Daily Eastern News: Feburary 10, 2014

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2014_feb/1005/thumbnail.jp

Clinical Trials Based on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells are Exponentially Increasing: Where are We in Recent Years?

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), present in the stromal component of several tissues, include multipotent stem cells, progenitors, and differentiated cells. MSCs have quickly attracted considerable attention in the clinical field for their regenerative properties and their ability to promote tissue homeostasis following injury. In recent years, MSCs mainly isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord—have been utilized in hundreds of clinical trials for the treatment of various diseases. However, in addition to some successes, MSC-based therapies have experienced several failures. The number of new trials with MSCs is exponentially growing; still, complete results are only available for a limited number of trials. This dearth does not help prevent potentially inefficacious and unnecessary clinical trials. Results from unsuccessful studies may be useful in planning new therapeutic approaches to improve clinical outcomes. In order to bolster critical analysis of trial results, we reviewed the state of art of MSC clinical trials that have been published in the last six years. Most of the 416 published trials evaluated MSCs’ effectiveness in treating cardiovascular diseases, GvHD, and brain and neurological disorders, although some trials sought to treat immune system diseases and wounds and to restore tissue. We also report some unorthodox clinical trials that include unusual studies. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, The Author(s)

Blending of Floating Car Data and Point-Based Sensor Data to Deduce Operating Speeds under Different Traffic Flow Conditions

Nowadays, smart mobility can rely on innovative tools for the knowledge of road system conditions, like operating speed data extracted from the so-called Floating Car Data (FCD). Probe vehicles in the traffic flow send to operation centres a large amount of travel information, collected through GPS detection systems, especially with regard to geolocation, date and time, direction and speed. As the sample deriving from these vehicles represents a tiny portion of the entire vehicular fleet, in this paper an analysis and a comparison with data obtained by point-based traffic sensors is proposed.Therefore, the study analyses data collected by inductive loop detectors and microwave radar sensors, that provide information on the entire traffic flow in the time domain, in particular with the aim to identify free flow speed time bands. Afterwards, by means of the fusion between the results obtained from the data coming from these point-based control units and the ones coming from the probe vehicles, a comparison of the operating speeds in the two conditions of constrained and unconstrained traffic flow is performed

10/26/1990 - Marching Panthers Morgan Humphrey and Tina Kramer

“Misurare la soddisfazione” è la sfida di approfondite ricerche e l’obiettivo di molte strategie di marketing. L’assunto di base è che un consumatore soddisfatto tende a reiterare i suoi comportamenti d’acquisto, a parità di ogni altra condizione o vincolo. Tradizionalmente, la soddisfazione è stata misurata come l’esito di un raffronto positivo tra le attese sviluppate prima dell’acquisto e i risultati ottenuti con l’utilizzo del bene acquistato. Tuttavia, nelle società di oggi, con la prevalenza dei consumi simbolici su quelli materiali, la frammentazione delle richieste del mercato, la vicinanza in tempo reale alle comunità di clienti, il rapporto instaurato coi beni acquistati non è quasi mai solo razionale, ma assume i connotati di un’esperienza totalitaria, emotiva e coinvolgente. Questo lavoro parte dall’assunto che la soddisfazione derivi, piuttosto che dalla specifica performance del prodotto, dalla valutazione dell’intera esperienza di consumo, dal momento in cui il prodotto è scelto a quello in cui ci si disfa. Sulla base di un innovativo approccio, il Modello conoscenze-speranze, essa è vista come un incremento dello stock di benessere soggettivo, esito di un raffronto con quanto razionalmente atteso ed emotivamente sperato. In quest’ottica, la soddisfazione risulta connessa con gli aspetti delle esperienze legati alla curiosità, alla divergenza, alla capacità di comportarsi e relazionarsi e, al contempo, con gli aspetti più propriamente sensoriali, simbolici ed estetici del consumo, che fanno appello alle emozioni più profonde ed agli affetti delle persone. Il volume è articolato in quattro parti – a vantaggio di quanti, studiosi e operatori, desiderino misurare con validità scientifica e rigore la soddisfazione nei diversi ambiti di consumo. Nella prima, sono passati in rassegna i principali studi sulla soddisfazione, come base per una revisione critica del paradigma tradizionale realizzata con la proposizione del nuovo modello interpretativo. Nella seconda parte, è sviluppata la scala di soddisfazione derivante dalle esperienze di consumo, rispettivamente, in rapporto ai prodotti shopping, convenience, specialty e ai servizi. Nella terza parte, sono presentate delle applicazioni della scala in campo bancario, assicurativo e distributivo, oltre che in relazione ad un costrutto alternativo collegato, la customer delight, concludendo con una rassegna sistematica degli effetti comportamentali, positivi o negativi, e delle conseguenti strategie di marketing da parte delle imprese. La quarta parte, infine, fornisce una vasta appendice didattica contenente tutti i passaggi statistici, gli output e i comandi del software SPSS-PASW, per condurre le analisi contenute nel volume

Influence of Brand Personality-Marker Attributes on Purchasing Intention: The Role of Emotionality

Marketing researchers employ the Five-Factor Model to describe branded products through attributes used for human personality. Marker attributes used to elicit brand personality dimensions can also influence consumers’ intention to purchase. Two connected studies, carried out on two samples of 91 and 557 subjects, respectively, show that brand personality-marker attributes predict intention to purchase, but only to the extent that such attributes are vivid and, in particular, when they elicit emotional responses (i.e., when they are emotionally interesting). These findings have several implications for people involved in developing strategies for persuasive communication

Long non-coding RNAs in regulation of adipogenesis and adipose tissue function

Complex interaction between genetics, epigenetics, environment, and nutrition affect the physiological activities of adipose tissues and their dysfunctions, which lead to several metabolic diseases including obesity or type 2 diabetes. Here, adipogenesis appears to be a process characterized by an intricate network that involves many transcription factors and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate gene expression. LncRNAs are being investigated to determine their contribution to adipose tissue development and function. LncRNAs possess multiple cellular functions, and they regulate chromatin remodeling, along with transcriptional and post-transcriptional events; in this way, they affect gene expression. New investigations have demonstrated the pivotal role of these molecules in modulating white and brown/beige adipogenic tissue development and activity. This review aims to provide an update on the role of lncRNAs in adipogenesis and adipose tissue function to promote identification of new drug targets for treating obesity and related metabolic diseases

Differential characteristics of young and midlife adult users of psychotherapy, psychotropic medications, or both: information from a population representative sample in São Paulo, Brazil

Mutu pelayanan di rumah sakit tak lepas dari kinerja sumber daya manusia keperawatan. Setiap organisasi memiliki budaya yang merupakan faktor penting yang menentukan keberhasilan organisasi  dalam mencapai tujuannya. Penelitian yang bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi hubungan antara persepsi perawat pelaksana tentang budaya organisasi dengan kinerjanya di ruang rawat inap sebuah RS di Bogor ini, merupakan penelitian cross sectional yang melibatkan 113 perawat. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah instrumen budaya organisasi dan kinerja yang telah dimodifikasi. Sebanyak 79.6% perawat pelaksana mempersepsikan kinerjanya baik dan 85% mempersepsikan budaya organisasinya baik. Perawat pelaksana yang berpersepsi baik terhadap organisasinya, mereka juga berkinerja lebih baik. Karakteristik perawat pelaksana dan persepsi perawat pelaksana terhadap budaya organisasi tidak berhubungan dengan kinerja. Budaya organisasi yang sudah baik dankinerja yang optimalperlu dipertahankan dengan selalu mengevaluasi tiap komponennya,baik oleh manajemen maupun individu keperawatan. Abstract The Nurse Practitioners’ Perception on OrganizationalCulture and Work Performance. The quality of hospital services is supported by several aspects, including the work performance of human resources in nursing. Every organization has a culture which is an important factor that determines the success of the organization in achieving its goals. The research aimed to identify the relationship between the perceptions of nurses about the organizational culture with theirwork performance in inpatient ward at a hospital in Bogor, a cross-sectional study involving 113 nurses. The instrument used was the modified instrument of organizational culture and work performance. A total of 79.6% of nurses perceiving good performance and 85% perceive the organizational culture good. Nurses who have good perception for the organizational cultura, they also perform better. Characteristics of nurses and nurses’ perceptions of the organizational culture is not related to the work performance.Good organizational and optimum work performance need to maintain with evaluating each its component. Keyword: nurse practitioners, organizational culture, work performanceMutu pelayanan di rumah sakit tak lepas dari kinerja sumber daya manusia keperawatan. Setiap organisasi memiliki budaya yang merupakan faktor penting yang menentukan keberhasilan organisasi dalam mencapai tujuannya. Penelitian yang bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi hubungan antara persepsi perawat pelaksana tentang budaya organisasi dengan kinerjanya di ruang rawat inap sebuah Rumah Sakit di Bogor ini, merupakan penelitian cross sectional yang melibatkan 113 perawat. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah instrumen budaya organisasi dan kinerja yang telah dimodifikasi. Sebanyak 79.6% perawat pelaksana mempersepsikan kinerjanya baik dan 85% mempersepsikan budaya organisasinya baik. Perawat pelaksana yang berpersepsi baik terhadap organisasinya, mereka juga berkinerja lebih baik. Karakteristik perawat pelaksana dan persepsi perawat pelaksana terhadap budaya organisasi tidak berhubungan dengan kinerja. Budaya organisasi yang sudah baik dankinerja yang optimal perlu dipertahankan dengan selalu mengevaluasi tiap komponennya,baik oleh manajemen maupun individu keperawatan. Abstract The Nurse Practitioners’ Perception on Organizational Culture and Work Performance. The quality of hospital services is supported by several aspects, including the work performance of human resources in nursing. Every organization has a culture which is an important factor that determines the success of the organization in achieving its goals. The research aimed to identify the relationship between the perceptions of nurses about the organizational culture with theirwork performance in inpatient ward at a hospital in Bogor, a cross-sectional study involving 113 nurses. The instrument used was the modified instrument of organizational culture and work performance. A total of 79,6% of nurses perceiving good performance and 85% perceive the organizational culture good. Nurses who have good perception for the organizational cultura, they also perform better. Characteristics of nurses and nurses’ perceptions of the organizational culture is not related to the work performance. Good organizational and optimum work performance need to maintain with evaluating each its component. Keyword: nurse practitioners, organizational culture, work performanc

Proximity effect in planar superconducting tunnel junctions containing Nb/NiCu superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers

We present experimental results concerning both the fabrication and characterization of superconducting tunnel junctions containing superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) bilayers made by niobium (S) and a weak ferromagnetic Ni0.50Cu0.50 alloy. Josephson junctions have been characterized down to T=1.4 K in terms of current-voltage I-V characteristics and Josephson critical current versus magnetic field. By means of a numerical deconvolution of the I-V data the electronic density of states on both sides of the S/F bilayer has been evaluated at low temperatures. Results have been compared with theoretical predictions from a proximity model for S/F bilayers in the dirty limit in the framework of Usadel equations for the S and F layers, respectively. The main physical parameters characterizing the proximity effect in the Nb/NiCu bilayer, such as the coherence length and the exchange field energy of the F metal, and the S/F interface parameters have been also estimated