The Effects of Marketing Capabilities on Export Performance Using Resource-based View: Assessment on Manufacturing Companies

AbstractFor the last years, under increasing intensive competitive conditions, manufacturing firms have been seeking ways to create advantages against their competitors that lead them to change their product-oriented strategy to adopt market-oriented strategy. Thus, it is important for those firms to define their activities better and to use their resources to increase their export performance. In this study, using resource-based view, important resources and marketing capabilities of manufacturing companies which play key roles in their export performance were examined. Then, in order to understand the effects of various defined resources and marketing capabilities on manufacturing firms’ export performance in depth, export activities of 14 Turkish manufacturing firms in different sectors were investigated using critical incident method

Forging a potent vaccine adjuvant: CpG ODN/cationic peptide nanorings

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Type I interferon inducers may potentially be engineered to function as antiviral and anticancer agents, or alternatively, vaccine adjuvants, all of which may have clinical applications. We recently described a simple strategy to convert a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist devoid of interferon alpha (IFN alpha) stimulating activity into a robust Type I interferon inducer with potent vaccine adjuvant activity

Self-aligned and bundled electrospun fibers prepared from blends of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a hairt-rod polyphenylene copolymer

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Bundled and self-aligned fibers were obtained by electrospinning blends of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a hairy-rod polyphenylene-g-polystyrene/poly(a-caprolactone) (PP-g-PS/PCL) copolymer. The self-alignment and bundling characteristics of these electrospun fibers were ascribed to the unique molecular architecture of the conjugated polymer, PP-g-PS/PCL, and its interactions with the solvent and the polymer matrixes used for the electrospinning. The self-alignment and bundling was found to be much more pronounced for PP-g-PS/PCL-PS blend when compared to PP-g-PS/PCL-PMMA blend. Furthermore we found that the degree of self-alignment of the fiber bundles was enhanced by increasing the amount of PP-g-PS/PCL in the blends but the alignment completely disappeared when the solvent dimethylformamide was changed to chloroform. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Immobilization of cholesterol oxidase in a conducting copolymer of thiophene-3-yl acetic acid cholesteryl ester with pyrrole

Cholesterol oxidase has been immobilized in conducting copolymers of thiophene-3-yl acetic acid cholesteryl ester with pyrrole (CM/PPy) and polypyrrole (PPy) via electropolymerization. p-Toluene sulphonic acid was used as the supporting electrolyte. Kinetic parameters (V-max and K-m) and operational stability of enzyme electrodes were investigated. Surface morphology of the films was examined by scanning electron microscope

Immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharide-poly(I:C) nanoparticles

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Immunostimulatory properties of mushroom derived polysaccharides (PS) as stand-alone agents were tested. Next. PS were nanocomplexed with polyI:C (pIC) to yield stable nanoparticles around 200 nm in size evidenced by atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering analyses. PSs were selectively engaged by cells expressing TLR2 and initiated NF kappa B dependent signaling cascade leading to a Th1-biased cytokine/chemokine secretion in addition to bactericidal nitric oxide (NO) production from macrophages. Moreover, cells treated with nanoparticles led to synergistic IL6, production and upregulation of TNF alpha, MIP3 alpha, IFN gamma and IP10 transcript expression. In mice, PS-Ovalbumin-pIC formulation surpassed anti-OVA IgG responses when compared to either PS-OVA or pIC-OVA mediated immunity. Our results revealed that signal transduction initiated both by TLR2 and TLR3 via co-delivery of pIC by PS in nanoparticle depot delivery system is an effective immunization strategy. The present work implicate that the PS and nucleic acid based nanoparticle approach along with protein antigens can be harnessed to prevent infectious diseases. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

ON GENERALIZED SARMANOV BIVARIATE DISTRIBUTIONS

Abstract. A class of bivariate distributions which generalizes the Sarmanov class is introduced. This class possesses a simple analytical form and desirable dependence properties. The admissible range for association parameter for given bivariate distributions are derived and the range for correlation coefficients are also presented

Immunomodulatory function and in vivo properties of pediococcus pentosaceus OZF, a promising probiotic strain

Some of the important properties of probiotics are the ability to survive during gastrointestinal transit and to modulate the immune functions. The objectives of the reported study were to assess in vivo gastrointestinal survival of orally administered Pediococcus pentosaceus OZF using an animal model BALB/c mice, and to examine its effects on the immune response. Following oral administration to mice, the ability of Pediococcus pentosaceus OZF to pass and survive through the mouse gastrointestinal system was investigated by analyzing the recovery of the strain in fecal samples. Microbiological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods proved that the strain OZF could overcome specific conditions in the gastrointestinal tract of mice and reach the intestine alive after ingestion. To observe the effect of oral administration on immune response, IL-6, IL-12 and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA, and the strain OZF was found to cause increases in IL-6 synthesis in regularly fed mice. However, stimulation was carried out with various concentrations of bacterial ssDNA and heat killed cells of Pediococcus pentosaceus OZF. The heat killed cells of the strain OZF were shown to produce IFN- γ independently from IL-12. On the other hand, a significant difference between control and experimental group was noticed when lipopolysaccharide, a TLR4 (toll like receptor) ligand, was used. Overall, Pediococcus pentosaceus OZF may be a valuable probiotic strain for therapeutic uses. Nevertheless, further studies on the mechanisms of immunomodulatory effect will allow for better clarification of the immune functions of this strain. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and the University of Milan 2012

Standards of CentroGraphic Analysis in an Anatolian Turkish Population

Aim:The aims of this study were to evaluate different facial-form assessment concepts (conventional numeric cephalometric approach and geometric centroid-oriented individualized cephalomorphic approach), to establish cephalomorphic norms from lateral cephalograms of Anatolian Turkish young adults, and to identify possible gender differences between Anatolian Turkish young men and women.Materials and Methods:The subjects included 28 Turkish men (mean age, 24.33±1.66 years) and 40 Turkish women (mean age, 23.12±2.24 years) ranging from 20 to 31 years old. Conventional cephalometric analysis and CentroGraphic analysis were applied to each lateral cephalogram. To determine the errors associated with radiographic measurements, 20 radiographs were selected randomly. Their tracings and measurements were repeated 8 weeks after the first measurements. A paired sample t test was applied to the first and second measurements. An independent-samples t test was performed for statistical evaluation of gender differences.Results:Generally, some differences were observed, but most of the values for skeletal measurements in Anatolian Turkish adults for cephalometric analysis were found to be similar to the ideal norms of different authors. According to statistical analysis, cephalometric and cephalomorphic measurements were similar for men and women, except facial centroid (FC) value. The FC value for women was statistically greater than that for men (p<0.05) CentroGraphic analysis results show that Anatolian Turkish adults have protrusive mandibular and retrusive upper lip.Conclusions:It is appropriate to put these practical CentroGraphic norms into daily orthodontic practice when an Anatolian Turkish population is being treated

Isatuximab plus carfilzomib and dexamethasone versus carfilzomib and dexamethasone in elderly patients with relapsed multiple myeloma: IKEMA subgroup analysis

In this subgroup analysis of the randomized, Phase 3 IKEMA study (NCT03275285), we evaluated efficacy and safety of the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody isatuximab (Isa) in combination with carfilzomib-dexamethasone (Isa-Kd) versus Kd in older (≥70&nbsp;years of age, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;86) and younger (&lt;70&nbsp;years, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;216) patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). Patients received Isa 10&nbsp;mg/kg intravenously weekly for 4&nbsp;weeks, then every 2&nbsp;weeks in the Isa-Kd arm, and approved schedule of carfilzomib (twice weekly) and dexamethasone in both study arms. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); key secondary efficacy endpoints included rates of overall response (ORR), very good partial response or better (≥VGPR), minimal residual disease negativity (MRD–), and complete response (CR). Addition of Isa to Kd resulted in improved PFS in elderly patients (hazard ratio, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.18–0.75]) consistent with the significant PFS improvement observed in the overall IKEMA population. Treatment with Isa-Kd improved depth of response versus Kd, with higher rates of ≥VGPR (73.1% vs. 55.9%), MRD– (23.1% vs. 11.8%), and CR (38.5% vs. 23.5%). Although the incidence of grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was higher in Isa-Kd, the incidence of serious TEAEs was similar between arms. Fewer elderly patients definitively discontinued treatment due to TEAEs in Isa-Kd than Kd: 11.8% versus 23.5%. In conclusion, Isa-Kd provides a consistent benefit versus Kd in elderly patients, with a manageable safety profile, and represents a new treatment option for patients with relapsed MM, independent of age

Isatuximab plus carfilzomib and dexamethasone in relapsed multiple myeloma patients with high-risk cytogenetics: IKEMA subgroup analysis

Introduction: The presence of high-risk chromosomal abnormalities [t(4;14), del(17p), and t(14;16)] has been linked with inferior outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). A prespecified interim analysis of the Phase 3 IKEMA study (NCT03275285) demonstrated that isatuximab (Isa) + carfilzomib (K) and dexamethasone (d; Isa-Kd) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus Kd in patients with relapsed MM. This prespecified subgroup analysis of IKEMA examined efficacy and safety in patients with high-risk cytogenetics. Methods: High-risk cytogenetics was assessed by central laboratory and patients were classified as high risk if abnormalities were present in ≥1 of the following: del(17p): 50% cutoff; t(4;14), and/or t(14;16): 30% cutoff. Results: Of the randomized patients, 23.5% (Isa-Kd) and 25.2% (Kd) had ≥1 high-risk chromosomal abnormality. A PFS benefit was seen in favor of Isa-Kd for patients with standard-risk (HR 0.440; 95% CI 0.266–0.728) and high-risk cytogenetics (HR 0.724; 95% CI 0.361–1.451). Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were more common with Isa-Kd (85.7%) versus Kd (63.3%) in patients with high-risk cytogenetics; however, the incidence of serious TEAEs (64.3% vs. 66.7%) was similar. Conclusions: Isa-Kd is a new treatment option for the difficult-to-treat subgroup of patients with relapsed MM and high-risk cytogenetics