IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION ON STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND THE ROLE OF TOP MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT The management literature draws attention to the gap of strategic alliances (SA) in the paradigm of entrepreneurial orientation (EO). The aim of this paper is to propose a model where EO is associated with SA, this relationship being influenced by its predecessor (top management), and EO working as a multidimensional construct. Data collected from 101 Brazilian firms were analyzed using structural equation modeling and supported those hypotheses. Improving firms' EO, particularly risk taking (RT), is important in order to promote SA. Obviously, top management can influence SA, but firms with an RT competence are more likely to promote SAs and conduct their implementation. Therefore, the present study offers the following contributions: (1) consolidating the EO construct by using it in a multidimensional way in a reflexive model, particularly the risk dimension; (2) advancing studies relating EO and SA by showing that top management has a significant influence on the EO-SA relationship; (3) the model used is robust and representative of the field of strategy and entrepreneurship as it explained 25.5% of the EO-SA relationship; (4) we suggest that EO should be used to increase SA and firm performance, which can reduce entrance barriers and business risks, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Genome-Wide Analyses of MADS-Box Genes in <i>Humulus lupulus</i> L. Reveal Potential Participation in Plant Development, Floral Architecture, and Lupulin Gland Metabolism

MADS-box transcription factors (TFs) are involved in multiple plant development processes and are most known during the reproductive transition and floral organ development. Very few genes have been characterized in the genome of Humulus lupulus L. (Cannabaceae), an important crop for the pharmaceutical and beverage industries. The MADS-box family has not been studied in this species yet. We identified 65 MADS-box genes in the hop genome, of which 29 encode type-II TFs (27 of subgroup MIKCC and 2 MIKC*) and 36 type-I proteins (26 α, 9 β, and 1 γ). Type-II MADS-box genes evolved more complex architectures than type-I genes. Interestingly, we did not find FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) homologs, a transcription factor that acts as a floral repressor and is negatively regulated by cold. This result provides a molecular explanation for a previous work showing that vernalization is not a requirement for hop flowering, which has implications for its cultivation in the tropics. Analysis of gene ontology and expression profiling revealed genes potentially involved in the development of male and female floral structures based on the differential expression of ABC homeotic genes in each whorl of the flower. We identified a gene exclusively expressed in lupulin glands, suggesting a role in specialized metabolism in these structures. In toto, this work contributes to understanding the evolutionary history of MADS-box genes in hop, and provides perspectives on functional genetic studies, biotechnology, and crop breeding

Effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on peripheral nerve regeneration using fibrin glue derived from snake venom

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the adhesive permits the collateral repair of axons originating from a vagus nerve to the interior of a sural nerve graft, and whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) assists in the regeneration process.Materials and methods: Study sample consisted of 32 rats randomly separated into three groups: Control Group (CG; n = 8), from which the intact sural nerve was collected; Experimental Group (EG; n = 12), in which one of the ends of the sural nerve graft was coapted to the vagus nerve using the fibrin glue; and Experimental Group Laser (EGL; n = 12), in which the animals underwent the same procedures as those in EG with the addition of LLLT. Ten weeks after surgery, the animals were euthanized. Morphological analysis by means of optical and electron microscopy, and morphometry of the regenerated fibers were employed to evaluate the results.Results: Collateral regeneration of axons was observed from the vagus nerve to the interior of the autologous graft in EG and EGL, and in CG all dimensions measured were greater and presented a significant difference in relation to EG and EGL, except for the area and thickness of the myelin sheath, that showed significant difference only in relation to the EG.Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that the fibrin glue makes axonal regeneration feasible and is an efficient method to recover injured peripheral nerves, and the use of low-level laser therapy enhances nerve regeneration. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Laços familiares e aspectos materiais da dinâmica mercantil na cidade de São Paulo (séculos XVIII e XIX)

Based on the family ties established within the active merchant community of the city of São Paulo through the 18th and 19th centuries, the author sets out to tell the life story of nine merchants involved in matrimonial alliances, with a focus on the transactions carried out, their sociopolitical engagement and the fortunes of their descendants. Having done that, she seeks out connections between the urban development of the city center and the activities of these businessmen by means of analyses centered on the material aspects of their lives, particularly those related to their homes and home furniture

Neotropical freshwater fisheries : A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications