Measuring the effects of service value on behavioral intentions with a structural equation model

Son günlerde benzer hizmetleri, benzer fiyatlara sunabilen hizmet sektörü firmaları için ayırt edici özellik, sundukları yüksek hizmet değeridir. Hizmet firmalarının rakipleri arasında öne çıkmaları ancak müşterilerine sunacakları yüksek değerde hizmet ile mümkün olabilmektedir. Bu çalışma sağlık sektöründe hizmet veren hastanelerde hizmet değerinin müşterilerin gelecekteki davranışları üzerindeki etkisinin ölçülmesine yönelik Cronin ve diğerleri (2000) tarafından ortaya konan modelin bir parçasını içermektedir. Model, kayıp, hizmet değeri ve davranışsal niyet değişkenlerinden oluşan yapısal eşitlik modelidir. Araştırma modeli sağlık sektörüne uygulanarak, model değişkenleri arasındaki ilişkiler SPSS 13.0 ve LISREL 8.8 paket programları ile çözülmüş, ilgili sonuçlar elde edilmiştir.In last few years, high service value has become a distinguishable characteristic for firms which provide similar services with similar prices. If the firms provide the services with high service value, then they can be the leader among their rivals. In this paper, a part of Cronin et. al’s (2000) model is used and the effects of service value on behavioral intentions have been analyzed. The model is a structural equation model with three variables which are sacrifice, service value, and behavioral intention. For analyses SPSS 13.0 and LISREL 8.8 programs were used

Social Skills, Problem Behaviors and Classroom Management in Inclusive Preschool Settings

This study aimed to determine preschool teachers’ classroom management skills and investigate the relationships between teachers’ classroom management skills and inclusion students’ social skills and problem behaviors. Relational screening model was used as the research method. Study group consisted of 42 pre-school teachers working in Kocaeli province and 42 inclusion students aged 4-7. Personal Information Form, Classroom Management Skills Inventory for Pre-school Teachers and Pre-School and Kindergarten Behavior Scale were used to collect data. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis methods were utilized to analyze the descriptive statistics. Results revealed that participating pre-school teachers had high level of perceived classroom management skills, teachers’ classroom management skills did not differ based on inclusion students’ age and gender but they significantly differed based on teachers’ age, seniority, type of school they graduated from and staff status. Inclusion students were found to have moderate social skills and high level of problem behaviors. Children scores in social skills and problem behavior scales did not change based on age but they significantly differed based on gender. According to the results, no meaningful relationships existed between teachers’ classroom management skills and inclusion students’ social skills and problem behaviors

SOCS3 is a novel bi-functional regulator of muscle growth and wasting

poster abstractDisease states such as cancer and other inflammatory conditions often show elevated IL-6 levels that correlate with muscle wasting and mortality. Previously we reported that STAT3, a transcription factor downstream of IL-6 binding to its receptor, plays a causative role in cancer cachexia, and that STAT3 inhibition prevents muscle wasting. Others have also shown that STAT3 blockade rescues cachexia in a murine model of kidney failure. Altogether these results established STAT3 as a regulator of muscle mass. One of STAT3 downstream target genes is the Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3). Interestingly, SOCS3 has been reported to inhibit the IL-6/STAT3 signaling by means of a feedback mechanism. In particular, SOCS3 can prevent further STAT3 activation by inhibiting the activation of JAK kinases, competing for receptor binding motifs and targeting the receptor for proteasomal degradation. We thus sought to determine the role of SOCS3 in muscle growth regulation and whether SOCS3 can improve muscle wasting in conditions of high IL-6. Adenoviral-mediated SOCS3 overexpression in C2C12 myotubes caused hypertrophy and rescued IL-6-induced myofiber shrinkage. Similarly, SOCS3 gene transfer in the tibialis muscle of tumor hosts and burn-injured mice prevented muscle atrophy due to elevated IL-6. We then generated MLC-SOCS3 transgenic mice overexpressing SOCS3 from a muscle-specific promoter. Interestingly, these animals exhibit a complex sexually dimorphic phenotype. Indeed, female mice showed higher SOCS3 protein levels in skeletal muscle compared to the males, consistently with decreased pSTAT3 expression. Despite reduced or unchanged body weights, the MLC-SOCS3 transgenics generally showed larger skeletal muscles compared to their wild-type littermates. 1-weekold and adult MLC-SOCS3 mice were also characterized by significantly larger muscle cross-sectional area. However, only adult male mice showed reduced number of muscle fibers and increased number of central nuclei, thus suggesting that SOCS3 could affect myogenesis and differentiation. On this line and consistent with previous reports, primary myoblasts isolated from MLC-SOCS3 mice were shown to proliferate at a lower rate and formed hypertrophic fibers upon differentiation. Furthermore, MLC-SOCS3 myotubes as well as C2C12 expressing SOCS3 were refractory to both catabolic (IL-6) and anabolic (IGF-1 and GH) stimuli. These data suggest that SOCS3 could act as a bi-functional regulator of muscle growth, possibly by affecting differentiation and limiting both IL-6/STAT3- induced wasting as well as IGF-1/GH-associated signaling. Further investigation is needed to define whether SOCS3 may play a role in the activation of muscle satellite cells and to support the use of SOCS3 as a therapeutic approach in cachexia and sarcopenia

Susac’s Syndrome

We have read the interesting article by Raets and Gelin, entitled “Susac’s syndrome: a clinical and radiological challenge” which was published in the 95 (6) issue of the Journal in 2012 (1). The article included fairly important information which was very useful for us. However, we would like to make a few contributions

Hizmet Değerinin Müşterilerin Davranışsal Niyetleri Üzerindeki Etkisinin Yapısal Eşitlik Modeli ile Ölçülmesi

In last few years, high service value has become a distinguishable characteristic for firms which provide similar services with similar prices. If the firms provide the services with high service value, then they can be the leader among their rivals. In this paper, a part of Cronin et. al’s (2000) model is used and the effects of service value on behavioral intentions have been analyzed. The model is a structural equation model with three variables which are sacrifice, service value, and behavioral intention. For analyses SPSS 13.0 and LISREL 8.8 programs were used.Son günlerde benzer hizmetleri, benzer fiyatlara sunabilen hizmet sektörü firmaları için ayırt edici özellik, sundukları yüksek hizmet değeridir. Hizmet firmalarının rakipleri arasında öne çıkmaları ancak müşterilerine sunacakları yüksek değerde hizmet ile mümkün olabilmektedir. Bu çalışma sağlık sektöründe hizmet veren hastanelerde hizmet değerinin müşterilerin gelecekteki davranışları üzerindeki etkisinin ölçülmesine yönelik Cronin ve diğerleri (2000) tarafından ortaya konan modelin bir parçasını içermektedir. Model, kayıp, hizmet değeri ve davranışsal niyet değişkenlerinden oluşan yapısal eşitlik modelidir. Araştırma modeli sağlık sektörüne uygulanarak, model değişkenleri arasındaki ilişkiler SPSS 13.0 ve LISREL 8.8 paket programları ile çözülmüş, ilgili sonuçlar elde edilmiştir

Effects of quercetin induced cell death on a novel gene "URG4/URGCP" expression in leukemia cells

The present study aimed to investigate anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of quercetin on human leukemia cells and effects of quercetin-induced cell death on a novel gene Up-regulated gene 4/upregulator of cell proliferation (URG4/URGCP), in leukemia cells. URG4/URGCP expression is determined by using RT-PCR. IC 50 of quercetin was determined as 25 microM in CCRF-CEM, HL-60 and K562 cells. In IC 50 dose group, URG4/URGCP expression was decreased 99% in HL-60 cells, 90% in CCRF-CEM cells, and 52% (24 hour) - 99% (72 hour) in K-562 cells. URG4/URGCP may play important roles in the development of leukemia, and might be a useful molecular marker for predicting the prognosis of leukemia via quercetin treatment. © 2012 Dodurga Y, et al

Canakinumab as first-line biological therapy in Still’s disease and differences between the systemic and the chronic-articular courses: real-life experience from the international AIDA registry

Objective: Interleukin (IL)-1 inhibitors are largely employed in patients with Still’s disease; in cases with refractory arthritis, IL-6 inhibitors have shown to be effective on articular inflammatory involvement. The aim of the present study is to assess any difference in the effectiveness of the IL-1β antagonist canakinumab prescribed as first-line biologic agent between the systemic and the chronic-articular Still’s disease. Methods: Data were drawn from the retrospective phase of the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) international registry dedicated to Still’s disease. Patients with Still’s disease classified according to internationally accepted criteria (Yamaguchi criteria and/or Fautrel criteria) and treated with canakinumab as first-line biologic agent were enrolled. Results: A total of 26 patients (17 females, 9 males; 18 patients developing Still’s disease after the age of 16 years) were enrolled; 16 (61.5%) patients suffered from the systemic pattern of the disease; 10 (38.5%) patients suffered from the chronic-articular type. No differences were observed between the systemic and the chronic-articular Still’s disease in the frequency of complete response, of flares after the start of canakinumab (p = 0.701) and in the persistence in therapy (p = 0.62). No statistical differences were observed between the two groups after 3 months, 12 months and at the last assessment in the decrease of: the systemic activity score (p = 0.06, p = 0.17, p = 0.17, respectively); the disease activity score on 28 joints (p = 0.54, p = 0.77, p = 0.98, respectively); the glucocorticoid dosage (p = 0.15, p = 0.50, and p = 0.50, respectively); the use of concomitant disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (p = 0.10, p = 1.00, and p = 1.00, respectively). No statistically significant differences were observed in the decrease of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.34), C reactive protein (p = 0.48), and serum ferritin levels (p = 0.34) after the start of canakinumab. Conclusion: Canakinumab used for Still’s disease has been effective in controlling both clinical and laboratory manifestations disregarding the type of disease course when used as first-line biotechnological agent. These excellent results might have been further enhanced by the early start of IL-1 inhibition

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the duodenum together with multiple intra-abdominal thromboses and hepatitis C virus infection: a case report

Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue MALT lymphoma is a low grade malignancy that arises most commonly from the gastric mucosa. Small intestinal involvement is very rare. The causative relationship between Helicobacter pylori and the gastric MALT lymphoma is a well known issue, but recently there are several data suggesting the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the pathogenesis of lymphoma including MALT lymphoma. Herein we present a rare case of duodenal MALT lymphoma with multiple intra-abdominal thromboses together with HCV infection that was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction detecting HCV-RNA within the peripheral blood mononuclear cells