The influence of alliances on corporate growth in the post-soviet period: LUKoil and YUKOS

What is the role of alliances in the growth of Russian enterprises? Who is in control in alliances, i.e. are they shared alliances or is one party dominant? How do the various resources (technology, finance and market access) shape the dynamics of alliances? This paper tries to answer on these three questions by analyzing the role of alliances in growth of LUKoil and Yukos, Russian major oil companies. Based on these two cases we argue that technical modernization and growth are closely dependent on the capability of corporations to use alliances as a mechanism of growth and improved performance. In addition, there is a trade off between an immediate focus on operational efficiency and a focus on growth, which is key to the successful management of the growth of companies in the long-term

Flow Improver Polymeric Additives for Crude Oil and Gas Condensate

U radu je dat pregled polimernih aditiva koji služe za sniženje tecišta i poboljšanje reoloških svojstava nafte i plinskog kondenzata. Opisane su temeljne vrste polimera koji se u te svrhe primjenjuju: polimeri na osnovi olefina, posebice etilena, kopolimeri vinil-acetata i alkil-fumarata, esteri akrilne i metakrilne kiseline te polimeri na osnovi anhidrida maleinske kiseline. Prikazan je mehanizam djelovanja aditiva i metode za utvrđivanje njihove djelotvornosti. Dio pregleda obuhvaća rezultate sinteze i primjene vlastitih aditiva za naftu i plinski kondenzat. Posebno je opisan utjecaj kemijske strukture i molekulske mase polimernih aditiva te njihove koncentracije na tecivost i viskoznost. Ispitivanja su provedena na uzorcima nafte s naftnih polja u INI, Števkovica, Obod i Đeletovci i plinsko-kondenzatnih polja Molve, Kalinovac, Stari Gradac i Gola te mađarskog polja Barcs. Rezultati pokazuju da na djelotvornost u primjeni bitno utječu vrste aditiva i nafte, odnosno plinskog kondenzata. Optimalni su rezultati postignuti primjenom aditiva na osnovi kopolimera dugolančanih estera metakrilne kiseline s vinil-karboksilnim kiselinama.This paper describes the problem of paraffin deposition during production, transportation and processing of crude oil and gas condensate. The troublesome paraffin stands for normal hydrocarbons ranging from approximately C18-C38, mixed with small amounts of branched paraffin, monocyclic paraffin, polycyclic paraffin, and aromatics. The amount of paraffin found in crude oils as described in the literature, varies from less than 1 to more than 50 percent. The solubility of paraffin depends on chemical composition, temperature and pressure. Paraffin precipitates at an equilibrium temperature and pressure defined as the cloud point. The paraffin deposits often begin on surfaces cooler than the liquid. The viscosity is increased by the presence of paraffin crystals and if the temperature is reduced sufficiently, the crude oil/gas condensate will become very viscous (pour point). The crude oil/gas condensate viscosity behaves in a Newtonian manner until wax crystals begin to form and, after lowering the temperature, behaves in a non-Newtonian manner. Many options are available to counter the problems caused by paraffin wax deposition. These include various mechanical, thermal and chemical means (for example, steam heating, blending with lighter cutter stocks and treating with chemical additives). A preferred option would be to use wax modifier additives, commonly known as pour point depressants. Crystal modifiers are copolymers from these groups: copolymers of ethylene vinyl acetate, poly alpha-olefins, alkyl fumarate- vinyl acetate copolymers of C18-through C22 methacrylates and copolymers of maleic anhydride esters. The mechanism of paraffin deposition and prevention is described. The additives modify the size and shape of the crystal and inhibit the formation of large wax crystal lattices. With efficient additives, crude oil/gas condensate behaves in a Newtonian manner at low temperature. A section of the paper describes the influence of chemical structure and molecular weight of the flow improver additives for crude oils and gas condensates prepared by the authors of this review article. The additives are based on methacrylic long chain alkyl ester homopolymers or copolymers with vinyl carboxylic acids or vinyl aromatic monomers. The quality of the prepared additives as pour point depressants and rheology improvers was proved by applying them to crude oil from INA fields Števkovica, Obod and Deletovci as well as gas condensate fields Molve, Kalinovac, Stari Gradac, Gola, and Hungarian gas condensate field Barcs. The best results were obtained with the copolymers of methacrylic long-chain alkyl esters with functional monomers

Physicochemical Properties, Cytotoxicity, and Antioxidative Activity of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents Containing Organic Acid

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) may be considered ‘designer solvents’ due to their numerous structural variations and the possibility of tailoring their physicochemical properties. Prior to their industrial application, characterization of NADES is essential, including determination of their physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and antioxidative activity. The most important physicochemical properties of eight prepared NADES (choline chloride:malic acid, proline:malic acid, choline chloride:proline:malic acid, betaine:malic acid, malic acid:glucose, malic acid:glucose:glycerol, choline chloride:citric acid, and betaine:citric acid) were measured as functions of temperature and water content. In general, the structure of prepared NADES greatly influences their physical properties, which could be successfully modified and adjusted by addition of water. All tested NADES were absolutely benign and noncorrosive for investigated steel X6CrNiTi18-10. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of prepared solvents was assessed toward three human cell lines (HEK-293T, HeLa, and MCF-7 cells), and antioxidative activity was measured by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) method. With regard to cell viability, all tested NADES containing carboxylic acid could be classified as practically harmless and considered environmentally safe. The ORAC values indicated that the tested NADES displayed antioxidative activity

Subjektivna procjena kvalitete života (WHOQOL-BREFF) u odnosu na neuroticizam (Cornell index)

It is generally agreed that personality variables have a relatively consistent influence on the subjective estimation of different situations in everyday life and the way people react to them. The aim of this review was to summarise our previously published findings on the relationship between subjective estimation of one’s quality of life and the personality trait neuroticism-emotional stability. We used the WHO Quality of Life - BREF or SF-36 questionnaires for the assessment of the quality of life, Cornell Index for the assessment of neuroticism, and The Social Readjustment Rating Scale for the evaluation of common stressors. Our results have shown that more emotionally stable participants (lower neuroticism) perceive their life better in quality and are more satisfied with their work environment. In addition, our results support the findings from other studies that women have higher neuroticism and lower quality of life scores than men.Općenito se smatra kako varijable ličnosti imaju važnu ulogu u relativno dosljednom utjecaju na subjektivnu procjenu različitih situacija u svakodnevnom životu, kao i na reakcije na te situacije. Cilj ovoga preglednog članka bio je objediniti naše objavljene rezultate o odnosu između subjektivne procjene kvalitete života i crte ličnosti neuroticizam - emocionalna stabilnost. Upotrijebljeni su WHOQOL-BREF ili SF-36 upitnici za procjenu kvalitete života, Cornell indeks za procjenu neuroticizma i The Social Readjustment Rating Scale za evaluaciju uobičajenih stresora. Dobiveni rezultati pokazali su kako osobe s izraženijom emocionalnom stabilnošću (manjim neuroticizmom) percipiraju svoj život kvalitetnijim te su zadovoljnije svojom radnom okolinom. Također je u skladu s drugim objavljenim studijama nađeno kako žene postižu više rezultate na skalama neuroticizma od muškaraca te niže rezultate na upitnicima kvalitete života

Allergotoxicology: Research of Pollutant Influence on the Development of Allergic Reactions

Alergotoksikologija je znanstvenoistraživačko područje koje se bavi ispitivanjem utjecaja polutanata (onečišćivača zraka) na nastanak alergijskih reakcija i bolesti. Ispitivanja su prvobitno bila usmjerena na polutante vanjskih prostora, a u novije vrijeme sve više na polutante unutarnjih prostora u kojima ljudi provode većinu vremena. Polutanti po svojoj prirodi mogu biti krute, tekuće ili plinovite čestice, koje se razlikuju s obzirom na veličinu, sastav i izvor iz kojeg nastaju. S obzirom na izvor mogu biti biološkog i nebiološkog podrijetla. Polutanti koji su predmet suvremenih istraživanja s gledišta nastanka alergijskih bolesti su respirabilne krute čestice, ozon, dušični oksidi i bioaerosoli. Mehanizam djelovanja polutanata ovisi o veličini čestica, njihovoj topljivosti i mjestu ulaska u organizam. Dosadašnja ispitivanja su pokazala da različite čestice uvjetuju različite imunosne i neimunosne odgovore u organizmu. Interakcija polutanata i alergena može se zbivati izvan eksponirane osobe, tj. sa samim alergenom ili u eksponiranoj osobi na sluznicama i koži. Polutanti mogu biti nosioci alergena i mogu interferirati na različitim nivoima u nastanku alergijske reakcije. U ovom prikazu razma raju se dosadašnja saznanja o mehanizmima djelovanja polutanata na alergene, na imunosni sustav izloženih osoba na osnovi epidemioloških populacijskih istraživanja, kliničkih studija ekspozcije u kontroliranim uvjetima i eksperimentalnih testnih sistema in vivo i in vitro.Allergotoxicology studies the infl uence of pollutants on the development of allergic reactions and diseases. At the beginning, the research was focused on outdoor air pollutants, while recently it turns to the indoor environment, mainly because people this is where people spend most of their time. Air pollutants may be solid, soluble, or gaseous particles in nature, and they can differ in size, structure, and sources. Pollutants can be of biological or nonbiological origin. Currently interesting air pollutants include particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and bioaerosols. The mechanisms of pollutant activity depend on the particle size, solubility, site of deposition, and specifi c chemical properties. Recent studies have shown that different pollutants provoke different immunological and nonimmunological responses in exposed persons. Interaction between air pollutants and allergens can take place outside the exposed person i.e. with allergen itself, or inside the organism on mucous membranes and skin. Pollutants may be the carriers of allergens and may exacerbate allergic reactions and diseases. This review presents recent views about the mechanisms of pollutant activity on allergens and immune system response in exposed persons, based on epidemiological population studies, clinical studies of exposure under controlled conditions, and experimental tests in vitro and in vivo

Polimerni aditivi za poboljšanje tecivosti nafte i plinskog kondenzata

This paper describes the problem of paraffin deposition during production, transportation and processing of crude oil and gas condensate. The troublesome paraffin stands for normal hydrocarbons ranging from approximately C18-C38, mixed with small amounts of branched paraffin, monocyclic paraffin, polycyclic paraffin, and aromatics. The amount of paraffin found in crude oils as described in the literature, varies from less than 1 to more than 50 percent. The solubility of paraffin depends on chemical composition, temperature and pressure. Paraffin precipitates at an equilibrium temperature and pressure defined as the cloud point. The paraffin deposits often begin on surfaces cooler than the liquid. The viscosity is increased by the presence of paraffin crystals and if the temperature is reduced sufficiently, the crude oil/gas condensate will become very viscous(pour point). The crude oil/gas condensate viscosity behaves in a Newtonian manner until wax crystals begin to form and, after lowering the temperature, behaves in a non-Newtonian manner.Many options are available to counter the problems caused by paraffin wax deposition. These include various mechanical, thermal and chemical means (for example, steam heating, blending with lighter cutter stocks and treating with chemical additives). A preferred option would be to use wax modifier additives, commonly known as pour point depressants. Crystal modifiers are copolymers from these groups: copolymers of ethylene vinyl acetate, poly alpha-olefins, alkyl fumarate- vinyl acetate copolymers of C18-through C22 methacrylates and copolymers of maleic anhydride esters. The mechanism of paraffin deposition and prevention is described. The additives modify the size and shape of the crystal and inhibit the formation of large wax crystal lattices. With efficient additives, crude oil/gas condensate behaves in a Newtonian manner at low temperature.A section of the paper describes the influence of chemical structure and molecular weight of the flow improver additives for crude oils and gas condensates prepared by the authors of this review article. The additives are based on methacrylic long chain alkyl ester homopolymers or copolymers with vinyl carboxylic acids or vinyl aromatic monomers. The quality of the prepared additives as pour point depressants and rheology improvers was proved by applying them to crude oil from INA fields Števkovica, Obod and Deletovci as well as gas condensate fields Molve, Kalinovac, Stari Gradac, Gola, and Hungarian gas condensate field Barcs. The best results were obtained with the copolymers of methacrylic long-chain alkyl esters with functional monomers

Ionske kapljevine – razvoj i izazovi industrijske primjene

Establishment of novel, highly productive, and sustainable processes for the production of industrially important compounds is becoming a growing area of research. Due to non-volatility, inflammability, great thermal, chemical and electrochemical stability and also recyclability, ionic liquids are extensively studied as possible green replacement for widely used conventional molecular solvents. Due to the extremely large number of possible chemical structures of ionic liquids, the ability to design ionic liquids for specific applications makes them unique solvents in electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, organic synthesis and (bio)catalysis, separation processes, as well as functional fluids (lubricants, heat transfer fluids, corrosion inhibitors etc.). This paper presents a review of the scientific and technical literature related to ionic liquids, their basic properties, preparation and application, as well as the challenges of their application on an industrial scale.Uspostavljanje novih visokoučinkovitih i održivih procesa proizvodnje industrijski važnih kemikalija predmet je brojnih znanstvenih istraživanja. Stoga se ionske kapljevine, zbog neznatne hlapljivosti, nezapaljivosti, velike toplinske, kemijske i elektrokemijske stabilnosti, te posebice mogućnosti regeneracije, posljednjih godina intenzivno proučavaju kao zelena zamjena za sveprisutna tradicionalna škodljiva otapala. Budući da je broj mogućih kemijskih struktura ionskih kapljevina iznimno velik, mogućnost dizajniranja ionskih kapljevina za specifične namjene čini ih jedinstvenim otapalima za raznovrsnu uporabu u elekrokemiji, organskoj sintezi i (bio)katalizi, analitici, separacijskim postupcima, ali i kao funkcionalnih kapljevina (sredstva za podmazivanje, akumulatori topline, inhibitori korozije i dr.). U ovom je radu dat pregled znanstvene i stručne literature vezane uz ionske kapljevine, njihova karakteristična svojstva, pripravu i primjenu, ali i izazove njihove primjene u industrijskom mjerilu