Seller versus Broker: Timing of Promotion

Sellers and brokers may differ in preferred timing of costly promotion. Sellers with holding costs are anxious to sell. Sellers with showing costs want a slower approach. We find a standard listing contract where the broker chooses promotion timing can be efficient if sellers have no significant holding or showing costs. We then delineate the efficient listing contract provisions for duration and fee structure for sellers who have holding and/or showing costs.

Surgical pathology is a predictor of outcome in post-operative lymph leakage

AbstractBackgroundPost-operative lymph leak is a potentially serious complication which may contribute to fluid and electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition and an increase risk of sepsis and mortality.We aimed to study the use of TPN in the treatment of post-operative lymph leak.MethodsRetrospective review of prospectively collected clinical database comprising patients with post-operative lymph leak treated with TPN collected over 1998–2006. An analysis of morbidity and mortality was performed.Results36 patients developed lymph leak following radical neck dissection (n=10), Whipples procedure (n=13), oesophagectomy (n=10) and pulmonary/vascular/retroperitoneal (n=3) surgery. The survival to discharge was 89%. The mortality rate in patients with chylothorax following oesophagectomy was 30% (three out of ten). The majority of patients (67%, 24 out of 36) with lymph leak settled on TPN alone. The overall re-intervention rate was 20%. Of the seven survivors after oesophagectomy, five underwent re-intervention thoracic surgery (two also had ischaemic perforation of gastric remnant needing revision surgery). Overall, the re-intervention rate in all patients undergoing oesophageal surgery is 60%.ConclusionMost patients with post-operative lymph leak receiving TPN alone survived. It is rare for re-operation to be necessary in patients who have lymph leaks in the neck or retroperitoneum. Re-operative intervention is more commonly performed in lymph leak after oesophagectomy

What makes brands achieve iconic status?

We propose that brands do not achieve iconic status by chance. This article focuses on how brands manage iconic status effectively. Drawing on an exploratory study of iconic brands, we identify a brand's ability to inspire consumers and connect with them on a personal level as well as its visual identity and presence in consumers' mind as critical elements of brand status. Consumers' perceptions of a sample of brands were investigated through in-depth interviews, followed by the examination of these brands' activities through case-study analyses. The alignment between brand strategies and the relevant features highlighted by consumers was then assessed. A comprehensive framework for achieving iconicity is presented and discussed.Working Pape

Genetic regulation of glucoraphanin accumulation in Beneforté® broccoli

Diets rich in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var italica) have been associated with maintenance of cardiovascular health and reduction in risk of cancer. These health benefits have been attributed to glucoraphanin that specifically accumulates in broccoli. The development of broccoli with enhanced concentrations of glucoraphanin may deliver greater health benefits. Three high-glucoraphanin F1 broccoli hybrids were developed in independent programmes through genome introgression from the wild species Brassica villosa. Glucoraphanin and other metabolites were quantified in experimental field trials. Global SNP analyses quantified the differential extent of B. villosa introgression The high-glucoraphanin broccoli hybrids contained 2.5–3 times the glucoraphanin content of standard hybrids due to enhanced sulphate assimilation and modifications in sulphur partitioning between sulphur-containing metabolites. All of the high-glucoraphanin hybrids possessed an introgressed B. villosa segment which contained a B. villosa Myb28 allele. Myb28 expression was increased in all of the high-glucoraphanin hybrids. Two high-glucoraphanin hybrids have been commercialised as Beneforte broccoli. The study illustrates the translation of research on glucosinolate genetics from Arabidopsis to broccoli, the use of wild Brassica species to develop cultivars with potential consumer benefits, and the development of cultivars with contrasting concentrations of glucoraphanin for use in blinded human intervention studie

Developmental Defects of Enamel in Primary Teeth and Association with Early Life Course Events: A Study of 6--36 Month old Children in Manyara, Tanzania.

Children with low birth weight show an increased prevalence of developmental defects of enamel in the primary dentition that subsequently may predispose to early childhood caries (ECC).Focusing 6--36 months old, the purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of enamel defects in the primary dentition and identify influences of early life course factors; socio-demographics, birth weight, child's early illness episodes and mothers' perceived size of the child at birth, whilst controlling for more recent life course events in terms of current breastfeeding and oral hygiene. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the high fluoride area of Manyara, northern Tanzania including 1221 child-mother pairs who attended Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics for immunization and/or growth monitoring. After the primary caregivers had completed face to face interviews at the health care facility, children underwent oral clinical examination whereby ECC and developmental defects of enamel were recorded using field criteria. All erupted teeth were examined and the enamel defects were assessed on buccal surfaces according to the modified DDE Index. The prevalence of enamel defects was 33.3%. Diffuse opacities were the most common defects identified (23.1%), followed by hypoplasia (7.6%) and demarcated opacities (5.0%). The most frequently affected teeth were the upper central incisors (29.0% - 30.5%), whereas lower central incisors (4.3% to 4.5%) were least frequently affected. Multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounding the factors revealed that having normal birth weight (equal or more than 2500 g) associated with lower odds of having enamel hypoplasia [OR 0.22 (95% CI 0.1-0.7)]. No statistically significant association occurred between birth weight and diffuse opacities, demarcated opacities or combined DDE. Children with the history of low birth weight were more likely than their normal birth weight counterparts to present with enamel hypoplasia. In view of the frequent occurrence of enamel defects and the fact that hypoplasia may constitute a risk factor for future ECC, enamel defects should be included as a dental health indicator in epidemiological studies of children in northern Tanzania

TEM Study on the Evolution of Ge Nanocrystals in Si Oxide Matrix as a Function of Ge Concentration and the Si Reduction Process

Growth and evolution of germanium (Ge) nanocrystals embedded into a silicon oxide (SiO₂) system have been studied based on the Ge content of co-sputtered Ge-SiO₂ films using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that when the proportion of Ge relative to Ge oxide is 20%, TEM showed that annealing the samples at 800°C for 60 min resulted in the formation of a denuded region between the silicon/silicon oxide (Si/SiO₂) interface and a band of Ge nanocrystals towards the surface of the film. By introducing a 20nm thick thermal oxide barrier on top of the silicon (Si) substrate on which the film is deposited, no denuded region in the bulk of this sample is observed. It is proposed that this barrier is effective in reducing both Ge diffusion into the Si substrate and Si diffusion from the substrate into the film. Si diffusing from the Si substrate reduces the Ge oxide into Ge which can subsequently diffuse into the Si substrate. However, the oxide barrier is able to confine the Ge within the oxide matrix so that the denuded region in the bulk of the film cannot form. However the reduction in diffusion should be more significant for Ge as its diffusion coefficient is lower than Si due to its larger size. It is suggested that the denuded region consists of amorphous Ge diffusing towards the Si/SiO₂ interface. When the Ge content is increased to slightly more than 70%, TEM showed that Ge nanocrysyals formed after annealing at 800°C for only 30 min for samples with and without the oxide barrier. There is no denuded region between the Ge nanocrystals band and the Si/SiO₂ interface for both samples but it was observed that coarsening effects were more prominent in the film deposited on top of the oxide barrier. The reduction effect of Si on Ge oxide should not play a significant role in these samples as the Ge content is high.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Detailed deletion mapping at chromosome 11q23 in colorectal carcinoma

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is frequent at the chromosomal region 11q22–q23 in several types of tumours of diverse cell origin. Previous investigations of LOH at this chromosomal region in colorectal carcinoma have been contradictory in their findings, and have only included between 1–4 loci. In order to define any regions of LOH on 11q23, we investigated 16 loci between D11S940 and D11S934 on the long arm of chromosome 11 using microsatellite analysis. Of 57 colorectal carcinomas specimens, 36 (63.2%) demonstrated LOH at one or more marker, with the highest frequencies of LOH at D11S1340 (41.0%), located between 105.13–111.97 Mb from the centromere, and D11S924 (37.1%) and D11S4107 (40.5%), both located approximately 113 Mb from the centromere. No statistically significant associations between LOH and age-of-presentation or Dukes’ stage were found. LOH was observed in colorectal tumours of all Dukes’ stages, including Dukes’ stages A and B, suggesting that the inactivation of a tumour suppressor gene(s) on 11q23 occurs in the early stages of colorectal carcinoma. These results confirm the presence of putative tumour suppressor gene(s) at chromosome 11q23, involved in the carcinogenesis of colorectal carcinoma, and will facilitate future identification of candidate genes. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

An observational treatment study of metacognition in anxious-depression

Prior studies have found metacognitive biases are linked to a transdiagnostic dimension of anxious-depression, manifesting as reduced confidence in performance. However, previous work has been cross-sectional and so it is unclear if under-confidence is a trait-like marker of anxious-depression vulnerability, or if it resolves when anxious-depression improves. Data were collected as part of a large-scale transdiagnostic, four-week observational study of individuals initiating internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) or antidepressant medication. Self-reported clinical questionnaires and perceptual task performance were gathered to assess anxious-depression and metacognitive bias at baseline and 4-week follow-up. Primary analyses were conducted for individuals who received iCBT (n=649), with comparisons between smaller samples that received antidepressant medication (n=82) and a control group receiving no intervention (n=88). Prior to receiving treatment, anxious-depression severity was associated with under-confidence in performance in the iCBT arm, replicating previous work. From baseline to follow-up, levels of anxious-depression were significantly reduced, and this was accompanied by a significant increase in metacognitive confidence in the iCBT arm (β=0.17, SE=0.02, p<0.001). These changes were correlated (r(647)=-0.12, p=0.002); those with the greatest reductions in anxious-depression levels had the largest increase in confidence. While the three-way interaction effect of group and time on confidence was not significant (F(2, 1632)=0.60, p=0.550), confidence increased in the antidepressant group (β=0.31, SE = 0.08, p<0.001), but not among controls (β=0.11, SE = 0.07, p=0.103). Metacognitive biases in anxious-depression are state-dependent; when symptoms improve with treatment, so does confidence in performance. Our results suggest this is not specific to the type of intervention

Liver-Targeting of Interferon-Alpha with Tissue-Specific Domain Antibodies

PMCID: PMC3581439This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited