Management of Credit Activity of Banking Institutions: Essence, Practice, Directions of Improvement

Financial provision of structural transformations and economic growth on an innovative basis require improvement of the system of management of the credit activity of banks. The article allocates the signs of crisis phenomena in the banking sector, especially those related to the imperfection of the credit policies of banks. The essence of the concept of «credit activity of bank» is researched, its components in terms of a management system are defined. The meaning, stages of formation and practical approaches to the development and implementation of the main provisions of credit policy of domestic banks are covered. Modern tasks, functions and standards of credit activity, as well as the principles of crediting, which define the philosophy of banking operations are described. The practice of organization of credit activity by the leading banking institutions is analyzed in accordance with its stages, directions, as well as quantitative and qualitative indicators. It is determined that the priority direction of credit activity is the credit risk management on the basis of analysis and monitoring of credit projects, evaluation of creditworthiness of each borrower and defining of credit rating. Measures of improvement as to the credit activity management are proposed due to strengthening of communication, information, organizational, analytical and control functions of the credit policy management of banking institutions

Environmental Consequences of the Explosion of the Kahovsky Hydroelectric Plant on Biodiversity

The purpose of this article is to determine the ecological consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant (southern Ukraine) on the biological diversity of the region. The main research methods were: theoretical generalization and system-functional approach, analysis, synthesis, expedition method. Results. The ecological consequences of the destruction of a hydroelectric dam are divided into two types: drainage and flooding. As a result of the flooding, 48 objects of the nature reserve fund, with a total area of 120 thousand hectares, were affected. Aquatic biotopes and biotopes characteristic of overmoistened areas were the most affected by drainage. 38 rare types of biotopes, which are under the protection of the Bern Convention, were affected by the ecological disaster; wetlands of international importance (so-called Ramsar) with an area of 33,000 hectares in the Dnipro delta and seven objects of the Emerald network. Perspectives. Prospects for further research are related to the study of biotope restoration after an ecological disaster

Effect of ion irradiation on tribological properties of composite coatings

The paper discusses the results of the research in the effect of ion irradiation on tribological properties of multiphase ion-plasma coatings. It is shown that all the investigated coatings behave differently under ion irradiation: the Zn-Al, Fe-Al, Zn-Cu-Al coating is radiation-resistant and the friction coefficient does not virtually change; the Cr-Mn-Si-Cu-Fe- Al coating exhibits twofold increase in the friction coefficient, and that for Mn-Fe-Cu-Al coating decreases threefold. These changes are related to changes which occur in the coating surface under ion bombardment

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

DEVELOPMENT OF CLINICAL LEGAL STUDIES AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN THE MODERNIZATION OF LEGAL EDUCATION

Introduction: the current modernization of legal education in Russia puts emphasis upon the development of its practical component. Enhancement of the quality of higher legal education directly depends on the inclusion of practice-oriented components. In this respect, it is necessary to develop training of future lawyers based on legal clinics as structural units of higher educational institutions. Clinical legal education should combine the special pre-theoretical training of students as well as the practical work that has to do with rendering free legal assistance to socially vulnerable categories of citizens. Materials and Methods: comparative analysis of the experience of various Russian legal clinics made it possible to identify the similarities and differences between them, comparing different versions of clinical training, recognizing common problems and proposing an effective model of legal clinics’ activity enabling the learners to obtain professional skills and to improve the quality of legal services rendered by students. Results: the authors demonstrate and analyze different activities of Russian legal clinics, established in institutions of higher education. The process of detecting differences among structural divisions of universities providing legal training, allowed us to determine the common problems encountered by a legal clinic during day-to-day activity. The authors propose a model for legal clinics’ effective activity pertaining to the implementation of a practice-based training of students. The article reveals the learning process of developing professional skills (interviewing and advising on legal issues, drafting legal documents, case analysis, etc.) gradually. Necessary conditions for ensuring quality of legal services provided by students under the guidance of teachers are highlighted. Discussion and Conclusions: recommendations for the future development of legal clinic education in Russian universities are given. The importance of expanding legal clinic-based education, its implementation in the educational process is underscored. The significance of legal clinics for bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes is pointed

SURVEY OF SATELLITE TECHNOLOGIES APPLYING IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Background. There are scenarios of wireless sensor networks application, in which the use of terrestrial communication becomes unacceptable: a considerable distance between the sensor nodes, destruction of land lines during natural disasters and al. The alternative terrestrial communication to solve the problem to ensure the transmission of information from the sensor nodes can be the use of satellite communication channels. However, the use of satellite channels makes high demands on power transceivers, which imposes restrictions on the characteristics of the sensor nodes.Objective. The aim of the paper is review of existing methods of application of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks.Methods. Analysis of well-known publications on the use of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks, revealed specific scenarios in which the use of satellite channels can be an effective solution.Results. It was found that, despite the additional complexity of the use of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks associated with the energy constraints of sensor nodes, satellite channels are able to provide the territorial flexibility for deployment of wireless sensor networks.Conclusions. The use of satellite communications in wireless sensor networks has a number of unresolved problems. One example is problem of multiple access organization in satellite channel for high satellite channel utilization depends on payload traffic nature. A promising area of application of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks is a method of forming a data channel from a group of spaced sensor nodes with limited energy, which is based on the principles of phased arrays

Discrete Models in Research of Wave Processes in Rod Structures of Radio-Electronic Means

The article shows the relevance of the application of discrete models of rod structures of radio-electronic means (REM) for the study of their behaviour under transient loading. A discrete model of the propagation of harmonic waves in the rod and the study of standing waves are proposed. Computational experiments using the proposed model are conducted. The results show that the model accurately reflects qualitative dynamics of the physical processes in the elastic rod while the waves of elastic deformations are passing through. The proposed models are used for software implementations of systems of mechanical simulation of the behaviour of rod structures

Обзор применения спутниковых технологий в беспроводных сенсорных сетях

Проблематика. Існують сценарії застосування безпроводових сенсорних мереж, в яких використання наземного зв'язку стає неприйнятним: значна відстань між сенсорними вузлами, руйнування наземних ліній зв'язку під час стихійних лих та ін. Альтернативою наземного зв'язку при вирішенні завдання забезпечення передачі інформації від сенсорних вузлів може бути використання супутникових каналів зв'язку. Однак використання супутникового каналу пред'являє високі вимоги до енергетики приймально-передавальних пристроїв, що накладає обмеження на характеристики сенсорних вузлів. Мета досліджень. Огляд існуючих методів застосування супутникових каналів зв'язку в безпроводових сенсорних мережах. Методика реалізації. Аналіз відомих публікацій, присвячених застосуванню супутникових каналів зв'язку в безпроводових сенсорних мережах, дозволив виявити характерні сценарії, в яких застосування супутникових каналів може бути ефективним рішенням. Результати досліджень. Встановлено, що, незважаючи на додаткові складності застосування супутникових каналів зв'язку в безпроводових сенсорних мережах, які пов'язані з енергетичними обмеженнями сенсорних вузлів, супутникові канали здатні забезпечити необхідну територіальну гнучкість при розгортанні безпроводових сенсорних мереж. Висновки. Використання супутникових каналів зв'язку в безпроводових сенсорних мережах має ряд невирішених проблем. Наприклад, відсутня методика вибору протоколу множинного доступу до супутникового каналу, яка необхідна для ефективного використання ресурсів каналу при передачі різних типів трафіка. Перспективним напрямком застосування супутникових каналів зв'язку в безпроводових сенсорних мережах є метод утворення каналу передачі даних від групи рознесених сенсорних вузлів з енергетичними обмеженнями, який базується на принципах фазованих антенних решіток.Background. There are scenarios of wireless sensor networks application, in which the use of terrestrial communication becomes unacceptable: a considerable distance between the sensor nodes, destruction of land lines during natural disasters and al. The alternative terrestrial communication to solve the problem to ensure the transmission of information from the sensor nodes can be the use of satellite communication channels. However, the use of satellite channels makes high demands on power transceivers, which imposes restrictions on the characteristics of the sensor nodes. Objective. The aim of the paper is review of existing methods of application of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks. Methods. Analysis of well-known publications on the use of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks, revealed specific scenarios in which the use of satellite channels can be an effective solution. Results. It was found that, despite the additional complexity of the use of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks associated with the energy constraints of sensor nodes, satellite channels are able to provide the territorial flexibility for deployment of wireless sensor networks. Conclusions. The use of satellite communications in wireless sensor networks has a number of unresolved problems. One example is problem of multiple access organization in satellite channel for high satellite channel utilization depends on payload traffic nature. A promising area of application of satellite communication channels in wireless sensor networks is a method of forming a data channel from a group of spaced sensor nodes with limited energy, which is based on the principles of phased arrays.Проблематика. Существуют сценарии применения беспроводных сенсорных сетей, в которых использование наземной связи становится неприемлемым: значительное расстояние между сенсорными узлами, разрушение наземных линий связи во время стихийных бедствий и др. Альтернативой наземной связи при решении задачи обеспечения передачи информации от сенсорных узлов может быть использование спутниковых каналов связи. Однако использование спутникового канала предъявляет высокие требования к энергетике приемо-передающих устройств, что накладывает ограничения на характеристики сенсорных узлов. Цель исследований. Обзор существующих методов применения спутниковых каналов связи в беспроводных сенсорных сетях. Методика реализации. Анализ известных публикаций, посвященных применению спутниковых каналов связи в беспроводных сенсорных сетях, позволил выявить характерные сценарии, в которых применение спутниковых каналов может быть эффективным решением. Результаты исследований. Установлено, что, несмотря на дополнительные сложности применения спутниковых каналов связи в беспроводных сенсорных сетях, связанные с энергетическими ограничениями сенсорных узлов, спутниковые каналы способны обеспечить необходимую территориальную гибкость при развертывании беспроводных сенсорных сетей. Выводы. Использование спутниковых каналов связи в беспроводных сенсорных сетях имеет ряд не решенных проблем. Например, отсутствует методика выбора протокола множественного доступа к спутниковому каналу, необходимая для эффективного использования ресурсов канала при передаче различных типов трафика. Перспективным направлением применения спутниковых каналов связи в беспроводных сенсорных сетях является метод образования канала передачи данных от группы разнесенных сенсорных узлов с энергетическими ограничениями, который базируется на принципах фазированных антенных решеток