Correlations, Risk and Crisis: From Physiology to Finance

We study the dynamics of correlation and variance in systems under the load of environmental factors. A universal effect in ensembles of similar systems under the load of similar factors is described: in crisis, typically, even before obvious symptoms of crisis appear, correlation increases, and, at the same time, variance (and volatility) increases too. This effect is supported by many experiments and observations of groups of humans, mice, trees, grassy plants, and on financial time series. A general approach to the explanation of the effect through dynamics of individual adaptation of similar non-interactive individuals to a similar system of external factors is developed. Qualitatively, this approach follows Selye's idea about adaptation energy.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figures, misprints corrections, a proof is added, improved journal versio

Evolution of adaptation mechanisms: adaptation energy, stress, and oscillating death

In 1938, H. Selye proposed the notion of adaptation energy and published "Experimental evidence supporting the conception of adaptation energy". Adaptation of an animal to different factors appears as the spending of one resource. Adaptation energy is a hypothetical extensive quantity spent for adaptation. This term causes much debate when one takes it literally, as a physical quantity, i.e. a sort of energy. The controversial points of view impede the systematic use of the notion of adaptation energy despite experimental evidence. Nevertheless, the response to many harmful factors often has general non-specific form and we suggest that the mechanisms of physiological adaptation admit a very general and nonspecific description. We aim to demonstrate that Selye's adaptation energy is the cornerstone of the top-down approach to modelling of non-specific adaptation processes. We analyse Selye's axioms of adaptation energy together with Goldstone's modifications and propose a series of models for interpretation of these axioms. {\em Adaptation energy is considered as an internal coordinate on the `dominant path' in the model of adaptation}. The phenomena of `oscillating death' and `oscillating remission' are predicted on the base of the dynamical models of adaptation. Natural selection plays a key role in the evolution of mechanisms of physiological adaptation. We use the fitness optimization approach to study of the distribution of resources for neutralization of harmful factors, during adaptation to a multifactor environment, and analyse the optimal strategies for different systems of factors

Lamellar structure and nanomechanical properties of quasicrystalline Al-Cu-Fe alloys

The kinetics of structural phase transformations in quasicrystal-forming Al-Cu-Fe alloys with compositions in the region of stability of the icosahedral (i) phase has been investigated. It has been shown that, depending on the development of metastable transformations i → pentagonal phases P1 and P2, a homogeneous lamellar structure (i + P1 + P2) or a polygrain i-phase is formed in the alloys. The P-h diagrams obtained upon nanoindentation, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy of indentations have demonstrated signs of elasto-plastic deformation of the alloys with lamellar and polygrain icosahedral structures. It has been found that, in contrast to the polygrain icosahedral alloys with a normal size effect of nanoindentation, the alloys with a lamellar structure are characterized by a nonmonotonic dependence of the hardness (H) on the maximum load (P max) and exhibit the effect of strain hardening in the range of loads 50 mN ≤ P max < 500 mN. The strain hardening is considered as the result of resistance exerted by boundaries of the lamellar structure to the development of plastic deformation. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Systemacity and categorization in functioning of verbs

The article focuses on the issues of systemacity in language, the category of causation, functioning of causatives of the informative-modificative class. In this article, the causation is examined from the perspective of functional approach, suggested by A. Bondarko. A verb of causative semantics is related to a more general class on the basis of its essential properties. In the centre of our attention is a lexical causative of interpersonal semantics which is the core of the functional-semantic field of causationyesBelgorod State National Research Universit

How do new media contribute to image-making? The case of personalized web-communications on runet

The paper discusses the impact of personalization on image-making activity through new media on Russian Web segment. The authors compare the target audiences and the content of various mass media and evaluate their imagemaking efficiency. The article concludes on perspectives of social networking media in making image of PR-subjects in terms of personalizationyesBelgorod State Universit

Phase and Intensity Distributions of Individual Pulses of PSR B0950+08

The distribution of the intensities of individual pulses of PSR B0950+08 as a function of the longitudes at which they appear is analyzed. The flux density of the pulsar at 111 MHz varies strongly from day to day (by up to a factor of 13) due to the passage of the radiation through the interstellar plasma (interstellar scintillation). The intensities of individual pulses can exceed the amplitude of the mean pulse profile, obtained by accumulating 770 pulses, by more than an order of magnitude. The intensity distribution along the mean profile is very different for weak and strong pulses. The differential distribution function for the intensities is a power law with index n = -1.1 +- 0.06 up to peak flux densities for individual pulses of the order of 160 Jy

Philosophy: Guidelines and Practicum

The teaching aid “Philosophy: Guidelines and Practicum” was compiled in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education, and is intended to prepare for seminars in the discipline “Philosophy” for foreign students. The manual presents a thematic plan of lectures and practical exercises. Each topic contains reports with a recommended list of literature, control questions for mastering the material. Requirements for the report and questions for the exam in the discipline are given. The main concepts are revealed and the content of the educational material is briefly presented. It covers the entire course of philosophy completely, includes methodological recommendations for the preparation of seminars on each topic of the course of philosophy and cases for independent work of students