Global mindset and the internationalization of small firms: The importance of the characteristics of entrepreneurs

Despite being a relatively new concept, the importance of the global mindset is already well-documented. So far research has primarily focused on multinational companies and therefore the operationalization of the concept is still a work in progress. Recognizing the importance of entrepreneurs in small companies, yet mindful of the gaps that exist, this paper addresses the factors that constitute the global mindset and their influence on the internationalization of small Portuguese companies. Using information-processing theory through a quantitative, surveybased study and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the results show the importance of the characteristics of both entrepreneurs and firms in explaining the global mindset, and confirm the impact they have on internationalization behavior. The entrepreneur’s level of education, their satisfaction with company performance in the domestic market and the potential for growth in the domestic market all affect the global mindset model. The conclusions are useful for entrepreneurs and national authorities aiming to successfully implement internationalization practices, given the role of the global mindset in exploring global business opportunities and in the global success of companies. Replication of the research in different contexts is essential for the wider generalization of the results.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cross-cultural analysis of the global mindset and the internationalization behavior of small firms

This research analyzes the influence of a global mindset on the internationalization behavior of Norwegian and Portuguese small firms. It specifically sets out to assess the role of global orientation of the entrepreneur and firm perspectives on the global market. Based on a sample of 354 small firms, we used structural equation modeling to conduct our analysis. The results show the differing importance of a range of factors in explaining global mindset in different contexts. The global mindset of Norwegian entrepreneurs conditions their behavior and international experience, while for Portuguese entrepreneurs it affects the cognitive domain and their technical expertise. Global mindset and global orientation have more relevant effects on the internationalization behavior of Norwegian firms than that of Portuguese firms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality of Ammoniated \u3ci\u3eBrachiaria decumbens\u3c/i\u3e Hay

The experiment was conducted at UNESP-Jaboticabal to evaluate the quality of Brachiaria decumbens hays harvested after seed ripening. The hays were submitted to the following treatments: control, anhydrous ammonia (3.0% NH3 in the DM), and urea (5.0% in the DM). The chemical composition, digestibility and the performance of steers were evaluated using a complete randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. The ammoniation either with NH3 or urea increased (P\u3c 0.05) the CP content, and the IVDMD. The NH3 treatment reduced (P \u3c 0.05) the contents of NDF and ADF, and the urea application reduced (P \u3c 0.05) the contents of hemicellulose and lignin. The ammoniation did not affect (P \u3e 0.05) the neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen, and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen values. Steers receiving Brachiaria hay plus soybean meal (1.08 kg DM.day), hay treated with NH3 plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day ), and hay treated with urea plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day) showed DM intake of 1.97; 2.23; and 1.90% BW; weight gains of 0.60; 0.53; and 0.37 kg/ day, and feed conversion of 10.8; 12.8; and 16.9 kg of DM/ kg WG, respectively

Effectt of Supplements on Forage Degradability of \u3ci\u3eBrachiaria brizantha\u3c/i\u3e cv. Marandu Grazed by Steers

The supplementation effect was evaluated using crossbred rumen-fistulated steers maintained in a Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu pasture. The animals received energy supplementation (corn-COR); low degradability protein supplementation (corn gluten-GLU); and high degradability protein supplementation (soybean-SBM) at two levels N1 (± 0.5 kg/an/day) and N2 (± 1.5 kg/an/day); or no supplementation (Control). The factorial (3x2), plus the control, was studied according to complete randomized block design with three replications. The supplementation did not affect (P\u3e 0.05) the potential degradability (POD), the effective degradability (EFD), and the degradation rates (DR) of the forage (extrusa). The GLU supplementation provided higher (P\u3c 0.05) EFD of the NIDN fraction than the SBM, and both did not differ (P\u3e 0.05) of the COR treatment. The data allowed to conclude that the supplementation used did not provide alterations in the forage degradability, probably due to the low N-NH3 level and the non-variation of the ruminal pH

Selection bias: neighbourhood controls and controls selected from those presenting to a Health Unit in a case control study of efficacy of BCG revaccination.

BACKGROUND: In most case control studies the hardest decision is the choice of the control group, as in the ideal control group the proportion exposed is the same as in the population that produced the cases. METHODS: A comparison of two control groups in a case control study of the efficacy of BCG revaccination. One group was selected from subjects presenting to the heath unit the case attended for routine prevention and care; the second group was selected from the neighbourhood of cases. All Health Units from which controls were selected offered BCG revaccination. Efficacy estimated in a randomized control trial of BCG revaccination was used to establish that the neighbourhood control group was the one that gave unbiased results. RESULTS: The proportion of controls with scars indicating BCG revaccination was higher among the control group selected from Health Unit attenders than among neighbourhood controls. This excess was not removed after control for social variables and history of exposure to tuberculosis, and appears to have resulted from the fact that people attending the Health Unit were more likely to have been revaccinated than neighbourhood controls, although we can not exclude an effect of other unmeasured variables. CONCLUSION: In this study, controls selected from people presenting to a Health Unit overrepresented exposure to BCG revaccination. Had the results from the HU attenders control group been accepted this would have resulted in overestimation of vaccine efficacy. When the exposure of interest is offered in a health facility, selection of controls from attenders at the facility may result in over representation of exposure in controls and selection bias

Genomic Analyses, Gene Expression and Antigenic Profile of the Trans-Sialidase Superfamily of Trypanosoma cruzi Reveal an Undetected Level of Complexity

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, a highly debilitating human pathology that affects millions of people in the Americas. The sequencing of this parasite's genome reveals that trans-sialidase/trans-sialidase-like (TcS), a polymorphic protein family known to be involved in several aspects of T. cruzi biology, is the largest T. cruzi gene family, encoding more than 1,400 genes. Despite the fact that four TcS groups are well characterized and only one of the groups contains active trans-sialidases, all members of the family are annotated in the T. cruzi genome database as trans-sialidase. After performing sequence clustering analysis with all TcS complete genes, we identified four additional groups, demonstrating that the TcS family is even more heterogeneous than previously thought. Interestingly, members of distinct TcS groups show distinctive patterns of chromosome localization. Members of the TcSgroupII, which harbor proteins involved in host cell attachment/invasion, are preferentially located in subtelomeric regions, whereas members of the largest and new TcSgroupV have internal chromosomal locations. Real-time RT-PCR confirms the expression of genes derived from new groups and shows that the pattern of expression is not similar within and between groups. We also performed B-cell epitope prediction on the family and constructed a TcS specific peptide array, which was screened with sera from T. cruzi-infected mice. We demonstrated that all seven groups represented in the array are antigenic. A highly reactive peptide occurs in sixty TcS proteins including members of two new groups and may contribute to the known cross-reactivity of T. cruzi epitopes during infection. Taken together, our results contribute to a better understanding of the real complexity of the TcS family and open new avenues for investigating novel roles of this family during T. cruzi infection

Evidence for late Pleistocene volcanism at Santa Maria Island, Azores?

Santa Maria Island constitutes the oldest volcanic island within the Azores Archipelago, with no onshore record of eruptions younger than ≈2.8 Ma. A recent high-resolution multibeam bathymetric survey, however, revealed the presence of a seemingly young submerged wide volcanic edifice at approximately −70/−80 m, on the northeastern sector of the island shelf. The outer flanks of this volcanic edifice are partially eroded by marine erosion, but its general morphology is largely preserved, attesting to its relative youth. The edifice's aspect ratio and crater size are typical of a tuff ring formed by very violent surtseyan to taalian eruptions (with water/magma interaction ratios close to 1), implying extrusion at sea level or in very shallow waters, conditions that are incompatible with the present-day water depth at which this structure occurs. A detailed geomorphological analysis – coupled with a correlation with a modified reference eustatic curve – allowed the formulation and discussion of a formation model for the tuff ring, which involves extrusion during a period immediately preceding a rapid relative sea-level drop, most likely at ≈43 ka. Extrusion during such a period would have allowed for the subaerial consolidation and palagonitization of the tuff ring, increasing its resistance to erosion, before being finally submerged during the Last Glacial Termination. Submersion during the Last Glacial Termination – a period characterised by extremely fast sea-level rise – also helps to explain why this tuff ring was submerged without being completely razed by marine erosion. Our study offers insights on the formation and preservation of tuff rings in coastal environments, and in relation to sea-level oscillations, suggesting that consolidation plays a crucial role in the process. Crucially, our study suggests that Santa Maria's volcanism might have extended well into the very late Pleistocene, raising important hazard implications. Future work is scheduled to confirm this hypothesis, including sampling of the volcanic products by dredging and/or by remote operated vehicle. Our study also emphasises the importance of available high-resolution bathymetric surveys to the formulation of solid volcanic hazard assessments on volcanic islands.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Magneto-sensitive liposomes containing manganese ferrite nanoparticles as nanocarriers for new promising antitumor thienopyridin-amine derivatives

In this work, manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles, with superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature, were obtained by coprecipitation method and their structural and magnetic properties were evaluated. New promising antitumor drugs, thienopyridine derivatives containing an amine moiety and were successfully incorporated in aqueous and solid magnetoliposomes.FCT - Portuga