State-of-art on PLS Path Modeling through the available software

The purpose of this paper is to present PLS Path Modeling, to describe the various options of LVPLS 1.8 and PLS-Graph 3.0 for carrying out a path model, and to comment the output of both software. PLS-Graph 3.0 is actually based on LVPLS 1.8. As an added value, PLS-Graph has a very friendly graphical interface for drawing the model and a resampling module (jackknife and bootstrap). The presentation is illustrated by data which have been used to construct the European Consumer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) for a mobile phone provider.PLS Path Modeling; PLS Approach; Structural Equation Modeling; LVPLS 1.8; PLS-Graph

On hyperbolic equations with double characteristics in the presence of transition

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Capturing and Treating Unobserved Heterogeneity by Response Based Segmentation in PLS Path Modeling. A Comparison of Alternative Methods by Computational Experiments

Segmentation in PLS path modeling framework results is a critical issue in social sciences. The assumption that data is collected from a single homogeneous population is often unrealistic. Sequential clustering techniques on the manifest variables level are ineffective to account for heterogeneity in path model estimates. Three PLS path model related statistical approaches have been developed as solutions for this problem. The purpose of this paper is to present a study on sets of simulated data with different characteristics that allows a primary assessment of these methodologies.Partial Least Squares; Path Modeling; Unobserved Heterogeneity

KCa3.1 channel inhibition sensitizes malignant gliomas to temozolomide treatment

Malignant gliomas are among the most frequent and aggressive cerebral tumors, characterized by high proliferative and invasive indexes. Standard therapy for patients, after surgery and radiotherapy, consists of temozolomide (TMZ), a methylating agent that blocks tumor cell proliferation. Currently, there are no therapies aimed at reducing tumor cell invasion. Ion channels are candidate molecular targets involved in glioma cell migration and infiltration into the brain parenchyma. In this paper we demonstrate that: i) blockade of the calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 with TRAM-34 has co-adjuvant effects with TMZ, reducing GL261 glioma cell migration, invasion and colony forming activity, increasing apoptosis, and forcing cells to pass the G2/M cell cycle phase, likely through cdc2 de-phosphorylation; ii) KCa3.1 silencing potentiates the inhibitory effect of TMZ on glioma cell viability; iii) the combination of TMZ/TRAM-34 attenuates the toxic effects of glioma conditioned medium on neuronal cultures, through a microglia dependent mechanism since the effect is abolished by clodronate-induced microglia killing; iv) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment increases the number of apoptotic tumor cells, and the mean survival time in a syngeneic mouse glioma model (C57BL6 mice implanted with GL261 cells); v) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment reduces cell viability of GBM cells and cancer stem cells (CSC) freshly isolated from patients.Taken together, these data suggest a new therapeutic approach for malignant glioma, targeting both glioma cell proliferating and migration, and demonstrate that TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment affects both glioma cells and infiltrating microglia, resulting in an overall reduction of tumor cell progression

CXCL16/CXCR6 axis drives microglia/macrophages phenotype in physiological conditions and plays a crucial role in glioma

Microglia are patrolling cells that sense changes in the brain microenvironment and respond acquiring distinct phenotypes that can be either beneficial or detrimental for brain homeostasis. Anti-inflammatory microglia release soluble factors that might promote brain repair; however, in glioma, anti-inflammatory microglia dampen immune response and promote a brain microenvironment that foster tumor growth and invasion. The chemokine CXCL16 is expressed in the brain, where it is neuroprotective against brain ischemia, and it has been found to be over-expressed in glioblastoma (GBM). Considering that CXCL16 specific receptor CXCR6 is diffusely expressed in the brain including in microglia cells, we wanted to investigate the role of CXCL16 in the modulation of microglia cell activity and phenotype, and in the progression of glioma. Here we report that CXCL16 drives microglia polarization toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, also restraining microglia polarization toward an inflammatory phenotype upon LPS and IFN? stimulation. In the context of glioma, we demonstrate that CXCL16 released by tumor cells is determinant in promoting glioma associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) modulation toward an anti-inflammatory/pro-tumor phenotype, and that cxcr6ko mice, orthotopically implanted into the brain with GL261 glioma cells,survive longer compared to wild-type mice. We also describe that CXCL16/CXCR6 signaling acts directly on mouse glioma cells, as well as human primary GBM cells, promoting tumor cell growth, migration and invasion. All together these data suggest that CXCL16 signaling could represent a good target to modulate microglia phenotype in order to restrain inflammation or to limit glioma progression

Is Investing in Social Media Really Worth It? How Brand Actions and User Actions on Social Media Influence Brand Value

Although previous studies have documented a positive link between traditional media and brand performance, how social media is related to brand value has not yet been comprehensively explored. We propose a conceptual model to address this research gap, collecting a unique data set that captures information on user and brand actions on three social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube), word-of-mouth, and brand value for 87 brands in 17 industries. We empirically test our model with partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). First, we test the direct effects and find that user actions on YouTube and brand actions on Facebook have a positive influence on brand value. Second, we enrich our model by including word-of-mouth as a mediator, finding that the effect of social media goes above and beyond pure word-of-mouth spread. We test for alternative models, by first accounting for sample heterogeneity and second by including brand strength as a control variable, finding that the main model results’ are indeed robust. Our study demonstrates that making use of social media positively relates to brand value, as well as validates a set of objective metrics to measure social media actions, thus advancing knowledge on social media marketing for both academics and practitioners

Annabella Rossi studiosa del Sud: luoghi e corpi del tarantismo

In questo saggio ho riletto l’opera di Annabella Rossi – in relazione al fenomeno del tarantismo, da lei studiato, indagato e descritto in circa un ventennio di attività (1959- 1977) – provando a mostrare come le donne, gli uomini e i luoghi del tarantismo siano transitati, nel suo approccio, da un’iniziale situazione letteraria e astratta – legata alla sua formazione di «intervistatrice» al seguito di de Martino – ad una più concreta dimensione etnografica interattiva (dialogica, critica e riflessiva) – con persone in «carne, ossa e sentimenti», operanti in luoghi concreti, per così dire – che si concluderà, alla fine del suo percorso di ricerca, con il ritorno ad una dimensione narrativa finale più fluida e sfumata, necessaria per la trasformazione di un’esperienza individuale, come necessariamente è quella etnografica anche in équipe, in un patrimonio condivisibile con altri (colleghi, lettori, curiosi, appassionati , ecc.). È come se la studiosa, partendo da un bagaglio di documenti diversi, prodotti da altri soggetti sotto forma di relazioni, foto, racconti, lezioni, ecc.; cominciando proprio dallo studio di quel patrimonio pregresso della conoscenza del fenomeno che professionalmente fu chiamata a padroneggiare, fosse stata in qualche modo costretta, dopo essersi confrontata attraverso l’interazione diretta con i suoi informatori, nei luoghi di svolgimento della loro problematica esistenza, a percorrere a ritroso il cammino che dallo «scritto-letto» l’aveva portata alla magmatica esperienza sensoriale del «visto» e «vissuto» in maniera partecipante. Un percorso all’inverso che si sarebbe concluso con l’approdo al più sicuro «luogo» di una «scrittura-narrazione», questa volta sua, che le permise di coniugare il già detto (o scritto) da altri con ciò che aveva osservato «sul campo», in un esercizio di decostruzione dei modelli narrativi precedenti. Una scrittura etnografica che avrebbe ricollocato in una giusta prospettiva «politico-culturale» le narrazioni convenzionali dei luoghi e dei volti stereotipati dei tarantati