Severe experimental folate deficiency in a human subject - a longitudinal investigation of red-cell folate immunoassay errors as megaloblastic anaemia develops

BACKGROUND: The few published studies comparing results between commercial red-cell folate immunoassays have found significant differences. None have provided longitudinal data during the development of megaloblastic anaemia from severe folate deficiency. The objective was to produce longitudinal data, comparing results between three commercial immunoassays for red-cell folate, generated by means of severe experimental folate deficiency. METHODS: This 58 year old male, initially replete in folate, used a folate-deficient diet to severely deplete himself of folate until overt megaloblastic anaemia developed. The Siemens Advia Centaur, Roche Elecsys 2010 and Beckman UniCel DxI 800 Access immunoassay systems were used, by different clinical pathology laboratories, to perform weekly assays for red-cell folate throughout the depletion stage. The results were analysed graphically four ways: comparison with lines of equality; number of standard deviations difference against the means; number of standard deviations difference over time; variation over time. RESULTS: There were very significant differences, varying with time and folate concentration, between the results reported by the three laboratories. The differences were greatest, up to 17 standard deviations, between the Siemens Advia Centaur and each of the other two systems. Of the 85 results comparing the Siemens Advia Centaur and the Roche Elecsys 2010, two were within the 99.9% confidence interval. Of the 91 results comparing the Siemens Advia Centaur and the Beckman UniCel DxI 800 Access, 22 were within the 99.9% confidence interval. Of the 83 results comparing the Beckman UniCel DxI 800 Access and the Roche Elecsys 2010, 37 were within the 99.9% confidence interval. CONCLUSIONS: Comparative longitudinal data from clinical pathology laboratories, produced during experimental folate deficiency, have exposed very significant differences in results between commercial red-cell folate immunoassays. One immunoassay, the Roche Elecsys 2010, failed to detect overt megaloblastic anaemia of severe folate deficiency. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-441) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

An Assessment of Mobile Consumer Interest in Jamaica: Preempting a Decline in Average Revenue per User

The high density of mobile devices within the Jamaican market is seen as a precursor to a decline in average revenue per user (ARPU) in the local industry and is the primary motivation for this investigation of mobile consumers’ interest. A quantitative research was carried out in a metropolitan area to assess consumers’ interest in proposed data services to be introduced to the Jamaican mobile market and to determine the value-added properties of services that are mostly desired. The findings show that an online mobile learning game, previewing music from local artist and movies from the cinema were identified as the top three desired data services. Also, mobile applications which offer a combination of the mobile values: spontaneous needs, entertainment needs and efficiency ambitious are possible the areas of interest. The result of the research has implications for the local\regional telecommunications industry by providing recommendations on alternative services to voice

A Design Science Approach for Creating Mobile Applications

In addressing competition, telecommunications operators are faced with the challenge of creating products that lure customers from their competitors and keeping their existing customers. Researchers posit that the successful implementation and wide scale adoption of mobile commerce services is best achieved by understanding consumers’ attitude, interests and needs. The purpose of this study is to utilize the design science paradigm to address the creation of a mobile valueadded service that meet the need of consumers and to evaluate the said service for its suitability and potential adoption in Jamaica using the Technology Acceptance Model. The results suggest that consumer interest is driven by events that are related to social experiences. The evaluation of the artifact highlighted that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude and demographic variables, age and gender, play a role in the behaviour intention to adopt the service

Will LIME Survive the Claro—Digicel Deal?

This case examines the competitive impact on LIME Jamaica, a telecommunication provider, of a possible swap deal between the market leader, Digicel and its closest rival Claro. Digicel Jamaica signed an agreement in March 2011 with rival Claro (American Movil) to acquire Claro Jamaica. In return, Digicel would sell its businesses in El Salvador and Honduras to Claro. The deal threatens to create a new monopoly in the Jamaican market. LIME, the former monopoly, is now threatened by the deal and is challenged to develop a strategy to prevent it. The case highlights several issues including the powers of the regulatory bodies in dealing mergers and acquisition in small markets, and the application of the US Horizontal Merger Guidelines to assess the competitive effects. Furthermore, there are issues of international competition, the setting of technology standards and reopening the debate on whether the telecommunications industry is a natural monopoly

LIME, REFRESHING OR SOUR?

Cable and Wireless, Jamaica (C&WJ) operated in Jamaica under an exclusive license which made them a virtual monopoly. In 1999 the Government of Jamaica decided to renegotiate the license and liberalize the telecommunications industry. Early in the liberalization process new companies entered the market and C&WJ struggled to cope with the new competitive dynamics of the market. C&WJ although dominant in the landline market found it difficult to compete in the cellular market lagging behind relatively new entrant Digicel. American Movil operating under the brand name Claro recently entered the market intensifying the competition and threatened to relegate C&WJ into third place. In response C&WJ in 2008 embarked on a new high risk transformation strategy which included corporate rebranding changing its name to LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile and Entertainment). This case chronicles the problems faced by LIME in adjusting to a telecommunications industry paradigm

Factors Inhibiting the Adoption of RFID Technology: Results and Implications from an Empirical Study of SMEs in Spain

This study investigates factors inhibiting the adoption of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) by SMEs in the retail,transport and logistical (RTL) sector. A predictive model for the adoption of RFID is also proposed for SMEs in Spain. Datafrom the e-Business Watch was used with a sample of 252 Spanish SMEs. Five of the seven hypotheses were significantlysupported: Perceived benefits, Suppliers’ non-compatibility, Perceived Security risks, Process/Performance Improvements(internal processes innovation activity), and firm size. It is anticipated that the findings will provide useful guidelines forpromoting the adoption of new identification technologies by SMEs

An Empirical Classification of Employability Skills for Entry Level IS/IT Professionals

Over the years, a number of studies have suggested various classifications of IS/IT skills for sustainable employment of IS/IT professionals. However there exists variations in findings on IS/IT skills requirement which may be due to different classification schemes applied to categorize skills. To address this problem, this paper applied factor analysis to explore the taxonomy/classification put forward by Fang, Lee and Koh [2005]. Data was collected from three main constituents: industry (job recruiters), academics and students in Jamaica. The factor analysis results created four categories, which we labeled as (1) Technical Proficiencies, (2) Application Technologies, (3) System Development and (4) Organizational and Personal Skills. These classifications were somewhat different from that proposed by Fang et al (2005). This study confirmed that “soft skills” are more important than technical skills for entry level IS/IT professionals. For future studies, we suggest comparative studies at other universities/industries on a national and international level

Telecommunications in Jamaica: Monopoly to Liberalized Competition to Monopoly (2000 – 2011)

This paper examines the period between 2000 and 2011 in the Jamaican telecommunications industry as it evolved from being a monopoly to vibrant competition to an emerging monopoly in eleven years. The process could be termed the„ boomerang effect‟. In 1999, the government of Jamaica decided to liberalize the telecommunications industry which was completed in 2003. With liberalization the incumbent, Cable and Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ) (renamed LIME), encountered competition from new entrant Digicel in the mobile segment and Flow in the landline and internet segment. Digicel quickly supplanted C&WJ in the lucrative mobile market. In 2008, Digicel entered the El Salvador and Honduras markets which are dominated by American Movil. In apparent retaliation, American Movil entered the Jamaican market and relentlessly targeted Digicel in their biggest market, vowing to supplant them as number one. In March 2011, in a move which surprised analyst, Digicel Jamaica signed an agreement with rival American Movil (trade name, Claro) to acquire Claro Jamaica and in return Digicel would sell its businesses in El Salvador and Honduras to American Movil. The unexpected deal threatens to create a new monopoly in Jamaica. The paper highlights several issues including the powers of the regulatory bodies in dealing mergers and acquisition, network effects, sustaining competitive advantage, international competition and technology standards