Calibration of Polarization Fields and Electro-Optical Response of Group-III Nitride Based c-Plane Quantum-Well Heterostructures by Application of Electro-Modulation Techniques

The polarization fields and electro-optical response of PIN-diodes based on nearly lattice-matched InGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN double heterostructure quantum wells grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were experimentally quantified. Dependent on the indium content and the applied voltage, an intense near ultra-violet emission was observed from GaN (with fundamental energy gap Eg = 3.4 eV) in the electroluminescence (EL) spectra of the InGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN PIN-diodes. In addition, in the electroreflectance (ER) spectra of the GaN barrier structure of InAlN/GaN diodes, the three valence-split bands, Γ9, Γ7+, and Γ7−, could selectively be excited by varying the applied AC voltage, which opens new possibilities for the fine adjustment of UV emission components in deep well/shallow barrier DHS. The internal polarization field Epol = 5.4 ± 1.6 MV/cm extracted from the ER spectra of the In0.21Al0.79N/GaN DHS is in excellent agreement with the literature value of capacitance-voltage measurements (CVM) Epol = 5.1 ± 0.8 MV/cm. The strength and direction of the polarization field Epol = −2.3 ± 0.3 MV/cm of the (0001) In0.055Ga0.945N/GaN DHS determined, under flat-barrier conditions, from the Franz-Keldysh oscillations (FKOs) of the electro-optically modulated field are also in agreement with the CVM results Epol = −1.2 ± 0.4 MV/cm. The (absolute) field strength is accordingly significantly higher than the Epol strength quantified in published literature by FKOs on a semipolar (112¯2) oriented In0.12Ga0.88N quantum well

Job and career satisfaction in an austerity environment: The role of job security and passion towards work

This study investigates the role of passion in forming job and career satisfaction among employees in the sport industry using the dualistic model of passion developed by Vallerand et al. (2003). The research was conducted within a context of austerity measures and aimed to examine the mediating effects of job security in the relationship between passion and satisfaction at work. Employees within Greek municipal sport organisations completed a self-administered questionnaire (N=170) in order to measure their level of passion towards their work (both harmonious and obsessive), their job and career satisfaction, and their perceptions of job security. Data were treated with Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and multiple regression analyses using SPSS and Amos 21.0. The findings reveal that harmonious passion is significantly positively related to both job and career satisfaction, and that job security mediates these relationships. The research demonstrates the benefits of having harmoniously passionate employees, as well as the importance of strengthening or retaining feelings of job security under drastic socio-economic measures

An exploration of the corporate objectives of the Rio 2016 Olympic Sponsors

The purpose of this study was to examine the corporate objectives of the “Rio 2016” Olympic Games sponsors program, expanding the literature by investigating the first Latin American edition of the Olympic Games and by introducing a multi categorical framework for understanding why sponsors invest in mega sport events. The data for this study derives from 6 in-depth interviews with highly standing managers of Rio 2016 official sponsors. All of the interviewees had a sports sponsorship background, indicating that the specific knowledge contributes positively for business reflections and decision making. This study revealed five categories of corporate objectives relevant to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, including Corporate Social Responsibility, Branding, Organizational capability, Network, and Financial Performance. International and national companies affiliated with the Rio games had a strong interest in branding and especially in the possibility of being recognized as pioneers in Latin America in delivering the games and showing that the country can be appealing to new business and growth. The networking of the sponsors in the context of sponsor-sponsor and sponsor-sponsee was a new set of corporate objectives highlighted by this research. This indicates that events can be the beginning of a great institutional relationship between the sponsor and the sponsee. The least cited sponsors’ objective was CSR and related more with financial and branding sub-objectives. Also, the study offers evidence that sponsors may use the event as an opportunity to create a legacy after the Olympics, which can be exploited beyond the games for business benefits

Once-yearly zoledronic acid in the prevention of osteoporotic bone fractures in postmenopausal women

Zoledronic acid is a nitrogen-containing, third-generation bisphosphonate that has recently been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis as an annual intravenous infusion. Zoledronic acid is an antiresorptive agent which has a high affinity for mineralized bone and especially for sites of high bone turnover. Zoledronic acid is excreted by the kidney without further metabolism. Zoledronic acid administered as a 5 mg intravenous infusion annually increases bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femoral neck by 6.7% and 5.1% respectively and reduces the incidence of new vertebral and hip fractures by 70% and 41% respectively in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Most common side effects are post-dose fever, flu-like symptoms, myalgia, arthralgia, and headache which usually occur in the first 3 days after infusion and are self-limited. Rare adverse effects include renal dysfunction, hypocalcemia, atrial fibrillation, and osteonecrosis of the jaw

The Effect of Locally Delivered Doxycycline in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis. A Clinical and Microbiological Cohort Study

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of locally delivered doxycycline as an adjunct to non-surgical treatment with the use of an ultrasonic device compared to scaling and root planing using hand instruments, by means of clinical and microbiological criteria.Material and Methods: Thirty three patients with chronic periodontitis participated in this cohort study and were divided into two groups. Patients in control group received scaling and root planing using hand instruments, whereas patients in control group received ultrasonic debridement and 8.8% doxycycline gel was applied after initial therapy and at 3 months at preselected sites. Clinical recordings concerning probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, plaque index and gingival bleeding index were performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months after baseline. Subgingival samples were analysed using the “checkerboard” DNA-DNA hybridisation technique for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola.Results: Both treatments resulted in significant improvement in all clinical recordings. Six months after the treatment a statistically significant decrease was observed for Porphyromonas gingivalis in both of groups and Treponema denticola in the control group (P < 0.05). No inter-group differences were observed (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Both treatment modalities provided comparable clinical and microbiological results in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

Regenerative Approaches in Huntington’s Disease: From Mechanistic Insights to Therapeutic Protocols

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the exon-1 of the IT15 gene encoding the protein Huntingtin. Expression of mutated Huntingtin in humans leads to dysfunction and ultimately degeneration of selected neuronal populations of the striatum and cerebral cortex. Current available HD therapy relies on drugs to treat chorea and control psychiatric symptoms, however, no therapy has been proven to slow down disease progression or prevent disease onset. Thus, although 24 years have passed since HD gene identification, HD remains a relentless progressive disease characterized by cognitive dysfunction and motor disability that leads to death of the majority of patients, on average 10–20 years after its onset. Up to now several molecular pathways have been implicated in the process of neurodegeneration involved in HD and have provided potential therapeutic targets. Based on these data, approaches currently under investigation for HD therapy aim on the one hand at getting insight into the mechanisms of disease progression in a human-based context and on the other hand at silencing mHTT expression by using antisense oligonucleotides. An innovative and still poorly investigated approach is to identify new factors that increase neurogenesis and/or induce reprogramming of endogenous neuroblasts and parenchymal astrocytes to generate new healthy neurons to replace lost ones and/or enforce neuroprotection of pre-existent striatal and cortical neurons. Here, we review studies that use human disease-in-a-dish models to recapitulate HD pathogenesis or are focused on promoting in vivo neurogenesis of endogenous striatal neuroblasts and direct neuronal reprogramming of parenchymal astrocytes, which combined with neuroprotective protocols bear the potential to re-establish brain homeostasis lost in HD

Linking sport team sponsorship to perceived switching cost and switching intentions

Research question/purpose – Although literature has focused on the impact of sponsorship on the customers’ purchase intentions, the impact of sport team sponsorship on switching intentions on service providers remains a largely overlooked research topic. The study addresses this gap by examining the effects of sport team sponsorship on the switching intentions of service customers, who at the same time are sport fans. Research methods – The study draws on a sponsorship agreement between a mobile telecommunication company (sponsor) and a European professional football team (sponsored team). Through a survey, 261 responses were collected and subsequently analysed using structural equation modeling techniques. Results and findings – The results suggest that enhancing the relationship of fans with the team and its sponsor – as well as increasing their level of involvement with the sport – can contribute to increasing the perceived switching cost of the fans regarding mobile telecommunications services. Similarly, strengthening the fans’ attitudes towards the sponsor can reduce their likelihood of switching to another telecommunications provider. Implications – As the first study to examine the effects of sport team sponsorship on the switching intentions of service customers who at the same time are sport fans, this paper adds to academic understanding of the impacts of sport (football) involvement, team-brand attitude, sponsor-brand attitude, and sponsorship fit on switching intentions and on perceived switching cost of the sponsor’s customers. In doing so, the study also investigates how team identification and sponsor affiliation moderate the influence of the aforementioned attributes

Flow Cytometry as a Diagnostic Tool in the Early Diagnosis of Aggressive Lymphomas Mimicking Life-Threatening Infection

Aggressive lymphomas can present with symptoms mimicking life-threatening infection. Flow cytometry (FC) is usually recommended for the classification and staging of lymphomas in patients with organomegaly and atypical cells in effusions and blood, after the exclusion of other possible diagnoses. FC may also have a place in the initial diagnostic investigation of aggressive lymphoma. Three cases are presented here of highly aggressive lymphomas in young adults, which presented with the clinical picture of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in patients severely ill. All followed a life-threatening clinical course, and two developed the hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS), but microbiological, immunological, and morphological evaluation and immunohistochemistry (IHC) failed to substantiate an early diagnosis. FC was the technique that provided conclusive diagnostic evidence of lymphoma, subsequently verified by IHC. Our experience with these three cases highlights the potential role of FC as an adjunct methodology in the initial assessment of possible highly aggressive lymphoma presenting with the signs and symptoms of life-threatening infection, although the definitive diagnosis should be established by biopsy. In such cases, FC can contribute to the diagnosis of lymphoma, independently of the presence of HPS