From export entry to de-internationalisation through entrepreneurial attributes

Purpose: This study examines export behaviour from a broad perspective considering the influence of entrepreneurial attributes on export entry, export sustainability and de-internationalisation in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: Based on theoretical underpinnings from the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm and the Institutional Economics (IE) framework, the proposed hypotheses are tested with a rich survey dataset of 319 Romanian SMEs. The data are analysed by means of a multinomial logit regression. Findings: The study reveals that exporting is not a single event and that variables commonly used to study export propensity linked to the entrepreneurial attributes have a differential influence over the export decisions. More concretely, export entry is positively impacted by the presence of management studies and an entrepreneurial team while sustainment in the international arena is strongly and positively influenced by decision-makers’ prior labour experience. De-internationalisation is explained by the entrepreneurs’ fear of business failure. The conclusions of this study point towards a holistic view of export policy-making revealing relevant implications for SMEs’ internationalisation. Originality/value: This study enriches the international business literature by simultaneously examining different export decisions, namely export initiation, sustainability and de-internationalisation, at the SMEs’ level in a Central and Eastern European (CEE) emerging market. The paper also highlights the dynamic character of entrepreneurial resources and suggests that at distinct stages in the international development of a SME, different entrepreneurial attributes may play a significant role.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

A framework for the joint placement of edge service infrastructure and User Plane Functions for 5G

Achieving less than 1 ms end-to-end communication latency, required for certain 5G services and use cases, is imposing severe technical challenges for the deployment of next-generation networks. To achieve such an ambitious goal, the service infrastructure and User Plane Function (UPF) placement at the network edge, is mandatory. However, this solution implies a substantial increase in deployment and operational costs. To cost-effectively solve this joint placement problem, this paper introduces a framework to jointly address the placement of edge nodes (ENs) and UPFs. Our framework proposal relies on Integer Linear Programming (ILP) and heuristic solutions. The main objective is to determine the ENs and UPFs’ optimal number and locations to minimize overall costs while satisfying the service requirements. To this aim, several parameters and factors are considered, such as capacity, latency, costs and site restrictions. The proposed solutions are evaluated based on different metrics and the obtained results showcase over 20% cost savings for the service infrastructure deployment. Moreover, the gap between the UPF placement heuristic and the optimal solution is equal to only one UPF in the worst cases, and a computation time reduction of over 35% is achieved in all the use cases studied.Postprint (author's final draft

Rational vs emotional communication models. Definition parameters of advertising discourses

The new information technology, as well as changes in the consumer, have generated transformations in the strategic advertising focus. Since rational communication focuses on the product, it seeks clarity by articulating benefits and by relying on strategic mechanisms such as Reeves’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Through this article, we conducted a theoretical review of the resulting rational and emotional communication models from combining different parameters that result in new advertising discourses. For this, we will combine the theory with examples of awarded cases in different Advertising contests to understand the current thin line between the rational and emotional advertising messages.Las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información, así como los cambios en el consumidor, han generado transformaciones en el enfoque estratégico publicitario. La comunicación racional, al estar centrada en el producto, busca la claridad, articulando beneficios claros y apoyándose en mecanismos estratégicos como la Unique Selling Proposition (USP) de Reeves. Por medio de este artículo, realizamos una revisión teórica sobre los modelos de comunicación racional y emocional resultantes si combinamos diferentes parámetros que dan como resultado nuevos discursos publicitarios. Para ello, combinaremos la parte teórica con ejemplos de casos galardonados en diferentes certámenes de Publicidad para comprender la delgada línea entre lo racional y emocional q

Asymmetric microbial conversion of (E)-2-benzylideneindan-1-one by the filamentous fungi Botrytis cinerea, Trichoderma viride, and Eutypa lata

The transformation of (E)-2-benzylideneindan-1-one 1 by the filamentous fungi Botrytis cinerea, Trichoderma viride, and Eutypa lata as biocatalysts was studied. The results showed the catalytic potential of these fungi in affording several hydroxylation and reduction products, three of them reported here for the first time. The absolute configuration of enantiomerically pure 2-benzylindane derivatives was determined

Rational vs emotional communication models. Definition parameters of advertising discourses

The new information technology, as well as changes in the consumer, have generated transformations in the strategic advertising focus. Since rational communication focuses on the product, it seeks clarity by articulating benefits and by relying on strategic mechanisms such as Reeves’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Through this article, we conducted a theoretical review of the resulting rational and emotional communication models from combining different parameters that result in new advertising discourses. For this, we will combine the theory with examples of awarded cases in different Advertising contests to understand the current thin line between the rational and emotional advertising messages.Las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información, así como los cambios en el consumidor, han generado transformaciones en el enfoque estratégico publicitario. La comunicación racional, al estar centrada en el producto, busca la claridad, articulando beneficios claros y apoyándose en mecanismos estratégicos como la Unique Selling Proposition (USP) de Reeves. Por medio de este artículo, realizamos una revisión teórica sobre los modelos de comunicación racional y emocional resultantes si combinamos diferentes parámetros que dan como resultado nuevos discursos publicitarios. Para ello, combinaremos la parte teórica con ejemplos de casos galardonados en diferentes certámenes de Publicidad para comprender la delgada línea entre lo racional y emocional q

Pollutants Biodegradation by Fungi

Revisión sobre los mecanismos de detoxificación de contaminantes por hongosOne of the major problems facing the industrialized world today is the contamination of soils, ground water, sediments, surfacewater and air with hazardous and toxic chemicals. The application of microorganisms which degrade or transform hazardous organic contaminants to less toxic compounds has become increasingly popular in recent years. This review, with approximately 300 references covering the period 2005-2008, describes the use of fungi as a method of bioremediation to clean up environmental pollutants

Esquemas distribuídos para seleção de múltiplas antenas em redes com retransmissores do tipo amplifica-e-encaminha

Orientador: José Cândido Silveira Santos FilhoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: A seleção de antena na transmissão tem sido apresentada como uma estratégia promissora para explorar os benefícios do uso de múltiplas antenas em sistemas de comunicações com retransmissores. No entanto, essa abordagem pode exigir um montante considerável de estimações de canal, transmissões de realimentação e atraso, dado que a sua implementação ótima e centralizada requer o monitoramento do estado do canal de todos os enlaces. Para aliviar essas deficiências, este trabalho propõe e analisa um conjunto de esquemas subótimos de seleção de antena na transmissão para sistemas com retransmissores do tipo amplifica-e-encaminha, os quais podem ser implementados de uma forma distribuída. Nos esquemas propostos, a antena é selecionada com base na informação local do estado de canal que está disponível na fonte, requerendo, portanto, um atraso e uma carga de realimentação pequenos e constantes. Tal abordagem é considerada em uso conjunto com diferentes técnicas, incluindo métodos de combinação de diversidade (combinação por máxima razão e combinação por seleção) no destino, protocolos de ganho fixo ou variável no relay, e transceptores com múltiplas antenas no relay. Além disso, para o caso particular em que o retransmissor tem ganho fixo e uma única antena, considera-se também o uso de um mecanismo de seleção de enlace na fonte. Para cada caso, o desempenho do sistema é avaliado em termos de probabilidade de outage, eficiência espectral e/ou vazão. O foco principal é direcionado à probabilidade de outage, para a qual são deduzidas expressões exatas e limitantes de desempenho. Uma análise assintótica é também efetuada para enriquecer a compreensão do comportamento do sistema quando operando sob alta relação sinal-ruído. Finalmente, como contribuição isolada, uma estratégia subótima e simples de alocação de potência é elaborada para um sistema com múltiplos retransmissores do tipo decodifica-e-encaminha, considerando-se enlaces com erros e codificação de fonte distribuídaAbstract: Transmit-antenna selection has been presented as a promising strategy for exploiting the benefits of multiple antennas in relaying communication systems. However, this approach may demand a considerable amount of channel estimations, feedback transmissions, and delay, since its optimal centralized implementation requires monitoring the channel state of all links. To alleviate those impairments, this work proposes and analyzes a set of suboptimal transmit-antenna selection schemes for amplify-and-forward relaying systems, which can be implemented in a distributed manner. In the proposed schemes, the antenna is selected based on the local channel-state information that is available at the source, thus requiring a low and constant delay/feedback overhead. Such an approach is considered along with different techniques, including diversity combining methods (maximal-ratio combining and selection combining) at the destination, fixed- and variable-gain protocols at the relay, and multi-antenna transceivers at the relay. A link-selection mechanism at the source is also considered for the special case of a single-antenna fixed-gain relay. For each case, the system performance is assessed in terms of outage probability, spectral efficiency, and/or throughput. The main focus is placed on the outage probability, for which exact or bound expressions are derived. An asymptotic analysis is also performed to provide further insights into the system behavior at high signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, as an isolated contribution, a simple suboptimal power allocation strategy is designed for a decode-and-forward multi-relay system with lossy intra-links and distributed source codingDoutoradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaDoutora em Engenharia ElétricaCAPE

La claridad y el orden en la narración del discurso jurídico

En aquest article estudiem dos aspectes essencials per a l'efectivitat de la comunicació jurídica a través del llenguatge escrit: la claredat i l'ordre en la narració.En una primera part, s'exposa la base jurídica i la de polítiques públiques que fonamenten l'exigència raonable d'un discurs jurídic clar i ordenat. Seguidament es plantegen dos aspectes relatius a la narrativa jurídica; en primer lloc, la seva funció general en el marc del discurs; i, en segon lloc, aquelles qüestions que, de manera més específica, s'han de cuidar en la construcció d'oracions i paràgrafs. Finalment, es mostren diversos escrits legals fonamentals en els quals la narrativa adquireix un significat substancial.This article explores two fundamental aspects of effective legal communication through written language: narrative clarity and order. The first section discusses the legal basis and public policies that underlie the need for a clear and well-organised legal discourse. The following section focuses on clarity and organisation within the context of legal discourse: first, by analysing their basic function in legal writing and, second, by exploring specific questions concerning the construction of sentences and paragraphs which the writer must pay special attention to. The article then concludes by providing examples of legal writing in which narration plays a significant role within the text.En este artículo estudiamos dos aspectos esenciales para la efectividad de la comunicación jurídica a través del lenguaje escrito: la claridad y el orden en la narración. En una primera parte, se expone la base jurídica y la de políticas publicas que fundamentan la exigencia razonable de un discurso jurídico claro y ordenado. Seguidamente se plantean dos aspectos relativos a la narrativa jurídica; en pirmer lugar, su función general en el marco del discurso; y en segundo lugar, aquellas cuestiones que, de manera más específica, deben cuidarse en la construcción de oraciones y párrafos. Por último, se muestran diversos escritos legales fundamentales en los que la narrativa adquiere un significado sustancial.