Technological trampolines for new venture creation in Catalonia : the case of the University of Girona

Recent trends in technology transfer show an intensification of spin-off creation as a modality of university research commercialisation, complementary to the conventional ones, contract research and licensing. In this paper we analyse the evolution, objectives, resources and activities of a specialised unit -Technological Trampoline (TT) - in charge of new venture creation at the University of Girona (Catalonia-Spain). Based on two theoretical frameworks, Resource-based-view and Institutional Theory, we adopt a multi-dimensional approach to study the strategy of spinning-off new ventures at the University of Girona in terms of resources and activities, how this process is organised and if the outputs fit with this UdG's objectives and the local environment. Our main contribution is an in-depth analysis of the spin-off creation unit with special emphasis on its variety of resources and activities. The results have a series of implications and recommendations at both university and TT level

Face reconstruction through active stereovision

The automatic face recognition is a very attractive problem and several solutions can be found in the literature . Most of them rely on the analysis of the images acquired by a classical CCD camera. These images are treated and given us input to a discrimination algorithm . However, the information contained in the image is relatively poor and it is very likely that these techniques will fail in the case of a large database with a lot of people . The surface of the faces is a very discriminant information so in this article, we propose a stereovision algorithm which can be used for the acquisition of the surface offaces . The problem of matching between the pattern and its images is solved using the epipolar constraint and the local coherency constraint . Some experimental results are shown .La reconnaissance automatique de visages est un problème qui suscite beaucoup d'intérêt et pour lequel divers algorithmes basés sur l'utilisation d'images acquises par des caméras CCD ont été proposés. L'information fournie aux algorithmes de discrimination mis en place dans ce type de solution est assez fruste et ces algorithmes sont peu susceptibles de fonctionner de manière robuste pour des bases comprenant un grand nombre d'individus. La surface du visage doit pouvoir être beaucoup plus discriminante. Dans cet article, nous proposons un algorithme de stéréovision active qui permet l'acquisition de surfaces de visages. Le problème de la mise en correspondance entre les éléments du motif projeté et leur image est résolu en utilisant la contrainte épipolaire et une contrainte de cohérence locale. Des résultats expérimentaux sont présentés

Gravitational and axial anomalies for generalized Euclidean Taub-NUT metrics

The gravitational anomalies are investigated for generalized Euclidean Taub-NUT metrics which admit hidden symmetries analogous to the Runge-Lenz vector of the Kepler-type problem. In order to evaluate the axial anomalies, the index of the Dirac operator for these metrics with the APS boundary condition is computed. The role of the Killing-Yano tensors is discussed for these two types of quantum anomalies.Comment: 23 page

Quantitative test of the barrier nucleosome model for statistical positioning of nucleosomes up- and downstream of transcription start sites

The positions of nucleosomes in eukaryotic genomes determine which parts of the DNA sequence are readily accessible for regulatory proteins and which are not. Genome-wide maps of nucleosome positions have revealed a salient pattern around transcription start sites, involving a nucleosome-free region (NFR) flanked by a pronounced periodic pattern in the average nucleosome density. While the periodic pattern clearly reflects well-positioned nucleosomes, the positioning mechanism is less clear. A recent experimental study by Mavrich et al. argued that the pattern observed in S. cerevisiae is qualitatively consistent with a `barrier nucleosome model', in which the oscillatory pattern is created by the statistical positioning mechanism of Kornberg and Stryer. On the other hand, there is clear evidence for intrinsic sequence preferences of nucleosomes, and it is unclear to what extent these sequence preferences affect the observed pattern. To test the barrier nucleosome model, we quantitatively analyze yeast nucleosome positioning data both up- and downstream from NFRs. Our analysis is based on the Tonks model of statistical physics which quantifies the interplay between the excluded-volume interaction of nucleosomes and their positional entropy. We find that although the typical patterns on the two sides of the NFR are different, they are both quantitatively described by the same physical model, with the same parameters, but different boundary conditions. The inferred boundary conditions suggest that the first nucleosome downstream from the NFR (the +1 nucleosome) is typically directly positioned while the first nucleosome upstream is statistically positioned via a nucleosome-repelling DNA region. These boundary conditions, which can be locally encoded into the genome sequence, significantly shape the statistical distribution of nucleosomes over a range of up to ~1000 bp to each side.Comment: includes supporting materia

Evaluating the durability and performance of polyoxometalate-ionic liquid coatings on calcareous stones: Preventing biocolonisation in outdoor environments

Rock-based materials exposed to outdoor environments are naturally colonised by an array of microorganisms, which can cause dissolution and fracturing of the natural stone. Biocolonisation of monuments and architectures of important cultural heritage therefore represents an expensive and recurring problem for local authorities and private owners alike. In this area, preventive strategies to mitigate biocolonisation are generally preferred to curative approaches, such as mechanical cleaning by brush or high-pressure cleaning, to remove pre-existing patina. The aim of this work was to study the interaction between biocidal polyoxometalate-ionic liquid (POM-IL) coatings and calcareous stones and evaluate the capacity of these coatings to prevent biocolonisation through a series of accelerated ageing studies in climate chambers, carried out in parallel with a two-year period of outdoor exposure in north-eastern France. Our experiments show that POM-IL coatings did not affect water vapour transfer nor significantly alter the total porosity of the calcareous stones. Simulated weathering studies replicating harsh (hot and wet) climatic weather conditions demonstrated that the colour variation of POM-IL-coated stones did not vary significantly with respect to the natural uncoated stones. Accelerated biocolonisation studies performed on the weathered POM-IL-coated stones proved that the coatings were still capable of preventing colonisation by an algal biofilm. However, a combination of colour measurements, chlorophyll fluorescence data, and scanning electron microscopy imaging of stones aged outdoors in northern France for two years showed that coated and uncoated stone samples showed signs of colonisation by fungal mycelium and phototrophs. Altogether, our results demonstrate that POM-ILs are suitable as preventative biocidal coatings for calcareous stones, but the correct concentrations must be chosen to achieve a balance between porosity of the stone, the resulting colour variation and the desired duration of the biocidal effect over longer periods of time, particularly in outdoor environments

Detección de Fusarium semitectum en vainas de plantas de Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam)

Se analizaron muestras de Moringa oleifera procedentes de la provincia Habana, Cuba con el objetivo de determinar el agente causal de los daños.Las plantas presentaban afectaciones en las vainas, tallo y follaje iniciadas por insecto seguida por síntomas típicos de hongos fitopatógenos. Lasmuestras fueron procesadas y se determinó que el agente causal es el hongo fitopatógeno Fusarium semitectum. Este hongo se asocia a Fusicladium sp causando daños severos en la planta. En Cuba seha aislado fundamentalmente en lotes de semillas de moringa

New protective coatings against lampenflora growing in the Pommery Champagne cellar

Phototrophic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria and microalgae can proliferate readily in underground heritage sites where the introduction of artificial illumination equipment has significantly altered previously stable environmental conditions. The extended lampenflora biofilm growth on the bas-reliefs carved in the underground Pommery Champagne cellar in Reims (France) represents a recurring biocolonisation problem which requires periodic cleaning. The aim of this work was to limit the growth of lampenflora on chalk substrates using preventative biocidal treatments based on polyoxometalate ionic liquids (POM-ILs). Biocidal assays carried out in laboratory showed how two different colourless POM-IL coatings were more effective than commercial Preventol RI80 against two algal strains isolated from the Pommery bas reliefs, Pseudostichococcus monallantoides and Chromochloris zofingiensis. However, only one POM-IL variant was capable of sustained prevention of biofilm growth when applied to wet chalk, which replicates the more drastic natural environmental conditions of the cellar and can limit the performance of the biocidal coatings. Crucially, coating concentration studies demonstrate how POM-IL-coated slabs from previous experiments retain their biocidal activity and can prevent subsequent recolonisation following the re-inoculation of coated slabs with algae and cyanobacteria. Consequently, POM-ILs represent excellent candidates to eliminate lampenflora growth on the chalk bas-reliefs in the unique subterranean environment of the Pommery Champagne cellar. © 2022 The Author

Spatio temporal dynamics of direct current in treated anisotropic tumors

The inclusion of a diffusion term in the modified Gompertz equation (Cabrales et al., 2018) allows to describe the spatiotemporal growth of direct current treated tumors. The aim of this study is to extend the previous model to the case of anisotropic tumors, simulating the spatiotemporal behavior of direct current treated anisotropic tumors, also carrying out a theoretical analysis of the proposed model. Growths in the mass, volume and density of the solid tumors are shown for each response type after direct current application (disease progression, partial response, stationary partial response and complete remission). For this purpose, the Method of Lines and different diffusion tensors are used. The results show that the growth of the tumor treated with direct current is faster for the shorter duration of the net antitumor effect and the higher diffusion coefficient and anisotropy degree of the solid tumor. It is concluded that the greatest direct current antitumor effectiveness occurs for the highly heterogeneous, anisotropic, aggressive and hypodense malignant solid tumors