Communities of practice, knowledge acquisition and innovation: a case study of science-based small firms.

Purpose – Recent research into communities of practice (CoPs) has focused on large organizations, suggesting they can be constructed for the purposes of knowledge acquisition and innovation. The present study found that, for science-based SMEs, CoPs are more likely to emerge unplanned to support incremental innovation in the form of problem-solving activities. This paper aims to discuss these points. Design/methodology/approach – Deploying a social constructionist research methodology, thematic template analysis was used to analyze 25 in-depth interviews conducted with a range of employees in six science-based SMEs. Findings – Both intra and inter-organizational CoPs were leveraged for a variety of purposes, including knowledge acquisition and the enhancement of the organizations' ability to generate innovative solutions. Research limitations/implications – Whilst there is no claim for the representativeness of the sample in relation to the wider population of science-based firms, the paper offers new material and theorizing in a domain which has been dominated to date by a focus upon large organizations and a managerialist orientation. Practical implications – A contextualized framework for the construction of CoPs in science-based SMEs has been developed from the findings of this study. Originality/value – The role of CoPs in science-based SMEs and the factors that influence their success or failure have been neglected to date, and thus have received little attention in the literature. Yet CoPs, as we found, can contribute to knowledge acquisition and innovation. Keywords : Communities of practice, Innovation, Knowledge acquisition, Thematic template analysi

Local Enterprise Agency loan funds and investment readiness in UK small firms

We considered (i) whether loan funds managed by Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs) in England addressed the finance gap faced by new and small firms that are unable to raise investment capital from other sources, and (ii) whether LEA loan funds offered value-for-money and sustainability. Utilising realistic evaluation and data provided by LEAs, we found that funds had a high conversion rate of applications to loans, presumably because most referrals came from advisers and so propositions unlikely to be supported had already been weeded out, and due to high repayment rates. The level of demand suggested that knowledge of the availability of loans from these sources was still low, but that loans from LEAs were genuinely additional for small firms that would not otherwise have been able to raise the required finance from other sources, indeed in many cases leveraging commercially sourced funds. While LEA loan funds were becoming more efficient, they were not – and were unlikely to become – wholly sustainable. The high conversion rate (and low default rate) suggested that the real need for prospective entrepreneurs is effective advice and support to improve their ‘investment readiness’ and thus assist in unlocking the necessary financial support

Improving survival rates of newborn infants in South Africa

BACKGROUND:The number, rates and causes of early neonatal deaths in South Africa were not known. Neither had modifiable factors associated with these deaths been previously documented. An audit of live born infants who died in the first week of life in the public service could help in planning strategies to reduce the early neonatal mortality rate. METHODS: The number of live born infants weighing 1000 g or more, the number of these infants who die in the first week of life, the primary and final causes of these deaths, and the modifiable factors associated with them were collected over four years from 102 sites in South Africa as part of the Perinatal Problem Identification Programme. RESULTS: The rate of death in the first week of life for infants weighing 1000 g or more was unacceptably high (8.7/1000), especially in rural areas (10.42/1000). Intrapartum hypoxia and preterm delivery are the main causes of death. Common modifiable factors included inadequate staffing and facilities, poor care in labour, poor neonatal resuscitation and basic care, and difficulties for patients in accessing health care. CONCLUSION: Practical, affordable and effective steps can be taken to reduce the number of infants who die in the first week of life in South Africa. These could also be implemented in other under resourced countries

Facilitating collaboration in the new product development process of science-based SMEs: a communities of practice perspective

New product development innovation rarely, if ever, occurs through the ideas and actions of isolated individuals. It invariably requires collaboration between people with a range of skills, knowledge, contacts and experience. Initiating and developing collaboration can be challenging for SMEs, not least science-based ones, who are often unreceptive to knowledge sharing because of lack of trust, internal conflicts, motivation issues, limited resources and the absence of sharing mechanisms. We contend that communities of practice are a vehicle for networking and collaboration. Our findings contradict suggestions in the extant literature that lack of trust inhibits knowledge sharing and collaboration in SMEs. Indeed, our findings demonstrate that regular mutual engagement and the sharing of expertise internally with colleagues and externally with customers and suppliers, led to the emergence of a variety of trust-based communities of practice in the science-based SMEs, improving their ability to acquire new knowledge that influenced innovation and new product development

Predicting the Antigenic Evolution of Influenza Viruses with Application to Vaccination Strategy

Seasonal influenza viruses cause substantial worldwide mortality and morbidity every year. The evolution of these viruses comprise unique systems for studying natural evolutionary processes in real-time. Host immune systems recognise pathogens based on binding affinities between host antibodies and pathogen antigens. Pathogens with similar antibody binding are said to be antigenically similar. Seasonal influenza viruses evolve antigenically over a timescale observable by humans. Vertebrate immune responses also adapt rapidly, such that a single infection usually leaves a host protected for life against antigenically similar strains. In humans this imposes natural selection for antigenic novelty in wild virus populations. Influenza vaccines contain virus antigen which elicit the production of antibodies that protect against antigenically similar strains. After major antigenic evolution in wild viruses, vaccines must be updated to remain effective. I use a simple model to show that even in best case scenarios current influenza vaccination strategies cannot completely avoid antigenic mismatch. I then present the first study that quantifies the link between degree of antigenic mismatch and vaccine effectiveness. Knowledge of the molecular variation responsible for major antigenic change in natural influenza viruses has improved greatly in the last decade. I review this work, and present the application of a computational approach from the field of quantitative genetics to this problem. Subsequently, I show that patterns in biophysical features of substitutions responsible for major antigenic change are far from random, begging the question: how predictable are these amino acid substitutions? I answer this question by developing a computational framework to rank candidate substitutions by their biophysical similarity to substitutions responsible for major antigenic change and show that predictions can be made that are substantially better than chance selections. Finally, I discuss the application of these rankings to advanced influenza vaccination strategies based on the principle of immunity management. I expand on how this work should be the basis for further investigation into the mechanisms that govern different components of influenza virus fitness and ultimately the antigenic evolution of seasonal influenza viruses

The chidu in late Ming and early Qing China

This thesis discusses the development and functions of an epistolary form called chidu, focussing on the period during which the chidu enjoyedthe greatest popularity, namely the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Partly because there has been very little work done on the genre at all, and more particularly to provide background to the discussion of late Ming and early Qing chidu, I begin by examining early uses of the term chidu and by looking at those texts which later writers referred to in their writings on the genre. I will show that in fact the early development of chidu is not at all clear, and that the texts to which later writers on chidu referred were not about chidu at all, but were about the more formal form of letter-writing called shu, which achieved canonical status from quite early times. I then proceed to look at the more distinct emergence during the Song dynasty of the kind of chidu which were practised in late Ming and Qing times. In the main part of the thesis, I examine a range of chidu anthologies from the late Ming and early Qing period and a number of texts about chidu which accompanied some of the anthologies, showing how there was a considerable discrepancy between the pedigree and ideals of the genre which they put forward on the one hand, and the actual practice of chidu-writing on the other. I will argue that the real motives of the compilers of chidu collections in presenting these arguments was to try to give their work the legitimacy it lacked precisely because of its lack of a classical pedigree and the general perception that it was a minor genre. In the case study for this thesis, Chidu xinchao compiled by Zhou Lianggong in 1662, I then try to establish what some of the real attractions of the genre for late Ming and Qing scholars might have been, its value as genteel entertainment aside. I will argue that the lack of classical antecedents and canonical status in fact gave writers considerable freedom, both stylistically and in terms of content. Although writers were still constrained by literary and social tradition as a whole, they did use the genre to experiment and made attempts to express themselves more directly. I will also show that the minor status of the genre made it an ideal vehicle for the expression of ideas which, because of their sensitive nature, could not be easily expressed in the canonical genres where they would have much more weight. And in the case of Chidu xinchao at least, it is possible to show how a compiler of an anthology of chidu could use such an anthology to present certain arguments through the letters in the anthology; not only was it a minor genre which was being anthologised, but the compiler was a step further removed from the contents because it was not through his own letters that the content was being presented

Famotidine use and quantitative symptom tracking for COVID-19 in non-hospitalised patients: a case series.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment options for non-hospitalised patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to reduce morbidity, mortality and spread of the disease are an urgent global need. The over-the-counter histamine-2 receptor antagonist famotidine is a putative therapy for COVID-19. We quantitively assessed longitudinal changes in patient reported outcome measures in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 who self-administered high-dose famotidine orally. DESIGN: Patients were enrolled consecutively after signing written informed consent. Data on demographics, COVID-19 diagnosis, famotidine use, drug-related side effects, temperature measurements, oxygen saturations and symptom scores were obtained using questionnaires and telephone interviews. Based on a National Institute of Health (NIH)-endorsed Protocol to research Patient Experience of COVID-19, we collected longitudinal severity scores of five symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches and anosmia) and general unwellness on a four-point ordinal scale modelled on performance status scoring. All data are reported at the patient level. Longitudinal combined normalised symptom scores were statistically compared. RESULTS: Ten consecutive patients with COVID-19 who self-administered high-dose oral famotidine were identified. The most frequently used famotidine regimen was 80 mg three times daily (n=6) for a median of 11 days (range: 5-21 days). Famotidine was well tolerated. All patients reported marked improvements of disease related symptoms after starting famotidine. The combined symptom score improved significantly within 24 hours of starting famotidine and peripheral oxygen saturation (n=2) and device recorded activity (n=1) increased. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this case series suggest that high-dose oral famotidine is well tolerated and associated with improved patient-reported outcomes in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19

Trust building in science-based SMEs in the North East of England: an ecosystem perspective

Purpose This paper identifies exigent factors that enable and constrain trust building in a science-based innovation ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach Set in the Northeast England, this study adopts a processual sensemaking approach to thematically analyse interviews with a diverse range of participants in six science-based SMEs. Findings The findings provide a unique exposition of trust building in an innovation ecosystem across geographic and platform relationships. In doing so, the findings highlight factors outside of contractual agreements that enable or constrain trust building in an innovation ecosystem. Research limitations/implications Limitations centred on subjectivity in the use of thematic analysis, sample bias and size. Sampling limitations were mitigated through the research design and analysis. Practical implications The findings provide unique insights into understanding the exigent factors that enable or constrain trust building in a science-based innovation ecosystem. Originality/value The study identifies five exigent factors that constrain or enable trust building in science-based SMEs' innovation ecosystem at a micro-level – building network relationships, degree of novelty, protection of innovations, propensity for adding value, propensity for risk