Alignment of Quality Management in SMEs with the Market Performance

The purpose of this research is to relate competitiveness through productivity on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with the level of quality that these companies are and the market segment they serve. The methodology used was a multiple case study using questionnaires and systematic observations in SMEs. Results showed that the quality of the companies surveyed is determined by the market segment in which they operate. Quality management is based on the end customer and the view of entrepreneurs look beyond the premises of their companies. The importance of this research is to relate the market segment with the quality level used in SMEs, a strategy required for the current competitiveness

ß-Cyclodextrin: Disperse yellow 211 complexes improve coloristic intensity of polyamide dyed knits

Dyes are complex molecules that can sometimes cause damage to the aquatic environment and harm human health. They are often not completely removed from effluent by the usual treatments; therefore, efforts have been made to increase their exhaustion from dyeing through chemical and physical processes. In this context, the use of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) as dyeing auxiliary agent promotes the reduction of harmful products, also increasing the color intensity of the fabric. In this paper, ß-CD was used as a complexing agent to dye polyamide (PA) using the dye C.I. Disperse Yellow 211 (DY211) in order to improve dye exhaustion and color intensity using the ß-CD:DY211 complex. The conventional dyeing process and ß-CD:DY211 dyeing process by exhaustion were compared, and adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and the coloristic intensity were evaluated. The chemical shifts in the FTIR spectra and the thermal stability evidenced the formation of the ß-CD:DY211 complex. Regarding dyeing kinetics and isotherm, the pseudo-first-order model was the most appropriate to describe the process, while Nernst isotherm was the one that best represented the adsorption results. Categorically, the samples dyed with the ß-CD:DY211 complex obtained higher coloristic intensity in comparison with the conventional process. With this evidence, it is possible to conclude that cyclodextrin is a suitable replacement for environmentally harmful textile aides without adding further steps into the dyeing process or the need for additional equipmentPostprint (author's final draft

Double trouble at high density::Cross-level test of ressource-related adaptive plasticity and crowding-related fitness.

Population size is often regulated by negative feedback between population density and individual fitness. At high population densities, animals run into double trouble: they might concurrently suffer from overexploitation of resources and also from negative interference among individuals regardless of resource availability, referred to as crowding. Animals are able to adapt to resource shortages by exhibiting a repertoire of life history and physiological plasticities. In addition to resource-related plasticity, crowding might lead to reduced fitness, with consequences for individual life history. We explored how different mechanisms behind resource-related plasticity and crowding-related fitness act independently or together, using the water flea Daphnia magna as a case study. For testing hypotheses related to mechanisms of plasticity and crowding stress across different biological levels, we used an individual-based population model that is based on dynamic energy budget theory. Each of the hypotheses, represented by a sub-model, is based on specific assumptions on how the uptake and allocation of energy are altered under conditions of resource shortage or crowding. For cross-level testing of different hypotheses, we explored how well the sub-models fit individual level data and also how well they predict population dynamics under different conditions of resource availability. Only operating resource-related and crowding-related hypotheses together enabled accurate model predictions of D. magna population dynamics and size structure. Whereas this study showed that various mechanisms might play a role in the negative feedback between population density and individual life history, it also indicated that different density levels might instigate the onset of the different mechanisms. This study provides an example of how the integration of dynamic energy budget theory and individual-based modelling can facilitate the exploration of mechanisms behind the regulation of population size. Such understanding is important for assessment, management and the conservation of populations and thereby biodiversity in ecosystems

Co-Electrospun Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Zein Articular Cartilage Scaffolds

Osteoarthritis scaffold-based grafts fail because of poor integration with the surrounding soft tissue and inadequate tribological properties. To circumvent this, we propose electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/zein-based scaffolds owing to their biomimetic capabilities. The scaffold surfaces were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, static water contact angles, and profilometry. Scaffold biocompatibility properties were assessed by measuring protein adsorption (Bicinchoninic Acid Assay), cell spreading (stained F-actin), and metabolic activity (PrestoBlue™ Cell Viability Reagent) of primary bovine chondrocytes. The data show that zein surface segregation in the membranes not only completely changed the hydrophobic behavior of the materials, but also increased the cell yield and metabolic activity on the scaffolds. The surface segregation is verified by the infrared peak at 1658 cm−1, along with the presence and increase in N1 content in the survey XPS. This observation could explain the decrease in the water contact angles from 125° to approximately 60° in zein-comprised materials and the decrease in the protein adsorption of both bovine serum albumin and synovial fluid by half. Surface nano roughness in the PCL/zein samples additionally benefited the radial spreading of bovine chondrocytes. This study showed that co-electrospun PCL/zein scaffolds have promising surface and biocompatibility properties for use in articular-tissue-engineering applications.ISSN:2306-535

Galectin-1 sensitizes carcinoma cells to anoikis via the fibronectin receptor α5β1-integrin

Anoikis resistance is a hallmark of transformed epithelial cells. Here, we show that treatment of anoikis-resistant carcinoma cell lines with the endogenous lectin galectin-1 (Gal-1) promoted apoptosis via interaction with the unligated fibronectin receptor α5β1-integrin. Gal-1 efficiency correlated with expression of α5β1-integrin, and transfection of the α5-subunit into deficient cell lines conferred Gal-1 binding and anoikis stimulation. Furthermore, Gal-1 and the α5- and β1-integrin subunits co-precipitated in Gal-1-stimulated cells undergoing anoikis. Other members of the galectin family failed to be active. The functional interaction between Gal-1 and α5β1-integrin was glycan dependent with α2,6-sialylation representing a switch-off signal. Desialylation of cell surface glycans resulted in increased electrophoretic mobility of α5β1-integrin and facilitated Gal-1 binding and anoikis stimulation. On the level of signaling, Gal-1-stimulated anoikis was prevented by filipin, which impaired the internalization of α5β1-integrin via cholesterol-enriched microdomains, and by pretreatment with a caspase-8 inhibitor. We propose that Gal-1/α5β1-integrin interaction participates in the control of epithelial integrity and integrin sialylation may enable carcinoma cells to evade this Gal-1-dependent control mechanism