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Charles H. Davis is Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Citadel, USA. Dr. Davis is actively involved in various small business research efforts. Gerald E. Hills is Professor of Marketing and holder of the Denton Thorne Chair in Small Business Enterprise at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research efforts have focused on new venture creation issues. Raymond W. LaForge is Associate Professor of Marketing at Oklahoma State University. Dr. LaForge has concentrated his attention toward investigating marketing strategy differences between small and large firms. Research during the past decade has documented the important role of smaller firms in American society. Yet those in the marketing discipline have devoted little attention to the size of enterprise in various strategic marketing situations. The need to include small firms in marketing strategy research projects is discussed, and a number of specific propositions to guide initial small enterprise marketing strategy research efforts are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of problems and approaches relevant to performing small firm marketing strategy research.

Yukawa M, Weigle DS, Davis CD, Marck BT, Wolden-Hanson T. Peripheral ghrelin treatment stabilizes body weights of senescent male Brown Norway rats at baseline and after surgery.

BackgroundThis prospective study analyzes the perioperative outcomes and long-term fusion success of 100 consecutive lumbar degenerative cases. The cases were managed using a non-threaded locking screw system, in conjunction with polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages, for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) procedures. These 100 cases were compared to another prospective study treating patients with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria using conventional plate-based pedicle screw spinal instrumentation augmented with carbon fiber interbody cages.MethodsA total of 167 operative levels were treated in 100 patients (51 single-level, 39 two-level and 10 three-level cases). Eleven cases were revisions and 67 patients received interbody fusion cages. Patients had an average of 22.8 ± 4.0 months followup. Results: There was one instrumentation failure but no significant subsidence at the interbody fusion level. The disc space height was restored as part of the surgical procedure at the interbody cage levels: from 7.5 ± 2.3 mm preoperative to 9.0 ± 2.1 mm postoperative. There were 2 cases of pseudarthrosis (2 / 100 = 2%). The average operative time for 1-level cases was 111 ± 25 minutes; for 2-level cases it was 132.4 ± 21.8 minutes; and for 3-level cases it was 162.6 ± 33 minutes. Blood loss averaged 800 ± 473 cc for 1-level cases, 1055 ± 408 cc for 2 levels, and 1155 ± 714 cc for 3 levels. The length of stay was similar between the 3 groups (4.4 ± 1.2 days for single-level cases, 4.7 ± 1.1 for 2 levels, and 5.0 ± 1.1 for 3 levels; P > .05). There were 3 incidental durotomies, and 4 other patients developed infections postoperatively that required reoperation.ConclusionThe disc and foraminal heights can be restored and maintained with a unilateral cage and pedicle screw construct. Unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion using a PEEK cage combined with a non-threaded locking pedicle screw and rod system results in similar fusion rates to those achieved using the bilateral Brantigan interbody fusion cage or a single BAK Vista implant. When compared to the bilateral Brantigan cages, decreased operative time (P < .001), decreased blood loss (P < .001) and reduced incidence of dural tears (P < .001) are advantages of using a non-threaded locking screw system and single PEEK interbody cage for lumbar degenerative conditions without compromising subsequent fusion rates.