R&D and Innovation Collaboration between Universities and Business—A PLS-SEM Model for the Spanish Province of Huelva

In the last decade we have witnessed a growing amount of interest for developing better ‘exchange’ between universities, research centres and technology parks and companies, governments and other institutions. The biggest aim of those projects is, on the one hand, to make sure that valuable research does not stay hidden in the ivory tower of academia, and, on the other, that there are clear indications for what kinds of solutions are needed in the market. Due to the lack of empirical research in the topic, the focus of this paper is to establish and explain which factors determine the demand for technological services and how they can contribute to the promotion of greater university–business collaboration in R&D and innovation. To achieve that goal, we applied the PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling) method in order to create a theoretical model, which was then verified through the application of the CTA (Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis) with the purpose of evaluating whether the specification of the chosen measurement model based on the theoretical rationale was supported by data. The test run was performed on 96 companies from the Spanish region of Huelva. It showed that only four of the considered factors, namely influence of the environment, market conditions, technology adoption decision and economic characteristics of the company, constituted 65.76% of the variance of the endogenous latent Demand for Technological Services. We believe that thanks to the proposed model and its adaptivity, it is possible to design relevant policies and undertakings aimed at promoting the research-business collaboration at the regional, national and international level

Wewnątrznaczyniowe leczenie tętniaków naczyń mózgowych przy użyciu spirali odczepianych hydraulicznie

Background: Authors analysed results of endovascular treatment using platinum hydraulically detachable coils in ruptured and unruptured cerebral aneurysms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the presented method and safety of the treatment for patients with cerebral aneurysms. Material/Methods: Authors describe a clinical analysis in a group of 129 patients with 153 cerebral aneurysms treated with endovascular embolization in Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology of University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland. 116 patients were hospitalized with a history of subarachnoidal hemorrhage, while 13 patients were without previous onset of bleeding. In bled group the clinical condition was assessed according to Hunt-Hess's scale. All patients were treated using Balt (MDS Pression) hydraulically detachable coils system. Based on angiographic examination results one evaluated the anatomical conditions of the aneurysm, its size, and relationship of the aneurysmal sac to its neck. Considering 116 patients with ruptured aneurysms, endovascular embolization within 72 hours was performed in 70 cases, in case of 46 patients the procedure was delayed. Results: Complete occlusion of the lumen of the aneurysmal sac was achieved in 126 (82.3%) patients, while incomplete occlusion in 27 (17.7%). The efficacy of embolization was connected with the size and morphology of the aneurysm, as well as the relationship of the neck to the aneurysmal sac. Complete embolization was obtained specially in case of small aneurysms and those with a narrow neck. Conclusions: Authors proof justness of transarterial embolisation as a highly effective first choice procedure of aneurismal sack exclusion from cerebral circulation

Učinak fermentacije pomoću suhog kvasca na kemijski sastav i svojstva proteina u sjemenkama plave lupine

The eff ect of 24-hour fermentation of lupin seeds by different yeast strains on their chemical composition was determined. After fermentation, the mass fraction of proteins increased and their in vitro digestibility and biological activity significantly improved. The amino acid profi le of fermented products was similar to that of raw lupin seeds. The significant reduction in the mass fraction of oligosaccharides and phytate, but not of alkaloids was found. The pH level of fermented products decreased as a consequence of the increase of lactic and propionic acid mass fractions. The most favourable changes in the Chemical composition of blue lupin seeds were obtained in fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker’s yeast and Fermivin 7013 strain.Određen je učinak 24-satne fermentacije sjemenki lupine pomoću različitih sojeva kvasca na njihov kemijski sastav. Nakon fermentacije se bitno povećao maseni udjel proteina, njihova probavljivost in vitro i biološka aktivnost. Aminokiselinski profil fermentiranih proizvoda bio je sličan onom sirovih sjemenki lupine. Pronađen je bitno manji maseni udjel oligosaharida i fitata, ali ne i alkaloida. Povećali su se udjeli mliječne i propionske kiseline, što je bitno smanjilo pH-vrijednost fermentiranih proizvoda. Najbolji kemijski sastav imale su sjemenke plave lupine fermentirane pomoću pekarskog kvasca (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) i soja Fermivin 701

Hranjiva vrijednost i fiziološki učinak hrane za štakore s dodatkom sirovih sjemenki lupine te sjemenki fermentiranih s pomoću kvasca Candida utilis

The growth and physiological responses of the rats to diet supplemented with raw and Candida utilis-fermented yellow and blue lupin seeds were determined. The diets containing soya bean meal, raw and fermented blue and yellow lupin were administered to eight rats in each diet group for four weeks. Yellow lupin seeds in the diets of rats improved significantly (p<0.05) feed intake, protein digestibility, body mass gain and protein efficiency ratio in comparison with blue lupin seeds. On the contrary, blue lupin seeds affected significantly (p<0.05) gastrointestinal fermentation processes in comparison with yellow lupin seeds. Fermentation of lupin seeds increased crude protein content and reduced phytate and oligosaccharide content. In the fermented products, a higher number of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts but reduced number of coliform bacteria was found. Fermentation by Candida utilis positively (p<0.05) aff ected protein digestibility of feed, body mass gain and protein efficiency ratio of rats, as well as the activity of some bacterial enzymes and cholesterol concentrations in the blood serum.U radu je ispitan utjecaj hranidbe štakora sjemenkama žute i plave lupine, sirovim ili fermentiranim s pomoću kvasca Candida utilis, na njihov rast i fiziološke promjene. Štakori su u grupama po osam jedinki hranjeni sojinom sačmom, te sirovim ili fermentiranim sjemenkama plave i žute lupine tijekom četiri tjedna. Sjemenke žute lupine znatno su povećale (p<0,05) unos hrane, probavljivost proteina i tjelesnu masu, te povećale omjer proteinske djelotvornosti u usporedbi sa sjemenkama plave lupine. Sjemenke su plave lupine pak bitno utjecale (p<0,05) na fermentacijske procese u gastrointestinalnom traktu, za razliku od žute lupine. Fermentacijom se u sjemenkama lupine povećao udjel sirovih proteina, a smanjio udjel fitata i oligosaharida. U fermentiranim je proizvodima pronađeno više bakterija mliječno-kiselog vrenja te kvasaca, a manje koliformnih bakterija. Fermentacija s pomoću kvasca Candida utilis pozitivno (p<0,05) je utjecala na probavljivost proteina, povećanje tjelesne mase i omjer proteinske djelotvornosti, koncentraciju kolesterola u krvi, te na aktivnost nekih bakterijskih enzima

Chronic treatment with zinc and antidepressants induces enhancement of presynaptic/extracellular zinc concentration in the rat prefrontal cortex

Zinc exhibits antidepressant-like activity in preclinical tests/models. Moreover, zinc homeostasis is implicated in the pathophysiology of affective disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of chronic zinc, citalopram and imipramine intraperitoneal administration on the presynaptic and extracellular zinc concentration in the rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. We used two methods: zinc–selenium histochemistry (which images the pool of presynaptic-vesicle zinc) and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for zinc determination in microdialysate (which assays the extracellular zinc concentration). We report that chronic (14×) zinc (hydroaspartate, 10 and 65 mg/kg) and citalopram (20 mg/kg) administration increased the pool of presynaptic zinc (by 34, 50 and 37%, respectively) in the rat prefrontal cortex. The 21% increase induced by imipramine (20 mg/kg) was marginally significant. Likewise, zinc (hydroaspartate, 65 mg/kg), citalopram and imipramine increased the extracellular zinc (although with a different pattern: time point, area under the curve and/or basal level) in this brain region. Furthermore, zinc induced an increase in presynaptic (by 65%) and extracellular zinc (by 90%) in the hippocampus, while both citalopram and imipramine did not. These results indicate that all of the treatments increase presynaptic/extracellular zinc concentrations in the rat prefrontal cortex, which may then contribute to their antidepressant mechanisms. Alterations induced by zinc (but not antidepressants) administration in the hippocampus may be related to specific zinc mechanisms. All the data (previous and present) on the effect of antidepressant treatments on the presynaptic/extracellular zinc concentrations suggest the involvement of this biometal presynaptic/synaptic homeostasis in the antidepressant mechanism(s)

Ziarniniakowatość z zapaleniem naczyń z zajęciem ośrodkowego układu nerwowego i serca skutecznie leczona rytuksymabem

Ziarniniakowatość z zapaleniem naczyń przebiega najczęściej z zajęciem górnych i dolnych dróg oddechowych oraz nerek. Jednak, oprócz klasycznej triady zajętych narządów, obserwuje się czasami nietypową lokalizację zmian. W leczeniu chorych z ciężką postacią choroby stosuje się najczęściej glikokortykosteroidy w dużych dawkach i cyklofosfamid. Niestety, u około 10% pacjentów takie leczenie okazuje się nieskuteczne. W niniejszym artykule przedstawiono przypadek pacjentki z nietypową lokalizacją ziarniniakowatości z zapaleniem naczyń z zajęciem ośrodkowego układu nerwowego i serca. Z uwagi na wysoką aktywność choroby i brak odpowiedzi na klasyczne leczenie immunosupresyjne, w procesie leczenia zastosowano leczenie biologiczne. W opisanym przypadku zastosowanie rytuksymabu pozwoliło uzyskać długotrwałą remisję choroby. Forum Reumatol. 2015, tom 1, nr 1, 43–4