STRATEGIES DEVELOPED BY LEADING EU AGRI-FOOD COOPERATIVES IN THEIR GROWTH MODEL

The rationale for this paper is the problem relating to the growth of agricultural cooperatives in Spain in recent years in comparison to increasingly concentrated food distribution, which captures most of the value added. This paper analyses the evolution and status of other countries within Europe where the need for business consolidation has been successfully addressed. For this purpose, there have been identified 7 cases to be studied: Kerry group, Irish Dairy Board, Arla Foods, The Greenery BV, Danish Crown, Agrifirm and DLG. The specific results of interviews with the senior management of this cooperatives were analyzed and organized into four blocks in which the issues raised are grouped (legal and institutional framework, strategic vision, business growth models and market standing). A number of specific aims are also pursued:  Identify the main barriers and problems faced by this type of cooperatives.  Show the strategies developed by leading cooperatives in their sector within the current comparative context.  Become familiar with the different growth models these cooperatives use to achieve and maintain their market standing.Agribusiness,

Does post merger financial performance improve after agrifood mergers of cooperatives? An empirican analysis

This study was carried out to characterize the mergers and acquisitions undertaken in the Spanish agrifood sector during the period 1995-2005 and has two objectives. Firstly, it aims to determine the manner in which economic-financial factors influence the type of merger carried out (merger by formation of a new legal person and merger by acquisition), and the role played by cooperatives (acquirer, acquired or cooperative involved in a merger by formation). Secondly, it aims to determine whether these mergers have contributed to reaching any of the objectives they were set out to achieve: improving the economic-financial situation of the companies involved, increasing income and reducing relative costs. The results obtained show that on average, following a merger, there were no statistically significant improvements in the economic-financial indicators studied.Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance,

Explaining researchers' readiness to incorporate external stimuli in their research agendas

This paper seeks to provide a better understanding of how researchers incorporate external (non-academic) influences in their research process. Firstly we advance the notion of ‘openness’ as a researcher characteristic that describes researchers’ readiness to let external stimuli modify the different stages of the research cycle and we identify the kind of behavioural changes expected from ‘open’ researchers. Secondly, we look at the factors explaining researchers’ openness. We empirically analyse researchers’ openness drawing upon a database containing 1583 researchers from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). We found that researchers open in any stage of the research process tend to be also open through the rest of the stages. We also found that personal factors related to researchers’ identity and past experiences are key aspects that determine researchers’ openness. Policy implications are derived regarding suggestions to foster researchers’ opennes

Openness and scientists' everyday research processes

Science policy increasingly focuses on maximising societal benefits from science and technology investments, but often reduces those benefits to activities involving codifying and selling knowledge, thereby idealising best practice academic behaviours around entrepreneurial superstars. This paper argues that societal value depends on knowledge being used, making knowledge’s eventual exploitation partly dependent upon on whether other users ‐ societal or scientific ‐ can use that knowledge, i.e. on how far new knowledge is cognate with users’ existing knowledge. When scientists incorporate user knowledge in their research processes, what we call ‘open research behaviours’, their knowledge may be more usable. We develop a set of hypotheses concerning whether researchers’ personal and professional characteristics are associated with open research behaviour, finding evidence suggesting whilst personal characteristics are not associated with open research behaviours; researchers that experience professional signals validating open research behaviours are more likely to demonstrate open research behaviour

Combined Heart and Liver Transplantation for Uhl's Anomaly: A Case Report

Trasplante combinado de corazón e hígado; CardiomiopatíaTrasplantament combinat de fetge i cor; CardiomiopatiaCombined heart-liver transplant; CardiomyopathyBackground Uhl's anomaly is an extremely rare congenital heart defect characterized by absence of the right ventricle myocardium and preserved left ventricular myocardium. Although the disease has a poor prognosis and is generally fatal in the perinatal period, some patients may reach adulthood. Methods We describe a case of Uhl's anomaly complicated with heart failure and decompensated cardiac cirrhosis in a 42-year-old man treated by combined heart-liver transplant. Results The patient underwent heart transplant using the bicaval technique followed by subsequent liver transplant with the piggyback technique without venovenous bypass. Total ischemia time was 108 minutes for the heart and 360 and 25 minutes of cold and warm ischemia, respectively, for the liver. No intraoperative complications occurred. The patient was discharged without severe complications on postoperative day 22. Pathologic examination of the organs reported advanced cirrhosis of the liver and severe dilated myocardiopathy of right ventricle with absence of myocardium and a normal left ventricle. Twenty-seven months after the transplant the patient has been free from hospital admissions, with normal function of both transplanted organs. Conclusions We report the first successful combined heart-liver transplant for Uhl's anomaly indication in an adult patient. Despite of the insufficient knowledge of natural history of this exceptional disease, we successfully apply the management principles of other end-stage right heart disorders complicated with liver failure

Characterization of Epstein Barr Virus Latency Pattern in Argentine Breast Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated tumors show different expression patterns of latency genes. Since in breast carcinoma this pattern is not yet fully described, our aim was to characterize EBV latency pattern in our EBV positive breast carcinoma series. METHODS: The study was conducted on 71 biopsies of breast carcinoma and in 48 non-neoplastic breast controls. EBNA1, LMP2A and LMP1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies, while viral genomic DNA and EBERs RNA transcripts expression was performed by in situ hybridization. EBV presence was confirmed by PCR. RESULTS: EBV genomic DNA and EBNA1 expression were detected in 31% (22/71) of patients specifically restricted to tumor epithelial cells in breast carcinoma while all breast control samples were negative for both viral DNA and EBNA1 protein. LMP2A was detected in 73% of EBNA1 positive cases, none of which expressed either LMP1 protein or EBERs transcripts. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that EBV expression pattern in the studied biopsies could be different from those previously observed in breast carcinoma cell lines and lead us to suggest a new, EBNA1, LMP2A positive and LMP1 and EBERs negative latency profile in breast carcinoma in our population

Use of tocilizumab and sarilumab alone or in combination with corticosteroids for covid-19: systematic review and network meta-analysis

Objective: To compare the effects of interleukin 6 receptor blockers, tocilizumab and sarilumab, with or without corticosteroids, on mortality in patients with covid-19. Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Data sources: World Health Organization covid-19 database, a comprehensive multilingual source of global covid-19 literature, and two prospective meta-analyses (up to 9 June 2021). Review methods: Trials in which people with suspected, probable, or confirmed covid-19 were randomised to interleukin 6 receptor blockers (with or without corticosteroids), corticosteroids, placebo, or standard care. The analysis used a bayesian framework and assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach. Results from the fixed effect meta-analysis were used for the primary analysis. Results: Of 45 eligible trials (20 650 patients) identified, 36 (19 350 patients) could be included in the network meta-analysis. Of 36 trials, 27 were at high risk of bias, primarily due to lack of blinding. Tocilizumab, in combination with corticosteroids, suggested a reduction in the risk of death compared with corticosteroids alone (odds ratio 0.79, 95% credible interval 0.70 to 0.88; 35 fewer deaths per 1000 people, 95% credible interval 52 fewer to 18 fewer per 1000; moderate certainty of evidence), as did sarilumab in combination with corticosteroids, compared with corticosteroids alone (0.73, 0.58 to 0.92; 43 fewer per 1000, 73 fewer to 12 fewer; low certainty). Tocilizumab and sarilumab, each in combination with corticosteroids, appeared to have similar effects on mortality when compared with each other (1.07, 0.86 to 1.34; eight more per 1000, 20 fewer to 35 more; low certainty). The effects of tocilizumab (1.12, 0.91 to 1.38; 20 more per 1000, 16 fewer to 59 more; low certainty) and sarilumab (1.07, 0.81 to 1.40; 11 more per 1000, 38 fewer to 55 more; low certainty), when used alone, suggested an increase in the risk of death. Conclusion: These findings suggest that in patients with severe or critical covid-19, tocilizumab, in combination with corticosteroids, probably reduces mortality, and that sarilumab, in combination with corticosteroids, might also reduce mortality. Tocilizumab and sarilumab, in combination with corticosteroids, could have similar effectiveness. Tocilizumab and sarilumab, when used alone, might not be beneficial.This project is supported by two Canadian Institutes of Health Research grants (VR4-172738; MM1-174897). The funders had no role in considering the study design or in the collection, analysis, interpretation of data, writing of the report, or decision to submit the article for publication.publishedVersio

Surgical treatment for colorectal cancer: Analysis of the influence of an enhanced recovery programme on long-term oncological outcomes-a study protocol for a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction The evidence currently available from enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes concerns their benefits in the immediate postoperative period, but there is still very little evidence as to whether their correct implementation benefits patients in the long term. The working hypothesis here is that, due to the lower response to surgical aggression and lower rates of postoperative complications, ERAS protocols can reduce colorectal cancer-related mortality. The main objective of this study is to analyse the impact of an ERAS programme for colorectal cancer on 5-year survival. As secondary objectives, we propose to analyse the weight of each of the predefined items in the oncological results as well as the quality of life. Methods and analysis A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in patients older than 18 years of age who are scheduled to undergo surgery for colorectal cancer. The study involved 12 hospitals with an implemented enhanced recovery protocol according to the guidelines published by the Spanish National Health Service. The intervention group includes patients with a minimum implementation level of 70%, and the control group includes those who fail to reach this level. Compliance will be studied using 18 key performance indicators, and the results will be analysed using cancer survival indicators, including overall survival, cancer-specific survival and relapse-free survival. The time to recurrence, perioperative morbidity and mortality, hospital stay and quality of life will also be studied, the latter using the validated EuroQol Five questionnaire. The propensity index method will be used to create comparable treatment and control groups, and a multivariate regression will be used to study each variable. The Kaplan-Meier estimator will be used to estimate survival and the log-rank test to make comparisons. A p value of less than 0.05 (two-tailed) will be considered to be significant. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Aragon Ethical Committee (C.P.-C.I. PI20/086) on 4 March 2020. The findings of this study will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals (BMJ Open, JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgery, British Journal of Surgery). Abstracts will be submitted to relevant national and international meetings.The present research study was awarded a Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación health research project grant (PI19/00291) from the Carlos III Institute of the Spanish National Health Service as part of the 2019 call for Strategic Action in Health

PAT Ciencias: Actividades del Programa de Acción Tutorial de la Facultad de Ciencias

El principal objetivo de este proyecto es organizar actividades enmarcadas dentro del Plan de Acción Tutorial de la Facultad de Ciencias que puedan ser de interés general para los estudiantes de nuestra facultad. Estas actividades, ya sean seminarios o reuniones, tendrán diferentes objetivos: ayudar al estudiante a mejorar su organización y planificación; fomentar programas de movilidad europea y no europea; y preparar a los estudiantes para enfrentarse a su futura vida laboral. Todas estas actividades, junto con la información que pueda ser de interés para el estudiante, serán promovidas gracias a la creación de una página de Facebook para el PAT de la Facultad de Ciencias. Con la organización de las actividades propuestas, desde el PAT de la Facultad de Ciencias se pretende favorecer el desarrollo de las competencias transversales de sus estudiantes, ayudándoles y apoyándoles para la superación de las asignaturas matriculadas. Asimismo, se pretende también fomentar la movilidad de nuestros estudiantes tanto a nivel europeo como no europeo, y prepararlos para su futura incursión en el mundo laboral