Competitive strategy, dynamic capability and value creation: Some empirical evidence from the UK telecommunications firms

Main message: The overall interplay between competitive strategies and dynamic capabilities is an integral part of value creation in terms of novelty, lock-in, complementarities and efficiency. Short title: Competitive strategy, dynamic capability and value creation Key points: -In response to insufficient systematic research on the impact of competitive strategies and dynamic capabilities on value creation, this study expands prior studies (e.g., Rashidirad et al., 2013) by proposing carefully testable research hypotheses and empirically explore the research phenomenon. -This study analyses the complex interrelationships between competitive strategies and dynamic capabilities and the resulting impact on value creation through adopting a multidimensional approach in which each construct is decomposited to its dimensions, so the relationships between each dimension of the research constructs are investigated. -This study prompts rethinking of the impact of dynamic capability and competitive strategy on value creation in firms by using a multidimensional perspective

The applicability of Grant's framework in the dynamic digital age: a review and agenda for future research

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the applicability of Grant’s framework in the current changing and dynamic environment. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a critical review of Grant’s paper was conducted to identify the limitations and weaknesses of the framework, which prevent its effective application in the current digital age. Findings As a result, this paper presented a modified framework and four propositions to consider dynamic capabilities in the new turbulent environment and extend the relationships between a firm’s resources, capabilities, dynamic capabilities, competitive advantage and competitive strategy. Findings tied to this initiative will provide important contributions to research. Originality/value Rooted in resource-based view (RBV), the proposed framework puts forward a valid theoretical foundation on how to create a competitive advantage from a firm’s internal factors, including strategic resources, capabilities and dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, it contributes to RBV literature by considering dynamic capabilities, as the firms’ most crucial factors in the current dynamic digital market

Effects of Sucrose, Skim Milk and Yeast Powder on Survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Encapsulated with Alginate during One-week Storage at room Conditions

Background and Objective: During the manufacture and storage of probiotic products, there are always possibilities that probiotics be exposed to harmful stresses such as high temperature, low pH, various osmotic pressures and high oxygen levels, which can decrease the number of living cells. Encapsulation is one of the methods used to protect living cells such as probiotic bacteria from environmental challenges. Up-to-date, various compounds with abilities to protect bacteria during freeze-drying and to increase viability during storage have been identified. In this study, alginate with calcium chloride was used to encapsulate probiotic bacteria using extrusion method. Then, effects of sucrose and skim milk as cryoprotectants and yeast powder containing beta-glucan as prebiotic on the survival of these bacteria were investigated. Material and Methods: The Homogeneous solution of bacteria with alginate and cry protectants were manually extruded into a calcium chloride solution. After 30 min of agitation, shaped beads were separated. For the comparison, bacterial population were enumerated in the primary culture, after encapsulation, freeze-drying and 1 week of storage at room conditions (N0, N, NF and N1w, respectively). To assess colony-forming unit per ml of the samples, first 1 g of fresh beads was dissolved in 9 ml of trisodium citrate and then serial dilution and pour plate techniques were carried out. Plates were incubated for 24-48 h and colonies were counted. Results and Conclusion: Results showed that encapsulation of bacteria with alginate and calcium chloride alone was 51% effective while use of yeast powder and sucrose with alginate increased the encapsulation efficiency to 97 and 99%, respectively. Furthermore, use of skim milk with alginate and sucrose resulted in the highest survival rate after 1 week of storage at room conditions. Therefore, encapsulation of probiotic bacteria with alginate layer and yeast powder containing prebiotics, sucrose and skim milk can be effective in survival of these bacteria. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Evaluation of the effect of extraction and storage conditions on the antimicrobial properties and inhibition of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes by oxalis aqueous extract

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, coupled with rising bacterial resistance to antibiotics, underscores the need to explore novel sources of antimicrobial and antidiabetic agents. In this study, an aqueous extract of Oxalis corniculata was prepared using ultrasound and maceration methods. The extract was stored both as a puree and a liquid under refrigerated and frozen conditions. We assessed its ability to inhibit the enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, as well as its antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, using the microdilution broth and well diffusion techniques. The ultrasound-prepared extract exhibited the highest enzyme inhibition on day 0. Storage time significantly affected the Half-maximal Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) values, with enzyme inhibition decreasing as storage duration increased. These findings suggest that the extract's enzyme inhibitory effects are associated with the antioxidants present in the plant. Additionally, the extract demonstrated antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with the largest inhibition zone (20 mm) observed against Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, this study highlights the potential of freshly prepared Oxalis corniculata extract, particularly when prepared using ultrasound, to inhibit bacterial growth and suppress alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase activity.</p

A contingency view to novelty: The role of product-service strategy, sensing capability and environmental turbulence

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine (i) the impact of the fit between product-service strategy and sensing capability on novelty, and (ii) the potential moderating impact of contextual factors (i.e. technological and market turbulence) on novelty. Design/methodology/approach: In line with the aim of the study, a quantitative approach was adopted and a multi-item scale survey was designed to collect primary data. Using a mixed mode survey, a total number of 491 questionnaires were collected from a sample of UK-based telecommunications firms. Multiple regression was employed to test the hypotheses and predict the outcomes. Findings: The results support the positive contribution of a contingency approach to the study of the impact of the fit between product-service strategy and sensing dynamic capability on novelty. The results also partially confirm the reinforcing impact of technological and market turbulence on novelty. Originality/value: The current study extends research on product-service strategy and sensing capability by adopting a contingency view which intends to serve two purposes: (i)to complement the existing reductionistic explanations, and (ii) to explore how the relationship between product-service strategy and sensing capability could create novelty as well as the degree to which this relationship could be moderated in light of the external contextual factors

Supplier quality management and performance: the effect of supply chain oriented culture

Drawing from contingency theory, we investigate the impact of Supplier Quality Management (SQM) activities on internal quality performance and examine the role of Supply Chain Oriented (SCO) culture in the relationship between SQM and internal quality performance. A survey-based research was designed to collect data from 518 UK manufacturing firms. The results indicate that organisations with strong SCO culture are more conducive to increased levels of trust, commitment, cooperative norms, organisational compatibility and managerial support. As such, effective supplier development and integration activities appear to bring about a higher level of internal quality performance. The results also support the moderating effect of SCO culture on the relationship between supplier quality management and internal quality performance. The study highlights the importance of SCO culture – if organisations want to optimise internal quality and organisational performance in a sustainable manner through effective buyer-supplier relationships. This study contributes to the literature by analysing SQM and internal quality performance relationships through the lens of contingency theory and presents empirical evidence in support of the context dependency nature of SQM and its impact on performance. In this respect, a contextual variable theorised as ‘SCO culture’ is conceptualised to understand the SQM – performance relationship

In Vitro Comparative Study on Antineoplastic Effects of Pinoresinol and Lariciresinol on Healthy Cells and Breast Cancer-Derived Human Cells

Background: Herbal medicines are the preferred anticancer agents due to their lower cytotoxic effects on healthy cells. Plant lignans play an important role in treating various diseases, especially cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of podophyllotoxin, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol on cellular toxicity and inducing apoptosis in fibroblasts, HEK-293, and SkBr3 cell lines.Methods: An in vitro study was conducted from 2017 to 2019 at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran, Iran). The cell lines were treated for 24 and 48 hours with different concentrations of lignans. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined using MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. Expression levels of cell cycle and apoptosis regulator genes were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s HSD test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Podophyllotoxin significantly increased apoptosis in fibroblast cells compared to pinoresinol and lariciresinol (P<0.001). The percentage of cell viability of fibroblast cells treated for 48 hours with pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and podophyllotoxin was reduced by 49%, 47%, and 36%, respectively. Treatment with pinoresinol and lariciresinol significantly overexpressed pro-apoptotic genes and underexpressed anti-apoptotic genes in SkBr3 cells (P<0.001). SkBr3 cells treated with lariciresinol significantly reduced gene expression (P<0.001). Conclusion: Pinoresinol and lariciresinol can potentially be used as new therapeutic agents for the treatment of breast cancer

Radiation Hybrid Map of Barley Chromosome 3H

Assembly of the barley ( L.) genome is complicated by its large size (5.1 Gb) and proportion of repetitive elements (84%). This process is facilitated by high resolution maps for aligning bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) contigs along chromosomes. Available genetic maps, however, do not provide accurate information on the physical position of a large portion of the genome located in recombination-poor regions. Radiation hybrid (RH) mapping is an alternative approach, which is based on radiation-induced deletions along the length of chromosomes. In this study, the first RH map for barley chromosome 3H was developed. In total, 373 in vivo RH lines were generated by irradiating wheat ( L.)–barley chromosome 3H addition lines and crossing them to a normal wheat cultivar. Each RH informative line (containing deletions) had, on average, three deletions. The induced deletion size varied from 36.58 Kb to 576.00 Mb, with an average length of 52.42 Mb. This initial chromosome 3H radiation hybrid (3H-RH) map had a 9.53× higher resolution than an analogous genetic map, reaching a maximum of >262.40× resolution in regions around the centromere. The final RH map was 3066.1 cR in length, with a 0.76 Mb resolution. It was estimated that the map resolution can be improved to an average of 30.34 Kb by saturating the 3H-RH map with molecular markers. The generated RH panel enabled alignment of BAC and sequenced contigs as small as 1.50 Kb in size. The high resolution and the coverage of poor-recombination regions make RH maps an ideal resource for barley genome assembly, as well as other genetic studies

The STRAT-PARK cohort: A personalized initiative to stratify Parkinson's disease

The STRAT-PARK initiative aims to provide a platform for stratifying Parkinson’s disease (PD) into biological subtypes, using a bottom-up, multidisciplinary biomarker-based and data-driven approach. PD is a heterogeneous entity, exhibiting high interindividual clinicopathological variability. This diversity suggests that PD may encompass multiple distinct biological entities, each driven by different molecular mechanisms. Molecular stratification and identification of disease subtypes is therefore a key priority for understanding and treating PD. STRAT-PARK is a multi-center longitudinal cohort aiming to recruit a total of 2000 individuals with PD and neurologically healthy controls from Norway and Canada, for the purpose of identifying molecular disease subtypes. Clinical assessment is performed annually, whereas biosampling, imaging, and digital and neurophysiological phenotyping occur every second year. The unique feature of STRAT-PARK is the diversity of collected biological material, including muscle biopsies and platelets, tissues particularly useful for mitochondrial biomarker research. Recruitment rate is ∼150 participants per year. By March 2023, 252 participants were included, comprising 204 cases and 48 controls. STRAT-PARK is a powerful stratification initiative anticipated to become a global research resource, contributing to personalized care in PD.publishedVersio