Being resilient for society: evidence from companies that leveraged their resources and capabilities to fight the COVID-19 crisis

This study adopts a resilience perspective to explain how companies managed to contribute innovative solutions to fight the COVID-19 crisis. We studied how five companies operating in different industries (three in automotive, one in printing, and one in rubber and plastic products manufacturing) managed to reorganize activities and employ their R&D and innovation capabilities to enhance their resilience. Simultaneously, they increased the health system’s capacity to cope with the outbreak. Through a qualitative inductive study, based on interviews with company managers, we found that the firms mobilized their resources and capabilities to expand their ability to adapt and cope with adversity at the organizational level. In addition, moved by the sensitivity to the extreme context and a perceived sense of urgency, the firms deployed the same endowments to strengthen the community’s response to a crisis. Our study shows that an organization can directly and positively foster the broader social system’s resilience. This study contributes to the innovation literature by identifying innovation capabilities as fundamental antecedents of resilience building for organizational response, paving the way for strengthening the link between resilience and innovation

O trançar de uma trajetória: o feminino em "Bisa Bia, Bisa Bel"

A presente dissertação objetivou investigar como a escritora Ana Maria Machado (1941) aborda questões relacionadas ao feminino por meio de sua literatura. Para tanto, tomou-se como corpus para esta pesquisa a obra Bisa Bia, Bisa Bel, publicada pela primeira vez em 1982. A partir dela, buscou-se evidenciar a representação cultural do feminino, em dado momento histórico e, consequentemente, as nuanças transformadoras da mulher, vincada em uma sociedade androcêntrica. Em nível temático, essa narrativa desnuda sinais da altivez de figuras femininas que romperam com as convenções impostas pela sociedade patriarcalista. Possibilitando e estabelecendo um diálogo entre três gerações de mulheres Bisa Bia, Isabel e Neta Beta , o universo ficcional dessa literatura infanto-juvenil apresenta-se como campo fértil para questionamentos acerca da realidade patriarcal. Tendo-se isso em vista, buscou-se como arcabouço teórico, para fundamentar esta análise, os ensinamentos de Pierre Bourdieu, de Michelle Perrot, de Simone de Beauvoir, de Mikhail Bakhtin, de Antonio Candido, dentre outros

The Role of Vasospasm and Microcirculatory Dysfunction in Fluoropyrimidine-Induced Ischemic Heart Disease

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Cardiotoxicity from chemotherapeutic agents results in substantial morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors and patients with active cancer. Cardiotoxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been well established, yet its incidence, mechanisms, and manifestation remain poorly defined. Ischemia secondary to coronary artery vasospasm is thought to be the most frequent cardiotoxic effect of 5-FU. The available evidence of 5-FU-induced epicardial coronary artery spasm and coronary microvascular dysfunction suggests that endothelial dysfunction or primary vascular smooth muscle dysfunction (an endothelial-independent mechanism) are the possible contributing factors to this form of cardiotoxicity. In patients with 5-FU-related coronary artery vasospasm, termination of chemotherapy and administration of nitrates or calcium channel blockers may improve ischemic symptoms. However, there are variable results after administration of nitrates or calcium channel blockers in patients treated with 5-FU presumed to have myocardial ischemia, suggesting mechanisms other than impaired vasodilatory response. Clinicians should investigate whether chest pain and ECG changes can reasonably be attributed to 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity. More prospective data and clinical randomized trials are required to understand and mitigate potentially adverse outcomes from 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity

Análise das Internações Por Causas Externas em Crianças e Adolescentes no Estado do Espírito Santo.

Trata-se de um estudo descritivo sobre a morbidade por causas externas, com o objetivo de descrever o perfil de internações por causas externas em crianças e adolescentes (0 a 19 anos) no estado do Espírito Santo, no período de 1998 a 2005, e identificar quais os municípios com maior índice de internação. Foi utilizado o Banco de Dados do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde, codificadas segundo a 10ª revisão da Classificação Internacional de Doenças. As internações diminuíram em 10,3%, estando na 4ª colocação entre as internações por todas as causas. Houve predomínio do sexo masculino (71,2%) e da faixa etária entre 10 a 19 anos (57,6%). As causas mais freqüentes foram as quedas (50,5%, 129,6/100.000 hab.), seguida dos acidentes de transporte (15,2%, 39,1/100.000 hab.), queimaduras (9,4%, 24,3/100.000 hab.) e intoxicações acidentais (5,4%, 13,7/100.000 hab.). Em relação a faixa etária destacam-s as quedas entre 10 a 14 anos (29,1%), os acidentes de transporte e as intoxicações entre 15 a 19 anos (45,9% e 41,8%, respectivamente) e as queimaduras entre 1 a 4 anos (45,9%). A principal lesão encontrada foi o traumatismo, responsável por mais de 70% das internações (170,8/100.000 hab.). Deste, a fratura de membros foi a mais encontrada (53,4%). Quanto os acidentes de transporte, predominaram os atropelamentos (54,3%). Líquidos, bebidas e óleos quentes (62,5%) foram as principais causas de queimadura e o contato com animais e plantas venenosas (68,3%) foi a principal causa de intoxicação acidental. O tempo médio de internação foi de 5,7 dias sendo maior na fratura de pescoço, tórax e pelve (13,4 dias), seguido das queimaduras (12,3 dias). A taxa de mortalidade hospitalar foi de 1,4%, sendo maiores no quase-afogamento e submersão acidentais (4,0%), seqüelas de causas externas (3,7%) e acidentes de trânsito (3,5%). O gasto médio das internações por causas externas (R$487,29) superou o de outras causas (R$ 381,87) em 27,6%. A queimadura foi a causa (R$1.015,91) e a lesão (R$ 1.033,08) com o maior gasto. Quanto às internações segundo mês de ocorrência, não foram encontradas qualquer tendência e sazonalidade no período estudado. O município da Serra foi o que gerou o maior número de casos, mas foi Vitória que mais internou. O maior coeficiente de morbidade foi encontrado em Afonso Cláudio (492,3/100.000 hab.), seguido por Alegre (475,9/100.000 hab.) e Itapemirim (435,4/100.000 hab.). Alegre e Vila Velha foram os municípios que mais aumentaram o número de casos (50,0%) e de internações (136,9%), respectivamente. Os municípios que mais diminuíram a incidência de internações foram Guaçuí (44,2%), Itapemirim (43,5%) e Santa Maria de Jetibá (42,4%). Os maiores coeficientes de morbidade foram encontrados em Marataízes para os acidentes de transporte, Alegre para as quedas, São Gabriel da Palha para as queimaduras e Afonso Cláudio para as intoxicações acidentais. O conhecimento das internações por causas externas se torna relevante para o subsídio na preparação de políticas públicas de prevenção destes agravos, melhoria no atendimento de resgate e remoção e a melhoria dos departamentos de emergência e reestruturação dos serviços de saúde

TrkB signaling directs the incorporation of newly generated periglomerular cells in the adult olfactory bulb.

In the adult rodent brain, the olfactory bulb (OB) is continuously supplied with new neurons which survival critically depends on their successful integration into pre-existing networks. Yet, the extracellular signals that determine the selection which neurons will be ultimately incorporated into these circuits are largely unknown. Here, we show that immature neurons express the catalytic form of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor receptor TrkB [full-length TrkB (TrkB-FL)] only after their arrival in the OB, at the time when inte-gration commences. To unravel the role of TrkB signaling in newborn neurons, we conditionally ablated TrkB-FL in mice via Cre expression in adult neural stem and progenitor cells. TrkB-deficient neurons displayed a marked impairment in dendritic arborization and spine growth. By selectively manipulating the signaling pathways initiated by TrkB in vivo, we identified the transducers Shc/PI3K to be required for dendritic growth, whereas the activation of phospholipase C-was found to be responsible for spine formation. Further-more, long-term genetic fate mapping revealed that TrkB deletion severely compromised the survival of new dopaminergic neurons, leading to a substantial reduction in the overall number of adult-generated periglomerular cells (PGCs), but not of granule cells (GCs). Surprisingly, this loss of dopaminergic PGCs was mirrored by a corresponding increase in the number of calretinin PGCs, suggesting that distinct subsets of adult-born PGCs may respond differentially to common extracellular signals. Thus, our results identify TrkB signaling to be essential for balancing the incorporation of defined classes of adult-born PGCs and not GCs, reflecting their different mode of integration in the OB. \ua9 2013 the authors

Benthic foraminifera as indicators of hydrologic and environmental conditions in the Ross Sea (Antarctica)

This study, present data on benthic foraminiferal assemblages from four box cores collected in different areas of the Ross Sea during the 2005 oceanographic cruise in the framework of the Italian Antarctic Research National Programme (PNRA)

Lentiviral-mediated administration of IL-25 in the CNS induces alternative activation of microglia

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Evidence for immunomodulation and apoptotic processes induced by cationic polystyrene nanoparticles in the hemocytes of the marine bivalve Mytilus

none8sìPolymeric nanoparticles can reach the marine environment from different sources as weathering of plastic debris and nanowaste. Nevertheless, few data are available on their fate and impact on marine biota. Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) can be considered as a model for studying the effects of nanoplastics in marine organisms: recent data on amino-modified PS NPs (PS-NH2) toxicity in sea urchin embryos underlined that marine invertebrates can be biological targets of nanoplastics. Cationic PS NPs have been shown to be toxic to mammalian cells, where they can induce apoptotic processes; however, no information is available on their effects and mechanisms of action in the cells of marine organisms. In this work, the effects of 50 nm PS-NH2 were investigated in the hemocytes of the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis. Hemocytes were exposed to different concentrations (1, 5, 50 μg/ml) of PS-NH2 suspension in ASW. Clear signs of cytoxicity were evident only at the highest concentrations (50 μg/ml). On the other hand, a dose dependent decrease in phagocytic activity and increase in lysozyme activity were observed. PS-NH2 NPs also stimulated increase in extracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) and NO (nitric oxide) production, with maximal effects at lower concentrations. Moreover, at the highest concentration tested, PS-NH2 NPs induced apoptotic process, as evaluated by Flow cytometry (Annexin V binding and mitochondrial parameters). The results demonstrate that in marine invertebrates the immune function can represent a significant target for PS-NPs. Moreover, in Mytilus hemocytes, PS-NH2 NPs can act through mechanisms similar to those observed in mammalian cells. Further research is necessary on specific mechanisms of toxicity and cellular uptake of nanoplastics in order to assess their impact on marine biota.openCanesi, L; Ciacci, Caterina; Bergami, E; Monopoli, M. P; Dawson, K. A; Papa, Stefano; Canonico, Barbara; Corsi, I.Canesi, L; Ciacci, Caterina; Bergami, E; Monopoli, M. P; Dawson, K. A; Papa, Stefano; Canonico, Barbara; Corsi, I

Aspirin for primary prevention of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in persons with diabetes and multiple risk factors

Controversy exists as to whether low-dose aspirin use may give benefit in primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events. We hypothesized that the benefits of aspirin are underevaluated. We investigated 12,123 Caucasian patients presenting to hospital with acute coronary syndromes as first manifestation of CV disease from 2010 to 2019 in the ISACS-TC multicenter registry (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01218776). Individual risk of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and its association with 30-day mortality was quantified using inverse probability of treatment weighting models matching for concomitant medications. Estimates were compared by test of interaction on the log scale. The risk of STEMI was lower in the aspirin users (absolute reduction: 6·8%; OR: 0·73; 95%CI: 0·65-0·82) regardless of sex (p for interaction=0·1962) or age (p for interaction=0·1209). Benefits of aspirin were seen in patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and in smokers. In contrast, aspirin failed to demonstrate a significant risk reduction in STEMI among diabetic patients (OR:1·10;95%CI:0·89-1·35) with a significant interaction (p: <0·0001) when compared with controls (OR:0·64,95%CI:0·56-0·73). Stratification of diabetes in risk categories revealed benefits (p interaction=0·0864) only in patients with concomitant hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (OR:0·87, 95% CI:0·65-1·15), but not in smokers. STEMI was strongly related to 30-day mortality (OR:1·93; 95%CI:1·59-2·35) Low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of STEMI as initial manifestation of CV disease with potential benefit in mortality. Patients with diabetes derive substantial benefit from aspirin only in the presence of multiple risk factors. In the era of precision medicine, a more tailored strategy is required

Suitability of nanoparticles to face benzo(A)pyrene-induced genetic and chromosomal damage in m. galloprovincialis. an in vitro approach

Benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) is a well-known genotoxic agent, the removal of which from environmental matrices is mandatory, necessitating the application of cleaning strategies that are harmless to human and environmental health. The potential application of nanoparticles (NPs) in the remediation of polluted environments is of increasing interest. Here, specifically designed NPs were selected as being non-genotoxic and able to interact with B(a)P, in order to address the genetic and chromosomal damage it produces. A newly formulated pure anatase nano-titanium (nano-TiO2), a commercial mixture of rutile and anatase, and carbon black-derived hydrophilic NPs (HNP) were applied. Once it had been ascertained that the NPs selected for the work did not induce genotoxicity, marine mussel gill biopsies were exposed in vitro to B(a)P (2 µg/mL), alone and in combination with the selected NPs (50 µg/mL nano-TiO2, 10 µg/mL HNP). DNA primary reversible damage was evaluated by means of the Comet assay. Chromosomal persistent damage was assessed on the basis of micronuclei frequency and nuclear abnormalities by means of the Micronucleus-Cytome assay. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was performed to investigate the mechanism of action exerted by NPs. Pure Anatase n-TiO2 was found to be the most suitable for our purpose, as it is cyto-and genotoxicity free and able to reduce the genetic and chromosomal damage associated with exposure to B(a)P