Phase Filters for 3D Localization of Point Light Sources

The work relates to the engineering and research of phase filters for three-dimensional localization of point light emitters. These phase filters form a light field having two clearly visible maxima in their intensity distribution (i.e. two-lobe fields). By means of numerical simulation, the influence of the amplitude and phase distortions of the wave front of the illuminating beam on the two-lobe field formation has been studied in the work. Keywords: spiral light beams, amplitude distortions, phase distortions, threedimensional localization, two-lobe field

Кey trends in the financial services digital transformation in Russia and their influence on consumer experience: forecast of expertsm

Purpose: forecasting the key avenues for financial services digital transformation in Russia and its influence on customer experience based on expert surveys.Methods: a set of general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as marketing research methods – desk and field research. The field research included qualitative method: in-depth interviews with financial market experts. The obtained data were analyzed using content analysis and summarized. Results: the authors provided analysis of secondary data on the main global and local digitalization trends in the financial services market and conducted analytical aggregation of expert opinions on the most likely future changes in the financial services market in the process of digitalization. Analysis of the obtained data enabled to describe three avenues for financial services digital transformation – means of payments digital transformation, payments infrastructure digital transformation and customer interaction models digital transformation. The authors also presented and described the positive and negative influence of the results of digital transformation on the consumer experience.Conclusions and Relevance: the results of this study emphasize the role of financial services digital transformation in the process of new consumer experience creation. The means of payments digital transformation will ensure the total dominance of digital money within the money circulation system positively affecting consumer experience in terms of growing convenience, speed and cost-cutting. Payment infrastructure digital transformation will positively influence on consumer experience by simplifying the customer identification systems and reducing errors. Customer interaction models digital transformation will enhance the level of seamlessness leading to the full integration of financial services in the day-to-day customer activities. The results of the study can be used to develop strategies enabling to achieve the highest level of competitiveness for the financial service providers in the market

Управление потребительским опытом на рынке востребованных в кризис финансовых услуг

Purpose: to provide differentiated marketing solutions for manage customer experience based on various demographics, behavioral characteristics and customer values in the process of servicing for investing in gold.Methods: the current study was based upon general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, applied methods of marketing research. The field market research and analysis of customer experience were carried out in relation to investment opportunities available in banks: physical gold and depersonalized metal accounts. A qualitative research method included “Mystery shopper” – a covert participant observation research of 8 banks in Moscow – the major players offering services for investing in gold.Results: the authors found out that investing in gold becomes in demand during the crisis time. Gold, as an investment opportunity, is a protective asset and retains its value in a long term. The target segments potentially interested in investing in gold can be determined by demographic and behavioral characteristics, desired benefits and values. The authors analyzed the customer experience journey of two segments in the process of investing in through different banking channels. The customer experience was illustrated with customer experience maps that propose management solutions for banks that desire to offer gold investment services.Conclusions and Relevance: in the context of geopolitical and economic instability, the demand for investment opportunities in gold remains high. While customers value high level of services and investment appeal banks are interested in obtaining a stable income. To provide a mutually beneficial cooperation it is important to create a level of service that would fully meet consumer demand. The basis to create a high-quality service for investing in gold include specific management strategies enabling to receive omnichannel (both digital and non-digital) customer experience in various customer segments.Цель работы – представить дифференцированные маркетинговые решения по управлению опытом конечных потребителей с различными демографическими и поведенческими характеристиками и ценностями при продаже услуг по инвестированию в золото.Методы: Для выполнения задач исследования были использованы общенаучные методы анализа и синтеза, прикладные методы маркетинговых исследований. Полевое исследование и анализ потребительского опыта проведены в отношении объектов инвестирования, доступных в банках: физическое золото и обезличенные металлические счета. Применен качественный метод исследования «тайный покупатель»: скрытое включенное наблюдение за моделями продаж 8-ми банков г. Москвы – крупнейших игроков, предлагающих услуги по инвестированию в золото.Результаты работы. Авторами показано, что одной из финансовых услуг, востребованных в кризис, является инвестирование в золото. В процессе исследования были определены потенциальные целевые потребительские сегменты, готовые инвестировать в золото через различные инструменты, доступные в банках. Целевые сегменты отличаются демографическими и поведенческими характеристиками, искомыми выгодами, ценностями. Проанализирован клиентский путь целевых сегментов потребителей при инвестировании в золото в разных каналах банковского обслуживания. Предложены дифференцированные решения по управлению потребительским опытом потребителей целевых сегментов при продаже услуг инвестирования в золото, иллюстрированные картами потребительского опыта.Выводы. В условиях геополитической и экономической нестабильности интерес со стороны частных инвесторов к услуге инвестирования в золото остается высоким. Для взаимовыгодного обмена ценностями в данных условиях, получения потребителями искомых ценностей и стабильного дохода банками, важно создать такое предложение, качество и количество которого будут соответствовать потребительскому спросу. Основой создания качественного предложения услуг по инвестированию в золото являются дифференцированные стратегии управления потребительским опытом целевых сегментов в цифровых и нецифровых каналах сбыта и коммуникаций, базирующиеся на принципах омниканальности коммуникаций и сбыта

Ключевые тенденции цифровой трансформации финансовых услуг в России и их влияние на потребительский опыт: прогнозы экспертов

Purpose: forecasting the key avenues for financial services digital transformation in Russia and its influence on customer experience based on expert surveys.Methods: a set of general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as marketing research methods – desk and field research. The field research included qualitative method: in-depth interviews with financial market experts. The obtained data were analyzed using content analysis and summarized. Results: the authors provided analysis of secondary data on the main global and local digitalization trends in the financial services market and conducted analytical aggregation of expert opinions on the most likely future changes in the financial services market in the process of digitalization. Analysis of the obtained data enabled to describe three avenues for financial services digital transformation – means of payments digital transformation, payments infrastructure digital transformation and customer interaction models digital transformation. The authors also presented and described the positive and negative influence of the results of digital transformation on the consumer experience.Conclusions and Relevance: the results of this study emphasize the role of financial services digital transformation in the process of new consumer experience creation. The means of payments digital transformation will ensure the total dominance of digital money within the money circulation system positively affecting consumer experience in terms of growing convenience, speed and cost-cutting. Payment infrastructure digital transformation will positively influence on consumer experience by simplifying the customer identification systems and reducing errors. Customer interaction models digital transformation will enhance the level of seamlessness leading to the full integration of financial services in the day-to-day customer activities. The results of the study can be used to develop strategies enabling to achieve the highest level of competitiveness for the financial service providers in the market.Цель: прогнозирование ключевых направлений цифровой трансформации российского рынка финансовых услуг и влияния цифровой трансформации на потребительский опыт на основе оценок экспертов.Методы или методология проведения работы: совокупность общенаучных методов анализа и синтеза, а также кабинетные и полевые методы маркетинговых исследований. Полевые методы маркетинговых исследований представлены глубинными интервью с экспертами финансового рынка. Полученные данные были проанализированы с помощью контент-анализа, систематизированы и обобщены.Результаты работы. Проведен анализ вторичных данных о текущих тенденциях цифровизации рынка финансовых услуг в мире и России. Выполнен анализ первичных данных: мнений экспертов финансового рынка о наиболее вероятных изменениях на рынке финансовых услуг в контексте цифровизации. В результате систематизации и обобщения полученных данных сформулированы три направления цифровой трансформации рынка финансовых услуг до 2030 года: трансформация средств платежей, трансформация инфраструктуры и трансформация моделей взаимодействия с потребителем. В ходе анализа выделенных направлений описано положительное и отрицательное влияние цифровой трансформации на потребительский опыт финансового обслуживания в будущем.Выводы. Результаты исследования показывают особую роль цифровой трансформации финансовых услуг в формировании нового потребительского опыта. Цифровая трансформация средств платежей обеспечит абсолютное доминирование цифровых денег, что улучшит потребительский опыт в части удобства, скорости обслуживания и снижения издержек денежного обращения. Трансформация цифровых платежных решений окажет положительный эффект на потребительский опыт в части упрощения механизма идентификации пользователя и снижения вероятности ошибок транзакций. Трансформация цифровых моделей взаимодействия с потребителем обеспечит высокий уровень «бесшовности» обслуживания и приведет к полной интеграции финансового взаимодействия с повседневной жизнью потребителя. Результаты исследования могут быть использованы хозяйствующими субъектами рынка финансовых услуг при разработке стратегий развития в целях достижения высокого уровня конкурентоспособности на рынке

Dataset of manually measured QT intervals in the electrocardiogram

BACKGROUND: The QT interval and the QT dispersion are currently a subject of considerable interest. Cardiac repolarization delay is known to favor the development of arrhythmias. The QT dispersion, defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest QT intervals or as the standard deviation of the QT duration in the 12-lead ECG is assumed to be reliable predictor of cardiovascular mortality. The seventh annual PhysioNet/Computers in Cardiology Challenge, 2006 addresses a question of high clinical interest: Can the QT interval be measured by fully automated methods with accuracy acceptable for clinical evaluations? METHOD: The PTB Diagnostic ECG Database was given to 4 cardiologists and 1 biomedical engineer for manual marking of QRS onsets and T-wave ends in 458 recordings. Each recording consisted of one selected beat in lead II, chosen visually to have minimum baseline shift, noise, and artifact. In cases where no T wave could be observed or its amplitude was very small, the referees were instructed to mark a 'group-T-wave end' taking into consideration leads with better manifested T wave. A modified Delphi approach was used, which included up to three rounds of measurements to obtain results closer to the median. RESULTS: A total amount of 2*5*548 Q-onsets and T-wave ends were manually marked during round 1. To obtain closer to the median results, 8.58 % of Q-onsets and 3.21 % of the T-wave ends had to be reviewed during round 2, and 1.50 % Q-onsets and 1.17 % T-wave ends in round 3. The mean and standard deviation of the differences between the values of the referees and the median after round 3 were 2.43 ± 0.96 ms for the Q-onset, and 7.43 ± 3.44 ms for the T-wave end. CONCLUSION: A fully accessible, on the Internet, dataset of manually measured Q-onsets and T-wave ends was created and presented in additional file: 1 (Table 4) with this article. Thus, an available standard can be used for the development of automated methods for the detection of Q-onsets, T-wave ends and for QT interval measurements

The maintenance of education in computer science of students of pedagogical higher schools in the conditions of informatization educational environment

Given article is about the questions of an urgency of research of the chosen theme, contains the analysis of the purposes, maintenances of training within the limits of a subject Computer science, requirements to entrance knowledge, abilities, and also the list common cultural and professional competences at which formation process of training to discipline is aimed

Latent drivers of landscape transformation in eastern Europe. Past, present and future

6siopenLand-use changes in Europe have been influenced by social forces including economic, demographic, political, technological and cultural factors. Contributing to a refined conceptualization of multifaceted processes of landscape transformation in the European continent, the present study proposes an extensive review of land-use trends in Eastern Europe, focusing on past, present and future conditions that may characterize latent drivers of change. Three time periods with a specific institutional, political and socioeconomic context reflecting distinct processes of land-use change were identified including: (i) the rapid transition to a centralized political system since the early 1950s (up to the late 1980s); (ii) a progressive transition from communist regimes to parliamentary democracy in 1989-1990 (up to the early 2000s); and (iii) the subsequent accession of individual countries to the European Union (2004-2007) up to nowadays. The most recent land-use trends are increasingly influenced by European directives on the environment, while national policies continue to shape economic development in member states.openProkopova M.; Cudlin O.; Vcelakova R.; Lengyel S.; Salvati L.; Cudlin P.Prokopova, M.; Cudlin, O.; Vcelakova, R.; Lengyel, S.; Salvati, L.; Cudlin, P

Assessment of Autonomic Cardiac Control in Women with Cardiac Syndrome X using Time Related Autonomic Balance Indicator

Abstract The various CVD (AH, CHF, IHD) have a different circadian profile of autonomic cardiac control (ACC), compared to the profile in healthy subjects (HS). In this study we analyze the specific abnormalities in ACC circadian changes in women with cardiac syndrome X (CSX). The Introduction CSX is usually diagnosed in the presence of typical exertional chest pain, a positive response to exercise testing, and normal coronary angiograms. According to J. C. Kaski "Patients with CSX represent a diagnostic and therapeutic riddle" G. Rosano, P. Ponikowski, St. Adamopoulos, et al Methods The study comprised of 25 women (55.4±9.4) with CSX and 22 healthy women (47.3±10.9). All patients are with fulfilled criteria for CSX at the period of pre-or postmenopause and with "clear" coronary arteries verified from angiography or multi-slice CT. Stratification by risk factors, comorbidity and pharmacological management have been done using a standardized protocol. The ACC changes were assessed by HRV indices from ECG recordings in resting state (RS) and by parasympathetic (Valsalva manoeuvre; VM), or sympathetic (handgrip test; HT) stimulation. I

What Keeps You Going? Modelling Motivation and Lifestyle Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

For a video presentation, see https://youtube.com/video/Ts1db11fCyk. Chronic lifestyle-related disease is one of the major health problems the world is facing in the twenty-first century. One of the ways to address the problem of chronic lifestyle-related disease is through programs which support lifestyle changes. Research shows the actual benefits of lifestyle changes. However , in reality only a fraction of patients succeeds in changing their lifestyle. Their level and type of motivation appear to be important factors in shaping their chances for success. We devised a second order temporal-causal network model for adoption of habit with regards to motivation, focusing on patients with type 2 diabetes who receive advice to exercise. Taking into account a variety of moti-vational forces, the model clearly shows the benefits of more and repeated interactions. They lead to a more long-lasting change, even though these interactions may also amplify negative emotions. These findings are in accordance with tentative findings in research