bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytical and numerical analysis of bifurcations in thermal convection of viscoelastic fluids saturating a porous square box
Authors: Taleb A. , BenHamed H. , Ouarzazi M. N. , Beji H.
Published: May 2016

We report theoretical and numerical results on bifurcations in thermal instability for a viscoelastic fluid saturating a porous square cavity heated from below. The modified Darcy law based on the Oldroyd-B model was used for modeling the momentum equation. In addition to Rayleigh number ℜ, two more dimensionless parameters are introduced, namely, the relaxation time λ1 and the retardation time λ2. Temporal stability analysis showed that the first bifurcation from the conductive state may be either oscillatory for sufficiently elastic fluids or stationary for weakly elastic fluids. The dynamics associated with the nonlinear interaction between the two kinds of instabilities is first analyzed in the framework of a weakly nonlinear theory. For sufficiently elastic fluids, analytical expressions of the nonlinear threshold above which a second hysteretic bifurcation from oscillatory to stationary convective pattern are derived and found to agree with two-dimensional numerical simulations of the full equations. Computations performed with high Rayleigh number indicated that the system exhibits a third transition from steady single-cell convection to oscillatory multi-cellular flows. Moreover, we found that an intermittent oscillation regime may exist with steady state before the emergence of the secondary Hopf bifurcation. For weakly elastic fluids, we determined a second critical value ℜ2Osc(λ1,λ2) above which a Hopf bifurcation from steady convective pattern to oscillatory convection occurs. The well known limit of ℜ2Osc(λ1=0,λ2=0)=390 for Newtonian fluids is recovered, while the fluid elasticity is found to delay the onset of the Hopf bifurcation. The major new findings were presented in the form of bifurcation diagrams as functions of viscoelastic parameters for ℜ up to 420.
Periodic molybdenum disc array for light trapping in amorphous silicon layer
Authors: Wang Jiwei , Yang Kang , Chen Haiyan , Deng Changkai , Li Dongdong , Chen Xiaoyuan , Ren Wei
Published: May 2016

We demonstrate the light trapping effect in amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer by inserting a layer of periodic molybdenum disc array (MDA) between the a-Si:H layer and the quartz substrate, which forms a three-layer structure of Si/MDA/SiO2. The MDA layer was fabricated by a new cost-effective method based on nano-imprint technology. Further light absorption enhancement was realized through altering the topography of MDA by annealing it at 700°C. The mechanism of light absorption enhancement in a-Si:H interfaced with MDA was analyzed, and the electric field distribution and light absorption curve of the different layers in the Si/MDA structure under light illumination of different wavelengths were simulated by employing numerical finite difference time domain (FDTD) solutions.
Zooplankton responses to freshwater inflows and organic-matter pulses in a wave-dominated estuary
Authors: Hitchcock James N. , Mitrovic Simon M. , Hadwen Wade L. , Growns Ivor O. , Rohlfs Ann-Marie
Published: May 2016

Freshwater inflow events play a major role in structuring estuarine zooplankton communities. Freshwater inflow events affect zooplankton directly through advective forcing and changes in salinity, and indirectly through changes to resources by the delivery of organic carbon and nutrients that can stimulate microbial and primary production. Here, we investigate changes to estuarine zooplankton assemblage structure, density and δ13C stable isotopes during a period of highly variable freshwater inflow in the Bega River estuary, Australia. High inflows resulted in a reduction of salinity and a shift in the zooplankton assemblage structure from purely estuarine taxa towards freshwater taxa. The density of select genera of rotifers, cladocera and, in the upper estuary, copepods, increased following inflows, concurrent with increases in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon and bacterial biomass. Redundancy analysis found that environmental variables including discharge, dissolved organic carbon, salinity and bacterial biomass explained 66–73% of zooplankton variation. Stable isotope results indicated that all copepod and cladocera species tested were predominantly supported by allochthonous carbon from terrestrial sources. The present results have provided important evidence that freshwater inflows play a critical role in structuring zooplankton assemblages and supporting increased production through the delivery of allochthonous organic carbon.
Effectiveness of two tagging devices in the sea cucumber Holothuria (Halodeima) grisea
Authors: Rodríguez-Barreras Ruber , López-Morell Julián , Sabat Alberto M.
Published: May 2016

A reliable and harmless mark–recapture method provides valuable information for the management of commercial sea cucumber species. Nevertheless, marking and tracking sea cucumbers is notoriously difficult and represents a serious challenge. In this study, we tested one external and one internal tag in the sea cucumber Holothuria grisea. A passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag was inserted into the coelomic cavity in one treatment, whereas a T-bar (external tag) was attached in the upper surface of the body wall in the other treatment; sea cucumbers were then followed for 17 weeks. The tagging procedure caused no evisceration in the experimental groups, nor was a significant difference in growth rate found between treatments. The retention of the PIT tag was low, with 100% lost by Week 9. Retention of T-bars was higher, with 90% still attached by the end of the Week 8, but retention decreased thereafter as T-bar absorption increased. No relationship was found between initial weight and the number of weeks PIT tags (r=–0.173, P=0.781) or T-bars (r=–0.220, P=0.652) were retained. Neither the T-bar nor the PIT tags fulfilled the requirements of high retention required for long-term studies. However, we do recommend the use of T-bars for short-term studies for H. grisea under laboratory conditions or in a habitat with low substrate complexity.
Occurrence of juvenile bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Navua River in Fiji
Authors: Cardeñosa Diego , Glaus Kerstin B. J. , Brunnschweiler Juerg M.
Published: May 2016

Effective species conservation requires the protection of all stages of its life-cycle. The Shark Reef Marine Reserve (SRMR) in Fiji is a marine protected area where large numbers of adult bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) congregate due to food provisioning. At the end of a calendar year bull sharks leave the area for reproductive activity, but parturition sites are still unknown. Between February 2014 and January 2015, we interviewed local fishermen and conducted a fishing survey, so as to assess presence and abundance of bull sharks in the Navua River near the SRMR. In total 84% of fishermen reported either seeing or catching sharks up to 8km upriver from the river mouth. They described them as small sharks having a rounded snout and being grey–brown in colour with a white belly, morphological characteristics that match juvenile bull sharks. During the fishing survey, a total of nine juvenile bull sharks were captured, including two that were recaptured after 108 and 92 days at liberty. Our findings confirmed the presence of bull sharks in the Navua River and provide a preliminary characterisation of a potential shark parturition or nursery area from a data-poor region.
Neonatal postcrania from Mezmaiskaya, Russia, and Le Moustier, France, and the development of Neandertal body form
Authors: Weaver Timothy D. , Coqueugniot Hélène , Golovanova Liubov V. , Doronichev Vladimir B. , Maureille Bruno , Hublin Jean-Jacques
Published: May 2016

Significance

One of the oldest questions in human evolutionary studies is: why do Neandertals look different from present-day and ancient modern humans? This question can be addressed at different levels, but a critical component of a complete answer is understanding the developmental basis of adult differences. We now know that many skull differences are present by the time of birth. We know less, however, about the developmental basis of differences in the rest of the body. By studying the two most complete Neandertal neonates, we were able to establish that, as for the skull, many differences in body form are present by the time of birth. Neandertals largely look like Neandertals, regardless of age.
Spliceosomal intronogenesis
Authors: Lee Sujin , Stevens Scott W.
Published: May 2016

Significance

Eukaryotic transcripts contain spliceosomal introns that need to be removed by pre-mRNA splicing. Although several models have been proposed to identify the mechanism of intron gain over the evolution of eukaryotes, they remain models due to a lack of experimental validation. We developed a reporter system to detect selected intron gain and loss events and captured two intron gain events in which the intron derived from the reporter was transposed into the chromosomal loci of
RPL8
B
and
ADH2
. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of intron gain via intron transposition in any organism, and we suggest that these events are likely to have occurred by a reversal of the pre-mRNA splicing reaction followed by homologous recombination.
β1-subunit–induced structural rearrangements of the Ca
2+
- and voltage-activated K
+
(BK) channel
Authors: Castillo Juan P. , Sánchez-Rodríguez Jorge E. , Hyde H. Clark , Zaelzer Cristian A. , Aguayo Daniel , Sepúlveda Romina V. , Luk Louis Y. P. , Kent Stephen B. H. , Gonzalez-Nilo Fernando D. , Bezanilla Francisco , Latorre Ramón
Published: May 2016

Significance

Large-conductance Ca
2+
- and voltage-activated K
+
(BK) channels play many physiological roles, ranging from the maintenance of smooth muscle tone to the modulation of alcohol tolerance. In most cases, this physiological versatility of the BK channel is due to the association of the pore-forming α-subunit with β-subunits. Therefore, it is of importance to know what the structural consequences of this association are. Here, using lanthanide-based resonance energy transfer, we were able to determine the extracellular position of transmembrane segments S0–S2 with and without the β1-subunit and the position of the two transmembrane segments of the β1 subunit in the α/β1-subunit complex. We concluded that β1 produces rearrangements of the BK voltage sensor domain.
The free path in a high velocity random flight process associated to a Lorentz gas in an external field
Authors: Hening Alexandru , Rizzolo Douglas , Wayman Eric
Published: May 2016

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the free path of a variable density random flight model in an external field as the initial velocity of the particle goes to infinity. The random flight models we study arise naturally as the Boltzmann-Grad limit of a random Lorentz gas in the presence of an external field. By analyzing the time duration of the free path, we obtain exact forms for the asymptotic mean and variance of the free path in terms of the external field and the density of scatterers. As a consequence, we obtain a diffusion approximation for the joint process of the particle observed at reflection times and the amount of time spent in free flight.
Weighted mutual information analysis substantially improves domain-based functional network models
Authors: Shim Jung Eun , Lee Insuk
Published: May 2016

Motivation: Functional protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks elucidate molecular pathways underlying complex phenotypes, including those of human diseases. Extrapolation of domain–domain interactions (DDIs) from known PPIs is a major domain-based method for inferring functional PPI networks. However, the protein domain is a functional unit of the protein. Therefore, we should be able to effectively infer functional interactions between proteins based on the co-occurrence of domains.

Results: Here, we present a method for inferring accurate functional PPIs based on the similarity of domain composition between proteins by weighted mutual information (MI) that assigned different weights to the domains based on their genome-wide frequencies. Weighted MI outperforms other domain-based network inference methods and is highly predictive for pathways as well as phenotypes. A genome-scale human functional network determined by our method reveals numerous communities that are significantly associated with known pathways and diseases. Domain-based functional networks may, therefore, have potential applications in mapping domain-to-pathway or domain-to-phenotype associations.

Availability and Implementation: Source code for calculating weighted mutual information based on the domain profile matrix is available from www.netbiolab.org/w/WMI.

Contact:  Insuklee@yonsei.ac.kr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
PM J03338+3320: Long-period superhumps in growing phase following a separate precursor outburst
Authors: Kato Taichi , de Miguel Enrique , Stein William , Maeda Yutaka , Littlefield Colin , Kiyota Seiichiro , Vanmunster Tonny , Dvorak Shawn , Shugarov Sergey Yu. , Kalinicheva Eugenia S. , Pickard Roger D. , Kasai Kiyoshi , Cook Lewis M. , Itoh Hiroshi , Muyllaert Eddy
Published: May 2016

We observed the first-ever recorded outburst of PM J03338+3320, the cataclysmic variable selected by proper-motion survey. The outburst was composed of a precursor and the main superoutburst. The precursor outburst occurred at least 5 d before the maximum of the main superoutburst. Despite this separation, long-period superhumps were continuously seen between the precursor and main superoutburst. The period of these superhumps is longer than its orbital period by 6.0(1)% and can be interpreted to reflect the dynamical precession rate at the 3 : 1 resonance for a mass ratio of 0.172(4). These superhumps smoothly evolved into those in the main superoutburst. These observations provide the clearest evidence that the 3 : 1 resonance is triggered by the precursor outburst, even if it is well separated, and the resonance eventually causes the main superoutburst as predicted by the thermaltidal instability model. The presence of superhumps well before the superoutburst cannot be explained by alternative models (the enhanced mass-transfer model and the pure thermal instability one) and the present observations clearly support the thermaltidal instability model.
The Effect of Leaf Shredding on Apple Scab in South African Orchards
Authors: von Diest Saskia G. , Meitz-Hopkins Julia C. , MacHardy William E. , Lennox Cheryl L.
Published: May 2016

The South African apple industry currently relies entirely on chemical fungicides to control apple scab (Venturia inaequalis). In this study, the effectiveness of sanitation strategies in reducing scab incidence and severity in South African orchards was evaluated. Over three seasons, leaf shredding with no fungicide sprays was tested against a nonsprayed, nonshredded negative control, a positive control that followed a commercial fungicide program, and a combined treatment of a commercial fungicide program with leaf shredding. Two treatment replicates were applied in a randomized block design in each of two orchards. Scab incidence and severity on fruit and leaves were assessed weekly from green-tip until fruit-set in the following spring. Pooled data from the 3 years revealed that fruit scab incidence and severity and leaf scab severity (51, 55, and 39%, respectively, P < 0.05) and leaf scab incidence (33%, P < 0.1) were significantly lower in the leaf-shredding treatment than in the negative control. This is the first study to evaluate the effect of leaf shredding in reducing scab in South African orchards. Results indicate that this treatment is highly effective and should be integrated into scab management strategies in future, but should be customized to suit South African orchard conditions.
Phlebotomy basics
Authors: Billings-Berg Sarah M.
Published: May 2016

Nurses are increasingly expected to draw patients' blood for lab work, but what if you haven't been adequately trained?
Asthma education
Authors: Evans-Agnew Robin , Cooper Cindy
Published: May 2016

Teaching your patients about asthma is important for reducing disparities, but it's complicated and your time is limited. We help you simplify the information and provide tips on how to use cultural humility when working with children and families.
Pelvic floor muscles training to reduce symptoms and signs of vulvovaginal atrophy: a case study
Authors: Mercier Joanie , Morin Mélanie , Lemieux Marie-Claude , Reichetzer Barbara , Khalifé Samir , Dumoulin Chantale
Published: May 2016

Objective:

Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), caused by decreased levels of estrogen, is a common problem in aging women. Main symptoms of VVA are vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. First-line treatment consists of the application of local estrogen therapy (ET) or vaginal moisturizer. In some cases however, symptoms and signs persist despite those interventions. This case study describes a 77-year-old woman with severe VVA symptoms despite use of local ET and the addition of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training to her treatment.

Methods:

A patient with stress urinary incontinence and VVA was referred to a randomized clinical trial on PFM training. On pretreatment evaluation while on local ET, she showed VVA symptoms on the ICIQ Vaginal Symptoms questionnaire and the ICIQ-Female Sexual Matters associated with lower urinary tract Symptoms questionnaire, and also showed VVA signs during the physical and dynamometric evaluation of the PFM. She was treated with a 12-week PFM training program.

Results:

The patient reported a reduction in vaginal dryness and dyspareunia symptoms, as well as a better quality of sexual life after 12 weeks of PFM training. On posttreatment physical evaluation, the PFMs’ tone and elasticity were improved, although some other VVA signs remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

Pelvic floor muscle training may improve some VVA symptoms and signs in women taking local ET. Further study is needed to investigate and confirm the present case findings and to explore mechanisms of action of this intervention for VVA.
A cross-cultural comparison of climacteric symptoms, self-esteem, and perceived social support between Mosuo women and Han Chinese women
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhao Xudong , Leonhart Rainer , Nadig Maya , Hasenburg Annette , Wirsching Michael , Fritzsche Kurt
Published: May 2016

Objective:

This cross-cultural study aimed to compare climacteric symptoms, self-esteem, and perceived social support between Mosuo and Han Chinese women, and to explore the interaction between culture and climacteric symptoms. Mosuo is a Chinese minority group with a matriarchal structure, and Han Chinese is the majority ethnic group in China with a patriarchal structure.

Methods:

Through convenience sampling, 54 Mosuo women and 52 Han Chinese women between 40 and 60 years of age completed the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale.

Results:

Compared with Han Chinese women, Mosuo women scored lower on the psychological (P < 0.001) and the somato-vegetative (P = 0.047) subscales of the Menopause Rating Scale, but higher on the Self-Esteem Scale (P = 0.006) and the “support from family” subscale of the Perceived Social Support Scale (P = 0.004). Multiple linear regressions indicated that minority ethnicity (β = 0.207, P = 0.016) was one of the predictive variables of psychological symptoms severity. Referring to the severity of all symptoms, predictive variables were: perceived support from family (β = −0.210, P = 0.017); self-esteem (β = 0.320, P < 0.001); previous history of premenstrual syndrome (β = 0.293, P < 0.001); number of family members (β = −0.229, P = 0.003); and family income (β = −0.173, P = 0.028).

Conclusions:

Differences in climacteric symptoms were found between two groups. Cultural variables such as familial structure, women's self-esteem, and perceived social support were correlated with symptomatology.
Sleep Quality and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnancy
Authors: Sut Hatice Kahyaoglu , Asci Ozlem , Topac Nalan
Published: May 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate sleep quality and health-related quality of life in pregnancy. In a cross-sectional design, 492 women (292 pregnant and 200 nonpregnant healthy controls) were included in this study between November 2014 and June 2015. Participants completed a survey on sociodemographic characteristics, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). The PSQI total and EQ-5D scores of pregnant women were significantly worse than the controls (P = .017 and P < .001, respectively). Linear regression analysis showed that only pregnancy status was related to PSQI scores (β = .117; P = .009). Compared with the first trimester, the risk of poor sleep quality increased 2.11-fold in the second trimester (P = .048) and 1.86-fold in the third trimester (P = .054). Compared with the first trimester, EQ-5D scores significantly decreased in the second (P = .038) and third (P < .001) trimesters. Sleep quality and health-related quality of life of pregnant women were worse than those of nonpregnant healthy controls. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of deteriorations in sleep quality and health-related quality of life of pregnant women.
Race/Ethnicity and Health Care Communication
Authors: Sweeney Casey F. , Zinner Darren , Rust George , Fryer George E.
Published: May 2016

Background:

Although many minority patients would prefer a provider of their own race/ethnicity, the influence of this relationship on patient-provider communication remains unknown. This analysis examined the effect of patient-provider race/ethnicity concordance on patient-reported provider communication quality using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey years 2002–2012.

Methods:

Ordinary least squares regressions were executed on communication rating, measured by the Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems.

Results:

Only 13.8% of black, non-Hispanic patients reported their usual source of care provider matched their race/ethnicity, compared with 94.4% of white, non-Hispanic patients and 43.8% of Hispanic patients. Differences in communication ratings were driven by patient race, rather than provider race. Although black, non-Hispanic patients rate their communication significantly higher than their counterparts overall, there was no significant influence of patient-provider racial concordance on ratings of communication when controlling for other sociodemographic variables.

Conclusions:

Minorities may seek the services of minority providers, but they are not more satisfied with patient-provider communication experience than when in race-discordant provider arrangements.
Impact of Cross-level Measurement Noninvariance on Hospital Rankings Based on Patient Experiences With Care in 7 European Countries
Authors: Orindi Benedict O. , Lesaffre Emmanuel , Sermeus Walter , Bruyneel Luk
Published: May 2016

Background:

Hospital-level findings on patient experiences with care are increasingly reported publicly. A critical aspect left unexamined is the commonality of composite measures of patient experiences across different groups of patients, nursing units, hospitals, and countries. Absence of commonality is termed measurement noninvariance and is hypothesized to have a strong impact on performance assessment.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to examine measurement invariance across groups and levels under study (patients, nursing units, hospitals, and countries) and illustrate the degree to which this method of analysis impacts hospital rankings.

Research Design:

Data were collected from 11,289 patients in 7 European countries, 186 hospitals, and 824 nursing units. Multilevel factor analytic models were applied to evaluate measurement invariance across the hierarchical levels of the study and across groups at specific levels (self-perceived health at patient level; unit speciality at nursing unit level). Hospital rankings for the final multilevel model were compared with those from a single-level factor model that is unsuspecting of measurement invariance.

Results:

Cross-group invariance was shown for levels of self-perceived health and to a large degree also for nursing unit speciality. Patient experience composite measures were, however, not invariant across patient, unit, and hospital levels. Hospital rankings were largely impacted when accounted for this cross-level invariance. The percentage of hospitals with discordant ranks by >10 percentile points varied from 26.7% in Spain to 70% in Poland.

Conclusions:

Leaving unexamined possible noninvariance across groups and hierarchical levels may have far reaching consequences for how the public perceives hospitals’ position relative to other hospitals.
Successful Kidney Transplantation in Children With a Compromised Inferior Vena Cava
Authors: Shishido Seiichiro , Kawamura Takeshi , Hamasaki Yuko , Takahashi Yusuke , Itabashi Yoshihiro , Muramatsu Masaki , Satoh Hiroyuki , Aikawa Atsushi
Published: May 2016

Background

Children with a compromised inferior vena cava (IVC) were previously considered unsuitable for kidney transplantation because of the technical difficulties and the increased risk of graft thrombosis secondary to inadequate renal venous outflow.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 11 transplants in 9 patients with end-stage renal disease and thrombosed IVCs who received adult kidney allografts between 2000 and 2015. The mean age at transplantation was 7.5 ± 3.5 years. A pretransplant diagnosis of the IVC thrombosis was made in 7 patients by magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography, whereas there were 2 instances of intraoperative discovery of the IVC thrombosis.

Results

In the early cases, a kidney was placed intraperitoneally at the right iliac fossa with a venous anastomosis to the patent segment of the suprarenal IVC. After 2008, however, 6 adult-sized kidneys were subsequently placed in the left orthotopic position. Venous drainage was attained to the infrahepatic IVC (n = 3), left native renal vein (n = 2), and ascending lumbar vein (n = 1). Moreover, a venous bypass was created between the graft and the splenic vein in 2 children who showed high return pressure after the vessel was declamped.

The mean glomerular filtration rate of the functioning 8 grafts 1 year posttransplant was 73.4 ± 20.4 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Of note, 6 of the grafts have been functioning well, with a mean follow-up of 66 months. Both 1- and 5-year graft survival were 81.8%.

Conclusions

Transplantation into the left orthotopic position and the revascularization methods are an effective set of surgical techniques that could potentially be adopted as safe and reliable transplant approaches in children with IVC thrombosis.
HOX13 proteins: the molecular switcher in Hoxd bimodal regulation
Authors: Ros Marian A.
Published: May 2016

The striking correlation between the genomic arrangement of Hox genes and their temporal and spatial pattern of expression during embryonic development has been a source of fascination since its discovery. This correspondence has been used as a privileged example in the investigation of the connection between genomic architecture and function. In this issue of Genes & Development, Beccari and colleagues (pp. 1172–1186) make a big step forward in understanding Hox gene regulation during limb development by showing the pivotal role of HOXA13 and HOXD13 proteins in the transition from a proximal to a distal type of Hoxd transcriptional regulation.
Injecting ATS/NPS use and drug abjection in Romania
Authors: Alexandrescu Liviu Gabriel
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate a group of Romanian injecting substance users “migrating” from heroin to novel psychoactive substances (NPS) as a counterpublic seeking to escape the stigma of drug abjection.

Design/methodology/approach

– The findings are drawn from interview and observational data collected mainly at drug services sites in Bucharest, Romania.

Findings

– The stimulant powders sold by head shops appealed to experienced drug users because they seemed to emulate a consumerist ethos and cultivate a healthy, rational agent that popular discourses of addiction deem incompatible with drug careers. NPS and head shops were thus initially understood as a possibility of escaping “junk identities”. However, they ultimately sealed injectors as abject bodies that obstructed the collaborative goals of rehabilitation and health restoration. A sense of symbolic distance shaped by notions of moral and bodily hygiene separated heroin and NPS users, as the latter increasingly came to be seen and see themselves as flawed consumers of health and freedom.

Practical implications

– NPS retail spaces could present valuable opportunities to insert harm-reduction resources and harness counterpublic health strategies.

Social implications

– Dominant definitions of substance use as unavoidable paths into self-destruction push users towards unknown compounds they can attach more fluid meanings to. This suggests that prohibitionist language still obscures rational dialogue about existing and emerging drugs.

Originality/value

– The paper traces ATS/NPS in an Eastern European context offering an alternative vantage point to harm-focused perspectives.
Revisiting the carry-over effects of advertising in franchise industries
Authors: Park Kwangmin , Jang SooCheong (Shawn)
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Despite prior studies, little has been done to understand the advertising carry-over effect. The purpose of this study is to investigate the heterogeneous attributes of the carry-over effect by focusing on the differences between franchise and non-franchise firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were retrieved from the Compustat database and annual corporate financial reports (10-K) for five representative franchise industries from 1980 to 2009. Ultimately, 185 firms were included and 1,592 firm-year observations were analysed. This study used a Panel VAR (Vector Autoregression) to examine the effects of advertising on firm performance. We can control endogenous effects using Panel VAR, which also allows us to control unobserved firm-specific heterogeneity.

Findings

This study found that advertising had no effect on sales growth or brand equity in the long run for non-franchise firms and further confirmed that non-franchise firms incur agency costs. In contrast, the effect of advertising on sales growth and brand equity was significant for franchise firms. A carry-over effect of advertising on brand equity was detected for franchise firms, but sales growth rapidly decreased after two years.

Practical implications

Even though franchise firms retain the carry-over effect of advertising on brand equity, franchisors should carefully monitor market trends and their sales growth because sales growth rapidly decreased after two years.

Originality/value

This study incorporated the concepts of the delayed response effect and the customer holdover effect to better understand the advertising carry-over effect. From the results, this study proposed a more detailed concept of carry-over effects for further studies. From this perspective, this study makes both academic and industrial contributions.
A model of hospitality students’ attitude toward and willingness to work with older adults
Authors: Hertzman Jean , Zhong Yunying
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to incorporate aspects of existing research to develop a model of hospitality students’ willingness to work with older adults. It evaluates whether the addition of multi-age perspective (MAP), a concept adapted from multi-cultural literature which addresses perceptions of different age groups, and separating attitudes into favorable and unfavorable constructs provide better predictive power than previous models.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey combining various measures suggested from the literature was conducted electronically with hospitality students from five US universities.

Findings

Factor analysis and structural equation modeling resulted in a model of the relationships between six latent constructs: contact quality, aging anxiety, MAP, unfavorable attitude, favorable attitude and willingness to work with older adults. While MAP and contact quality significantly influenced the respondents’ unfavorable and favorable attitudes, aging anxiety only affected their unfavorable attitude. Respondents’ MAP was the strongest antecedent for willingness to work with older adults, followed by favorable attitude and unfavorable attitude.

Research limitations/implications

The research investigated the beliefs of hospitality students studying in the USA and may not be representative of all younger hospitality workers and those in other countries.

Practical implications

Incorporating MAP into both educational and business contexts through methods such as intergenerational service learning, leadership commitment to age-diversity and reverse mentoring will facilitate cooperation and improved relations among younger and older hospitality workers.

Originality/value

This study is the first to apply the construct of MAP to hospitality and to separate the constructs of the influence of unfavorable attitudes from that of favorable attitudes.
The effects of brand attachment on behavioral loyalty in the luxury restaurant sector
Authors: Bahri-Ammari Nedra , Van Niekerk Mathilda , Ben Khelil Haykel , Chtioui Jinene
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between satisfaction, congruence, nostalgic connections and trust with reference to brand attachment and behavioral loyalty. Behavioral loyalty was examined through the customer’s intention to continue the relationship, as well as proselytism and resistance upwards of the price in the luxury restaurant sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was developed and distributed via email and different Facebook groups which specialized in the luxury restaurant sector in Tunisia. A total of 310 questionnaires were completed and structural equation modeling with AMOS was used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

The findings suggest that brand attachment clearly explains the behavioral loyalty of consumers because it contributes toward maintaining the relationship with the brand in terms of repetitive buying behavior. Only satisfaction and nostalgic connection was found to influence brand attachment and satisfaction has a bearing on proselytism. Brand attachment in turn influences the intention to continue the relationship and the resistance to upward pricing, but not toward proselytism.

Practicalimplications

The managerial implications can guide managers toward enhancing the behavior loyalty of customers through better relational marketing practices.

Originality/value

The research is original in terms of conceptualizing and empirically testing the relation between brand attachment and behavior loyalty within the luxury restaurant sector with a specific focus on Tunisia. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between brand attachment and behavioral loyalty in the restaurant sector.
Organizational design, quality management and competitive advantage in hotels
Authors: Pereira-Moliner Jorge , Pertusa-Ortega Eva M. , Tarí Juan José , López-Gamero María D. , Molina-Azorín Jose F.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between practices of quality management (QM) and the characteristics of organizational design, and QM and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a partial least squares approach to test these relationships in 350 hotels in Spain.

Findings

The findings show that QM influences specialization, formalization and interdepartmental interactions, and that QM practices influence both cost and differentiation competitive advantage. The results also indicate the importance of QM strategic and operational systems as practices that have a key impact on the characteristics of organizational design. Similarly, the QM operational system is key in the relationship between QM and cost competitive advantage. Finally, the QM operational, information and strategic systems positively influence differentiation competitive advantage.

Practical implications

When hotels adopt QM practices, there will be significant changes in a number of organizational variables, including specialization, formalization and interdepartmental interactions. This paper provides empirical evidence that QM practices improve both cost and differentiation competitive advantage in the hotel industry.

Originality/value

There has been little research on the effects of QM on organizational design in the hotel industry. The contribution of this paper is that analyze the effects of QM on organizational design and competitive advantage, extending knowledge about these issues in a specific sector.
Implementation of sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry
Authors: Prud’homme Brigitte , Raymond Louis
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study aims to describe and understand how and to what extent hotel managers adopt sustainable development (SD) practices in their establishment, given the presence of barriers to the adoption of such practices by hotel establishments, and the lack of knowledge as to the ways and means by which an SD orientation is developed and implemented.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research strategy was chosen to answer the research questions, that is, a multi-site case study of five Canadian hotels.

Findings

The study shows why and how hotel managers proceeded to develop and implement an SD orientation, as well as the contextual factors that affected the extent to which SD practices were adopted.

Research limitations/implications

The initial elaboration and validation of a process model of SD adoption in hotel establishments constitute a conceptual building block upon which this complex phenomenon can be further studied.

Practical implications

This study demonstrates that in the hospitality industry, implementing an SD orientation is a strategy that can be enabled through the provision of required knowledge and expertise as well as appropriate tools and techniques to hotel managers.

Originality/value

In describing and understanding the dynamics of implementing a SD orientation in five Canadian hotels, this study has provided a conceptually and practically fruitful answer to the question of “how” and “to what extent” hotels adopt SD practices.
Convention attendance and gaming volume in South Korean casinos
Authors: Malek Kristin , Kim Jungsun (Sunny)
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to advance a theoretical model by estimating the effects of convention attendance on gaming volume (both monthly coin-in and table game drop).

Design/methodology/approach

– Performance monthly data from two casinos in South Korea are used to test the research model. Specifically, time series regression modeling was performed on the data with the dependent variables including coin-in and table drop and the independent variables including convention attendance and hotel occupancy.

Findings

– The hotel occupancy variable was found to significantly increase slot coin-in at a rate of 113,603,912 KRW (approximately US$93,500) per month at Casino A. Interestingly, this variable had a significant negative relationship with coin-in per month at Casino B. Meanwhile, the hotel occupancy variable failed to produce any significant effect in the table drop model at both casinos. The convention attendance variable also had no significant effect on both coin-in and table drop at both casinos.

Originality/value

– This research represents the first attempt to empirically examine the effects of convention attendance on gaming revenues in Asian markets.
Understanding the audience: Purbeck Folk Festival
Authors: Pilcher Danielle Robyn , Eade Nick
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Despite the ongoing research into visitor motivation in the live events and tourism industries, only a limited amount of research has examined the motivational factors exhibited in individual segments of society. The purpose of this paper was to identify a relationship between visitor demographics and visitor motivation, for the purpose of enhanced market research at folk festivals in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this research, a qualitative study of visitor demographics and their accompanying motivation to attend Purbeck Folk Festival is reported. The study was conducted in the form of interviews, which investigated the underlying motivation behind visitor attendance to Purbeck Folk Festival in 2014. The research process, guided by the literature of Robson (2011) and Bryman (2012), aimed to establish the extent to which visitor demographics did or did not impact visitor motivation to attend the event.

Findings

– The study revealed five motivational dimensions, and from this devised five core audience segments including: the escapists, the socialites, the family type, the experience seekers and the folkniks. This study highlights the correlation between visitor demographics and visitor motivation and suggests further applications of this research and similar research in the field of live events. The study contributes an insight into the audience of Purbeck Folk Festival and may be used to provide an understanding of audience profile and behaviour at folk festivals within the UK.

Research limitations/implications

– Due to the nature of the research, participants will be secured through non-probability quota sampling, which is a method of convenience. This approach may place limitations on the validity of the findings, as researcher bias may occur when selecting participants, for example, avoiding visitors who look intimidating or abnormal (Robson, 2011). The use of open-ended questions in the capacity of a greenfield event was identified as a potential difficulty, as participants are required to think about their answers and provide opinions, unlike a closed question method, which although quicker and easier, may not be as effective (Kumar, 2014). Therefore, to keep participants engaged and willing to provide further information, the interview design was kept short and questions are easily comprehendible.

Originality/value

– The research study reflects early the work of Mayo (Dickson, 1973), Maslow (1954) and Herzberg (1966), and builds on more recent literature by Kruger and Saayman (2012), which analysed the relationship between audience profile and motivation to attend.
Deterioration and the long term prisoner: a descriptive analysis of Myra Hindley
Authors: Pettigrew Mark
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore supposed inevitable personal decline for long-term prisoners, particularly those serving a sentence of life without parole.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the prison records of a life without parole sentenced prisoner.

Findings

– Findings suggest that prisoner deterioration is not inevitable in a whole life prison sentence.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings are based on one account, of a female prisoner.

Practical implications

– Distinct services and support are required for those with a natural life prison sentence.

Originality/value

– To date, there is limited research of prisoners serving life without parole, particularly the mental health implications of denying a prisoner future parole.
Applying configurational theory to build a typology of ethnocentric consumers
Authors: Feurer Sven , Baumbach Elisa , Woodside Arch G.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Individuals showing high consumer ethnocentrism (CE) prefer domestic over foreign-made products and their preferences may contribute to barriers to international market entry. Therefore, how to identify such consumers is an important question. Shankarmahesh’s (2006) review reveals inconsistencies in the literature with regard to CE and its antecedents. To shed theoretical and empirical light on these inconsistencies, the purpose of this paper is to contribute two new perspectives on CE: first, a typology that classifies ethnocentric consumers by the extent to which they support government-controlled protectionism and consumer-controlled protectionism; and second, a configurational (recipe) perspective on the antecedents.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of survey data from 3,859 consumers. The study contrasts the findings with findings using traditional statistical hypotheses testing via multiple regression analysis.

Findings

– The results reveal several configurations of antecedents that are sufficient for consistently explaining three distinct types of CE. No single antecedent condition is necessary for high CE to occur.

Practical implications

– The findings help global business strategists in their market entry decisions and in their targeting and segmentation efforts.

Originality/value

– The authors show the value of asymmetrical thinking about the relationship between CE and its antecedents. The results expand understanding of CE and challenge conventional net-effects thinking about its antecedents.
Implications of divergences in adult protection legislation
Authors: Montgomery Lorna , Anand Janet , Mackay Kathryn , Taylor Brian , Pearson Katherine C. , Harper Colin M.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences of legal responses to older adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors draw upon a review of elder abuse and adult protection undertaken on behalf of the commissioner for older people in Northern Ireland. This paper focusses on the desk top mapping of the different legal approaches and draws upon wider literature to frame the discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different legal responses.

Findings

– Arguments exist both for and against each legal approach. Differences in defining the scope and powers of adult protection legislation in the UK and internationally are highlighted.

Research limitations/implications

– This review was undertaken in late 2013; while the authors have updated the mapping to take account of subsequent changes, some statutory guidance is not yet available. While the expertise of a group of experienced professionals in the field of adult safeguarding was utilized, it was not feasible to employ a formal survey or consensus model.

Practical implications

– Some countries have already introduced APL and others are considering doing so. The potential advantages and challenges of introducing APL are highlighted.

Social implications

– The introduction of legislation may give professionals increased powers to prevent and reduce abuse of adults, but this would also change the dynamic of relationships within families and between families and professionals.

Originality/value

– This paper provides an accessible discussion of APL across the UK and internationally which to date has been lacking from the literature.