3,580 research outputs found
IE Luxury Barometer 2016
No full textThe IE Premium and Prestige Observatory started in 2010 with the goal of generating and sharing knowledge about the premium market and industry worldwide. With the support of MasterCard we have done research on the impact of the digital revolution on luxury clients’ behaviour and the pace at which the industry is adapting, as well as focusing on the behaviour of the Millennials generation and the differences compared to baby boomers. We have explored the meaning of memorable experiences and their key drivers. The Observatory has also supported premium and luxury entrepreneurship and has given visibility to sustainable luxury entrepreneurs. With the IE Luxury Barometer, the Observatory has created a tool to build applied knowledge about the sector and to provide support for action. This “from experts to experts” research is based on the insight of industry executives, academics, investors, and observers. Thanks go to the panel of experts, who have generously shared their insights into the key themes that shape the priorities of the luxury industry by answering our questionnaire and also participating in the face-to-face debate. I would like to thank the individuals who helped make the IE Luxury Barometer 2016 possible. Thanks to my co-author David Millán for his rigorous work and expertise. Thank you, Luca Solca and Carlos Delso for joining us for the presentation of this paper and sharing your learnings and experience. We envision “IE Luxury Barometer” as a tool, valuable in generating knowledge for the premium and prestige industries. This third edition was about completing a full circle of identifying priorities for luxury experts and executives
From ORCID to Google Scholar: How to manage your Digital Academic Profile
No full textThis training session provides a practical introduction to managing a coherent and effective digital academic identity across major scholarly platforms, including ORCID, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. It outlines the importance of persistent identifiers for ensuring accurate attribution, enhancing visibility, and supporting institutional evaluation processes. Participants learn how to create, update, and synchronize their author profiles; resolve common issues such as duplicate records and misattributed publications; and maintain consistent information regarding name variants and affiliations. The session also highlights best practices for linking platforms through ORCID to automate updates and reduce administrative workload. Overall, the training emphasizes the growing relevance of digital identity management in the contemporary research ecosystem and provides actionable guidance for maintaining accurate and up-to-date academic profiles.yesPublishe
Una investigación empírica acerca de la racionalidad e intuición en los procesos de toma de decisiones estratégicas en Colombia
No full textEsta tesis doctoral presenta una investigación empírica de cuatro factores contextuales identificados en el corpus de conocimiento actual como predictores de racionalidad e intuición en procesos de toma de decisiones estratégicas: las características ambientales externas, las características estratégicas propias de la decisión, las características internas de la compañía y las características específicas del decisor. A efectos de este análisis, se han utilizado datos de 51 decisiones estratégicas de idéntico número de compañías privadas de Colombia, en Sudamérica. Los resultados que se presentan en este documento refuerzan las conclusiones de las investigaciones previas en lo que respecta a la Incertidumbre Ambiental, una variable que pertenece a la dimensión de las características externas del entorno, y la Incertidumbre de la Decisión, que corresponde a la dimensión de las características propias de la decisión estratégica, como predictores del uso de la Intuición Experiencial en los procesos de toma de decisiones. Este estudio también encontró pruebas de que el Tamaño de la Compañía, una variable que pertenece a la dimensión de las características internas de la compañía, es un predictor significativo del uso de la Racionalidad Procedimental en estos procesos. Se presenta un examen empírico del efecto de mediación de la Incertidumbre de la Decisión en la relación entre Incertidumbre Ambiental y los procesos de toma de decisiones estratégicas, Racionalidad Procedimental e Intuición Experiencial. Esta indagación apoya las formulaciones teóricas en torno a esta relación compleja, además de considerar la asociación de la Incertidumbre Ambiental como un antecedente de la Incertidumbre de la Decisión. Por último, el presente estudio contribuye a la comprensión del papel del estilo de pensamiento de un decisor como predictor de las conductas intuitivas observadas en el proceso de la toma de decisiones estratégicas. La última parte de este documento presenta un resumen de los principales hallazgos, así como contribuciones a la teoría existente. También incluye varias limitaciones de este estudio y vías para futuras investigaciones. En atención a la naturaleza de este estudio, a los participantes en la investigación y a las motivaciones del autor para acometer este proyecto, este documento presenta un conjunto detallado de implicaciones prácticas derivadas de los hallazgos para directivos y gerentes.This doctoral thesis presents an empirical investigation of four contextual factors identified in the available body of knowledge as predictors of rationality and intuition in strategic decision-making processes: External environmental characteristics, Strategic decision-specific characteristics, Internal firm characteristics, and Decision-maker specific characteristics. Data from 51 strategic decisions, from an equal number of privately-owned companies in Colombia, South America, served for this analysis. Results presented in this document support findings from previous research regarding the significance of Environmental Uncertainty, a variable from the dimension of external environmental characteristics, and Decision Uncertainty, a variable from the dimension of strategic decision-specific characteristics, as predictors of the use of Experiential Intuition in decision-making processes. This study also found evidence supporting that Firm Size, a variable in the dimension of internal firm characteristics, is a significant predictor of Procedural Rationality in these processes. An empirical examination of the mediation effect of Decision Uncertainty in the relationship between Environmental Uncertainty and strategic decision-making processes, Procedural Rationality and Experiential Intuition, is presented. This exploration yields support to theoretical formulations around this complex relationship, and regarding the association of Environmental Uncertainty as an antecedent of Decision Uncertainty. Finally, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of the thinking style of a decision-maker as a predictor of intuitive behaviors observed in the process of making strategic decisions. The final part of this document summarizes the main findings and contributions to theory, as well as several limitations of this investigation and paths for future research. In attention to the nature of this study, the characteristics of participants in this exploration, and the motivations of the author to pursue this endeavor, the document presents a detailed body of practical implications for managers and practitioners.Deeds, David L. (PRESIDENTE); Gonçalves Albornoz, Dilney (SECRETARIO);
Gözübüyük, Remzi (VOCAL); Zerres, Christopher (VOCAL); Moscheri, Caterina (VOCAL
Duboisia leichhardtii (f.Muell.) extracts inhibit the growth of bacterial triggers of selected autoimmune inflammatory diseases
No full textIntroduction: Duboisia leichhardtii F.Muell. is a medium to large tree which is native to subtropical regions of eastern Australia. Duboisia spp. contain a number of psychoactive tropane and pyrrolidine alkaloids with reported antibacterial activity. Despite this, D. leichhardtii leaf extracts have not been rigorously examined for growth inhibitory properties against many bacteria, including the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of D. leichhardtii leaf solvent extracts was investigated by disc diffusion and growth time course assays against a panel of bacterial triggers of autoimmune diseases. The growth inhibitory activity was further quantified by MIC determination and growth time course assays. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: Methanolic and aqueous D. leichhardtii leaf solvent extracts were potent inhibitors of the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The methanolic extract displayed the most potent bacterial growth inhibitory activity. It was particularly potent against P. mirabilis (MICs of 85 and 116 µg/mL against reference and clinical strains respectively) and P. vulgaris (MIC of 187 µg/mL). The methanolic extract was also a good inhibitor of K. pneumoniae growth (MICs of 143 and 118 µg/mL against reference and clinical strains respectively). The aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts were also potent bacterial growth inhibitors, albeit with higher MIC values. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic and aqueous D. leichhardtii leaf extracts were further investigated by growth time course assays which showed significant growth inhibition in cultures of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae within 1 h of exposure. All extracts were determined to be nontoxic in the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay, indicating their safety for use in preventing these autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Conclusions: The lack of toxicity of the D. leichhardtii leaf extracts and their growth inhibitory bioactivity against the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis indicate their potential in the development of new therapies targeting the onset of these diseases.Full Tex
Can the EU Digital Markets Act achieve its goals?
No full textOver the past few years, EU and national regulators accelerated their plans to regulate digital platforms. The EU is not alone in this quest, as many other jurisdictions around the world are considering various options for regulatory intervention in digital markets. Rather than being an ‘outlier’ on this issue, Europe has a chance to set new standards in this domain, which other countries may end up emulating. In this context, the proposed EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) represents a major endeavour to tackle the concentration of economic power in the hands of large-scale Tech companies. One of its most significant features is that it marks a transition from the traditional application of ex post antitrust rules, towards an entirely new ex ante regulatory scrutiny, aimed at systematically preventing possible abuses by those platforms that can be defined as gatekeepers of entire digital ecosystems. This paper explores the pros and cons of this shift, and discusses whether the proposed enforcement of the DMA, concentrated in the hands of the European Commission, is likely to prove sufficiently effective. The author assesses whether the DMA, together with other legislative proposals presented by the European Commission over the past few months (Data Governance Act, Data Act, Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, etc.) will pave the way for a more economically and socially sustainable digital ecosystem in the years to come.Digital Markets ActEuropean UnionPoliticsDigital economySustainabilityDigital Services ActData Governance ActDigital marketsLey de Mercados DigitalesUnión EuropeaPolíticaEconomía digitalSostenibilidadLey de Servicios DigitalesLey de Inteligencia ArtificialLey de Gobierno de DatosLey de datosMercados digitale
Cape aloe bitters – past and present
No full textAloe and Aloe products have at a long history of use dating back to antiquity. Use and trade were originally dominated by Barbados or Curaçao (A. vera), and Socotra aloe (A. perryi). Commercialization of Cape Aloe was initiated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), likely to add to their existing aloe trade, and Cape Aloe was brought back to Europe as early as 1761. Albeit aloes’ early official history was marred by taxonomic confusion, Cape Aloe made its way into the world's pharmacopoeias as early as the late 18th century and its popularity has held steady into the 20th century. While it is still an ingredient in established phytomedicines with standard monographs and multiple of products in the marketplace, it has lately become the subject of a safety concern, along with other anthraquinone-yielding plant species, and its ban for use in food products by the European Commission is imminent. In the following study we review the history of Cape Aloe products establishing themselves in world markets, alongside the milestones of pre-clinical and clinical research into the safety and efficacy of these products.Full Tex
Interactive antimicrobial and toxicity profiles of scaevola spinescens R.Br. extracts with conventional antibiotics
No full textBackground: Scaevola spinescens was traditionally used by Australian Aborigines to treat a variety of conditions including bacterial and viral infections, inflammation and cancer. Conventional antibiotics are amongst the most commonly prescribed groups of drugs in allopathic medicine. Therefore, these therapies may be used concurrently by practitioners of complementary medicine and there is a need to evaluate their effects in combination. Methods: Plant extracts were prepared using solvents of varying polarity and subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening analysis. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using disc diffusion and liquid dilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against a panel of pathogenic triggers of some autoimmune diseases. Interactions between the S. spinescens extracts and conventional antibiotics were studied and classified by determining the sum of the fractional inhibitory concentration (∑FIC). Synergistic interactions were further examined across a range of ratios using isobolograms analysis. The toxicity of the individual samples and of the combinations was assessed using the Artemia lethality assay (ALA) and an MTS HDF cell viability assays. Results: Methanolic, aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts showed moderate to good inhibitory activity against several bacterial pathogens known to trigger autoimmune inflammatory diseases in genetically susceptible individuals. However, combinations of the methanolic, aqueous, ethyl acetate and hexane extracts with conventional antibiotics proved significantly more effective in inhibiting the growth of Klebsiellia pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes (bacterial triggers of ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatic fever respectively). In total, 4 combinations proved to be synergistic, all of which contained tetracycline as the conventional antibiotic component. Furthermore, all conventional antibiotics and S. spinescens leaf extracts were determined to be nontoxic when tested alone in the Artemia nauplii and HDF bioassays. Combining the extracts and antibiotics did not significantly affect the toxicity of the combinations. Conclusion: S. spinescens extracts were effective inhibitors of the growth of several bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases when tested alone. Additionally, the methanolic, aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts potentiated the activity of tetracycline against bacterial otherwise resistant to its actions. Isolation of the synergis-ing compounds in these extracts may be beneficial in drug design against several bacteria including the microbial triggers of ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatic fever.Full Tex
Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell. extracts reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine and PGE2 secretion, decrease COX-2 expression and down-regulate cytosolic NF-κB levels
No full textBased on their high antioxidant capacity and noteworthy phytochemistry, Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit and leaves have attracted considerable recent interest for their therapeutic potential. Whilst those studies have reported a variety of therapeutic properties for the fruit, the anti-inflammatory potential of T. ferdinandiana has been largely neglected and the leaves have been almost completely ignored. This study investigated the immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of T. ferdinandiana fruit and leaf extracts by evaluating their inhibition of multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines secretion in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated and unstimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages using multiplex bead immunoassays and ELISA assays. The methanolic extracts were particularly good immune-modulators, significantly inhibiting the secretion of all the cytokines and chemokines tested. Indeed, the methanolic extracts completely inhibited IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and MIP-2a secretion, and almost completely inhibited the secretion of TNF-α. In addition, the methanolic T. ferdinandiana extracts also significantly inhibited cytosolic COX-2 levels (by 87–95%) and the synthesis of the PGE2 (by ~ 98%). In contrast, the methanolic extracts stimulated LTB4 secretion by ~ 60–90%, whilst the aqueous extracts significantly inhibited LTB4 secretion (by ~ 27% each). Exposure of RAW 264.7 cells to the methanolic T. ferdinandiana extracts also significantly down-regulated the cytosolic levels of NF-κB by 33–44%, indicating that the immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts may be regulated via a decrease in NF-κB transcription pathways. Taken together, these results demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory properties for the extracts and provide insights into their anti-inflammatory mechanisms.Full Tex
The interactive antimicrobial activity of conventional antibiotics and Petalostigma spp. extracts against bacterial triggers of some autoimmune inflammatory diseases
No full textIntroduction: An increase in antibiotic resistance and a corresponding decrease in antimicrobial discovery have directed researchers towards alternative therapies, including plant-based medicines. However, synergistic combinations of plant extracts with conventional antibiotics are a far more effective approach in overcoming resistance and potentiating the activity of antibiotics that are otherwise ineffective against resistant bacterial strains. Methods: In this study, Petalostigma spp. (native Australian medicinal plants) extracts were combined with a range of conventional antibiotics and tested against various microbial triggers of autoimmune diseases. The fruit and leaves were extracted separately with solvents of varying polarity and investigated for the ability to inhibit bacterial growth using disc diffusion and liquid dilution MIC techniques. Results: The methanolic and water extracts showed low to moderate inhibitory activity against several microbes. However, combinations of the mid-low polarity extracts with conventional antibiotics proved significantly more effective in inhibiting the growth of Proteus mirabilis and Acinetobacter baylyi (bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis respectively). In total, 14 different combinations proved to be synergistic. Notably, two antibiotics (chloramphenicol and erythromycin) with no inhibitory activity against P. mirabilis alone were shown to have substantial activity when tested in combination with Petalostigma spp. extracts. Conclusion: Although the mechanisms of synergy are still unclear, studies indicate that compounds within Petalostigma spp. may mimic the actions of resistance modifying agents, thus potentiating the activity of several antibiotics that are relatively ineffective alone. Isolation of these agents may be highly beneficial in drug design against several bacteria including the microbial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.Full Tex
An interactive antimicrobial activity of embelica officinalis gaertn. Fruit extracts and conventional antibiotics against some bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases
No full textBackground: Embelica officinalis Gaertn. is an Indian plant which is known for its therapeutic properties. It is especially well known as a component of the Ayuverdic medicine Triphala. This study focuses on the growth inhibitory activity of E. officinalis fruit extracts against some bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases, both alone and in combination with conventional antibiotics. Methods: E. officinalis fruit powder was extracted with solvents of varying polarity and screened for bacterial growth inhibition by disc diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was quantified by both liquid dilution and disc diffusion techniques. To screen for combinatorial effects, the E. officinalis fruit extracts were combined with a range of conventional antibiotics and tested against each bacteria using a liquid dilution assay. Toxicity was examined using Artemia nauplii and HDF bioassays. Results: The ethyl acetate E. officinalis fruit extract displayed the strongest growth inhibitory activity against all of the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory disease. This extract was a particularly potent inhibitor of P. aeruginosa growth, with an MIC values as low as 264 μg/mL.The ethyl acetate extract was also a moderate to strong growth inhibitor of P. mirabilis, K. pneumonia and A. baylyi, with MIC values generally 1000-1500 μg/mL. The methanolic and aqueous extracts also inhibited the growth of all bacteria, although generally with only moderate to low activity. Whilst no synergistic interactions were detected in combinations containing the E. officinalis fruit extracts and conventional antibiotics, a number of combinations produced additive effects. These combinations are beneficial as they provide enhanced antibacterial efficacy compared to treatment with the antibiotic or extract components alone. No antagonistic interactions were detected. Therefore, use of the extracts in combination with conventional antibiotics would not compromise the antibiotics efficacy. All extracts were nontoxic in the Artemia nauplii and HDF toxicity assays, further indicating their potential for medicinal use. Conclusion: The E. officinalis fruit extracts were moderate inhibitors of the bacterial triggers of selected autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, the extracts potentiated the activity of chloramphenicol and tetracycline against otherwise resistant bacterial strains. Isolation of the active compounds and the potentiating agents may be beneficial in antibiotic drug design.Full Tex
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