Why and How Do Firms Link With Scientific Research?

In the modern competitive landscape, firms have approach to the scientific research, with the aim to provide a sustainable offer based on specific knowledge. Although, science is elusive and hard to understand, the private sector has begun an intensive effort to link with research activities, incorporating on their new products development. This article describes such relationship and the mixed results obtained

How are absorptive and desorptive capacities developed in the UK energy supply sector? : the role of transition intermediaries

The 2050 net zero goal committed by the UK Government represents a great challenge for the energy supply industry. This sector has been dominated by incumbent firms traditionally interested in maintaining business as usual and with little capabilities to lead the technological leap necessary to decarbonise operations. For such reasons, radical innovation can be found in socio-technical niches. A sheltered space, shielded from incumbents’ influence, where innovation actors have the freedom to learn how a new technology works in a process full of uncertainties. To meet the net zero goal, the UK energy supply industry must find a way to increase the sluggish adoption of innovation in incumbents, alongside reducing the high failure rate of niches. This thesis points out that the fundamental driver of change may be transition intermediaries, which can support the enhancement of capabilities in both niches and incumbents to respectively diffuse and adopt new technologies. This thesis examines how this triad of actors can propel a socio-technical transition in the UK energy supply sector. Methodologically, this investigation proposes a new conceptual framework to analyse the development of absorptive capacity in incumbent firms and desorptive capacity in socio-technical niches through the influence of transition intermediary functions. Following this approach, this thesis makes an important contribution by inserting the Resource-based View of the Firm theory into the transition literature. The study identified that transition intermediaries provide critical resources for strengthening capabilities for diffusing and adopting technology innovation. The results contribute to explaining how intermediary functions push actors to deviate from incremental trajectories. The findings are valuable to the transition literature because they explain how different actors collaborate to produce technological innovation, replacing the Schumpeterian notion of creative destruction. For practitioners, the significance lies in the impact that the intermediary functions have on innovation management at both levels of adoption (incumbents) and diffusion (niches) of new technologies during the turbulent time of a socio-technical transition.The 2050 net zero goal committed by the UK Government represents a great challenge for the energy supply industry. This sector has been dominated by incumbent firms traditionally interested in maintaining business as usual and with little capabilities to lead the technological leap necessary to decarbonise operations. For such reasons, radical innovation can be found in socio-technical niches. A sheltered space, shielded from incumbents’ influence, where innovation actors have the freedom to learn how a new technology works in a process full of uncertainties. To meet the net zero goal, the UK energy supply industry must find a way to increase the sluggish adoption of innovation in incumbents, alongside reducing the high failure rate of niches. This thesis points out that the fundamental driver of change may be transition intermediaries, which can support the enhancement of capabilities in both niches and incumbents to respectively diffuse and adopt new technologies. This thesis examines how this triad of actors can propel a socio-technical transition in the UK energy supply sector. Methodologically, this investigation proposes a new conceptual framework to analyse the development of absorptive capacity in incumbent firms and desorptive capacity in socio-technical niches through the influence of transition intermediary functions. Following this approach, this thesis makes an important contribution by inserting the Resource-based View of the Firm theory into the transition literature. The study identified that transition intermediaries provide critical resources for strengthening capabilities for diffusing and adopting technology innovation. The results contribute to explaining how intermediary functions push actors to deviate from incremental trajectories. The findings are valuable to the transition literature because they explain how different actors collaborate to produce technological innovation, replacing the Schumpeterian notion of creative destruction. For practitioners, the significance lies in the impact that the intermediary functions have on innovation management at both levels of adoption (incumbents) and diffusion (niches) of new technologies during the turbulent time of a socio-technical transition

Introducing the concept of biocatalysis in the classroom: The conversion of cholesterol to provitamin D 3

Biocatalysis is a fundamental concept in biotechnology. The topic integrates knowledge of several disciplines; therefore, it was included in the course “design and optimization of biological systems” which is offered in the biochemistry curricula. We selected the ciliate tetrahymena as an example of a eukaryotic system with potential for the biotransformation of sterol metabolites of industrial interest; in particular, we focused on the conversion of cholesterol to provitamin D3. The students work with wild type and recombinant strains and learn how sterol pathways could be modified to obtain diverse sterol moieties. During the course the students identify and measure the concentration of sterols. They also search for related genes by bioinformatic analysis. Additionally, the students compare biotransformation rates, growing the ciliate in plate and in a bioreactor. Finally, they use fluorescence microscopy to localize an enzyme involved in biotransformation. The last day each team makes an oral presentation, explaining the results obtained and responds to a series of key questions posed by the teachers, which determine the final mark. In our experience, this course enables undergraduate students to become acquainted with the principles of biocatalysis as well as with standard and modern techniques, through a simple and robust laboratory exercise, using a biological system for the conversion of valuable pharmaceutical moieties.Fil: De Luca, Belén M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Nudel, Berta Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Rodrigo Horacio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Nusblat, Alejandro David. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentin

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and S-Escape Mutants: From the Beginning until Now

Despite of the progress made in vaccine and antiviral therapy development, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health care problem. More than 240 million people are chronically infected worldwide showing differences in the severity of liver disease, clinical outcome and response to immune- and antiviral-therapy. Parameters associated with the host immune system (HBV specific T- and/or B-cell repertoires, defective antigen presentation and diminished Th1/Th2 response ratio) and viral factors such as the HBV genotypes and their evolving variants/mutants, have largely contributed to explaining such differences. The unique genomic structure and replication cycle of HBV provide much opportunity for mutations to occur in any of its genes undergoing selection pressures, such as those associated with the host immune system, the hepatitis B vaccine and/or hepatitis B immune globulin and the antiviral therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues. Firstly, this review describes the current prevalence of S-escape mutants worldwide. Secondly, the clinical implications of such surface gene variants and the impact of universal hepatitis B vaccination on HBV mutations and genotypes are discussed. Finally, the fact that the immune escape process also extends well beyond HBV is addressed.Fil: Perazzo, Priscila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Eguibar, Nair. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Rodrigo Horacio. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Nusblat, Alejandro David. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Cuestas, María Luján. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; Argentin

A situação atual na América Latina

Transcrição condensada da conferência proferida pelo professor Horacio Gonzalez. “A situação atual na América Latina”, Aula Inaugural, no Centro de Ciências Humanas e sociais da UNIRIO, auditório Paulo Freire, 15 de agosto de 2017

Non-linear Machine Learning with Active Sampling for MOX Drift Compensation

Abstract—Metal oxide (MOX) gas detectors based on SnO2 provide low-cost solutions for real-time sensing of complex gas mixtures for indoor ambient monitoring. With high sensitivity under ideal conditions, MOX detectors may have poor longterm response accuracy due to environmental factors (humidity and temperature) along with sensor aging, leading to calibration drifts. Finding a simple and efficient solution to correct such calibration drifts has been the subject of numerous studies but remains an open problem. In this work, we present an efficient approach to MOX calibration using active and transfer sampling techniques coupled with non-linear machine learning algorithms, namely neural networks, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and radial kernel support vector machines (SVM). Applied on the UCI’s HT detectors dataset, the study evaluates methods for active sampling, makes an assessment of suitable neural networks architectures and compares the performance of neural networks, XGBoost and radial kernel SVM to classify gas mixtures (banana and wine odours, clean air) in the presence of humidity and temperature changes. The results show high classification accuracy levels (above 90%) and confirm that active sampling can provide a suitable solution. Index Terms—Neural Networks, Extreme Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, Support Vector Machines, Non-Linear Learning Methods, Machine Learnin

Assessment of phenotypic variability among EEA INTA Pergamino sunflower lines: Its relationship with the grain yield and oil content

The aims of the present study were to assess the phenotypic diversity among 221 sunflower accessions of INTA Pergamino Sunflower Breeding Program, to obtain discriminant functions that allow the classification of new accessions in similar groups and to evaluate the relationship between genetic distance pairwise accessions and hybrid performance for grain yield and oil content. We used 19 quantitative descriptors to evaluate phenotypic and morphological variability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were used to evaluate simultaneously all the variables and to describe phenotypic variation patterns of the germplasm. The distribution of germplasm in the dendrogram did not follow a clear pattern with regard to the predefined groups. This study revealed the variability observed among the lines that form the INTA Pergamino breeding program despite the highly selective forces applied to obtain inbred lines that produce superior hybrids for the Argentinean sunflower area. This work demonstrates the need for more in-depth study of genetic variability to be used as a predictor of heterosis in sunflower.EEA PergaminoFil: Dominguez, Matías. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Sección Girasol; ArgentinaFil: Dominguez, Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; ArgentinaFil: Herrera, Stefanía. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Julio Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Sección Girasol; Argentin

Comparación de los métodos de selección de poblaciones y cruzamiento entre líneas en el mejoramiento genético del girasol

Se comparan dos métodos de obtención de líneas del programa de mejoramiento de girasol de la EEA Pergamino a través de los resultados logrados en diferentes caracteres mejorados .La selección a partir de poblaciones permite explorar mejor la variabilidad en poblaciones de base amplia, mientras que las cruzas a partir de líneas estabilizadas permiten generar nuevo germoplasma en el que podrían converger los resultados del mejoramiento en las líneas intervinientes. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar los métodos de mejoramiento a través de los resultados obtenidos en contenido de aceite, contenido de ácido oleico, altura, ciclo a floración y comportamiento fitosanitario.EEA PergaminoFil: Gonzalez, Julio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Departamento Girasol; Argentina

Systematics and biology of xylocopa subgenus schonnherria (HYmenoptera, Apidae) in Argentina

Biological information on the species of the large carpenter bee Xylocopa subgenus Schonnherria occurring in Argentina is revised. Based on the appraisal of museum specimens, the study of type material, and field surveys conducted across 15 provinces between 2007 and 2011, the following seven species are recognized for the country: X. bambusae Schrottky, X. chrysopoda Schrottky, X. macrops Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, X. simillima Smith X. splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, X. pulchra Smith, and X. viridis Smith. Previous literature records of X. dimidiata Latreille, X. subcyanea Pérez, and X. varians Smith for the province of Misiones appear to have been misidentified specimens, although the presence of these species in Argentina cannot be entirely ruled out given the proximity of this province to Brazil and Paraguay where they occur; X. boops Maidl was described from a male specimen with unusually enlarged eyes and is newly synonymized under X. macrops. Males and females of all species are diagnosed, described, and figured, including details of the male genitalia. Taxonomic comments, data on the geographical distribution and nesting substrates, and identification keys to all Argentinean species of Schonnherria are provided. The nesting biologies of X. splendidula and X. viridis are documented.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse