Managing absorptive capacity stocks to improve performance: Empirical evidence from the turbulent environment of Israeli hospitals

Summary The current paper focuses on the management of external knowledge as a central mechanism when organizations face threats from turbulent environments. Based on absorptive capacity (ACAP) theory, we emphasize ACAP's separation into potential and realized knowledge and suggest that each should be associated with three-dimensional stocks and distinguish between managing knowledge stocks and knowledge flows. Data from 522 managers from 12 Israli hospitals support the theoretical model. Organizations that manage both potential and realized ACAP stocks achieve better performance in a turbulent environment. The paper explores the practical and theoretical contivutions of the new suggested framework by linking environmental competitiveness, ACAP stocks, and performance.Hospital performance Knowledge flows and stocks Environmental competitiveness Potential and realized absorptive capacity

A Simple and Rapid Method for Preparing a Cell-Free Bacterial Lysate for Protein Synthesis

<div><p>Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems are important laboratory tools that are used for various synthetic biology applications. Here, we present a simple and inexpensive laboratory-scale method for preparing a CFPS system from <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i>. The procedure uses basic lab equipment, a minimal set of reagents, and requires less than one hour to process the bacterial cell mass into a functional S30-T7 extract. BL21(DE3) and MRE600 <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> strains were used to prepare the S30-T7 extract. The CFPS system was used to produce a set of fluorescent and therapeutic proteins of different molecular weights (up to 66 kDa). This system was able to produce 40–150 μg-protein/ml, with variations depending on the plasmid type, expressed protein and <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> strain. Interestingly, the BL21-based CFPS exhibited stability and increased activity at 40 and 45°C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most rapid and affordable lab-scale protocol for preparing a cell-free protein synthesis system, with high thermal stability and efficacy in producing therapeutic proteins.</p></div

A historical overview of improvements made to CFPS procedures over time.

<p>A historical overview of improvements made to CFPS procedures over time.</p

<i>Pseudomonas</i> exotoxin (PE) productions using the S30-T7 CFPS system originated from two different <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> strains (BL21 and MRE600).

<p>Reactions were performed with and without the presence of DNA template. (A) Western blot analysis of cell-free reactions demonstrated the production of PE ~ 66 kDa. Purified PE served as positive control (described in Appendix F in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0165137#pone.0165137.s001" target="_blank">S1 File</a>.). Arrows indicate the position of PE bands. (B) The therapeutic potency of PE was evaluated on 4T1 cell-line. The viability of the cells was determined by MTT assay. Cell viability values obtained without the presence of purified PE or DNA were set as 100%, and the other values were normalized according to them (error bars represent standard deviation from at least three independent samples).</p

<i>In vitro</i> protein synthesis using cell-free system based on S30-T7 lysate.

<p><i>In vitro</i> protein synthesis using cell-free system based on S30-T7 lysate.</p

Preparation of S30-T7 lysate.

<p>Preparation of S30-T7 lysate.</p

Enzyme productions using S30-T7 CFPS systems sourced from two different <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> strains (BL21 and MRE600).

<p>(A) The produced <i>Renilla</i> luciferase activity was demonstrated by integrating 10 seconds of luminescence measurements (error bars represent standard deviation from at least three independent samples). (B) & (C) TyrBm production was confirmed by monitoring the conversion of 1mM L-Dopa to dopachrome (error bars represent standard deviation from three independent samples). (C) The observed enzymatic activity of TyrBm, produced by the S30-T7 CFPS in a 96-well plate. The three wells to the right present cell-free reaction in the present of DNA template, while in the three wells to the left no DNA template was incorporated into the reaction. The dark color indicates on the conversion of L-Dopa to dopachrome (followed by polymerization and accumulation of melanin), and thus on the production of TyrBm. (D) Temperature effect on cell-free <i>superfolder</i> GFP production efficiency of the S30-T7 CFPS (error bars represent standard deviation from at least four independent samples). The protein production amount was evaluated according to the fluorescence levels. The fluorescence values obtained at 37°C were set to 100%, and all the other values were normalized according to them. Negative controls (N.C.) were reactions without DNA templates. * Significant difference between lysates from the two E. coli strains, where α<0.05 according to a Student's t-Test with a two-tailed distribution with equal variance.</p

A schematic overview of the cell-free protein production process.

<p>A schematic overview of the cell-free protein production process.</p