Assessing the drivers of virtual knowledge management impact in European Firm’s performance : an exploratory analysis

E-Business is a phenomenon that has progressed over the past decades at record speed, with considerable promise and hype. It has been embraced with varying degrees of enthusiasm and impact by both large firms and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). Parallel with its development, E-Business has attracted research interests, seen in a plethora of new modules, programmes, models and tools. Knowledge Management (KM) is one tool that seams to gain a more relevant role, especially as managing knowledge has become increasingly important to all companies. Appropriate KM practices within organisations can be seen as one of the prerequisites to the enhancement of continuous performance improvement in the interne-based context. Thus, our aim is to develop a conceptual framework related to KM practices in a virtual context and to identify the nature of the relationship existing in those knowledge-driven elements and performance achievements. This paper aims to bridge the gap between the KM and e-business performance-related literatures from the viewpoint of European firms by establishing a model tested in European companies. For this purpose, we used a structural equation modelling analysis. The results show that KM has a positive impact on the maximization of e-business performance and that some elements individually have a positive influence on e-business performance. As limitations of the study, we consider the need for more research into this field and the inclusion of news elements such as technological readiness and management support to KM initiatives. The present study advances knowledge on the nature of the relative importance of different components of Internet-based KM as drivers of e-business performance and reinforces its importance as an integrated e-business tool.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Internet sales as a new mode of internationalization

The way that organizations explore the Internet has been the focus of a substantial body of scientific studies and non-academic reflection. The main goal of this study is to analyze the potential of the internet as a mode of internationalization and the factors that influence the results of the adoption of this mean to access foreign markets. For this purpose, we examine the determinants of the level of international sales made via internet estimating an ordered probit model. The results show that the importance of previous experience in using the internet and developing international activity, together with the level of internet marketing budget , the level of investment on internet sophistication, the firm dimension, the business age and the type pf activity are variables that determine the results obtain in the international sales trough the internet.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recent advances in magnetic electrospun nanofibers for cancer theranostics application

Funding Information: This article is a result of the project PTDC/CTM-CTM/30623/2017 supported by the Lisbon Regional Operational Program (Lisboa 2020) and Alentejo Regional Operational Program (Alentejo 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ). This work is funded by National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Reference UID/CTM/50025/2019 and FCT / MCTES . P.S. also acknowledges the individual contract CEECIND.03189.2020.Cancer theranostics is a recent concept that aims to combine in the same device diagnostic and therapeutic features. Magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) are commonly used as a critical part of these systems due to their ability to respond to an external magnetic field. Consequently, mNPs can generate heat when an alternating magnetic field is applied and enhance image contrast in magnetic resonance. However, direct administration of mNPs intravenously or directly in the tumor can lead to undesired side effects because of mNP elimination by macrophages or leakage to healthy tissues. Therefore, mNPs can be retained in a polymeric nanofibrous mesh, thus preventing misplacing or loss of mNPs. Furthermore, these magnetic nanofibers can be directly implanted in the tumor site, thus ensuring high mNPs loading and higher magnetic response. In addition, polymeric nanofibers produced by electrospinning are frequently used to maintain a sustained drug release in the tumor site. Therefore, a magnetic polymeric nanofiber produced by electrospinning is an ideal nanosystem for cancer theranostics application. This review summarizes the most recent developments of magnetic nanofibers produced by electrospinning for cancer theranostics applications.proofinpres

Ground-motion simulation in the Lower Tagus Valley Basin

Throughout history, the Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) region has been shaken by several earthquakes, including some with moderate to large magnitudes and with sources located inside the basin, for example the 1344 (M6.0) and 1909 (M6.0) earthquakes. Previous simulations (Bezzeghoud et al. Natural Hazard 69: 1229–1245, 2011) have revealed strong amplification of the amplitude waves in the region, because of the effect of the low-velocity sediments that fill the basin. The model used in those simulations was updated in this work by including new high-resolution geophysical and geotechnical data available for the area (seismic reflection, aeromagnetic, gravimetric, deep wells, standard penetration tests, and geological data). To contribute to improved assessment of seismic hazard in the LTV, we simulated propagation of seismic waves produced by moderate earthquakes in a 3D heterogeneous medium by using elastic finite-difference wave propagation code. The method, successfully used by Grandin et al. (Geophys J Int 171: 1144–1161, 2007), involves evaluation of the seismic potential of known faults in the area studied and three-dimensional seismic ground motion modelling by use of finite difference methods. On the basis of this methodology, we calculated the ground motion for the April 23, 1909, Benavente (Portugal) earthquake (Mw = 6.0) in dense grid points, then computed the synthetic isoseismic map of the area by use of appropriate relationships between seismic intensity (MMI) and peak ground velocity (PGV). The synthetic results, in contrast with available macroseismic and instrumental data, enable validation of the source models proposed for the area, identification of the sources of historical earthquakes, and could also indicate which areas are more exposed to seismic ground motion

Incorporation of dual-stimuli responsive microgels in nanofibrous membranes for cancer treatment by magnetic hyperthermia

Funding Information: This work is funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Program and National Funds through FCT?Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project POCI?01-0145-FEDER-007688 (Reference UID/CTM/50025) and PTDC/CTMCTM/30623/2017 (DREaMM).The delivery of multiple anti-cancer agents holds great promise for better treatments. The present work focuses on developing multifunctional materials for simultaneous and local combi-natory treatment: Chemotherapy and hyperthermia. We first produced hybrid microgels (MG), synthesized by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization, consisting of Poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm), chitosan (40 wt.%), and iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) (5 wt.%) as the inorganic compo-nent. PNIPAAm MGs with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 1 µm (in their swollen state) were successfully synthesized. With the incorporation of chitosan and NPs in PNIPAAm MG, a decrease in MG diameter and swelling capacity was observed, without affecting their thermosensitivity. We then sought to produce biocompatible and mechanically robust membranes containing these dual-responsive MG. To achieve this, MG were incorporated in poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) fibers through colloidal electrospinning. The presence of NPs in MG decreases the membrane swelling ratio from 10 to values between 6 and 7, and increases the material stiffness, raising its Young modulus from 20 to 35 MPa. Furthermore, magnetic hyperthermia assay shows that PVP-MG-NP composites perform better than any other formulation, with a temperature variation of about 1◦C. The present work demonstrates the potential of using multifunctional colloidal membranes for magnetic hyperthermia and may in the future be used as an alternative treatment for cancer.publishersversionpublishe

Injectable composite systems based on microparticles in hydrogels for bioactive cargo controlled delivery

Funding Information: Funding: This work is funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Program and National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project POCI— 01-0145-FEDER-007688 (Reference UID/CTM/50025) and PTDC/CTMCTM/30623/2017 (DREaMM). H.C. also acknowledges FCT for the PhD grant with reference SFRH/BD/144986/2019. P.S. also acknowledges the individual contract CEECIND.03189.2020. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Engineering drug delivery systems (DDS) aim to release bioactive cargo to a specific site within the human body safely and efficiently. Hydrogels have been used as delivery matrices in different studies due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatility in biomedical purposes. Microparticles have also been used as drug delivery systems for similar reasons. The combination of microparticles and hydrogels in a composite system has been the topic of many research works. These composite systems can be injected in loco as DDS. The hydrogel will serve as a barrier to protect the particles and retard the release of any bioactive cargo within the particles. Additionally, these systems allow different release profiles, where different loads can be released sequentially, thus allowing a synergistic treatment. The reported advantages from several studies of these systems can be of great use in biomedicine for the development of more effective DDS. This review will focus on in situ injectable microparticles in hydrogel composite DDS for biomedical purposes, where a compilation of different studies will be analysed and reported herein.publishersversionpublishe

Optimization of Hydrogel Composition based on Rheological Behavior

Funding Information: This work was financed by national funds from FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the projects LA/P/0037/2020, UIDP/50025/2020 and UIDB/50025/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication–i3N. H.C. acknowledges FCT for the PhD grant with reference SFRH/BD/144986/2019 and P.S. acknowledges the individual contract CEECIND. 03189.2020. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Due to the high complexity of some treatments, there is a need to develop drug-delivery systems that can release multiple drugs/bioactive agents at different stages of treatment. In this study, a thermoresponsive injectable dual-release system was developed with gellan gum/alginate microparticles (GG:Alg) within a thermoresponsive Pluronic hydrogel composed of a mixture of Pluronic F127 and F68. The increase in F68 ratio and decrease in F127 lead to higher transition temperatures. The addition of the GG:Alg microparticles decreased the transition temperatures with a linear tendency. In Pluronic aqueous solutions (20 wt.%), the F127:F68 ratios of 16:4 and 17:3 (wt.%:wt.%) and the addition of microparticles (up to 15 wt.%) maintained the sol–gel transition temperatures within a suitable range (between 25 °C and 37 °C). Microparticles did not hinder the injectability of the system in the sol phase. Methylene blue was used as a model drug to evaluate the release mechanisms from microparticles, hydrogel, and composite system. The hydrogel delayed the release of methylene blue from the microparticles. The hydrogel loaded with methylene blue released at a faster rate than the microparticles within the hydrogel, thus demonstrating a dual-release profile.publishersversionpublishe