The academic firm is a type of firm (firm-based organization or institution) that is being driven by focusing on encouraging, supporting, and advancing knowledge production (research, research and ...experimental development, R&D) and knowledge application (innovation). The academic firm interprets and qualifies a disciplinary (interdisciplinary) variety of the background of its employees (and their competences) as a potential opportunity and asset to perform creatively in knowledge production and knowledge application. The academic firm has an interest to engage in networks with universities (higher education institutions) or other academic research institutions, driven out of a desire to access university knowledge (for example, basic university research). In general, the academic firm values engagement in diversified networks as a form for creating knowledge as well as benefitting from opportunities. The academic firm accepts in principle, in certain situations even promotes, split employment or "cross-employment" (multi-employment) of its employees with other (academic) organizations or institutions, for example universities or other higher education institutions. The proposition here is that the academic firm represents a new design (and redesign) for entrepreneurship in innovation-driven knowledge economy.
The article presents results of an Erasmus+ project that aimed at suggesting a comprehensive performance indicator set for learning and teaching. Based on a benchlearning exercise among the six ...project universities, the article presents findings of an exploratory research on the assessment of the developed indicator set by members of four stakeholder groups (leadership, quality management staff, teachers, students). It emerges that learning and teaching quality should be assessed through a holistic approach, though some learning and teaching domains (competences and learning outcomes) appear more important for learning and teaching quality enhancement. Perception on the usefulness of the project's performance indicator list varies considerably among different stakeholders, influenced by both external factors and consolidated internal practices. Moreover, findings highlight a modest awareness of how learning and teaching quality is assessed. The project results may be a diagnostic instrument or a strategic opportunity to complement existing institutional and national quality management systems in learning and teaching.
Background: Alcohol ingestion is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in most epidemiologic studies. Results, however, are heterogeneous at lower levels of alcohol intake, and a ...biologic mechanism for the association has not been clearly identified. To determine whether alcohol consumption by postmenopausal women elevates serum levels of hormones associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, we performed a controlled feeding study. Methods: Participants were 51 healthy postmenopausal women not using hormone replacement therapy. Each participant rotated through three 8-week dietary periods in which she consumed 15 or 30 g of alcohol per day or an alcohol-free placebo beverage. The order of assignment to the three alcohol levels was random. During the dietary periods, all food and beverages were supplied by the study, and energy intake was adjusted to keep body weight constant. Levels of estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), and androstenediol were measured by radioimmunoassays in serum collected at the end of each dietary period. All statistical tests are two-sided. Results: When women consumed 15 or 30 g of alcohol per day, respectively, estrone sulfate concentrations increased by 7.5% (95% confidence interval CI = −0.3% to 15.9%; P = .06) and 10.7% (95% CI = 2.7% to 19.3%; P = .009) and DHEAS concentrations increased by 5.1% (95% CI = 1.4% to 9.0%; P = .008) and 7.5% (95% CI = 3.7% to 11.5%; P<.001) relative to levels when women consumed placebo. None of the other hormones measured changed statistically significantly when women consumed alcohol. Conclusions: Results suggest a possible mechanism by which consumption of one or two alcoholic drinks per day by postmenopausal women could increase their risk of breast cancer.
Social stress induces glucocorticoid resistance in macrophages Stark, Jennifer L; Avitsur, Ronit; Padgett, David A ...
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology,
06/2001, Letnik:
280, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
1 Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program, Sections of
2 Oral Biology and 5 Health Services Research,
3 Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical
Genetics, 4 The Institute for ...Behavioral Medicine Research, The
Ohio State University Health Sciences Center, Columbus, Ohio
43218
Stress-induced levels of plasma glucocorticoid hormones are
known to modulate leukocyte function. These experiments examined the
effects of a social stressor on the responsiveness of peripheral immune
cells. Male mice experienced six evening cycles of social disruption
(SDR), in which an aggressive male intruder was placed into their home
cage for 2 h. Although circulating corticosterone was elevated in
SDR mice, they had enlarged spleens and increased numbers of splenic
leukocytes. Splenocytes from SDR and control mice were cultured with
lipopolysaccharide and corticosterone. Cells from SDR mice exhibited
decreased sensitivity to the antiproliferative effects of
corticosterone, suggesting that the peripheral immune cells were
resistant to glucocorticoids. In addition, SDR cells produced more
interleukin (IL)-6. To determine which cell population was affected, we
used antibody-labeled magnetic beads to deplete splenocyte suspensions
of B cells or macrophages. Depletion of macrophages from SDR cultures,
but not depletion of B cells, abolished both the corticosterone
resistance and enhanced IL-6 secretion. These findings demonstrate that
a psychosocial stressor induced glucocorticoid resistance in mouse
splenic macrophages.
interleukin-6; corticosterone resistance; lipopolysaccharide; spleen; mice
A systems biology approach to cardiac physiology requires a comprehensive representation of how coordinated processes operate in the heart, as well as the ability to interpret relevant transcriptomic ...and proteomic experiments. The Gene Ontology (GO) Consortium provides structured, controlled vocabularies of biological terms that can be used to summarize and analyze functional knowledge for gene products.
In this study, we created a computational resource to facilitate genetic studies of cardiac physiology by integrating literature curation with attention to an improved and expanded ontological representation of heart processes in the Gene Ontology. As a result, the Gene Ontology now contains terms that comprehensively describe the roles of proteins in cardiac muscle cell action potential, electrical coupling, and the transmission of the electrical impulse from the sinoatrial node to the ventricles. Evaluating the effectiveness of this approach to inform data analysis demonstrated that Gene Ontology annotations, analyzed within an expanded ontological context of heart processes, can help to identify candidate genes associated with arrhythmic disease risk loci.
We determined that a combination of curation and ontology development for heart-specific genes and processes supports the identification and downstream analysis of genes responsible for the spread of the cardiac action potential through the heart. Annotating these genes and processes in a structured format facilitates data analysis and supports effective retrieval of gene-centric information about cardiac defects.
Self-employment, as an economic and labour phenomenon, contributes noticeably to the economy of many countries. This paper presents an analytical review of the literature of 1970–2017, on the subject ...of self-employment and freelance as a new form of self-employment, and reveals tendencies and perspectives for the development of self-employment in context of the processes of globalisation and the forming and formation of a new (creative, knowledge and innovation) economy or a creative creativity economy.
Purpose: To determine the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria for predicting rotator cuff tear pattern and method of repair.
Type of Study: Retrospective MRI/arthroscopy correlation.
Methods: ...Sixty-six preoperative MRI scans were evaluated. The maximum medial to lateral length (L) of the tear was measured on T2-weighted coronal cuts. The maximum anterior to posterior width (W) was measured on T2-weighted sagittal cuts. The cases were divided into 3 groups: group 1, short-wide tears, L ≤ W, L < 2 cm; group 2, long-narrow tears, L > W, W < 2 cm; and group 3, long-wide tears, L ≥ 2 cm, W ≥ 2 cm.
Results: Of the 66 MRI scans, 55 were adequate for standardized measurement. Group 1, 16 cases: 15 were found at arthroscopy to be crescent-shaped tears repaired end-to-bone; 1 was repaired with interval slides. Group 2, 22 cases: all 22 were repaired side-to-side/margin convergence. Group 3, 17 cases: 12 required interval slides, 1 partial repair was performed, and 4 were repaired side-to-side/margin convergence.
Conclusions: Tear pattern and method of repair can be predicted on high-quality MRI scan. Group 1, L ≤ W and L < 2 cm, predicts a crescent-shaped tear and end-to-bone repair (positive predictive value, 93.8%). Group 2, L > W and W < 2 cm, predicts a longitudinal tear and side-to-side/margin convergence repair (positive predictive value 100%). Group 3, L ≥ 2 cm and W ≥ 2 cm, predicts a massive contracted tear and that primary end-to-bone or side-to-side repairs are usually not possible and that interval slides or partial repair may be necessary (positive predictive value, 76.5%). The overall diagnostic model based on usable MRI scans significantly predicted arthroscopic findings (
P < .001 for χ-square test).
Level of Evidence: Level III, development of diagnostic criteria with universally applied reference (nonconsecutive patients).
Patients who receive long-term oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy often require interruption of OAC for an elective surgical or an invasive procedure. Heparin bridging therapy has been used in these ...situations, although the optimal method has not been established. No large prospective studies have compared unfractionated heparin (UFH) with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the perioperative management of patients at risk of thromboembolism requiring temporary interruption of long-term OAC therapy.
This multicenter, observational, prospective registry conducted in North America enrolled 901 eligible patients on long-term OAC who required heparin bridging therapy for an elective surgical or invasive procedure. Practice patterns and clinical outcomes were compared between patients who received either UFH alone (n = 180) or LMWH alone (n = 721).
Overall, the majority of patients (74.5%) requiring heparin bridging therapy had arterial indications for OAC. LMWH, in mostly twice-daily treatment doses, represented approximately 80% of the study population. LMWH-bridged patients had significantly fewer arterial indications for OAC, a lower mean Charlson comorbidity score, and were less likely to undergo major or cardiothoracic surgery, receive intraprocedural anticoagulants or thrombolytics, or receive general anesthesia than UFH-bridged patients (all P < 0.05). The LMWH group had significantly more bridging therapy completed in an outpatient setting or with a < 24-h hospital stay vs. the UFH group (63.6% vs. 6.1%, P < 0.001). In the LMWH and UFH groups, similar rates of overall adverse events (16.2% vs. 17.1%, respectively, P = 0.81), major composite adverse events (arterial/venous thromboembolism, major bleed, and death; 4.2% vs. 7.9%, respectively, P = 0.07) and major bleeds (3.3% vs. 5.5%, respectively, P = 0.25) were observed. The thromboembolic event rates were 2.4% for UFH and 0.9% for LMWH. Logistic regression analysis revealed that for postoperative heparin use a Charlson comorbidity score > 1 was an independent predictor of a major bleed and that vascular, general, and major surgery were associated with non-significant trends towards an increased risk of major bleed.
Treatment-dose LMWH, mostly in the outpatient setting, is used substantially more often than UFH as bridging therapy in patients with predominately arterial indications for OAC. Overall adverse events, including thromboembolism and bleeding, are similar for patients treated with LMWH or UFH. Postoperative heparin bridging should be used with caution in patients with multiple comorbidities and those undergoing vascular, general, and major surgery. These findings need to be confirmed using large randomized trials for specific patient groups undergoing specific procedures.
Obesity in humans is associated with lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle, insulin and leptin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator of fatty ...acid (FA) metabolism in skeletal muscle. To address the hypothesis that lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle of obese subjects may be due to down-regulation of AMPK, we measured mRNA and protein levels of AMPK isoforms, AMPKα1 and -α2 activity, AMPK kinase activity, acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCβ) expression and phosphorylation, and FA metabolism in biopsies of rectus abdominus muscle from lean and obese women. We also examined the effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR) on AMPK activity and the effects of AICAR and leptin on FA metabolism. Skeletal muscle of obese subjects had increased total FA uptake and triglyceride esterification, and leptin failed to stimulate FA oxidation. However, AMPK mRNA and protein expression, AMPKα1 and -α2 activities, AMPK kinase activity, ACCβ phosphorylation, and FA oxidation were similar in lean and obese subjects. Moreover, AICAR increased AMPKα2 activity, ACCβ phosphorylation, and palmitate oxidation to a similar degree in muscle from lean and obese subjects. We conclude that the abnormal lipid metabolism and leptin resistance of skeletal muscle of obese subjects is not due to down-regulation of AMPK. In addition, the similar stimulation by AICAR of AMPK in skeletal muscle of lean and obese subjects suggests that direct pharmacological activation of AMPK may be a therapeutic approach for stimulating FA oxidation in the treatment of human obesity.
This introduction to the special issue “Geography & Entrepreneurship: Managing Growth and Change” in the
Journal of The Knowledge Economy
includes a collection of seven papers. Through theoretical ...and empirical research, this special issue aims to clarify the connection between geography and entrepreneurship. In doing so, growth strategies and change trajectories of countries, regions, and firms are analyzed. The papers use extensive data that enable the models to provide a rich picture of how academic institutions, companies, and regional governments contribute to regional development. As a result, these studies provide new perspectives on regional entrepreneurial transformation. Theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and their application to several contexts provide an advancement of our understanding about Geography and Entrepreneurship. Perspectives on R&D and knowledge, internationalization strategies, high-growth businesses, technological entrepreneurs, university spin-offs, transnational entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial networks are dominant themes included in this special issue. A brief description of the authors’ contributions is offered to attract a broader readership.
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