Examining the Personal and Institutional Determinants of Research Productivity in Hospitality and Tourism Management

The transition toward a post-capitalist knowledge-oriented economy has resulted in an increasingly competitive academic environment, where the success of faculty is dependent on their research productivity. This study examines the personal and institutional determinants of the quantity and quality of the research productivity of hospitality and tourism management faculty in US institutions. A survey of 98 faculty found that a different set of determinants impact the quantity and quality aspects of research productivity. Also, institutional determinants were found to play a larger role, indicating the need for administrators to strive for a culture that is supportive of and an infrastructure that is conducive to their faculty’s research success. The authors use the field of hospitality and tourism management as a case study to develop a holistic and cohesive framework for knowledge worker productivity that can guide the evaluation, hiring, and development of researchers

Magnetometry of random AC magnetic fields using a single Nitrogen-Vacancy center

We report on the use of a single NV center to probe fluctuating AC magnetic fields. Using engineered currents to induce random changes in the field amplitude and phase, we show that stochastic fluctuations reduce the NV center sensitivity and, in general, make the NV response field-dependent. We also introduce two modalities to determine the field spectral composition, unknown a priori in a practical application. One strategy capitalizes on the generation of AC-field-induced coherence 'revivals', while the other approach uses the time-tagged fluorescence intensity record from successive NV observations to reconstruct the AC field spectral density. These studies are relevant for magnetic sensing in scenarios where the field of interest has a non-trivial, stochastic behavior, such as sensing unpolarized nuclear spin ensembles at low static magnetic fields.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Interaction and Expressivity in Video Games: Harnessing the Rhetoric of Film

The film-maker uses the camera and editing creatively, not simply to present the action of the film but also to set up a particular relation between the action and the viewer. In 3D video games with action controlled by the player, the pseudo camera is usually less creatively controlled and has less effect on the player’s appreciation of and engagement with the game. This paper discusses methods of controlling games by easy and intuitive interfaces and use of an automated virtual camera to increase the appeal of games for users

European Imperialist Violence and Feminine Influence in Joseph Conrad\u27s Heart of Darkness

This thesis explores themes of influence and resistance to imperialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. To contextualize the feminine control and resistance of imperialism and colonialism, the thesis first examines Marlow’s and Kurt’s roles as agents and representatives of the Company, and thereby reveals their complicity in the brutalities carried out against the native people of the Congo. Additionally, it compares the vivid descriptions of violence inherent in imperialist domination with the vaguer characterization of violence among the tribespeople. Finally, by examining relationships between male and female characters as well as the ideals of the Anglo/American New Woman, this thesis demonstrates that female European characters, like Marlow’s aunt and Kurtz’s Intended, control and manipulate their male counterparts, while female African characters, like Kurtz’s mistress and the accountant’s laundress, represent a silent resistance to imperialist domination and violence

Glucose absorption from peritoneal dialysate is associated with a gain in fat mass and a reduction in lean body mass in prevalent peritoneal dialysis patients

The majority of peritoneal dialysates use glucose to generate an osmotic gradient for the convective removal of water and sodium. Although glucose can potentially be absorbed, previous studies have failed to establish whether this leads to increased fat weight gain. We measured body composition using bioimpedance in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, electively starting PD, attending for their first assessment of peritoneal membrane function after 2-3 months, and then after 12 months. We studied 143 patients; 89 (62.2%) males, 53 (37.1%) diabetics, mean age 61.3±14.9 years, with 90 (62.1%) of patients treated by automated PD cyclers (APD) with a daytime icodextrin exchange and 37 (25.9%) by continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD). Median fat mass increased by 1.8 (-0.5 to 4.1) kg, whereas fat free mass fell -1.3 (-2.9 to 1.0) kg, and the increase in fat mass was negatively associated with the fall in soft lean mass (r-0.41, p<0.001). Increased fat mass was associated with measured peritoneal glucose absorption (r=0.69, p<0.001), and glucose absorption was associated with the amount of 22.7 g/L glucose dialysate (odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence limits (CL) 1.5-2.5, p<0.001), peritoneal urea clearance (OR 9.5 (CL 2.4-37.1) p=0.001), and male gender (OR 4.8 (CL 1.5-14.9) p=0.008). We report an observational study in prevalent PD patients following body composition from their first assessment of peritoneal dialysis membrane function for approximately 12 months, and despite the majority of patients prescribed icodextrin, we have demonstrated an association between intra-peritoneal glucose absorption and fat weight gain, but also loss of fat-free mass