scholarly journals FRACTALS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF MALDIVES

2018 ◽  
pp. 18-25
Author(s):  
Boyko Ranguelov ◽  
Fathimath Shadiya

A new idea about the fractal nature of Maldives archipelago is under investigation. The origin of this famous Maldivian islands’ country is still questionable from geodynamic point of view. The present study is focused to the assessment of the fractal properties and the coefficients of the nonlinearity (fractal dimensions) of the areal spatial distribution of the major atolls of the Maldives. This is the most vulnerable area in the world from point of view of the global warming and the possible negative consequences to the country and population from the ocean level increase. From another side the natural hazards (tsunamis, storms, etc.) are common negative phenomena attacking the country. The strongly developed tourism – more than 30% of the GDP and the increased urbanization is another factor creating ecological problems to the local population. The relationships between the fractal nature and the possible ways to avoid the pollution are also in the focus of this research.

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 710
Author(s):  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
Wenxiang Lan ◽  
Weikai Dai ◽  
Feng Wu ◽  
Caisen Chen

Fractal and self-similarity are important characteristics of complex networks. The correlation dimension is one of the measures implemented to characterize the fractal nature of unweighted structures, but it has not been extended to weighted networks. In this paper, the correlation dimension is extended to the weighted networks. The proposed method uses edge-weights accumulation to obtain scale distances. It can be used not only for weighted networks but also for unweighted networks. We selected six weighted networks, including two synthetic fractal networks and four real-world networks, to validate it. The results show that the proposed method was effective for the fractal scaling analysis of weighted complex networks. Meanwhile, this method was used to analyze the fractal properties of the Newman–Watts (NW) unweighted small-world networks. Compared with other fractal dimensions, the correlation dimension is more suitable for the quantitative analysis of small-world effects.


Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1518
Author(s):  
Gianina Dobrescu ◽  
Florica Papa ◽  
Razvan State ◽  
Monica Raciulete ◽  
Daniela Berger ◽  
...  

Obtaining high-area catalysts is in demand in heterogeneous catalysis as it influences the ratio between the number of active surface sites and the number of total surface sites of the catalysts. From this point of view, fractal theory seems to be a suitable instrument to characterize catalysts’ surfaces. Moreover, catalysts with higher fractal dimensions will perform better in catalytic reactions. Modifying catalysts to increase their fractal dimension is a constant concern in heterogeneous catalysis. In this paper, scientific results related to oxide catalysts, such as lanthanum cobaltites and ferrites with perovskite structure, and nanoparticle catalysts (such as Pt, Rh, Pt-Cu, etc.) will be reviewed, emphasizing their fractal properties and the influence of their modification on both fractal and catalytic properties. Some of the methods used to compute the fractal dimension of the catalysts (micrograph fractal analysis and the adsorption isotherm method) and the computed fractal dimensions will be presented and discussed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 555 ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snezana Pašalić ◽  
P.B. Jovanić ◽  
B. Bugarski

There are many developed strategies for evaluating emulsion stability, aimed at determining the life circle of emulsions. Most of them are based on rheological properties of emulsions. There are, however, very few based on direct emulsion observations. In this paper we present a developed method for the emulsion stability evaluation by direct observation of optical emulsion properties. We propose the fractal dimension approach as a stability quantification measure. The method is based on the measure of emulsion transmittance properties, which are directly dependent on the emulsion stability at the moment of measurement. The oil in water emulsion was used as a test emulsion. The system is classified as stable emulsion and our intention was to find the moment when it starts to break. Emulsion transmittance properties were measure applying a system for acquisition of visual information, which is based on a CCD camera and a fast PC configuration equipped with the capturing software. The acquired sets of visual information were analyzed by the OZARIA software package. The fractal dimensions were determined by the box counting method. For these experiments, 100 boxes of different sizes were used. Experimental emulsions were measured after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days from the moment of creation. A slight increase in fractal dimensions was observed, which indicates that the emulsions are still in the stable region, or from the fractal point of view emulsion are still regular and no significant irregularities were observed. From the first experiments the applied methodology proved to be sensitive enough to be used for emulsions stability evaluation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Reger

Earlier work has tended to view Delos as an entrepôt for the larger Hellenistic grain trade, but during the years of independence (314-167 B.C.) the island relied on the import of grain to satisfy local demand, and this was certainly the more important aspect of the trade in grain, at least from the Delians' point of view. This study explores several issues connected with the local supply of grain. From prices for grain reported in inscriptions and estimates of the local population, the aggregate annual demand for grain is estimated, and the price structure of grain derived; the ratio of wheat and barley prices on Delos is found to differ considerably from that known from Athens and Roman Egypt. The shortage of 282 B.C., assumed by earlier scholars from prices recorded for that year, is shown instead to be a period of atypically low prices. The impact of the sailing season on shipments of grain is explored, and an annual rhythm in grain prices and availability linked to the closure of the sea and the agricultural year is revealed. The Delians tried to reduce the impact of these fluctuations by the public purchase of grain on an irregular basis in the late fourth and third century, as attested through public loans; by the last quarter of the third century they had established a regular sitōnia fund to buy grain for resale at reduced prices. Comparison of funds available, grain prices, and the estimated aggregate demand suggest that the Delian sitōnia was able to cover a significant fraction of local demand; this contrasts with evidence from other cities. Some of the implications of these results for our understanding of the Hellenistic economy are briefly explored.


2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (06) ◽  
pp. 1801-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELEONORA BILOTTA ◽  
GIANPIERO DI BLASI ◽  
FAUSTO STRANGES ◽  
PIETRO PANTANO

In this article, we conclude our series of papers on the analysis and visualization of Chua attractors and their generalizations. We present a gallery of 144 n-scroll, 15 hyperchaotic and 37 synchronized systems. Along with time series and FFT we provide 3D visualizations; for some attractors we also supply Lyapunov coefficients and fractal dimensions. The goal in constructing our Gallery has been to make the general public aware of the enormous variety of chaotic phenomena and to change the widespread impression that they are isolated rarities. The Gallery provides a valuable collection of images and technical data which can be used to analyze these phenomena and to reproduce them in future studies. From a scientific point of view, we have tried to identify new methodological approaches to the study of chaos, opening nontraditional perspectives on the complexity of this domain. In our papers, we have discussed a broad range of topics, ranging from techniques for visualizing Chua attractors to computational methods allowing us to make a statistical classification of attractors' positions in phase space and to describe the evolutionary processes through which their shapes change over time. We see these processes as analogous to population dynamics in artificial environments. Within these environments, we use experimental methods to identify the models which guide morphogenetic change and which organize genetic landscapes in parameter space. This paper is organized as follows. First, we provide formal descriptions of the attractors generated by n-scroll, hyperchaotic and synchronized systems. The next section describes a Gallery of Chua attractors, generated by gradually varying the parameters and analyzing the resulting bifurcation maps. We then describe software tools allowing us to perform statistical analyses on selected sets of attractors, to visualize them, to explore their organization in phase space, and to conduct experimental investigations of the morphogenetic processes through which a small set of base attractors can generate a broad range of different forms. In the last section, we describe the creation of a Virtual 3D Gallery displaying some of the attractors we have presented in our six papers. The attractors are organized by theme, as they might be in a museum. The environment allows users to explore the attractors, interact with shapes, listen to music and sounds generated by the attractors, change their spatial organization, and create new shapes. To complete the paper — and the series — we propose a number of general conclusions.


2020 ◽  
pp. 146801812096185
Author(s):  
Karolina Kluczewska ◽  
Oleg Korneev

This article analyses how global governance frameworks and knowledge claims are translated to fit local contexts. It specifically looks at harm reduction initiatives targeting injection drug users utilising the case of Tajikistan. In the 1990s, this post–Soviet Central Asian country became exposed to an inflow of cheap and easily available heroin from Afghanistan. While Tajikistan mainly became a transit country, some parts of the local population also became addicted. To tackle the negative consequences of heroin addiction, starting from the 1990s international donors proposed the country adopt a range of harm reduction measures, including providing access to opioid substitution therapy and establishing drop-in centres where single-use needles and syringes would be distributed. This article discusses how donor-promoted harm reduction initiatives were localised in Tajikistan, why and with what outcomes. It argues that instead of a full acceptance or rejection of knowledge promoted by international actors, a complex translation process can be observed on the ground. International norms are thus localised by taking into account societal attitudes towards injection drug users, the changing nature of legitimate expertise, evolving national legislation and everyday practices, against the background of other conflicting global governance regimes and local geopolitical priorities.


Author(s):  
SERGEY I. ROMANOV ◽  

The article deals with a special type of euphemisms-amulets, that is, linguocultural units endowed with the function of protection. There are two types of euphemisms-amulets from the point of view of relevance: obsolete and current units. Obsolete euphemisms- amulets have targets that are not recognized as dangerous by the modern linguistic and cultural community. Current euphemisms-amulets, although not always consciously, are used by representatives of the modern Russian linguistic and cultural community to protect against something bad. The paper establishes that the use of the euphemism-amulet is based on the transla- tion of the target's representation into another cultural code. The work reveals that the euphemisms-amulets are directed not to mitigate an unwanted nomination but how to replace it. An undesirable nomination is endowed with negative magical properties, which is why the linguocultural community imposes a ban on its use. A protective cultural function is superim- posed on the euphemism. The main pragmatic explanation for the use of the euphemism- amulet is the speaker's desire not to predict an encounter with an unwanted object, which is based on belief in the magical power of the word. The factors that determine the linguocultural specificity of euphemisms-amulets are revealed. The first factor is target selection. For the Russian linguocultural community, such targets include a totemic animal, evil forces representing another world, death. The second factor is the selection of nominations for the euphemistic function, which is determined by culturally marked background knowledge, ideas, and typical practices. The communicative- pragmatic platform for the use of euphemisms-amulets is the belief in the magical power of the word, in the fact that the use of the forbidden word can lead to negative consequences (in particular, to cause the appearance of something dangerous, undesirable). The work proves that the identified cultural factors are universal, based on universal archetypes: one's own / another's, permission / prohibition, life / death. At the same time, the fact of the appearance of the euphemism-amulet, the choice of its internal form is determined by national and cultural factors.


Author(s):  
Максим Владимирович Кремлев

Автор, основываясь на ранее проведенных исследованиях, определяет место и роль пенитенциарной информации в процессе раскрытия и расследования преступлений. Указывается, что пенитенциарная информация превращается в процессуальную и, соответственно, в доказательственную посредством поэтапного прохождения через комплекс действий, облеченных в формы пенитенциарного, оперативно-розыскного и процессуального законодательства. Устанавливаются наиболее уязвимые места с точки зрения содержательного наполнения и процессуального оформления получаемых в рамках режимной деятельности сведений. Таковыми выступают места «сочленения» видов деятельности. Основой для подобного рода высказывания выступает разница в нормативном регулировании, в сменяемости и целеполагании исполнителей, а также их представлении о критериях успешности выполненной работы. В качестве подтверждения выдвинутого тезиса приводится пример из правоохранительной практики использования пенитенциарной информации в процессе доказывания, имеющий негативные последствия. Предлагаются направления совершенствования получения пенитенциарной информации с целью усиления ее доказательственного потенциала. In this article, the author, based on previous research determines the place and role of penitentiary information in the process of disclosure and investigation of crimes. It is specified that penitentiary information turns into procedural and, accordingly, into proofs by means of step-by-step passing through a complex of actions exposed in forms of the penitentiary, operational-search and procedural legislation. The most vulnerable places from the point of view of substantial filling and procedural registration of the data received within regime activity are established. These are the places of “articulation” of activities. It is concluded that the basis for this kind of statement is the difference in regulatory regulation, in the turnover and goal-setting of performers, as well as their representation of the criteria for the success of the work performed. As a confirmation of the proposed thesis, an example from the law enforcement practice of using penitentiary information in the process of proving having negative consequences is given. Directions of improvement of receiving penitentiary information for the purpose of strengthening of its evidentiary potential are offered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Skums ◽  
Leonid Bunimovich

Abstract Fractals are geometric objects that are self-similar at different scales and whose geometric dimensions differ from so-called fractal dimensions. Fractals describe complex continuous structures in nature. Although indications of self-similarity and fractality of complex networks has been previously observed, it is challenging to adapt the machinery from the theory of fractality of continuous objects to discrete objects such as networks. In this article, we identify and study fractal networks using the innate methods of graph theory and combinatorics. We establish analogues of topological (Lebesgue) and fractal (Hausdorff) dimensions for graphs and demonstrate that they are naturally related to known graph-theoretical characteristics: rank dimension and product dimension. Our approach reveals how self-similarity and fractality of a network are defined by a pattern of overlaps between densely connected network communities. It allows us to identify fractal graphs, explore the relations between graph fractality, graph colourings and graph descriptive complexity, and analyse the fractality of several classes of graphs and network models, as well as of a number of real-life networks. We demonstrate the application of our framework in evolutionary biology and virology by analysing networks of viral strains sampled at different stages of evolution inside their hosts. Our methodology revealed gradual self-organization of intra-host viral populations over the course of infection and their adaptation to the host environment. The obtained results lay a foundation for studying fractal properties of complex networks using combinatorial methods and algorithms.


GeoTextos ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendel Henrique Baumgartner

As universidades apresentam um importante papel social na promoção do desenvolvimento social, cultural e econômico. Em diversos países sua instalação está ligada também ao desenvolvimento urbano e regional, especialmente de cidades médias e pequenas, promovendo, com relativo sucesso, a modernização da estrutura urbana e econômica dessas cidades. A base empírica desse estudo são as cidades sede dos campi da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia (instalados em 2006) e Passau (Baviera/Alemanha), sede da Universidade de Passau, desde 1978. Nosso objetivo é propor uma abordagem metodológica que dê suporte para pesquisas focadas na integração, na fragmentação e nos conflitos entre a cidade da população local e aquela das universidades. Nossas conclusões principais indicam uma grande dinamização do mercado imobiliário, diversificação das atividades comerciais e de serviços, ampliação do papel regional, mas também, do ponto de vista social, conexões fracas e pontuais com a cidade, gerando conflitos entre estudantes/professores e a população local. Abstract PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AS AGENTS IN URBAN AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF MEDIUM AND SMALL-SIZED CITIES: A THEORETICAL, METHODOLOGICAL AND EMPIRICAL APPROACH The universities have an important role in our society to promote social, cultural and economical development. In many countries universities has been installed in small and medium-sized cities since the 70’s to promote the development and ‘modernization’. Some of them are very successful and the economical development is visible and unquestionable. Our empirical study focuses the cities of the Federal University of Reconcavo da Bahia (installed in 2006) and Passau/Bavaria/Germany (University of Passau, installed in 1978). Our goal is to propose methodological approach to support a research based on the integration, fragmentation and conflicts between the city of the local population and city of the Universities. Our major conclusions are connected with the increase of the real estate market, diversification of commercial and service activities, intensification of regional role. From the social point of view, however, there are weak and punctual connections with the cities, promoting spatial and cultural conflicts between the students/professor and the local population.


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