Comparing the Adopters and Non-Adopters of Online Social Networks : A UK perspective

This paper aims to identify, explain and understand the adoption, use and diffusion of OSNs within UK’s older population. This was achieved using a quantitative online survey questionnaire. Results from a sample population of 252 participants’ revealed that age, gender, education, Internet usage history and usage frequencies are all associated with adoption rates. However, it was also learnt that Internet speed is not associated with adoption and is a factor that requires further investigations. Contributions for academia include application of an empirically tested Model of OSN Adoption (MOSN) that employed previous IS theories; DIT, MATH & DTPB. For policymakers our research recommends that age should be considered when developing and implementing novel and innovative technologies. For industry our study identifies specific factors of consideration for wider penetration of OSNs in UK’s population.Final Accepted Versio

FINANCIAL INDICATORS IN MANAGERIAL DECISION-MAKING

Working capital is crucial to determine the short-term financial position of a given company. Significant changes in working capital provide important information to the stakeholders. Working capital analysis is one of the methods of credit rating and it can also help to better understand the business cycle of a given company. One of the key elements of working capital management is liquidity management, that is, to maintain a company’s ability to pay continuously, because in the short-term, it ensures the company to stay afloat, and justifies its progress on the long-term. Decision makers are in need of such indicators and interrelations that can help precisely assessing the real situation and recognise problems of funding in time. Achieving this goal is a very complex task because the use of several indicators and perspectives are necessary to measure liquidity. For this, companies have to develop management and organizational structures that provide an adequate framework to measure and follow up liquidity. To facilitate this, the study draws attention to interrelations that anticipate the actual liquidity position of a company more precisely. Generally, liquidity indicators are being used to measure a company’s ability to pay, but those do not sufficiently take into account for how long different components are tied up during the operation. Adjusted liquidity indicators can be calculated to solve these problems as these include the time an asset is in the operating cycle in the case of current assets and short-term liabilities. At the same time, these days the continuous monitoring and analysis of operational data has become essential, too. The database which has been created as a result of the annual financial statement reporting obligation that was introduced by the Act C in 2000 can be used to analyse company data on a yearly basis. However, in case we would like to examine the changes of these indicators continuously during the financial year, we need (monthly or quarterly) data and the introduction of a proper accounting information system for the managers to continuously receive those processed data that are essential for decision making, and to receive information about the performance of their department. This study’s aim is to show the difference between the consequences of company liquidity results using only year-end data and when liquidity indicators are being adjusted on a monthly basi

Expression of cell cycle markers is predictive of the response to primary systemic therapy of locally advanced breast cancer

We aimed to analyze to what extent expression of four cell cycle regulation markers-minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM2), Ki-67, cyclin A, and phosphohistone-H3 (PHH3)-predict response to primary systemic therapy in terms of pathological complete remission (pCR). In search of an accurate and reproducible scoring method, we compared computer-assisted (CA) and routine visual assessment (VA) of immunoreactivity. We included 57 patients with breast cancer in the study. The cell cycle markers were detected using immunohistochemistry on pre-therapy core biopsy samples. Parallel CA (validated by manual labeling) and standard VA were performed and compared for diagnostic agreement and predictive value for pCR. CA and VA results were dichotomized based on receiver operating characteristic analysis defined optimal cut-off values. "High" was defined by staining scores above the optimal cut-off, while "low" had staining scores below the optimal cut-off. The CA method resulted in significantly lower values for Ki-67 and MCM2 compared to VA (mean difference, -3.939 and -4.323). Diagnostic agreement was highest for cyclin A and PHH3 (-0.586 and -0.666, respectively). Regardless of the method (CA/VA) used, all tested markers were predictive of pCR. Optimal cut-off-based dichotomization improved diagnostic agreement between the CA and VA methods for every marker, in particular for MCM2 (kappa = 1, p < 0.000). Cyclin A displayed excellent agreement (kappa = 0.925; p < 0.000), while Ki-67 and PHH3 showed good agreement (kappa = 0.789, p < 0.000 and kappa = 0.794, p < 0.000, respectively). We found all cell cycle markers (Ki-67, MCM2, cyclin A, and PHH3) predictive of pCR. Diagnostic agreement between CA and VA was better at lower staining scores but improved after optimal cut-off-based dichotomization

Effects of once-weekly exenatide on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular effects of adding once-weekly treatment with exenatide to usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes are unknown. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes, with or without previous cardiovascular disease, to receive subcutaneous injections of extended-release exenatide at a dose of 2 mg or matching placebo once weekly. The primary composite outcome was the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. The coprimary hypotheses were that exenatide, administered once weekly, would be noninferior to placebo with respect to safety and superior to placebo with respect to efficacy. RESULTS: In all, 14,752 patients (of whom 10,782 [73.1%] had previous cardiovascular disease) were followed for a median of 3.2 years (interquartile range, 2.2 to 4.4). A primary composite outcome event occurred in 839 of 7356 patients (11.4%; 3.7 events per 100 person-years) in the exenatide group and in 905 of 7396 patients (12.2%; 4.0 events per 100 person-years) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 1.00), with the intention-to-treat analysis indicating that exenatide, administered once weekly, was noninferior to placebo with respect to safety (P<0.001 for noninferiority) but was not superior to placebo with respect to efficacy (P=0.06 for superiority). The rates of death from cardiovascular causes, fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal or nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, and hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome, and the incidence of acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and serious adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes with or without previous cardiovascular disease, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events did not differ significantly between patients who received exenatide and those who received placebo

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Background: Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods: The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18-49, 50-69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results: NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion: As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population