Keratins as regulators of colonocyte mitochondria and intestinal barrier function

Keratins are part of a filamentous structures forming the cytoskeleton. Keratins provide structural support and are involved in several cell processes. Keratins are known to affect mitochondrial function in the liver but the role in mitochondrial function in the colon is less known. In previous studies K8 knockout (K8–/–) in Caco-2 cells leaded to diminished mitochondrial respiration and decreased levels mitochondrial and caveolar calcium (Ca2+) levels. In this study the involvement of K8 on mitochondrial function was further examined in K8–/– Caco-2 cells by microplate reader assays to determine the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cardiolipin (CL), which are both needed for normal mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial distribution was studied by immunohistochemistry and mitochondrial motility by staining and live cell imaging. Caveolin proteins are involved in Ca2+ signaling and mitochondrial function. Therefore, distribution of caveolin-1 (Cav1) was studied by immunostaining. Intestinal barrier function is the ability of the epithelial cell layer of the intestinal wall to selectively pass substances across. The role of K8 in barrier function in Caco-2 cells was studied with a Cellzscope+ device. Loss of K8 in Caco-2 leads to decreased levels of MMP and CL, increased mobility of mitochondria and fragmented mitochondrial network as well to an aggregation of Cav1 protein, all which may affect to the energy metabolism in Caco-2 cells. Barrier formation was decreased and delayed in K8–/– compared K8+/+ Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, this study further support findings on the role of keratins in regulation of mitochondrial morphology and function

Bridging entrepreneurial competencies and business model innovation: insights on business renewal in the small horticulture businesses in Finland

Entrepreneurial competencies are connected to venture performance, but the link between these competencies and the business model (BM) innovation is scarcely studied. This article is among the first to study entrepreneurial competencies as a driving force for BM innovation. This paper presents a qualitative empirical study of six innovative horticulture entrepreneurs in Finland. We contribute to two separate literature streams, competence and BM literature, by combining competence categories (Mitchelmore and Rowley 2010) and BM Innovation model (Foss and Saebi 2017) in the analysis of innovative entrepreneurs. This paper provides evidence on entrepreneurial competencies being internal drivers for BM innovation, and also identifies the core entrepreneurial competences related to BM innovation

Textile Recognition and Sorting for Recycling at an Automated Line Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

In order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material content. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and effective way to recognise and sort textile materials. Automated recognition and sorting lines provide a method for ensuring better quality of the fractions being recycled and thus enhance the availability of such fractions for recycling. The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of NIR spectroscopy technology in the recognition of textile materials by studying the effects of structural fabric properties on the recognition. The identified properties of fabrics that led non-matching recognition were coating and finishing that lead different recognition of the material depending on the side facing the NIR analyser. In addition, very thin fabrics allowed NIRS to penetrate through the fabric and resulted in the non-matching recognition. Additionally, ageing was found to cause such chemical changes, especially in the spectra of cotton, that hampered the recognition

Business model innovation for resilient international growth

Our knowledge concerning the link between internationalization and business model innovation remains limited. This study investigates the change in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) searching for organizational resilience. It particularly focuses on discovering how SMEs innovate their business models when seeking organisational resilience through international growth. In order to answer this research question, we conducted a multiple-case study of three Finnish SMEs. The critical sources of resilience were digitalization, strategic collaboration, customer intimacy, agile use of resources/expertise, and an improved revenue model. For all the case firms, significant business model innovation was required for resilient international growth. Based on the study findings, a new concept is proposed for future research: SME international resilience.</p

Maataloudesta terveyttä ja hyvinvointia: hoivamaatalouden mahdollisuudet

Hoivamaatalous on yritystoiminnan muoto, joka on lähtenyt viime vuosina laajenemaan useissaEuroopan maissa. Hoivamaataloudessa hyödynnetään maatilan perinteisiä resursseja uudella tavalla:elintarvikkeiden sijaan tavoitteena on virkistys-, kuntoutus- ja kasvatuspalveluiden tuottaminenerilaisille asiakasryhmille. MTT:n ja Tulevaisuuden tutkimuskeskuksen tutkimushankkeessa”Palvelumaatalous maaseudun mahdollisuutena 2005-2007” selvitetään toimialan yritys- jayhteiskuntataloudellisia reunaehtoja Suomessa käyttäen hyväksi suomalaisten edelläkävijäyritystenkokemuksia. Tulokset osoittavat, että hoivamaatalous saattaisi jatkossa tarjota erääntoimeentulomahdollisuuden uutta tuotantomuotoa hakeville maatiloille. Näin varsinkin silloin kunyrittäjillä on jo ennestään sosiaali- ja terveydenhoitoalan kokemusta ja ammattitaitoa. Toimialan kasvuatukee sosiaali- ja terveydenhuoltopuolella meneillään oleva julkisten palveluiden yksityistäminen.Maaseutuyritysten kilpailuetuja, jotka perustuvat mm. luontoon, kotieläimiin ja kuntouttavaan työhön,hyödynnetään kuitenkin edelleen Suomessa varsin heikosti