Production Networks Linkages, Innovation Processes and Social Management Technologies. A Methodological Approach Applied to the Volkswagen case in Argentina

The purpose of this paper -as a part of a wider research project - is to analyze the concept of production network from a methodological and theoretical viewpoint based on a three-plane perspective. These dimensions are the linkages among agents, the innovation activities, and the social management technology, including work process organization and the social agreement generation model in force. It is an experimentally methodological approach that tries to go from a theoretical conceptualization of the phenomenon to its empirical evaluation. The questions guiding this research are as follows: What are the variables and dimensions to be observed in the analysis of a group of interconnected firms in order to define a production network? Is it a unique definition or, on the contrary, does it involve a range of alternatives? What are the externalities generated by the agents who belong to one network? What is the relationship between the network’s firms’ technological behavior and their organizational counterpart? How are learning processes in the business firms linked to their own training systems? Has the social management technology some differential role in the learning process and in the development of skills? How do knowledge transmission processes manifest themselves within the “network”? What indicators are useful for the empirical identification of the different means of manifestation of the network according to the theoretical viewpoint adopted? How can those indicators be articulated in order to elaborate typologies intended for the identification of “hybrid” models? How can a complex indicator be built in order to show the different levels of circulation of intangible assets, development of learning processes and work process organization? In the first section, the conceptualization of the production “network” used in this paper is discussed. In the second section, most relevant variables and indicators are presented in order to feature the business firms and the network in terms of: a) type, quantity and quality of tangible and intangible exchanges among the agents; b) innovative capacity and learning; c) social management technology. Then we elaborate a typology of networks based on the consideration of the previous parameters. Lastly, in the fourth section, we discuss how the three dimensions interact in the case of Volkswagen and his forty main local suppliers.Innovation, production process, case study

Fairness through regulation? Reflections on a cosmopolitan approach to global finance

In the aftermath of the last financial crisis a strong message prevails that ‘something’ has to be changed in the manner global finance is governed. What exactly this ‘something’ entails and what could constitute the ‘common ground’ of anticipated change is more difficult to determine. Many envisage future improvements of global financial governance by evoking deliberative democracy, political equality and cosmopolitanism. As financial regulation is the main instrument through which global finance is shaped and governed nowadays, these principles should then be transmitted to regulatory arrangements. This paper focuses on a new conceptual approach to regulatory and governance issues in global finance, by employing the philosophical idea of cosmopolitanism. It argues that although as a concept, cosmopolitanism cannot mitigate all the flaws attributed to contemporary finance, its development and extension to international financial regulation that is promulgated by institutions of the global financial system, would represent a worthwhile endeavour in making global finance more accountable and just in the eyes of many

EMU'S GOVERNANCE POST-CRISIS: WHAT ROLE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTALISM?

Over the years EU member states favored an intergovernmental approach to policy-making within the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). This approach emphasized the role played by national authorities, as member states' representatives, within a “soft governance” framework. In this framework, national representatives voluntarily participated in various coordinative networks and committees, which relied on interstate negotiations to create policies. However, the Euro area crisis highlighted the shortcomings of the intergovernmental approach to policy-making, such as divergent implementation of policies and regulatory arbitrage, which undermined the EMU’s stability. After the crisis, we are witnessing a centralization of policy creation processes and decision-making within the EMU, with apparently limited room for “old intergovernmentalism”. New actors such as the European Supervisory Authorities, perfectly embody this development since they require from member states to commonly agree “under the shadow” of non-majoritarian institutions, at times even against their own policy preferences. This raises important questions on the role of “old” conceptual frameworks in explaining current EU integration. Therefore, this paper explores the concept of intergovernmentalism (and also, “liberal intergovernmentalism”) as one the key driving forces within EMU’s governance, offering further insight into raised questions as well as arguing in favor of its political and integrationist potential in the years to come

A study of cis-regulatory elements in Xenopus and planarians

Multicellular organisms have the ability to produce and maintain several cell types despite the DNA molecule being the same in all cells. For that, a complex network of cis-regulatory elements (CRE) and transcription factors is involved in controlling cellular fate. Among the different approaches that allow the identification of CREs, the novel ATAC-sequencing is becoming an increasingly used tool due to its easy-to-perform protocol. In this study, this technique has been optimized to beused in two species (Xenopus laevis and Schmidtea mediterranea) to elucidate (1) the epigenetic mechanism behind Xenopus neural crest (NC) specification and differentiation, and (2) the establishment of anteroposterior identity during planarian regeneration.ATAC-sequencing has been carried out on Xenopus animal caps induced to give rise to NC or neural tissue. Comparison of this data along with non-injected ectodermal animal caps has led to the characterization of the epigenome involved in Xenopus neural crest formation. Results show that 4,528 NC open regions or potential enhancers are present during specification whereas 852 NC potential enhancers are specific for differentiation. In these NC open regions, the transcription factors Zic, Meis and Sox10 play an important role. Five enhancers driving expression of key neural crest genes (cmyc, foxd3, id3, snai2 and sox10) have been identified. ATAC-sequencing has also been successfully validated on dissected blastemas from 48h regenerating planarians. The analysis has revealed nervous system-related transcription factor motifs such as Prep or NeuroD-1 present in anterior specific open regions whereas posterior polarity-related transcription factor binding sites such as Islet or HoxD3 are present in posterior open regions. Key words: ATAC-sequencing, enhancer, transcription factor, Xenopus neural crest, planarian, anteroposterior polarity

Čvorovi štitne žlijezde - stvarna epidemija ili poboljšana dijagnostika

The incidence of thyroid nodules has been rising steadily during the last 30 years, since the introduction of new diagnostic methods such as ultrasonography and computerized tomography, thus posing a real challenge in determining the best approach strategy for treatment of this new \u27epidemic\u27. We analyzed and compared data from several studies showing the prevalence of thyroid nodules on autopsy, palpation and ultrasonography to be 13%-60%, 0.5%-6.5% and 13.4%-46%, respectively. This demonstrates that thyroid ultrasonography is a very sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool the use of which, however, entails an increased number of incidentally discovered thyroid nodules without clinical significance. Therefore, ultrasonography of the thyroid should not be performed without clinical indication determined by thyroid specialist.Incidencija čvorova štitne žlijezde u stalnom je porastu posljednjih 30 godina, od uvođenja novih dijagnostičkih metoda poput ultrazvuka i kompjutorizirane tomografije, što predstavlja pravi izazov pri određivanju najboljeg pristupa u liječenju ove nove \u27epidemije\u27. Analizirali smo i usporedili podatke iz nekoliko istraživanja koja navode učestalost čvorova štitne žlijezde utvrđenih na autopsiji, palpacijom i ultrazvukom od 13%-60%, 0,5%-6,5%, odnosno 13,4%-46%. To pokazuje kako je ultrazvuk vrlo osjetljiva i točna dijagnostička metoda, međutim, njegova primjena dovodi do sve većeg broja slučajno otkrivenih, klinički neznačajnih čvorova štitnjače. Stoga ultrazvuk štitnjače ne treba primjenjivati bez kliničke indikacije koju je postavio specijalist za štitnu žlijezdu

Compartmentation of glycogen metabolism revealed from 13C isotopologue distributions

Background: Stable isotope tracers are used to assess metabolic flux profiles in living cells. The existing methods of measurement average out the isotopic isomer distribution in metabolites throughout the cell, whereas the knowledge of compartmental organization of analyzed pathways is crucial for the evaluation of true fluxes. That is why we accepted a challenge to create a software tool that allows deciphering the compartmentation of metabolites based on the analysis of average isotopic isomer distribution. Results: The software Isodyn, which simulates the dynamics of isotopic isomer distribution in central metabolic pathways, was supplemented by algorithms facilitating the transition between various analyzed metabolic schemes, and by the tools for model discrimination. It simulated 13C isotope distributions in glucose, lactate, glutamate and glycogen, measured by mass spectrometry after incubation of hepatocytes in the presence of only labeled glucose or glucose and lactate together (with label either in glucose or lactate). The simulations assumed either a single intracellular hexose phosphate pool, or also channeling of hexose phosphates resulting in a different isotopic composition of glycogen. Model discrimination test was applied to check the consistency of both models with experimental data. Metabolic flux profiles, evaluated with the accepted model that assumes channeling, revealed the range of changes in metabolic fluxes in liver cells. Conclusions: The analysis of compartmentation of metabolic networks based on the measured 13C distribution was included in Isodyn as a routine procedure. The advantage of this implementation is that, being a part of evaluation of metabolic fluxes, it does not require additional experiments to study metabolic compartmentation. The analysis of experimental data revealed that the distribution of measured 13C-labeled glucose metabolites is inconsistent with the idea of perfect mixing of hexose phosphates in cytosol. In contrast, the observed distribution indicates the presence of a separate pool of hexose phosphates that is channeled towards glycogen synthesis

Forkhead Box P3 Methylation and Expression in Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic changes in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been proposed as a mechanism for end-organ vulnerability. In children with OSA, Forkhead Box P3 (FOXP3) DNA methylation were associated with inflammatory biomarkers; however, the methylation pattern and its effect in the expression of this gene have not been tested in adults with OSA. METHODS: Plasma samples from subjects without comorbid conditions other than OSA were analyzed (the Epigenetics Status and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (EPIOSA) Study: NCT02131610). In 16 patients with severe OSA (Apnea-Hypopnea Index-AHI- > 30 events/h) and seven matched controls (AHI 10) and 31 controls, we quantified FOXP3 protein expression by ELISA and gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR. C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma Treg cells were also evaluated. RESULTS: Neither the levels of the promoter nor the TSDR demethylated region were different between controls and patients with OSA, whether they were grouped by normal or high CRP. FOXP3 protein and mRNA expression did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: FOXP3 methylation or its expression is not altered in adults with OSA, whatever their inflammatory status

Hashitoxicosis: a propósito de un caso.

Se conoce como Hashitoxicosis a la Tiroiditis de Hashimoto que coexiste con episodios de hipertiroidismo; se debe a la liberación excesiva de hormona tiroidea en un paciente con diagnóstico previo de enfermedad de Hashimoto.Puede ser más común de lo que se pensaba, debido al aparente aumento de pacientes con Tiroiditis de Hashimoto y/o avances en su diagnóstico.Se presenta el caso de un paciente femenino de 12 años de edad, que por hallazgos clínicos se le diagnostica un hipertiroidismo por enfermedad de Graves Basedow. Sin embargo, los estudios iniciales y la evolución posterior de la paciente, orientan el diagnóstico hacia una etiología diferente

Aborto terapéutico: El camino recorrido por el acceso a un derecho 2007-2011

En el Perú, el aborto terapéutico es legal desde 1924, en que fue incorporado en el Código Penal y se mantiene hasta la actualidad como la única forma de interrupción del embarazo permitida en nuestro país. Sin embargo el acceso a esta práctica en los servicios públicos de salud no ha sido fácil para las mujeres debido a la inexistencia de un protocolo o guía práctica clínica para la atención en casos de aborto terapéutico que la sustente. Las normas, guías y protocolos del Ministerio de Salud sobre salud sexual y reproductiva vigentes no aluden a la atención del aborto terapéutico. Este vacío limita el derecho de las mujeres peruanas a acceder a un servicio que puede salvar su vida y preservar su salud integral, y por otro lado, corta la posibilidad de que las y los profesionales de la salud cuenten con estándares mínimos que sustenten su actuación. Por la penalización que pesa sobre el aborto en general, la inexistencia de normas claras y la insuficiente información sobre la legalidad del aborto terapéutico, las y los profesionales de la salud suelen negarse a recibir estos últimos casos, ya que temen ser sancionados. Y cuando atienden una interrupción legal del embarazo, muchas veces optan por no reportarla como tal, lo que genera un subregistro que minimiza u oculta esta situación que vulnera profundamente los derechos de las mujeres y afecta el adecuado desempeño de los médicos y médicas. El desarrollo que tuvo el caso de KL, adolescente de 17 años a quien el 2001 se le negó la interrupción legal del embarazo que solicitaba por gestar un feto anencefálico, ha contribuido sin duda a visibilizar la problemática que genera la ausencia de un protocolo nacional para la atención del aborto terapéutico.http://promsex.org/images/docs/Publicaciones/CronologiadelAborto.pd