Islamic Family Business: The Constitutive Role of Religion in Business

Religion has significantly influenced societies throughout history and across the globe. Family firms—particularly those operating in strongly religious regions—are more likely to be subject to the influence of religion. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which religion affects business activities in family firms. We study how religion impacts business activities through a qualitative study of two Anatolian-based family firms in Turkey. We find that religion provides a dominant meaning system that plays a key role in constituting business activities through three mechanisms: (1) family imports religious practices as business practices; (2) family adheres to religious values as a rationale for business actions; and (3) family religious values define business taboos by avoiding the evil eye. These mechanisms highlight how religion becomes a source of well-understood business practices, how religion defines the nature of rationality that guides business activities, and how religious taboos can delimit the range of potential business activities, respectively

Aqueous Solution Preparation, Structure, and Magnetic Properties of Nano-Granular ZnxFe3−xO4 Ferrite Films

This paper reports a simple and novel process for preparing nano-granular ZnxFe3−xO4 ferrite films (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.99) on Ag-coated glass substrates in DMAB-Fe(NO3)3-Zn(NO3)2 solutions. The deposition process may be applied in preparing other cations-doped spinel ferrite films. The Zn content x in the ZnxFe3−xO4 films depends linearly on the Zn2+ ion concentration ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 mM in the aqueous solutions. With x increasing from 0 to 0.99, the lattice constant increases from 0.8399 to 0.8464 nm; and the microstructure of the films changes from the non-uniform nano-granules to the fine and uniform nano-granules of 50–60 nm in size. The saturation magnetization of the films first increases from 75 emu/g to the maximum 108 emu/g with x increasing from 0 to 0.33 and then decreases monotonously to 5 emu/g with x increasing from 0.33 to 0.99. Meanwhile, the coercive force decreases monotonously from 116 to 13 Oe

Genome-wide Identifcation and Characterization of SPL Transcription Factor Family and Their Evolution and Expression Profiling Analysis in Cotton

Abstract Plant specific transcription factors, SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein-like (SPL), are involved in many biological processes. However, no systematical study has been reported in cotton. In this study, a total of 177 SPL genes were identified, including 29, 30, 59 and 59 SPLs in Gossypium arboreum, G. raimondii, G. barbadense, and G. hirsutum, respectively. These SPL genes were classified into eight phylogenetical groups. The gene structure, conserved motif, and clustering were highly conserved within each orthologs. Two zinc finger-like structures (Cys3His and Cys2HisCys) and NLS segments were existed in all GrSPLs. Segmental duplications play important roles in SPL family expansion, with 20 genes involved in segmental duplications and 2 in tandem duplications, and ten ortholog pairs in syntenic regions between G. raimondii and A. thaliana. Several putative cis-elements, involved in light, stresses and phytohormones response, were found in the promoter regions of GhSPLs, suggesting that plant responses to those environmental changes may be induced through targeting SPL transcription factors. RNA-seq analysis shows that SPL genes were differentially expressed in cotton; some were highly expressed during fiber initiation and early development. Comparing with other plants, SPL genes show subfunctionalization, lost and/or gain functions in cotton during long-term domestication and evolution

Protective intraoperative ventilation with higher versus lower levels of positive end-expiratory pressure in obese patients (PROBESE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) increase the morbidity and mortality of surgery in obese patients. High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with lung recruitment maneuvers may improve intraoperative respiratory function, but they can also compromise hemodynamics, and the effects on PPCs are uncertain. We hypothesized that intraoperative mechanical ventilation using high PEEP with periodic recruitment maneuvers, as compared with low PEEP without recruitment maneuvers, prevents PPCs in obese patients. Methods/design The PRotective Ventilation with Higher versus Lower PEEP during General Anesthesia for Surgery in OBESE Patients (PROBESE) study is a multicenter, two-arm, international randomized controlled trial. In total, 2013 obese patients with body mass index ≥35 kg/m2 scheduled for at least 2 h of surgery under general anesthesia and at intermediate to high risk for PPCs will be included. Patients are ventilated intraoperatively with a low tidal volume of 7 ml/kg (predicted body weight) and randomly assigned to PEEP of 12 cmH2O with lung recruitment maneuvers (high PEEP) or PEEP of 4 cmH2O without recruitment maneuvers (low PEEP). The occurrence of PPCs will be recorded as collapsed composite of single adverse pulmonary events and represents the primary endpoint. Discussion To our knowledge, the PROBESE trial is the first multicenter, international randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of two different levels of intraoperative PEEP during protective low tidal volume ventilation on PPCs in obese patients. The results of the PROBESE trial will support anesthesiologists in their decision to choose a certain PEEP level during general anesthesia for surgery in obese patients in an attempt to prevent PPCs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02148692. Registered on 23 May 2014; last updated 7 June 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1929-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Determination of protein quality of rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) by in vitro protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS)

Protein digestibility and protein quality of raw rainbow trout, broiled rainbow trout and smoked rainbow trout were studied by in vitro assay, Amino acid score (AAS) and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). Protein digestibilities of samples were determined using an in vitro, three-enzyme method in a pH-stat and three- and four-enzyme pH-drop methods. Amino acid score was based on the amount of the single most limiting amino acid, and its calculation included the use of the requirement pattern suggested by FAO/WHO/ UNU for pre-school children. Protein digestibilities of raw, broiled and smoked rainbow trout were found to be 87.1, 84.0 and 83.4% using the three-enzyme pH-drop method, 84.7, 81.4 and 80.8% using the four-enzyme pH-drop method, and 95.5, 93.9 and 91.2% using the three-enzyme pH-stat method, respectively. When the amino acid score was corrected for in vitro (three-enzyme pH-stat method) protein digestibility, the resulting values of 99.8, 97.1 and 93.9% were obtained. Amino acid score corrected for protein digestibility seems to predict, accurately, the nutritional quality of fish protein when in vitro values are used

Adsorption of direct-acting and indirect-acting mutagens by various dietary fibers

WOS: 000083158800002PubMed ID: 10719562The protective effect of dietary fiber on human cancer has received great attention during the last decades. Because dietary fiber constitues a large group of complex polysaccharides with various solubilities, degrees of lignification, chemical compositions and structural arrangements, several mechanisms for their effects have been proposed. In this study, in vitro binding capacities of various dietary fibers (potato fiber and glucomannan) and dietary fiber constituents (pectic acid and cellulose) against indirect mutagen 2-amino-3-methyl-3H-imidazo (4,5-f) quinoline (IQ) and direct-acting mutagen sodium azide were investigated. Direct-acting mutagen sodium azide was not adsorbed to the dietary fiber and dietary fiber constituents at 0 degrees C, pH 4.5 and 37 degrees C, pH 7.0. However, indirect-acting mutagen 2-amino-3-methyl-3H-imidazo (4,5-f) quinoline (IQ) were sorbed by them in variable ratios at 0 degrees C, pH 4.5 and 37 degrees C, pH 7.0. The differences between the in vitro binding capacities of the samples at two experimental conditions were found to be statiscially significant (P < 0.01). IQ was not released from the dietary fibers and constituents in distilled water

Erratum: Adsorption of direct-acting and indirect-acting mutagens by various dietary fibers (International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (1999) vol. 50 (319-323))

[No abstract available

Available lysine in dried milk after processing

WOS: A1997WQ27500004PubMed ID: 9135773Raw milk, dried milk and stored dried milk (6 and 18 months) were analyzed for total lysine and available lysine. Total lysine and available lysine content of the samples ranged between 7.92-9.02 g/16 g N and 6.20-8.76 g/16 g N, respectively. Available lysine content of the raw milk decreased 14.27% by drying process. Structural changes in dried milk due to crystallisation of lactose might have increased the Maillard reaction causing losses in available lysine of dried milk accounting to 15.45% after 6 months and to 17.44% after 18 months of storage at room temperature (20-30 degrees C)