The band formula for A.N. Krylov’s problem

A new formula for solving the Krylov problem on the basis of band matrices is proposed. Properties of the obtained formula are studied for problems of analysis and synthesis of linear controlled systems.     

Yield of products from catalytic cracking of vacuum gasoils

In catalytic cracking of vacuum gasoils, the yields of products are correlated with their hydrogen content. A correlation that allows predicting the yields of products of this process was elaborated based on the results of cracking of 11 gasoils of different origin and data on their density, refractive index, and 50% distillation temperature. However, it is not possible to predict the octane number of the naphtha obtained in cracking with the group hydrocarbon composition of the feedstock. __________ Translated from Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 4, pp. 31–34, July–August, 2007.     

What difference a decade makes? [management issues]

This paper discusses the results of a survey conducted by a team of researchers from Ashridge Business School that aimed to determine how managers and management practices have changed over the last 10 years. The survey considered a range of issues related to three broad themes, namely, organizational challenges, individual challenges, and the challenges of learning and development. The survey found that for the vast majority of managers in all industry sectors, the pressures of running an organization that is profitable, growing and competitive have not gone away. However, evidence suggests that these issues are perhaps slightly less dominant on the management agenda than in 1994. The survey concluded that there is a good deal that organizations might do to create a better working environment.     

An Estimate of the Effective Size of a Normal Probe's Piezoelectric Plate

The directivity characteristic of a normal probe with a circular piezoelectric plate has been calculated with allowance for pressure (elastic stress) oscillations within both the excitation region (the surface of the electrodes applied to the piezoelectric plate) and the plate itself, whose dimensions exceed those of the excitation region. It is established that, in the first and second cases, the directivity characteristics are somewhat wider and narrower, respectively, than those used in the conventional stepwise approximation of the pressure applied from a transmitting probe to the surface of a tested article. The effective piezoelectric-plate size is estimated.     

A Chamber for X-Ray Diffractometry of Gas Hydrates Samples for Pressures of Up to 700 atm

A chamber for X-ray diffractometry of gas-hydrate samples designed for operation at pressures of up to 700 atm and low temperatures is described. The leakproof character of the chamber at temperatures down to ?150°C is ensured by an Amaga-type seal with a fluoroplastic gasket pressed by disk springs. The chamber was used to study double hydrates using a synchrotron radiation source and a pressure generator based on a thermal multiplier.