Service attribute importance and strategic planning: An empirical study

There is growing evidence that attribute importance is a function of attribute performance. Several studies reported that service quality attributes fall into three categories: basic, performance, and excitement. Thus, the identification of attribute importance is significantly important as a key to customer satisfaction evaluation and other behavioural intentions. According to customer behaviour literature, attribute importance can be measured in two ways: (1) self-stated importance, and (2) statistically inferred importance. The article evaluates two methods according to their impact on overall customer satisfaction measurement and, managerial implementation. A case study is conducted on the telecommunication industry for analysis

Diverse virtual social networks: Implications for remote software testing teams

This paper evaluates offshore outsourcing in the IT testing industry and determines what conditions determine its success. There is particular focus on the influence of diversity in teams on group relationships. Two studies are described: the first, investigated the perceptions of professional software testers on the critical factors of offshore outsourcing; and the second study looked at the ability for diverse teams to form close working relationships through virtual networks. We find that overt diversity factors inhibit interaction across nationality boundaries. The limitations of virtual networks for fostering personal communications is apparent in preventing group members from overcoming the initial aversion to mix with out-group members, which could be achieved with closer and more personal communications between members with different diversity factors in normal face to face communications. Where software testing teams are outsourced globaly, and must rely on virtual communications, there seems potential for significant difficulties in developing close working relationships, which on the one hand, can be negative for group cohesion, but one the other hand, can be positive for encouraging imparitality

Global, regional, and national incidence of six major immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019

Background The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019. Methods We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, between 1990 and 2019, derived from the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in number of incidents and age standardized incidence rate (ASR) on IMIDs, by sex, age, region, and causes, were calculated to quantify the temporal trends. Findings In 2019, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease accounted 1.59%, 36.17%, 54.71%, 0.09%, 6.84%, 0.60% of overall new IMIDs cases, respectively. The ASR of IMIDs showed substantial regional and global variation with the highest in High SDI region, High-income North America, and United States of America. Throughout human lifespan, the age distribution of incident cases from six IMIDs was quite different. Globally, incident cases of IMIDs increased with an AAPC of 0.68 and the ASR decreased with an AAPC of −0.34 from 1990 to 2019. The incident cases increased across six IMIDs, the ASR of rheumatoid arthritis increased (0.21, 95% CI 0.18, 0.25), while the ASR of asthma (AAPC = −0.41), inflammatory bowel disease (AAPC = −0.72), multiple sclerosis (AAPC = −0.26), psoriasis (AAPC = −0.77), and atopic dermatitis (AAPC = −0.15) decreased. The ASR of overall and six individual IMID increased with SDI at regional and global level. Countries with higher ASR in 1990 experienced a more rapid decrease in ASR. Interpretation The incidence patterns of IMIDs varied considerably across the world. Innovative prevention and integrative management strategy are urgently needed to mitigate the increasing ASR of rheumatoid arthritis and upsurging new cases of other five IMIDs, respectively. Funding The Global Burden of Disease Study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project funded by Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (2022QN38)

The Impact Of Nandrolone Decanovate On Lipid Profile In Chronic Hemodyalysis Patient

LP(a) level in uremic patients is high. It has recently considered that the effect of androgens on lipids vary widely. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nandrolone decanoate on lipid profile in chronic hemodialysis patients."nMaterials and Methods: thirty six stable male patients over 40 years who were under maintenance hemodialysis were randomized to receive nandrolone decanoate , 100 mg weekly for six month, by intramuscular injection on nondialysis day (Group A, N=18) or B complex (Group B, N=18). Between September 2001 and 2002, male hemodialysis patients more than 40 years old without history of high prostatic specific antigen (PAS) or sensitization to drug were started on treatment with androgen therapy. The evolution in the liquid profile was prospectively assessed immediately before the first dose of nandrolone decanoate (basal values) and at 2, 4 and 6 month of therapy. The evolution of lipids after withdrawal of androgens at 2 month after the last dose was also studied. The patients underwent hemodialysis 3 to 4 hours three times a week. The dialysis schedule was not modified during the period of study."nResults: Mean decrease of LP(a) level in group A was significantly lower then group B in second month (p<0.05). Surprisingly HP level decreased also in second month. Other lipid parameters did not show significant changes."nConclusion: In this study we observed that nandrolone decanoate affects on LP(a) leveK but the changes of it did not correlate with those of hemoglobin or other lipid parameters< suggesting that the underlying mechanisms are unrelated. Our finding might be affected by low dose of the drug. Further studies with higher doses will be requied to clarify the beneficial or adverse effects of this type of therapy

Is the lower cyclosporine concentration at 2 hours after dosing safe in kidney transplant recipients?

Objective: To determine the correlation between cyclosporine blood concentration at 2 hours after dosing (C2) and renal allograft function. Materials and Methods: From 2008 to 2010, 1191 kidney transplant recipients (718 male and 473 female patients) were studied. The correlation between serum creatinine concentration and C2 blood concentration was stratified as 400, 600, 800, and 1000 ng/mL. Results: The mean (SD) C2 was 620 (235) ng/mL, and serum creatinine concentration was 1.49 (0.68) mg/dL. At multivariate regression analysis, no significant correlation was observed between serum creatinine concentration and C2 blood concentrations of 600, 800, or 1000 ng/mL (P = .18, .57, and .76, respectively); however, it was associated at 400 ng/mL (P = .03). Moreover, 36.1 of 3159 samples demonstrated satisfactory renal allograft function despite low C2 blood concentration between 400 and 600 ng/mL. Conclusion: During maintenance therapy, C2 blood concentration between 400 and 600 ng/mL is effective and safe for providing prophylaxis against rejection, and can improve long-term survival by decreasing cyclosporine toxicity. © 2011 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved