title: Keeping track of electronic reading material

authors: Alanazi, Mohammed Subhi

subjects: Tracking reading material

abstract: Because reading electronically has become widespread, keeping track of the wide range of material one reads has become a problem. To explore this issue, a user study was conducted concerning how people keep track of the materials they have been reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read. We observed that people use different methods for these three tasks, and that there is a discontinuity in the processing of reading materials. Moreover, people have no effective common strategy for keeping track of what they read. As a result of this study, we derived four requirements for developing a system that helps people keep track of their reading materials.

Instead of developing a completely new system, seven available systems were reviewed to find out which one can be extended and cover the requirements. Two open source software projects were chosen to be analysed more deeply (Zotero and Greenstone). As a result of this analysis, we decided to combine the two software systems to work together. Tracking Reading Material System (TRMS) was developed as a solution for the problem. TRMS combines Greenstone and Zotero software, using Greenstone to store and organise documents, and Zotero to capture the documents and metadata. Four participants used TRMS, and evaluated it over a week's use, and completed a diary. Each participant was interviewed individually pre- and post-use of the TRMS.  This data showed that the TRMS was partially successful, but modifications are needed for a more satisfactory user experience.

text: Keeping track of electronic reading material Because reading electronically has become widespread, keeping track of the wide range of material one reads has become a problem. To explore this issue, a user study was conducted concerning how people keep track of the materials they have been reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read. We observed that people use different methods for these three tasks, and that there is a discontinuity in the processing of reading materials. Moreover, people have no effective common strategy for keeping track of what they read. As a result of this study, we derived four requirements for developing a system that helps people keep track of their reading materials.

Instead of developing a completely new system, seven available systems were reviewed to find out which one can be extended and cover the requirements. Two open source software projects were chosen to be analysed more deeply (Zotero and Greenstone). As a result of this analysis, we decided to combine the two software systems to work together. Tracking Reading Material System (TRMS) was developed as a solution for the problem. TRMS combines Greenstone and Zotero software, using Greenstone to store and organise documents, and Zotero to capture the documents and metadata. Four participants used TRMS, and evaluated it over a week's use, and completed a diary. Each participant was interviewed individually pre- and post-use of the TRMS.  This data showed that the TRMS was partially successful, but modifications are needed for a more satisfactory user experience.

year: 2013

title: The motivations, constraints and decision-making of Beijing outbound tourists

authors: Zhang, Wei

subjects: Chinese tourists

abstract: The number of international tourists from China has increased remarkably in the past two decades, and it is expected to continue growing with an increase of household income and discretionary time. This thesis aims to understand Chinese outbound pleasure travellers by identifying their travel motivations, constraints and decision making in the pre-trip stage. Beijing was selected in the research because it is one of the three largest outbound tourist generating cities in China. Hence, the characteristics of travellers from Beijing are representative of a significant part in China's outbound travel market. 
This thesis addresses the following issues. The study of motivation answers quotwhyquot Chinese tourists go overseas for holiday. The literature suggests motivation can be understood from push and pull perspectives. In this framework, push factors refer to the tourist as a subject and deal with those factors driving him or her to travel. On the other hand, pull factors are those which attract the tourist to a given resort or destination. This study attempts to identify the push and pull factors associated with Chinese outbound tourists. Furthermore, market segmentation was achieved based on this framework by clustering the respondents into four groups. 
The decision-making process is complex and involves several stages and influencing factors. The first decision is usually whether to travel or stay at home. The preposition is that motivation and constraints have certain impacts on participation. The next decision is related to where to travel. The preposition here is that the destination choice is influenced by motivation, constraints and socio-demographic characteristics as well as the attractiveness of place attributes. Moreover, these factors are expected 
to also influence the travel frequency. After selecting the destination, a number of subordinate decisions, such as accommodation, travel mode, length of stay and activities have to be made. The preposition is that decisions on these issues are greatly influenced by socio-demographic characteristics. A theoretical model of decision-making was presented on the basis of these propositions. It should be mentioned that this model focuses on the relationship of these factors instead of the sequence of decision-making. There are indeed cases in which, for example, people decide on activities before destination choice. 
A mixed method was adopted when the merits and deficiencies of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were taken into consideration. Qualitative data from interviews with 20 Beijing residents were collected with two purposes: first, to help identify the variables selected in the survey; second, to supplement interpretation of the results from the survey. Next a survey was used to gather quantitative data. T-test, ANOVA, factor and cluster analysis, as well as regression were used to analyse the data in SPSS. The combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was utilized to enhance the trustworthiness of the findings. 
The study identifies the most important push and pull motivations as well as the main constraints for Beijing outbound tourists. The results of the study also include an assessment of the influences of motivation, constraints and the role of socio-demographic variables on destination choice and travel frequency. Other useful findings about subdecisions of Beijing outbound tourists are reported such as desired activities, information search, accommodation selection etc. 
The research findings provide information for destination marketers and service providers as to the expectation, preference, and characteristics of Chinese outbound iii 
tourists, and help them better promote and service this market. Meanwhile, the research contributes to the travel behaviour literature by providing empirical evidence about the decision-making process of Chinese outbound tourists.

text: The motivations, constraints and decision-making of Beijing outbound tourists The number of international tourists from China has increased remarkably in the past two decades, and it is expected to continue growing with an increase of household income and discretionary time. This thesis aims to understand Chinese outbound pleasure travellers by identifying their travel motivations, constraints and decision making in the pre-trip stage. Beijing was selected in the research because it is one of the three largest outbound tourist generating cities in China. Hence, the characteristics of travellers from Beijing are representative of a significant part in China's outbound travel market. 
This thesis addresses the following issues. The study of motivation answers quotwhyquot Chinese tourists go overseas for holiday. The literature suggests motivation can be understood from push and pull perspectives. In this framework, push factors refer to the tourist as a subject and deal with those factors driving him or her to travel. On the other hand, pull factors are those which attract the tourist to a given resort or destination. This study attempts to identify the push and pull factors associated with Chinese outbound tourists. Furthermore, market segmentation was achieved based on this framework by clustering the respondents into four groups. 
The decision-making process is complex and involves several stages and influencing factors. The first decision is usually whether to travel or stay at home. The preposition is that motivation and constraints have certain impacts on participation. The next decision is related to where to travel. The preposition here is that the destination choice is influenced by motivation, constraints and socio-demographic characteristics as well as the attractiveness of place attributes. Moreover, these factors are expected 
to also influence the travel frequency. After selecting the destination, a number of subordinate decisions, such as accommodation, travel mode, length of stay and activities have to be made. The preposition is that decisions on these issues are greatly influenced by socio-demographic characteristics. A theoretical model of decision-making was presented on the basis of these propositions. It should be mentioned that this model focuses on the relationship of these factors instead of the sequence of decision-making. There are indeed cases in which, for example, people decide on activities before destination choice. 
A mixed method was adopted when the merits and deficiencies of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were taken into consideration. Qualitative data from interviews with 20 Beijing residents were collected with two purposes: first, to help identify the variables selected in the survey; second, to supplement interpretation of the results from the survey. Next a survey was used to gather quantitative data. T-test, ANOVA, factor and cluster analysis, as well as regression were used to analyse the data in SPSS. The combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was utilized to enhance the trustworthiness of the findings. 
The study identifies the most important push and pull motivations as well as the main constraints for Beijing outbound tourists. The results of the study also include an assessment of the influences of motivation, constraints and the role of socio-demographic variables on destination choice and travel frequency. Other useful findings about subdecisions of Beijing outbound tourists are reported such as desired activities, information search, accommodation selection etc. 
The research findings provide information for destination marketers and service providers as to the expectation, preference, and characteristics of Chinese outbound iii 
tourists, and help them better promote and service this market. Meanwhile, the research contributes to the travel behaviour literature by providing empirical evidence about the decision-making process of Chinese outbound tourists.

year: 2009

title: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media.

authors: Barnett, Catherine Margaret Eleanor

subjects: otitis media

abstract: Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

text: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media. Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

year: 2007