Tourism 2004: State of the Art II

In 1994, The Scottish Hotel School, University of Strathclyde, celebrated its 50th anniversary by hosting a Conference, Tourism The State of the Art. The publication\ud arising from this conference was published by Wiley & Sons and consisted of 89 papers amounting to a massive volume of 867 pages. Unsurprisingly the content was variable in quality. Nevertheless the coverage was very comprehensive and with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that the content is a fair representation of the "state of the art" in the mid 1990s. In 2004, the University celebrated its 60th anniversary by hosting Tourism The State of the Art II. On this occasion the publication had less visual impact being confined to a CD version. However the content was expanded to include 200 double-blind refereed papers, reflective of the rapid expansion of research output in the field as well as the strong interest generated by the staging of the conference

\u3ci\u3eMutual Pharmaceutical Co. v. Bartlett\u3c/i\u3e and Its Implications

The authors state that the U.S. Supreme Court’s preemption ruling in Mutual Pharmaceutical Co. v. Bartlett, which generally shields generic drug manufacturers from state-law damages liability for design-defect claims, may also have broader implications for preemption jurisprudence. In this article they describe the Supreme Court’s decision in Mutual and evaluate how it may affect future products-liability litigation. Part I provides an overview of the case’s factual background and of federal generic drug regulation, while Part II discusses the Court’s majority opinion and the dissents. Part III analyzes the implications of the decision, offering ideas on how plaintiffs injured by defective or mislabeled generic prescription drugs may seek compensation after Mutual and how federal regulators and Congress may respond. Part III also briefly assesses Mutual’s potential impact on federal preemption doctrine

Assessing Destination Competitiveness: An Application to the Hot Springs Tourism Sector

This paper proposes a model to identify the factors determining the competitiveness of the hot springs tourism sector, with particular application to Taiwan. The proposed conceptual framework brings together two approaches, namely the theories of industry organization (10) and the resource-based view (RBV). The proposition underlying this framework is that destination competitiveness is achieved by the adoption of policies and strategies aligned with market opportunities, drawing upon the unique or distinctive tourism features offered by the destination. It is proposed that three major influences are evident in the case of hot springs tourism, namely Tourism Destination Resources and Attractors, Tourism Destination Strategies and Tourism Destination Environments. An evaluation is provided of the administration of a three-round Delphi survey, which was intended to validate the determinants of destination competitiveness that were derived from the literature. Drawing upon the results of the pilot study it is concluded that the development of a sector-specific model of destination competitiveness is capable of capturing the nature and characteristics of the hot springs tourism sector

The use and perceived usefulness of information sources among Japanese overseas tourists

This investigation into the use and perceived usefulness of information among Japanese outbound travellers reports on the findings of a survey conducted with over 1,200 Japanese travellers. The research examines information use by travellers about a range of travel components including restaurants, attractionsand accommodation at both the before and during travel phases. It was found that travel guidebooks were the most heavily used source of information and their usefulness was evaluated as one of the highest during both phases. Using correspondence analysis, it is shown that while travel guidebooks were used heavily for finding out about most travel components, the only component that did not show significant reliance on information from travel guidebooks at either the prior to or during travel phases was accommodatio

An evaluation of unethical business practices in Australia's China inbound tourism market

This paper examines the prevalence of unethical practices within the business sector operating in the China to Australia tourism market. The range and nature of the practices is outlined in the context of the structure of outbound operations in China and inbound operations in Australia, taking account of the roles of the respective governments. The prospective impact of the practices on the growth of the market is evaluated. An estimation is provided of the potentially negative impacts of word-of-mouth recommendations on future China to Australia tourism flows

Guidebook use by Japanese tourists: a qualitative study of Australia inbound travellers

This qualitative investigation into guidebook use reports on in-depth interviews conducted with 26 Japanese individuals and one couple who had visited Australia during the five previous years. Focussing on the stages before, during and after travel the research framework was based on Vogt and Fesenmaier’s model of information needs (1998). It was found that functional needs were the dominant influences during the prior to travel phase, with some non-functional needs, (hedonic, aesthetic, and innovation) also being influential. During the travel phase, only functional needs were evident. Some respondents were identified as being deliberate non-users of guidebooks. The variable “tourist type” was found to be helpful for distinguishing between users and non-users and for identifying those with functional needs. The use of guidebooks by those whose needs are both functional and non-functional may be unaffected by this variable. When the attitudes of those who actively dislike guidebooks and those who hesitate to use them are aggregated, a view emerges of guidebooks as a symbol of standardised tourism

Dubai outbound tourism: An exploratory study of Emiratis and expatriates

This research investigates the perceptions of residents of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards the state of Victoria, Australia as a destination and assesses their knowledge of Victoria’s tourism attributes. Focus groups were undertaken with UAE nationals (referred to as Emiratis), expatriate residents and travel agents. In the case of the former group it was found that the previous travel experiences of most respondents involved travelling in family groups with the wife and mother making the key travel-related decisions. The responses appeared to be broadly representative of attitudes prevalent more widely within their relevant families. Of the expatriate respondents, all were experienced travellers who had previously visited Australia. Their tourism interests, in such things as outdoor activities and music, differed from those of the Emiratis. All but one of the respondents in the focus group of travel agents had previously visited Australia. The study fills a gap in researching immature markets. The use of the focus group method illustrates how investigating the perceptions of emerging target markets can provide a useful input to shape future industry development

Investigating the Role of Aggrecan in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Low back pain affects nearly 85% of the population of the United States, and is associated with a huge socioeconomic burden. One of the leading causes of low back pain is Intervertebral Disc (IVD) degeneration, which results in an ingrowth of blood vessels and neurites, as well as a sensitization of those neurites. Previous research has indicated that both Aggrecan plays a role in regulating angiogenesis in the IVD, and Aggrecan has also been shown to inhibit neurogenesis and sensitize neurites. However, it is unclear which components of Aggrecan control its inhibitory effects. The goal of this study was to determine how intact and degraded Chondroitin Sulfate groups, the dominant side-chains of Aggrecan, affect angiogenesis in vitro, as well as the sensitization of neurites. Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were cultured with either intact or degraded Chondroitin Sulfate-A (CSA), Chondroitin Sulfate-B (CSB), or Chondroitin Sulfate-C (CSC) at a concentration of either 10 µg/ml or 100µg/ml for 16 hours during a tubular formation assay. The tubular assay was quantified for total tubular length using the Angiogenesis Analyzer plugin for Image J. The assay showed that no inhibition occurred for any of the groups, and that pro-angiogenic effects were observed for the 100µg/ml concentration of degraded CSC. The protocol developed to investigate the effect of Aggrecan on neurite sensitization involved optimizing the methodology for extracting Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRGs) cells from mice for use as a primary cell model. The protocol developed is based on literature, but optimizes for simplicity, time, and reduction in the cost of surgical instruments. This protocol achieves these goals, and attains high viability for DRG cell clusters, but fails to consistently retrieve viable cells from the intact DRGs This study sought to investigate the role chondroitin sulfate side chains play in angiogenesis, and it found evidence that the degraded factors can have pro-angiogenic effects. The study also sought to develop a protocol that could be used to aggrecan in the role of sensitization, and it improved the speed and simplicity of existing procedures.No embargoAcademic Major: Biomedical Engineerin

Forward Contracts Preference Exception Broadly Construed

(Excerpt) Derivative transactions and financial contracts are a critical component of the United States economy. There are three main types of derivative contracts executed in our markets: futures, options and forward contracts. Each of these instruments derives value from an underlying security or resource with focus on a possible change in its future value. These instruments can be used as speculative investments, as hedges on securities already owned, or as a means of mitigating risk on volatility within a specific industry. An essential attribute of trading in these derivatives is “the ability of the parties to value their transaction on a net basis with the counterparty and to close-out and replace the transaction in the event one party defaults.” Prior to 1982, when one party to these types of transactions filed for relief under the Bankruptcy Code, the finality of the deal remained uncertain. This uncertainty led to a string of piece-meal amendments passed between 1982 and 1990, followed by a wholesale broadening of the bankruptcy safe harbor provisions in 2005 with the passing of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (“BAPCPA”). “The Safe Harbor Provisions were designed ‘to ensure that the swap and forward contract financial markets are not destabilized by uncertainties regarding the treatment of their financial instruments under the Bankruptcy Code.’” Congress wanted to avoid the potentially catastrophic domino effect that might be caused by unwinding settled financial transactions. Essentially, Congress wanted the safe harbor provisions to “protect the financial markets from the destabilizing effects of bankruptcy proceedings for parties to specific commodity and financial contracts.” While safe harbor provisions appear in many sections of the Code, this memo will focus primarily on those afforded by section 546(e) as it relates to forward contracts. In particular, the memo addresses bankruptcy court interpretations of the section with focus on the recently decided, Lightfoot v. MXEnergy, Inc. Part I of this memo analyzes sections 546(e) and 101(25) of the Code and bankruptcy courts’ scattered interpretation of ‘forward contract’ under 101(25) as it relates to 546(e). Part II addresses the trend toward expanding the scope of section 546’s protection and the evolving definition of forward contract within our courts. Finally, Part III discusses the impact of Lightfoot and the policy considerations and practical effects the holding may have for bankruptcy trustees going forward