Classification and Measurement of the Firms’ Resources and Capabilities Applied to Eco-Innovation Projects from a Resource-Based View Perspective

Interest from academics, policy–makers and practitioners in eco-innovation has increased as it enables the optimization of the use of natural resources improving competitiveness and it provides a conceptual framework for corporate sustainability. In this context, this paper provides an in-depth analysis and a wide classification of the specific indicators for the integrated measurement of eco-innovation projects in business from a resource-based view (RBV). The specific metrics were tested to measure the economic-financial and environmental resources and capabilities applied by five Spanish firms to eco-innovation projects, selected as case studies

Continuous microfluidic synthesis and functionalization of gold nanorods

AbstractA microfluidic platform with multiple reactant additions has been used for the continuous, unseeded synthesis of gold nanorods. This system allows separate control of the seed forming and nanorod growing stages, increasing reproducibility and reducing undesired effects related to a poor control of the seed aging stage. Also, on-stream surface functionalization with poly(ethylene glycol)-methyl ether thiol (SH-PEG) has been performed, allowing a 100-fold reduction in the consumption of this reactant compared to the amounts used in a conventional batch reactor. The system also facilitates tuning the concentration of halide anions (Cl− and Br−) that are used to modify the aspect ratio of the resulting rods

Survey on Quality of Experience Evaluation for Cloud-Based Interactive Applications

A cloud-based interactive application (CIA) is an application running in the cloud with stringent interactivity requirements, such as remote desktop and cloud gaming. These services have experienced a surge in usage, primarily due to the adoption of new remote work practices during the pandemic and the emergence of entertainment schemes similar to cloud gaming platforms. Evaluating the quality of experience (QoE) in these applications requires specific metrics, including interactivity time, responsiveness, and the assessment of video- and audio-quality degradation. Despite existing studies that evaluate QoE and compare features of general cloud applications, systematic research into QoE for CIAs is lacking. Previous surveys often narrow their focus, overlooking a comprehensive assessment. They touch on QoE in broader contexts but fall short in detailed metric analysis. Some emphasise areas like mobile cloud computing, omitting CIA-specific nuances. This paper offers a comprehensive survey of QoE measurement techniques in CIAs, providing a taxonomy of input metrics, strategies, and evaluation architectures. State-of-the-art proposals are assessed, enabling a comparative analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and identifying future research directions

Optimization of superfluorinated PLGA nanoparticles for enhanced cell labelling and detection by 19F-MRI

Fluorine-19 (19F) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an emergent imaging technique for molecular imaging and cell tracking. Lack of intrinsic 19F signals in tissues allows unambiguous in vivo detection of exogenous fluorinated probes, complementary to the anatomical and multiparametric information obtained by standard 1H-MRI. However, the intrinsic low sensitivity of MRI technique requires the need of designing increasingly effective fluorinated tracers. PERFECTA, with its 36 magnetically equivalent 19F atoms and a designed branched molecular structure, represents an excellent superfluorinated tracer. In this paper, we report the development of PERFECTA loaded PLGA NPs stabilized by different coatings as promising 19F-MRI probes. The results clearly show the optimal cellular uptake of the produced colloidally stable PERFECTA loaded PLGA NPs without impact on cells viability. Importantly, NPs stabilization with the anionic surfactant sodium cholate (NaC) clearly enhances NPs internalization within cells with respect to PVA-coated NPs. Moreover, the optimized NPs are characterized by shorter T1 relaxation times with respect to other PERFECTA formulations that would allow the increase of 19F-MRI sensitivity with fast imaging acquisitions.F.B.B. and P.M. are thankful to the project NiFTy funded by MUR (PRIN2017, no. 2017MYBTXC) and to the NEWMED project, ID: 1175999 (funded by Regione Lombardia POR FESR 2014 2020). F.B.B. and C.C. also acknowledge financial support from P2RY12 project, ID: GR-2016- 02361325 (funded by the Italian Ministry of Health). We would like to thank Dr Marina Cretich from “Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche” (SCITEC-CNR) in Milan for the use of NTA Instrument. Experimental Imaging Center at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele is acknowledged for access to the preclinical MRI scanner. M S-A thanks the Spanish Government for an FPU PhD Research fellowship and AIRC- Fundation for cancer research for a Postdoctoral fellowship in Italy. CIBER-BBN (initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008– 2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund) and Nanbiosis ICTS are gratefully acknowledged. J.S. acknowledges the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant CADENCE number 742684). The electron microscopy studies were conducted at the Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas-ICTS ELECMI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.Peer reviewe