bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Marketing Strategy on Social Networks
Authors: Milović Boris
Published: March 2018

Social networks have proven to be very convenient and effective medium for the spreading of marketing messages, advertising, branding and promotion of products and services. Social networks offer companies, nonprofit organizations, political parties etc. sending certain messages for free. In addition, they allow companies access to a wide range of characteristics of their users. Developing appropriate, the winning strategy for marketing in social media is a comprehensive, time-intensive process therefore it is important to know to manage their content. Social networks transform certain classical approaches to marketing. They provide creative and relatively easy way to increase public awareness of the company and its products, and facilitate obtaining feedback and decision making. These are sources of different information about users and groups that they've joined. The success itself of marketing performance on a social network depends on the readiness and training of organizations to perform on them.
Marketing With Twitter
Authors: Soboleva Alena , Burton Suzan , Khan Aila
Published: March 2018

The increasing use of Twitter by businesses has created the challenge of how to measure its effectiveness for marketing communications. Using data based on two years of Twitter activity by leading global brands in the Auto, FMCG and Luxury industries, this chapter presents measures which can be used by practitioners and researchers to assess the effectiveness of marketing communications on Twitter. It discusses the factors that predict consumer engagement with organizational tweets, and different Twitter strategies that have been successfully (and less successfully) used by leading global brands. We also consider the implications for marketing with Twitter, for these and for smaller organizations.
Social Media Intelligence for Business
Authors: Maravilhas Sérgio
Published: March 2018

Social Media intelligence allow the knowledge of competitor's moves and the analysis of trends from the communications exchanged in the networks of individual consumers, making it easy for companies to develop solutions according to their clients and prospects desires. There are several characteristics that describe the quality of information that will allow the analysis of the value of the information used. Information is an important aid in the decision making process and must be of quality to improve its value. Marketing trends and competitive information is needed to clear decision-making about what products develop, for what customers, at what cost, through which distribution channels, reducing the uncertainty that a new product/service development always brings. Learning how to extract quality information, unbiased, valuable for business, from these social tools is the aim of this work, sharing with the interested parties some ways of using it for their profit and competitive sustainability.
The Roles of Social Media Marketing and Brand Management in Global Marketing
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: March 2018

This chapter explains the roles of social media marketing and brand management in global marketing, thus describing the theoretical and practical concept of social media marketing, the overview of brand management, the significance of social media marketing, and the application of social media-related brand management in global marketing. The creation of social media marketing and brand management is necessary for modern organizations that seek to serve suppliers and customers, increase business performance, enhance competitiveness, and gain routine success in global business. Thus, it is vital for modern organizations to acknowledge their social media marketing and brand management utilization, establish a strategic plan to consistently evaluate their effective promotions, and immediately respond to social media marketing and brand management needs of customers. The chapter argues that applying social media marketing and brand management in global marketing has the potential to enhance organizational performance and achieve strategic goals in the digital age.
Engaging Your Global Social Media Audience
Authors: Samii Leila
Published: March 2018

The global reach of social media provides opportunities for e-Retailers. Implementing a global social media strategy maximizes the efficiency of the exchange of information between the target audience and the brand. Information acquisition provides e-Retailers with knowledge about their target audience, while information dissemination spreads awareness about the brand to the target audience. As a result, e-Retailers leveraging user content on social media enable the development of strategic global engagement to reduce cultural complexities. The REALLY framework develops a foundation to leverage user-generated content using standardization for multilayered social media campaigns for e-Retailers. Roxy's global social media campaign is used as a case example to analyze global social media strategy and internationalization.
The Impact of Social Media on Customer Engagement With U.S. Banks
Authors: Haro-de-Rosario Arturo , Saraite Laura , Sáez-Martin Alejandro , Caba-Pérez María del Carmen
Published: March 2018

This chapter has two main aims. First, to investigate the Facebook practices used in the U.S. banking sector with the aim of enhancing customer engagement; second, to perform a comparative analysis of the use of Facebook in this respect, among different U.S. banks. In this comparative analysis, we apply the Federal Reserve charter classification (Nationally chartered member bank, State-chartered member bank and State-chartered nonmember bank). The findings of this study contribute significantly to our understanding of the influence of social media in enhancing customer engagement. Banks, and their community managers in particular, can make use of the conclusions drawn in this study to develop future strategies to foster citizen engagement via Facebook.
Predictive Analytics of Social Networks
Authors: Yang Ming , Hsu William H. , Kallumadi Surya Teja
Published: March 2018

In this chapter, the authors survey the general problem of analyzing a social network in order to make predictions about its behavior, content, or the systems and phenomena that generated it. They begin by defining five basic tasks that can be performed using social networks: (1) link prediction; (2) pathway and community formation; (3) recommendation and decision support; (4) risk analysis; and (5) planning, especially causal interventional planning. Next, they discuss frameworks for using predictive analytics, availability of annotation, text associated with (or produced within) a social network, information propagation history (e.g., upvotes and shares), trust, and reputation data. They also review challenges such as imbalanced and partial data, concept drift especially as it manifests within social media, and the need for active learning, online learning, and transfer learning. They then discuss general methodologies for predictive analytics involving network topology and dynamics, heterogeneous information network analysis, stochastic simulation, and topic modeling using the abovementioned text corpora. They continue by describing applications such as predicting “who will follow whom?” in a social network, making entity-to-entity recommendations (person-to-person, business-to-business [B2B], consumer-to-business [C2B], or business-to-consumer [B2C]), and analyzing big data (especially transactional data) for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications. Finally, the authors examine a few specific recommender systems and systems for interaction discovery, as part of brief case studies.
Social Media Tools for Quality Business Information
Authors: Maravilhas Sérgio
Published: March 2018

Information, as a tool to reduce uncertainty and to develop knowledge in organizations, is an important aid in the decision-making process and must be of quality to improve its value. We are living in an information society where organizational and personal life are mediated by information and knowledge, with the help of technologies that gather, disseminate, and deliver that raw material to support our decisions. There are several characteristics that describe the quality of information that will allow the analysis of the value of the information used. In the globalized world we are living in, quality information warrants best results when competing with other organizations. Its value is related to the results that it will allow to be obtained and the dependability on its context. Marketing trends and competitive information is needed for clear decision making about what products to develop, for what customers, at what cost, through which distribution channels, reducing the uncertainty that a new product/service development always brings with it. Social Media tools allow the knowledge of competitor's moves and the analysis of trends from the communications exchanged in the networks of individual consumers, making it easy for companies to develop solutions according to their clients and prospects desires. Learning how to extract quality information, unbiased, valuable for business, from these social tools is the aim of this work, sharing with the interested parties some ways of using it for their profit and competitive sustainability.
Towards a Unified Semantic Model for Online Social Networks to Ensure Interoperability and Aggregation for Analysis
Authors: El Kassiri Asmae , Belouadha Fatima-Zahra
Published: March 2018

The Online Social Networks (OSN) have a positive evolution due to the diversity of social media and the increase in the number of users. The revenue of the social media organizations is generated from the analysis of users' profiles and behaviors, knowing that surfers maintain several accounts on different OSNs. To satisfy its users, the social media organizations have initiated projects for ensuring interoperability to allow for users creating other accounts on other OSN using an initial account, and sharing content from one media to others. Believing that the future generations of Internet will be based on the semantic web technologies, multiple academic and industrial projects have emerged with the objective of modeling semantically the OSNs to ensure interoperability or data aggregation and analysis. In this chapter, we present related works and argue the necessity of a unified semantic model (USM) for OSNs; we introduce a kernel of a USM using standard social ontologies to support the principal social media and it can be extended to support other future social media.
Generation Y and Internet Privacy
Authors: Smutny Zdenek , Janoscik Vaclav , Cermak Radim
Published: March 2018

This chapter addresses the issue of privacy settings with a focus on Generation Y from a technological, social, generational, cultural and philosophical point of view. After introducing the issue of Internet privacy and other relevant areas—generational and cultural differences, the philosophical framework, the postinternet condition, the possibilities of processing and (mis)using personal data, and privacy policy—the authors present their perspective on the issue, drawing implications for individuals and organizations based on their own research and other relevant studies. The authors discuss the possible implications in terms of a prospective use of personal data by companies (e.g. for marketing and management) and possibility of processing user data. Such perspective will allow them to formulate a critical basis for further assessment of social networking and Generation Y's attitudes to privacy. The chapter concludes by outlining several recommendations concerning the commercialization of social networking services with respect to the constantly changing conception of privacy.
Measuring the Social Impact
Authors: Benson Vladlena , Morgan Stephanie
Published: March 2018

Effective social media usage has particular challenges for HE institutions. The many opportunities afforded by social media, increasingly demanded by students, have negative potential. Social technology requires substantial investment to do well, and in particular, it can be very hard to measure its performance. In this chapter, the authors focus on how aligning with strategic objectives can reduce the risk and enhance the effectiveness of social media use throughout the student lifecycle. They also consider the risks which social media investment entails in HE. Using a case study of a UK university, the authors identify common themes for social media adoption in educational settings. They offer practical recommendations and key areas to consider before launching or enhancing a social media strategy in the field of HE.
The Strategic Use of Social Media in the Fashion Industry
Authors: Kontu Hanna , Vecchi Alessandra
Published: March 2018

The importance of social media is evident as millions of people use it to connect with others, share content, and discuss different topics (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010; Kim & Ko, 2010). Although it is clear that social media is powerful and ubiquitous, many fashion brands have been reluctant or unable to develop strategies and allocate resources to effectively engage with the new media. The goal of this chapter is to critically review the literature that explicitly addresses the adoption, application, and impact of social media by fashion brands. In particular, the purpose of this chapter is to provide a critical assessment of the adoption of social media amongst three well-established fashion brands in order to identify the importance of social media as a strategic marketing tool and to propose a number of alternative social media strategies for fashion brands. Such a critical assessment is necessary since, as demonstrated by the research findings, implementing these strategies will allow brands not only to survive, but also to create new competitive advantages and thrive in the new global fashion business environment.
The Role of Social Media Strategies in Competitive Banking Operations Worldwide
Authors: Taskiran Nurdan Oncel , Yilmaz Recep , Bolat Nursel
Published: March 2018

Social media has rapidly taken its place among the important phenomenons of today. It has an important role in institutionalization and companies' financial effectivness in many fields. This chapter discusses concept, development of social media, investigations about social media in different continents, its relation with institutionalization, and its role in the banking sector in the process of globalisation. In this study, social media strategies of a global bank on different continents are empirically analysed. Obtained data sheds light on the relationship between the social and economic capital in today's world in an interdisciplinary platform.
Using Social Networks to Create and Share Experiences in Creative Tourism
Authors: Štefko Róbert , Mudrík Martin
Published: March 2018

The presented chapter deals with creative tourismwhich is often considered marginal, however is a form of tourism with the great potential for future growth. The Slovak Republic has, thanks to the historical context, all necessary preconditions to exploit this potential. There is a large number of customs and traditions, which can be attractive to visitors by their nature, historical or cultural-religious value. There is also a big potential to create new experiences, spirituality, singing, dancing in customs and traditions. Religious and pilgrimage sites are also sites where visitors can experience strong emotions. Sharing these experiences on social networks is quite frequent during the last decades. This chapter therefore deals with the legal possibilities of sharing these experiences by using social networks that represent a powerful marketing communication tool.
Thermographic Evaluation of Racehorse Performance
Authors: Soroko Maria
Published: March 2018

Thermography has found a broad range of applications in equine sport and veterinary medicine. Thermographic diagnosis is useful in monitoring changes of horse surface temperature resulting from exercise allowing evaluation of the work of individual parts of the body in racing performance. Regular assessment of body surface temperature allows the detection of training overloads and identification of pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system during the racing training cycle. The usefulness of thermography in veterinary medicine has been proved in detecting pathological conditions associated mainly with inflammation processes of the distal parts of the limbs and back. The main advantage of thermography is the detection of subclinical signs of inflammation before the onset of clinical signs of pathology, providing great value in veterinary medicine diagnosis. Thermography has also found application in detecting illegal performance procedures to improve horse performance and in assessing the saddle fit to the horse's back.
Understanding Strategies for Implementing Integrated Information Systems for Rabies Surveillance
Authors: Geofrey Anna M. , Kipanyula Maulilio J. , Fue Kadeghe G. , Sanga Camilius Aloyce
Published: March 2018

Rabies continues to be one of the most perilous viral diseases that affect the nervous system and remains a significant threat to public health across the globe. Available data that show that rabies claims about 59,000 human lives annually. Most industrialized countries have eliminated rabies from domestic dog populations. Conversely, in most of the developing countries, rabies remains endemic in domestic dog populations and poorly controlled. One of the challenges in eradicating rabies in developing countries is attributed to ineffective surveillance systems. Different stakeholders have developed solutions to address this problem without tangible outcomes. Estimation of the economic burden particularly in developing countries is difficult because of the inadequacy of update and reliable surveillance data. Certainly, it is very challenging even to obtain basic information on how many human lives are lost due to rabies and the economics behind preventing the disease amongst those exposed. Up-to-date, official reporting of incidence data on rabies and rabies exposures status remains desperately poor in most canine rabies-endemic countries. Consequently, there is increasingly underestimation of the true burden of the diseases. Worse still data from active surveillance studies highlight the disparities between officially reported and recorded and likely occurring rabies deaths. In some cases, it has been shown that there are higher mortality rates than officially reported data, especially in resource deprived areas. This calls for a need to establish an integrated surveillance system, which allows data to be shared openly among different stakeholders dealing with rabies. The paper presents the state of art of rabies in Tanzania and evaluates the application of ICT in surveillance. It also advocates for a need of a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem. Development and adoption of integrated surveillance systems for rabies and other zoonotic diseases remain a nightmare in many developing countries including Tanzania. This paper calls for the development of an integrated standard mechanism for countries to assess their rabies status and measure progress in eliminating the disease. Such a system will fill the missing link between surveillance and control measures.
Examining the Use of Web-Based Reusable Learning Objects by Animal and Veterinary Nursing Students
Authors: Chapman-Waterhouse Emily , Silva-Fletcher Ayona , Whittlestone Kim David
Published: March 2018

This intervention study examined the interaction of animal- and veterinary nursing students with reusable learning objects (RLO) in the context of preparing for summative assessment. Data was collected from 199 undergraduates using quantitative and qualitative methods. Students accessed RLO via personal devices in order to reinforce taught sessions. Interviewees reported that the RLO helped them meet the requirements of the curriculum. Quantitative data supported two valid points; the lack of engagement of students when given a free-choice and reluctance for self-assessment. The practical significance of the qualitative outcomes lies with how first year undergraduates on animal and veterinary nursing-related courses use RLO designed to address equine management and health topics, where the students have mixed equine experience.
The Use of Reusable Learning Objects to Enhance the Delivery of Veterinary Education
Authors: Chapman-Waterhouse Emily , Silva-Fletcher Ayona , Whittlestone Kim
Published: March 2018

The increased demand from learners in higher education to access resources flexibly has resulted in considerable development in the use of Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) via a blended learning format across the sector. This critical review sets out to identify what is currently known about RLO and how those concepts can be applied to veterinary-related degree courses. The review provides an insight into an aspect of blended learning which is currently limited in terms of published research. The effect of computer confidence, students' choice to use and the impact on student performance are some of the variables which have been measured to date. The approach to RLO by students from different courses may vary, but prior experience of technology, alignment of content and availability of technical support are some of the key drivers for usage and reuse. A positive effect is likely to occur following RLO use because those students have adopted a process of active engagement, which the authors know can bring about a deeper approach to learning.
The Rise of Embedded Analytics
Authors: Attaran Mohsen , Attaran Sharmin
Published: March 2018

This article describes how in today's hyper-competitive environment, business leaders around the world are using analytics technologies to create business values, and to gain a better understanding of their customer's needs and wants. However, traditional business analytics are undergoing major changes. The Internet revolution, cloud computing, and the evolution to self-service analytics have all contributed to the changing dimensions of business intelligence. To compete effectively in a digitally driven world, business leaders must understand and address the critical shifts taking place in the field of analytics, and how these shifts impact their overall strategy. The key objective of this article is to propose a conceptual model for successful implementation of Embedded Analytics in organizations. This article also covers some of the potential benefits of analytics, explores the changing dimensions of analytics, and provides a guide to some of the opportunities that are available for using embedded analytics in business. Furthermore, this study reviews key attributes of a successful modern analytics platform and illustrates how to overcome some of the key challenges of incorporating embedded analytics into an analytic strategy in business. Finally, this article highlights successful implementation of analytics solutions in manufacturing and service industry.
A Semantic Information Content Based Method for Evaluating FCA Concept Similarity
Authors: Huang Hongtao , Liang Cunliang , Ye Haizhi
Published: March 2018

Probability information content-based FCA concepts similarity computation method relies on the frequency of concepts in corpus, it takes only the occurrence probability as information content metric to compute FCA concept similarity, which leads to lower accuracy. This article introduces a semantic information content-based method for FCA concept similarity evaluation, in addition to the occurrence probability, it takes the superordinate and subordinate semantic relationship of concepts to measure information content, which makes the generic and specific degree of concepts more accurate. Then the semantic information content similarity can be calculated with the help of an ISA hierarchy which is derived from the domain ontology. The difference between this method and probability information content is that the evaluation of semantic information content is independent of corpus. Furthermore, semantic information content can be used for FCA concept similarity evaluation, and the weighted bipartite graph is also utilized to help improve the efficiency of the similarity evaluation. The experimental results show that this semantic information content based FCA concept similarity computation method improves the accuracy of probabilistic information content based method effectively without loss of time performance.
How Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Innovation Influence Business Performance Mediating Role of Innovation
Authors: Pour Mona Jami , Mamani Elnaz Nabizadeh , Rahimzadeh Mohammad
Published: March 2018

According to Bain & Company, CRM is at the top of management tools in recent years. This article aims to answer the productivity paradox of CRM and investigates the impact of both CRM and innovation on firm performance and also investigating mediating role of innovation to explain the effect of CRM on performance. To obtain research objective, an empirical study was conducted. For evaluating conceptual model, survey instrument was developed. The relationship between dimensions of CRM and innovation, as well as the relationship between innovation and business performance, were approved, but direct relationship between dimensions of CRM and business performance, according to the data collected, was not approved. Innovation and CRM both are valuable capabilities, which are viewed necessary to achieve a competitive advantage. However, there are little researches about how the interaction of these two concepts improve performance, and despite massive investments in the field of CRM, its impact on business is ambiguous.
Evaluating the Effects of Personality on Continuance Intention of Online User
Authors: Ong Chorng-Shyong , Lin Michael Yu-Ching
Published: March 2018

This article describes how personality traits have rarely been used to discuss the emerging topic of information systems continued usage. Confirmation and perceived usefulness constructs are the most salient factor in post-adoption researches and represents the essence of IS continuance model. This article proposes to connect personality traits to IS continued usage through exploring the relation of five-factor models to confirmation and perceived usefulness using appraisal theory of emotion as a lens. The results would be useful to IS designers, administrators or policy makers. A survey of 293 college students was examined using structural equation modeling analysis. The initial results showed some promising support for the effect of personality traits on the factor of confirmation but not on perceived usefulness.
Blurring the Boundaries
Authors: Delello Julie A , Mokhtari Kouider
Published: March 2018

This article reports the results of a mixed methods study aimed at exploring faculty and student perceptions regarding the use of social media in the higher education classroom. Two groups of faculty (n = 50) and students (n = 396) voluntarily responded to an online survey consisting of a mix of close and open-ended questions pertaining to their perceptions of social media use inside and outside the classroom. Key findings revealed that among faculty (52%) and students (23%) see social media as a distraction. In addition, contrary to prior research indicating that interpersonal boundaries between faculty and students are shifting as people become more connected via social media, only 17% of students and 29% of faculty reported forming social media friendships outside of the classroom. These findings are discussed in light of extant research on the use of social media along with implications for the role of social media in the higher education classroom.
Consumer Behavior in Online Risky Purchase Decisions
Authors: Strang Kenneth David
Published: March 2018

There is very little research about how consumers of different races trust online marketing information from businesses or government when making expensive purchase decisions such as cancer treatment medicine. In this article, a large cross-cultural sample was surveyed to evaluate trust belief levels for common online information sources when making risky purchase decisions. Trust belief levels of online information sources were significantly different across ethnicity and gender when making risky decision. Females across all ethnicities held higher trust beliefs for online information sources, and Asian females in particular had the highest trust beliefs for online data from library research to health care providers. Trust belief levels were lower for online social media and bank/financial institution online information sources for risky purchase decisions. These findings can be used by leaders, political authorities, and consumer behavior marketing managers to segment consumers by demographic characteristics.
Is “START-UP NY” Starting Up NY?
Authors: Jean-Snarr Lynn B. , Snarr Hal , Friesner Daniel L.
Published: March 2018

This article describes how “START-UP NY” is a state-funded economic development program that encourages businesses to locate to several of its college campuses in exchange for a 0% tax rate for business and their employees. While the program has received much coverage in the popular press, it has not been thoroughly assessed in the academic literature. Using a simple post-Keynesian analysis, this article illustrates the fundamental flaws in the START-UP NY program. In doing so, this analysis demonstrates why the program was, and is, ineffective in generating job growth.
The Relational Trends to Sustainability
Authors: Di San Martino Rinaldo C. Michelini
Published: March 2018

This article describes how relational models permit explaining cognizance courses or cognitive successes by progress chances. Yet, growth and progress develop along finite trends: men's acquired science tells us that the universe suffers entropy. Global ecology appears to be different alarm: we shall understand that disposal and pollution necessitate recycle and recovery processes, i.e., we shall address frugal innovation ideas. The men followed along the ages the haughty attitude to enjoy absolute truths (God-backed or matter immanent); the thriftiness is assumed to be a faulty condition, when, on the contrary, it is the only way we can build the (comparative) progress. In the survey, the author moves around these topics, suggesting that some communal truths shall need revisions when aiming at the supply chain eco-sustainability.
Study on Ontology Ranking Models Based on the Ensemble Learning
Authors: Jie Liu , Kerou Yuan , Jianshe Zhou , Jinsheng Shi
Published: March 2018

This article describes how more knowledge appears on the Internet than in an ontological form. Displaying results to users precisely when searching is the key issue of the research on ontology retrieval. The considered factors of ontology ranking are not only limited to internal character-matching, but analysis of metadata, including the entities, structures and the relations in ontologies. Currently, existing single feature ranking algorithms focus on the structures, elements and the contents of a certain aspect in ontology, thus, the results are not satisfactory. Combining multiple single-featured models seems to achieve better results, but the objectivity and versatility of models' weights are debatable. Machine learning effectively solves the problem and putting advantages of ranking learning algorithms together is the pressing issue. So we propose ensemble learning strategies to combine different algorithms in ontology ranking. And the ranking result is more satisfied compared to Swoogle and base algorithms.
Managing QoS Degradation of Component Web Services in a Dynamic Environment
Authors: Kahlon Navinderjit Kaur , Chahal Kuljit Kaur , Narang Sukhleen Bindra
Published: March 2018

In Services Oriented Computing, a composite web service is a value-added service composed of loosely coupled, independent, and distributed component web services. Component or partner web services jointly contribute to fulfil functional as well as non-functional requirements of users of a composite web service. One of the fundamental challenges in Services Oriented Computing is to ensure that a composite web service is flexible enough to react to changes (QoS degradation) in its partner web services at the time of execution. In this context, it is important that the time to adapt to changes should not be significant. Several solutions exist for run-time monitoring of partner web services so that clients can replace them with better alternatives when their QoS values degrade. But these solutions follow either a reactive approach (which is time consuming), or a prediction-based proactive approach (again time consuming, and moreover predicted events may never happen). This article proposes a solution using a publish/subscribe mechanism which is distributed between web service clients and the service providers, and follows a proactive preventive approach. It uses mobile agents to communicate partner web service's QoS status to its clients just in time, in order to decide to choose an alternative in case the QoS values are not satisfactory. The prototype is implemented using JAVA and Java Agent DEvelopment framework (JADE) programming languages. The experimental results show effectiveness of the proposed approach when compared with a static approach (the benchmark), as well as with a reactive solution. Moreover, the framework performs well even in the wake of the increasing levels of QoS degradation of partner web services.
Development of E-Commerce
Authors: Akram Umair , Khan Muhammad Kaleem , Hui Peng , Tanveer Yasir , Akram Zubair
Published: March 2018

This article describes how in the modern era e-commerce is growing exponentially and the consumers are more likely to shop online. The purpose of this article is to assess the relationship between website quality and the online impulse buying behavior (OIBB). This article further explores the moderating role of sales promotion and online impulse purchasing. Data were collected from 704 online shoppers from two cities, Beijing and Tianjin. Structure equation modeling (SEM), reliability, and validity were employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings show that all exogenous factors i.e. website quality, urge to buy, positive effect of emotions, significantly influence online impulse buying; whereas the effects of negative emotions have failed. Sales promotions and the use of credit cards positively moderates the relationship between website quality and online impulse buying. Theoretical and practical implications for managers and academic practitioners are discussed.
Spinal cerebrospinal fluid drainage for prevention of vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A prospective, randomized controlled study
Authors: Borkar Sachin , Singh Manmohanjit , Kale Shashank , Suri Ashish , Chandra Poodipedi , Kumar Rajender , Sharma Bhawani , Gaikwad Shailesh , Mahapatra Ashok
Published: March 2018

Introduction: Cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Despite various treatment modalities, the optimal management of vasospasm remains elusive. In this regard; we undertook a prospective, randomized controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage (LCSFD) for prevention of cerebral vasospasm and its sequelae. Materials and Methods: Patients with aneurysmal SAH who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups – Group I (30 patients) underwent LCSFD whereas Group II (30 patients) did not undergo LCSFD. All patients underwent aneurysmal clipping. Both the groups received standard neurosurgical treatment except for LCSFD. The outcome was measured in terms of (1) clinically evident vasospasm; (2) vasospasm-related cerebral infarction; (3) condition of the patient at the time of discharge; and (4) Glasgow outcome score (GOS) at 1- and 3-month follow-up. Results: LCSFD conferred a statistically significant benefit reducing the incidence of clinical vasospasm from 63% (in non-LCSFD group) to 30% (in LCSFD group) (P = 0.01) and incidence of vasospasm-related cerebral infarction from 53% (in non-LCSFD group) to 20% (in LCSFD group) (P = 0.007). Incidence of vasospasm was quantitatively lower in LCSFD group across all Hunt and Hess grades; however, it was statistically significant in SAH Grade III (P = 0.008). Mean duration of hospital stay was slightly lower in LCSFD group compared to non-LCSFD group; however, it did not reach statistical significance. A higher incidence of meningitis in LCSFD group was not statistically significant. A higher GOS was observed in LCSFD group at 1- and 3-month follow-up as compared to non-LCSFD group. Conclusion: Drainage of CSF through a lumbar drain following aneurysmal SAH caused a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of clinical and radiological vasospasm and its sequelae. It also shortens the overall duration of hospital stay and improves the outcome as evidenced by a better GOS score at 1- and 3-month follow-up. The results of this prospective, randomized study establish the efficacy of LCSFD in prevention of vasospasm following aneurysmal SAH.
Endoscopic management of a fourth ventricular cyst
Authors: Jafarpour Saba , Jouibari Morteza , Aghaghazvini Leila , Rahimi-Movaghar Vafa
Published: March 2018

We report a case of a 12-year-old boy with previously shunted congenital hydrocephalus, presenting with a progressive headache, nausea, vomiting, and lethargy. In the brain magnetic resonance imaging, a large cyst was seen in the superior recess of the fourth ventricle extending through the cerebral aqueduct toward the third ventricle. Endoscopic dual fenestration of the cyst was performed successfully using the posterior suboccipital approach through the foramen of Magendie, which resulted in the relief of symptoms without any complications, and the patient was symptom-free in the subsequent follow-up visits for 4 years.
IDH1 mutation in brain stem glioma: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Javadi Seyed , Hartmann Christian , Walter Gerhard , Banan Roozbeh , Samii Amir
Published: March 2018

The role of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutation in brain stem glioma is not clear. To the best of our knowledge, six cases of brain stem gliomas carrying IDH1/2 mutations are currently reported in the literature. One case of diffuse brain stem glioma with IDH1 mutation, which was followed for 2 years, is presented and compared with IDH1 negative tumors. A 22-year-old lady was referred with diplopia and left arm palsy. Neuroimaging detected a nonenhancing, nonhomogeneous diffuse infiltrating brain stem tumor extending from pons to medulla. Microsurgical debulking was performed. Microscopic evaluation of the tissue specimen and immunohistochemistry revealed an astrocytoma WHO Grade II with proliferation rate of 3% and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive tumor cells. Interestingly, the tumor cells expressed mutated IDH1 R132H protein. The patient underwent adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy. The primary and 2 years' clinical/radiological characteristics did not indicate any significant difference from other cases without IDH1 mutation. the prognostic value of IDH1/2 mutation in brain stem glioma is unclear. Brain stem biopsies may allow determination of a tissue-based tumor diagnosis for further investigations.
Adult versus pediatric tethered cord syndrome: Clinicoradiological differences and its management
Authors: Shukla Mukesh , Sardhara Jayesh , Sahu Rabi , Sharma Pradeep , Behari Sanjay , Jaiswal Awadesh , Srivastava Arun , Mehrotra Anant , Das Kuntal , Bhaisora Kamlesh
Published: March 2018

Background: Dysraphic lesions in adults, presenting clinically as tethered cord syndrome (TCS), are relatively rare, and their optimal management remains controversial. Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of our pediatric database over a period of last 7 years to focus on the adult TCS. Our aim was to determine the clinicoradiological and etiopathological differences between adult and pediatric patients as well as to determine the results of surgery in adult TCS. Results: Adult spinal dysraphisms constituted 15.4% of our patients (20 out of 130). Motor weakness, sphincteric dysfunction, and backache (n = 13, 65.0% each) predominated in adults unlike children who presented with subcutaneous swellings (n = 74, 67.6%) followed by motor weakness (n = 40, 46.4%), backache being reported by only three patients. The different pathologic substrates underlying adult dysraphisms were lipomeningocele (n = 8), split cord malformation (total = 7; Type 1: n = 5; Type 2: n = 2), dermal sinus (n = 2), and fatty filum (n = 3). On the other hand, meningomyelocele/meningocele (61, 54.9%) followed by split cord malformation Type 1 and 2 (n = 29, 26.1%) predominated in children. The radiological differences between the two groups were a higher incidence of vertebral body defects (hemivertebrae and butterfly vertebrae) and lack of intracranial anomalies in adults. At a mean follow-up of 20.5 months, the most common symptoms to improve following detethering were pain (11 out of 13, 84.6%) followed by motor weakness (six out of 13, 56.2%) and sphincteric control (7 out of 13, 53.8%). Conclusion: Most common symptoms to improve following detethering in adult TCS were pain followed by motor weakness. The major radiological differences between these two groups were a higher incidence of vertebral body defects (hemivertebrae and butterfly vertebrae) and lack of intracranial anomalies in adults.
Coccygectomy for coccygodynia: A single center experience over 5 years
Authors: Sarmast Arif , Kirmani Altaf , Bhat Abdul
Published: March 2018

Introduction: Coccygodynia refers to a pathological condition in which pain occurs in the coccyx or its immediate vicinity. The pain is usually provoked by sitting or rising from sitting. Several studies have reported good or excellent results after coccygectomy especially in patients who are refractory to conservative treatment. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the role and effectiveness of coccygectomy in chronic refractory coccygodynia. Materials and Methods: Between January 2011 and January 2015, 16 consecutive patients (4 males and 12 females) who underwent surgical coccygectomy were enrolled prospectively in the study. All patients suffered from treatment-resistant coccygodynia and had exhausted conservative therapeutic options for at least 6 months before undergoing surgery. The same surgeon performed a complete coccygectomy on all patients. Postoperative outcomes included measurements of pain relief and degree of patient satisfaction with the procedure's results. Results: The average age of patient was 37.93 years (range: 25–53 years), and the male to female ratio was 1:3. The median duration of patient-reported symptoms prior to surgery was 24 months. The most common cause of coccygodynia was direct or indirect trauma, recorded in 11 patients (68.75%). Idiopathic coccygodynia was five cases (31.25%). The number of patients with outcomes rated as “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” and “poor” were 12, 2, 1, and 1, respectively. The favorable result (excellent or good) was 87.5%. The self-reported visual analog scale (VAS) was significantly improved by surgery. The mean VAS preoperatively was 9.62, and postoperatively it was 2.25 (P < 0.001). There were two infections (12.5%) among the 16 patients which were managed conservatively. Conclusions: Coccygectomy for chronic intractable coccygodynia is simple and effective, with a low complication rate.
Maximum surgical blood order schedule for elective neurosurgery in a University Teaching Hospital in Northern Thailand
Authors: Saringcarinkul Ananchanok , Chuasuwan Siriwan
Published: March 2018

Context: Preoperative blood bank testing should optimize the trade-off between intraoperative transfusion delay and blood wastage. Aims: This study aims to develop a maximal surgical blood order schedule (MSBOS) for elective neurosurgery. Settings and Design: Prospective data in University Teaching Hospital, Northern Thailand. Subjects and Methods: Blood transfusion data were collected on all adult patients satisfying inclusion/exclusion criteria in 2015. Patients were assigned to ten procedure groups (G): vascular: (1) Aneurysm/arteriovenous malformation, (2) Cerebrovascular bypass; tumor resection: (3) Meningioma, (4) Other, (5) Cerebellopontine angle, (6) Pituitary/craniopharyngioma, (7) Endoscopic pituitary; and miscellaneous: (8) Cranioplasty, (9) Spine, (10) Other. The crossmatch-transfusion ratio (C/T), transfusion probability (%T), and transfusion index (Ti) were calculated. MSBOS was generated by applying published criteria, subjected to clinical neurosurgical judgment. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Vision 20. Results: Of 377 patients, 95% underwent preoperative cross-and-match (C and M) testing for 1422 red blood cell (RBC) units, while 3% had no type and screen (T and S) nor C and M, and 2% had T and S only. Overall C/T was 6.6, with range from 4 for G3-53 for G8. Intraoperative %T was 27%. Intraoperative Ti was 0.6. Our MSBOS recommended T and S only for G2, G7, G8, G9, G10; C and M of 2 RBC units for G1, G4, G5, G6; and C and M 2-to-4 for G3. If this were followed in 2015, intraoperative blood needs would have been satisfied for ≥82% of patients, and substantial reductions achieved in blood banking fees. Conclusions: Our MSBOS may help optimize blood ordering and serve as an example for similar efforts for other surgical specialties.
Bone turnover in vertebral fractures: Does it effect the decision of surgery?
Authors: Ataizi Zeki , Aydin Hasan , Kocatürk Evin , Çerezci Ahmet , Alatas İbrahim
Published: March 2018

Background and Aim: Instrumentation is commonly used in spinal surgery to stabilize the fracture. In the present study, we aimed to compare the early and late changes seen in bone production and degradation products in patients with traumatic spinal fracture who had been treated surgically or conservatively. Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients were admitted to the Neurosurgery Department with thoracolumbar or lumbar fracture in this prospective study. Patients were divided into two groups of surgically treated (n = 23) and nonsurgically/conservatively treated (n = 20) patients. The early and late changes seen in bone production and degradation products were compared in patients with traumatic spinal fracture who had been treated surgically or conservatively. Results: In conservatively treated patients, although osteocalcin level was slightly increased and deoxypiridinoline (DPD)/creatinine was slightly decreased after the treatment, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.08 and P = 0.539, respectively). There is no significant difference between admission time, posttreatment late period osteocalcin level, and DPD/creatinine ratio between the two group of patients (P = 0.215 and P = 0.236, respectively). Conclusion: We suggest that the healing and fusion processes in fractured vertebrae not only followed by the radiological examination but also by noninvasive biochemical changes seen in the serum levels of bone formation and resorption markers.