A content and comparative analysis of strategic management research in the Baltic area

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a research agenda for qualitative studies in the field of strategic management (SM) in the Baltic area. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 167 SM-related articles in this area between 2000 and 2013 were found. The content within title, abstract and authors’ keywords was analysed by means of a multiple correspondence analysis based on the HOMALS technique. Findings – The intellectual structure of SM in the Baltic area is to some extent similar to the global structure of the field. Hence research on this topic in the Baltic area is well integrated in the field. Three topics of interest have been identified while the fourth seems to offer more limited opportunities for qualitative studies. These are: entry and competition; strategic behaviour and the micro-foundations of strategy; the growth-performance relationship; and global strategies. Research limitations/implications – Despite the modest number of articles in our sample, the findings are consistent with past research on the structure of the SM field. The classification of articles into qualitative- and quantitative-based methods helped provide a research agenda. Practical implications – SM scholars in the Baltic area may find this paper as an interesting input to their quest for finding and justifying their own research path. Originality/value – This is an original literature review. The use of a quantitative method in the literature review and the suggested matrix is a second original contribution to evolving methodologies for content analysis. The method allows the inclusion of large samples while limiting the use of scholars’ intuition. </jats:sec

Acculturation and overseas assignments: A review and research agenda

This review analyzes two streams of literature that are exploring a similar phenomenon from separate perspectives and only recently have they began to overlap; that of migrant acculturation (from the psychology, sociology and anthropology research) and international assignee adjustment (from the international business research stream). We conducted a multiple correspondence analysis on a sample of 389 articles to provide the intellectual structure of the research in these fields. Our research indicates that: 1) the standard 2x2 matrix of acculturation is insufficient; 2) most past research focuses on USA to other countries and vice versa, suggesting there is much work left to explore other pairs of cultures ("there and back again" is not the same globally); 3) as global organizations are dominating the marketplace with many various staffing forms, variables such as corporate culture and management interaction will need to be incorporated; 4) research needs to include dynamics over time as many individuals who have worked outside of their home country often become multi-cultural with a global mindset and the typical acculturation framework is insufficient; 5) past acculturation research focuses on the work or the sociocultural context separately, while both need to be included; 6) and the extended family (parents, relatives, close friends, etc.) need to be considered

La globalización del Geoforo Iberoamericano en 2018

La globalización del Geoforo Iberoamericano en 2018 (Resumen) Los diez años de existencia del Geoforo Iberoamericano (geoforo.blogspot.com) nos permiten hacer un balance del trabajo realizado y valorar su presencia en el mundo global de las redes sociales. Las relaciones que se han establecido entre el profesorado y alumnado de geografía han superado las fronteras iniciales. Ya no solo es el mundo iberoamericano, sino que el Geoforo ha tenido presencia en otras escalas planetarias. Igualmente, el campo de la enseñanza de la geografía se ha ampliado a los ámbitos del conocimiento de la didáctica de las ciencias sociales. El éxito o fracaso del Geoforo reside en la fortaleza de las relaciones sociales que se han establecido entre el profesorado y alumnado de Iberoamérica, con una finalidad común: explicar cómo se construyen las identidades personales en un marco territorial que condiciona la vida cotidian

Weed control options in conventional and GM maize

En el proyecto AMIGA, que estudia los posibles efectos de los cultivos modificados genéticamente y su manejo sobre el agro-eco-sistema y la biodiversidad, se han evaluado varios tratamientos herbicidas sobre maíz Bt y maíz convencional. Se estableció un ensayo de seis hectáreas durante dos años en el que se han utilizado cinco manejos con herbicida que incluyen tratamiento convencional, reducido, glifosato y dos combinaciones de los anteriores. Se muestreó a lo largo del desarrollo del cultivo para determinar las especies de malas hierbas y artrópodos en el tiempo así como su abundancia y diversidad mediante examen visual y uso de trampas de gravedad y adhesivas amarillas. En este trabajo se presentan datos de abundancia de malas hierbas a madurez fisiológica del cultivo y del total de artrópodos en muestreo visual.Effect on weeds and arthropods In the context of AMIGA project which studies the posible effects of genetically modified crops and their management on the agro-ecosystem and biodiversity, we have studied various herbicide treatments applied on conventional and Bt A field was conducted for two years in a six ha plot. Five herbicide treatments including conventional, reduced, glyphosate and two herbicides combinations were established. We sampled along the cropping period to determine the species of weeds and arthropods over time and their abundance and diversity. The presence of arthropods was determined by visual examination and the use of pitfall and yellow sticky traps. In this work whole abundance of weeds at physiological maturity of the crop and total abundance of arthropod in visual examination are presented

Environmental differences are correlated with the distribution pattern of cytotypes in Veronica subsection Pentasepalae at a broad scale

[EN] Background and Aims: The distribution of cytotypes and its potential correlation with environmental variables represent a cornerstone to understanding the origin and maintenance of polyploid lineages. Although many studies have addressed this question in single species at a regional scale, only a few have attempted to decipher this enigma in groups of closely related species at a broad intercontinental geographical scale. Here, we consider approx. 20 species of a diploid–polyploid complex (Veronica subsect. Pentasepalae) of recent and rapid diversification represented in Europe and North Africa to study the frequency and distribution of cytotypes and their relationship to environmental variables. Methods: A total of 680 individuals (207 populations) were sampled. Ploidy levels were determined using flow cytometry. Ecological differentiation among cytotypes was tested using climatic and environmental variables related to temperature, precipitation, vegetation and biogeographical region, among others, and by performing univariate and multivariate (constrained principal coordinates analysis) analyses. Key Results: Four ploidy levels (2x, 4x, 6x and 8x) were found and genome downsizing was observed to occur within the group. Plants of different ploidy level are ecologically differentiated, with hexaploids and octoploids occurring in wetter and colder habitats with a higher seasonality than diploids. A south to north distribution pattern was found, with diploids occupying southern refugial areas and octoploids being more frequent in northern regions of Europe above the permafrost boundary. Conclusions: The distribution of cytotypes can be explained by ecological differentiation, the geographical position of refuge areas during the Quaternary climatic oscillations as well as by ice and permafrost retreat patterns. The Balkan Peninsula constitutes the most important contact zone between cytotypes. This work provides the first comprehensive ploidy screening within V. subsect. Pentasepalae at a broad scale and indicates that polyploidy and genome downsizing might have contributed to the colonization of new habitats in a recently diverged polyploid complex.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [projects CGL2009-07555 and CGL2012-32574]; the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación [PhD grants AP2008-03434 to B.R.A. and AP2010-2968 to N.L.G.]; and the University of Salamanca [PhD grant to N.P.G. co-financed by Banco Santander]

Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) weight-length relationships in the northern Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea

The weight-length relationships are of a great interest in fish biology, stock assessment and fishery management, by predicting weight from length information and allowing to estimate the stock biomass. Weight-length relationships of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis), an economically relevant flatfish species, are studied for two decades (2001 to 2019) in northern Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea (ICES stock Div. 7.b-k, 8.abd), two important European fishing areas. More than 22000 specimens collected from commercial landings by AZTI and IEO were sampled. Total fish length, total weight and commercial gutted weight were obtained. Four five-year periods (quinquennium) (2000-04; 2005-09; 2010-14; 2015-19) were defined in the studied time-series. Both the large sample size and time-series available, as well as the collaboration between both institutions collecting complementary information from this stock, allowed obtaining robust somatic parameters and analyzing their temporal variations. A weight-length relationship model was fitted and the quinquennium and semester factors, which are of interest biologically and for assessment purposes, and their interactions were significant in the preliminary model. The weight-length relationships, both for total and gutted weight and for the combined sexes of the most recent quinquennium are presented in this work and considered the most suitable to be used in the oncoming annual assessment process of the status of this stock in northern Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea in ICES

Four spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii) weight-length and weight-weight relationships in northern Iberian waters (stock 8.c, 9.a)

Total weight-length, gutted weight-length and total weight-gutted weight relationships were fitted for the Iberian Atlantic stock of four spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii) and their temporal variations were analyzed. The large sample size, size range and timeseries available allowed obtaining robust somatic parameters of combined sexes for the total weight-length relationships (a=0.0043, b=3.2008), for the gutted weight-length relationships (a=0.0055, b=3.1139), and the weight conversion factors (1.062). They are considered to best fit the current biometric relationships and most appropriate to be used in the stock assessment of the status of the stock and they contribute to a deeper knowledge of the life history traits of this species

Percutaneous mitral valve repair : Outcome improvement with operator experience and a second-generation device

Background and aim: Recent randomized data comparing percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) versus optimal medical treatment in patients with functional MR (FMR) seemed to highlight the importance of the learning curve not only for procedural outcomes but also for patient selection. The aim of the study was to compare a contemporary series of patients undergoing PMVR using a second-generation Mitraclip device (Mitraclip NT) with previous cohorts treated with a first-generation system. Methods: This multicenter study collected individual data from 18 centers between 2012 and 2017. The cohort was divided into three groups according to the use of the first-generation Mitraclip during the first (control-1) or second half (control-2) or the Mitraclip NT sys-tem. Results: A total of 545 consecutive patients were included in the study. Among all, 182 (33.3%), 183 (33.3%), and 180 (33.3%) patients underwent mitral repair in the control-1, control-2, and NT cohorts, respectively. Procedural success was achieved in 93.3% of patients without differences between groups. Major adverse events did not statistically differ among groups, but there was a higher rate of pericardial effusion in the control-1 group (4.3%, 0.6%, and 2.6%, respectively; p = 0.025). The composite endpoint of death, surgery, and admission for congestive heart failure (CHF) at 12 months was lower in the NT group (23.5% in control-1, 22.5% in control-2, and 8.3% in the NT group; p = 0.032). Conclusions: The present paper shows that contemporary clinical outcomes of patients undergoing PMVR with the Mitraclip system have improved over time

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Measurement of the flavour composition of dijet events in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes a measurement of the flavour composition of dijet events produced in pp collisions at &#8730;s=7 TeV using the ATLAS detector. The measurement uses the full 2010 data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 39 pb−1. Six possible combinations of light, charm and bottom jets are identified in the dijet events, where the jet flavour is defined by the presence of bottom, charm or solely light flavour hadrons in the jet. Kinematic variables, based on the properties of displaced decay vertices and optimised for jet flavour identification, are used in a multidimensional template fit to measure the fractions of these dijet flavour states as functions of the leading jet transverse momentum in the range 40 GeV to 500 GeV and jet rapidity |y|&#60;2.1. The fit results agree with the predictions of leading- and next-to-leading-order calculations, with the exception of the dijet fraction composed of bottom and light flavour jets, which is underestimated by all models at large transverse jet momenta. The ability to identify jets containing two b-hadrons, originating from e.g. gluon splitting, is demonstrated. The difference between bottom jet production rates in leading and subleading jets is consistent with the next-to-leading-order predictions