Identifying variables affecting the proactive environmental orientation of firms: an empirical study

[EN] Environmental proactivity is actually a key aspect concerning business strategy and corporate positioning, and generates both tangible and intangible benefits. In this paper, the effect of agent¿s pressures, firms¿objectives, firms¿s actions and management concerns about the environmental proactivity performances of companies are studied. an empirical analysis os a sampkle of 135 Spanish companies shows that managerial concern about environmental aspects positively inflences the environmental orientation of the firm while the perception of environmental managerial obstacles and Governm,ent influence in environmental issues are highly influintial in reducing the odds of being environmentally oriented.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry for its financial support through research project No. EC02011-27369. Also the Technical University of Valencia for its research funding to the project "Innovative impact on companies' environmental performance: identifying moderating factors" (PAID-06-2011-1879) led by M. Segarra, and for supporting the sabbatical research 2011-2012 course of M. Segarra.Segarra Oña, MDV.; Peiró Signes, A.; Mondejar Jimenez, J. (2013). Identifying variables affecting the proactive environmental orientation of firms: an empirical study. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. 22(3):873-880. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/6000487388022

Mfn2 downregulation in excitotoxicity causes mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed neuronal death.

Mitochondrial fusion and fission is a dynamic process critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial function and cell viability. During excitotoxicity neuronal mitochondria are fragmented, but the mechanism underlying this process is poorly understood. Here, we show that Mfn2 is the only member of the mitochondrial fusion/fission machinery whose expression is reduced in in vitro and in vivo models of excitotoxicity. Whereas in cortical primary cultures, Drp1 recruitment to mitochondria plays a primordial role in mitochondrial fragmentation in an early phase that can be reversed once the insult has ceased, Mfn2 downregulation intervenes in a delayed mitochondrial fragmentation phase that progresses even when the insult has ceased. Downregulation of Mfn2 causes mitochondrial dysfunction, altered calcium homeostasis, and enhanced Bax translocation to mitochondria, resulting in delayed neuronal death. We found that transcription factor MEF2 regulates basal Mfn2 expression in neurons and that excitotoxicity-dependent degradation of MEF2 causes Mfn2 downregulation. Thus, Mfn2 reduction is a late event in excitotoxicity and its targeting may help to reduce excitotoxic damage and increase the currently short therapeutic window in stroke

Synaptic activity-induced glycolysis facilitates membrane lipid provision and neurite outgrowth

The formation of neurites is an important process affecting the cognitive abilities of an organism. Neurite growth requires the addition of new membranes, but the metabolic remodeling necessary to supply lipids for membrane expansion is poorly understood. Here, we show that synaptic activity, one of the most important inducers of neurite growth, transcriptionally regulates the expression of neuronal glucose transporter Glut3 and rate-limiting enzymes of glycolysis, resulting in enhanced glucose uptake and metabolism that is partly used for lipid synthesis. Mechanistically, CREB regulates the expression of Glut3 and Siah2, the latter and LDH activity promoting the normoxic stabilization of HIF-1 alpha that regulates the expression of rate-limiting genes of glycolysis. The expression of dominant-negative HIF-1 alpha or Glut3 knockdown blocks activity-dependent neurite growth in vitro while pharmacological inhibition of the glycolysis and specific ablation of HIF-1 alpha in early postnatal mice impairs the neurite architecture. These results suggest that the manipulation of neuronal glucose metabolism could be used to treat some brain developmental disorders

Disruption of the TCA cycle reveals an ATF4-dependent integration of redox and amino acid metabolism.

The Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle is arguably the most critical metabolic cycle in physiology and exists as an essential interface coordinating cellular metabolism, bioenergetics, and redox homeostasis. Despite decades of research, a comprehensive investigation into the consequences of TCA cycle dysfunction remains elusive. Here, we targeted two TCA cycle enzymes, fumarate hydratase (FH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and combined metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses to fully appraise the consequences of TCA cycle inhibition (TCAi) in murine kidney epithelial cells. Our comparative approach shows that TCAi elicits a convergent rewiring of redox and amino acid metabolism dependent on the activation of ATF4 and the integrated stress response (ISR). Furthermore, we also uncover a divergent metabolic response, whereby acute FHi, but not SDHi, can maintain asparagine levels via reductive carboxylation and maintenance of cytosolic aspartate synthesis. Our work highlights an important interplay between the TCA cycle, redox biology, and amino acid homeostasis

Disruption of the TCA cycle reveals an ATF4-dependent integration of redox and amino acid metabolism.

The Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle is arguably the most critical metabolic cycle in physiology and exists as an essential interface coordinating cellular metabolism, bioenergetics, and redox homeostasis. Despite decades of research, a comprehensive investigation into the consequences of TCA cycle dysfunction remains elusive. Here, we targeted two TCA cycle enzymes, fumarate hydratase (FH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and combined metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses to fully appraise the consequences of TCA cycle inhibition (TCAi) in murine kidney epithelial cells. Our comparative approach shows that TCAi elicits a convergent rewiring of redox and amino acid metabolism dependent on the activation of ATF4 and the integrated stress response (ISR). Furthermore, we also uncover a divergent metabolic response, whereby acute FHi, but not SDHi, can maintain asparagine levels via reductive carboxylation and maintenance of cytosolic aspartate synthesis. Our work highlights an important interplay between the TCA cycle, redox biology, and amino acid homeostasis

Mfn2 localization in the ER is necessary for its bioenergetic function and neuritic development

Mfn2 is a mitochondrial fusion protein with bioenergetic functionsimplicated in the pathophysiology of neuronal and metabolicdisorders. Understanding the bioenergetic mechanism of Mfn2may aid in designing therapeutic approaches for these disorders.Here we show using endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria-targeted Mfn2 that Mfn2 stimulation of the mitochondrial meta-bolism requires its localization in the ER, which is independent ofits fusion function. ER-located Mfn2 interacts with mitochondrialMfn1/2 to tether the ER and mitochondria together, allowing Ca2+transfer from the ER to mitochondria to enhance mitochondrialbioenergetics. The physiological relevance of these findings isshown during neurite outgrowth, when there is an increase inMfn2-dependent ER-mitochondria contact that is necessary forcorrect neuronal arbor growth. Reduced neuritic growth in Mfn2KO neurons is recovered by the expression of ER-targeted Mfn2 oran artificial ER-mitochondria tether, indicating that manipulationof ER-mitochondria contacts could be used to treat pathologicconditions involving Mfn2

Twisting the twist: how manufacturing & knowledge-intensive firms excel over manufacturing & operational and all service sectors in their eco-innovative orientation

Special Issue: Research on sustainable cleaner production and sustainable energy options[EN] Innovation, sustainability and knowledge are outstanding concepts nowadays for firms to gain competitive advantage. There is a need to cross-seed the variables that take part in the companies' decision-making process in order to identify how firms' characteristics influence their innovative activities. In this paper, we focus on the sustainable innovations (which we call eco-innovation) and compare knowledge-based versus non-knowledge-based (operational) firms' patterns, also considering manufacturing versus service sectors. To do so we rely, theoretically, on the well-known absorptive capacity model. The method used is the PLS multigroup analysis and the sample selected consists of a secondary dataset of +5900 data points from the 2012 Innovation Spanish Panel (PITEC). Results show that, on one hand, there is no difference in the way that firms acquire and assimilate knowledge and that knowledge-intensive firms excel to transform their ability to eco-innovate. On the other hand, manufacturing firms are one step further than service firms in their eco-innovative orientation.The authors would like to thank the Valencian Government for its support through the research project (GV/2015/003) and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for the ADSIDEO 2014 Grants led by prof. Segarra (Centre for Cooperation and Development).Segarra Oña, MDV.; Peiró Signes, A.; Mondejar Jimenez, J. (2016). Twisting the twist: how manufacturing & knowledge-intensive firms excel over manufacturing & operational and all service sectors in their eco-innovative orientation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 138-1:19-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.01.010S1927138-

The Impact of Social policies; Promotion and the Moderating Role of Location on firms Environmental Scores

[EN] The objective of present research was to analyze environmental scores in companies when adopting external social policies. We confirmed that location acts as a differentiating factor. We also analyzed the human rights, community and product responsibility policies interaction with Environmental Scores. Our first hypothesis stated that social policies contribute to orientate companies toward environmental aspects and improving environmental scores. The results supported the assumption that better environmental scores are influenced positively by the promotion of social policies. We can conclude that the promotion of social policies positively affects the environmental orientation of the firm. We can argue that company s capacity to operate guaranteeing the freedom association and excluding child, forced or compulsory labor, to be a good citizen protecting public health and to produce quality goods and services is a measure of being more sensible to promote environmental aspects among their structures and processes. The differences between firms that promote external social policies and those that don t are evident. Finally, we have determined how location moderates the relative impact of each policy in the environmental performance.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry for its support through the research project (ECO2011-27369 & ECO2012-36685), and the Universitat Politècnica de València for its research funding to the project (PAID06-2011-1879).Mondejar Jimenez, J.; Peiró Signes, A.; Segarra Oña, MDV. (2014). The Impact of Social policies; Promotion and the Moderating Role of Location on firms Environmental Scores. International Journal of Environmental Research. 8(4):1005-1010. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijer.2014.793S100510108

What to do to Improve our Eco-Innovative Aptitudes? An Empirical Study on the Variables Affecting the Environmental Awareness of Firms While Innovating

[EN] Eco-innovation is an actual topic as it links two key issues, innovation and sustainability. The environmental respect and innovation are important drivers of competitiveness. Firms are willing to know what to do to improve their eco-innovative capacity. The objective of this paper is to empirically determine what common characteristics have the most environmental oriented innovative firms. We analyze data retrieve from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) from 7682 Spanish firms using a two step approach. Results show the impact of certain variables in determining the environmental orientation of companies. More specifically, process and product orientation while innovating was reveled as crucial aspects in determining the environmental orientation of firms. Moreover, results showed the lower relative impact of the importance of market, institutional and technical information sources. Based on these results, we can determine which company s behavior has to be promoted to get companies focused on environmental aspects. Important managerial and policy making implications are derived from the study.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry for its support through the research project (EC02011-27369)Peiró Signes, A.; Segarra Oña, MDV.; Mondejar Jimenez, J. (2014). What to do to Improve our Eco-Innovative Aptitudes? An Empirical Study on the Variables Affecting the Environmental Awareness of Firms While Innovating. International Journal of Environmental Research. 8(3):831-838. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijer.2014.776S8318388