Combined Influence of Absorptive Capacity and Corporate Entrepreneurship on Performance

Drawing on a dynamic capabilities perspective and a resource-based view, this article analyzes the relationship between absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship, and their combined effect on organizations’ performance. It contributes to the literature by dissociating the dimensions of absorptive capacity (potential and realized) and corporate entrepreneurship (innovativeness, proactiveness, new business venturing, and self-renewal). A quantitative study was performed with data gathered by personal interviews, using a structured questionnaire. The theoretical model was estimated through a structural equation model, using a sample of 168 Spanish firms. The results show that proactiveness positively influences innovativeness and that both proactiveness and innovativeness have a positive influence on potential and realized absorptive capacity. A significant positive relationship also exists between potential and realized absorptive capacity. Furthermore, realized absorptive capacity positively influences new business venturing and self-renewal. Finally, proactiveness and new business venturing directly and positively influence organizational performance, but not innovativeness and self-renewal. The study demonstrates that entrepreneurs must be able to enhance potential and realize absorptive capacities at the same time in order to improve the end performance of their corporate entrepreneurial projects. Both absorptive capacities are strongly related to corporate entrepreneurial activities and have a strong influence on firms’ performance.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation under Grant ECO2013-47027-P and ECO2017-88222-P; the Regional Government of Andalusia under Grant P11-SEJ-7294 and P11-SEJ-7988 and the European Union (FEDER Funds)

Sox9 and Sox8 protect the adult testis from male-to-female genetic reprogramming and complete degeneration.

The new concept of mammalian sex maintenance establishes that particular key genes must remain active in the differentiated gonads to avoid genetic sex reprogramming, as described in adult ovaries after Foxl2 ablation. Dmrt1 plays a similar role in postnatal testes, but the mechanism of adult testis maintenance remains mostly unknown. Sox9 and Sox8 are required for postnatal male fertility, but their role in the adult testis has not been investigated. Here we show that after ablation of Sox9 in Sertoli cells of adult, fertile Sox8(-/-) mice, testis-to-ovary genetic reprogramming occurs and Sertoli cells transdifferentiate into granulosa-like cells. The process of testis regression culminates in complete degeneration of the seminiferous tubules, which become acellular, empty spaces among the extant Leydig cells. DMRT1 protein only remains in non-mutant cells, showing that SOX9/8 maintain Dmrt1 expression in the adult testis. Also, Sox9/8 warrant testis integrity by controlling the expression of structural proteins and protecting Sertoli cells from early apoptosis. Concluding, this study shows that, in addition to its crucial role in testis development, Sox9, together with Sox8 and coordinately with Dmrt1, also controls adult testis maintenance

Capacidad de absorción del conocimiento: medición.

La capacidad de absorber el conocimiento es una de las capacidades más importantes que las empresas habrán de desarrollar si desean conseguir y sostener una ventaja competitiva. Bajo la perspectiva de la Teoría de Recursos y Capacidades, en el presente artículo ofreceremos un instrumento de medida alternativo de la capacidad de absorción que diferencie entre las fases de adquisición, asimilación, transformación y explotación del conocimiento, así como entre sus dos dimensiones, potencial y realizada, con la finalidad de reducir el problema de medición y de identificación de las dimensiones que conforman tan importante constructo.Resource-based theory; Potential and realized absorptive capacity; Assessment instrument;

Un Sistema de evaluación basado en competencias: ejemplo para la asignatura Tecnología de la Programación del título de Grado en Ingeniería Informática por la Universidad de Murcia

En este trabajo proponemos un Sistema de Evaluación basado en competencias el cual se describe usando como ejemplo la asignatura Tecnología de la Programación propuesta por el Título de Grado en Ingeniería Informática de la Universidad de Murcia. En el diseño del sistema de evaluación se identifican las competencias transversales y específicas que se adquieren con la asignatura, los indicadores de evaluación para cada competencia, los hitos de evaluación, las acciones de evaluación, y los agentes de evaluación. La aplicación del sistema de evaluación da como resultado una calificación numérica del alumno de acuerdo con la legislación vigente y su ficha de adquisición de competencias para la asignatura. El sistema está siendo implantado en el actual curso académico 2008/2009 por lo que aún no se dispone de valoración de resultados.Peer Reviewe

Sertoli cell-specific ablation of miR-17-92 cluster significantly alters whole testis transcriptome without apparent phenotypic effects

MicroRNAs are frequently organized into polycistronic clusters whose transcription is controlled by a single promoter. The miR-17-92 cluster is expressed in most embryonic and postnatal organs. It is a potent oncogene associated to several types of cancer and it is involved in several important developmental processes. In the testis, expression of the miR- 17-92 cluster in the germ cells is necessary to maintain normal spermatogenesis. This cluster is also expressed in Sertoli cells (the somatic cells of the seminiferous tubules), which require miRNAs for correct cell development and survival. To study the possible role of miR- 17-92 in Sertoli cell development and function and, in order to overcome the postnatal lethality of miR-17-92-/ mice, we conditionally deleted it in embryonic Sertoli cells shortly after the sex determination stage using an Amh-Cre allele. Mutant mice developed apparently normal testes and were fertile, but their testis transcriptomes contained hundreds of moderately deregulated genes, indicating that testis homeostasis is tightly controlled in mammals and that miR-17-92 expression in Sertoli cells contribute to maintain normal gene expression levels, but is unnecessary for testis development and function. Our results show that significant deregulation of hundreds of genes might have no functional consequences.This work was supported by grants from the Andalusian Government, Junta de Andalucía, BIO-109 to R. Jiménez and P11-CVI-7291 to M. Burgos and grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-23368 and CGL2015-67108-P) to R. Jiménez and F.J. Barrionuevo. The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the 'Ramón y Cajal' fellowship granted to F.D. Carmona (RYC-2014-16458) and the 'FPU' PhD fellowship granted to A. Hurtado

Rozległy ostry zawał serca spowodowany jednoczesną zakrzepicą w dwóch stentach

We report a case of a patient presenting with an anterior and inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction due to double- -arterial coronary stent thrombosis in the left anterior descending artery and right coronary artery, despite the administration of prasugrel and acetylsalicylic acid. Stent thrombosis is an uncommon, but serious complication, usually manifested by sudden death (20–40%) or acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (50–70%). It is a multifactor phenomenon, which involves other factors of the patient. Understanding of its histopathology and risk factors becomes necessary to try to prevent it, and we should keep in mind, that the deployment of a drug-eluting stent could be unsafe if it is not supported by a suitable evidence-based clinical guideline.W pracy opisano przypadek pacjenta z zawałem ścian przedniej i dolnej serca z uniesieniem odcinka ST spowodowanymzakrzepicą w dwóch stentach wieńcowych umieszczonych w gałęzi międzykomorowej przedniej i prawej tętnicy wieńcowej, która wystąpiła mimo stosowania prasugrelu i kwasu acetylosalicylowego. Zakrzepica w stencie jest rzadkim,lecz poważnym powikłaniem, zwykle prowadzącym do nagłego zgonu (20–40%) lub ostrego zawału serca z uniesieniemodcinka ST (50–70%). Powikłanie to ma podłoże wieloczynnikowe. Poznanie cech histopatologicznych i czynników ryzykazakrzepicy w stencie jest konieczne, aby można było zapobiec wystąpieniu tego powikłania. Ponadto należy pamiętać,że wszczepienie stentu uwalniającego lek może być niebezpieczne, jeśli nie jest zgodne z wytycznymi opartymi na dowodach naukowych

Elementos clave que influyen en la experiencia del paciente

Experiència de pacients; Indicadors; Sistema sanitari; Presa de decisionsExperiencia de pacientes; Indicadores; Sistema sanitario; Toma de decisionesPatient experience; Indicators; Health system; Decision makingL’objectiu d‘aquest document és identificar els àmbits del procés assistencial que tenen relació amb l’experiència del pacient, partint de l’evidència científica disponible

Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Sleep Quality in Heart Disease Patients with and without Heart Failure

nsomnia is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor. Previous studies suggested that attending a cardiac rehabilitation program may improve sleep quality in cardiac patients and pointed out the association between heart failure and poor sleep quality. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate sleep quality in patients attending a Multidisciplinary Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (MRCP), and to compare sleep quality between patients with and without heart failure. A prospective observational study was carried out on a consecutive sample of 240 patients attending an 8-week MRCP; 50 patients (20.8%) were included due to heart failure (NYHA stages I–III) and the rest of them after having undergone any revascularization procedure or valvular surgery. Before and after the completion of the MRCP, the quality of sleep was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. Post-intervention global PSQI scores were statistically significantly lower than those of pre-intervention (p = 0.008), but only 60 patients (25%) registered a clinically significant improvement. When comparing patients with heart failure with those without, no differences in sleep quality were found. This suggests that only a small percentage of patients can achieve clinically significant improvements in sleep quality attending conventional MCRP. Suggestions for future research are given.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Cell adhesion and immune response, two main functions altered in the transcriptome of seasonally regressed testes of two mammalian species

In species with seasonal breeding, male specimens undergo substantial testicular regression during the nonbreeding period of the year. However, the molecular mechanisms that control this biological process are largely unknown. Here, we report a transcriptomic analysis on the Iberian mole, Talpa occidentalis, in which the desquamation of live, nonapoptotic germ cells is the major cellular event responsible for testis regression. By comparing testes at different reproductive states (active, regressing, and inactive), we demonstrate that the molecular pathways controlling the cell adhesion function in the seminiferous epithelium, such as the MAPK, ERK, and TGF-β signaling, are altered during the regression process. In addition, inactive testes display a global upregulation of genes associated with immune response, indicating a selective loss of the "immune privilege" that normally operates in sexually active testes. Interspecies comparative analyses using analogous data from the Mediterranean pine vole, a rodent species where testis regression is controlled by halting meiosis entry, revealed a common gene expression signature in the regressed testes of these two evolutionary distant species. Our study advances in the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms associated to gonadal seasonal breeding, highlighting the existence of a conserved transcriptional program of testis involution across mammalian clades

Traqueostomía en contexto de covid-19. Guía de práctica clínica para la toma de decisión quirúrgica

The current pandemic situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has surpassed the capacity of intensive care units in much of the world with patients with acute respiratory failure. The necessity of protecting the health-care personnel that is in contact with this group of patients has led to the modification of existing protocols. The scheduled tracheostomy is a procedure of proven benefits, although it is considered a method that implies high risk of spraying. The aim of this work was to provide, on the basis of updated studies, a clinical practice guide aimed at determining the ideal moment to carry out this surgical act, taking into account determining factors. By taking the surgical decision, respecting the criteria described in the proposed guide, it was possible to prevent, to a greater extent, the intrahospital contagion.   Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, TracheostomyLa actual situación de pandemia provocada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 ha saturado de pacientes con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda las unidades de cuidados intensivos en gran parte del mundo. La necesidad de proteger al personal sanitario que está en contacto con este grupo de pacientes ha conllevado a modificar protocolos existentes. La Traqueostomía Programada (TP) es un procedimiento de demostrados beneficios, pero es considerada como de alto riesgo de aerosolización. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo facilitar, sobre la base de estudios actualizados, una guía de práctica clínica encaminada a determinar el momento idóneo para llevar a cabo dicho acto quirúrgico, teniendo en cuenta factores determinantes.  Al tomar la decisión quirúrgica, respetando los criterios descritos en la guía propuesta, se logró prevenir, en mayor medida, el contagio intrahospitalario.  &nbsp