Network culture: features and formation dynamics. Evidence from a public-non profit network

The paper explores the role that network culture plays in inter-organizational relationships. The paper is focused on network culture seen as the result of a process of negotiation of values and meanings among the actors within the network. This basic assumption related to the network culture is applied to the study of the network involved in the conservation of Rocky Mountain National Park (USA). The empirical study is guided by the general claim that network culture contributes to the development of long-term collaborative networks, creating a shared social structure and a convergence of expectations that facilitates the achievement of common goals. We used both qualitative and quantitative techniques to investigate the features and the social mechanisms that determine the formation and dissemination of network culture. At a more general level, the study may have some theoretical implications in understanding the cultural aspects that affect inter-organizational partnership

Network culture: features and formation dynamics. Evidence from a public-non profit network

The paper explores the role that network culture plays in inter-organizational relationships. The paper is focused on network culture seen as the result of a process of negotiation of values and meanings among the actors within the network. This basic assumption related to the network culture is applied to the study of the network involved in the conservation of Rocky Mountain National Park (USA). The empirical study is guided by the general claim that network culture contributes to the development of long-term collaborative networks, creating a shared social structure and a convergence of expectations that facilitates the achievement of common goals. We used both qualitative and quantitative techniques to investigate the features and the social mechanisms that determine the formation and dissemination of network culture. At a more general level, the study may have some theoretical implications in understanding the cultural aspects that affect inter-organizational partnership

Laser-Mediated antibacterial effects of Few- and Multi-Layer Ti3C2Tx MXenes

Ti3C2TX nano-sheets (MXenes) with excellent light-conversion capacity have gained importance in treating infectious diseases due to their limited bacterial resistance. In this study, we exploit this property to design photothermal antibacterial therapy using few- (FX) and multi-layer (MX) Ti3C2Tx nano-sheets. We demonstrate that FX have a higher cytocompatibility and conversion of light to heat, but MX show a better efficacy in inhibiting growth of S. aureus and E. coli due to MXenes’ reversible bacteria trapping. For MX (25 µg/mL), □37% of E. coli and □23% of S. aureus cells survived, while the effect was less pronounced for FX with □72% of E. coli and □46% of S. aureus viable cells after treatment. After using 100 µg/mL of MX, □11% of E. coli and □4% of S. aureus survived, while FX had only a mild effect on both species. The NIR laser treatment increased the efficacy of both materials: 100 µg/mL of MX combined with 5 min laser treatment at 5.7 W cm − 2 completely killed both species. For FX, the treatment with 3 W cm − 2 and the highest concentration (100 µg/mL) induced an effect comparable to MX (87% on E. coli, 95% on S.aureus). The combined NIR-MXene treatment causes an irreversible cell death linked to the loss of cell integrity (DNA release quantification and bacteria debris observation)

Hypertension and migraine comorbidity: prevalence and risk of cerebrovascular events: evidence from a large, multicenter, cross-sectional survey in Italy (MIRACLES study)

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension-migraine comorbidity; to determine their demographic and clinical characteristics versus patients with hypertension or migraine alone; and to see whether a history of cerebrovascular events was more common in the comorbidity group. METHODS: The MIRACLES, multicenter, cross-sectional, survey included 2973 patients with a known diagnosis of hypertension or migraine in a general practitioner setting in Italy. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventeen patients (17%) suffered from hypertension-migraine comorbidity, whereas 1271 (43%) suffered from hypertension only, and 1185 (40%) from migraine only. In the comorbidity group, the onset of comorbidity occurred at about 45 years of age, with migraine starting significantly later than in the migraine-only group, and hypertension significantly before than in the hypertension-only group; a familial history of both hypertension and migraine had a significantly higher frequency as compared with the hypertension and migraine group. Compared to hypertension (3.1%) and migraine (0.7%), the comorbidity group had a higher prevalence (4.4%) of history of cerebrovascular events, with an odds ratio of a predicted history of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) of 1.76 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-3.07] compared to the hypertension group. In patients without other recognized risk factors for stroke, stroke/TIA occurred more frequently in the comorbidity group, compared to the hypertension group. In the age range 40-49 years, prevalence of history of stroke/TIA was five-fold greater (4.8% in comorbidity vs. 0.9% in hypertension group). CONCLUSION: This cross-sectional study indicates that the prevalence of comorbidity hypertension-migraine is substantial and that patients with comorbidity have a higher probability of history of cerebrovascular events, compared to hypertensive patient