Manufacturing strategy and new venture performance: A comparison of independent and corporate ventures in the biotechnology industry

Little empirical research has compared the manufacturing strategies of corporate and independent new ventures. This study explores these differences with data from the young, science-based biotechnology industry, and examines the performance effects of manufacturing strategy variables including scope, competitive thrust, and capabilities. The results show that the corporate and independent biotechnology new ventures pursue significantly different manufacturing strategies, and that different dimensions of manufacturing strategies affect the performance of corporate vs. independent ventures quite differently.     

Social Media Marketing: Determining and Comparing View of Public Library Directors and Users

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The present study aims to determine and compare the views of directors and users of public libraries on the use of social media for the marketing of library services.

Methodology: Data collection was done through two researcher-made questionnaires, one from the viewpoints of directors and one investigating the views of users. The questionnaires’ validity was done by four libraries and Information Science professionals, and the reliability was determined by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The statistical population of this research is made up of all directors and users of 12 public libraries of the city of Isfahan, one of the largest cities in Iran.

Findings: In users’ viewpoints, the “interaction capability” is the most important feature that social media marketing can have in libraries. From the viewpoints of the directors, “creating a true picture of the role of the library” and “informing users about library services” are among the most important reasons for the marketing of libraries in the social media. From the perspective of both groups, the Telegram is the most appropriate medium for the marketing of library services.

Results: To maintain their customers and their market position, libraries need to use more exciting tools such as social media for marketing. Library directors of this study emphasized on this fact and 79.1% of users expressed interest in receiving library information through social media.

Value: The findings of this study would help the library directors to better decide on the marketing of their library services in social media.

Type of the study: Scientific-Research     

Memories of structured input become increasingly distorted across development

Trajectories of cognitive and neural development suggest that, despite early emergence, the ability to extract environmental patterns changes across childhood. Here, 5- to 9-year-olds and adults (N = 211, 110 females, in a large Canadian city) completed a memory test assessing what they remembered after watching a stream of shape triplets: the particular sequence in which the shapes occurred and/or their group-level structure. After accounting for developmental improvements in overall memory, all ages remembered specific transitions, while memory for group membership was only observed in older children and adults (age by test-type interaction η² = .05). Thus, while young children form memories for specifics of structured experience, memory for derived associations is refined later—underscoring that adults and young children form different memories despite identical experience.     

Label-free electronic probing of nucleic acids and proteins at the nanoscale using the nanoneedle biosensor

Detection of proteins and nucleic acids is dominantly performed using optical fluorescence based techniques, which are more costly and timely than electrical detection due to the need for expensive and bulky optical equipment and the process of fluorescent tagging. In this paper, we discuss our study of the electrical properties of nucleic acids and proteins at the nanoscale using a nanoelectronic probe we have developed, which we refer to as the Nanoneedle biosensor. The nanoneedle consists of four thin film layers: a conductive layer at the bottom acting as an electrode, an oxide layer on top, and another conductive layer on top of that, with a protective oxide above. The presence of proteins and nucleic acids near the tip results in a decrease in impedance across the sensing electrodes. There are three basic mechanisms behind the electrical response of DNA and protein molecules in solution under an applied alternating electrical field. The first change stems from modulation of the relative permittivity at the interface. The second mechanism is the formation and relaxation of the induced dipole moment. The third mechanism is the tunneling of electrons through the biomolecules. The results presented in this paper can be extended to develop low cost point-of-care diagnostic assays for the clinical setting.     

‘The woods is a more free space for children to be creative; their imagination kind of sparks out there’: exploring young children’s cognitive play opportunities in natural,manufactured and mixed outdoor preschool zones

Outdoor preschools are critical for children’s play and development. Integrating observational and interview methods, this study examined four-to-five-year-old children’s cognitive play experiences in an outdoor preschool with natural, mixed and manufactured zones. The observational results indicated that the natural and mixed zones offered a diverse spectrum of cognitive play, were supportive of different learning styles and expanded their understanding about the world. Children preferred the diverse, challenging and constantly evolving natural settings in these zones. Integrating diverse natural and manufactured settings with loose elements, the mixed zone supported considerable opportunities for functional, exploratory and games with rules play behaviors. The accessible loose materials inspired children’s imagination, social engagement and games. In contrast, the manufactured zone offered the most functional and non-play behaviors, and was perceived as an unexciting, predictable and tedious environment. The findings suggest incorporating natural features and settings in outdoor preschools to support a diverse spectrum of cognitive play.     

氮肥种类与施量对油菜种子生育酚的影响(英文)

研究目的:生育酚是菜籽重要的品质指标,氮肥是影响作物生物学与籽粒产量最常用的肥料。这项研究旨在搞清楚氮肥种类与施量对油菜种子生育酚含量与组分的确切影响,以及这种影响在基因型之间的差异。创新要点:这篇论文研究了不同的氮肥种类(硝态氮与铵态氮)与低、中、高施用量对种子生育酚总量与组分的影响,并分析了其中的原因,为通过合理的氮肥施用方案配置,以达到最理想的菜籽生育酚含量或组分提供依据。研究方法:采用盆钵实验控制氮肥施量与流失的精准方法,五种基因型、二种氮肥种类、三档施量水平,三重复控制误差;尝试用气相色谱法检测菜籽生育酚含量的新方法。重要结论:尿素比硝酸氨更有利于菜籽总生育酚、阿尔法生育酚及伽马生育酚的有效形成;提高氮肥施量对于菜籽形成高含量的总生育酚与伽马生育酚非常有效,但对提高菜籽阿尔法生育酚含量的效果却不太明显。