Relationship Between Firm's Performance and Factors Involved in the Selection of Innovation Providers

Innovation is the backbone of the product development in present era for the survival of the corporate organization in the respective market. Changing trends in every passing day are making the product development more competitive and innovative. This paper investigates the relationship between firm’s performance with respect to outsourcing innovations and factors affecting the selection of contract research organizations or innovation providers. The research is conducted by a self-designed instrument in the form of a survey form on 112 respondents internationally in 17 countries. The paper will give empirical relationship among firm’s performance, outsourcing innovations and six major factors, which play a vital role in the selection of CROs. Proposed hypotheses in this article are based on empirical relationship, which is validated by SPSS 24. The findings support the conceptual model and offer many managerial implications, which are described in detail at the end of the paper

Product–process matrix and complementarity approach

The relationship between different types of innovation is analysed from three different approaches. On the one hand, the distinctive view assumes that the determinants of each type of innovation are different and therefore there is no relationship between them. On the other hand, the integrative view considers that the different types of innovation are complementary. Finally, the product–process matrix framework suggests that the relationship between product innovation and process innovation is substitutive. Using data from Spain belonging to the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, we tested which of the three approaches is predominant. To perform the hypothesis test, we used the so-called complementarity approach. We find that there is no unique relation. The nature of the relationship depends on the types of innovation that interact. Our most significant finding is that the relationship between product innovation and process innovation is complementary. This finding contradicts the proposal of the product–process matrix framework. Consequently, the joint implementation of both types of innovation generates a greater impact on the performance of a company than the sum of their separate implementation

Tunable ciprofloxacin delivery through personalized electrospun patches for tympanic membrane perforations

Approximately 740 million symptomatic patients are affected by otitis media every year. Being an inflammatory disease affecting the middle ear, it is one of the primary causes of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations, often resulting in impaired hearing abilities. Antibiotic therapy using broad-spectrum fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin (CIP), is frequently employed and considered the optimal route to treat otitis media. However, patients often get exposed to high dosages to compensate for the low drug concentration reaching the affected site. Therefore, this study aims to integrate tissue engineering with drug delivery strategies to create biomimetic scaffolds promoting TM regeneration while facilitating a localized release of CIP. Distinct electrospinning (ES) modalities were designed in this regard either by blending CIP into the polymer ES solution or by incorporating nanoparticles-based co-ES/electrospraying. The combination of these modalities was investigated as well. A broad range of release kinetic profiles was achieved from the fabricated scaffolds, thereby offering a wide spectrum of antibiotic concentrations that could serve patients with diverse therapeutic needs. Furthermore, the incorporation of CIP into the TM patches demonstrated a favorable influence on their resultant mechanical properties. Biological studies performed with human mesenchymal stromal cells confirmed the absence of any cytotoxic or anti-proliferative effects from the released antibiotic. Finally, antibacterial assays validated the efficacy of CIP-loaded scaffolds in suppressing bacterial infections, highlighting their promising relevance for TM applications

Comparison of Azithromycin and Amoxicillin Before Dental Implant Placement: An Exploratory Study of Bioavailability and Resolution of Postoperative Inflammation

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that a single prophylactic dose of amoxicillin reduces early implant complications, but it is unclear whether other antibiotics are also effective. This study compared the local antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects resulting from a single dose of azithromycin or amoxicillin prior to surgical placement of one-stage dental implants. METHODS: Healthy adult patients requiring one-stage dental implant placement were randomly allocated to receive either 2g amoxicillin (n=7) or 500mg azithromycin (n=6) prior to surgery. Peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) samples from the new implant and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from adjacent teeth were sampled on postoperative days 6, 13 and 20. Inflammatory mediators in the samples were analyzed by immunoassay and antibiotic levels were measured by bioassay. RESULTS: On day 6, azithromycin concentrations in GCF and PICF were 3.39±0.73μg/ml and 2.77±0.90μg/ml, respectively, while amoxicillin was below the limit of detection. During early healing, patents in the azithromycin group exhibited a significantly greater decrease in GCF volume (p=0.03, ANOVA). At specific times during healing, the azithromycin group exhibited significantly lower levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in GCF than the amoxicillin group and exhibited significantly lower levels of G-CSF, IL-8, MIP-1β and IP-10 in PICF. CONCLUSIONS: Azithromycin was available at the surgical site for a longer period of time than amoxicillin, and patients taking azithromycin exhibited lower levels of specific pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in GCF and PICF. Thus, preoperative azithromycin may enhance resolution of postoperative inflammation to a greater extent than amoxicillin