Knowledge source preferences as determinants of strategic entrepreneurial orientation

In the knowledge intensive context, firms’ capacity to integrate external and internal sources of knowledge becomes an important competitive advantage and may distinguish entrepreneurial from conservative firms. This paper explores the proposition that differences in strategic entrepreneurial orientation (EO) across firms may be significantly determined by differences in firms’ preferences regarding knowledge sources. Our research is based on 208 firms operating in knowledge intensive industries in six Central and East European countries (CEEC). We identified three types of firms in terms of patterns of sources of knowledge: external R&D knowledge based firms, in-house knowledge based firms and value chain dependent firms. By using different proxies or different dimensions of EO, we have found that the EO is strongest in firms based on external knowledge. Firms with inhouse based knowledge have an intermediate strength of the EO, and firms dependent on value chains are the least entrepreneurially oriented. We have also found moderate support for grouping different proxies of EO into three dimensions identified in literature – innovativeness, pro-activeness and risk-taking. Value chain firms are not pro-active, have the lowest innovativeness, and are the most risk averse. External knowledge based firms are the most active in all three dimensions of EO, while inhouse knowledge based firms are in an intermediate position. Our results point to strong systemic features of entrepreneurial activities; i.e., EO is inherently different in different sub-populations of firms depending on their patterns of sources of knowledge. It seems that these patterns operate as a moderating factor between performance and the EO, which explains mixed results from the literature

Antitumor effect of sFlt-1 gene therapy system mediated by Bifidobacterium Infantis on Lewis lung cancer in mice

Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt-1) is a soluble form of extramembrane part of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) that has antitumor effects. Bifidobacterium Infantis is a kind of non-pathogenic and anaerobic bacteria that may have specific targeting property of hypoxic environment inside of solid tumors. The aim of this study was to construct Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system and investigate its antitumor effect on Lewis lung cancer (LLC) in mice. Our results demonstrated that the Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system was constructed successfully and the system could express sFlt-1 at the levels of gene and protein. This system could not only significantly inhibit growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by VEGF in vitro, but also inhibit the tumor growth and prolong survival time of LLC C57BL/6 mice safely. These data suggest that Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system presents a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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Surgery for eventration of the diaphragm

Four patients were operated for unilateral left eventration of the diaphragm There were two male and two female patients with a mean age of 63.0+/-14.1 years. All of the patients had dyspnea for an average of 6.2+/-2.6 years. Chest X-ray, fluoroscopy, thorax computed tomography (CT) and in one patient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used for diagnosis. Preoperative forced vital capacity (FVC) and arterial blood partial O-2 pressure (PaO2) values were 1.8+/-0.4 L and 73+/-1.4 mm Hg, respectively. Left thoracotomy via 7(th) intercostal space was applied and complete thinned diaphragmatic leaf was found in all patients. In three patients diaphragm was repaired by plication. In one patient after incision of the leaf, imbrication of one layer over the other was done. No morbidity and mortality were seen. Relief of dyspnea was achieved in all patients. Postoperative FVC and PaO2 values were increased to 2.3+/-0.4 L and 86.6+/-2.7 mm Hg, respectively. Surgery for eventration of the diaphragm in symptomatic patients increases FVC and PaO2 values, thus relieves dyspnea