The Influence of Transglutaminase on Minced Muscular Fish Tissue Structure Formation After the Application of Various Protein Substrates

This research aimed to examine the effect of a microbial transglutaminase preparation (Activa® GS, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, Japan) on the structure formation of the myofibrillar protein system of a deep-sea fish species – the giant grenadier – after the addition of various protein substrates. The low content of proteins and their low water-holding capacity in this fish, subjected to various processing methods, leads to significant losses in the initial mass and decreased gelation ability in the muscle tissue system. Various concentrations of transglutaminase were used but these did not ensure the restructuring of the initial muscle tissue of the grenadier. Additional protein substrates with different molecular weights and amino acid composition were added, including gelatin, milk casein, hydrolysates of the skin and milt of the fish, and whole bivalves, which were used to create a firm structure. It was shown that the introduction of gelatin and casein at a concentration of 5% led to the formation of a firm, thermostable structure under the action of the enzyme, while hydrolyzed proteins with low molecular weight at their various concentrations enhanced the expression of water and formation of the fluid consistency. The ability of gastrointestinal tract proteases (pepsin and trypsin) to digest did not depend on the formation of protein-to-protein cross-linking in these combined products. The influence on the growth of the Tetrahymena pyriformis ciliates test culture also showed the high degree of product availability. The technology of molded products based on fermented minced muscle tissue of grenadier with added casein, both in the form of semi-finished products and in the form of ready-to-eat products, was developed. Keywords: transglutaminase, muscle tissue, structure formation, deep-sea fish

Structuration and Learning in a Software Firm

This case study presents the evolution of a software firm from startup into early internationalization. Building on a structuration theory, the case is framed within a conceptual model that illustrates the way skills and routines co-evolve both at the level of the founding entrepreneur (agency) and of the firm (structure). As such, this article contributes to an emergent structurational view of technology-based entrepreneurship. Such views places emphasis on learning both at the individual and collective level, in terms of software engineering, commercial, managerial and strategic capabilities. In addition, it supports a dynamic perspective of entrepreneurship in the software industry by covering not only the startup phase but also early growth and consolidation of the firm.

Unveiling The Internal Forces Towards Digital Adaptation: A Change Perspective of Malaysian SMES

Digital transformation, one of the key areas of change management in the digital age, is defined as a process of changes by the means of using IR technologies in firm's operation. The extant literature suggests that implementation of digital technologies could improve communication, information flow, thus contributing towards value creation and firm performance. Notwithstanding of scarce financial, human resources and strategic capabilities to adopt new technologies among SMEs (Lee et al., 2020), the firm structure, which is more flexible as compared to large firms, offers opportunity in terms of quick decision making (Ghobakhloo & Ching, 2019) for the owner to adapt the firm's business model with market changes and implement necessary changes to sustain in the business. Moreover, previous studies indicate SMEs gained benefit from technology adoption. Nevertheless, transformation towards digitalisation requires a considerable judgement of decision, investment and effort by management and among the employees. Keywords: Digitalisation,Digital Transformation, Digital Strategy, SME, Change Management

The Effect of Incentives: The Problem of Collective Action

Even if cooperating will make everyone better off, cooperation won’t happen if people lack certain kinds of knowledge and motivation. In group settings, individuals will often have incentives to promote their own interest at the expense of the group, either by exploiting others or by failing to contribute to public goods. There are two ways to overcome these “collective action” problems: (1) the incentives that individuals face can be changed so that individual and group interest no longer conflict, and/or (2) group members can embrace norms that enable them to exercise self-restraint and forego opportunities to get ahead at the expense of others. The rule of law, property rights, and proper firm structure can help overcome collective action problems. However, these same structures can also create new opportunities for rent seeking.

Metastatic melanoma in a Saanen goat: clinical, ultrasonographic and anatomopathological aspects - case report

ABSTRACT This report describes clinical, ultrasonographic and anatomopathological findings in a case of metastatic melanoma in an adult Saanen goat. Clinically, the goat had apathy, an intra-abdominal palpable firm structure, and exophytic keratinized areas on the skin of the udder. Ultrasound revealed non-encapsulated oval structures, with heterogeneous echogenicity and marked central and peripheral vascularization, and hypoechoic hepatic multifocal to coalescent areas. In the udder, there were non-encapsulated oval structures with heterogeneous echogenicity and hyperechoic center surrounded by hypoechogenic tissue. Grossly, there were black multifocal to coalescent areas in the liver, as well as black nodules in mammary and mesenteric lymph nodes, uterus, spleen, and myocardium. Microscopically, multifocal melanocytic neoplastic proliferation was observed in the dermis and junction of the udder epidermis. Most of the neoplastic cells had cytoplasmic granules of melanin. In the liver there were areas of neoplastic tissue compressing the adjacent parenchyma, with central foci of necrosis, mild desmoplasia, and multifocal infiltration of malignant cells into the adjacent tissues. Similar findings were observed in the mammary and mesenteric lymph nodes, uterus, spleen, and myocardium, which characterized metastatic melanoma. Ultrasonography played a key role for establishing the diagnosis of a metastatic melanoma and helped establish a proper clinical management protocol.

An economic model of multi-level marketing

This paper offers an economic model of the operation of multi-level marketing (MLM) firms in competitive and non-competitive markets. The model takes a recursive approach to analyse decision making at the distributor level in order to understand basic issues in the MLM market and firm structure. Specifically, it is shown that under reasonable assumptions MLM firms will have a limited structure. In cases where commissions increase with the number of levels, MLM firms will include no more than six to nine levels in equilibrium. In cases of fixed commissions, market conditions dictate a cap on the number of distributors. These conditions imply a limited “multi-level” structure. They also imply that the revenues of the median distributor are mainly a result of direct sales and not a result of commissions. The model also suggests that MLM firms will only arise where marketing costs are substantial, and that it is primarily individuals with small outside offers who choose to become distributors. Finally, the model provides a formula that calculates market prices for a monopoly MLM firm.

Organizational forms and technical efficiency of the dairy processing industry in Southern Brazil

The objective of this article is to assess the determinants of the technical efficiency of dairy processing firms in Southern Brazil while accounting for their different organizational forms, namely cooperatives and investor-owned firms. The data from 243 milk processors in southern Brazil, including firm structure, management capacity, and organizational choice of dairies, were analyzed. A production frontier is specified to estimate technical efficiency and identify its potential driving sources. Bayesian techniques are used to estimate the model. An average efficiency of 77% indicates that the actual output is 23% below its potential, which implies that output could, on average, be increased by approximately 31.6%, under ceteris paribus conditions. Economies of scale were also detected. The analysis reveals that the management capacity within companies is the main determinant of efficiency. Idle capacities of processing plants are an important source of inefficiencies and cooperatives are more efficient than investor-owned firms, despite their transaction costs potentially being higher and the five vaguely defined property rights inherent to the traditional cooperatives which they must overcome. Knowledge about the cooperatives’ objectives other than profit maximization would provide a more realistic comparison against investor-owned firms. This study assessed the determinants of the efficiency levels of dairy processing companies in an emerging economy using a unique own dataset with data collected at a plant level. Based on the results, manifold managerial and political implications have been derived that can benefit the dairy industry of developing and emerging economies.

Tensions in Piketty’s Participatory Socialism: Reconciling Justice and Democracy

In the final parts of Piketty’s Capital and Ideology, he presents his vision for a just and more equal society. This vision marks an alternative to contemporary societies, and differs radically both from the planned Soviet economies and from social democratic welfare states. In his sketch of this vision, Piketty provides a principled account of how such a society would look and how it would modify the current status of private property through co-managed enterprises and the creation of temporary ownership models. He also sets out two principles for when inequalities are just. The first principle permits inequalities that are beneficial to the worst-off, while the second permits inequalities that reflect differences in people’s choices and ambitions. This article identifies a tension between Piketty’s two inequality-permitting principles. It also argues that the procedural limits on how decisions are made within the enterprises of participatory socialism might create inequalities not permitted by the guiding distributive principles of participatory socialism. This tension points to the need for either further changes in firm structure and ownership, an even more progressive taxation scheme, or an egalitarian ethos reflected in citizens’ choices in their everyday lives under participatory socialism.