Innovation policy within private collectives: Evidence on 3GPP׳s regulation mechanisms to facilitate collective innovation

This article provides insights on how to manage collective innovation in the digital economy, an innovation regime which is riddled with complex regulatory challenges and increasing litigation over intellectual property rights. Private collective organizations face two main challenges: (1) to promote collective innovation while preserving the private interests of the firms within the collective, and (2) to ensure that collective innovation does not weaken healthy competition. Through a case study of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an exemplary private collective federation of organizations composed of standardization bodies, industry consortia and technology producers, we identify organizational solutions to these challenges. We find that a combination of specific IP rights instruments is key to manage these trade-offs. We also find that the combined policies of essential patenting, FRAND, and maximum royalty rate help overcome the specific challenges associated with collective innovation within competitive contexts. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings for managers and for policy. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Acrometástasis por cáncer de pulmón, diagnóstico simultáneo: a propósito de un caso

Las acrometástasis son hallazgos patológicos malignos muy poco frecuentes. La importancia de estas lesiones reside en que en ocasiones puede ser la primera manifestación de una neoplasia oculta y avanzada y que además por sus características puede confundirse con otras patologías esqueléticas y tratarse de manera inadecuada. Presentamos el caso de una acrometástasis localizada en la falange distal del dedo de una mano en un paciente que previamente no había sido diagnosticado de cáncer de pulmón.Acrometastasis are rare malignant pathological findings. They can sometimes be the first mani - festation of an occult and advanced neoplasia and also they can be confused with other skeletal pathologies and treated inappropriately. We report a case of acrometastasis to the distal phalanx of the finger of the hand in a patient who previously hadn't been diagnosed with lung cancer

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in domestic livestock of Kogo and Mbini foci (Equatorial Guinea).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Trypanosoma brucei gambiense infection in peri-domestic livestock from Kogo and Mbini foci (Equatorial Guinea) in order to investigate its possible implication in the sleeping sickness transmission cycle in these hypoendemic foci. METHODS: Samples from 698 domestic animals (goats, sheep and pigs) from trypanosomiasis-endemic localities of Kogo and Mbini foci were tested for animal trypanosomes and T. b. gambiense (group I) by species-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Trypanosoma brucei s.l., the predominant trypanosome species, was detected in 182 (52.6%) samples from Mbini and in 127 (36.1%) samples from Kogo. T. b. gambiense was only identified in seven (2%) of the Mbini samples and one co-infection (with T. vivax) was observed. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of T. b. gambiense in peri-domestic livestock in Mbini and its absence in Kogo could explain the epidemiological differences between the two foci and could have significant implications for sleeping sickness control in Equatorial Guinea

Two-step PEF processing for enhancing the polyphenol concentration and decontaminating a red grape juice

This study’s aim is to evaluate Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) technology as an alternative method for the processing of red grape juice. For this purpose, two PEF treatments were applied: first to grapes for polyphenol enrichment of the juice, and subsequently for microbial decontamination of the obtained juice. Juice obtained from PEF-treated grapes (5 kV/cm, 63.4 kJ/kg) had the polyphenol content 1.5-fold higher and colour intensity two times higher of control juices by spectrophotometric measurement (p = 0.05). A subsequent decontamination treatment by PEF (17.5 kV/cm and 173.6 kJ/kg) achieved inactivation of the present microbiota (yeasts, moulds, and vegetative mesophilic bacteria) below detection level (<30 CFU/mL). Furthermore, PEF-treated juices were microbiologically stable up to 45 days, even at abusive refrigeration storage temperatures (10 °C). PEF juice quality and sensory characteristics were similar to a fresh juice; they were neither affected by the PEF decontamination treatment, nor by storage time and temperature. Results obtained in this study demonstrate the considerable potential of PEF for the production of a polyphenol-enriched and microbially stabilized red grape juice as a unique and sustainable alternative for the juice industry, while avoiding enzymatic and heat treatments

Innovation policy within private collectives: Evidence on 3GPP's regulation mechanisms to facilitate collective innovation

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordThis article provides insights on how to manage collective innovation in the digital economy, an innovation regime which is riddled with complex regulatory challenges and increasing litigation over intellectual property rights. Private collective organizations face two main challenges: (1) to promote collective innovation while preserving the private interests of the firms within the collective, and (2) to ensure that collective innovation does not weaken healthy competition. Through a case study of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an exemplary private collective federation of organizations composed of standardization bodies, industry consortia and technology producers, we identify organizational solutions to these challenges. We find that a combination of specific IP rights instruments is key to manage these trade-offs. We also find that the combined policies of essential patenting, FRAND, and maximum royalty rate help overcome the specific challenges associated with collective innovation within competitive contexts. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings for managers and for policy. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Rotura del núcleo de polietileno en cotilo no cementado

La rotura del componente de polietileno de los cotilos en la prótesis total de cadera, es una complicación raramente descrita, sobre todo en artroplastias no cementadas. Presentamos un caso de rotura del polietileno en una prótesis total de cadera no cementada, revisando los 15 casos previamente publicados. Nuestro propósito es alertar sobre la posibilidad de esta infrecuente complicación.Fracture of the polyethylene liner of uncemented acetabular components is rarely mentioned in the literature. One case of fracture of the polyethylene liner is uncementeed his arthroplasty is described and we review 15 cases previously reported. The purpose of the report is to alert about this rare complication

Caregivers' Malaria Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes, and Related Factors in the Bata District, Equatorial Guinea

OBJECTIVES: Adequate community knowledge about malaria is crucial in order to improve prevention by reducing exposure to the disease. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children of less than five years of age in Equatorial Guinea. However, information concerning the accuracy of community knowledge is insufficient. This study aimed at assessing the depth of caregivers' knowledge of malaria, their beliefs and attitudes about this disease, and their socioeconomic determinants in the Bata district of Equatorial Guinea. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the district of Bata, involving 440 houses selected from 18 rural villages and 26 urban neighbourhoods. A combined "Malaria Knowledge Score" was generated based on caregivers' knowledge about transmission, symptoms, prevention, the treatment of children, and best place to seek treatment. Multivariate logistic regressions analyses were performed to assess those factors that are associated with knowledge about malaria. RESULTS: A total of 428 caregivers were interviewed; 255 (59.6%) and 173 (40.4%) lived in urban and rural areas respectively. Significant differences between rural and urban households were observed in caregivers' malaria knowledges and beliefs. Almost 42% of urban and 65% of rural caregivers were unaware as to how malaria is transmitted (OR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.78-4.05). Together with rurality, the factors most significantly associated with the Malaria Knowledge were the level of education of the caregiver and the socioeconomic status of the household. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in educational programs are needed to empower the most vulnerable households such that they can pro-actively implement malaria control measures. This could be achieved by a comprehensive communication strategy aimed at changing individual and community behaviours, and delivered by suitably trained community health workers and indoor residual spraying personnel.This study was funded by the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECID), TREG1415/11, http://www.aecid.es/ES; and the Tropical Diseases Research Network (RICET), RD12/0018/0001, http://www.ricet.es/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Deletion patterns, genetic variability and protein structure of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3: implications for malaria rapid diagnostic test in Amhara region, Ethiopia

Background: Although rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) play a key role in malaria-control strategies, their efficacy has been threatened by deletion and genetic variability of the genes pfhrp2/3. This study aims to characterize the deletion, genetic patterns and diversity of these genes and their implication for malaria RDT effectiveness, as well as their genetic evolution in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods: The study included 354 isolates from symptomatic patients from the Amhara region of Ethiopia who tested positive by microscopy. Exon 1?2 and exon 2 of genes pfhrp2 and -3 were amplified, and exon 2 was sequenced to analyse the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship and epitope availability. Results: The deletion frequency in exon 1?2 and exon 2 was 22 and 4.6% for pfhrp2, and 68 and 18% for pfhrp3, respectively. Double deletion frequency for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 was 1.4%. High genetic diversity, lack of clustering by phylogenetic analysis and evidence of positive selection suggested a diversifying selection for both genes. The amino-acid sequences, classified into different haplotypes, varied widely in terms of frequency of repeats, with novel amino-acid changes. Aminoacidic repetition type 2 and type 7 were the most frequent in all the sequences. The most frequent epitopes among protein sequences were those recognized by MAbs 3A4 and C1-13. Conclusion: Deletions and high amino acidic variation in pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 suggest their possible impact on RDT use in the Amhara region, and the high genetic diversity of these genes could be associated with a diversifying selection in Ethiopia. Surveillance of these genes is, therefore, essential to ensure the effectiveness of public health interventions in this region.Instituto de Salud Carlos II

Comparison of antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles and silver-loaded montmorillonite and saponite

Although silver nanoparticles are known for their antibacterial activity, little research has been carried out on what synthesis method provides the most effective particles. In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesised via chemical reduction by using silver nitrate as the silver precursor, ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and sodium citrate as the stabilising agent. The solutions were adjusted to several pH values employing sodium hydroxide, citric acid or nitric acid. Dynamic light scattering and absorption spectra in the ultraviolet/visible region characterisation revealed that employing nitric acid to adjust the pH produced more varied and larger silver particle sizes. Then, silver nanoparticles were supported on montmorillonite and saponite through wet impregnation or ion exchange methods. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy characterisation confirmed that silver nanoparticles were successfully loaded onto the clay minerals. Next, the antibacterial activity of the samples was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by determining their minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations. The free silver nanoparticles did not show any antibacterial activity at 125 mg/L. In contrast, the silver-loaded samples obtained by wet impregnation and with a higher silver content displayed the strongest antibacterial effect. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the samples was determined in GM07492-A cell line by using an XTT colorimetric assay. The calculated IC50 values revealed that the supported silver nanoparticles were barely toxic. Thus, the silver-loaded clay minerals obtained here are promising antibacterial materials with a high-grade safety profile

Entre la profunda recesión y la gran crisis. Nuevas interpretaciones teóricas y alternativas

El logro de un desarrollo propio desde una perspectiva latinoamericana ha estado latente a partir del a inserción de nuestro países al mercado mundial. Cómo sembrar dicho desarrollo y cómo evaluar el desempeño de las economías latinoamericanas en el contexto actual es el reto de las instituciones académicas y de quienes comprometidos con el bienestar social ponen a discusión el cómo y el por qué del curso actual de nuestras sociedades. El rumbo del desarrollo hacia el futuro se nutre del o que se ha sembrado durante las últimas décadas. El desarrollo basado en las ideas de Prebisch y en la influencia del pensamiento keynesiano tuvo su fin en los años setenta; el pensamiento hegemónico promovió un Estado minimalista y la preeminencia del mercado sobre los intereses del bienestar social