Personal Networks in Russian Business: Structure, Rules, Trust

The phenomenon of personal networks in Russian business received inadequate attention from academics to-date even being historically an important part of Russian cultural and business life. To break into Russian market strategic opportunities must be examined. Personal networks play a big role in achieving this, more so than institutions in creation of social capital in Russia. Butler and Purchase (2008) confirm that dynamic changes in the Russian political economy during the 1990s led to a unique combination of low levels of social capital at the general (state) level and very high levels of social capital at the interpersonal level; and highlight how critical developing social capital is to ensure long-term continuous business survival in Russia. At the same time being in control of a lot of resources, personal networks that exist in Russian business remain a mystery for Western businesses. Exploring the phenomenon from inside this descriptive doctoral study is using a chance of accessing hidden from previous researchers’ research data and advance understanding of the phenomenon of Russian personal networks inner life, norms, and rules. Having defined personal networks existing in Russian business present study confirms more complex structure of relations and different to those offered by Granovetter (1973); defines trust and explains how trust develops and mature; explains the role of emotional attachment which makes Russian networks so different; exploring importance of fulfilment of social norms which defines how networks operate. The findings show that it is not easy to establish relations in Russia but those relations will last longer providing network members with group’s emotional and functional support, and access to different resources. The phenomenon of “shadow” business groups existing in Russian business had been explored and discussed. Present doctoral study provides deeper understanding of Russian business networks helping foreign practitioners and investors to conduct business more effectively in Russia and particularly specialists in organisational change, strategy, strategic marketing, and HRM

Small-angle X-ray scattering from GaN nanowires on Si(111): facet truncation rods, facet roughness and Porod's law

Small-angle X-ray scattering from GaN nanowires grown on Si(111) is measured in the grazing-incidence geometry and modelled by means of a Monte Carlo simulation that takes into account the orientational distribution of the faceted nanowires and the roughness of their side facets. It is found that the scattering intensity at large wavevectors does not follow Porod's law I(q) ∝ q-4. The intensity depends on the orientation of the side facets with respect to the incident X-ray beam. It is maximum when the scattering vector is directed along a facet normal, reminiscent of surface truncation rod scattering. At large wavevectors q, the scattering intensity is reduced by surface roughness. A root-mean-square roughness of 0.9 nm, which is the height of just 3-4 atomic steps per micrometre-long facet, already gives rise to a strong intensity reduction. open access

Comparative analysis of film boiling correlations for steam explosion problem

The article considers the existing models and correlations for describing heat transfer during film boiling. Film boiling is an important thermophysical process that determines the course of interaction of the melt of reactor core materials with the coolant, which can potentially occur during a severe accident at a nuclear power plant with a pressurized water-cooled reactor (VVER/PWR). The values of the Nusselt number predicted by these models are compared. A fairly significant dispersion of calculated parameters has been established, making it difficult to unambiguously choose one or another correlation. However, in the range of parameters typical for the interaction of a high-temperature melt of reactor core materials with a coolant, several correlations give quite close values, which allows them to be recommended for use in calculation codes for modeling thermal-hydraulic processes during a severe accident at a nuclear power plant with VVER/PWR type

Collapse and dynamics of a bubble near a rigid boundary enveloped by a vapor film

One of the possible consequences of a severe accident at a nuclear power plant with a pressurized water reactor is a steam explosion that occurs as a result of the interaction of a high-temperature melt of core materials with water and can lead to the failure of the containment. The paper considers the initial stage of the steam explosion (premixing of the melt with water) under the stratified geometry. The key phenomenon leading to premixing is the dynamic effect of a collapsing vapor bubble in a liquid on the melt surface. The influence of a vapor film located near a melt surface on the dynamics of a vapor bubble is considered. The Kelvin impulse is used as the main criterion characterizing the dynamic effect of a collapsing bubble on the liquid-vapor interface and on the melt surface. The influence of all the main parameters on the Kelvin impulse was numerically studied. Based on the calculations carried out on the plane of the parameters “film thickness - vapor density”, the region of the dynamic impact of the collapsing bubble on the surface is determined. The greatest impacts are observed for thin films of vapor having a high density

Tripling of the scattering vector range of X-ray reflectivity on liquid surfaces using a double crystal deflector

We achieved a tripling of the maximum range of perpendicular momentum transfer (q_z) of X-ray scattering from liquid surfaces using a double crystal deflector setup to tilt the incident X-ray beam. This is obtained by using Miller indices of the reflecting crystal atomic planes that are three times higher than usual. We calculate the deviation from the exact Bragg angle condition induced by a misalignment between the X-ray beam axis and the main rotation axis of the double crystal deflector and deduce a fast and straightforward procedure to align them. We show measurements of X-ray reflectivity up to q_z=7A^(-1) on the bare surface of liquid copper and on graphene on liquid copper

Real Space Imaging of Nanoparticle Assembly at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces with Nanoscale Resolution.

Bottom up self-assembly of functional materials at liquid-liquid interfaces has recently emerged as method to design and produce novel two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured membranes and devices with tailored properties. Liquid-liquid interfaces can be seen as a "factory floor" for nanoparticle (NP) self-assembly, because NPs are driven there by a reduction of interfacial energy. Such 2D assembly can be characterized by reciprocal space techniques, namely X-ray and neutron scattering or reflectivity. These techniques have drawbacks, however, as the structural information is averaged over the finite size of the radiation beam and nonperiodic isolated assemblies in 3D or defects may not be easily detected. Real-space in situ imaging methods are more appropriate in this context, but they often suffer from limited resolution and underperform or fail when applied to challenging liquid-liquid interfaces. Here, we study the surfactant-induced assembly of SiO2 nanoparticle monolayers at a water-oil interface using in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) achieving nanoscale resolved imaging capabilities. Hitherto, AFM imaging has been restricted to solid-liquid interfaces because applications to liquid interfaces have been hindered by their softness and intrinsic dynamics, requiring accurate sample preparation methods and nonconventional AFM operational schemes. Comparing both AFM and grazing incidence X-ray small angle scattering data, we unambiguously demonstrate correlation between real and reciprocal space structure determination showing that the average interfacial NP density is found to vary with surfactant concentration. Additionally, the interaction between the tip and the interface can be exploited to locally determine the acting interfacial interactions. This work opens up the way to studying complex nanostructure formation and phase behavior in a range of liquid-liquid and complex liquid interfaces

Dielectric losses in hydrogenated VT1-0 titanium in distribution in eddy current

For the first time introduced the concept of the value of the dielectric loss in the hydrogenated titanium. Measurement of this value allowing more sensitive measurement of the distribution of hydrogen in the titanium sample according to the depth. This concept is widely used in the analysis of the plasma properties of semiconductors and other materials

R-Functions and WA-Systems of Functions in Modern Information Technologies

The review report consists of five parts. It describes the main physical applications of atomic, WA-systems and R-functions

The Complex Systems and Biomedical Sciences group at the ESRF: current status and new opportunities after Extremely Brilliant Source upgrade

The Complex System and Biomedical Sciences (CBS) group at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble is dedicated to the study of a broad family of materials and systems, including soft and hard condensed matter, nanomaterials, and biological materials. The main experimental methods used for this purpose are X-ray diffraction, reflectivity, scattering, photon correlation spectroscopy, and time-resolved X-ray scattering/diffraction. After a recent and successful Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) upgrade, the Grenoble synchrotron has become the first of the 4th generation high energy facilities, which offers unprecedented beam parameters for its user community, bringing new experimental opportunities for the exploration of the nanoscale structure, kinetics, and dynamics of a myriad of systems. In this contribution, we present the impact of the recent upgrade on the selected beamlines in the CBS group and a summary of recent scientific activities after the facility reopening

Люминесценция поверхности виллемита ZN[2]SIO[4]:MN{2+}, возбуждаемая закисьюазота N[2]O

This report is devoted to research of the luminescence of solid bodies excited by molecules of nitrous oxide and obtaining information on nuclear and molecular processes and processes of transfer of energy in systems gas - solid body. Also important part of work is orientation of results to practical application