Organizational Adoption of Web-enabled Services for Information Dissemination

Although communication, collaboration, and transaction processing are some of the important business functions facilitated by the web, timely dissemination of information is critical for ultimate customer satisfaction and potential profitability. The purpose of this study is to determine the affect that contextual factors such as IS maturity, organizational attributes, and environmental characteristics have on perceived usefulness and adoption of web-enabled services for information dissemination in organizations. The key focus of this article is organizational adoption as opposed to individual acceptance for which there have been numerous studies. A research model and eight hypotheses were developed based on past literature. Data were collected from senior managers in small business organizations using an instrument that was carefully developed and tested. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the goodness of fit of the model and the hypotheses. The model suggested adequate fit. The results indicate the importance of perceived usefulness in organizational adoption of web-enabled services for information dissemination. Other important factors for adoption are IS maturity, IS budget and organizational slack

Citizen Attitudes Towards the Restriction of Alcohol Sponsorship in Sport

Background Governments can intervene to change health related behaviours using various measures but are sensitive to public attitudes towards such interventions. In response to the growing concern around alcohol and its relationship with sport, a Ministerial Forum considered the need to amend the current Sale and Supply Act (2012). Fourteen policies were recommended, four of which were relevant to sport sponsorship. This study explores the public’s attitudes towards the levels of acceptance and perceived effectiveness of these four policies, and the extent that these attitudes vary according to a variety of demographic, behavioural and psychological variables. Methods Eight hundred and ninety-two participants completed a survey. The survey consisted of 26 items, broken into 7 subgroups: demographic, consumption patterns, parental status, sporting participation, psychological involvement, policy statements and industry preference. Relationships were analysed with descriptive statistics including mean difference testing, standard deviations and frequencies along with independent t-tests and correlation analyses. Results The key finding is New Zealanders have moderate attitudes towards the Ministerial Forum’s recommendations. This study also found that young males who drink frequently and participate in sport are the strongest opposers to alcohol restriction, whereas the elderly, females and non-drinkers were the most supportive of alcohol restriction. Parental status did not significantly impact attitudes towards the recommendations. Conclusions This study is able to add to the body of literature in both the sport sponsorship and public policy fields because it is the first New Zealand study examining public opinions towards alcohol sponsorship restriction in sport. It is evident that policy issues related to sponsorship and other forms of promotion involving alcohol are controversial and complex. By examining one of the arguably neglected voices in the debate, this study has been able to present the public’s attitudes towards the restriction of alcohol sponsorship in sport

The Impact of Brexit on Cross-Border Trade by the Construction Sector in Ireland: an Exploratory Study

Cross-border co-operation can foster learning and contribute positively to business performance and social cohesion. This paper considers construction firms\u27 economic motivation for co-operation around the Ireland - Northern Ireland border. This area, while impacted by the Brexit uncertainty, shares many of the economic and developmental characteristics of border areas throughout Europe. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of Brexit on cross border trade by the construction sector in Ireland and investigate the current tensions and barriers to that sector. A qualitative methodology adopted a literature review and semi-structured interview strategy. Data was collected from purposively selected contractors in the North and South of Ireland, who have recent experience of cross border construction. Qualitative analysis identifies themes and issues arising which enabled examination of commonalities and differences between the respondents. Differing regulatory regimes, perceived barriers to cross-border co-operation and uncertainty reduce crossborder trade. The study establishes the lack of Brexit preparedness of industry and the need for more industry specific research regarding the level of existing cross border trade, and the measures that could be adopted to resist fragmentation and integrate Irish cross border construction trade in the context of Brexit

Existence of stationary fronts in a system of two coupled wave equations with spatial inhomogeneity

We investigate the existence of stationary fronts in a coupled system of two sine-Gordon equations with a smooth, "hat-like" spatial inhomogeneity. The spatial inhomogeneity corresponds to a spatially dependent scaling of the sine-Gordon potential term. The uncoupled inhomogeneous sine-Gordon equation has stable stationary front solutions that persist in the coupled system. Carrying out a numerical investigation it is found that these inhomogeneous sine-Gordon fronts loose stability, provided the coupling between the two inhomogeneous sine-Gordon equations is strong enough, with new stable fronts bifurcating. In order to analytically study the bifurcating fronts, we first approximate the smooth spatial inhomogeneity by a piecewise constant function. With this approximation, we prove analytically the existence of a pitchfork bifurcation. To complete the argument, we prove that transverse fronts for a piecewise constant inhomogeneity persist for the smooth "hat-like" spatial inhomogeneity by introducing a fast-slow structure and using geometric singular perturbation theory

A Comparison of Faculty and Undergraduate Students\u27 Perceptions of Online Courses and Degree Programs

Many colleges and universities are currently offering online courses and even complete online degree programs, and many others are developing or considering plans to do so. The perceptions of those who are potential subscribers to these programs as well as those who will deliver these programs will be critical to their success. This paper investigates the perceptions of current undergraduate students and college business professors toward online courses and degree programs along several dimensions. Perceptions of college professors toward these programs are significantly less favorable than are the perceptions of college students. The dimensions of these perceptions are explored to provide guidance regarding delivery of online programs

Differences in Distress Between Rural and Non-rural Appalachian Breast Cancer Patient / Caregiver Dyads During the First Year of Treatment

Introduction: Breast cancer patients and their caregivers living in rural Appalachia face substantial health disparities compared to their non-rural Appalachian counterparts. However, there is limited research on how these specific health disparities in rural Appalachian communities may impact patient psychological distress and caregiver strain during the first year of breast cancer treatment. Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to assess differences in patient psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and caregiver strain between rural non-rural Appalachian breast-cancer-affected dyads (patients and their caregivers) during the first year of treatment. Methods: A total of 48 Appalachian breast cancer patients (with a Stage I through Stage III diagnosis) and their identified caregiver (together, ‘dyads’) were identified from The University of Tennessee Medical Center across 2019 to 2020. Dyads completed follow-up surveys throughout the first year of treatment. In this prospective pilot study, measures on anxiety, depression and caregiver strain were self-reported and then analyzed using RM-ANOVA. Results: There was a statistically significant higher number of reports of patient depression and caregiver strain in rural-residing dyads compared to non-rural-residing dyads. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between rural and non-rural Appalachian dyads for patient-reported anxiety during the first year of treatment. Implications: The higher reported patient depression and caregiver strain among rural-residing Appalachian patients may indicate the need for implementing remote (e.g., telehealth) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address the psychological needs of rural-residing dyads. Additionally, greater education from physicians to rural dyads on what to expect during treatment could alleviate caregiver strain

Maintenance of subsynaptic myonuclei number is not driven by neural input

The development and maintenance of neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) are supported by a specialized population of myonuclei that are referred to as the subsynaptic myonuclei (SSM). The relationship between the number of SSM and the integrity of the NMJ as well as the impact of a loss of innervation on SSM remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these associations by simultaneously analyzing SSM counts and NMJ innervation status in three distinct mouse models of acute and chronic NMJ disruption. SSM were identified using fluorescent immunohistochemistry for Nesprin1 expression, which is highly enriched in SSM, along with anatomical location beneath the muscle fiber motor endplate. Acute denervation, induced by surgical nerve transection, did not affect SSM number after 7 days. Additionally, no significant changes in SSM number were observed during normal aging or in mice with chronic oxidative stress (Sod1−/−). Both aging WT mice and Sod1−/− mice accumulated degenerating and denervated NMJ in skeletal muscle, but there was no correlation between innervation status of a given NMJ and SSM number in aged or Sod1−/− mice. These findings challenge the notion that a loss of SSM is a primary driver of NMJ degradation and leave open questions of the mechanisms that regulate SSM number as well as the physiological significance of the precise SSM number. Further investigations are required to define other properties of the SSM, such as transcriptional profiles and structural integrity, to better understand their role in NMJ maintenance

Discharge β-Blocker Use and Race after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Introduction: The use of discharge β-blockers after cardiac surgery is associated with a long-term mortality benefit. β-Blockers have been suggested to be less effective in black cardiovascular patients compared with whites. To date, racial differences in the long-term survival of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients who receive β-blockers at discharge have not been examined. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients undergoing CABG between 2002 and 2011. Long-term survival was compared in patients who were and who were not discharged with β-blockers. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using a Cox regression model. P-for-interaction between race and discharge β-blocker use was computed using a likelihood ratio test. Results: A total of 853 (88%) black (n = 970) and 3,038 (88%) white (n = 3,460) patients had a history of β-blocker use at discharge (N = 4,430). Black patients who received β-blockers survived longer than those not receiving β-blockers and the survival advantage was comparable with white patients (black, adjusted HR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.23–0.46; white, adjusted HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.39–0.58; p-for-interaction = 0.74). Among patients discharged on β-blockers, we did not observe a long-term survival advantage for white compared with black patients (HR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.95–1.5). Conclusion: β-Blocker use at discharge was associated with a survival advantage among black patients after CABG and a similar association was observed in white patients