Internal Marketing Orientation: an empirical research in hotel sector

The study has three aims. First, to measure internal market orientation second, to analyze the relation-ships between IMO and two organizational consequences: job satisfaction and commitment; and third,to incorporate a new sub-dimension work/family balance. Empirical research has been done in a sampleof Spanish hotels. Results show that IMO is a strategic determinant of both job satisfaction and employeecommitment

SBL-online : implementing studio-based learning techniques in an online introductory programming course to address common programming errors and misconceptions

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2013.Includes bibliographical references.Much research has been done in regards to student programming errors, online education and studio-based learning (SBL) in computer science education. This study furthers this area by bringing together this knowledge and applying it to proactively help students overcome impasses caused by common student programming errors. This project proposes a pedagogy for proactive online teaching. Studio-Based Learning Online (SBL-Online) consists of three components, the SBL pedagogy, the strategic timing and content of the SBL sessions and the online nature of the implementation environment. The implementation of SBL-Online aims to provide a better quality of online computer programming courses promoting student-student interaction focused on the discussion of problematic curriculum issues. Data collected prior to the application of SBL-Online provided counts of common student programming errors. This information was used to create the assignments that were later used during the SBL-Online sessions. In regards to its implementation, this project is two-fold; on the one hand it compares online vs. SBL incarnations of the same course. On the other hand it observes and analyzes what goes on during the SBL-Online sessions. The data collection includes an end-of-semester questionnaire, a modified version of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ), as well as thick data collection extracted from the course management system, student emails and SBL-Online session video recordings. Recordings' analyses of student interaction during SBL sessions play a very important role within this study. The SBL-Online just as its face-to-face counterpart SBL, has shown the potential to help novice programmers overcome the limitations unique to introduction to programming courses. In most cases there is evidence on students' optimistic state of mind before, during and after SBL sessions highlighting the effects of this treatment. On the other hand there is evidence of renouncing and defeatist thoughts from the control group. This research provides a unique insight into the inner workings and effects of SBL including the identification of "learning moments," student-student interaction and the building of camaraderie. SBL-Online impacted student's behavior, in different areas of the course, such as, attitude towards peers and attitude towards the course

Jan Rypka. Iranische Literaturgeschichte

Molé Marian. Jan Rypka. Iranische Literaturgeschichte. In: Revue de l'histoire des religions, tome 159, n°2, 1961. pp. 250-252

Recruitment niche segregation of halophytes along the tidal gradient

Recruitment is a critical component of the plant life cycle, but little is known about its contribution to community assembly in comparison to later plant stages. We aimed to analyze the relevance of recruitment niche segregation in community assembly using tidal salt marshes in a Mediterranean climate. With this objective, we recorded the spatio-temporal distribution of seedling emergence and its relationships with propagule density and environmental conditions at the community level along the tidal gradient. Results indicate that seedling recruitment was strongly influenced by differential establishment abilities and the effects of sedimentary and meteorological factors that vary seasonally and along the tidal gradient. Taxa colonizing the same habitats showed some similarities in their recruitment patterns, but they also presented enough differences to configure almost a unique recruitment pattern for each taxa. Sediment characteristics segregated recruitment niches at both extremes of the tidal gradient, and the few species colonizing habitats between these two extremes also showed contrasted spatial recruitment patterns. In addition, sequential differences in seedling emergence segregated within high marsh taxa. Most of the taxa exhibited a continuous germination strategy associated to prolonged flowering periods and the ability to germinate along broad salinity ranges. Our results shed light on the importance of recruitment niche segregation to the assembly of plant communities, which is key for understanding their functioning and guiding their management

Effect of oral nitrates on pulse pressure and arterial elasticity in patients aged over 65 years with refractory isolated systolic hypertension: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Isolated systolic hypertension is a highly prevalent disease among the elderly. The little available evidence on the efficacy of nitrates for treating the disease is based on small experimental studies. METHODS/DESIGN: We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase III, placebo-controlled trial in 154 patients aged over 65 years with refractory isolated systolic hypertension. Patients were randomized to placebo or 40 mg/day of extended-release isosorbide mononitrate added to standard therapy and titrated to 60 mg/day at week 6 if blood pressure exceeded 140/90 mmHg.The primary objective was to assess the effect on clinical pulse pressure of extended-release isosorbide mononitrate added to standard therapy in patients aged over 65 years with refractory isolated systolic hypertension after 3 months of treatment.The secondary objectives were as follows: to quantify the effect of adding the study drug on central blood pressure and vascular compliance using the augmentation index and pulse wave velocity; to evaluate the safety profile by recording adverse effects (frequency, type, severity) and the percentage of patients who had to withdraw from the trial because of adverse events; to quantify the percentage of patients who reach a clinical systolic blood pressure <140 mmHg or <130 mmHg measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; and to quantify the change in pulse pressure measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. DISCUSSION: Few clinical trials have been carried out to test the effect of oral nitrates on isolated systolic hypertension, even though these agents seem to be effective. Treatment with extended-release isosorbide mononitrate could improve control of systolic blood pressure without severe side effects, thus helping to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EUDRACT Number: 2012-002988-10.Funding for the trial was provided by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (call for the development of independent clinical research, Exp Nº EC11-111).S

Observational study over 8-year period evaluating microbiological characteristics and risk factor for isolation of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in patients with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) hospitalized in a urology ward

Objective: To analyze, in a urology ward, the prevalence and characteristics of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO).Methods: We carried out an observational study from 2012 to 2019, evaluating MDRO among patients with HAIs, who were hospitalized in the urology ward. MDRO include Pseudomonas spp., resistant to at least three antibiotic groups, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae or those resistant to carbapenems, and Enterococcus spp. resistant to vancomycin.Results: Among patients with HAIs, MDRO were isolated in 100 out of 438 (22.8%) positive cultures. Univariate and multivariate analyses reported that prior urinary tract infection (UTI) [OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.14-5.36; p=0.021] and immunosuppression [OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.11-4.10; p=0.023] were risk factors for MDRO. A high prevalence of MRDO was found in patients with a catheter in the upper urinary tract; 27.6% for double J stent, 29.6% in those with a nephrostomy tube, and 50% in those with a percutaneous internal/external nephroureteral (PCNU) stent. MDRO were isolated in 28.4% of cultures with Enterobacteriaceae (23.8% and 44.7% in those with E. coli and Klebsiella spp.); 7% of Enterobacteriaceae showed resistance to carbapenems (1.3% and 10% for E. coli and Klebsiella spp., respectively). Three out of 80 Enterococcus spp. were vancomycin-resistant. The rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to at least three antibiotic groups was 36.3%.Conclusions: The isolation of MDRO, in up to 25% of positive cultures in a urology ward, constitutes a challenge for the selection of antibiotics. MDRO are more common in immunosuppressed patients, those with previous UTIs, and those with a catheter in the upper urinary tract

Characteristics and Outcomes of Adult Patients in the PETHEMA Registry with Relapsed or Refractory FLT3-ITD Mutation-Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia

This retrospective study investigated outcomes of 404 patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-internal tandem duplication (ITD) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) enrolled in the PETHEMA registry, pre-approval of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Most patients (63%) had received first-line intensive therapy with 3 + 7. Subsequently, patients received salvage with intensive therapy (n = 261), non-intensive therapy (n = 63) or supportive care only (n = 80). Active salvage therapy (i.e., intensive or non-intensive therapy) resulted in a complete remission (CR) or CR without hematological recovery (CRi) rate of 42%. More patients achieved a CR/CRi with intensive (48%) compared with non-intensive (19%) salvage therapy (p < 0.001). In the overall population, median overall survival (OS) was 5.5 months; 1-and 5-year OS rates were 25% and 7%. OS was significantly (p <0.001) prolonged with intensive or non-intensive salvage therapy compared with supportive therapy, and in those achieving CR/CRi versus no responders. Of 280 evaluable patients, 61 (22%) had an allogeneic stem-cell transplant after they had achieved CR/CRi. In conclusion, in this large cohort study, salvage treatment approaches for patients with FLT3-ITD mutated R/R AML were heterogeneous. Median OS was poor with both non-intensive and intensive salvage therapy, with best long-term outcomes obtained in patients who achieved CR/CRi and subsequently underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplant