Improvements In The Strategic Use Of The Marketing Matrices Applying Dynamics Parameters Based On Time: A Better Analysis Of Prospect

Matrices are among the main analytical tools used in marketing. The present paper focuses on the possibility to make them consistently explorative of a business prospect, not just in a mechanical way but in a logical and quantitatively probabilistic way. Matrices, being static, appear in contrast with the real meaning of marketing itself (being a verb it is an action). Actually, lack of the matrices is that they do not consider the temporal evolution and offer a very simple and static frame and indeed a snapshot of the business environment. The purpose of the present paper is to understand “to what extent the matrices can be improved to perform dynamic prospective analyses, thanks to specific improvements”: - Complex variables - Cartesian plan and derived curves - Use of the chronotropic quadric-dimensionality through spacetime factor influencing the mechanical results It is considered only the case of the four cells based matrix (and experimentation is pursued via the Ansoff’s one), leaving the nine-cell based matrices to the field of actual limitations and future improvements. The standard format can be implemented by the adoption of new format and complex variables, which are holistic, and through the utilization of a temporal ratio, to show the temporal dynamism and make them suitable for prospective analysis and become a tool of management of the company’s evolution

The Influence of Personality Traits on University Performance: Evidence from Italian Freshmen Students

Despite several attempts to provide a definite pattern regarding the effects of personality traits on performance in higher education, the debate over the nature of the relationship is far from being conclusive. The use of different subject pools and sample sizes, as well as the use of identification strategies that either do not adequately account for selection bias or are unable to establish causality between measures of academic performance and noncognitive skills, are possible sources of heterogeneity. This paper investigates the impact of the Big Five traits, as measured before the beginning of the academic year, on the grade point average achieved in the first year after the enrolment, taking advantage of a unique and large dataset from a cohort of Italian students in all undergraduate programs containing detailed information on student and parental characteristics. Relying on a robust strategy to credibly satisfy the conditional independence assumption, we find that higher levels of conscientiousness and openness to experience positively affect student score

MODERN TOTEMS AND TRIBALISM: THE WORSHIPING OF BRANDS IN ASIA

The present paper is going to explore what is nowadays a brand and a logo in the far Asian cultural environment, approaching it both socially and economically, from a socio-psychological and commercial point of view. Moving throughout some very physioeconomical angle and narrowing on consumer’s behavior toward the brands’ values, it proofs how tribes pop up around life styles and logos (Hitmann & Ward 2007; Anderson 1990). The motivation of present paper is the huge importance related to brand and modern (urban) tribalism, especially in the far Asiatic environment, observing the phenomena both like social (Bucci, Cova, Kozinets 2007; Cova 2003) and economical (Badot, Bucci, Cova 2003; Temporal 2012). The paper is analyzing Brand like a catalyzer of different perceptions of syncretized together (Hitman & Ward 2007; Scaini 2012; Fabris 2003, 2008; Conley 2009). To prove the actual importance of behavior of consumer in the Asiatic environments, the paper offers some qualitative result based on a solid limited quantitative research. Offering a theoretical approach (proofed by evidences gathered) about the activities of brands on eastern Asian markets, it states that now brands behave like totemic relics of deity (Conley 2009; Hebdige 198110), that is really the center of the new Asiatic worship replacing disrupted traditional values and replacing with new iconic symbols of social membership (Diamond 2005; Anderson 1990, Mishima 200815)

Electrochemical synthesis of nanowires electrodes and their application in energy storage devices

In this work, an electrochemical approach to synthesize Metal-MetalOxide/Hydroxide core-shell nanowires electrodes (NWE) is illustrated. NWE electrodes were obtained by electrodeposition of a targeted metal into the nanopores of nanoporous alumina templates generated by one-step anodization of aluminum. Following metal electrodeposition, the alumina template was selectively etched to obtain an array of free-standing metal nanowires. The imposed electrodeposition conditions allowed directly attaining a core-shell nanostructure, with a metal core covered by a thin metal oxide/hydroxide film. NWE electrodes produced by the proposed synthesis route were tested for the application as electrodes in lithium batteries and supercapacitors. To this purpose, an array of cobalt nanowires (CoNWs) supported by a nanostructured copper current collector was produced by sequential electrodeposition of cobalt and copper, and it was employed as anode in a lithium battery, while a NWE based on Ni-NiO/OH2 (NiNWs) was obtained by nickel electrodeposition and tested as electrode in a supercapacitor. A thorough analysis and characterization of the produced electrodes were performed. The experiments with the lithium cell evidenced the positive effect of metallic core on stability, while the electrochemical characterization of the supercapacitor showed the presence of both NiO and NiOH2 leading, when cycled, to a capacity close to the best literature value

SICOB-endorsed national Delphi consensus on obesity treatment optimization: focus on diagnosis, pre-operative management, and weight regain/insufficient weight loss approach

Purpose: Overweight and obesity affects 60% of adults causing more than 1.2 million deaths across world every year. Fight against involved different specialist figures and multiple are the approved weapons. Aim of the present survey endorsed by the Italian Society of Bariatric Surgery (SICOB) is to reach a national consensus on obesity treatment optimization through a Delphi process. Methods: Eleven key opinion leaders (KOLs) identified 22 statements with a major need of clarification and debate. The explored pathways were: (1) Management of patient candidate to bariatric/metabolic surgery (BMS); (2) Management of patient not eligible for BMS; (3) Management of patient with short-term (2 years) weight regain (WR) or insufficient weight loss (IWL); (4) Management of the patient with medium-term (5 years) WR; and (5) Association between drugs and BMS as WR prevention. The questionnaire was distributed to 65 national experts via an online platform with anonymized results. Results: 54 out of 65 invited panelists (83%) respond. Positive consensus was reached for 18/22 statements (82%); while, negative consensus (s20.4; s21.5) and no consensus (s11.5, s17) were reached for 2 statements, respectively (9%). Conclusion: The Delphi results underline the importance of first-line interdisciplinary management, with large pre-treatment examination, and establish a common opinion on how to properly manage post-operative IWL/WR. Level of evidence v: Report of expert committees

La percezione fisica di sé negli scolari adolescenti: Ruolo della costituzione fisica e del livello di attività fisica

Physical self-perception depends on body weight, gender, but also to physical exercise. It is not well understood, however, whether the effects of the latter can be attributed to the level of physical activity or to the resulting physical fitness. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of both physicalactivity level and physical fitness on the physical self-perception and its relationship with gender and body weight in adolescent pupils. The fitness level of 188 adolescents aged 12-16 years old was assessed through a test battery, while the “Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents” and the “Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short” were administered to assess physical activity level and physical self-perception, respectively. The effects of gender and body weight on physical self-perception was evaluated using the analysis of variance with physical activity level and physical fitness as covariates. Results showed that overweight reduces the overall physical self-perception.Furthermore, the physical self-perception is generally higher in males than in females even without differences in either physical activity level or physical fitness.La percezione di sé è influenzata dalla costituzione corporea, dal sesso, e dall’esercizio fisico. Non è chiaro, però, se gli effetti dell’esercizio derivino dal livello di attività fisica praticata o dal miglioramento delle capacità fisiche che esso determina. Pertanto questo studio ha indagato l’effetto, sia del livello di attività fisica che delle capacità fisiche sulla percezione fisica di sé, in funzione del sesso e della costituzione corporea, in studenti adolescenti. Il livello generale delle capacità fisiche di 188 adolescenti tra i 12 ed i 16 anni è stato valutato tramite una batteria di test motori, il livello di attività fisica è stato misurato con il questionario Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, mentre la percezione fisica di sé è stata valutata con il questionario Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short. L’effetto del sesso e della costituzione fisica sono stati indagati tramite analisi della varianza considerando come covariate il livello di attività fisica e le capacità fisiche. I risultati evidenziano che essere in sovrappeso diminuisce la considerazione fisica generale di sé. Inoltre, la percezione di sé dei maschi è generalmente più alta delle femmine anche se questa non corrisponde a più elevate capacità fisiche o ad un maggior livello di attività fisica

Shifts of criteria or neural timing? The assumptions underlying timing perception studies

In timing perception studies, the timing of one event is usually manipulated relative to another, and participants are asked to judge if the two events were synchronous, or to judge which of the two events occurred first. Responses are analyzed to determine a measure of central tendency, which is taken as an estimate of the timing at which the two events are perceptually synchronous. When these estimates do not coincide with physical synchrony, it is often assumed that the sensory signals are asynchronous, as though the transfer of information concerning one input has been accelerated or decelerated relative to the other. Here we show that, while this is a viable interpretation, it is equally plausible that such effects are driven by shifts in the criteria used to differentiate simultaneous from asynchronous inputs. Our analyses expose important ambiguities concerning the interpretation of simultaneity judgement data, which have hitherto been underappreciated

Switch to maraviroc with darunavir/r, both QD, in patients with suppressed HIV-1 was well tolerated but virologically inferior to standard antiretroviral therapy: 48-Week results of a randomized trial

Objectives Primary study outcome was absence of treatment failure (virological failure, VF, or treatment interruption) per protocol at week 48. Methods Patients on 3-drug ART with stable HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL and CCR5-tropic virus were randomized 1:1 to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd (study arm) or continue current ART (continuation arm).Results In June 2015, 115 patients were evaluable for the primary outcome (56 study, 59 continuation arm). The study was discontinued due to excess of VF in the study arm (7 cases, 12.5%, vs 0 in the continuation arm, p = 0.005). The proportion free of treatment failure was 73.2% in the study and 59.3% in the continuation arm. Two participants in the study and 10 in the continuation arm discontinued therapy due to adverse events (p = 0.030). At VF, no emergent drug resistance was detected. Co-receptor tropism switched to non-R5 in one patient. Patients with VF reported lower adherence and had lower plasma drug levels. Femoral bone mineral density was significantly improved in the study arm. Conclusion Switching to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd in virologically suppressed patients was associated with improved tolerability but was virologically inferior to 3-drug therap

Exposure to delayed visual feedback of the hand changes motor-sensory synchrony perception

We examined whether the brain can adapt to temporal delays between a self-initiated action and the naturalistic visual feedback of that action. During an exposure phase, participants tapped with their index finger while seeing their own hand in real time (~0 ms delay) or delayed at 40, 80, or 120 ms. Following exposure, participants were tested with a simultaneity judgment (SJ) task in which they judged whether the video of their hand was synchronous or asynchronous with respect to their finger taps. The locations of the seen and the real hand were either different (Experiment 1) or aligned (Experiment 2). In both cases, the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) was uniformly shifted in the direction of the exposure lags while sensitivity to visual-motor asynchrony decreased with longer exposure delays. These findings demonstrate that the brain is quite flexible in adjusting the timing relation between a motor action and the otherwise naturalistic visual feedback that this action engenders

Revisional Surgery After One Anastomosis/Minigastric Bypass: an Italian Multi-institutional Survey

Background: Efficacy and safety of OAGB/MGB (one anastomosis/mini gastric bypass) have been well documented both as primary and as revisional procedures. However, even after OAGB/MGB, revisional surgery is unavoidable in patients with surgical complications or insufficient weight loss. Methods: A questionnaire asking for the total number and demographics of primary and revisional OAGB/MGBs performed between January 2006 and July 2020 was e-mailed to all S.I.C. OB centres of excellence (annual caseload > 100; 5-year follow-up > 50%). Each bariatric centre was asked to provide gender, age, preoperative body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related comorbidities, previous history of abdominal or bariatric surgery, indication for surgical revision of OAGB/MGB, type of revisional procedure, pre- and post-revisional BMI, peri- and post-operative complications, last follow-up (FU). Results: Twenty-three bariatric centres (54.8%) responded to our survey reporting a total number of 8676 primary OAGB/MGBS and a follow-up of 62.42 ± 52.22 months. A total of 181 (2.08%) patients underwent revisional surgery: 82 (0.94%) were suffering from intractable DGER (duodeno-gastric-esophageal reflux), 42 (0.48%) were reoperated for weight regain, 16 (0.18%) had excessive weight loss and malnutrition, 12 (0.13%) had a marginal ulcer perforation, 10 (0.11%) had a gastro-gastric fistula, 20 (0.23%) had other causes of revision. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) was the most performed revisional procedure (109; 54%), followed by bilio-pancreatic limb elongation (19; 9.4%) and normal anatomy restoration (19; 9.4%). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that there is acceptable revisional rate after OAGB/MGB and conversion to RYGB represents the most frequent choice