What does really matter in the internationalization of small and medium-sized family businesses?

During the last decades considerable academic attention has been given to the internationalization of family businesses, as it is often considered a way to revitalize both the family and the business. Despite this increasing attention, the debate on its drivers, challenges and constraints is still inconclusive. The aim of this study is to explore whether incoming generations’ involvement impact the decision to exploit and explore international opportunities and to what extent altruism and competence-based trust mediate that relationship. Three propositions are formulated drawing from international entrepreneurship literature and stewardship theory. To validate this framework, a multiple case study on four Italian family firms has been conducted. The main findings suggest that timing, scope and internationalization modes change in relation to specific family firms’ features. When “epochal” changes (e.g. incoming generation) suddenly break down they contribute positively to the exploration and exploitation of international entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, the existence of interpersonal ties based on altruism and competence-based trust between senior and incoming generations mitigates this relationship

Modelling the behaviour of management operations in cloud-based applications

How to flexibly manage complex applications over heterogeneous clouds is one of the emerging problems in the cloud era. The OASIS Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) aims at solving this problem by providing a language to describe and manage complex cloud applications in a portable, vendoragnostic way. TOSCA permits to define an application as an orchestration of nodes, whose types can specify states, requirements, capabilities and management operations — but not how they interact each another. In this paper we first propose how to extend TOSCA to specify the behaviour of management operations and their relations with states, requirements, and capabilities. We then illustrate how such behaviour can be naturally modelled, in a compositional way, by means of open Petri nets. The proposed modelling permits to automate different analyses, such as determining whether a deployment plan is valid, which are its effects, or which plans allow to reach certain system configurations

Monitoring media pluralism in Europe : testing and implementation of the media pluralism monitor 2014

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has published a Report on the simplification and test implementation of a Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM). The tool is designed to identify potential risks to media pluralism in Member States. The Report tests the application of the tool in 9 Member States

HP-LT metamorphism in Elba Island: Implications for the geodynamic evolution of the inner Northern Apennines (Italy)

The inner Northern Apennines belt (i.e., northern Tyrrhenian Sea and Tuscany) is an Alpine chain affectedby high-P metamorphic conditions during its evolution. Although Elba Island is structurally located closeto the Adria-Europe suture zone, for several authors it represents a sector of the orogen affected bylow-P metamorphism. The involvement of Elba Island tectonic units in high-P metamorphism was onlysuspected for the sparse presence of phengitic white mica in the metasedimentary rocks. This paperpresents the first clear evidence of high-P and low-T metamorphism found in metabasite rocks embed-ded in the Cretaceous calcschist of eastern Elba Island. Mineral composition of metabasite includesGln + Cpx + Ep + Ab + Act + Qtz + Ilm ± Ti-oxide ± Spn and is indicative of a former equilibration in the epi-dote blueschist subfacies and subsequent retrogression in the greenschist facies. Recorded metamorphicconditions are P = 0.9–1.0 GPa and T = 330–350◦C. Tectonic discrimination using immobile elements inthe metabasite does not point to an oceanic setting. As a consequence, the metasedimentary succes-sion containing metabasite is explained as belonging to the Tuscan continental domain and not to theLigurian-Piedmont Ocean, as previously interpreted. Our results have two significant implications: (i)it is confirmed and strengthened that the tectonic stacking of the Elba Island units did not occur in alow-pressure context; (ii) Elba Island is now completely reconciled in the tectonic and metamorphicevolution of the inner Northern Apennines

The lawsonite-glaucophane blueschists of Elba Island (Italy)

Evidence for high-P blueschist-facies metamorphism was found in metabasites embedded in calcschists of Eastern Elba Island (Northern Apennines, Italy). Study of immobile trace elements (REEs and HFSEs) in the metabasites indicates an affinity with T- and E-MORBs, and they are interpreted as sill or dykes intruded in the western margin of the Adria continental plate. The minerals are heterogeneously distributed in the rock, constituting mafic and Ca-Al-rich microdomains inherited respectively from the magmatic pyroxene- and plagioclase-rich zones of the original doleritic rock. The peak pressure paragenesis consisted of lawsonite, aegirine-omphacite, glaucophane and chlorite. Former rhombic prism of lawsonite has been replaced by pseudomorphic clinozoisite (0.1 mm in size) with inclusions of Ms. ± Ab ± Qz. The inclusions are preferentially oriented parallel to one of the diagonals of the basal rhombic sections, indicating that the two diagonals were not crystallographically equivalent. This implies that the protocrystals were orthorhombic prisms with {110} faces, which is the case of lawsonite. The different compositions shown by white mica and epidote in the pseudomorphs (muscovite and Fe3+-poor clinozoisite) and in the matrix (phengite and Fe,sup>3+-rich epidote) also suggest the former presence of Mg- and Fe-poor lawsonite in these rocks. Thermodynamic modelling, using the THERMOCALC software and dataset, suggests that metabasites experienced a clockwise P-T path from the lawsonite-blueschist to epidote-blueschist subfacies, down to greenschist facies. The estimated peak pressure conditions are P ≥ 1.6 GPa and 450 40Ar/39Ar method. This evolution is interpreted in terms: (i) intrusion of basic magmas in carbonatic and pelitic sediments (post-late Cretaceous, pre-Oligocene), (ii) subduction (Oligocene), (iii) collision (early Miocene: 19.8 ± 1.4 Ma), (iv) exhumation and granite intrusion (middle-late Miocene), favored by extensional tectonics. We underline that the eastern part of Elba Island belongs to a blueschist-facies belt that extends from Gorgona Island, in the northwest, to Argentario and Giglio Island in the southeast, so many of the conclusions of this study can be extended to the whole of this belt

La disclosure volontaria del modello di business nel prospetto informativo di quotazione: un’analisi comparative

How do companies to be listed actually deal with voluntary disclosure of their business model? Is it true that firms with greater knowledge-based resources and technological innovation endowments have a lower propensity to adopt fully open communication behaviors? This paper aims to identify the voluntary disclosure policies adopted by three Italian companies in their Initial Public Offering (IPO) prospectuses in order to investigate whether any differences may depend on the type of innovation underlying each business model. A series of interviews conducted with the top management made it possible to understand more deeply the business model of each company. Further, a content analysis has been developed to compute a measure of disclosure and to point out the strategic concepts and their relevance. We provide evidence that companies with a business model based on technology-push innovation have a lower propensity to the full disclosure of their intangible components, particularly of those mainly based on knowledge as these are also invisible. Our study adds to the literature of business and financial reporting by focusing on a new object of inquiry, that is the business model. The business model plays an important role in allowing external actors to understand a company’s value, thus companies’ strategic communication should be shaped accordingly. The results suggest the need to address the issue of voluntary disclosure of the business model by first distinguishing “visible” intangible resources from those that are “invisible” (both to financial and competitive markets). The study aims to make a contribution to the ongoing debate on business and financial reporting practice

0365: Non-peptidic prokineticin receptor 1 agonist as a novel cardioprotective therapeutic

ObjectiveProkineticins are potent angiogenic peptides that bind to two G protein-coupled receptors to initiate their biological effects. We previously have shown that prokineticin receptor-1 (PKR1) signaling contributes to cardiomyocyte survival or repair in myocardial infarction. Here, we discovered the first non-peptidic PKR1 agonists and examined their effects in mice model of heart diseases.Methods and resultsHerein we identify a selective PKR1 agonist both in vitro and in vivo, utilizing GPCR structure-based virtual screening approach. High Throughput Docking was carried out by GOLD using homology model of PKR1. Asinex gold collection 3D chemical databese (250,000 compounds) was screened by the docking protocol. We provided a strategy with a high potential for in silico identifying one agonist hit. We present here IS20, the first synthetic PKR1 agonist that induces angiogenesis in the presence of PKR1 on the endothelial cells seeded on matrigel. IS20 reduced doxorubicin cytotoxicity in H9C2 cells. IS20 promotes mouse epicardial progenitor cell differentiation into endothelial cells. In vivo IS20 activates Akt in mice heart. IS20 treatment of mice after coronary ligation reduces mortality by 30%.ConclusionThis study identifies a non-peptidic PKR1 agonist as therapeutic target holding promise for treatment of heart diseases

Multilevel Contracts for Trusted Components

This article contributes to the design and the verification of trusted components and services. The contracts are declined at several levels to cover then different facets, such as component consistency, compatibility or correctness. The article introduces multilevel contracts and a design+verification process for handling and analysing these contracts in component models. The approach is implemented with the COSTO platform that supports the Kmelia component model. A case study illustrates the overall approach.Comment: In Proceedings WCSI 2010, arXiv:1010.233

The Citrus Flavonoid Naringenin Protects the Myocardium from Ageing-Dependent Dysfunction: Potential Role of SIRT1

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) enzyme plays a pivotal role in the regulation of many physiological functions. In particular, it is implicated in ageing-related diseases, such as cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarct, and endothelial dysfunction; moreover, its expression decreases with age. Therefore, an effective strategy to extend the lifespan and improve cardiovascular function is the enhancement of the expression/activity of SIRT1 with exogenous agents. The Citrus flavonoid naringenin (NAR) presents structural similarity with the natural SIRT1 activator resveratrol. In this study, we demonstrate through in vitro assays that NAR significantly activates SIRT1 enzyme and shows antisenescence effects. The binding mode of NAR into SIRT1 was detailed investigated through in silico studies. Moreover, chronic administration (for six months) of NAR (100 mg/kg/day) to 6-month-old mice leads to an enhancement of SIRT1 expression and a marked reduction of reactive oxygen species production in myocardial tissue. Furthermore, at the end of the treatment, the plasma levels of two well-known markers of cardiovascular inflammation, TNF-α and IL6, are significantly reduced in 12-month-old mice treated with NAR, as well as the cardiovascular risk (total cholesterol/HDL ratio) compared to control mice. Finally, the age-associated fibrotic remodeling, which is well detected through a Mallory trichrome staining in the vehicle-treated 12-month-old mice, is significantly reduced by the chronic treatment with NAR. Moreover, an improvement of myocardium functionality is highlighted by the enhancement of citrate synthase activity and stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential after NAR treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that a nutraceutical approach with NAR may have positive impacts on many critical hallmarks of myocardial senescence, contributing to improve the cardiac performance in aged subjects