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Bitter taste perception of TAS2R38-PAV and CA6-A genotype individuals suppresses aroma and flavour perception when consuming "salad" rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa)
Get PDFMany nutritious leafy vegetables that should be eaten as part of a healthy diet are shunned by consumers who perceive them to be bitter. Through a combination of sensory, genetic, and analytical chemistry methods we show that individuals with ‘taster’ genotypes for a bitter taste receptor (TAS2R38) and high tastebud density (Carbonic Anhydrase VI, CA6; gustin) encoding genes cannot perceive the aroma and flavour traits of the leafy vegetable rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) as strongly as ‘non-tasters’, due to heightened perception of bitterness. In addition, we associated sensory data with Eruca phytochemical and transcriptome data from growing locations in Italy and the United Kingdom. We observed that several genes were consistently associated with mustard, pungency, tingling, numbing, and warming attributes (MYB28c, SDI1a, BCAT4, MAM1b, CYP79F1, CYP83A1, MBP2b), and which are in turn associated with the biosynthesis of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis into pungent compounds such as isothiocyanates
FDI motives redux: Exploring behavioral assumptions in international business research
Get PDFPurpose – The issue of motivation for FDI is central to IB theory and empirical research. The most common starting point is Dunning’s four motives framework (4M): market seeking, natural resource seeking, efficiency seeking and strategic asset seeking. We explore the genesis, development and application of the 4M framework and demonstrate how it has developed from an abstract typology and heuristic device unsupported by empirical evidence into a set of concrete behavioral assumptions with theoretical and methodological consequences for IB research.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is mainly conceptual, based on relevant theoretical work on FDI motives, and partly methodological, concentrating on the importance of realism for behavioral assumptions in IB.
Findings – We demonstrate that the shift in the 4M framework from abstract typology to a set of concrete behavioral assumptions has important implications for the development of IB theory and methodology. A critical issue has largely been ignored: the role of realism in the assumptions on which theory and its empirical testing are based, and the possible consequences of unrealism in key behavioral assumptions. We show that attempts to ‘fix’ the problems inherent in the 4M framework will inevitably fail, and suggest ways in which it is possible to inject more realism into behavioral assumptions underlying FDI motivation.
Originality – The paper offers both theoretical and methodological insights for IB scholars interested in FDI motivation.
Key words: FDI motives, Behavioral assumptions, Realism, Microfoundation
Précis of A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness
Get PDFA Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness aims to advance Donald Griffin’s vision of the “final, crowning chapter of the Darwinian revolution” by firmly integrating animals within the science of consciousness. Although this field has largely neglected the questions of when and why consciousness evolved, this book champions a Darwinian philosophy where the experiences of other animals are put centre-stage in investigations of consciousness. This synopsis offers a summary of the book’s core arguments for the advancement of a truly biological science of consciousness. This approach allows for an empirically rigorous investigation into what it is like to be a bat, a crow, a bee, or an octopus
An approach to developing functional multi-stakeholder partnerships for entrepreneurship ecosystem development: a case study of the Nexus Project
No full textThere is strong evidence that young entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa are building start-up business ventures in isolation, under pressure, and disconnected from the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, both contributing to high start-up failure rates. Ecosystem players such as academic institutions, industry partners, and investors have the knowledge, human and financial assets able to offer specialised technical and market support for young entrepreneurs. Yet, it seems that while relevant key stakeholders that make up functional innovation ecosystems are present, the synergy amongst them seems weak and needs to be strengthened if “job seekers” are to become “job creators”. This study proposes an approach to functional multi-stakeholder partnerships that can build thriving ecosystems to support young entrepreneurs in Africa. It presents some of the strategies adopted on the Nexus Project to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem around young entrepreneurs in Nigeria that has resulted in their transformation from “locked” to “unlocked” to “investable” entrepreneurs. The study revealed that an approach to building functional ecosystems in the African context requires a shared vision and values-based engagement between entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders. The alignment of a few stakeholders sharing a common goal enhanced the chances of accessing wider ecosystem stakeholders and by extension resulted in effective engagements with other players and positive outcomes for young start-up founders. The spillover effect of the values that underpinned the first level of the partnerships in the wider ecosystem is proof that silos can be broken down when relevant stakeholders take responsibility for this
Impact of ovotransferrin on the membrane integrity of Salmonella Enteritidis under egg-white conditions
Get PDFIntroduction: Eggs can mediate foodborne disease resulting in salmonellosis outbreaks that are most commonly caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Ovotransferrin is a prominent egg-white antimicrobial glycoprotein belonging to the transferrin family, members of which exhibit powerful iron-chelating activity. However, several studies have also described the ability of transferrin proteins to disrupt bacterial membranes. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of ovotransferrin toward S. Enteritidis membranes at 30°C under egg-white conditions.
Materials and methods: This aim was supported by the deployment of a synthetic medium designed to mimic egg-white (matching the ionic composition and pH). The ability of ovotransferrin to induce bacterial membrane permeabilization in S. Enteritidis was investigated by measuring substrate accessibility to periplasmic β-lactamase and cytosolic β-galactosidase.
Results: The depolarization of the inner membrane of S. Enteritidis was measured using a fluorescence probe [DiSC3(5)]. The results show that ovotransferrin induces permeabilization of the outer membrane but not the inner membrane whereas egg white permeabilizes both membranes. In addition, the dissipation of the proton motive force by egg white was found to involve a contribution by ovotransferrin since this protein provoked inner-membrane depolarization.
Discussion: It can thus be concluded that ovotransferrin exerts a membranes perturbation activity on S. Enteritidis under egg-white conditions, in addition to its well-known iron-chelation activity
When does historical context matter? Explaining the emergence of competence‑creating subsidiaries
Get PDFDespite thorough attention to how context shapes subsidiary behavior, very little IB research has explored the dynamic impact of disruptive changes in historical context on organizational innovations in MNEs. Existing IB theory has robustly theorized the growth of competence-creating subsidiaries from the 1980s to the 2000s. However, our historical research demonstrates that this body of existing theory fails to explain an equally significant growth in subsidiaries with protean competence-creating characteristics from 1945 to 1970. We show that the introduction of the U.K. National Health Service in 1948 precipitated a major upgrade of research capabilities among a near majority of the population of subsidiaries in U.K. pharmaceuticals by 1970. Synthesizing from both IB and literature on historical methods, we analyze the impact of this disruptive transformation in context, identifying the specific mechanisms that produced the rapid growth in what we identify as proto-competence-creating subsidiaries. This occurred in response to a dramatically new context, in ways that differ from those predicted by current theoretical explanations, and led to an institutional innovation hitherto unknown to IB. The implications of this are significant in a contemporary moment of rapid institutional disruption, when existing conceptualizations of subsidiary behavior may increasingly fail to capture real-world dynamics
Advanced microgrid protection utilizing zero sequence components with Hard-Ware-in-the-Loop testing
Get PDFMicrogrid protection and ground fault management are critical aspects of modern power distribution systems, especially with the increasing integration of Distributed Generators (DGs) such as renewable energy sources. Effective protection schemes are essential to ensure the reliability, safety, and resilience of microgrids under various fault conditions. This study addresses a new advancement in microgrid protection and ground fault management. Firstly, the research integrates zero sequence components into the time-inverse characteristics of phase Overcurrent Relays (OCR) and creates a dynamic scheme between two group settings for phase and ground faults. This enhancement improves ground fault detection and provides robust backup for ground OCR, thereby enhancing the overall reliability of microgrid protection schemes. Secondly, the study demonstrates the use of Configurable Function Blocks (CFCs) in digital relays to dynamically adjust relay settings based on zero sequence current detection. This functionality optimizes relay performance under varying fault conditions, addressing mis-coordination issues in low-value ground fault scenarios at traditional OCR scheme and improving fault detection and clearance times. The proposed strategy is extensively validated through Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, ensuring its feasibility and effectiveness in real-world scenarios. HIL testing confirms the practical applicability and robustness of the proposed protection scheme, enhancing its reliability. Finally, the study provides a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the proposed protection strategy in real-case protective relays. It includes a detailed methodology and validation process, offering practical guidance for operators to implement and optimize microgrid protection systems
R&D management under disruption and uncertainty
No full textDisruption and uncertainty are distinct but related concepts with fundamental impact on firms' R&D. Management of R&D under disruption and uncertainty has become a critical issue in innovation management. With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, firms are increasingly facing disruptions along multiple dimensions: technological, market, environmental, and institutional. Such disruptions increase the level of uncertainty firms perceive, bringing about both challenges and opportunities. What will be the impact of such disruption and uncertainty on firms? How can they navigate and mitigate its consequences? In this special issue, we present seven research articles and one commentary that address different aspects of R&D management under disruption and uncertainty in the context of a conceptual framework describing how firms might address different types of disruption and uncertainty through an open innovation system approach
How can relational, decolonial and feminist approaches inform the EU bioeconomy?
Get PDFIn this commentary we argue that, to transform the bioeconomy sectors towards ecologically less harmful and socially fairer outcomes, the bioeconomy policy project must be questioned, re-politicised and fundamentally reframed and reinvented. We firstly identify some of the main root causes for continuity of extractivism and injustices in the bioeconomy policy and, more broadly, in the green transition (“Root causes of today’s socioecological crises and why they matter for the EU bioeconomy project” section). Secondly, we outline the largely neglected ideas and concerns emerging from relational, feminist and decolonial approaches and perspectives (“Moving beyond growth while enabling marginalised voices, knowledges, and practices that nurture web of life and wellbeing for all” section). Finally, we compile a list of 11 actions and 47 suggestions for decisionmakers, practitioners and academics to contemplate on how to cocreate bioeconomies founded on ethics of care, relationality and socioecological justice. Ultimately, the aim is to reject socioecological domination, extractivism and exploitation and foster collective wellbeing for all beings, human and other-than-human