Studies of the microenvironment and microflora of the canine external ear canal

The aims of this study were to investigate aspects of the aural microenvironment in dogs. The aural microflora, histological features of the aural integument, and biochemical components of cerumen from healthy canine ears and those with otitis externa were studied. Interactions between canine cerumen and one member of the resident aural flora, Malassezia pachydermatis were also investigated. Gram-positive, coagulase-negative cocci, and M.pachydermatis were the most common resident flora found in 52 healthy canine external ears. Microscopic examination of cytological smears from cerumen and microbiological culture indicated that these organisms were present in low numbers. Gram-positive coagulase positive staphylococci, Gram-negative rods, and M.pachydermatis were isolated most frequently from 27 canine ears affected by otitis externa. Eighty percent of these inflamed ears were associated with microbial overgrowth. The numbers of microorganisms found in cerumen cytological smears appear to be correlated to the growth density of microbial colonies on culture plates. In an anatomical survey of the external ear canal, 40 canine ears were examined. The average length of the cartilaginous part of these canals was 5.3 cm. The diameter at the most proximal end of the annular cartilage averaged 0.5 cm; at the proximal end of the auricular cartilage the mean diameter was 0.7 cm; at the distal extremity of the ear canal, the average diameter was 4.8 cm. Morphometric stereology was used to evaluate histological features of 28 clinically normal and 15 otitic canine ears at four anatomical levels. Marked variation was found in the distribution of sebaceous and apocrine glands in the aural integument in healthy ears and those with otitis

The Decision to Continue Sharing Knowledge in Virtual Communities: The Moderating Role of Knowledge-Sharing Experience and Knowledge Self-Efficacy

Virtual communities have become increasingly popular in recent years. Despite significant growth in the number of virtual communities, few communities have been successful retaining members and motivating members to continue sharing knowledge. This study focuses on how knowledge-contributor characteristics impact the relationship between individuals’ community-involvement motivation and continued knowledge-sharing intention. According to the study’s online survey of 292 knowledge contributors in two professional virtual communities (PVCs), knowledge-sharing experience and knowledge self-efficacy – two contributor characteristics – moderate the relationship between motivational factors and continued knowledge sharing. Specifically, reputation and enjoyment in helping others had a stronger influence on knowledge contributors with high knowledge self-efficacy, whereas reciprocity had a stronger influence on knowledge contributors with low knowledge selfefficacy. Furthermore, reciprocity and moral obligation had a stronger influence on knowledge contributors with high knowledge-sharing experience. The results of this study provide important implications for research and practice

Understanding the Antecedents of SCM Process Performance: The Perspective of IT-Enabled Resources

This study aims to better understand how a firm’s resources can be used to improve performance of supply chain. Extending prior research on the resources-based view, this study develops an integrated model, which delineates the relationship among three IT-related resources, absorptive capacity, and supply chain (SC) process performance. Through a field survey of 205 managers from Taiwan’s firms, most proposed hypotheses are supported, showing that IT-related resources in terms of managerial skills and partner support affect absorptive capacity, which in turn influences performance. This paper offers a new perspective on using firms’ resources from which their SC performance can be improved

The influence of the government on corporate environmental reporting in China: An authoritarian capitalism perspective

This study uses panel data to investigate the different roles of the Chinese government in influencing companies’ decision making about corporate environmental reporting (CER) via a two-stage process. The results show that the Chinese government appears to mainly influence the decision whether to disclose or not, but has limited influence on how much firms disclose. The results also show that the traditional model of authoritarian capitalism (under which state-owned enterprises [SOEs] are the major governance arrangement) is transforming into a new model. In the new model of authoritarian capitalism, the Chinese government uses newer, more sophisticated tools to manage both state-owned and non–state-owned companies. In addition, these new governance arrangements appear to be more efficient than the traditional model. The findings of this study have implications for both the Chinese government and for Chinese companies, as well as making important contributions to the literature and knowledge of CER in China

The influence of the Chinese government\u27s political ideology in the field of corporate environmental reporting

© 2020, Hui Situ, Carol Tilt, Pi-Shen Seet. Purpose: In a state capitalist country such as China, an important influence on company reporting is the government, which can influence company decision-making. The nature and impact of how the Chinese government uses its symbolic power to promote corporate environmental reporting (CER) have been under-studied, and therefore, this paper aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating the various strategies the Chinese government uses to influence CER and how political ideology plays a key role. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses discourse analysis to examine the annual reports and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports from seven Chinese companies between 2007 and 2011. And the data analysis presented is informed by Bourdieu\u27s conceptualisation of symbolic power. Findings: The Chinese government, through exercising the symbolic power, manages to build consensus, so that the Chinese government\u27s political ideology becomes the habitus which is deeply embedded in the companies\u27 perception of practices. In China, the government dominates the field and owns the economic capital. In order to accumulate symbolic capital, companies must adhere to political ideology, which helps them maintain and improve their social position and ultimately reward them with more economic capital. The findings show that the CER provided by Chinese companies is a symbolic product of this process. Originality/value: The paper provides contributions around the themes of symbolic power wielded by the government that influence not only state-owned enterprises (SOEs) but also firms in the private sector. This paper also provides an important contribution to understanding, in the context of a strong ideologically based political system (such as China), how political ideology influences companies\u27 decision-making in the field of CER

Physician Acceptance Behavior of the Electronic Medical Records Exchange: An Extended Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior

In this study, we examined physician acceptance behavior of the electronic medical record (EMR) exchange. Although several prior studies have focused on factors that affect the adoption or use of EMRs, empirical study that captures the success factors that encourage physicians to adopt the EMR exchange is limited. Therefore, drawing on institutional trust integrated with the decomposed theory of planned behavior (TPB) model, we propose a theoretical model to examine physician intentions of using the EMR exchange. A field survey was conducted in Taiwan to collect data from physicians. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using the partial least squares (PLS) method was employed to test the research model. The results showed that the usage intention of physicians is significantly influenced by 4 factors (i.e., attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavior control, and institutional trust). These 4 factors were assessed by their perceived usefulness and compatibility, facilitating conditions and self-efficacy, situational normality, and structural assurance, respectively. The results also indicated that institutional trust integrated with the decomposed TPB model provides an improved method for predicting physician intentions to use the EMR exchange. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed

Explaining Physicians’ Acceptance and Resistance to the NHI Pharmacloud: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test

The PharmaCloud allows physicians to streamline many of their healthcare processes and ensure patient safety in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. Despite its great potential, however, there are gaps in our understanding of how physicians evaluate change in relation to the PharmaCloud and why they decide to resist it. Thus, this study develops an integrated model to explain physicians’ intention to use the PharmaCloud and their intention to resist it. A field survey was conducted in Taiwan to collect data from physicians. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using the partial least squares (PLS) method was employed to test the research model. The results show that physicians’ resistance to the use of the PharmaCloud is the result of regret avoidance, inertia, perceived value, transition costs, and perceived threat. Information quality, system quality, and service quality are shown to have positive and direct effects on physicians’ intention to use the PharmaCloud. Our study illustrates the importance of incorporating user resistance in technology acceptance studies in general and health technology usage studies in particular, providing grounds for a model of resistance that can serve as the starting point for future research in this relatively unexplored yet potentially fertile area of research

Associations among systemic blood pressure, microalbuminuria and albuminuria in dogs affected with pituitary- and adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypertension and proteinuria are medical complications associated with the multisystemic effects of long-term hypercortisolism in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study investigated the relationships among adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulation test results, systemic blood pressure, and microalbuminuria in clinically-healthy dogs (n = 100), in dogs affected with naturally occurring pituitary-dependent (PDH; n = 40), or adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADH; n = 30).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean systemic blood pressure was similar between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with HAC (<it>p </it>= 0.803). However the incidence of hypertension was highest in dogs with ADH (<it>p = 0.017</it>), followed by dogs with PDH, with the lowest levels in clinically healthy dogs (<it>p = 0.019</it>). Presence of microalbuminuria and albuminuria in clinically healthy dogs and dogs affected with HAC was significantly different (<it>p </it>< 0.001); incidences of albuminuria followed the same pattern of hypertension; highest incidence in dogs with ADH, and lowest level in clinically healthy dogs; but microalbuminuria showed a different pattern: clinically healthy dogs had highest incidences and dogs with ADH had lowest incidence. The presence of albuminuria was not associated with blood pressure values, regardless of whether dogs were clinically healthy or affected with ADH or PDH (<it>p </it>= 0.306).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Higher incidence of hypertension and albuminuria, not microalbuminuria was seen in dogs affected with HAC compared to clinically healthy dogs; incidence of hypertension and albuminuria was significantly higher in dogs affected with ADH compared to PDH. However, presence of albuminuria was not correlated with systemic blood pressure.</p