Country knowledge and familiarity effects on consumer perceived risk and rejection of foreign-made products

Las preocupaciones de los consumidores por los productos fabricados en el extranjero plantean interrogantes sobre lo que éstos conocen acerca del país de origen y la medida en que ese conocimiento se traduce en su rechazo de los productos extranjeros. El presente estudio examina tres tipos de variables de conocimiento acerca del país de origen que, junto con la experiencia de uso/familiaridad, actúan como antecedentes potenciales del riesgo percibido y, a su vez, de la reticencia de los consumidores españoles a comprar y de la (no) posesión de productos chinos. Los resultados revelan que el conocimiento medioambiental del país genera riesgo de auto-imagen/social, mientras que la experiencia de uso/familiaridad reduce tanto el riesgo de auto-imagen/social como el riesgo de rendimiento. Ambos tipos de riesgo afectan significativamente (positivamente) a la reticencia de los consumidores a comprar y (negativamente) a la posesión de productos extranjeros. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas.Consumer concerns about foreign-made products raise questions about what consumers know about the COO and the extent to which such knowledge translates into their rejection of foreign products. The present examines three types country knowledge variables, along with familitarity/usage experience, as potential antecedents of perceived risk and, in turn, of Spanish consumers’ reluctance to buy and (non-)ownership of Chinese apparel products. The findings reveal that environmental country knowledge can engender self-image/social risk, whereas familiarity/usage experience reduces both self-image/social and performance risks. As expected, the two distinct risk types considered here significantly contributed to consumers’ reluctance to buy (positively) and product ownership (negatively). Theoretical implications are discussed

A methodology and experimental implementation for industrial robot health assessment via torque signature analysis

This manuscript focuses on methodological and technological advances in the field of health assessment and predictive maintenance for industrial robots. We propose a non-intrusive methodology for industrial robot joint health assessment. Torque sensor data is used to create a digital signature given a defined trajectory and load combination. The signature of each individual robot is later used to diagnose mechanical deterioration. We prove the robustness and reliability of the methodology in a real industrial use case scenario. Then, an in depth mechanical inspection is carried out in order to identify the root cause of the failure diagnosed in this article. The proposed methodology is useful for medium and long term health assessment for industrial robots working in assembly lines, where years of almost uninterrupted work can cause irreversible damage

Dental implant treatment in elderly patients

En las últimas décadas, la implantología oral ha representado una técnica creciente en gerodontología. En este sentido, la edad avanzada no es una contraindicación para la implantología oral. Desde un punto de vista integral, es necesario la valoración de las condiciones médicas del paciente mayor, un diagnóstico oral, y una correcta planificación de tratamiento, con un estricto protocolo quirúrgico y prostodóncico. Muchos pacientes candidatos para la cirugía de implantes son mayores, y su perfil médico puede ser complejo. La comunicación con su médico puede ser importante para minimizar los riesgos quirúrgicos. Después de la fase quirúrgica, el éxito a largo plazo de los implantes dentales exige una buena reacción de los tejidos blandos y duros periimplantarios. Prótesis fijas y removibles pueden estar indicadas en los pacientes mayores edéntulos, según diferentes protocolos de carga funcional. El mantenimiento por el paciente y las revisiones periódicas por el dentista son muy importantes. Las prótesis implantosoportadas mejoran la calidad de vida oral y el bienestar psicosocial de los pacientes ancianos edéntulos.During last decades, implant dentistry has been an increased technique in geriatric dentistry. Aging is not a contraindication for oral implantology. From a comprehensive point of view, are necessary a medical assessment of the aged patient, an oral diagnosis, a correct treatment planning, with a strict protocol of surgical and prosthetic procedures. Many patients for dental implant surgery are elderly, and their overall medical condition may be complex. Consultation with the patient´s physician is important to ensure that surgical risks are minimized. After the surgical step, a good reaction of hard and soft tissues is necessary for long-term success of dental implants. Fixed and removable prostheses supported by dental implants were been indicated in edentulous older patients, according several functional loading protocols. Maintenance by the patient and periodical follow-up by the dentist are very important. Implant-supported prostheses improve oral quality of life and psychosocial well-being of edentulous aged patients

Patología implanto-endodóncica: concepto, tipos, diagnóstico, tratamiento y prevención.

La patología implanto-endodóncica (PIE) está descrita en la literatura implantológica como una de las causas de periimplantitis apical, entendida como la lesión osteolítica en la región apical del implante, con normal osteointegración de su porción coronal, provocada por la infección por contigüidad a partir de la lesión periapical del diente adyacente. Pero el concepto de PIE no sólo abarca la periimplantitis retrógrada por contaminación diente-a-implante, sino también los procesos inflamatorios periapicales en dientes adyacentes al implante por contaminación implante-adiente, cuando la colocación del implante provoca la necrosis del diente adyacente y la consiguiente periodontitis apical. Incluso podríamos incluir dentro de la PIE los casos de periimplantitis apical en implantes postextracción provocada por la infección residual presente en el alvéolo de un diente extraído con periodontitis apical. En definitiva, la PIE incluye las lesiones endodóncicas e implantarias apicales que son el resultado de infecciones residuales o por contigüidad entre diente e implante. En esta revisión bibliográfica se define y clasifica la PIE, repasándose la casuística publicada así como su influencia en el resultado del tratamiento implantológico

Exploring the Influence of Price and Convenience on Perceived Usefulness of On-line Banking within the TAM Framework: A Cross National (Canada and Spain) Decision Model

Nowadays, the Internet is a powerful mean to complement the traditional marketing channels used by banks. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, this paper explores the importance of two external latent variables—‘Price’ and ‘Convenience’ —as antecedents of ‘Perceived Usefulness’ and consumer acceptance of on-line banking in a Canadian and Spanish environment; the results highlight the predictive power and accuracy of the model cross-nationally. In fact, the findings were quite similar in the Canadian and Spanish samples, and stress that ‘Perceived Usefulness’ and ‘Attitude’ are the key drivers of the consumers’ on-line banking acceptance. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are also provided

Antibiotic Use by Members of the Spanish Endodontic Societ

The purpose of this study was to determine the prescribing habits of active members of the Spanish Endodontic Society (AEDE) with regard to antibiotics. A one-page questionnaire was sent to the active members of the AEDE. Of the 508 surveys mailed, 158 surveys were returned, and 140 were found to be usable. The overall response rate was 31.1%. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of independence. The average duration of antibiotic therapy was 6.8 1.8 days. In patients with no medical allergies most of responders (86.1%) selected amoxicillin as first-choice antibiotic, alone (44.3%) or associated to clavulanate (41.8%); metronidazole spiramycin and clindamycin were prescribed by 7.6% and 3.7% of the respondents. The first drug of choice for patients with an allergy to penicillins was clindamycin 300 mgr (63.2%), followed by metronidazole-spiramycin (23.7%). For cases of irreversible pulpitis, 40.0 % of respondents prescribed antibiotics. For the scenario of a necrotic pulp, acute apical periodontitis, and no swelling, 52.9% prescribed antibiotics. Almost 21.5% prescribed antibiotics for necrotic pulps with chronic apical periodontitis and a sinus tract. We conclude that, for the most part, the majority of the members of the AEDE were selecting the appropriate antibiotic for use in orofacial infections, but there are still many who are prescribing antibiotics inappropriately. The use of antibiotics for minor infections, or in some cases in patients without infections, could be a major contributor to the world problem of antimicrobial resistance