GESTIÓN DEL CONOCIMIENTO ORGANIZATIVO, INNOVACIÓN TECNOLÓGICA Y RESULTADOS. UNA INVESTIGACIÓN EMPÍRICA

RESUMENEn este trabajo se analiza, desde un Enfoque basado en el Conocimiento, el efecto de un conjunto de prácticas organizativas sobre los resultados de la empresa, teniendo en cuenta su agrupación en dos bloques: las que están relacionadas con la exploración del conocimiento, y las que lo están con la explotación del mismo. Tras llevar a cabo un estudio empírico en una muestra de empresas industriales innovadoras, se encuentra que el efecto conjunto de estas prácticas sobre el resultado es mayor que si éstas son consideradas de forma autónoma, lo que sugiere la necesidad de plantear estrategias que integren a las mismas en un marco común con el fin de obtener sinergias y alcanzar resultados organizativos óptimos.ABSTRACTThis paper explores, from a knowledge-based view of the firm, the effect of a set of organizational practices on firm performance, highlighting their grouping into two blocks: practices related to knowledge exploration and those related to knowledge exploitation. After developing an empirical study in a sample of innovative industrial companies, we found that the joint effect of these practices on firm performance is higher than their single consideration. Thus, it suggests a need of establishing strategies that integrate these practices in a common framework with the aim of obtaining synergies and achieving optimal organizational performance

Sexual Function in Women with Breast Cancer : An Evidence Map of Observational Studies

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer in women, and has implications for sexual function (SF). In this study, we used an evidence map to identify, describe, and organise the current available evidence regarding SF in women with BC. We searched the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases for observational studies assessing SF in women with BC published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French between 2000 and 2021 (sample ≥ 50 women). Of the 64 included studies (13,257 women with BC), 58 were published since 2010. Women who were married, partnered, or in relationships represented 74.1% of the entire sample. Only a single study was conducted on women representing a sexual minority. We identified 22 assessment instruments and 40 sexual dysfunction (SdF) domains. The number of publications on SF in women with BC has increased in the last 10 years, but still remains low. Some groups of women are underrepresented, and some SdF domains are underdiagnosed, with the assessment instrument used affecting which domains are studied. Women with BC need to be better screened, as their quality of life (QoL) is affected by Sd

Cell biophysical stimuli in lobodopodium formation: a computer based approach

Different cell migration modes have been identified in 3D environments, e.g., modes incorporating lamellopodia or blebs. Recently, a new type of cellular migration has been investigated: lobopodia-based migration, which appears only in three-dimensional matrices under certain conditions. The cell creates a protrusion through which the nucleus slips, dividing the cell into two parts (front and rear) with different hydrostatic pressures. In this work, we elucidate the mechanical conditions that favour this type of migration. One of the hypotheses about this type of migration is that it depends on the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. That is, lobopodia-based migration is dependent on whether the extracellular matrix is linearly elastic or non-linearly elastic. To determine whether the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix are crucial in the choice of cell migration mode and which mechanotransduction mechanism the cell might use, we develop a finite element model. From our simulations, we identify two different possible mechanotransduction mechanisms that could regulate the cell to switch from a lobopodial to a lamellipodial migration mode. The first relies on a differential pressure increase inside the cytoplasm while the cell contracts, and the second relies on a change in the fluid flow direction in non-linearly elastic extracellular matrices but not in linearly elastic matrices. The biphasic nature of the cell has been determined to mediate this mechanism and the different behaviours of cells in linearly elastic and non-linearly elastic matrices

Determination of faecal dry matter digestibility two weeks after weaning in twenty five day old weaned rabbits

[EN] The aim of this work was to analyse the evolution from 26 to 40 d of age of apparent faecal dry matter digestibility (DMd) in rabbits weaned at 25 d of age to define how to determine nutrient digestibility in the post-weaning period. Fifteen New Zealand ' Californian rabbits from five litters (3 rabbits/litter) weaned at 25 d of age and weighing 602±75g were fed ad libitum a commercial diet containing 20.0% crude protein and 33.5% NDF (on DM basis). Feed intake and faeces excretion were recorded daily from 25 to 40 d of age and DM digestibility determined. Litter affected DM intake and excretion (P = 0.013 and 0.014, respectively), and tended to affect DMd (P = 0.061), whereas age influenced all these traits (P < 0.001). Dry matter intake and DM excretion increased from 26 to 40 d of age by 158 and 480%, respectively. During the first week after weaning, DM intake increased more slowly than DM excretion (55 vs. 245%), but in the second week after weaning both increased by 67%. The correlation between daily feed intake was higher with the faeces excretion of the same day than with faeces excretion of the next day, and the first values were used to determine daily DMd. A broken line regression model was fitted to daily DMd, which decreased linearly from weaning to 32 d of age (2.17 ± 0.25 percentage units per day), whereas from 32 to 40 d it remained constant (69.4 ± 0.47%). Accordingly, for 25-d old weaned rabbits it would be advisable to begin a digestibility trial not before 32 d of age, using the first week after weaning as adaptation period. Average standard deviation of DMd decreased by 54% when the length of the collection period increased from 2 to 6 d. Consequently, the number of animals required to detect a significant difference among means depends on the length of the collection period. For a conventional collection period of four days, a difference of 2 percentage units could be detected by using 14 animals/treatment.Gómez-Conde, M.; García, J.; Villamide, M.; Carabaño, R. (2011). Determination of faecal dry matter digestibility two weeks after weaning in twenty five day old weaned rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 19(1):43-48. doi:10.4995/wrs.2011.816SWORD434819

Feeding entrainment of locomotor activity rhythms, digestive enzymes and neuroendocrine factors in goldfish

©2007. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of PHYSIOL BEHAV. To access the final edited and published work see http://doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.10.017L.M. VERA, N. DE PEDRO, E. GÓMEZ-MILÁN, M.J. DELGADO, M.J. SÁNCHEZ MUROS, J.A. MADRID, F.J. SÁNCHEZ-VÁZQUEZ. Feeding entrainment of locomotor activity, digestive enzymes and neuroendocrine factors in goldfish. PHYSIOL BEHAV 90 (2-3) 518-524, 2007. The existence of food anticipatory activity (FAA) in animals subjected to daily feeding schedules seems to be mediated by a feeding-entrainable oscillator (FEO). Such an FEO may help in anticipating meal time and so optimizing food acquisition and nutrient utilization. In this study we investigated the existence of FAA and whether digestive enzymes, plasma cortisol, hypothalamic NPY and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and plasma melatonin were entrained by periodic feeding in goldfish. We observed that periodically fed goldfish showed FAA in locomotor activity as well as in amylase and NPY. Alkaline protease and GIT melatonin were higher after feeding, whereas plasma cortisol levels were reduced. Plasma melatonin remained unmodified before and after meal time. These results suggested that scheduled feeding entrained both behavioral and certain physiological patterns in goldfish, FAA being of adaptive value to anticipate a meal and prepare the digestive physiology of fish

Does the educational management model matter? New evidence from a quasiexperimental approach

A growing literature has appeared in the last 2 decades with the aim to explore if the way in which publicly funded private schools are managed (a very autonomous mode) is more effective, than that applied in public schools (where decisions are highly centralized), concerning the promotion of student’s educational skills. Our paper contributes to this literature providing new evidence from the Spanish experience. To this end, we use the Spanish Assessment named “Evaluación de Diagnóstico, ” a national yearly standardized test given to students in the fourth grade and administered by the Regional Educational Authorities. In particular, our data are those corresponding to the assessment conducted in the Spanish region of Aragón in 2010. Our methodological strategy is defined by the sequential application of two methods: propensity score matching and hierarchical linear models. Additionally, the sensitivity of our estimates is also tested with respect to unobserved heterogeneity. Our results underline the existence of a slight advantage of the private management model of schools in the promotion of scientific abilities of students and in the acquisition of foreign language (English) skills

Ordenadores en el aula: ¿estamos preparados los profesores?

Integrar les TIC a les aules de Física i Química suposa un gran repte i els factors involucrats són molts i complexos. El problema fonamental rau en com s'utilitzen les TIC per part dels estudiants i, en això, tenen un paper molt important l'escola i l'ús que els professors fan d'elles. Hem realitzat una investigació amb 138 professors de Física i Química per analitzar com utilitzen les TIC en el seu treball d'aula, la percepció que tenen sobre com les utilitzen seus alumnes i les dificultats que sorgeixen en tractar i integrar les TIC en el treball d'aula. Els resultats mostren que les TIC s'utilitzen poc i que el seu ús genera incertesa en molts professors, per el que es pot concloure que cal una formació que faciliti la seva integració a les aules.Integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into Physics and Chemistry classroom poses an important challenge. Factors involved are numerous and complex. The key problem is how the students use ICT and their high-schools and the use that teachers make of these technologies in the classroom play a fundamental role. Research was carried out with 138 Physics and Chemistry teachers in order to analyze how they include ICT in their classroom work, their perception about how the students use ICT and the difficulties that arise when trying to incorporate it to their daily work. The results indicate that ICT is slightly integrated into the classroom work and that their use generates uncertainty in many teachers. It can be concluded that appropriate training of the teachers to facilitate their use in classroom is required.Integrar las TIC en las aulas de Física y Química supone un gran reto y los factores involucrados son muchos y complejos. El problema fundamental radica en cómo se utilizan las TIC por parte de los estudiantes y, en esto, tienen un papel muy importante la escuela y el uso que los profesores hacen de ellas. Hemos realizado una investigación con 138 profesores de Física y Química para analizar cómo utilizan las TIC en su trabajo de aula, la percepción que tienen sobre cómo las utilizan sus alumnos y las dificultades que surgen al tratar e integrar las TIC en el trabajo de aula. Los resultados muestran que las TIC se utilizan poco y que su uso genera incertidumbre en muchos profesores, por lo que se puede concluir que es necesaria una formación que facilite su integración en las aulas

In silico mechano-chemical model of bone healing for the regeneration of critical defects: The effect of BMP-2

The healing of bone defects is a challenge for both tissue engineering and modern ortho- paedics. This problem has been addressed through the study of scaffold constructs com- bined with mechanoregulatory theories, disregarding the influence of chemical factors and their respective delivery devices. Of the chemical factors involved in the bone healing pro- cess, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has been identified as one of the most power- ful osteoinductive proteins. The aim of this work is to develop and validate a mechano- chemical regulatory model to study the effect of BMP-2 on the healing of large bone defects in silico. We first collected a range of quantitative experimental data from the literature con- cerning the effects of BMP-2 on cellular activity, specifically proliferation, migration, differen- tiation, maturation and extracellular matrix production. These data were then used to define a model governed by mechano-chemical stimuli to simulate the healing of large bone de- fects under the following conditions: natural healing, an empty hydrogel implanted in the de- fect and a hydrogel soaked with BMP-2 implanted in the defect. For the latter condition, successful defect healing was predicted, in agreement with previous in vivo experiments. Further in vivo comparisons showed the potential of the model, which accurately predicted bone tissue formation during healing, bone tissue distribution across the defect and the quantity of bone inside the defect. The proposed mechano-chemical model also estimated the effect of BMP-2 on cells and the evolution of healing in large bone defects. This novel in silico tool provides valuable insight for bone tissue regeneration strategies

Computational model of mesenchymal migration in 3D under chemotaxis

Cell chemotaxis is an important characteristic of cellular migration, which takes part in crucial aspects of life and development. In this work, we propose a novel in silico model of mesenchymal 3D migration with competing protrusions under a chemotactic gradient. Based on recent experimental observations, we identify three main stages that can regulate mesenchymal chemotaxis: chemosensing, dendritic protrusion dynamics and cell–matrix interactions. Therefore, each of these features is considered as a different module of the main regulatory computational algorithm. The numerical model was particularized for the case of fibroblast chemotaxis under a PDGF-bb gradient. Fibroblasts migration was simulated embedded in two different 3D matrices – collagen and fibrin – and under several PDGF-bb concentrations. Validation of the model results was provided through qualitative and quantitative comparison with in vitro studies. Our numerical predictions of cell trajectories and speeds were within the measured in vitro ranges in both collagen and fibrin matrices. Although in fibrin, the migration speed of fibroblasts is very low, because fibrin is a stiffer and more entangling matrix. Testing PDGF-bb concentrations, we noticed that an increment of this factor produces a speed increment. At 1 ng mL-1 a speed peak is reached after which the migration speed diminishes again. Moreover, we observed that fibrin exerts a dampening behavior on migration, significantly affecting the migration efficiency