How the Kano model contributes to Kansei engineering in services

Recent studies show that products and services hold great appeal if they are attractively designed to elicit emotional feelings from customers. Kansei engineering (KE) has good potential to provide a competitive advantage to those able to read and translate customer affect and emotion in actual product and services. This study introduces an integrative framework of the Kano model and KE, applied to services. The Kano model was used and inserted into KE to exhibit the relationship between service attribute performance and customer emotional response. Essentially, the Kano model categorises service attribute quality into three major groups (must-be [M], one-dimensional [O] and attractive [A]). The findings of a case study that involved 100 tourists who stayed in luxury 4- and 5-star hotels are presented. As a practical matter, this research provides insight on which service attributes deserve more attention with regard to their significant impact on customer emotional needs. Statement of Relevance: Apart from cognitive evaluation, emotions and hedonism play a big role in service encounters. Through a focus on delighting qualities of service attributes, this research enables service providers and managers to establish the extent to which they prioritise their improvement efforts and to always satisfy their customer emotions beyond expectation. Keywords: Kansei engineering, emotional feelings, Kano model, service

Non-Measles Hemadsorption in a Cell Line Persistently Infected with Measles Virus (BGM/MV)

Adsorption of Rhesus monkey erythrocytes to the plasma membranes of measles virus infected cells is frequently carried out to detect the presence of plasma membrane-associated measles virus hemagglutinin. The hemagglutinin is a viral genome-coded structural glycoprotein of the measles virion that is associated with the plasma membrane of the host cell during measles virus replication. BGM/MV, anon-virogenic line of African green monkey kidney cells persistently-infected with measles virus, adsorbed Rhesus monkey erythrocytes in an inverse fashion relative to the number of cells present in the culture and the time post-seeding. Serological studies employing the hemadsorption-inhibition and membrane immunofluorescence assay procedures, suggested that this phenomenon was not mediated by the viral hemagglutinin. Assays for Simian virus-5 and mycoplasma, contaminating agents that induce erythrocyte adsorption, were negative. Incubation of BGM/MV cells at 33°C or with graded concentrations of fetal calf serum, to stimulate the metabolism of resting (Go) cells, suggested that adsorption was related to a phase(s) of the cell growth cycle other than Go₁, for adsorption was prolonged and stimulated in a dose-response fashion, respectively. Comparative adsorption studies employing the parent cell line (BGM), not infected with measles virus, were performed using various species of erythrocytes. While both cell lines adsorbed Rhesus monkey erythrocytes in an inverse fashion relative to cell density, differences were noted in the adsorption of some of the other species of erythrocytes. These data suggest that Rhesus monkey erythrocyte adsorption to BGM/MV cells was mediated by a receptor(s) of cellular origin

Knowledge and Skills of Emergency Care During Disaster for Community Health Volunteers: a Literature Review

Background: Nowadays, disaster preparedness and responses are essential for everyone to be involved since the disaster becomes increasing. The Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in particular are the key partners required adequately prepared in emergency care during disaster event. Purpose: The study aims to examine the essential knowledge and skills of emergency care during natural disaster for CHVs. Method: The reviews published during 2000 and 2011 searching from PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, ProQuest Medical Library were conducted. Result: Twenty-four articles and documents related to community-based disaster preparedness programs were intensively reviewed. Based on the review, six components of knowledge and skills for emergency care in natural disaster for CHVs are required including 1) early warning, 2) disaster triage, 3) first aid, 4) search and rescue, 5) logistic and communication, and 6) team organizations. Conclusion: There was a few studies focusing on the emergency care in disaster management and some factors related to knowledge and skills were shown. It is therefore recommended that the current CHVs' knowledge and skills should be explored in order to assist people in their community following disaster event when professional responders are not immediately available to help

First ALMA Observation of a Solar Plasmoid Ejection from an X-ray Bright Point

Eruptive phenomena such as plasmoid ejections or jets are an important feature of solar activity with the potential for improving our understanding of the dynamics of the solar atmosphere. Such ejections are often thought to be signatures of the outflows expected in regions of fast magnetic reconnection. The 304 A EUV line of Helium, formed at around 10^5 K, is found to be a reliable tracer of such phenomena, but the determination of physical parameters from such observations is not straightforward. We have observed a plasmoid ejection from an X-ray bright point simultaneously at millimeter wavelengths with ALMA, at EUV wavelengths with AIA, in soft X-rays with Hinode/XRT. This paper reports the physical parameters of the plasmoid obtained by combining the radio, EUV and X-ray data. As a result, we conclude that the plasmoid can consist either of (approximately) isothermal 10^5 K plasma that is optically thin at 100 GHz, or else a 10^4 K core with a hot envelope. The analysis demonstrates the value of the additional temperature and density constraints that ALMA provides, and future science observations with ALMA will be able to match the spatial resolution of space-borne and other high-resolution telescopes.Comment: 10 page, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter. The movie can be seen at the following link: http://hinode.nao.ac.jp/user/shimojo/data_area/plasmoid/movie5.mp

Incidence of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in Ungogo, Nassarawa, Dala and Fagge local government areas of Kano State, Nigeria

This study was carried out between October, 2005 and August, 2006 to determine the occurrence and distribution of Strongyloides stercoralis in Dala, Fagge, Nassarawa and Ungoggo Local Government Areas of Kano State. A total of 280 stool samples from primary schools pupils in the area were examined for the presence of S. stercoralis using direct smear technique. 104 (37.14%) stool samples were found positive. Pupil ages 11 – 13 years had the highest infection 44 (42.30%). Male pupils were more infected 76(73.07%) and Nassarawa Local Government Area had the highest rate of infection 30 (42.85%). 560 S. stercoralis were isolated from the soil of the study area. The soil analysis showed that most of the parasites 174 (31.07% were also found at Nassarawa Local Government Area. Chi – square method was used in analyzing the data obtained. This study stands as a point for further research on S. stercoralis in the study area. Adequate financial provision for the support of fundamental and applied research programme into this topic is strongly recommended. Keywords: Flariform, Strongyloides, Kano, Nassaraw

Quality Websites: An Application of the Kano Model to Website Design

In the emerging global electronic market, the creation of customer centered websites will become increasingly important. This paper uses Kano\u27s Model of Quality to develop a conceptual framework for investigating features in the web environment that satisfy basic, performance, and excitement needs of potential customers. The researchers classify features commonly used in the web environment according to Kano’ s three quality dimensions for products and services. Plans to empirically test this conceptually based classification are forthcoming. Among the possible implications and contributions of this research are the differentiation of web design features that customers take for granted from those that add value in the performance of web specific tasks and those that generate delight, motivation, and loyalty of website users

Indexing and Abstracting Techniques for Provision of Easy Accessibility of Materials in Bayero University Library Kano, Nigeria.

Abstract Indexing and Abstracting Techniques for Provision of Easy Accessibility of Materials in Bayero University Library Kano, Nigeria.The study uses qualitative research method and survey design was also adopted. The study was guided by five (5) research questions, what type of indexing and abstracting techniques are available in Bayero University Library, Kano? What types of materials are being indexed in Bayero University Library, Kano? Who are the patrons of the indexing and abstracting techniques in Bayero University Library, Kano? What are the challenges facing the provision of indexing and abstracting techniques in Bayero University Library, Kano? The populations of the study consist of academic and non-academic librarian of Bayero University Library, Kano. Structured questionnaires were used as an instrument of data collection, 130 copies out of 156 copies the questionnaires was successfully retrieved. Frequency table and percentage was used in analyzing the data collected. The finding of the study revealed that All types of abstracting techniques are available in Bayero University Library, Kano and the most used are informative abstract with 23% response rate followed by subject abstract, author abstract and critical abstract all with 15.4% response rate each. The only type of materials index and abstract in Bayero University Library, Kano are books and newspapers each with 38.5% response rate and also journals which has 23% response rate while magazine has 0% response rate. The most highest user of the indexing and abstracting in Bayero University Library, Kano are academic staff with 46.1% response rate followed by student with the 30.8% response rate and also administrative staff with 23% response rate. Lack of knowledge of indexing and abstract by the staff is the most constraint of indexing and abstract in Bayero University Library, Kano with the 46.1% response rate followed by inadequate facilities with 30.8% response rate while inadequate fund constitute 15.4% response rate so also all of the above has 7.7% response rate. Among the recommendations: The management of Bayero University Library, Kano should provide more of indexing and abstracting services such as chain index and specific index. The library should improve/ promote more of the service of review and descriptive abstract. The library should extend their indexing and abstracting services to the difference type of materials such as magazine etc. The library management should provide an awareness of the importance of indexing and abstracting so as to have a full number of administrative staff accessing indexing and abstracting techniques. The library management should send their staff for training and retraining and also provide the necessary facilities for executing indexing and abstracting services