The Social Media Affinity Scale: Implications For Education

In recent years, males and females have demonstrated fairly equal amounts of internet usage, but females have demonstrated higher usage of social media sites. These observed differences served as the impetus for the current study. A survey was conducted in early 2010 among college students to assess whether differences still occur between males and females, and specifically with regard to social media usage. In order to assess these phenomena, the Social Media Affinity Scale was created and deployed. Results of the study showed that, among the students surveyed, no significant differences exist between males and females in their internet usage, social media usage, and also beliefs about social media sites in general. Given that students have overwhelmingly adopted social media, we propose that there is now an opportunity to leverage social media in college courses to deliver content and engage students in ways not previously possible

Ive Got The Music In Me: A Study Of Peak Musical Memory Age And The Implications For Future Advertising

Neuropsychologists have demonstrated the effect music has on the human brain, and that a peak “musical memory age” occurs around 14, when normal bodily maturation is in progress. A group of 114 college students between the ages of 19 and 25 was exposed to short clips of the top 20 songs from each of the 11 years during their youth; participants were asked to rate their liking of each song sample on a 0-10 scale. Data analysis showed that the peak musical memory age of these students was not as precise as prior research had shown, and that overall there was difference in degree of musical affinity between age groups in the sample. This deviation from prior findings may have resulted from changes in how music is available today. Whereas specifically targeted music was once standard procedure in past TV advertising, these findings produce new implications for future TV advertising

Is Tasting Believing? The Effect Of Peel-And-Taste Advertising On Product Feelings And Likelihood Of Purchase

Scratch-and-sniff product samples have been used as surrogate methods of inducing product trial since the 1990s, but to date tasting a product required either in-store or in-home interactions with actual products. Peel-and-Taste flavor strips were introduced in 2007 as a means of putting product sample substitutes in the hands of many by virtue of being attached to advertising pieces in magazines, newspaper blow-ins, and direct mail. This study utilized a sample of female consumers (the targeted recipients of the ads) to allow them to interact with advertising samples using Peel-and-Taste, and measuring various resulting attitudes. Results showed that ratings of flavor pleasantness and the Peel-and-Taste method itself were positive significant predictors of Feelings Toward the Product (FTP), and that  FTP and the participant’s resulting mood state were positive significant predictors of Likelihood To Purchase (LTP) the product. In aggregate, though, FTP was modest at best, and LTP was virtually indifferent. It was concluded that the Peel-and-Taste method, while favorably linked to FTP and LTP, was not so strong as to be a significant stimulus to purchase the product

The Impact of Christian Education and Curriculum on Illegal Media File Sharing Attitudes and Behavior

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethics and economics behind file sharing and to empirically test the role a Christian education has on illegal file sharing. The empirical results are interesting and find that Christian education has no effect on ethical attitudes or actual stealing behavior, and suggest that faculty at Christian colleges and universities cannot assume that discussions about Christian principles and moral attitudes will automatically be seen in the student behavior that follows. Integration of faith perspectives into actual practice likely needs to be intentionally addressed with specific behavioral examples as the discussion points

A shared role for RBF1 and dCAP-D3 in the regulation of transcription with consequences for innate immunity

Previously, we discovered a conserved interaction between RB proteins and the Condensin II protein CAP-D3 that is important for ensuring uniform chromatin condensation during mitotic prophase. The Drosophila melanogaster homologs RBF1 and dCAP-D3 co-localize on non-dividing polytene chromatin, suggesting the existence of a shared, non-mitotic role for these two proteins. Here, we show that the absence of RBF1 and dCAP-D3 alters the expression of many of the same genes in larvae and adult flies. Strikingly, most of the genes affected by the loss of RBF1 and dCAP-D3 are not classic cell cycle genes but are developmentally regulated genes with tissue-specific functions and these genes tend to be located in gene clusters. Our data reveal that RBF1 and dCAP-D3 are needed in fat body cells to activate transcription of clusters of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes. AMPs are important for innate immunity, and loss of either dCAP-D3 or RBF1 regulation results in a decrease in the ability to clear bacteria. Interestingly, in the adult fat body, RBF1 and dCAP-D3 bind to regions flanking an AMP gene cluster both prior to and following bacterial infection. These results describe a novel, non-mitotic role for the RBF1 and dCAP-D3 proteins in activation of the Drosophila immune system and suggest dCAP-D3 has an important role at specific subsets of RBF1-dependent genes

The Role Of Slotting Fees And Introductory Allowances In Retail Buyers\u27 New-Product Acceptance Decisions

Although slotting fees and introductory allowances have become well established in the grocery and other industries, they remain a source of controversy among channel members. Retailers claim that these fees and allowances help mitigate the risks associated with new-product acceptance. Manufacturers counter that retailers are abusing slotting fees and allowances by using them as a source of profit. The authors investigate this controversy by empirically examining the role of slotting fees and allowances in the retail buyers\u27 product acceptance decision process. Results provide evidence to suggest that introductory allowances are indeed being used by retailers in the sample to offset perceived risks and costs of carrying new products. However, findings regarding slotting fees are much less supportive of retailers\u27 claims. Copyright © 2000 by Academy of Marketing Science

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in health care workers (HCWs):guidelines for prevention of transmission of HBV and HCV from HCW to patients

The transmission of viral hepatitis from health care workers (HCW) to patients is of worldwide concern. Since the introduction of serologic testing in the 1970s there have been over 45 reports of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission from HCW to patients, which have resulted in more than 400 infected patients. In addition there are six published reports of transmissions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from HCW to patients resulting in the infection of 14 patients. Additional HCV cases are known of in the US and UK, but unpublished. At present the guidelines for preventing HCW to patient transmission of viral hepatitis vary greatly between countries. It was our aim to reach a Europe-wide consensus on this issue. In order to do this, experts in blood-borne infection, from 16 countries, were questioned on their national protocols. The replies given by participating countries formed the basis of a discussion document. This paper was then discussed at a meeting with each of the participating countries in order to reach a Europe-wide consensus on the identification of infected HCWs, protection of susceptible HCWs, management and treatment options for the infected HCW. The results of that process are discussed and recommendations formed. The guidelines produced aim to reduce the risk of transmission from infected HCWs to patients. The document is designed to complement existing guidelines or form the basis for the development of new guidelines. This guidance is applicable to all HCWs who perform EPP, whether newly appointed or already in post. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved