Want to be Entrepreneurial, you need to be APRIC: A Sand Cone Model of Entrepreneurial Orientation

Entrepreneurship, Operations Management The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Much of the literature on Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is typified by the substantial benefits it brings, thus it is a characteristic that is highly desirable by businesses. However fundamentally, it is seen an in innate characteristic of a firm, either present or not, with little research questioning whether and how EO can be developed- this investigation challenges this preconception. Inspired by the famous Sand cone model of operational capability, we conceptualise that EO can be constructed in a sequential, cumulative fashion, starting with Autonomy, then Proactiveness, Risk Taking, Innovativeness, and finally Competitive Aggression (the APRIC framework). Using a two-stage testing methodology in SmartPLS and a sample of 200 respondents, we find partial support for our framework which inspires confidence in our assumption that EO can be developed. Two further research streams are therefore suggested- those that continue the work on investigating the sequences to developing EO, congruent with much of the extant work done on the original Sand cone model; and those that examine the contingency factors that many influence the sequence

Determinants of Absenteeism According to Health Risk Appraisal Data.

The purpose of this project was to identify main determinants of absenteeism and contributing factors using Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) data. Absenteeism was used as the primary outcome metric, due to its quantifiable nature and established links to health. Path analysis was utilized in order to model direct and indirect effects. Sample populations were employees of a US utility provider and employees of a US financial services organization. Findings from this study should be applicable to inform policies and health promotion strategies aimed at reducing absenteeism and improving employee health. For the utility provider employees, direct determinants of absenteeism were medical condition burden index (MCBI--number of medical conditions) and stress. Job satisfaction negatively correlated with stress, such that lower job satisfaction was predictive of higher stress. Physical activity did not impact absenteeism directly. Instead, physical activity mediated both medical condition burden and stress, such that greater physical activity was associated with lower stress and lower MCBI. Longitudinally, increases or decreases in medical condition burden and stress resulted in corresponding changes in absenteeism. However, the overall impact was greater for stress within the one-year timeframe. For the employees of the financial services organization, stress impacted both absenteeism and presenteeism (on-the-job productivity loss). Individuals with stress also had increased MCBI and increased odds for 10 of 19 medical conditions after controlling for age, gender, education and body mass index. Caregiving was not associated with absenteeism or stress, but was associated with presenteeism. In addition to the empirical findings, methodologically this work shows an additional use for HRA data by utilizing path analysis to investigate outcomes of interest. Findings from this work indicate that stress influenced physical health, absenteeism, presenteeism and job satisfaction. The presence of multiple medical conditions was also a determinant of absenteeism. These findings are relevant to employers and health promotion practitioners interested in influencing employee health and related economic outcomes. Policies and wellness program strategies designed to impact employee health should prioritize stress management in conjunction with other health programs designed to impact physical health.PHDKinesiologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98013/1/mmarzec_1.pd

Influence of iron aggregation on the catalytic performance of desilicated MFI in the DeNO(x) process

[EN] In the present study, an influence of the iron aggregation in conventional and micro-mesoporous MFI on their catalytic activity in the NO reduction with ammonia (DeNO(x) process) was studied. Modification of MFI zeolite properties was done by the desilication in the presence of NaOH and TPAOH (tertapropylammonium hydroxide). In the next step, the samples were modified with iron by ion-exchange with the use of a conventional solution of Fe cations (FeSO4) and a solution of iron triple-metallic aggregates (oligocations) ([Fe-3(OAc)(6)O(H2O)(3)](+)). Both of the applied modification techniques (desilication and modification with Fe-3 oligocations) increased the catalytic activity of the MFI zeolite in the DeNO(x) process. This increased catalytic activity was connected with changes in sample porosity, Si/Al ratio, topology, as well as aggregation and dispersion of iron species on the catalyst surface, which was investigated by N-2-sorption, XRD, ICP, NMR, HRTEM and UV-vis-DRS techniques.This work was carried out in the frame of project No. 0670/IP3/2016/74 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the years 2016-2019 and in the frame of project No. 2012/05/B/ST5/00269 from the National Science Centre (Poland). U. D. acknowledges to the Spanish Government by the funding (MAT2017-82288-C2-1-P).Rutkowska, M.; Borcuch, A.; Marzec, A.; Kowalczyk, A.; Samojeden, B.; Moreno, J.; Díaz Morales, UM.... (2020). Influence of iron aggregation on the catalytic performance of desilicated MFI in the DeNO(x) process. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials. 304:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2018.09.015S1830

Selective ammonia oxidation over ZSM-5 zeolite: Impact of catalyst's support porosity and type of deposited iron species

[EN] In the presented studies an influence of different parameters, such as zeolite sample porosity, form of used iron source ([Fe-3(OAc)(6)O(H2O)(3)](+)oligocations or FeSO4 solutions) and method of iron species deposition (ion-exchange, impregnation), on the catalytic activity in the process of the selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3-SCO) was studied. Conventional and mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites, obtained by desilication and modified with iron species, were analysed with respect to their textural, surface and crystalline properties (N-2-sorption, HRTEM, SEM, XRD) as well as the form of introduced Fe species (UV-vis-DRS). Ion-exchange with [Fe-3(OAc)(6)O (H2O)(3)](+) oligocations and impregnation with these oligocations and FeSO4 solutions were found as the most effective methods of the zeolite samples activation for NH3-SCO.This work was carried out in the frame of project No. 0670/IP3/2016/74 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the years 2016-2019. Part of the work was performed in the frame of project No. 2012/05/B/ST5/00269from the National Science Centre (Poland). U. D. acknowledges to the Spanish Government by the funding (MAT2017-82288-C2-1-P). The authors would like to acknowledge to Clariant Company for the providing of the HMFI zeolite material for the presented research.Borcuch, A.; Rutkowska, M.; Marzec, A.; Kowalczyk, A.; Michalik, M.; Moreno, J.; Díaz Morales, UM.... (2020). Selective ammonia oxidation over ZSM-5 zeolite: Impact of catalyst's support porosity and type of deposited iron species. Catalysis Today. 348:223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2019.08.054S223229348Weckhuysen, B. M., & Yu, J. (2015). Recent advances in zeolite chemistry and catalysis. Chemical Society Reviews, 44(20), 7022-7024. doi:10.1039/c5cs90100fVerboekend, D., & Pérez-Ramírez, J. (2011). Design of hierarchical zeolite catalysts by desilication. Catalysis Science & Technology, 1(6), 879. doi:10.1039/c1cy00150gRutkowska, M., Pacia, I., Basąg, S., Kowalczyk, A., Piwowarska, Z., Duda, M., … Chmielarz, L. (2017). Catalytic performance of commercial Cu-ZSM-5 zeolite modified by desilication in NH 3 -SCR and NH 3 -SCO processes. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 246, 193-206. doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2017.03.017Góra-Marek, K., Brylewska, K., Tarach, K. A., Rutkowska, M., Jabłońska, M., Choi, M., & Chmielarz, L. (2015). IR studies of Fe modified ZSM-5 zeolites of diverse mesopore topologies in the terms of their catalytic performance in NH3-SCR and NH3-SCO processes. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 179, 589-598. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.05.053Macina, D., Piwowarska, Z., Góra-Marek, K., Tarach, K., Rutkowska, M., Girman, V., … Chmielarz, L. (2016). SBA-15 loaded with iron by various methods as catalyst for DeNOx process. Materials Research Bulletin, 78, 72-82. doi:10.1016/j.materresbull.2016.02.026Rutkowska, M., Duda, M., Macina, D., Górecka, S., Dębek, R., Moreno, J. M., … Chmielarz, L. (2019). Mesoporous Beta zeolite functionalisation with FexCry oligocations; catalytic activity in the NH3SCO process. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 278, 1-13. doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2018.11.003Miller, J. T., Glusker, E., Peddi, R., Zheng, T., & Regalbuto, J. R. (1998). Catalysis Letters, 51(1/2), 15-22. doi:10.1023/a:1019072631175Kowalczyk, A., Borcuch, A., Michalik, M., Rutkowska, M., Gil, B., Sojka, Z., … Chmielarz, L. (2017). MCM-41 modified with transition metals by template ion-exchange method as catalysts for selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia to dinitrogen. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 240, 9-21. doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.11.002Chmielarz, L., & Jabłońska, M. (2015). Advances in selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia to dinitrogen: a review. RSC Advances, 5(54), 43408-43431. doi:10.1039/c5ra03218kThommes, M., Kaneko, K., Neimark, A. V., Olivier, J. P., Rodriguez-Reinoso, F., Rouquerol, J., & Sing, K. S. W. (2015). Physisorption of gases, with special reference to the evaluation of surface area and pore size distribution (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 87(9-10), 1051-1069. doi:10.1515/pac-2014-1117Qi, G., & Yang, R. T. (2005). Selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) of ammonia to nitrogen over Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts. Applied Catalysis A: General, 287(1), 25-33. doi:10.1016/j.apcata.2005.03.00

Simultaneous Inhibition of mTOR-Containing Complex 1 (mTORC1) and MNK Induces Apoptosis of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) Cells

BACKGROUND: mTOR kinase forms the mTORC1 complex by associating with raptor and other proteins and affects a number of key cell functions. mTORC1 activates p70S6kinase 1 (p70S6K1) and inhibits 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). In turn, p70S6K1 phosphorylates a S6 protein of the 40S ribosomal subunit (S6rp) and 4E-BP1, with the latter negatively regulating eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF-4E). MNK1 and MNK2 kinases phosphorylate and augment activity of eIF4E. Rapamycin and its analogs are highly specific, potent, and relatively non-toxic inhibitors of mTORC1. Although mTORC1 activation is present in many types of malignancies, rapamycin-type inhibitors shows relatively limited clinical efficacy as single agents. Initially usually indolent, CTCL displays a tendency to progress to the aggressive forms with limited response to therapy and poor prognosis. Our previous study (M. Marzec et al. 2008) has demonstrated that CTCL cells display mTORC1 activation and short-term treatment of CTCL-derived cells with rapamycin suppressed their proliferation and had little effect on the cell survival. METHODS: Cells derived from CTCL were treated with mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin and MNK inhibitor and evaluated for inhibition of the mTORC1 signaling pathway and cell growth and survival. RESULTS: Whereas the treatment with rapamycin persistently inhibited mTORC1 signaling, it suppressed only partially the cell growth. MNK kinase mediated the eIF4E phosphorylation and inhibition or depletion of MNK markedly suppressed proliferation of the CTCL cells when combined with the rapamycin-mediated inhibition of mTORC1. While MNK inhibition alone mildly suppressed the CTCL cell growth, the combined MNK and mTORC1 inhibition totally abrogated the growth. Similarly, MNK inhibitor alone displayed a minimal pro-apoptotic effect; in combination with rapamycin it triggered profound cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the combined inhibition of mTORC1 and MNK may prove beneficial in the treatment of CTCL and other malignancies

Increasing integrated testing in community settings through interventions for change, including the Spring European Testing Week

Background: Maximising access to testing by targeting more than one infection is effective in identifying new infections in settings or populations. Within the EU funded Joint Action INTEGRATE, this paper examined the feasibility and impact of expanding integrated testing for HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), chlamydia, gonorrhoea and/or syphilis in four community-based pilots through targeted interventions in Croatia, Italy and Poland and the Spring European Testing Week since community settings are key in detecting new infections and reaching key populations. Methods: Pilots led by local INTEGRATE partners prioritised testing for other infections or key populations. The Croatian pilot expanded testing for men who have sex with men to syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Italian partners implemented a HIV and HCV testing/information event at a migrant centre. A second Italian pilot tested migrants for HIV and HCV through outreach and a low-threshold service for people who use drugs. Polish partners tested for HIV, HCV and syphilis among people who inject drugs in unstable housing via a mobile van. Pilots monitored the number of individuals tested for each infection and reactive results. The pilot Spring European Testing Week from 18 to 25 May 2018 was an INTEGRATE-driven initiative to create more testing awareness and opportunities throughout Europe. Results: The Croatian pilot found a high prevalence for each syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea respectively, 2.1%, 12.4% and 6.7%. The Italian migrant centre pilot found low proportions who were previously tested for HIV (24%) or HCV (11%) and the second Italian pilot found an HCV prevalence of 6.2%, with low proportions previously tested for HIV (33%) or HCV (31%). The Polish pilot found rates of being previously tested for HIV, HCV and syphilis at 39%, 37%, and 38%, respectively. Results from the Spring European Testing Week pilot showed it was acceptable with increased integrated testing, from 50% in 2018 to 71% in 2019 in participants. Conclusions: Results show that integrated testing is feasible and effective in community settings, in reaching key populations and minimising missed testing opportunities, and the pilots made feasible because of the European collaboration and funding. For sustainability and expansion of integrated community testing across Europe, local government investment in legislation, financial and structural support are crucial.The INTEGRATE Joint Action was co-funded by the 3rd Health Programme of the European Union under grant agreement no 761319. The EuroTEST/European Testing Week initiative has received funding and grants from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Janssen, Merck/MSD and the European Commission under the 3rd and 2nd Health Programmes. HUHIV: CheckPoint Zagreb is funded by cooperation programs by the City of Zagreb and Ministry of Health incl. HIV, HCV and syphilis rapid tests, CT/NG tests are donated by Cepheid with the contribution of the Department of Immunological and Molecular Diagnostics of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases Dr Fran Mihaljević during the pilot project. CRI/FVM: For the pilot activity in the migrant centre, HIV and HCV rapid tests were donated by FVM/CRI. Moreover, FVM contributed with the staff and equipment (mobile unit). FVM: The medical centre and outreach street unit are funded by the Health Department of Lazio Regional Administration of Italy. NAC/FES: Funding for FES pilot in 2019 was provided by NAC. FES secured their staff, mobile unit and tests. Daniel Simões is the recipient of PhD Grant PD/BD/128008/2016 from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). All funders had no role in the study design, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Enhanced Piezoelectricity of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fibers for Energy Harvesting

Piezoelectric polymers are promising energy materials for wearable and implantable applications for replacing bulky batteries in small and flexible electronics. Therefore, many research studies are focused on understanding the behavior of polymers at a molecular level and designing new polymer-based generators using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In this work, we investigated the influence of voltage polarity and ambient relative humidity in electrospinning of PVDF for energy-harvesting applications. A multitechnique approach combining microscopy and spectroscopy was used to study the content of the β-phase and piezoelectric properties of PVDF fibers. We shed new light on β-phase crystallization in electrospun PVDF and showed the enhanced piezoelectric response of the PVDF fiber-based generator produced with the negative voltage polarity at a relative humidity of 60%. Above all, we proved that not only crystallinity but also surface chemistry is crucial for improving piezoelectric performance in PVDF fibers. Controlling relative humidity and voltage polarity increased the d33 piezoelectric coefficient for PVDF fibers by more than three times and allowed us to generate a power density of 0.6 μW·cm-2 from PVDF membranes. This study showed that the electrospinning technique can be used as a single-step process for obtaining a vast spectrum of PVDF fibers exhibiting different physicochemical properties with β-phase crystallinity reaching up to 74%. The humidity and voltage polarity are critical factors in respect of chemistry of the material on piezoelectricity of PVDF fibers, which establishes a novel route to engineer materials for energy-harvesting and sensing applications