•Efforts to delight customers can backfire if they perceive procedural unfairness.•Procedural fairness impacts customers’ firm evaluations even for favored outcomes.•Type of customer-firm ...relationship determines the effect of procedural fairness.•Customers trustworthiness perceptions mediate the impact of procedural fairness on evaluation.•Procedural fairness driven by relational factors, is a key element of effective strategy.
Firms often strive to delight their customers and build strong customer-firm relationships by providing favored benefits to their customers. Drawing from the organizational justice literature, we show that even when customers receive favorable outcomes from distributively fair firm actions, considerations of procedural unfairness may adversely affect their firm evaluations. Procedural fairness salience and customers’ perceived relationship with the firm determine the extent to which procedural fairness affects firm-evaluations. Customers in communal relationships, focused on social/relational factors, are more sensitive to procedural fairness, leading to improved (diminished) firm evaluations when the procedure is perceived as fair (unfair). Those in exchange relationships are unaffected by procedural fairness and evaluate the firm based largely on outcome favorability. Firm trustworthiness mediates the impact of procedural fairness on evaluations. Implications of procedural fairness being driven by relational and non-instrumental considerations are discussed.
Abstract Objective We investigated the effect of low-fat (2.5%) dahi containing probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei on progression of high fructose-induced type 2 diabetes in ...rats. Methods Diabetes was induced in male albino Wistar rats by feeding 21% fructose in water. The body weight, food and water intakes, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, oral glucose tolerance test, plasma insulin, liver glycogen content, and blood lipid profile were recorded. The oxidative status in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and reduced glutathione contents in liver and pancreatic tissues were also measured. Results Values for blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose intolerance, plasma insulin, liver glycogen, plasma total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood free fatty acids were increased significantly after 8 wk of high fructose feeding; however, the dahi-supplemented diet restricted the elevation of these parameters in comparison with the high fructose-fed control group. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased slightly and was retained in the dahi-fed group. The dahi-fed group also exhibited lower values of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and higher values of reduced glutathione in liver and pancreatic tissues compared with the high fructose-fed control group. Conclusion The probiotic dahi-supplemented diet significantly delayed the onset of glucose intolerance, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress in high fructose-induced diabetic rats, indicating a lower risk of diabetes and its complications.
Angiogenesis is the hallmark of cancer, and development of aggressiveness of primary tumor depends on de novo angiogenesis. Here, using multiple in vitro and in vivo models, we report that ...osteopontin (OPN) triggers vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent tumor progression and angiogenesis by activating breast tumor kinase (Brk)/nuclear factor-inducing kinase/nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)/activating transcription factor-4 (ATF-4) signaling cascades through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in breast cancer system. Our results revealed that both exogenous and tumor-derived OPN play significant roles in VEGF-dependent tumor angiogenesis. Clinical specimen analysis showed that OPN and VEGF expressions correlate with levels of neuropilin-1, Brk, NF-kappaB, and ATF-4 in different grades of breast cancer. Consequently, OPN plays essential role in two key aspects of tumor progression: VEGF expression by tumor cells and VEGF-stimulated neovascularization. Thus, targeting OPN and its regulated signaling network could be a novel strategy to block tumor angiogenesis and may develop an effective therapeutic approach for the management of breast cancer.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of dementia. Aging is a significant risk factor for AD, emphasizing the importance of early detection since ...symptoms cannot be reversed once the advanced stage is reached. Currently, there is no established method for early AD diagnosis. However, emerging evidence suggests that the microbiome has an impact on cognitive function. The gut microbiome and the brain communicate bidirectionally through the gut–brain axis, with systemic inflammation identified as a key connection that may contribute to AD. Gut dysbiosis is more prevalent in individuals with AD compared to their cognitively healthy counterparts, leading to increased gut permeability and subsequent systemic inflammation, potentially causing neuroinflammation. Detecting brain activity traditionally involves invasive and expensive methods, but electroencephalography (EEG) poses as a non-invasive alternative. EEG measures brain activity and multiple studies indicate distinct patterns in individuals with AD. Furthermore, EEG patterns in individuals with mild cognitive impairment differ from those in the advanced stage of AD, suggesting its potential as a method for early indication of AD. This review aims to consolidate existing knowledge on the microbiome and EEG as potential biomarkers for early-stage AD, highlighting the current state of research and suggesting avenues for further investigation.
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