Factores explicativos de la actividad innovadora de las PYME en Andalucía

El estudio de la innovación en las PYME como factor de desarrollo regional ha despertado mucho interés en las últimas décadas y cobra nuevo empuje en el contexto de la estrategia de especialización inteligente (“smart specialisation”) impulsada por la Comisión Europea. A este respecto, el presente trabajo analiza los factores condicionantes de la actividad innovadora en las PYME en una región comparativamente atrasada en el contexto nacional y europeo como es Andalucía. A efectos de la delimitación de la actividad innovadora, se sigue lo establecido en el Manual de Oslo sobre innovación de la OCDE diferenciando cuatro tipos de innovación: en producto, en procesos, organizacionales y de marketing. Desde una perspectiva teórica, se parte de un marco analítico que distingue tres tipos de rasgos explicativos de la innovación en las PYME: factores personales asociados al empresario/gerente (motivaciones, formación, experiencia previa, edad, …); factores organizativos y de gestión de la PYME (tamaño, estilos de gestión, cooperación, orientación emprendedora, …) y factores externos asociados al territorio (marco institucional, políticas públicas, presencia de universidades y centros de investigación, etc.). El análisis empírico se basa en una encuesta realizada a empresarios/gerentes de 266 PYME andaluzas con hasta 250 trabajadores en 2010. Desde una perspectiva metodológica, se emplea el modelo de regresión logística como especificación econométrica. Los resultados permiten extraer algunas conclusiones para mejorar las estrategias de innovación en las PYME, así como para orientar más eficientemente la política de innovación y apoyo a la PYME en Andalucía

Heavy metal whole-cell biosensors using eukaryotic microorganisms: An updated critical review

This review analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of using eukaryotic microorganisms to design whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) for monitoring environmental heavy metal pollution in soil or aquatic habitats. Basic considerations for designing a eukaryotic WCB are also shown. A comparative analysis of the promoter genes used to design WCBs is carried out, and the sensitivity and reproducibility of the main reporter genes used is also reviewed. Three main eukaryotic taxonomic groups are considered: yeasts, microalgae, and ciliated protozoa. Models that have been widely analyzed as potential WCBs are the Saccharomyces cerevisiae model among yeasts, the Tetrahymena thermophila model for ciliates and Chlamydomonas model for microalgae. The advantages and disadvantages of each microbial group are discussed, and a ranking of sensitivity to the same type of metal pollutant from reported eukaryotic WCBs is also shown. General conclusions and possible future developments of eukaryotic WCBs are reported

Bacteriophages: The Enemies of Bad Bacteria Are Our Friends!

Some bacteria can enter the human body and make people ill. Usually, these diseases can be cured by antibiotics, but sometimes bacteria are resistant to them, meaning that the antibiotics do not kill the bacteria. In these cases, bacteria become very dangerous. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria but are harmless to humans. To reproduce, they get into a bacterium, where they multiply, and finally they break the bacterial cell open to release the new viruses. Therefore, bacteriophages kill bacteria. Here, we explain how bacteriophages can be used to treat infectious diseases or to remove bacteria from other places where they are unwanted.Peer reviewedPeer Reviewe

Easy, fast, and clean fluorescence analysis of tryptophan with clays and graphene/clay mixtures

Clays (C) such as sepiolite (SEP) or bentonite (BEN) and their mixtures with graphene (G) have been used as sorbents in dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE). Tryptophan (TRP) analysis by fluorescence combined with a sample preparation step using G/C 30/70 w/w mixture provides a quantitative TRP retention, independently of the amino acid concentration with a desorption process feasible in 80 mM aqueous solution of the surfactant Brij L23. Under these conditions, the detection and quantification limits are 3.5 and 11.8 mu g L-1, respectively. Additionally, a novel, simple and inexpensive method has been developed to directly analyse TRP in real sam-ples, in which the presence of matrix interferents typically limits to obtain accurate results. For the first time, BEN has been used as an effective clean-up sorbent for the fluorimetric analysis of TRP in beer, leading to results without statistical differences versus those of a reference HPLC method free of interferences, with recoveries of 90 % and 100 %. The proposed method can be applied to accurately analyse TRP in complex matrices in a direct, easy, fast and sustainable way.Ministerio de Innovación, Ciencia y Universidade

Environmental noise evolution during COVID-19 state of emergency: Evidence of Peru’s need for action plans

Producción CientíficaIn Peru, as in many countries worldwide, varying degrees of restrictions have been established on the movement of the population after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the condition of pandemic by COVID-19. In Lima, there have been different degrees of compulsory social immobilization (CSI), and the resumption of activities was planned in three consecutive phases. To analyse and evaluate the influence of such restrictions on the evolution of environmental noise, an investigation was carried out in one of the main avenues in the city of Lima during various successive mobility restriction conditions. The sound pressure level was measured, and the traffic flow was also registered. Considering that in Peru there is no environmental noise monitoring system whatsoever, in situ data are extremely valuable and allow the environmental noise problem to be depicted, even if in a limited area of the big city. The results show that in spite of the strongly restrictive social immobilization conditions, the measured noise levels have remained above the WHO recommendations and often above the Peruvian environmental noise quality standards. The results highlight the need to properly assess the environmental noise and noise sources in the city of Lima as well as the number of people exposed in order to adequately implement effective and cost-efficient noise mitigation action plans

Mutagenic and genotoxic potential of pure Cylindrospermopsin by a battery of in vitro tests

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanobacterial toxin with an increasing world-wide occurrence. The main route of human exposure is through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. The European Food Safety Authority has identified the need to further characterize the toxicological profile of cyanotoxins and in this regard the genotoxicity is a key toxicological effect. The data available in the scientific literature show contradictory results. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of pure CYN using a battery of different in vitro assays including: the bacterial reverse-mutation assay in Salmonella typhimurium (Ames test) (0–10 μg/mL), the mammalian cell micronucleus (MN) test (0–1.35 μg/mL and 0–2 μg/mL in absence or presence of S9 fraction, respectively) and the mouse lymphoma thymidine-kinase assay (MLA)(0–0.675 μg/mL) on L5178YTk ± cells, and the standard and enzyme-modified comet assays (0–2.5 μg/mL) on Caco-2 cells. Positive results were obtained only when the metabolic fraction S9 was employed in the MN test, suggesting pro-genotoxic properties of CYN. Also, DNA damage was not mediated by oxidative stress as CYN did not induced changes in the modified comet assay. These data could contribute to a better risk assessment of this cyanotoxin.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2015-64558-R, MINECO/FEDER, U

'Artilysation' of endolysin λSa2lys strongly improves its enzymatic and antibacterial activity against streptococci

Endolysins constitute a promising class of antibacterials against Gram-positive bacteria. Recently, endolysins have been engineered with selected peptides to obtain a new generation of lytic proteins, Artilysins, with specific activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we demonstrate that artilysation can also be used to enhance the antibacterial activity of endolysins against Gram-positive bacteria and to reduce the dependence on external conditions. Art-240, a chimeric protein of the anti-streptococcal endolysin λSa2lys and the polycationic peptide PCNP, shows a similar species specificity as the parental endolysin, but the bactericidal activity against streptococci increases and is less affected by elevated NaCl concentrations and pH variations. Time-kill experiments and time-lapse microscopy demonstrate that the killing rate of Art-240 is approximately two-fold higher compared to wildtype endolysin λSa2lys, with a reduction in viable bacteria of 3 log units after 10 min. In addition, lower doses of Art-240 are required to achieve the same bactericidal effect.This research study was supported by grants AGL2012-40194-C02-01 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain), FEDER founds and GRUPIN14-139 (Program of Science, Technology and Innovation 2013–2017, Principado de Asturias, Spain), bacteriophage network FAGOMA and research grant 1.5.171.15N of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). DG was a fellow of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain. LR-R was a FWO Pegasus Marie Curie Fellow. PG, BM, RL and AR are members of the FWO Vlaanderen funded “Phagebiotics” research community (WO.016.14).Peer Reviewe