The role of entrepreneurial orientation in environmental sustainability strategy and internationalisation of SMEs: analysis of the portuguese furniture sector

The main objective of this study is to analyse the role of Entrepreneurial Orientation in the Portuguese furniture sector, the response to the challenges posed by Environmental Sustainability and the impacts in terms of the Internationalisation of SMEs. The literature review was carried out in relation to Entrepreneurship, focused on the logic of developing companies and expressed in the construct of Entrepreneurial Orientation, but also Environmental Sustainability and Internationalisation, which structured the survey conducted to the managers of SMEs in the furniture sector (Economic Code of Activity Rev.3: 31-; 46-; e 47-) and, whose results, were the basis for the empirical study. The study is innovative, firstly, by analysing the concept of Entrepreneurial Orientation and its application to SMEs in the Portuguese furniture sector, formed in 2021 by 4,413 companies, more than 6% of the manufacturing industry and that presents, in 2021, an international trade balance of US$723 million (UN COMTRADE, 2022). Secondly, for analysing the impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the dynamics of Environmental Sustainability and Circular Economy, reinforcing the relevance of the theme given the time of climate urgency that the world is facing, in a critical area for natural capital, such as the forest and its derived products. The results obtained allowed validating the construct of Entrepreneurial Orientation - measured by 8 items of Innovativeness (3), Proactiveness (2) and Risk-Taking (3) - in the SME managers of the sample, with a mean of 3.396 and a minimum of 2.869, on a scale of 5 (statistically validated). It also allowed confirming the existence of a positive relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and sustainability strategy, evaluated by the scale of the Sustainable Development business model. The sector has effectively started a sustainable development strategy, less than 1/3 reports inaction before this change of paradigm (29.9%), and there are companies with a very advanced and implemented sustainable business model, 47.7% are already at the Sustainable Product and Service Design level. It was also demonstrated, at the level of Internationalisation, that EO and the dynamics of the business model in terms of Sustainability anticipate the high scale of internationalisation of companies in the furniture sector.Este estudo tem como prinicipal objetivo analisar o papel da Orientação Empreendedora (OE) no sector de mobiliário português, da resposta aos desafios colocados pela Sustentabilidade Ambiental e dos impactos em termos de Internacionalização das PMEs. Procedeu-se à revisão literária em relação ao Empreendedorismo, centrado na lógica de empresas em desenvolvimento e expresso no construto da Orientação Empreendedora, mas também da Sustentabilidade Ambiental e da Internacionalização, que estruturaram o inquérito realizado aos administradosres das PMEs do sector do mobiliário (CAE REV.3: 31-; 46-; e 47-) e, cujos resultados, fundamentaram o estudo empírico. O estudo é inovador, em primeiro lugar, pela análise do conceito Orientação Empreendedora e aplicação a PMEs do sector mobiliário português, formado (2021) por 4.413 empresas, mais de 6% da indústria tranformadora e que apresenta, em 2021, um saldo comercial internacional de 723 milhões de dólares americanos (UN COMTRADE, 2022). Em segundo lugar, por analisar o impacto da Orientação Empreendedora nas dinâmicas de Sustentabilidade Ambiental e Economia Circular, reforçando a pertinência da temática face à época de urgência climática que o mundo enfrenta, numa área crítica para o capital natural, como a floresta e seus produtos derivados. Os resultados obtidos permitiram validar o construto da Orientação Empreendedora – medida por 8 items de Inovação (3), Proactividade (2) e Propensão ao Risco (3) – nos gestores das PMEs da amostra, com uma média de 3,396 e um mínimo de 2,869, numa escala de 5 (validada estatísticamente). Permitiu confirmar, ainda, a existencia de uma relação positiva entre a Orientação Empreendedora e a estratégia de sustentabilidade, avaliada pela escala do modelo de negócios de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. O setor efectivamente já iniciou uma estratégia de desenvolvimento sustentável, menos de 1/3 reporta inação perante esta mudança de paradigma (29,9%), havendo empresas com modelo de negócio sustentável bastante avançado e implementado, 47,7% já está no nível do Design de Produtos e Serviços Sustentáveis. Foi demonstrada, também, ao nível da Internacionalização que a OE e a dinâmica do modelo de negócio em termos de Sustentabilidade antecipam a escala elevada de internacionalização das empresas do sector de mobiliário

Nanocomposite Polymeric Materials Based on Eucalyptus Lignoboost® Kraft Lignin for Liquid Sensing Applications

This study reports the synthesis of polyurethane–lignin copolymer blended with carbon multilayer nanotubes to be used in all-solid-state potentiometric chemical sensors. Known applicability of lignin-based polyurethanes doped with carbon nanotubes for chemical sensing was extended to eucalyptus LignoBoost® kraft lignin containing increased amounts of polyphenolic groups from concomitant tannins that were expected to impart specificity and sensitivity to the sensing material. Synthesized polymers were characterized using FT-MIR spectroscopy, electrical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry and are used for manufacturing of all solid-state potentiometric sensors. Potentiometric sensor with LignoBoost® kraft lignin-based polyurethane membrane displayed theoretical response and high selectivity to Cu (II) ions, as well as long-term stability

Impact of high‐risk human papillomavirus genotyping incervicaldiseaseintheNorthernregionofPortugal:real‐worlddata from regional cervical cancer screening program

Cervical cancer prevention is based on primary prevention with vaccines againstHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) and secondary prevention by screening with High‐Risk‐HPV (Hr‐HPV) detection. Since 2017, cervical cancer screening in women aged25−60 years has been performed in Portugal using Hr‐HPV detection, followed bycytology in Hr‐HPV‐positive cases. Herein we report the prevalence of Hr‐HPVgenotypes and cytological abnormalities among 462 401 women (mean age:43.73 ± 10.79; median age: 45; range: 24−66 years) that participated in the RegionalCervical Cancer Screening Program of the Northern Region of Portugal, performedbetween August 2016 and December 2021. Overall, we describe a prevalence rateof 12.50% for Hr‐HPV varying from 20.76% at age 25% to 8.32% at age 64. The fivemost common Hr‐HPV genotypes identified were HPV‐68 (16.09%), HPV‐31(15.30%), HPV‐51 (12.96%), HPV‐16 (11.06%), and HPV‐39 (11.01%). Theprevalence of Hr‐HPV included in the nonavalent vaccine (HPV‐9valent) was55.00% ranging from 47.78% to 59.18% across different age groups.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pedigrees of individuals with the <i>BRCA2</i> c.156_157insAlu mutation detected in FFPE tissue.

<p>Family of an individual with male breast cancer (A), an individual with peritoneal/fallopian tube cancer (B), and one individual with an ampulla of Vater carcinoma (C). The index case is indicated by an arrow.</p

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved