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-The paper presents the results of a survey, which aims to investigate the field of software reuse in software development organizations in Latvia. The topic has a particular significance since reuse may provide some economic benefits by reducing software development and operating costs, and by efficient utilization of development knowledge and corporate expertise. The objective of the study is to identify the key factors to be considered by the companies interested in establishing a software reuse program, thus improving time-to-market, costs and quality of software products by ingraining reuse into the entire software development process. Twenty factors organized into four categories were considered important within the framework of the survey. The results were obtained through the questionnaire involving software organizations in Latvia, whose responses were analyzed and used to relate the characteristics of organizations with their reuse experience. As a result, the influence of the selected factors on the success of the reuse is evaluated using four different levels (strong, weak, none, no data). Additionally, the paper includes review of related researches and comparison of the results. In conclusion, the author provides suggestions for the improvement of the reuse in Latvian software development organizations on the basis of the survey.

Shape-memory alloys are materials which acquire a prescribed form when heated up to the so-called transformation temperature, and their initial shapes are restored on cooling. Such alloys are being developed because they possess unique properties: shape restoration on heating, slope of the characteristic (displacement versus temperature), possibility of compression on heating, repeated operation, large shear deformations, large stresses developed, effective damping, sound absorption, plasticity, superelasticity, prolonged retention of the properties, the possibility of combining sensitive and executing elements, constructional simplicity [1--3].An experimental industrial technology for fabricating different geometric forms of shape-memory materials has been developed and assimilated: rods with diameters ranging from 8 to 230 mm, wires with diameters from 0.2 to 7 mm, tubes with diameters from 14 to 60 mm, sheets with thicknesses from 0.5 to 10 mm, and ribbons with thicknesses from 0.04 to 3 mm [4]. Materials with a different transformation temperature have been obtained: up to ......Applications of shape-memory alloys in nuclear power. The possible applications of shape-memory alloys in nuclear power include passive safety systems, connecting, packing, and sealing elements (thermocouplings) for pipes and electric drives, equipment for efficient repair and assembly of units of a nuclear power plant, thermomechanical drives and motors, dampers, flow rate regulators, thermodetectors, direct-action (self-operating) emergency systems, units and elements (compensators) in electrical transmission lines, electric contact devices, and others [5].A direct-action emergency shielding is being considered primarily for action on the reactivity of the core of a nuclear reactor and/or on the temperature of the coolant or a structural element. Some of the units which have been developed, for example, couplings, caps for pipes, self-sealing interlayers, and direct-acting emergency units (for reactivity and flow rate). have been introduced into an information system developed at the Special Office of Machine Design (Nizhnii Novgorod) "constructions with the shape-memory effect in nuclear power technology" [6].Peculiarities of the application of shape-memory alloys in nuclear power [7--8]. Equipment with shape-memory alloys must be designed for use at temperatures ranging from below 100~ to above 600~ The temperature change that actuates the equipment ranges from 5--10 to 40--50~The equipment must remain operable under neutron fluences of up to 102~ cm -2. Moreover, such equipment can be located in different surrounding media (in nitrogen or helium, prepared or distilled water, melted sodium or lead). Equipment for application in nuclear power is developed on the basis of its functional peculiarities: required number of cycles, purpose (sealing, connection of pipes and ducts, covering of a pipeline, action on a working unit, safety systems, unsealing of vessels, rupture of an electric circuit, and so on), the working medium, and so ...

The possibility of forming parts by different methods is analyzed. The formation of defects is modeled and ways are proposed for eliminating them. A conclusion is reached as to the most efficient method of making the part that is discussed. Keywords: pneumo-thermal forming of sheetmetal parts, drop-hammer drawing, elastoforming, drawing in rigid dies.One of the most important problems in aeronautical and mechanical engineering is finding an efficient method for forming parts from flat-rolled products. The forming method is chosen on the basis of the experience and knowledge of the engineer, i.e., the effectiveness of the chosen solution depends on the human factor. Such dependence is unacceptable in modern industry. In this article, we will conduct a virtual search for an efficient manufacturing variant to make a part with the use of CAE systems.We chose a part ( Fig. 1) with a complex three-dimensional shape to analyze different forming methods. The double-curvature part contains two channels and two sides oriented in the same direction; the material of the part is alloy AMg6. The part's thickness is 0.8 mm.An efficient forming method will be sought in the PAM-STAMP 2G system developed by the French Company ESI Group to perform engineering analyses for sheet stamping.We will examine seven variants for forming the part. 1. Drawing out on a stamping hammer -the process most commonly used to make sheetmetal parts with a complex surface. The following assumptions were made during the modeling operation: a) the effect of deformation rate on stress is ignored; b) the end liners are modeled as having the properties of a material which can be described by the Mooney-Rivlin model; c) the end of impact is determined by the limit on the travel of the punch; d) the plastic part of the flow curve is expressed through the function in the Krupkowsky law (σ = K(ε 0 + ε p ) n , where σ is the running level of stress; K is the strength coefficient; ε 0 and ε p are the initial and running levels of plastic strain; and n is the strain-hardening coefficient); e) Hill model 48 is chosen to describe the yield surface; and f) the initial thickness of the semifinished product is 1 mm.

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