Vapor pressure and evaporation rate of certain heat-resistant compounds in a vacuum at high temperatures

The vapor pressure and evaporation rate of borides of titanium, zirconium, and chrome; and of strontium and carbides of titanium, zirconium, and chrome, molybdenum silicide; and nitrides of titanium, niobium, and tantalum in a vacuum were studied. It is concluded that all subject compounds evaporate by molecular structures except AlB sub 12' which dissociates, losing the aluminum

Investigation of the thermophysical properties of high-melting materials with the aid of a complex of instruments

The evaporation rate, vapor pressure, heats of evaporation reaction (sublimation, dissociation), enthalpy, electrical resistance, heat capacity, emissivity, and heat conductivity of various carbides, borides, sulfides, nitrides, selenides, and phosphides were investigated. A set of high temperature high vacuum devices, calorimeters (designed for operation at 400 to 1300 K and from 1200 K), and mass spectrometers, most of which were specially developed for these studies, is described

КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНІСТЬ БАНКІВ У СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ РОЗВИТКУ ФІНАНСОВОГО РИНКУ

The article carries out the comparative analysis of the basic approaches to the choice of competitive strategies of banks. The aim of the paper is to substantiation of theoretical and methodical principles of banks' competitiveness in the current conditions of financial market development.The factors that affect the level of competitiveness of banks are determined. The authors of the article classifies them into factors that cause structural imbalances in the economy, factors of macroeconomic and microeconomic functioning of banks.Competitiveness of banks can not be considered without the competitiveness of their products and services. Between them there is a close relationship, they determine the development of each other.The authors of the article prove that banking competition differs from classical competition between commodity producers. These differences are: the object of banking competition is not goods, but the resources that the bank generates to carry out active operations; in banking market, banks can act as a seller, not only the buyer; the implementation of banking services may be carried out within the bank without the involvement of external sales channels; the situation of competition arises not only between banking institutions, it is also connected with the activities of non-banking financial institutions; the activities of banking institutions are strictly regulated by the National Bank of Ukraine. Modern conditions of functioning of the banking market testify to the necessity of development and introduction of strategic management of bank competitiveness, development of new methods of formation and implementation of competitive advantages and strategies. Development strategies need to be developed taking into account uncertainty, they should be as flexible as possible and provide for the possibility of realizing banking risks. Thus, it can be construed that the current state of development of banking business is accompanied by crises occurring both in the economic and financial spheres of the country; therefore, ensuring the competitiveness of banks must first of all be based on the development of effective, convincing messages for investors, clients and employees. The main actions of banks that make it possible to present their competitiveness should be this: ensuring financially sustainable development; the protection of the existing own banking business is the elaboration of a contingency plan; work on the prospect.Осуществлен сравнительный анализ основных подходов к выбору конкурентных стратегий банков. Осуществлен сравнительный анализ основных подходов к выбору конкурентных стратегий банков. Определены факторы, влияющие на уровень конкурентоспособности банков. Их классифицировано на факторы, вызванные структурными дисбалансами экономики, факторы макроэкономического и микроэкономического функционирования банков. Получен вывод о том, что современное состояние развития банковского бизнеса сопровождается кризисными явлениями, происходящие как в экономической, так и в финансовой сферах страны, поэтому обеспечение конкурентоспособности банков прежде всего должно базироваться на разработке действенных, убедительных сообщений для инвесторов, клиентов и работников. Основные действия банков, дающие возможность представить их конкурентоспособность, должны заключаться в обеспечении финансово устойчивого развития; защите имеющегося собственного банковского бизнеса; работе на перспективу.Здійснено порівняльний аналіз основних підходів до вибору конкурентних стратегій банків.Метою роботи є обґрунтування теоретичних і методичних засад конкурентоспроможності банків у сучасних умовах розвитку фінансового ринку.Визначено чинники, які впливають на рівень конкурентоспроможності банків. Їх класифіковано на фактори, що викликані структурними дисбалансами економіки, фактори макроекономічного і мікроекономічного функціонування банків. Конкурентоспроможність банків неможливо розглядати без конкурентоспроможності його продуктів і послуг. Між ним існує тісний взаємозв’язок, вони зумовлюють розвиток один одного. Доведено, що банківська конкуренція відрізняється від класичної конкуренції між товаровиробниками. Ці відмінності полягають у такому: об’єктом банківської конкуренції є не товари, а ресурси, які банк формує для здійснення активних операцій; на ринку банківських послуг банківська установа може виступати в ролі не тільки продавця, а й покупця; реалізація банківських послуг може здійснюватися в межах банку без залучення зовнішніх каналів збуту; ситуація конкурентності виникає не лише між банківськими установами, вона пов’язана також із діяльністю небанківських фінансових установ; діяльність банківських установ суворо регламентується Національним банком України. Сучасні умови функціонування банківського ринку свідчать про доцільність розроблення і впровадження стратегічного управління конкурентоспроможністю банку, розвитку нових методик формування і реалізації конкурентних переваг та стратегій. Стратегії розвитку потрібно формувати з урахуванням невизначеності, вони повинні бути максимально гнучкими і передбачати можливість реалізації банківських ризиків.Сучасний стан розвитку банківського бізнесу супроводжується кризовими явищами, які відбуваються як в економічній, так і у фінансовій сферах країни, тому забезпечення конкурентоспроможності банків передусім повинно базуватися на розробці дієвих, переконливих повідомлень для інвесторів, клієнтів та працівників. Основні дії банків, що дають змогу представити їхню конкурентоспроможність, повинні полягати в забезпеченні фінансово стійкого розвитку; захисті наявного власного банківського бізнесу; роботи на перспективу

Demonstration of a parity-time symmetry breaking phase transition using superconducting and trapped-ion qutrits

Scalable quantum computers hold the promise to solve hard computational problems, such as prime factorization, combinatorial optimization, simulation of many-body physics, and quantum chemistry. While being key to understanding many real-world phenomena, simulation of non-conservative quantum dynamics presents a challenge for unitary quantum computation. In this work, we focus on simulating non-unitary parity-time symmetric systems, which exhibit a distinctive symmetry-breaking phase transition as well as other unique features that have no counterpart in closed systems. We show that a qutrit, a three-level quantum system, is capable of realizing this non-equilibrium phase transition. By using two physical platforms - an array of trapped ions and a superconducting transmon - and by controlling their three energy levels in a digital manner, we experimentally simulate the parity-time symmetry-breaking phase transition. Our results indicate the potential advantage of multi-level (qudit) processors in simulating physical effects, where additional accessible levels can play the role of a controlled environment.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

Family social environment in childhood and self-rated health in young adulthood

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Family social support, as a form of social capital, contributes to social health disparities at different age of life. In a life-course epidemiological perspective, the aims of our study were to examine the association between self-reported family social environment during childhood and self-reported health in young adulthood and to assess the role of family functioning during childhood as a potential mediating factor in explaining the association between family breakup in childhood and self-reported health in young adulthood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed data from the first wave of the Health, Inequalities and Social Ruptures Survey (SIRS), a longitudinal health and socio-epidemiological survey of a random sample of 3000 households initiated in the Paris metropolitan area in 2005. Sample-weighted logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the quality of family social environment in childhood and self-rated health (overall health, physical health and psychological well-being) in young adults (n = 1006). We used structural equation model to explore the mediating role of the quality of family functioning in childhood in the association between family breakup in childhood and self-rated health in young adulthood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The multivariate results support an association between a negative family social environment in childhood and poor self-perceived health in adulthood. The association found between parental separation or divorce in childhood and poor self-perceived health in adulthood was mediated by parent-child relationships and by having witnessed interparental violence during childhood.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results argue for interventions that enhance family cohesion, particularly after family disruptions during childhood, to promote health in young adulthood.</p

Application of medical and analytical methods in Lyme borreliosis monitoring

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is one of the most common tick-borne diseases in the northern hemisphere. It is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. In its early stages, pathological skin lesions, namely erythema chronicum migrans, appear. The lesions, usually localised at the site of the bite, may become visible from a few weeks up to 3 months after the infection. Predominant clinical symptoms of the disease also involve joint malfunctions and neurological or cardiac disorders. Lyme disease, in all its stages, may be successfully treated with antibiotics. The best results, however, are obtained in its early stages. In order to diagnose the disease, numerous medical or laboratory techniques have been developed. They are applied to confirm the presence of intact spirochaetes or spirochaete components such as DNA or proteins in tick vectors, reservoir hosts or patients. The methods used for the determination of LB biomarkers have also been reviewed. These biomarkers are formed during the lipid peroxidation process. The formation of peroxidation products generated by human organisms is directly associated with oxidative stress. Apart from aldehydes (malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal), many other unsaturated components such as isoprostenes and neuroprostane are obtained. The fast determination of these compounds in encephalic fluid, urine or plasma, especially in early stages of the disease, enables its treatment. Various analytical techniques which allow the determination of the aforementioned biomarkers have been reported. These include spectrophotometry as well as liquid and gas chromatography. The analytical procedure also requires the application of a derivatization step by the use of selected reagents