Entrepreneurial Orientation Components and Sales Volume of Selected Quoted Consumer Goods Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria

Organisational performance is of high importance and occupies a central position among other goals and remains a compensation for sustainable and competitive sales volume. Consumer goods manufacturing industry in Nigeria are experiencing decline in sales volume due to poor entrepreneurial orientation. This study examined the interaction between entrepreneurial orientation components and sales volume of selected quoted consumer goods manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The study adopted cross sectional survey design. The population of the study was 1,551. Total enumeration was used to sample the entire population. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach’s alpha ranges between 0.721 and 0.892. The response rate was 90.5%. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that innovativeness (β = 0.334, t = 4.970, p = 0.000), competitive aggressiveness (β = 0.221, t = 3.715, p = 0.000) and risk taking (β = 0.136, t = 2.044, p = 0.042) have positive and significant effects on sales volume of the selected quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria. However, proactiveness (β = 0.129, t = 1.733, p = 0.000) and planning flexibility (β = 0.075, t = 1.378, p = 0.169) have a positive but insignificant effect on sales volume of selected quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria. The study concluded that entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, competitive aggressiveness, proactiveness, risk-taking and planning flexibility) had significant effect on sales volume of selected quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria and recommended that managers should be more aggressive in exploiting opportunities to increase sales volume. Keywords: Entrepreneurial orientation, Sales volume, Consumer goods companies, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/80-03 Publication date: November 30th 202

Entrepreneurial Orientation, Economic Factors and Performance of Selected Quoted Consumer Goods Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria: A Combined Effect

Performance does take central position in terms of business considering its role in assisting organisations to accomplishing goals and achieving successes. Consumer goods manufacturing industry in Nigeria are experiencing decline in performance these days due to poor entrepreneurial orientation and poor management of economic policies. This study examined entrepreneurial orientation, economic factors and performance of selected quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria. Cross sectional survey design was employed and the population of the study was 1,551 of twelve (12) quoted consumer goods manufacturing companies in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach’s alpha ranges between 0.721 and 0.892. The response rate was 90.5%. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that entrepreneurial orientation (β = 0.420, t = 7.288, p = 0.000) and economic factors (β = 0.671, t = 11.098, p = 0.000) have positive and significant effects on performance of the selected quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria. This implies that entrepreneurial orientation and economic factor are significant predictors of performance of selected quoted consumer goods companies in the study area. The study concluded that entrepreneurial orientation and economic factors had significant effects on performance of selected consumer goods companies in Nigeria and recommended that managers of selected consumer goods companies should be strategic and proactive enough to improve on performance of consumer goods manufacturing companies in Nigeria. Keywords: Entrepreneurial orientation, Economic factors, Consumer goods companies, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-22-03 Publication date: November 30th 202

The IL-23p19/EBI3 heterodimeric cytokine termed IL-39 remains a theoretical cytokine in man

Objective: The heterodimeric IL-12 family member cytokines including, IL-12, IL-23, IL-27, and IL-35 and have multiple roles in regulating innate and adaptive immunity with crucial functions in inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis. Chain pairing promiscuity is a feature of the IL-12 family. Recently, based on murine data, a new family member, IL-39, was proposed, consisting of IL23p19 (shared with IL-23) and EBI3 (shared with IL-27 and IL-35). IL-39 has subsequently been implicated in experimental murine lupus. Given the success of IL-23p19 therapeutic targeting in diseases including psoriasis, it is of great interest to confirm the presence of IL-39 in man. Human IL-39 is yet to be either detected or expressed, which has halted research in this area. Methods: Using a disulphide-linked human chimera protein composing of IL-23p19 and EBI3 human chains, we stimulated human leukocytes, and analysed cytokine secretion and STAT3 phosphorylation. Results and Conclusion: We report that this cytokine shows no activity in human cells. IL-39 chimera protein failed to induce either IL-6, IL-8, TNF, or IL-17A from leukocytes or STAT3 phosphorylation and thus, remains a ‘theoretical cytokine' in humans

TNF-α Regulates Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells by Suppressing IFN-α Production and Enhancing T Cell Activation

Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a vital role in modulating immune responses. They can produce massive amounts of type I IFNs in response to nucleic acids via TLRs, but they are also known to possess weak Ag-presenting properties inducing CD4+ T cell activation. Previous studies showed a cross-regulation between TNF-α and IFN-α, but many questions remain about the effect of TNF-α in regulating human pDCs. In this study, we showed that TNF-α significantly inhibited the secretion of IFN-α and TNF-α of TLR-stimulated pDCs. Instead, exogenous TNF-α promoted pDC maturation by upregulating costimulatory molecules and chemokine receptors such as CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, and CCR7. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis showed that TNF-α inhibited IFN-α and TNF-α production by downregulating IRF7 and NF-κB pathways, while it promoted Ag processing and presentation pathways as well as T cell activation and differentiation. Indeed, TNF-α–treated pDCs induced in vitro higher CD4+ T cell proliferation and activation, enhancing the production of Th1 and Th17 cytokines. In conclusion, TNF-α favors pDC maturation by switching their main role as IFN-α–producing cells to a more conventional dendritic cell phenotype. The functional status of pDCs might therefore be strongly influenced by their overall inflammatory environment, and TNF-α might regulate IFN-α–mediated aspects of a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

Plucked hair follicles from patients with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus show a disease-specific molecular signature

Objective: When faced with clinical symptoms of scarring alopecia—the standard diagnostic pathway involves a scalp biopsy which is an invasive and expensive procedure. This project aimed to assess if plucked hair follicles (HFs) containing living epithelial cells can offer a non-invasive approach to diagnosing inflammatory scalp lesions. Methods: Lesional and non-lesional HFs were extracted from the scalp of patients with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (CDLE), psoriasis and healthy controls. RNA was isolated from plucked anagen HFs and microarray, as well as quantitative real-time PCR was performed. Results: Here, we report that gene expression analysis of only a small number of HF plucked from lesional areas of the scalp is sufficient to differentiate CDLE from psoriasis lesions or healthy HF. The expression profile from CDLE HFs coincides with published profiles of CDLE from skin biopsy. Genes that were highly expressed in lesional CDLE corresponded to well-known histopathological diagnostic features of CDLE and included those related to apoptotic cell death, the interferon signature, complement components and CD8+ T-cell immune responses. Conclusions: We therefore propose that information obtained from this non-invasive approach are sufficient to diagnose scalp lupus erythematosus. Once validated in routine clinical settings and compared with other scarring alopecias, this rapid and non-invasive approach will have great potential for paving the way for future diagnosis of inflammatory scalp lesions

Production of membrane proteins for characterisation of their pheromone-sensing and antimicrobial resistance functions

AbstractDespite the importance of membrane proteins in cellular processes, studies of these hydrophobic proteins present major technical challenges, including expression and purification for structural and biophysical studies. A modified strategy of that proposed previously by Saidijam et al. (2005) and others, for the routine expression of bacterial membrane proteins involved in environmental sensing and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is proposed which results in purification of sufficient proteins for biophysical experiments. We report expression successes amongst a collection of enterococcal vancomycin resistance membrane proteins: VanTG, VanTG-M transporter domain, VanZ and the previously characterised VanS (A-type) histidine protein kinase (HPK). Using the same strategy, we report on the successful amplification and purification of intact BlpH and ComD2 HPKs of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Near-UV circular dichroism revealed both recombinant proteins bound their pheromone ligands BlpC and CSP2. Interestingly, CSP1 also interacted with ComD. Finally, we evaluate the alternative strategy for studying sensory HPKs involving isolated soluble sensory domain fragments, exemplified by successful production of VicKESD of Enterococcus faecalis VicK. Purified VicKESD possessed secondary structure post-purification. Thermal denaturation experiments using far-UV CD, a technique which can be revealing regarding ligand binding, revealed that: (a) VicKESD denaturation occurs between 15 and 50 °C; and (b) reducing conditions did not detectably affect denaturation profiles suggesting reducing conditions per se are not directly sensed by VicKESD. Our findings provide information on a modified strategy for the successful expression, production and/or storage of bacterial membrane HPKs, AMR proteins and sensory domains for their future crystallisation, and ligand binding studies

Prediction of autoimmune connective tissue disease in an at-risk cohort: prognostic value of a novel two-score system for interferon status

Objective: To evaluate clinical, interferon and imaging predictors of progression from ‘At Risk’ to autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs). Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in At-Risk of AI-CTD (defined as antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive; ≤1 clinical systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) criterion; symptom duration <12 months and treatment-naïve). Bloods and skin biopsy (non-lesional) were analysed for two interferon-stimulated gene expression scores previously described (IFN-Score-A and IFN-Score-B). Forty-nine healthy controls (HCs) and 114 SLE were used as negative and positive controls. Musculoskeletal ultrasound was performed. Progression was defined by meeting classification criteria for AI-CTDs at 12 months. Results: 118 individuals with 12-month follow-up were included. Of these, 19/118 (16%) progressed to AI-CTD (SLE=14, primary Sjogren’s=5). At baseline, both IFN scores differed among At-Risk, HCs and SLE groups (p<0.001) and both were elevated in At-Risk who progressed to AI-CTD at 12 months versus non-progressors, to a greater extent for IFN-Score-B (fold difference (95% CI) 3.22 (1.74 to 5.95), p<0.001) than IFN-Score-A (2.94 (1.14 to 7.54); p=0.018). Progressors did not have significantly greater baseline clinical characteristics or ultrasound findings. Fold difference between At-Risk and HCs for IFN-Score-A was markedly greater in skin than blood. In multivariable logistic regression, only family history of autoimmune rheumatic disease, OR 8.2 (95% CI 1.58 to 42.53) and IFN-Score-B, 3.79 (1.50–9.58) increased the odds of progression. Conclusion: A two-factor interferon score and family history predict progression from ANA positivity to AI-CTD. These interferon scores may allow stratification of individuals At-Risk of AI-CTD permitting early intervention for disease prevention and avoid irreversible organ damage

Detection of IL-36γ through noninvasive tape stripping reliably discriminates psoriasis from atopic eczema

This report demonstrates that sampling and detection of IL-36γ protein by non-invasive tape stripping of skin lesion provides a highly sensitive and selective diagnostic for psoriatic inflammation