bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Offering self-sampling to cervical screening non-attenders in primary care
Authors: Lim Anita WW , Hollingworth Antony , Kalwij Sebastian , Curran Geoffrey , Sasieni Peter
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To assess the feasibility and acceptability of offering self-sampling for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing to cervical screening non-attenders when they consult primary care for any reason.

Methods

In a pilot implementation study, six general practices in London, UK, offered self-sampling kits during consultation to women aged 25–64 who were at least six months overdue for cervical screening (no cytology test recorded in the past 3.5 years if aged 25–49, or 5.5 years if aged 50–64). Eligible women were identified using an automated real-time search (during consultation) of the general practice electronic medical record system. Women collected samples either in clinic or at home (dry flocked swabs analysed using Roche Cobas®4800).

Results

Of approximately 5000 eligible women, 3131 consulted primary care between January and December 2014 (mean recruitment period 9.5 months). Of these, 21% (652) were offered kits, 14% (443) accepted, and 9% (292) returned a self-sample. The proportion of eligible women offered kits varied considerably among practices (11–36%). Sample return rates increased with kit offered rates ( r = 0.8, p = 0.04). Of 39 HPV positive women 85% (33) attended follow-up, including two with invasive cancers (stage 2A1 and 1A1).

Conclusions

Offering self-sampling to cervical screening non-attenders opportunistically in primary care is feasible. Return rates could be increased if more women were offered kits. A large trial is needed to identify how self-sampling is best integrated into the national screening programme, and to identify determinants of uptake.
A Decade of Economic Reforms in India: The Unfinished Agenda
Authors: Bajpai Nirupam
Published: June 2016

This paper aims to assess the economic reforms in India undertaken during the 1990s. India has gone through the first decade of her reform process. Hence, an assessment of what has been achieved so far and what remains on the reform agenda is in order. Reforms in the industrial, trade, and financial sectors, among others, have been wide and deep. As a consequence, they have contributed more meaningfully in attaining higher rates of growth.

A decade of opening of the economy has produced new dynamism, most dramatically in the information technology sector, but in others as well. The new technologies (especially information technology and biotechnology) give new opportunities for economic and social development. It is necessary to move swiftly to complete many of the reforms, which are now underway. Examples of such continuing reforms are the reduction in protection levels, continuing reforms in banking sector, product de-reservation for the small-scale industry, decontrol of prices, such as petroleum, reform of the power sector and so on. Among other things, sustaining higher rates of economic growth would require a more vigorous pursuit of economic reforms at both the federal and state levels. Significant reduction of fiscal deficit is the first order of business. Unless substantial fiscal consolidation is achieved, in our view, continued fiscal deficits pose India's greatest risk to future destabilization. Other critical reforms include, labor laws, exit policy, privatisation of state-owned enterprises, further opening-up of the economy to trade and foreign direct investment. In addition, there is a vast amount of economic reform that can be carried out to improve conditions in rural India, especially in the Gangetic valley.

The reforms implemented so far have helped India attain 6 plus percent growth, however, should India be able to implement the remaining reforms and re-orient governmental spending away from inessential expenditures towards high priority areas of health and education and infrastructure development, then it is very likely to attain and sustain even higher rates of economic growth.
From Products to Solutions: Transforming How Companies Serve Customers
Authors: Cerasale Mark , Stone Merlin , Adams Julie , Clark Alan
Published: June 2016

This article is the second part of a two-part article explaining the development of the solutions market. The first article explained how the demand for solutions arose, and how suppliers in different industries reacted to the demand. This article explains how solutions providers meet the demand. It outlines the solution creation and delivery process, highlighting the importance of solution marketing and selling, innovation and knowledge management. It shows how these elements of the process require different roles. It concludes by explaining the importance of change management in achieving a solutions enterprise.
Rural Transformation in The Red River Del1a of Northern Vietnam
Authors: Wells-Dang Giang
Published: June 2016

The paper provides an account of a change in a rural economy using organization theories. Transformation from a traditional to a socialist system, and more recently to a free market one, in the particular rural economy has been examined. Lessons learnt regarding social change have been drawn out based on the study of this transformation process.
Critical Success Factors in CRM Implementation: Some Research Issues
Authors: Al-Ajlan Mohammed , Zairi Mohamed
Published: June 2016

In recent years, many organizations have identified the need to become more customer-facing with increased global competition. Therefore, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has emerged as the agenda of many organizational strategies. CRM is an approach which combines people, process, and technology that allows the organizations to understand their customers and retain the most profitable ones. Many studies have revealed that nearly 70% of CRM projects failed worldwide due to inability of the performing companies to resolve certain key issues, like organizational changes, integrations, and because companies view CRM as a technological project that is bound by time and budget, instead of regarding CRM as a long term commitment to efficiency and improvement. The investigation of factors potentially affecting the success of CRM implementation is of great importance, because the CRM market worldwide spending is expected to reach $76.5 billion in 2005, up from $23.26 billion achieved in 2000 according to Gartner group.

A number of authors and practitioners have established many studies regarding CRM implementation. Nevertheless, most of these studies have not covered a holistic approach for the CRM implementation. This paper discusses the factors that affect a CRM implementation, based on a comprehensive analysis of CRM literature, combined with research studies and organizational experiences.
Public and Private Participation: In Provision of Sanitation Services
Authors: Veerashekharappa
Published: June 2016

Reforms in water and sanitation sector intend to make stakeholders part of the implementation process. In the proces, beneficiaries share partial capital cost and meet 100 per cent of operation and maintenance cost by generating own revenue through user charges, which will reduce burden on exchequer. But, experience shows that in most of that villages this approach has become a futile exercise. The option left is to partially privatize the operation and maintenance activit for efficient delivery of service.
Asymmetric Volatility and Risk-Return Relationship in International Stock Markets
Authors: Karmakar M.
Published: June 2016

This paper investigates daily stock market volatility of 9 developed and 11 emerging stock markets of the world using different symmetnc, as well as asymmetric GARCH models. The symmetric GARCH parameters suggest that though market behaves differently for different countries in terms of reaction and persistence in volatility, the return generating process in all markets is charactenzed by a high degree of persistence in conditional variance. The estimated parameters of TGARCH model reveal that in all markets, volatility is an asymmetric function of past innovation. Finally, the results of TGARCH-M model indicate insignificant risk-return relationship of most of the markets.
The Pug Goes Red- Vodafone Acquires Hutch in India
Authors: Rajan Thillai A. , Mukund S.P. , Siddharth R.
Published: June 2016

India has been one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world in recent times. With the rapid economic growth in the past few years, many companies in India have actively pursued inorganic growth options . Large mergers and acquisitions have happened in India in industries like steel, aviation, and telecom. This case deals with the acquisition of Hutchison Essar by Vodafone for US$10.9 billion from Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited (HTIL), which has been the largest acquisition in India till date. Acquisition of Hutchison is also considered to be the second largest M&A transaction ever in Asia. The deal was considered noteworthy not only because of its sheer size, but also because of the interest it created among potential acquirers across the world and the regulatory road blocks that it had to encounter in deal closure. The case tries to capture the complexity that characterizes such large deals. Starting with a brief overview of the telecom sector, the case study highlights the chronological list of events leading to the acquisition, the strategic motivations behind the deal and view points from select analysts of leading investment banks. The case ends with a note on the investor sentiments back home of both Vodafone and HTIL.
Online Surveys May be Hazardous to your Corporate Health: A Framework for Assessing and Improving Market Research Survey Quality
Authors: McLarney Carolan , Wicks David , Chung Ed
Published: June 2016

This paper identifies a number of difficulties associated with interpreting the results of online surveys used to gather market research data. Because of the nature of data collection, researchers are able to exert little control over who completes these surveys and how often they do so. As a result, findings based on online survey data can be very misleading. We highlight several problematic aspects of online market research surveys (unspecified objectives, unknown probability of selection, non-response bias, accessibility and privacy issues) and suggest that any or all of these possess sufficient potential to destroy the credence of any research findings the online survey may generate. We conclude by outlining ways to maximize the utility of research findings of this increasingly popular mode of survey administration.
Epistemological Reorientations and Restructurings of Social and Biological Sciences Since the 1910s
Authors: Maruyama Magoroh
Published: June 2016

Many epistemological changes in social and biological sciences have taken place since 1970 and some of these are taken up in this paper. These are: (a) the shift from mono-epistemologism to poly-epistemologism; (b) the shift of conceptual focus front standardized procedurism for robot-like efficiency to cultivation of craftsmen's pride for enjoyment of creativity (c) the shift from collectivistic individual identity by ingroup homogenization and self-stereotyping to identity creation by selective combination of heterogeneous elements including foreign elements which are congruent with one's own epistemological type; (d) shift from redundant complexity to nonredundant complexity, especially in aesthetics, urban planning and environmental design ; (e) the shift from the fallacious assumption that it is scientific to compare groups (for example cultural, social. gender, professional groups) in terms of the average of each group (averagism) to identification of individual types which cut across boundaries between groups (transgroupism).
Inter-Dependencies Between Insider Ownership, Capital Structure, Investment Decisions and Corporate Valuation1
Authors: Wang Yi , Bathala Chenchuramaiah
Published: June 2016

This study empirically tests the interrelationships among ownership structure, capital structure, investment decisions and corporate valuation. The Hausman specification tests show that these variables are endogenously related and therefore the study uses a system of equations and estimates the relations using the 2SLS method. The empirical tests show that the relationship between corporate investment and corporate value is positive, but nonlinear at varying levels of inside ownership. Results also show that the impact of insider ownership on corporate investment and value is nonlinear, a unique finding of this study. Furthermore, this study confirms substitute relationships among ownership measures (debt, insider ownership, and institutional ownership) as well as between investment flexibility and financial flexibility.
Measurement Scale to Predict the Health of Small and Medium Size Enterprises
Authors: Kulkarni Nitin , Panandikar Sanjeev C , Mishra Shivshankar
Published: June 2016

Industria1 Sickness is a major impediment in the way of healthy growth of the industries in India, especially in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sectors. In the absence of a diagnostic kit to forecast the health, stakeholders are somewhat helpless in taking any preventive action. Various quantitative models are available in literature, which include Univariate and Multiple discriminant analysis, Logit and Probit models, recursive partitioning algorithms and artificial neural networks. However, the success met by these models is limited. All these models depend only on secondary data like financial ratios which narrate what has already happened and can have only limited predictability. Subjective variables like quality of management, corporate governance, location of business etc. have also been contemplated. But due to lack of quantification their usage is limited. In this paper we have built a measurement scale for the managers. The scale will address the objectives, aspirations, style of functioning and core competence of the managers of the business. In the Indian financial context where lack of knowledge in maintaining financial accounts is a major issue among the SMEs, such a scale can be useful to predict bankruptcy.
Penetrating The Middle Class of The Saarc Region: A Gateway to Competitiveness of Emerging India
Authors: Biswas Kohinoor , Alam M. Sayeed
Published: June 2016

At a time when emerging India pushes hard for a forward move to gain a competitive position in the landscape of the world this concept paper looks deeper into the potential of SAARC, in particular, the potentials of the ‘middle class’ of the region. Authors, in this paper, have drawn in arguments from a wide array of literatures in favor of the notion that emerging India can further accelerate her growth engine through optimum exploration of the latent potentials of the ‘middle class’ in the SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation). The rise in ‘middle class’ in the East Asia has been the result of greater economic advancement of the region at large, which has reciprocated growth further through greater consumption. SAARC region, where the size of middle class stands around 385.25 m with an average annual consumption of $ 310 b holds an immense ground of potential. There exists some common denominators that are shared by the ‘middle class’ in the region; like: aspiration to live better, propensity to consume world class sophisticated products and cultural homogeneity. This qualitative feature adds further to the existing ‘size’ opportunity. With India's lead in technology, innovation, media, R&D and human capital she is in upper hand to realize the potentials of the ‘middle class’ of the SAARC.
Are You Planning to Use Culture as a Variable in International Marketing Research
Authors: Rai Rajnish Kumar
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and assess the appropriateness of widely employed cultural frameworks in international marketing research. A review of earlier and contemporary approaches to culture study in international marketing is presented. Four dominant frameworks of culture are examined and their sigruficance is assessed with regard to well-defined criteria. Their appropnateness for mternahonal marketmg is compared and directions for future research are presented. The results and discussions might be helpful to the researchers not only in choosing the appropriate cultural frameworks for their studies but also encourage them to develop new cultural typologies.
Exploring the Impact of Brand Equity and Customer Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty
Authors: Kaur Gurjeet , Mahajan Neetu
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the impact of brand equity and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty on the basis of information collected from 650 bank customers, selected through systematic sampling. The findings of the study indicate that perceived service quality has a most significant effect on brand trust. Brand equity exerts a positive and direct impact on customer satisfaction. However, only perceived service quality and customer satisfaction predict customer loyalty. Thus, the results imply that bank management has to pay attention towards staff skills, knowledge and attention towards customer needs so that fast and efficient services can be provided to their customers.
Cutting Edge Research: To Build Predictive Price‐Volume Model Quantitative Research & Analytics (with an example of Indian Tyre Industry)
Authors: Bhardwaj Dhruv , Das Dwip Ratan , Krishnan Mohan , Singh Sanjeev
Published: June 2016

Pricing is generally perceived to be a double edge weapon in the hands of marketers. While competitive pricing strategy may fuel demand in the short term, it may ultimately erode brand equity, precipitate price war leading to commoditization of category. However, pricing decisions taken after due objective consideration of brand equity and relative market positions viz., leader, challenger or follower brand position may actually help brands build dominant positions in the market. Identifying the right price linked to its value proposition can surely help brands build sustainable differentiation in the long run.
The Neglected Epidemic: Road Traffic Crashes in India
Authors: Singh Sanjay K.
Published: June 2016

Deaths and injuries resulting from road traffic crashes are a major and growing public health problem in India. Every week nearly 2,500 people get killed and 9,000 get injured due to traffic accidents. Traffic accidents have now earned India a dubious distinction; with nearly 127,000 deaths annually, the country has overtaken China to top the world in road fatalities. While in many developed and developing countries including China, the situation is generally improving, India faces a worsening situation. Road traffic collisions on the nation's roads claim five times more lives now than they did three decades ago. Without increased efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic deaths in India is likely to cross the mark of 250,000 by 2025. There is thus an urgent need to recognize the worsening situation in road deaths and injuries and to take appropriate action. Certain interventions such as enforcement of legislation to control vehicle speed and alcohol consumption, mandating the use of seat-belts and helmets, and safer design and use of roads and vehicles have huge potential to reduce the incidence and impact of road traffic crashes. The time has come for the central, state, and local governments to act now. Acting now will save thousands of lives.
Effective Web Management for B2C E-Commerce in India
Authors: Jain Neha , Ahuja Vandana , Medury Yajulu
Published: June 2016

The web has become a place where many live, play and work. It is the ultimate customer empowering environment and in the emerging world of ecommerce where customers are surrounded with myriad choices, organizations are faced with a challenge of meeting consumer expectations in a highly competitive world. The following study aims at analyzing the ability of website attributes of Ecommerce websites in catering to the process of creating a value proposition for the consumer. For this purpose, the website attributes of a set of 25 websites of E-commerce Companies in India were analyzed. A survey of a focus group of participants who were regular users of E-commerce websites like EBay, Yebhi and Snap Deal etc. helped us in creating a model for calculating a Web Management Score for Marketing Value Creation (WMSMV). The E-commerce sites scoring high on the web management perspective were further studied to analyze their Alexa Rank. Definite correlations were discovered in the case of sites demonstrating a higher Web Management Score (WMS) and subsequently, a better degree of web management.

The aim of this research is to understand how ecommerce websites create a value proposition for their online consumers, in order to improve their interaction with them. The findings of this study are expected to support Ecommerce website users, designers, owners, and developers.
Impact of Quality of Work Life on Job Related Attitudes: Structural Modeling Approach
Authors: Sharma R.D. , Jyoti Jeevan
Published: June 2016

For the development of quality teachers, one has to understand factors associated with it (Sharma and Jyoti, 2006) and quality of work life (QWL) is one of the most important factors that can affect teachers' job satisfaction, commitment, productivity and intention to leave. Quality of Working Life is not a unitary concept, but has been seen as incorporating a hierarchy of perspectives that include not only work-based factors such as satisfaction with pay and relationships with work colleagues, but the relationship between work and non-work life domains have also been identified as factors that constitute Quality of Working Life. The present study focuses on QWL in higher education institutions in North India. Census approach was used for data collection from university teachers. Uni-variate and multivariate statistical methods were used for data analysis and interpretations. The reliability was checked through composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha and validity of the scale has been proved by application of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results revealed that QWL is not very high in the selected North Indian Universities and positively related with job satisfaction, job commitment but inversely related with intention to leave. Further structural equation modeling has been used to find out the direct and indirect effects of QWL, job satisfaction and job commitment on intention to leave.
Inter‐Scale Assessment & Comparison of Customer Loyalty in Banking Industry: An Empirical Study
Authors: Rai Alok Kumar , Srivastava Medha
Published: June 2016

During the past decade, the financial service sector has undergone significant changes, resulting into a market place that is characterized by intense competition, little growth in primary demand and increased deregulation (Chaudhuri and Halbrook, 2002). Liberalization in banking industry Jed to entry of new private banks (NPBs) which subsequently Jed to greater competition at the market place and fierce fight for customers. Finding a place in this heating sun becomes vital to secure long-range profitability and sustained survival for banks. Customer Loyalty is widely acknowledged as a competitive weapon across most of the highly competitive industries. In banking industry context, customer loyalty can be understood as continued patronage towards a bank over time. According to Yi and Jeon (2003), the degree of customer loyalty can be gauged by tracking customer accounts, over defined time periods and noting the degree of continuity in patronage.

To obtain enhanced profits and accelerated business growth, banks need to be aware about their customers and the state of loyalty prevailing among them. Accurate assessment of loyalty can act as a sound base for making decisions and formulating strategies for business growth. Though, the conceptual domain of loyalty is quite rich and the extant literature provides ample knowledge and understanding of loyalty and its various dimensions, its measurement is still an area of Jess explored and least validated concern. Unlike marketing variables, such as service quality, customer satisfaction, etc. customer loyalty still lacks a comprehensive, objective and standardized scale.

The present study seeks to contribute to the existing literature of customer loyalty by developing an understanding of the factors responsible for building loyalty among the customers. The study delineates the relationship between diverse marketing variables and customer loyalty. It is therefore of immense significance to appraise the relative strength of different popular scales used to measure customer loyalty. The study compares two distinct measurement tools through survey of retail banking customer namely the ‘Antecedent Based Approach’ which uses antecedents of Customer Loyalty and the ‘RAPID Loyalty Approach’ which is a method of identifying and assessing customer loyalty based on the constituents of retention, advocacy and purchasing.
A Framework for Improving ‘Sales and Operations Planning’
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Srivastava Samir K.
Published: June 2016

Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) initially came to existence in manufacturing in the late 1980s and has been around for about three decades now. It is the long-term collaborative planning process of production levels relative to sales within the realm of a manufacturing planning and control system at the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) level. S&OP has evolved into a major business process adopted to manage the balance and trade-off between the conflicting preferences of the supply and demand side of the supply chain and offers many value creation opportunities. It is one of the most critical business processes used to achieve best in class performance to consistently outperform competitors. It is increasingly being viewed as essential to synchronise the entire supply chain in order to improve its efficiency, as once the S&OP process is institutionalised, it will enhance supply chain efficiency in the long run. It will also help the supply chain partners to understand and overcome supply chain risks resulting from market volatility. For this, firms must develop and deploy excellent leadership capabilities so that S&OP processes are in place and supported well within and across the supply chain.

Although easy to understand, S&OP can be difficult to implement. Explaining the importance and working of S&OP, defining the key S&OP objectives and the role of people, process and technology, this article tries to address many evolving S&OP related operational issues from the people, process and supply chain perspective. It also prescribes practical ways to improve and institutionalise a strong S&OP process within a firm and consequently across the supply chain. Thereafter, it provides a useful framework to forecast ownership and suggests as to what should be discussed in S&OP meetings. Finally, it highlights the need to align the plans on a continuous basis and suggests a framework for the same.
Power Law with Exponential Cut‐off Utility
Authors: H. Afreen Arif , Pakkala T.P.M.
Published: June 2016

Most of the utility functions studied earlier concentrated on properties of risk aversion. In this article, the authors have introduced a new class of utility function called the Power Law with Exponential Cut-off (PLEC) utility function, which exhibits all the absolute and relative risk aversion and risk loving preferences of individuals, under various conditions. It generalises and encompasses other systems of utility functions like that of exponential power. Certain properties of this utility function are discussed. Sensitivity analysis exhibits different portfolio allocations for various risk preferences. The analysis also shows that arbitrary risk preferences may lead to biased risk response estimates. Performance of PLEC utility function in portfolio allocation problem is demonstrated through numerical examples. This is evaluated through optimal solutions.
Measuring Retail Service Quality: Validation of the Instrument in the Indian Context
Authors: Singh Bulbul
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study is to validate an internationally developed scale called the Retail Service Quality Scale9 in the Indian context. Four models as posited by Dabholkar et al9 were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity tests. Earlier work on the subject has been confined to specific store formats such as apparel stores, whereas, this study is capable of generalization across different retail services as it covers a wider variety of store formats. The findings of the study show that the Retail Services Quality Scale is not validated in the Indian Context. Out of the four models tested, only one returned admissible results and the other three either did not admit good fits or failed the convergent and discriminant validity tests. Retailers in India wishing to use the scale for diagnostic purposes may not get accurate results from use of this scale.
The Geography of Patenting In India: Patterns and Determinants
Authors: Pradhan Jaya Prakash
Published: June 2016

Regional analysis of knowledge creation activities in emerging economies like India is continued to be inadequate. This paper discusses the ways in which sub-national and regional factors can affect patenting activities and examines their empirical role in the case of India. The the regional profiles of domestic patenting activities in India is observed to considerably concentrated over space. West India, North India and South India turn out to be the three most dynamic and dominating sub-national spaces in Indian domestic patenting throughout the period 1990-2010. At the state level, more than half of the number of patent applications originated from just two states, namely Delhi and Maharashtra. Empirical analysis further underscored that Indian states' patenting activities are largely shaped by the size of local markets, availability of skilled labour force, knowledge institutions and urban centres.
Trust, Social Influence, Self‐Efficacy, Perceived Risk and Internet Banking Acceptance: An Extension of Technology Acceptance Model in Indian Context
Authors: Bashir Irfan , Madhavaiah C.
Published: June 2016

Understanding the main factors of Internet banking adoption is important for both banks and users. This paper presents an extended technology adoption model (TAM) with special reference to trust, risk, self‐efficacy and social influence, aiming to examine the factors affecting Indian consumers intentions to adopt Internet banking services. A measuring instrument is developed from existing literature and is employed personally to gather data from post-graduate students of Pondicherry University. The survey resulted in useful responses which are further analysed by employing exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. The results indicated that perceived usefulness, perceive ease of use, perceived enjoyment, perceived image, social influence and trust in Internet banking have significant positive effect on behavioural intention. Further, it is found that perceived risk exerts significant negative effect on consumers' intention to use Internet banking.
Destination Attributes and Destination Image Relationship in Volatile Tourist Destination: Role of Perceived Risk
Authors: Chahal Hardeep , Devi Asha
Published: June 2016

The primary purpose of the study is to examine the role of perceived risk in the tourism destination attributes and destination image relationship and to find what type of risks are mostly associated with domestic tourists who visited volatile destinations. The data were gathered from domestic tourists (with atleast 7 days of stay in J&K) about Kashmir destination and were contacted at various places such as bus stand, airport, tourists� guest houses and hotels etc. in Jammu and Katra cities using judgmental sampling technique. For analysing the data, EFA, CFA and SEM statistical techniques were used. The study finds that perceived risk significantly moderates the relationship between tourism destination attributes and destination image. Further, human induced risk, financial risk, service quality⁄facility risks etc. have negative impact on destination image. By understanding the quality of destination attributes and various risk perceptions among tourists associated with Kashmir destination and their impact on destination image, tourism marketers can design specific marketing strategies to cope with the risk perceptions. The study concludes with limitations and future research.
What Drives Exporting SMEs’ Banking Loyalty?
Authors: Kaur Manpreet
Published: June 2016

The concept of customer loyalty is gaining extreme importance in the banking industry these days. This is due to the benefits offered by loyal customers to the bank like price premium, repeated purchases etc. and secondly on account of lesser cost involved in retention of existing customer as compared to acquisition of a new customer. But development of effective loyalty building strategies requires deeper understanding of the drivers of customer loyalty. The paper aims at identifying the drivers of exporting SMEs’ banking loyalty. SMEs have been specifically focused upon in this research study as these have been identified as an important segment of banks’ market. A cross‐sectional research on 300 small and medium exporting enterprises through a structured questionnaire has been conducted. The results indicate that presently switching rate of exporting SMEs is low but potential switchers do exist who consider switching to a new bank. Results further conclude service quality as multi‐factor predictor of customer loyalty. Customized services followed by service speed & efficiency and financial factors have been identified as the main drivers of exporting SMEs’ banking loyalty. Apart from researchers, the present study is very beneficial for banks also since an important segment of banks’ customers named as ‘Potential Switchers’ has been identified who needs specific attention. Hence, these customers can be targeted with effective retention strategies and can be converted into satisfied stayers.
Competency based Performance Management – The Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) Way
Authors: Raju N.K. , Mishra R.K. , Sarkar Shulagna
Published: June 2016

Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) a sobriquet of ‘the force behind the peace’ of India is a Mini Ratna (Category I) company. BDL has been initiating various interesting HR practices since inception. ‘Performance’ being the ultimate goal, companies have attempted to link performance management system to competency based HR initiative and BDL is one of such success legend. An attempt has been made to discuss the competency based performance management system at BDL. The paper provides a deep insight of how BDL has established ‘Competency’ as one of the four pillars of the HR operation as indicated by DPE and also implemented competency based HR practices as an integral part of company operations. The paper also aims to discuss the mode of performance classification at BDL. The paper shares the unique methodology of development and assessment of the BDL competency model and provides reference to companies intending to initiate competency based HR practices.
Pesticide Vendors in the Informal Sector
Authors: Rother Hanna-Andrea
Published: May 2016

South African low-income communities face many challenges (e.g., insufficient housing, poor service delivery, and abject poverty); additionally, a silent challenge of pest infestation plagues these areas resulting in disease risks, nuisances, and stigma. Consequently, an enterprising urban informal sector business has emerged providing residents with highly toxic, effective, cheap, and illegal “street pesticides.” These pesticides pose acute and chronic health risks for vendors and residents. The economic opportunity provided by the high demand for effective and cheap pest control results in the high risk of health effects being traded for income. Current measures to control and “regulate” the massive street pesticide sales result in toxic stockpiles and government’s “turning a blind eye.” Solutions will only be achieved through open dialog identifying and developing non-toxic pest control strategies while ensuring vendors’ income; and relevant stakeholder recognition that pest infestation is a social and environmental health determinant needing acknowledgement in different government policies.
Gathering Occupational Health Data from Informal Workers
Authors: Santana Vilma Sousa , Ferrite Silvia , Galdino Adriana , Peres Moura Maria Cláudia , Machado Jorge Mesquita Huet
Published: May 2016

This study describes how occupational health data have been gathered by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) to provide morbidity and mortality estimates for formal and informal workers. In 2007, data on work-related diseases and injuries was incorporated into the compulsory notification system (SINAN) and analyzed by the SUS occupational health service network, which covers all Brazilian states. However, this work has not been fully implemented, resulting in the large-scale undercounting and underreporting of cases, particularly in relation to informal workers. This is suggestive of barriers that prevent access to services and good quality health care. The inclusion of work-related diseases and injuries in SINANs appears to be a feasible strategy for the collection of useful data for the surveillance of the entire universe of workers, particularly in countries where informal workers prevail within the labor force. Attention needs to be paid to the disparities in access and quality that affect low-paid, informal workers.
Dynamic localization of damage and microstructural length influence
Authors: Dascalu Cristian
Published: May 2016

In the present contribution a localization analysis is performed for a two-scale dynamic damage model. The damage evolution law considered here results by homogenization from micro-crack propagation criteria and involve a characteristic length of the microstructure. For the one-dimensional dynamic system, we study the localization of strain and damage using analytical and numerical methods. An instability analysis based on harmonic perturbations of a homogeneous state for the linearized equations reveals wave dispersion properties and an intrinsic length of the model is deduced in the high frequency regime. The explicit dependence of this intrinsic length on the microstructural length and the damage level is obtained. Numerical simulations of dynamic tests illustrate the localization of damage, strain-rate sensitivity of the tensile strength and the influence of the size of the microstructure. The model predictions are compared with experimental results for spalling tests on concrete specimens. It is shown that the damage model is able to reproduce the observed influences of the strain rate and the size of the microstructure on the dynamic tensile strength.
Running Exercise and Angiotensin II Type I Receptor Blocker Telmisartan Are Equally Effective in Preventing Angiotensin II-Mediated Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Lesions
Authors: Pellegrin Maxime , Szostak Justyna , Bouzourène Karima , Aubert Jean-François , Berthelot Alain , Nussberger Jürg , Laurant Pascal , Mazzolai Lucia
Published: June 2016

Introduction:

The present study was conducted to directly compare the efficacy of running exercise and telmisartan treatment on angiotensin (Ang) II-mediated atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability.

Materials and Methods:

Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice with Ang II-mediated atherosclerosis (2-kidney, 1-clip [2K1C] renovascular hypertension model) were randomized into 3 groups: treadmill running exercise (RUN), telmisartan treatment (TEL), and sedentary untreated controls (SED) for 5 weeks. Atherosclerosis was assessed using histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Gene expression was determined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

TEL but not RUN mice significantly decreased (50%) atherosclerotic lesion size compared to SED. RUN and TEL promoted plaque stabilization to a similar degree in ApoE−/− 2K1C mice. However, plaque composition and vascular inflammatory markers were differently affected: RUN decreased plaque macrophage infiltration (35%), whereas TEL reduced lipid core size (88%); RUN significantly increased aortic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α, -δ, and -γ expression, whereas TEL significantly modulated T-helper 1/T-helper 2 (Th1/Th2) aortic response toward an anti-inflammatory state (decreased aortic interleukin [IL] 2 to IL-10 and IL-2 to IL-13 expression ratios). Plaque smooth muscle cell content was similarly increased (128% and 141%, respectively). Aortic AT1 and AT2 receptor expression as well as aortic CD11c/CD206 and IL-1β/IL-1ra expression ratios were not significantly modulated by either RUN or TEL.

Conclusion:

Running exercise and telmisartan treatment are equally effective in preventing Ang II-mediated plaque vulnerability but through distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms. Our findings further support the use of exercise training and selective AT1 receptor blocker therapies for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention.
Microbiology of cooked and dried edible Mediterranean field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) and superworms (Zophobas atratus) submitted to four different heating treatments
Authors: Grabowski Nils Th , Klein Günter
Published: May 2016

To increase the shelf life of edible insects, modern techniques (e.g. freeze-drying) add to the traditional methods (degutting, boiling, sun-drying or roasting). However, microorganisms become inactivated rather than being killed, and when rehydrated, many return to vegetative stadia. Crickets ( Gryllus bimaculatus) and superworms ( Zophobas atratus) were submitted to four different drying techniques (T1 = 10′ cooking, 24 h drying at 60℃; T2 = 10′ cooking, 24 h drying at 80℃; T3 = 30′ cooking, 12 h drying at 80℃, and 12 h drying at 100℃; T4 = boiling T3-treated insects after five days) and analysed for total bacteria counts, Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci, bacilli, yeasts and moulds counts, E. coli, salmonellae, and Listeria monocytogenes (the latter three being negative throughout). The microbial counts varied strongly displaying species- and treatment-specific patterns. T3 was the most effective of the drying treatments tested to decrease all counts but bacilli, for which T2 was more efficient. Still, total bacteria counts remained high ( G. bimaculatus >  Z. atratus). Other opportunistically pathogenic microorganisms ( Bacillus thuringiensis, B. licheniformis, B. pumilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Cryptococcus neoformans) were also encountered. The tyndallisation-like T4 reduced all counts to below detection limit, but nutrients leakage should be considered regarding food quality. In conclusion, species-specific drying procedures should be devised to ensure food safety.
Brain atrophy after bone marrow transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lee Hyunwoo , Narayanan Sridar , Brown Robert A , Chen Jacqueline T , Atkins Harold L , Freedman Mark S , Arnold Douglas L
Published: June 2016

Background:

A cohort of patients with poor-prognosis multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent chemotherapy-based immune ablation followed by immune reconstitution with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (IA/aHSCT). This eliminated new focal inflammatory activity, but resulted in early acceleration of brain atrophy.

Objective:

We modeled the time course of whole-brain volume in 19 patients to identify the baseline predictors of atrophy and to estimate the average rate of atrophy after IA/aHSCT.

Methods:

Percentage whole-brain volume changes were calculated between the baseline and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; mean duration: 5 years). A mixed-effects model was applied using two predictors: total busulfan dose and baseline volume of T1-weighted white-matter lesions.

Results:

Treatment was followed by accelerated whole-brain volume loss averaging 3.3%. Both the busulfan dose and the baseline lesion volume were significant predictors. The atrophy slowed progressively over approximately 2.5 years. There was no evidence that resolution of edema contributed to volume loss. The mean rate of long-term atrophy was −0.23% per year, consistent with the rate expected from normal aging.

Conclusion:

Following IA/aHSCT, MS patients showed accelerated whole-brain atrophy that was likely associated with treatment-related toxicity and degeneration of “committed” tissues. Atrophy eventually slowed to that expected from normal aging, suggesting that stopping inflammatory activity in MS can reduce secondary degeneration and atrophy.
Increased structural white and grey matter network connectivity compensates for functional decline in early multiple sclerosis
Authors: Fleischer Vinzenz , Gröger Adriane , Koirala Nabin , Droby Amgad , Muthuraman Muthuraman , Kolber Pierre , Reuter Eva , Meuth Sven G , Zipp Frauke , Groppa Sergiu
Published: June 2016

Background:

The pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS) consists of demyelination and neuronal injury, which occur early in the disease; yet, remission phases indicate repair. Whether and how the central nervous system (CNS) maintains homeostasis to counteract clinical impairment is not known.

Objective:

We analyse the structural connectivity of white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) networks to understand the absence of clinical decline as the disease progresses.

Methods:

A total of 138 relapsing–remitting MS patients (classified into six groups by disease duration) and 32 healthy controls were investigated using 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Networks were analysed using graph theoretical approaches based on connectivity patterns derived from diffusion-tensor imaging with probabilistic tractography for WM and voxel-based morphometry and regional-volume-correlation matrix for GM.

Results:

In the first year after disease onset, WM networks evolved to a structure of increased modularity, strengthened local connectivity and increased local clustering while no clinical decline occurred. GM networks showed a similar dynamic of increasing modularity. This modified connectivity pattern mainly involved the cerebellum, cingulum and temporo-parietal regions. Clinical impairment was associated at later disease stages with a divergence of the network patterns.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that network functionality in MS is maintained through structural adaptation towards increased local and modular connectivity, patterns linked to adaptability and homeostasis.