200 research outputs found
Brand authenticity versus brand reputation: Automobile sector
The current study aims to analyze the effect of both brand authenticity and brand reputation on brand attachment considering the automotive sector. A sample of 376 participants, members of car brand communities, collaborate in a survey. Findings reveal that the perception of authenticity could be more effective than brand reputation on enhancing brand attachment. However, the effect could depend on the car brand strategy. Limitations and suggestions for further research are also provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Isoleucine and valine supplementation of a low-protein corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diet for piglets: growth performance and nitrogen balance
The effects of Ile and Val supplementation
of a low-CP, corn-wheat-soybean meal-based piglet
diet on growth performance, incidence of diarrhea,
and N balance were studied using 60 Landrace × Duroc
male piglets in a 4-wk experiment. The 60 individually
caged piglets were divided into 5 dietary treatments,
each consisting of 12 piglets. Diet 1 was a positive control
diet (20% CP); diet 2 was a low-CP negative control
diet (17% CP); diets 3, 4, and 5 were low-CP diets to
which Ile, Val, or the combination of Ile and Val were
added, respectively. All diets were supplemented with
Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp to provide the required concentrations
of these AA according to the 1998 NRC. Average
daily gain and ADFI were similar among pigs fed
the positive control, Val-added, and the Val plus Ileadded
diets. On wk-2 and wk-4, fecal score was greater
(softer feces) in piglets fed the 20% CP level compared
with the remaining treatments (P < 0.01). Nitrogen intake
was decreased (P < 0.0001) in pigs fed diets containing
low levels of CP compared with pigs fed the
20% CP diet. Fecal N excretion (g/d) was decreased (P
< 0.05) in piglets fed low-CP diets at wk 1 and wk 4
of feeding, and in urine at wk 4 of feeding. Crude protein
levels or AA supplementation had no effect on N
retention efficiencies. These results indicate that the
supplementation of Val alone, or in combination with
Ile, to a low-CP piglet diet with adequate levels of Lys,
Met, Thr, and Trp is necessary to achieve maximum
performance in pigs consuming corn-wheat-soybean
meal-based diets
Cytoskeleton reorganization mediates alpha6beta1 integrin-associated actions of laminin on proliferation and survival, but not on steroidogenesis of ovine granulosa cells
BACKGROUND: Laminin (LN) is one of the most abundant extracellular matrix components of the basal lamina and granulosa cell layers of ovarian follicles. Culture of ovine granulosa cells (GC) on LN substratum induces cell spreading, enhances cell survival and proliferation, and promotes luteinization. Previous investigations have shown that these effects are mostly mediated by the alpha6beta1 integrin, but its signalization pathways have not been investigated. This study aimed to assess the importance of the cytoskeleton in the alpha6beta1 integrin-mediated actions of laminin on survival, proliferation and steroidogenesis of ovine GC. METHODS: The relationships between morphology and functions of ovine GC cultured on substrata containing LN or/and RGD peptides were investigated. The effects of (1) cytochalasin D, an actin cytoskeleton-disrupting drug, (2) a specific function-blocking antibody raised against alpha6 integrin subunit (anti-alpha6 IgG), and (3) an inhibitor of the ERK1/2 signalization pathway (PD98059) were assessed for GC shape, pyknosis and proliferation rates, oestradiol and progesterone secretions. RESULTS: Cytoskeleton disruption by cytochalasin D induced cell rounding, inhibited proliferation, promoted pyknosis, inhibited progesterone secretion and enhanced oestradiol secretion by GC cultured on LN. When GC were cultured on various substrata containing LN and/or RGD peptides in the presence or absence of anti-alpha6 IgG, both the existence of close correlations between the percentage of round cells, and the GC proliferation rate (r = -0.87) and pyknotic rate (r = 0.76) were established, but no relationship was found between cell shape and steroidogenesis. Inhibition of the ERK1/2 signalization pathway by PD98059 had no effect on GC shape, proliferation or pyknotic rates. However, it dramatically reduced progesterone secretion, expression of cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage and 3beta-hydroxysteroid deshydrogenase enzymes, and enhanced oestradiol secretion, thereby reproducing all the effects of the anti-alpha6 IgG on steroidogenesis of GC cultured on LN. CONCLUSION: LN may participate in the paracrine control of follicular development through different mechanisms. It could enhance proliferation and survival of GC through its alpha6beta1 integrin-mediated actions on cytoskeleton. In contrast, its stimulating action on GC luteinization could be partly mediated by the ERK1/2 pathway, irrespective of cell shape
Using a smart phone for information rendering in Computer-Aided Surgery
Computer-aided surgery intensively uses the concept of navigation: after
having collected CT data from a patient and transferred them to the operating
room coordinate system, the surgical instrument (a puncture needle for
instance) is localized and its position is visualized with respect to the
patient organs which are not directly visible. This approach is very similar to
the GPS paradigm. Traditionally, three orthogonal slices in the patient data
are presented on a distant screen. Sometimes a 3D representation is also added.
In this study we evaluated the potential of adding a smart phone as a
man-machine interaction device. Different experiments involving operators
puncturing a phantom are reported in this paper
Levels of true digestible lisiane and metabolizable energy for growing pigs: effect on nitrogen and energy balance
Desempenho e composição corporal de suínos alimentados com rações com baixos teores de proteína bruta
Effect of CLA supplementation to low-protein diets on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, plasma urea nitrogen concentration, and fatty acid profile in the meat of pigs
Lisina digestível para suínos machos castrados de alta deposição de carne submetidos a estresse por calor dos 30 aos 60 kg
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