The Effects of Corruption in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems on Entrepreneurial Intentions

Although researchers have identified corruption as a factor capable of affecting the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the national level of analysis, scholars have reported conflicting results regarding the exact nature of the relationship between corruption and entrepreneurial intentions. This paper formulates some propositions about the complex relationship between corruption and entrepreneurship at different levels of analysis and it suggests and explores the socio-cultural consequences of such domains' interactions. Finally, the slippery-slope effect will be discussed as an intra-individual psychological mechanism that could explain why even morally-engaged people might replicate corrupt behaviors. The limitations of this work, and its implications for future researchers and for government policies will be analyzed

A systematic review of therapeutic interventions to reduce acute and chronic post-surgical pain after amputation, thoracotomy or mastectomy

BACKGROUND: Perioperative neuropathic pain is under-recognized and often undertreated. Chronic pain may develop after any routine surgery, but it can have a far greater incidence after amputation, thoracotomy or mastectomy. The peak noxious barrage due to the neural trauma associated with these operations may be reduced in the perioperative period with the potential to reduce the risk of chronic pain. DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT: A systematic review of the evidence for perioperative interventions reducing acute and chronic pain associated with amputation, mastectomy or thoracotomy. RESULTS: Thirty-two randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Gabapentinoids reduced pain after mastectomy, but a single dose was ineffective for thoracotomy patients who had an epidural. Gabapentinoids were ineffective for vascular amputees with pre-existing chronic pain. Venlafaxine was associated with less chronic pain after mastectomy. Intravenous and topical lidocaine and perioperative EMLA (eutectic mixture of local anaesthetic) cream reduced the incidence of chronic pain after mastectomy, whereas local anaesthetic infiltration appeared ineffective. The majority of the trials investigating regional analgesia found it to be beneficial for chronic symptoms. Ketamine and intercostal cryoanalgesia offered no reduction in chronic pain. Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) reduced the incidence of post-thoracotomy pain in one study, whereas high-dose remifentanil exacerbated chronic pain in another. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate dose regimes of gabapentinoids, antidepressants, local anaesthetics and regional anaesthesia may potentially reduce the severity of both acute and chronic pain for patients. Ketamine was not effective at reducing chronic pain. Intercostal cryoanalgesia was not effective and has the potential to increase the risk of chronic pain. TIVA may be beneficial but the effects of opioids are unclear

Am I an Entrepreneur? Entrepreneurial Self-Identity as an Antecedent of Entrepreneurial Intention

Although many studies have shown that entrepreneurial intention can be explained according to a theory of planned behavior, some scholars have provided interesting insights into the role of job self-identity perception-in particularly the ones related to entrepreneurship-as significant precursor of entrepreneurial intention. A questionnaire has been administered to graduates and students of an Italian university (N = 153). A hierarchical regression analysis controlling for demographic variables has been performed in order to test the research hypotheses. The findings of this study have been discussed, with particular attention paid to the unexpected, weak, or non-significant effects of perceived behavioral control and social norms on entrepreneurial intention

Camponotus fellah queens are singly mated

The ant Camponotus fellah has been used in several behavioral and life history studies. An important factor that affects the genetic structure and division of labour within a colony is whether queens are singly or multiply mated. To determine whether queens are singly mated in C. fellah, as is the case in some other Camponotus species, we developed nine polymorphic microsatellite markers and sequenced 16 workers each from 20 colonies at six loci. Data in all colonies were compatible with queen monoandry. All the workers of one of the colonies had identical genotypes suggesting that they were clonally produced or that the queen was inbred. We, therefore, genotyped the mother queen as well as 31 more workers of the same colony at the same six loci plus the three remaining loci. These data revealed that the queen was homozygous at eight of the nine loci and that she mated with a male having a shared allele at all but one of the loci. Thus, the queen was apparently not only inbred but also probably mated with a brother

Experimental investigation on tensile and shear bond behaviour of Basalt-FRCM composites for strengthening calcarenite masonry elements

The use of Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) composites for structural retrofit has seen an increased interest among the scientific community, during the last decade. Various studies have revealed their effectiveness as external retrofitting technique of masonry elements, offering numerous advantages respect to the well know Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) in terms of compatibility with masonry support, reversibility of intervention and sustainability. Despite the growing use, the characterization of FRCM mechanical behaviour is still an open issue, due to numerous uncertainties involved in test set-up adopted and fibre-mortar combination. The proposed experimental study aims to investigate the tensile and shear bond behaviour of Basalt-FRCM for strengthening calcarenite masonry elements. Calcarenite is a natural stone with sedimentary origin and it is widely present in existing buildings of the Mediterranean areas. Direct tensile tests are performed on two types of Basalt-FRCM coupons, with cement-based and lime-based mortar, adopting two different test-set-up based on clamping and clevis grip methods. Moreover, double shear bond tests are carried out to evaluate the adhesion properties of the two types of Basalt-FRCM with calcarenite support. Experimental outcomes are compared in terms of stress-strain curves, evaluating the influence of mortar grade and test set-up on the mechanical performances of Basalt-FRCM composites. The comparisons provide information about the mechanical stress transfer phenomena that occur at the fibre-to-matrix and FRCM-to-substrate interface level and the failure modes

Adsorption of NGF and BDNF derived peptides on gold surfaces

This study tackles the interaction between gold surfaces and two peptide fragments named NGF(1-14) and BDNF(1-12), able to mimic the proliferative activity of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), respectively. The physical adsorption processes at the solid surface from both single and binary peptide solutions, at physiological and acid pH, were investigated by QCM-D and CD experiments, as well as by molecular dynamics calculations. The relevant physicochemical properties at the hybrid bio-interface, including peptide-surface interaction, conformational changes, hydrodynamic thickness, viscoelastic parameters, competitive vs. synergic behaviour of the two peptide fragments towards the surface were scrutinized. Biological assays with neuronal cells pointed to the maintenance in the biological activity of NGF(1-14) and BDNF(1-12) peptide molecules within the adlayers on the gold surface

Numerical Modelling of the Constitutive Behaviour of FRCM Composites through the Use of Truss Elements

The modeling of the mechanical behavior of Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) composites is a difficult task due to the complex mechanisms established at the fibre-matrix and composite-support interface level. Recently, several modeling approaches have been proposed to simulate the mechanical response of FRCM strengthening systems, however a simple and reliable procedure is still missing. In this paper, two simplified numerical models are proposed to simulate the tensile and shear bond behavior of FRCM composites. Both models take advantage of truss and non-linear spring elements to simulate the material components and the interface. The proposed approach enables us to deduce the global mechanical response in terms of stress-strain or stress-slip relations. The accuracy of the proposed models is validated against the experimental benchmarks available in the literature

The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass

Citation: Mendola, M. L., Baer, S. G., Johnson, L. C., & Maricle, B. R. (2015). The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass. Ecology, 96(9), 2433-2445. doi:10.1890/14-1492.1Knowledge of the relative strength of evolution and the environment on a phenotype is required to predict species responses to environmental change and decide where to source plant material for ecological restoration. This information is critically needed for dominant species that largely determine the productivity of the central U.S. grassland. We established a reciprocal common garden experiment across a longitudinal gradient to test whether ecotypic variation interacts with the environment to affect growth and nitrogen (N) storage in a dominant grass. We predicted plant growth would increase from west to east, corresponding with increasing precipitation, but differentially among ecotypes due to local adaptation in all ecotypes and a greater range of growth response in ecotypes originating from west to east. We quantified aboveground biomass, root biomass, belowground net primary production (BNPP), root C:N ratio, and N storage in roots of three ecotypes of Andropogon gerardii collected from and reciprocally planted in central Kansas, eastern Kansas, and southern Illinois. Only the ecotype from the most mesic region (southern Illinois) exhibited more growth from west to east. There was evidence for local adaptation in the southern Illinois ecotype by means of the local vs. foreign contrast within a site and the home vs. away contrast when growth in southern Illinois was compared to the most distant site in central Kansas. Root biomass of the eastern Kansas ecotype was higher at home than at either away site. The ecotype from the driest region, central Kansas, exhibited the least response across the environmental gradient, resulting in a positive relationship between the range of biomass response and precipitation in ecotype region of origin. Across all sites, ecotypes varied in root C: N ratio (highest in the driest-origin ecotype) and N storage in roots (highest in the most mesic-origin ecotype). The low and limited range of biomass, higher C: N ratio of roots, and lower N storage in the central Kansas ecotype relative to the southern Illinois ecotype suggests that introducing ecotypes of A. gerardii from much drier regions into highly mesic prairie would reduce productivity and alter belowground ecosystem processes under a wide range of conditions