RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRECEDING PACIFIC SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND SUBTROPICAL HIGH INDEXES OF MAIN RAINING SEASONS

With correlation analysis and factor analysis methods, the effects of preceding Pacific SSTs on subtropical high indexes of main raining seasons are discussed. The results of correlation analysis show that the effects of SSTs on five subtropical high indexes differ in seasons and regions. The variation of SSTs mostly affects the area and intensity indexes of the subtropical high, followed by the western ridge index, and the effect on the ridge line index is more remarkable than on the north boundary index. The results of factor analysis reveals that the first common factor of SST of each season reflected mainly the inverse relation of SSTs variation between the central and eastern part of equatorial Pacific and the western Pacific, which correlates better with the subtropical high indexes in the main raining seasons than other common factors of SST. The analysis of interdecadal variation indicated that the variation of SSTs was conducive to the emergence of the La Ni?a event before the end of 1970s, such that in the summer the subtropical high is likely to be weaker and smaller and located eastward and northward. After the 1980s, the opposite characteristics prevailed.

Evaluation of the efficiency of fixed assets of economic sectors based onindex analysis

This article is devoted to the study of the system of indicators characterizing thevolume, structure and efficiency of the functioning of fixed assets of theproduction and non-production areas of the region based on the index analysis.Through factorial index analysis, models of the relationship between the grossregional product, the cost of fixed assets and capital productivity (capitalintensity) of industries producing goods and providing services were obtained,to identify reserves for increasing of the analyzed indicators. The obtainedresults indicate a trend towards significant decrease in capital productivity inthe production sector, which should become the basis for making managerialdecisions at the regional level to attract investment. They can be used in thepractice of macroeconomic analysis and forecasting, for detailing the factors fordetermining the potential of economic sectors, the efficiency of using fixedassets, and attracting investments.

Quantified evaluation of particle shape effects from micro-to-macro scales for non-convex grains

Particle shape plays an important role in both the micro and macro scales responses of a granular assem- bly. This paper presents a systematic way to interpret the shape effects of granular material during quasi-static shearing. A more suitable shape descriptor is suggested for the quantitative analysis of the macroscale strength indexes and contact parameters for non-convex grains, with special consid- eration given to the peak state and critical state. Through a series of numerical simulations and related post-processing analysis, particle shape is found to directly influence the strain localisation patterns, microscale fabric distributions, microscale mobilisation indexes, and probability distribution of the nor- malised contact normal force. Additionally, the accuracy of the stress-force-fabric relationship can be influenced by the average normal force and the distribution of contact vectors. Moreover, particle shape plays a more important role than do the confining pressures in determining the friction angle. Strong force chains and the dilation effect are also found to be strongly influenced by the high confinin~ oressure.