Managerial Gaps in e-Banking Quality Drivers: An Empirical Assessment

Providing quality service to the customer is a main issue for e-banking. The extant literature on e-services has preferentially examined quality factors as perceived by customers. On the other hand, quality depends on the managerial perceptions about quality drivers and the decisions that would follow from these perceptions. According to SERVQUAL - the most known service quality model - any gaps between management’s and customers’ perceptions would affect the experienced quality and then the customer satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to explore how bank managers perceive quality drivers for e-banking through a preliminary empirical survey

Do costs matter in ASP sourcing decisions?

This paper on Application Service Providers investigates why organizations select an ASP as a form of IS sourcing. To achieve this, we set the ASP within the context of literature on Neoclassical and Resource-Based View (RBW) theories. The results revealed that costs matter little in ASP sourcing decisions. The ASP is chosen not simply as a cost reducing alternative, but moreover, when companies detect an IS gap. Our study presents some managerial implications that affect both customers and ASPs.Este artículo sobre los proveedores de servicios de aplicación investiga por qué las organizaciones seleccionan una ASP (una plataforma que desarrolla y aporta servicios de aplicación), como una forma de fuente de IS (sistema de información). Para conseguir esto, ponemos la ASP en el contexto literario sobre teorías neoclásicas y Resource-Based View (RBW) – un marco de gestión que debate que recursos deben utilizar las empresas para tener una ventaja competitiva. Los resultados revelaron que los costes no tienen tanta importancia en las decisiones de la ASP. Esta última se elige no solo como una alternativa de reducción de costes, pero además, cuando las empresas detectan una brecha de IS. Este estudio presenta algunas implicaciones gerenciales que afectan a ambos, clientes y ASPs

Public Health Microbiology of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are the only pathogenic group of E. coli that has a definite zoonotic origin, with ruminants and, in particular, cattle being recognized as the major reservoir. Most human STEC infections are food borne, but the routes of transmission include direct contact with animals and a variety of environment-related exposures. Therefore, STEC public health microbiology spans the fields of medical, veterinary, food, water, and environmental microbiology, requiring a "One Health" perspective and laboratory scientists with the ability to work effectively across disciplines. Public health microbiology laboratories play a central role in the surveillance of STEC infections, as well as in the preparedness for responding to outbreaks and in providing scientific evidence for the implementation of prevention and control measures. This article reviews (i) how the integration of surveillance of STEC infections and monitoring of these pathogens in animal reservoirs and potential food vehicles may contribute to their control; (ii) the role of reference laboratories, in both the public health and veterinary and food sectors; and (iii) the public health perspectives, including those related to regulatory issues in both the European Union and the United States

Measurement of constant radius swept features in cultural heritage

none3The dimensional characterization of archaeological fragment is a very complex operation and could prove to be useful for identifying the presence of standard attributes in the ceramics found from a specific archaeological site, or for making comparisons and analysis of similarities or for studying ancient technologies used for manufacture of objects. The dimensional analysis of the fragments is now carried out manually with traditional measuring devices. Typically, the results obtained are inaccurate and non-repeatable measurements. This paper focuses on the dimensional characterization of a specific geometric class of features: the constant radius swept features (called here CRS features). Several archaeological features, such as rims, bases, decorative motifs, processing marks and grooves are referable from a geometric point of view to the class of CRS features. These are detail features, which may be very interesting for the investigation of some aspects related to the historical-archaeological classification of the find. CRS features are often found on worn, damaged (e.g. chipped) or fragmented objects; they are frequently characterized, from a geometric point of view, by free form surfaces and by a limited cross sectional extension. In some cases, CRS features can be of axially symmetrical geometry: this occurs quite frequently in the case of archaeological pottery. For all these reasons, it is often difficult to apply traditional manual methods for the quantitative dimensional characterization of CRS features. This paper describes an original methodology for the measurement of CRS features acquired by scanning technologies. The algorithmic implementation of this methodology, consisting of a suitable processing of the feature nodes, allows to carry out automatically the dimensional characterization of the feature.Di Angelo L., Di Stefano P., Morabito A.E.Di Angelo, L.; Di Stefano, P.; Morabito, A. E

Recognition of intrinsic quality properties for automatic geometric inspection

none3In the last few years the need for methodologies capable of performing an automated geometric inspection has increased. These methodologies often use 3D high-resolution optical digitisers to acquire points from the surface of the object to be inspected. It is expected that, in the near future, geometric inspection will be requiring more and more the use of these instruments. At present geometric inspection is not profiting from all the opportunities attainable by 3D high-resolution optical scanners or from the numerous tools which can be used for processing the point cloud acquired from the inspected product. For some years now, these authors have been working on a new methodology for automatic tolerance inspection working from a 3D model acquired by optical digitisers. In this paper all the information recognisable in a scanned object is organised into a new data structure, called Recognised Geometric Model (RGM). The final aim is to define a representation of the inspected object for the automatic evaluation of the non-idealities pertaining to the form, orientation and location of the non-ideal features of the acquired object. The key concept of the proposed approach is the capability to recognise some intrinsic nominal properties of the acquired model. These properties are assumed as references to evaluate the non-idealities of the inspected object. With this approach the references of geometric inspection are searched for in the inspected object independently of a tolerance specification and of the availability of a 3D nominal representation. The high-level geometric information within RGM depends on the rules used for its identification. The capability to recognise specific categories of nominal references offers the possibility of introducing new tolerances to be specified. The proposed approach has been implemented in original software by means of which a specific test case has been analysed.openP. Di Stefano; L. Di Angelo; A.E. MorabitoP., Di Stefano; L., Di Angelo; Morabito, Ann

Low molecular weight Adiponectin increases the mortality risk in very old patients

Despite its beneficial role on insulin resistance and atherosclerosis, adiponectin has been frequently reported as an independent positive predictor of cardiovascular mortality. Very few information is available regarding adiponectin isoforms and mortality, in particular in advanced aging. Baseline serum levels of Total Adiponectin and its circulating isoforms (HMW-, MMW-, LMW-Adiponectin) were measured in 97 old patients (mean age: 79 years). Patients were followed up for all-cause mortality (study end-point) for an average of 76.4 ±37.3 months. A positive association was observed for LMW-Ad and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1,22, p: 0.002). After multivariate adjustment for age, sex and a previous history of myocardial infarction, higher levels of LMW-Ad were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.21; p: 0.017). Interestingly neither total adiponectin neither the other two circulating isoforms (MMW- and HMW-Ad) showed any significant association with the study end-point. Our data suggest that the association between high serum adiponectin levels and increased mortality rate in elderly is contingent to an unbalanced circulating levels of adiponectin isoforms. The present results support the hypothesis that high levels of Low Molecular Weight adiponectin are a biomarker for mortality risk in very old patients

Effects of Megaplasmid Loss on Growth of Neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum Strains and Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E Expression

Clostridium butyricum strains that atypically produce the botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E) possess a megaplasmid of unknown functions in their genome. In this study, we cured two botulinum neurotoxigenic C. butyricum type E strains of their megaplasmids, and compared the obtained megaplasmid-cured strains to their respective wild-type parental strains. Our results showed that the megaplasmids do not confer beta-lactam resistance on the neurotoxigenic C. butyricum type E strains, although they carry several putative beta-lactamase genes. Instead, we found that the megaplasmids are essential for growth of the neurotoxigenic C. butyricum type E strains at the relatively low temperature of 15°C, and are also relevant for growth of strains under limiting pH and salinity conditions, as well as under favorable environmental conditions. Moreover, the presence of the megaplasmids was associated with increased transcript levels of the gene encoding BoNT/E in the C. butyricum type E strains, indicating that the megaplasmids likely contain transcriptional regulators. However, the levels of BoNT/E in the supernatants of the cured and uncured strains were similar after 24 h and 48 h culture, suggesting that expression of BoNT/E in the C. butyricum type E strains is not ultimately controlled by the megaplasmids. Together, our results reveal that the C. butyricum type E megaplasmids exert pleiotropic effects on the growth of their microbial hosts under optimal and limiting environmental conditions, and also highlight the possibility of original regulatory mechanisms controlling the expression of BoNT/E

Isolation of Escherichia coli O157 in pigs at slaughter in Northern Italy

A study of VTEC 0157 intestinal carriage was performed in pigs at slaughter, carrying out surveys respectively in the Veneto and the Lombardia regions of Italy within a common research project. The study was conducted for 15 months, starting in June 2002. As a minimum, a sample size of 300 samples was defined for each survey, assuming an expected prevalence of 1%, C.l. 95%, accuracy 5% One gram samples of Intestinal content from the distal gut were tested for E. coli O157 using an isolation method based on immunomagnetic separation. In the survey performed in the Veneto region, all the 397 samples collected from pigs of 132 farms tested negative for VTEC O157, but one E. coli O157 harbouring the eae gene only was isolated. In the survey performed in the Lombardia region, VTEC 0157 was detected in 3 (0.63%, 95% C I 0.12- 1.81) of the 480 sampled p1gs from 3 (2.80%, 95% C.l. 0.58- 7.97) of the 107 farms of origin. Therefore in the study a total of 877 pigs were tested in 15 slaughters of two regions, with a prevalence of 0.34% 95% C.l. 0.07- 0 99) of positive pigs from 1.26% (95% C. I. 0.25- 3.62) of the herds. In one of the positive farms also cattle were reared with pigs, even if housed separately, and in a follow-up investigation VTEC 0157 strains sharing more than 96% homology with the pig strain were found in cattle

Using a morpho-functional approach to assess phytoplankton dynamics in two adjacent high-mountain lakes: a 10-year survey

Colbricon Superiore and Inferiore are two small adjacent high-mountain lakes located in the Paneveggio Natural Park (Italy). The lakes differ by size and depth while sharing the same bedrock setting and catchment basin. Changes in the phytoplankton communities were studied over a 10-years period to individuate which environmental variables would determine the main differences in biotic assemblages across time and between the two lakes.The study was conducted with fortnightly samplings, assessing the density and biomass of algal taxa. Relationships of each of the biological variables with water temperature, pH, conductivity, transparency, water level, previous week rainfall, and relative water column stability were analyzed by correlation and regression analyses, cluster analysis, and by canonical correspondence analysis. The most significant variables resulted air temperature, hydrologic water level and pH. The smaller Colbricon Inferiore had about double the amount of phytoplankton density and biomass than did the larger Colbricon Superiore. The same lake had higher diversity and lower evenness in structure of the phytoplankton community. Notwithstanding their proximity each lake appears to follow independent species composition dynamics, however parallel patterns were interestingly revealed when data were analyzed by pooling taxa into morpho-functional groups. Morpho-functional groups (MFGs) 1b, 3a, 6b, 7a, 9b were differentially most abundant in warm periods, while 2c, 3b, 11c, 5e, 10a prevailed in cold years. MFGs 1b, 2d, 3a and 3b were more characteristic of Lake Colbricon Superiore, while Colbricon Inferiore preferentially featured MFGs 5a, 5e, 9a, 9b, 10a, 11a and 8a. The role of the meteo-climatic parameters was pointed out in driving the different patterns observed in the two lakes