Innovation regional planning and latent dimensions: the case of the Algarve region

Regional innovation systems (RSI) concept is an important theoretical framework to analyse regional profiles of regions when trying to understand Innovation but it has also been used by practioners to design and implement policies. This study hopes to contribute to the understanding of the Algarve RSI, a peripheral Portuguese region in the National and European framework, where an economic growth is supported by Tourism, which leaves it out of the group of poorest regions when the GDPpc indicator is taken in account. The regional profile, the comparison with the other European regions and the characterisation of RSI following developed typologies are discussed in this paper. Through the analysis of 175 regions of the EU 15 the study seeks to find the dimensions underlying the innovative phenomena and to create homogeneous groups of regions that display similar profiles. Factorial Analysis was used to reduce the dimension of data from a barrage of regional indicators such as: Critical Mass of Territories, Economic Performance, Level of Wealth, Employment Market, Sectoral Structure of the Economy, Age Group Structure, Education and Training, Technological Employment, R&D and Patents. Having determined the four main factors with significant results (Technological Innovation, Human Capital, Economic Structure and Availability of the Employment Market) what followed was a hierarchical analysis of Clusters, resulting in five groupings of regions: Disadvantaged Regions, Average Regions, Central Regions, Large Economic Centres and Innovating Regions. A synthesis of the recent Regional Innovation Strategies for the Algarve is presented including previous experiences (Ettirse and INOVAlgarve) and the Algarve’s Regional Innovation Plan, which will try to create a pathway for regional development supported by knowledge-based activities for a more diversified regional economy.     

The use of irreversible ligands to inactivate receptor subtypes: 4-DAMP mustard and muscarinic receptors in smooth muscle

Irreversible ligands are useful tools for investigating the function of receptor subtypes in various physiological processes. The mechanism for alkylation involves the formation of a reversible receptor complex followed by a covalent reaction. The extent of receptor alkylation is determined by the dissociation constant of the reversible complex and the rate constant for conversion to the covalent complex. Selectivity can be achieved if the irreversible ligand exhibits a difference in its dissociation constants for receptor subtypes. Selective alkylation can also be achieved using a selective competitive inhibitor to protect the desired receptor subtype. By using the non-M2-selective irreversible antagonist, 4-DAMP mustard, in combination with the competitive M2-selective antagonist, AF-DX 116, it has been possible to achieve a highly selective inactivation of all non-M2 subtypes of the muscarinic receptors in smooth muscle and has enabled the discovery of the functional role of M2 receptors in smooth muscle.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens spp. isolated in Spain

The susceptibilities of 143 Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens isolates to 18 antimicrobial agents were tested. All P. gingivalis isolates were susceptible. In contrast, some Prevotella spp. (17%) were resistant to beta-lactams, erythromycin, clindamycin, or tetracycline and carried resistance genes, ermF or tetQ, or beta-lactamases.     

Familial influences on gambling behavior: an analysis of 3359 twin pairs

BACKGROUND: Pathological gambling is becoming an increasing problem in the United States as the number of legalized gambling establishments grows. To examine vulnerability to pathological gambling, we estimated the familial contributions (i.e. inherited factors and/or experiences shared by twin siblings during childhood) to DSM-III-R pathological gambling symptoms and disorder. METHODS: Data were obtained from a telephone interview performed in 1991-92 utilizing the Diagnostic Interview Schedule Version III-Revised. Interviews were administered to 6718 members of the nationally distributed Vietnam Era Twin Registry of male-male monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs who served in the military during the Vietnam era. RESULTS: Inherited factors explain between 35% (95% CI: 28%, 42%) and 54% (95% CI: 39%, 67%) of the liability for the five individual symptoms of pathological gambling behavior that could be estimated statistically. In addition, familial factors explain 56% (95% CI: 36%, 71%) of the report of three or more symptoms of pathological gambling and 62% (95% CI: 40%, 79%) of the diagnosis of pathological gambling disorder (four or more symptoms). CONCLUSIONS: Familial factors have an important influence on risk for pathological gambling behavior. The increasing access to legalized gambling is likely to result in a higher prevalence of pathological gambling behavior among individuals who are more vulnerable because of familial factors.     

Expression of a functional anaphylatoxin C3a receptor by astrocytes

Human astrocyte cell lines reportedly contain a specific receptor for the complement anaphylatoxin C3a based on ligand-binding studies, functional responses, and RNA analysis by RT-PCR. Uptake of 125I-C3a by astrocytes was specific and reversible. Scatchard analysis indicated the presence of two classes of binding sites. High-affinity binding sites were abundantly expressed (20,000-80,000 sites per cell) with an estimated K(D) of 1-2 nM. Low-affinity binding sites with a K(D) of 209 nM were largely expressed (n > or = 4 x 10(6) sites per cell) and probably did not reflect a receptor-mediated binding, but rather an ionic interaction between C3a and the membrane. Analysis of astrocyte mRNA by RT-PCR with three different sets of primers covering 60% of the C3a receptor (C3aR) mRNA sequence indicated that glial C3aR was identical to the leukocytic one. Western blot analysis using a specific anti-C3aR evidenced a C3aR with a molecular mass of 60,000 Da. C3a and a superagonist peptide, E7, induced a transient increase of intracellular [Ca2+] in primary culture of astrocytes. Treatment of the ligands by carboxypeptidase B to eliminate the C-terminus Arg considerably decreased the [Ca2+] response. Moreover, flow cytometry experiments demonstrated the expression of C3aR on normal rat astrocyte membrane. This report brings new insight for the role of the complement system in the brain inflammation response.     

NMR study of the transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha)-epidermal growth factor receptor complex. Visualization of human TGF-alpha binding determinants through nuclear Overhauser enhancement analysis

The study of human transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) in complex with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor extracellular domain has been undertaken in order to generate information on the interactions of these molecules. Analysis of 1H NMR transferred nuclear Overhauser enhancement data for titration of the ligand with the receptor has yielded specific data on the residues of the growth factor involved in contact with the larger protein. Significant increases and decreases in nuclear Overhauser enhancement cross-peak intensity occur upon complexation, and interpretation of these changes indicates that residues of the A- and C-loops of TGF-alpha form the major binding interface, while the B-loop provides a structural scaffold for this site. These results corroborate the conclusions from NMR relaxation studies (Hoyt, D. W., Harkins, R. N., Debanne, M. T., O'Connor-McCourt, M., and Sykes, B. D. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 15283-15292), which suggest that the C-terminal residues of the polypeptide are immobilized upon receptor binding, while the N terminus of the molecule retains considerable flexibility, and are consistent with structure-function studies of the TGF-alpha/EGF system indicating a multidomain binding model. These results give a visualization, for the first time, of native TGF-alpha in complex with the EGF receptor and generate a picture of the ligand-binding site based upon the intact molecule. This will undoubtedly be of utility in the structure-based design of TGF-alpha/EGF agonists and/or antagonists.     

Gait function in spastic hemiparetic patients walking barefoot, with firm shoes, and with ankle-foot orthosis

Cortical spreading depression is a wave of electrical and biochemical changes that spreads across the cerebral cortex. It has been hypothesized to be an important underlying cause of the visual disturbances occurring during the migraine aura, but this is difficult to test in animals or humans. We created a computational model of cortical spreading depression and found that during the wave of biochemical changes the spatial pattern of neural activity broke up into irregular patterns of lines and small patches of highly activated elements. The corresponding visual disturbances that would be produced by these patterns of neural activity resemble the hallucinations reported during the migraine aura, providing strong support for the cortical spreading depression hypothesis of migraine. The model also makes the testable prediction that these hallucinations move at an exponentially increasing speed across the visual field.     

Time-dependent differential changes of immune function in rats exposed to chronic intermittent noise

Noise is a highly relevant environmental and clinical stressor. Compared to most other experimental stressors, noise is a modest activator of neuroendocrine pathways that mimic the situation in human health where neuroendocrine activation by environmental stressors is often absent or difficult to establish. Little is known about the effects of noise exposure on the immune system. In the present work, the effects of a low-intensity chronic intermittent unpredictable noise regimen on various parameters of immune function was studied. Male wistar rats were exposed to a randomized noise protocol (white noise, 85 dB, 2-20 kHz) for 10 h per day, 15 min per h over a total period of 3 weeks. Control animals were exposed to ambient sound only. Immune function was monitored after 24 h, 7 days, and 21 days of noise exposure. Noise induced several significant changes in immune function in a time-dependent differential pattern involving both immunosuppression and immunoenhancement. After 24 h, serum IgM levels were increased and peripheral phagocytic activity was decreased. Splenic lymphocytic proliferation to mitogens was significantly decreased after 7 days, but slightly elevated after 3 weeks. The activity of splenic NK cells was increased significantly after 24 h and 7 days, but suppressed after 3 weeks. These results show that various parameters of immune function are affected differentially over time in a period of chronic mild noise stress, possibly due to sequential activation of different physiological mechanisms.     

Heat-shock-proteins-antibodies in patients with Helicobacter pylori associated chronic gastritis

Twenty eight patients (15 F, 13 M mean age 37.7 SD +/- 9.93 range 22-55) affected by Helicobacter Pylori infection associated gastritis were studied. HSP 70 Antibodies were found in 21.4% of patients and their mean values were significantly higher in the patients than in the subjects affected by gastritis HP negative used as controls (p = 0.05). This datum was confirmed by Western blotting. The presence of HSP 70 antibodies in the sera of those patients may support the link between the protein and the development and persistence of chronic inflammation in the gastric mucosa.