Global Expansion Strategies of Russian Oil Companies: The Case of Lukoil

Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, tremendous changes and developments have taken place in the new Russian Federation as well as its relationship with other countries. Among all, performance and growth of Russian corporations has been phenomenal. Russian outward foreign direct investments have grown rapidly during the past few years. The natural-resource based companies have been the main drivers of the international growth of the Russian economy. It is expected that their performance will increase at an accelerating rate in the years to come, especially when Russian Federation become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the near future. This study focuses on Russian Multinational corporations internationalisation process, particularly Russian oil industry. Nevertheless Russia has quite a few large oil companies the particular attention would be given to LUKOIL GROUP which is one of the most outstanding and biggest Russian oil companies and its current internationalisation strategy raised hot discussion. The current dissertation seeks to find the reasons behind internationalisation of Russian oil companies on the example of Lukoil, the environment selection and entry modes applied by oil companies

Unlocking Bias Detection: Leveraging Transformer-Based Models for Content Analysis

Bias detection in text is imperative due to its role in reinforcing negative stereotypes, disseminating misinformation, and influencing decisions. Current language models often fall short in generalizing beyond their training sets. In response, we introduce the Contextualized Bi-Directional Dual Transformer (CBDT) Classifier. This novel architecture utilizes two synergistic transformer networks: the Context Transformer and the Entity Transformer, aiming for enhanced bias detection. Our dataset preparation follows the FAIR principles, ensuring ethical data usage. Through rigorous testing on various datasets, CBDT showcases its ability in distinguishing biased from neutral statements, while also pinpointing exact biased lexemes. Our approach outperforms existing methods, achieving a 2-4\% increase over benchmark performances. This opens avenues for adapting the CBDT model across diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes.Comment: UNDER REVIE

Система мотивированного сбора информации о содержании радона в помещениях с участием населения

A system of acquisition of information on indoor radon concentration was developed. The system is based on the transfer of devices for integral and/or quasi-integral measurements of radon concentration to the owner of the premises and the exchange of necessary information about the conditions and measurement results between the owner and the measuring laboratory using modern online technology. The information support system implemented on the website and the use of mobile communication technologies are designed to attract additional measurement participants and expand the range of objects available for surveys. At the same time, intermediaries between the measuring laboratory and the owner of the premises are excluded. The use of cloud technologies makes it possible to optimize the exchange of information between participants, and the use of QR codes on detectors eliminates errors associated with the identification of the detector and its coordinate reference to the measurement point. The software modules used in the system automate the process of entering this information. It is assumed that devices with a track detector will be used as the main ones. It is also possible to use carbon-adsorption samplers, but only for measurements in settlements, from which delivery to the processing laboratory is possible within no more than one day. Testing of the possibility of practical use of the system by persons who are not specialists in the field of radiation control was carried out on examples of a small and large settlement (the village of Kochubeyevskaya and the city of Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai). In general, the testing showed the operability of the system. As a result, changes were made to the system: the size of QR codes was increased and their color palette was changed, and the supporting system was supplemented with information on entering the editing mode without a QR code. From a social point of view, the system provides economically affordable services for most citizens to determine the level of radon exposure in the air of residential, public and other buildings. At the same time, in the future, significant savings are achieved in budget allocations required to create a potential radon risk map of the country.Разработана система мотивированного сбора информации о содержании радона в воздухе помещений. Система базируется на передаче владельцу помещения приборов для интегральных и/или квазиинтегральных измерений объемной активности радона и обмене необходимой информацией об условиях и результатах измерения между ним и измерительной лабораторией с помощью современной онлайн-технологии. Реализованная на сайте система информационной поддержки и использование технологий мобильной связи призваны привлечь дополнительных участников измерений и расширить круг доступных для обследований объектов. При этом убираются посредники между измерительной лабораторией и владельцем помещения. Применение облачных технологий позволяет оптимизировать обмен информацией между участниками, а использование QR-кодов на детекторах – исключить ошибки, связанные с идентификацией детектора и его координатной привязкой к месту обследования. Примененные в системе программные модули автоматизируют процесс ввода этой информации. В системе мотивированного сбора информации применяются приборы на основе пассивных методов измерения. Предполагается, что в качестве основных будут использоваться приборы с трековым детектором. Также возможно применение угольно-адсорбционных пробоотборников, но только для измерений в населенных пунктах, из которых возможна доставка в обрабатывающую лабораторию в течение не более 1 суток. Проведено тестирование возможности практического использования системы лицами, не являющимися специалистами в области радиационного контроля, на примере малого и крупного населенного пункта (станица Кочубеевская и город Пятигорск, Ставропольский край). В целом, тестирование показало работоспособность системы. По результатам в систему были внесены изменения: увеличен размер QR-кодов и изменена их цветовая палитра, а справочная система дополнена информацией о способах входа в режим редактирования без QR-кода. С социальной точки зрения, система мотивированного сбора информации обеспечивает оказание экономически доступной для большинства граждан услуги по определению уровня облучения радоном в воздухе помещений принадлежащих им зданий и помещений. При этом в перспективе достигается значительная экономия бюджетных ассигнований, требуемых для создания карты потенциальной радоноопасности территории страны

Microstructure and interfacial reactions during active metal brazing of stainless steel to titanium

Microstructural evolution and interfacial reactions during active metal vacuum brazing of Ti (grade-2) and stainless steel (SS 304L) using a Ag-based alloy containing Cu, Ti, and Al was investigated. A Ni-depleted solid solution layer and a discontinuous layer of (Ni,Fe)2TiAl intermetallic compound formed on the SS surface and adjacent to the SS-braze alloy interface, respectively. Three parallel contiguous layers of intermetallic compounds, CuTi, AgTi, and (Ag,Cu)Ti2, formed at the Ti-braze alloy interface. The diffusion path for the reaction at this interface was established. Transmission electron microscopy revealed formation of nanocrystals of Ag-Cu alloy of size ranging between 20 and 30 nm in the unreacted braze alloy layer. The interdiffusion zone of β-Ti(Ag,Cu) solid solution, formed on the Ti side of the joint, showed eutectoid decomposition to lamellar colonies of α-Ti and internally twinned (Cu,Ag)Ti2 inter- metallic phase, with an orientation relationship between the two. Bend tests indicated that the failure in the joints occurred by formation and propagation of the crack mostly along the Ti- braze alloy interface, through the (Ag,Cu)Ti2 phase layer

Global Expansion Strategies of Russian Oil Companies: The Case of Lukoil

Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, tremendous changes and developments have taken place in the new Russian Federation as well as its relationship with other countries. Among all, performance and growth of Russian corporations has been phenomenal. Russian outward foreign direct investments have grown rapidly during the past few years. The natural-resource based companies have been the main drivers of the international growth of the Russian economy. It is expected that their performance will increase at an accelerating rate in the years to come, especially when Russian Federation become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the near future. This study focuses on Russian Multinational corporations internationalisation process, particularly Russian oil industry. Nevertheless Russia has quite a few large oil companies the particular attention would be given to LUKOIL GROUP which is one of the most outstanding and biggest Russian oil companies and its current internationalisation strategy raised hot discussion. The current dissertation seeks to find the reasons behind internationalisation of Russian oil companies on the example of Lukoil, the environment selection and entry modes applied by oil companies

Lossless Compression of Telemetry Information using Adaptive Linear Prediction

Normal requirement for telemetry data compression algorithms is an ability to recover initial data “as is” without loss of information. This feature is very important in various telemetry processing applications. Precise recovery of the telemetry data as it is acquired from the original source of information is necessary for the analysis of any kind of abnormal events, recovery of bad sites within the telemetry data stream and for other types of post- or real-time data processing [1,2]. The effectiveness of methods of lossless compression is largely determined by the properties of the data under compression [3]. Compression algorithms show better compression ratios if they can adapt to the characteristics of the input data, which are in most cases rapidly change. In this paper we present the results of studies conducted to develop an efficient method of reversible telemetry data compression based on adaptive linear prediction of telemetry data packed according to IRIG-106 format. IRIG-106 is an open standard, developed specifically for aerospace industry, but now used in wide range of telemetry registration applications [4]. Data is packed to frames of fixed length and predefined internal structure. Frame can carry different sources of information: digitized samples of analog signals, as well as pure digital data. For each source a channel of the recording system is provided. The source sample in each channel is introduced by telemetry word. All words in the frame have the same bit width. Telemetry frame contains additional service information in purpose of detecting bit errors, frame synchronization, etc.Lossless data compression algorithm can be divided into two stages; the first stage - decorrelation stage, which exploits the redundancy between the neighboring samples in the data sequence, the second stage - entropy coding, which takes advantage from decreasing variance and lowering entropy of the data made on the first stage [5,6,7].</p

Data Stream Processing Study in a Multichannel Telemetry Data Registering System

The paper presents the results of research that is aimed to improve the reliability of transmission of telemetry information (TMI) through a communication channel with noise from the object of telemeasurements to the telemetry system for collecting and processing data. It considers the case where the quality of received information changes over time, due to movement of the object relative to the receiving station, or other factors that cause changes in the characteristics of noise in the channel, up to the total loss due to some temporary sites. To improve the reliability of transmission and ensure continuous communication with the object, it is proposed to use a multi-channel system to record the TMI. This system consists of several telemetry stations, which simultaneously register data stream transmitted from the telemetry object. The multichannel system generates a single stream of TMI for the user at the output. The stream comprises the most reliable pieces of information, being received at all inputs of the system.The paper investigates the task of constructing a multi-channel registration scheme for telemetry information (TMI) to provide a simultaneous reception of the telemeasurement data by multiple telemetry stations and to form a single TMI stream containing the most reliable pieces of received data on the basis of quality analysis of information being received.In a multichannel registering system of TMI there are three main factors affecting the quality of the output of a single stream of information: 1) quality of the method used for protecting against errors during transmission over the communication channel with noise; 2) efficiency of the synchronization process of telemetry frames in the received flow of information; 3) efficiency of the applied criteria to form a single output stream from multiple input streams coming from different stations in the discussed multichannel registering system of TMI.In the paper, in practical implementation of the multi-channel registering system of TMI, additional effect obtained from applying a method of error-correcting coding TMI correcting omissions and inversion bits [1], is applied, as well as the effect of applying the criteria for the choice of parameters of TMI frame synchronizer [2]. This article presents the necessary and effective criteria for constructing the single output stream of information and to assess the quality of the output stream in various realizations of the multi-channel registering system of TMI.The paper discusses two options for building a multi-channel recording system. The first variant of the system does not use additional methods of error-correcting coding during transmission. The second option for constructing a multi-channel system is based on the use of the developed combination of convolutional codes and low-density parity-check (LDPC) (error-correcting coding method presented in [1]).The paper presents selection criteria of the most significant pieces of TMI input streams and a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the proposed implementations. It gives a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed methods for constructing a multichannel recording system of TMI according to the following parameters: 1) bit error rate in the output TMI frame; 2) the percentage of fully reconstructed output frames; 3) the gain defined as the ratio of bit error rate in output TMI output frame for the systems under comparison.</p

Radiation-related hygienic assessment of construction materials in urbanized complexes in the Volgograd region

The concept of safety and assurance of vital human activities in urbanization is one of the most significant backbone concepts of human ecology. The comfort of residential buildings is largely owed to the radiation properties of the construction materials used. Therefore, the radiation-related hygienic support of technological processes and construction procedures is an important issue for the construction industry. Solving problems associated with improving the radiation safety of urbanized complexes depends on implementing legislation in the sphere of limiting human exposure to the impact of naturally occurring radionuclides. The paper presents the results of studies carried out by the authors on the specific activities of naturally occurring radionuclides in the construction materials manufactured and used in the Volgograd region. Through these large-scale studies, it was found out that the construction materials manufactured in the Volgograd region are in compliance with the national legislative and standard requirements; they are referred to as class 1 and can be applied for the construction of residential and public buildings