The Importance of University Traditions And Rituals in Building Alumni Brand Communities and Loyalty

The purpose of this study is to expand the literature and determine factors that impact alumni giving and loyalty at institutions of higher education. Specifically, this research aims to identify a relationship between university traditions and rituals, the relationships of an alumni brand community, and loyalty toward an institution of higher education. This research proposes that a university, as a branded institution, constitutes a brand community, and that traditions and rituals, an important component of brand communities, can serve as a means by which students engage on campus and participate in a university’s brand community and, in turn, become active and giving alumni of a university. We propose that the greater the perception of alumni that a university has valued, well-established traditions and rituals, the greater their brand community relationships and intended behaviors associated with loyalty. The research was conducted in the context of the “University,” a regional, comprehensive state university in the Midwest. A survey was conducted with alumni of the University to test a series of six hypotheses. Statistical analyses of MANOVA, ANOVA, and independent t-tests found support for all hypotheses; the mean scores for all four brand community relationships, overall brand community integration, and for four loyalty measures were all significantly different. Alumni who perceive that the University has valued, well established traditions and rituals perceive stronger alumni-product, alumni-brand, alumni institution, and alumni-alumni relationships, perceive a stronger overall integration within the alumni brand community, and exhibit stronger behaviors associated with loyalty than alumni who do not perceive that the University has valued, well-established traditions and rituals. The results from this analysis provide theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the contribution of the research reported here is considering the importance of traditions and rituals in alumni brand communities and loyalty, a concept not addressed in previous research. Research has demonstrated that brand community integration is an influential contributor to desired marketing outcomes of institutions of higher education, both large and small. So, university initiatives that enhance and strengthen alumni brand community relationships are vital. Further, given the economic climate in higher education today, it is also vital that universities foster active and dedicated alumni as to garner financial support. Future research may incorporate the role and impact of additional constructs, such as nostalgia, on university traditions and rituals and alumni brand community relationships, expand the study beyond the University studied here, and expand the conceptualization and measurement of the four alumni brand community relationships. Practically, suggestions for universities’ marketing strategies and tactics are provided. Alumni associations, in particular, should be viewed as strategic, vital assets of universities and serve as keepers of traditions and rituals by supporting active student alumni groups and promoting the importance of traditions and rituals. Further, alumni associations should create new, cultivate existing, and revitalize old traditions and rituals. Finally, universities should develop and nurture brand communities with online students as well, create and foster traditions and rituals in which they may participate, and instill a sense that the university has valued, well-established traditions and rituals

Effects of telmisartan and ramipril on adiponectin and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes

<b>Background:</b> Adiponectin is secreted by adipose tissue and may play a role in cardiovascular disease. We examined adiponectin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the Telmisartan vs. Ramipril in Renal Endothelial Dysfunction (TRENDY) study. <b>Methods</b> A total of 87 patients were assessed at baseline and following 9 weeks treatment with the angiotensin-receptor blocker telmisartan (final dose, 80 mg; n = 45) or the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril (final dose, 10 mg; n = 42). Adiponectin levels were measured in plasma by radioimmunoassay. <b>Results:</b> Adiponectin levels were inversely correlated with systolic (SBP; r = -0.240, P < 0.05) and diastolic (DBP; r = -0.227, P < 0.05) blood pressure at baseline and following treatment with telmisartan or ramipril (SBP: r = -0.228, P < 0.05; DBP: r = -0.286, P < 0.05). Changes in adiponectin levels were related to changes in SBP (r = -0.357, P < 0.01) and DBP (r = -0.286, P < 0.01). There was a significant increase in adiponectin levels in the telmisartan (0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.27 to 1.10) <sup>µ</sup>g/ml, P < 0.01) but not in the ramipril group (0.17 (95% CI, -0.56 to 0.90) <sup>µ</sup>g/ml, P = 0.67). Blood pressure reduction in the telmisartan group (DeltaSBP: -13.5 (95% CI, -17.0 to -10.0) mm Hg; ΔDBP: -7.6 (95% CI, -9.8 to -5.3) mm Hg, each P < 0.001) was significantly (P less than or equal to 0.01 for SBP and P < 0.01 for DBP) greater than in the ramipril group (ΔSBP: -6.1 (95% CI, -6.2 to -2.0) mm Hg; ΔDBP: -2.7 (95% CI, -5.0 to -0.5) mm Hg; P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). <b>Conclusion:</b> Adiponectin is correlated with blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. Whether increased adiponectin contributes to the blood pressure–lowering effect of telmisartan needs further study

Parental environments and interactions with conspecifics alter salinity tolerance of offspring in the annual medicago truncatula

Summary: Based on expectations of the stress-gradient hypothesis for conspecific interactions, stress-sensitive genotypes may be able to persist in stressful environments when positive interactions between individuals occur under stressful environments. Additionally, we test how parental environmental effects alter responses to stress and outcomes of conspecific interactions in stress. While the stress-gradient hypothesis focuses on plant growth, earlier flowering may provide stress avoidance in short-lived organisms. We studied responses to soil salinity and conspecific neighbour using genotypes of Medicago truncatula (Fabaceae) originating from saline or non-saline environments, utilizing seeds from parental plants grown in saline or non-saline environments. During the early stages of reproduction, we quantified leaf number, as a measure of vegetative growth, and number of flowers, as a measure of early reproduction potential. Based on leaf counts, non-saline genotypes were better competitors than saline-origin genotypes and benefited from neighbouring plants in saline environments. This positive interaction was detected only when seeds were matured on parental plants grown in non-saline environments. Saline-origin genotypes displayed greater salinity tolerance in early flowering than non-saline genotypes. Plants with neighbours had greater early flowering, regardless of origin, consistent with facilitative interactions in stressful environments. Transgenerational plastic responses influenced neighbouring plant interactions on plant growth, and results suggest that facilitative interactions may be transient only persisting for one generation. However, earlier flowering of non-saline genotypes when grown with a neighbouring plant is consistent with facilitative interactions resulting in reproductive benefits in saline environments, if earlier flowering is favoured in saline environments. Synthesis. Adaptation to stressful environments allows tolerant genotypes to persist in these environments. Less appreciated is that stress-sensitive genotypes lacking such adaptations may persist in stressful environments via positive interactions with other individuals. Thus, positive interactions between individuals may explain the persistence of stress-sensitive genotypes within a population adapted to stressful environments. © 2013 British Ecological Society

Therapeutic drug monitoring of ganciclovir for postnatal cytomegalovirus infection in an extremely low birth weight infant: a case report

Background: Ganciclovir is a therapeutic choice for extremely premature infants with severe postnatal cytomegalovirus disease, but little is known about its optimal dose size and dosing interval for them. Case presentation: We treated an extremely premature female infant with postnatal cytomegalovirus infection with intravenous administration of ganciclovir since 49 days of life (postmenstrual age of 31 weeks). After ganciclovir treatment was initiated at a dose of 5 mg/kg every 12 h, cytomegalovirus loads in the peripheral blood were markedly decreased. However, since plasma ganciclovir trough level was too high, the interval was extended to every 24 h. Subsequently, the trough level and the estimated 12-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-12) were decreased from 3.5 mg/L to 0.3 mg/L and 53.9 mg ・ h/L to 19.2 mg ・ h/L, respectively, resulting in an exacerbation of viremia and clinical condition. Adjustment of dosing interval from 24 h to 12 h led to a peak level of 4.2 mg/L, trough level of 1.1 mg/L, and AUC0-12 of 31.8 mg ・ h/L, resulting in a marked suppression of viral load. Conclusions: Monitoring the therapeutic drug levels and cytomegalovirus loads is useful in obtaining a proper treatment effect and preventing overdosage during ganciclovir therapy in premature infants with postnatal cytomegalovirus infection

Intravascular ultrasound imaging of human coronary arteries in vivo. Analysis of tissue characterizations with comparison to in vitro histological specimens.

BackgroundIntravascular ultrasound imaging was performed in 27 patients after coronary balloon angioplasty to quantify the lumen and atheroma cross-sectional areas.Methods and resultsA 20-MHz ultrasound catheter was inserted through a 1.6-mm plastic introducer sheath across the dilated area to obtain real-time images at 30 times/sec. The ultrasound images distinguished the lumen from atheroma, calcification, and the muscular media. The presence of dissection between the media and the atheroma was well visualized. These observations of tissue characterization were compared with an in vitro study of 20 human atherosclerotic artery segments that correlated the ultrasound images to histological preparations. The results indicate that high-quality intravascular ultrasound images under controlled in vitro conditions can provide accurate microanatomic information about the histological characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques. Similar quality cross-sectional ultrasound images were also obtained in human coronary arteries in vivo. Quantitative analysis of the ultrasound images from the clinical studies revealed that the mean cross-sectional lumen area after balloon angioplasty was 5.0 +/- 2.0 mm2. The mean residual atheroma area at the level of the prior dilatation was 8.7 +/- 3.4 mm2, which corresponded to 63% of the available arterial cross-sectional area. At the segments of the coronary artery that appeared angiographically normal, the ultrasound images demonstrated the presence of atheroma involving 4.7 +/- 3.2 mm2, which was a mean of 35 +/- 23% of the available area bounded by the media.ConclusionsIntravascular ultrasound appears to be more sensitive than angiography for demonstrating the presence and extent of atherosclerosis and arterial calcification. Intracoronary imaging after balloon angioplasty reveals that a significant amount of atheroma is still present, which may partly explain why the incidence of restenosis is high after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty