Firms are influenced by internal factors (resources and capabilities) and external factors (e.g., regulation) when taking the decision to eco‐innovate. However, the analysis of the internal factors ...has received much less attention than the external ones. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing the role of resources, competences, and dynamic capabilities (RCCs) as determinants (drivers and barriers) of different eco‐innovation (EI) types. Those EI types contribute differently to the sustainable transition of the economy and society, that is, towards the circular economy. The statistical analyses reveal that RCCs are quite relevant as determinants of EIs, and that different RCCs are more or less relevant for different EI types. In particular, the determinants of systemic and radical EIs substantially differ from those for continuous improvements. Our results suggest that physical RCCs, involvement in green supply chains, an EI‐friendly corporate culture, technology‐push and market‐pull, and internal financing resources represent drivers to these EIs, whereas cooperation, organizational learning, an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) ecological certification, and technological path dependency are barriers. The results may guide firms to pursue competitive and sustainable advantage by innovating through certain EI types corresponding to available and dedicated RCCs. They may also be useful to policy makers who are willing to promote specific EI types.
The circular economy (CE) and eco‐innovation (EI) are two concepts deemed instrumental in achieving a sustainable transition. They have been proposed in the academic literature and by practitioners ...and have acquired very high public policy relevance, being endorsed by policymakers and ultimately leading to regulations supporting them. It has been argued that both concepts are compatible and interrelated and that EI is instrumental in achieving the CE. However, little is known about how different EI features contribute to the CE at the microlevel. This article tries to cover this gap. Its aim is to assess and quantify the causal relationship between different EI features and the CE with the help of a unique dataset of small‐ and medium‐sized firms in Spain and an econometric analysis. Our results show that only systemic EIs contribute to a global CE, whereas other EI types such as component additions or small changes in existing production processes could even be barriers to high levels of circularity. It is found out that technological novelty is not relevant for reaching the CE. The results support the understanding of how EIs enable a transition to the CE. Care should be taken not to promote incremental EIs that do not only achieve low (or no) circularity but that effectively lock‐in the economic system in solutions that entail a barrier to the achievement of high‐level circularity.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication and as possible therapeutic agents in inflammation-mediated demyelinating diseases, including multiple ...sclerosis (MS). In the present study, we investigated whether intravenously administered EVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human adipose tissue might mediate recovery in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelinating disease, a progressive model of MS. SJL/J mice were subjected to EV treatment once the disease was established. We found that intravenous EV administration improved motor deficits, reduced brain atrophy, increased cell proliferation in the subventricular zone and decreased inflammatory infiltrates in the spinal cord in mice infected with TMEV. EV treatment was also capable of modulating neuroinflammation, given glial fibrillary acidic protein and Iba-1 staining were reduced in the brain, whereas myelin protein expression was increased. Changes in the morphology of microglial cells in the spinal cord suggest that EVs also modulate the activation state of microglia. The clear reduction in plasma cytokine levels, mainly in the Th1 and Th17 phenotypes, in TMEV mice treated with EVs confirms the immunomodulatory ability of intravenous EVs. According to our results, EV administration attenuates motor deficits through immunomodulatory actions, diminishing brain atrophy and promoting remyelination. Further studies are necessary to establish EV delivery as a possible therapy for the neurodegenerative phase of MS.
Sustainable business model innovation debate is mostly focusing on the use of certain practices and tools to implement sustainable objectives in new firms. Our paper contributes to this debate ...examining the factors influencing the entrepreneur's election of the practices to develop sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). We conducted an empirical analysis on a population of Spanish entrepreneurs (N = 234) and applied a sound behavioral framework and the PLS‐SEM algorithms to factor out those elements. On the basis of this analysis, we argue that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, habit, costs, speed, funding, and security and behavioral intention might affect the entrepreneurial acceptance of the practices leading to SBMI. We also argue that the knowledge of these factors benefit incubators, mentors, and agencies balance them into their support to sustainable business development. Our analyses open a novel research line by studying those factors influencing entrepreneurial use of sustainable innovation practices and facilitating future development of full‐scale models explaining this usage.
Microbiology and Biochemistry of Pesticides Biodegradation Guerrero Ramírez, José Roberto; Ibarra Muñoz, Lizbeth Alejandra; Balagurusamy, Nagamani ...
International journal of molecular sciences,
11/2023, Letnik:
24, Številka:
21
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture, forestry, and, to some extent, public health. As effective as they can be, due to the limited biodegradability and toxicity of some of them, they can ...also have negative environmental and health impacts. Pesticide biodegradation is important because it can help mitigate the negative effects of pesticides. Many types of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and algae, can degrade pesticides; microorganisms are able to bioremediate pesticides using diverse metabolic pathways where enzymatic degradation plays a crucial role in achieving chemical transformation of the pesticides. The growing concern about the environmental and health impacts of pesticides is pushing the industry of these products to develop more sustainable alternatives, such as high biodegradable chemicals. The degradative properties of microorganisms could be fully exploited using the advances in genetic engineering and biotechnology, paving the way for more effective bioremediation strategies, new technologies, and novel applications. The purpose of the current review is to discuss the microorganisms that have demonstrated their capacity to degrade pesticides and those categorized by the World Health Organization as important for the impact they may have on human health. A comprehensive list of microorganisms is presented, and some metabolic pathways and enzymes for pesticide degradation and the genetics behind this process are discussed. Due to the high number of microorganisms known to be capable of degrading pesticides and the low number of metabolic pathways that are fully described for this purpose, more research must be conducted in this field, and more enzymes and genes are yet to be discovered with the possibility of finding more efficient metabolic pathways for pesticide biodegradation.
Training in chemistry is essential for undergraduate medical students; however, at the National University of Colombia, basic chemistry courses are associated with high fail rates and low academic ...performance with regard to first semester students, especially in vulnerable special admission populations. A longitudinal study was carried out via program evaluation methodology using quantitative and qualitative techniques to assess an innovative pedagogical strategy founded on context-based learning and different didactic and evaluative strategies employing information and communication technologies (ICT), which was tested on students of medicine by an interdisciplinary team of teachers in a new course. With the pedagogical strategy, a statistically significant improvement was observed in the academic performance of the students, with an increase in the mean grades that went from 3.61/5.00 to 3.95/5.00, a decrease of the fail rate from 15.50% to 3.48%, and the development of useful chemistry knowledge for the students during their training and for their professional lives. Furthermore, the study became an opportunity for collaborative learning among colleagues, favoring ongoing training of teaching staff and pedagogical innovation in professional learning communities.
The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits great resistance to antibiotics; so, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Since polyamines levels are incremented in infected ...tissues, we explored whether the formation of a toxic aldehyde in polyamines degradation can be exploited in combating infection. We cloned the gene encoding the only aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase involved in P. aeruginosa polyamines‐degradation routes, PaPauC, overexpressed this enzyme, and found that it oxidizes 3‐aminopropionaldehyde (APAL) and 3‐glutamyl‐3‐aminopropionaldehyde (GluAPAL) − produced in spermine (Spm), spermidine (Spd), and diaminopropane (Dap) degradation, as well as 4‐aminobutyraldehyde (ABAL) and 4‐glutamyl‐4‐aminobutyraldehyde (GluABAL) − formed in putrescine (Put) degradation. As the catalytic efficiency of PaPauC with APAL was 30‐times lower than with GluAPAL, and GluAPAL is predominantly formed, APAL will be poorly oxidized ‘in vivo’. We found polyamines‐induced increases in the PaPauC activity of cell crude‐extracts and in the expression of the PapauC gene that were diminished by glucose. Spm, Spd, or Dap, but not Put, were toxic to P. aeruginosa even in the presence of other carbon and nitrogen sources, particularly to a strain with the PapauC gene disrupted. APAL, but not GluAPAL, was highly toxic even to wild‐type cells, suggesting that its accumulation, particularly in the absence of, or low, PaPauC activity is responsible for the toxicity of Spm, Spd, and Dap. Our results shed light on the toxicity mechanism of these three polyamines and strongly support the critical role of PaPauC in this toxicity. Thus, PaPauC emerges as a novel potential drug target whose inhibition might help in combating infection by this important pathogen.
In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, spermine (Spm), spermidine (Spd), and diaminopropane (Dap) degradation produces the highly toxic 3‐aminopropionaldehyde (APAL) and its non‐toxic, glutamylated form (GluAPAL). Both are oxidized by the aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase PaPauC, which has a preference for GluAPAL over APAL. PaPauC inhibition causes the build‐up of APAL, leading to important increases in Spm, Spd, and Dap toxicity. Thus, PaPauC emerges as a novel potential drug target against P. aeruginosa infections.
Policy Strategies to Promote Eco-Innovation del Río, Pablo; Carrillo-Hermosilla, Javier; Könnölä, Totti
Journal of industrial ecology,
08/2010, Letnik:
14, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Summary
This article elaborates an integrated policy framework, including policy features and specific measures that can be implemented to mitigate the barriers to eco‐innovations. We claim that ...factors inhibiting the development and uptake of eco‐innovations are multifaceted and stem from different sources. This systems view, which highlights the multilayered conception of the obstacles to eco‐innovation, calls for a combination of environmental and technology policies adapted to the different barriers and characteristics of the technologies. Drawing on evolutionary economics, the article sheds light on the appropriate combinations of framework conditions and instruments that are most effective to promote eco‐innovation, considering different barriers and eco‐innovation types (process/product, mature/immature, and radical/incremental).
Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been implicated in MS and other immune diseases, although it remains unclear how manipulating the gut microbiota may affect the disease course. Using a well-established ...model of progressive MS triggered by intracranial infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), we sought to determine whether dysbiosis induced by oral antibiotics (ABX) administered on pre-symptomatic and symptomatic phases of the disease influences its course. We also addressed the effects of microbiota recolonization after ABX withdrawn in the presence or absence of probiotics. Central and peripheral immunity, plasma acetate and butyrate levels, axon damage and motor disability were evaluated. The cocktail of ABX prevented motor dysfunction and limited axon damage in mice, which had fewer CD4
and CD8
T cells in the CNS, while gut microbiota recolonization worsened motor function and axonal integrity. The underlying mechanisms of ABX protective effects seem to involve CD4
CD39
T cells and CD5
CD1d
B cells into the CNS. In addition, microglia adopted a round amoeboid morphology associated to an anti-inflammatory gene profile in the spinal cord of TMEV mice administered ABX. The immune changes in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were modest, yet ABX treatment of mice limited IL-17 production
. Collectively, our results provide evidence of the functional relevance of gut microbiota manipulation on the neurodegenerative state and disease severity in a model of progressive MS and reinforce the role of gut microbiota as target for MS treatment.
An analytical framework is developed in this paper in order to explore the diversity of eco-innovations according to several key dimensions (design, user, product service and governance). The ...framework is used to analyse a set of case studies of eco-innnovation processes. The diversity of the analysed eco-innovations appears to be considerable; each of them involves different kinds of combinations of elements pertaining to those dimensions. Albeit the design dimension is decisive to determine the environmental impacts of the innovation, all dimensions can play a significant role in the management of eco-innovation. Our findings suggest that the capacity of eco-innovations to provide new business opportunities and contribute to the transformation towards a sustainable society depends on the interplay of those dimensions and the engagement of key stakeholders in the innovation process.
PDF
