Does the innovation-orientation lead to retail industry growth? Empirical evidence from patent analysis

Competitiveness and complexity in the retail industry are increasing due to rapid technological changes and diffusion. Patent analysis is largely used in innovation studies to assess and monitor technological changes in different sectors. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive view of the innovative forces affecting the retailing sector, by focusing on the evaluation of innovation levels through the classification and analysis of patented innovations. The findings show that retailers might shift to more innovation-oriented strategies in order to propose innovative consumer solutions, due to the support of the technology advancements highlighted by the strong patent track record. Our study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of critical areas for innovation in retailing and by offering bibliometric and patent analytical methods measures relative to the innovative forces affecting retailing, which might push the sector to be increasingly an innovation-oriented one. Finally, the high level of property rights (defined by the huge amount of patents) pushes retailers to invest more on acquiring patented technologies to achieve advantages over competitors or to adopt novel management practices as substitutes for patents

The impact of ESG factors on financial efficiency: An empirical analysis for the selection of sustainable firm portfolios

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are increasingly at the center of corporate and investment decisions. In this context, the aim of the paper was to test whether ESG factors impact on financial efficiency of a sample of firms belonging to different European sectors. This study enriches the literature of the field through a multi-sectoral analysis. The Data Envelopment Analysis was used as widely considered in empirical and financial studies. Research findings showed that ESGs impact on firm efficiency differently over sectors: some of them are more sensitive than others to ESG factors. Furthermore, for most sensitive sectors the risk-return characteristics related to ESGs were represented in order to provide insights for investors aiming to construct efficient and sustainable firm portfolios to invest in

Corporate social responsibility and circular economy from the perspective of consumers: A cross-cultural analysis in the cosmetic industry

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and circular economy (CE) have assumed considerable importance in the efforts for sustainable development. However, some consumers do not positively respond to CSR and CE activities, and few studies have analyzed the consumers' perspective about the topics. This study investigates consumer knowledge and perception about CSR and CE and their willingness to pay (WTP) for products from companies that follow these concepts, examining differences according to demographic characteristics. We carried out a survey with 302 Brazilian and Italian consumers of cosmetic products. Our results show that most consumers have a low understanding of CSR and CE and a low perception of the socio-environmental initiatives of companies that follow CSR and CE concepts. Nevertheless, most consumers show WTP for products from companies that follow these concepts. We identified demographic variables that allowed us to relate the profile of consumers with their knowledge about CSR and CE and their WTP. We provide insights for companies and policymakers in advancing toward CSR and CE

Cognitive correlates in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a population-based study in Italy.

BACKGROUND:There is less data available regarding the characteristics of cognitive impairment in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a population-based series. METHODOLOGY:Patients with ALS incident in Piemonte, Italy, between 2009 and 2011 underwent an extensive neuropsychological battery. Cognitive status was classified as follows: normal cognition, frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD), executive cognitive impairment (ALS-ECI), non-executive cognitive impairment (ALS-NECI), behavioural impairment (ALS-Bi), non-classifiable cognitive impairment. We also assessed 127 age-matched and gender-matched controls identified through patients' general practitioners. RESULTS:Out of the 281 incident patients, 207 (71.9%) underwent the neuropsychological testing; of these, 19 were excluded from the analysis due previous conditions affecting cognition. Ninety-one (49.7%) patients were cognitively normal, 23 (12.6%) had ALS-FTD, 36 (19.7%) ALS-ECI, 10 (5.5%) ALS-NECI, 11 (6.0%) ALS-Bi and 11 (6.0%) non-classifiable cognitive impairment, 1 had comorbid Alzheimer's disease. Patients with ALS-FTD were older, had a lower education level, and had a shorter survival than any other cognitive group. Of the nine cases with C9ORF72 mutation, six had ALS-FTD, two ALS-ECI and one was cognitively normal; one of the five patients with SOD1 mutations and one of the five patients with TARBDP mutations had ALS-Bi. CONCLUSIONS:About 50% of Italian patients with ALS had some degree of cognitive impairment, in keeping with a previous Irish study, despite the largely different genetic background of the two populations. The lower educational attainment in patients with ALS-FTD indicated a possible role of cognitive reserve in ALS-related cognitive impairment. ALS-ECI and ALS-NECI may represent discrete cognitive syndromes in the continuum of ALS and FTD

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

Association of Variants in the SPTLC1 Gene With Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Importance: Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare form of ALS characterized by age of symptom onset less than 25 years and a variable presentation.Objective: To identify the genetic variants associated with juvenile ALS.Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multicenter family-based genetic study, trio whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the disease-associated gene in a case series of unrelated patients diagnosed with juvenile ALS and severe growth retardation. The patients and their family members were enrolled at academic hospitals and a government research facility between March 1, 2016, and March 13, 2020, and were observed until October 1, 2020. Whole-exome sequencing was also performed in a series of patients with juvenile ALS. A total of 66 patients with juvenile ALS and 6258 adult patients with ALS participated in the study. Patients were selected for the study based on their diagnosis, and all eligible participants were enrolled in the study. None of the participants had a family history of neurological disorders, suggesting de novo variants as the underlying genetic mechanism.Main Outcomes and Measures: De novo variants present only in the index case and not in unaffected family members.Results: Trio whole-exome sequencing was performed in 3 patients diagnosed with juvenile ALS and their parents. An additional 63 patients with juvenile ALS and 6258 adult patients with ALS were subsequently screened for variants in the SPTLC1 gene. De novo variants in SPTLC1 (p.Ala20Ser in 2 patients and p.Ser331Tyr in 1 patient) were identified in 3 unrelated patients diagnosed with juvenile ALS and failure to thrive. A fourth variant (p.Leu39del) was identified in a patient with juvenile ALS where parental DNA was unavailable. Variants in this gene have been previously shown to be associated with autosomal-dominant hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy, type 1A, by disrupting an essential enzyme complex in the sphingolipid synthesis pathway.Conclusions and Relevance: These data broaden the phenotype associated with SPTLC1 and suggest that patients presenting with juvenile ALS should be screened for variants in this gene.</p

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

Some methodological remark on the concept of value added intellectual coefficient(VAIC)

the paper examines some conceptual problems regarding the VAIC methodolog