Enfoques de la teoría de la firma y su vinculación con el cambio tecnológico y la innovación

Starting from the neoclassical theory, Ronald Coase’s ideas, and the evolutionist theory represented by Joseph Schumpeter, the paper presents the evolution of the notion of the firm from a static and exogenous perspective, to a dynamic, evolutionary and endogenous perspective. The firm is the main innovative agent of the economy, and in the new institutional economics it is conceived as the answer to information problems attached to productiveprocesses. In the current situation, economic development is based on information; therefore each company should capitalize its human resources qualification, its know-how, and the creation and spreading of innovative technology.A partir de la escuela neoclásica, las ideas de Ronald Coase y la teoría evolucionista representada por Joseph Schumpeter, el artículo presenta la evolución del concepto de empresa desde una perspectiva estática y exógena, a analizarse dinámicamente, a una perspectivaevolutiva y endógena al sistema económico. La firma es desde este punto de vista, el principal agente innovador de la economía, y se concibe en la nueva economía institucional como respuesta a los problemas de información inherentes a los procesos productivos. En la coyuntura actual, el desarrollo económico está basado en la información; por lo tanto, cada empresa debe capitalizar la cualificación de sus recursos humanos, su saber-hacer, y la creación y difusión de tecnología innovadora

Análise comparativa entre estratégias de retrofit e seus impactos na eficiência energética no Edifício Acadêmico II - UNIFESP, Baixada Santista – SP

O consumo de energia vem crescendo ao longo dos últimos anos, o que, diante da preocupação ambiental e a busca pelo aproveito racional de nossos recursos, se tornou um dos desafios significativos para os próximos anos. O setor da construção tem grande relevância neste cenário, justificado pelo aumento populacional, desenvolvimento tecnológico, mudanças nos níveis de conforto e tempo gasto sob habitações. A eficiência energética é adotada por muitos países como um caminho para conter esse consumo e proporcionar um futuro de baixo carbono. Através do retrofit, construções antigas ou ineficientes podem atualizar seus sistemas e obterem melhores desempenhos energéticos. Edifícios educacionais são apontados como locais de aplicação do retrofit, na tentativa de otimizar o consumo de sistemas como de iluminação e climatização, os quais normalmente tem grande participação no consumo total do edifício. Por se tratar de uma análise complexa uma vez que envolve a interação dos elementos da construção com a zona climática na qual está inserida, as simulações computacionais são consideradas uma ferramenta de apoio a tomada de decisão em projetos de retrofit. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, foram simuladas diferentes estratégias de retrofit para Unidade Educacional II do campus Baixada Santista da UNIFESP. Os resultados obtidos mostram caminhos para otimização do desempenho energético do prédio, auxiliando na tomada de decisão e contribuindo para o planejamento futuro do orçamento da Universidade.Energy consumption has been growing in the long term in recent years. The environmental issue and the search for the rational use of resources is a challenge for the next years. The construction industryhas great relevance in this scenariotaking into consideration the population increase rate, the technological development, the time spent under housing, and the requirements for the humancomfort. Energy efficiency approach has beenadopted by many countries to support conscious consumption and , to boost thelow-carbon energy market. By means of retrofitprocedures, old or inefficient buildingscan havetheir systems updated and optimized regarding the energy consumption. Educational buildings are natural targets toretrofitproceduresto optimizethe energy consumption of lighting and air conditioningsystems. In general, these systems represent the largestenergy load in such buildings. The retrofit procedures requirea complex analysis due to theinteraction betweenthe building elements andthe typicalclimatefeaturesat the building location. Thecomputational methodsare a good alternative tosupport planning and evaluation steps of the retrofit. With thisin mind, this study aimed at to analyze several retrofit strategies proposed to the Educational BuildingII of the Brazilian Federal University of São Paulo located in Santos/SP,a coastal city in the Southeastern region of Brazil. The obtained results provided alternative measures to improve the energy performance of the buildin

Genome sequence of Rhizobium sullae HCNT1 isolated from Hedysarum coronarium nodules and featuring peculiar denitrification phenotypes

The genome sequence of Rhizobium sullae strain HCNT1, isolated from root nodules of the legume Hedysarum coronarium growing in wild stands in Tuscany, Italy, is described here. Unlike other R. sullae strains, this isolate features a truncated denitrification pathway lacking NO/N2O reductase activity and displaying high sensitivity to nitrite under anaerobic conditions

Aging, Cognitive Decline and Hearing Loss: Effects of Auditory Rehabilitation and Training with Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants on Cognitive Function and Depression among Older Adults

A growing interest in cognitive effects associated with speech and hearing processes is spreading throughout the scientific community essentially guided by evidence that central and peripheral hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline. For the present research, 125 participants older than 65 years of age (105 with hearing impairment and 20 with normal hearing) were enrolled, divided into 6 groups according to their degree of hearing loss and assessed to determine the effects of the treatment applied. Patients in our research program routinely undergo an extensive audiological and cognitive evaluation protocol providing results from the Digit Span test, Stroop color-word test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Geriatric Depression Scale, before and after rehabilitation. Data analysis was performed for a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the outcomes for the different treatment groups. Each group demonstrated improvement after auditory rehabilitation or training on shortand long-term memory tasks, level of depression and cognitive status scores. Auditory rehabilitation by cochlear implants or hearing aids is effective also among older adults (median age of 74 years) with different degrees of hearing loss, and enables positive improvements in terms of social isolation, depression and cognitive performance

Enabling Logic Computation Between Ta/CoFeB/MgO Nanomagnets

Dipolar coupled magnets proved to have the potential to be capable of successfully performing digital computation in a highly parallel way. For that, nanomagnet-based computation requires precise control of the domain wall nucleation from a well-localized region of the magnet. Co/Pt and Co/Ni multilayer stacks were successfully used to demonstrate a variety of computing devices. However, Ta/CoFeB/MgO appears more promising, thanks to the lower switching field required to achieve a full magnetization reversal, reduced thickness (less than 10 nm), and its compatibility with magnetic tunnel junctions. In this work, the switch of the information is achieved through the application of a magnetic field, which allows to scale more the nanomagnets with respect to current-driven magnetization reversal-based devices and to go toward 3-D structures. We experimentally demonstrate that Ga ions can be used to tune the energy landscape of the structured magnets to provide signal directionality and achieve a distinct logic computation. We prove that it is possible to define the artificial nucleation center (ANC) in different structures with two irradiation steps and that this approach can enable logic computation in ultrathin films by dipolar interaction. Moreover, different from previous studies, the results coming from the irradiation analysis are then used for real logic devices. We present the experimental demonstration of a set of fully working planar inverters, showing that it is possible to reach a coupling field between the input and the output, which is strong enough to reliably implement logic operations. Micromagnetic simulations are used to study the nucleation center's effectiveness with respect to its position in the magnet and to support the experiments. Our results open the path to the development of more efficient nanomagnet-based logic circuits

Effect of Maternal Smoking on Breast Milk Interleukin-1α, β-Endorphin, and Leptin Concentrations

Tobacco smoke is immunotoxic, but the effect of smoking on the immunologic function of the mammary gland of mothers who smoke cigarettes (“smoker mothers”) has not been studied. Our objective was to test, in smoker mothers, the colostral and transitional milk concentrations of interleukin-(IL)1α. The immunomodulators β-endorphin and leptin were also tested. Pregnant women who self-identified as smokers (≥ 5 cigarettes per day through pregnancy) or nonsmokers were recruited for study participation. The study population included 42 smoker and 40 non-smoker nursing mothers, with otherwise uncomplicated gestation, delivery, and puerperium, who were breast-feeding ad libitum their healthy neonates. Colostrum was obtained on the third postpartum day at 0900 hr and transitional milk on the 10th postpartum day at 0900 hr. IL-1α concentrations were significantly reduced in the colostrum of smoker mothers compared with nonsmoker mothers (p < 0.01). Colostral β-endorphin and leptin concentrations were comparable. No significant differences were found between smoker and nonsmoker lactating mothers in transitional milk concentrations of IL-1α, β-endorphin, and leptin. Moreover, β-endorphin and leptin concentrations were significantly reduced in transitional milk samples compared with colostrum of both smoker and nonsmoker mothers (p < 0.05); also, IL-1α transitional milk concentrations were reduced compared with colostrum, but without any significance. This analysis shows that maternal smoking alters the colostral milk levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1α. The altered postnatal provision of alternative source of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1α adds understanding to how breast-feeding could be nonprotective against infections among the neonates nursed by smoker mothers

Fenologia e comportamento reprodutivo de pêssego no centro-leste da Argentina

Na região centro-leste do estado de Santa Fé, Argentina, para a expansão dos frutais é preciso introduzir variedades de baixo requerimento de frio. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o comportamento durante as fases de crescimento e frutificação de variedades de pêssego (Prunus persica L. Batsch) e nectarina com requerimentos de frio que variam entre 150-650 horas de frio (CH). As variedades de pêssego de baixa necessidade de frio (;500 CH). As variedades de maior necessidade de frio tiveram a vantagem da floração, e o estabelecimento dos frutos aconteceu depois do período de risco de geadas. Porém, essas variedades não têm satisfeita sua necessidade de frio, apresentando comportamento vegetativo e reprodutivo inadequado. As variedades de baixa necessidade de frio brotaram entre 4 a 31 de julho e o período de plena floração aconteceu entre 14 de julho a 4 de agosto. A colheita de fruta começou em 19 de outubro com o cv. 'Flordastar', e sua duração foi de 58 dias. Para as variedades de baixa necessidade de frio o período de colheita foi dez dias mais curto.In Santa Fe, the central-east area of Argentina, the expansion of fruit tree crops requires the introduction and evaluation of low chilling varieties. The aims of this study was to characterize the phenological behaviour and the reproductive traits of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and nectarine varieties with chilling requirements ranging from 150 to 650 chilling hours (CH). Low chilling varieties (;500 CH). The phenology of high chilling requirement varieties had the advantage that blooming and fruit set happened after the period of late frost occurrence. However, they did not satisfy their chilling requirement, showing an inadequate vegetative and reproductive behaviour. Low chilling varieties began to sprout during July, and the period of full bloom occurred from July 14th to August 4th. Fruit harvest was initiated on October 19th with the cv. 'Flordastar' and it extended for 58 days. However, on low chilling varieties the harvest time was reduced in ten days. Flower density, fruit set and fruit yield showed a negative relationship with the chilling requirement of the variety

Desempenho, características da carcaça e da carne de bovinos ½ sangue da raça Flamenga, terminados em pastagem de azevém anual e suplementados com casca de soja

The objective was to evaluate the performance and characteristics of the carcass and meat of beef steers, under annual ryegrass grazing with and without soybean hulls supplementation. Sixteen ½ Flemish bovines, castrated, were distributed in two treatments: 1) control, exclusive feeding on annual ryegrass pasture; 2) supplementation with soybean hulls at 0.6% of live weight. The animals' average age and initial weight were 21 months and 417.5 kg, respectively. The animals were slaughtered when they reached at least 3 mm cover fat thickness (CFT), at 26 months of age. There were no significant effects of treatments for performance and carcass and meat characteristics (P&gt; 0.05). The crossing with the Flemish breed resulted in carcasses weighing over 300 kg. The finishing of cattle in annual ryegrass pasture cv. Winter Star provided carcasses with the quality standards required by refrigerators and consumers with adequate values for CFT, pH, tenderness and color of meat and fat.O objetivo foi avaliar o desempenho e as características da carcaça e carne de novilhos de corte, sob pastejo de azevém anual com e sem suplementação energética com casca de soja. Foram utilizados 16 bovinos ½ sangue da raça Flamenga, castrados, distribuídos em dois tratamentos: 1) controle, alimentação exclusiva em pastagem de azevém anual; 2) suplementação com casca de soja a 0,6% do peso vivo. A idade e o peso médio inicial dos animais foram de 21 meses e 417,5 kg, respectivamente. Os animais foram abatidos ao atingirem, no mínimo, 3 mm de espessura de gordura subcutânea (EGS), aos 26 meses de idade. Não foram verificados efeitos significativos dos tratamentos para as variáveis de desempenho e características da carcaça e da carne (P&gt;0,05). O cruzamento com a raça Flamenga resultou em carcaças com peso acima de 300 kg. A terminação de bovinos em pastagem de azevém anual cv. Winter Star proporcionou carcaças com padrão de qualidade exigido pelos frigoríficos e consumidores com valores adequados de EGS, pH, maciez e coloração da carne e da gordura