Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor increases CD123hi blood dendritic cells with altered CD62L and CCR7 expression

Changes in blood dendritic cell (BDC) counts (CD123(hi)BDC and CD11c(+)BDC) and expression of CD62L, CCR7, and CD49d were analyzed in healthy donors, multiple myeloma (MM), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients, who received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) containing peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization protocols. Low-dose G-CSF in healthy donors (8-10 mug/ kg/d subcutaneously) and high-dose G-CSF in patients (30 mug/kg/d) increased CD123(hi)BDC (2- to 22-fold, mean 3.7 x 10(6)/ L-17.7 x 10(6)/L and 1.9 x 10(6)/L-12.0 x 10(6)/ L) in healthy donors and MM but decreased CD11c(+)BDC (2- to 10-fold, mean 5.7 x 10(6)/L-1.6 x 10(6)/L) in NHL patients, on the day of apheresis, compared with steady state. After apheresis, CD123(hi)BDC counts remained high, whereas low CD11c(+)BDC counts tended to recover in the following 2-5 days. Down-regulation of CD62L and up-regulation of CCR7 on CD123(hi)BDC were found in most healthy donors and MM patients. CD49d expression was unchanged. Thus, PBSC mobilization may change BDC counts by altering molecules necessary for BDC homing from blood into tissues.

Monitoring dendritic cells in clinical practice using a new whole blood single-platform TruCOUNT assay

Dendritic cells (DC) from distinct DC subsets are essential contributors to normal human immune responses. Despite this, reliable assays that enable DC to be counted precisely have been slow to evolve. We have now developed a new single-platform flow cytometric assay based on TruCOUN(TM) beads and the whole blood Lyse/No-Wash protocol that allows precise counting of the CD14(-) blood DC subsets: CD11c(+)CD16(-) DC, CD11c(+)CD16(+) DC, CD123(hi) DC, CD1c(+) DC and BDCA-3(+) DC. This assay requires 50 mul of whole blood; does not rely on a hematology blood analyser for the absolute DC counts; allows DC counting in EDTA samples 24 It after collection; and is suitable for cord blood and peripheral blood. The data is highly reproducible with intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation less than 3% and 11%, respectively. This assay does not produce the DC-T lymphocyte conjugates that result in DC counting abnormalities in conventional gradient-density separation procedures. Using the TruCOUNT assay, we established that absolute blood DC counts reduce with age in healthy individuals. In preliminary studies, we found a significantly lower absolute blood CD11c(+)CD16(+) DC count in stage III/IV versus stage I/II breast carcinoma patients and a lower absolute blood CD123(hi) DC count in multiple myeloma patients, compared to age-matched controls. These data indicate that scientific progress in DC counting technology will lead to the global standardization of DC counting and allow clinically meaningful data to be obtained. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A IMPORTÂNCIA DO CONHECIMENTO TÁCITO NA FORMAÇÃO DO EDUCADOR

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo evidenciar a importância do conhecimento tácito na formação do educador. Para tanto, pretendemos primeiramente conceituar os principais fundamentos do conhecimento tácito desenvolvidos por Michael Polanyi durante o século XX. Num segundo momento, realizaremos uma aproximação entre o conhecimento tácito e o campo educacional, tendo como objetivos a procura pela descoberta e pela percepção humana, pontos considerados por Polanyi como essenciais para a constituição de nosso conhecimento tácito. Aprofundando-se na dimensão educacional, analisaremos, em especial, os docentes no campo da literatura. De cunho bibliográfico, esta dissertação toma como base de referência os estudos de Polanyi, bem como outros teóricos da educação e da teoria literária, como Cláudio Saiani e Antonio Candido.(AU)

International technology collaboration for new product development

In recent years it has become increasingly common for companies to improve their competitiveness and find new markets by extending their operations through international new product development collaborations involving technology transfer. Technology development, cost reduction and market penetration are seen as the foci in such collaborative operations with the aim being to improve the competitive position of both partners. In this paper the case of technology transfer through collaborative new product development in the machine tool sector is used to provide a typical example of such partnerships. The research evidence on which the paper is based includes longitudinal case studies and questionnaire surveys of machine tool manufacturers in both countries. The specific case of a UK machine tool company and its Chinese partner is used to provide a specific example of the operational development of a successful collaboration. The paper concludes that a phased co-ordination of commercial, technical and strategic interactions between the two partners is essential for such collaborations to work. In particular, the need to transfer marketing know-how is emphasised, having been identified as an area of weakness among technology acquirers in China.

Investigating Turkey's national innovation and learning system

The national systems of innovation (NIS) approach focuses on the patterns and the determinants of innovation processes from the perspective of nation-states. This paper reports on continuing work on the application of an NIS model to the development of technological capability in Turkey. Initial assessment of the literature shows that there are a number of alternative conceptualisations of NIS. An attempt by the Government to identify a NIS for Turkey shows the main actors in the system but does not pay sufficient attention to the processes of interactions between agents within the system. An operational model should be capable of representing these processes and interactions and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the NIS. For industrialising countries, it is also necessary to incorporate learning mechanisms into the model. Further, there are different levels of innovation and capability in different sectors which the national perspective may not reflect. This paper is arranged into three sections. The first briefly explains the basics of the national innovation and learning system. Although there is no single accepted definition of NIS, alternative definitions reviewed share some common characteristics. In the second section, an NIS model is applied to Turkey in order to identify the elements, which characterise the country’s NIS. This section explains knowledge flow and defines the relations between the actors within the system. The final section draws on the “from imitation to innovation” model apparently so successful in East Asia and assesses its applicability to Turkey. In assessing Turkey’s NIS, the focus is on the automotive and textile sectors.

Product-service systems revisited

There is a growing interest around the potential value of service-led competitive strategies to UK based manufacturers. A Product Service-System (PSS) is one form of such a strategy and is based on integrated combination of products and services. This concept also embraces environmental sustainability. This paper aims to summarise the state-of-the-art of PSS research by presenting a review of literature currently available on this topic. The literature search is described and the major outcomes of the study are presented. On this basis, this paper defines the PSS concept, reports on its origin and features.

Speech recognition use in healthcare applications

Speech recognition technology is regarded as a key enabler for increasing the usability of applications deployed on mobile devices -- devices which are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern hospital-based healthcare. Although the use of speech recognition is not new to the hospital-based healthcare domain, its use with mobile devices has thus far been limited. This paper presents the results of a literature review we conducted in order to observe the manner in which speech recognition technology has been used in hospital-based healthcare and to gain an understanding of how this technology is being evaluated, in terms of its dependability and reliability, in healthcare settings. Our intent is that this review will help identify scope for future uses of speech recognition technologies in the healthcare domain, as well as to identify implications for the meaningful evaluation of such technologies given the specific context of use.

Diversifying into technical clothing manufacture:a situated learning theory perspective

An organisation’s ability to internalise external knowledge and learn from various sources in undertaking new product development and/or entering a new market is crucial to its competitive performance. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to how growth-oriented small firms identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, i.e. take entrepreneurial action, related to such methods of development, in a mature, contracting industry. The latter is particularly relevant to recent discussion and debate in academic and policy-making circles concerning the salvage of the clothing manufacture industry in developed industrialised countries, by intensifying efforts relating to diversification into high value manufacturing sectors. This paper, based on an instrumental case-firm, demonstrates analytically how learning as entrepreneurial action relating to diversifying into /technical clothing – i.e. a high value manufacturing/innovatory sector - takes place, drawing on situated learning theory. It is argued that learning relating to such entrepreneurial action is dynamic in nature and is founded on specific organising principles that foster both inter- and intracommunal learning.

Philosophy, theory, and practice of green operations management

This paper proposes a more profound discussion of the philosophical underpins of sustainability than currently exists in the MOT literature and considers their influence on the construction of the theories on green operations and technology management. Ultimately, it also debates the link between theory and practice on this subject area. The paper is derived from insights gained in three research projects completed during the past twelve years, primarily involving the first author. From 2000 to 2002, an investigation using scenario analysis, aimed at reducing atmospheric pollution in urban centres by substituting natural gas for petrol and diesel, provided the first set of insights about public policy, environmental impacts, investment analysis, and technological feasibility. The second research project, from 2003 to 2005, using a survey questionnaire, was aimed at improving environmental performance in livestock farming and explored the issues of green supply chain scope, environmental strategy and priorities. Finally, the third project, from 2006 to 2011, investigated environmental decisions in manufacturing organisations through case study research and examined the underlying sustainability drivers and decision-making processes. By integrating the findings and conclusions from these projects, the link between philosophy, theory, and practice of green operations and technology management is debated. The findings from all these studies show that the philosophical debate seems to have little influence on theory building so far. For instance, although ‘sustainable development’ emphasises ‘meeting the needs of current and future generation’, no theory links essentiality and environmental impacts. Likewise, there is a weak link between theory and the practical issues of green operations and technology management. For example, the well-known ‘life-cycle analysis’ has little application in many cases because the life cycle of products these days is dispersed within global production and consumption systems and there are different stakeholders for each life cycle stage. The results from this paper are relevant to public policy making and corporate environmental strategy and decision making. Most of the past and current studies in the subject of green operations and sustainability management deal with only a single sustainability dimension at any one time. Here the value and originality of this paper lies in its integration between philosophy, theory, and practice of green technology and operations management.