The effects of top management team composition on SME export performance: an upper echelons perspective

Survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly depends on their ability to exploit opportunities in foreign markets. Given their limited resources, exporting is one of the most viable modes of entry into foreign markets for SMEs. The present study is an attempt to contribute to the research that identifies the factors associated with SME export performance. Specifically, the association between top management team demographic composition and SME export performance was examined in an emerging market context and drawing from upper echelons perspective. Focusing on such commonly examined upper echelons attributes as age, education level, and tenure, the present research assessed whether top management team composition distinguished between SMEs in terms of their export levels. Data were collected from 128 SMEs operating in Ankara and Bursa regions of Turkey. Results obtained by a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that SMEs with lower mean industry tenure and higher age separation diversity had higher levels of export performance.     

Approximation by modified Szász-Durrmeyer operators

The main goal of this paper is to introduce Durrmeyer modifications for the generalized Szász–Mirakyan operators defined in (Aral et al., in Results Math 65:441–452, 2014). The construction of the new operators is based on a function \(\rho \) which is continuously differentiable \(\infty \) times on \( \left[ 0,\infty \right) ,\) such that \(\rho \left( 0\right) =0\) and \( \inf _{x\in \left[ 0,\infty \right) }\rho ^{\prime }\left( x\right) \ge 1.\) Involving the weighted modulus of continuity constructed using the function \( \rho \), approximation properties of the operators are explored: uniform convergence over unbounded intervals is established and a quantitative Voronovskaya theorem is given. Moreover, we obtain direct approximation properties of the operators in terms of the moduli of smoothness. Our results show that the new operators are sensitive to the rate of convergence to f,  depending on the selection of \(\rho .\) For the particular case \(\rho \left( x\right) =x\), the previous results for classical Szász-Durrmeyer operators are captured.     

99mTc-glucoheptonate-guanine: Synthesis, biodistribution and imaging in animals

The aim of the current study was to design a nucleotide-based radiopharmaceutical which could be labeled with ^99mTc and to investigate its radiopharmaceutical efficiency and stability. GHA (glucoheptonate) was used as bifunctional chelate. GHA was labeled with ^99mTc by SnCl₂ reduction method first, and then G (guanine) was conjugated with ^99mTc-GHA at 90 °C. In order to determine its radiopharmaceutical stability, thin layer radio chromatography (TLRC) and electrophoresis were employed. In addition, the results were confirmed using high performance liquid radio chromatography (HPLRC). Scintigraphic imaging was performed on rats with mammary tumors, while tissue distribution was determined on Albino Wistar rats. Labeling yield was found to be over 95% and the labeled complex maintained its stability during the study period. The lipophilicity of the ^99mTc-GHG was measured and the partition coefficient (logP) of the labeled compound calculated. The results demonstrated that the uptake of ^99mTc-GHG (^99mTc-glucoheptonate-guanine) reached its maximum at 3 hours p.i. in stomach and intestines. Main way of excretion was renal. Hepatobiliary excretion was also observed. In conclusion, ^99mTc-GHG may be useful as a nucleotide-based radiopharmaceutical for in vivo applications.     

The synthesis, using microwave irradiation and characterization of novel, metal-free and metallophthalocyanines

The synthesis of novel metal-free (4) and metallophthalocyanines (5, 6, 7 and 8) were prepared by cyclotetramerization of a novel 4-[2-(1-naphthyloxy)ethoxy]phthalonitrile (3). New substitute phthalocyanines showed the enhanced solubility in organic solvents. The new compounds were characterized by a combination of IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV-Vis and MS spectral data.     

Determination of bismuth, indium and lead in geological samples by electrothermal AAS Part 2. Comparative study of palladium and molybdenum containing chemical modifiers*

A comparative and systematic study has been carried out of the effects of palladium and molybdenum containing chemical modifiers, such as Pd + Rh, Pd + Pt, Pd + Ru, Pd + Rh + Pt, Pd + Rh + Ru, Mo + Pd, Mo + Rh, Mo + Ru and Mo + Pt and additionally tartaric acid (TA) as a reducing agent together with mixed modifiers for the thermal stabilization of Bi, In and Pb in a Zeeman electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer (ETAAS). The effect of the mass ratios of the mixed modifier components on the maximum pretreatment temperature for the analytes has been determined. The modifier mixtures of Pd + Rh + Pt, Mo + Pd + TA and Mo + Pt + TA were found to be especially powerful for the determination of Bi, In and Pb. These mixed modifiers could increase the ashing temperatures of the analytes up to 1250–1400° C. They were applied to the determination of Bi and Pb in dissolved geological reference samples and accuracy and precision of the method were thereby enhanced. The percent relative error was decreased from 20.0 to 0.4 for Bi and from 10.5 to 0.3 for Pb, depending on the sample type. Received: 9 May 1997 / Revised: 19 August 1997 / Accepted: 20 August 1997     

Rapid reversed-phase liquid chromatographic determination of patulin in apple juice

A rapid, simple and economical method using a limited amount of organic solvent is described for the determination of patulin in apple juice. The sample was extracted with ethyl acetate and the extract was cleaned up by extraction with sodium carbonate solution. Patulin was then determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography using a MicroPak C₁₈ column and a variable-wavelength UV-Vis detector set at 276 nm. Patulin and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were completely resolved by using water- acetonitrile (99:1, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detection limit was <5 μg/1 and the recovery was 98%.     

Synthesis of novel silicone modified acrylic resins and their film properties

New silicone modified acrylic resins were synthesized and some of their film properties were investigated. At first, macromer (MC) was synthesized by the condensation reaction of the reactive polysiloxane intermediate (Z-6018) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in toluene as solvent at 110°C under nitrogen atmosphere. Then, MC was reacted with 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) at different mole ratios (1:1, 1:3, 1:5) by using benzoyl peroxide as initiator in toluene to obtain novel silicone acrylic resins. These resins were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR), and their thermal properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The properties of the films prepared from these resins were determined. The results showed that these resins are thermally stable polymers and all films are flexible, semi-gloss and have excellent drying, adhesion properties. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxidation of Substituted 1,5-Hexadien-3-ols with Various Oxidants

Substituted 1,5-hexadien-3-ols were synthesized by the [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement of unsymmetrical bis-allyl ethers, as well as by reactions of 1-(2-alkenyl)-2-chloromethyloxiranes with Mg/THF. The products were oxidized with pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), zinc chlorochromate (ZCC), tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of OsO₄, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide alone. The oxidation of substituted 1,5-hexadien-3-ols with PCC and ZCC gave the corresponding carbonyl compounds. In the reaction with tert-butyl hydroperoxide catalyzed by OsO₄ the internal double bond in the substrate was regioselectively converted into epoxy group, whereas allylic oxidation was prevented.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Molecular Docking Study of Some Novel Imidazole Derivatives as Potential Antifungal Agents

The azole pharmacophore is still regarded as a viable lead structure for the synthesis of more effective antifungal agents. In this study, two novel series of imidazole derivatives containing dithiocarbamate (5a–5g) and (benz)azolethiol (6a–6n) side chains that are structurally related to the famous antifungal azole pharmacophore were synthesized, and the structures of them were characterized by spectral (IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and MS spectra) analyses. The synthesized compounds were screened in vitro antifungal activity against pathogenic strains fungi. Theoretical ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) predictions were calculated for final compounds. A molecular docking study of the most active compound with target “lanosterol 14α‐demethylase” (CYP51) was performed to unravel the mode of antifungal action. Compound 5e , which features imidazole and 4‐methoxybenzyl piperazine scaffolds, showed the most promising antifungal activity with an MIC₅₀ value of 0.78 μg/mL against C. krusei. Effect of the compound 5e against ergosterol biosynthesis was observed by LC–MS–MS method, which is based on quantification of ergosterol level in C. krusei.     

Labeling of acetaminophen with I-131 and biodistribution in rats

The aim of the present study was to label acetaminophen (APAP) with I-131 and to determine its radiopharmaceutical potential in rats. Acetaminophen was labeled with I-131 using the iodogen method. The radiochemical purity of (131)I-APAP was determined by RTLC and paper electrophoresis. The labeling yield was 94 +/- 4%. The biodistribution studies of the labeled compound (specific activity; 56.60 GBq/mmol) were performed in male Albino Wistar rats. The uptake of (131)I-APAP in some organs were determined at different time after injection to the rats. The radioactivity in each organ was counted and the percentage of injected activity per gram of tissue weight (%ID/g) for each organ and blood was calculated. (131)I-APAP uptake in the lung, liver, kidneys, pancreas, blood, stomach and some brain region, were observed. Thus, (131)I-APAP may be radiopharmaceutical for the imaging of the brain.