Service-Dominant Logic and Value in Tourism Management: A Qualitative Study within Spanish Hotels Managers

With the award-winning article of Vargo and Lusch (2004), a new concept was introduced, called Service-Dominant logic (S-D logic). This paper aims to apply S-D logic to the tourism sector by determining if this new approach, by means of the importance of value co-creation, can affect the perceptions of value in the mind of the consumer and, thus, be used as a source of competitive advantage if adopted by tourism service providers. In this paper a conceptual framework is established through a literature review on both S-D logic and value in tourism. After a review of both topics, links between them are conceptually explored. With empirical research methods this study analyzed the applicability of the ten foundational premises of S-D logic in the tourist experience. Through exploratory research, we conducted in-depth interviews with hotel directors in the tourism sector in order to generate qualitative data and provide valuable knowledge to make conclusions on the managerial implications that the practical use of this new mindset would entail. Tourism managers should consider these new ideas in practice as a way to enhance value co-creation and differentiate themselves from the competition

Better Together: Expanding Rural Partnerships to Support Families

Chronic shortages of health, social service, and mental health professionals in rural areas necessitate creative partnerships in support of families. Cooperative extension professionals in Family and Consumer Sciences and community health nurses are introduced as trusted professionals in rural communities who can bring critical skills to human services teams. Multidisciplinary prevention programs offer particularly good contexts for county extension educators and community health nurses to work in collaboration with social workers. The case of grandparents raising grandchildren illustrates the critical roles that can be filled by professionals in these two fields to extend the reach of family support programs

Communicative Predictors of a Shared Family Identity: Comparison of Grandchildren’s Perceptions of Family-of-Origin Grandparents and Stepgrandparents

From an intergroup perspective on family relationships, the current study investigates family-of-origin grandparents and stepgrandparents to determine similarities and differences in communication and relational dimensions. Participants (N = 88) completed questionnaires on family-of-origin grandparents and stepgrandparent relationships. From the perspective of young adult grandchildren, the research explores the role of supportive communication, reciprocal self-disclosure, nonaccommodative communication, and parental encouragement in predicting a sense of shared family identity with each grandparent type. Results are discussed in terms of implications for intergroup research, grandparent-grandchild communication, and stepfamily relationships

Nachweis von PAK-metabolisierenden Mikroorganismen durch kulturelle und molekularbiologische Verfahren

Zielsetzung der Arbeit war der Nachweis von PAK-abbauenden Mikroorganismen in Umweltproben mittels klassischer mikrobiologischer Arbeitstechniken und molekular-biologischer Methoden. Durch selektive Anreicherung wurden Bakterien mit der Fähigkeit Polyzyklische Aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) abzubauen, in aquatischen und terrestrischen Umweltproben nachgewiesen. Unabhängig von der Belastung der Standorte mit PAK wurden aus allen untersuchten Habitaten Bakterien isoliert, die mit Naphthalin oder Phenanthren als alleiniger Kohlenstoff- und Energiequelle wachsen konnten. Die 23 isolierten PAK-abbauenden Bakterien konnten als Mitglieder der Gattungen Sphingomonas, Acidovorax, Comamonas, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus und Paenibacillus identifiziert werden und waren somit den alpha-, beta- und gamma-Subklassen der Proteobakterien und den Entwicklungslinien der grampositiven Bakterien mit hohem und niedrigem GC-Gehalt der DNA zuzuordnen. Die größte Gruppe bildeten mit 10 der 23 Isolate Vertreter der Gattung Pseudomonas, die alle Naphthalin metabolisierten. Die Quantifizierung des Naphthalin-Abbaus mittels gaschromatographischer Verfahren zeigte, daß in Flüssigmedium vorhandenes kristallines Naphthalin (0,05%, w/v) von den meisten Stämmen nach nur zwei Tagen Kultivierungsdauer vollständig metabolisiert wurde. Die getesteten Rhodococcus Isolate bauten Naphthalin wesentlich langsamer ab, als die verschiedenen Isolate, die den Proteobakterien zugeordnet wurden. Der dreikernige Aromat Phenanthren wurde von den getesteten Bakterienstämmen langsamer abgebaut als Naphthalin. Innerhalb von fünf Tagen wurde die Phenanthrenmenge im Medium auf 40-60% der Ausgangsmenge reduziert. Die Untersuchung des Naphthalinabbaus durch Zellen, die zuvor in Naphthalin-haltigem Medium bzw. in Vollmedium vorkultiviert worden waren, ergab, daß die Enzyme für den Abbau von Naphthalin in Abwesenheit eines Induktors nicht exprimiert wurden. Ebenso zeigte sich, daß Zellen, die in Medium mit Naphthalin oder Phenanthren kultiviert wurden, wesentlich höhere Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase (C23O)-Aktivitäten aufwiesen als in Voll-medium gewachsene Zellen. Zum Nachweis von PAK-Abbauern auf molekulargenetischer Ebene wurden, basierend auf bekannten Sequenzen, PCR-Primer und Oligonukleotidsonden für codierende Abschnitte der C23O entwickelt, und, in Kombination mit Primern und Oligonukleotidsonden, zur Detektion der initialen PAK-Dioxygenase (entwickelt von R. Moser, TU-Berlin), eingesetzt. Mit den entworfenen Primern und Sonden konnten die C23O-Sequenzabschnitte bei allen PAK-abbauenden Referenzstämmen und Isolaten, die der Gattung Pseudomonas und Sphingomonas zugehörten, spezifisch detektiert werden. Durch die Anwendung spezifischer Primer und Sonden konnten dabei die Gene der C23O für Vertreter der Pseudomonaden und Sphingomonaden getrennt voneinander erfaßt werden. Sequenzanalysen der erhaltenen PCR-Amplifikate zeigten, daß die C23O-Gene innerhalb der Gattungen Pseudomonas bzw. Sphingomonas mit über 75% Sequenzähnlichkeit sehr gut konserviert sind. Dagegen waren Sequenzen der katabolischen Gene der PAK-abbauenden Comamonas-, Acidovorax- oder Rhodococcus-Vertreter offensichtlich zu verschieden, verglichen mit den Pseudomonas- und Sphingomonas-Sequenzen, um sie mittels der entwickelten Primer und Sonden detektieren zu können. Die Diversität der C23O zeigte sich auch bei der spezifischen enzymatischen Aktivität, die im Bereich von 0,1 bis 650 mU mg-1 Protein variierte. Dabei wurde die höchste spezifische Aktivität für verschiedene Pseudomonas-Stämme nachgewiesen. Die entwickelten Primer wurden auf ihre Anwendbarkeit getestet, PAK-abbauende Bakterien in Umweltproben kultivierungsunabhängig zu detektieren. Verschiedene DNA-Isolierungsmethoden und Techniken zur Aufreinigung der isolierten DNA wurden getestet und variiert. Bei der DNA-Isolierung aus Belebtschlammproben wurden Substanzen coextrahiert, die stark hemmenden Einfluß auf die PCR hatten. Die weitere Aufreinigung der DNA führte zu starken Verlusten der ursprünglichen DNA-Mengen und damit zu einer Reduzierung der zu detektierenden Zielsequenzen. Die extrahierte und gereinigte DNA aus unterschiedlichen Belebtschlammproben wurde in der PCR zur Detektion von initiale Dioxygenase- und C23O-codierenden Genabschnitten eingesetzt. Während codierende Bereiche der initialen Dioxygenase in der Belebtschlammprobe der Kläranlage Gießen mit den entwickelten Primern nachgewiesen werden konnten (R. Moser, TU-Berlin), wurden bei der Verwendung der C23O-spezifischen Primer keine PCR-Amplifikate erhalten. Offensichtlich lag die Zahl der C23O-Zielsequenzen in den untersuchten Umweltpoben unterhalb des Detektionslimits. In der extrahierten DNA aus anderen Belebtschlammproben konnten C23O-codierende Abschnitte detektiert werden. Die erhaltenen PCR-Amplifikate waren aber in allen Fällen sehr schwach. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß zur Detektion von katabolischen Genen, die in geringen Konzentrationen in Umweltproben vorliegen, spezielle Methoden zur Aufreinigung der DNA-Rohextrakte etabliert werden müssen

Aberrant methylation of Polo-like kinase CpG islands in Plk4 heterozygous mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common cancers world-wide occurs twice as often in men compared to women. Predisposing conditions such as alcoholism, chronic viral hepatitis, aflatoxin B1 ingestion, and cirrhosis all contribute to the development of HCC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used a combination of methylation specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing, qReal-Time PCR (qPCR), and Western blot analysis to examine epigenetic changes for the <it>Polo-like kinases </it>(<it>Plks</it>) during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in <it>Plk4 </it>heterozygous mice and murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report that the promoter methylation of <it>Plk4 </it>CpG islands increases with age, was more prevalent in males and that <it>Plk4 </it>epigenetic modification and subsequent downregulation of expression was associated with the development of HCC in <it>Plk4 </it>mutant mice. Interestingly, the opposite occurs with another Plk family member, <it>Plk1 </it>which was typically hypermethylated in normal liver tissue but became hypomethylated and upregulated in liver tumours. Furthermore, upon alcohol exposure murine embryonic fibroblasts exhibited increased <it>Plk4 </it>hypermethylation and downregulation along with increased centrosome numbers and multinucleation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that aberrant <it>Plk </it>methylation is correlated with the development of HCC in mice.</p

The relationship between educational level and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND: This study describes the influence of educational level on bone mineral density (BMD) and investigating the relationship between educational level and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 569 postmenopausal women, from 45 to 86 years of age (mean age of 60.43 ± 7.19 years) were included in this study. A standardized interview was used at the follow-up visit to obtain information on demographic, life-style, reproductive and menstrual histories such as age at menarche, age at menopause, number of pregnancies, number of abortions, duration of menopause, duration of fertility, and duration of lactation. Patients were separated into four groups according to the level of education, namely no education (Group 1 with 209 patients), elementary (Group 2 with 222 patients), high school (Group 3 with 79 patients), and university (Group 4 with 59 patients). RESULTS: The mean ages of groups were 59.75 ± 7.29, 61.42 ± 7.50, 60.23 ± 7.49, and 58.72 ± 7.46, respectively. Spine BMD was significant lower in Group 1 than that of other groups (p < 0.05). Trochanter and ward's triangle BMD were the highest in Group 4 and there was a significant difference between Group 1 and 4 (p < 0.05). The prevalence of osteoporosis showed an inverse relationship with level of education, ranging from 18.6% for the most educated to 34.4% for the no educated women (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between educational level and spine BMD (r = 0.20, p < 0.01), trochanter BMD (r = 0.13, p < 0.01), and ward's BMD (r = 0.14, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that there is a significant correlation between educational level and BMD. Losses in BMD for women of lower educational level tend to be relatively high, and losses in spine and femur BMD showed a decrease with increasing educational level

Venetoclax combined with low-dose cytarabine for previously untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia: results from a Phase Ib/II study

Purpose: Effective treatment options are limited for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who cannot tolerate intensive chemotherapy. An international phase Ib/II study evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of venetoclax, a selective B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 inhibitor, together with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) in older adults with AML. Patients and Methods: Adults 60 years or older with previously untreated AML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy were enrolled. Prior treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome, including hypomethylating agents (HMA), was permitted. Eighty-two patients were treated at the recommended phase II dose: venetoclax 600 mg per day orally in 28-day cycles, with LDAC (20 mg/m2 per day) administered subcutaneously on days 1 to 10. Key end points were tolerability, safety, response rates, duration of response (DOR), and overall survival (OS). Results: Median age was 74 years (range, 63 to 90 years), 49% had secondary AML, 29% had prior HMA treatment, and 32% had poor-risk cytogenetic features. Common grade 3 or greater adverse events were febrile neutropenia (42%), thrombocytopenia (38%), and WBC count decreased (34%). Early (30-day) mortality was 6%. Fifty-four percent achieved complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete blood count recovery (median time to first response, 1.4 months). The median OS was 10.1 months (95% CI, 5.7 to 14.2), and median DOR was 8.1 months (95% CI, 5.3 to 14.9 months). Among patients without prior HMA exposure, CR/CR with incomplete blood count recovery was achieved in 62%, median DOR was 14.8 months (95% CI, 5.5 months to not reached), and median OS was 13.5 months (95% CI, 7.0 to 18.4 months). Conclusion: Venetoclax plus LDAC has a manageable safety profile, producing rapid and durable remissions in older adults with AML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. High remission rate and low early mortality combined with rapid and durable remission make venetoclax and LDAC an attractive and novel treatment for older adults not suitable for intensive chemotherapy.Andrew H. Wei, Stephen A. Strickland Jr, Jing-Zhou Hou, Walter Fiedler, Tara L. Lin, Roland B. Walter, Anoop Enjeti, Ing Soo Tiong, Michael Savona, Sangmin Lee, Brenda Chyla, Relja Popovic, Ahmed Hamed Salem, Suresh Agarwal, Tu Xu, Kaffa M. Fakouhi, Rod Humerickhouse, Wan-Jen Hong, John Hayslip and Gail J. Robo

A systematic review of grandparents’ influence on grandchildren’s cancer risk factors

Many lifestyle patterns are established when children are young. Research has focused on the potential role of parents as a risk factor for non communicable disease in children, but there is limited investigation of the role of other caregivers, such as grandparents. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise evidence for any influence grandparents&rsquo; care practices may have on their grandchildren&rsquo;s long term cancer risk factors. A systematic review was carried out with searches across four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO) as well as searches of reference lists and citing articles, and Google Scholar. Search terms were based on six areas of risk that family care could potentially influence&ndash;weight, diet, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol and sun exposure. All study designs were included, as were studies that provided an indication of the interaction of grandparents with their grandchildren. Studies were excluded if grandparents were primary caregivers and if children had serious health conditions. Study quality was assessed using National Institute for Health and Care Excellence checklists. Grandparent impact was categorised as beneficial, adverse, mixed or as having no impact. Due to study heterogeneity a meta-analysis was not possible. Qualitative studies underwent a thematic synthesis of their results. Results from all included studies indicated that there was a sufficient evidence base for weight, diet, physical activity and tobacco studies to draw conclusions about grandparents&rsquo; influence. One study examined alcohol and no studies examined sun exposure. Evidence indicated that, overall, grandparents had an adverse impact on their grandchildren&rsquo;s cancer risk factors. The theoretical work in the included studies was limited. Theoretically underpinned interventions designed to reduce these risk factors must consider grandparents&rsquo; role, as well as parents&rsquo;, and be evaluated robustly to inform the evidence base further