96 research outputs found
Co-evolution and networks adaptation.
What is the role of co-evolution in the adaptation of a population of firms to a hostile environment ? To answer this question, we revisit network sociology starting from Kauffman s biological computer model. We apply a qualitative methodology to update exploitation and exploration mechanisms in nine Japanese interfirm networks. From these results, this article draws a typology of the adaptation forms, distinguishing pack, migratory, herd and colony networks.Sociologie des organisations; RĂ©seaux dâentreprises;
La dynamique de lâadaptation dâindustries.
Cette recherche plaide en faveur de la prise en compte dâun systĂšme dans son ensemble pour aborder les problĂ©matiques dâadaptation. Câest en particulier le cas de lâadaptation dâindustries Ă une rupture technologique qui est ici Ă©tudiĂ©. Les thĂ©ories traditionnelles invoquent la flexibilitĂ© des organisations et les caractĂ©ristiques de la rupture pour en comprendre lâimpact. Elles dĂ©coulent dâune vision statique, linĂ©aire et non liĂ©e de lâadaptation. Pour apporter une rĂ©ponse nouvelle, trois pans de recherche sont mobilisĂ©s : lâapproche ressources dynamisĂ©e comme thĂ©orie de la firme, lâĂ©quilibre ponctuĂ© comme modĂšle de changement et les thĂ©ories de la complexitĂ© comme loupe dâanalyse. Ces courants convergent vers la nĂ©cessaire prise en compte de lâinterdĂ©pendance. Le tout nâest pas la somme des parties, les relations sont rĂ©cursives. Ces liens causaux multiples impliquent une profonde rĂ©flexion thĂ©orique et mĂ©thodologique. De nouveaux concepts sont tout dâabord mis en place : sensibilitĂ© aux conditions initiales, Ă©mergence, changement brutal dâĂ©quilibre et coĂ©volution. Ensuite, la simulation, Ă partir de systĂšmes adaptatifs complexes, est considĂ©rĂ©e comme une alternative mĂ©thodologique innovante. Un modĂšle gĂ©nĂ©rique est proposĂ© : lâalgorithme gĂ©nĂ©tique, oĂč les compĂ©tences des organisations Ă©voluent sous forme de chromosomes sur un « terrain dâadaptation ». Ceci devrait permettre de rĂ©pondre Ă de nombreuses questions intĂ©grant les interdĂ©pendance multiples au sein dâune industrie.ThĂ©orie de la firme; simulation; interdĂ©pendance; complexitĂ©; Ă©quilibre ponctuĂ©; compĂ©tences; Adaptation dâindustries;
Alliances et imitation : antagonisme ou complĂ©mentaritĂ© dans la diffusion dâune technologie ?.
Alliances et imitations sont souvent Ă©tudiĂ©es Ă travers le prisme de la quĂȘte individuelle de compĂ©titivitĂ©. Cette recherche propose dâaborder ces stratĂ©gies sous un angle collectif et dâĂ©tudier leur impact sur la dynamique dâune industrie. Comment se dĂ©roule la transition dâune technologie dĂ©passĂ©e vers un nouvel Ă©quilibre ? Quels rĂŽles jouent les processus dâĂ©changes et de copies de ressources entre les principaux acteurs de ce changement ? Pour rĂ©pondre Ă ces questions, une mĂ©thodologie spĂ©cifique est dĂ©ployĂ©e, Ă la fois inductive, puisque fondĂ©e sur la monographie de lâindustrie photographique, et formelle, puisque reposant sur la construction dâun modĂšle de simulation. Ainsi, Ă partir dâune collecte de donnĂ©es recensant dans lâindustrie photographique les trajectoires technologiques de 33 entreprises, leurs alliances et les mouvements dâimitation, un modĂšle multi-agents est construit. Une expĂ©rimentation rĂ©alisĂ©e Ă partir de ce « monde artificiel » Ă©claire les manifestations dâun changement de technologie, en termes de diffusion et de diversitĂ©.industrie; simulation; innovation; alliance; imitation;
O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase immunostaining intensity in glioblastoma
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) has shown heterogeneous results. Cell staining intensity has not been included as a quantifiable variable in IHC analyses. We performed MGMT IHC in 29 patients diagnosed as glioblastoma classifying cells into three categories based on nuclear staining intensity compared with adjacent endothelium. The median proportions of strong-moderate, weak and no staining cells were 10%, 16% and 71%, respectively. The proportion of positive cases for MGMT expression varies from 38% to 52% depending on the classification of weakly stained cells. This letter challenges previous studies that have not included intensity as a variable for IHC analysis
Using the COMMVAC taxonomy to map vaccination communication interventions in Mozambique
Improved communication about childhood vaccination is fundamental to increasing vaccine uptake in low-income countries. Mozambique, with 64% of children fully vaccinated, uses a range of communication interventions to promote uptake of childhood immunisation.; Using a taxonomy developed by the 'Communicate to Vaccinate' (COMMVAC) project, the study aims to identify and classify the existing communication interventions for vaccination in Mozambique and to find the gaps.; We used a qualitative research approach to identify the range of communication interventions used in Mozambique. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with key purposively selected personnel at national level and relevant documents were collected and analysed. These data were complemented with observations of communication during routine vaccination and campaigns in Nampula province. We used the COMMVAC taxonomy, which organises vaccination communication intervention according to its intended purpose and the population targeted, to map both routine and campaign interventions.; We identified interventions used in campaign and routine vaccination, or in both, fitting five of the seven taxonomy purposes, with informing or educating community members predominating. We did not identify any interventions that aimed to provide support or facilitate decision-making. There were interventions for all main target groups, although fewer for health providers. Overlap occurred: for example, interventions often targeted both parents and community members.; We consider that the predominant focus on informing and educating community members is appropriate in the Mozambican context, where there is a high level of illiteracy and poor knowledge of the reasons for vaccination. We recommend increasing interventions for health providers, in particular training them in better communication for vaccination. The taxonomy was useful for identifying gaps, but needs to be more user-friendly if it is to be employed as a tool by health service managers
Identification of preliminary core outcome domains for communication about childhood vaccination : an online Delphi survey
Communication interventions for childhood vaccination are promising strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, but current research is limited by the outcomes measured. Most studies measure only vaccination-related outcomes, with minimal consideration of vaccine hesitancy-relevant intermediate outcomes. This impedes understanding of which interventions or elements are effective. It is also unknown which outcomes are important to the range of stakeholders affected by vaccine hesitancy. Outcome selection shapes the evidence base, informing future interventions and trials, and should reflect stakeholder priorities. Therefore, our aim was to identify which outcome domains (i.e. broad outcome categories) are most important to different stakeholders, identifying preliminary core outcome domains to inform evaluation of three common vaccination communication types: (i) communication to inform or educate, (ii) remind or recall, and (iii) enhance community ownership.; We conducted a two-stage online Delphi survey, involving four stakeholder groups: parents or community members, healthcare providers, researchers, and government or non-governmental organisation representatives. Participants rated the importance of eight outcome domains for each of the three communication types. They also rated specific outcomes within one domain ("attitudes or beliefs") and provided feedback about the survey.; Collectively, stakeholder groups prioritised outcome domains differently when considering the effects of different communication types. For communication that aims to (i) inform or educate, the most important outcome domain is "knowledge or understanding"; for (ii) reminder communication, "vaccination status and behaviours"; and for (iii) community engagement communication, "community participation". All stakeholder groups rated most outcome domains as very important or critical. The highest rated specific outcome within the "attitudes or beliefs" domain was "trust".; This Delphi survey expands the field of core outcomes research and identifies preliminary core outcome domains for measuring the effects of communication about childhood vaccination. The findings support the argument that vaccination communication is not a single homogenous intervention - it has a range of purposes, and vaccination communication evaluators should select outcomes accordingly
The protein disulfide isomerase ERp57 regulates the steady-state levels of the prion protein
Although the accumulation of a misfolded and protease-resistant form of the prion protein (PrP) is a key event in Prion pathogenesis, the cellular factors involved in its folding and quality control are poorly understood. PrP is a glycosylated and disulfide-bonded protein synthesized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER foldase ERp57 (also known as Grp58) is highly expressed in the brain of sporadic and infectious forms of Prion-related disorders. ERp57 is a disulfide isomerase involved in the folding of a subset of glycoproteins in the ER as part of the calnexin/calreticulin cycle. Here we show that levels of ERp57 increase mainly in neurons of Creutzfeldt-Jacob patients. Using gain- and loss-of-function approaches in cell culture we demonstrate that ERp57 expression directly controls the maturation and total levels of wild- type PrP and mutant forms associated with human disease. In addition, we found that PrP physically interacts with ERp57, and also with the closest family member PDIA1, but not ERp72. Furthermore, we generated a conditional knockout mouse for ERp57 in the nervous system and detected a reduction in the steady-state levels of the mono- and non-glycosylated forms of PrP in the brain. In contrast, ERp57 transgenic mice showed increased levels of endogenous PrP. Unexpectedly, ERp57 expression did not affect the susceptibility of cells to ER stress in vitro and in vivo. This study identifies ERp57 as a new modulator of PrP levels and may help understanding the consequences of ERp57 upregulation observed in human disease
Altered Prion Protein Expression Pattern in CSF as a Biomarker for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the most frequent human Prion-related disorder (PrD). The detection of 14-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is used as a molecular diagnostic criterion for patients clinically compatible with CJD. However, there is a pressing need for the identification of new reliable disease biomarkers. The pathological mechanisms leading to accumulation of 14-3-3 protein in CSF are not fully understood, however neuronal loss followed by cell lysis is assumed to cause the increase in 14-3-3 levels, which also occurs in conditions such as brain ischemia. Here we investigated the relation between the levels of 14-3-3 protein, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and expression of the prion protein (PrP) in CSF of sporadic and familial CJD cases. Unexpectedly, we found normal levels of LDH activity in CJD cases with moderate levels of 14-3-3 protein. Increased LDH activity was only observed in a percentage of the CSF samples that also exhibited high 14-3-3 levels. Analysis of the PrP expression pattern in CSF revealed a reduction in PrP levels in all CJD cases, as well as marked changes in its glycosylation pattern. PrP present in CSF of CJD cases was sensitive to proteases. The alterations in PrP expression observed in CJD cases were not detected in other pathologies affecting the nervous system, including cases of dementia and tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP). Time course analysis in several CJD patients revealed that 14-3-3 levels in CSF are dynamic and show a high degree of variability during the end stage of the disease. Post-mortem analysis of brain tissue also indicated that 14-3-3 protein is upregulated in neuronal cells, suggesting that its expression is modulated during the course of the disease. These results suggest that a combined analysis of 14-3-3 and PrP expression pattern in CSF is a reliable biomarker to confirm the clinical diagnosis of CJD patients and follow disease progression
ARIA digital anamorphosis : Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice
Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed.Peer reviewe
Correlation between work impairment, scores of rhinitis severity and asthma using the MASK-air (R) App
Background In allergic rhinitis, a relevant outcome providing information on the effectiveness of interventions is needed. In MASK-air (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for work is used as a relevant outcome. This study aimed to assess the performance of the work VAS work by comparing VAS work with other VAS measurements and symptom-medication scores obtained concurrently. Methods All consecutive MASK-air users in 23 countries from 1 June 2016 to 31 October 2018 were included (14 189 users; 205 904 days). Geolocalized users self-assessed daily symptom control using the touchscreen functionality on their smart phone to click on VAS scores (ranging from 0 to 100) for overall symptoms (global), nose, eyes, asthma and work. Two symptom-medication scores were used: the modified EAACI CSMS score and the MASK control score for rhinitis. To assess data quality, the intra-individual response variability (IRV) index was calculated. Results A strong correlation was observed between VAS work and other VAS. The highest levels for correlation with VAS work and variance explained in VAS work were found with VAS global, followed by VAS nose, eye and asthma. In comparison with VAS global, the mCSMS and MASK control score showed a lower correlation with VAS work. Results are unlikely to be explained by a low quality of data arising from repeated VAS measures. Conclusions VAS work correlates with other outcomes (VAS global, nose, eye and asthma) but less well with a symptom-medication score. VAS work should be considered as a potentially useful AR outcome in intervention studies.Peer reviewe
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