Drivers and Impacts of R&D Adoption on Transport and Logistics Services

Actually, technologies and applications in industries are changing via business restructuring, new business models, new knowledge and supply chains. So R&D is not focused primarily on manufacturing industry as it used to be, but on different kinds of industries as logistics and transport (TLS). Nevertheless, the characteristics of the TLS industry determine the introduction of specific R&D solutions accordingly to sectors operations. The objective of this paper is to describe the R&D opportunities in the TLS industry and how managers use them to make their businesses more innovative and efficient. Using the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) model the paper identifies the links between R&D adoption and innovation dynamics. Relating the findings, on the driver’s side there are three points that are worth mentioning: increasing market competition, the relationships of firms interacting with each other and the availability and quality of complementary assets such as employee skills and IT know-how. On the impacts’ side, firms advanced in terms of implementing R&D solutions are more likely to implement organizational changes. Finally, a set of recommendations on how to further improve the continuous innovation in the TLS industry is presented

Pulsed light inactivation of mushroom polyphenol oxidase: a fluorometric and spectrophotometric study

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is one of the most important food enzymes, it is responsible for the browning of many foods. Pulsed light (PL) is a non-thermal method of food preservation that is able to inactivate PPO. The aim of this work was to gain insight into the mechanism of PPO inactivation by PL. To this, the kinetics of PPO inactivation by PL was measured, together with associated changes in tryptophan fluorescence, KI fluorescence quenching and turbidity; and results were analysed by parameter A and phase diagram methods. Enzyme inactivation followed the Weibull model. Tryptophan fluorescence decreased during PL treatment, as well as the parameter A, while Stern-Volmer constants increased and turbidity was constant. The phase diagram showed only two populated states. There was a high correlation between the loss of activity and parameter A. Results indicate that under the experimental conditions, the inactivation of PPO by PL is an all-or-none process where the enzyme progressively unfolds with no evidence of aggregation.Fundación Universitaria San Antonio de CartagenaCiencias de la Alimentació

Location, Orientation and Aggregation of Bardoxolone-ME, CDDO-ME, in a Complex Phospholipid Bilayer Membrane

Bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me), a synthetic derivative of the naturally occurring triterpenoid oleanolic acid, displays strong antioxidant, anticancer and anti-infammatory activities, according to diferent bibliographical sources. However, the understanding of its molecular mechanism is missing. Furthermore, CDDO-Me has displayed a signifcant cytotoxicity against various types of cancer cells. CDDO-Me has a noticeable hydrophobic character and several of its efects could be attributed to its ability to be incorporated inside the biological membrane and therefore modify its structure and specifcally interact with its components. In this study, we have used full-atom molecular dynamics to determine the location, orientation and interactions of CDDO-Me in phospholipid model membranes. Our results support the location of CDDO-Me in the middle of the membrane, it specifcally orients so that the cyano group lean towards the phospholipid interface and it specifcally interacts with particular phospholipids. Signifcantly, in the membrane the CDDO-Me molecules specifcally interact with POPE and POPS. Moreover, CDDO-Me does not aggregates in the membrane but it forms a complex conglomerate in solution. The formation of a complex aggregate in solution might hamper its biological activity and therefore it should be taken into account when intended to be used in clinical assays. This work should aid in the development of these molecules opening new avenues for future therapeutic developments

The Mitochondrial Myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like Episode Syndrome-associated Human Mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) Mutation Causes Aminoacylation Deficiency and Concomitant Reduced Association of mRNA with Ribosomes

The pathogenetic mechanism of the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) A3243G transition associated with the mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome has been investigated in transmitochondrial cell lines constructed by transfer of mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-carrying mitochondria from three genetically unrelated MELAS patients or of isogenic wild-type mtDNA-carrying organelles into human mtDNA-less cells. An in vivo footprinting analysis of the mtDNA segment within the tRNALeu(UUR) gene that binds the transcription termination factor failed to reveal any difference in occupancy of sites or qualitative interaction with the protein between mutant and wild-type mtDNAs. Cell lines nearly homoplasmic for the mutation exhibited a strong (70-75%) reduction in the level of aminoacylated tRNALeu(UUR) and a decrease in mitochondrial protein synthesis rate. The latter, however, did not show any significant correlation between synthesis defect of the individual polypeptides and number or proportion of UUR codons in their mRNAs, suggesting that another step, other than elongation, may be affected. Sedimentation analysis in sucrose gradient showed a reduction in size of the mitochondrial polysomes, while the distribution of the two rRNA components and of the mRNAs revealed decreased association of mRNA with ribosomes and, in the most affected cell line, pronounced degradation of the mRNA associated with slowly sedimenting structures. Therefore, several lines of evidence indicate that the protein synthesis defect in A3243G MELAS mutation-carrying cells is mainly due to a reduced association of mRNA with ribosomes, possibly as a consequence of the tRNALeu(UUR) aminoacylation defect

Bioethics from a latin american perspective

La mayoría de los escritos especializados ponen a la bioética como una disciplina contemporánea originaria de una cultura altamente tecnificada, cuya creación ha servido para ayudar a establecer controles al desarrollo indiscriminado de la tecnociencia, sobre todo en su aplicación descontrolada a la vida en sus diferentes expresiones, con mayor énfasis en la humana, sin plena consciencia de sus efectos sobre el futuro de nuestra especie. Esto quiere decir que con la bioética se plantea coadyuvar en la resolución de problemas propios de una sociedad con muchos recursos materiales, altamente intelectualizada, pero todavía con deficiencias jurídicas, condicionada por una moral sin valores, y con una concepción ética que, muchas veces, antepone la autonomía del hombre sobre el bien común, la justicia distributiva y la espiritualidad del paciente. Pero, ¿qué rol puede jugar en las sociedades no tecnificadas ni intelectualizadas como las nuestras, donde prevalece la pobreza, las fallas en el sistema jurídico, y en las cuales no se ha logrado constituir una concepción estructurada de la persona humana? Por otro lado, ¿será posible darle un nuevo sentido a la bioética desde una realidad como la nuestra marcada por las luchas sociales y políticas, emprendidas por colectivos sensibilizados y con una consciencia crítica de su situación?.Most of the specialized writings put bioethics as a contemporary discipline originated in a highly technological culture whose creation has helped to establish controls for the indiscriminate development of technoscience, especially in its uncontrolled application to life in its different expressions with greater emphasis on the human, without full awareness of its effects on the future of our species. Therefore, with bioethics it is intended to contribute to solving the problems of a society with many material resources, highly intellectualized, but still with legal deficiencies, conditioned by a morality without values, and with an ethical conception that often puts the autonomy of man above the common good, the distributive justice and the spirituality of the patient. But what role can be played in non-technified and non-intellectualized societies such as ours, where poverty prevails, failures in the legal system, and in which a structured conception of the human person has not been achieved? On the other hand, will it be possible to give a new meaning to bioethics from a reality such as ours marked by social and political struggles, undertaken by sensitized groups and with a critical awareness of their situation?

Biologically inspired vision systems in robotics

During the last years, the International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, under the Topic of Vision Systems, especially welcomes papers that cover any aspect of biologically inspired vision in robots. As Guest Editors of the Special Issue on “Biologically Inspired Vision Systems in Robotics,” we feel that living beings have still much to tell us about the design and development of robotics

Industrial synthesis of cysteine derivatives

Comunicación presentada en European Research Conference: "Organic Electrochemistry: Moving Towards Clean and Selective Synthesis", Agelonde-La Londe Les Maures, April 15-19, 1998

Sobre Globularia gracilis y su hibrido con G. repens subsp. repens en el Pirineo: G. x losae hybr. nov.

6 páginas, 4 figurasNuestro amigo el Dr. M. Laínz S.I. nos ayudó en la descripción latina. Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos Flora Iberica (CICyT-CSIC) y Banco de datos sobre la flora del Pirineo Aragonés (DGA-CSIC).Peer reviewe