The Impact of Monetary Policy Shocks on Stock Prices: Evidence from Canada and the United States

monetary policy shocks; stock prices; open economy; structural vector autoregressive model

Buying into a regional brand: The naming of Central Otago wineries

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the meanings and sources of winery names in the Central Otago wine region. In particular, two questions are addressed: To what extent are the elements of the Central Otago regional wine story apparent in the winery names of the region? Are there discernible differences in the elements emphasised in the more established wineries and those that have been launched more recently

STRATEGI PDI-PERJUANGAN DALAM PEMENANGAN CALON LEGISLATIF PEREMPUAN DI KABUPATEN HALMAHERA BARAT

ABSTRAK               Penelitian ini mempelajari strategi kampanye untuk kandidat perempuan yang dilakukan oleh Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP) selama pemilihan legislatif pada 17 April 2019 di Kabupaten Halmahera Barat. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia telah memenangkan 4 kursi di Parlemen lokal, yang sama-sama membagi antara 2 kandidat laki-laki dan 2 perempuan. Penelitian ini berfokus pada bagaimana kandidat perempuan melakukan strategi kampanye mereka. Ini diuntungkan dari metode wawancara kualitatif, terutama yang ditujukan untuk menggambarkan strategi kampanye kandidat perempuan. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa berbagai strategi kampanye bervariasi sesuai dengan tahapan tahapan pemilihan yang berbeda. Setidaknya ada dua hal yang dimiliki oleh kebanyakan kandidat. Pertama-tama, para kandidat menggunakan materi kampanye yang hampir serupa seperti kalender, stiker, selebaran, dan poster. Kedua, konten materi kampanye termasuk konsolidasi, framing masalah, dan pembangunan citra. Kata kunci: strategi; partai politik; kandidat perempuan; pemilihan legislatif.    PDI-PERJUANGAN STRATEGY IN THE WINNING OF WOMEN'S LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES IN WEST HALMAHERA DISTRICT  ABSTRACT This research studied campaign strategies for women canditates conducted by Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP) during the legislative election in 17 April 2019 in West Halmahera District. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia had won 4 seats in the local Parliament, which equally split between 2 men and 2 women candidates. The research focused on how women canditates conducted their campaign strategies. It is benefitted from qualitative interview methods, especially designated to portray campaign strategies of women canditates. The research found that various campaign strategies varied in line with the different stages of electoral phases. There are at least two things that most candidates have in common. First of all, candidates used almost similar campaign materials such as calendars, stickers, flyers, and posters. Secondly, the content of campaign material including consolidation, issues framing, and image building.  Keywords: strategy; political party; women candidates; legislative election

The Correlation Between Total Quality Management Practices and Employees' Job Performance: Basis for Proposed Sustainable TQM Strategies

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) success factors implementation and the employees’ job performance of an oil company located in the province of Batangas, Philippines in order to propose TQM strategies that could further sustain the implementation of the practices. The 100 employees selected through purposive sampling are the participants of the study. The validated questionnaire was administered through electronic data surveying. Data were statistically treated with the techniques used such as measure of central tendency to determine the participants’ demographic profile, assessment of the TQM success factors and the effect of TQM to the employees’ job performance, and Pearson correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between the implementation of TQM success factors and employee job performance. The results indicated that employees strongly agree that all the eight success factors of TQM are visibly implemented in the company. Among the eight success factors, it is training and development, quality culture and customer focus which garnered the highest ratings. For the effect of TQM in the job performance, it was revealed that the employees consider the TQM implementation with respect to doing their excellent performance in their jobs. Lastly, there is a significant relationship between the implementation of TQM success factors and employee job performance. This findings give an implication that oil companies may consider the full implementation and decide on proper application of the success factors to their organization as these are significantly affecting the job performance of the employees. Thus, the proposed TQM strategies can be of help in the sustaining the implementation of TQM practices. Keywords: TQM practices, job performance, oil compan

VP24-Karyopherin alpha binding affinities differ between Ebolavirus species, nfluencing interferon inhibition and VP24 stability

Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) belong to the same genus but exhibit different virulence properties. VP24 protein, a structural protein present in all family members, blocks interferon (IFN) signaling and likely contributes to virulence. Inhibition of IFN signaling by EBOV VP24 (eVP24) involves its interaction with the NPI-1 subfamily of karyopherin alpha (KPNA) nuclear transporters. Here, we evaluated eVP24, BDBV VP24 (bVP24), and RESTV VP24 (rVP24) interactions with three NPI-1 subfamily KPNAs (KPNA1, KPNA5, and KPNA6). Using purified proteins, we demonstrated that each VP24 binds to each of the three NPI-1 KPNAs. bVP24, however, exhibited approximately 10-fold-lower KPNA binding affinity than either eVP24 or rVP24. Cell-based assays also indicate that bVP24 exhibits decreased KPNA interaction, decreased suppression of IFN induced gene expression, and a decreased half-life in transfected cells compared to eVP24 or rVP24. Amino acid sequence alignments between bVP24 and eVP24 also identified residues within and surrounding the previously defined eVP24-KPNA5 binding interface that decrease eVP24-KPNA affinity or bVP24-KPNA affinity. VP24 mutations that lead to reduced KPNA binding affinity also decrease IFN inhibition and shorten VP24 half-lives. These data identify novel functional differences in VP24-KPNA interaction and reveal a novel impact of the VP24-KPNA interaction on VP24 stability. IMPORTANCE The interaction of Ebola virus (EBOV) VP24 protein with host karyopherin alpha (KPNA) proteins blocks type I interferon (IFN) signaling, which is a central component of the host innate immune response to viral infection. Here, we quantitatively compared the interactions of VP24 proteins from EBOV and two members of the Ebolavirus genus, Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) and Reston virus (RESTV). The data reveal lower binding affinity of the BDBV VP24 (bVP24) for KPNAs and demonstrate that the interaction with KPNA modulates inhibition of IFN signaling and VP24 stability. The effect of KPNA interaction on VP24 stability is a novel functional consequence of this virus-host interaction, and the differences identified between viral species may contribute to differences in pathogenesis

Creating a scale for assessing socially sustainable tourism

As destinations absorb even increasing number of visitors, destination managers become progressively more concerned about the longer term viability of tourism from a resident’s perspective. However, few studies have examined the application of real time social sustainability within tourism, particularly how to measure impacts on social sustainability. This study outlines the development of a valid and reliable scale – the Scale of Social Sustainability (SSS) - for tourism that provides an assessment of social sustainability in destination settings. A 10-step procedure was developed drawing upon the related literature. A telephone poll-based survey generated 1,839 valid responses from Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong’s growing popularity as a destination provides a rich array of host–guest conflict situations. Dimensionality was identified using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Construct validity, reliability, and stability were assessed, and found good, showing that the scale could be used by other destinations worldwide. The theoretical and managerial implications of the scale are discussed, including options for annual surveys giving policy makers alerts before situations worsen. Detailed host resident viewpoints, and the large scale of the survey can help local residents be informed about tourism development and better involved in the policy formation process

Place-based marketing and wine tourism: creating a point of difference and economic sustainability for small wineries

The purpose of this paper is to explore how small-scale wineries and wine regions create a point of difference and economic sustainability in a competitive marketplace through utilizing regional place branding and cellar door visitation. This research is based on qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with winery owners/managers and additional wine and tourism stakeholders in a single case study: The Central Otago wine region in the South Island of New Zealand. In total, 39 interviews were conducted in 2007 and 2010. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and categorized for analysis. Place marketing is a significant factor in the success of both regional and individual wine marketing initiatives, as it serves as a strategy of differentiation. Desirable regional attributes, as well as emotionally-appealing stories of the people and processes behind wine production, have been used deliberately by respondents in the marketing of Central Otago wine products and experiences. Respondents suggest that one of the most effective ways to facilitate a positive association between place and their product in the minds of consumers is through winery visitation, whereby visitors come to associate the region’s wines with the landscape and beauty of the area that they experience. Visitors also have the opportunity to experience the stories behind the wine, building emotional connections with the winery, and the region, which may ultimately lead to brand loyalty

Nodular glomerulosclerosis with anti-glomerular basement membrane-like glomerulonephritis; a distinct pattern of kidney injury observed in smokers

Background: Cigarette smoking has recently been recognized as a risk factor for developing nodular glomerulosclerosis and has also been frequently encountered in patients with anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease. However, the concurrent presence of both patterns of glomerular injury has not been previously reported. Material and methods In this article, we describe three patients with non-diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis, anti-GBM-like glomerulonephritis (GN) and a history of heavy smoking. Results: Our cohort included three patients, of which two were men (53 and 77 years old) and one a 28-year-old woman. None of the patients had a history of diabetes mellitus but all of them were heavy smokers who presented with renal insufficiency and proteinuria. Nodular glomerulosclerosis and occasional small, non-circumferential crescents in different stages of development were found on kidney biopsy. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies showed intense linear IgG staining along the glomerular basement membranes in the absence of granular immune-type deposits. Electron microscopy evaluation revealed prominent endothelial cell injury without detectable electron-dense deposits. One patient was dialysis-dependent a few months post-biopsy while the other two patients maintained their kidney function 18 and 24 months post-biopsy but without a significant improvement of serum creatinine. Conclusions: The combination of nodular glomerulosclerosis and anti-GBM-like GN appears to be a distinct pattern of injury observed in a small subset of heavy smokers. Although this pattern of glomerular injury might be less aggressive than the typical anti-GBM GN, it does not appear to carry a favorable prognosis

The Chinese Hospitality Industry: A perspective article

This paper illustrates the logics shifting in the Chinese hotel industry since1949 and offers a better understanding of how and why the Chinese hotel industry has evolved into its present situation. The logic evolution and future trends in this market were also discussed