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The Interplay of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Employees in the Convenience Store Sector, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) Impact
Get PDFIn the realm of a convenience store business, this study aims to examine: 1) customer perceptions of CSR activities, employee behavior, and value congruity; 2) the potential impact of respondent demographics on CSR activities, employee behavior, value congruity, and the likelihood of recommending convenience stores and fuel businesses; 3) the relationships between CSR activities, employee behavior, and value congruity, and 4) the impact of CSR activities and gender on the likelihood of customer recommendation of the brand. Based on 2000 surveys from the loyalty members, the study found that CSR activities, employee behaviors, and value congruity are important for business success and are significantly correlated, which indicates synergistic relationships. Particularly, the strong correlation between value congruity and CSR activities supports the importance of congruity (or alignment) between customer values and CSR activities. The findings indicate that CSR activities are significant predictors of the likelihood of recommending convenience stores and fuel businesses. As the first study to show this relationship empirically, this paper discusses the implications of the findings
The Adaptation Wedge: Capacity-Building Scenarios for India’s Cities
Get PDFThe increasing frequency and severity of floods, heat waves, and storm surges impacting global cities, combined with the growing morbidity in public health, necessitates prompt and effective climate action. Adaptation and mitigation require adequate and appropriate institutional, technical, and societal capacities—all of which are in short supply in most low- and middle-income country cities that are experiencing growth while suffering vulnerabilities. Although national governments are alerted to climate risk and the imperatives of planning, financing, and managing climate transitions, their responses to capacity constraints and approaches to capacity building display neither urgency nor scale. We use a scenario-building methodology to examine this crisis in the context of cities in India. We review the literature and draw upon personal experiences in capacity building, policymaking, and practice to highlight the underestimation of scale and complexity of adaptive capacity required by India’s cities. We discuss systemic barriers that prevent cities from accessing the required human and financial resources, ranging from the seemingly innocuous, such as language, to the profoundly challenging, such as scant knowledge of climate communication in civil society and community-based organizations. Other barriers include the reluctance of local universities to engage with messy real-world problems and India’s protectionist stance on trade in green services. Drawing on the analysis of gaps and barriers, we project a disruptive scenario whereby cities proactively leverage networks and partnerships to augment their adaptive capacities, especially in planning and finance, partly by using city labs that form vital bridges between global expertise and local demand. We describe the potential of information and communication technologies and digital platforms to inform the policies and institutional structures required for capacity building and also catalyze a vibrant ecosystem of resources available to cities in need. We conclude by suggesting that such networks, by seamlessly and speedily connecting global expertise to local action, serve the common interests of the entire global community
Spontaneous rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm with hemoperitoneum; case presentation
Get PDFAneurysms of the splenic artery are relatively rare, being found in patients with portal hypertension, multiparous, atherosclerosis, or in young people with various genetic diseases. In the uncomplicated forms, splenic artery aneurysms are often difficult to diagnose either because of the asymptomatic evolution, or because of the non-specific symptoms. In cases of trauma or large sizes, aneurysms can be complicated by rupture, which can cause hemoperitoneum with the risk of death if specific treatment is not initiated as soon as possible. Depending on the location of the splenic aneurysm, comorbidities, the patient\u27s general condition or life-threatening complications, laparotomy, laparoscopy, endovascular techniques or combined procedures can be performed. The case of a 33-year-old female patient who presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and later syncope is presented. The patient was referred to the radiology department, and computed tomography revealed a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm with hemoperitoneum. The splenic artery aneurysm and the spleen were excised by emergency surgery, with a favorable postoperative outcome. The young age of diagnosis and treatment probably implies a genetic component, so that she was referred for additional investigations after discharge
Artificial intelligence in ovarian cancers- from diagnosis to treatment; a literature review
Get PDFOvarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy due to challenges in early detection stemming from a lack of reliable biomarkers. Despite this, various laboratory tests are commonly employed in clinical practice, some showing diagnostic and prognostic promise for ovarian cancer. This review aims to synthesize current literature to delineate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both the diagnosis—from laboratory tests to imaging—and treatment of ovarian cancers. Thus, the epidemiology, risk factors, pathology, screening methods, as well as the integration of AI in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer (AI based on both blood biomarkers and imaging-based ovarian cancer detection) are presented. AI and biomarkers show considerable potential in improving ovarian cancer management, but ongoing research efforts are necessary to refine these technologies and integrate them effectively into clinical practice. This approach aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy, predict patient outcomes, and ultimately improve treatment strategies for ovarian cancer patients
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a focus on the impact of interstitial cells of Cajal in disease development
Get PDFIntroduction. Interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICCs) play a critical role in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility and have been implicated in various functional gastrointestinal disorders. Recent research indicates a possible association between ICCs and the tumor risk of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs). This research aims to examine the clinical, histopathological, and biomolecular characteristics of ICCs and their relevance in assessing GIST risk. Materials and Methods. This study examined fourteen GIST patients who underwent surgical intervention at the Surgery Department of Carol Davila Nephrology Hospital in Bucharest. Parameters including age, gender, tumor location/ dimensions were scrutinized. Immunohistochemistry employing markers CD117, DOG-1, and CD34 was employed to ascertain the presence of ICCs and GISTs. Results. The GIST risk stratification revealed distribution with 35.71% very low-risk, 21.42% low-risk, 14.28% intermediate-risk, and 28.57% high-risk categories. Predominantly, 57.14% of cases fell within the very low-risk and low-risk categories. Positive immunoreactivity for CD117 and DOG-1 was noted in 92.86% of patients, while CD34 exhibited positivity in 85.71% of cases. Gastric GISTs manifested heightened marker expression. Notably, immunohistochemistry unveiled robust positivity for CD117, DOG-1, and CD34, illustrating a positive correlation between elevated ICC levels and high-risk GISTs. Conclusions. The findings propose an association between ICC levels and high-risk GISTs, accentuating the diagnostic utility of CD117, DOG-1, and CD34 markers in GIST assessment
“We are as we are, and ye are as we find you” (Or, Finrod Elfsplains the Gift of Ilúvatar): The ‘Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth’ as Core Text in Tolkien’s Legendarium
Get PDFThe Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth is a highly problematic text that directly challenges, if not overturns, the eschatology of Tolkien’s legendarium. In combination with the Tale of Adanel, we are confronted with the possibility that, in the beginning, the Atani were also deathless and that mortality was a punishment, calling into question the nature of the ‘gift of Ilúvatar’
Why Selecting Leaders Is So Difficult
Get PDFThe focus of this paper is on the importance of understanding the selection and testing process for top-level organizational leaders, managers, and supervisors and identifying the reasons why so many organizations are unsuccessful in selecting people for those critical positions. The paper begins by identifying five major problems that explain why organizations are limited in their ability to select the right people for top level managerial and leadership positions. Citing information from scholars, academic institutions, research organizations, and the Society for Human Resource Management, we identify root causes of “the leader selection problem” and offer eight specific recommendations for addressing that problem in public sector, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations of all types. We conclude the paper by urging organizational leaders, academic faculty and administrators, research organizations, and leaders and practitioners in the human resource management field to take seven important action steps that will improve the likelihood of organizations selecting more effective leaders and managers
Optimizing Mordenite and Brooker’s Merocyanine
Get PDFZeolites are a class of materials that are composed of oxygen, silicon, and aluminum with channels embedded in the crystalline structure. Zeolites have many applications, some of which include water purification, biomass conversion, or as molecular sieves. The zeolite’s crystal structure allows them to act as a host for smaller guest molecules without chemical bonding between the host and guest molecules. An example of a guest dye molecule is Brooker’s Merocyanine. Brooker’s Merocyanine is zwitterionic, where there are opposite charges on each end, and is a unique property that could be used to enhance the dye organization within the channel. By combining the host zeolite with the guest molecule Brooker’s Merocyanine, the dye is expected to go into the zeolite channels by a cation exchange process, based on previous work. This project focused on a zeolite known as Mordenite, chosen due to this lab\u27s previous work with other similar zeolites studied with Brooker’s Merocyanine that included LTL and ZSM-5. The purpose of this project was to optimize the combination of the Mordenite and Brooker’s Merocyanine. We used UV-Visible spectroscopy to confirm the dye is interacting with the zeolite. Dye loading Mordenite was most successful when refluxing the sample in acidic aqueous dye solution in the dark overnight with stirring. Through these experiments, we found that Mordenite can interact with Brooker’s Merocyanine more than LTL or ZSM-5