Comparison of Spider-Robot Information Models

The paper deduces a mathematical model of a spider-robot with six three-link limbs. Many limbs with a multi-link structure greatly complicate the process of synthesizing a model, since in total the robot has twenty-four degrees of freedom, i.e., three coordinates of the center of mass of the body in space, three angles of rotation of the body relative to its center of mass and three degrees of freedom for each limb, to describe the position of the links. The derived mathematical model is based on the Lagrange equations with a further transformation of the equations to the Cauchy normal form in a matrix form. To test the resulting model in a SimInTech environment, an information model is synthesized and two simple experiments ar carried out to simulate the behavior of real spiders: moving forward in a straight line and turning in place at a given angle. The experimental results demonstrate that the synthesized information model can well cope with the tasks and the mathematical model underlying it can be used for further research

Economic Ideas and Institutional Change: Evidence from Soviet Economic Discourse 1987-1991

In recent years, institutional and evolutionary economists have become increasingly aware that ideas play an important role in economic development. In the current literature, the problem is usually elaborated upon in purely theoretical terms. In the present paper it is argued that ideas are always also shaped by historical and cultural factors. Due to this historical and cultural specificity theoretical research must be supplemented by historical case studies. The paper analyses the shift in ideas that took place in Soviet economic thought between 1987 and 1991. This case study, it is argued, may contribute to our understanding of the links between ideas and institutions. More specifically, it sheds new light on the issue of whether the evolution of economic ideas is pathdependent, so that they change only incrementally, or whether their development takes place in a discontinuous way that can best be compared with revolutions

Transnationalization of multinational corporations: Peculiarities and trends

The paper aims to identify the distinguishing features of transnationalization of international companies in the context of globalization. It discusses the specifics of companies operating in international markets, that carry out foreign direct investments, have representative offices, branches, subsidiaries and joint ventures abroad, as well as conduct international commercial operations. The authors interpret, clarify and verify the development trends and peculiarities of international companies in foreign markets. The methodological platform includes conceptual approaches to the study of the transnationalization of companies’ activities and theoretical provisions of international management. The research is based on UNCTAD and Orbis databases. Analysis of the largest companies reveals that there is an increase in the indicators characterizing their foreign activity. We study structural change in the largest corporations and, above all, a rise in the share of digital companies and their growing importance. Having assessed the transnationalization level of international companies’ activities and FDI lightness, we conclude that transnationalization in the current environment is not associated with companies’ investments in high-value assets. The research results show there are significant changes in the structure of cross-border transactions, such as exchange of goods, services and factors of production. There is a shift from FDI-based cross-border transactions to non-capital outflows

Permafrost-Landscape Map of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) on a Scale 1:1,500,000

The history of permafrost landscape map compilation is related to the study of ecological problems with permafrost. Permafrost-landscape studies are now widely used in geocryological mapping. Permafrost-landscape classifications and mapping are necessary for studying the trends in development of the natural environment in northern and high-altitude permafrost regions. The cryogenic factor in the permafrost zone plays a leading role in the differentiation of landscapes, so it must be considered during classification construction. In this study, a map’s special content was developed using publications about Yakutian nature, archive sources from academic institutes, the interpretation of satellite images, and special field studies. Overlays of 20 types of terrain, identified by geological and geomorphological features, and 36 types of plant groupings, allowed the systematization of permafrost temperature and active layer thickness in 145 landscape units with relatively homogeneous permafrost-landscape conditions in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. This map serves as a basis for applied thematic maps related to the assessment and forecast of permafrost changes during climate warming and anthropogenic impacts