How Much Does R&D Decision Depend on Firm, Industry, Group and its Interactions?

In the recent year, technological progress through research and development (R&D) has been widely recognized as a key factor contributing to economic growth and competitiveness of the economy. In the traditional industrial organization (IO) literature R&D activities was considered to be an important conduct variable that can affect performance of the industry. Industrial organization (IO) literature stresses that the R&D behaviour is linked to industry structure and has the ability to create barriers to entry. On the other hand subsequent studies have stressed on the strategic groups within an industry as the main driving force behind the R&D behaviour of firms. However, the resource based view stresses on the internal capability of the firm as the main driving force. They also emphasized that the behaviour of the firm is path dependent. This study is an attempt to measure the effects of industry, group, and firm on R&D behaviour of the firm and their interaction. The study uses both continuous and categorical variables in an ANCOVA setting. The sample consists of data about Indian companies across 29 industries during 1995-2003. The findings show that though the effects of the industry and the firm are important, the most significant contributor is the effect of the interaction between the groups and the industry.R&D decisions , business groups

Characterising Mer and Axl receptor tyrosine kinase expression and transcriptomic profiling of myeloid cells in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: TAM receptor tyrosine kinases attenuate pro-inflammatory signalling in myeloid cells and maintain tissue homeostasis through apoptotic cell clearance (efferocytosis). Two members of the TAM-RTK family, MerTK and Axl, are overexpressed in human cancers; MerTK+ macrophages display a regulatory phenotype (M2c) similar to tumour associated macrophages (TAMs). MerTK+ and Axl+ macrophages contribute to immune paresis in liver disease. Little is known about MerTK and Axl expressing myeloid cells in HCC. In this thesis I characterise their expression and phenotype in circulating and tissue-resident myeloid cells, explore drivers for their expansion and function in vitro and utilise transcriptomics to interrogate wider TAM phenotype in human HCC. Methods: Tissue and blood were collected from patients undergoing surgery or awaiting treatment for HCC. TAM-RTK expressing myeloid cells were identified using immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry of isolated immune cell populations was utilised to understand their abundance and phenotype; in vitro conditioning and co-culture experiments were devised to recapitulate the tumour microenvironment, identify potential drivers for MerTK and Axl expression and assay their function. Serum and tissue homogenates were analysed for levels of TAM-RTK ligands. Transcriptomic analysis of tumour and liver derived myeloid cells was undertaken. Results: MerTK+ macrophages are evident within inflammatory infiltrates in HCC. There is modest expansion of myeloid cells expressing MerTK and Axl in the tumour microenvironment, however gene expression is not upregulated and neither are downstream signalling cascades. In vitro conditioning does stimulate Axl but not MerTK expression and promotes immune-regulatory cytokine production. TAMs exhibit a ‘post-phagocytic’ phenotype with upregulation of C1Q, scavenger receptor Stabilin-1 and APOE. Conclusions: TAM-RTK signalling is not activated within the tumour microenvironment. Transcriptomic analysis has identified an immune regulatory post-phagocytic and efferocytotic phenotype; further work is needed to evaluate the significance of this in the tumour biology of HCC, if it is not mediated through MerTK and Axl signalling.Open Acces

Pattern Synthesis in Time-Modulated Arrays Using Heuristic Approach

Time-modulation principle evolves as an emerging technology for easy realization of the desired array patterns with the help of an additional degree of freedom, namely, “time.” To the antenna community, the topic, time-modulated antenna array (TMAA) or 4D antenna arrays, has got much attention during the last two decades. However, population-based, stochastic, heuristic evolutionary algorithm plays as an important protagonist to meet the essential requirements on synthesizing the desired array patterns. This chapter is basically devoted to understand the theory of different time-modulation principles and the application of optimization techniques in solving different antenna array synthesis problems. As a first step, the theory of time-modulation principles and the behaviors of the sideband radiation (SBR) that appeared due to time modulation have been studied. Then, different important aspects associated with TMAA synthesis problems have been discussed. These include conflicting parameters, the need of evolutionary algorithms, multiple objectives and their optimization, cost function formation, and selection of weighting factors. After that, a novel approach to design a time modulator for synthesizing TMAAs is presented. Finally, discussing the working principle of an efficient heuristic approach, namely, artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm, the effectiveness of the time modulator and potentiality of the algorithm are presented through representative numerical examples

Inorganic phosphate nanorods are a novel fluorescent label in cell biology

We report the first use of inorganic fluorescent lanthanide (europium and terbium) ortho phosphate [LnPO(4)·H(2)O, Ln = Eu and Tb] nanorods as a novel fluorescent label in cell biology. These nanorods, synthesized by the microwave technique, retain their fluorescent properties after internalization into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), 786-O cells, or renal carcinoma cells (RCC). The cellular internalization of these nanorods and their fluorescence properties were characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy (FS), differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At concentrations up to 50 μg/ml, the use of [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assays, apoptosis assays (TUNEL), and trypan blue exclusion illustrated the non-toxic nature of these nanorods, a major advantage over traditional organic dye

Gas adsorption, magnetism, and single-crystal to single-crystal transformation studies of a three-dimensional Mn(II) porous coordination polymer

A porous coordination polymer {[Mn2(DBIBA)3]×(NO3)·3DMF·4H2O}n (1) [DBIBAH = 3,5-di(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)benzoic acid] has been synthesized solvothermally and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound shows significant selective CO2 uptake at low temperature. 1 exhibits antiferromagnetic properties below 17 K, confirmed by magnetic susceptibility measurements. Four new coordination polymers: {[Mn2(DBIBA)3]·ClO4·3DMF·3H2O}n (2), {[Mn2(DBIBA)3]×Cl×DMF×H2O}n (3), {[Mn2(DBIBA)3]×NO3×CH3OH×7H2O}n (4) and {[Mn2(DBIBA)3]×NO3×2CH3COCH3×H2O}n (5), have been synthesized from 1 via anion/solvent exchange protocols at room temperature

Letter: liver disease and COVID-19 - not the perfect storm

This article is linked to Garrido et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15813 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15886

Aberrant hepatic trafficking of gut-derived T cells is not specific to primary sclerosing cholangitis

Background and Aims The “gut homing” hypothesis suggests the pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is driven by aberrant hepatic expression of gut adhesion molecules and subsequent recruitment of gut‐derived T cells to the liver. However, inconsistencies lie within this theory including an absence of investigations and comparisons with other chronic liver diseases (CLD). Here, we examine “the gut homing theory” in patients with PSC with associated inflammatory bowel disease (PSC‐IBD) and across multiple inflammatory liver diseases. Approach and Results Expression of MAdCAM‐1, CCL25, and E‐Cadherin were assessed histologically and using RT‐PCR on explanted liver tissue from patients with CLD undergoing OLT and in normal liver. Liver mononuclear cells were isolated from explanted tissue samples and the expression of gut homing integrins and cytokines on hepatic infiltrating gut‐derived T cells was assessed using flow cytometry. Hepatic expression of MAdCAM‐1, CCL25 and E‐Cadherin was up‐regulated in all CLDs compared with normal liver. There were no differences between disease groups. Frequencies of α4β7, αEβ7, CCR9, and GPR15 expressing hepatic T cells was increased in PSC‐IBD, but also in CLD controls, compared with normal liver. β7 expressing hepatic T cells displayed an increased inflammatory phenotype compared with β7 negative cells, although this inflammatory cytokine profile was present in both the inflamed and normal liver. Conclusions These findings refute the widely accepted “gut homing” hypothesis as the primary driver of PSC and indicate that aberrant hepatic recruitment of gut‐derived T cells is not unique to PSC, but is a panetiological feature of CLD

From Moscow with love

One of the less researched aspects of postcolonial India’s “progressive” culture is its Soviet connection. Starting in the 1950s and consolidating in the 1960s, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invested in building up “committed” networks amongst writers, directors, actors, and other theater- and film-practitioners across India. Thus, an entire generation of cultural professionals was initiated into the anticolonial solidarity of emerging Afro-Asian nations that were seen, and portrayed, by the Soviets as being victims of “Western” imperialism. The aspirational figure of the New Soviet Man was celebrated through the rise of a new form of “transactional sociality” (Westlund 2003). This paper looks at selected cases of cultural diplomacy—through the lens of cultural history—between the USSR and India for two decades after India’s Independence, exploring the possibility of theorizing it from the perspective of an anticolonial cultural solidarity that allowed agency to Indian interlocutors