Inertial vs. mindful repetition of previous entry mode choices: do firms always learn from experience?

Experience, meant as the repetition of the same action, is considered a predictor of the entry mode choice in foreign markets because it allows reducing uncertainty. However, repetition does not necessarily increase the expected performance, depending on the learning stemming from previous experiences. Focusing on offshoring decisions, namely the choice between captive and outsourcing entry mode, we distinguish between the inertial repetition of routines vs. the mindful repetition of previous entry modes (where the company distinguishes and internalizes the outcomes of the past offshoring initiatives associated to the entry choices). We claim that: (i) the latter leads to higher growth perspectives for the focal offshoring initiative, and; (ii) learning is higher when repetition concerns captive entry modes. Our empirical analysis, run on 410 companies’ offshoring decisions undertaken from 2006 to 2011, confirms our expectation

First instar larva of Atractocerus brasiliensis (Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1825) (Lymexylidae, Atractocerinae)

A larva de primeiro instar de Atractocerus brasiliensis (Lepetelier & Audinet-Serville, 1825) do estado de Goiás, Brasil, e criada em laboratório, é descrita e ilustrada. Esta é a segunda espécie com larva de primeiro instar conhecida para o gênero e a terceira para a família. Comparações com a larva madura dessa espécie e com as demais larvas de primeiro instar conhecidas são apresentadas. Ilustrações das larvas de primeiro instar e madura também são incluídas.The first instar larva of Atractocerus brasiliensis (Lepetelier & Audinet-Serville, 1825) from state of Goiás, Brazil, and reared in laboratory, is described and illustrated. This is the second species with known first instar larva for the genus and the third for the family. Comparisons with mature larva of this species and with the other known first instar larvae are presented. Illustrations of first instar and mature larvae are also included

The reshoring of business services: reaction to failure or persistent strategy?

This paper investigates whether reshoring of business services is the result of company response to performance shortcomings of the initiative offshored or instead is motivated by persisting with original offshoring strategy (disintegration advantages, accessing new markets and cost-saving), regardless of offshoring performance. Our empirical analysis, based on data from the Offshoring Research Network, shows that both arguments hold. Moreover, when offshoring had been motivated by accessing to new markets and its performance is unsatisfactory, companies are likely to relocate. However, unsatisfactory performance of activities offshored for efficiency reasons or search of talent, do not necessarily lead companies to relocate elsewhere

Co-ordinated report on analysis

No abstract availabl

Evaluation report of demonstrator

No abstract availabl

A green method to prepare nanosilica modified graphene oxide to inhibit nanoparticles re-aggregation during melt processing

A graphene oxide-silica nanohybrid (GOS), self-assembled into a lasagna-like structure, was prepared in water and used as a filler for the melt preparation of polyamide 6 (PA6)-based nanocomposites. For sake of comparison, PA6-based materials were prepared under the same processing conditions by adding GO only or a physical mixture of GO and silica (GO+S). All the materials were characterized from a morphological, spectroscopic, thermal, dynamic-mechanical (DMA) and mechanical point of view. For all the nanocomposites, the interphase was studied either by analyzing loss factor plots coming from DMA measurements and by implementing a novel approach, i.e. combining solvent extraction, SEM and EDX measurements. While GO and GO+S showed an almost negligible effect on the macroscopic features of PA6, due to lack of dispersion, PA6-GOS ternary nanocomposites displayed an outstanding enhancement of mechanical and thermo-mechanical performance. This feature is likely due to the formation of an extended and strong interphase. In fact, the silica layers intercalated between GO lamellae played as an exfoliating agent, thus proving to be particularly efficient in avoiding self-aggregation of GO sheets, while those covalently attached to basal planes of GO acted as a rivet, capable to interlock the surrounding polymer chains. Finally, with respect to other techniques commonly adopted for the fabrication of polymer-graphene nanocomposites, the green route herein proposed does not involve any toxic solvent nor time-consuming protocols, and allows achieving remarkable improvements in stiffening (up to +180%), strengthening (up to +210%) and toughening (up to +210%) at extremely low filler contents (0.25% or 0.5%)

Macroinvertebrados associados a macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes em canais urbanos de escoamento pluvial (Balneário Cassino, Rio Grande, RS)

The Balneário Cassino is located at south coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul State. It has channels to pluvial running in all of its extension, with dense stands of floating macrophytes. The aim of this study was to characterize macroinvertebrates associated with these macrophytes, which were sampled in five sampling points (P1 Pistia stratiotes; P2 Spirodela intermedia; P3 Eichhornia crassipes; P4 Salvinia minima and P5 Eichhornia crassipes), monthly, with a net (500 ? mesh size) in triplicates, between March 2000 and February 2001. The macrophytes were washed on 500 ? mesh size sieve, the retained material preserved in 80 % alcohol and then separated at stereomicroscope. The plants were dried (60o C) to obtain the dry weight. At each point dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and electric conductivity, and nutrient (P and N) concentrations were measured. The associated community was assessed with taxa abundance and occurrence, and calculated the Shannon- Wiener diversity index and homogeneity (J’, Pielou). The Dice-Sorensen similarity among plants was estimated. Eichhornia crassipes (P5) had the highest relative density (116,723.61 org. 100g DW-1) and the higher taxa number (46). In all plant species Chironomidae (Diptera), Oligochaeta and Copepoda predominated in abundance and density. The associated community showed high similarity among macrophyte species, with significant difference in H’(p < 0.05), varying between 2.51 (E. crassipes P3 in spring) and 0.98 (S. minima P4 in summer). Low concentration of dissolved oxygen (between 1.4 and 7.6 mg.L-1) and high nutrient concentration (total-P between 0.01 and 4.81 mg.L-1 , and total-N between 0.35 and 14.94 mg.L-1) suggesting an eutrophication process in these channels, mainly during summer months, when increased population and domestic sewage contribution to this systems. This process is reflected by macroinvertebrate community, by the predominant groups, and indicates the deterioration of water quality of these channels.Key words: macroinvertebrates, aquatic macrophytes, phytofauna, urban channels.O balneário Cassino localiza-se no município de Rio Grande, na planície costeira sul do Rio Grande do Sul. Apresenta em toda sua extensão canais construídos para escoamento pluvial, onde desenvolvem-se densos estandes de macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes. Com o objetivo de caracterizar as comunidades de macroinvertebrados associados às macrófitas, estas foram coletadas mensalmente em tréplicas, com rede de malha de 500 ?, de março de 2000 a fevereiro de 2001, em um total de cinco pontos, sendo P1 com Pistia stratiotes, P2 com Spirodela intermedia, P3 com Eichhornia crassipes, P4 com Salvinia minima, e P5 com Eichhornia crassipes. Em laboratório, foram lavadas em água corrente sobre peneira de 500 ? e o material conservado em álcool 80% e posteriormente separado em estereomicroscópio. As plantas foram secas em estufa (a 60º C), para estimativa do peso seco. Em cada ponto foram mensuradas as variáveis abióticas oxigênio dissolvido, temperatura, pH e condutividade elétrica, e determinadas as concentrações de nutrientes totais. A comunidade associada foi avaliada quanto a abundância e composição taxonômica, e foram determinados os índices de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener (H’) e homogeneidade de Pielou (J’), além do índice de similaridade de Dice-Sorensen entre as espécies de plantas. E. crassipes (P5) apresentou a maior densidade relativa (116.723,61 org. 100g P.S.-1) e o maior número de táxons (46). Houve em todas as plantas predominância em abundância e densidade de larvas de Chironomidae (Diptera) , Oligochaeta e Copepoda . A comunidade mostrou-se similar entre todas as macrófitas, embora com diferenças (p<0,05) entre os valores de H’, que variaram entre 2,51 (E. crassipes, P3, na primavera) e 0,98 (S. minima, P4, no verão). Os baixos teores de oxigênio dissolvido (entre 1,4 (verão, P4) e 7,6 mg.L-1 (inverno, P1) e altas concentrações de nutrientes (P-total entre 0,10 e 4,81 mg. L-1 e N-total entre 0,35 e 14,94 mg. L-1) dão indicações de um processo de eutrofização nesses canais, principalmente durante os meses de verão, quando o aporte de maior número de pessoas ao balneário traz como conseqüência maior despejo de lixo e esgoto doméstico de forma irregular nesses sistemas, comprometendo a qualidade da água, como demonstrado pela predominância de grupos de macroinvertebrados tolerantes a estresse ambiental. Palavras-chave: macroinvertebrados, macrófitas aquáticas, fitofauna, canais urbanos

Macroinvertebrados associados a macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes em canais urbanos de escoamento pluvial (Balneário Cassino, Rio Grande, RS)

The Balneário Cassino is located at south coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul State. It has channels to pluvial running in all of its extension, with dense stands of floating macrophytes. The aim of this study was to characterize macroinvertebrates associated with these macrophytes, which were sampled in five sampling points (P1 Pistia stratiotes; P2 Spirodela intermedia; P3 Eichhornia crassipes; P4 Salvinia minima and P5 Eichhornia crassipes), monthly, with a net (500 ? mesh size) in triplicates, between March 2000 and February 2001. The macrophytes were washed on 500 ? mesh size sieve, the retained material preserved in 80 % alcohol and then separated at stereomicroscope. The plants were dried (60o C) to obtain the dry weight. At each point dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and electric conductivity, and nutrient (P and N) concentrations were measured. The associated community was assessed with taxa abundance and occurrence, and calculated the Shannon- Wiener diversity index and homogeneity (J’, Pielou). The Dice-Sorensen similarity among plants was estimated. Eichhornia crassipes (P5) had the highest relative density (116,723.61 org. 100g DW-1) and the higher taxa number (46). In all plant species Chironomidae (Diptera), Oligochaeta and Copepoda predominated in abundance and density. The associated community showed high similarity among macrophyte species, with significant difference in H’(p < 0.05), varying between 2.51 (E. crassipes P3 in spring) and 0.98 (S. minima P4 in summer). Low concentration of dissolved oxygen (between 1.4 and 7.6 mg.L-1) and high nutrient concentration (total-P between 0.01 and 4.81 mg.L-1 , and total-N between 0.35 and 14.94 mg.L-1) suggesting an eutrophication process in these channels, mainly during summer months, when increased population and domestic sewage contribution to this systems. This process is reflected by macroinvertebrate community, by the predominant groups, and indicates the deterioration of water quality of these channels.Key words: macroinvertebrates, aquatic macrophytes, phytofauna, urban channels.O balneário Cassino localiza-se no município de Rio Grande, na planície costeira sul do Rio Grande do Sul. Apresenta em toda sua extensão canais construídos para escoamento pluvial, onde desenvolvem-se densos estandes de macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes. Com o objetivo de caracterizar as comunidades de macroinvertebrados associados às macrófitas, estas foram coletadas mensalmente em tréplicas, com rede de malha de 500 ?, de março de 2000 a fevereiro de 2001, em um total de cinco pontos, sendo P1 com Pistia stratiotes, P2 com Spirodela intermedia, P3 com Eichhornia crassipes, P4 com Salvinia minima, e P5 com Eichhornia crassipes. Em laboratório, foram lavadas em água corrente sobre peneira de 500 ? e o material conservado em álcool 80% e posteriormente separado em estereomicroscópio. As plantas foram secas em estufa (a 60º C), para estimativa do peso seco. Em cada ponto foram mensuradas as variáveis abióticas oxigênio dissolvido, temperatura, pH e condutividade elétrica, e determinadas as concentrações de nutrientes totais. A comunidade associada foi avaliada quanto a abundância e composição taxonômica, e foram determinados os índices de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener (H’) e homogeneidade de Pielou (J’), além do índice de similaridade de Dice-Sorensen entre as espécies de plantas. E. crassipes (P5) apresentou a maior densidade relativa (116.723,61 org. 100g P.S.-1) e o maior número de táxons (46). Houve em todas as plantas predominância em abundância e densidade de larvas de Chironomidae (Diptera) , Oligochaeta e Copepoda . A comunidade mostrou-se similar entre todas as macrófitas, embora com diferenças (p<0,05) entre os valores de H’, que variaram entre 2,51 (E. crassipes, P3, na primavera) e 0,98 (S. minima, P4, no verão). Os baixos teores de oxigênio dissolvido (entre 1,4 (verão, P4) e 7,6 mg.L-1 (inverno, P1) e altas concentrações de nutrientes (P-total entre 0,10 e 4,81 mg. L-1 e N-total entre 0,35 e 14,94 mg. L-1) dão indicações de um processo de eutrofização nesses canais, principalmente durante os meses de verão, quando o aporte de maior número de pessoas ao balneário traz como conseqüência maior despejo de lixo e esgoto doméstico de forma irregular nesses sistemas, comprometendo a qualidade da água, como demonstrado pela predominância de grupos de macroinvertebrados tolerantes a estresse ambiental. Palavras-chave: macroinvertebrados, macrófitas aquáticas, fitofauna, canais urbanos

Architectural concept of analyser

No abstract availabl