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In the past few years, the international exchange of goods and services has faced two unprecedented shocks – a pandemic and increased geopolitical tensions. These shocks significantly weaken international trade, slow down the development of global supply chains and cause serious damage to the global economy as a whole. This article considers the problems of sustainability of international trade in goods and services in the light of the analysis of new triggers for its development, as well as taking into account the changed context for exporting and importing countries. The author came to the conclusion that the established patterns of participation of countries in international trade will undergo significant changes. The main directions for increasing the stability of global supply chains, as well as Russia's participation in it in the face of severe sanctions pressure, are identified. The prospects for the development of international trade are assessed by us as gloomy and uncertain, and exchange risks are elevated. A number of areas of international trade policy that could be effective for adjusting current trade relations between countries were discussed.

Abstract The results of experimental studies and numerical simulation of the flow structure in the separation region downstream of an asymmetric narrowing of smooth canal that simulates 70% one-sided stenosis of the artery are presented. The Reynolds number was equal to 1800. The instantaneous flow velocity vector fields were measured using the SIV technique. The numerical solution was obtained by the large eddy simulation (LES) method. Setting the disturbances in numerical simulation close to the experimental conditions made it possible to obtain a satisfactory agreement between the calculated and experimental velocity fields and the components of the Reynolds stress tensor. The data on formation of the local flow turbulence region behind the constriction and subsequent downstream flow relaminarization are obtained. It is shown that a pair of secondary eddies localized within the region of flow separation is formed near the throat of the constriction.

On the material of the texts of the spiritual writer B. I. Gladkov, the features of the implementation of the speech genre “interpretation of the Gospel” are considered. The specificity of the embodiment of the ideas of Orthodoxy is indicated. Significant features of the functioning of religions and tropes in the presented speech genre are revealed. Conclusions are drawn about its distinctive features. Particular attention is paid to the typology and functioning of Christian religions, the use of which is considered as one of the features of the church-religious functional style. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time it examines in detail the types of religions that exist in the genre of “interpretation of the Gospel”, provides illustrations of their use, indicates the functions they perform (characterological, emotive, evaluative, prescriptive, etc.). It has been established that in the analyzed texts the most common types of religion names are theonyms; biblonyms; hagioanthroponyms; names of biblical events; names of gospel heroes, etc. It is shown that the author’s use of a combination of such intra-genres as “opinion”, “comment-explanation”, “advice” belongs to the main features of the “interpretation of the Gospel” genre. The results of the study are of interest for theolinguistics, stylistics, and rhetoric.

International trade is an integral part of the economy of any country. In recent decades, the role of various services in the structure of international exchange has increased. Their range is expanding under the influence of the scientifc and technological revolution, which leads to signifcant changes in this area. At the same time, the regimes of international trade in services, as well as approaches to its national and multilateral regulation, are becoming more complex. All areas of activity, including cross-border service provision, are transforming in a rapidly changing world. In the context of the pandemic, the “digit” has become widespread, and the urgency of streamlining and further developing the international exchange of services has increased. Digitalisation, which has become one of the key features of the development of the world economy in the last decade, has accelerated the development of the service sector, but also contributed to the formation of new challenges for the development of trade in services. The digital transformation of international trade is shaping the new “digital realities” of the industry. Statistics from the ofcial regulators of international trade confrm these changes. The paper analyzes the dynamics of changes in international trade in services in the context of the global crisis and the impact of digitalization on it. The article shows how new patterns of international exchange of services are formed in the context of increased economic interdependence of countries.

The impact that the digital transformation in manufacturing has on businesses, suppliers and other third parties has increased significantly now. Digital transformation in manufacturing means improving traditional manufacturing processes with the help of digital technologies. The goal of digital transformation is to increase production efficiency and reduce costs, improve the quality of goods and services produced, and quickly adapt to changes in the global market. The state of industrial production is constantly changing due to the instability of global, economic and political decisions, so the adoption and expansion of digital solutions based on Industry 4.0, the Internet of things, machine learning and other technologies of the future is accelerating. With the help of these technologies, industrial companies are trying to change approaches and find new ways to solve problems. As practice shows, mining and metallurgical companies lag behind other industries in the field of digital transformation, although they have great potential. This lag behind mainly due to the risks associated with the transformation and development of new digital production technologies, while it is possible to adhere to traditional and proven methods of work.

The article touches upon the problem of state support for the export of digital technologies, taking into account the requirements set out in the “Action Plan (roadmap) “Creating additional conditions for the development of the information technology industry”, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation in September 2021. The authors develop the idea of the need to activate the activities of digital attaches, which, as expected, in the near future will play an important role in promoting domestic IT companies abroad. At the same time, it is emphasized that in their activities, digital attaches should pay more attention to the legislative process in the partner countries. As an example, the authors analyzed the legislative activity in relation to big data in the European Union countries. The article states the importance of applying the opportunities that the “Data Governance Act”, which is under consideration in the European Parliament, can provide to domestic business. Particular attention is paid to such emerging law institutions as the reuse of public sector big data, the provider and digital altruism. The authors believe that currently there is a rethinking and reformatting of the mechanism of interaction between the state and business in the digital sphere, which also requires study by domestic specialists.

Intestinal sarcoma is a relatively rare disease. It occurs much less frequently than cancer. According to Mikulich, for example, there were only 5 sarcomas per 100 cases of bowel cancer (except recti). The intestine, in comparison with other organs, is also not often affected by sarcoma. According to Nagel's notes on 247 sl. sarcomas, intestinal sarcomas were observed in 3 cases (1%)- Surgical literature is not rich in works devoted to intestinal sarcomas. Korner and Furbank collected 175 sarcomas of the digestive tract before 1907, of which 65 were localized in the small intestine. Sreese in 1914 was able to take 99 sl. intestinal sarcomas. The Russian literature on the issue of intestinal sarcoma has the works of Bondarev, Favorsky, Peacemakers and Punin. Intestinal sarcoma is more common in men (80% according to Noorden) This disease is mainly observed at a young age, from 20 to 30 years (Peacemakers, Bondarev), 30-40 (Corner, Madelung). However, sarcomas also occur at an older age. Of all parts of the intestine, sarcoma is most often found in the small intestine. So Korner and Furbank mark 65 sarcomas of the small intestine, 20 sarcomas of the blind and 11 other parts of the colon. According to Liebman, out of 50 cases in 15 sl. localization was in the 12-digit, in 18 in the skinny, in 14 in the iliac and the rest in other parts of the digestive tract. According to Staemmler (1924), for 184 cases of sarcoma of the small intestine, localization in the jejunum is indicated in 44 cases.

The current crisis, as well as complicated economic relations between countries, sustainable development risks of global value chains (GVCs), and international trade protectionism cause changes in the modern system of global foreign direct investment (FDI). Due to the complexity of these risks and the vulnerability of the world economy to future global recessions, it is necessary to develop a new concept of cross-border capital flows in the form of FDI. The research aims to identify structural changes in global FDI in the context of international trade and capital market challenges. Structural and dynamic analysis and a descriptive assessment were conducted to examine global foreign direct investment in the system of international capital movement, taking into account the unstable economic environment. A test of the impact of the current coronavirus crisis revealed that the retrospective transformation of global FDI occurred due to changes in the internationalisation of companies, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and regional structure of FDI. Corporate disinvestment and the growing importance of intangible assets also played an important role. As a result, the slowdown in global FDI led to a decline in reinvested earnings in many economic sectors. As the long-term recovery of the world economy will be largely determined by the dynamics of global FDI, transnational companies (TNCs) should consider local crises and strive to geographically distribute capital investment. The research revealed that the differentiation of national GVC strategies and new approaches to foreign outsourcing of TNCs are the main risks of regionalisation or nationalisation of global value chains and a corresponding decrease in FDI. The findings can be used to modify well-known FDI concepts, taking into account their impact on modern international economic relations.

The high-rate convergence of copper cylindrical shells with a diameter of 48 mm and a wall thickness of 4 mm is studied at various intensities of explosive loading. Two structural mechanisms of the loss of stability of the radial deformation front are described. A diagram of structural changes reflecting the successive stages of the convergence process is presented. An interrelation is found between the number of protrusions on the shell surfaces during their corrugation at the intensity of explosive loading. It was found that high-rate longitudinal deformation during convergence has a pulsating character. It was found that the temperature rises to ~500°С in the center of the converged shell and that it can be higher than 1000°С at a high rate of spall-pore collapse.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of chromium–nickel austenitic stainless steel fabricated by selective laser melting using a Realizer SLM100 3D printer have been investigated in this work. The structure of the studied specimens has been formed by the complete melting of the initial powder and high-speed cooling of the melt. Cooling of the melt initially leads to the formation of δ ferrite, and then, polymorphic δ → γ transformation results in the formation of the final austenitic structure. The structure of δ ferrite which formed during melt crystallization has been found to exhibit a clear pattern of periodicity. The periodicity depends on the parameters of the melting process, such as the distance between neighboring bands formed during laser-beam traveling (intertrack distance) and the step of platform feeding (distance between layers). The polymorphic δ → γ transformation takes place by a disordered mechanism and no austenite texture forms. However, some structural heredity remains. It can be seen in the orientational relationship between some austenite grains and δ-ferrite grains. The steel fabricated by laser melting is shown to have high mechanical properties such as the yield strength, the ultimate tensile strength, and the tensile elongation at a strain rate of 10–2 s–1, which are 320, 765 MPa, and 50%, respectively. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the specimens under dynamic compression by the Hopkinson–Kolskii technique at an average strain rate of 103 s–1 are 550 and 945 MPa, respectively.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, the degree of its negative im- pact on the development of economic systems throughout the world economy increases. At the same time, the issues of the future world order and the restoration of the global econ- omy are becoming more and more uncertain. The purpose of our study was to review the conceptual and practical approaches to substantiating the possibilities of postcrisis recov- ery of the global economy in the context of the continuing negative impact of the pandemic on international trade, capital flows and the development of the world financial system. The article reviews the materials of international economic organizations to assess the longterm economic consequences of the pandemic. The analysis shows that the main problem in as- sessing the possibilities for the recovery of the world economy is the existing heterogeneity in the degree of the pandemic's impact on individual sectors and economies of countries, as well as the differentiation and inconsistency of the applied economic policy instruments. In addition, it was found that the world retains a high potential for financial instability, and “vaccine nationalism” is getting worse. The main contradiction is the transboundary nature of the challenges to further economic development with a significant slowdown in global- ization pro-cesses. The author considers the current pandemic to be one of the new global problems of the world economy, since its recovery in the current conditions is of an indefi- nite spasmodic nature, and there are also risks of a permanent slowdown in economic mo- bility. The solution to the key problem of economic growth - increasing productivity - is pos- sible only with a clear understanding and planning of progress with inclusive vaccination, which is so far elusive. Although shortterm economic policy is a priority for governments, a wellcoordinated international agenda is needed at the global level to ensure the transition from income support to stimulating economic growth, as well as to overcome the existing structural imbalances and distortions in the system of economic relations between coun- tries.

The creation of metallurgical microworks intended for processing metal scrap to specialized bar iron at an annual output of 50 000 to 100 000 tons is a topical matter. In terms of loading the rolling mill with special kinds of rolled metal used at the regional level, the organization of making grinding balls (bodies) at a microworks fits within its process system almost ideally. This study provides the results of industrial tests aimed at making the end-to-end quality assessment of concast billets, derived rolled stock, and grinding balls at an integrated specialized metallurgical microworks. It is shown that the comprehensive solution of technology-related matters allows making high-quality finished rolled stock. In particular, the optimization of process parameters for making grinding balls of 60 mm in diameter allows reliably attaining hardness group V when using grade 75 steel teemed in jets protected against secondary oxidation.

The results of an end-to-end quality evaluation of continuous cast SS400 steel slabs, followed by its hot-rolled thick-sheet products in ship-delivered batches, are presented. The evaluation of the frequency distribution of defects for each of the continuous casting machines (CCMs) revealed the following: even during control fire cleaning, the surface quality of slabs from CCM No. 1 was slightly lower (1.1–2.0%) than from CCM No. 2; the finished sheets from slabs casted at CCM No. 1 have a better quality than from slabs casted at CCM No. 2. At the same time, on both machines, the quality of slabs from strand No. 2 is better than from strand No. 1. The unstable internal quality of the sheet with a thickness of 30–45 mm was due to restrictions imposed on the maximum thickness of the sheet which was 25.0 mm. During microstructural analysis of the causes of cracks and segregation nature, it was found that the presence of non-metallic inclusions in the sheet structure serves, in fact, as a source of crack development. Analysis using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) showed that nonmetallic inclusions in the dominant mass are manganese sulfides.

The transport properties of two types of quasi-one-dimensional superconducting microstructures were investigated at ultra-low temperatures: the narrow channels close-packed in the shape of meander, and the chains of tunneling contacts "superconductor-insulator-superconductor." Both types of the microstructures demonstrated high value of high-frequency impedance and-or the dynamic resistance. The study opens up potential for using of such structures as current stabilizing elements with zero dissipation.

In the production of wire rods made of fire-refined copper by minor and medium regional producers, the problem of minimization of the sizes of technological lines of continuous casting-rolling machines (CCRM) is most often solved by decreasing the number of structural components in the applied technological system, including the decrease in the number of rolling stands in the roll mill train. We estimate the influence of minimization of the number of rolling stands under the conditions of continuous casting-rolling in a 9-stand rolling mill of the Southwire Company on the ease of realization of the process of production and the quality of the products. It is shown that the realization of stable rolling process and the required quality of wire rods becomes possible as a result of decreasing the cross-sectional area of the original continuously cast ingots in the form of a trapezoid by 6.71% and an increase in the area of workpieces in all stands of the mill with an aim to prevent the overflow of the passes with the metal (the so-called “fin” defects), which enables one to get finished product with transformed “lap” defects. It is shown that the section of transition from the rough group of stands to the finishing group, i.e., the 3v stand (round pass), should be regarded as the most problematic from the viewpoint of formation of fin-type defects. We also perform the correction of the shape of plane oval specified for this stand. The practical implementation of the entire proposed complex of technological adjustments makes it possible to stabilize the process of rolling and to obtain copper wire rods 8 mm in diameter with regular geometric shapes and the required quality of macrostructure of the metal in the absence of lap-type defects.

The current pandemic of COVID-19 has already become a test of strength for world economy and institutions of global economic regulation. The main goal of the article is to review existing research on the economy of pandemics focusing on COVID-19, and to develop a conceptual framework for further assessment of negative impact of COVID-19 on the economies of the world and ways to minimize this impact on economic development. The author’s methodological approach goes beyond the traditional interpretation of the pandemic economy; we use the term “coronavirus global economy” to show the unprecedented and comprehensive impact of a pandemic on the development of the world economy, the movement of factors of production, economic integration and economic growth. Under these conditions, many theories of economic development, the mechanisms of trade and investment policies need to be seriously reevaluated. The review shows that the increasing negative impact of COVID-19 on the global economy lies in the fact that it has not managed to recover from the global crisis of 2008 and was in a "pre-recession" state; the preparedness of countries to counter the pandemic was extremely low, and the institutions of international cooperation were paralyzed failing to develop measures to effectively protect against the current consequences of COVID-19. The review of the literature demonstrates the uniqueness of the current pandemic in terms of negative effects on both the supply and demand side of the global financial system, which is especially aggravated by the high debt burden of many countries. Globalization is considered to be the main determinant of the high spread of the coronavirus pandemic in both the medical and economic contexts, but at the same time, states remain fragmented and protectionist in terms of combating the pandemic.

The article presents a clinical observation of a 54-year-old patient with sensorimotor polyneuropathy and newly diagnosed celiac disease. It was shown that laboratory methods for examining patients with polyneuropathy are required to identify the etiology of the process in most cases. Attention is drawn to the possibility of developing polyneuropathy with gluten intolerance without obvious pathological manifestations of the gastrointestinal tract. The importance of not only observing a gluten-free diet for treatment, but also the use of pulsed currents in the form of an exponent to reduce pain, improve trophism of muscle tissue, increase muscle strength and restore deep sensitivity is reflected. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is an effective therapy.

This paper is a review of results on multiple flag varieties, i.e., varieties of the form G/P1×· · ·×G/Pr. We provide a classification of multiple flag varieties of complexity 0 and 1 and results on the combinatorics and geometry of B-orbits and their closures in double cominuscule flag varieties. We also discuss questions of finiteness for the number of G-orbits and existence of an open G-orbits on a multiple flag variety.

The problem of using cross-border data flows, which are becoming an important factor of production for the sustainable development of modern international trade in goods and services has been analysed. In international exchange, the importance of digital services continues to grow steadily, and as this rises, global data flows are increasing too. The latter, while serving the interests of global digital platforms, can nevertheless contribute to the diversification of developing countries’ exports and increase their participation in global value chains. The increase in digitalization of companies due to the rapid introduction of new technologies (data analysis, cloud computing) has raised their importance as a factor in commercial transactions, affecting both new and traditional industries. Despite the advantages for companies, consumers and national economies arising from the ability of organizations to easily exchange data across borders, many countries at all stages of development have established barriers to cross-border data transfer. The most common concept of such restrictions has become data localization, the implementation of which is a significant burden on the growth of the Gross National Product. The digital mercantilism of countries considered in this article is a response to the challenge of increasing the country’s participation in the international division of labour in the digital economy. However, barriers for cross-border data transfer also delay and increase the cost of developing new and innovative products, undermine the ability of local multinational companies to use global platforms to facilitate collaboration between firms, universities and other research organizations and promote their own innovations. International practice has not yet developed a single, dominant approach in the context of regulating cross-border data flows, but addressing this issue requires a new format of multilateral regulation that has not been used for international trade in traditional goods and services.

Results of a field–experimental study on the applicability of continuous-cast medium-carbon 55 grade steel sparingly alloyed with chromium to the manufacturing of hardness IV and V class grinding balls 40 mm in diameter are presented. The possibility of the stable production of hardness IV class grinding balls is shown since chromium added in small quantities facilitates the hardness stabilization over the half of the ball radius and increases the volumetric hardness by 2–3 HRC figures. The established increase in the volumetric hardness did not allow for the HRC 57 level to be reached to certify the balls as the hardness V class products. Rational process variables have been recommended to ensure the production of 40-mm-in-diameter grinding balls for the V hardness class of continuous-cast medium-carbon 55 grade steel on the ShPS 30–80 ball-rolling mill.

Introduction. The article presents an analysis of the various applications of crystals, describes the historical and cultural foundations of using mineral raw materials for various purposes, including medical ones. It is shown that a special place in this list is occupied by jade (nephrite), which is one of the most common minerals used in therapeutic equipment. Moreover, the cost of this equipment is determined by the color of the material used. Therefore, the task is to conduct a study of jade of different colors by physical methods. Materials and Methods. For the study samples of yellow jade, green jade, black jade, and white jade were made; samples of different colors of jades were made according to the “thin section” type and had a flat surface. The phase analysis of jades was carried out on the DRON-1 diffractometer. The diffraction pattern was recorded using a scintillation counter with amplitude discrimination. The diffraction pattern was recorded sequentially as the sample and counter, which were located on the GUR-5 goniometer, rotated. The report of rotation angles was made with an error of up to 0.005º. Results. The article presents the results of studying the chemical analysis of jades of different colors and a diffractogram of yellow, green, black and white jades. The authors also provide a table for deciphering the interplanar distances and the intensities of the main lines of the studied jade samples. Discussion and Conclusion. The studies have shown that the studied samples are tremolites by chemical composition. The chemical analysis of black jade showed that because of an increase in ferrous iron and a decrease in the proportion of magnesium, a transition to actinolite is noted. A decrease in fluorine content by an order of magnitude is also observed in the black jade sample.The conducted studies offer new possibilities for expanding the general concepts of creating a healthy environment, where all events are connected in a single logical chain. The presented material gives the opportunity to add research from the fields of chemistry, biology, and medicine to the logical chain.

Aside from electromagnetic stirring, casting with low superheat and intensive cooling of the strand in the upper range of secondary cooling zone, Mechanical Soft Reduction (MSR) has proved, above all, to be very effective in reducing segregation and axial porosity in continuously cast billet. Implementation of MSR technology in the production of continuously cast billets has a number of features that are due to their square shape. In this case, particularly promising is the use of blocks of segment design, so called pinch-roll segment. The presence in CCM line of MSR block of such design allows to implement a two-stage deformation scheme. The paper proposes a new two-stage scheme of MSR technology realizing the combined deformation on the basis of cobbing in vertical plane and shearing relative displacement of the faces at the first stage, and at the second stage – deformation on the basis of cobbing in vertical plane. This approach additionally helps to correct deformations of the profile cross section, namely the rhomboidity defect. We present the results of a comparative study using physical modeling methods to assess the contribution of additional shear relative displacement of faces in the horizontal plane to the overall efficiency of MSR technology of continuous casting. The use of a flat model in conjunction with the proposed form of deforming rolls and a combination of modeling materials allowed to achieve a good similarity in geometric criterion, as well as in the criterion of stress ratio equivalence arising at the interface of crystallization front. The obtained experimental data helps to develop ideas about the mechanisms of additional positive effect from the application of shear action. In particular, the deformation of metal surface and adjacent layers of the billet in the rolls with a special above-described profiling will improve their quality due to the occurrence of shear deformations intensifying the process of collapse of subcortical bubbles, “healing” of microcracks, etc. In turn, the artificial creation of torque effect in cross section of the billet will contribute to the occurrence of shear deformations in the crystallized “bridges” of axial liquid-solid region of the ingot, thereby intensifying the process of their destruction and improving the quality of the billet’s macrostructure.

The purpose of this article is the research the key aspects of the unstable development of the world economy at the present stage. The context of international economic relations is changing in view of the escalation of trade conflicts, the slowdown in economic growth and the search for balanced effective trade and economic policies. A number of problems arising from the shocks of economic development are shown, in particular the problem of poverty and increasing inequality in the distribution of income on a global scale: the problem of the high debt of developed countries and the unstable conditions of their public finances; a significant degree of uncertainty over the foreign interests of large corporate capital of the United States in the context of growing technological competition. It was proved that China's role in a number of aspects of the world economy 's reconfiguration will depend on a number of its capabilities to overcome various exogenous shocks, liberalize the national services market, form alternative regional trade agreements, and offset the negative impact of toxic tariffs and currency problems arising from the trade conflict with the United States. In general, there is considerable uncertainty in the world, with further multilateralism, the formation of new poles of economic development and the need to reform the established system of global economic regulation, which will increasingly focus on the protection of investment, intellectual property and the environment, subsidizing and regulating international trade in digital goods and services.

Construction and commissioning of a network of mini-mills of various maximum production volumes requires installation of equipment. Several plants have developed mills in which continuous-reduction stands have been replaced by three-high stands. Despite prior experience in using continuous-cast billets for production of a variety of rolled shapes in modern continuous mills, use of this approach in shape mills with three-high reduction stands requires an technical feasibility assessment of the new forming modes and pass designs used for these modes. Comparative analysis indicated that the newly developed billet forming modes and pass designs did not fully achieve the requisite technical feasibility. The stress-strain behavior in the early passes facilitates not only formation of end cracks, but also increases the likelihood of discontinuity defects in the metal over the entire free surface of the billet not in contact with the bottom or corners of the pass due to development of tensile stresses. Absence of reduction in the initial box passes during rolling of continuous-cast billets therefore will lead to rhombicity defects. Using excessively high reductions in individual passes makes clamping of the process cross section less stable, increases the likelihood of overfilling the pass, and increases the peak rolling load in certain passes Collectively this suggests that these process characteristics indicate that a better-validated approach is needed for determination of continuous-cast billet rolling schedules for three-high reduction stands.

We report on the results of numerical simulation of a supersonic laminar flow past the junction of a blunt-fin body and a plate. We analyze the gasdynamic and vortex structures of the flow, which are determined by the viscous–inviscid interaction. We consider the results indicating the qualitative and quantitative influence of key parameters such as the Mach number, the Reynolds number, the temperature factor, and the plate length on the flow structure and heat transfer.

The work sets out to analyse the application of new technologies in the design of thermoelectric systems, as well as to compare classical thermoelectric systems with those characterized by a spatial orientation of heat-transfer sides. New thermoelectric systems are increasingly competing with con-ventional methods of converting energy up to several hundred watts. In order to expand the application of thermoelectric systems, new design methods and solutions providing for a more efficient conversion of heat losses into useful energy should be developed. This work presents the results of a comparative analysis of a classical thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric module with a spatial orientation of the sides. It is shown that the efficiency of the latter is 36% and 43% higher than that of the former at currents of 4A and 8A, respectively. According to the findings, the efficiency of thermoelectric modules depends primarily on technical solutions in their design and engineering, rather than on the electro-physical characteristics of thermoelectric junctions. In order to increase the efficiency of thermoelectric systems, future work should be aimed at improving the design of thermoelectric modules. The applica-tion of new technologies in manufacturing thermoelectric modules allows the mutual influence of heated and cooled surfaces to be eliminated and the area of heat dissipation to be significantly expanded. The possibility of generating higher power values increases the efficiency of thermoelectric modules and expandsthe scope of their application, substituting conventional heat pumps.

Main objective of the article – assessment of problems and opportunities of speeding up of world economic growth in the context of the crisis phenomena and turbulence in economy. Complication and reformatting of the economic relations between the countries represents serious challenges for modern economic dynamics. Methodological approach of the authors is based on assessment of the defining influence of new factors on delay of economic activity and economic development. The thesis about the defining impact of international trade on economic growth is called into question. It was analyzed the value and a role of the international companies as growth catalysts in the conditions of new technological revolution. It is established that risks of development of the world economy continue to increase, and the main of them – in decline in labor productivity in the developed countries, uncertainty concerning interest rates and economic policy of the states, the universal growth of sovereign and corporate debt of the states. It is shown that China has the increasing problems with the growth; however the flexibility of its economic policy allows to connect additional mechanisms of speeding up of social and economic development. In the European Union economic growth depends on the solution of problems of consolidation of the budgetary process, decrease in a debt, and in general – on reforming of the existing model of social and economic development. Prospects of economic dynamics will depend in many respects on stability of trade relations between the countries, and on the effective international cooperation directed to overcoming imbalances of the modern world economy. Opportunities and problems of an exit of developing countries to a trajectory of sustained economic growth in the conditions of digitalization and digital transformations in the world economy are estimated. Aggravation of a problem of inequality in the conditions of digitalization of the world economy is possible to overcome, however a number of measures in the sphere of industrial, innovative and regulatory policy is necessary. Also at the international level serious reforms in the sphere of financial regulation and taxation are necessary. The conclusions received as a result of the research have important practical importance as overcoming the problems stated above and also trade political differences between the countries will make economic growth steady and inclusive.

This paper presents the results of the metallographic study of the structural condition of metal in the billet after soft reduction. The billet is deformed in the withdrawal and straightening unit of the continuous casting production line when there is an uncrystallized core area in the bullet. The reduction takes place due to the movement of the top driven roll. The metallographic studies reveal the crack initiation characteristics when an external deformative action is applied in the course of incomplete crystallization of continuously cast billet. They provide a well-reasoned approach to selection of techniques minimizing the number of initiation centers.

The authors have made an analysis of problems arising in the rolling of continuous-cast billets in the modern mini-metallurgical and rerolling plants. It is shown that the use of trio stands in rolling mills of these plants makes it necessary to obtain billets of multiple lengths from bars (most often of 12-meter length) produced in the rolling shop. The subsequent rolling of such multiple billets has revealed increased cracking of the front edge and, as a result, increased metal consumption. Analysis of the causes of these cracks has been made. It was indicated that this defect can appear as a result of a certain stress-strain state formed at the end of hot-rolled breakdown. It is caused by the presence of an uneven temperature field due to more intensive end cooling, to reduction mode in the trio stand and to the presence of axial defects in the continuous-cast billet. The study was conducted on the industrial medium-grade mill 500/370, as well as using mathematical modeling by finite element method. The influence of a set of technological factors, such as temperature of the billets heating before rolling, the time interval of their transportation on the site “heating furnace – first stand of the rolling mill” and parameters of the macrostructure of axial area of the metal were investigated. Calculations by the developed mathematical model have indicated the need to take into account the presence of a scale layer on the heated continuous-cast billet. It is shown that depending on the heating temperature and transport time, the temperature difference at the billet’s end compared to the heating temperature can be from 45 to 100 °C. It will lead to an uneven distribution of deformation resistance and unfavorable stress-strain state at the billet’s end. In addition, the presence of an axial defect can affect the cracking because of its shape and its transformation during reduction. Obtained experimental data allowed hypothesizing the mechanism of transformation of discontinuity defects into cracks at the billet’s end due to the conditions of continuous casting and cutting of billets during rolling in the reduction stand.

Comparative results of experiments aimed at studying the evolution of dust-laden jets induced by the presence of structural elements and grooves on the surface of loaded specimens are reported. The results are obtained with the use of pulsed X-ray diffraction radiography and synchrotron radiation. Information on dust density changes in synchrotron diagnostics is obtained by using multiframe filming. In the case of single-frame recording by means of pulsed X-ray diffraction radiography, a glancing detonation wave was used for studying the dust behavior instead of the normal wave.

This paper describes the structural studies of hollow cylindrical shells made of D16 and Al-Mn aluminum alloys, loaded by sliding detonation. Explosive loading conditions for the complete convergence and closure of shells are established. Light optics scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy are applied to study the structural and phase transformations in shells under shock wave loading. The relation of composition, structure, and mechanical characteristics of alloys with their behavior under the action of shock loading is shown. There are several scenarios of convergence of shells, depending on their composition and loading conditions—from complete and steady convergence to multiple spalling.

An analytical model of the equation of state is developed based on theoretical ideas about the structure of TATB. ^The model is validated against experimental data obtained in static and dynamic experiments. The theoretically sound equation of state was used to match different experimental data in order to maximize the use of empirical information. It is expected that the use of the equation of state will increase the accuracy of the description of thermodynamic parameters of unreacted TATB in numerical simulations of shock-wave and detonation processes.

The structural mechanisms of buckling and the deformation behavior of copper and steel cylindrical shells (pipes) during collapse under the action of an explosion are studied. The dependence of deformation behavior on the transverse dimensions of the shell and properties of the loaded material is described. It is established that the stability of radial collapse depends on absolute dimensions of the shell rather than relative dimensions, with the collapse of large-diameter shells occurring more stably. It is demonstrated that the collapse stability is violated due to the formation of a characteristic pattern of localized strain in the sample, consisting of homogeneous, orderly arranged structural elements whose dimension depends little on the material properties and experimental conditions. A criterion for stable radial collapse that relates the characteristic dimensions of the structural element of localized strain and the shell radius is proposed.