Analysis of Elastic and Viscoelastic Smart Flexible and Foldable Systems

Smart or adaptive structures that use multifunctional materials to control the response of a structure have been of considerable interest in recent years. Some examples are foldable and flexible structures that can be actuated by non-mechanical stimuli (thermal, electrical, magnetic, solvent, light, etc.). This study presents analyses of smart flexible and foldable structures, such as slender beams and thin plates/shells integrated with distributed polarized piezoelectric patches. The studied smart flexible and foldable structures are undergoing large rotations and relatively small strains that are triggered by electro-mechanical actuations. The electric actuation is done by stimulating the bonded patches with electric voltages, while the mechanical actuation is in the form of prescribed external surface- and/or body forces. Both elastic and viscoelastic material responses are considered for the foldable and flexible host structures. For the behavior of piezoelectric material, a nonlinear electro-mechanical constitutive equation is taken into account to incorporate large electric field inputs. Two types of piezoelectric patches are considered, namely piezoelectric wafer and active fiber composites. The governing equation of the Reissner’s beam theory is first adopted in order to describe the large deformations of the flexible and foldable systems, and modified for the electro-active beams to derive analytical solutions. This study is then extended to 3-D deformation of plates and shells with considering bending and membrane stiffness subjected to large rotation and displacements. Co-rotational finite element method is used to numerically solve the governing equation of the smart flexible plates. Simulations of various shape changes in smart flexible and foldable systems are presented and parametric studies are also conducted in order to examine the effects of material and geometrical parameters on the overall performance of smart systems

A computational model of DOPA regulation, dopamine synthesis in the presynaptic neuron, and release into the synaptic cleft

Background: Neurotransmitters and the way neurons communicate with each other have received a lot of attention in recent decades. Dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters. Unbalanced levels of dopamine can be associated with physical and psychological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and addiction[1]. This study shows different regulations performing in the presynaptic neuron to maintain bal- anced DA levels and DOPA as its precursor. Methods: Fortran subroutine LSODE were used to solve rate equations and model the assumed controlling system to find the relationship between molecules and enzymes contributing in this system. Results:This study shows that in the presence of different perturbation or even treat- ments, DOPA is the controlled variable and dopamine as controlling variable try to help DOPA maintain in homeostasis. In the studying of dopamine release into the synaptic cleft, the calculation suggested hysteretic behaviour. Conclusion:There should be a meaningful relationship between varied levels of dopamine and steady state conditions of DOPA in presence of different perturbation and var- ied amount of enzymes. The controller system should help homeostasis of DOPA and dopamine in presynaptic neurons, and robust response to significant signals like action potential

Moderating Effect of Environmental Dynamism on the Relationship between a Firm’s Entrepreneurial Orientation and Financial Performance

The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance has been the focus of numerous empirical studies over the past decade. The conclusions and findings reported are diverse and often conflicting. One possible explanation for mixed findings is that past studies do not take into account the dynamic nature of the industry environment. Using a sample of 192 Swiss firms from several different industries, this study examines the direct effect of entrepreneurial orientation on financial firm performance along with the moderating effect of a dynamic environment on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Results of this study suggest that for firms competing in a highly dynamic environment, the positive effect of an entrepreneurial orientation on financial performance is enhanced

A land for all season: the effect of travelers' orientation on awareness, satisfaction, place image, and travelers' loyalty

Learning outcomes At the end of this chapter, readers should be able to: 1. What is traveler orientation? 2. The importance of travelers’ orientation. 3. The role of travelers’ orientation on the awareness, place image, satisfaction, travelers’ loyalty. 4. The moderating role of digital marketing in the travelers’ orientation in the relationship of awareness, place image, satisfaction, and loyalty. 5. What is the moderating role of gender in the relationship of awareness, place image, satisfaction, and travelers’ loyalty

The moderating effect of brand orientation on inter-firm market orientation and performance

While prior research has shown that market and brand orientation are key contributors to successful business performance, research to date has not fully explored how inter firm collaboration for these two key orientations can enhance business performance. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the relationship between inter-firm market and performance; to test for the moderating role of brand orientation in that relationship. A total of 169 completed pairs of surveys were collected of small and medium enterprises operating internationally in a variety of industries in Switzerland. The results show that inter-firm market and brand orientation are two antecedents of marketing and financial performance. The impact of inter-firm market on marketing and financial performance is significant when the brand orientation is favorable. This study extends previous research by examining the moderating role of brand orientation on inter firm market orientation, which is important, especially for firms wanting to increase their brand reputation by entering into partnerships with other firms. Further research is indicated, to identify the key moderators of the driving force of inter-firm market in relation to business performance and the reason why maintaining a strong brand presence is important in the international marketplace

Exploring the antecedents of effectiveness and efficiency

Our knowledge of determinants of effectiveness and efficiency of firms continues to expand. How-ever, this knowledge remains quite fragmented and non-cumulative in the service industry. Herein,this study explores the effect of entrepreneurial and financial orientations as two key contributors toperformance in the service industry. Data for this study were collected from 182 hotels in Switzerlandto examine the effect of a financial strategic orientation and an entrepreneurial strategic orientationon two widely-used standards of business performance—effectiveness and efficiency. We hypothesizedthat these effects would be more pronounced under certain dynamic environment conditions. Findingsprovide new insights about the merits of building bridges between the entrepreneurial orientation andfinancial orientation. Within the context of existing research on strategic management, we discuss theimplications of our findings for hotel managers and address the study’s limitations and future research directions

Educational immigrants: Evidence from Chinese young entrepreneurs in the UK

Purpose While the contribution of educational students to the economies of developed countries is critical, educational immigrants rarely find employment in the regulated unionized sectors of these countries and are found instead setting up their own business. The purpose of this paper is to understand how educational immigrants use their cultural and social heritage for entrepreneurial purposes. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative method was undertaken, comprising face-to-face in-depth interviews with 12 respondents, involved in the hospitality industry for various purposes such as inspiration, challenges, frustrations and attracting investments. A convenience sampling method coupled with snowball sampling was chosen because of the availability of the informants and their willingness to be a part of the study. A thematic analysis was conducted in the transcripts of interviews to understand the aim and motivation factors of each individual followed by content analysis process. Findings The findings reveal that, while the informants suffer of language barriers, lack or shortage of experience in understanding the laws and legislations, unfamiliarity with the host culture, as well as financial constraints, the entrepreneurial sprite drives them to establish their businesses. Research limitations/implications This study has important consequences for understanding how educational immigrants transition from an educational to a business setting. Practical implications As the increase in educational immigrants becomes more important to the economic and social performance of countries, it is important to understand how young entrepreneurs start their businesses. Originality/value Educational immigrants are an important source of regional innovation and development. This paper focuses on the role of international higher education and the link to entrepreneurship by focusing on young Chinese entrepreneurs

How entrepreneurial bricolage drives sustained competitive advantage of tourism and hospitality SMEs: The mediating role of differentiation and risk management

When confronted with challenging conditions, becoming innovative by recombining available resources is considered a critical determinant of tourism and hospitality (T&H) SMEs' resilience to risk and staying ahead of rivals. Grounded on the resource-based view theory and dynamic capabilities paradigm, this paper investigates how entrepreneurial bricolage drives the sustained competitive advantage of T&H SMEs despite resource constraints. Following the mixed-methods research design, empirical data from nine in-depth interviews and a survey with 246 T&H SMEs in Japan reveal that differences in strategic management initiatives in the form of risk management and differentiation advantage mediate the positive effects of entrepreneurial bricolage on achieving sustained competitive advantage. Consequently, this paper extends the potential of the dynamic capabilities view as an underlying theory in tourism and hospitality literature

The evaluation of accusation paraoxonase1 enzyme activity and its (-108, -126) polymorphisms in diabetic patients

Background and aims: Paraoxonase1 (PON1) is a liver-derived glycoprotein that is secreted into circulation. Among individuals in a population, PON1 activity varies widely. Most of this variation can be explained by polymorphisms in the coding region (Q192R) and the regulatory region (T-108C). Q192R has been more widely studied. Many studies (but not all) indicated that PON1 activity decreased in diabetes. In this study, it was investigated serum PON1 activity and its association with promoter -108 C/T and -126C/G polymorphisms in diabetic patients and non-diabetic subjects. Methods: In this cross sectional study, spectrophotometry technique was used to define PON1 activity and HRM(High resolution melt)- Real time PCR technique was used to define -108 and -126 polymorphisms distribution in 96 diabetic patients and 104 non diabetic subjects. Results: Paraoxonase1 activity in both two groups was not different (P=0.67). Also, significant difference was not found in type and abundance of -108 polymorphism in groups (P=0.277). It was found significant difference in type and abundance of -126 polymorphism distribution in diabetic and non-diabetic patients (P=0.000). Conclusion: The results showed that PON1 activity is not different between people with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic subjects. -108 polymorphism distributions were the same in groups. Therefore, it can be considered a reason for similar enzyme activity. In spite of similar enzyme activity, significant difference was found between groups in -126 polymorphism. Therefore, it may be related to genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes