Length Variations amongst Protein Domain Superfamilies and Consequences on Structure and Function

International audienceno abstrac

Validation: Is Thy Name Research?

Asian Bioethics Review13288-29

'Online Shopping’ Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in Norway

The primary goal of this research is to analyze the customer satisfaction and loyalty of the online customers in Norway. The theoretical framework discusses in brief about the effects of customer loyalty and retention on customer satisfaction. The study on customer satisfaction and loyalty has been done from the perspective of a firm performing online business. To understand the customer satisfaction and loyalty level of online Norwegian shoppers, we pursued with the collection of quantitative data with the help of online survey. For survey purposes, a questionnaire was prepared and made available in www.nisaa.dk/survey. This study has no limits regarding different product categories. From marketing and strategic point of view we will point out those factors that might affect the customers, while purchasing goods online. To measure the customer satisfaction and loyalty of online shoppers in Norway, the survey results are calculated with the help of Simple Random Sampling method and Net Promoter Score (NPS) model. The results of the survey reveal that while a good percentage of Norwegians are satisfied with online shopping only less than half of them stay loyal to their online sellers. However, on the long run, these customers will be loyal and can be retained only when online businesses constantly satisfy them by providing detailed product information on websites, superior customer service, quality and timely delivery of goods and importantly effective website designs. Thesis key words: Online shopping, Customer satisfaction, Loyalty, E-commerce, Norway

'Online Shopping’ Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in Norway

The primary goal of this research is to analyze the customer satisfaction and loyalty of the online customers in Norway. The theoretical framework discusses in brief about the effects of customer loyalty and retention on customer satisfaction. The study on customer satisfaction and loyalty has been done from the perspective of a firm performing online business. To understand the customer satisfaction and loyalty level of online Norwegian shoppers, we pursued with the collection of quantitative data with the help of online survey. For survey purposes, a questionnaire was prepared and made available in www.nisaa.dk/survey. This study has no limits regarding different product categories. From marketing and strategic point of view we will point out those factors that might affect the customers, while purchasing goods online. To measure the customer satisfaction and loyalty of online shoppers in Norway, the survey results are calculated with the help of Simple Random Sampling method and Net Promoter Score (NPS) model. The results of the survey reveal that while a good percentage of Norwegians are satisfied with online shopping only less than half of them stay loyal to their online sellers. However, on the long run, these customers will be loyal and can be retained only when online businesses constantly satisfy them by providing detailed product information on websites, superior customer service, quality and timely delivery of goods and importantly effective website designs. Thesis key words: Online shopping, Customer satisfaction, Loyalty, E-commerce, Norway

Evidence for a hyper-reductive redox in a sub-set of heart failure patients

Abstract Background Oxidative stress has been linked to heart failure (HF) in humans. Antioxidant-based treatments are often ineffective. Therefore, we hypothesize that some of the HF patients might have a reductive stress (RS) condition. Investigating RS-related mechanisms will aid in personalized optimization of redox homeostasis for better outcomes among HF patients. Methods Blood samples were collected from HF patients (n = 54) and healthy controls (n = 42) and serum was immediately preserved in − 80 °C for redox analysis. Malondialdehyde (MDA; lipid peroxidation) levels by HPLC, reduced glutathione (GSH) and its redox ratio (GSH/GSSG) using enzymatic-recycling assay in the serum of HF patients were measured. Further, the activities of key antioxidant enzymes were analyzed by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. Non-invasive echocardiography was used to relate circulating redox status with cardiac function and remodeling. Results The circulatory redox state (GSH/MDA ratio) was used to stratify the HF patients into normal redox (NR), hyper-oxidative (HO), and hyper-reductive (HR) groups. While the majority of the HF patients exhibited the HO (42%), 41% of them had a normal redox (NR) state. Surprisingly, a subset of HF patients (17%) belonged to the hyper-reductive group, suggesting a strong implication for RS in the progression of HF. In all the groups of HF patients, SOD, GPx and catalase were significantly increased while GR activity was significantly reduced relative to healthy controls. Furthermore, echocardiography analyses revealed that 55% of HO patients had higher systolic dysfunction while 62.5% of the hyper-reductive patients had higher diastolic dysfunction. Conclusion These results suggest that RS may be associated with HF pathogenesis for a subset of cardiac patients. Thus, stratification of HF patients based on their circulating redox status may serve as a useful prognostic tool to guide clinicians designing personalized antioxidant therapies

Flexible Electrochemical Transducer Platform for Neurotransmitters

We have designed a flexible electrochemical transducer film based on PEDOT–titania–poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PTS) for the simultaneous detection of neurotransmitters. PTS films were characterized using various techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, four probe electrical conductivity, ac-impedance, and thermomechanical stability. The electrocatalytic behavior of the flexible PTS film toward the oxidation of neurotransmitters was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The fabricated transducer measured a limit of detection of 100 nm ± 5 with a response time of 15 s and a sensitivity of 63 μA mM^–1 cm^–2. The fabricated transducer film demonstrated for the simultaneous determination of epinephrine, dopamine, ascorbic acid, and uric acid with no interference between the analyte molecules. Further, transducer performance is validated by performing with real samples. The results suggested that the fabricated flexible PTS transducer with superior electrocatalytic activity, stability, and low response time can be explored for the sensing of neurotransmitters and hence can be exploited at in vitro and in vivo conditions for the early detection of the various diseases