Can adopting lean startup strategy promote the sustainable development of new ventures? The mediating role of organizational iterative learning

When high uncertainty becomes the norm in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial failure often becomes the first natural barrier that new ventures face. In dynamic environment, there is still a lack of clear answers on what strategic orientation new ventures need to adopt to improve organizational learning efficiency and achieve sustainable development. Lean startup theory believes that the entrepreneurial process is also a process where organizational cognition is constantly iterated and updated, which drives entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities through iteration learning and early customer insight. The paper aims to describe and examine the relationship between lean startup strategy, organizational iterative learning, and sustainable development of new ventures. This model is tested on the survey data of R&D departments of 325 technology new ventures in China. The research results show that: lean startup strategy can positively affect sustainable performance of new ventures; organizational iterative learning plays a mediating role in the relationship between lean startup strategy and sustainable development; market dynamics positively moderate the relationship between organizational iterative learning and sustainable development, while technology dynamics negatively moderate this relationship; furthermore, the two also moderate the process of lean startup strategy influencing sustainable development through organizational iterative learning, and that moderated mediating effect is significant. The research results reveal that entrepreneurs should deepen lean startup practices in new business layout, advocate the iteration and output of advanced knowledge, help enterprises establish proprietary knowledge barriers, and achieve sustainable development

Does Digital Capability Promote Sustainable Development of New Ventures? The Dual Impact of Green Knowledge Creation and Green Pressure

With the environmental problems brought about by the extensive economic development model attracting more and more global attention, sustainable development has become a hot topic in transformation and development of contemporary enterprises. In the context of the digital economy, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding whether and how enterprises rely on digital capabilities to improve green efficiency and achieve sustainable development, especially for new ventures. Therefore, based on the knowledge creation spiral theory, this paper examines the relationship between digital capabilities, green knowledge creation, and sustainable development of new ventures. The study tested its hypotheses on a sample of 316 Chinese new ventures. The results showed that digital capabilities can positively affect environmental, economic, and social performance of new ventures and support their sustainable development; green knowledge creation plays a mediating role in the relationship between digital capabilities and sustainable development, and green pressure positively moderates the relationship between green knowledge creation and sustainable development; furthermore, green pressure also moderates the process of digital capabilities influencing sustainable development through green knowledge creation, and that moderated mediation role is significant. According to the bootstrap mediating effect test, both the direct effect and indirect effect are significant. Overall, our research results provide important insights for new ventures to promote sustainable development through digitalization. Therefore, managers should pay more attention to digital construction in the strategic layout of new ventures, and they should advocate the concept of green knowledge so that the goal of sustainable development can be achieved with the drive for digitalization

A spider mating plug functions to protect sperm.

Mating plugs in animals are ubiquitous and are commonly interpreted to be products of mating strategies. In spiders, however, mating plugs may also take on functions beyond female remating prevention. Due to the vagaries of female genital (spermathecal) anatomy, most spiders face the problem of having to secure additional, non-anatomical, protection for transferred sperm. Here, we test the hypothesis that mating plugs, rather than (or in addition to) being adaptations for mating strategies, may serve as sperm protection mechanism. Based on a comparative study on 411 epigyna sampled from 36 families, 187 genera, 330 species of entelegyne spiders, our results confirm the necessity of a sperm protection mechanism. We divided the entelegyne spermathecae into four types: SEG, SED, SCG and SCD. We also studied detailed morphology of epigynal tracts in the spider Diphya wulingensis having the SEG type spermathecae, using 3D-reconstruction based on semi thin histological series section. In this species, we hypothesize that two distinct types of mating plug, the sperm plug and the secretion plug, serve different functions. Morphological details support this: sperm plugs are formed on a modified spermathecal wall by the spilled sperm, and function as a temporary protection mechanism to prevent sperm from leaking and desiccating, while secretion plugs function in postcopulation both as a permanent protection mechanism, and to prevent additional mating. Furthermore, with the modified spermathecal wall of S2 stalk, the problem of shunt of sperm input and output, and the possibility of female multiple mating have been resolved. Variation in spermathecal morphology also suggests that the problem of sperm protection might be resolved in different ways in spiders. Considering mating plugs of varying shapes and origins in the vast morphospace of spiders, we conclude that mating plugs might serve different purposes that relate both to mating strategies, as well as to sperm protection

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cervus elaphus kansuensis (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) and its phylogenetic analysis

Gansu wapiti (Cervus elaphus kansuensis) is one of eight subspecies of wapiti in China, which has been placed under the second-ranked protected animals by Chinese government. No complete mitochondrial genomes of Gansu wapiti was determined until now, so the phylogenetic relationships among the subspecies of wapiti and other species of the genus Cervus have not been well studied. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of C. e. kansuensis was first sequenced and characterized. The genome is 16,430 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and one noncoding control region (CR). Maximum-Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) trees based on the 13 PCGs show that C. e. kansuensis is clustered with other wapiti subspecies in China except for C. e. yarkandensis. It is also shown that Cervus elaphus is not a monophyletic group. This study provides important molecular evidence for the phylogenetic relationship among species in the genus Cervus

Comparative morphology refines the conventional model of spider reproduction.

Our understanding of spider reproductive biology is hampered by the vast anatomical diversity and difficulties associated with its study. Although authors agree on the two general types of female spider genitalia, haplogyne (plesiomorphic) and entelegyne (apomorphic), our understanding of variation within each group mostly concerns the external genital part, while the internal connections with the reproductive duct are largely unknown. Conventionally and simplistically, the spermathecae of haplogynes have simple two-way ducts, and those of entelegynes have separate copulatory and fertilization ducts for sperm to be transferred in and out of spermathecae, respectively. Sperm is discharged from the spermathecae directly into the uterus externus (a distal extension of the oviduct), which, commonly thought as homologous in both groups, is the purported location of internal fertilization in spiders. However, the structural evolution from haplo- to entelegyny remains unresolved, and thus the precise fertilization site in entelegynes is ambiguous. We aim to clarify this anatomical problem through a widely comparative morphological study of internal female genital system in entelegynes. Our survey of 147 epigyna (121 examined species in 97 genera, 34 families) surprisingly finds no direct connection between the fertilization ducts and the uterus externus, which, based on the homology with basal-most spider lineages, is a dead-end caecum in entelegynes. Instead, fertilization ducts usually connect with a secondary uterus externus, a novel feature taking over the functional role of the plesiomorphic uterus externus. We hypothesize that the transition from haplo- to entelegyny entailed not only the emergence of the two separate duct systems (copulatory, fertilization), but also involved substantial morphological changes in the distal part of the oviduct. Thus, the common oviduct may have shifted its distal connection from the uterus externus to the secondary uterus externus, perhaps facilitating discharge of larger eggs. Our findings suggest that the conventional model of entelegyne reproduction needs redefinition

High-Efficient Liquid Exfoliation of Boron Nitride Nanosheets Using Aqueous Solution of Alkanolamine

Abstract As one of the simple and efficient routes to access two-dimensional materials, liquid exfoliation has received considerable interest in recent years. Here, we reported on high-efficient liquid exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) using monoethanolamine (MEA) aqueous solution. The resulting BNNSs were evaluated in terms of the yield and structure characterizations. The results show that the MEA solution can exfoliate BNNSs more efficiently than the currently known solvents and a high yield up to 42% is obtained by ultrasonic exfoliation in MEA-30 wt% H2O solution. Finally, the BNNS-filled epoxy resin with enhanced performance was demonstrated

Microstructure and tensile properties of AISI 321 stainless steel with aluminizing and annealing treatment

In the present work, the tensile properties and microstructure of pack cementation preparing aluminized AISI 321 stainless steel with subsequent annealing treatment was investigated. The results reveal that the coatings of aluminized AISI 321 stainless steel are mainly composed of outermost Al2O3 layer, Fe-Al compound intermediate layer and Fe(Al,Cr) solid solution diffusion layer. The cross shape precipitate (NiAl) and strip precipitate (Ni3Al) are observed in Fe(Al,Cr) layer. After annealing, no new phase in aluminized coating is detected, meanwhile, the thickness of the aluminized coatings is increased and the porosity of Fe-Al layer is increased as well. In addition, the size of NiAl precipitates is decreased. The strength and plasticity of stainless steel are degraded by aluminizing treatment. However, after annealing, the aluminized steel exhibits a lower strength but a higher ductility. The crack initiation region of both aluminized steel with or without annealing treatment comprise coarse columnar grains and cleavage planes with river patterns. The fracture model of aluminized steel is cleavage fracture, while a mixed of intergranular and transgranular fracture is observed in aluminized annealed steel

Efficient removal of aqueous Pb(II) using partially reduced graphene oxide-FeO

Partially reduced graphene oxide-Fe 3 O 4 composite was prepared through in situ co-precipitation and used as an efficient adsorbent for removing Pb(II) from water. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra, Fourier transformation infrared, Raman spectrometer, N 2 adsorption–desorption, vibrating sample magnetometer, and zeta potential analyses. The impacts of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and foreign substances on Pb(II) adsorption performance were investigated. The adsorption mechanism, kinetics, and thermodynamics were analyzed. The results indicate that Fe 3 O 4 is homogeneously anchored inside the thin graphene sheets, with a particle size of 15–20 nm, resulting in a very low remanence and coercivity. The composite shows excellent and efficient adsorption performance toward aqueous Pb(II): adsorption equilibrium was reached in 10 min with the adsorption percent and quantity of 95.77% and 373.14 mgċg −1 , respectively, under a condition of pH = 6, adsorbent dosage 250 mgċL −1 , and Pb(II) initial concentration 97.68 mgċL −1 , with the subsequent magnetic separation taking only 10 s. The adsorption performance is dependent on adsorbent dosage. A lower dosage favors a higher adsorption quantity, implying a strong adsorptive potential for partially reduced graphene oxide-Fe 3 O 4 . The adsorption quantity reached 777.28 mgċg −1 , given the dosage 100 mgċL −1 . The adsorption is monolayer chemisorption, the whole process of which is controlled by chemisorption and liquid film diffusion. In terms of thermodynamics, the adsorption is an exothermic and spontaneous process

Thermomechanical Fatigue Behavior of Spray-Deposited SiCp/Al-Si Composite Applied in the High-Speed Railway Brake Disc

The thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors of spray-deposited SiCp-reinforced Al-Si alloy were investigated in terms of the size of Si particles and the Si content. Thermomechanical fatigue experiments were conducted in the temperature range of 150-400°C. The cyclic response behavior indicated that the continuous cyclic softening was exhibited for all materials, and the increase in SiC particles size and Si content aggravated the softening degree, which was attributed to dislocation generation due to differential thermal contraction at the Al matrix/Si phase interface or Al matrix/SiC particle interface. Meanwhile, the TMF life and stress amplitude of SiCp/Al-7Si composites were greater than those of Al-7Si alloy, and increased with the increasing SiC particle size, which was associated with “load sharing” of the direct strengthening mechanism. The stress amplitude of 4.5μmSiCp/Al-Si composite increased as the Si content increased; however, the influence of Si content on the TMF life was not so significant. The TMF failure mechanism revealed that the crack mainly initiated at the agglomeration of small-particulate SiC and the breakage of large-particulate SiC, and the broken primary Si and the exfoliated eutectic Si accelerated the crack propagation