The Relationship between E-Marketing Strategy and Performance: A Conceptual Framework in a Web Context

While building on the contingency theory, this paper proposes a conceptual framework that links five factors: a) internal forces, b) external forces, c) past web and firm performance, d) current web and firm performance, and e) e-marketing strategy in terms of the strategy defined for the 4Ws (Web-Design, Web-Promotion, Web-Price, and Web-CRM). Future research is encouraged to build on this framework to test how internal and external forces of the firm, along with its past performance, influence the determination of e-marketing strategy and how in turn, e-marketing strategy impacts on performance at the web and firm levels.

How authentic leadership promotes individual creativity: The mediating role of affective commitment

This study sought to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how authentic leadership can affect employees’ individual creativity through affective commitment’s mediating role. The sample included 177 leader-follower dyads from 26 private, small and medium-sized enterprises. Followers reported their levels of affective commitment and perceptions of authentic leadership, and leaders assessed each follower’s level of creativity. The results show that authentic leadership has a positive impact on affective commitment and creativity. Moreover, affective commitment fully mediates the relationship between perceived authentic leadership and individual creativity. Organizations can thus increase employees’ affective commitment and creativity by encouraging their managers to adopt more authentic leadership styles. Additional studies with larger samples are needed to determine more clearly not only authentic leadership’s influence on individual creativity but also other psychosocial and personal variables’ effects on that relationship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The shading sign: is it exclusive of endometriomas?

To investigate if the shading sign is an exclusive MRI feature of endometriomas or endometrioid tumors, and to analyze its different patterns. Three hundred and fourty six women with adnexal masses who underwent 1.5/3-T MRI were included in this retrospective, board-approved study. The shading sign was found in 56 patients, but five cases were excluded due to lack of imaging follow-up or histological correlation. The final sample included 51 women. The type of tumor and the pattern of shading were recorded for each case. Thirty endometriomas and five endometrioid carcinomas were found. The remaining 16 cases corresponded to other benign and malignant tumors. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 73%, 93%, 59%, and 96%, respectively. Restricting the analysis to cystic lesions without solid or fat component, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 73%, 96%, 94%, and 80%. Five shading patterns were identified: layering (15.7%), liquid-liquid level (11.8%), homogenous (45.1%), heterogeneous (11.8%), and focal/multifocal shading within a complex mass (19.6%). No significant correlation was found between these patterns and the type of tumor. The shading sign is not exclusive of endometriomas or endometrioid tumors. Homogenous shading was the most prevalent pattern in endometriomas and half of the cases with focal/multifocal shading within a complex mass were endometrioid carcinomas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fatores clínico-laboratoriais associados ao internamento prolongado em doentes com celulite/erisipela

Copyright © Ordem dos Médicos 2019.Introduction: Cellulitis and erysipelas represent the most frequent cause of hospitalization in the dermatology department of Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patient demographics, comorbidities, previous episodes of cellulitis/erysipelas, the presence of complications, laboratory markers at admission, microbial isolation or previous use of antibiotics, are associated with prolonged stays. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis, including patients admitted with cellulitis/erysipelas in the inpatient dermatology department of Santa Maria Hospital between July 1st 2012 and June 30th 2017. Results: There were 372 admissions, corresponding to 348 patients. The median length of stay was 11 days. Increased age (p = 0.002, OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.04), previous episode of cellulitis/erysipelas requiring hospitalization (p = 0.005, OR 4.81, 95% CI 1.63 - 14.23), the presence of cellulitis/erysipelas-associated complications (p = 0.001, OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.63 - 6.59), leukocytosis (p = 0.049, OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.00 - 3.30), high levels of C-reactive protein (p = 0.035, OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.06) and a positive culture result (p = 0.002, OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.41 - 4.79) were associated with prolonged hospitalization. Discussion: Prolonged hospitalization for cellulitis/erysipelas is associated with higher costs, additional clinical investigation, invasive treatments, prolonged courses of antibiotic therapy, risk of nosocomial infections, and delayed return to activities of daily living. Thus, the investigation of clinical-laboratory factors associated with prolonged hospitalization for cellulitis / erysipelas is essential and may be useful for the construction of a severity score. Conclusion: The knowledge of the characteristics that are associated with prolonged stay among patients with cellulitis/erysipelas may be relevant to improve health care, by reducing the length of hospital stay and associated risks and costs.Introdução: A celulite e a erisipela constituem a causa mais frequente de internamento no Serviço de Dermatologia do Hospital Santa Maria. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar se as características demográficas, as comorbilidades, a existência de episódios prévios de celulite/erisipela, a presença de complicações associadas, os parâmetros laboratoriais na admissão, o isolamento de microrganismo em cultura ou o uso prévio de antibióticos estão associados a internamentos prolongados. Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo, incluindo os doentes internados no Serviço de Dermatologia do Hospital Santa Maria com o diagnóstico de celulite/erisipela, entre 1 de julho de 2012 e 30 de junho de 2017. Resultados: Existiram 372 internamentos, correspondendo a 348 doentes. A mediana do tempo de internamento foi de 11 dias. A idade ( p = 0,002, OR 1,03, 95% IC 1,01 – 1,04), a existência de internamento prévio por celulite/erisipela (p = 0,005, OR 4,81, 95% IC 1,63 – 14,23), a presença de complicações associadas à celulite/erisipela (p = 0,001, OR 3,28, 95% IC 1,63 – 6,59), a leuco- citose (p = 0,049, OR 1,81, 95% IC 1,00 – 3,30), valores elevados de proteína C reativa (p = 0,035, OR 1,03, 95% IC 1,00 - 1,06) e o isolamento de microrganismo em cultura (p = 0,002, OR 2,59, 95% IC 1,41 – 4,79) estiveram associados a internamentos prolongados. Discussão: A par dos maiores custos associados, o internamento prolongado por celulite/erisipela está frequentemente associado à necessidade de investigação clínica adicional, a tratamentos invasivos, a cursos prolongados de antibioterapia, ao risco de infeções nosocomiais e ao atraso no retorno às atividades da vida diária. Assim, o estudo dos fatores clínico-laboratoriais associados ao inter- namento prolongado por celulite/erisipela é fundamental e poderá ser útil para a construção de um score de gravidade. Conclusão: O conhecimento de características clínicas e laboratoriais associadas ao internamento prolongado poderá ser relevante para melhorar os cuidados de saúde, através da redução dos tempos de internamento e dos seus riscos e custos associados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A unique finding on CT scan

We report a case of a 67-year-old female patient that presented to the emergency department with complete right facial paralysis, progressive hearing loss and chronic otorrhea. A unique finding on CT scan is reported: a “floating labyrinth” – cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals extensively surrounded by soft tissue density material but with intact thinned otic capsule walls. A transotic approach was performed for removal of noncholesteatomatous inflammatory tissue; intravenous antibiotics and corticosteroids led to partial recovery of facial nerve function. A chronic suppurative otitis media with necrotic osteomyelitis and bony sequestrum in a severe context of AIDS is the likely cause. An immunosuppressive disease should be suspected in atypical presentations of chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma.publishersversionpublishe

Music with plants: cultivating bonds between grade-schoolers and nature through sound design

A growing need for environmental awareness requires sensitive strategies to help us rethink the way interactions transform our habitat. This work proposes a musical approach to nourishing the bonds between elementary-school students and nature. Since plants and humans experience life in very different time frames, humans might mistakenly perceive plants as quiet and motionless living-beings. The ability to sense elements of their surroundings to which we are unaware of, makes plants invaluable allies towards a more conscious relationship with the planet we share. This work proposes that music has the potential to intermediate these interactions and provide meaningful experiences to the young participants by bringing to common ground digital technology, music and plants. Using sensors to collect data from the plant’s environment we shape musical features over time, encouraging children care of their own plant as it blossoms into its matured “musical form”. In addition, sound events might be triggered to reward positive behavior in the classroom. Students split responsibility for the plant assigned to their desk, which stimulates cooperation and companionship. Each individual plant then becomes part of and contributes to its class and school musical.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Saúde oral: fatores de não adesão aos cheques-dentista: um estudo de caso-controlo

RESUMO - Introdução: O cheque-dentista foi criado para efetivar o acesso às consultas de medicina dentária, no entanto, a utilização dos primeiros cheques-dentistas dos alunos com 7, 10 e 13 anos com cáries das escolas públicas da área geodemográfica do Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Ocidental e Oeiras, tem sido baixa (23% no ano letivo 2014/2015). Com este trabalho, pretendeu-se estudar os fatores que condicionaram esta não utilização. Material e Métodos: Realizou-se um estudo caso-controlo que envolveu 270 alunos (135 casos e 135 controlos), provenientes das 35 escolas públicas que aceitaram participar. Foi feita uma análise descritiva dos motivos da não adesão e a pesquisa da associação entre as variáveis e a utilização/não utilização do cheque-dentista por análise estatística bivariável e multivariável, adotando-se um nível de significância de 0,05. Resultados: Os principais motivos para a não utilização elencados (n=135) foram ter dentista particular não aderente ao cheque-dentista (23,7%) e ter-se esquecido de utilizar o cheque-dentista, deixando ultrapassar o prazo de validade (21,5%). O principal fator de risco identificado pela regressão logística diz respeito à vigilância por dentista particular (OR ajustado 2,004; p=0,012) e o principal fator protetor relaciona-se com o conhecimento de dentista aderente ao cheque-dentista (OR ajustado 0,096; p<0,001). Discussão: Os resultados obtidos realçam a necessidade de se melhorar a acessibilidade aos cheques-dentista. Espera-se que a identificação destes fatores possa contribuir para planear estratégias e atividades com vista a aumentar a utilização dos cheques-dentista.ABSTRACT - Introduction: A dentist voucher was created to facilitate the access to oral health care, however the utilisation of this voucher by students with 7, 10 and 13 years with dental caries that attended public schools at the geographic area of the Community Health Center Group of Lisboa Ocidental and Oeiras has been low (23% in the academic year 2014/2015). The aim of this study was to analyze the factors that conditioned this non-utilisation. Material and Methods: A case-control study was carried out involving 270 students (135 cases and 135 controls) from the 35 public schools that accepted to participate. A descriptive analysis of the reasons for non-adhesion and a study associating the variables for the utilisation/non-utilisation of the dentist voucher was made by bivariate and multivariable statistical analysis, adopting a level of significance of 0,05. Results: The main reasons for non-utilisation (n=135) were to have a private dentist who was not adherent to the dentist voucher (23.7%) and forget to use the dentist voucher (21.5%). The main risk factor identified by the logistic regression concerns private dentist surveillance (OR adjusted, 2.004; p = 0.012) and the main protective factor was the knowledge of dentists that were adherent to the dentist voucher model (OR adjusted 0.096; p< 0.001). Discussion: Our findings highlight the need to improve the accessibility to dental vouchers. It’s expected that the identification of these factors may contribute to the planning of strategies and activities to increase the use of dentist voucher

How authentic leadership promotes individual performance: Mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior and creativity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how authentic leadership (AL) can affect individual performance through creativity and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)’s mediating roles. Design/methodology/approach – The sample included 177 leader-follower dyads from 26 private and small and medium-sized organizations. Followers reported their perceptions of AL, and leaders assessed each follower’s level of creativity, individual performance and OCB. Findings – The findings show that AL has a positive impact on OCB (i.e. altruism, sportsmanship, civic virtue, conscientiousness and courtesy), employee creativity, and individual performance. Creativity partially mediates the relationship between AL and individual performance. Some dimensions of OCB, namely, altruism, civic virtue and courtesy, also play a mediating role in this relationship. Research limitations/implications – Additional studies with larger samples are needed to determine more clearly not only AL’s influence on individual performance but also other psychosocial variables affecting that relationship. Practical implications – Organizations can increase employees’ creativity, OCB and individual performance by encouraging managers to adopt more AL styles. Originality/value – This study is the first to integrate AL, creativity, OCB and individual performance into a single research model, thereby extending previous research. The study also used a double-source method to collect data (i.e. leader-follower dyads) to minimize the risk of introducing common-method variance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio