paper, an evaluation of the Greek public sector is attempted by using two different indices, the Digital Maturity Index of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), and the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) of the EU. Results Findings strongly indicate that the introduction of digital skills in the educational system along with vocational training of older groups regarding the use of digital public services is an important factor for digital services implementation in the case of Greece. Moreover, the findings also underlie that demand for digital public services is not merely a matter of economic power. Other causes that lie in cultural, geographical, and behavioural habits should also be considered. Conclusions Greece is not in the pole position regarding Big Data implementation. High-speed broadband, both fast and ultrafast, lacks widespread availability, while prices remain relatively high compared to other European countries. Internet user skills and advanced IT skills remain mostly misused in the private and the public sector, while business digitization, e-commerce, e-Government, and e-health remain relatively low.

Deregulation is the basis for creating a national business model that should be close to European ones. Business climate in Ukraine has been characterized by unstable position that did not give opportunities to develop the national economy. Investors and entrepreneurs, during the period of independence, have noticed the cyclical character of the supporting level for doing business, it means that most state regulators justified their relevance, but many of them are ineffective, or are not relevant. The impossibility of business transparency has led to the reduction in the number of business units, as well as investment resources. The creation of favorable investment climate is the main task and object of the investigation for many scientific works. Transparency of the market, minimization of regulatory barriers and control bodies, as well as fair rules for organizing and doing business, can radically change the environment for business. Despite the attitude to Ukraine by foreign investors as for the country with significant business prospects, the level of foreign investment attraction remains low. Theoretically, it is assumed that with advantageous geographical provisions, industrial base and significant land resources, Ukraine has been able to triple capital in the conditions of existence of the favorable primary model of business management. The agrarian and energy industries could become dominant in attracting external capital. However, the recent years showed the significant reduction in foreign investment in the economy of Ukraine, and business players on the national market are trading, partially industry and construction, which also work at a small level of profitability, and the current economy state proves that these sectors cannot significantly effect on its development in perspective. Thus, searching for possible ways to improve the business environment, where the key indicator is the deregulation of business processes, remain relevant and should become the basis for economic reform without which Ukraine will not be able to become a highly competitive state, and therefore economic uncertainty will continue to affect its development negatively.

China’s coastal areas suffer from typhoon attacks every year. Rainstorms induced by typhoons characteristically are high intensity with a large amount of rain and usually induce floods and waterlogging in the affected area. Guangdong province has the highest frequency of typhoon hits in China. It has a special geographical position as well as unique climatic features, but the typhoon flood disaster risk has not been fully assessed in this area. This article attempts to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive risk assessment for the area. By combining the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and multi-factor analysis through geographic information system (GIS) and the comprehensive weighted evaluation, the typhoon flood disaster risk is evaluated from four different aspects with seventeen indicators. A comprehensive study of the typhoon flood disaster risk is carried out, and the risk maps with a resolution of 1 km2 have been made. There is a good coherence between the typhoon flood risk map and historical records of typhoon floods in Guangdong province. The results indicate that the comprehensive typhoon flood disaster risk in the coastal regions of Guangdong province is obviously higher than in the Northern mountainous areas. Chaoshan plain and Zhanjiang city have the highest risk of typhoon flood disaster. Shaoguan and Qingyuan cities, which are in the Northern mountainous areas, have the lowest risk. The spatial distribution of typhoon flood disaster risks shows that it has certain regulations along the coast and rivers, but it may be affected by economic and human activities. This article is significant for environmental planning and disaster management strategies of the study area as well as in similar climatic regions in other parts of the world.

In the development process of the social era at that time, the concept of regional economic upgrading and development was in a very important position. Realizing the conversion of old and new kinetic energy to promote high-quality economic development is the focus of economic work at present and in the future. This study mainly discusses the upgrading and development of regional economy based on digital and intelligent innovation. Through the analysis of the influencing factors of the total economic volume and its growth rate, this study has a preliminary understanding of the development advantages and disadvantages of each district, county, and city in the process of regional economic upgrading. Through the comprehensive evaluation of the regional economic development of the province, it can obtain the distribution of the development degree of each district, county, and city and the comprehensive competitiveness of the regional economy. To sum up, a quantitative analysis has been carried out on the status quo of the provincial regional economic development. It uses a grayscale prediction model to predict the future of digital economic development, intelligent innovation, and regional economic development. The grey prediction model is a prediction method that establishes a mathematical model to make predictions through a small amount of incomplete information. Based on the past and present development laws of objective things, it uses scientific methods to describe and analyze future development trends and conditions and form scientific assumptions and judgments. The study found that province A ranked first in the comprehensive index of digital economy development. With its superior geographical location, it has become the vanguard of reform and opening up. It has been committed to the construction of the national digital economy innovation and development pilot zone and has achieved remarkable results, increasing from 0.6302 in 2017 to 1.317 in 2021. It ranks second in the comprehensive development index of economic growth. Province A increased from 0.4501 in 2017 to 0.8177. Province B ranks second in terms of the comprehensive digital economy development index, increasing from 0.5504 in 2017 to 1.1340 in 2021. Province B, with strong economic strength and prosperous trade, ranked first in the composite economic growth index, increasing from 0.4527 in 2017 to 0.8514. The upgrading of regional economic structure is an important way to achieve high-quality economic development in the new era. In the process of upgrading the regional economic structure, there are changes in factor allocation, resource consumption intensity, input-output efficiency, and environmental quality, which have a certain impact on economic development. This research will help to promote the process of regional economic upgrading and development.

Abstract Long An Province has a favorable geographical position in socio-economic development exchanges and is a fundamental bridge between the area of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and the Southeast localities with the Southwestern provinces. Along with the master plan for socio-economic development with a vision for 2030, the province’s air quality issues, especially PM2.5 and surface O3 pollution, will be complex and pose many challenges to effective air pollution management and control. This study aims to investigate the effects of major meteorological characteristics (temperature–T, relative humidity–RH, surface pressure–P, and wind speed–WS) on temporal changes in the correlation between PM2.5 and surface O3 concentrations in Long An province in the 2018-2020 period (computed by a system of coupled WRF/CMAQ models) through trend evaluation using by Mann-Kendall (MK) Test and Theil-Sen Slope, and Pearson correlation analysis. The study results reported that in terms of temporal variations, both value levels of PM2.5 and O3 in the dry season tended to surpass that in the rainy season. Moreover, PM2.5 levels tended to exceed the 24-hour mean threshold (between 1.001 and 3.14 times) and the annual mean threshold (from 1.81 to 2.03 times) of the Vietnamese National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Based on the Pearson correlation analysis, significant influences of meteorological conditions on the pollution status of PM2.5 and surface O3 were also demonstrated, such as the different positive and negative correlations of each meteorological factor on concentration. These outstanding results serve as an essential reference for developing air quality targets and proposing future air pollutant control measures in Long An Province.

The formation of a new global system and systemic global interdependence has generated new competitiveness factors for market participants, determining their appropriate strategic behavior to ensure a highly competitive position and leadership. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify the countries of intellectual leaders in the global market and the factors that influence the positions that countries achieve in terms of leadership. The following research methods were used: multifactor regression models, cluster analysis, and comparative analysis. Based on the authors’ methodology for assessing countries’ intellectual leadership, the clustering of countries in the global economy is determined. The evaluation algorithm was based on three levels: 1) resources, 2) the intermediate results of intellectual activity, and 3) the final results of overall progress.
 Using a multifactor regression model and cluster analysis, four clusters of countries were identified according to key indicators of intellectual leadership. For each cluster, the specialization of the two countries in terms of merchandise exports was analyzed: cluster 1 – the United States and Germany; cluster 2 – Israel and Italy; cluster 3 – Brazil and Ukraine; cluster 4 – China and South Korea. Each country is assigned an index of economic complexity, and the change in position of each country within a cluster over ten years is noted.
 An important goal is to understand the determinants of the leadership of countries in each geographic region.
 The analysis is based on the cluster analysis carried out in previous publications. The clustering of countries was carried out based on the dynamics of macroeconomic indicators over the past 15 years.

Background Articulation disorder decreases the clarity of language and causes a decrease in children’s learning and social ability. The demand for non–face-to-face treatment is increasing owing to the limited number of therapists and geographical or economic constraints. Non–face-to-face speech therapy programs using serious games have been proposed as an alternative. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of home therapy on logopedic and phoniatric abilities in children with articulation disorder using the Smart Speech game interface. Methods This study is a prospective single-arm clinical trial. Children with articulation disorders, whose Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology (U-TAP) was –2 SDs or less and the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test score was –1 SD or more, were enrolled. A preliminary evaluation (E0) was conducted to check whether the children had articulation disorders, and for the next 4 weeks, they lived their usual lifestyle without other treatments. Prior to the beginning of the training, a pre-evaluation (E1) was performed, and the children trained at home for ≥30 minutes per day, ≥5 times a week, over 4 weeks (a total of 20 sessions). The Smart Speech program comprised oral exercise training, breathing training, and speech training; the difficulty and type of the training were configured differently according to the participants’ articulation error, exercise, and vocal ability. After the training, postevaluation (E2) was performed using the same method. Finally, 8 weeks later, postevaluation (E3) was performed as a follow-up. A voice evaluation included parameters such as maximum phonation time (MPT), fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, peak air pressure (relative average perturbation), pitch, intensity, and voice onset time. Articulation parameters included a percentage of correct consonants (PCC; U-TAP word-unit PCC, U-TAP sentence-unit PCC, and three-position articulation test) and alternate motion evaluation (diadochokinesis, DDK). Data obtained during each evaluation (E1-E2-E3) were compared. Results A total of 13 children with articulation disorders aged 4-10 years were enrolled in the study. In voice parameters, MPT, jitter, and pitch showed significant changes in repeated-measures ANOVA. However, only MPT showed significant changes during E1-E2 (P=.007) and E1-E3 (P=.004) in post hoc tests. Other voice parameters did not show significant changes. In articulation parameters, U-TAP, three-position articulation test (TA), and DDK showed significant changes in repeated-measures ANOVA. In post hoc tests, U-TAP (word, sentence) and TA showed significant changes during E1-E2 (P=.003, .04, and .01) and E1-E3 (P=.001, .03, and .003), and DDK showed significant changes during E1-E2 only (P=.03). Conclusions Home-based serious games can be considered an alternative treatment method to improve language function. Trial Registration Clinical Research Information Service KCT0006448; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/20119

Many scholars have conducted in-depth research on the theme of land use change and food security, and formed fruitful research results, but there is a lack of quantitative analysis and comprehensive evaluation of research achievements. Therefore, based on the relevant literature on the theme of land use change and food security in the core collection of the Web of Science (WOS) database, this paper takes the advantage of CiteSpace and VOSviewer bibliometric software to draw the cooperative network and keyword cooccurrence map to analyze the research progress and frontier. The results reveal that: (1) The research started in 1999 and can be divided into three stages: initial research, rapid development, and a stable in-depth stage. This topic has increasingly become a research hotspot in the academic community. (2) The distribution of research institutions is concentrated and forms a small cluster, and the research networks between developed and developing countries have been established, and developed countries are in the core position, but the cooperation network is not prominent. (3) The research content is becoming increasingly organized and systematic, and the research hot topics are divided into seven aspects. (4) The research area of the subject covers multiple levels, such as global, national, and specific natural geographical regions, and has formed a research system of geographic information technology and satellite remote sensing technology. It also presents the trend of cross integration with economics, land management and soil science. In the future, theoretical innovation still needs to be strengthened, and we should strengthen the research on the impact of agricultural chemical fertilizers on food security and study the impact of urban expansion on land use change.

The evaluation of the fire impact on building materials is of great scientific and socio-economic importance since fire can result in materials’ chemical and mechanical alterations, which leads to structural stability problems of historical and/or modern construction. This highly increases the cost of rehabilitation interventions. The case study of the Byzantine Monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Varnakova is an example of the fire effect on both historical and newer stone masonries. The Varnakova Monastery is a typical 19th century monastic complex and, during its long history, it has undergone multiple reconstructions after major catastrophic events that have taken place due to its strategic geographical position and its financial and spiritual significance for the region. The last big-scale renovation of the Monastery was conducted between the years 1992 to 2014. However, in January 2017, a devastating fire destroyed the largest part of the monastic cells’ quarter. In this work, a diagnostic study of the different construction phases’ materials comprising the masonries of the monastery cells in their present state is presented. The examination of a series of samples through analytical techniques, such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and total immersion tests, along with the use of non-destructive techniques in situ, such as Infra Red Thermography, Digital Microscopy, and Schmidt Hammer Rebound tests, shed light on the preservation state and on the decay of the diverse building materials. In addition, the impact of the fire on their properties was investigated. The results reveal the diversity of the materials used in the historical masonries throughout the centuries, while the combination of analytical and non-destructive techniques demonstrates the damages induced by the fire.

The paper focuses on the evaluation of regional tourism in terms of its economic development potential. Based on selected economic indicators (e.g. registered unemployment rate, capacity and performances of accommodation facilities, average number of employees and average nominal wage), we analyse the position of the territory in the regional structure of Slovakia and describe factors that determine the development of the region (location, absence of large cities, poor transport infrastructure). Via valorising the natural and anthropogenic assumptions we evaluate the potential of the territory in the context of the possibilities of tourism development in it. Valorisation was carried out in relation to the main recreational activities, where the aggregate value of the potential expresses precisely the possibilities of developing recreational activities in the studied area. The most developed are the districts of Banská Bystrica and Brezno, forming the Horehronský tourism region. The less developed region with untapped tourism potential is Pohronský region, represented by the districts of Zvolen, Žiar nad Hronom, Žarnovica, Banská Štiavnica and Detva. The Gemerský region (the Rimavská Sobota and Revúca districts) shows the greatest difference between the potential of the territory and the current state of the level of tourism development. The least developed area with the lowest tourism potential is the Ipeľský region (districts Krupina, Veľký Krtíš, Poltár and Lučenec). Based on selected statistical indicators related to tourism (Baretje and Defert index, Schneider index, Charvat index) we evaluate the current state of development of tourism in the studied area. These approaches are complemented by a historical-geographic analysis of the development of the territory, which completes the image of the limits of development of the Banská Bystrica self-governing region.

How to realize the sustainable use of land resources is extremely important for environmental protection and sustainable development in ecologically fragile regions. Nevertheless, the logic of achieving sustainable land use (SLU) in ecologically fragile regions and the corrective mechanisms for the implementation of land use efficiency systems are not fully revealed in theory. The Yellow River Basin is an important ecological barrier in China, and it holds an important position in China’s economic and social development, as well as for ecological safety. However, the basin is also ecologically vulnerable. Therefore, investigating eight central cities in the Yellow River Basin of China and using municipal-level panel data from 2009 to 2018, this paper constructs a multidimensional index system and is dedicated to carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of SLU and the diagnosis of obstacle factors in ecologically fragile regions. The study found the following: (1) From 2009 to 2018, the SLU level in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin evolved from the “Unsustainable Level” to the “Initial Sustainable Level” and then to the “Basic Sustainable Level”. The overall development trend was positive, and the level of SLU also rose. (2) From 2009 to 2018, there was significant geographical variation in spatial disparities in SLU in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin. In 2018, the average comprehensive score of SLU showed a pattern of downstream > upstream > midstream. (3) The obstacle factors of SLU in the Yellow River Basin of these cities in 2009 were concentrated on resource and environmental sustainability, while those in 2018 were concentrated on social acceptability. (4) In terms of the transfer process of land use types in these Yellow River Basin cities, the transfer from cultivated land to other types of land use played a major role, while construction land showed a significant expansion over the past ten years.

Background: This paper aims to shed light on a very intense period of relations between Albania and the Soviet Union (USSR), focusing on the period from 1948 with the intensification of Albania's relations with the USSR until the termination of diplomatic relations in 1959. The main objective of this paper is to know the truth of the relations of the USSR and its behavior with Albania. Methods: The paper focuses on analyzing this period as a case study, selecting three levels (context-actors-outcomes). Evaluation of the period (1948-1959) is done through the identification of key indicators and the implications of the relationship in domestic and international contexts. The sources used include documents, interviews, films, newspapers, and books. We requested permission to use the Archival resources of the Albanian Central State Archives (AQSH), where they made some accessible non-state secret resources workable only within the archive available to us. Results: The facts show that the relations between Albania and the USSR benefitted Albania more. particularly with a lot of economic support from the USSR, which helped Albania emerge from crisis and build the so-called ‘socialist state’. Through these relations and contributions, Albania took its place in the international arena. We find that this may be because of the geographical position of Albania, as the construction of the Pashaliman naval base and the bay of Vlora indicates. Conclusions: This study tries to demystify this relationship that has had a lot of ambiguity cast over it. Documents of the AQSH do not provide an unbiased overview, as they were compiled with an ideologically charged spirit, making it difficult for researchers to reach conclusions without ideological input from both sides. We hope that we will have the opportunity to access restricted documents to provide a clearer picture of the relations between Albania and the USSR.

Fragrance, which plays an important role in determining the economic value of rice to growers and consumers, is known to be controlled by the Badh2 gene. This study evaluated the grain quality characteristics and allelic variation of the Badh2 gene in 22 fragrant rice landraces from Thailand. The rice seed samples from farmers’ storage facilities in northern, northeastern and southern Thailand, plus two advanced breeding lines and three check varieties, were evaluated for seed morphology and grain quality, and their Badh2 genes covering intron 4 to intron 8 were re-sequenced. Almost all of the landraces were classified as large grain types, with medium to high gelatinization temperatures. The variation in the Badh2 gene by haplotype analysis correlated with grain aroma by sensory evaluation. The badh2-E7 was found in haplotype 1 with a strong aroma in KH, NDLP, and PLD, as in KDML105 and the moderately aromatic BNM-CMU, BNM4, and SKH, along with PTT1. Three haplotypes had different positions of SNP on the Badh2 gene with varying results in the sensory test. The present results suggest that some rice varieties could be potentially introduced as genetic resources for fragrant rice breeding programs or could be developed to highly palatable cultivars with geographical indications to increase the income of highland farmers.

Facing the dual challenges of economic growth and environmental conservation, advancing urban green high-quality development (UGHQD) is crucial for sustainable urban development. Rooted in the concept of UGHQD, this study develops a multidimensional evaluation indicator system encompassing economic development, social progress, and ecological civilization. By applying spatial autocorrelation analysis, cold and hot spots analysis, standard deviation ellipse, and Kernel density estimation, it examines the spatial distribution and dynamic evolution of UGHQD across China and its four major regions (Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern) from 2003 to 2020. It also forecasts the trajectory of UGHQD from 2021 to 2025. The research findings indicate: (1) A steady annual increase in the overall level of UGHQD, with a geographic pattern showing high levels in the east, moderate in the center, and low in the west. (2) A spatial agglomeration in UGHQD, predominantly in the eastern region, demonstrating spatio-temporal inertia. (3) Varying degrees of a “right-tail” phenomenon in the UGHQD across China and its four sub-regions, indicating a polarization trend or even a weak multi-polarization trend. (4) A forecast of continuous, steady growth in UGHQD from 2021 to 2025, with the eastern region maintaining its leading position. This study offers insights that enhancing our understanding of the fundamental concepts underlying UGHQD, providing a practical foundation and policy guidance for future collaborative efforts in enhancing urban development quality.

Географическое положение Республики Саха (Якутия), занимающей значительную часть Арктической зоны России, определяет ее особую роль и ответственность в вопросах освоения развития арктических территорий. Экосистемы Якутии являются уникальным резервом биосферы планеты, более 80% территории не тронуто промышленно-хозяйственным освоением. Экстремальные природно-климатические условия, фрагментарное промышленное освоение, низкая плотность населения, неразвитость транспортной и энергетической инфраструктуры, высокая ресурсоемкость и зависимость от северного завоза, хрупкость экологии – это специфические черты Арктики. Они диктуют необходимость постоянной заботы государства о жителях Арктики. Говоря об Арктике, невозможно не упомянуть её огромный энергоресурсный резерв – около 20% мировых запасов нефти и газа. В районах Арктики есть уникальные возможности для применения лучших технологий, материалов и инноваций для применения в промышленности и производстве в силу хрупкости арктической экосистемы. Текущее состояние и темпы развития арктических территорий Республики Саха (Якутия) во многом не соответствуют их потенциалу и значению. Исходя из приоритетов государственной политики в развитии Арктики важно выстраивание четкой и единой системы по развитию арктических территорий, учитывающих особую специфику макрорегиона. The geographical position of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), which occupies a significant part of the Arctic zone of Russia, determines its special role and responsibility in the development of the Arctic territories. Ecosystems of Yakutia are a unique reserve of the planet’s biosphere, more than 80% of the territory is untouched by industrial and economic development. Extreme natural and climatic conditions, fragmented industrial development, low population density, underdeveloped transport and energy infrastructure, high resource intensity and dependence on northern delivery, fragility of the ecology – these are specific features of the Arctic. They dictate the need for constant state care for the inhabitants of the Arctic. Speaking about the Arctic, it is impossible not to mention its huge energy reserve – about 20% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. The Arctic regions have unique opportunities to apply the best technologies, materials and innovations for industrial and manufacturing applications due to the fragility of the Arctic eco-system. The current state and rates of development of the Arctic territories of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) largely do not correspond to their potential and significance. Based on the priorities of state policy in the development of the Arctic, it is important to build a clear and unified system for the development of the Arctic territories, taking into account the special specifics of the macroregion.

Many wastes arise from human daily activities, and solid household waste is one of the most impactful and heavy on human shoulders, as the management of solid household waste is one of the important issues that must be taken care of in order to preserve the health and safety of humans and the environment. Therefore, this study came to identify solid household waste and the methods and methods used to manage it through collection and transportation operations until its final disposal. Geographical information systems are used in the environmental planning process in order to better plan the location of containers and identify waste collection paths, and this requires collecting data and maps for the study area to be used in the process of analyzing spatial appropriateness using geographical information systems based on planning and environmental standards to reach the best results using current-day techniques from Huge software that contributes greatly to the planning process and helps in making decisions (Geographical Information Systems "GIS", Statistical Group for Social Sciences "SPSS"). The selection of sites for technical landfill centers is of great importance at the present time, as the latter is an important and necessary issue for the sanitary disposal of waste, given the complexity of waste management systems, the selection of the appropriate urban solid waste landfill site requires consideration of alternative solutions and multiple and rather complex evaluation criteria. Where this study aims to assess the spatial suitability of the Technical Backfill Center in the city of M’sila, through a spatial analytical methodology, where the significant increase in the population of 1,276721 people in 2019 led to an increase in the quantities of produced waste that exceeded 382,038 tons / year, and thus increased rates of environmental pollution and distortion of the urban landscape. for the city. The poor location of the embankment center caused the residents to annoy, and demanded that they expedite the closure of the center despite the fact that its lifespan had not expired, which made the authorities in an embarrassing position. This is what the study provides, as the best sites were chosen for the establishment of a landfill center for the city of M'sila, so that it is difficult to change it in the future, based on a set of criteria approved by the National Waste Agency and analyzed in the GIS environment, by applying the spatial analyzer and giving weights to the criteria affecting the The site of the backfill was selected according to the relative importance of each of them by the hierarchical analysis (Ahp) process using Excel, then the Raster calculator process was performed. In our study, we tried to find an alternative site to the current site that would be more suitable than the previous one, where a set of criteria (economic, social, and environmental) were defined and using the integration of geographic information system (GIS) and the analytical hierarchy method (AHP where the GIS program plays a role). It is important in contributing to superposition analysis for landfill site selection because it has a high capacity to manage large amounts of spatial data and considers many factors from a variety of sources ,as well as its high ability to deal with the necessary social, environmental and economic constraints. this study, it was relied on using a combination of GIS and AHP programs to choose the best and most appropriate urban solid waste burial site from among the many candidate sites that meet the largest possible number of environmental and scientific criteria so that it is difficult to change it in the future, which helps officials to take the appropriate decision to achieve this goal. .The processes of choosing a landfill site includes several steps that must be performed using GIS software are: (1): The study area is divided into categories to suit the requirements, and then an appropriate weight is given to each category (2): Determining the final map of the landfill sites using the special analysis tool in GIS "Map Algebra - Single Output Map Algebra". (3): Exclusion of unsuitable areas to simplify the process of selecting candidate sites for the urban solid waste landfill center in the city of M'sila. The results showed that the best areas are likely to be suitable for the establishment of a technical landfill center for waste in the southern side (Municipality of AWLAD MADI), in the southern eastern side (Municipality of AL-MATARFA), and in the western/south side (Municipality of AWLAD MANSOUR and the lines of Dam El Geer). The study showed the location outside the city due to the lack of real estate in the city and the lack of availability of areas that meet the necessary standards for the establishment of landfill centers, and this confirms the inadequacy of the current site and the need to find an alternative site quickly. We hope that our work will provide a methodology for siting and provide basic and logistical support to decision makers in assessing waste management problems in the city and help to choose the appropriate landfill site for the city.

The study of climate changes is most often based on the analysis of time series of temperature and precipitation in urban areas and the increase in the emission of gases having a greenhouse effect. On the other hand, the selection of representative and relevant stations and comprehensive analysis of climate indicators lead to better and more exact assessments on climate changes at the regional level. In order to connect climate changes with agricultural, biological, socio-economic and tourism databases, the paper deals with the dynamic analysis of changes in thermal component expressed through the values of regional climate indices in four climatological stations with different geographical positions in Serbia. There are significant differences between the two time series data (1961-1990 and 1991-2013) on temperature and humidity, precipitation, insolation and wind speed. However, after using the climatic indices as a tool for assessing climate changes, the results of the study suggest the relative influence of the thermal component on the change of climate indices, with a slight increase in the index of significance for human activities. Relying on the results of this alternative approach to the study of climate changes, the fact remains that the climate is not fixed but highly variable factor that should be taken into consideration in terms of monitoring, evaluation and management of the area.

The aim of this paper is to highlight the state of development of tourist ports in the Romanian Black Sea coastal area and their implications for the sustainable provision of quality recreational transport. As indicated by the collected data, both locals and tourists are showing a growing interest in nautical sports and maritime recreational activities, and there are plans to upgrade existing marinas and build new ones. Although the boating activity in the Romanian Black Sea coastal area is not as developed and popular as that in other areas of the Balkan Peninsula, it has particular advantages due to its geographical position close to the Danube and its delta, as well as its historical and cultural heritage. Between 2014 and 2019, the south marinas of Romania’s Black Sea coast experienced a 65% increase in the number of visiting boats. Despite some decreases in traffic during the pandemic, the general trend continues to be upward. An evaluation of the operational capacities and policies implemented by tourist ports and relevant stakeholders identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and provides insights into the current activity and implemented policies of the four most known and developed marinas along the Romanian Black Sea coast. The study’s main objective is to assess sustainable practices in relation to the environmental, social, and economic systems, with a focus on environmental protection, the use of renewable energy sources, and the implementation of quality management standards. The study uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative analyses to achieve this. Interviews with representatives of the four coastal marinas helped gather the data. The size of boat traffic was evaluated by taking into consideration the data from the local harbor master. The research identified gaps and highlighted areas that require improvement, subsequently providing recommendations to enhance sustainability. The findings can guide policymakers and stakeholders in developing practices that can promote the growth of recreational nautical transport in Romania while ensuring the sustainable development of the sector.

The article provides a detailed analysis of the economic-geographical position of Eastern Zangezur and its significance for Azerbaijan. The application of innovative approaches to the development of natural re-sources in the Eastern Zangazur economic region and the challenges of economic development remain pressing issues. Conducting economic activities in the liberated territories based on a unified program is a crucial task, which is also a priority for the head of state. The new zoning of economic regions aims to accelerate the development of the local economy and improve its systematic management.

<strong><em>Abstract</em></strong><em>:</em><em>Increased urbanization in Vietnam disturbing land use efficiency related to natural resources and quality of human life and development. Therefore, land use efficiency become an inherent requirement under growing population and land resources for national and regional sustainable development. This study presents an evaluation of land use efficiency in Vietnam using DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) and Super-Efficiency DEA model. In general, Vietnam land use efficiency is low, only 8 among 63 provinces have high land use efficiency. The results show that Super-efficiency DEA model can effectively rank the efficiency DMU completely, by thatHo Chi Minh City tops the list of land use efficiency of Vietnam in 2017, followed by Ba Ria-Vung-Tau, BacNinh, NinhThuan, Da Nang, Vinh Long, AnGiang and Lai Chau. NgheAn andThanhHoa, the two largest provinces of Vietnam located get the lowest land use efficiency value. There is no certain relation between the efficiency of land use and the grade of the province. This study may provide a reference for the decision maker in land use planning to get high efficiency and sustainable land resources.</em> <strong>Introduction</strong> Land is an essential natural resource for the survival and prosperity of humanity, and for the maintenance of all terrestrial ecosystem(FAO/UNEP, 1999). From economic perspective land is the primary means of production used to generate a livelihood for a family in most of the developing countries. Land use is defined as the link between land cover and the actions of human being in their environment. By this way, it is characterized by the arrangements, activities and inputs by people to produce, change or maintain a certain land cover type (Di Gregorio, 1998). Demand of multiple land uses leads to increase in land competition, therefore, size of the holdings affects the household&#39;s income(Power, 2010), (Harvey &amp; Pilgrim, 2011). Vietnam-one developing country in Southeast Asia heavily depending on agriculture experiencing the high urbanization growth with around 700 square kilometers of land incorporated into towns and cities annually(&quot;Vietnam needs more effective urban land use,&quot; 2018). Furthermore, therapid urbanization bringsfast economic development, industrialization and the increase in urban population(J. Wang, Zhou, Pickett, Yu, &amp; Li, 2019). According to World Bank (Bank, 2019) , Vietnam&rsquo;s urbanization rate increased from 28.5% (2007) to 35.2% (2017). On the other hand, urban land use pattern caused land use problems such as traffic congestion, insufficient water use, shortage electricity supplies, deterioration of living environment and reduced social stability. The socioeconomic development of Vietnam mainly depends on the land and forestresources used for agricultural growth and rural development.In fact,&nbsp; urban land use efficiency in Vietnam remain relatively low withpopulation density of 2100 people per square kilometer compared to other Asian countries have about 10000 people per square kilometer(&quot;Viet Nam land use efficiency remains low,&quot; 2017). Land use efficiency is an important indicator for the level of urban land use(Songqing Jin, 2013). Recently, various studies&nbsp; have investigated land use efficiency in term of urban land use efficiencyconsidering ecology, regional economic, social behavior and political economics by different methodologies.Pauleit, Ennos, and Golding (2005),Mouri and Aisaki (2015) andM. Mirzaei (2016) explored the effect of urban land use on the environment, while Lin and Ho (2003),Kumar, Merwade, Rao, and Pijanowski (2013) examined the status of urban land use in different countries and regions.Some studies have examined land use efficiency in terms of development density, population density and employment density Glaeser and Kahn (2004) andPeiser (1989). YEH and WU (1996)analyzed the important factors of land use efficiency in Guangzhou-China by using logistic regression. Herold, Couclelis, and Clarke (2005) studied the urban land use change by applying spatial measurement. Furthermore Aguilera, Valenzuela, and Botequilha-Leit&atilde;o (2011) focused on spatial measurement applied to access urban land use Land use efficiency has been traditionally analyzed using economic efficiency and primarily focused on economic intensification of land use and its spatial differentiation.Jiang C Y (2008) analyzed the spatial-temporal variation of landuse economic efficiency of the 40 districts and counties based on the land use status along with the natural and socio-economic situation in Chongqing City from 1999 to 2006.Yang et al., 2009; Liang L T (2013)investigated the spatial disparity&nbsp; characters of&nbsp; urban land use efficiency in the prefectural-level cities in China focused on how to optimize the urban land use efficiency. Moreover, due to diverse land resource functions, land use efficiency is essentially a comprehensive efficiency that integrates economic, social, and ecological outputs. There are several parametric and nonparametric techniques to measuring land use efficiency, among them, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is the most adopted as a nonparametric technique(Raheli, Rezaei, Jadidi, &amp;Mobtaker, 2017). The advantage of nonparametric technique over parametric is that it supposes neither a predetermined functional relationship between inputs and outputs, nor a prior information about weights of inputs and outputs. DEA was applied to evaluate energy use efficiency by Nassiri and Singh (2009), AghaAlikhani, Kazemi-Poshtmasari, and Habibzadeh (2013), Mobtaker, Akram, Keyhani, and Mohammadi (2012).Toma, Dobre, Dona, and Cofas (2015) have study been applied DEA to assess the agriculture efficiency on areas with similar geographically patterns.The notion of land use efficiency refers to an optimal situation, it can be understood as the ability to achieve maximum output for a given level of input for a given level of output. To measure land use efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been widely used by many researchers. DEAhave ability to adopt the optimization method to determine the weight of each input element. The unique advantage of DEA model is that it doesn&rsquo;t need to determine the specific functional relation between input/output and avoid the errors because of function relationship as well as the inaccuracy caused by the subjectivity of determining each index weigh effectively(Charnes, Cooper, &amp; Rhodes, 1978). Various studies have investigated application ofDEA in land use efficiency evaluation&nbsp; such as X. Wang (2005) applied the CCR-DEA to evaluate land use efficiency of 17 cities in Shandong-China; Zhang (2009) made an empirical analysis on land use efficiency of prefecture city in China; Wu (2011) evaluated the land use efficiency of 33 cities in China and made an analysis on the input-output elements. Yang, Wu, and Dang (2017) also used DEA model to study the urban land use efficiency and coordination on 33 provincial capital cities and municipalities of China. Vietnam cities are now facing severe environmental pressure due to environmental destruction, hazardous pollutants emission and consumption of natural resources. Therefore, land use efficiency become an inherent requirement under growing population and land resources for national and regional sustainable development. Moreover, land use policy in developing countries is considered as an important factor of the overall development policy that government needs to stress on for rapid economic growth and poverty alleviation. Despite the large literatures on the application of DEA on land use efficiency, to the best of our knowledge, empirical studies of low-income countries like Vietnam are almost non-existent. In this study, land use efficiency was analyzed from an economic perspective. Firstly, we used Data envelopment analysis (DEA) to compute efficiency scores of each province/municipality, by that we could assess the proportion of both inputs and outputs in the process of land use. After that the Super-efficiency DEA model was used to distinguish and compare the efficiency difference between the effective DMU (which has efficiency value is 1).Specifically, the purpose of this study to investigate the land use efficiency of low income and under developing country for the decision making in natural resources management. The remainder of the paper is organized as follow: section 2 described the study area and methodology; section 3 showed a presentation and an analysis of the results; section 4 offers a demonstrative conclusion to the study and policy implication of the findings. <strong>2. Material and method</strong> <strong>2.1. Study area</strong> Vietnam located in Southeast Asia, at latitude 140 3&rsquo; 30&rsquo;&rsquo; N and longitude 108016&rsquo;9&rsquo;&rsquo;. It has common borders with Laos and Cambodia in the west and with the People&rsquo;s Republic of China in the north. Vietnam also has a long coastline along the Gulf of Tonkin, the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand with 3.444 kilometers.Due to geographical location stretches across many latitudes, Vietnam&rsquo;s climate changes significantly from north to south, with four distinct seasons in the north and tropical in central and southern.The area of natural land resources in Vietnam is about 33 million hectares or 330.000 square kilometers (km2), ranked 65/194 of countries over the world.Total area of the country composed of&nbsp; land area, 82.3% or about 27,28 million hectares is agricultural land, 11.24% is non-agricultural land and the remaining is unused land(GSO, 2018).The structure of land use in Vietnam also tends to be like the world: increasing agricultural land, decreasing forest land, and increasing specialized land and barren hills. Officially, Vietnam has63provinces,municipalities(hereafter refer as provinces)and is divided into 6 socio-economic regions as follows: Red river delta, Northern midlands and Mountain areas, North central and Central coastal areas, Central Highlands, South East and Mekong river delta. The socio-economic regions are divided based on the geographical location of the provinces and the national development strategy. Figure 1 shows the structure of land area and proportional contribution into national GDP of 6 socio-economic regions. The disparity between the land area and the ratio of GDP contribution can be seen. Both Northern midlands and Mountain areas region and North central and Coastal areas region accounting for 29% of the territory but GDP contribution was only 8% and 15%, respectively. TheCentral Highlands region also occupies a large area in the territory (17%) but the region&rsquo;s GDP was the lowest value among 6 regions (4%). Mekong river delta region has the same proportion in both land area and the contribution to national GDP (12%). Total land area of two regions Red river delta and South East accounting for 13% of total country but contributed 61% for national GDP.&nbsp; Results shows that Red river delta and South East region utilize land resources with higher economic efficiency than the rest. However, for evaluating whether land use is appropriate or not, it&rsquo;s not only based on the value of gross domestic product in the region, but also a reasonable combination of inputs such as land area, labor and investment capital, to create outputs like GDP, average income. In this paper, we evaluated the land use efficiency of each province/municipality, and then we made a comparison among 6 socio-economic regions to understand the land use circumstance of the country. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 1.</strong> Structure of land area and proportional contribution into national GDP of 6 socio-economic regions &nbsp; <strong>2.2. Research method</strong> Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric method to evaluate the relative performance of decision-making units (DMU), which was put forward byCharnes et al. (1978). It was originally designed to study the relative efficiencies of different firms or managerial units assumed to have available a common best practice production technology. DEA can provide a method to compare firms based on the extent to which inputs are used efficiency in the production of output, given the technology. Similarly, the econometric frontier production function literature originally took the technology as given. Let Xj= (X1j, X2j, &hellip; ,Xmj), Yj=(Y1j , Y2j , &hellip; , YSj), j = 1,2,3,&hellip;,n, the XijandYijrespectively are vectors of input and output. The slack vectors s- and s+ correspond to input excesses (input slack) and output shortfalls (output slacks) and &theta; is DMU&rsquo;s efficiency value. Commonly used DEA models are as follow: <em>min</em> s.t. If&theta;=1 and s+=s-=0, DMU&not;&not;&not;0 is considered efficiency. It means in the system composed of n DMU, the output Y0 that obtained from the input X0 has reached the optimal. If &theta;=1 and s+&ne;0 or s-&ne;0,DMU&not;&not;&not;0is considered low efficiency. It means the system consisting of n decision making units in the case of input X0,s-can be reduced while the original output Y0 remains unchanged or increase the output s+ if the input X0 is unchanged. If &theta;&lt;1, DMU&not;&not;&not;0 is considered inefficiency. To be efficiency, the DMU needs to reduce the input X0 while maintaining the output Y0. DEA method has the advantage that it can conduct efficiency evaluation with multiple input and output, after that the value of assessment indicators are determined by applying the optimization method and the subjective random of determining the value could be avoided. There are two basic DEA models, leading to the identification of two different frontier which are CRS (constant returns to scale) model and VRS (variable returns to scale) model. In this study, we used both two models to evaluate the land use efficiency of eachprovince, then Super-efficiency DEAmodel (Andersen &amp; Petersen, 1993)was used to distinguish the difference between the efficiency DMU to better understand about the land use circumstance of study area. The CRS super-efficiency model can be expressed as: min <em>s. t.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </em> <em>+ </em> <em>=</em> <em>,i = 1,2 ,&hellip;,m</em> <em>=</em> <em>,r = 1,2,&hellip;, s</em> <em>,</em> <em>,</em> <em>&nbsp;0, j = 1, 2,&hellip; n, j </em> Where &epsilon;&gt; 0 is the non-Archimedean infinitesimal. <strong>2.3. Data sources</strong> DEAP 2.1 software was used to conduct land use efficiency analysis. Based on existing literature, we chose acreage of land, the number of employed-population at 15 years of age and above, and capital investment to represent input indicators. In term of output indicators, we selected regional gross domestic product (GDP) and regional per capita disposable income.From the perspective of scientific analysis, to evaluate land use efficiency, the outputs should include environment factor. In this paper we didn&rsquo;t consider this factor due the lack of data available in this country. All data were collected from the Statistic yearbook of Vietnam 2017 which were confirmed by Vietnam General Statistics Office. The administrative zoning map of Vietnam is shown in Figure2. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 2.</strong>The administrative zoning map of Vietnam &nbsp; <strong>3. Results and discussions </strong> We used DEAP 2.1 to calculate the land use efficiency value in Vietnam. The results are shown in Table 1. <strong>Table 1.</strong> Land use efficiency data envelopment analysis Province Firm CRSTE VRSTE Scale Ha Noi VinhPhuc BacNinh QuangNinh Hai Duong HaiPhong Hung Yen Thai Binh Ha Nam Nam Dinh NinhBinh Ha Giang Cao Bang BacKan TuyenQuang Lao Cai Yen Bai Thai Nguyen Lang Son BacGiang PhuTho Dien Bien Lai Chau Son La HoaBinh ThanhHoa Nghe An Ha Tinh QuangBinh Quang Tri ThuaThien Hue Da Nang Quang Nam QuangNgai BinhDinh Phu Yen KhanhHoa NinhThuan BinhThuan Kon Tum Gia Lai DakLak DakNong Lam Dong BinhPhuoc TayNinh Binh Duong Dong Nai Ba Ria-Vung Tau Ho Chi Minh City Long An TienGiang Ben Tre TraVinh Vinh Long Dong Thap AnGiang KienGiang Can Tho HauGiang SocTrang Bac Lieu Ca Mau 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 0.632 0.827 1 0.702 0.689 0.865 0.891 0.529 0.969 0.732 0.871 0.622 0.680 0.946 0.851 0.586 0.589 0.530 0.594 0.488 0.548 0.515 1 0.469 0.723 0.183 0.280 0.405 0.612 0.829 0.606 1 0.552 0.520 0.429 0.642 0.562 1 0.572 0.903 0.513 0.503 0.882 0.584 0.775 0.788 0.703 0.582 1 1 0.669 0.684 0.787 0.645 1 0.773 1 0.418 0.669 0.978 0.978 0.802 0.827 0.686 0.914 1 0.719 0.707 0.868 0.957 0.586 1 0.743 0.896 0.738 0.718 1 0.893 0.661 0.627 0.612 0.629 0.495 0.602 0.669 1 0.535 0.803 0.217 0.304 0.506 0.626 0.870 0.612 1 0.566 0.584 0.450 0.660 0.588 1 0.615 0.946 0.513 0.503 0.890 0.678 0.964 0.936 1 0.601 1 1 0.744 0.712 0.800 0.776 1 0.778 1 0.427 0.713 1 0.985 0.874 0.831 0.922 0.904 1 0.976 0.974 0.996 0.930 0.903 0.969 0.985 0.972 0.842 0.947 0.946 0.952 0.886 0.940 0.866 0.944 0.984 0.910 0.770 1 0.875 0.900 0.844 0.918 0.801 0.977 0.952 0.991 1 0.975 0.891 0.952 0.973 0.955 1 0.930 0.955 0.999 0.999 0.990 0.862 0.804 0.841 0.703 0.968 1 1 0.900 0.961 0.983 0.831 1 0.993 1 0.979 0.937 0.978 0.993 0.917 0.995 Note: CRSTE refers to the technical efficiency of CRS DEA (Constant Returns to Scale); VRSTE refers to the technical efficiency of VRS DEA (Variable Returns to Scale); Scale= scale efficiency= CRSTE/VRSTE. <strong>3.1. The analysis based on Constant Returns to Scale (CRS) and Variable Returns to Scale (VRS)</strong> The results shown in Table 1.the land use efficiency of each DMU. Therefore, for the calculation of CRS DEA we consider technical efficiency as comprehensive efficiency. Technical efficiency of each province is plotted as a column chart in Figure 3. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 3.</strong>Comprehensive efficiency (CRSTE) of the land use for each province. &nbsp; For VRS DEA, we considered technical efficiency simply refers to the technology and plotted the VRSTE value for each province as shown in column chart in Figure 4. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 4.</strong>Technical efficiency (VRSTE) of land use for each province. &nbsp; The land use efficiency varied widely among provinces and at different economic regions, the land use efficiency is also different. We divided the land use efficiency value into four groups of &ldquo;very low&rdquo;, &ldquo;low&rdquo;, &ldquo;medium&rdquo; and &ldquo;high efficiency&rdquo; corresponding to the land use efficiency value less than 0.5, from 0.5 to 0.8, from 0.8 to 1.0 and 1.0, respectively.The results shown in Table 2. <strong>Table 2.</strong> Relative valuation scale for the quantification of land use efficiency based on DEA model <em>Land useefficiency evaluation</em> <em>The value of CRSTE</em> 1= very low land use efficiency &lt;0.6 2= low land use efficiency 0.6&lt; &lt;0.8 3= medium land use efficiency 0.8&lt; &lt;1.0 4= high land use efficiency &nbsp;=1.0 Note: &theta;=land use efficiency value &nbsp; Based on the results in Table 1 and the classification in Table 2, we have the following results. Results demonstrate 12.7% of provinces have high land use efficiency (&theta; =1.0) included: BacNinh, Lai Chau, Da Nang, NinhThuan, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long, AnGiang. These provinces located in all six economic regions, of which there are two direct-controlled municipalities Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. It&rsquo;s not surprising that these two municipalities are in the list of &ldquo;high land use efficiency&rdquo;. Da Nang located on the Eastern Sea coast, it&rsquo;s known as the most livable city in Vietnam, the commercial and education center of Central Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City located in the South East region of Vietnam, is the most populous city and is also the most important economic, political, cultural, education center of Vietnam. However, the remaining provinces either have the smallest area in the country (BacNinh), or are in an unfavorable position (Lai Chau), their economy is only at middle level, but reach the status of efficiency in case of land utilize. It shows that effectively using land resource depends not only on how much output one DMU produces, but also depends on the proper allocation of land, capital, and labor resources. 22.2% of provinces have middle land use efficiency (0.8&lt; &theta;&lt;1) included: VinhPhuc, HaiPhong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, NinhBinh, BacKan, TuyenQuang, Quang Tri, Kon Tum, DakNong, HauGiang, SocTrang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau. Most of provinces in this group belong to Red river delta region and Mekong river delta region. Red river delta region and Mekong river delta region have dynamic economies, speciallyHaiPhong. It is one of five municipalities of the country and receives heavy development budget from the Government. Moreover, VinhPhuc, Hung Yen, Ha Nam and NinhBinhare getting more and more investment for industrial growth from government as well as foreign investors. 30.1% of provinces have low land use efficiency (0.6&lt; &theta;&lt;0.8) included: Ha Noi, QuangNinh, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, HoaBinh, QuangBinh, ThuaThien Hue, Phu Yen, BinhPhuoc, TayNinh, Binh Duong, Long An, TienGiang, Ben Tre, TraVinh, Dong Thap and Can Tho. It is worth noticing that the Hanoi capital is among the inefficient DMUs. There are objective reasons that make Hanoi&rsquo;s land use ineffective. One of the reasons is that due to the expansion of administrative boundaries in 2008, Hanoi annexed whole Ha Tay province and some other neighboring counties, becoming one of the largest capital cities in the world. However, after more than a decade of expansion, according to the experts, Hanoi&rsquo;s land use planning has not beeneffective, leading to the use of land resources in a state of inefficiency. The last group is also the group with the most provinces, occupying 35% of provinces and have very low land use efficiency (&theta;&lt;0.6) included: Thai Binh, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, BacGiang, PhuTho, Dien Bien, Son La, ThanhHoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, QuangNgai, BinhDinh, KhanhHoa, BinhThuan, Gia Lai, DakLak, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, KienGiang. For the visualization of the results, map for whole country&rsquo;s land use efficiency shown inFigure 5. &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 5.</strong> Land use efficiency in Vietnam in 2017 &nbsp; <strong>3.2. Evaluation land use efficiency based on Super-efficiency DEA</strong> In Section 1, we have found that there were 8 provinces which used land resource efficiently and get high score (1.0) when DEA model was run. But both CRS model and VRS model can&rsquo;t distinguish the efficiency difference among effective province. To solve this problem, we used Super-efficiency DEA to calculate the land use efficiency of 63 province. The results are shown in Table 3. By that we can rank further effective provinces and other provinces as well. <strong>Table 3.</strong>Ranking land use efficiency of 63 cities/provinces City/Province SE-DEA Sorting City/Province SE-DEA Sorting Ha Noi VinhPhuc BacNinh QuangNinh Hai Duong HaiPhong Hung Yen Thai Binh Ha Nam Nam Dinh NinhBinh Ha Giang Cao Bang BacKan TuyenQuang Lao Cai Yen Bai Thai Nguyen Lang Son BacGiang PhuTho Dien Bien Lai Chau Son La HoaBinh ThanhHoa Nghe An Ha Tinh QuangBinh Quang Tri ThuaThien Hue Da Nang 0.632 0.827 1.578 0.700 0.689 0.865 0.891 0.529 0.969 0.732 0.871 0.622 0.680 0.946 0.851 0.586 0.589 0.530 0.594 0.488 0.548 0.515 1.014 0.469 0.723 0.183 0.280 0.405 0.612 0.829 0.606 1.212 38 20 3 30 31 17 14 52 11 27 16 39 33 12 18 44 43 51 42 57 50 54 8 58 28 63 62 61 40 19 41 5 Quang Nam QuangNgai BinhDinh Phu Yen KhanhHoa NinhThuan BinhThuan Kon Tum Gia Lai DakLak DakNong Lam Dong BinhPhuoc TayNinh Binh Duong Dong Nai Ba Ria-Vung Tau Ho Chi Minh City Long An TienGiang Ben Tre TraVinh Vinh Long Dong Thap AnGiang KienGiang Can Tho HauGiang SocTrang Bac Lieu Ca Mau 0.552 0.520 0.429 0.642 0.562 1.413 0.572 0.903 0.513 0.503 0.882 0.584 0.775 0.788 0.703 0.582 2.281 2.613 0.669 0.684 0.787 0.645 1.158 0.773 1.111 0.418 0.669 0.978 0.978 0.802 0.827 49 53 59 37 48 4 47 13 55 56 15 45 25 23 29 46 2 1 34 32 24 36 6 26 7 60 35 10 9 22 21 &nbsp; Super efficiency DEA results (Table 3) demonstrates that theHo Chi Minh City tops the list of land use efficiency of Vietnam in 2017, its value is 2.613, followed by Ba Ria-Vung-Tau, BacNinh, NinhThuan, Da Nang, Vinh Long, AnGiang and Lai Chau.The positions of the remaining provinces in the rankings can be seen in Table 3. Notably, the lowest ranking is still NgheAn and ThanhHoa, the two largest provinces in Vietnam located in the North central of the country. <strong>4. Conclusion</strong> This study aimed to evaluate land use efficiency of Vietnam by provinces from an economic perspective. The results revealed a varying of land use efficiency by economic region. Land use efficiency is high in Red river delta region and South East region, but it&rsquo;s low in North West and Central regions (excepting Lai Chau, Da Nang and NinhThuan). In general, the results are coinciding with Vietnam&rsquo;s pattern of socio-economic development. Land use efficiency was lower in the regions which have lower economic development. Super-efficiency DEA model was applied to rank the land use efficiency of 63 provinces. Ho Chi Minh City got the highest value, meanwhile Hanoi only took number 38th in the ranking list. This created a challenge for Hanoi owing to its large land area. In the position of the capital of a country, Hanoi needs to conduct a more suitable and effective land use strategy in the future.Vietnam&rsquo;s land use efficiency is low, with only 8 provinces are efficiency, accounting for 12,7% land area of the country. By analyzing the results, we also believe that there is no certain relation between the efficiency of land use and the grade of the province. This study may contribute for the decision making in land use planning to get high efficiency and sustainable land resources. To increase land use efficiency, the Vietnamese Government should strengthen the scientific basics of land use planning and improve its enforcement. On another hand the Government needs to increase land productivity, ensure better land management. <strong>Acknowledgements </strong> The authors thank to General Statistics Office of Viet Nam for supporting the data and Professor Liu Yun Guo for his helpful comments. <strong>Conflicts of Interest</strong> The authors declare no conflict of interest.

This study’s purpose was to analyze the network structural characteristics, nodal roles, spatial structure, and evolution laws from the dual network perspective, and apply the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) to conduct correlation analysis and regression analysis on the influencing factors of tourism flow networks in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations. Using a mixed-method of social network and spatial analysis, Ucinet and ArcGIS software were used to comprehensively analyze the nodes in the travel routes covered in travel notes. The results show that the density of tourism flow network increases on the whole, while the spatial difference decreases, and the overall network density value is much lower than the average of the network density of provinces. Degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality and the core–periphery structure analysis were used to examine the tourism function, distribution function, connection function and the position of nodes in the network, and nodes were divided into various types of roles according to their function. Meanwhile, the role changes of each node in different periods were also investigated. This study also builds an evaluation model of the influencing factors of the evolution of tourism flow network structure and uses QAP to find that the tourism network is affected by factors such as tourism resource endowment, transportation convenience, economic development level, tourism reception and service capacity. The research results are helpful for the Chinese government and tourism enterprises to understand the spatial behavior of tourists and its evolution rules, and to clarify the role and status of node cities in the tourism flow network and their influencing factors. It is of great significance for the formulation of joint marketing measures and promotion of the sustainable development of tourism in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration.

В статье вводится описание одного из классов сложных систем географически связанных организационных систем, широко распространенных в социальной и экономической сферах. Дана характеризация исследуемых систем через классификационные признаки по принадлежности к территориальным и отраслевым кластерам, по способу формирования пространственновременной информации для оценки эффективности. Разнообразие сочетаний этих признаков приводит к трем основным задачам управления географически связанными организационными системами: управление ресурсным, результативным и ресурснорезультативным взаимодействием объектов основной и связанных систем. Показано, что особую значимость для интеллектуализации принятия решений в перечисленных задачах управления играют механизмы формирования пространственновременной информации. Такими механизмами являются мониторирование и рейтингование. Первый механизм позволяет получить оценки показателей, характеризующих функционирование объектов основной системы и результаты взаимодействия с объектами связанных систем в заданные временные периоды. Второй механизм направлен на агрегирование мониторируемых показателей в интегральную оценку, на основе которой определяется номер позиции объекта основной системы в рейтинговом списке. Обоснованы основные направления интеллектуализации управления исследуемым классом организационных систем, которые определяются оптимизационным условием потенциальной эффективности и требуют разработки проблемноориентированных методов анализа ГИСориентированной пространственновременной информации и алгоритмов интеллектуальной поддержки принятия управленческих решений. The article introduces a description of one of the classes of complex systems geographically related organizational systems, widespread in the social and economic spheres. The characterization of the systems under study is given through classification features according to their belonging to territorial and industry clusters, according to the method of spatiotemporal information generation for effectiveness evaluation. A variety of combinations of these features leads to the three main tasks of geographically related organizational systems management: management of resource, productive and resourceproductive interaction of objects of the main and related systems.It is represented that the mechanisms of the generation of spatiotemporal information play a special role in the intellectualization of decisionmaking in the listed managerial tasks. Such mechanisms are monitoring and rating. The first mechanism allows obtaining estimates of indicators characterizing the functioning of the main system objects and the results of interaction with objects of related systems in a set period of time. The second mechanism is aimed at aggregating the monitored indicators into an integrated assessment, based on which the position number of the main system object in the rating list is determined. The main fields of intellectualization of management of organizational systems class under the study, which are determined by the optimization condition of potential efficiency and require the development of problemoriented methods for analyzing GISoriented spatiotemporal information and algorithms of decisionmaking intellectual support are substantiated.

The objective of the article was to determine the orientations of the development of the economic regions of Ukraine in relation to their complex provision with resources and economic-geographic position. Management of territorial development as a sphere of economic-geographic activity includes formation of regional statistics, social-economic zoning, geoexpertise and geoinformatics. They allow assessment of the economic regions as regional economic systems taking into account the impact of local peculiarities on economic activity. Territorial systems of different types have both common and specific peculiarities. Correlation and interaction of these systems increase as the productive forces develop and are manifested to a higher extent within economic regions. An economic region is a fundamental regional structure which has a certain economic self-sufficiency and property of self-organization. Economic-geographic prediction is one of three types of geographic forecasting along with physical-geographic and geoeconomic. Economic-geographic forecasting determines the possible condition of a territorial social-economic system in the future. To ensure greater reliability of economicgeographic forecasts, it is suggested that one takes into account not only the economic-geographic, but also the geopolitical position of a region. To the traditional components of economic-geographic position of region, such components are also added as financialgeographic position and innovation-geographic position. The abovementioned theoretical economic-geographic bases allowed assessment of the condition and potential for the development of the economic regions of Ukraine, and also prediction of possible scenarios of their development. The results of the study enabled us to suggest particular measures of an economic-geographic character in relation to Carpathian, Volyn, North-East, Podillia, Prydniprovsky, Prychornomorsky, East and Central-Ukrainian economic regions.

Irrational placement of crops without taking into account the “genotype-environment” interaction leads to significant economic losses, especially in conditions of climate change in the manifestation of thermal stress-factors. The purpose of the work is to ensure the stability of the perennial crops fruiting from the position of maximum realization of their hereditary basis in various growing conditions. Using the methods of genetic-physiological, biological, genetic-physiological, meteorological data and digital technologies, a new approach was proposed for managing crop productivity on the example of fruit crops varieties. The importance of the development increases dramatically due to the fact that its use provides stabilization of the fruiting of perennial crops varieties in specific areas of cultivation, taking into account climate change. Using research results will reduce the risk of yield loss from environmental stress-factors. On the basis of a long-term analysis (1986-2018), the probability of manifestation of the temperatures of the winter-spring period, which are destructive for apricot plants, has been studied in different zones of the Krasnodar Territory. The critical minimum temperatures for the fruiting of apricot genotypes of different frost resistance of Krasnoshchekiy (lowered) and 1-22 hybrid (increased), breeding of North Caucasus Federal scientific center of horticulture, viticulture, winemaking for the phases of their development were determined. The manifestations of the minimum temperatures of the winter-spring period were estimated for 30 meteorological stations of the Krasnodar Territory based on data from an analysis of exceeding their critical values in the development phases of the studied varieties. Their response (also in the context of phenological phases) to the temporal and spatial dynamics of limiting factors of the environment is analyzed. The obtained data for each meteorological station is imported into the geographic information system ILWIS, and interpolated to obtain the results of rational distribution of the studied varieties of apricot in the form of digital maps. The constructed digital maps of rational distribution of specific varieties by development phases reveal the adaptive potential of varieties in the conditions of climate change. A new approach to managing the productivity of fruit crops varieties on the example of apricot in various zones of the Krasnodar Territory is proposed.

Introduction. The problem of competitiveness management occupies one of the leading positions in the economic policy of the state. Competitiveness management applies to all levels of the hierarchy: industry, region, products, services and the state as a whole. But the notion of “enterprise competitiveness” is of particular importance, since this entity is the mainstay of the economy. Describing the peculiarities of the development of competition in the market of car services, it should be noted that it largely involves the formation of each product appropriate policy. That is, in the competition various car services are trying to offer the most attractive range of services. Understanding the specifics of the auto service industry in the field of competition, namely the concentration of efforts simultaneously on all elements of communication with consumers of auto services, led to the need for theoretical research and analytical evaluation of the management of the competitiveness of auto service enterprises. Methods. Theoretical and methodological basis of the article are the fundamental provisions of modern economic theory, scientific works of scientists on the problems of market analysis. The following methods were used in the course of the research, in particular: analysis and synthesis – to study the object and object of the research; abstract and logical (theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions); constructive and experimental (formation of management decision by means of analytical support). Results. The methodology of forming tools for competitiveness of car service companies is proposed. An algorithm for passing the stages of determining and realizing the competitive advantage of a car service enterprise has been developed. The method of segmentation of the car services market based on the basic parameters is defined: geographical – external, internal market, regional markets; climate, relief, urbanization; demographic – population, density, height, gender and others; social, cultural, psychographic – social status, way of life, level of education, personal qualities, motives of behaviour; economic – income level, solvency; sectoral – specificity of different industries; customer benefits – different motivation in choosing a company and services; clientele status – regular and potential clients, former clients, newcomers. Based on the selected parameters, the segments were separated by grouping methods and multidimensional statistical analysis. The tools for ensuring the competitive strategy of the car service company and the information necessary for its formation have been identified. The directions of the general marketing strategy as realization of the general strategy of formation of competitiveness of car services are substantiated. Discussion. The obtained theoretical and applied recommendations can be used to improve the existing approaches to creating the competitiveness management of car service companies, to identify the extent of their implementation. Keywords: marketing, positioning, analysis, management, car service, car service enterprises, competitiveness, assessment of competitiveness.

The contemporary social, economic and geographic characteristics of services are analyzed. The role of tourism services in the national system of services is highlighted. The different definitions of the term “service” by Ukrainian and foreign scientists are explained. The main features of services and factors influencing them are described. The special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the objective evaluation of the service provision. The main elements of this evaluation are submitted. Key words: social geography, economic geography, service.

The paper addresses the issue of the concurrent use of coastal areas for military training and civil activities, namely tourism. In the paper, starting from the consideration of publicly owned assets as ‘semi-commons’, we propose a method based on the comparison of planning instruments related to the different uses, and try to model them in a grid, where different weights and degrees of evaluation can be considered, in order to promote, rather than blocking, possible activities, compatible with concurrent use. The military areas in Sardinia (region and island, Italy) are around 234 km2, which constitutes 60% of the national surface affected by military easements. This situation is due to its geographic position, considered centrality in the Mediterranean for strategic reasons. This contribution evaluates the performance of the Local Coastline Plan (LCP) and the Site management plan of Community Interest (SCI) in conditions of military constraint. The case study is the municipality of Villaputzu South Sardinia, Italy), where an important coastal military easement and the use of the coast for recreational tourism purposes coexist together through specific planning, a consequence of institutional agreements between the Municipal Administration of Villaputzu and the Ministry of Defense. The idea is considering the concurrent possible land uses guaranteed by the different planning instruments, instead of focusing, as it is generally the rule, on the sum of constraints provided by the laws. The local coastline plan has been identified as the ideal planning tool, which addresses the co-existence of apparently opposite land uses and interests, as those expressed by the local municipal planning and those expressed by the military. An evaluation of the congruence of the specific objectives of the LCP and SCI shows how their combined action favors the environmental enhancement of Sardinia, contributing to the formation of ecosystem services, even in particular conditions arising from military easements. These are sites that evolve from ‘anticommons’ to ‘semicommons’. In fact, the military release process in Sardinia, together with the promiscuous military and civil use, activates unique governance policies of their kind that find a significant field of application in Sardinia to guarantee sustainable renewal of economic development of the ‘semi-commons’ awaiting to become ‘commons’.

During last decades geographical science are subjected to crisis events under impact of new social-economic factor in Ukraine. The aim of the article is analysis of modern geography as a fundamental science during new conditions in Ukraine. New scientific structure of geography was elaborated. As a result, additional geographical spheres of the science were distinguished, for instance: limnology, coastal science, engineering geography, methods of geographical research, etc. Geography is one of the basic natural resource-attitude sciences, that are researching factors, processes and mechanisms of natural environmental systems of various genetic level within the Global Geographical jacket and hers natural spheres, with participation of anthropogenous factor, in addition with a spatial spreading on squire of the World. Geography is studying properties and territorial spreading geographical objects and regularities of its interactions. Destination of the research and development are harmonic usage of natural resources and comfort reside people.

The author of this essay informs the reader of the results of the fourth phase of the grant project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, directed at research of the attitudes of the population of our state towards Germany in 1999. This phase concentrated on several major aspects of Czech-German relations, especially the frequency of contacts between the citizens of the two states, Germany’s influence on the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union, the way citizens assess the role of the Czech-German Declaration, the manner in which the Sudeten German question is being reflected and the evaluation of Germany as a significant political, economic and cultural partner/neighbour of the Czech Republic. The aim of this project has been to give the authors of Czech foreign policy a complete picture of the way Czech society reflects relations with its most significant neighbouring country, especially in the light of the specific aspect of bilateral relations, namely the Sudeten German question. At the same time, the historical burden on mutual relations remains an emotive potential, capable of mobilizing Czech society in the event that fundamental foreign policy decisions are at variance with views and attitudes shared by sections of society. A comparison of the latest phase with the results of earlier research projects, carried out since 1996, offers a number of most interesting findings on the current form of the so-called historical memory which contains, among other things, the factor of the historical burden on Czech-German relations, while at the same time capturing the dynamics of the emergence of new relations towards the Federal Republic of Germany as our ally in the North Atlantic Alliance and as to a geographically closest partner in the European Union whose position will to a considerable extent influence the decision on the membership of the Czech Republic in this major association of European states.

Subject. The article discusses the position of borderline areas of Southern Siberia in terms of the socio-economic development and geographical position. Objectives. We perform the comparative analysis of the regions’ position, determine the place and status of each borderline area, find identical regions in Russia in terms of the economic situation and difficulties. Methods. The study addresses the multivariate classification of data through the method of grouping and cluster analysis. Results. We suggest using the methodological approach to determining the status of the regions from three dimensions, i.e. social, economic and geographical, and apply some indicators, such as the ratio of average income per capita and the subsistence level for the social view, the real fiscal capacity for the economic view, and the density of the population (man per km2) for the spatial view. To present the data conveniently and clearly, we conducted the cluster analysis, set the dendrogram of the borderline areas of Southern Siberia. Conclusions. Determining the regions’ status by three anchors is more beneficial than traditional types of ranking and grouping, since it provides an unbiased view of the region, helps analyze the current socio-economic difficulties.

This article discusses approaches to determining the barriers and advantages of the region in the development of foreign economic activity, which are seen in institutional, geographical, economic and network aspects. A classification of approaches in determining the development of foreign economic activity in the region is pro-posed, which consists in considering the factors of export activity in various aspects. The classification general-izes institutional, economic-geographical, and competitive approaches. Depending on the previous develop-ment, the main factors of the region’s foreign economic activity development are economic and geographical position, competitive advantages and the degree of interregional interaction. Based on the classification, a structural methodology for determining the potential for increasing the competitiveness of the regional system in the foreign market is proposed. Increasing interregional interaction is seen as one of the tools to improve the efficiency of non-resource and non-energy exports, achieved through synergy effect.

Purpose: The aim of the research will be to identify the structure of the petrol stations network in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship and to indicate the attributes of their commercial offer to the extent necessary to support the decision-making process aimed at selecting the appropriate supplier of transport fuels for the needs of micro and small road transport enterprises. The essence of the research problem will aim at answering questions about the subjective structure of the retail market of petrol stations in the Podkarpackie Voivodship. In addition, its geographical, material and functional structure. Object of the research is the retail market of transport fuels in the Podkarpackie Voivodship, and the subject of the research is the petrol station network operating there. The area of research are the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network addressed to micro and small road transport enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The research procedure will run through the following stages: 1) indicating the topic, purpose and scope of the research; 2) determination and definition of evaluation criteria; 3) selection of the test sample; 4) measurement; 5) interpretation of the obtained results; 6) final conclusions; 7) dissemination of research results. The research method used is a critical review of the literature and databases, as well as a direct interview. Three criteria were used to evaluate the comercial offer, i.e. economic and financial, organizational and technical, and security. In addition, an interview form was developed. Findings: The implementation of the topic and purpose of the research allowed to indicate the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network addressed to micro and small road transport enterprises in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. It should be emphasized that the presented research is preliminary. They are the first stage of the main research topic. The purpose of these researches is to indicate the scope and form of cooperation between a retail supplier of liquid fuels and a micro and small enterprise of road transport in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The stages of its implementation include: determining the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network in the analyzed region; an indication of the determinants of the choice of a supplier of liquid fuels by the surveyed enterprises; determination of the extent to which the commercial offer of the petrol station network addressed to micro and small road transport enterprises in the Podkarpackie Voivodship reflects the real needs of the market. Originality/value: In this article, the actions taken to achieve the progress of scientific knowledge led to the expansion of knowledge in the discipline of management and quality science in the area of trade systems, their organization and management. The research focused on the areas that have and will have an impact on improving the competitive position of road transport enterprise. Keywords: supplier, liquid fuels, transport. Category of the paper: Research paper.