Organisational routines and interfirm collaboration : measurement dilemmas and recommendations for further research steps

Purpose: The paper aims mainly to present the results and consequences of measurement inaccuracies and to make recommendations for further research. Design/Methodology/Approach: We began our research by providing studies on the theoretical origins of constructs in survey questions. Specifically, we studied the theorems and related constructs. We then reviewed the measurement of the constructs, selecting reliable scales. We conducted an initial study on 101 firms in Poland randomly selected from the high-technology sector, specifically the IT sector. We selected an industry in which inter-firm relationships are common. They are distinguished by high innovation, short product and process life cycles and therefor require many relationships to meet customer expectations. The respondents were top managers. The inclusive criterion was their employment of at least five employees. Collected data were analysed with Statistica 13 software (TIBCO Software Inc. (2017). Findings: After solving measurement dilemmas we made methodological recommendations regarding population structure and scales revealing particular constructs. Originality/Value: The implementation of the recommendations aforementioned would allow to formulate and verify hypotheses resulting from the propositions we have formulated while proposing our research framework. Additionally, we obtained a new Propensity to Collaborate scale as the questions referred to particular dimensions joined in quite different groups. Hence, one item has been deleted and the dimensions have been combined. We propose to check the new scale (without dimensions) in the future research.peer-reviewe

A fundamental rule: determining the importance of flow prior to polymer crystallization

A continuum-level model for non-isothermal polymer crystallization following a complex flow is presented, along with a fundamental rule that may be employed to determine if the flow will influence the ensuing crystallization dynamics. This rule is based on two dimensionless parameters: the (Rouse) Weissenberg number, and an inverse Deborah number de�ned by the ratio between the time taken to cool to the melting point versus the stretch relaxation time, which determines the time available for flow-enhanced crystallization. Moreover, we show how the time to reach the melting point can be derived semi-analytically and expressed in terms of the processing conditions in the case of pipe flow - ubiquitous in polymer processing. Whilst the full numerical model is required to quantitatively predict induction times and spherulite-size distributions, the proposed fundamental rule may be used practically to ensure, or eliminate, flow-enhanced structures by controlling the processing conditions or material properties. We discuss how ow-enhanced structures may be revealed only after post-processing annealing, and finally examine previous works that have successfully applied the model to extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing

An effector-reduced anti-β-amyloid (Aβ) antibody with unique aβ binding properties promotes neuroprotection and glial engulfment of Aβ.

Passive immunization against β-amyloid (Aβ) has become an increasingly desirable strategy as a therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, traditional passive immunization approaches carry the risk of Fcγ receptor-mediated overactivation of microglial cells, which may contribute to an inappropriate proinflammatory response leading to vasogenic edema and cerebral microhemorrhage. Here, we describe the generation of a humanized anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody of an IgG4 isotype, known as MABT5102A (MABT). An IgG4 subclass was selected to reduce the risk of Fcγ receptor-mediated overactivation of microglia. MABT bound with high affinity to multiple forms of Aβ, protected against Aβ1-42 oligomer-induced cytotoxicity, and increased uptake of neurotoxic Aβ oligomers by microglia. Furthermore, MABT-mediated amyloid plaque removal was demonstrated using in vivo live imaging in hAPP((V717I))/PS1 transgenic mice. When compared with a human IgG1 wild-type subclass, containing the same antigen-binding variable domains and with equal binding to Aβ, MABT showed reduced activation of stress-activated p38MAPK (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase) in microglia and induced less release of the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα. We propose that a humanized IgG4 anti-Aβ antibody that takes advantage of a unique Aβ binding profile, while also possessing reduced effector function, may provide a safer therapeutic alternative for passive immunotherapy for AD. Data from a phase I clinical trial testing MABT is consistent with this hypothesis, showing no signs of vasogenic edema, even in ApoE4 carriers

Polymorphisms of the porcine cathepsins, growth hormone-releasing hormone and leptin receptor genes and their association with meat quality traits in Ukrainian Large White breed

© 2016, The Author(s). Cathepsins, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes have been receiving increasing attention as potential markers for meat quality and pig performance traits. This study investigated the allele variants in four cathepsin genes (CTSB, CTSK, CTSL, CTSS), GHRH and LEPR in pure-bred Ukrainian Large White pigs and evaluated effects of the allele variants on meat quality characteristics. The study was conducted on 72 pigs. Genotyping was performed using PCR–RFLP technique. Meat quality characteristics analysed were intramuscular fat content, tenderness, total water content, ultimate pH, crude protein and ashes. A medium level of heterozygosity values was established for GHRH and LEPR genes which corresponded to very high levels of informativeness indexes. Cathepsins CTSL, CTSB and CTSK had a low level of heterozygosity, and CTSS did not segregate in this breed. Association studies established that intramuscular fat content and tenderness were affected by the allele variance in GHRH and LEPR but not by CTSB and CTSL genes. The GHRH results could be particularly relevant for the production of lean prime cuts as the A allele is associated with both, a lower meat fat content and better tenderness values, which are two attributes highly regarded by consumers. Results of this study suggest that selective breeding towards GHRH/AA genotype would be particularly useful for improving meat quality characteristics in the production systems involving lean Large White lines, which typically have less than 2% intramuscular fat content

Advances in modeling transport phenomena in material-extrusion additivemanufacturing: Coupling momentum, heat, and mass transfer

Material-extrusion (MatEx) additive manufacturing involves layer-by-layer assembly ofextruded material onto a printer bed and has found applications in rapid prototyping.Both material and machining limitations lead to poor mechanical properties of printedparts. Such problems may be addressed via an improved understanding of thecomplex transport processes and multiphysics associated with the MatEx process.Thereby, this review paper describes the current (last 5 years) state of the art modelingapproaches based on momentum, heat and mass transfer that are employed in aneffort to achieve this understanding. We describe how specific details regardingpolymer chain orientation, viscoelastic behavior and crystallization are often neglectedand demonstrate that there is a key need to couple the transport phenomena. Such acombined modeling approach can expand MatEx applicability to broader applicationspace, thus we present prospective avenues to provide more comprehensive modelingand therefore new insights into enhancing MatEx performanc

Integrated Document/Workflow Management System Architecture

An integrated DWMS architecture comprising IBM FlowMark, Lotus Notes and Office Objects is presented. Office Objects comprises a library of C++ object classes supporting document imaging and hierarchical storage management. The object-oriented analysis and design platform based on OMT, extended with the Use Case and Dialogue Model notations, provides the system design and implementation paradigm. Mappings from design models into the Lotus Notes document and FlowMark process models are discussed. A pilot application of the architecture is outlined

An effector-reduced anti-β-amyloid (Aβ) antibody with unique aβ binding properties promotes neuroprotection and glial engulfment of Aβ.

Passive immunization against β-amyloid (Aβ) has become an increasingly desirable strategy as a therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, traditional passive immunization approaches carry the risk of Fcγ receptor-mediated overactivation of microglial cells, which may contribute to an inappropriate proinflammatory response leading to vasogenic edema and cerebral microhemorrhage. Here, we describe the generation of a humanized anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody of an IgG4 isotype, known as MABT5102A (MABT). An IgG4 subclass was selected to reduce the risk of Fcγ receptor-mediated overactivation of microglia. MABT bound with high affinity to multiple forms of Aβ, protected against Aβ1-42 oligomer-induced cytotoxicity, and increased uptake of neurotoxic Aβ oligomers by microglia. Furthermore, MABT-mediated amyloid plaque removal was demonstrated using in vivo live imaging in hAPP((V717I))/PS1 transgenic mice. When compared with a human IgG1 wild-type subclass, containing the same antigen-binding variable domains and with equal binding to Aβ, MABT showed reduced activation of stress-activated p38MAPK (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase) in microglia and induced less release of the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα. We propose that a humanized IgG4 anti-Aβ antibody that takes advantage of a unique Aβ binding profile, while also possessing reduced effector function, may provide a safer therapeutic alternative for passive immunotherapy for AD. Data from a phase I clinical trial testing MABT is consistent with this hypothesis, showing no signs of vasogenic edema, even in ApoE4 carriers