Impact of Bloggers' Privacy Exposure on Blog Trust

This research aims to put into perspective the impact of exposing a blogger's private life over confidence which concerns the blog and the moderating role of the implication towards the category of the product. The collection of data is conducted among 320 members of the blog "streetstyletunisia," a fashion and beauty blog. The structural equation method based on the AMOS approach has been used to analyze the data. The results show the positive effect of honesty, a dimension of exposing a blogger's privacy over confidence concerning the blog, but disproving the impact of the blogger's intentionality over trust. This research confirms the moderating effect of involvement with the category of fashion and beauty product on the relationship between the perceived exposure of the blogger's private life and trust in the blog. This research can be interesting to marketers, as they need to partner with honest bloggers who reveal their privacy in order to influence amateurs and inspire trust in them and therefore embrace new communication strategies.

The effect of job stress appraisals on mental health among health professionals: The mediating role of work engagement

Introduction

Health professionals face an increased risk of developing mental health difficulties due to work-related stress. It has been demonstrated that work engagement has a protective role on mental health from work-related stress. The majority of the research on the psychological impact of job stress among health professionals focused on the work-related stressors or the type of stressors as challenges or hindrances. However, the impact might depend on an individual’s appraisal of challenges and hindrances.

Objectives

- Examine the effects of job appraisals on mental health. - Establish the role of work engagement as a mediator between them.

Methods

An online survey was completed by 196 health professionals and included questionnaires about job appraisals, stressors (variety of tasks, responsibility and cooperation with colleagues), work engagement, anxiety and depression.

Results

Appraising stressors as challenges did not have any direct impact on mental health, whereas hindrance appraisals had a negative influence. Participants who appraised cooperation with colleagues as challenging reported lower levels of depression through higher work engagement (B = − 0.17, 95% CI [− 0.354, − 0.027]). Appraising variety of tasks as a hindrance predicted higher levels of depression through lower work engagement (B = 0.150, 95% CI [0.041, 0.289]). Participants appraising the other two stressors as hindrances were more anxious and depressed through lower work engagement.

Conclusions

The negative psychological impact of hindrance appraisals was persistent, whereas the positive impact of challenge appraisals through work engagement depended on the stressor. Stress interventions may need to consider both the type of appraisal and the type of stressor.

Cause-related marketing: scepticism and warm glow as impacts of donation size on purchase intention

This research considers the impact of donation size, in relation to Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) practices, on purchase intention. More specifically, it aims to understand the ethical behaviour of consumers, while introducing diametrically opposed feelings, scepticism and warm glow. A quantitative study based on experimentation was conducted and online self-managed questionnaires were handed to 300 Internet users. The results of this research show that the size of the donation does not directly contribute to the purchase intention, but it rather provokes scepticism in the case of a highly-sized donation. The latter directly and negatively influences the warm glow which in its turn positively affects the intention to buy non-profit products. This research helps advertisers to convey positive, clear and unexaggerated advertising messages about the size of the donation, to avoid consumers’ disruption, doubts and incredulity. This research provides insights into cause-related marketing phenomenon while simultaneously taking into account positive reactions (warm glow) and negative reactions (scepticism) in the research cultures of the Arab world, where the research is sporadic and unavailable.

Reconciliation of deterministic and knowledge management approaches for a better understanding of SFA’s impact on salespersons’ performance

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to reconcile the deterministic and the knowledge management approaches to investigate a framework that provides an explanation of the sales force automation (SFA) practices’ impact on salespersons’ performance through the organizational absorptive capacity in the African pharmaceutical industry.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory study was conducted to understand SFA uses in the pharmaceutical industry; then a total of 186 medical representatives were sampled and partial least squares analysis was performed.

Findings

The results identified the positive impact of organizational absorptive capacity on SFA use. In addition, the use of the SFA positively influenced the salespersons’ performance. Finally, age plays a positive moderating role in the relationships between use of SFA as a tool for internal coordination between actors and salespersons’ performance.

Practical implications

This research could be useful for managers of pharmaceutical laboratories to SFA use as a tool of coordination between the actors, as a tool of management of the customer relationship and as a tool of management knowledge.

Originality/value

In contrast with the existing studies dealing with deterministic approach when studying the use of SFA, this study exploited the reconciliation between deterministic and knowledge management approaches to propose a conceptual framework dealing with the relationship between the SFA use, the organizational absorptive capacity and the salespersons’ performance in the pharmaceutical industry. This research proposed and tested a framework adapted to the African context.

Major depressive disorder: Recurrence risk factors

Introduction

Despite the frequency and the severity of depressive episodes, the major depressive disorder (MDD) is today inadequately diagnosed and treated, and the risk factors for its recurrence are not well elaborated. The objectives of this study were to describe the sociodemographic, clinical evolutionary and therapeutic features of this disorder and to identify the factors involved in the risk of its recurrence.

Methods

This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study, involving 150 patients with MDD, isolated episode or recurrent major depressive disorder (RMDD) with a follow-up for at least two years. Data collection was performed using two pre-established questionnaires for the MDD isolated episode and for the RMDD respectively with 51 and 92 items. A study of the recurrence period was performed by Kaplan–Meier method. The Cox-test was used to determine the survival curves and to look for the risk factors significantly associated with MDD recurrence.

Results

A total of 150 patients was gathered, predominantly female, married and from urban origin. The average age at the beginning of the disorder was 35 years. The recurrence period was 109 months and the factors associated with recurrence were the early age of onset of the disorder, family history of mood disorders, the severity of MDE index, residual symptoms and discontinuation of treatment.

Conclusion

The study of factors involved in MDD recurrence is of a particular importance since it allows not only to know the group of patients at risk but also to improve their therapeutic care.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Removal of bisphenol A and some heavy metal ions by polydivinylbenzene magnetic latex particles

In this study, magnetic polydivinylbenzene latex particles MPDVB with a core-shell structure were tested for the removal of bisphenol A (BPA), copper Cu(II), lead Pb(II), and zinc Zn(II) from aqueous solutions by a batch-adsorption technique. The effect of different parameters, such as initial concentration of pollutant, contact time, adsorbent dose, and initial pH solution on the adsorption of the different adsorbates considered was investigated. The adsorption of BPA, Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) was found to be fast, and the equilibrium was achieved within 30 min. The pH 5-5.5 was found to be the most suitable pH for metal removal. The presence of electrolytes and their increasing concentration reduced the metal adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. Whereas, the optimal pH for BPA adsorption was found 7, both hydrogen bonds and π-π interaction were thought responsible for the adsorption of BPA on MPDVB. The adsorption kinetics of BPA, Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) were found to follow a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Equilibrium data for BPA, Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) adsorption were fitted well by the Langmuir isotherm model. Furthermore, the desorption and regeneration studies have proven that MPDVB can be employed repeatedly without impacting its adsorption capacity.

The effect of vinyl benzyl chloride on emulsion polymerization of styrene

Polystyrene latexes were prepared, in the presence of, vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) monomer. These particles were synthesized in surfactant-free batch radical emulsion polymerization of styrene and VBC monomer mixture, with 2,2’- azobis(2-amidino propane)di-hydrochloride (V50) initiator. The polymerization kinetics was found to be rapid, as a function of VBC monomer concentration in the polymerization recipe. It is interesting to notice that high VBC amount leads to marked coagulum formation. The final hydrodynamic particle size was found to be slightly sensitive to the VBC concentration in the investigated range. The presence of VBC at the surface of the particles was investigated by XPS analysis.

[Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty: indications and results in Tunisia]

PURPOSE

To report the experience of the Tunis Institute of Ophthalmology (Tunisia) in therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 35 patients after therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty over a period of 6 years (between September 2002 and September 2008).

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 49.3 years. Men outnumbered women by a ratio of 2.5 to 1. The mean follow-up was 13.5 months. Corneal diseases within a therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty were divided into infectious keratitis (21 eyes) and noninfectious diseases (14 eyes). Herpetic keratitis was the most common etiology (11 eyes). The anatomical success rate was 92.4%, with infection eradicated in 80% of cases. The graft clarity at the end of follow-up was 54.2%. Rejection was the leading cause of graft opacification (50%). Final visual acuity was better than 1/10 in 25.7% of patients. Recovery of useful vision was observed in 45.7% of patients.

CONCLUSION

Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty is a surgical technique that has proved its effectiveness in maintaining the integrity of the eyeball. The prognosis for this intervention would probably be better if it could be postponed.

Les décollements de rétine rhegmatogènes bilatéraux simultanés

PURPOSE

Simultaneous bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachments are rare. The purpose of our study was to examine the incidence, predictive factors, surgical results and prognosis of these retinal detachments.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 468 consecutive patients, 7-89 years of age (mean, 45.7 years), undergoing surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment between 1993 and 2000.

RESULTS

During this period, a total of 497 operations for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were done. Thirty-two patients had bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Simultaneous detachments were observed in seven patients (1.5%). In four cases, the diagnosis of retinal detachment was fortuitous. In fact, most patients presented with unilateral symptoms. The mean age (35 years) of patients suffering from simultaneous bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was younger than that of patients with unilateral or consecutive bilateral retinal detachments. Five patients were myopic. Multiple round retinal holes were the most frequent lesions responsible for retinal detachment. A preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy was found in 57% of cases. The retina was reattached in nine cases (81%).

CONCLUSION

Simultaneous bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is usually found in relatively young myopic patients with atrophic retinal holes. They are rare but severe because of their frequent association with preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

[Intumescent cataract with ocular hypertony]

INTRODUCTION

Intumescent cataract with ocular hypertony is a medicosurgical emergency. The purpose of our study is to define the clinical and therapeutic particularities of these cataracts.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective study includes 40 consecutive patients with angle closure secondary to intumescent cataract. All patients were examined between 1st January 1998 and 30 October 2000.

RESULTS

The patient population consisted of 28 women (70%) and 12 men ranging in age from 59 to 88 years (mean age: 78 years). Preoperative visual acuity was negative in 17% of cases and limited to light perception in 83% of cases. Ocular pressure varied from 25 to 68 mmHg. Patients underwent surgery one to 23 days after diagnosis. Surgical techniques consisted in extracapsular cataract extraction with (35%) and without (65%) intraocular lens. Preoperative complications were: vitreous loss in 20% of cases and expulsive haemorrhage in 2 cases (5%). Postoperative visual acuity improved in 70% of cases. COMMENT AND CONCLUSION: Intumescent cataract with ocular overpressure gives therapeutic problems, which can be prevented by a preoperative hypotony. Functional results of this study encouraged us to operate the intumescent cataract even if visual acuity is bad.

[Penetrating keratoplasty in primary congenital glaucoma]

PURPOSE

We present preliminary research on penetrating keratoplasty in corneal dystrophy secondary to congenital glaucoma. The aim was to analyse the functional and anatomic results of this morbid condition where visual prognosis is usually poor.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Six cases of congenital glaucoma in which the ocular pressure is controlled were studied. Age varied from 10 months to 11 years, the medium age was 47.7 months (SD: 42.8). These patients underwent penetrating keratoplasty. Recession varied from 3 months to 29 months, with a medium recession of 18.4 months (SD: 11.54).

RESULTS

Anatomic results: the graft remained transparent in 5 eyes. Some postoperative complications were noticed: ocular hypertonia medically treated in one case, minor uveitis in one case, total cataract operated by phacophagy with a final outcome of ophthalmomalacia, buphtalmia (31.5 of diameter and ocular tonus at 7 mmHg). Functional results: an amelioration of visual acuity was obtained in 5 of 6 cases.

CONCLUSION

The anatomic and functional results were satisfactory. Ocular pressure must be normalised before keratoplasty. Important buphtalmia constitutes one contra-indication to this intervention. Hypotonia would appear to be a factor of poor prognosis.

Affinity partition of proteins in aqueous two-phase systems containing polyoxyethylene glycol-bound ligand and charged dextrans

The partition of the delta 5 leads to 4 3-oxosteroid isomerase of Pseudomonas testosteroni in aqueous two-phase systems containing both the macroligand, polyoxyethylene glycol-bound estradiol, and charged (cationic or anionic) dextrans has been studied. If the enzyme is well retained in the upper phase by an adequate amount of macroligand, it is possible to improve the removal of the contaminating proteins by extracting them into a lower phase containing positively or negatively charged dextran. Some mult-step extraction experiments were carried out to purify isomerase, by washing the upper phase successively with cationic and anionic dextran-rich phases.