Factors Affecting the Adoption of Production Digital Printing Technologies by Commercial Printers in India

The global print market has been declining. However, recent studies showed that the US print market is finally growing again (EPICOMM, 2015). A report by Drupa (2014) suggested that this is due to the growth in digital printing and the digitalization of media. This trend has given rise to many opportunities such as variable data printing and on-demand printing. Moreover, a shift toward shorter print runs and tighter deadlines has facilitated companies in the US printing industry to adopt digital printing technologies. Research shows a similar trend in Europe as well (Pira, 2012). However, the penetration of digital printing technologies varies by geographic regions. Research by Drupa (2014) indicates that while US and Europe possess the highest rate of adoption, developing regions such as India have just started to grasp these opportunities. Thus, this thesis aims at examining the factors affecting the adoption of production digital printing (PDP) technologies by commercial printers in India. The increasing value of the Indian print industry (Chander, 2012), along with the growing economy (The World Bank Group, 2015) made India a good region for the study. Online web surveys were sent to 802 Indian commercial printers, of which 132 were returned giving a response rate of 16.46%. Most (93%) of the responders showed moderate to high awareness on the benefits of PDP technologies. The survey data were analyzed using binary logistic regression, which also presented the odds ratio to rank the factors in their order of importance with respect to the adoption decision. The independent variables included factors from Rogers’ (1996) Diffusion of Innovations as well as two factors from Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model. While Relative advantage was found to be the strongest factor positively affecting the adoption of PDP technologies, complexity had a strong negative effect on adoption. Compatibility, observability, and perceived ease-of-use were other significant factors positively affecting the adoption. Trialability and perceived usefulness were found to be insignificant. These factors were measured using 5-point Likert scales. On the other hand, the dichotomous dependent variable of adoption was measured by the responses to the simple questions, “Do you currently use production digital printing technologies?” and “Do you plan to adopt production digital printing technologies?” This study indicated that 61.36% of the commercial printers surveyed were currently using PDP technologies, with 66.67% of non-adopters planning on adopting the technology in the next 36 months. Dry toner EP was the most widely adopted PDP technology. This study likely helps suppliers in the Indian printing industry understand commercial printers and their readiness to adopt PDP technologies. As a solutions supplier in the Indian print industry, the author was extremely interested in service providers’ receptivity to incorporate new technologies in their companies. Ultimately, the study suggested that both print services providers and suppliers must give utmost priority to education and training related to PDP technologies

Imaging of giant cell tumor of bone

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign but locally aggressive and destructive lesion generally occurring in skeletally mature individuals. Typically involving the epiphysiometaphyseal region of long bones, the most common sites include the distal femur, proximal tibia and distal radius. On radiographs, GCT demonstrates a lytic lesion centered in the epiphysis but involving the metaphysis and extending at least in part to the adjacent articular cortex. Most are eccentric, but become symmetric and centrally located with growth. Most cases show circumscribed borders or so-called geographical destruction with no periosteal reaction unless a pathological fracture is present. There is no mineralized tumor matrix. Giant cell tumor can produce wide-ranging appearances depending on site, complications such as hemorrhage or pathological fracture and after surgical intervention. This review demonstrates a spectrum of these features and describes the imaging characteristics of GCT in conventional radiographs, computerized tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scans, positron emission tomography scans and angiography

Imaging of cartilage repair procedures

The rationale for cartilage repair is to prevent precocious osteoarthritis in untreated focal cartilage injuries in the young and middle-aged population. The gamut of surgical techniques, normal postoperative radiological appearances, and possible complications have been described. An objective method of recording the quality of repair tissue is with the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score. This scoring system evaluates nine parameters that include the extent of defect filling, border zone integration, signal intensity, quality of structure and surface, subchondral bone, subchondral lamina, and records presence or absence of synovitis and adhesions. The five common techniques of cartilage repair currently offered include bone marrow stimulation (microfracture or drilling), mosaicplasty, synthetic resorbable scaffold grafts, osteochondral allograft transplants, and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Complications of cartilage repair procedures that may be demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) include plug loosening, graft protuberance, graft depression, and collapse in mosaicplasty, graft hypertrophy in ACI, and immune response leading to graft rejection, which is more common with synthetic grafts and cadaveric allografts

The Potential of Intralesional Rose Bengal to Stimulate T-Cell Mediated Anti-Tumor Responses.

Rose Bengal (RB) is a red synthetic dye that was initially used in the garment industry and has been used safely for decades as a corneal stain by ophthalmologists. Antineoplastic properties of RB have also been observed, though the mechanism of action remained to be elucidated. Recently, interest in RB as a therapeutic cancer treatment has increased due to significant anti-tumor responses with direct tumor injection in human clinical trials for metastatic melanoma. In these patients, there has been the implication that RB may mount a T-cell mediated anti-tumor response and impart antigen-specific responses in distant bystander lesions. This article serves to evaluate the potential of intralesional rose bengal to stimulate T-cell mediated anti-tumor responses in in-vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical studies

Acquired tracheo-oesophageal fistula.

Acquired tracheo-oesophageal fistula is rare. The most common causes are tuberculosis and malignancy. Here we report a patient who had come with dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia with paratracheal lymphnodes on X-ray chest and was diagnosed to have a tracheo-bronchial fistula on barium studies. Transtumoral intubation by pull-through method was carried out

Coexisting chondroblastoma and osteochondroma: a case report.

The coexistence of two different types of benign cartilaginous tumours of bone in the same patient has not been reported in literature. We report a case in which a sixteen-year-old male had a benign chondroblastoma of the proximal left humerus and an osteochondroma of the distal left femur. Both originated at the same time and had a progressive increase in size with growth

Case Report - Coexisting Chondroblastoma and Osteochondroma: A Case Report

The coexistence of two different types of benign cartilaginous tumours of bone in the same patient has not been reported in literature. We report a case in which a sixteen-year-old male had a benign chondroblastoma of the proximal left humerus and an osteochondroma of the distal left femur. Both originated at the same time and had a progressive increase in size with growth