The role of the competitive environment in studies of strategic alignment: a meta-analysis

Numerous studies in operations management have investigated alignment between business and functional level strategies. In spite of the considerable amount of research that has been conducted, little consensus exists regarding how the competitive environment affects the relationship between strategic alignment and organisational performance. In this study, we build on prior operations management research that has examined alignment by examining whether the competitive environment mediates or moderates the relationship between alignment and performance. Using meta-analytic procedures, we find evidence that the competitive environment functions as a mediator in the relationship between strategic alignment and organisational performance. The implications of our study are that researchers should carefully consider how the competitive environment may affect their results in strategic alignment studies. Results from our study also suggest that the environment is a salient contributing factor to a firm's performance and that managers need to pay close attention to its competitive environment when make strategic and operational decisions.     

低压下微机械谐振器件挤压膜阻尼分子动力学仿真的一种高效算法

正确预测挤压膜气体阻尼对于微机械谐振器件的设计是至关重要的.目前,当气压不太低时,已经有比较完善的连续介质模型能描述挤压膜气体阻尼.当气压很低时,气体连续介质模型不再适用,只能采用分子动力学方法.但是,当前关于自由分子区域中的微谐振器件挤压膜阻尼的分子动力学研究非常少,为了避免计算量过大,还未有三维的挤压膜阻尼分子动力学模型.提出一种高计算效率的三维分子动力学算法.该方法以气体分子速度分布函数生成每一分子的初始速度,通过分别单独计算每一气体分子在一个振动周期内与器件碰撞获得的动能增量,得到一个振动周期内气体分子总体动能增量,从而计算器件挤压膜阻尼.与已有的实验结果对比表明,该算法具有良好的精度,而且计算量是可以接受的.     

Assessment of inventive step for organic chemical reactions: Structure-reactivity-relationships in the frame of the problem-solution approach (PSA)

Structure-reactivity-relationships (SRR) or linear free energy relationships (LFER) are a part of the common general knowledge in the field of organic chemical reactions. Accordingly, for the assessment of inventive step the knowledge of the reaction mechanism and knowledge of the interacting functional groups is of utmost importance. The relevance of the problem-solution-approach in this context is discussed using basic chemical literature, and in the context of selected decisions of the Technical Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office.     

Interface reactions at TiN/HfSiON gate stacks: Dependence on the electrode structure and deposition method

We systematically investigated intrinsic and extrinsic thermal reactions at TiN/HfSiON gate stacks. The formation of an ultrathin TiO₂ interlayer was found to be an intrinsic reaction at the metal/insulator interface, but growth of SiO₂ underlayers between HfSiON and Si substrates, which determines the electrical thickness of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices, depends on the structure and deposition method of the gate electrodes. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) grown TiN electrodes covered with W overlayers exhibited excellent thermal stability at up to 1000 °C. Formation of ultrathin TiO₂ interlayers reduced gate leakage current (I_g), and growth of the oxide underlayer was suppressed by less than a few angstroms even for 1000 °C annealing. In contrast, we found that halogen impurities within CVD-grown metal electrodes enhance interface SiO₂ growth, resulting in deterioration of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) versus I_g characteristics of the gate stacks.     

Predictions of Pattern Formation in Amino Acid Adlayers at the In Vacuo Graphene Interface: Influence of Termination State

Controlled self‐assembly of biomolecules on graphene offers a pathway for realizing its full potential in biological applications. Microscopy has revealed the self‐assembly of amino acid adlayers into dimer rows on nonreactive substrates. However, neither the spontaneous formation of these patterns, nor the influence of amino acid termination state on the formation of patterns has been directly resolved to date. Molecular dynamics simulations, with the ability to reveal atomic level details and exert full control over the termination state, are used here to model initially disordered adlayers of neutral, zwitterionic, and neutral–zwitterionic mixtures for two types of amino acids, tryptophan and methionine, adsorbed on graphene in vacuo. The simulations of the zwitterion‐containing adlayers exhibit the spontaneous emergence of dimer row ordering, mediated by charge‐driven intermolecular interactions. In contrast, adlayers containing only neutral species do not assemble into ordered patterns. It is also found that the presence of trace amounts of water reduces the interamino acid interactions in the adlayers, but does not induce or disrupt pattern formation. Overall, the findings reveal the balance between the lateral interamino acid interactions and amino acid–graphene interactions, providing foundational insights for ultimately realizing the predictable pattern formation of biomolecules adsorbed on unreactive surfaces.     

Continuous production of drug nanoparticle suspensions via wet stirred media milling: a fresh look at the Rehbinder effect

Nanoparticles of BCS Class II drugs are produced in wet stirred media mills operating in batch or recirculation mode with the goal of resolving the poor water-solubility issue. Scant information is available regarding the continuous production of drug nanoparticles via wet media milling. Griseofulvin and Naproxen were milled in both recirculation mode and multi-pass continuous mode to study the breakage dynamics and to determine the effects of suspension flow rate. The evolution of the median particle size was measured and described by an empirical breakage model. We found that these two operation modes could produce drug nanosuspensions with similar particle size distributions (PSDs). A reduced suspension flow rate slowed the breakage rate and led to a wider PSD and more differentiation between the two operation modes. The latter part of this study focused on the roles of stabilizers (hydroxypropyl cellulose and sodium lauryl sulfate) and elucidation of the so-called Rehbinder effect (reduction in particle strength due to adsorbed stabilizers such as polymers and surfactants). Milling the drugs in the absence of the stabilizers produced primary nanoparticles and their aggregates, while milling with the stabilizers produced smaller primary nanoparticles with minimal aggregation. Using laser diffraction, BET nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy imaging, and a microhydrodynamic analysis of milling, this study, for the first time, provides sufficient evidence for the existence of the Rehbinder effect during the milling of drugs. Not only do the polymers and surfactants allow proper stabilization of the nanoparticles in the suspensions, but they also do facilitate drug particle breakage.     

Ultrasonic synthesis of the microporous metal-organic framework Cu3(BTC)2 at ambient temperature and pressure: An efficient and environmentally friendly method

A three-dimensional (3-D) metal-organic framework (MOF) with 3-D channels, i.e. Cu₃(BTC)₂ (HKUST-1, BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate), was synthesized by using ultrasonic method for the first time. The reaction of cupric acetate and H₃BTC in a mixed solution of DMF/EtOH/H₂O (3:1:2, v/v) under ultrasonic irradiation at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure for short reaction times (5-60min) gave Cu₃(BTC)₂ in high yields (62.6-85.1%). These Cu₃(BTC)₂ nano-crystals have dimensions of a size range of 10-200 nm, which are much smaller than those synthesized using conventional solvothermal method. There were no significant differences in physicochemical properties, e.g. BET surface area, pore volume, and hydrogen storage capacity, between Cu₃(BTC)₂ nano-crystals prepared using ultrasonic method and the microcrystals obtained by using improved solvothermal method. Compared with traditional synthetic techniques, such as solvent diffusion technique, hydrothermal and solvothermal methods, ultrasonic method for the construction of porous MOFs was found to be highly efficient and environmentally friendly.