401 research outputs found

    Customer-to-Customer Interactions within Online Review Sites: A Typology of Contributors

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    As the Internet has become an increasingly relevant communication and exchange platform, social interactions exist online in multiple forms. Based on the literature on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication, social exchange theory and transformative consumer research, we conduct latent profile analysis to understand who engages in eWOM communication as well as how and why they do so. In addition to the traditional dichotomy of \u27posters\u27 and \u27lurkers\u27, we show that another group is included, which multiplies the scope of the WOM through transmission. By identifying and describing two active customer groups in addition to lurkers, our study provides insights into important user groups. Both groups are central for the service provider to manage the community and for understanding who contributes to social capital. Reciprocity as important mechanism in virtual environments presents a key condition for the development of social capital. Our research contributes to the growing field of consumer articulations online by empirically investigating why individuals engage online in social capital generation

    Разработка технических средств повышения эффективности солнечных установок

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    In this paper a method and means of increasing the power generated by solar installations during the day are considered. It is recommended to use acrylic concentrator and solar tracker with active type of tracking based on the control board without microcontrollers. This feature allows using DC commutator motor as an electric drive component, which simplifies the construction of the whole system significantly

    Mitochondrial oxidative stress and nitrate tolerance – comparison of nitroglycerin and pentaerithrityl tetranitrate in Mn-SOD(+/- )mice

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    BACKGROUND: Chronic therapy with nitroglycerin (GTN) results in a rapid development of nitrate tolerance which is associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). According to recent studies, mitochondrial ROS formation and oxidative inactivation of the organic nitrate bioactivating enzyme mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2) play an important role for the development of nitrate and cross-tolerance. METHODS: Tolerance was induced by infusion of wild type (WT) and heterozygous manganese superoxide dismutase mice (Mn-SOD(+/-)) with ethanolic solution of GTN (12.5 μg/min/kg for 4 d). For comparison, the tolerance-free pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (PETN, 17.5 μg/min/kg for 4 d) was infused in DMSO. Vascular reactivity was measured by isometric tension studies of isolated aortic rings. ROS formation and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2) activity was measured in isolated heart mitochondria. RESULTS: Chronic GTN infusion lead to impaired vascular responses to GTN and acetylcholine (ACh), increased the ROS formation in mitochondria and decreased ALDH-2 activity in Mn-SOD(+/- )mice. In contrast, PETN infusion did not increase mitochondrial ROS formation, did not decrease ALDH-2 activity and accordingly did not lead to tolerance and cross-tolerance in Mn-SOD(+/- )mice. PETN but not GTN increased heme oxygenase-1 mRNA in EA.hy 926 cells and bilirubin efficiently scavenged GTN-derived ROS. CONCLUSION: Chronic GTN infusion stimulates mitochondrial ROS production which is an important mechanism leading to tolerance and cross-tolerance. The tetranitrate PETN is devoid of mitochondrial oxidative stress induction and according to the present animal study as well as numerous previous clinical studies can be used without limitations due to tolerance and cross-tolerance

    Heart rate, mortality, and the relation with clinical and subclinical cardiovascular diseases: results from the Gutenberg Health Study

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    BACKGROUND: Higher, but also lower resting heart rate (HR), has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and mortality. Little is known about the interplay between HR, cardiovascular risk factors, concomitant diseases, vascular (endothelial) function, neurohormonal biomarkers, and all-cause mortality in the general population. Thus, we aimed to investigate these relationships in a population-based cohort. METHODS: 15,010 individuals (aged 35-74 at enrolment in 2007-2012) from the Gutenberg Health Study were analyzed. Multivariable regression modeling was used to assess the relation between the variables and conditional density plots were generated for cardiovascular risk factors, diseases, and mortality to show their dependence on HR. RESULTS: There were 714 deaths in the total sample at 7.67 +/- 1.68 years of follow-up. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, coronary and peripheral artery disease, chronic heart failure, and previous myocardial infarction exhibited a J-shaped association with HR. Mortality showed a similar relation with a nadir of 64 beats per minute (bpm) in the total sample. Each 10 bpm HR reduction in HR \u3c 64 subjects was independently associated with increased mortality (Hazard Ratio 1.36; 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.75). This increased risk was also present in HR \u3e 64 subjects (Hazard Ratio 1.29; 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.41 per 10 bpm increase in HR). Results found for vascular and neurohormonal biomarkers exhibited a differential picture in subjects with a HR below and above the nadir. DISCUSSION: These results indicate that in addition to a higher HR, a lower HR is associated with increased mortality

    Comprehensive exploration of the effects of miRNA SNPs on monocyte gene expression

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    We aimed to assess whether pri-miRNA SNPs (miSNPs) could influence monocyte gene expression, either through marginal association or by interacting with polymorphisms located in 3'UTR regions (3utrSNPs). We then conducted a genome-wide search for marginal miSNPs effects and pairwise miSNPs × 3utrSNPs interactions in a sample of 1,467 individuals for which genome-wide monocyte expression and genotype data were available. Statistical associations that survived multiple testing correction were tested for replication in an independent sample of 758 individuals with both monocyte gene expression and genotype data. In both studies, the hsa-mir-1279 rs1463335 was found to modulate in cis the expression of LYZ and in trans the expression of CNTN6, CTRC, COPZ2, KRT9, LRRFIP1, NOD1, PCDHA6, ST5 and TRAF3IP2 genes, supporting the role of hsa-mir-1279 as a regulator of several genes in monocytes. In addition, we identified two robust miSNPs × 3utrSNPs interactions, one involving HLA-DPB1 rs1042448 and hsa-mir-219-1 rs107822, the second the H1F0 rs1894644 and hsa-mir-659 rs5750504, modulating the expression of the associated genes. As some of the aforementioned genes have previously been reported to reside at disease-associated loci, our findings provide novel arguments supporting the hypothesis that the genetic variability of miRNAs could also contribute to the susceptibility to human diseases

    Coronary stent strut fractures: classification, prevalence and clinical associations

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    Introduction. The frequency, characteristics and clinical implications of Strut fractures (SFs) remain incompletely understood. Methods and results. A total of 185 (160 patients) newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) were imaged. SFs were found in 21 DES (11.4%) and were classified in four patterns: one single stacked strut (41%); two or more stacked struts (23%); deformation without gap (27%); transection (9%). In multivariable analysis, calcific and bifurcation lesions were associated with SF in DES (OR: 3.5 [1.1-11] and 4.0 [2.2-7.2], p < 0.05). Device eccentricity and asymmetry as well as optical coherence tomography (OCT) features of impaired strut healing were also associated with SF. The prevalence of fractures was similar in a set of 289 bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS). In a separate series of 20 device thromboses and 36 device restenoses, the prevalence of SF was higher (61.2% of DES and 66.7% of BRS, p < 0.001 for both), with a higher frequency of complex SF patterns (p < 0.0001). In logistic regression analysis, fractures were a correlate of device complications (p < 0.0001, OR = 24.9 [5.6-111] for DES and OR = 6.0 [1.8-20] for BRS). Discussion. The prevalence of OCT-diagnosed SF was unexpectedly high in the setting of elective controls and it increased by about three-fold in the setting of device failure. Fractures were associated with increased lesion complexity and device asymmetry/eccentricity and were more frequent in the setting of device failure such as restenosis and thrombosis.Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog
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