Reference Methodology Research Articles

Heterogeneous inter-Clue designing of POI Popularity Analysis with discrepancy Tourism Data

The prevalence of Predicting Point of Interest (POI) has been extremely important to location-based applications, such as reviews on POIs. Many current approaches are rarely able to achieve adequate efficiency due to the shortage of POI knowledge. This tendentious restricts the advice to famous locations and lacks equally important qualities in unlikely attractions. This paper introduces a novel method to forecasting the performance of POIs, dubbed Hierarchical Multi-Clue Fusion (HMCF). In general, to address sparsity issues, it is proposed that POIs be defined in a simple way usage different method of User-Generated Content (UGC) By different origin. And there is construct a hierarchically powerful POI modeling framework that concurrently injects semantonal Awareness and multiple layer representation regulation of POIs. Users are building a multi-view POI database for assessment by compiling both text and visual information from four conventional tourism channels from many separate provinces in China during 2006 to 2017. Extensive experimental findings indicate that the new technique will substantially improve the output of forecasting the success of attractions relative to a variety of reference methodologies.

Managing Big Data for Addressing Research Questions in a Collaborative Project on Automated Driving Impact Assessment.

While extracting meaningful information from big data is getting relevance, literature lacks information on how to handle sensitive data by different project partners in order to collectively answer research questions (RQs), especially on impact assessment of new automated driving technologies. This paper presents the application of an established reference piloting methodology and the consequent development of a coherent, robust workflow. Key challenges include ensuring methodological soundness and data validity while protecting partners’ intellectual property. The authors draw on their experiences in a 34-partner project aimed at assessing the impact of advanced automated driving functions, across 10 European countries. In the first step of the workflow, we captured the quantitative requirements of each RQ in terms of the relevant data needed from the tests. Most of the data come from vehicular sensors, but subjective data from questionnaires are processed as well. Next, we set up a data management process involving several partners (vehicle manufacturers, research institutions, suppliers and developers), with different perspectives and requirements. Finally, we deployed the system so that it is fully integrated within the project big data toolchain and usable by all the partners. Based on our experience, we highlight the importance of the reference methodology to theoretically inform and coherently manage all the steps of the project and the need for effective and efficient tools, in order to support the everyday work of all the involved research teams, from vehicle manufacturers to data analysts.

Total lipid prediction in single intact cocoa beans by hyperspectral chemical imaging

This work aimed to explore the possibility of predicting total fat content in whole dried cocoa beans at a single bean level using hyperspectral imaging (HSI).170 beans randomly selected from 17 batches were individually analysed by HSI and by reference methodology for fat quantification. Both whole (i.e. in-shell) beans and shelled seeds (cotyledons) were analysed. Partial Least Square (PLS) regression models showed good performance for single shelled beans (R2 = 0.84, external prediction error of 2.4%). For both in-shell beans a slightly lower prediction error of 4.0% and R2 = 0.52 was achieved, but fat content estimation is still of interest given its wide range. Beans were manually segregated, demonstrating an increase by up to 6% in the fat content of sub-fractions.HSI was shown to be a valuable technique for rapid, non-contact prediction of fat content in cocoa beans even from scans of unshelled beans, enabling significant practical benefits to the food industry for quality control purposes and for obtaining a more consistent raw material.

Discovering new business opportunities with dependent semantic parsers

How to discover new business opportunities and how to decide which ones are worth pursuing has become today an increasingly common and crucial question for the survival of many start-ups and companies that now have an established technology in a saturated market. The academic world has long sought ways to support these activities in a systematic way, even though there is no reference methodology yet. In reality, there is even a lack of convergence in how to appeal to this activity, which appears under different names such as outward technology transfer, discovery of white space/technology/business opportunities. The only thing that the vast majority of searches have in common is that they all use patent databases as a source of inspiration to search for new fields of application. In line with it, this paper suggests a novel patent based approach for automatize the extraction of a list of alternative technological opportunities/products. It is based on a function-based approach embedded with syntactic parsers and other natural language processing applications (NLP). They were also used to assess the different opportunities and suggest which have the greatest potential for success in the market. More specifically, specific semantic patterns have been developed to control a dependent semantic parser. Thanks to this tool we can automatically analyses the content of a huge corpus of documents training the system to recognize many technological features. This paper shows mechanisms for extracting all functions provided by a given technology, the list of products that potentially can exploit such technology and a list of requirements with which to compare products that differ in the technology used. As a result, a quantitative transfer potential index for measuring how many possibilities a given technology has of replacing an existing one is presented. Unlike many similar approaches applied to stimuli design, the method arrives at precisely suggesting the final product into which to transfer the technology and not merely suggesting a functionally related area or compatible patent class. In addition, the assessment of the replacement index is not based on distance criteria compared to the focal technology with a general purpose method, but on the contrary the judgement criteria change according to the application context. The automatic search for evaluation criteria from the specific patent content is an integral part of the method and helps to limit subjectivity in evaluations by experts in the field. However, the goodness of the results obtained is proportional to the level of knowledge of the user who interfaces to the system. Moreover, it can be universally applied to any technological context. An investigation of new application fields of heating fabrics made of carbon fiber technology is presented as exemplary case.

Development of Transportation Management System with the Use of Ontological and Architectural Approaches to Ensure Trucking Reliability

With the wide variety of information systems and applications for motor transport and transport logistics control we have today, one may think we are already living in the digital era of general welfare, and digital tools would easily ensure sustainable development and prosperity of businesses. However, the experience of deployment and introduction of such solutions shows that their value for transport business is significantly lower than expected. Moreover, in some projects, business performance of transport companies had no correlation with introduction of information systems. In the best-case scenario, they provided for a slight decrease in document flow transaction costs. The change of the strategic status of a company in the transportation service market is a fairly complicated task, which, as analysis of literary sources shows, is achievable for few enterprises, primarily small and medium-sized businesses. Such situations show that information solutions were introduced without analyzing or assessing the business models of certain companies which could be used a basis for digital landscape of business as a whole. In recent years, the basic concept of forming a single information space of an enterprise has been the enterprise architecture. It provided for coordination between all the business processes in order to achieve a company’s strategic goals. The fundamentals of the concept were developed by J. Zachman in his famous Zachman Framework, and it was later developed with numerous models of enterprise architecture (e.g., TOGAF (Department of Defense Architecture Framework), GERAM (Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology), DoDAF (Department of Defense Architecture Framework)). However, currently some researchers note that sustainable corporate development should stem not only from a “correct assembly” of all its business elements, which was the purpose of enterprise architecture, but also from the interaction of these elements when reaching the emergence effect. In this context, one should pay attention to comprehensive activity analysis of a transport and logistics business using ontological and architecture approaches.

Fully Automated Cardiac Assessment for Diagnostic and Prognostic Stratification Following Myocardial Infarction.

BackgroundCardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is considered the reference methodology for cardiac morphology and function but requires manual postprocessing. Whether novel artificial intelligence–based automated analyses deliver similar information for risk stratification is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate feasibility and prognostic implications of artificial intelligence–based, commercially available software analyses.Methods and ResultsCardiovascular magnetic resonance data (n=1017 patients) from 2 myocardial infarction multicenter trials were included. Analyses of biventricular parameters including ejection fraction (EF) were manually and automatically assessed using conventional and artificial intelligence–based software. Obtained parameters entered regression analyses for prediction of major adverse cardiac events, defined as death, reinfarction, or congestive heart failure, within 1 year after the acute event. Both manual and uncorrected automated volumetric assessments showed similar impact on outcome in univariate analyses (left ventricular EF, manual: hazard ratio [HR], 0.93 [95% CI 0.91–0.95]; P<0.001; automated: HR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.92–0.96]; P<0.001) and multivariable analyses (left ventricular EF, manual: HR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.92–0.98]; P=0.001; automated: HR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.92–0.98]; P=0.001). Manual correction of the automated contours did not lead to improved risk prediction (left ventricular EF, area under the curve: 0.67 automated versus 0.68 automated corrected; P=0.49). There was acceptable agreement (left ventricular EF: bias, 2.6%; 95% limits of agreement, −9.1% to 14.2%; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.77–0.93]) of manual and automated volumetric assessments.ConclusionsUser‐independent volumetric analyses performed by fully automated software are feasible, and results are equally predictive of major adverse cardiac events compared with conventional analyses in patients following myocardial infarction.RegistrationURL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: NCT00712101 and NCT01612312.

Rapid Detection and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli by Flow Cytometry.

Background: Early preliminary data on antibiotic resistance patterns available before starting the empiric therapy of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients with risk factors for acquiring antibiotic resistance could improve both clinical and epidemiological outcomes. The aim of the present study was two-fold: (i) to assess the antibiotic susceptibility of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates, exhibiting different antibiotic resistance phenotypes, directly in artificially contaminated urine samples using a flow cytometry (FC) based protocol; (ii) to optimize the protocol on urine samples deliberately contaminated with bacterial suspensions prepared from uropathogenic E. coli strains. Results: The results of the FC based antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) protocol were compared with the reference AST methods results (disk diffusion and broth microdilution) for establishing the sensitivity and specificity. The proposed FC protocol allowed the detection and quantification of uropathogenic E. coli strains susceptibility to nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone within 4 h after the inoculation of urine specimens. The early availability of preliminary antibiotic susceptibility results provided by direct analysis of clinical specimens could essentially contribute to a more targeted emergency therapy of UTIs in the anticipation of AST results obtained by reference methodology. Conclusions: This method will increase the therapeutic success rate and help to prevent the emergence and dissemination of drug resistant pathogens.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY, TLS SURVEY AND 3D MODELLING FOR VR AND AR APPLICATIONS IN CH

Abstract. The world of valorization of Cultural Heritage is even more focused on the virtual representation and reconstructions of digital 3D models of monuments and archaeological sites. In this scenario the quality and the performances offered by the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) navigation take primary importance, improving the accessibility of cultural sites where the real access is not allowed for natural conditions or human possibilities. The creation of a virtual environment useful for these purposes requires a specific workflow to follow, combining different strategies in the fields of survey, 3D modelling and virtual navigation. In this work a specific case of study has been analyzed as a practical example, the church of ‘San Giorgio dei Genovesi’, settled in the Historic Centre of Palermo (Italy). The acquisition of geometric information has been obtained with the integration of Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) technologies and the photogrammetric reconstruction from mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipment. The obtained point cloud has been georeferred considering a network of Ground Control Points (GCP) acquired by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The final point cloud has been processed and properly simplified through 3D modelling procedures, to obtain a realistic and light 3D model reconstruction. The model has hence employed into a VR WEB navigation system and will be used for AR outdoor application in the future, allowing to obtain different solutions for empowering the accessibility of the cultural good. The strategy of 3D CH model reconstruction, followed in this work, could be considered a reference methodology for the development of VR gaming applications finalized to CH valorization and AR applications, applied to museums or touristic paths in historical centres.

Application of low-field and medium-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods for automotive gasoline quality control

This work describes the application of low-field and medium-resolution 1H NMR (LF-1H NMR) combined with PLS and SVM multivariate regression techniques for fast prediction of five fundamental quality parameters of commercial Brazilian gasoline (specific gravity, distillation temperatures of 50 and 90 percent of recovered and olefinic and aromatic content). All these five parameters are of paramount importance to predict the fuel quality and the application of the developed PLS and SVM models showed prediction errors compared to the reference methodologies applied for these essays. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that in a different way of the reference methodologies, such as distillation or chromatographic methods, the application of LF-1H NMR combined with PLS or SVM models enables the fast determination of those five parameters directly from a single LF-1H NMR spectrum, which is acquired without any sample pre-treatment nor dilution in deuterated solvents, and this whole process takes no more than 15 s.

Biodiversity Assessment of Value Chains: State of the Art and Emerging Challenges.

The consumption of materials and products is one of the drivers of biodiversity loss, which in turn affects ecosystem functioning and has socio-economic consequences worldwide. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a reference methodology for appraising the environmental impacts of products along their value chains. Currently, a generally accepted life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework for assessing biodiversity impacts is lacking. The existing LCIA models present weaknesses in terms of the impact drivers considered, geographical coverage, as well as the indicators and metrics adopted. Sound ecological indicators and metrics need to be integrated in order to better assess the impacts of value chains on biodiversity on a global, regional, and local scale. This review analyses studies which, using a life cycle perspective, assess the impacts of products' and services' value chains on biodiversity. We identify and discuss promising synergies between the studies which look beyond the life cycle context, and apply other biodiversity metrics. Our results highlight that the existing metrics of biodiversity impact assessment in LCA are poor at capturing the complexities of biodiversity. There are operational models at the midpoint level that expand on the assessed dimensions of biodiversity (e.g., ecosystem structure), and the drivers of biodiversity loss (e.g., assessment of species exploitation), but efforts are required to fully include these models in the LCA framework. In the business domain, many initiatives are developing frameworks to assess impacts on biodiversity. Many approaches make use of LCIA methods and input-output databases. However, these are generally coupled with other biodiversity metrics. This shows that the current LCA framework is not yet sufficient to support decision-making based on different sets of biodiversity indicators. Ecosystem accounting may provide important ecological information for both the inventory and the impact assessment stages of LCA, helping to disentangle the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services. Looking beyond the LCA domain can lead us to new ways of advancing the coverage of biodiversity impacts, in a way that increases the relevance of LCA across a wider range of areas. Future work should assess the indicators provided in various policy contexts.

Complete greenhouse dynamic simulation tool to assess the crop thermal well-being and energy needs

Greenhouse technology is an important energy consumer sector representing an indispensable solution for modern methods of crop production. In the greenhouse envelope and system design phase, thermodynamic performance simulation tools are required. The greenhouse simulation is still a very complex task despite many building tools are available in the literature.This work aims to overcome this gap by proposing a reference methodology to accommodate the building TRNSYS software for a greenhouse able to consider simultaneously different thermal phenomena with detailed modelling of: dense volume discretization, 3D shortwave and longwave radiative exchange, air flow exchanges, presence of lamps with their exact 3D position, ground and plant evapotranspiration, and convective heat transfer coefficients.A standard hourly simulation of the one-zone greenhouse was validated with another recognized tool, showing excellent agreement throughout the year. The main parameters affecting the greenhouse thermal balance were investigated in both a free-floating and continuous regime. The investigation has shown that a standard simulation is accurate to only reproduce the thermal response in a free-floating regime; instead, the detailed simulation has led to overall cooling and heating energy needs in the continuous regime, respectively, of 51.4 kWh/m3 and 49.1 kWh/m3, avoiding to obtain very high errors.

Quando a justiça entra na escola

Este artigo procura analisar a introdução da justiça restaurativa no contexto educacional, na cidade de Campinas-SP. Desenvolvida sob o enfoque qualitativo, foi realizada com base em entrevistas analisadas a partir do referencial metodológico da história oral de vida. As estatísticas no Estado de São Paulo apontam um crescimento dos registros de violência nas unidades escolares. O objetivo de investigar a justiça restaurativa deve-se ao fato de que esta proposta tem sido executada tendo em vista o arrefecimento da violência e das situações de conflito nas escolas. Nossa expectativa é compreender o que mobiliza o professor a introduzir a justiça restaurativa em sua prática pedagógica.

Moss biomonitoring and air pollution modelling on a regional scale: delayed reflection of industrial pollution in moss in a heavily polluted region?

A passive biomonitoring survey using terrestrial mosses was performed in a heavily polluted industrial region on the border between Czechia and Poland in a regular grid of 41 sampling points. The concentrations of 38 elements were determined in the moss samples, using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). Simultaneously, air pollution modelling was performed using the Czech reference methodology Symos'97 for the year of the sampling (2015) and 3years prior (2012) in order to compare the results of both the approaches and evaluate the credibility of the moss biomonitoring method. The NAA results were transformed according to the principles of compositional data analysis and assessed using hierarchical clustering on principal components. The resulting clusters were compared with the results of air pollution modelling using one-way analysis of variance. The association of determined clusters with the pollution from industrial sources was confirmed only for the results of the 2012 modelling. This validates the complementarity of the air pollution modelling and the moss biomonitoring, ascertains the moss biomonitoring as a valid method for long-term pollution assessment and confirms one of the fundamentals of moss biomonitoring, the reflection of the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the period before the sampling.

Realist evaluation of a theory-based life skills programme aiming to prevent addictive behaviours in adolescents: the ERIEAS study protocol

IntroductionAdolescence is a sensitive life stage during which tobacco, alcohol and cannabis are used as ways to learn and adopt roles. There is a great deal of interest in substance...

Quality pattern evaluation of frozen soursop pulps: an assessment based on chemical composition and chemometric analysis

Abstract In the present study, the physicochemical properties and mineral composition of commercially-frozen soursop pulps from the southern region of the state of Bahia, Brazil, were evaluated. The physicochemical parameters such as soluble solids (°Brix), acidity and pH were determined according to reference methodologies. For mineral composition evaluation, samples were digested in a closed microwave system and the elements K, P, S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn were quantified through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Soluble solids content ranged from 4.77 to 15.37 °Brix among the different brands of analyzed frozen pulps. Titratable acidity (equivalent to citric acid) and pH ranged from 0.49 to 1.00 and 3.61 to 4.57, respectively. Some samples presented irregularities in regard to quality pattern established in the Brazilian legislation. The following range of concentration, in μg g-1, were found for essential elements: K (544-1761), P (44.3-139), S (71.8-174), Ca (24.3-77.0), Mg (47.2-132), Fe (1.40-4.05), Mn (0.32-1.22), Cu (0.30-0.88) and Zn (0.36-0.84). The use of principal component analysis (PCA) enabled a more in-depth data analysis, performing correlations between different variables and frozen pulp brands.

Toward Harmonization of Voriconazole CLSI and EUCAST Breakpoints for Candida albicans Using a Validated In Vitro Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model.

CLSI and EUCAST susceptibility breakpoints for voriconazole and Candida albicans differ by one dilution (≤0.125 and ≤0.06 mg/liter, respectively) whereas the epidemiological cutoff values for EUCAST (ECOFF) and CLSI (ECV) are the same (0.03 mg/liter). We therefore determined the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) breakpoints of voriconazole against C. albicans for both methodologies with an in vitro PK/PD model, which was validated using existing animal PK/PD data. Four clinical wild-type and non-wild-type C. albicans isolates (voriconazole MICs, 0.008 to 0.125 mg/liter) were tested in an in vitro PK/PD model. For validation purposes, mouse PK were simulated and in vitro PD were compared with in vivo outcomes. Human PK were simulated, and the exposure-effect relationship area under the concentration-time curve for the free, unbound fraction of a drug from 0 to 24 h (fAUC0-24)/MIC was described for EUCAST and CLSI 24/48-h methods. PK/PD breakpoints were determined using the fAUC0-24/MIC associated with half-maximal activity (EI50) and Monte Carlo simulation analysis. The in vitro 24-h PD EI50 values of voriconazole against C. albicans were 2.5 to 5 (1.5 to 17) fAUC/MIC. However, the 72-h PD were higher at 133 (51 to 347) fAUC/MIC for EUCAST and 94 (35 to 252) fAUC/MIC for CLSI. The mean (95% confidence interval) probability of target attainment (PTA) was 100% (95 to 100%), 97% (72 to 100%), 83% (35 to 99%), and 49% (8 to 91%) for EUCAST and 100% (97 to 100%), 99% (85 to 100%), 91% (52 to 100%), and 68% (17 to 96%) for CLSI for MICs of 0.03, 0.06, 0.125, and 0.25 mg/liter, respectively. Significantly, >95% PTA values were found for EUCAST/CLSI MICs of ≤0.03 mg/liter. For MICs of 0.06 to 0.125 mg/liter, trough levels 1 to 4 mg/liter would be required to attain the PK/PD target. A PK/PD breakpoint of C. albicans voriconazole at the ECOFF/ECV of 0.03 mg/liter was determined for both the EUCAST and CLSI methods, indicating the need for breakpoint harmonization for the reference methodologies.

Integration of sequential extraction, chemical analysis and statistical tools for the availability risk assessment of heavy metals in sludge amended soils

This work has been conducted as an integrated approach to study the behavior of soils to the metals from sludge amendment. Bureau Commun Reference (BCR) methodology was used as an appropriate tool to harvest precious information about heavy metals evolution versus depth before and after sludge treatments. This three-step extraction procedure (i.e., BCR) may clarify the leaching or retention of heavy metals from the amended soils, as well as their risk level. Our results indicated that sludge applications has shown an increasing flux of heavy metals towards amended soils, of which Pb was the most abundant. Heavy metals mobility in control and amended soils showed that main influencing factors are pH and total organic carbon, especially for copper mobility. Almost all of the metals decreased with soil depth, except for Ni. Speciation of heavy metals in sludges showed that about 45% of Pb, Cu and Ni were associated with residual fraction; Cd was mainly bound to reducible fraction. Speciation forms in the control soil indicated that short term application of sludge has remobilized a fraction of heavy metals into their most labile forms (i.e., exchangeable and reducible fraction). Multivariate statistical analysis suggested that Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu preferentially accumulated in organic-rich surface horizons and clay layers where adsorption played an important role as a determining mechanism. Nevertheless, adsorption did not appear to be directly controlled by high pH values (pH > 7). From Cluster Analysis (CA), one can easily recognize that Pb, Zn and Cu movement in soil profiles were significantly affected by pH, especially residual fraction, labile fraction and reducible fraction.

Alternativas de evaluación de calidad en la educación superior

La calidad en las instituciones de educación superior constituye un tema de interés tanto a nivel gubernamental como institucional. Existen diversos enfoques y herramientas que permiten evaluarla, algunos obligatorios, otros voluntarios; con diferentes alcances, agentes evaluadores, metodología, resultados, destinatarios y marcos de referencia. Con lo cual, no se puede hablar de una única medida de calidad, sino que habrá tantas como destinatarios existan del proceso de evaluación y de la metodología empleada. En el trabajo se analizan por medio de la investigación documental diferentes alternativas de medición: el licenciamiento, la acreditación, el mejoramiento, los sistemas de control de gestión, la auditoría interna, las certificaciones, el análisis de percepción de los estudiantes y los rankings. Los procesos pueden combinarse, complementándose, dado que tienen diferentes propósitos, alcances y naturaleza de procedimientos a aplicar en vistas a colaborar en el análisis de la calidad. Estos aspectos deben resultar claros para el usuario, de lo contrario, se daría una deficiente o incorrecta interpretación de los resultados.

Evaluation of the vulnerability of a leaky aquifer considering the retardation effect of an aquitard for specific pollutants: case study in the Tongzhou Plain, China

The effect of an aquitard above a leaky aquifer on retarding characteristic pollutants is very important for evaluating groundwater vulnerability. A case study is presented of the leaky aquifer in the Tongzhou Plain of China. On the basis of analyses of the environmental and hydrogeological characteristics of the study area, an indicator system to evaluate the leaky aquifer’s vulnerability was constructed, comprising eight indicators: the depth to groundwater (D), the net recharge (R), the impact of the vadose zone (I), the hydraulic conductivity of the phreatic aquifer (C), the pollution load (P), the phreatic water quality (Q), the ability of the aquitard to retard NH4+ (A), and the ability of the aquitard to retard NO3− (N). The retardation capacity of the aquitard for the characteristic pollutants in the study area (ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen) was obtained by numerical modelling with a HYDRUS simulator. The results show that the retarding effect of the aquitard on nitrogen pollutants and the hydraulic conductivity of the phreatic aquifer have significant effects on the vulnerability of leaky aquifers, and that other factors such as groundwater depth and pollutant load, have relatively limited effects. The research can provide a reference methodology for evaluating the vulnerability of porous leaky aquifers in alluvial plain areas.

Employment Statistics of Persons with Disabilities in Russia

Ensuring the equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is one of the priorities of public support for people with disabilities in Russia. This determines the need for detailed, reliable and timely statistics on the position of persons with disabilities in the labor market. The authors analyzed the content and quality of statistics collected in this area, considering, in particular, the recent methodological, organizational and statistical innovations - inclusion of the questions about disability status in the key population surveys and creation of the Federal Register of Disabled Persons (FRD). The article notes that to date, estimates of the employment rate of persons with disabilities on the basis of administrative data and labor force survey differ, which justifies the need for an additional analysis of the methodology of these indicators. Thus, data of the FRD contains information about all people with disability status in Russia, but information on their employment covers mostly employment in the formal sector. While the population survey data, according to the authors, on the contrary, make it possible to take into account allforms of employ¬ment, but face the problem of underestimating of people with disabilities due to the design of the questions used, the reluctance of individuals to declare disability, and due to the fact that some groups of people with disabilities are less likely to be respondents of the surveys. In addition, the administrative data and the labor force survey data differ in the length of the reference period and methodology of calculation of annual indicators. According to the authors analysis, administrative data reflects the number of employed persons with disabilities more objectively, while for detailed characteristics of disabled people position in the labor market population survey data may be used.