How Do Consumers See Firms’ Family Nature? A Review of the Literature

This literature review analyzes studies that deal with the meanings that consumers form about firms’ family nature. Through the analysis of 83 papers, we highlight the importance of firms’ family nature from consumers’ perceptual, social, and cultural perspectives, at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Beside the common meanings that consumers attach to firms’ family nature, our review showed that in some cases, firms’ family nature acquired meanings that were deemed to be so important that they eventually provided consumers with self-identification, communitarian identification, and novel market configurations, and even made the family firm the industry’s prototypical organizational for

Major vessel sealing in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer: a single-center experience with 759 patients

Abstract Background Efficient hemostatic techniques are essential in laparoscopic surgery for ideal intraoperative and postoperative results. A variety of advanced devices are available for the sealing of major vascular structures. The aim of this study is to assess effectiveness and safety of major vessel sealing with a radiofrequency device during laparoscopic colorectal resections for cancer based on the experience of a single hospital. Methods Early outcomes of a consecutive series of patients who received elective laparoscopic colorectal resections for cancer over a 10-year period (January 2008–September 2017) are analyzed. In all procedures, the Ligasure® electrothermal bipolar device was used for the closure of the major colonic vessels and the dissection of all the structures. No other products such clips, staplers, hemostatic products, or other devices were used. Results Seven-hundred fifty-nine procedures were performed in laparoscopy: 179 rectal resections, 247 sigmoidectomies and left hemicolectomies, 240 right hemicolectomies, 33 resections of the splenic flexure, 35 transverse colonic resections, and 25 other procedures. In 39 cases, the laparoscopic procedure was converted to open surgery, and in these cases, vessel sealing was also achieved with the radiofrequency device alone. Vessel dissection and sealing was realized in all cases without any intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. No reoperations for bleeding from major vessels were performed in any patients. One case of reoperation was recorded postoperatively, at 3 h after right hemicolectomy, due to a small bleeding from the fat of the transverse colon stump. Conclusions The use of Ligasure® radiofrequency device for sealing and dividing the major colonic vessels is safe, fast, and effective during laparoscopic colorectal resections

7p22.2 Microduplication: A Pathogenic CNV?

Partial duplication of the short arm of chromosome 7 is a rare chromosome rearrangement. The phenotype spectrum associated with this rearrangement is extremely variable even if in the last decade the use of high-resolution microarray technology for the investigation of patients carrying this rearrangement allowed for the identification of the 7p22.1 sub-band causative of this phenotype and to recognize the corresponding 7p22.1 microduplication syndrome. We report two unrelated patients that carry a microduplication involving the 7.22.2 sub-band. Unlike 7p22.1 microduplication carriers, both patients only show a neurodevelopmental disorder without malformations. We better characterized the clinical pictures of these two patients providing insight into the clinical phenotype associated with the microduplication of the 7p22.2 sub-band and support for a possible role of this sub-band in the 7p22 microduplication syndrome

A prospective randomized noninferiority study comparing recombinant FSH and highly purified menotropin in intrauterine insemination cycles in couples

OBJECTIVE: To examine nicotine (N) and cotinine (C) effects on trophoblast cells (TCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) secretion of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1), soluble endoglin (sENG), placental growth factor (PlGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). STUDY DESIGN: Human placentas and umbilical cords were collected from uncomplicated pregnancies at term from a total of 24 non-smoking women with a history of normal blood pressure. TCs and HUVEC were cultured for 24 h with C or N (from 10(-12) to 10(-7) M). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: sFlt-1, sENG, PlGF, TGF-beta and VEGF release and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were evaluated by ELISA and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. RESULTS: N and C reduced sFlt-1, sENG and PlGF release by TCs and TGF-beta release by HUVEC. Conversely, N and C increased PlGF secretion, while N alone increased sFlt-1 release by HUVEC. N and C were able to modulate VEGF mRNA expression in HUVEC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that N and C affect the balance of some important vasoactive factors released by TCs and HUVEC. This might be one of the possible mechanism through which smoke reduces the risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy as well as contributes to the well known detrimental effects of smoking on fetal developm

A prospective randomized noninferiority study comparing recombinant FSH and highly purified menotropin in intrauterine insemination cycles in couples with unexplained infertility and/or mild-moderate male factor.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the noninferiority of highly purified menotropin (HP-hMG) compared with recombinant FSH (rFSH) regarding clinical pregnancy rate (PR) in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. DESIGN: Prospective randomized noninferiority trial. SETTING: Unit of physiopathology of human reproduction, university hospital. PATIENT(S): Five hundred twenty-three patients with unexplained infertility or mild male infertility undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IUI. INTERVENTION(S): Patients were randomized for treatment with rFSH (262 patients) or HP-hMG (261 patients). Insemination was performed 34-36 hours after hCG injection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy rate (PR). The secondary outcome was the number of interrupted cycles for high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and multiple pregnancy. RESULT(S): The clinical PR was 19.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 15.3%-25.1%) in the HP-hMG group and 21.4% (95% CI 16.9%-26.8%) in the rFSH group [absolute difference -1.7% (95% CI -8.6%-5.2%)]; therefore, the noninferiority was demonstrated. The number of interrupted cycles for OHSS risk and multiple pregnancy was significantLy higher in the rFSH group, 8.4% (95% CI 5.6%-12.4%) than in the HP-hMG group 1.2% (95% CI 0.4%-3.3%) [absolute difference -7.27% (95% CI -11.3 to -3.7)]. CONCLUSION(S): HP-hMG is not inferior compared with rFSH regarding clinical PR

CD4+CD28null T lymphocytes are expanded in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We demonstrated that women with PCOS showed an expansion of CD4+CD28null T cells, an aggressive population of T lymphocytes that has been recently associated with recurrent coronary instability and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This sheds new light on possible mechanisms responsible for the higher rate of cardiovascular disease among women with PCOS

Melatonin Treatment May Be Able to Restore Menstrual Cyclicity in Women With PCOS: A Pilot Study

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of 6 months of melatonin administration on clinical, endocrine, and metabolic features of women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This is a prospective cohort study including 40 normal-weight women with PCOS between January and September 2016, enrolled in an academic research environment. Ultrasonographic pelvic examinations, hirsutism score evaluation, hormonal profile assays, oral glucose tolerance test, and lipid profile at baseline and after 6 months of melatonin administration were performed. Melatonin treatment significantly decreased androgens levels (free androgen index: P < .05; testosterone: P < .01; 17 hydroxyprogesterone: P < .01). Follicle-stimulating hormone levels significantly raised ( P < .01), and anti-Mullerian hormone serum levels significantly dropped after 6 months of melatonin treatment ( P < .01). No significant changes occurred in glucoinsulinemic and lipid parameters after treatment except a significant decrease of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Almost 95% of participants experienced an amelioration of menstrual cycles. Until now, only few data have been published about the role of melatonin in women with PCOS. This is the first study focused on the effects of exogenous oral melatonin administration on the clinical, endocrine, and metabolic characteristics of patients with PCOS. After 6 months of treatment, melatonin seems to improve menstrual irregularities and biochemical hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS through a direct, insulin-independent effect on the ovary. Based on our results, melatonin could be considered a potential future therapeutic agent for women affected by PCO

Myoinositol combined with alpha-lipoic acid may improve the clinical and endocrine features of polycystic ovary syndrome through an insulin-independent action

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of a combined treatment with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and myoinositol (MYO) on clinical, endocrine and metabolic features of women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this pilot cohort study, forty women with PCOS were enrolled and clinical, hormonal and metabolic parameters were evaluated before and after a six-months combined treatment with ALA and MYO daily. Studied patients experienced a significant increase in the number of cycles in six months (p < 0.01). The free androgen index (FAI), the mean androstenedione and DHEAS levels significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.05). Mean SHBG levels significantly raised (p < 0.01). A significant improvement in mean Ferriman\u2013Gallwey (F\u2013G) score (p < 0.01) and a significant reduction of BMI (p < 0.01) were also observed. A significant reduction of AMH levels, ovarian volume and total antral follicular count were observed in our studied women (p< 0.05). No significant changes occurred in gluco-insulinaemic and lipid parameters after treatment. The combined treatment of ALA and MYO is able to restore the menstrual pattern and to improve the hormonal milieu of PCOS women, even in the absence of apparent changes in insulin metabolism