Innovación e internacionalización empresarial = Innovation and internationalisation of business

En la actualidad, nos encontramos con un panorama económico caracterizado por un alto grado de globalización. Dicho fenómeno ha dado lugar a numerosos cambios en los mercados y sectores de actividad, así como a la aparición de fuertes interdependencias entre economías a nivel mundial. En este entorno más dinámico y competitivo, las empresas se ven obligadas a establecer una serie de estrategias que les permitan sobrevivir y alcanzar el éxito. Por un lado, la estrategia de internacionalización se ha convertido en un aspecto clave para asegurar la competitividad de muchas empresas. Por otra parte, estas deben adoptar una estrategia de innovación adecuada, pues invertir en actividades de investigación y desarrollo en búsqueda de nuevos conocimientos e ideas es fundamental para asegurar su continuidad. Por esta razón, el presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado tiene como objetivo principal analizar la importancia que los procesos de innovación e internacionalización tienen actualmente en el ámbito empresarial. Para ello, desde un punto de vista teórico, se han tenido en cuenta los diversos aspectos que pueden ser claves para que las empresas adopten decisiones y diseñen estrategias en estas materias que les ayuden a alcanzar el éxito. Por otra parte, con carácter práctico, se ha escogido la empresa Amazon para estudiar su modelo de negocio, basado en la innovación y la internacionalización, y así poder comprender mejor las razones que subyacen en la posición de liderazgo alcanzado por esta empresa, hoy en día convertida en un referente a nivel mundial

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) for Monitoring Sobriety in Liver Transplant Candidates: Preliminary Results of Differences Between Alcohol-Related and Non-Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis Candidates.

BACKGROUND Monitoring sobriety is mandatory for liver transplant (LT) candidates with alcohol-related cirrhosis in Germany. Prior to listing, abstinence of 6 months is required. However, little is known about biomarker performance in alcohol-related cirrhosis. Routine testing of ethyl glucuronide in urine (uEtG) or hair (hEtG) is prone to manipulation or is unfeasible in anuria. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in dried-blood spots is a promising alternative. We compared PEth with routine parameters and self-reports in alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related cirrhosis at our transplant center. MATERIAL AND METHODS All patients received self-report questionnaires (AUDIT & TLFB). Blood, urine and hair samples, as well as PEth dried-blood spots were drawn at baseline. In addition, survival analyses were conducted. RESULTS Out of 66 patients, 53 were listed for LT and 13 were candidates not listed so far. An alcohol-use disorder was found in 25 patients. Positive results for uEtG, hEtG, and PEth were found in 5/65, 9/65, and 34/66 cases, respectively. PEth positivity was found in 52% of patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis, while 53% of patients with other liver diseases were positive. While uEtG, hEtG, and TLFB correlated with higher PEth values, active waiting list status was significantly correlated with negative PEth values. During the mean follow-up of 41.15 months, 23 patients were transplanted (34.9%). None of the biomarkers significantly predicted survival. CONCLUSIONS PEth can importantly assist abstinence monitoring in LT candidates due to its high validity and objectivity. The high percentage of patients with alcohol consumption in the non-alcoholic liver disease cohort underscores the importance of testing all transplant candidates

Biological effects of naturally occurring and man-made fibres: in vitro cytotoxicity and mutagenesis in mammalian cells

Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of tremolite, erionite and the man-made ceramic (RCF-1) fibre were studied using the human– hamster hybrid A L cells. Results from these fibres were compared with those of UICC Rhodesian chrysotile fibres. The A L cell mutation assay, based on the S1 gene marker located on human chromosome 11, the only human chromosome contained in the hybrid cell, has been shown to be more sensitive than conventional assays in detecting deletion mutations. Tremolite, erionite and RCF-1 fibres were significantly less cytotoxic to A L cells than chrysotile. Mutagenesis studies at the HPRT locus revealed no significant mutant yield with any of these fibres. In contrast, both erionite and tremolite induced dose-dependent S1− mutations in fibre-exposed cells, with the former inducing a significantly higher mutant yield than the latter fibre type. On the other hand, RCF-1 fibres were largely non-mutagenic. At equitoxic doses (cell survival at ∼ 0.7), erionite was found to be the most potent mutagen among the three fibres tested and at a level comparable to that of chrysotile fibres. These results indicate that RCF-1 fibres are non-genotoxic under the conditions used in the studies and suggest that the high mesothelioma incidence previously observed in hamster may either be a result of selective sensitivity of hamster pleura to fibre-induced chronic irritation or as a result of prolonged fibre treatment. Furthermore, the relatively high mutagenic potential for erionite is consistent with its documented carcinogenicity. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

The emergence of new psychoactive substance (NPS) benzodiazepines: a review

The market for new psychoactive substances has increased markedly in recent years and there is now a steady stream of compounds appearing every year. Benzodiazepines consist of only a fraction of the total number of these compounds but their use and misuse has rapidly increased. Some of these benzodiazepines have only been patented, some of them have not been previously synthesised and the majority have never undergone clinical trials or tests. Despite their structural and chemical similarity, large differences exist between the benzodiazepines in their pharmacokinetic parameters and metabolic pathways and so they are not easily comparable. As benzodiazepines have been clinically used since the 1960s many analytical methods exist to quantify them in a variety of biological matrices and it is expected that these methods would also be suitable for the detection of benzodiazepines that are new psychoactive substances. Illicitly obtained benzodiazepines have been found to contain a wide range of compounds such as opiates which presents a problem since the use of them in conjunction with each other can lead to respiratory depression and death. The aim of this review is to collate the available information on these benzodiazepines and to provide a starting point for the further investigation of their pharmacokinetics which is clearly required

Hair analysis for the detection of drug use – is there potential for evasion?

Background: Hair analysis for illicit substances is widely used to detect chronic drug consumption or abstention from drugs. Testees are increasingly seeking ways to avoid detection by using a variety of untested adulterant products (e.g. shampoos, cleansers) widely sold online. This study aims to investigate adulteration of hair samples and to assess effectiveness of such methods. Methods: The literature on hair test evasion was searched for on PubMed/MEDLINE, Psycinfo, and Google Scholar. Given the sparse nature of peer-reviewed data on this subject, results were integrated with a qualitative assessment of online sources, including user-orientated information/commercial websites, drug fora and ‘chat rooms’. Over four million web sources were identified in a Google search by using ‘beat hair drug test’ and the first 86 were monitored on regular basis and considered for further analysis. Results: Attempts to influence hair test results are widespread. Various ‘shampoos’, ‘cleansers’ among other products, were found for sale, which claim to remove analytes. Often advertised with aggressive marketing strategies, which include discounts, testimonials and unsupported claims of efficacy. However, these products may pose serious health hazards and are also potentially toxic. In addition, many anecdotal reports suggest that Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are also consumed as an evasion technique, as these are not easily detectable via standard drug test. Recent changes on NPS legislations such as New Psychoactive Bill in the UK might further challenge the testing process. Conclusion: Further research is needed by way of chemical analysis and trial of the adulterant products sold online and their effects as well as the development of more sophisticated hair testing techniques

Role of Mutagenicity in Asbestos Fiber-Induced Carcinogenicity and Other Diseases

The cellular and molecular mechanisms of how asbestos fibers induce cancers and other diseases are not well understood. Both serpentine and amphibole asbestos fibers have been shown to induce oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, cellular toxicity and tissue injuries, genetic changes, and epigenetic alterations in target cells in vitro and tissues in vivo. Most of these mechanisms are believe to be shared by both fiber-induced cancers and noncancerous diseases. This article summarizes the findings from existing literature with a focus on genetic changes, specifically, mutagenicity of asbestos fibers. Thus far, experimental evidence suggesting the involvement of mutagenesis in asbestos carcinogenicity is more convincing than asbestos-induced fibrotic diseases. The potential contributions of mutagenicity to asbestos-induced diseases, with an emphasis on carcinogenicity, are reviewed from five aspects: (1) whether there is a mutagenic mode of action (MOA) in fiber-induced carcinogenesis; (2) mutagenicity/carcinogenicity at low dose; (3) biological activities that contribute to mutagenicity and impact of target tissue/cell type; (4) health endpoints with or without mutagenicity as a key event; and finally, (5) determinant factors of toxicity in mutagenicity. At the end of this review, a consensus statement of what is known, what is believed to be factual but requires confirmation, and existing data gaps, as well as future research needs and directions, is provided

Un piège dans l'analyse des cheveux : les traitements cosmétiques

Les traitements cosmétiques des cheveux comme la décoloration et la coloration (utilisation de peroxyde d'hydrogène), les produits pour la permanente et le lissage (utilisation de thioglycoïlate d'ammonium suivi de peroxyde d'hydrogène) diminuent la concentration originelle de drogues dans les cheveux. Ces traitements rendent le cheveu poreux et provoquent des changements dans la structure moléculaire du pigment des cheveux ainsi que des dommages aux cuticules. Ceci peut entraîner une perte partielle des substances qui diffusent à l'extérieur du cheveu. Plusieurs études ont montré que le peroxyde d'hydrogène peut aussi changer la structure chimique des drogues comme par exemple pour la cocaine, les opiacés et les amphétamines. En plus, on a observé une diminution des concentrations de benzodiazepines après une décoloration in vitro de cheveux, qui était plus due à une dégradation chimique par le peroxyde d'hydrogène qu'à un processus de diffusion à l'extérieur du cheveu. Les traitements de cheveux habituellement utilisés (par exemple les shampooings contenant des détergents anioniques) ont généralement une influence mineure sur la concentration des drogues dans les cheveux. Même l'utilisation de Ultra Clean, un shampooing qui dit dissoudre les drogues des cheveux, ne diminue que légèrement les concentrations. Finalement, nous pouvons conclure qu'il est important de considérer la décoloration des cheveux et la permanente pour l'interprétation des résultats des examens des cheveux, parce qu'après ce genre de traitement, la concentration de substance originale pourrait chuter en dessous de la limite de détection