Cytomegalovirus Duodenitis Causing Persistent Hypoalbuminemia and Ascites After Liver Transplantation

A 44-year-old male had persistent hypoalbuminemia and ascites after liver transplantation. Imaging of the liver and gastrointestinal system was normal. Urine examination was negative for proteinuria. A diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy was suspected, and a duodenal biopsy was done. Duodenal biopsy was positive for cytomegalovirus (CMV). The patient improved with CMV treatment.

Ghosts in the Machine: How Marketing and Human Capital Investments Enhance Customer Growth When Innovative Services Leverage Self-Service Technologies

Practice and Policy Abstract

How Foreign and Domestic Firms Differ in Leveraging IT-Enabled Supply Chain Information Integration in BOP Markets: The Role of Supplier and Client Business Collaboration

Although attractive to foreign and domestic firms, bottom-of-pyramid (BOP) markets pose unique challenges. Research suggests that IT-enabled supply chain information integration (IT-SCII) helps firms collaborate with suppliers and clients in broad business activities, operate in a unique context, and overcome salient challenges in BOP markets. Anecdotal evidence and research suggest that foreign and domestic firms have differing advantages: While foreign firms have considerable global experience, domestic firms have substantial local market knowledge. We draw on the ownership-location-internalization (OLI) framework to theorize that domestic and foreign firms leverage IT-SCII differently because of their differing ownership-based advantages in BOP markets. We hypothesize that the influence of IT-SCII on client business collaboration and the influence of client business collaboration on firm performance are stronger for domestic firms than for foreign firms. Conversely, we hypothesize that the influence of IT-SCII on supplier business collaboration and the influence of supplier business collaboration on firm performance are stronger for foreign firms than for domestic firms. We test our hypotheses in the automotive parts manufacturing BOP market comprising foreign and domestic firms in India. Partial least squares and econometric analyses of 172 firms reveal broad support for our hypotheses. By incorporating the OLI framework into IT-enabled supply chain literature, our study contributes to theory and practice by highlighting that IT-SCII has differing implications for foreign and domestic firms in BOP markets.

Turning Liabilities of Global Operations into Assets: IT-Enabled Social Integration Capacity and Exploratory Innovation

Practice and Policy Abstract:

Guillain-Barré syndrome: rare extra-intestinal manifestation of hepatitis B

Extrahepatic syndromes are uncommon manifestations of acute and chronic hepatitis B. The pathogenesis likely involves an aberrant immunologic response to extrahepatic viral proteins. Antiviral therapy reduces the availability of these viral protein antigens and thus halts immune activation. Approximately 1% of all cases of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy are associated with hepatitis B. Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a remarkably clinically diverse disorder with distinctive variants characterised by an immune-mediated attack to components of the peripheral nervous system. In this report, we present a rare case of GBS with chronic hepatitis B that resolved with antiviral and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Knowledge sharing in a health infomediary: role of self-concept, emotional empowerment, and self-esteem

Health infomediary systems are emerging as important knowledge sharing platforms that help patients manage their own health outside of traditional health care delivery models. Patients participate in health infomediaries to learn from other patients' experiences and knowledge. Knowledge sharing is an important aspect of the success of a health infomediary. Factors related to self-concept have been widely studied in the domains of psychiatry and psychology, in settings such as mental health and behavioural well-being, but remain unexplored in the digital health context. In particular, it is not known how self-concept influences knowledge sharing behaviours in health infomediaries. This study posits that self-efficacy, social identity, and self-stigma drive knowledge sharing in an infomediary through emotional empowerment and appearance-contingent self-esteem. We use the health belief model as a foundation to propose a two-stage model and testable hypotheses. We used secondary archival data of 222 patients participating in a health infomediary specialising in reconstructive surgery. Analyses using structural equation modelling and econometric methods support the hypotheses. Findings broadly suggest that there are distinct paths through emotional empowerment and appearance-contingent self-esteem that can motivate users to contribute knowledge in health infomediaries. We explain the managerial insights and contributions of our study.

Stem cell-derived neurons from autistic individuals with SHANK3 mutation show morphogenetic abnormalities during early development

Shank3 is a structural protein found predominantly at the postsynaptic density. Mutations in the SHANK3 gene have been associated with risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from control individuals and from human donors with ASD carrying microdeletions of SHANK3. In addition, we used Zinc finger nucleases to generate isogenic SHANK3 knockout human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines. We differentiated pluripotent cells into either cortical or olfactory placodal neurons. We show that patient-derived placodal neurons make fewer synapses than control cells. Moreover, patient-derived cells display a developmental phenotype: young postmitotic neurons have smaller cell bodies, more extensively branched neurites, and reduced motility compared with controls. These phenotypes were mimicked by SHANK3-edited ES cells and rescued by transduction with a Shank3 expression construct. This developmental phenotype is not observed in the same iPSC lines differentiated into cortical neurons. Therefore, we suggest that SHANK3 has a critical role in neuronal morphogenesis in placodal neurons and that early defects are associated with ASD-associated mutations.

An update on natural occurrence and biological activity of chromones

The chemistry of chromones is very well known. This system is widely used in organic chemistry as an intermediate compound for the synthesis of numerous hetrocycles. On the other hand, chromones were extensively studied as bioactive compounds. They possess remarkable biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. This comprehensive review describes the current status and knowledge of natural occurrence, and biological activities of chromones. Recent advances made over the last decade i.e. January 1999 to December 2009 are critically discussed and we have covered about 176 references and more than 350 compounds reported during this period.