2,067 research outputs found
Ask questions, get sales : close the deak and create long-term relationships / Stephan Schiffman.
No full textIncludes index.v, 168 pages ;In Ask Questions, Get Sales, the author and sales guru Stephan Schiffman helps readers boost their careers to the gold-medal level by teaching them how to strengthen their questioning skills during the sales process. The premise is simple yet effective: In order to be successful, salespeople need to change their mindset from "need-orientated" to "do-orientated". The message of the book centers around six core "do" questions: What do you do? How do you do it? When and where do you do it? Why do you do it that way? Who do you do it with? How can we help you do it better? With this indispensable guide in their briefcase, salespeople will have information at the ready to score big sales over the short term and the long term
Dendritic cells in experimental renal inflammation - Part I
No full textDendritic cells (DCs) are bone marrow-derived professional antigen-presenting cells that act as master regulators of acquired and innate immune responses. While descriptions of cells with dendritic morphology in rodent kidneys date back to the early 1970s, a network of DCs in the mouse kidney has only recently been described. DCs acquire distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics depending on the microenvironment and the disease stages. Concomitantly, their communication with cells of the adaptive immunity might have tissue-protective or tissue-deleterious consequences. This review summarizes results from recent studies on the role of DCs in experimental renal inflammation.
Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
Dendritic cells in human renal inflammation - Part II
No full textDendritic cells (DCs) are bone marrow-derived professional antigen-presenting cells that act as master regulators of acquired and innate immune responses. Here, we review the available information on their role in human renal inflammation. In the 1980s and early 1990s, major histocompatibility complex class II antigen- (HLA-DR) positive DCs were first described in normal human kidneys and in the interstitium of kidneys from patients with glomerulonephritis. Several DC subtypes were subsequently distinguished based on their expression of CD1c/BDCA-1, CD141/BDCA-3 and CD209/DC-SIGN (in combination with HLA-DR). These cells were almost exclusively found in the tubulointerstitium, with increased numbers seen during glomerulonephritis. It appears that the human renal tubulointerstitium harbors different DC types which allow the collection of both exogenous as well as endogenous antigens. Plasmacytoid DCs have a plasma cell-like morphology and were commonly found within nodular tubulointerstitial infiltrates. Follicular DCs are rarely seen, but show a predominant localization in organized infiltrates. CD207/langerin is a marker for Langerhans cells. Langerin-positive cells have been found in association with the collecting ducts and urothelium. A functional characterization of these subtypes has been hampered by the difficulty of obtaining samples for analysis. However, these studies are clearly required to define the role of DCs and DC subsets in the pathophysiology of renal disease
Nephroprotective effect of the HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitor cerivastatin in a mouse model of progressive renal fibrosis in Alport syndrome
No full textBackground. Alport syndrome is caused by mutations in genes encoding for the alpha 3, alpha 4 or alpha 5 chain of type IV collagen leading to excessive production of fibrotic tissue and end-stage renal failure. HMG-CoA-reductase-inhibitors exhibit pleiotropic effects by which they modulate the production of connective tissue. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-fibrotic effect of the HMG-CoA-reductase-inhibitor, cerivastatin, in COL4A3 knockout mice, an animal model of Alport syndrome with progressive renal fibrosis. Methods. Forty homozygous COL4A3 knockout mice received cerivastatin, starting 28 or 49 days after birth. Mice were sacrificed at day 52 or 66 after birth. Immunohistochemistry against laminin and fibronectin was performed. Inflammatory cell infiltration was determined by F4/80- and CD3-staining. Myofibroblasts were identified by an alpha-smooth muscle actin staining. Expression of the profibrotic cytokines, TGF-beta 1 and CTGF, were determined by immunoblot. Results. The lifespan of treated COL4A3 knockout mice was increased by 28% compared with untreated animals (71 +/- 6 vs 91 +/- 9 days, P < 0.01). Early cerivastatin treatment reduced cholesterol levels (113 +/- 13 vs 141 +/- 19 mmol/l in untreated animals, P < 0.05) and serum urea (164 vs 235 mmol/l, day 66, P < 0.05). Treatment also decreased proteinuria (5.5 vs 12 g/l at day 66, P < 0.05). Deposition of laminin and fibronectin, expression of TGF-beta and CTGF was reduced. Infiltration of T-cells and macrophages as well as myofibroblasts appeared to be reduced in kidneys from cerivastatin-treated mice. Conclusion. Cerivastatin prolongs the lifespan of COL4A3 knockout mice, reduces proteinuria and delays uraemia. These effects are associated with decreased renal fibrosis and a reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration
Unemployment Benefits and Unemployment Rates of Low-Skilled and Elder Workers in West Germany: A Search Equilibrium Approach
No full textApproach Author & abstract Download 16 References 1 Citations Related works & more Corrections Author Listed: Launov, Andrey ([email protected]) (University of Kent) Wolff, Joachim ([email protected]) (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg) Klasen, Stephan ([email protected]) (University of Göttingen) Registered: Stephan Klasen Abstract In this paper we investigate whether the extension of the entitlement to unemployment benefits in the mid 80s can explain the increase in the unemployment rates of unskilled and elder workers in western Germany. To answer this question we estimate a version of the Burdett-Mortensen search equilibrium model and analyze how workers’ search behaviour responded to these reforms. We try both nonparametric and fully-parametric estimation methods and identify the cases in which the nonparametric approach cannot be applied. We find that the entitlement reforms are largely responsible for the increase of unemployment among unskilled workers
Unemployment Benefits and Unemployment Rates of Low-Skilled and Elder Workers in West Germany: A Search Equilibrium Approach
No full textApproach Author & abstract Download 16 References 1 Citations Related works & more Corrections Author Listed: Launov, Andrey ([email protected]) (University of Kent) Wolff, Joachim ([email protected]) (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg) Klasen, Stephan ([email protected]) (University of Göttingen) Registered: Stephan Klasen Abstract In this paper we investigate whether the extension of the entitlement to unemployment benefits in the mid 80s can explain the increase in the unemployment rates of unskilled and elder workers in western Germany. To answer this question we estimate a version of the Burdett-Mortensen search equilibrium model and analyze how workers’ search behaviour responded to these reforms. We try both nonparametric and fully-parametric estimation methods and identify the cases in which the nonparametric approach cannot be applied. We find that the entitlement reforms are largely responsible for the increase of unemployment among unskilled workers
Measuring Vulnerability to Poverty Using Long-Term Panel Data
No full textMeasuring Vulnerability to Poverty Using Long-Term Panel Data Author & abstract Download & other version 16 References 4 Citations Related works & more Corrections Author Listed: Katja Landau (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Stephan Klasen (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Walter Zucchini (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Registered: Stephan Klasen Abstract We investigate the accuracy of ex ante assessments of vulnerability to income poverty using cross-sectional data and panel data. We use long-term panel data from Germany and apply di fferent regression models, based on household covariates and previous-year equivalence income, to classify a household as vulnerable or not. Predictive performance is assessed using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC), which takes account of false positive as well as true positive rates. Estimates based on cross-sectional data are much less accurate than those based on panel data, but for Germany, the accuracy of vulnerability predictions is limited even when panel data are used. In part this low accuracy is due to low poverty incidence and high mobility in and out of poverty
Measuring Vulnerability to Poverty Using Long-Term Panel Data
No full textMeasuring Vulnerability to Poverty Using Long-Term Panel Data Author & abstract Download & other version 16 References 4 Citations Related works & more Corrections Author Listed: Katja Landau (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Stephan Klasen (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Walter Zucchini (Georg-August-University Göttingen) Registered: Stephan Klasen Abstract We investigate the accuracy of ex ante assessments of vulnerability to income poverty using cross-sectional data and panel data. We use long-term panel data from Germany and apply di fferent regression models, based on household covariates and previous-year equivalence income, to classify a household as vulnerable or not. Predictive performance is assessed using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC), which takes account of false positive as well as true positive rates. Estimates based on cross-sectional data are much less accurate than those based on panel data, but for Germany, the accuracy of vulnerability predictions is limited even when panel data are used. In part this low accuracy is due to low poverty incidence and high mobility in and out of poverty
‐deficient mice with autosomal recessive Alport nephropathy
No full textLack of the alpha 3 or alpha 4 chain of type IV collagen (COL4) causes autosomal recessive Alport nephropathy in humans and mice that is characterized by progressive glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial disease. Renal pathology is associated with chemokine-mediated macrophage infiltrates but their contribution to the progression of Alport nephropathy is unclear. We found Ccl2 to be expressed in increasing amounts during the progression of nephropathy in Col4a3-deficient mice; hence, we blocked Ccl2 with anti-Ccl2 Spiegelmers, biostable L-enantiomeric RNA aptamers suitable for in vivo applications. Ccl2 blockade reduced the recruitment of ex vivo-labelled macrophages into kidneys of Col4a3-deficient mice. We therefore hypothesized that a prolonged course of Ccl2 blockade would reduce renal macrophage counts and prevent renal pathology in Col4a3-deficient mice. Groups of Col4a3-deficient mice received subcutaneous injections of either an anti-mCcl2 Spiegelmer or non-functional control Spiegelmer on alternate days, starting from day 21 or 42 of age. Glomerular and interstitial macrophage counts were found to be reduced with Ccl2 blockade by 50% and 30%, respectively. However, this was not associated with an improvement of glomerular pathology, interstitial pathology, or of overall survival of Col4a3-deficient mice. We conclude that Ccl2 mediates the recruitment of glomerular and interstitial macrophages but this mechanism does not contribute to the progression of Alport nephropathy in Col4a3-deficient mice. Copyright (C) 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Evaluation of in-store processes related to returnable packaging services offered in grocery stores - the store management perspective
No full textAuthor Stephan LehnerMasterarbeit Universität Linz 202
- …
