Country Context and University Affiliation: A Comparative Study of Business Incubation in the United States and Brazil

This study compared university affiliated and non-university affiliated business incubators in the United States and Brazil in order to assess the impacts of country context and affiliation on incubator funding sources, direct financial assistance to client firms and internal versus external service mix through use of quantitative and qualitative data. Affiliations with external entities can provide life giving resources; however, it may also transfer external shocks to the new venture calling for buffers. Results indicated that incubators in the United States have a higher number of funding sources, are more likely to provide direct financial support, and offer more external services relative to Brazilian incubators; whereas Brazilian incubators are more inclined to connect incubates to external financial resources but provide services in-house. The study results suggested that incubators in both countries use “bridges” and “buffers” to ameliorate resource deficits driven by environmental exigencies

Study on fish marketing system of some fish species in Hobiganj District, Bangladesh

The study was conducted on fish marketing system of Hobiganj sadar upazila to look out the existing marketing channels of some fresh fish species and to explore marketing cost and income of wholesalers and retailers in the study areas. The present investigation was carried out for a period of July 2019 to November 2019 mainly in three different markets of Hobiganj sadar town of Bangladesh. A total of 60 fish traders were selected randomly and data were collected through direct interview utilizing a well-structured questionnaire. The study pointed that in supply chain about only 5% customers received fish from fish farmers directly and rest 95% fishes arrived to the consumer levels through intermediaries. About 60% fish species were come locally and 40% came from different portions of the country. Fish of most priceable and high consumer preference were Air and Ilish due to its good taste on the other hand Tilapia and Pungas were the less priceable and low consumer preference fish in the surveyed areas because of their bad odour and low taste. The net margin of piker, wholesaler and retailer were 690 Tk. ($8.14), 350 Tk. ($4.13), 830 Tk. ($9.79) quintal-1 whereas gross margin was 900 Tk ($10.62), 500 Tk. ($5.90) and 1000 Tk. ($11.80) quintal-1, respectively and these were satisfactory for their daily livelihood. Traders faced numerous problems such as poor drainage, security, electricity, icing, personal expense, unhygienic environment and transportation etc. To develop the facilities of fish marketing is crucial by improving fish transport facilities, establish ice factory and to introduce fish quality monitoring unit

Business Incubation in Chile: Development, Financing and Financial Services

Business incubation in Chile is still in its nascent stages, with approximately 27 incubators supported primarily by a coalition of government and universities. Chilean business incubators tend to capitalize on regional resource strengths and have a strategic focus on high growth, high innovation, high impact businesses as a result of a government mandate to focus on developing business with high potential for economic development and job creation. The government’s efforts to create the framework conditions for entrepreneurship by investing in business incubators, organizing risk capital for early stage ventures to fill capital market gaps and support for angel networks as well as incubator funding are discussed. Policy implications for the continued growth of the incubation industry are provided

An Integrated Secure Scalable Blockchain Framework for IoT Communications

The Internet of Things (IoT) has shown great promise in the years since its invention and widespread acceptance by demonstrating its ability to adapt and improve manual processes while bringing them into the digital age. IoT's capacity to do so has elevated it to the ranks of the most promising technologies of our time. Despite the fact that IPv4 and IPv6 are being utilized to serve a growing number of devices in IoT connectivity, there are still issues with address space allocation and other security concerns, including scalability and poor access control methods. It is necessary to go through these difficulties and worries. Both of these organizations have spent a considerable amount of time in the vanguard of advancement in the study of IoT and Blockchain technology. Since IoT devices are capable of efficient two-way communication, integrating Blockchain technology is challenging. However, scalability is the biggest obstacle. The IoT Blockchain Framework discussed in the research article has the potential to be a game-changing solution to the issues that IoTs currently face, provided that it is used properly. Data access control and data interchange, transparency, and scalability without compromising privacy or dependability are all issues with the IoT paradigm that Blockchain technology may be able to efficiently address. Creating a local index that is scalable and does not interfere with either the local or global peer validation procedures is one way to limit the number of transactions that contact the global Blockchain. According to the findings, the blocks are significantly lighter and smaller than those seen in other parts of the world

Association of Plasma Circulatory Markers, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein in Coronary Artery Disease Patients of India

Plasma inflammatory markers have been shown to be predictors for cardiovascular risk, however, there is no study where the levels of plasma circulatory markers have been evaluated in coronary artery disease patients (CAD pts) positive for C. pneumoniae IgA and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) which may help in better understanding of disease pathogenesis. A total of 192 patients and 192 controls attending the Cardiology Outpatient Department of Safdarjung Hospital were enrolled. The levels of plasma circulatory inflammatory markers were evaluated by ELISA. The levels of circulatory plasma markers (IL-4, IL-8, IL-13, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1) were significantly higher, whereas, levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ were significantly lower in CAD pts compared to healthy controls. The levels of IL-4, IL-8, and ICAM-1 (P = .007, .015, and .048) were significantly higher, however, IL-10 and IFN-γ were significantly lower (P < .001, < .001) in C. pneumoniae IgA positive CAD pts. The levels of IL-4, IL-8, IL-13, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were higher but not significant and levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ were significantly (P < .001, < .001) lower in hsCRP positive CAD pts. Our study suggested that circulatory cytokines, namely, IL-4, IL-8, and adhesive molecules like ICAM-1 were enhanced after infection with C. pneumoniae whereas in contrast to this IL-10 and IFN-λ were lowered. Suggesting the important role of these cytokines in progression of CAD

Chlamydia pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 is associated with apoptotic signaling pathway in human atheromatous plaques of coronary artery disease patients

SummaryBackgroundChlamydia pneumoniae heat shock protein (HSP) 60 is known to contribute to the activation of inflammation. In addition, there are contradictory reports on C. pneumoniae and their role in activation of pathways (apoptotic/antiapoptotic/necrosis) in coronary artery disease (CAD). Hence, more studies are required to know the actual role of C. pneumoniae in activation of apoptotic/antiapoptotic/necrosis pathways.Methods and resultsIn this study, two sets of patient groups (cHSP60 positive and cHSP60 negative) were included and gene expression was studied by cDNA micro array and real time polymerase chain reaction arrays. Expression of Caspase-3, 8, 9, c-FLIP, PPAR-γ, PGC-1α, and Gsk-3b were also evaluated at protein level by immunoblotting. In cHSP60 positive CAD patients significantly higher (p<0.001) mRNA expression was found for CCL4, CXCL4, CXCL9, IL-8, CD40LG, CD8, TGFβ1, TGFβ2, APOE, EGR1, CTGF, APOB, LDLR, LPA, and LPL, whereas significantly lower (p<0.001) mRNA expression was detected for CD4, IL1F10, IFNA2, and IL-10 as compared to cHSP60 negative CAD patients. Additionally, at protein level expression of Caspase-3 (p=0.027), 8 (p=0.028), and 9 (p=0.037) were higher and c-FLIP (p=0.028) and PPAR-γ (p=0.95) expression were comparable in cHSP60 positive CAD patients compared to cHSP60 negative CAD patients.ConclusionGenes/proteins of pre-apoptotic caspase dependent/independent pathways, chemokines, and inflammatory cytokines receptors were significantly up-regulated in human atheromatous plaques of cHSP60 positive CAD patients suggesting an association of cHSP60 with CAD

Synthesis and antileishmanial activity of some chromon-8-ylalkanoic acids and their methyl esters

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Variation in transpiration efficiency and its related traits in a groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) mapping population

Transpiration efficiency (TE) has been recognized as an important source of yield variation under drought stress in groundnut. Here the variation for TE is evaluated in a set of 318 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of groundnut at F8 generation, derived from a cross between a high TE (ICGV 86031) and a low TE (TAG 24) parent, and the value of specific leaf area (SLA), SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR) and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) as surrogates of TE are measured. Transpiration efficiency was measured gravimetrically in the 318 RILs and parents under progressive soil drying in a pot culture in two post-rainy seasons. Large and consistent variation for TE existed among the RILs across years. The overall distribution of TE among the RILs indicated that TE was governed by dominant and additive genes. Surrogates SLA and SCMR, were measured prior, during and after completion of the drought period, whereas Δ13C was measured on the dried tissue after harvest. Transpiration efficiency was negatively associated with SLA after the completion of stress treatment (r2=0.15) and Δ13C in leaves (r2=0.13) and positively associated with SCMR during stress (r2=0.17). These associations, all fairly weak, were significant only in 2004. None of these relationships was found in 2005. Although the heritability of SCMR during 2005 was relatively higher than that of TE, and although SCMR has previously been used to identify contrasting germplasm for TE, the stress-dependence of the relationship with TE, and the poor regression coefficients (r2) with that RIL population, do not confer that these surrogates are adequately robust enough in that population. Though more time consuming, a direct gravimetric evaluation for TE appeared to be more reliable