A framework for business model with strategic innovation in ICT firms: the importance of information

Purpose – What is a business model framework with the strategic innovation approach in the SMEs of ICT industry? What are the components of this model and the relations between them? Business model is a logical response to how a business can create value. Changing business environment means that business models are rapidly growing; accordingly, innovation is no longer optional. However, innovation is important in general, but the kind of innovation that is widely and directly dependent on business model will be quite critical for all parts of the organization. In fact, Business Model Innovation is an exquisite technic to create, deliver, and earn value by changing one or more components of a typical business model. Design/methodology/approach – The present paper focuses upon SMEs in ICT. Grounded Theory had used for this purpose with 15 interviews. Findings – Emerging market is the market in which commercial exchanges of a particular industry between the countries are relatively new but with great investment attractiveness and also a high potential to grow (such as Iran).Since the ICT industry of Iran is a leader industry, and the country itself is an emerging market, the main purpose of this study is to provide a framework for designing an innovative information-based business to help fledgling businesses development in ICT industry of Iran. Originality/value – The purpose for writing the article is to help accurate and distinct understanding of the business model concept and critical steps in designing an appropriate business model. The conducted studies that simultaneously dealt with the business model and strategic innovations are few and there was no research observed in Persian sources by the time the proposal was written

Influence of replacing fish meal with soybean meal on growth rate, feed conversion ratio and chemical composition of carcass, fillet and liver in juvenile stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)

This study was conducted to determine the effect of replacing fish meal with soybean meal on growth rate, feed conversion ratio and chemical composition of carcass, fillet and liver in juvenile stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus). As in Treatments one (F), two (S1), three (S2), four (S3) and five (S4) 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 percent of fish meal was replaced with soybean meal, respectively. Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets formulated containing 44 percent crude proteins and 4374 Kcal gross energy kg-1 diet. Individual body weights of fish were measured every three week. Fish were sampled randomly from each treatment for whole body, fillet and liver proximate analysis. Based on the results, weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) had significant difference among the treatments (P0.05). Significant differences were found in fillet lipid content (P0.05). Liver proximate composition of fish did not significant difference (P>0.05)

Black hole solutions to Einstein-Bel-Robinson gravity

By employing a combination of perturbative analytic methods, we study the physical properties of a static-spherically symmetric black hole in the framework of the recently proposed Einstien-Bel-Robinson version of gravity. We show that interestingly the theory propagates a transverse and massive graviton on a maximally symmetric background with positive energy. There is also a single ghost-free branch that returns to the Einstein case when \beta\to 0. Then, we obtain the conserved charges of the theory to study the thermodynamics of the black hole solutions. We get the thermodynamical quantities and show that the solutions undergo a first-order phase transition with associated Van der Waals behavior. We analyze the specific heat, determining that the black holes are thermodynamically stable over large regions of parametric space.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

THz and IR spectroscopy of endofullerene H₂O@C₆₀

Terahertz time-domain and infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy techniques are used to investigate the properties of H2O@C60 endofullerene in 6 K – 300 K temperature interval. A number of absorption lines associated with rotational transitions of water molecule entrapped inside C60 cages are observed and assigned. Fitting the resonances with Lorenzian lineshapes allowed us to obtain temperature dependencies of absorption lines parameters – frequency, strength and damping

Rotational coherence of encapsulated ortho and para water in fullerene-C₆₀ revealed by time-domain terahertz spectroscopy

We resolve the real-time coherent rotational motion of isolated water molecules encapsulated in fullerene-C60 cages by time-domain terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. We employ single-cycle THz pulses to excite the low-frequency rotational motion of water and measure the subsequent coherent emission of electromagnetic waves by water molecules. At temperatures below ~ 100 K, C60 lattice vibrational damping is mitigated and the quantum dynamics of confined water are resolved with a markedly long rotational coherence, extended beyond 10 ps. The observed rotational transitions agree well with low-frequency rotational dynamics of single water molecules in the gas phase. However, some additional spectral features with their major contribution at ~2.26 THz are also observed which may indicate interaction between water rotation and the C60 lattice phonons. We also resolve the real-time change of the emission pattern of water after a sudden cooling to 4 K, signifying the conversion of ortho-water to para-water over the course of 10s hours. The observed long coherent rotational dynamics of isolated water molecules confined in C60 makes this system an attractive candidate for future quantum technology

Class-modeling analysis reveals T-cell homeostasis disturbances involved in loss of immune control in elite controllers

Despite long-lasting HIV replication control, a significant proportion of elite controller (EC) patients may experience CD4 T-cell loss. Discovering perturbations in immunological parameters could help our understanding of the mechanisms that may be operating in those patients experiencing loss of immunological control. Methods A case–control study was performed to evaluate if alterations in different T-cell homeostatic parameters can predict CD4 T-cell loss in ECs by comparing data from EC patients showing significant CD4 decline (cases) and EC patients showing stable CD4 counts (controls). The partial least-squares–class modeling (PLS-CM) statistical methodology was employed to discriminate between the two groups of patients, and as a predictive model. Results Herein, we show that among T-cell homeostatic alterations, lower levels of naïve and recent thymic emigrant subsets of CD8 cells and higher levels of effector and senescent subsets of CD8 cells as well as higher levels of exhaustion of CD4 cells, measured prior to CD4 T-cell loss, predict the loss of immunological control. Conclusions These data indicate that the parameters of T-cell homeostasis may identify those EC patients with a higher proclivity to CD4 T-cell loss. Our results may open new avenues for understanding the mechanisms underlying immunological progression despite HIV replication control, and eventually, for finding a functional cure through immune-based clinical trials.projects RD12/0017/0031, RD16/0025/ 0013, and SAF2015-66193-R as part of the Health Research and Development Strategy, State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (2008– 2011 and 2013–2016) and cofinanced by the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion and European Regional Development Fund. NR is a Miguel Servet investigator from the ISCIII (CP14/00198), Madrid, Spain. C Restrepo was funded by project RD12/0017/ 0031 and is currently funded by project RD16/0025/0013. M García is a predoctoral student co-funded by grant CP14/00198 and an Intramural Research Scholarship from Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD)

Primary skin fibroblasts as a model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is the second most frequent neurodegenerative disorder. While most cases occur sporadic mutations in a growing number of genes including Parkin (PARK2) and PINK1 (PARK6) have been associated with the disease. Different animal models and cell models like patient skin fibroblasts and recombinant cell lines can be used as model systems for Parkinson's disease. Skin fibroblasts present a system with defined mutations and the cumulative cellular damage of the patients. PINK1 and Parkin genes show relevant expression levels in human fibroblasts and since both genes participate in stress response pathways, we believe fibroblasts advantageous in order to assess, e.g. the effect of stressors. Furthermore, since a bioenergetic deficit underlies early stage Parkinson's disease, while atrophy underlies later stages, the use of primary cells seems preferable over the use of tumor cell lines. The new option to use fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells redifferentiated into dopaminergic neurons is an additional benefit. However, the use of fibroblast has also some drawbacks. We have investigated PARK6 fibroblasts and they mirror closely the respiratory alterations, the expression profiles, the mitochondrial dynamics pathology and the vulnerability to proteasomal stress that has been documented in other model systems. Fibroblasts from patients with PARK2, PARK6, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 demonstrated a distinct and unique mRNA expression pattern of key genes in neurodegeneration. Thus, primary skin fibroblasts are a useful Parkinson's disease model, able to serve as a complement to animal mutants, transformed cell lines and patient tissues

Ret is essential to mediate GDNF’s neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effect in a Parkinson disease mouse model

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a potent survival and regeneration-promoting factor for dopaminergic neurons in cell and animal models of Parkinson disease (PD). GDNF is currently tested in clinical trials on PD patients with so far inconclusive results. The receptor tyrosine kinase Ret is the canonical GDNF receptor, but several alternative GDNF receptors have been proposed, raising the question of which signaling receptor mediates here the beneficial GDNF effects. To address this question we overexpressed GDNF in the striatum of mice deficient for Ret in dopaminergic neurons and subsequently challenged these mice with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Strikingly, in this established PD mouse model, the absence of Ret completely abolished GDNF’s neuroprotective and regenerative effect on the midbrain dopaminergic system. This establishes Ret signaling as absolutely required for GDNF’s effects to prevent and compensate dopaminergic system degeneration and suggests Ret activation as the primary target of GDNF therapy in PD