Open Circular Innovation: How Companies Can Develop Circular Innovations in Collaboration with Stakeholders

A transition toward the circular economy (CE) will be key to addressing future environmental and economic challenges, such as environmental pollution and resource scarcity. However, when introducing circular solutions, companies often face complex and disruptive changes that affect many stakeholders and require new innovation practices. This study investigates open circular innovation by analyzing the status quo of circular innovation, discussing the relevance and role of different stakeholders, and examining approaches for open circular innovation processes. The study employs a qualitative research design, including 14 in-depth interviews with CE and innovation experts. The findings indicate that companies currently focus on closed innovation approaches or collaborate with only one stakeholder at a time when developing circular innovations. Stakeholder groups, such as customers, suppliers, and academia, play a crucial role in the innovation process, whereas direct collaborations with governments and competitors are seen controversially. An open innovation network approach combined with crowdsourcing is regarded as the most promising for developing circular solutions. This study contributes to connecting open innovation with CE research and provides new knowledge at this interface. Additionally, this research gives managers guidance on how to approach open circular innovation and thus supports companies on their way toward a CE.

A representation theoretic explanation of the Borcea–Brändén characterization

In 2009, Borcea and Brändén characterized all linear operators on multivariate polynomials which preserve the property of being non-vanishing (stable) on products of prescribed open circular regions. We give a representation theoretic interpretation of their findings, which generalizes and simplifies their result and leads to a conceptual unification of many related results in polynomial stability theory. At the heart of this unification is a generalized Grace’s theorem which addresses polynomials whose roots are all contained in some real interval or ray. This generalization allows us to extend the Borcea–Brändén result to characterize a certain subclass of the linear operators which preserve such polynomials.

Diagnostics of hypersonic plasma by method of intrinsic electromagnetic oscillations of open resonator with non-uniform inclusions

For various areas of radiophysics, plasma physics, studies of spectral and diffraction characteristics of open resonators containing various inhomogeneous inclusions within themselves are of great interest, the material parameters of which depend on spatial coordinates or on frequency parameters of the structure. Approximate models of optical resonators are based on integral equations, the nuclei of which are answered by non-self-conjugated completely continuous operators in some functional spaces (Hilbert or Banach spaces). The rationale for these equations does not seem mathematically correct enough. These equations are derived from the scalar formulation of the mathematically inconsistent Kirchhoff diffraction theory. Therefore, the relationship of these equations with the strict electrodynamic setting of the spectral problem is unclear and, therefore, the applicability of the corresponding models of optical resonators is unclear. The task set forth in the article is to build a strict mathematically justified and effective solution of edge problems about free and forced electromagnetic oscillations for one class of two-dimensional optical resonators with dielectric inclusions. The mirrors of this optical resonator are modeled by a final system of perfectly conductive open circular cylindrical surfaces, and the inclusions by a final system of circular cylindrical regions filled with dielectric medium. The wavelength, geometric parameters of the mirrors of the optical resonators, their mutual location, as well as the dimensions of the inclusions of a priori restrictions are not imposed. The main results obtained are also true for the case of an empty optical resonator that does not contain dielectric inclusions.

New Insights on Molecular Mechanism of Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA Formation

The chronic factor of the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), specifically the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), is a highly stable and active viral episomal genome established in the livers of chronic hepatitis B patients as a constant source of disease. Being able to target and eliminate cccDNA is the end goal for a genuine cure for HBV. Yet how HBV cccDNA is formed from the viral genomic relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) and by what host factors had been long-standing research questions. It is generally acknowledged that HBV hijacks cellular functions to turn the open circular DNA conformation of rcDNA into cccDNA through DNA repair mechanisms. With great efforts from the HBV research community, there have been several recent leaps in our understanding of cccDNA formation. It is our goal in this review to analyze the recent reports showing evidence of cellular factor’s involvement in the molecular pathway of cccDNA biosynthesis.

Vaccine Plasmid Topology Monitoring by Capillary Gel Electrophoresis

Background: Plasmid DNA has been widely used in vaccination as well as in cell and gene therapy. It exists in multiple isoforms including supercoiled, nicked or open circular and linear forms. Regulatory agencies recommend having more than 80% of the supercoiled isoform for bulk release of plasmid products; thus it should be analyzed accordingly. Methods and Results: The traditional analysis method for plasmid DNA is agarose gel electrophoresis. However, due to time-consuming manual sample loading, visualization, and data analysis, it has limitations in obtaining consistently quantitative results. In this short communication, we introduce a fast, sensitive, and robust plasmid analysis method using capillary electrophoresis with laserinduced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). CE-LIF analysis of the supercoiled isoform and its open circular counterpart was completed in 20 minutes with excellent sensitivity by using a common fluorescent groove binding dye. The advantage of the method was demonstrated by the purity analysis of two large plasmids (7 kb and 10 kb). The fully automated sample loading, separation and data analysis featured enhanced assay repeatability and ease of quantitation over agarose gelelectrophoresis. Conclusion: As a worked example, analysis of plasmid samples treated at elevated temperature during an accelerated stability test also demonstrated the applicability of CELIF to monitor plasmid degradation.

Use of Ganoderma lucidum (Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota) as Radioprotector

For millennia, naturopaths and physicians have used Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom) for its diverse therapeutic properties, as recorded in the oldest Chinese herbal encyclopedia. Indeed, a radioprotective effect has been reported in the isolated components of its extracts. A systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) was conducted in March 2020, searching databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar, along with Clinical Trials. The inclusion criteria were ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo studies, with full texts in English, conducted to determine the radioprotective benefits of G. lucidum, or reports in which ionizing radiation was used. From a total number of 1109 records identified, 15 full text articles were eligible, none of them were clinical trials. In vivo studies reveal the efficiency of G. lucidum aqueous extracts of polysaccharides and triterpenes in mice exposed to γ-rays. In plasmid, they can reduce radiation damage as an increment of the open circular form, as well as increase the DNA extension, as shown in vitro studies. Ex vivo studies conducted in human blood cells show the radioprotective effect of β-glucan of aqueous extract of G. lucidum, nevertheless, its implementation as radioprotector to humans is in need of further clinical research studies.