Purification of Starch Granules from Arabidopsis Leaves and Determination of Granule-Bound Starch Synthase Activity

Starch constitutes the most important carbon reserve in plants and is composed of branched amylopectin and linear amylose. The latter is synthesized exclusively by the Granule-Bound Starch Synthase (GBSS, EC 2.4.1.21). Here we report a readily reproducible, specific and highly sensitive protocol, which includes the isolation of intact starch granules from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves and the subsequent determination of GBSS activity. We have applied this method to study GBSS activity in diurnal cycles in vegetative growth and during the photoperiodic transition to flowering in Arabidopsis (Tenorio et al., 2003; Ortiz-Marchena et al., 2014).España,MINECO CSD2007-00057, BIO2008-02292, and BIO2011-28847-C02-00España, Junta de Andalucía P06-CVI-01450 and P08-AGR-0358

PyMes: las grandes organizaciones del mañana, ¿ISO la solución del hoy?.

Resumen: En este articulo abordaremos el tema de la importancia que es para las empresas desarrollarse a la par de sus competidores, así como de las posibles exigencias de sus clientes, buscando las mejores herramientas de acuerdo a sus posibilidades financieras, enfocando este análisis a las PyMes (Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas). Esto se debe a que las empresas que buscan crecer dependen del compromiso de sus empleados, así como del desarrollo de sus procesos buscando su disminuir la variación. Este artículo enunciará las opciones de crecimiento de las Pymes, al buscar la certificación, estandarización y la implementación de sus procesos, con la ayuda de normas de estandarización, como la ISO 9000. Todo esto tomando en cuenta el compromiso total de su personal en todos los niveles, dado que no existir tal compromiso, para la organización solo será tomado tal proceso como un gasto innecesario y no como una inversión de crecimiento de la misma

Determination of Soluble Sugars in Arabidopsis thaliana Leaves by Anion Exchange Chromatography

Determination of soluble sugars is basic for the study of carbon metabolism in plants. Soluble sugar quantitation can be achieved by enzymatic methods implying different coupled reactions. Here we describe a simple method that allows rapid determination of the most abundant soluble sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) in Arabidopsis leaves by anion exchange chromatography. We have applied this method to study the levels of soluble sugars during the photoperiodic transition to flowering (Ortiz-Marchena et al., 2014).España, MINECO projects CSD2007-00057, BIO2008-02292, and BIO2011-28847-C02-00España, Junta de Andalucía P06-CVI-01450 and P08-AGR-0358

An economic valuation of the horse production and utilization in Andalucia (Spain)

The Tourism and Sport Department of the Andalusian Government agreed to the University of Córdoba (Spain) an economic analysis of all the equestrian activities developed in Andalucía in 2002. It was sought to establish some axes of strategic behavior for the sector. With this idea, the general objectives of the work are planned: to analyze the total production generated by each activity developed in Andalucía in 2002, in which the horse is the main element of operation. The work begins with the definition of each activity and the executioner establishments. Once activites are defined, the economic valuation is realized by analyzing their costs of organization and participation. These results are aggregated and ordered in input-output tables for economic valuation of the total production generated by the sector in Andalucía. The results show that, in 2002, this sector produced 478 million of euros of which 320 millions proceeded from productive and selection activities of horses; 50 millions from sport activities; 31.3 millions from activities of leisure; 15 millions of recreational activities with participation and 26.4 millions were specific from the World Equestrian Games.La Consejería de Turismo y Deportes de la Junta de Andalucía convino con la Universidad de Córdoba un análisis de todas las actividades relacionadas con el caballo desarrolladas en Andalucía en el 2002. Con este fin se planean los objetivos generales del trabajo: analizar la producción total generada por cada una de las actividades desarrolladas en Andalucía en el 2002, en las que el caballo es el elemento esencial para su ejecución. El trabajo comienza con la definición de cada una de las actividades y los establecimientos operadores de aquellas. La valoración económica se realiza a partir del análisis de sus costes de organización y participación. Estos resultados se agregan y ordenan en tablas input-output para obtener la valoración económica de la producción total generada por el sector del caballo en Andalucía. Los resultados demuestran que, en 2002, este sector aportó a la producción bruta andaluza 478 millones de euros de los cuales 320 fueron de actividades productivas y selectivas de ganado; 50 de actividades deportivas; 31,3 de actividades de ocio contemplativo; 15 de actividades recreativas participativas y 26,4 específicos del encuentro de Jerez 2002

Gamification and entrepreneurial intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how gamification can influence entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of a group of users of an online platform provided by a private company.Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research strategy was used with a sample of 220 respondents. These respondents were tested before and after the gamification experience.Findings – Main findings support literature suggesting a clear effect of attitudes towards behaviour and perceived behavioural control on EI, in line with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Once the basic assumptions of TPB were confirmed, the authors tested the effects of gamification comparing before and after results. Main findings highlight an increase of these effects after the gamification experience, aligned with the self-determination theory.Practical implications – These findings suggest that gamification is able to influence entrepreneurial behaviours. This contributes to both companies and educators’ knowledge on training for EI with gamification and the use of online platforms to this effect. Recommendations are provided.Originality/value – This is the first study that investigates the impact of gamification on EI and howgamification can influence the different relationships between the antecedents of EI

Servitization strategies from customers’ perspective: the moderating role of co-creation

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the moderating role of co-creation in the implementation of servitization strategies in the pharmaceutical industry in a business-to-business (B-to-B) context. More specifically, this investigation explores the impact of different levels of services (base, intermediate and advanced) on servitization and on performance by using co-creation as a moderating factor. Design/methodology/approach: A research framework was developed and empirically tested in the pharmaceutical sector. Data collection was conducted through the online distribution of questionnaires. The final sample included 219 pharmacy stores, and the data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: Main findings suggest that when the level of co-creation of the design of services is high, there are significant effects of servitization on firm performance. The moderating effect of co-creation is illustrated in regard to intermediate and advanced services, but results referring to the impact of intermediate services on servitization appear non-significant with a low degree of co-creation. No significant effects could be found for the impact of base services on performance and servitization for both high and low degrees of co-creation. Findings show an impact of advanced services on performance through the mediating effect of servitization when the degree of co-creation is high. Originality/value: Most research concerning servitization has been done from the perspective of manufacturers and service providers. This study adds value to the literature because it was designed from a customer’s perspective. Moreover, it contributes towards the conceptualization of the servitization research strategy and business models in a B2B context. This is accomplished through the investigation of the moderating effect of co-creation on the impact of the different levels of services on servitization and on performance

Hierarchical Structure of Maladaptive Personality Traits

Objective: Examine in a clínical samplc the joint hierarchical structurc of personality pathology derived from the 25 primary facets of the Personolity Invenlory (PI D-S; Krueger el al. , 2012) for the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Man ual of Mental Disorders (DSM-S; sectíon 111) and the 18 traits domains of the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathologiy-Basic Quesrionnaire (DAPP-BQ: Livesley & Jackson. 2009)