Scipedia: Documents published in 2017

La tecnologia blockchain i el seu paper en les economies transformadores

August Corrons — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:22:05 +0200

Des del sorgiment de la primera blockchain l’any 2009, aquesta tecnologia s’ha convertit en un fenomen que està revolucionant el desenvolupament futur de les economies i les societats. Es tracta d’una tecnologia que presenta un potencial capaç de transformar una infinitat de sectors clau de la indústria i dels serves, i que augura una transformació en la societat i en les relaciones socials. Una blockchain és una base de dades que es troba distribuïda entre diferents participants, protegida criptogràficament i organitzada en blocs de transaccions relacionats de forma matemàtica entre ells. És un sistema basat en la confiança i el consens, que es construeix a partir d’una xarxa global d’ordinadors que gestionen una base de dades descentralitzada i que no pot ser alterada.

Les economies transformadores representen tots aquells plantejaments de reorganització socioeconòmica que formulen propostes de canvi respecte del marc dominant, des d’una perspectiva holística que engloba tant l’àmbit econòmic com el social i l’ambiental. Entre elles hi poden trobar una gran diversitat de fenomens i corrents de pensament, com per exemple l’economia social i solidària, l’economia col·laborativa, l’economia feminista, l’economia de les cures… Estimacions recents assenyalen que totes aquestes economies transformadores, si bé amb un pes encara limitat, contribueixen ja amb un 7 % al PIB de la ciutat de Barcelona, a través de l’activitat de més de 4.600 iniciatives socioempresarials.

En aquest article, i un cop contextualitzats aquests dos objectes d’estudi, s’analitzarà el paper que precisament juga la tecnologia blockchain en l’enfortiment i la consolidació de les economies transformadores. I, per tant, en la creació d’un futur tant eficient com equitatiu, basat en els valors CO de la cooperació, la col·laboració, la compartició, el consens i la confiança.

Reptes i oportunitats per al sistema de recerca a Catalunya

Josep Maria Martorell — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 12:19:13 +0200

El sistema de Recerca català ha obtingut, en els darrers anys, uns resultats remarcables en el context europeu. La majoria d’indicadors utilitzats per mesurar la productivitat científica indiquen un creixement molt important en els darrers 15 anys al nostre país, tant des del punt de vista quantitatiu com qualitatiu. De fet, hom pot demostrat com en gairebé tots els casos els resultats obtinguts pel conjunt d’Universitats i Centres de Recerca catalans és molt superior als resultats esperables, tenint en compte el seu pes poblacional o fins i tot de PIB dins la Unió Europea.

Aquest increment es pot atribuir a un conjunt de polítiques públiques desenvolupades amb un alt grau de consens des de principis dels 2000, malgrat que en els darrers anys la crisi econòmica està provocant moltes dificultats en el teixit investigador del país, i fins i tot posa en risc algunes de les fites assolides.

La sostenibilitat d’aquest sistema està ara en discussió, davant d’elements com la caiguda de la inversió pública, la gran distància respecte la mitjana europea de la inversió privada en R&D, o la configuració política futura del país. Tots aquests són elements que introdueixen dubtes per al futur proper del sistema de Recerca català. Tot i això, l’article intenta mostra com la fortalesa de l’actual sistema és molt alta, i com la seva demostrada eficiència pot convertir aquests riscos en oportunitats, si en els propers anys s’hi fa una nova aposta decidida, tant per a la potència científica del país com per a l’increment de la productivitat empresarial.

Coupled wave-structure analysis for naval and offshore applications

Julio García-Espinosa — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 21:20:02 +0200

Wave-structure interaction is a topic of great interest in naval and offshore engineering. This interest is growing in the last years due to the boost given by the development of the marine renewable energy field. In this context the development of an efficient time-domain coupled waves-structure solver is a main request from the industry.

Up to date the numerical seakeeping simulation has been mostly carried out using the frequency domain. The reason might be that the computational cost of time domain simulations were too high and computational time was too large. Moreover assumptions like linear waves and the harmonic nature of water waves made the frequency domain to be the right choice. However nowadays computing capabilities make possible to carry out numerical simulations in the time domain in a reasonable time, with the advantage of making easier the introduction of non-linearities into the algorithm and therefore coupling with other phenomena.

This presentation shows the work of the authors in developing a time-domain unstructured Finite Element Method (FEM) algorithm for analysis of coupled wave-structure interaction. For this purpose, a new diffraction-radiation solver using the FEM was developed. The solver has been implemented in GPU, using CUDA architecture. The speed-up obtained ranges from 5 to 10 times compare to the implementation in a standard CPU with a conjugate gradient and ILU preconditioner.

The seakeeping analysis tool has been integrated within a coupled waves-structure analysis tool. The coupling algorithm is based on a partitioned iterative algorithm, using an interpolation library able to communicate pressure forces and displacements of the structure at memory level. Furthermore, an innovative wetting and drying scheme able to improve the evaluation of the water action on the structure.

The accuracy of the new seakeeping formulation for analysis of waves and floating structures interaction has been verified in different validation cases and practical applications.

Evaluating performance of the air cushion and seals of a Surface-Effect Ship (SES)

Julio García-Espinosa — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:57:55 +0200

This presentation shows the recent work of the authors in the development of a time-domain FEM model for evaluation of the seal dynamics of a surface effect ship. The fluid solver developed for this purpose, uses a potential flow approach along with a stream-line integration of the free surface. The presentation focuses on the free surface-structure algorithm that has been developed to allow the simulation of the complex and highly dynamic behavior of the seals in the interface between the air cushion, and the water.

The developed fluid-structure interaction solver is based, on one side, on an implicit iteration algorithm, communicating pressure forces and displacements of the seals at memory level and, on the other side, on an innovative wetting and drying scheme able to predict the water action on the seals. The stability of the iterative scheme is improved by means of relaxation, and the convergence is accelerated using Aitken’s method.

Several validations against experimental results have been carried out to demonstrate the developed algorithm.

A computational model for the evaluation of the spray generation of a Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel

Julio García-Espinosa — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:24:11 +0200

A Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V®) is a new class of ship that uses inflatable flexible hulls to conform to the surface of the water. It is similar in design to a catamaran, in that it has a twin hull design and no keel. However, the superstructure is not rigidly attached to the hulls; it uses shock absorbers and ball joints to articulate the vessel, which allows WAM-V to conform to the surface of the water while mitigating the stresses transmitted to the structure. Moreover, the inflatable hulls help to absorb the high frequency wave-loads. These features allow WAM-V to travel efficiently with low wave resistance in rough seas, by surfing on top of the waves rather than cut through them.

The objective of the WAM-V is to be a lightweight watercraft capable of moving fast and efficiently on the surface of the sea. WAM-Vs are designed to allow for a variety of applications for either manned or unmanned operations and can be built in different lengths to match specific services.

This presentation shows part of the work done in the project ‘Advanced Numerical Simulation and Performance Evaluation of WAM-V ® in Spray Generating Conditions’ developed by the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) under Navy Grant N62909-12-1-7101 issued by the Office of Naval Research Global. The scope of that project included the performance analysis of the WAM-V in waves, taking into account the flexibility of the ship hulls, using fluid-structure interaction computational models. However, the focus of this paper is one of the primary concerns of that project; the development of a computational model for simulation of the WAM-V under spray generating conditions. In this regards, the final goal was to develop and demonstrate a computational engineering solver that could be used to design strategies to reduce the spray generation of the vessel.

Venezuela: Teaching in troubled times

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:14:10 +0200

One of the key aspects of the teaching task is to keep up with the advances that continually come up in the areas in which they are experts; Aspect that at times for multiple reasons is not easy that is feasible. The updating in content, new technologies, as well as teaching and learning methodologies is required for the training of competent students capable of performing before their peers. This paper presents how the methodology of Project-Based Learning (ABP) applied in the subject "Underground Water" of the civil engineering program of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, promoted the exchange of information, training of students in the field of software used In the area, as well as cooperation for the study of real situations in the context of the Lara state aquifers in Venezuela

From road infrastructure to urban space. Transforming Via Flaminia into a new cultural axis of Rome

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:14:06 +0200

The street is the outside space that shapes our daily life. Its study means to understand the most important public space of the city. The research project described herein attempts to understand how the street becomes an urban space -a livable space-, its importance as a social realm and the design elements that make it a successful space in the city. The scope of the research goes from a general overview of the street to the study of the specific case represented by Via Flaminia, one of the most important historical axes of Rome. The approach to the research is divided into two parts; first a theoretical, historical and referential investigation; and a second part that includes a focused analysis of Via Flaminia and concludes with the application of this analysis to the design of an urban and an architectural project for this chosen street. The proposed project seeks to solve the limited permeability of the street and attempts to provide continuity to its image. It explores the repurposing the existing building typologies with new social, cultural and recreational functions. One of the main goals is to transform this street into a revitalized cultural node of the city, to transform Via Flaminia from a road infrastructure to a quality urban space of the City of Rome, seeking that it becomes the new cultural axis of the city. The architectural project focuses on a critical point of the street, addressing the connection of the city with the surrounding nature, developing a Cultural and Educational Center.

Comparative analysis between Hec-RAS models and IBER in the hydraulic assessment of bridges

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:14:00 +0200

This work aims to perform a comparative analysis between the Hec-RAS and IBER models, in the hydraulic evaluation of rivers with structures such as bridges. The case of application was the La Guardia creek, located in the road that communicates the cities of Barquisimeto-Quíbor, Venezuela. The first phase of the study consisted in the comparison of the models from the conceptual point of view and the management of both. The second phase focused on the case study, and the comparison of the results obtained from the hydraulic analysis. It was observed that the behavior in both models presented great similarity in the flow profile as in the regime. Upstream of the two bridges predominate the subcritical regime, where the highest depths and the lowest velocities are present. The opposite occurs downstream of the two bridges, where the supercritical regime prevails, high speeds and minimum depths. It is concluded that, for rivers with simple geometry and preferably with a single bridge, the Hec-RAS one-dimensional software is presented as the best alternative of use due to the ease of data entry, providing reliable results in a shorter time. While the IBER package is two-dimensional, it represents a better option for modeling rivers with more irregular geometries, when there is a special interest in the hydraulic behavior of the flow through stirrups and stacks, and having two or more bridges with separation reduced.

Safety versus economy in design and construction of engineering works: Should you choose?

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:12:34 +0200

Editorial: Safety versus economy in design and construction of engineering works: Should you choose?

Characterization of failures in school buildings exposed in agressive environment M4 of Falcon State

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:09:46 +0200

The present investigation focused on establishing a characterization of public used reinforced concrete constructions such as school units in the coastal zone of Chichiriviche and Tucacas in Venezuela’s Falcon State, exposed to highly corrosive environments and built with inadequate construction techniques. The ultimate aim was to make recommendations to regional bodies so that they could make structural interventions more precisely and assertively. The study was carried out in seven educational units, in which planimetric surveys were carried out, the collection of fault symptoms, tests in some structural members and finally a general evaluation of damages that allowed identifying their durability and particular recommendations for each school building. As a result, these units of different construction ages were in a better state of conservation, when compared directly to the sample evaluated in 2006 in private multifamily buildings, which were even younger than this sample. It was recommended for all cases that they apply a programmed and technical continuous maintenance system, which goes beyond the systems of paints whose substrate is not properly prepared, resulting in a process of superficial repair and aesthetic ineffective.

Implementation of Quatum GIS geographical information system to register the conditions of the L003 LA road in Venezuela

Scipedia content — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:09:41 +0200

Local roads in Lara state, Venezuela, have been deteriorating progressively due to the lack of a scheduled maintenance plan by the authorities. Particularly, it is believed that the current situation of L003 LA road is consequence of the absence of information about both physical and functionality conditions of drainage system, state of the road signs, poor condition of the pavement, and other troubles about geometric parameters. Therefore, it was created a data base based in topographic planes studies of its transversal section, development of a PCI evaluation of its pavement and the inspection of its geometrical design. This data base was run in a system of geographical information so that it would be possible to update all the information periodically. Additionally, it was proposed a plan of improvements for 29.10 km of the road, in which the PCI evaluation results were regular due to the poor conditions of the drainage system; and where the visibility and road signs were unsatisfactory.

中医五行生克的治疗方法准确地描述了信号分子的传输通路

Yang Liu — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 10:52:02 +0200

Visco-plastic Chaboche model for nickel-based alloys under anisothermal cyclic loading

Helene Morch — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 14:57:01 +0200

The mechanical behavior of visco-plastic materials such as nickel-based alloys is highly dependent on temperature. Some characteristics such as viscosity, hardening, static recovery, dynamic recovery have more or less influence on the overall behavior depending on the considered temperature. The unified constitutive model developed by Chaboche [1] is very efficient in representing this complexity as it is very adaptable and can contain many features. A basic Chaboche model contains a viscosity law and one or several hardening equations. Within these hardening equations, it is possible to add several features that will represent the complex behavior of the material.

The aim of this study is to understand the role of the different parameters and the influence of the different features in an advanced Chaboche model adapted to cyclic anisothermal loading.

The closed-loop pathways of signaling molecules

Yang Liu — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 13:27:02 +0200

Consistence between the eight treating principles of traditional Chinese medicine and molecular signaling

Yang Liu — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 12:27:02 +0200

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) continues to provide pharmacotherapy for millions of people worldwide, but one of the challenges before accepted by the “Western” medicine is the elucidation of its molecular mechanism. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used Yang–Yin-Qi in heart-spleen-lung-kidney-liver to describe the physiological processes and developed therapeutic strategies based on the interrelationships among the Yang-Yin-Qi in these five organs. Here we established the direct mapping between Yang-Yin-Qi and signaling molecules based on their physiological functions. We compared the eight popular TCM treatment principles with pathways of signaling molecules, and found an excellent agreement. The results show that Western medicine and TCM describe the same physiological process using different terminology. '''Key words''': Signaling molecules, traditional Chinese medicine, pathways, Yang and Yin, therapeutic strategy.

Flooding effects combining storm surge and surface runoff during Hurricane Georges on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico

Walter Silva Araya — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:59:03 +0200

Puerto Rico (PR) is located in a hurricane prone zone. The purpose of this study was to determine the flooding effects caused by the combination of the storm surge and surface runoff discharge during the passage of Hurricane Georges along the East coast of PR. The system was modeled using a combination of tools including: a two-dimensional hydrologic model and simulations of storm surge using a high-resolution oceanic circulation model. A coupling technique was developed to integrate the storm surge model results into the hydrologic model. The results show that the combined effect of storm surge penetration and inland runoff produced by heavy rainfall deposited by Hurricane Georges increased flood levels in the coastal zone. Without considering these effects, flood levels provided by tides and wind driven circulation models only, could underestimate the real hazard conditions. The net effect depends on the watershed conditions, the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall and the local conditions of the river morphology near the coastline. Even though peak discharge is usually used as an indicator of hazard conditions and regulations promote zero increase in peak discharge, water volumes play a major role in water levels during flood conditions. This is more important during storm surge because ocean water penetrates inland, increasing water volumes and flood depths.

Scipedia: Your Digital Publishing Platform for Open Science

Julio García-Espinosa — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 20:04:44 +0200

Some of the most relevant facts that are affecting the scientific publication and its impact are the transformations that have begun to happen in relation to what has been called Open Science. This represents a new approach to the scientific process, which is based on cooperative work and is inevitably linked to Open Access publishing. And although the latter term is linked to immediate and free access to research articles, it has evolved towards a much more complete concept involving the transformation of scientific practice to "share knowledge as soon as possible". The transformation towards Open Science has been assumed by the European Commission, which carrying out different measures in this regard.

But, despite the obvious advantages of Open Access publishing, it will not be an easy task to make search results universally accessible without restriction. This objective faces the inertia of custom practices and a market dominated by a few large publishers.

The idea of developing a platform to answer many of the questions raised about the future of scientific publication is the outcome of many reflections and discussions on the presented scenario.

Scipedia (see http://www.scipedia.com) is essentially a web platform that integrates a digital scientific publishing platform with the concept of social network. Scipedia aims to improve communication between researchers and professionals in science and technology, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and dissemination of their work.

The ambition of this project is to be able to offer free publication services in Open Access to the entire scientific community. To this end, Scipedia integrates tools that allow the publication of journals and the management of their publication cycle, including support for blind and collaborative peer review.

But probably one of the most innovative aspects of this initiative is that it uses wikitext, a standard format for web pages, as a native format of publications. This definitely allows going beyond the paper support and its digital versions (such as the PDF format); the scientific communication can take full advantage of the publication on the Internet. This way, scientific journals and books, conference proceedings and any other document published in Scipedia can integrate text, multimedia information, data files, models, etc. in a natural way.

In addition, Scipedia has an advanced online editor that allows for collaborative work and facilitates self-publishing. The capacity of self-publishing is not a trivial matter, since it virtually reduces production and publication costs to zero, and is basic to fulfilling the project's main ambition: to offer free publishing services for the author and open access without restrictions.

The online editing tool is completed with utilities for importing files in LaTeX and Word formats, and exporting to PDF and ePub.

Another relevant aspect of the initiative is that various strategies have been designed that allow articles to reach the maximum impact. For this, it is not enough to comply with certain standards and procedures that facilitate their indexation in the main search engines and aggregators. Here, the integration of the platform into a social network can play a fundamental role.

Scipedia social network offers the standard tools of this type of platforms, creation of a user profile, creation of a network of contacts, presentation of the register of personal activities and of the contacts, creation and management of groups, etc. The basic information of the profile can be imported and synchronized with the data available in Google Scholar, which provides a first reference of the impact of the scientific activity of the user. This information is enriched with that generated by the personal activity in the network, which is dynamized using gamification techniques. This way, the actions of the user are rewarded and allow to evaluate the activity that generates in the network. In addition, records of visits and ratings of readers of an article are kept, which together with more traditional techniques such as citation counting, allows you to evaluate the impact of any document. In addition, each published document has a discussion page attached, and a history of all its revisions is maintained, even beyond the date of its publication.

Impact of the slab stiffness and opening asymmetries in the assessment of the elastic lateral displacements of walls

Arturo Tena Colunga — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:41:06 +0200

Approximations obtained with the equivalent frame method and Beck-Coull method to assess elastic lateral displacement profiles of walls with openings are compared to results obtained with the finite element method using reasonably fine meshes. Multistory walls were studied, considering symmetric and asymmetric distribution of openings with respect to a vertical axis. The contribution of slabs in the lateral stiffness was considered through an equivalent flange as recommended in several building codes. Different stiffnesses are considered for the walls and the slabs. From the obtained results it is confirmed that approximations obtained with the studied methods increase as the number of stories of the wall increases, and that it is reasonable for an equivalent opening eccentricity up to 40%. The contribution of the stiffness of the slab had a small impact for the considered symmetric wall openings, but it was important for walls with asymmetric openings, impacting more the displacements of walls when they are more flexible.

Analyzing the determinants of the voting behavior using a genetic algorithm

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:47:24 +0200

Using data about votes emitted by funds in meetings held by United States banks from 2003 to 2013, we apply a genetic algorithm to a set of financial variables in order to detect the determinants of the vote direction. Our findings indicate that there are three main explanatory factors: the market value of the firm, the shareholder activism measured as the total number of funds voting, and the temporal context, which reflects the influence of recent critical events affecting the banking industry, including bankruptcies, reputational failures, and mergers and acquisitions. As a result, considering that voting behavior has been empirically linked to reputational harms, these findings can be considered as a useful insight about the keys that should be taken into account in order to achieve an effective reputational risk management strategy.

Antecedents of employee affective commitment in knowledge-intensive SMEs

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:47:18 +0200

This study analyzes relationships between core self-evaluations (CSE), task significance and affective commitment (AC). The model was tested on a sample of employees from knowledge-intensive SMEs in Spain. Results provide support for a partially mediated model whereby CSE influence employees’ AC, both directly as indirectly, by fostering perceptions of task significance.

Effectiveness of marketing plan as cooperative learning technique

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:47:13 +0200

The importance of teamwork as a core capacity in the new university curricula is beyond all doubt. It is therefore crucial to know what cooperative learning is and how efficient it is for teams of students that use it. Thus, the aim of this paper is to operationalise the concept of cooperative learning and to study its consequences on both the individual learning of the members of a team and on the overall performance achieved by the team as a whole. Structural equation models were used on a sample of 319 students in a marketing subject at a Spanish public university. The results obtained show that students learn better in subjects in which cooperative learning is applied, and the teams performance also improves. We therefore fully endorse fostering its use in the classroom. Lastly, several new lines of research are proposed to complete current knowledge about cooperative learning.

Risk and profitability of Islamic banks: A religious deception or an alternative solution?

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:47:07 +0200

The aim of this paper is to examine whether Islamic finance could be an alternative to the traditional financial system and could guarantee stability in times of crisis. To this end, 78 Islamic banks in 12 countries have been studied over the 2004–2013 period. A series of bank-specific and other country-specific indicators are combined to explain the soundness of Islamic banking in terms of profitability as measured by ROA and ROE, and risk divided into credit risk measured by IMLGL and EQL, and insolvency risk measured by Z-SCORE. The aim is to estimate five regressions using dynamic panel data econometrics (GMM system). The results indicate that bank size and capital are the main factors responsible for increasing profitability and stability of Islamic banks and reducing their credit risk. However, the ratios forming the variable liquidity and asset quality often lead to inconclusive results. It is also found that macroeconomic variables, except inflation, are able to improve Islamic banks’ stability. This is not the case for credit risk where the ratio is still unfavorable. The conclusion is that there are no major differences between IBs and CBs in terms of their profitability and risk features.

Information hidden intangible resources: sustainability or annual reports?

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:47:02 +0200

Intangible assets have become the main sustainable value creation of companies. Specifically, those assets which remain hidden in the accounting statement due to the difficulties in identification and measuring (ie what is called intellectual capital). Voluntary information disclosed by companies on these assets can help to reduce symmetries of information and improve information transparency among stakeholders. In this sense, annual reports are the primary tool of information disclosure that companies have for provide voluntary information. In recent years, sustainability reports have become in the main means of communication as a way to legitimize the actions of companies to their stakeholders. Thus, our aim is to explore and analyze the means of communication used by companies to provide voluntary information about their hidden intangible assets. Results obtained indicate that there has been a change in corporate information policy and sustainability reports have become the mainstay to provide information voluntarily to stakeholders as well as being a good way to provide information of intangible resources.

Entrepreneurship: Cuban perspective on the creation of family businesses

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:56 +0200

This work is to study how the Cuban entrepreneurship in the non-state sector service tourist accommodation and their effects on the valuations of international clients who use them. The data comes from a simple random sample for landlords (90 entrepreneurs) and a non-probability sampling for 184 international customers. A descriptive approach, hierarchical cluster analysis and analysis of variance was used to achieve our goals. The findings show that non-state landlords can be considered Cuban entrepreneurs and constitute a competition for tourist accommodation facilities state. However, most entrepreneurial intention is not conditioned by their sociodemographic and cultural variables, but rather by perceptions of their own as an entrepreneur and professionalism to provide the service, which also is appreciated by customers and contributes to their loyalty. We offer information to business management Cuban tourism sector and a new state management perspective not addressed, constituting a novelty in the research literature.

Entrepreneurial motivation and informational attention in internationalization. Regional study to Spanish natural stone industry

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:51 +0200

This study focuses on an analysis of motivation by entrepreneurs as regards international expansion, and how their motivation impacts their informational preference. Entrepreneurs may be grouped according to their motivational orientation: promotion and prevention. Promotion entrepreneurs approach internationalization spurred on by an inherent motivation, whereas Prevention entrepreneurs engage in internationalization driven by the requirements of the competitive environment. Motivational orientation thus shapes the interests of the entrepreneurs. This study is carried out based on a regional analysis of the Spanish natural stone industry. The findings indicate that exploiting international opportunities is more closely linked to the personal motivation of the entrepreneurs (focus promotion) than to the demands of the competitive environment (focus prevention). With regard to informational concerns, the entrepreneurs consulted showed a clear preference for information related to support programmes, followed by issues linked to knowledge of markets. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs show different orientations and display quite differing informational concerns, especially in these regions leading the internationalization of industry.

Crises effects on banking entrepreneurship financing. An analysis of micro enterprises in Spain from the perspective of Mutual Guarantee Institutions

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:46 +0200

Financing is key to entrepreneurship, especially in crisis period, when financial markets restriction hinders access to funding to small and medium enterprises. The Mutual Guarantee Institution facilitates funding to new businesses through guaranteed long term loans. This paper analyzes banking entrepreneurship financing to micro-enterprises (less than 10 employees) in Spain during the period 2003-2012, but only Mutual Guarantee Institution guaranteed enterprises, to determinate if financing products have changed. The analysis concludes that the financial products distribution has changed during the crisis (2008-2012), it has increased the weight of the products designed to liquidity, and the crisis effects are higher for smaller and older companies.

From frequency of use to social integration: The mediation of routinization and infusion in Tuenti community

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:42 +0200

This study examines post-adoption behaviors (i.e., frequency of use, routinization and infusion) and their effects on the sense of community in the domain of social network sites. In particular, this contribution formulates mediation hypotheses, which posit how frequency of use affects social integration via routinization and infusion. The data was collected from 278 users of Tuenti, a highly-popular social network site among the Spanish college student population during the period 2006–2012. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) show these sophisticated types of usage are interrelated in such a way that routinization and infusion (a) fully mediate the effect of frequency of use on social integration, and (b) exert significant influences on social integration, as an active sense of belongingness to a social network site. In order to attain social integration, it is therefore essential for managers to devise strategies to foster advanced post-adoption behaviors.

Corporate Responsibility under the ECSI model: An application in the hotel sector

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:36 +0200

This article deals with the study of Corporate Responsibility (CR) under the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI). The methodology of this empirical study, conducted among 629 customers staying at hotels in the city of Seville, is based on structural equation modeling (PLS). The results obtained demonstrate the applicability of the European model to the hotel sector, although not all the relationships from the original model have been proven. The main contributions are derived from a better understanding of the models components, a variable not studied before having been incorporated: the importance of Corporate Responsibility (CR). Moreover, it means to contribute to the field of research on CR as, despite the growing interest in the subject, the effects of this construct are still poorly understood.

Impact of female managers on high-technology firms going public: The mediating effect of patents and product development

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:31 +0200

This paper examines the relationship between the representation of women on top management teams and the success of high-technology firms going public. Also, it analyzes how specific indicators of innovation capability can mediate such a relationship. The empirical research of a sample of dedicated biotechnology firms that completed an initial public offering in the stock market of the United States shows a negative and significant effect of the proportion of female executive managers, however, it demonstrates that the indicators of innovation have a positive influence as well as mediate and cause no significant effect of gender diversity.

Primary yield and multitranche structure in securitization issues: Explicative factors. A review

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:27 +0200

The reasons for the strong rise in the securitization phenomenon up until the start of the “subprime crisis” need to be analysed. According to many authors, they mainly stem from its offering the possibility of generating fixed yield securities with the highest rating and a low risk premium, thanks to the issues being structured in differentiated bond series, so that certain series absorb most of the risk, thus facilitating the safer or “senior” tranches having a higher rating. Accordingly, this paper reviews the literature on the factors underlying the generation of differentiated tranches in this type of issues and regarding the determining factors of the yield offered by securitization issues. It concludes that the search for more complete markets, along with the reducing of problems associated to the moral hazard, are the main reasons for the multi-tranche structuring. And given the strong influence of the number of tranches on the yield offered by the issues, the paper likewise concludes that the multitranche structures has been an efficient tool to place securitization issues with more competitive yields.

Improving supply chain information sharing using Design for Six Sigma

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:22 +0200

Accurate and reliable information is needed to support decision-making processes. Due to the large number of participants typically involved in supply chain operations, organizations often find that it is difficult to effectively share information within a supply chain, hence, this research examined ways to improve information sharing within supply chain operations for one marine transportation services organization. An action research, case study approach used the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology to design an information technology solution that effectively communicates information between the layers within the supply chain regarding the movement of materials via inland tank barges. The comparative analysis of verification and baseline measurements conducted suggests this project was successful because the new process fulfilled the needs of the work environment for which it was designed. For the organization that participated in this research, the successful adoption of the new approach for information sharing improved communication and decision making within their supply chain.

The moderator role of web design and culture of the country in the online consumer response. An application to tourism destination

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:16 +0200

The actual markets globalization as a result of information and communication technologies development in general and the Internet in particular, have increased the importance of the user culture in online consumer behavior. Web pages are now a powerful communications medium for companies operating in international markets. In this regard, the same design will significantly affect the way in which users from different cultures process information received through it. The aim of this paper is to examine how web design moderates cultural differences among users when processing web information. The results show that a good web design, measured in functional terms, is able to reduce or even eliminate such differences.

Attitude toward m-advertising and m-repurchase

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:11 +0200

One of the business models that attracts scholars and professionals’ interest is mobile commerce. This paper applies the theory of shopping preference to this field. It analyzes the role of personal factors (perceived control and propensity to use technology), social factors (influence of a social group), and epistemic factors (compatibility) to determine consumers’ attitude toward mobile advertising (m-advertising) and mobile repurchase (m-repurchase). The information of 973 mobile shoppers is analyzed in two contexts (Spain as a developed country and Mexico as a developing country). A positive attitude toward m-advertising is confirmed to increase m-repurchase through the mobile phone and the indirect influence of personal, social, and epistemic factors on shoppers m-repurchase (through the attitude toward m-advertising) varies depending on the analyzed market.

Cost–benefit analysis of sport events: The case of World Paddle Tour

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:46:04 +0200

Nowadays tourism is one of the most important sectors of our country, and no one has any doubt about importance of sport for the economy. Both concepts create “sports tourism”, and “sporting events” are its greatest exponent that is having special importance both at academic and at the economic and social levels. Taking into account the above, this research aims to analyze socioeconomic impact of the paddle tournament “Caceres International Open 2013”. The CBA methodology will be used, its main objective is to calculate a benefit/cost ratio analyzing the contribution made by two groups of respondents (attendees and participants). Among final conclusions of this study we establish different groups of stakeholders, and this methodology can be applied to these groups to value the impact of sporting events. It has also been found out that the contribution made by public institutions has economic effects in other sectors of the city, so sporting events can be considered a complement of the tourism sector.

Satisfaction in border tourism: An analysis with structural equations

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:57 +0200

Border tourism is the temporary displacement of people to the dividing line between two countries contiguous areas. This activity promotes the economic development of these geographical regions. The aim of this research is to analyze visitors from the Dominican Republic and Haiti border. We propose the results of an empirical study with structural equations that show correlations between the attitude factor towards the border tourism, the value factors perceived by the tourist, satisfaction and loyalty of the visitor in the destination place.

Academic entrepreneurship in Spanish universities: An analysis of the determinants of entrepreneurial intention

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:51 +0200

Academic entrepreneurship is the process by which an individual or group of individuals linked through their work to a university or research centre use knowledge created in their research to set up business ventures or spin-offs. With the Theory of Planned Behaviour as basis, the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control on academics’ entrepreneurial intentions was studied. The instrument was a survey conducted of 1178 Spanish university academics in various fields of knowledge, professional categories, and levels of seniority in their institution. A structural equation model identified as the main antecedent of entrepreneurial intention the attitude towards entrepreneurship. This was in turn influenced by creativity, perceived utility, and entrepreneurial experience.

Diversification and family control as determinants of performance: A study of listed business groups

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:46 +0200

The study analyses the individual and joint impact of family control and diversification on the performance of major Spanish corporations, considering the nature of the ultimate owner of non-family groups. The study uses a sample of ninety-nine Spanish corporations, each comprising a parent company listed on the stock exchange and a set of subsidiaries. Heckmans two-step correction is used to eliminate selection bias and the endogeneity of family ownership. Different models are contemplated in which we analyse the impact of both diversification and the family nature of a business on performance, established as Tobins q-value. The results show how family control has a negative impact on Tobins q-value, and that differences are greater between family groups and non-family groups controlled by banks and/or foreign agents. They also show how diversification does not affect the creation of value either individually or considering the possible moderating effect of family ownership.

A consumer loyalty store scale: Development and initial validation

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:41 +0200

A scale has been developed to measure consumer loyalty to stores. Its content validity was analysed by two samples of expert judges and consumers. The refined scale was applied to a sample of 221 consumers. The factorial analysis showed that items are structured in 3 domains: «Manifestations of loyalty», «Attitudinal loyalty» and «Propensity to be loyal». The validity criteria showed a significant and positive relationship between scores on loyalty and personality dimensions. Specifically, the dimension of personality «Exciting store» showed a stronger effect on store loyalty (measured as behavioural loyalty, word of mouth recommendations and repurchase intentions). The dimension of personality «Competent store» presented a greater impact on loyalty, measured as «Attitudinal loyalty».

Privacy concerns and online purchasing behaviour: Towards an integrated model

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:36 +0200

This study aims to analyze how privacy concerns about the Internet have an impact on the consumers intention to make online purchases. A research model was developed establishing that this impact takes place via the connection of privacy concerns with the theories of trust and risk, the theory of planned behaviour and the technology acceptance model. The empirical study was based on an online survey that collected data from 900 individuals. The results confirmed the acceptance of all proposed hypotheses and the overall validation of the research model. Implications and further research suggestions are presented.

The dark side of ISO 14001: The symbolic environmental behavior

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:32 +0200

Some of the academic research on ISO 14001 has focused on analyzing the benefits of its adoption. However, this international standard has also received some criticism, particularly in respect of the adoption of ISO 14001 when not accompanied by significant improvements in environmental performance. This study analyzes the relationship between the symbolic environmental behavior and the adoption of ISO 14001. In so doing, it uses binary logistic regression to analyze an international sample of 1961 manufacturing facilities that each employs more than 50 people. The results indicate that the higher the symbolic environmental performance of the firm, the greater the probability of adopting ISO 14001.

Bibliometric analysis of publications on wine tourism in the databases Scopus and WoS

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:26 +0200

The aim of this study was to show the current state of scientific research regarding wine tourism, by comparing the platforms of scientific information WoS and Scopus and applying quantitative methods. For this purpose, a bibliometric study of the publications indexed in WoS and Scopus was conducted, analyzing the correlation between increases, coverage, overlap, dispersion and concentration of documents. During the search process, a set of 238 articles and 122 different journals were obtained. Based on the results of the comparative study, we conclude that WoS and Scopus databases differ in scope, data volume and coverage policies with a high degree of unique sources and articles, resulting both of them complementary and not mutually exclusive. Scopus covers the area of wine tourism better, by including a greater number of journals, papers and signatures.

The use of the sustainable investment against the broad market one. A first test in the Mexican stock market

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:18 +0200

The present paper studies the mean–variance efficiency of the sustainable investment (SI) practice in Mexico by proving the existence of a statistical equality in the performance levels of the IPC sustainability (IPCS) index against the broad market IPCcomp one. Using daily standard deviation and Sharpe ratio levels from November 2008 to August 2013, along with variance ratio and a one-factor CAPM spanning tests, our results showed that the SI strategy in Mexico is as mean–variance efficient as the broad market one, being a good substitute of the latter in the long term. Our results also refuted the assumption of a loss of mean–variance efficiency in the sustainable subset due to a lower diversification.

Who pays, who wins? The case of the sale of BdV

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:12 +0200

The process of sale of Banco de Valencia managed by the FROB lasted 10 days. The sale was awarded to CaixaBank for one euro after receiving 5, 500 million euros of public funds. The Oliver Wyman report, published days before, drove this resumption. The needs that were estimated at Oliver Wyman report were 1, 846 million euros in the baseline scenario, a scenario that has been worse than real. This paper analyzes the value of BdV. The results indicate that the minimum value of BdV for CaixaBank is over 4, 000 million. However, this study could not determine why this difference. Difference recognized in the accounts of CaixaBank. However, the price paid, one euro, after a major sacrifice of public funds at a time of declining expenditures and social benefits is an issue that should be investigated.

Critical processes of knowledge management: An approach toward the creation of customer value

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:07 +0200

The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature by identifying and analyzing possible combinations between critical knowledge management processes (absorptive capacity, knowledge transfer and knowledge application), which will result in the creation of superior customer value. The main research question this work addresses is: given that customers are demanding each day a greater value, how can organizations create more value to customers from their knowledge management processes and the combination of them? We propose that the combination of the three knowledge management processes builds a dynamic or higher-order capability that results in the creation of superior value for customers.

Impact of economic cycle on trade credit: The case of Spanish SMEs

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:02 +0200

The objective of this work is to study the effects of the economic situation on trade credit received and granted, in small and medium-sized enterprises. To this end, using the panel data methodology, we analyse a sample of Spanish SMEs during the years 2004-2011: a period that includes two phases, one of expansion and another of recession. The results show that the economic cycle significantly affects trade credit received and granted, which both increase in the period of economic boom, and contract during a period of crisis. In addition, constrained firms receive less credit from suppliers during the crisis, while their accounts receivables increase. Finally, those firms with greater capacity to generate internal resources grant more credit to their customers.

Board members’ contribution to strategy: The mediating role of board internal processes

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:57 +0200

This study aims to explore what directors do on the board, to what extent the processes occurring in the board allow the sharing and integrating of the existing knowledge, thus facilitating the board members’ contributions to strategy. We adopt the view that the internal board processes increase the impact of the cognitive resources on board performance. Using survey data from 200 large Spanish companies we demonstrate that directors’ level of knowledge of the firm and board job-related diversity positively influence the degree of the boards strategic involvement. Additionally, the internal processes that take place within the board – particularly Cognitive Conflict, the Critical and Independent Approach and the Comprehensive Discussion Process – influence the boards strategic involvement and play a partial mediating role on the aforementioned relationships. However, our results show no evidence for a positive relationship between Board Meeting Dynamics and the boards strategic involvement.

Socially responsible human resource policies and practices: Academic and professional validation

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:52 +0200

This article addresses the measurement and validation of socially responsible human resource policies from academic and professional points of view. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has made great progress in recent years in the theoretical realm, showing its importance through different perspectives such as the institutional theory, the stakeholder approach, the theory of legitimacy, and the process of shared value. However, from an empirical standpoint, more research is needed to provide new indicators and evidence of testing socially responsible policies on business performance. This paper aims to devise a set of socially responsible human resource policies, demonstrate the validation of their content through several practices, and review the analysis of their relative weights thanks to the contribution of a panel of academic experts and a professional pretest, conducted in large Spanish companies.

Beyond retrospective assessment. Sport event economic impact studies as a management tool for informing event organization

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:48 +0200

Sport event promoters aim to organize them to get the best return on their investment. The purpose of this study is to learn better how to manage the event to maximize the benefit to the host area. Most studies on economic impact of sporting events focus on mega events or look for an impact in medium to large size cities. This study estimates the effect of a two-day event, the Rally Ourense, that takes place in a small town in Spain. Economic impact is estimated based on surveys of spectators and interviews of competitors in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 editions of the rally. The results show that the race has favorable effects, but also suggest that the impact could be increased with some simple changes to the event structure.

An innovative approach for planning and execution of pre-experimental runs for Design of Experiments

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:42 +0200

This paper addresses the study of the pre-experimental planning phase of the Design of Experiments (DoE) in order to improve the final product quality. The pre-experimental planning phase includes a clear identification of the problem statement, selection of control factors and their respective levels and ranges. To improve production quality based on the DoE a new approach for the pre-experimental planning phase, called Non-Conformity Matrix (NCM), is presented. This article also addresses the key steps of the pre-experimental runs considering a consumer goods manufacturing process. Results of the application for an industrial case show that this methodology can support a clear definition of the problem and also a correct identification of the factor ranges in particular situations. The proposed new approach allows modeling the entire manufacturing system holistically and correctly defining the factor ranges and respective levels for a more effective application of DoE. This new approach can be a useful resource for both research and industrial practitioners who are dedicated to large DoE projects with unknown factor interactions, when the operational levels and ranges are not completely defined.

Women and inter-organizational boundary spanning: A way into upper management?

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:36 +0200

This study analyses the presence of gender segregation in Spanish exporting firms. Both womens access to managerial positions (vertical segregation) and womens achievement of managerial roles that are socially associated with communal attributes (horizontal segregation) are tested. We argue that boundary-spanning (henceforth, boundary management) in export interfirm relationships benefits from relational and communal skills and therefore could not only offer an opportunity for women to gain access to management positions but also put them at risk of falling into a rut before achieving other control-based managerial roles. This empirical study examines the characteristics (personal and firm-level) of Spanish female managers in charge of export management through independent channels. A multivariate analysis has been performed to compare female managers with male managers both in boundary management and in the position of finance director, a control position closer to a socially stereotyped masculine role. The results show that women have slightly higher access to boundary management jobs than finance management jobs, as well as a significantly lower promotion time than male colleagues, but they also corroborate that there is a smaller percentage of women than men in any management positions, with female managers working in younger firms with fewer resources for export activity.

Fostering product innovation in new ventures: Which public instruments are more effective?

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:31 +0200

Despite the recognition of innovation and entrepreneurship as key factors to promote the socio-economic development of countries, little is known regarding the effectiveness and implications of public innovation policies on new ventures’ innovations. This study examines the characteristics of new ventures and how the main public instruments for innovation respond to them. Such relationships are tested empirically in a sample of 438 European new ventures. The results show that favorable loans for financing innovation projects, aids for building innovation networks, the provision of information and attending trade fairs are positively related to the development of product innovations. However, more traditional public instruments such as subsidies and tax reductions do not seem to be effective. This study has important theoretical and practical implications to launch more effective and efficient public policies to foster product innovations in new ventures.

Quality management systems: A study in companies of southern Spain and northern Morocco

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:25 +0200

This paper analyze the levels of quality management systems (QMS) implementation in companies from southern Spain and northern Morocco, as well as motivations, benefits or barriers identified. It has been taken for a sample of 202 companies in southern Spain and 120 in northern Morocco. Unlike other studies mainly oriented to know the perception of companies with QMS certified, this one has also oriented to the perception of companies without QMS and the challenge of the implementation. The results of this study highlight the differences between the two regions, such as levels of QMS certification, but also the similarities, such as the consideration of the costs and the lack of time as major barriers to implementation, or a better processes standardization and quality of products and services as primary benefits.

Linking an unlearning context with firm performance through human capital

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:19 +0200

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship among organisational unlearning, human capital and firm performance. In doing so, this paper comprehensively reviewed the literature on the unlearning concept, and developed and validated a model to measure unlearning in 112 companies listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange. The methodology involved the construction and analysis of a structural model using both subjective and objective criteria in our measurement variables, developed from a relevant literature review. Our findings show that managers need to develop an unlearning context process to create human capital, which is a primordial asset to improve firm performance.

Cost efficiency analysis of Swedish financial enterprises: An empirical investigation

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:09 +0200

In this paper, our research question that could analyze how efficiency in Swedish financial enterprises has changed since the banking crisis in 1993. We estimate the time-invariant and time-variant efficiencies of Swedish financial enterprises with four different estimators. These estimators are the Pooled Model (Aigner et al., 1977), the fixed effects model (Schmidt & Sickles, 1984), the random effects model (Battese & Coelli, 1995) and the TRUE fixed effects model (Greene, 2005) efficiency estimators. We predict cost function by employing panel stochastic frontier approach. These allow us to construct cost efficiency.

Applying the theory of constraints to the logistics service of medical records of a hospital

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:44:04 +0200

Management of patient records in a hospital is of major importance, for its impact both on the quality of care and on the associated costs. Since this process is circular, the prevention of the building up of bottlenecks is especially important. Thus, the objective of this paper was to analyze whether the Theory of Constraints (TOC) can be useful to the logistics of medical records in hospitals. The paper is based on a case study conducted about the 2007-2011 period in the Medical Records Logistics Service at the Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena in Seville (Spain). From April 2008, a set of actions in the clinical record logistics system were implemented based on the application of TOC principles. The results obtained show a significant increase in the level of service and employee productivity, as well as a reduction of cost and the number of patients’ complaints.

Valuing brands under royalty relief methodology according to international accounting and valuation standards

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:57 +0200

The aim of this paper is to introduce a statistical procedure to value a brand by means of which firms may be able to determine the level of implicit royalty that they would charge for the use of their brand, applying multivariate techniques from market references. The study has been based on a statistical contrast of the royalties paid in Spanish franchises belonging to three different industries: food, health and beauty and fashion. Each industry has been segmented using cluster techniques, and then, through linear discriminating analysis, a model is proposed to explain the royalty paid according to certain economic figures of the companies. The implicit impartiality in the development of the model means that it could be generally accepted by analysts, consultants and companies who need to determine the value of a brand.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors in the Balanced Scorecard adoption: An empirical study in Portuguese organizations

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:52 +0200

In this article we aim to analyze the relationship between a set of organizational extrinsic and intrinsic factors and the adoption of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) by privately-owned Portuguese organizations (large companies and small and medium enterprises). These factors are related to companies age, the diversity of products and services, the nature of the ownership structure, the internationalization, and the organizational size. As a primary means of data collection was carried out a postal survey through a questionnaire sent to 549 privately-owned Portuguese organizations, with an overall response rate of 28.2%. The results indicate that the degree of diversity of the products/services of the organization, the ownership of foreign groups, and the organizational size are positively associated with the implementation of the BSC. Thus, we conclude that the BSC increases with the degree of diversity of the products/services of the organization, that the Portuguese organizations that use the BSC are mainly owned by foreign groups; and larger organizations are most likely to use this tool.

Social enterprise: Gender gap and economic development

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:47 +0200

Companies created by women represent a substantial part of entrepreneurship. While men outnumber women in entrepreneurship rates, the gender gap decreases in the case of social enterprises. This may be explained by the fact that roles and stereotypes that influence womens behavior will lead to significantly identify with the values promulgated by social enterprises. This greater involvement in social activities leads women to become an essential player for promoting such needed initiatives given the impossibility for public institutions to address all social problems. Therefore in this paper, firstly, we study the gender gap in social and commercial entrepreneurship, distinguishing between enterprises with less than 42 months of activity and those consolidated in the market. Secondly, and aware of the variability of data between countries, a study is conducted using a sample of 48 countries grouped according to their level of development. The results confirm what is stated in the literature, the gender gap is reduced in the case of social entrepreneurship and it is also shown that female participation in social enterprises is influenced by the level of development of the country. These results lead us to highlight the importance of variables such as culture or social norms when explaining female behavior.

Knowledge acquisition for SMEs first entering developing economies: Evidence from Senegal

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:41 +0200

As developing economies have weak institutional environments, and these are highly distant from SMEs’ home conditions in developed economies, those firms entering into developing economies should acquire new knowledge resources for a successful entry. In this paper, we analyze the type of knowledge required by SMEs to enter a foreign market, the alternative sources for acquiring that knowledge, and the specific challenges associated with the case of SMEs from developed economies in their first entry in developing economies. In our empirical work, we examined the specific case of Spanish SMEs entering Senegal as a first incursion in developing economies. This work shows evidence of usefulness to contribute to literature. Specifically, we found that the key knowledge is that which is specific to the target market, rather than the general knowledge about internationalization. In addition, we provide a matrix that summarizes the most appropriate sources to acquire each type of knowledge in the light of the main challenges identified: myopic managerial thinking, inflexible managers, absence of a culture of cooperation, and relevant knowledge embedded in local networks of the host market.

How does the online service level influence consumers’ purchase intentions before a transaction? A formative approach

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:37 +0200

The present paper tries to study the impact of online services level in contexts where transactions have not been done yet, through the adoption of a formative approach. In this scene, the present research considers two main dimensions of online services (pre-purchase services and transaction-related services) in a context of clothing purchasing process. Before defining the research and determining the sector to be analyzed, 7 focus groups were conducted. From the obtained conclusions, this study was carried on in the textile sector. A survey with 370 effective respondents was carried out. To measure the different concepts in the model, several scales were used based on literature proposals. Our model was estimated through partial least squares with SmartPLS (Ringle, Wende, & Will, 2005). Empirical findings provide that both transactions related services and pre-purchase services are determinants of the navigation experience. At the same time, navigation experiences affect attitude to the web, which affects purchase intention. All of this in the SME clothing e-retailing industry.

Determinants of the expenditure done by attendees at a sporting event: The case of World Padel Tour

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:31 +0200

The influx of people attending sport events involves creating wealth in the environment where they are held. To understand the impacts of these events on the host community, it is necessary to analyze the main explanatory variables in relation to models of buying behavior in tourism, so as to know which variables are the ones that affect most the expenditure done by attendees at a sport event. Therefore, the objective of our research is to present a model to evaluate the influence that certain variables related to the model of consumer behavior have on the expenditure. For that, the variables have been grouped into those related to the personal characteristics of the attendee, and into those others of subjective nature related to the perceptions of those attending a sport event. The research has been based on the use of Structural Equation Models using the technique of Partial Least Square (PLS). The sport event that has been analyzed is the Padel tournament “Cáceres International Open”. The proposed model shows significant results to support the relationships contained in the hypotheses, and provides positive data regarding the predictive relevance of the model.

Statistical and cognitive optimization of experimental designs in conjoint analysis

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:24 +0200

Conjoint analysis has become the most used technique for measuring preferences for new products to be launched in the market. Experimental design models are key elements for its use in market research. Such models involve a matrix in which attributes and levels are combined, making product concepts that respondents then evaluate. Experimental design has emerged as a key element in conjoint analysis’ success because its application generates statistical and reliability implications for part-worth factor estimations and for the type of heuristics followed by respondents. This paper proposes a conceptualization of both statistical and cognitive efficiency criteria for experimental designs. A review of the most used statistical optimization criteria is presented, as well as a methodology for optimizing cognitive efficiency. Finally, we suggest a dynamic algorithm for optimizing the objective function in a sequential manner.

The Colombian pharmaceutical industry: Factors affecting export

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:17 +0200

In recent years, companies in the pharmaceutical industry have been confronted with a turbulent environment characterized by dynamism, complexity and uncertainty. To cope with these changes and achieve improved performance, these companies must generate the ability to make appropriate changes in their organizations. For that reason, we use a quantitative methodology linear regression model to investigate the multilevel resources, capacities and institutional aspects that influence the level of exports of companies in Colombias pharmaceutical sector. The main findings that are highlighted include the significant role of the variables of supply costs, logistics, preview experience and the institutional environment in improving exports in the sector.

Taxation of capital gains and Lock-in effect in the Spanish Dual Income Tax

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:50:11 +0200

The aim of this paper is to study the possible change in the individual behaviour of the Spanish taxpayers about the willingness to declare capital gains, Lock-in effect, as a consequence of variations in the marginal rate. To do this, a two stages model is proposed to analyze which variables affect both the probability, and the amount, of capital gains declarations. The empirical analysis was performed using the Spanish annual personal income tax return sample from IEF-AEAT (Institute of Fiscal Studies and the Tax Department) for the periods 2006 and 2007, corresponding to the years before and after the reform that introduced a Dual Income Tax in Spain, with a flat tax rate for capital gains tax. The main results show that a 1% increase in the capital gains tax rate reduces the probability of declaring capital gains by around 7.51% (2006) and 8.19% (2007), and the amount of capital gains by around 3.91% (2006) and 5.79% (2007).

Research in entrepreneurship using GEM data. Approach to the state of affairs in gender studies

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:53 +0200

This paper analyzes the situation and development of research in “entrepreneurship” from a gender perspective that has used data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in the period from 1999 to 2015 in the journals of entrepreneurship included in the Web of Science (WOS). For this purpose, a blibliometric analysis was carried out, which identified the life-cycles of GEM and GEM/gender research, the topics, level of analysis, journals, articles, the most productive authors, the most active countries and institutions and the most used statistical techniques of analysis and data. The main findings of the study show that research on GEM has advanced in recent years; however from a gender perspective by using GEM data, it is in the initial phase, requiring more researchers to be involved, filling the gaps related to topics, macro analysis, or the use of GEM data at both global and regional level.

Corporate governance ratings on listed companies: An institutional perspective in Latin America

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:33 +0200

The aim of this paper is to analyse whether institutional factors determine the level of corporate governance compliance among major listed companies in emerging markets of Latin America, a region characterized by a poor legal system, highly concentrated ownership structures, and capital markets relatively less developed. The paper used an unbalanced panel data consisting of 826 observations of the highest ranked companies on the stock exchange indices of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico during the period 2004–2010. The results provide strong empirical evidence that board independence, ownership concentration and stakeholder orientation affect positively corporate governance ratings, while board size decreases corporate governance compliance in Latin American countries. The study fills a gap in the Latin American literature, providing useful information for determining policies on corporate governance and, in general, for managers and investors of listed companies in Latin America.

Return on capital in Spanish tourism businesses: A comparative analysis of family vs non-family businesses

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:23 +0200

The analysis of the keys to competitiveness in the tourism sector has an unquestionable justification for its importance in the Spanish economy and its global growth prospects. The need for a better understanding of the keys to the competitiveness of the tourism firm is also fuelled by the magnitude of the challenges that it faces and by the sector structure, characterised by a notable weight of family-owned businesses. The objective of this research lies precisely in developing a diagnosis of the return on capital of the tourism sector and the determinants of its evolution in the family business (FB) vs non-family business (NFB). Specifically, this study focuses on the analysis of both firms economic and financial profitability. The objective indicators of the results can come either from the company itself or from two secondary sources: SABI (Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System) and INFORMA D&B. The economic and financial analysis of the Spanish tourism firm with objective data developed in this study is based on a sample of 738 firms (from an initial sample of 1019 organisations).

The integration of CSR management systems and their influence on the performance of technology companies

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:16 +0200

This paper proposes a model in order to analyze whether standardized management systems facilitate the implementation and integration of CSR within the technology company, studying which is the influence of CSR in reputation and improvement of these companies and whether it has a positive impact on the economic performance of the company. The study was conducted in companies located in Spanish Science and Technology Parks. On the one hand, model results shows that there is a positive, direct and statistically significant relationship between the integration of CSR and reputation; on the other hand, performance and internal improvement has also this relationship. Likewise, the model shows also some indirect relations between management system before the implementation of CSR and reputation and internal improvement.

Hedging foreign exchange rate risk: Multi-currency diversification

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:09 +0200

This article proposes a multi-currency cross-hedging strategy that minimizes the exchange risk. The use of derivatives in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is not common but, despite its complexity, can be interesting for those with international activities. In particular, the reduction in the exchange risk borne through the use of natural multi-currency cross-hedging is measured, considering Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and Value-at-Risk (VaR) for measuring market risk instead of the variance. CVaR is minimized using linear programmes, while a multiobjective genetic algorithm is designed for minimizing VaR, considering two scenarios for each currency. The results obtained show that the optimal hedge strategy that minimizes VaR is different from the minimum CVaR hedge strategy. A very interesting point is that, just by investing in other currencies, a significant risk reduction in VaR and CVaR can be obtained.

Marketing mix effects on private labels brand equity

Scipedia content — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:49:03 +0200

The present study explores some marketing mix effects on private labels brand equity creation. The research aims to study the effect of some elements under retailers direct control such as in-store communications, in-store promotions and distribution intensity as well as other general marketing mix levers such as advertising, perceived price, and monetary promotions. The results indicate that the most efficient marketing mix tools for private label brand equity creation are private labels in-store communications, private labels distribution intensity and the perceived price. These results highlight the importance of the store as a key driver for the private labels brand equity creation. As opposed to manufacturer brands we find no effect of advertising on the private labels brand equity and an opposite effect of the perceived price. This study is a pioneering contribution in the domain of private labels brand equity research exploring a more comprehensive and in-store specific set of marketing mix initiatives as sources of brand equity. The results suggest important implications for retailers when managing their own brands.

Desarrollo de una Herramienta de Procesamiento de Imágenes Médicas en MATLAB y su Integración en Medical GiD

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:36:42 +0200

El rápido avance de las tecnologías de adquisición de imágenes médicas ha hecho necesario el desarrollo de diversas aplicaciones en el área de la biomedicina.
Por un lado, el trabajo que los médicos desarrollan en cuanto al análisis de las imágenes, es arduo y sujeto a errores, por lo que se hace necesaria la implementación de algoritmos de procesamiento que automaticen esta tarea y sirvan de soporte a los profesionales de la salud para realizar un diagnóstico fiable. Por otro lado, los biomédicos dedicados al modelado y simulación del cuerpo humano y el diseño de prótesis e implantes para tratamiento médico, requieren de modelos geométricos que consideren la complejidad característica de las estructuras anatómicas del cuerpo humano y les permita realizar un modelado discreto más preciso.
Es por esto, que la comunidad de biomédicos, particularmente el área de analistas de imágenes médicas, hoy en día, dedican sus esfuerzos a extraer con ayuda del ordenador, información clínica, cualitativa y cuantitativa de las estructuras del cuerpo humano: tejidos blandos, duros, fluidos y sus patologías a partir del procesamiento de imágenes médicas de diversas modalidades: Tomografía Computarizada, Resonancia Magnética, Medicina Nuclear, entre otras.

Interfase GiD per a la generació paramètrica de geometries trenades per a l’apantallament de cables coaxials

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:25:38 +0200

En aquest informe tècnic es presenta un programa que genera automàticament geometries trenades per a l’apantallament (shielding) de cables coaxials i que s’integra en l’entorn GiD. L’objectiu general d’aquest treball és desenvolupar una eina numèrica capaç de generar la geometria inicial de la simulació electromagnètica. Aquesta simulació electromagnètica té com a propòsit calcular la transferència d’impedància d’aquests trenats d’apantallament. La transferència d’impedància és una magnitud que caracteritza l’eficàcia d’aquest apantallament. Una baixa transferència indica un bon apantallament. El desenvolupament d’aquesta eina numèrica ajudarà a optimitzar el disseny de trenats (com menys material, més bon apantallament) i per arribar a comprendre bé la física del problema. A més a més, l’avantatge d’emprar una eina numèrica basada en el mètode dels elements finits en lloc de càlculs analítics és que se serà capaç d’aplicar per materials i geometries generals i al mateix temps complexes. L’eina que es vol costumitzar es diu ERMES (Electric Field Regularized Maxwell Equations with Singularities), i és un codi d’elements finits que empra GiD [1] com a pre i post processador. Fins al moment de la elaboració del present informe, s’està desenvolupant l’eina de generació de geometria per separat d’ERMES [4].

Seroprevalence and risk factor analysis for exposure to equine encephalosis virus in Israel, Palestine and Jordan

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:38 +0200

Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is an orbivirus transmitted by Culicoides species. Most infected horses show mild clinical signs and mortality is usually very low. EEV is closely related and similarly transmitted to other, more pathogenic and economically important, orbiviruses such as African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDV), and may serve as an indicator for possible transmission of the latter. Israel has been reported to be endemic for EEV since 2001. This study was initiated to re-evaluate the current seroprevalence and risk factors for EEV exposure in Israel, and to assess, for the first time, the seroprevalence of EEV in Palestine and Jordan. Three hundred and sixteen serum samples were collected from apparently healthy horses at 21 farms in Israel, 66 horses at nine farms in Palestine and 100 horses at three farms in Jordan. The presence of EEV antibodies was detected by a serum neutralization assay. Seroprevalence of EEV was 58.2% (184/316 horses) in Israel, 48.5% (32/66 horses) in Palestine and 2% (2/100 horses) in Jordan. Seroprevalence in Jordan was significantly lower than in Israel and Palestine (P

Wildlife hosts for OIE-Listed diseases: considerations regarding global wildlife trade and host–pathogen relationships

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:33 +0200

The expanding international wildlife trade, combined with a lack of surveillance for key animal diseases in most countries, represents a potential pathway for transboundary disease movement. While the international wildlife trade represents over US $300 billion per year industry involving exchange of billions of individual animals, animal products, and plants as traditional medicines, meat from wild animals, trophies, live exotic pets, commercial products and food, surveillance and reporting of OIE-Listed diseases in wildlife are often opportunistic. We reviewed peer-reviewed literature for reports of 73 OIE-Listed terrestrial animal diseases in wild animals and found 528 possible wild animal hosts using our methodology. Not all host–pathogen relationships indicate that a particular species serves an epidemiologically significant role in the transmission of disease, but improved reporting of infections in wild animals along with clinical and pathological findings would contribute to improved One Health risk assessments.

Abdominal ultrasonography of the healthy howler monkey (Alouatta fusca)

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:26 +0200

Abdominal ultrasonography was performed in six healthy adult brown howler monkeys Alouatta fusca and the normal ultrasonographic anatomy of the liver, gallbladder, stomach and urinary tract described for the first time. Findings were compared with post-mortem studies. The renal cortex was isoechoic to the spleen and isoechoic or hyperechoic to the liver. Kidney length and renal arterial resistive index, systolic and diastolic velocity were calculated. The liver showed a homogeneous hypoechogenic echotexture. The aim of this study was to describe the normal abdominal viscera echoanatomy providing information of normal abdominal anatomical structures in the howler monkey.

Ring trial 2016 for Bluetongue virus detection by real-time RT-PCR in France

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:15 +0200

Since the unexpected emergence of BTV-8 in Northern Europe and the incursion of BTV-8 and 1 in France in 2006–2007, molecular diagnosis has considerably evolved. Several real-time RT-PCR (rtRT-PCR) methods have been developed and published, and are currently being used in many countries across Europe for BTV detection and typing. In France, the national reference laboratory (NRL) for orbiviruses develops and validates ‘ready-to-use’ kits with private companies for viral RNA detection. The regional laboratories network that was set up to deal with a heavy demand for analyses has used these available kits. From 2007, ring tests were organized to monitor the performance of the French laboratories. This study presents the results of 63 regional laboratories in the ring trial organized in 2016. Blood samples were sent to the laboratories. Participants were asked to use the rtRT-PCR methods in place in their laboratory, for detection of all BTV serotypes and specifically BTV-8. The French regional laboratories are able to detect and genotype BTV in affected animals. Despite the use of several methods (i.e. RNA extraction and different commercial rtRT-PCRs), the network is homogeneous. The ring trial demonstrated that the French regional veterinary laboratories have reliable and robust BTV diagnostic tools for BTV genome detection.

Molecular detection and phylogenetic analyses of Toxoplasma gondii from naturally infected sheep in Northern and Central Tunisia

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:09 +0200

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. It can infect all warm-blooded vertebrate species and causes abortions and birth defects in pregnant women and pregnant ewes. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of infection with T. gondii in sheep meat in the region of Sidi Bouzid (central Tunisia) and Beja (northern Tunisia), the realization of a descriptive study of risk factors and the phylogenetic analyses of T. gondii. Neck muscle samples were obtained from 174 ewes and ewe lamb slaughtered in Sidi Bouzid and 150 lambs slaughtered in Beja. DNA was extracted from the samples using the Wizard® genomic DNA purification kit. A nested PCR using two pairs of primers (NN 1 and NN2, Tg-NP1 and Tg-NP2) were used to detect infection with T. gondii, which was then confirmed by sequencing. Eight T. gondii amplicons were sequenced (accession number KT896498) and deposited in GenBank. The T. gondii amplicons showed 97–100% identities with GenBank sequences. A phylogenetic tree was then constructed. The nested PCR detected T. gondii DNA in 31% of animals tested in Sidi Bouzid and 32% of lambs tested in Beja. No significant difference in the prevalence of T. gondii infection was established between the two tested regions. In both regions, no significant variation of the infection depending on age, breed and locality was found.

Serological survey of Leptospira interrogans, Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi in free roaming domestic dogs and cats from a marginated rural area of Yucatan Mexico

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:35:04 +0200

To evaluate the serological status for Trypanosoma cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii and Leptospira interrogans antibodies in free roaming dogs and cats from a marginated rural community in Yucatan Mexico, 100 households were visited and animals sampled. From the 106 samples, 93 were from dogs and 13 were from cats. Frequency of positive results for T. gondii, T. cruzi and Leptospira spp was 97.8%, 9.7% and 45.2% for dogs and 92.3%, 0.0% and 15.2% for cats, respectively. No associations with age, sex and body condition was found for T. gondii and Leptospira spp neither for the place where pets sleep, fumigation or presence of triatomes in the household in the case of T. cruzi. For leptospirosis the most common serovars found were Canicola, Autralis and Bratislava in dogs and cats with titres of 100 or 200 with exception of one dog with a titre of 400. The high frequency of seropositive dogs suggests a high circulation of the agents in the population of free roaming owned dogs and cats probably due to the lack of control of the reservoirs and vectors involved. Domestic animals in those rural communities can be sentinels to assess the risk of human exposure in the rural communities.

Retrospective evaluation of pimobendan and sildenafil therapy for severe pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and hypoxia in 28 dogs (2007–2013)

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:59 +0200

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the persistent abnormal increase in pulmonary artery (PA) pressure and in dogs is usually secondary to congenital disease causing pulmonary over circulation, chronic respiratory disease and elevated left atrial pressure. Sildenafil (SF) is a phosphodiesterase (PDE) V inhibitor that causes pulmonary artery (PA) vasodilation by increasing pulmonary vascular concentrations of cyclic guanosine monophosphate which subsequently increases the activity of endogenous nitric oxide. Pimobendan (PB) is a PDE III inhibitor with calcium sensitizing effects thereby exerting positive inotropy and vasodilation. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term survival of dogs with severe PH treated with SF and PB compared to SF alone. The use of PB in combination with SF did not result in a statistically significant increase in survival times in dogs with pulmonary hypertension secondary to chronic respiratory disease compared to SF alone.

Severe hypothermia in transported pullets: case study of its occurrence, diagnosis and treatment using active external rewarming technique

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:54 +0200

Sixty pullets, aged 17 weeks, were presented when presumed to be ‘dead’ after being exposed to wet-cold weather transportation. The birds appeared unconscious and their feathers were soaking wet, and with a body rigid and cold to touch. The aim of the study was to resuscitate the hypothermic pullets. Blood samples were obtained and core body temperature recorded before and after rewarming. The birds were resuscitated using active external rewarming technique. Blood samples revealed significant (P

Preliminary study of ectoparasites of horses in the western highlands of Cameroon

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:48 +0200

To evaluate the prevalence of infestation of ectoparasites of horses, a total of 894 horses (367 males and 527 females), aged 1–7 years old were examined. Horses were groomed for collection of ectoparasites. Out of the horses examined, 164 came from Fundong, 80 from Acha, 30 from Fongo-Tongo, 30 from Fokoue and 17 from Dschang, all of which were infested with ectoparasites. Five hundred and seventy-three (573) horses came from Banso and 99.48% were infested by ectoparasites. From the results obtained, three species of hard ticks (Boophilus decoloratus, Amblyomma hebraeum and Hyalomma rufipes) and one species of biting lice (Bovicola equi) were identified. Boophilus decoloratus (66%) had the highest prevalence per locality, followed by A. hebraeum (18%), H. rufipes (11%) and B. equi (5%). Boophilus decoloratus infested horses of all ages, sex or colour. Meanwhile, A. hebraeum and H. rufipes had a higher prevalence in adult male horses. Mono-parasitic infestation (69%) was more common than poly-parasitic infestation (31%). Only three horses were free from infestation with ectoparasites. Understanding the biology, epidemiology and economic impact on the equine industry is important for public health and disease prevention programmes.

High frequency of seropositivity of Leptospira in cattle in North Tunisia

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:41 +0200

The authors report a survey carried out in a cattle farm between January and April 2009 in Mateur region (Northern Tunisia). Seroprevalence by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) was estimated to 81.4 ± 6% and 35 ± 2% in cows and calves, respectively. Seropositivity to more than one serovar was noticed in 91% (81/89) of infected animals. The examination of the distribution pattern of Leptospira serovars involved in this outbreak indicates that serovar Pomona was the predominant one (75.3%), followed by Autumnalis (59.5%), Bim (58.4%) and Munchen (55%). High titres (between 400 and 6400) were found in 68.7% of the tested animals and were correlated with clinical onset of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is an underestimated pathogen in Tunisia; further investigations are needed to study the epidemiology both in man and animals and to implement effective control measures.

A monograph proposing the use of canine mammary tumours as a model for the study of hereditary breast cancer susceptibility genes in humans

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:35 +0200

Canines are excellent models for cancer studies due to their similar physiology and genomic sequence to humans, companion status and limited intra-breed heterogeneity. Due to their affliction to mammary cancers, canines can serve as powerful genetic models of hereditary breast cancers. Variants within known human breast cancer susceptibility genes only explain a fraction of familial cases. Thus, further discovery is necessary but such efforts have been thwarted by genetic heterogeneity. Reducing heterogeneity is key, and studying isolated human populations have helped in the endeavour. An alternative is to study dog pedigrees, since artificial selection has resulted in extreme homogeneity. Identifying the genetic predisposition to canine mammary tumours can translate to human discoveries – a strategy currently underutilized. To explore this potential, we reviewed published canine mammary tumour genetic studies and proposed benefits of next generation sequencing canine cohorts to facilitate moving beyond incremental advances.

Using oral fluids samples for indirect influenza A virus surveillance in farmed UK pigs

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:30 +0200

Influenza A virus (IAV) is economically important in pig production and has broad public health implications. In Europe, active IAV surveillance includes demonstration of antigen in nasal swabs and/or demonstration of antibodies in serum (SER) samples; however, collecting appropriate numbers of individual pig samples can be costly and labour-intensive. The objective of this study was to compare the probability of detecting IAV antibody positive populations using SER versus oral fluid (OF) samples. Paired pen samples, one OF and 5–14 SER samples, were collected cross-sectional or longitudinally. A commercial nucleoprotein (NP)-based blocking ELISA was used to test 244 OF and 1004 SER samples from 123 pens each containing 20–540 pigs located in 27 UK herds. Overall, the IAV antibody detection rate was higher in SER samples compared to OFs under the study conditions. Pig age had a significant effect on the probability of detecting positive pens. For 3–9-week-old pigs the probability of detecting IAV antibody positive samples in a pen with 95% confidence intervals was 40% (23–60) for OF and 61% (0.37–0.80) for SER (P = 0.04), for 10–14-week-old pigs it was 19% (8–40) for OF and 93% (0.71–0.99) for SER (P

Seroprevalence of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae infection in domestic ruminants in Khartoum State, Sudan

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:34:24 +0200

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiosis is caused by obligatory intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that belong to the genus Rickettsia. Ticks belonging to the family Ixodidae can act as vectors, reservoirs or amplifiers of SFG rickettsiae. This study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence of SFG rickettsioses in cattle, sheep and goats from Khartoum State, Sudan. Blood samples were collected from a total of 600 animals (sheep, goats and cattle) from 32 different farms distributed in three locations in Khartoum State during the period January to December 2012. Sera were tested for antibodies against SFG rickettsiae using IFAT. The prevalence of seropositivity was 59.3% in sheep, 60.1% in goats and 64.4% in cattle. Season was significantly (P

Treatment of canine meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology with mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids: 25 cases (2007–2012)

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:33 +0200

The use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for a variety of immune-mediated diseases in veterinary medicine has been described. However, there is only a small number of cases documenting its use in dogs with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology (MUE). We hypothesized that the use of MMF and corticosteroids in dogs with MUE results in comparable survival data to other published treatment protocols and is associated with limited adverse effects. A retrospective study of medical case records of dogs clinically diagnosed with MUE recorded signalment, neuroanatomic localization, magnetic resonance imaging findings, cerebrospinal fluid analysis results, medications administered, follow-up neurologic examinations, survival and adverse events. Variables were compared between dogs which were treated with MMF within 30 days of diagnosis (immediate group) vs. dogs in which MMF therapy was started >30 days after diagnosis (delayed group). Twenty-five cases of MUE were identified. The overall median survival time from diagnosis was 731 days (range 43–1672 days). After 1 month of MMF treatment, 92% of dogs showed improvement on a neurological examination. There was no significant effect of any recorded parameter on survival, including delayed vs. immediate initiation of MMF treatment. Dogs with delayed treatment had significantly lower clinical remission rates than dogs with immediate treatment at 6 months after starting MMF. Adverse events were identified in two cases (8%) and were characterized by mild gastrointestinal signs (vomiting and decreased appetite). Administration of MMF appears safe in dogs with MUE. The use of MMF results in comparable survival times to alternate immunosuppressive protocols.

An imaging investigation of in situ uroliths in hospitalized cats in New Zealand and in the United States

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:28 +0200

The submission rates of feline uroliths to laboratories and the composition of uroliths have been reported in studies. The prevalence of uroliths reported on imaging findings has not been published. The objective of this retrospective study was to use imaging data to investigate the anatomical location and the prevalence of macroscopic in situ uroliths in cats. Radiographs, sonograms and imaging reports from two cohorts of cats (from New Zealand (n = 497) and the United States (n = 693)) from 2004-2013 were reviewed for the presence of in situ uroliths. Uroliths were categorized by their location in the lower or upper urinary tract. Radiographic studies were performed on 43% (212/497) of the cats from New Zealand and 50% (349/693) of the cats from the USA. Sonographic studies were performed on 57% (285/497) of the cats from New Zealand and 50% (344/693) of the cats from the USA. The total prevalence of uroliths was 3% in the New Zealand cohort and 13% in the USA cohort. Lower tract urolith prevalence in the New Zealand cohort was 2.4% (5/212) in cats ≤ 6y and 1.1% (3/285) in cats >6y. Upper tract urolith prevalence in the New Zealand cohort was 0.5% (1/212) in cats ≤ 6y and 1.8% (5/285) in cats >6y. Lower tract urolith prevalence in the United States cohort was 6.0% (11/183) in cats ≤ 6y and 2.9% (15/510) in cats >6y. Upper tract urolith prevalence in the United States cohort was 2.7% (5/183) in cats ≤ 6y and 10.2% (52/510) in cats >6y. The prevalence of uroliths in the upper tract or lower tract was low in the New Zealand cohort compared to that of cats in the USA cohort, irrespective of age category. Geographical location may be important when evaluating risk factors for feline urolithiasis.

Vitamin D status in cats with feline immunodeficiency virus

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:24 +0200

Vitamin E supplementation fails to impact measures of oxidative stress or the anaemia of feline chronic kidney disease: a randomised, double-blinded placebo control study

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:20 +0200

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that supplementation with vitamin E, an antioxidant, in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), would reduce oxidative stress and its impact on RBC membrane fragility, resulting in these cats maintaining a greater packed cell volume (PCV) compared with CKD cats not receiving supplementation. Thirty-six cats with CKD were randomly assigned to receive either daily vitamin E or a placebo for 3 months in a double-blinded study design. History and physical examination, blood pressure, complete blood count (CBC), PCV, biochemical profile and urinalysis (UA) were determined. Parameters of oxidative stress and osmotic fragility were measured. Cats were administered vitamin E or placebo once daily for 3 months. Cats were then reassessed and the diagnostics were repeated. Twenty-four cats completed the study, 11 in the vitamin E group and 13 in the placebo group. There were no significant differences between the two groups at the start, or upon completion of the study with regard to biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, erythrocyte osmotic fragility or PCV. None of these parameters changed significantly in either group over the treatment period. Daily supplementation with 30 IU of vitamin E did not affect the measures of oxidative stress or the anaemia seen in cats with CKD.

Evaluation of carboplatin sustained-release delivery system in dogs with cancer

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:15 +0200

The objective of the study was to assess the carboplatin sustained-release (CSR) as an injectable, biodegradable polymer system designed to uniformly release carboplatin over 30 days at a dose of 350 mg m−2. The study involved seven client-owned dogs with histologically or cytologically confirmed neoplasia that were treated with CSR intramuscularly. Platinum levels were measured at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Complete blood cell (CBC) counts, body weight, local toxicity and side effects were also evaluated at the time of platinum measurement at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. CSR released carboplatin steadily over 30 days. Neutropenia was noted as Grade 3 in one dog (14%) and Grade 4 in two dogs (29%) at day 14, and Grade 4 in one dog (14%) at day 21. Thrombocytopenia was noted as Grade 2 in four dogs (57%), Grade 3 in one dog (14%) and Grade 4 in one dog (14%) at day 14; Grade 2 in two dogs (29%) and Grade 3 in one dog (14%) at days 21 and 28. Grade 1 lethargy in one dog (14%) and Grade 1 nausea in dog (14%) occurring within 7 days after administration. No obvious local injection site reactions were noted. CSR administered at 350 mg m−2 intramuscularly resulted in a steady release over 30 days. Myelosuppression (Grade 4) was noted in 86% of patients. CSR released the drug slowly and steadily, however additional studies are needed to assess acceptable dosage requirements.

The risk of carriage of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in food animals in dynamic populations

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:11 +0200

Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes are foodborne pathogens of global importance. We assessed their risks and associated factors in a highly dynamic population of animals. Animal and environmental samples were collected from dairy cattle, sheep, camel and chickens at either the farms or the abattoirs. The pathogens were detected using a combination of bacterial enrichment culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data on putative risk factors were collect and analysed for their significance of association with these pathogens. Salmonella spp. were detected at higher proportions in sheep faeces and sheep carcasses in comparison to cattle faeces (odds ratio = 2.4 and 2.2, respectively). This pathogen was less common in milk or carcasses samples from cattle or chickens. Sheep and camel carcass samples were highly contaminated with Salmonella spp. Faecal samples from cattle had the most diverse serovars of Salmonella enterica including S. Newport, S. Haifa, S. Kedougou, S. Kentucky, S. Mbandaka and S. Goettingen. Exotic serovars in sheep included S. Eastbourne, S. Chester and S. Kottnus. Serovars that were shed in camel faeces included S. Newport, S. Bovismorbificans and S. Infantis. In all sampled populations, detection of Salmonella spp. was more likely during warmer months than cold months. Listeria monocytogenes was not common in the targeted populations and was detected at a rate of 2.4%, mainly from sheep carcasses. The study highlights the role of food animals as reservoirs of pathogens across boundaries since all feed are imported in that population from different parts of the world.

Pilot study on the effect of subcutaneous administration of lactated Ringers solution on biochemistry parameters in healthy euvolemic cats.

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:05 +0200

Subcutaneous fluid administration is a commonly used therapy in veterinary practice. Its safety and efficacy have been demonstrated in human clinical studies, but have only rarely been discussed in the veterinary literature. This prospective observational study was performed to evaluate changes during a 24 h period in serum biochemistries associated with administration of lactated Ringers solution subcutaneously to healthy cats. Lactated Ringers solution was administered subcutaneously once to ten healthy, euvolemic cats at a dose of 22 mL kg−1. Blood biochemistry analytes were sampled at baseline and at serial time points for a total of 24 h. Changes in biochemical analytes at each time point were compared to baseline and evaluated for statistical significance. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly less than baseline at 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h post-infusion. Serum creatinine was significantly less than baseline at 2, 4 and 6 h. Packed cell volume (PCV) was significantly less than baseline at 6, 12, 18, and 24 h. Total plasma proteins were significantly less than baseline at all time points. Serum electrolytes did not change from baseline at any time point. Urine specific gravity was significantly increased from baseline only at 6 h post-Lactated Ringers solution (LRS) administration. Subcutaneous administration of lactated Ringers solution appears to result in haemodilution with minimal change to serum electrolyte concentrations in clinically normal, euvolemic cats.

Prospective study evaluating the incidence of bacteraemia and bacteruria in afebrile and febrile neutropaenic dogs undergoing chemotherapy

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:26:00 +0200

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the incidence and character of bacteraemia and bacteruria in afebrile and febrile neutropaenic dogs undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy. Fifty-five neutropaenic dogs presenting to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital were enrolled for a total of 57 neutropaenic episodes. The overall incidence of bacteraemia was 12.3% (n = 7/57). Three afebrile dogs and four febrile dogs were bacteraemic; this difference was not significant (P = 0.6968). The overall incidence of bacteruria was 7.5% (n = 4/53). Two afebrile dogs and two febrile dogs were bacteruric; this difference was not significant (P = 1.0). Of the positive blood cultures, the majority of organisms cultured (n = 6/7) were gram-positive organisms with one gram-negative organism. Three of the positive blood cultures showed in vitro resistance to more than one antimicrobial agent. Clinical parameters (age, body weight, heart rate, rectal temperature, neutrophil count, haematocrit and platelet count) were not predictive of bacteraemia. The results of this study were not sufficient to justify the use of blood cultures as a first-line diagnostic test for neutropaenic patients. Blood cultures may have utility in individual case management for a minority of patients in guiding antibiotic choice in the case of resistant bacterial infections. Blood cultures may serve as a tool for antimicrobial de-escalation, although further study is needed.

Tolerability of a rapid-escalation vinblastine-prednisolone protocol in dogs with mast cell tumours

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:56 +0200

Optimal chemotherapy protocols for high-risk mast cell tumours (MCTs) are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the tolerability and toxicity profile of a rapidly escalating vinblastine and prednisolone protocol (VPP) in which 3.00 mg/m2 was administered once 7 days apart: at day 14 and at day 21. Dogs with chemotherapy-naïve MCTs presenting to the Oncology Service of a single institution were prospectively enrolled to receive escalating vinblastine, and haematology and a standardised quality-of-life questionnaire were assessed prior to each dosage. Thirty-four dogs were included: 30 with microscopic disease treated with adequate local therapy and four with macroscopic disease. Of 220 doses of vinblastine administered, 4% were associated with grade 3 and 4 toxicity. A total of 70% of dogs tolerated 3.00 mg/m2 given 7 days apart at day 14 and 21, although 29% of dogs developed dose-limiting toxicities and 8% discontinued the protocol due to toxicity. In conclusion, VPP was well-tolerated overall, although prior to further dose intensity optimisation, it is important to determine if dose intensity is linked to outcome in canine MCT to avoid unwarranted toxicity.

A survey of pet feeding practices of dog owners visiting a veterinary practice in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:48 +0200

In Sri Lanka, home-cooked diets are often fed due to the cost and poor availability of commercial diets. Milk has traditionally been a popular food to give to dogs in this country. There is a recent perceived increase in the number of owners choosing commercial diets for their pets. This study aimed to determine how dog owners visiting a single veterinary practice in Colombo fed their pets. We hoped that this would help achieve a general understanding of pet feeding practices in Sri Lanka and gain some basic demographic information on the owned dog population. The study was conducted via questionnaires distributed to pet owners visiting a first opinion and referral practice in Colombo. Hundred questionnaires were collected and analysed, 69% of study dogs were neutered, 42% of dogs were fed only home-cooked food, while 18% were fed only commercial food. About 40% of dogs were fed a mixture of commercial and home-cooked food, 49% of dogs were fed milk as a separate meal in addition to their normal diet and 57% of dogs received dietary supplements. Dogs consuming commercial food for more than half their intake were no less likely (P = 0.75) to receive dietary supplements than dogs fed homemade food for more than half their diet. This study provides some basic information regarding the feeding practices and demographics of the owned dog population in one Sri Lankan city, Colombo, highlighting some areas of concern.

Understanding the canine intestinal microbiota and its modification by pro-, pre- and synbiotics – what is the evidence?

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:40 +0200

Interest in the composition of the intestinal microbiota and possibilities of its therapeutic modifications has soared over the last decade and more detailed knowledge specific to the canine microbiota at different mucosal sites including the gut is available. Probiotics, prebiotics or their combination (synbiotics) are a way of modifying the intestinal microbiota and exert effects on the host immune response. Probiotics are proposed to exert their beneficial effects through various pathways, for example production of antimicrobial peptides, enhancing growth of favourable endogenous microorganisms, competition for epithelial colonisation sites and immune-modulatory functions. Despite widespread use of pro-, pre- and synbiotics, scientific evidence of their beneficial effects in different conditions of the dog is scarce. Specific effects of different strains, their combination or their potential side-effects have not been evaluated sufficiently. In some instances, in vitro results have been promising, but could not be transferred consistently into in vivo situations. Specific canine gastrointestinal (GI) diseases or conditions where probiotics would be beneficial, their most appropriate dosage and application have not been assessed extensively. This review summarises the current knowledge of the intestinal microbiome composition in the dog and evaluates the evidence for probiotic use in canine GI diseases to date. It wishes to provide veterinarians with evidence-based information on when and why these products could be useful in preventing or treating canine GI conditions. It also outlines knowledge about safety and approval of commercial probiotic products, and the potential use of faecal microbial transplantation, as they are related to the topic of probiotic usage.

Antibiotic resistance in conjunctival and enteric bacterial flora in raptors housed in a zoological garden

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:35 +0200

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in a wide range of infectious agents is a growing public health threat. Birds of prey are considered indicators of the presence of AMR bacteria in their ecosystem because of their predatory behaviour. Only few data are reported in the literature on AMR strains isolated from animals housed in zoos and none about AMR in raptors housed in zoological gardens. This study investigated the antibiotic sensitivity profile of the isolates obtained from the conjunctival and cloacal bacterial flora of 14 healthy birds of prey, 6 Accipitriformes, 3 Falconiformes and 5 Strigiformes, housed in an Italian zoological garden. Staphylococcus spp. was isolated from 50% of the conjunctival swabs, with S. xylosus as the most common species. From cloacal swabs, Escherichia coli was cultured from all animals, while Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. were isolated from a smaller number of birds. Worthy of note is the isolation of Escherichia fergusonii and Serratia odorifera, rarely isolated from raptors. Staphylococci were also isolated. All the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). To the authors knowledge, this is the first report regarding the presence of MDR strains within raptors housed in a zoological garden. Since resistance genes can be transferred to other pathogenic bacteria, this represents a potential hazard for the emergence of new MDR pathogens. In conclusion, the obtained data could be useful for ex-situ conservation programmes aimed to preserve the health of the endangered species housed in a zoo.

Phylogenetic analysis of Dermatophilus congolensis isolated from naturally infected cattle in Abeokuta and Ilorin, Nigeria

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:29 +0200

Dermatophilus congolensis, the aetiological agent of dermatophilosis, is a pleomorphic, Gram-positive actinomycete, which infects animals and humans. Often, there is a wrong diagnosis of the infection in animals because of the close resemblance of the organism with other members of the family Actinomycetaceae. In this study, molecular tools were applied to suspected isolates of D. congolensis obtained from naturally infected cattle in Nigeria for confirmation of dermatophilosis. DNA extraction from 54 suspected pure colonies of D. congolensis was carried out using the QIAamp® DNA Mini extraction kit. PCR targeted at the 16S rRNA gene was employed for the confirmation of D. congolensis using 5′-ACATGCAAGTCGAACGATGA-3′ and 5′-ACGCTCGCACCCTACGTATT-3′ as forward and reverse primers, respectively. Positive amplicons were then sequenced directly using Big Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit with the forward primers and AmpliTaq-FS DNA Polymerase. Nucleotide sequences were aligned using bioedit (Ibis Biosciences Carlsbad, CA USA) and the phylogenetic analysis was carried out using mega 5.2 (Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, The Biodesign Institute, Tempe, Arizona, USA) software programme. The aligned nucleotide sequences of 10 positive D. congolensis isolates had between 94% to 99% homology with the sequences of D. congolensis satellite DNA in GenBank. This result also revealed that the sequenced D. congolensis are of different strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. congolensis, though closely related to Nocardia brasiliensis (NR 074743.01) and Streptomyces sp. (JN 400114.1), belongs to different genus. In conclusion, molecular tools employed in the study were able to confirm the identity of the test organisms as D. congolensis. It can also be concluded that two strains of D. congolensis obtained from the study can still be accommodated within the previously listed strains available in GenBank while the remaining eight may be different strains of D. congolensis not yet listed in GenBank.

Evaluation of the kinetics of anti-NP and anti-HA antibody after infection of Pekin ducks with low pathogenic avian influenza virus

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:21 +0200

Serological monitoring is a feature of surveillance programmes for the detection of the circulation of notifiable low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses in commercial poultry holdings. Commercial multispecies nucleoprotein (NP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been replacing the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test as pre-screening tools. Few comparative studies have been conducted to test sera from domestic ducks for diagnostic purposes. Therefore, we evaluated the correlation between commercial NP ELISAs and the HI test. Anti-NP and anti-haemagglutinin (HA) antibodies were measured in sera from domestic ducks that had undergone serological screening and from juvenile domestic Pekin ducks that were experimentally infected with LPAI viruses. The findings highlight an absence of a correlation between NP ELISA and HI results with both field and experimental duck sera. Dissimilar kinetics of the antibodies detected during the follow-up evaluation of the humoral immune responses in experimentally infected ducks may explain this lack of correlation. Indeed, anti-NP titres decreased over time, whereas anti-HA titres remained unchanged after inoculation with the H3N1 LPAI virus isolated from domestic duck or the H7N1 LPAI virus isolated from chicken. Despite these differences, the NP ELISA may serve as a valid pre-screening tool to detect circulating LPAI viruses in domestic duck populations at the flock level.

Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of serological (IFAT) and molecular (direct-PCR) techniques for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in lagomorphs using a Bayesian approach

Scipedia content — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:25:15 +0200

Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania infantum, is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that is endemic to the Mediterranean basin. The potential of rabbits and hares to serve as competent reservoirs for the disease has recently been demonstrated, although assessment of the importance of their role on disease dynamics is hampered by the absence of quantitative knowledge on the accuracy of diagnostic techniques in these species. A Bayesian latent-class model was used here to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the Immuno-fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) in serum and a Leishmania-nested PCR (Ln-PCR) in skin for samples collected from 217 rabbits and 70 hares from two different populations in the region of Madrid, Spain. A two-population model, assuming conditional independence between test results and incorporating prior information on the performance of the tests in other animal species obtained from the literature, was used. Two alternative cut-off values were assumed for the interpretation of the IFAT results: 1/50 for conservative and 1/25 for sensitive interpretation. Results suggest that sensitivity and specificity of the IFAT were around 70–80%, whereas the Ln-PCR was highly specific (96%) but had a limited sensitivity (28.9% applying the conservative interpretation and 21.3% with the sensitive one). Prevalence was higher in the rabbit population (50.5% and 72.6%, for the conservative and sensitive interpretation, respectively) than in hares (6.7% and 13.2%). Our results demonstrate that the IFAT may be a useful screening tool for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in rabbits and hares. These results will help to design and implement surveillance programmes in wild species, with the ultimate objective of early detecting and preventing incursions of the disease into domestic and human populations.