Results Of Multidimensional Scaling Research Articles

The immutability of valence and arousal in the foundation of emotion.

Over the past century, great debate has ensued regarding the fundamental properties of emotions. The idea that 2 properties-valence and arousal-are critical for emotion and psychologically irreducible has had substantial staying power in the literature. In the present report, we examine whether a third dimension-reflecting the social properties of emotion-might arise if stimuli high in that dimension (i.e., "theoretically social emotions") were included in the task and, or, if social information was primed. We used a similarity-rating task to evaluate whether a dimension representing the "socialness" of emotion-the extent to which emotions are associated with social contexts-might arise as the result of inclusion of emotion words that are theorized to represent "social emotions." In Study 1, we assessed the dimensional structure of 41 different emotion terms (of which 41% were "social emotions") based on pairwise similarity ratings of a subset of the emotion terms. In Study 2, we tested whether priming social information before and during the similarity rating task would shift the emergent dimensional structure of emotion words. Results of multidimensional scaling across both studies indicated that the structure of emotion is best described by 2 dimensions-valence and arousal-and was not influenced by the priming of social information. Contrary to predictions, evidence did not emerge for a third dimension corresponding to socialness, nor any other property. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Molecular tools with statistical analysis on trichloroethylene remediation effectiveness

Enhanced monitored natural attenuation was conducted with molasses injections to an in situ trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater site. Three pilot-scale wells were conducted for monitoring and substrate injections. At most 97.0% of the TCE was effectively degraded after about 600 days. TCE detected in the injection wells attained Tier 2 Groundwater Regulation in Taiwan for non-drinking water sources. The reaction rates of Cl–VOCs in one of the injection wells explained the mechanism how these dechlorinating species transferred TCE to cis-DCE and VC in anaerobic conditions. The magnitude of the 1st order kinetic growth rates of Dehalococcoides (Dhc) were consistent with the associated TCE degradability. The qPCR and T-RFLP results concluded existence of crucial dechlorinating species including Dhc, which performed critical level of 106 copy L−1 to trigger the TCE degradation. The detected tceA and vcrA ranging from 2.07 × 103 to 6.57 × 105 copy L−1confirmed the pathway of TCE degradation. The two injection wells with the optimal TCE degradation showed increases of bacterial diversity estimated by the Shannon Index. The Shannon index explained the superiority of an increased bacterial diversity. The nonmetric multidimensional scaling results suggested that the bacterial dynamic was affected by the TCE degradation stages. The bacterial community structures were analogous when TCE was well degraded.

Gut bacterial community profile in Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei following 5‐aminolevulinic acid supplementation

Changes in the diet have been previously reported to alter the gut bacterial profile in several organisms, including shrimp. These shifts in microbial structure either promote beneficial effects to the host or cause diseases. Supplementation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), the precursor of tetrapyrroles, has been previously reported to enhance shrimp's immune response. To know whether 5-ALA has effects on the gut bacterial structure in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), we investigated the bacterial communities in the intestine and stomach of L. vannamei using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. One week of 5-ALA supplementation altered the bacterial community structure (beta diversity) in both tissues, as shown by the results of multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) plots and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM). DESeq2 analysis revealed enrichment of differentially abundant taxa in the 5-ALA group (e.g. Enhydrobacter and Oceaniovalibus) and control group (e.g. Tenacibaculum and Mycobacterium). Metagenomic predictions suggested that the control group had more KEGG pathways associated with ‘metabolism’ than the 5-ALA group. This study suggests that 5-ALA supplementation potentially promotes the formation of a beneficial bacterial community structure in shrimp. This is the first report on the effect of 5-ALA supplementation on the bacterial community profile in any organism.

Polymorphisms of 19 Autosomal STR Loci in Sichuan Han Population and Their Forensic Application.

Objective To investigate the allele distribution, population genetics parameters and genetic analysis of neighboring populations of 19 autosomal STR loci in Sichuan Han population, and to evaluate their forensic application value. Methods The Goldeneye?? DNA ID system 20A was used to perform multiplex PCR amplification and allelic gene typing of 19 STR loci in 1 201 unrelated Han individuals from Sichuan Province. Allele frequencies and population genetics parameters were calculated. The Nei's genetic distances between Sichuan Han population and 12 previously reported populations were analyzed. Multidimensional scaling and principal component analysis were carried out and phylogenetic trees were also constructed. Results The heterozygosity of 19 STR loci ranged from 0.617 0 to 0.915 1, their discrimination power ranged from 0.777 4 to 0.986 5, matching probability ranged from 0.013 5 to 0.222 6, polymorphism information content ranged from 0.546 4 to 0.910 5, probability of exclusion ranged from 0.311 8 to 0.826 3 （triplet） and from 0.197 9 to 0.712 1 （biplet）, and no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed. Based on the results of multidimensional scaling, principal component analysis and phylogenetic trees of the genetic distances between Sichuan Han population and the other 12 populations, Sichuan Han population was closest to Hubei Han population and was farthest to Xinjiang Uygur population. Conclusion The 19 autosomal STR loci showed a high polymorphism and discriminating ability in Sichuan Han population, which can provide a data foundation for personal identification, paternity test and population genetics study.

The Use of the Incomplete Tetrad Method for Measuring the Similarities in Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling

Abstract Research background: So far, many methods of direct measurement of similarity in multidimensional scaling have been developed (e.g. ranking, sorting, pairwise comparison and others). The method selection affects the subjective feelings of the respondents, i.e. fatigue, weariness resulting from making numerous assessments, or difficulties in expressing similarity assessments. Purpose: In the proposed method, for all four-element sets (tetrads) of objects a respondent is asked to pick out the most similar and the least similar pair. Because the number of tetrads increases very rapidly with the number of objects, the aim of the study is to indicate the possibility of measuring similarities based on the reduced number of tetrads. Research methodology: In order to make scaling results independent from respondents’ subjective effects the analysis was made on the basis of the given distance matrix. To construct perceptual maps based on tetrads, multidimensional scaling with the use of the MINISSA program was performed. The quality of matching the resulting points configuration to the configuration determined based on the distance matrix was tested by a Procrustes statistic. Results: It was demonstrated that the choice of the incomplete set of tetrads has no significant effect on the results of multidimensional scaling, even when all pairs of objects in tetrads cannot be presented equally frequently. Novelty: An original method for calculating similarities in nonmetric multidimensional scaling.

Decreasing nitrogen loading and climate change promotes the occurrence of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in a restored city lake

External loading reduction has been implemented to improve water quality in China since the 2000s. To evaluate the effects of nutrient reduction on phytoplankton, long-term monitoring data for Lake Wuli from 1998 to 2017 were analyzed. After the restoration since 2003, nitrogen decreased significantly from 8 to 2 mg/l until 2008 and then remained stable until 2017, while total phosphorus declined progressively from 0.2 mg/l to approximately 0.08 mg/l during 2003 and 2017. Biological data indicated that phytoplankton biovolume decreased after restoration until 2010 and then increased slightly from 2010 to 2017, mainly due to increasing of cyanobacterial biovolume. The dominant taxa shifted from cryptophyta to cyanobacteria since 2009. The results of both nonmetric multidimensional scaling and random forest regression showed that changes in nutrients, especially decreases in nitrogen, were the main drivers for phytoplankton community variation and increasing of cyanobacterial biovolume to the total phytoplankton biovolume ratio in summer and autumn. In addition to nutrients reduction, climatic variables such as wind speed decrease also played vital roles in increasing of cyanobacterial dominance in Lake Wuli. Our study confirmed that phytoplankton community respond strongly to nitrogen reduction in the subtropics and that climate change mediates the response.

Relationship Between Source-Sink Landscape Pattern and Antibiotics in Surface Water in Peri-urban Watershed

Quantitively identifying the effect of land use patterns on antibiotics in surface water has significance in maintaining water quality and protecting residents' health in urban and rural regions. In this study, a typical peri-urban watershed, located in the Yangtze River Delta, was selected as the study area. Based on surface water sampling, laboratory analysis, and source-sink landscape model (SSLM) analysis, the component and distribution characteristics of antibiotics in surface water in different sub-watersheds were analyzed. The effects of source and sink landscape patterns on antibiotic concentrations in surface water were identified. The results of this study showed substantial differences in types and concentrations of antibiotics in surface water in different sub-watersheds. The total concentrations of antibiotics in surface water ranged from 1.12 ng·L-1 to 53.74 ng·L-1. From upstream to downstream, the area of "source" landscape increased, and the area of "sink" landscape decreased based on landscape pattern analysis. The results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed that sub-watersheds with similar "source-sink" landscape patterns were detected as having similar antibiotics types and concentrations in surface water. Land use composition, distance, elevation, and slope degree had substantial impacts on antibiotic concentrations in surface water. The results of this study also found that location-weighted landscape index (LWLI) was positive correlated with antibiotics concentrations in surface water based on correlation analysis and redundancy analysis. The sub-watersheds with high LWLI values usually had relatively higher antibiotic concentrations in surface water. This study indicated that optimization of "source" and "sink" landscapes at the watershed scale can decrease antibiotic contamination in surface water. Furthermore, SSLM is an effective tool in landscape optimization at the watershed scale.

Intra-Lake Arcellinida (Testate Lobose Amoebae) Response to Winter De-icing Contamination in an Eastern Canada Road-Side "Salt Belt" Lake.

Salt contamination of lakes, due to the application of winter de-icing salts on roads, presents a significant environmental challenge in the "salt belt" region of eastern North America. The research reported here presents the first deployment of a previously published proxy tool based on Arcellinida (testate lobose amoebae) for monitoring road salt contamination. The research was conducted at Silver Lake in Eastern Ontario, a 4-km-long lake with the heavily traveled Trans-Canada Highway (HWY 7) transiting the entire southern shore. The lake showed elevated conductivity (297-310μS/cm) and sub-brackish conditions (0.14-0.15ppt). Sodium levels were also elevated near the roadside (median Na = 1020ppm). Cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling results revealed four distinct Arcellinida assemblages: "Stressed Cool Water Assemblage (SCWA)," "Deep Cold Water Assemblage (DCWA)," both from below the 8-m thermocline, and the shallower water "Shallow Water Assemblage 1 (SWA-1)" and "Shallow Water Assemblage 2 (SWA-2)". Redundancy analysis showed a minor response of Arcellinida to road salt contamination in shallower areas of the lake, with confounding variables significantly impacting assemblage distribution, particularly beneath the thermocline (e.g., water temperature, water depth, sediment runoff from catchment [Ti], sediment geochemistry [Ca, S]). The results of this study indicate that the trophic structure of the lake has to date only been modestly impacted by the cumulative nature of road salt contamination. Nonetheless, the Silver Lake results should be considered of concern and warrant continued arcellinidan biomonitoring to gauge the ongoing and long-term effects of road salt on its ecosystem.

Variations in Fungal Community and Diversity in Doushen With Different Flavors.

Doushen, a traditional Chinese fermented soybean product, may be spiced or spicy depending on whether pepper powder is added. While numerous studies have investigated the microbial communities of other fermented foods, little is known on the fungal diversity of Doushen. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the fungal community and diversity in both spiced and spicy Doushen. Our results revealed that fungal species richness significantly differed between the samples with different flavors. A total of nine phyla and 188 fungal genera were identified, and Ascomycota and Aspergillus were predominant in all samples. Based on linear discriminant analysis, a total of 57 OTUs were significantly different between the two samples. Results of non-metric multidimensional scaling and unweighted pair-group analysis suggested that the presence of pepper powder affects the microbial community in Doushen. Network analysis showed that microbial interactions between fungal communities in Doushen with different flavors were significantly different. The results on the enumeration and identification of fungi were consistent with the composition of the dominant genera in the samples with different flavors. This study provides a theoretical basis for future research on food ecology in Doushen.

Difference of soil nematode communities between the humus and soil surface layer in the cold temperate coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest of Yulong Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, Yunnan, China

A high-throughput sequencing approach was used to differentiate the nematode communities in the humus and soil surface layer (0-10 cm) in 20 hm2 plot located in the cold temperate coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest of Yulong Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, Lijiang, Yunnan. A total of 5744582 sequences were obtained, which were further annotated to 44 nematode families. In the humus layer, 37 families were recorded, with Tylenchidae (18.1%) being the most dominant family. For trophic groups, bacterivorous, fungivorous and herbivorous were predominant. The soil surface layer had 41 families, with Mononchidae (45.4%) being the most dominant family. The relative abundance of predatory nematode was highest in the soil surface layer. There was no significant difference in the α diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson and Chao1 index) of nematode communities at the OTU level between two habitats. At the family level, however, α diversity of nematode community in the humus layer was significantly lower than in soil surface layer. β diversity of the nematode community was significantly different in the two habitats, with lower Cody index but high Sorensen non-similarity index in the humus habitat. Results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that the internal structure difference of nematode community in the soil surface layer was higher than that in the humus layer.

Genetic polymorphism and phylogenetic analyses of 21 non-CODIS STR loci in a Chinese Han population from Shanghai.

BackgroundShort tandem repeats (STRs) are essential genetic markers for forensic applications and population estimations; thus the population genetics of STR loci have been extensively studied and discussed.MethodsIn the present study, we detected 21 autosomal noncombined DNA index system (non‐CODIS) STR loci in a Chinese Han population from Shanghai, calculated their forensic parameters and analyzed their genetic relationships with reported reference populations in mainland China.ResultsA total of 173 alleles were observed, with corresponding allele frequencies from 0.0020 to 0.5512. The cumulative power of discrimination (CPD) and the cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) values of the 21 STR loci were 0.999999999999999999997337058271 and 0.99999953732495, respectively. The results of interpopulation differentiation, phylogenetic, multidimensional scaling, and structure analyses indicated a closer genetic relationship of the studied population with Han populations from other regions of China than with other populations.ConclusionsThe 21 STR loci exhibited high genetic polymorphism in the studied Shanghai_Han population and could be used for forensic applications and population genetic studies.

Bacterial Community Composition in Channel Sediment in Response to Mariculture Wastewater Drainage

The impact of mariculture on the ecological environment of sediments in surrounding waters is intensely debated. Microbial communities are considered to be keystone indicators of lineage responses to changes in environmental quality. To examine the mariculture effects, we collected channel sediment from four sites in the culture area including oneintake canal, one outfall, and two outlet canals. On the basis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) technology, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing applied to the analysis results to explore the effects of mariculture wastewater drainage on the bacterial community structures in the sediment. The results revealed that Proteobacteria, including γ-Proteobacteria, δ-Proteobacteria, and α-Proteobacteria, were the dominant lineages of bacteria at the four sites. The microbial biomass of the sediment increased significantly owing to the effects of mariculture wastewater drainage. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria and ammoniated microorganisms decreased, whereas the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes increased. The results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis indicated that most of the sediment bacterial communities clustered by influent and effluent. The diversity indicated that the mariculture wastewater drainage decreased the bacterial diversity, and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the most obvious correlation occurred between ammonia nitrogen and bacterial community structures. In summary, the mariculture wastewater drainage resulted in significant changes in the physical and chemical properties and structures of bacterial communities in the aquaculture channel sediment. This indicates that the long-term direct discharge of aquaculture wastewater would excessively contaminate a channel environment and might further pose a threat to the offshore ecological environment.

Bioindication approach to the ecological status of the territories by morphological and cytogenetic indicators of plants

The ecological status of the technologically transformed and natural territories of Belarushas been ranked by changing the morphometric and cytogenetic indices of separate vegetative organs (lamina and root) in three model species of phytoindicators. Based on the results of multidimensional scaling (bootstrap (1000)), 3 clusters have been identified: the first combines the territories of large urban cenoses (Gomel+ Minsk), the second includes part of the republic territory most exposed to radiation pollution (Khoyniki + PSRER exclusion zone), and the third acts as a standard of the state of the environment (Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve). The suitability of plants of various taxonomic groups (Betula pendula Roth., Trifolium repens L., Allium cepa L.) as bioindicators for assessing the state of the natural environment has been shown.

Model of sustainable development of smallholders in Riau Province

Natural rubber has countless significant roles in human life. Rubber plants have the ability to maintain natural functions (they serve as carbon producers, conservationists of land and water, and habitats for wildlife) and they also produce many added values in terms of social and economy for rubber farmers or smallholders as well as become sources of their living and income. The price of natural rubber in the international market has significantly dropped in the last decade; leaving many rubber farmers or smallholders to live in poverty. Many programs to elevate the prosperity of rubber farmers or smallholders have been created and applied by the government of Indonesia but none of the programs has been deemed successful according to the analysis results of Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS), the sustainable ecological index (52.95%), technological sustainability (62.35%), economical sustainability (60.18%), social sustainability (53.62%), and institutional sustainability (20.73%). The institutional management of rubber farmers is highly expected to increase the development of rubber farmers so that each and every one of them may have high competitiveness which in turn will sustainably improve their prosperity in the future.

Interpreting large detrital geochronology data sets in retroarc foreland basins: An example from the Magallanes-Austral Basin, southernmost Patagonia

Abstract The Magallanes-Austral retroarc foreland basin of southernmost South America presents an excellent setting in which to examine interpretive methods for large detrital zircon data sets. The source regions for retroarc foreland basins generally, and the Magallanes-Austral Basin specifically, can be broadly divided into (1) the magmatic arc, (2) the fold-and-thrust belt, and (3) sources around the periphery of foreland flexural subsidence. In this study, we used an extensive detrital zircon data set (30 new, 87 previously published samples) that is complemented by a large modal provenance data set of 183 sandstone petrography samples (32 new, 151 previously published) and rare earth element geochemical analyses (130 previously published samples) to compare the results of empirical (multidimensional scaling) and interpretive (age binning based on source regions) treatments of detrital zircon data, ultimately to interpret the detailed evolution of sediment dispersal patterns and their tectonic controls in the Magallanes-Austral Basin. Detrital zircon sample groupings based on both a priori age binning and multidimensional scaling are required to maximize the potential of the Magallanes-Austral Basin data set. Multidimensional scaling results are sensitive to differences in major unimodal arc-related U-Pb detrital zircon ages and less sensitive to differences in multimodal, thrust belt–related age peaks. These sensitivities complicate basin-scale interpretations when data from poorly understood, less densely sampled sectors are compared to data from better-understood, more densely sampled sectors. Source region age binning alleviates these biases and compares well with multidimensional scaling results when samples from the less well-understood southern basin sector are excluded. Sample groupings generated by both multidimensional scaling and interpretive methods are also compatible with compositional provenance data. Together, this integration of provenance data and methods facilitates a detailed interpretation of sediment dispersal patterns and their tectonic controls for the Late Cretaceous to Eocene fill of the Magallanes-Austral retroarc foreland basin. We interpret that provenance signatures and dispersal patterns during the retroarc foreland phase were fundamentally controlled by conditions set by a predecessor extensional basin phase, including (1) variable magnitude of extension with latitude, (2) the composition of lithologies emplaced on the antecedent western flank, and (3) long-lasting structural discontinuities associated with early rifting that may have partitioned dispersal systems or controlled the location of long-lived drainage networks.

The accumulation of species and recovery of species composition along a 70 year succession in a tropical secondary forest

Abstract The majority of global forests are secondary and are at different stages of succession. Assessing the dynamics of species richness and similarity, and quantifying the importance of environmental filtering, dispersal limitation and other stochastic processes are essential to understanding the mechanisms of succession for forest restoration. In this article, we explored the accumulation of species, the relative importance of spatial distance, environmental factors and stand age in determining species composition of a tropical secondary forest succession in Hong Kong. Twenty-eight plots with median age of 7, 20, 39, 61 and over 70 years in the secondary forest were established and surveyed, and the indicator species for each age class were identified. Species composition shows large variation both within and between age classes, while species richness in the old growth forest (>70 yr) was significantly lower than in the mid-age classes. Rarefied species richness showed a rapid accumulation during early succession, but species richness levelled off from 20 yrs onwards. Variation partitioning indicated that spatial distance alone explained 33% of the variation in species composition, followed by environmental distance (8%) and stand age (1%). The results of Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling suggested that idiosyncratic successional pathways and alternative stable states might be prevalent. Our results suggested dispersal limitation was the main limiting factor in explaining the turnover of species during forest succession, while environmental filtering played a lesser role in shaping species distributions. Our results highlight the importance of active restoration in overcoming the barriers of succession in secondary vegetation in the tropics.

Genetic variation and population structure of five ethnic groups from Punjab, North-West India: Analysis of MHC class I polymorphic Alu insertions (POALINs)

Genetic variation and differentiation of five ethnic groups from Punjab, North-West India was characterized by analyzing data on polymorphic Alu insertions (POALINs) within the class I genomic region of major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is completely non-existent in Indian population. The haplotype frequency, distribution and heterozygosity among these groups and their potential implications in molecular anthropology and evolutionary studies were also determined. A total of 479 unrelated healthy individuals representing five different ethnic groups: Banias, Brahmins, Khatri, Jat Sikhs and Scheduled Castes were genotyped for five MHC Alu elements (AluHG, AluMICB, AluHJ, AluTF and AluHF) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All the loci were found to be polymorphic among the studied populations. No significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed, except for the AluHJ locus in Brahmins. The POALINs varied in allele frequency between 0.0260 and 0.4427. The average heterozygosity among the studied groups ranged from 0.1937 in Banias to 0.2666 in Jat Sikhs. The genetic differentiation among the studied groups was observed to be of the order of 0.01302. Single POALIN haplotypes were found to be more frequent than multiple POALIN haplotypes. The results of inter-population differentiations, haplotype frequencies, genetic distances, multidimensional scaling, phylogenetic and structure analyses indicated close genetic relationships between the five ethnic groups of Punjab, North-West India. Analyses of polymorphic Alu loci of MHC genomic region may represent reliable information about the ancestry, demographic history and geographic origins of the various human populations, facilitating better understanding of the evolutionary, forensic and epidemiological prospective.

Drivers of community attachment: an interactive analysis

In this research, we will investigate several different approaches and methods to displaying multivariate data. Emphasis will be placed on end-user-customization tools and flexibility in dynamic and interactive displays. Specifically, we will highlight the use of motion charts using Markus Gesmann’s googleVis package in R. We will demonstrate the visualization of time-series data and also the results of multidimensional scaling and principal component analysis using this tool. The goals of these displays are ease of usability and interpretation, dynamic customization options, and the ability to display multivariate data in a meaningful way. In addition we will explore partial least squares path modeling using data collected from the Knight Foundation and Gallup during the years 2008–2010 to illustrate the attachment of people to their communities in a new and innovative way.

International Judges on Constitutional Courts: Cautionary Evidence from Post-Conflict Bosnia

Hybrid constitutional courts are associated with deeply divided and post-conflict contexts where the impartiality of the domestic judiciary is suspect. Such courts enlist international (i.e., foreign) judges to create an ostensibly neutral counterbalance to the presumed political biases of local judges. This mixed-methods case study of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina questions the value of these hybrid courts. Contrary to what might be expected, the results of multidimensional scaling indicate that Bosnia’s foreign judges have not provided a reliable counterbalance to apparent ethno-national divisions on the Court. Furthermore, qualitative analysis suggests that the foreign judges have contributed to several strategic mistakes that have probably harmed the Court’s tenuous authority. It is also suggested that the presence of international judges on constitutional courts may actually discourage the kind of strategic behavior that is needed to build and sustain judicial power, particularly in deeply divided and post-conflict contexts.

Assessment of the situation of young people in the labour market in border regions – hybrid approach

The aim of the paper is to measure the scope and degree of differences in the situation of young people in the labour market in the border regions of Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany in 2010 and 2018, using six metric variables. For the purpose of the study, a hybrid approach was adopted, which involved carrying out linear ordering of the studied regions on the basis of the results of multidimensional scaling. The synthetic assessment of the changes in the situation of young people in the labour market in border regions was performed using the aggregate measure and Theil’s decomposition. The study was based on data from Eurostat’s REGIO database. It demonstrated that the situation of young people in the labour market in all the examined regions had significantly improved in the studied period. It also showed that Polish border regions, in addition to being significantly diversified in this respect, are in a worse situation than their German or Czech counterparts, but overall, the interregional disproportions among the countries shrank in the analysed period.