An evaluation of the stimulants and impediments to innovation within PFI/PPP projects

This paper identifies the theoretical stimulants and impediments associated with the implementation of PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership) projects. A current defect of this procurement approach is the unintentional constraint upon the innovations incorporated into the development of PFI projects. A critical evaluation of the published literature has been utilized to synthesize a theoretical model. The paper proposes a theoretical model for the identification of potential innovation stimulants and impediments within this type of procurement. This theoretical model is then utilised to evaluate four previously completed PFI projects. These project case-studies have been examined in detail. The evaluation demonstrates how ineffective current procedures are. The application of this model before project letting could eliminate unintentional constraints and stimulate improved innovation within the process. The implementation of the model could improve the successful delivery of innovation within the entire PFI/PPP procurement process

Indobufen versus Warfarin in the secondary prevention of major vascular events in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation

..Background and Purpose The results of a large prospective randomized trial have shown the efficacy of oral anticoagulation in the secondary prevention of major vascular events in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (NRAF); less well established is the role of antiplatelet agents. The present study compared the effects of indobufen, a reversible inhibitor of platelet cyclooxygenase, with those of warfarin in this setting. Methods A total of 916 patients with NRAF and a recent (≤15 days) cerebral ischemic episode were admitted to this multicenter, randomized study, during which they were treated with either indobufen (100 or 200 mg BID) or warfarin (to obtain an international normalized ratio of 2.0 to 3.5) for 12 months. The two groups (462 on indobufen and 454 on warfarin) were well balanced in terms of their main baseline characteristics. The primary outcome of the study was the combined incidence of nonfatal stroke (including intracerebral bleeding), pulmonary or systemic embolism, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and vascular death. Results At the end of follow-up, the incidence of primary outcome events was 10.6% in the indobufen group (95% confidence interval, 7.7% to 13.5%) and 9.0% in the warfarin group (95% confidence interval, 6.3% to 11.8%), with no statistically significant difference between treatments. The frequency of noncerebral major bleeding complications was low: only four cases (0.9%) of gastrointestinal bleeding were observed, all of them in the warfarin group. Conclusions We conclude that, within the limitations of its design, this study may help the medical community in devising appropriate antithrombotic strategies for NRAF patients for whom oral anticoagulants are contraindicated or do not represent a feasible approach to treatment

Avaliação temporal de genótipos de girassol no cerrado do Distrito Federal em safrinha.

Resumo: Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento agronômico de genótipos de girassol no cerrado do Distrito Federal, foram conduzidos ensaios na safrinha dos anos de 2011 e 2012, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os caracteres avaliados foram rendimento de grãos, tamanho do capítulo, peso de mil aquênios, altura de plantas, dias para floração inicial e teor de óleo. Foram observadas diferenças altamente significativas entre os genótipos para todas as características morfoagronômicas avaliadas. Em relação ao rendimento de grãos, em 2011, esta característica variou de 2.376 kg.ha (SRM 822) a 5.490 kg.ha (BRSG 30) e, em 2012, de 2.306 kg.ha (V60415) a 4.412 kg.ha (SYN 039A). Materiais genéticos promissores para as características agronômicas avaliadas foram identificados no trabalho, podendo ser explorados comercialmente em condições de safrinha do Cerrado. Abstract : Aiming to evaluate the agronomic performance of sunflower genotypes in the Savannah of the Federal District, experiments were conducted in the second crop of 2011 and 2012 in a randomized block design with four replications. The characters evaluated were grain yield, head length, weight of thousand achenes, plant height, days to initial flowering and oil content. Differences among genotypes for all traits morphoagronomic were highly significant. In relation to grain yield in 2011, this feature[ ranged from 2376 kg.ha (SRM 822) to 5,490 kg.ha (BRSG 30) and, in 2012, from 2,306 kg.ha (V60415) to 4412 kg.ha (SYN 039A). Genetic materials promising for agronomic traits were identified in work and can be commercially exploited in the second crop of Savannah

Induced pluripotent stem cells in hematology: current and future applications

Reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is nowadays approaching effectiveness and clinical grade. Potential uses of this technology include predictive toxicology, drug screening, pathogenetic studies and transplantation. Here, we review the basis of current iPS cell technology and potential applications in hematology, ranging from disease modeling of congenital and acquired hemopathies to hematopoietic stem and other blood cell transplantation

Innovator resilience potential: A process perspective of individual resilience as influenced by innovation project termination

Innovation projects fail at an astonishing rate. Yet, the negative effects of innovation project failures on the team members of these projects have been largely neglected in research streams that deal with innovation project failures. After such setbacks, it is vital to maintain or even strengthen project members’ innovative capabilities for subsequent innovation projects. For this, the concept of resilience, i.e. project members’ potential to positively adjust (or even grow) after a setback such as an innovation project failure, is fundamental. We develop the second-order construct of innovator resilience potential, which consists of six components – self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, optimism, hope, self-esteem, and risk propensity – that are important for project members’ potential of innovative functioning in innovation projects subsequent to a failure. We illustrate our theoretical findings by means of a qualitative study of a terminated large-scale innovation project, and derive implications for research and management

Variabilidade genética de acessos de guandu (Cajanus cajan) do programa de melhoramento genético realizado na Embrapa Cerrados com base em marcadores RAPD.

Acessos de guandu (Cajanus cajan) têm sido selecionados para uso em sistemas de integração lavoura-pecuária e para a recuperação de pastagens degradada. Neste trabalho, a variabilidade genética de uma coleção de 13 acessos selecionados pelo programa de melhoramento genético realizado na Embrapa Cerrados foi analisada com base em marcadores moleculares RAPD. O DNA genômico de cada acesso foi extraído e 12 primers decâmeros [OPD (4, 10), OPE (11, 18), OPF (5, 10, 12,14), OPG (4, 8, 13, 15)] foram utilizados para a obtenção de marcadores moleculares RAPD. Os marcadores obtidos foram convertidos em uma matriz de dados binários, a partir da qual foram estimadas as distâncias genéticas entre os acessos e realizadas análises de agrupamento. Foram obtidos um total de 155 marcadores, sendo que 82 (52,9%) deles foram polimórficos. As distâncias genéticas entre os 13 acessos variaram entre 0,019 e 0,256. A menor distância genética foi obtida entre os acessos 46-2 e 46-3 e a maior entre os acessos 40-1 e 57-4. Os marcadores moleculares demonstraram a maior base genética da coleção analisada neste trabalho em relação a outras coleções, o que é importante para aumentar a chance de sucesso na seleção em futuras atividades do melhoramento genético

Molecular Monitoring of BCR-ABL Transcripts after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

AbstractThe monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) through low sensitivity real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of BCR-ABL transcripts allows early detection of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The introduction of more sensitive techniques, such as RT quantitative (Q)-PCR, may lead to an overestimation of the risk of CML relapse. In this study, we reviewed the results of peripheral blood RT Q-PCR in CML patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT from 1983 to 2007. In our laboratory, RT Q-PCR analysis was routinely performed since 2002. Eighty-seven of 189 patients had available RT Q-PCR data; 63 patients had at least 3 RT Q-PCR analyses assessable. Fifty-two of 63 patients (83%) had, at least once, detectable transcript levels, but with an BCR-ABL/ABL ratio <.1% defined as .1% confirmed by the finding of Ph+ cells in bone marrow. No patients with persistent undetectable transcripts relapsed (P = .19). Relapse did not correlate with the number of occurrences o