Moving people with ideas - innovation inter-regional mobility and firm heterogeneity

This paper looks at the link between inter-regional mobility, innovation and firms’ behavioural heterogeneity in their reliance on localised external sources of knowledge. By linking patent data (capturing inventors’ inter-regional mobility) with firm-level data (providing information on firms’ innovation inputs and behaviour) a robust identification strategy makes it possible to shed new light on the geographical mobility-innovation nexus. The analysis of English firms suggests that firm-level heterogeneity – largely overlooked in previous studies - is the key to explain the innovation impact of inter-regional mobility over and above learning-by-hiring mechanisms. A causal link between inflows of new inventors into the local labour market and innovation emerges only for firms that make the use of external knowledge sources an integral part of their innovation strategies

Foreign multinationals and domestic innovation: intra-industry effects and firm heterogeneity

This paper looks at foreign Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) investing in the UK and at their impact on the innovation performance of domestic firms active in their same sector. By employing data on Foreign Direct Investments matched with firm-level information the paper develops a direct measure of capital inflows at a three-digit industry level. In order to capture innovation in both manufacturing and services the paper relies on a broader proxy for firm innovativeness based on the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). The results suggest that domestic firms active in sectors with greater investments by MNEs show a stronger innovative performance. However, the heterogeneity across domestic firms in terms of internationalization of both their market engagement and ownership structure is the main driver of this effect

The presence of foreign multinationals in the UK boosts innovation by domestic firms

Capacity to absorb new knowledge is essential, find Ricardo Crescenzi, Luisa Gagliardi and Simona Iammarino

The innovative performance of firms in heterogeneous environments : the interplay between external knowledge and internal absorptive capacities

This paper investigates the link between firm-level innovative performance and innovation prone external environments where knowledgeable individuals tend to cluster. Organizational ambidexterity and absorptive capacities (potential and realized) make it possible for firms to leverage the availability of external knowledge and boost their innovation performance. The empirical analysis focuses on England and is based on a novel combination of Community Innovation Survey (CIS) firm-level data and patent data. The results show that only firms complementing potential and realized absorptive capacities are able to take advantage of favorable external environments by actively combining internal and external sources of knowledge

INFLUENCE OF DEEP-FAT FRYING PROCESS ON PHOSPHOLlPID MOLECULAR SPECIES COMPOSITION OF SARDINA PILCHARDUS FILLET

Introduction. Fish is an excellent source of essential nutrients such as essential amino acids, bioactive latty acids, minerals, vitamins, chitin and antioxidants. The nutritional benefit of fish lies, predominantly, in its lipid Iraction which is mainly composed of phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TAG) exceptionally rich of n-3 polyunsaturated latty acids (n-3 PUFA). Recently, fish PLs have attracted a great deal of attention as they are considered more efficient carriers of n-3 PUFA than fish TAG in terms of n-3 PUFA absorption in different tissues. In addition, fish PLs have also exhibited antitumoral and anti-inllammatory effects. Unfortunately, lish PLs are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation and to thermal damage due to excessive heating. The n-3 PUFA chains in PLs are the primary targets of oxidation which can take piace during cooking processes. Since most fish are consumed cooked, the nutritional value of the final cooked product is of major importance lor human health. Especially, the determination of the effects of frying (a very popular method utilized lor fish cooking) on the n-3 PUFA rich lipid fraction of fish will provide uselul inlormation to consumers and to lood industry to establish the fish quality. Purpose. This study was, therelore, conducted to determine the inlluence of deep fat frying process on PL composition of edible muscle (fillet) of Sardina pilchardus, a fish species commonly consumed in Mediterranean countries. Design/methodology. The effects of deep-fat frying performed using different culinary lats (extra virgin olive oil, conventional sunflower oil and high-oleic sunfiower oil) and different frying temperatures (160 and 180°C) on the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species composition (the preponderant fish phospholipid classes) were investigated. For each frying test, ten fish fillets were introduced into a deep fryer (capacity 2 L), in a closed environment, lor 5 min. The oil temperature prior to start frying has been set to established value (160 or 180'C) and it was controlled by a specific digital thermometer. Each cooking procedure was done in triplicate. The PL molecular species composition was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a second order mass spectrometer (MS-MS) with electronebulization interface (ESI). Findings. The deep-fat frying process caused significative changes on PE and PC molecular species composition of the fish fillet. However, these changes were not related to the nature of the culinary fat and to the frying temperature. In all cases, the deep fat frying process caused a significative increase of the proportion of the PE and PC species formed by the combination of palmitic and docohexanoic acids and a significative decrease of the percentage of the PE and PC species formed by two docohexanoic acid residues. Keywords: Deep fat frying, European pilchard, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamin

Reactivity of Lanthanoid Mono-Cations with Ammonia : a Combined Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Computational Investigation

International audienceThe behavior of La+, Sm+, Eu+ and Gd+ with NH3(g) and ND3(g) was studied to understand gas phase chemical reactions used for separations in the reaction cell of a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). For Ln+ = La+ and Gd+, the primary reaction channel is the formation of the LnNH+ protonated nitride leading to H2 elimination. The LnNH(NH3)1-5+ ammonia complexes of the Ln protonated nitride are further generated. Sm+ and Eu+ are less reactive: the protonated nitride is not detected, and only small amounts of Ln(NH3)0-6+ are observed. Quantum chemical calculations at the DFT, MP2, CCSD(T) and CASPT2 levels of theory were employed to explore the potential energy surfaces. For the La+ and Gd+ ions of f-block elements, the reaction pathways are composed of three steps: first the formation of LnNH3+, then the isomerization to HLnNH2+, and finally the loss of H2 associated with the formation of an Lnsingle bondN triple bond in the final product LnNH+. On the other hand, the isomerization leading to triple bond formation with H2 loss did not proceed for Sm+ and Eu+ ions

Inhibition of cell growth by EGR-1 in human primary cultures from malignant glioma

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to investigate in vitro the putative role of EGR-1 in the growth of glioma cells. EGR-1 expression was examined during the early passages in vitro of 17 primary cell lines grown from 3 grade III and from 14 grade IV malignant astrocytoma explants. The explanted tumors were genetically characterized at the p53, MDM2 and INK4a/ARF loci, and fibronectin expression and growth characteristics were examined. A recombinant adenovirus overexpressing EGR-1 was tested in the primary cell lines. RESULTS: Low levels of EGR-1 protein were found in all primary cultures examined, with lower values present in grade IV tumors and in cultures carrying wild-type copies of p53 gene. The levels of EGR-1 protein were significantly correlated to the amount of intracellular fibronectin, but only in tumors carrying wild-type copies of the p53 gene (R = 0,78, p = 0.0082). Duplication time, plating efficiency, colony formation in agarose, and contact inhibition were also altered in the p53 mutated tumor cultures compared to those carrying wild-type p53. Growth arrest was achieved in both types of tumor within 1–2 weeks following infection with a recombinant adenovirus overexpressing EGR-1 but not with the control adenovirus. CONCLUSIONS: Suppression of EGR-1 is a common event in gliomas and in most cases this is achieved through down-regulation of gene expression. Expression of EGR-1 by recombinant adenovirus infection almost completely abolishes the growth of tumor cells in vitro, regardless of the mutational status of the p53 gene

Health and nutrition studies related to cereal biodiversity: a participatory multi-actor literature review approach

Recently, a large and growing body of literature has investigated the health potential of different wheat species. In particular, a considerable number of studies dealing with nutritional aspects has grown up around the theme of the recovery of ancient wheat varieties (species that have remained unchanged over the last hundred years). According to several studies, indeed, ancient varieties present a healthier nutritional profile than modern ones. In the framework of the European project "CERERE, CEreal REnaissance in Rural Europe: embedding diversity in organic and low-input food systems", this paper aimed to review recent research on the issue of health and nutritional cereal systems by adopting an innovative and participatory multi-actor approach which involved practitioners along with researchers. The participatory approach is the main innovation and peculiarity of this literature review. Nevertheless, the review highlights the many positive effects derived from eating whole and ancient grains such as a significant reduction in the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and also a more favorable long-term weight management and increase in satiety. This review may be considered as a fruitful starting point that integrates research results to foster current and future healthier and sustainable practices in cereal systems

Neurodegenerative Disease-Associated TDP-43 Fragments Are Extracellularly Secreted with CASA Complex Proteins

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a central role in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) since they may either spread the pathology or contribute to the intracellular protein quality control (PQC) system for the cellular clearance of NDs-associated proteins. Here, we investigated the crosstalk between large (LVs) and small (SVs) EVs and PQC in the disposal of TDP-43 and its FTLD and ALS-associated C-terminal fragments (TDP-35 and TDP-25). By taking advantage of neuronal cells (NSC-34 cells), we demonstrated that both EVs types, but particularly LVs, contained TDP-43, TDP-35 and TDP-25. When the PQC system was inhibited, as it occurs in NDs, we found that TDP-35 and TDP-25 secretion via EVs increased. In line with this observation, we specifically detected TDP-35 in EVs derived from plasma of FTLD patients. Moreover, we demonstrated that both neuronal and plasma-derived EVs transported components of the chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA) complex (HSP70, BAG3 and HSPB8). Neuronal EVs also contained the autophagy-related MAP1LC3B-II protein. Notably, we found that, under PQC inhibition, HSPB8, BAG3 and MAP1LC3B-II secretion paralleled that of TDP-43 species. Taken together, our data highlight the role of EVs, particularly of LVs, in the disposal of disease-associated TDP-43 species, and suggest a possible new role for the CASA complex in NDs

Monitoraggio sugli operatori sanitari risultati positivi a COVID-19 dall’inizio dell’epidemia fino al 30 aprile 2020: studio retrospettivo in sette regioni italiane

Il documento affronta il tema del contagio tra il personale sanitario che, fin dalle primissime fasi, ha svolto un ruolo cruciale nella gestione dell'epidemia sia per la cura in prima linea dei pazienti infetti, con il conseguente maggior rischio di esposizione, sia nell’assicurare la piena implementazione delle misure di prevenzione e controllo per il contenimento del contagio. Questo ha determinato un'elevata diffusione di contagi tra gli operatori sanitari con percentuali molto elevate rispetto ai casi registrati nella popolazione generale