Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technology exploitation strategies in the context of open innovation

In the past, most industrial firms focused on applying technologies in their own products or services. Accordingly, these firms concentrated on internal technology exploitation, whereas the external mode of technology exploitation, i.e., the commercialisation of disembodied technological knowledge, was largely neglected. Recently, however, a substantial increase in technology transactions has been observed. The presence of markets for technological knowledge provides firms with additional opportunities to leverage their technology assets. Because of strong interdependencies between internal and external technology exploitation, this extension of the strategy space may influence firms' overall technology exploitation strategies. To overcome limitations of prior research, the present paper focuses on the external mode of technology exploitation. After detailing the attributes of external technology commercialisation, the monetary and strategic opportunities of these activities are addressed. Then, an integrated approach to technology exploitation strategies is developed. This integrated view may help to reduce the managerial difficulties that many firms experience in external technology exploitation despite the enormous benefits of some pioneering companies. Finally, implications of the integrated approach are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.
Estimating UK regional price indices, 1974–96

Hayes P. (2005) Estimating UK regional price indices, 1974–96, Regional Studies 39 , 333–344. This paper examines the behaviour and construction of regional expenditure indices published in the Croner–Reward Regional Cost of Living Surveys for 1974–96. It identifies a number of problems in using these data as an appropriate deflator to the New Earnings Survey regional wages series in examining labour supply‐side decisions. Instead, an alternative method with which to construct regional prices is recommended using a combination of data from Croner–Reward, from the published Retail Price Index (RPI) and from the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) (formerly known as the Family Expenditure Survey). Whilst these new data suggest that regional inflation rates were not significantly different from one another over the sample period, they point to an episode of increased regional price variation over the late 1980s and early 1990s. This paper suggests that these alternative indices would be of interest when examining adjustment processes to economic shocks across the regions of the UK.
Capital structure, asset utilization, profitability and growth in the Greek manufacturing sector

Greece's accession to the European Union (EU) has affected its economy and its manufacturing sector. Large-size enterprises (LSEs) form a small but vital part of Greek manufacturing and constitute a major component of the country's stock market. According to finance theory, the capital structure of a firm affects its capital cost and market value. This paper, by using dynamic panel data techniques, investigates the determinants of capital structure of LSEs in the Greek manufacturing sector. The findings suggest that asset utilization, gross and net profitability and total assets growth have a significant effect on the capital structure of LSEs. This has straightforward policy implications. Following recent economic developments, Greek firms are exposed to a stronger competition in the EU and global markets, but also to new opportunities. In order to improve their capital structure, Greek manufacturing LSEs need to achieve higher asset utilization and profit margins through economies of scale attained mainly by higher exports. Moreover, governmental measures aiming to support LSEs' efforts should focus their impact on alleviating taxation, reducing bureaucratic burdens, minimizing market imperfections and subsidizing applications of new technology.
The Dynamics of Advertising and Contract Choice on the Champagne Wine Market*

Abstract There are two main players in the Champagne wine industry; grape growers and Champagne houses. The former grow grapes and either produce their own Champagne wine or sell their fruit to Champagne houses. The latter only produce Champagne wine and do not grow grapes. However, Champagne houses invest heavily in advertisements to establish and maintain their brand's reputation. The grape market is characterized by the dominance of long-term supply contracts over spot contracts. Drawing on various theoretical models we suggest that the Champagne houses' advertising strategy and its associated positive externalities (spillover effects) on grape growers is a way of stabilizing vertical relations, i.e., keeping grape growers from producing Champagne wine themselves and thus maintaining a certain degree of monopoly power. (JEL Classification: C78, M37, D86, L14, Q18)
Credibility, competitiveness and the business cycle in ‘third way’ political economy: a critical evaluation of economic policy in Britain since 1997

Despite a substantial body of literature devoted to characterising and describing ‘third way’ political economy, there has as yet been little systematic attempt to assess and evaluate the economic policy record of New Labour in office. After six years such an assessment is long overdue. My aim in this article is to contribute to that assessment. I examine the internal tensions and contradictions which have come to characterise New Labour’s political economy since 1997, assessing the extent to which these either have or are likely to compromise the party’s ostensible strategic economic objectives. I identify clear tensions between the dual economic imperatives of credibility and competitiveness, point to the medium-term dangers of a supply-side agenda that is likely to prove strongly pro-cyclical, and examine the damage that membership of the Single European Currency might do to the new macroeconomic policy-making regime institutionalised in Britain since 1997. I conclude, perversely perhaps, by pointing to the clear advantages of membership of the Eurozone. This, I suggest, would effectively force the British government to adopt a more active fiscal policy to compensate for sub-optimal interest rate settings by the European Central Bank (ECB). Serendipitously, such a fiscal policy would also prove strongly countercyclical, thereby potentially compensating for the pro-cyclical character of New Labour’s political economy to date.
Endocrinology of parturition

The myometrium must remain relatively quiescent during pregnancy to accommodate growth and development of the feto-placental unit, and then must transform into a highly coordinated, strongly contracting organ at the time of labour for successful expulsion of the new born. The control of timing of labour is complex involving interactions between mother, fetus and the placenta. The timely onset of labour and delivery is an important determinant of perinatal outcome. Both preterm birth (delivery before 37 week of gestation) and post term pregnancy (pregnancy continuing beyond 42 weeks) are both associated with a significant increase in perinatal morbidity and mortality. There are multiple paracrine/autocrine events, fetal hormonal changes and overlapping maternal/fetal control mechanisms for the triggering of parturition in women. Our current article reviews the mechanisms for uterine distension and reduced contractions during pregnancy and the parturition cascade responsible for the timely and spontaneous onset of labour at term. It also discusses the mechanisms of preterm labour and post term pregnancy and the clinical implications thereof.
Designing new biocompatible glass-forming Ti75-x Zr10 Nbx Si15 (x = 0, 15) alloys: corrosion, passivity, and apatite formation.

Glass-forming Ti-based alloys are considered as potential new materials for implant applications. Ti75 Zr10 Si15 and Ti60 Zr10 Nb15 Si15 alloys (free of cytotoxic elements) can be produced as melt-spun ribbons with glassy matrix and embedded single β-type nanocrystals. The corrosion and passivation behavior of these alloys in their homogenized melt-spun states have been investigated in Ringer solution at 37°C in comparison to their cast multiphase crystalline counterparts and to cp-Ti and β-type Ti-40Nb. All tested materials showed very low corrosion rates as expressed in corrosion current densities icorr < 50 nA/cm(2). Electrochemical and surface analytical studies revealed a high stability of the new alloys passive states in a wide potential range. This corresponds to low passive current densities ipass = 2 ± 1 µA/cm(2) based on the growth of oxide films with thickness d <10 nm. A homogeneous constituent distribution in the melt-spun alloys is beneficial for stable surface passivity. The addition of Nb does not only improve the glass-forming ability and the mechanical properties but also supports a high pitting resistance even at extreme anodic polarization up to 4V versus SCE were oxide thickness values of d ∼35 nm are reached. With regard to the corrosion properties, the Nb-containing nearly single-phase glassy alloy can compete with the β-type Ti-40Nb alloy. SBF tests confirmed the ability for formation of hydroxyapatite on the melt-spun alloy surfaces. All these properties recommend the new glass-forming alloys for application as wear- and corrosion-resistant coating materials for implants.
Methotrexate is excreted into the bile by canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter in rats.

Methotrexate [(+) amethopterin, L-MTX] has two carboxyl groups in its structure and is eliminated mainly by excretion into urine and bile. To investigate the biliary excretion mechanism of L-MTX, we performed in vivo and in vitro studies using mutant rats, Eisai hyperbilirubinemic rats (EHBRs), whose canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT) is defective as a consequence of heredity. After i.v. administration of L-MTX to EHBRs, its plasma disappearance and biliary excretion was slower than in normal Sprague Dawley rat (SDR). ATP-dependence and overshoot phenomena were observed in the uptake of [3H]L-MTX by canalicular membrane vesicles (CMV) prepared from SDR, whereas no ATP-dependence was observed in CMV from EHBRs. The ATP-dependent uptake of L-MTX by SDR CMV exhibited saturable kinetics with a Km of 295 microM. L-MTX competitively inhibited the ATP-dependent uptake of [3H]2,4-dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione, a typical substrate for cMOAT, and the inhibition constant (Ki) of L-MTX was comparable with its own Km. These results suggest that L-MTX is excreted into bile by cMOAT. The inhibitory effects of L-MTX and its optical isomer, (-) amethopterin (D-MTX), on the uptake of [3H]L-MTX differed with Kis of 326 and 93 microM, respectively, indicating that the biologically inactive D form has a higher affinity for cMOAT than L-MTX.
Estrategia Robin Hood en Chile. Distribución e incidencia

Chile tiene una mala distribucion del ingreso de los hogares y aunque las politicas de gasto publico (en salud, educacion y vivienda) como redistributivas via transferencias directas han ayudado a la reduccion de la pobreza, no han logrado reducir mucho la inequidad. Especificamente, respecto a los resultados de la politica redistributiva, los datos revelan que la distribucion del ingreso autonomo de los hogares es mejorada solo marginalmente luego de considerar los ingresos netos de impuestos a la renta y subsidios monetarios. Considerando esta situacion inicial, el articulo determina los efectos en la distribucion del ingreso y la incidencia en la economia, provocados por potenciales incrementos en el impuesto a la renta de los hogares del quintil mas rico y una transferencia simultanea de esa recaudacion a los hogares del quintil mas pobre, utilizando un modelo de equilibrio general computable calibrado con datos de la economia chilena, lo que permite calcular efectos directos e indirectos de la politica redistributiva. Se concluye que 3.85 puntos de aumento en la tasa efectiva del quintil mas rico aumenta el ingreso del quintil mas pobre en 61.6% y reduce el coeficiente de Gini de 0.49 a 0.47. Sin embargo, este tipo de estrategia para mejorar la equidad tiene efectos economicos de equilibrio general importantes, ya que existe una caida relevante en la inversion y en los salarios de la mano de obra en sus distintas calificaciones.
Circular Switching Surface Technique: High-Performance Constant Power Load Stabilization for Electric Vehicle Systems

Electric vehicles make use of energy storage systems, such as batteries and/or ultracapacitors to power the electric power drive train, as well as auxiliary automotive system for control, safety, and comfort. This relatively complex power structure can be described as a distributed multiconverter system. The constant power behavior of tight-speed controllers in the vehicle's traction system and tightly regulated dc-dc converters connected to the HV-DC bus produces instability effects. This paper proposes a simple and practical geometric control, using circular switching surfaces, to address constant power load instability in electric vehicle's power systems. The proposed switching surfaces provide a solution in the geometrical domain to constant power loading conditions, while achieving outstanding dynamic response compared to state-of-the-art controllers. The controller is implemented in a bidirectional Buck + Boost cascade converter as a battery charge/discharge unit and ensures reliable system operation. The predictable and consistent behavior of the converter with constant power load is presented by analyzing the system curves in the normalized state plane with the switching surfaces employed. Simulation and experimental results on a scaled 1-kW Buck + Boost cascade converter validate the proposed switching surfaces and predictions regarding the converter's behavior under constant power loading conditions.
Effect of trifluoroethanol on α‐crystallin: folding, aggregation, amyloid, and cytotoxicity analysis

α‐Crystallin, a member of small heat shock proteins, is the major structural protein within the eye lens and is believed to play an exceptional role in the stability of lens proteins and its transparency. In the current manuscript, we have investigated the effect of an organic solvent, trifluoroethanol (TFE), on the structure and function of α‐crystallin isolated from camel eye lens. Incubation of this protein with TFE changed the secondary and tertiary structures, which resulted in the aggregation of α‐crystallin as evidenced by intrinsic fluorescence, Rayleigh's scattering, Thioflavin T assay, and circular dichroism spectroscopic studies. The treatment with different concentrations of TFE led to increased exposure of hydrophobic domains of α‐crystallin, which was observed by 8‐anilino 1‐napthalene sulfonic acid extrinsic fluorescence assay. These results clearly indicate that TFE induced significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of α‐crystallin, leading to aggregation and amyloid formation. Furthermore, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay established the cytotoxicity of the aggregated α‐crystallin towards HepG2 cell lines through reactive oxygen species production. In conclusion, α‐crystallin protein was found to be susceptible to conformational changes by TFE, suggesting that α‐crystallin, although basically acting like a heat shock protein and functionally displaying chaperone‐like activity, might capitulate to change in lens environment induced by diseased conditions or age‐related changes, resulting in cataract formation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel association of a diverse range of genes with renal cell carcinoma as identified by differential display

We have used differential‐display PCR ( DD‐PCR ) to compare renal‐cell carcinoma (RCC) and normal kidney gene expression with the aim of identifying genes specifically associated with RCC. Using a modified DD‐PCR approach, which was non‐radioactive, quicker and simpler than the conventional method, 24 cDNA samples were clearly up‐ or down‐regulated in RCC tissue from 4 patients. Fourteen of these showed high similarity to a number of known genes. Eight of these cDNA clones were chosen for further analysis. These were a regulator of G‐protein signalling (RGS‐5), Notch‐3, Na,K‐ATPase α subunit, HLA class II antigen, ETS‐like protein, transforming growth factor β–stimulated clone (TSC‐22), bladder cancer–related protein (BC10) and adipophilin. Semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR using specific primers to each of these genes confirmed differential expression in 67% to 83% of a further 12 RCC and normal kidney paired samples from 7 of the 8 cDNA clones. Northern analysis further confirmed the up‐regulation in expression of RGS‐5 and Notch‐3 in RCC. Further characterisation of these differentially expressed genes should lead to a better understanding of the changes that occur at the molecular level during RCC development and progression. Int. J. Cancer 88:726–732, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new scalable self-aligned dual-bit split-gate charge-trapping memory device

Devices based on charge trapping are a promising solution for Flash memory scaling. The nonconductivity of their storage medium makes them more robust with respect to data loss by charge leakage through the bottom oxide, which, on the contrary sets a hard limit to floating-gate Flash scalability. Their simple processing, highly compatible with CMOS, makes them rapidly integrable into short-term solutions. The well-known SONOS concept however, still suffers from insufficient data throughput and retention. On the other hand, the recently proposed NROM concept, storing two bits in a cell, offers very interesting characteristics by using hot carrier based program/erase operations. However, important drawbacks remain, like insufficient isolation of the bits for scalability, high-power programming, and degradation of the retention after cycling. In this paper, we present a dual-bit trapping device which solves most of these problems by using a split-gate structure which was inspired by the HIMOS concept. The device has a fully self-aligned structure which allows for both bits to be physically isolated in the cell. Those features make it very scalable. Programming can be performed by the very efficient source-side injection mechanism, while erase is done by injection of band-to-band tunneling induced hot holes, which compensate for the trapped electrons. This leads to performances comparable to NROM but with lower power consumption, and lower operating voltages.
Majority-layered T hybridization using quantum-dot cellular automata

Abstract The atomistic quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) based implementations of the reversible circuits have got tremendous exposures in the last few days, due to “room-temperature workability” of the QCA. The researchers are in serious need of a methodology that can realize the area-efficient QCA counterparts of reversible benchmark circuits. In this work, a novel methodology named majority-layered T hybridization is proposed to synthesize the reversible circuits using QCA. Firstly the reversible library consisting of CNTS Gates have been generated to validate the usability of the proposed methodology. Then, an elementary QCA module of 3×3 Toffoli Gate have been proposed and extended in the realization of 4×4, 5×5 and 6×6 Toffoli Gates (multi-control Toffoli Gates). The proper mathematical modelling of the several QCA design metrics like effective area, delay and O-cost has been established. The QCA counterpart of 3×3 Toffoli Gate reports 18.61% less effective area and 8.33% less O-cost compared to the previous Toffoli Gate designs. Moreover, the QCA layout of rd-32 reversible benchmark using multi-control Toffoli Gate has been employed to verify the scalability and reproducibility of the proposed methodology. The QCA layouts are generated, tested and simulated by renowned computer aided design tool QCADesigner 2.0. 3.
The City-Level Effects of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

This paper examines whether the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments caused the decline in ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) in California over the 1990–2000 period. Consistent with previous studies, we find that PM10 nonattainment status at the county level is not a significant factor in explaining the reductions in PM10. However, when we allow for spatially heterogeneous treatment effects within nonattainment counties, and incorporate measures of community characteristics, climate, geography, transboundary pollution, and industrial composition and scale, we find that nonattainment designations at the city level account for a 6% reduction in ambient PM10 concentrations. (JEL Q53, Q58)
Schwann cells express the macrophage mannose receptor and MHC class II. Do they have a role in antigen presentation?

The mannose receptor (MR) is a transmembrane glycoprotein, postulated to be a link between innate and adaptive immunity. MR is expressed in several cell types but no information is available on that for Schwann cells (SC). We show that rodent SC in primary cultures take up the MR ligand mannosyl/bovine serum albumin‐fluorescein isothiocyanate (man/BSA‐FITC) in a highly specific manner and bind an antibody against the C‐terminus of the murine macrophage MR (anti‐cMR). After incubation with man/BSA‐FITC, flow cytometry demonstrates 90% positive SC, a dose‐dependent increase in tagged cellular components and near total inhibition of the neoglycoprotein uptake by d‐mannose or by the mannosylated protein horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Western blot for MR shows that SC share a unique protein of about 180 kDa with peritoneal resident macrophages. Treatment of cultured SC with interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) or dexamethasone (DM) followed by the addition of man/BSA‐FITC and analysis by flow cytometry shows down‐ or upregulation, respectively, of man/BSA‐FITC uptake. Our results show that SC express the MR in a prospectively functional state and suggest an antigen‐presenting function of SC, compatible with a role in infectious/inflammatory states of the peripheral nervous system.
Identification of a non‐haem catalase in Salmonella and its regulation by RpoS (σS)

We report the identification and functional analysis of katN, a gene encoding a non‐haem catalase of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. katN, which is not present in Escherichia coli, is located between the yciGFE and yciD E. coli homologues in the Salmonella genome. Its predicted protein product has a molecular weight of 31 826 Da and is similar to the Mn‐catalases of Lactobacillus plantarum and Thermus spp. Its product, KatN, was visualized as a 37 kDa protein in E. coli maxicells. A KatN recombinant protein, containing six histidine residues at its C‐terminus, was purified, and its catalase activity was observed on a non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel. KatN was also visualized by catalase activity gel staining of bacterial cell extracts. Its expression was shown to be regulated by growth phase and rpoS. Northern blotting indicated that kat forms an operon with the upstream yciGFE genes. A putative rpoS‐regulated promoter was identified upstream of yciG. Southern blotting revealed that katN is conserved within Salmonella serovars. katN homologues were found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia marcescens. A katN mutation did not appear to affect the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) response of Salmonella. However, the expression of katN increased the H2O2 resistance of unadapted cells in the exponential phase and of rpoS mutants in stationary phase. Thus, KatN may contribute to hydrogen peroxide resistance in Salmonella in certain environmental conditions.