Is corporate social responsibility always a function of good management?

The debate on the relationship between business and society is an issue of practical importance and theoretical interest. This paper discusses the perspectives on the social responsibilities of organisations to indicate the diversity of approaches to the legitimacy and the boundaries of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Classical Theories of Social Responsibility, The Stakeholder Theory, The Social Demandingness Theory, and The Social Activist Theory are critiqued. Finally, major arguments behind the social responsibility theories are discussed and an ethical relativism framework is proposed to assess the morality and the legitimacy of CSR practices. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility; philantrophy; relativism; management; stakeholde

Genetic relationships among collections of the Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus, in the south Caspian Sea detected by mitochondrial DNA–Restriction fragment length polymorphisms

In the present study, mitochondrial DNA polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was used to assess the population structure and genetic relationships among six Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus populations from the south Caspian Sea along the Iranian coast. The complete nucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 5 (NADH 5) region of mtDNA amplified by PCR was digested with five restriction enzymes. In total, 154 individuals from six populations including: Guilan (Zone1-2), Mazandaran (Zone 3 and 5), Golestan (Zone 4) and Sefidroud River, from the south Caspian Sea along the Iranian coast were analyzed using five restriction endonucleases (Rsa І, Hinf І, HaeIII, Mbo І and Cfr13І), yielding 17 haplotypes. Samples from Sefidroud River were clearly identified by cluster and molecular variance model (AMOVA) analyses. This collection showed dominant haplotypes that were little in populations from the other geographic areas. The mean haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.739±0.038 and 0.0105±0.0043, respectively. Based on heterogeneity test haplotype frequencies of Persian sturgeon populations and Monte-Carlo with 1000 replicates in PCR-RFLP method significant differences were seen (χ2 =37.12, P< 0.0001) and these results showed that haplotype distribution in different location were significant and populations of Sefidroud River were statistically significant (P< 0.0001). This result suggests that the unique genetic structure of Sefidroud River represents a highly valuable genetic resource and should now be treated as demographically independent and managed separately

Genetic diversity in the Persian sturgeon, Acipenser percicus, from the south Caspian Sea based on mitochondrial DNA sequences of the control region

The Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus (Borodin, 1897), is an economically important species, which mainly inhabits the Caspian Sea. However, little is known about its population genetic structure. In this study, variation in nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of wild stock Persian sturgeon was determined to assess the genetic diversity among different natural populations of this species. The fish (n = 46) were collected from four sites (Astara, Sefidrood, Noshahr and BandareTurkaman) in the south Caspian Sea. As a result 6 haplotypes and 44 variable sites were found. The average haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.640±0.028 and 0.0442±0.011, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated that most variations occurred within samples, and the difference between the populations from Astara and Noshahr or Bandare- Turkaman was not significant (p <0.001). Estimates of gene flow indicated reproductive isolation between the Sefidrood River population and the other collections. The divergence might be related to geographical isolation. The results are consistent with the findings from PCR-RFLP analysis (PCR-RFLP) and suggest considerable genetic diversity of the population from Sefidrood River

Genetic analysis of pike-perch, Sander lucioperca L., populations revealed by microsatellite DNA markers in Iran

This study was conducted in order to investigate genetic diversity and population structure of pike perch in the Northern part of Iran. For this purpose, 207 adult pike-perches from four regions of the Caspian Sea watershed (Talesh Coasts, Anzali Wetland, Chaboksar Coasts and Aras Dam) were collected. DNA was extracted and by using 15 pairs of microsatellite primers, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was conducted. DNA bands were analyzed using Biocapt and GenAlex 6 software package. Out of 15 microsatellite primers, 11 loci were produced, of those, 6 loci were polymorphic and 5 were monomorphic. Analysis revealed that the average number of alleles per locus and observed heterozygosities were not statistically significant (P>0.05) for all four populations. Data indicated an appreciable genetic differentiation, in spite of a low genetic variation, and agreed with the low level of genetic polymorphism already observed for this species in Iran. Deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was obvious in most cases, mostly due to the deficiency of heterozygosities. The highest genetic distance was between Anzali Wetland and Aras Dam populations. This investigation represents the first approach to the knowledge of the genetic variability of Iranian populations using microsatellite markers, and reported results could be of interest for future management and conservation programs of this species in Iran

Self-assembly of three cationic silver(I) coordination networks with flexible bis(pyrazolyl)-based linkers

Three new cationic silver(I) coordination polymers, {[Ag(mu-bpmb)](SO3CF3)}n (1), {[Ag(mu-bdb)1.5] (SO3CF3)}n (2) and {[Ag(mu-bpb)2](NO3)}n (3), with flexible 1,4-bis[(pyrazolyl)methyl]benzene (bpmb), 1,4-bis[(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methyl]benzene (bdb), and 1,4-bis(pyrazolyl)butane (bpb) have been prepared at room temperature by the solvent layering method. The three compounds were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, PXRD, elemental analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 is a highly undulated polymeric 1D chain in which the silver ions adopt a linear geometry, coordinating two bpmb linkers. Compounds 2 and 3 are both 2D coordination polymers with their silver atoms being three and four coordinated, and resulting in 6^3-hcb and 4^4-sql underlying net topologies, respectively. The flexible bispyrazolyl ligands display various conformations in the solid state, causing the formation of different Ag. . .Ag separations in the polymeric structures

Outcomes after endovascular repair of arterial trauma

BackgroundEndovascular repair of peripheral arterial trauma using covered stent grafts is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery in selected patients. Although the technical feasibility of endovascular repair has been established, there are a paucity of data regarding outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of endovascular repair in patients with peripheral arterial trauma.MethodsA review of a prospectively collected institutional trauma registry captured all patients with peripheral arterial injury who underwent endovascular repair from August 2004 to June 2012. Data collected included demographics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), mechanism, location and type of injury, imaging modality, intervention type, complications and reintervention, length of stay, and follow-up. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.ResultsDuring the study period, we performed endovascular repair in 28 patients with peripheral arterial injuries. There were 20 male patients (71%) with a median age of 39 years (range, 13-88 years). The mean ISS was 17.2 (range, 9-41). The mechanism of injury was penetrating in 21 (75%) and blunt in seven (25%). The anatomic locations of the 28 arterial injuries were carotid (3 [11%]), subclavian (7 [25%]), axillary (6 [22%]), iliac (3 [11%]), and femoral/popliteal (9 [32%]). Findings consistent with injury on imaging included pseudoaneurysms (9 [32%]), extravasations (9 [32%]), occlusions (6 [22%]), and arteriovenous fistulas (4 [14%]). Technical success was achieved in all patients. The overall complication rate was 21%, with six patients requiring a secondary procedure. Two patients underwent a planned, elective conversion to open repair during the initial hospitalization. Four patients required conversion secondary to stent graft thrombosis. Three conversions were early (<30 days) and one was late (>30 days). The mean length of stay was 18.4 ± 22.9 days (range, 1-93 days), with a median follow-up of 13 months (range, 1-60 months). The overall limb salvage rate was 92% at 45 days and 79% at 93 days.ConclusionsThe present study outlines our early experience with endovascular repair of peripheral arterial injuries in a variety of anatomic locations. Overall complication rates are appreciable but can be effectively detected and managed with additional intervention. The inclusion of endovascular modalities in algorithms of trauma care holds considerable promise. The need to better define optimal algorithms for utilization and determine long-term outcomes of intervention requires significant additional study

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Dogs in Tehran, Iran

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infects a wide range of animals; felines are definitive hosts and other animals including the dogs are intermediate hosts. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in dogs in Tehran, capital of Iran and to investigate possi­ble associated risk factors.Methods: Three hundreds ninety six serum samples were collected during 2007-8 from the dogs. Col­lected samples were tested using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in dilutions of 1:16 and more. All procedures were carried out in Shahrekord University, Iran. All the data were analyzed using SPSS software, qui square test with confidence interval of 0.95.Results: From evaluated samples, 89 (22.47%) were positive in titers of at least 1:16. further evalua­tions in other dilutions showed positive results in dilutions of maximum 1:16 , 1:32, 1:64, 1:128 and 1:256 in 38, 29, 15, 2 and 5 dogs respectively. Investigation of the role of risk factors showed no sex predisposition while infection rate was significantly higher in dogs older than one year old. Living places were of significant importance; infection rate was significantly higher in stray or guard dogs in compare with household dogs (P<0.05). Conclusion: Relatively high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in dogs in Tehran shows high environmental contamination. It is recommended that the dogs with suspected clinical signs be tested for T. gondii infection

Comparative assessment of tear function tests, tear osmolarity, and conjunctival impression cytology between patients with pterygium and healthy eyes

Purpose: To compare histologic abnormalities of tear film and tear osmolarity between normal eyes and eyes with pterygium. Methods: This was a prospective, hospital-based, case-control study involving 95 patients (65 men, 30 women) with unilateral pterygium. The tear meniscus height (TMH), Schirmer's test-1 (SCH-1) score, Rose Bengal staining (RBS) score, tear film breakup time (TBUT), tear osmolarity (TO), and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) were assessed in both eyes. The Chi-square and Student's t-tests were used to compare the results between the two groups. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean patient age was 50.9 years, with the largest age group being the 45-55 year-old bracket across both genders. Most patients (82.1) had nasal pterygium, and 80 were involved in outside activities. The mean assessment values in the case and control groups were as follows: TMH, 0.21 vs. 0.24 mm; SCH-1, 13.2 vs. 17.8 mm; RBS, 4.38 vs. 2.51 points; TBUT, 8.7 vs. 13.2 seconds; TO, 306 vs. 299 mOsm/L (P < 0.001 in all cases). The proportions of abnormal assessment values in the case and control groups were as follows: TMH, 82.1 vs. 3.16; SCH-1, 20 vs. 2.1; RBS, 30.53 vs. 4.22; TBUT, 61.05 vs. 6.3; TO, 10.52 vs. 1.05; CIC, 33.7 vs. 7.37 (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: This study showed that the quantity and quality of tear film, as well as the number of goblet cells, decreased, but the tear osmolarity increased in eyes with pterygium. Furthermore, the TMH, RBS results, TBUT, and CIC have more precise state of the patient's tear condition with the disease of the pterygium. Safarzadeh Masoud 1 Department of Optometry, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Heidari Sahel 2 Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Azizzadeh Parvin 3 Bahman Ophthalmology Research Center, Bahman Hospital, Tehran Sheibani Kourosh 4 Basir Eye Safety Research Center, Basir Eye Clinic, Tehran Nassiri Nader 5 Ophthalmic Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Heidari Laleh 6 Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Aghataheri Sattar 7 Department of Optometry, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Moukoury Nyolo E, Epee E, Nsangou JFI, Noa Noa Tina B. Pterygiun in a tropical region: Analysis of 344 cases in Cameroon. Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol 2009;311:11-15. Shiroma H, Higa A, Sawaguchi S, Iwase A, Tomidokoro A, Amano S. Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium in a southwestern island of Japan: The Kumejima Study. Am J Ophthalmol 2009;148:766-771. Cajucom-Uy H, Tong L, Wong TY, Tay WT, Saw SM. The prevalence of and risk factors for pterygium in an urban Malay population: The Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES). Br J Ophthalmol 2010;94:977-981. Rajab AY. Evaluation of tear film stability in pterygium and pingueculae. Ann Coll Med Mosul 2013;39:132-135. Ganeshpuri AS, Kamble BS, Patil P, Wadgaonkar SP. A comparative study of tear film stability and secretion in pterygium patients-Diabetic vs. nondiabetic. Int J Health Sci Res 2014;4:86-97. Anguria P, Ntuli S, Carmichael T. Relationships of heredity and dry eye with pterygia in black African patients. SAMJ 2011;101:110. Yanoff, Duker. Ophthalmology. 4th edition chapter. Vol. 23. 2013. p. 274-6. ISBN 978-1455-7398-44. Wang S, Jiang B, Gu Y. Changes of tear film function after pterygium operation. Ophthalmic Res 2011;45:210-215. Srinivasan S and Nichols KK. Collecting tear osmolarity measurements in the diagnosis of dry eye. Exp Rev Ophthalmol 2009;4:451-453. Ozsutcu M, Arslan B, Erdur SK, Gulkilik G, Kocabora SM, Muftuoglu O. Tear osmolarity and tear film parameters in patients with unilateral pterygium. Cornea 2014;33:1174-1178. Singh R, Joseph A, Umapathy T, Tint NL, Dua HS. Impression cytology of the ocular surface. Br J Ophthalmol 2005;89:1655-1659. Viso E, Gude F, Rodríguez-Ares MT. Prevalence of pinguecula and pterygium in a general population in Spain. Eye (Lond) 2011;25:350-357. Antony AT, Mini PA, Dalia S. Pterygium and Dry Eye- A Clinical Correlation. J Med Scie Clin Res 2017;5:23654-23659. Rahman A, Yahya K, Fasih U, Huda W, Shaikh A. Comparison of Schirmer's test and tear film breakup time test to detect tear film abnormalities in patients with Pterygium. J Pak Med Assoc 2012;6:1214-1216. Lee AJ, Lee J, Saw SM, Gazzard G, Koh D, Widjaja D, Tan DT. Prevalence and risk factors associated with dry eye symptoms: A population based study in Indonesia. Br J Ophthalmol 2002;86:1347-1351. Fotouhi A, Hashemi H, Khabazkhoob M, Mohammad K. Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium and pinguecula: The Tehran Eye Study. Eye (Lond) 2009;23:1125-1129. Dolezalova V. Is the occurrence of a temporal pterygium really so rare? Ophthalmologica 1977;174:88-91. Asokan R, Venkatasubbu RS, Velumuri L, Lingam V, George R. Prevalence and associated factors for pterygium and pinguecula in a South Indian population. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2012;32:39-44. Jang SY, Lee SY, Yoon JS. Meibomian gland dysfunction in longstanding prosthetic eye wearers. Br J Ophthalmol 2013;97:398-402. Das P, Gokani A, Bagchi K, Bhaduri G, Chaudhuri S, Law S. Limbal epithelial stem-microenvironmental alteration leads to pterygium development. Mol Cell Biochem 2015;402:123-139. Onkar A, Pandey DJ, Bist HK, Sen S. Tear and pterygium: A clinico-pathological study of conjunctiva for tear film anomaly in pterygium. J Eye Cataract Surg 2017;3:24. Bekibele CO, Baiyeroju AM, Ajaiyeoba A, Akang EE, Ajayi BG. Case control study of dry eye and related ocular surface abnormalities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Int Ophthalmol 2010;30:7-13. Rajiv, Mithal S, Sood AK. Pterygium and dry eye-A clinical correlation. Indian J Ophthalmol 1991;39:15-16. Oh HJ, Park YG, Yoon KC. Changes of ocular surface and tear film in patients with pinguecula and pterygium. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2006;47:717-724. Moreno JC, Garcia VG, Garcia L. Evaluation of tear film in patients with Pterygium. Eur J Ophthalmol 2011;00 (00). Roka N, Shrestha SP. Assessment of tear secretion and tear film instability in cases with pterygium and normal subjects. Nepal J Ophthalmol 2013;5:16-23. El-Sersy TH. Role of pterygium in ocular dryness. J Egypt Ophthalmol Soc 2014;107:205-208. Lemp MA, Baudouin C, Baum J. The definition and classification of dry eye disease: Report of the definition and classification subcommittee of the international Dry Eye WorkShop. Ocul Surf 2007;5:75-92. Manhas A, Gupta D, Gupta A, Kumar D, Manhas RS, Manhas GS. Clinical correlation between dry eye and pterygium: A study done at government medical college Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, North India. Int J Res Med Sci 2017;5:3087-3094. Lemp MA, Bron AJ, Baudouin C. Tear osmolarity in the diagnosis and management of dry eye disease. Am J Ophthalmol 2011;151:792-798. Julio G, Lluch S, Pujol P, Alonso S, Merindano D. Tear osmolarity and ocular changes in pterygium. Cornea 2012;31:1417-1421. Detorakis ET, Zaravinos A, Spandidos DA. 'Growth factor expression in ophthalmic pterygia and normal conjunctiva'. Int J Mol Med 2010;25:513-516. Bandyopadhyay R, Nag D, Mondal SK, Gangopadhyay S, Bagchi K, Bhaduri G. Ocular surface disorder in pterygium: Role of conjunctival impression cytology. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2010;53:692-695. Shreya T, Poorvi G. Role of impression cytology in detecting gobletcell damage in various ocular surface disorder. Austin J Clin Ophthalmol 2016;3:1065. © 2019 Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow