bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study of accepted pricing points for in‐room entertainment technology amenities by guests
Authors: Bilgihan Anil
Published: March 2012

Purpose

In‐room entertainment technology continues to evolve in the hotel industry. However, given the multitude of entertainment products available in the market place today, hoteliers have little clarity of guests' willingness to pay for those in‐room entertainment technology amenities. In this highly competitive environment for travelers, lodging managers should better understand what in‐room entertainment technology amenities their guests will purchase. The purpose of this study is to explore accepted pricing levels for in‐room entertainment technology amenities by hotel guests.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 2,500 US travelers was drawn randomly from a national database by rent‐a‐list.com for this study. An online survey was distributed. The response rate was 16.32 percent with 408 respondents.

Findings

Findings showed that guests want most of the in‐room entertainment technology amenities as complimentary. However, they are willing to pay for gaming consoles in their guest rooms.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that investigates the phenomenon of in‐room entertainment technology amenities. Implications are vital for hotel firms that aim to install the amenities.
Perceived importance of ICT‐based feature and services on conference center selection and differences among meeting planners
Authors: “Shawn” Lee Seungwon , Park Kunsoon , Khan Mahmood A.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the relative importance of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) based features and services at conference centers and underlying dimensions which could impact their selection by meeting planners. Further, it tests the relationship between types of meeting planners and their perceived importance of ICT‐based features.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 17 ICT‐based features and services were identified through extensive literature content analysis. Meeting planners were asked to rate the importance of each item when they select a conference center. Factor analysis was then performed to identify underlying dimension of the items and ANOVA was used to test any difference of perceived importance by the type of meeting planners.

Findings

Meeting planners consider “availability of technical support”, “high‐speed internet”, “wireless connectivity”, and ”e‐mail station” as important features/service when they select a conference center. However, they show significant lack of knowledge in terms related to network infrastructure that are used in meeting venue marketing materials. The results show that there is no significant difference in their perceived importance of ICT‐based feature/service by the type of meeting planner.

Originality/value

This study provides meaningful new dimensions of important ICT‐based features and services in site selection by both researchers and meeting facility professionals. In addition, this study compared three types of meeting planners including rarely studied corporate and government meeting planners regarding their perceived importance of ICT‐based features and services in their site selection.
Social network for the choice of tourist destination: attitude and behavioural intention
Authors: Di Pietro Loredana , Di Virgilio Francesca , Pantano Eleonora
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate how social networks can become the main tool for achieving fast and detailed information for the choice of tourism destination, in order to deeply understand the benefits of these media for promoting tourism destinations in a global perspective, reaching a wider range of potential visitors, and developing ad hoc and marketing strategies with benefits for competitive advantage on the market.

Design/methodology/approach

The research focuses on an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which also integrates the constructs e‐word‐of‐mouth communication and enjoyment. In particular, 1,397 experience users have been involved.

Findings

The main findings are related to the key role of e‐word of mouth communication on both the perception of usefulness and the attitude towards the use of social network as powerful tool for the choice of tourism destinations; as well as to enjoyment which underlines the role of the fun provided by the social network and represents a stronger predictor for consumer attitude and tourism behavior intention.

Research limitations/implications

This research does not focus on a specific tourists' destinations, thus the presence of different destinations may affect consumers in different ways, according to their involvement towards to a particular destination. This study contributes to deepening the scientific debate on the tourist's destinations.

Practical implications

The findings of this research support the development of tourism marketing and communication strategies focused on the online contexts as factors capable of influencing tourists' behaviour in a more efficient way.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the web‐based technologies, like social media, in order to deeply understand to what extend tourists accept the usage of these technologies for the choice of destination, by providing issues for researchers and practitioners. The present research is of a multidisciplinary value, by linking business science, psychology and social science.
Events and festivals in Asia and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region
Authors: Weber Karin , Ali‐Knight Jane
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This editorial aims to provide a brief overview of recent developments in the events industry in general, and in Asia and the MENA region in particular. The discussion forms a prelude for the individual contributions of this special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The papers cover a variety of different research methods and methodologies including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Findings

Setting the stage for the selection of papers is a thought‐provoking introduction, followed by six papers that aim to provide insights into key issues by examining pertinent literature, addressing relevant research questions, and providing applied and theoretical outcomes relevant to both academics and practitioners in the event and festival fields. These papers cover the variety, scope and diversity of events in Asia and MENA region, with a mixture of papers that examine event‐specific aspects and those that approach the subject from a broader destination/policy perspective.

Originality/value

The selection of papers are unique as they provide a thorough and extensive insight into the opportunities and challenges facing emergent festival and event destinations in Asia and the MENA region.
Festivals and events in emergent economies
Authors: Jones Calvin
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to briefly consider the socio‐political and economic ramifications of mega event hosting in emergent economies.

Design/methodology/approach

Conceptual.

Findings

The mega event landscape is undergoing significant change over the medium term. However, current trends suggest little of the dysfunction of prior mega event hosting will automatically disappear with a change of geographic focus to emergent economies. Indeed, whilst location may change, cultural content, organisation and, critically, uneven socio‐economic outcomes appear depressingly resistant to change. There is, therefore, an opportunity to refashion the hosting of mega events in ways which are more embedded, locally oriented, inclusive and diverse, but only if the objectives and metrics of success are wider than the purely financial or economic‐developmental.

Originality/value

The paper takes a historic overview of weaknesses in prior mega event hosting to suggest that a thoughtful consideration of the organisation and objectives of events held in emerging economies is necessary if wider benefits and a more diverse and sustainable event landscape are to be achieved.
Athletes' event experiences of the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India
Authors: MacIntosh Eric W. , Nicol Lesley
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to examine one primary stakeholder (i.e. athletes) and how they experienced the mega‐sport event environment of the XIX Commonwealth Games in the developing nation of India and the city of Delhi. A further objective was to identify key factors of the Games outside of athletic performance that shaped athletes' experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐dimensional instrument was created with an expert panel of Commonwealth Games Federation board members and sport management academics to examine athletes' experiences. Data was collected after the start of competition up until three weeks after the completion of the Games.

Findings

Overall, the athletes had a positive experience. Factors such as ceremonies (e.g. opening), ancillary areas (e.g. fitness facility) and sport venues (e.g. environment) in particular were rated by the athletes as positive. Certain aspects of the Games were identified as requiring improvements such as accommodations (e.g. housekeeping, laundry) and communication (e.g. wireless availability). Further, despite high scores for security, athletes also reported feeling uneasy about additional travel outside the athletes' village.

Practical implications

Enhanced opportunities to experience the city outside the athletes' village, increased merchandising opportunities, and holding the opening ceremonies further in advance of the start of competition were suggested by athletes.

Originality/value

The study was the first known study to empirically examine athletes' experiences with a mega‐sport event such as the Commonwealth Games.
Strategic creation of experiences at Shanghai World Expo: a practice of communification
Authors: Björner Emma , Olof Berg Per
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to our understanding of the underlying rationale for why companies participate in mega‐events in general, and in mega‐events in emerging economies – such as the 2010 Shanghai Expo – in particular. Of particular interest are the ways that companies use an event to advance their own purposes, and how experiences are created that use aspects of an event setting such as Expo 2010.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a participatory, ethnographic and longitudinal field study focusing on the VIP section of the Swedish Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, using additional data from other national pavilions and respondents with insight into Expo 2010 and its organization.

Findings

The study indicates that even though companies operationally used the World Expo and the VIP section in many different ways, an underlying element appears to be to use the event for the “practice of communification”.

Practical implications

The study provides practitioners with a conceptual framework and tools to manage the co‐creation process of experiences at events. This is done by supplying an empirical example from World Expo 2010 and the VIP area of the Swedish pavilion. This is a needed addition to the current knowledge on how customers engage in co‐creation of experiences and how companies manage the co‐creation process.

Originality/value

The “communification” concept is used to denote the simultaneous building of community while communicating business‐related issues to strengthen and build relationships with customers over time, with exclusivity and co‐creation of experiences as important components.
Comparative research of motivations across different festival products
Authors: Yolal Medet , Woo Eunju , Cetinel Fatmagul , Uysal Muzaffer
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The study has three objectives. The first objective of this paper is to investigate the underlying dimensions of motivation for attending an international festival in Turkey and whether motivation will vary across six different festival products (symphony, rock, world music, dance, ballet, and theater). The second purpose is to understand how festival attendees perceive the socio‐economic impacts of the festival and how these perceived impacts vary across different festival attendee groups. Finally, the study examines the overall satisfaction of festival attendees with respect to different festival products.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical data was collected by way of self‐administered questionnaires to obtain perceptions and motivations of 523 attendees in Eskisehir International Festival.

Findings

The results showed that there were significant differences in motivation among attendees from six different festival products. Duncan's multiple‐range tests were performed to further examine differences in motivation among these attendees. The mean scores of different groups indicate that “rock event” attendees tended to have lower motivation scores than other groups and have the lowest ratings on the factor of “family togetherness”. However, attendees did not differ on the perceived importance of socio‐economic impacts and satisfaction with the festival, irrespective of the festival product attended.

Originality/value

Festivals and special events have increased worldwide because they provide significant economic, socio‐cultural, and political impacts on destinations. While a plethora of studies have examined tourists' motivation and socio‐economic impacts, little research has been conducted on the motivation and socio‐economic impact of festival attendees with regard to different product offerings.
Exploring the driving factors behind the event strategy in Qatar
Authors: Khodr Hiba
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main driving factors behind the recent increase in the event market size in Qatar from a public policy perspective. It reports on a case study of the 2006 15th Asian Games that assisted in further examining both the underlying and implicit motives behind the phenomenon as well as its expected policy implications.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory paper uses a case study approach in which two complementary types of data sources are employed. The qualitative data was mainly obtained from in‐depth semi‐structured interviews conducted with 26 key stakeholders ranging from middle to senior professionals, academicians, high‐ranking officials from the local tourism/sports authorities, and representatives from the private sector. The data was further enhanced by an extensive review and analysis of related documents available in the public domain. Data was analyzed using an iterative thematic content analysis whose findings served to illustrate the theoretical perspectives in the relevant prevailing literature.

Findings

Findings suggest that Qatar is using events as a way to reimage and position itself as a destination and increase its profile internationally in addition to gaining a competitive edge regionally. Other explanatory factors include: economic sustainability and diversification plans and tourism‐related policies as well as social development strategies. Another identified driver is linked to globalization and modernization trends. These driving factors are consistent with the ones acknowledged in the literature on national and urban event strategies and their purpose.

Originality/value

The analysis conducted in this paper laid the foundation for much needed future evaluation studies on the country's tourism strategies and trends as well as events' impacts. The treatment of this subject from a governmental policy angle has not received nearly enough attention among scholars of tourism policy and events management. Moreover, considering the growing event market in Qatar, this paper fills the gap in the literature in terms of analyzing the driving forces behind this growth and highlights important issues specific to a relatively unexplored region undergoing rapid development.
Non‐Muslim consumers' understanding of Halal principles in Malaysia
Authors: Rezai Golnaz , Mohamed Zainalabidin , Nasir Shamsudin Mad
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to determine the factors that most likely influence non‐Muslims' understanding of Halal principles in a country where almost 60 percent of the population is Muslim.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross‐sectional data were collected through a survey of 800 non‐Muslims in the Klang Valley, via structured questionnaires, to gather information on their understanding of Halal principles and food products. The logit model was applied to determine the extent to which socio environment factors influenced the respondents' understanding and familiarities with Halal principles and Halal food products.

Findings

The results of this study suggest that non‐Muslim consumers are aware of the existence of Halal food in Malaysia. In general, socio‐environmental factors such as mixing with Muslims socially and the presence of advertised Halal food significantly influence non‐Muslims' understanding of Halal principles. The findings also suggest that non‐Muslims understand that Halal principles are also concerned about food safety issues and environmentally friendly ways of doing things.

Research limitations/implications

The research used a quantitative method to analyse 800 non‐Muslim respondents in the Klang Valley only.

Practical implications

The practical implications extend to food policy decision makers and food marketers who might pursue strategies in their distribution and communication efforts which target the growing Halal food market segment among non‐Muslims. Dissemination of information plays an important role in making non‐Muslims improve their understanding of Halal principles.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to investigate the level of understanding of Halal principles among non‐Muslims in Malaysia.
Clients' perception towards JAKIM service quality in Halal certification
Authors: Badruldin Baizuri , Mohamed Zainalabidin , Sharifuddin Juwaidah , Rezai Golnaz , Mahir Abdullah Amin , Abd Latif Ismail , Ghazali Mohayidin Mohd.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the level service quality from the perspective of food manufacturers. Malaysia is gearing towards becoming a major player in the world Halal market. Its Halal certification is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). The process of awarding Halal certificates involves not only an official site inspection of production plants but also the examination on the Halal status of raw materials. In 2007, JAKIM only approved 75 percent of the total number of applications for Halal certification.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 547 small and medium‐sized enterprise manufacturers in Malaysia represented the population for this study. SERVQUAL gap analysis was used to measure the gap between clients' expectations and their perceptions of JAKIM's services.

Findings

The results of the analysis indicate that the biggest gap was in the empathy dimension, followed by responsiveness, reliability, assurance and tangibles. The results show that JAKIM had not met food manufacturers' expectations in all five service quality dimensions, especially the empathy dimension.

Practical implications

Practical implications extend to food policy decision makers involved in JAKIM to develop and formulate appropriate strategies to meet the needs of its clients more effectively.

Originality/value

JAKIM could design training programs by emphasizing on the issues of human factors in service delivery, in particular the requirements of customer care, work ethics and human relations skills. Training in customer relationships is important and this applies to employees at all levels.
The influence of religion on Islamic mobile phone banking services adoption
Authors: Sun Susan , Xue Yang , Goh Tiong , Fam Kim‐Shyan , Xue Yang
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects religious affiliation and commitment have on Southeast Asian young adults' intention to adopt Islamic mobile phone banking.

Design/methodology/approach

An online self‐administered survey was distributed to Southeast Asian young adults through convenience and snowball sampling and a total of 135 responses obtained.

Findings

The study found Islamic mobile phone banking to be a novelty service, with little consumer awareness and experience, especially among non‐Muslims. Religious affiliation and commitment were both effective segmentation strategies, as differences in adoption intention were found between Muslims and non‐Muslims, as well as devout and casually religious Muslims. Overall, devout Muslims were socially‐oriented with their adoption criteria whereas casually religious and non‐Muslims relied upon the utilitarian attributes.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the existing mobile banking adoption literature by providing evidence of consumers' adoption intentions toward Islamic mobile phone banking. It also uses religious commitment in addition to affiliation as segmentation tools, an approach which has not been used in previous Islamic mobile banking research.
Developmental correlates of offending patterns in serial rapists
Authors: Joubert David
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The idea that criminal behavior is a function of the offender's personality, also called the Homology hypothesis, has a long history in forensic psychology and criminology. This assumption, however, has been decried as lacking empirical support. In spite of much social concern relative to sexual offenses, there is virtually no research looking at the stability of offending pattern in sex offenders of adult women. This paper aims to fill some of the gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

Latent structure analyses were conducted on a secondary dataset including 145 serial rapists. A cross‐sectional, discrete time‐series design was used including a sequence of three offenses.

Findings

Moderate support was found for the three main assumptions underlying the Homology hypothesis. Offenses tended to share a relatively similar underlying structure, with the victimology and aggression components being more prominent than the sexual dimension. The three primary profiles identified, labeled “Passive”, “Stranger‐aggressive”, and “Antisocial”, were found to be about 50 percent stable across the sequence. Finally, the presence of significant dysfunction in the family of origin predicted membership in the “Antisocial” class, as well as increased the specificity and stability of this profile. The presence of early maladjustment was not related to any of the states.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the results, it is proposed that future research incorporates contextual‐environmental elements in order to increase the validity of the findings.

Originality/value

This study represents a unique attempt at documenting patterns of stability and variations across incidents of rape, using an institutional sample. Furthermore, it illustrates the use and potential benefits of latent structure models in criminological research.
Dimensionality and construct validity of the Rosenberg self‐esteem scale within a sample of recidivistic prisoners
Authors: Boduszek Daniel , Shevlin Mark , Mallett John , Hyland Philip , O'Kane Damian
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This study aims to examine the construct validity and factor structure of the Rosenberg self‐esteem scale (RSES) using a sample (n=312) of Polish prisoners incarcerated in Nowogard High Security Prison.

Design/methodology/approach

The number of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models under investigation was limited to two by virtue of employing a much stricter and more rigorously sound methodological procedure in which item errors were prevented from correlating, as suggested by Brown.

Findings

Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the two‐factor (positive and negative self‐esteem) model provided a better fit for the RSES items than did the one‐factor model.

Originality/value

The results provide some initial support for the two‐dimensional model that could possibly be measuring substantively separate factors within a prison sample, thus calling into question the one‐factor solution of the RSES.
Police confidence in lie detection: an assessment of crime types, Miranda and interview techniques
Authors: Frantzen Durant , Hakan Can Salih
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Experimental research on lie detection has indicated that accuracy rates hover around chance but that police are significantly better in detecting deception in “high” stakes rather than “low” stakes situations. This paper has three objectives: to compare confidence levels in lie detection for property crime and violent crime detectives; to compare differences in confidence levels for custodial and noncustodial interviews; and to evaluate the relationship between interrogation techniques and lie detection confidence.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses self‐report data from a sample of Texas police detectives.

Findings

The results of this study show that property crime detectives are significantly more confident in their lie detection ability than are violent crime detectives. The results also highlight the fact that police detectives are significantly less confident in their lie detection abilities when the suspect has been provided his or her Miranda warnings.

Originality/value

The study highlights the disparity in findings derived from self‐reported data and experimental studies on veracity judgments and the need to account for contextual factors that ultimately impact the ecological validity of this research.
An examination of judicial sentencing decisions in child pornography and child molestation cases in Canada
Authors: Jung Sandy , Stein Shayla
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Accessing and distributing child pornography is an emerging problem. This paper aims to examine the judicial sentencing decisions of child pornography cases and whether they differ from decisions of child molestation cases.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a legal database of Canadian court judgments, the study examined sentencing decisions of 50 child pornography and 50 child molestation cases, identifying variables that were present in the judges' reasons for their decision.

Findings

The results revealed a disparity in sentencing that favours incarceration rather than community sentences for child molesters over child pornography cases. Despite what appears to be lighter sentences for child pornography offenders, judges were more likely to sanction treatment and recommend restrictions in cases of child pornography than child molestation. In light of the absence of literature exploring sentencing disparity among child sexual offences, further directions and suggestions for practice are discussed.

Practical implications

The examination of the disparity of sentencing decisions for child molesters and child pornography offenders and the identified variables that may contribute to these decisions suggests that the judiciary views child pornography and child molestation offenders differently and are more punitive toward contact offenders. Such disparity has implications for the criminal justice system.

Originality/value

This study offers the first exploration of sentencing disparity and decisions on child pornography and child molestation cases in Canada.
Pre‐offense characteristics of nineteenth‐century American parricide offenders: an archival exploration
Authors: Chong Ho Shon Phillip , Barton‐Bellessa Shannon M.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Previous criminological research has examined the causes and correlates of violent juvenile offending, but failed to explore the developmental taxonomies of crime throughout history. Theoretically, developmental trajectories of offending (i.e. life‐course persistent and adolescence‐limited offenders) should be identifiable irrespective of time and place. This study aims to examine the pre‐offense characteristics of nineteenth‐century American parricide offenders.

Design/methodology/approach

Using archival records of two major newspapers (New York Times, Chicago Tribune), the study examines 220 offenders who committed attempted and completed parricides during the latter half of the nineteenth century (1852‐1999).

Findings

Results reveal that a small group of adult parricide offenders displayed antisocial tendencies at an early age that persisted into adulthood. These findings are consistent with the developmental literature, thus providing support for identification of pre‐offense characteristics of parricide offenders across historical periods.

Originality/value

The findings reported in this paper are of value to psychologists, historians, and criminologists, for they illuminate the similarities in predictors related to violent behaviors in a small subsection of adult offenders across two centuries.
You’re in; you’re out: selection practices of coaches
Authors: Bradbury Trish , Forsyth Darryl
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate athlete selection procedures implemented by 25 provincial and national level coaches in New Zealand. One of the main focuses of the study was the degree to which workplace human resource management (HRM) selection practices were utilised, or could have been beneficial, for athlete selection. As many selection controversies have been caused by unclear or unspecified selection procedures, the study focused on discovering what processes coaches utilised when selecting athletes and, importantly, to what degree these processes were communicated to athletes.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected via semi‐structured interviews and interpreted using thematic analysis which enabled the extraction of the major recurring themes.

Findings

Although the majority of coaches supported the use of HRM selection processes, only six reported implementing HRM type practices. Overall, the study found that coaches on the whole did not fully utilise HRM selection practices. Furthermore, although there tended to be some degree of communication of these processes to athletes, this was not always done in a clear and precise way.

Research limitations/implications

Core HRM practices, procedures, and terminology are seemingly rarely utilised in the athlete selection processes of amateur team sport. It is argued that future research should focus on determining how best to implement workplace HRM selection processes for team athlete selection.

Originality/value

Somewhat surprisingly, very little past research has investigated current athlete selection processes in relation to workplace HRM selection practices. The present research increases the understanding of current team athlete selection and provides discussion of the results in relation to HRM selection best practice.
The need for regulating professional soccer in Europe
Authors: Storm Rasmus K.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue for the necessity of regulating European club football financially, in order to create a fair structure of sporting competition.

Design/methodology/approach

By deploying the soft budget constraint approach – originally developed by Hungarian Economist János Kornai in order to understand (public) business behavior in socialist and post‐socialist economies – and combining it with empirical analysis, the paper develops an understanding of why the majority of European top league clubs are loss‐makers and why regulation is needed. The paper rests on its application of the soft budget constraint approach to build its argument and uses existing empirical research in order to support it within the field of European professional football.

Findings

The paper finds substantial evidence of soft budget constraints in professional football clubs, and argues that softness punishes the few financially well‐managed clubs in sporting terms for balancing their books.

Research limitations/implications

From a theoretical point of view, the new perspective of soft budget constraints takes political, cultural and emotional aspects into account in order to understand economic behavior among professional team sports clubs. This gives promising new insights into the discipline of sports economics and sports management.

Practical implications

The paper's findings demand action to be taken to secure financial fair play in order to deal with issues of equal sporting competition. It argues that this must be done through a central regulation scheme covering all European leagues, thus endorsing the new UEFA financial fair play program. At the same time, however, the paper recognizes the problems in implementing the program efficiently.

Originality/value

The originality and value of the paper is its application of a new theoretical approach that clarifies the problems of European professional football and the reasons why regulatory solutions are necessary to harden the budget constraints.
Morphophenotypic characteristics of intralymphatic cancer and stromal cells susceptible to lymphogenic metastasis
Authors: Matsumura Yuki , Ishii Genichiro , Aokage Keiju , Kuwata Takeshi , Hishida Tomoyuki , Yoshida Junji , Nishimura Mitsuyo , Nagai Kanji , Ochiai Atsushi
Published: March 2012

The intravessel microenvironment has significant effects on cancer metastasis. The aim of the present study was to determine how the morphologic and immunophenotypic features of cancer cells and infiltrating stromal cells within the permeated lymphatic vessels are associated with lymphogenic metastasis. A total of 137 primary lung adenocarcinoma patients with extratumoral lymphatic permeations were examined. Morphologically, the floating cancer nests within the permeated lymphatic vessels were divided into two types: Type A, consisting of a single large cancer nest; and Type B, consisting of multiple small cancer nests. We compared the clinicopathologic characteristics and the immunophenotypes of the cancer cells and infiltrating stromal cells between the Type A and Type B nests. Eleven of 54 Type A patients (20%) had intrapulmonary metastases, compared with 36 of 83 Type B patients (43%; P = 0.006). Immunohistochemically, Type B cancer cells expressed significantly higher levels of CD44 than Type A cancer cells (mean scoresAUTHOR: Scores ‐ what is this score? Is it the number of cells expressing CD44 or the concentration of CD44 or some other type of scoring system? 43.0 vs 20.5, respectively) and E‐cadherin (60.5 vs 31.5, respectively), but lower levels of Geminin (11.9% vs 20.3%, respectively) and cleaved caspase 3 (2.4% vs 7.8%AUTHOR: 11.9% vs 20.3%, respectively) and cleaved caspase 3 (2.4% vs 7.8%, – what do the percentages here refer to? The number of cells expressing geminin and caspase 3? The levels of these factors? Please clarify., respectively). Moreover, a significantly larger number of CD204‐positive macrophages were present within the cancer‐permeated lymphatic vessels in Type B patients than in Type A patients (mean number 9.5 vs 4.6, respectively). The present study reveals that intralymphatic cancer cell and stromal cell phenotypes are susceptible to lymphogenic metastasis, suggesting that lymphogenic metastasis may be affected by the intralymphatic microenvironment they create. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1342–1347)
Ecological impacts of desert plantation forests on biodiversity
Authors: Farahat Emad , Linderholm Hans W.
Published: March 2012

This investigation involves the comparison of the diversity of understorey vegetation of four desert planted forests with the adjacent desert areas. Spatial and temporal variations in species composition and structure were compared, and alpha and beta diversities were compared for the field data collected from sampled sites. The diversity of native desert species decreased from 66% in desert areas to 44% of the total recorded plants inside the forests. Meanwhile, the percentage of agricultural weed species increased in forests to >twofold more than that recorded in desert areas. Plant communities in forest stands shared <50% of their species with adjacent vegetation in desert stands. The percentage of variation in species composition was >340% in some forests compared with the desert areas. Alpha diversity and β‐diversity were significantly higher in forest stands than in the desert. Spatial and temporal variations in species diversity were correlated with type of tree canopy and irrigation system. Planted forests had significant negative effects on the diversity of native desert shrubs and trees. Using flood irrigation and more spacing between trees might help in conserving the floristic diversity of desert shrubs and trees at the forest floor.
Elongation‐related functions of LEAFY COTYLEDON1 during the development of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Junker Astrid , Mönke Gudrun , Rutten Twan , Keilwagen Jens , Seifert Michael , Thi Tuyet Minh Nguyen , Renou Jean‐Pierre , Balzergue Sandrine , Viehöver Prisca , Hähnel Urs , Ludwig‐Müller Jutta , Altschmied Lothar , Conrad Udo , Weisshaar Bernd , Bäumlein Helmut
Published: March 2012

The transcription factor LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) controls aspects of early embryogenesis and seed maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana. To identify components of the LEC1 regulon, transgenic plants were derived in which LEC1 expression was inducible by dexamethasone treatment. The cotyledon‐like leaves and swollen root tips developed by these plants contained seed‐storage compounds and resemble the phenotypes produced by increased auxin levels. In agreement with this, LEC1 was found to mediate up‐regulation of the auxin synthesis gene YUCCA10. Auxin accumulated primarily in the elongation zone at the root–hypocotyl junction (collet). This accumulation correlates with hypocotyl growth, which is either inhibited in LEC1‐induced embryonic seedlings or stimulated in the LEC1‐induced long‐hypocotyl phenotype, therefore resembling etiolated seedlings. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed a number of phytohormone‐ and elongation‐related genes among the putative LEC1 target genes. LEC1 appears to be an integrator of various regulatory events, involving the transcription factor itself as well as light and hormone signalling, especially during somatic and early zygotic embryogenesis. Furthermore, the data suggest non‐embryonic functions for LEC1 during post‐germinative etiolation.
Potential impacts of climatic change on southern African birds of fynbos and grassland biodiversity hotspots
Authors: Huntley Brian , Barnard Phoebe
Published: March 2012

Aim  To examine potential impacts of climatic change on bird species richness of the fynbos and grassland biomes, especially on species of conservation concern, and to consider implications for biodiversity conservation strategy.

Location  Southern Africa, defined for this study as South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Methods  Climate response surfaces were fitted to model relationships between recorded distributions and reporting rates of 94 species and current bioclimatic variables. These models were used to project species’ potential ranges and reporting rates for future climatic scenarios derived from three general circulation models for 30‐year periods centred on 2025, 2055 and 2085. Results were summarized for species associated with each biome and examined in detail for 12 species of conservation concern.

Results  Species richness of fynbos and grassland bird assemblages will potentially decrease by an average of 30–40% by 2085 as a result of projected climatic changes. The areas of greatest richness are projected to decrease in extent and to shift in both cases. Attainment of projected shifts is likely to be limited by extent of untransformed habitat. Most species of conservation concern are projected to decrease in range extent, some by > 60%, and to decrease in reporting rate even where they persist, impacts upon their populations thus being greater than might be inferred from decreases in range extent alone. Two species may no longer have any areas of suitable climatic space by 2055; both already appear to be declining rapidly.

Main conclusions  Species losses are likely to be widespread with most species projected to decrease in range extent. Loss of key species, such as pollinators, may have far‐reaching implications for ecosystem function and composition. Conservation strategies, and identification of species of conservation concern, need to be informed by such results, notwithstanding the many uncertainties, because the certainties of climatic change make it essential that likely impacts not to be ignored.
Adult‐Directed and Peer‐Directed Respect for Authority: Relationships With Aggressive and Manipulative Behavior
Authors: Clemans Katherine H. , Graber Julia A. , Bettencourt Amie F.
Published: March 2012

This study investigated whether respect for adult and peer authority are separate attitudes which have distinct relationships with aggressive and manipulative behavior. Items assessing admiration for and obedience toward parents, teachers, popular students, and friend group leaders were administered to 286 middle school students (M age = 12.6 years). Factor analysis revealed two primary factors which corresponded to adult‐directed and peer‐directed respect orientations. Results suggested that adult‐directed respect was associated with lower levels of aggression and social manipulation, whereas peer‐directed respect was associated with higher levels of these behaviors. The role of peer‐directed respect as a risk factor for negative social behavior in adolescence is discussed.
Foreign Wars and Domestic Prejudice: How Media Exposure to the Israeli‐Palestinian Conflict Predicts Ethnic Stereotyping by Jewish and Arab American Adolescents
Authors: Huesmann L. Rowell , Dubow Eric F. , Boxer Paul , Souweidane Violet , Ginges Jeremy
Published: March 2012

This study was based on the theory that adolescents view scenes of violent ethnic conflicts in the mass media through the lens of their own ethnicity, and that the resulting social‐cognitive reactions influence their negative stereotypes about similar ethnic groups in their own country. We interviewed 89 Jewish and 180 Arab American high school students about their exposure to the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict, their social cognitive reactions to it, and their stereotypes toward ethnic groups. Beyond the effects of ethnic identity, the degree to which adolescents identified with Israelis and Palestinians in the media was a key variable linking exposure to media depictions of the conflict and the implicit ethnic stereotypes they displayed about Jewish Americans and Arab Americans.
Social Networking Site Use Predicts Changes in Young Adults’ Psychological Adjustment
Authors: Szwedo David E. , Mikami Amori Yee , Allen Joseph P.
Published: March 2012

This study examined youths’ friendships and posted pictures on social networking sites as predictors of changes in their adjustment over time. Observational, self‐report, and peer‐report data were obtained from a community sample of 89 young adults interviewed at age 21 and again at age 22. Findings were consistent with a leveling effect for online friendships, predicting decreases in internalizing symptoms for youth with lower initial levels of social acceptance, but increases in symptoms for youth with higher initial levels over the following year. Across the entire sample, deviant behavior in posted photos predicted increases in young adults’ problematic alcohol use over time. The importance of considering the interplay between online and offline social factors for predicting adjustment is discussed.
Experimental selective elevation of renal medullary blood flow in hypertensive rats: evidence against short‐term hypotensive effect
Authors: Bądzyńska B. , Sadowski J.
Published: March 2012

Aim

Renal medullary blood flow (MBF) can be selectively increased by intrarenal or systemic infusion of bradykinin (Bk) in anaesthetized normotensive rats. We reproduced this effect in a number of rat models of arterial hypertension and examined whether increased perfusion of the renal medulla can cause a short‐term decrease in blood pressure (BP) that is not mediated by increased renal excretion and depletion of body fluids.

Methods

In uninephrectomized Sprague–Dawley rats, BP was elevated to approx. 145 mmHg by acute i.v. infusion of noradrenaline (NA) or angiotensin II (Ang II) (groups 1, 2), 2‐week exposure to high‐salt diet (3), high‐salt diet + chronic low‐dose infusion of Ang II using osmotic minipumps (4) or chronic high‐dose Ang II infusion on normal diet (5). Uninephrectomized spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) were also examined (6,7). To selectively increase medullary perfusion, in anaesthetized rats, bradykinin was infused during 30–75 min into the renal medullary interstitium or intravenously.

Results and Conclusion

Bradykinin increased outer‐ and inner‐medullary blood flow (laser‐Doppler fluxes) by 10–20% in groups (1, 2), by 30–50% in groups (3, 4, 5) and approx. 20% in SHR (6, 7). The concurrent increase in total renal blood flow (Transonic probe) was < 3%. A minor (<3%) decrease in BP was seen only in rats acutely rendered hypertensive by NA or Ang II infusions; however, the decreases in BP and increases in medullary perfusion were not correlated. Thus, there was no evidence that in hypertensive rats, substantial selective increases in medullary perfusion can cause a short‐term decrease in BP.
EXPLORING THE INFORMATION PRACTICES OF PEOPLE WITH END‐STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE
Authors: Bonner Ann , Lloyd Annemaree
Published: March 2012

This small exploratory study sought to understand how people with End‐Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) experience the information environment and what information practices they employ in order to inform the decisions they make in relation to treatment and care. Using a constructivist methodology, in‐depth interviews were conducted with five people who were receiving haemodialysis in two small satellite dialysis units located in regional and rural communities in New South Wales, Australia. Thematic analysis revealed two types of patients. The first type appears to adopt a received view of information, who do not question their condition; and passively accept information. In the other type, patients were found to be engaged; they actively identified their information needs and quickly learned what that they needed to ask and who to ask. Knowing the information practices of people with ESKD is useful for nephrology nurses when providing patient education.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEPRESSION, CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING HAEMODIALYSIS
Authors: Bornivelli Christina , Aperis Georgios , Giannikouris Ioannis , Paliouras Christos , Alivanis Polichronis
Published: March 2012

In this paper, we investigated the incidence of depression and its relation to clinical, laboratory parameters and sleep disorders in 45 haemodialysis (HD) patients. They were divided into two groups. Group A (n = 29) had no depression, whereas Group B (n = 16) had clinically assessed depression. Subjects were compared in terms of socioeconomic, clinical, laboratory parameters and presence of sleep disorders. Groups were matched for age, sex, family status, education, self‐esteem, coffee and alcohol consumption, psychiatric history, time on HD and laboratory (serum urea, creatinine, electrolytes, iron, albumin and lipids) parameters. Group B demonstrated significantly lower haemoglobin levels (11.13 ± 1.69 and 12.23 ± 1.31 g/dl, respectively; p < 0.01) and higher C‐Reactive Protein (CRP) levels (1.82 ± 1.73 and 0.83 ± 0.6 mg/dl, respectively; p < 0.005) compared to Group A. Additionally, strong correlation was observed when Hamilton Depression Scale scores were related to haemoglobin (r =−0.30, p < 0.05), CRP (r = 0.38, p < 0.001) and AIS scores (r = 0.54, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, depression seems to be related to high CRP, low haemoglobin levels and sleep disorders.