Predicting students’ response to entrepreneurship in hospitality and tourism education: An application of the theory of planned behavior

Globally, the study of entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming a prominent component of hospitality and tourism education. However, uncertainties arising from an unpredictable business environment, inadequate governmental support as well as the ramifications of the recent Covid-19 pandemic have heightened the risks of starting business ventures. Yet the role of risk-taking propensity in driving entrepreneurial attitudes and career decisions in the context of developing economies has received limited attention. Using a survey of 547 hospitality and tourism students from five public universities, the structural equation modeling technique of partial least squares was applied in examining students’ response to entrepreneurship. While entrepreneurial attitudes are driven by risk-taking inclination, the findings suggest that entrepreneurial career decisions are more complicated. The study outcome further underscores the critical roles of personal attitude, normative influence, and behavioral control in shaping entrepreneurial mind-sets

Recruitment of the Oncoprotein v-ErbA to Aggresomes

Aggresome formation, a cellular response to misfolded protein aggregates, is linked to cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Previously we showed that Gag-v-ErbA (v-ErbA), a retroviral variant of the thyroid hormone receptor (TRα1), accumulates in and sequesters TRα1 into cytoplasmic foci. Here, we show that foci represent v-ErbA targeting to aggresomes. v-ErbA colocalizes with aggresomal markers, proteasomes, hsp70, HDAC6, and mitochondria. Foci have hallmark characteristics of aggresomes: formation is microtubule-dependent, accelerated by proteasome inhibitors, and they disrupt intermediate filaments. Proteasome-mediated degradation is critical for clearance of v-ErbA and T3-dependent TRα1 clearance. Our studies highlight v-ErbA\u27s complex mode of action: the oncoprotein is highly mobile and trafficks between the nucleus, cytoplasm, and aggresome, carrying out distinct activities within each compartment. Dynamic trafficking to aggresomes contributes to the dominant negative activity of v-ErbA and may be enhanced by the viral Gag sequence. These studies provide insight into novel modes of oncogenesis across multiple cellular compartments

Multiple Exportins Influence Thyroid Hormone Receptor Localization

The thyroid hormone receptor (TR) undergoes nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and regulates target genes involved in metabolism and development. Previously, we showed that TR follows a CRM1/calreticulinmediated nuclear export pathway. However, two lines of evidence suggest TR also follows another pathway: export is only partially blocked by leptomycin B (LMB), a CRM1-specific inhibitor; and we identified nuclear export signals in TR that are LMB-resistant. To determine whether other exportins are involved in TR shuttling, we used RNA interference and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching shuttling assays in transfected cells. Knockdown of exportins 4, 5, and 7 altered TR shuttling dynamics, and when exportins 5 and 7 were overexpressed, TR distribution shifted towards the cytosol. To further assess the effects of exportin overexpression, we examined transactivation of a TR-responsive reporter gene. Our data indicate that multiple exportins influence TR localization, highlighting a fine balance of nuclear import, retention, and export that modulates TR function

Food as a conduit for poverty reduction in Cape Coast Metropolitan Area: Food as a conduit for poverty reduction in Cape Coast Metropolitan Area

The concept of the School Feeding Programme as instituted by the Government ofGhana was to provide caterers in deprived communities with money, who in turn will purchase locally grown foodstuff, prepare it and feed them to kindergarten and primary school children in the community. A major requirement was for the caterers to spend 80% of the monies given them in the communities that accommodated the schools. The primary goal was to reduce hunger and malnutrition in the children, increase school enrolment and increase food production in the communities. This paper investigates and discusses the extent to which these objectives are being carried out by the caterers employed to do so with respect to the use of locally produced food and labour and the reasons behind their choices. Using a qualitative approach, an in-depth interview was conducted for eight caterers out of the eleven engaged in the school feeding programme in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Area. The results from the study revealed that, even though all the caterers were aware of the 80% clause, a bulk of the purchases and labour was acquired outside the communities that housed the schools. Availability and affordability were some of the reasons given for this pattern

The Role of NLRP3 in Shiga toxin Induced Inflammation

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a pathogen that causes severe colitis. Shiga toxins (Stx) are a major virulence factor for EHEC and Stx-induced inflammation and cell death play a critical role in the development of EHEC-related disease. Therefore, the goal of this project was to examine the mechanisms by which Stx activates proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β and cell death in human macrophages. Stx induced ROS-dependent IL-1β secretion and pyroptosis in human THP-1 macrophages but not murine macrophages that lacked the Stx receptor CD77. Stx triggered the assembly of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 containing inflammasomes and genetic deletion of NLRP3 abolished Stx-induced IL-1β maturation and pyroptosis. Stx preferentially induced expression the endoplasmic reticulum stress receptor IRE1α. Pharmacological inhibition of IRE1α significantly reduced Stx-induced mitochondrial ROS production, IL-1β, and pyroptosis. These data suggest that Stx activate the IRE1α arm of the ER stress pathway upstream of mitochondrial ROS to trigger the NLRP3 inflammasome

Housing for senior citizens in Muncie, Indiana

There is no abstract available for this research paper.Thesis (M.A.

Will The Chef Serve This? Insights On Placing Ghanaian Dishes On The Hotel Menu: Will The Chef Serve This? Insights On Placing Ghanaian Dishes On The Hotel Menu

Aside its gastronomic qualities, food is identified as a means through which tourism destinations can be promoted. Suggestions are made for local dishes to be served in tourism-oriented establishments to increase their acceptance as tourism products. Generally the discourse on food tourism has largely been from a demand perspective with relatively little emphasis being placed on the supply-side dimensions, particularly the decision making processes that surround the placement of Ghanaian food on the hotel menu. This study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour as the substratum to enquire into the attitudes and intentions of menu decision-makers in hotels towards adding more variety of Ghanaian dishes unto their menu.Adopting a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with menu decision-makers from twelve purposively selected 1 to 3-star rated hotels in Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. Interpretation of the results was based on the factors that are considered by menu-decision makers when deciding on menu items as suggested by the literature and described using the narrative technique, summaries and representative quotes. The findings indicate that while there is a general desire by chefs to increase their placement of Ghanaian dishes on the menu, factors such as customer acceptance, and managerial support play a constraining role in the slow adaption of local dishes unto the menu

Housing for senior citizens in Muncie, Indiana

There is no abstract available for this research paper.Thesis (M.A.

Visitor satisfaction with Ghana’s tourist attractions: Visitor satisfaction with Ghana’s tourist attractions

Attractions play an important role in determining a destination’s allure, and for this reason many destinations seek to boost patronage of their products by marketing their attractions. Thus, tourist satisfaction with attractions is intrinsically linked to a destination’s fortunes. Yet, not many studies have focused on attraction satisfaction, much so within the Sub Saharan African milieu which presents a context that is rather different from the conventional settings within which tourism has been studied. This paper therefore set out to explore visitor satisfaction with Ghana’s attractions. It employed a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods and interviewed 412 visitors to Ghana over a 3 month period. While the overall satisfaction was fairly high, attribute-specific satisfaction was found to be much lower. Overall Satisfaction was also found to have significant statistical associations with certain socio-demographic variables as well as repeat intentions. More importantly, it was observed that their intrinsic qualities notwithstanding, Ghanaian attractions generally lack the other elements of the ‘servicescape’, i.e. supporting facilities that make the attraction experience satisfying. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for enhancing satisfaction at the attractions are proffered