Absorptive Capacity in Family Firms : A quantitative study on Absorptive Capacity, R&D activities and patents in Family Firms

Background:           Absorptive capacity concept has its roots dated back around 30 years ago when two seminal papers were published. During the years, more knowledge has been produced about this topic. However, most of the studies have focused on the absorptive capacity from a general point of view without correlating it with the R&D activities of family firms and family involvement.       Purpose:                  This study investigates how one of the distinctive characteristics of family firms (i.e. family involvement) plays a role along with R&D activities carried out either in-house or from external sources, in filing for a patent.   Method:                   To conduct our study we adopted a quantitative approach and used secondary data about 14759 firms located in EU.  Considering the type of selected variables, for our analysis we used logistic regression in order to see if the model we proposed was meaningful or not.   Conclusion:             The findings from our study address the research questions we formulated at the beginning. As for the R&D we conclude that family firms take more advantage from carrying out in-house R&D activities rather than R&D from external sources, matching with what claimed in the existing literature. Furthermore, our study matches with recent studies that challenge the traditional view of family involvement negatively related to innovation

The decision on the embryo to transfer after Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for X-autosome reciprocal translocation in male carrier

Abstract Background The aim of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) on embryos produced in vitro is to identify the embryos without genetic or chromosomal defect from those embryos that will develop the genetic disease or are chromosomally abnormal. In case of PGD for structural chromosome indication (PGR-SR), the normal/balanced embryos are transferred in the maternal uterus. This protocol is valid and widely applied for autosomal chromosome translocation. But which embryo should be transferred after preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD-SR) for X-3 reciprocal translocation in male patient? Case presentation The female patient was 26 years old with normal 46,XX karyotype. The male patient had a karyotype with balanced translocation 46,Y,t(X;3)(p11.2;p14)mat, inherited from the mother. The female patient underwent two cycles of ovarian stimulation. In the first cycle, the metaphase II oocytes were vitrified, while in the second cycle they were used as fresh. ICSI was performed on vitrified/warmed and fresh oocytes. Embryos were biopsied at blastocyst stage. Chromosomal analysis was performed by Next Generation Sequencing. Eleven blastocysts were biopsied from 23 vitrified/warmed and fresh metaphase II oocytes. Two embryos were diagnosed 46,XY; two embryos were diagnosed 46,XX; four embryos were diagnosed with unbalanced translocations and three embryos were diagnosed aneuploid. We knew that the two embryos diagnosed as 46,XX inherited the balanced translocation from the father and the two embryos diagnosed as 46,XY had a normal karyotype. It was explain to the couple that the phenotype of balanced translocated female embryos cannot be predicted because of the random inactivation of X chromosome and that could also occur on the der(X). The couple asked to have a 46,XY embryo transferred. Clinical pregnancy was obtained and non invasive prenatal test confirmed PGD-SR result. Conclusions Proposing PGD-SR for gonosome-autosome reciprocal translocation implies the risk to exclude balanced translocated female embryos with a normal phenotype for transfer because the early and late normal development at post-natal stage cannot be predicted based on the only chromosomal analysis