Knowledge management driven leadership, culture and innovation success – an integrative model

Purpose - This article examines the relation between knowledge management (KM) driven leadership, culture and innovation success of knowledge-intensive small and medium sized companies. By building on the previously reported research on leadership, culture, innovation , and knowledge management, we synergistically integrate d KM-driven leadership and innovation success while exploring the meditational role of culture in that. Design/methodology/approach - A conceptual model comprising three constructs was developed, namely KM-driven leadership, culture and innovation-based success of the company. To examine the conceptual model , quantitative research was conducted among selected companies from the SMEs offering knowledge-intensive business services. The companies were contacted by telephone and interviews were carried out with 111 key informants. The data was later analysed with exploratory and confirmatory statistical methods. We applied structural equation modelling techniques (SEM) with M plus 7.2 software package to investigate the effects of KM-driven leadership on culture, and consequently its effect on innovation-based success of the company. To investigate the meditational role of culture between KM-driven leadership and innovation-based success of the company a post-hoc analysis was undertaken. Originality/value - On the basis of the previous studies analysis, the following research gap has been identified. How does leadership based on knowledge management influences the innovation success of companies and what is the role of culture in this relation? By answering this question, the study contributes to the building of literature on the above topic twofold. First, it analyses the influence of KM-driven leadership in the creation of organizational culture, which in turn contributes to the innovation success of the company. Second, this research pioneers in that it explores the meditational role of culture among KM-driven leadership and innovation success. The results of the mediation analysis confirm that culture fully mediates the relationship of KM-driven leadership with innovation success . Practical implications - The paper proves the relation between KM-oriented leadership, culture and innovation-based success of the company. The analysis of the conceptual model confirms that culture mediates the relationship of leadership with innovation success. It highly contributes to the understanding of these phenomena in the context of small and medium-sized companies offering knowledge-intensive business services - still a topic at its early stage of research. The study also shows that KM-oriented leadership is a very important factor helping in the achievement of innovation success by companies. The relationships examined indicate the potential areas on which SME managers and executives should concentrate to achieve better innovation results

Electrophoretic deposition of layer-by-layer unsheathed carbon nanotubes - A step towards steerable surface roughness and wettability

It is well known that carbon nanotube (CNT) oxidation (usually with concentrated HNO3) is a major step before the electrophoretic deposition (EPD). However, the recent discovery of the “onion effect” proves that multiwalled carbon nanotubes are not only oxidized, but a simultaneous unsheathing process occurs. We present the first report concerning the influence of unsheathing on the properties of the thus-formed CNT surface layer. In our study we examine how the process of gradual oxidation/unsheathing of a series of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) influences the morphology of the surface formed via EPD. Taking a series of well-characterized and gradually oxidized/unsheathing Nanocyl™ MWCNTs and performing EPD on a carbon fiber surface, we analyzed the morphology and wettability of the CNT surfaces. Our results show that the water contact angle could be gradually changed in a wide range (125–163°) and the major property determining its value was the diameter of aggregates formed before the deposition process in the solvent. Based on the obtained results we determined the parameters having a crucial influence on the morphology of created layers. Our results shed new light on the deposition mechanism and enable the preparation of surfaces with steerable roughness and wettability

a quantitative trait locus for a primary antibody response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin on chicken chromosome 14 confirmation and candidate gene approach

A QTL involved in the primary antibody response toward keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was detected on chicken chromosome 14 in the experimental population, which was created by crossing commercial White Leghorn and a Polish native chicken breed (green-legged partridgelike). The current QTL location is a validation of previous experiments pointing to the same genomic location for the QTL linked to a primary antibody response to KLH. An experimental population was typed with microsatellite markers distributed over the chicken chromosome 14. Titers of antibodies binding KLH were measured for all individuals by ELISA. Statistical models applied in the Grid QTL Web-based software were used to analyze the data: a half-sib model, a line-cross model, and combined analysis in a linkage disequilibrium and linkage analysis model. Candidate genes that have been proposed were genotyped with SNP located in genes exons. Statistical analyses of single SNP associations were performed pointing out 2 SNP of an axis inhibitor protein (AXIN1) gene as significantly associated with the trait of an interest

identification of quantitative trait loci affecting production and biochemical traits in a unique japanese quail resource population

ABSTRACT The objective of the current study was to identify QTL associated with body weight, growth rate, egg quality traits, concentration of selected blood plasma, and yolk lipids as well as concentration of selected macro- and microelements, color, pH, basic chemical composition, and drip loss of breast muscle of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Twenty-two meat-type males (line F33) were crossed with twenty-two laying-type females (line S22) to produce a generation of F1 hybrids. The F2 generation was created by mating 44 randomly chosen F1 hybrids, which were full siblings. The birds were individually weighed from the first to eighth week of age. At the age of 19 wk, 2 to 4 eggs were individually collected from each female and an analysis of the egg quality traits was performed. At slaughter, blood and breast muscles were collected from 324 individuals of the resource population. The basic chemical composition, concentration of chosen macro- and microelements, color, pH, and drip loss were determined in the muscle samples. The concentration of chosen lipids was determined in egg yolk and blood plasma. In total, 30 microsatellite markers located on chromosome 1 and 2 were genotyped. QTL mapping including additive and dominance genetic effects revealed 6 loci on chromosome 1 of the Japanese quail affecting the egg number, egg production rate, egg weight, specific gravity, egg shell weight, concentration of Na in breast muscle. In turn, there were 9 loci on chromosome 2 affecting the body weight in the first, fourth, and sixth week of age, growth rate in the second and seventh week of age, specific gravity, concentration of K and Cu in breast muscle, and the levels of triacylglycerols in blood plasma. In this study, QTL with a potential effect on the Na, K, and Cu content in breast muscles in poultry and on specific gravity in the Japanese quail were mapped for the first time

New finding of melanic three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus in the Scottish Hebrides

Colour traits can be elaborated through sexual selection and have potential to drive reproductive isolation. Male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) express striking visual signals to attract choosy females during courtship, typically expressed as red carotenoid-based pigmentation on their throat and jaw during the breeding season, along with blue eyes and blue/green flanks. The extent and intensity of red colouration in males have been linked to fitness benefits to females, including body condition, parasite resistance, parental ability and nest defence. In some populations in the Pacific Northwest of North America, male three-spined sticklebacks express melanic nuptial colouration. In these populations, male possess black throats instead of red, and have dark or black bodies. Melanic males are associated with waterbodies that are red-shifted due to the presence of tannins, where the ambient light environment is dominated by long wavelengths. Here we report the first discovery outside North America of melanic populations of three-spined sticklebacks on the island of North Uist in the Scottish Hebrides, on the northwest Atlantic coast of Europe. These populations are associated with a hotspot of stickleback morphological diversity and occur in association with red-shifted waterbodies

The role of detritivory as a feeding tactic in a harsh environment – a case study of weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis)

The weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis) is a species that is tolerant of unfavourable environmental conditions and can survive low dissolved oxygen concentrations and high water temperatures. Although this species occurs across almost the whole of Europe, and is protected in many countries, relatively little is known regarding its ecology. To determine the diet of weatherfish, 120 individuals from an artificial drainage canal in central Poland were collected in two seasons (spring and late summer) with contrasting abiotic condition (oxygen concentration, water temperature and transparency). Analysis of gut fullness showed that weatherfish consumed a greater quantity of food in spring (0.92 ± 0.90) compared with summer (0.20 ± 0.26). Contrary to other cobitid taxa, weatherfish fed actively during daytime in both seasons. An estimate of the importance of each dietary component indicated that the most important food categories were chironomids, copepods, Asellus aquaticus and detritus. SIMPER analysis indicated that these four categories together constituted over 65.8% of cumulative dissimilarity in the diet between seasons. Additionally, trophic niche breadth differed significantly between seasons. The study demonstrated that the weatherfish is an opportunistic feeder, consuming large quantities of detritus despite possessing a gut morphology that is atypical of a detritivore. The quantity of detritus in the gut of weatherfish was positively associated with fish total length and varied seasonally, with a greater quantity of detritus in the diet in late summer. These results demonstrate the importance of detritus as a source of energy, particularly during periods of scarcity of alternative prey categories

Phenology of brown bear breeding season and related geographical cues

© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited[EN] Knowledge about breeding biology is often incomplete in species with complex reproductive strategies. The brown bear Ursus arctos is a polygamous seasonal breeder inhabiting a wide variety of habitats and environmental conditions. We compiled information about brown bear breeding season dates from 36 study areas across their distribution range in the Palearctic and Nearctic regions and investigated how their breeding phenology relates to geographical factors (latitude, photoperiod, altitude and region). Brown bear matings were observed for 8 months, from April to November, with a peak in May–July. We found a 59-day difference in the onset of bear breeding season among study areas, with an average 2.3 days delay for each degree of latitude northwards. The onset of the breeding season showed a strong relationship with photoperiod and latitude, but not with region (i.e. Palearctic vs Nearctic) and altitude. First observations of bear mating occurred earlier in areas at lower latitudes. Photoperiod ranged between 14 and 18 hours at the beginning of the season for most of the study areas. The duration of the breeding season ranged from 25 to 138 days among study areas. None of the investigated factors was related to the length of the breeding season. Our results support the relevance of photoperiod to the onset of breeding, as found in other ursids, but not a shorter breeding season at higher latitudes, a pattern reported in other mammals. Our findings suggest a marked seasonality of bear reproductive behaviour, but also certain level of plasticity. Systematic field observations of breeding behaviour are needed to increase our knowledge on the factors determining mating behaviour in species with complex systems and how these species may adapt to climate change.SIWe thank Marjan Artnak, Peter Bajc, Matic Brenk, Tomáš Flajs, Uroš Grželj, Robert Hlavica, Aleš Jagodnik, Peter Klančar, Anton Marinčič, Mariusz Nędzyński, Borut Semenič and Vladimir Vician for providing information about their observations of bear mating. Robert Gatzka assisted with data collection in the Biezszcady Mountains. We thank Jon Swenson and Jumpei Tomiyasu for their help in the literature search. AGR and NS were supported by the BearConnect project funded by the National Science Centre in Poland (2016/22/Z/NZ8/00121) through the 2015-2016 BiodivERsA COFUND call for research proposals, with the national funders ANR/DLR-PT/UEFISCDI/NCN/RCN. Additional funding from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (project NN304- 294037, NS, IEC, KB), the National Science Centre in Poland (project DEC-2013/08/M/NZ9/ 00469, NS), the National Centre for Research and Development (GLOBE, POL-NOR/198352/85/ 2013, NS, TZK, FZ) and Slovenian Research Agency (P4-0059, MK) is acknowledged. AGR and NS conceived the study and wrote a first draft of the paper; AGR and NS compiled the data, AGR analyzed the data; all authors provided data and comments that improved the manuscript. We thank two anonymous reviewers for useful comments on the previous versions of the manuscript

Silver is not equal to silver : synthesis and evaluation of silver nanoparticles with low biological activity, and their incorporation into C12C_{12}alanine-based hydrogel

A new type of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was prepared and comprehensively studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses indicated that 24 nm AgNPs with narrow size distribution were obtained while Z-potential confirms their good stability. The composites of the obtained AgNPs with nontoxic-nature-inspired hydrogel were formed upon cooling of the aqueous solution AgNPs and C12Ala. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) do not show significant shifts in the characteristic temperature peaks for pure and silver-enriched gels, which indicates that AgNPs do not strongly interact with C12Ala fibers, which was also confirmed by SEM. Both AgNPs alone and in the assembly with the gelator C12Ala were almost biologically passive against bacteria, fungus, cancer, and nontumor human cells, as well as zebra-fish embryos. These studies proved that the new inactive AgNPs-doped hydrogels have potential for the application in therapy as drug delivery media

Hemorrhagic stroke as a complication of fibrynolytic treatment in myocardial infarction

Thromboembolic stroke most often occurs in patients who do not receive fibrynolytic treatment. Intracranial hemorrhage is the most common form of stroke in patients receiving thrombolytic therapy. Majority of thromboembolic stroke occures more than 48 hours after fibrynolytic therapy administration. Hemorrhagic stroke usually occurs in the first 24 hours after fibrynolytic therapy. It is well known that some groups of patients have high risk intracranial hemorrhage as a complication of thrombolytic treatment of myocardial infarction. Fibrynolytic therapy reduces risk of death in myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation and is commonly used in many hospitals. The risk of as serious complication as cerebral hemorrhage, which can cause impaired neurological functions or even death, is very high in patients with recent myocardial infarction and stoke in history, so in this situations primary percutaneous angioplasty should be prefered.Udar zakrzepowo-zatorowy jest najczęstszą formą udaru u chorych nieleczonych fibrynolitycznie, natomiast u pacjentów poddanych terapii fibrynolitycznej najczęściej dochodzi do krwawienia śródczaszkowego. Większość udarów niedokrwiennych występuje ponad 48 godzin od zastosowania tej terapii. Udary krwotoczne powstają najczęściej w ciągu pierwszych 24 godzin. Wiadomo, że niektórzy chorzy są bardziej narażeni na krwawienie śródczaszkowe jako powikłanie leczenia fibrynolitycznego stosowanego w zawale serca. Leczenie takie zmniejsza śmiertelność w zawale serca z uniesieniem odcinka ST i nadal jest powszechnie stosowaną metodą terapeutyczną w wielu ośrodkach. Jednak - ze względu na ryzyko wystąpienia tak poważnego powikłania, jakim jest krwawienie śródczaszkowe, które wiąże się z ryzykiem ciężkiego inwalidztwa, a nawet zgonu - u chorych z zawałem serca i przebytym udarem w wywiadzie oraz towarzyszącymi innymi czynnikami ryzyka krwawienia śródczaszkowego należy preferować pierwotną angioplastykę przed leczeniem fibrynolitycznym

Prediction studies of environment-friendly biodegradable polymeric packaging based on PLA. Influence of specimens’ thickness on the hydrolytic degradation profile

Application of new biodegradable polymer packaging based on polylactide (PLA), susceptible to organic recycling, can help in the waste reduction in landfills. In this paper, the results of the study on abiotic degradation of PLA and its blend containing 15 mol% of poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate], as a model for the first step of organic recycling were presented. The samples used for this study have different shapes and thicknesses: rigid films and cuboid-bars. Particular emphasis was placed on determining the pattern of degradation products released into the medium. Originally, the results of present study revealed that the application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry supported by high performance liquid chromatography allowed envisaging the differences in the degradation products pattern released from the studied PLA-based samples differing in thickness. The significant differences in degradation products pattern were predominately observed in the first steps of incubation process and are caused by an autocatalytic effect, which occurs mainly during degradation of the large size PLA samples. Although, the thickness of PLA-based packaging changes the degradation product patterns, however this does not increase the total amounts of acids released to the medium. Thus, it may be concluded that thickness should not affect significantly organic recycling of the packaging