Corporate Social Responsibility and the Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Being currently under the pressure of the various imbalances induced in the natural and social environment and faced with the deficiency of its own incremental growth, the economic system – which is exclusively focused on the economic performance – is currently going through a stage of global structural changes meant to connect it to the simple values of the community, society and even humanity as a requirement for its survival and development through the sustainable competitive advantage. Taking into consideration that globalization tends to quickly standardize technologies and to equalize the rates of profits, the area of competitive advantage is extended beyond the area of economic factors (product differentiation, cost reduction, etc.) in interferential areas, where factors such as social responsibility assumed by corporations become levers to increase competitiveness. Corporate social responsibility circumscribes the company’s set of obligations to the stakeholders (individuals, groups or organizations that are directly or indirectly affected by the actions, goals and policies of the corporation) in a certain system of reference. The multiple groups that make up the reference society of a corporation lead to a multitude of expectations. The legitimacy of these expectations embraces various degrees of validity. Responsibility is a continuous dynamic process meant to harmonize and balance the interests of various groups and the roles they play in relation to and for the purpose of the common good. So far, no system of indicators has been unanimously accepted and no methodology has been crystallized for measuring the effect of the social effort made in the sphere of social responsibility. Nevertheless, research performed over the past years has shown that an ethical behaviour involved in the issues of the natural, social and business environment has an obvious positive influence on the reputation and sales of the corporations. The corporations’ competitive strategies should include – apart from specific goals such as market share, product differentiation or smart promotion – the goal of harmonizing stakeholder expectations. In this context, the commitment to social responsibility becomes an important pillar in gaining the partners’ and the public’s confidence, along with a recognition that would strengthen the company’s market position and its commitment to a competitive sustainable approach.responsibility, social performance, sustainability, competitive advantage

Applicative Approach to Risk Management

Order, symmetries, correspondences and proportionalities that served ashypothesis for any economical theories are frequently infirmed by the contemporary reality. The new theoretical approaches take into consideration chaos, as an endogenous feature of simple nonlinear systems and synergetic of some minor variabilities with multiple resonance and interactions that could induce major changes in the systems behaviour. The higher the variability of a phenomenon, the higher is the probability not to obtain the estimated result. The expansion of globalized markets at planetary level and the volatility of some variables that have an impact on the whole system expose any business to an entire range of risks, thus the businesses administrations have the responsibility of risk management and avoiding of the blending of exogenous and endogenous risks, as an absolute condition of survival.risk, interaction, management, risk evaluation, decision.

Determinism in Assessing the Consumer’s Ecological Behaviour

The discrepancy between the amplitude of erosive processes set off in the environment and the level of the measures taken to stop or to counter-balance the pollution effects, limited by the way of life, technologies, knowledge and conscience, entails high demands for the society as a whole and for each individual. This approach aims the addressing of the issue of consumer’s ecological behaviour as a process of conscious assumption of responsibilities for environmental preservation and manifestation of attitudes oriented to promoting the values of the ecosystem and delimitation of specific behavioural typology. In this respect, we proceeded at the holistic analysis of the domain’s inherent and specific conditions that allowed detection of influencing factors of the adoption of an ecological behavior and their synthetic structure into three groups of determinants: economic, psychosocial and organizational. In these three major coordinates, there are designed types of ecological behaviour, their effectiveness being at the intersection of the projections of different degrees of intensity considered on the chosen axes. Based on deductive reasoning there can be determined orthoscopic actions that are focused on eliminating the cause that generated behavioural deviations.ecological behaviour, determinants of ecological behaviour, typology of ecological behaviour, ecosystem relationship

Characteriologic Context of Service Assessment

Powerfully marked concept by the new economic paradigm, the service quality imply and economic parameters and psycho-social dimensions, leading to a multidisciplinary, sectorial and sequentially approach, in an effort to create an object-oriented reference framework to ensure recognition by the consumer and social accreditation. Service diversity and specificity require the evaluation and the analysis of the quality based on typological coordinates of definition operationalization. The conceptualization of quality is characterized by dynamism, systemic approach, integrating and procedural feature in an evaluative-comparative approach. The fundamental importance of quality in the competitiveness and prosperity of an enterprise resulted into the completeness of its approach as overall quality across the entire lifecycle and on the level of every organizational structure, its acknowledgement on top management level attaining at the consumers’ as well as own employees’ satisfaction. As a dichotomy approach, the evaluation of quality is performed in the context of its perception relativization by the consumer’s standards of quality and by services standards of the provider, requiring the implementation of some value-regulatory systems specific to the types of services on sectorial and private level. The simplex of values, granting identity of appreciation tends, in time, by its cognitive balance to preserve a common definition basis of quality and to and to complementarize through the motivational balance, the interests of the consumer and the provider, noting that the economic operator’s margin is determined by the perceived performance.quality; need; satisfaction; utility; value; simplexy of values.

Spatial sequences, but not verbal sequences, are vulnerable to general interference during retention in working memory

Among models of working memory, there is not yet a consensus about how to describe functions specific to storing verbal or visual-spatial memories. We presented aural-verbal and visual-spatial lists simultaneously and sometimes cued one type of information after presentation, comparing accuracy in conditions with and without informative retro-cues. This design isolates interference due specifically to maintenance, which appears most clearly in the uncued trials, from interference due to encoding, which occurs in all dual-task trials. When recall accuracy was comparable between tasks, we found that spatial memory was worse in uncued than in retro-cued trials, whereas verbal memory was not. Our findings bolster proposals that maintenance of spatial serial order, like maintenance of visual materials more broadly, relies on general rather than specialized resources, while maintenance of verbal sequences may rely on domain-specific resources. We argue that this asymmetry should be explicitly incorporated into models of working memor

Técnicas minimamente invasivas para a reabilitação do desgaste dentário severo. Uma revisão integrativa

Introdução: A destruição dos dentes relacionada com o desgaste dentário tornou-se um diagnóstico muito frequente, especialmente na população jovem o que poderá trazer um problema dentário grave no futuro, por isso, é importante estar atento a novas técnicas e materiais que apresentem menor invasividade que os tratamentos convencionais. Objetivo: O objetivo desta revisão integrativa da literatura, é analisar as técnicas atuais de reabilitação de dentições gravemente desgastadas e avaliar o desempenho, o sucesso e a longevidade dos tratamentos restauradores minimamente invasivos no desgaste dentário severo. Metodologia: Uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada na base de dados de PUBMED usando as palavras chave e as suas combinações. Foram reunidos um total de 33 artigos relevantes que respondiam a pesquisa entre os anos 2011 e 2022. Resultados: Vários estudos analisados concordaram em que técnica de aplicação de compósito pela técnica direta é a técnica com melhor desempenho clínico. Embora, o método indireto também apresentou bons resultados. A técnica dos três passos parece prometedora. No geral as taxas de sucesso e sobrevida foram elevadas e excedem 85%, alcançando inclusive os 100%. Conclusões: Para extrair conclusões relevantes na reabilitação de uma situação clínica desafiante como é a erosão e o desgaste dentário, são necessários mais estudos com amostras maiores e de maior seguimento temporal, pelo que não existe um consenso nem provas suficientes que sustentem que um material ou uma técnica seja a mais indicada para tratar estes pacientes.Introduction: The destruction of teeth related to dental wear has become a very frequent diagnosis especially in the young population which may represent a future dental problem, so it is important to be aware of new techniques and materials that present less invasiveness than conventional treatments. Objective: The aim of this study is to perform an integrative literature review of current techniques for the rehabilitation of severely worn dentitions and to evaluate the performance, success and longevity of minimally invasive restorative treatments in severe dental wear. Methodology: A literature search was conducted in the PUBMED database using the key words and their combinations. A total of 33 relevant articles were gathered that answered the search between the years 2011 and 2022. Results: Several studies analysed agreed that composite application technique by direct technique is the technique with the best clinical performance. Although, the indirect method also showed good results. The three-step technique looks promising. Overall the success and survival rates were high and exceed 85% and even reach 100%. Conclusions: To draw conclusions relevant to the rehabilitation of such a challenging clinical situation as dental erosion and wear, further studies are needed, perhaps with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups, and there is neither consensus nor sufficient evidence to support that one material or technique is the most suitable to treat these patients

Роль нутрициониста в медицинском кабинете

We aimed to investigate the role of a dietician for the society and medical knowledge among the population about nutrition, in a sample of Romanian patients. The sample comprised individuals between 22-61 years old of Tirgu-Mures city, Romania. The method of investigation was based on a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions and was made into a cabinet of nutrition and dietetics during 2013-2014. They were presented to our cabinet suffering from certain diseases, and analyzes based on their health and nutritional history helped us to offered a specifi c diet to be followed. Evaluating the responses to the questions showed us that most patients came alone to the cabinet meaning that they want to change their diet and lifestyle. It is however noted the lack of communication between nutritionists and other health professionals because only 27 of them (25.7%) were referred to other specialists. The role of a dietician in a medical practice is of great importance because the problem of obesity and other conditions with dietary requirements became a factor to be noticed as negative in the population of our country.Мы поставили перед собой цель изучить роль нутрициониста-диетолога в медицинском кабинете, и знания населения по вопросам питания на выборке пациентов, и оценить состояние здоровья последних. Выборка состояла из лиц в возрасте 22-61 лет из города Тыргу Муреш, жудеца Муреш, Румыния. В качестве метода изучения была использована анкета, включающая 15 вопросов, а само исследование имело место в течение 2013-2014 годов в одном кабинете нутрициологии и диетологии. Обследованные пациенты обращались в указанный кабинет по поводу различных заболеваний и на основании анамнеза и данных лабораторных анализов им предлагались соответствующие режимы питания. На основании ответов на вопросы, включённые в анкету можно отметить, что большинство пациентов обратились в кабинет по своей собственной инициативе, факт демонстрирующий, что они хотят изменить стиль питания. В то же время отмечается недостаточное взаимодействие между нутриционистом-диетологом и другими специалистами из области здравоохранения, поскольку только 27 пациентов (25,7%) были направлены на дообследование к другим врачам. Роль кабинетов по питанию, а также роль нутрициониста-диетолога медицинского кабинета довольно велика, поскольку проблема ожирения и других заболеваний, при которых необходимы определённые диетические рекомендации, всё больше и больше становится серьёзным фактором среди населения Румынии

Exploring the link between MORF4L1 and risk of breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Proteins encoded by Fanconi anemia (FA) and/or breast cancer (BrCa) susceptibility genes cooperate in a common DNA damage repair signaling pathway. To gain deeper insight into this pathway and its influence on cancer risk, we searched for novel components through protein physical interaction screens. METHODS: Protein physical interactions were screened using the yeast two-hybrid system. Co-affinity purifications and endogenous co-immunoprecipitation assays were performed to corroborate interactions. Biochemical and functional assays in human, mouse and Caenorhabditis elegans models were carried out to characterize pathway components. Thirteen FANCD2-monoubiquitinylation-positive FA cell lines excluded for genetic defects in the downstream pathway components and 300 familial BrCa patients negative for BRCA1/2 mutations were analyzed for genetic mutations. Common genetic variants were genotyped in 9,573 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers for associations with BrCa risk. RESULTS: A previously identified co-purifying protein with PALB2 was identified, MRG15 (MORF4L1 gene). Results in human, mouse and C. elegans models delineate molecular and functional relationships with BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51 and RPA1 that suggest a role for MRG15 in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Mrg15-deficient murine embryonic fibroblasts showed moderate sensitivity to γ-irradiation relative to controls and reduced formation of Rad51 nuclear foci. Examination of mutants of MRG15 and BRCA2 C. elegans orthologs revealed phenocopy by accumulation of RPA-1 (human RPA1) nuclear foci and aberrant chromosomal compactions in meiotic cells. However, no alterations or mutations were identified for MRG15/MORF4L1 in unclassified FA patients and BrCa familial cases. Finally, no significant associations between common MORF4L1 variants and BrCa risk for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers were identified: rs7164529, Ptrend = 0.45 and 0.05, P2df = 0.51 and 0.14, respectively; and rs10519219, Ptrend = 0.92 and 0.72, P2df = 0.76 and 0.07, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While the present study expands on the role of MRG15 in the control of genomic stability, weak associations cannot be ruled out for potential low-penetrance variants at MORF4L1 and BrCa risk among BRCA2 mutation carriers.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Refined histopathological predictors of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status: A large-scale analysis of breast cancer characteristics from the BCAC, CIMBA, and ENIGMA consortia

Introduction: The distribution of histopathological features of invasive breast tumors in BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation carriers differs from that of individuals with no known mutation. Histopathological features thus have utility for mutation prediction, including statistical modeling to assess pathogenicity of BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants of uncertain clinical significance. We analyzed large pathology datasets accrued by the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) to reassess histopathological predictors of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status, and provide robust likelihood ratio (LR) estimates for statistical modeling. Methods: Selection criteria for study/center inclusion were estrogen receptor (ER) status or grade data available for invasive breast cancer diagnosed younger than 70 years. The dataset included 4,477 BRCA1 mutation carriers, 2,565 BRCA2 mutation carriers, and 47,565 BCAC breast cancer cases. Country-stratified estimates of the

Fifth European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days (FiEDAD) 2016

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