2,042 research outputs found
The shaping of knowledge transfer from UK universities: an exploration of influences and motivations
Industrial innovation can lead to economic benefits for a nation. Sources of such innovation are therefore important to governments. Over the last decade in the UK there has been a growth in government funding of knowledge transfer (KT) activities from UK universities, as they have been considered a relatively untapped source of innovation. European and regional funding tends to target work relating with SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) within specific geographical areas. UK national government funding however, can encompass support for a very wide variety of university knowledge and technology transfer activities. This study examines why UK universities undertake knowledge transfer activities and how this work is shaped at individual institutions. Evolutionary theory is used to examine differences at a range of universities, using contextual information about each universityâs history and influences
Attitudes of venture capital investors towards entrepreneurs with previous business failure, Belfast (June)
Business failure represents a significant outcome of entrepreneurial activity and yet remains an underdeveloped area of research. This article focuses on the attitudes of VC investors towards entrepreneurs with a previous failure experience. It illustrates that VCs recognise the complex, contextual nature of failure and do not necessarily perceive the entrepreneur to be the primary cause of the venture's demise. Consequently, the article differentiates between 'business', 'entrepreneurial' and 'venture capitalist' failure. The article demonstrates that VCs often adopt a tolerant, flexible and open-minded attitude to failure and are keen to understand the circumstances in which it occurred. The majority of the VCs in the study emphasise that their decision to invest in an entrepreneur is not negatively affected to any significant degree by a previous experience of failure. A number of influential factors are presented, such as a high quality concept, which can offset this aspect of the entrepreneur's track record. The article concludes that business failure is not automatically considered a 'black mark' by VCs. It is important for entrepreneurs involved in business failure to be aware of these positive and sympathetic attitudes when considering putting forward new proposals to the VC community
Gut microbiota related to Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba spp. and Blastocystis hominis infections in humans from CĂ´te d'Ivoire.
INTRODUCTION:
Literature data provide little information about protozoa infections and gut microbiota compositional shifts in humans. This preliminary study aimed to describe the fecal bacterial community composition of people from CĂ´te d'Ivoire harboring Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba spp., and Blastocystis hominis, in trying to discover possible alterations in their fecal microbiota structure related to the presence of such parasites.
METHODOLOGY:
Twenty fecal samples were collected from people inhabiting three different localities of CĂ´te d'Ivoire for copromicroscopic analysis and molecular identification of G. duodenalis, Entamoeba spp., and B. hominis. Temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) was used to obtain a fingerprint of the overall bacterial community; quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to define the relative abundances of selected bacterial species/group, and multivariate statistical analyses were employed to correlate all data.
RESULTS:
Cluster analysis revealed a significant separation of TTGE profiles into four clusters (p < 0.0001), with a marked difference for G. duodenalis-positive samples in relation to the others (p = 5.4Ă10-6). Interestingly, qPCR data showed how G. duodenalis-positive samples were related to a dysbiotic condition that favors potentially harmful species (such as Escherichia coli), while Entamoeba spp./B. hominis-positive subjects were linked to a eubiotic condition, as shown by a significantly higher Faecalibacterium prausnitzii-Escherichia coli ratio.
CONCLUSIONS:
This preliminary investigation demonstrates a differential fecal microbiota structure in subjects infected with G. duodenalis or Entamoeba spp./B. hominis, paving the way for using further next-generation DNA technologies to better understand host-parasite-bacteria interactions, aimed at identifying potential indicators of microbiota changes
Autoradiographic Study of the Turnover of Chromatin-Associated Phospholipids in Vicia Faba L.
SUMMARYAutoradiographic data from labelling studies on the incorporation of [14C] ethanolamine into nuclear phospholipids of meristem cells from roots of Vicia faba indicated the presence of a continuous labelling pattern for the nuclear membrane throughout the cell cycle. In contrast, a periodic labelling pattern was observed in chromatin of interphase nuclei which closely paralleled the synthesis pattern for DNA. This corroborated biochemical data from previously published studies of hepatocyte nuclear membranes and chromatin
Genotype characterisation of Giardia duodenalis isolates from domestic and farm animals by SSU-rRNA gene sequencing
In order to investigate the genotypes of Giardia duodenalis from domestic and farm animals in Italy, 21 Giardia isolates, 17 from dogs, 1 from cat and 3 from dairy calves, were genetically characterised by SSU-rRNA gene sequencing. Among dogs, 76.5% of isolates showed the dog-specific genotypes (Assemblages C, D and C/D mixed Assemblage) and 23.5% exhibit potential zoonotic genotypes (Assemblage A and A/C mixed Assemblages). The cat isolate belonged to assemblage A, whereas the sequences among the isolates from calves were found to correspond to hoofed-livestock genotype, namely Assemblage E. These findings suggest that infection of humans by zoonotic genotypes from domestic animals could be of low epidemiological significance, although possible. The present study represents the first contribute to the knowledge of G. duodenalis genotypes in domestic and farm animals from Italy. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
A contribution to the conceptualisation of quality in impact assessment
Quality is much sought after in, and a basic foundation for, good impact assessment (IA). However, the term is rarely defined, has an uncertain relationship with IA effectiveness, and it means different things to different stakeholders, which can lead to debates over the legitimacy associated with an IA process. Thus, IA quality needs conceptualising to position research and practice within broader understandings. This paper contributes to this conceptualisation by identifying nine dimensions of quality through a process of literature review drawing on three fields of study in which quality and quality management have already been debated and conceptualised: education; health care; and business. This approach sidesteps the plural views on quality existing within the field of IA itself which might otherwise bias the identification of quality dimensions. We therefore propose that the dimensions of IA quality are: Efficiency; Optimacy; Conformance; Legitimacy; Equity; Capacity Maintenance; Transformative Capacity; and Quality Management. A literature review of IA research and practice confirms the relevance of the identified quality dimensions to IA. We identify, to an extent, the relationship between quality and effectiveness. Quality aligns with procedural and transactive effectiveness, partly aligns with normative effectiveness and is distinct from, but helps to deliver, substantive effectiveness
A study of the prevalence and genotypes of Giardia duodenalis infecting kennelled dogs
Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite of animals that is zoonotic. Given the capacity of this organism to spread via the faecalâoral
route, animals held in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions are at high risk of infection. Faecal samples from dogs in three kennels in
Rome were examined by microscopy and PCR for G. duodenalis, and the prevalence data generated were correlated with variables such
as kennel identity, age of dog, length of time the dog had been kennelled and clinical signs.
The overall prevalence of the parasite in the faecal samples was 20.5% and was higher in samples from the largest kennel, which had
the greatest turnover of dogs, and in faecal samples from younger animals. Giardia cysts were found more frequently in diarrhoeic animals
but were also found in dogs with no clinical signs. Although the finding that the majority of isolates were dog-specific rather than
zoonotic genotypes suggests that the zoonotic risk from this pathogen is less than previously thought, the higher prevalence of infection
in younger dogs may pose a specific public health issue as such animals are more frequently re-homed with families.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Gut microbiota related to Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba spp. and Blastocystis hominis infections in humans from CĂ´te d'Ivoire
Introduction: Literature data provide little information about protozoa infections and gut microbiota compositional shifts in humans. This
preliminary study aimed to describe the fecal bacterial community composition of people from CĂ´te dâIvoire harboring Giardia duodenalis,
Entamoeba spp., and Blastocystis hominis, in trying to discover possible alterations in their fecal microbiota structure related to the presence
of such parasites.
Methodology: Twenty fecal samples were collected from people inhabiting three different localities of CĂ´te dâIvoire for copromicroscopic
analysis and molecular identification of G. duodenalis, Entamoeba spp., and B. hominis. Temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis
(TTGE) was used to obtain a fingerprint of the overall bacterial community; quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to define
the relative abundances of selected bacterial species/group, and multivariate statistical analyses were employed to correlate all data.
Results: Cluster analysis revealed a significant separation of TTGE profiles into four clusters (p < 0.0001), with a marked difference for G.
duodenalis-positive samples in relation to the others (p = 5.4Ă10-6
). Interestingly, qPCR data showed how G. duodenalis-positive samples were
related to a dysbiotic condition that favors potentially harmful species (such as Escherichia coli), while Entamoeba spp./B. hominis-positive
subjects were linked to a eubiotic condition, as shown by a significantly higher Faecalibacterium prausnitzii-Escherichia coli ratio.
Conclusions: This preliminary investigation demonstrates a differential fecal microbiota structure in subjects infected with G. duodenalis or
Entamoeba spp./B. hominis, paving the way for using further next-generation DNA technologies to better understand host-parasite-bacteria
interactions, aimed at identifying potential indicators of microbiota changes
New insights in pediatrics in 2021: choices in allergy and immunology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, haematology, infectious diseases, neonatology, neurology, nutrition, palliative care, respiratory tract illnesses and telemedicine
In this review, we report the developments across pediatric subspecialties that have been published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics in 2021. We highlight advances in allergy and immunology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology, infectious diseases, neonatology, neurology, nutrition, palliative care, respiratory tract illnesses and telemedicine
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