Structural and longitudinal analysis of the knowledge base on spin-off research

Following the dynamism in spin-off research, in this study we conduct a structural and longitudinal bibliometric analysis of a sample of 812 articles on spin-offs published in 234 journals included in the ISI Web of Knowledge over a period of three decades. The analyses do not seek to establish a new conceptualization but rather to reveal the intellectual structure of the field and how it has evolved, and the profile of the knowledge network established in the three perspectives: corporate, academic and entrepreneurial spin-offs. The diversity involved in the three streams of spin-off research signals substantial differences. Theoretically, transaction costs, agency and the resource-based view have remained a foundation of spin-off research, albeit that research has been driven more by the phenomena than by developing the theory. The more traditional focus on corporate spin-offs was followed by emphasis on academic spin-offs and more recently on entrepreneurial spin-offs. This shift has been accompanied by a more business/management theoretical orientation, replacing a more financial and taxation-based perspective underlying corporate spin-offs. This study systematizes the existing stock of knowledge and raises avenues for additional inquiry.     

China in the World: On Photography,Montages, and the Magic Lantern

Two examples of photographic montages from the first half of the twentieth century, one by the Modern Sketch Society in the magazine Shidai manhua and the other by the photographer Lang Jingshan, craft images of the modern Chinese nation. Although dramatically different, both images rely on assemblage formats and the photographic fragment in order to present a vision of a new China within a larger global context. This article proposes a nineteenth-century precursor to these photomontages in the form of an 1885 Shanghai magic lantern show as presented in the pages of the pictorial magazine Dianshizhai huabao. Originating as a lecture on world travel by the Chinese pastor and educator Yen Yung Kiung, the lecture was reconstituted into a lithographic series by the famous illustrator Wu Youru. Intended simultaneously as entertainment, as an educational and charity event, and as a series of lithographic and photographic images, the heterogeneous components of Yen and Wu’s travelogue bring together a complex but coordinated vision of the nation. Like a photomontage in its constant juxtaposition of pictorial pieces, this transmedial ‘Tour round the world’ strives to offer a particular view of China and its place in the modern world.     

Polyethylene Based Ionomers as High Voltage Insulation Materials

Polyethylene based ionomers are demonstrated to feature a thermo-mechanical and dielectric property portfolio that is comparable to cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), which may enable the design of more sustainable high voltage direct-current (HVDC) power cables, a crucial component of future electricity grids that seamlessly integrate renewable sources of energy. A new type of ionomer is obtained via high-pressure/high-temperature free radical copolymerization of ethylene in the presence of small amounts of ion-pair comonomers comprising amine terminated methacrylates and methacrylic acid. The synthesized ionomers feature a crystallinity, melting temperature, rubber plateau modulus and thermal conductivity like XLPE but remain melt-processable. Moreover, the preparation of the ionomers is free of byproducts, which readily yields a highly insulating material with a low dielectric loss tangent and a low direct-current (DC) electrical conductivity of 1 to 6·10⁻¹⁴ S m⁻¹ at 70 °C and an electric field of 30 kV mm⁻¹. Evidently, the investigated ionomers represent a promising alternative to XLPE-based high voltage insulation, which may permit to ease the production as well as end-of-use recycling of HVDC power cables by combining the advantages of thermoset and thermoplastic materials while avoiding the formation of byproducts.     

Probabilistic measures of efficiency and the influence of contextual variables in nonparametric production models: an application to agricultural research in Brazil

In a research institution it is important to identify which management practices have influence on production efficiency. In this paper we assess the statistical significance of contextual variables type, size, financial resources acquisition, intensity of partnerships, processes improvements and management change. The analysis is carried out for the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation over the period 1999–2006. The statistical analysis uses a balanced dynamic panel data model. We conclude that only financial resources acquisition is statistically significant. The association with the production process is positive. We also found the two lag inertial components of the conditional FDH to unconditional FDH ratio statistically significant, indicating a 2‐year effort to improve efficiency.     

Phosphazene-bound Rose Bengal: A novel photosensitizer for singlet oxygen generation

In this paper we report the synthesis and the characterization of cyclo- and polyphosphazenes supporting Rose Bengal. These substrates are suitable for the photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen, both in homogeneous and in heterogeneous phase. The efficiency of¹O₂ production has been measured in homogeneous solution using, as photosensitizer, the cyclophosphazene-bound Rose Bengal and considering, as testing reaction, the oxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran; it was found comparable to that of free Rose Bengal in the same experimental conditions.Presented in part at the Nato Workshop on Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers with Special Properties, Cap D'Agde, France, September 10–14, 1990.     

Cholinergic Modulation of Neuroinflammation: Focus on α7 Nicotinic Receptor

All nervous system pathologies (e.g., neurodegenerative/demyelinating diseases and brain tumours) develop neuroinflammation, a beneficial process during pathological events, aimed at removing damaged cells, toxic agents, and/or pathogens. Unfortunately, excessive inflammation frequently occurs during nervous system disorders, becoming a detrimental event capable of enhancing neurons and myelinating glial cell impairment, rather than improving their survival and activity. Consequently, targeting the neuroinflammation could be relevant for reducing brain injury and rescuing neuronal and glial cell functions. Several studies have highlighted the role of acetylcholine and its receptors in the regulation of central and peripheral inflammation. In particular, α7 nicotinic receptor has been described as one of the main regulators of the “brain cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway”. Its expression in astrocytes and microglial cells and the ability to modulate anti-inflammatory cytokines make this receptor a new interesting therapeutic target for neuroinflammation regulation. In this review, we summarize the distribution and physiological functions of the α7 nicotinic receptor in glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) and its role in the modulation of neuroinflammation. Moreover, we explore how its altered expression and function contribute to the development of different neurological pathologies and exacerbate neuroinflammatory processes.     

Simultaneous Analysis of Mono-, Di-, Triacylglycerols,and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters in Biodiesel by Size-Exclusion Chromatography

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a method based on size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) for the simultaneous determination of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), monoacylglycerols (MAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), and triacylglycerols (TAG) in biodiesel. The proposed method presents good linearity. The limits of detection are 0.26% mass for FAME, 0.02% mass for MAG, 0.01% mass for DAG, and 0.02% mass for TAG. The limits of quantification are 0.78% mass for FAME, 0.06% mass for MAG, 0.01% mass for DAG, and 0.06% mass for TAG. Accuracy evaluated by recovery yielded values ranging from 98.93% to 117.67%. Precision is evaluated by repeatability (%), which is ranged from 0.03% to 13.67%. The proposed SEC method proves effective in determining the FAME, MAG, DAG, and TAG content of standard samples, and the paired t-test shows that the results obtained were statistically similar to the gas chromatography (GC) values. The method also has some advantages over the reference GC methods, since it obtains the content for each class analyzed, irrespective of its components. Also, it does not require derivatization, which makes it easier and also quicker (15 min) than the 60 min taken by the two reference methods, and it does not need an internal standard, which makes it cheaper. Practical Applications: Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is an efficient method for simultaneous and quantitative determination of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), monoacylglycerols (MAG), diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols (TAG). The method present itself as an alternative to reference methods (ASTM D 6584 and ABNT NBR 15764) based on gas chromatography (GC). The proposed method shows advantages compared to reference methods, once it makes possible to determine the content of each constituent class in samples, regardless of its components, what makes the peak integration easier. Beyond that, previous sample derivatization is unnecessary, what makes the method simpler, cheaper and faster (15 min) than both reference methods that demands together 60 min for analysis (ASTM D 6584 for MAG, DAGa and TAG and ABNT NBR 15764 for FAME analysis).     

Solme Robust Statistical Procedures and Their Application To Air Pollution Data

Robust methods for estimation location and fitting principal components are used to investigate the production and origin of the air pollutant, ozone, within the New York City—Northern New Jersey region. Distributions of daily maximum ozone concentrations at five sites, three of them in highly urbanized areas and two of them in nonurban areas, are very similar. The differences in concentration which do exist, occur at hours other than those when maxima occur, and appear to be largely a result of differing levels of local emissions of nitric oxide, which reduces the ozone concentrations locally. These results suggest that it is unlikely that a reduction of emissions within the New York area alone would have the potential to reduce ozone concentrations within the area itself by a significant factor.     

Management of Acute Lung Injury: Palmitoylethanolamide as a New Approach

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are common and devastating clinical disorders with high mortality and no specific therapy. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is usually used intratracheally to induce ALI in mice. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an ultramicronized preparation of palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA) in mice subjected to LPS-induced ALI. Histopathological analysis reveals that um-PEA reduced alteration in lung after LPS intratracheal administration. Besides, um-PEA decreased wet/dry weight ratio and myeloperoxidase, a marker of neutrophils infiltration, macrophages and total immune cells number and mast cells degranulation in lung. Moreover, um-PEA could also decrease cytokines release of interleukin (IL)-6, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-18. Furthermore, um-PEA significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation in ALI, and at the same time decreased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38/MAPK) expression, that was increased after LPS administration. Our study suggested that um-PEA contrasted LPS-induced ALI, exerting its potential role as an adjuvant anti-inflammatory therapeutic for treating lung injury, maybe also by p38/NF-κB pathway.