El salt a l ’exterior de les empreses de nova creació

New international companies have come true thanks to globalization. They will be playing a major role in the 21st century, as their impact on economic and social progress is significantly larger than that of other kind of new companies. Nevertheless, their international success is subject to the adoption of a strategic approach which will provide them with the required tools to overcome future challenges, given their scarcity of resources. This paper explores the main aspects of the abovementioned strategic approach, aimed at contributing to the success of the companies in international markets.L’existència d’empreses internacionals de nova creació constitueix una realitat possible gràcies a la globalització. Aquestes noves empreses internacionals estan cridades a ocupar un paper destacat en el segle XXI, ja que la seua repercussió en el progrés econòmic i social és significativament major que la d’altres tipus de noves empreses. No obstant, l’èxit internacional d’aquestes empreses passa per l’adopció d’un enfocament estratègic que els proporcione les eines necessàries per a superar els desafiaments a què s’hauran d’enfrontar, tenint en compte les seues limitacions de recursos. En aquest treball s’exploren els principals aspectes que ha de cobrir aquest enfocament estratègic perquè efectivament contribuïsca a l’èxit d’aquestes empreses en els mercats internacionals.La existencia de empresas internacionales de nueva creación constituye una realidad posible gracias a la globalización. Estas nuevas empresas internacionales están llamadas a ocupar un papel destacado en el siglo XXI, puesto que su repercusión en el progreso económico y social es significativamente mayor que la de otros tipos de nuevas empresas. Sin embargo, el éxito internacional de estas empresas pasa por la adopción de un enfoque estratégico que les proporcione las herramientas necesarias para superar los desafíos a los que se deberán enfrentarse, habida cuenta de sus limitaciones de recursos. En este trabajo se exploran los principales aspectos que debe cubrir este enfoque estratégico para que efectivamente contribuya al éxito de estas empresas en los mercados internacionales.L ’existence d ’entreprises internationales de nouvelle création constitue une réalité possible grâce à la mondialisation. Ces nouvelles entreprises internationales son appelées à prendre une place remarquable au XXI siècle, car leur répercussion sur le progrès économique et social est significativement plus grande que celle d ’autres sortes d ’entreprises. Cependant, le succès international de ces entreprises passe par l’adoption d’une approche stratégique leur fournissant les outils nécessaires pour surmonter les dés qu’ils devront affronter, tenant compte de leurs limitations de recours. Ce travail explore les principaux aspects que cette approche stratégique doit couvrir, afin qu’elle puisse contribuer effectivement au succès de ces entreprises dans les marchés internationaux

Determination of lactadherin concentration in dairy by-products by ELISA: Effect of heat treatment and hydrolysis

Lactadherin is a peripheral glycoprotein of the milk fat globule membrane with several attributed biological activities. In this study, we developed an indirect competitive ELISA to determine lactadherin concentration by using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum. The ELISA was applied to quantify lactadherin in several dairy by-products. Of the products tested, raw and commercial buttermilk had the highest concentrations of lactadherin (6.79 and 5.27 mg/g of product, respectively), followed by commercial butter serum (4.86 mg/g), commercial skim milk (4.84 mg/g), and raw whey (1.20 mg/g). The concentration of immunoreactive lactadherin was also determined in dairy by- products after they were subjected to different technological treatments. Thus, raw products were heat treated at combinations of temperature and time typically used in the dairy industry, and commercial products were hydrolyzed using 3 proteolytic enzyme preparations. Heat treatments of whey and buttermilk resulted in a smaller decrease in lactadherin concentration than did hydrolysis as determined by ELISA and electrophoresis. At high temperatures for long durations, the loss of lactadherin was higher in whey than in buttermilk, with the maximal reduction of around 48% found after treating whey at 72 degrees C for 60 min. Hydrolysis of commercial products with proteolytic enzymes resulted in a marked decrease of immunoreactivity within the first 5 min of treatment, which thereafter was constant throughout 4 h of hydrolysis. These results demonstrate that dairy by- products from milk fat processing are good natural sources of lactadherin, although technological processes have to be considered, because they have different effects on lactadherin content

Effect of thermal and high-pressure treatments on the antirotaviral activity of human milk fractions

Rotaviral gastroenteritis is associated with high rate of infant mortality and morbidity. Antirotaviral activity has been associated with some glycoproteins, such as immunoglobulins A (IgA), lactoferrin (LF), mucins and lactadherin of human milk. Although holder pasteurization (HoP, 63 degrees C for 30 min) is the treatment currently applied to human milk, it may lead to a decrease of its bioactive properties. The antirotaviral capacity of human milk showed to be mainly associated with the whey fraction, focusing on IgA and LF, with neutralizing values of 100, 100 and 62%, at 1 mg protein/mL, respectively. HoP reduced the antirotaviral activity of human whey, IgA and LF, 30, 98 and 60%, respectively. Interestingly, high temperature-short time (HTST) pasteurization at 75 degrees C for 20 s did not affect the antirotaviral activity of samples, while the highest HHP treatment at 600 MPa for 15 min only reduced the activity of human whey, IgA and LF, 9, 40 and 10%, respectively

A human iPSC line capable of differentiating into functional macrophages expressing ZsGreen: a tool for the study and in vivo tracking of therapeutic cells

We describe the production of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, SFCi55-ZsGr, that has been engineered to express the fluorescent reporter gene, ZsGreen, in a constitutive manner. The CAG-driven ZsGreen expression cassette was inserted into the AAVS1 locus and a high level of expression was observed in undifferentiated iPSCs and in cell lineages derived from all three germ layers including haematopoietic cells, hepatocytes and neurons. We demonstrate efficient production of terminally differentiated macrophages from the SFCi55-ZsGreen iPSC line and show that they are indistinguishable from those generated from their parental SFCi55 iPSC line in terms of gene expression, cell surface marker expression and phagocytic activity. The high level of ZsGreen expression had no effect on the ability of macrophages to be activated to an M(LPS + IFNγ), M(IL10) or M(IL4) phenotype nor on their plasticity, assessed by their ability to switch from one phenotype to another. Thus, targeting of the AAVS1 locus in iPSCs allows for the production of fully functional, fluorescently tagged human macrophages that can be used for in vivo tracking in disease models. The strategy also provides a platform for the introduction of factors that are predicted to modulate and/or stabilize macrophage function. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Designer human tissue: coming to a lab near you’

Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocytes Inhibit T Cell Proliferation In Vitro through Tryptophan Starvation.

Regenerative medicine aims to replace damaged tissues by stimulating endogenous tissue repair or by transplanting autologous or allogeneic cells. Due to their capacity to produce unlimited numbers of cells of a given cell type, pluripotent stem cells, whether of embryonic origin or induced via the reprogramming of somatic cells, are of considerable therapeutic interest in the regenerative medicine field. However, regardless of the cell type, host immune responses present a barrier to success. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the immunological properties of human pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs). These cells expressed MHC class I molecules while they lacked MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules, such as CD80 and CD86. Following stimulation with IFN-γ, HLCs upregulated CD40, PD-L1 and MHC class I molecules. When co-cultured with allogeneic T cells, HLCs did not induce T cell proliferation; furthermore, when T cells were stimulated via αCD3/CD28 beads, HLCs inhibited their proliferation via IDO1 and tryptophan deprivation. These results demonstrate that PSC-derived HLCs possess immunoregulatory functions, at least in vitro

Exploring alternative germplasm for the development of stable high vitamin C content in tomato varieties

The genotypic potential for high l-ascorbic acid content of 15 accessions of S. lycopersicon and S. pimpinellifolium has been evaluated in three environments, including open-air and glasshouse cultivation and two localities. The environmental effect on l-ascorbic acid accumulation was highly genotype-dependant and the variance ascribed to the G×E environment was similar in importance to that ascribed to genotype. The variation found within accession might be ascribed to microenvironmental effects associated with temperature changes and oxidative stress or population variability. Several accessions with high genotypic values (¿+G) have been identified. Among them, accession PI365959 of S. pimpinellifolium, showed a genotypic value of 293.8mgkg -1, statistically significant higher (P<0.05) than the genotypic potential of controls reported to have high l-ascorbic content (CDP4777, 115.0mgkg -1). It also showed positive G×E interactions, with a relatively high stability. Accession LA1423 of S. lycopersicon var. cerasiforme, despite being less stable, had also high genotypic values for l-ascorbic acid accumulation (197.4mgkg -1). This germplasm will be of great interest for the development of new tomato cultivars targeted to added-value markets appreciating nutritional or functional quality. The close relationship of the selected material with the cultivated tomato will enable an efficient and rapid exploitation of their potential in breeding programmes. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.Leiva-Brondo, M.; Valcárcel, M.; Cortés Olmos, C.; Rosello Ripolles, S.; Cebolla Cornejo, J.; Nuez Viñals, F. (2012). Exploring alternative germplasm for the development of stable high vitamin C content in tomato varieties. Scientia Horticulturae. 133:84-88. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2011.10.013S848813