An Examination of Factors Affecting Japanese Tourism in Hawaii

The Japanese tourist market is a crucial component of the Hawaii tourism economy due to both market size and higher per capita expenditures in comparison with other key markets for the state. Over the past decade, annual Japanese tourist arrivals have decreased significantly off a peak in 1997. This study examines various supply and demand factors, which may be influencing Japanese tourist arrivals to Hawaii using regression analysis. Results show that five of eight variables significantly influence the monthly Japanese tourist numbers to Hawaii: monthly total Japanese overseas tourists, available air seats, average room rates, available room units, and change in security checking procedure. Meanwhile, three variables were not found to be significant influencers: mean monthly exchange rate ($/100 Yen), anti-smoking law, and airline fuel surcharges. These results do not support the anecdotes and conjectures about the decreasing number of Japanese tourists to Hawaii

An Examination of Factors Affecting Japanese Tourism in Hawaii

The Japanese tourist market is a crucial component of the Hawaii tourism economy due to both market size and higher per capita expenditures in comparison with other key markets for the state. Over the past decade, annual Japanese tourist arrivals have decreased significantly off a peak in 1997. This study examines various supply and demand factors, which may be influencing Japanese tourist arrivals to Hawaii using regression analysis. Results show that five of eight variables significantly influence the monthly Japanese tourist numbers to Hawaii: monthly total Japanese overseas tourists, available air seats, average room rates, available room units, and change in security checking procedure. Meanwhile, three variables were not found to be significant influencers: mean monthly exchange rate ($/100 Yen), anti-smoking law, and airline fuel surcharges. These results do not support the anecdotes and conjectures about the ecreasing number of Japanese tourists to Hawaii

What produces corporate social irresponsibility in offshore outsourcing?:The effects of interorganizational relationship governance and institutional distance

We theorize on how institutional distance and interorganizational relationship (IOR) governance interact to produce corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) in offshore outsourcing. Managers generally find it challenging to align practices with stakeholders’ responsibility expectations and more so when activities occur offshore and outside organizational boundaries. This is evident from Apple’s repeated problems in China but insufficiently understood in international business (IB) literature. Institutional distance increases the likelihood and severity of CSiR because it produces a gap in buyers’ and suppliers’ stakeholder expectations and leads to divergence between suppliers’ practices and buyers’ responsibility policies. Trust-based cooperative IORs reduce CSiR and lessen the effect of institutional distance on CSiR. Supplier dependence also reduces CSiR but increases the effect of institutional distance on CSiR and is therefore a double-edged sword. Our novel framework generates insights into CSiR, a dark side of IB, by uncovering the mechanisms that co-produce CSiR in the offshore outsourcing context. We enrich work on offshore outsourcing by suggesting that CSiR represents a hidden cost and advance multilevel theorizing in IB by showing how institutional distance interacts with IOR governance. Managers should consider the tradeoff between performance and CSiR in offshore outsourcing and the downside that comes from (over)exploiting supplier dependence

What produces corporate social irresponsibility in offshore outsourcing?:The effects of interorganizational relationship governance and institutional distance

We theorize on how institutional distance and interorganizational relationship (IOR) governance interact to produce corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) in offshore outsourcing. Managers generally find it challenging to align practices with stakeholders’ responsibility expectations and more so when activities occur offshore and outside organizational boundaries. This is evident from Apple’s repeated problems in China but insufficiently understood in international business (IB) literature. Institutional distance increases the likelihood and severity of CSiR because it produces a gap in buyers’ and suppliers’ stakeholder expectations and leads to divergence between suppliers’ practices and buyers’ responsibility policies. Trust-based cooperative IORs reduce CSiR and lessen the effect of institutional distance on CSiR. Supplier dependence also reduces CSiR but increases the effect of institutional distance on CSiR and is therefore a double-edged sword. Our novel framework generates insights into CSiR, a dark side of IB, by uncovering the mechanisms that co-produce CSiR in the offshore outsourcing context. We enrich work on offshore outsourcing by suggesting that CSiR represents a hidden cost and advance multilevel theorizing in IB by showing how institutional distance interacts with IOR governance. Managers should consider the tradeoff between performance and CSiR in offshore outsourcing and the downside that comes from (over)exploiting supplier dependence

How to measure the customer saticefaction on Incheon free economic zone model consulting

Thesis(Master) --KDI School:Master of Public Policy,2013masterpublishedSun hye Kim

Successful Use of Newspapers in Curriculum Development for First-year College Students

The course, Fashion and Society, is designed to provide first-year Clothing and Textiles major students with an integrated view of fashion as social phenomenon. From the survey on the first-year students’ perceptions about fashion, we have found that many students considered fashion tend to be irrelevant, something fancy and distant to their daily life, and difficult to understand. Based on the comments, we need teaching materials that can be perceived to be “not difficult” (and fun) and relevant. We also needed to design the course to provide students opportunities to apply their knowledge to real life. Thus, we developed the course using several newspapers to help students experience various fashion expressions and reflections a society carries in

A New p53 Target Gene, RKIP, Is Essential for DNA Damage-Induced Cellular Senescence and Suppression of ERK Activation

Abstractp53, a strong tumor suppressor protein, is known to be involved in cellular senescence, particularly premature cellular senescence. Oncogenic stresses, such as Ras activation, can initiate p53-mediated senescence, whereas activation of the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway can promote cell proliferation. These conflicting facts imply that there is a regulatory mechanism for balancing p53 and Ras-MAPK signaling. To address this, we evaluated the effects of p53 on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and found that p53 could suppress ERK activation through de novo synthesis. Through several molecular biologic analyses, we found that RKIP, an inhibitor of Raf kinase, is responsible for p53-mediated ERK suppression and senescence. Overexpression of RKIP can induce cellular senescence in several types of cell lines, including p53-deficient cells, whereas the elimination of RKIP by siRNA or forced expression of ERK blocks p53-mediated cellular senescence. These results suggested that RKIP is an essential protein for cellular senescence. Moreover, modification of the p53 serine 46 residue was critical for RKIP induction and ERK suppression as well as cellular senescence. These results indicated that RKIP is a novel p53 target gene that is responsible for p53-mediated cellular senescence and tumor suppressor protein expression

Effects of 17-β-Estradiol and ICI 182 780 on Hair Growth in Various Strains of Mice

17-β-Estradiol (10nmol per 200 μ1 acetone) applied topically twice weekly to the clipped dorsal surface of C57BL/6 or C3H female mouse skin prevented hair growth, as previously described in the CD-1 mouse strain. Twice weekly topical application of the estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182 780 (10nmol per 200 μ1 acetone), induced the telogenanagen transition and produced early pigmentation appearance in skin and hair growth in C57BL/6 and C3H female mice. Whereas twice weekly topical application of 10nmol 17-β-estradiol blocked hair growth, the intraperitoneal administration of this dose twice weekly did not block hair growth, suggesting a direct cutaneous effect of 17-β-estradiol. We also evaluated the effect of 17-α-estradiol, 17-β-estradiol, and ICI 182 780 on hair growth in male mice. As observed in female mice, 17-β-estradiol was a potent inhibitor of hair growth and ICI 182 780 stimulated hair growth; however, unlike the results previously observed in female mice, 17-α-estradiol was a potent inhibitor of hair growth in male mice. These results demonstrate that (i) the route of administration of 17-β-estradiol is critical for its ability to block hair growth; (ii) C57BL/6 and C3H mice, two commonly employed mouse strains for hair growth studies, responded to 17-β-estradiol and ICI 182 780 in a manner similar to that described in CD-1 mice; and (iii) the hair follicles of male and female mice respond similarly to 17-β-estradiol and ICI 182 780, but display striking sex differences in the response to 17-α-estradiol on hair growth

Korean Adolescents Experience of Yoga Class: Healthy Habits Beyond Exercise

Purpose: This study was designed to explore adolescents experience with yoga class in South Korea. Methods: Qualitative data were collected by focus group interviews from February to March 2014. Eleven adolescents who experienced yoga class were recruited from two different schools. The interview questions investigated adolescents experience with yoga regarding expectations before yoga class, positive changes after yoga, and advice for future yoga classes. Results: Three primary themes from the qualitative content analysis include 1) motivation to join a yoga class, 2) perceived benefits after class and 3) suggestions for school-based yoga. We found that high school students had intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to join yoga classes, and the perceived benefits included physical, psychological, cognitive and social aspects. The students also indicated the need for support by person, yoga with fun and information, yoga tailored by individual goal, simple and easy class. Conclusion: These results suggest that yoga could be an appropriate intervention for holistic health care, and school-based yoga should be applied by focusing on the various situational needs of adolescents. Furthermore, when yoga leads to healthy habits compared to just simple exercise, a balanced development of adolescents can be achieved

Isolation and functional characterization of CE1 binding proteins

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that controls seed germination, protective responses to various abiotic stresses and seed maturation. The ABA-dependent processes entail changes in gene expression. Numerous genes are regulated by ABA, and promoter analyses of the genes revealed that <it>cis</it>-elements sharing the ACGTGGC consensus sequence are ubiquitous among ABA-regulated gene promoters. The importance of the core sequence, which is generally known as ABA response element (ABRE), has been demonstrated by various experiments, and its cognate transcription factors known as ABFs/AREBs have been identified. Although necessary, ABRE alone is not sufficient, and another <it>cis</it>-element known as "coupling element (CE)" is required for full range ABA-regulation of gene expression. Several CEs are known. However, despite their importance, the cognate transcription factors mediating ABA response via CEs have not been reported to date. Here, we report the isolation of transcription factors that bind one of the coupling elements, CE1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To isolate CE1 binding proteins, we carried out yeast one-hybrid screens. Reporter genes containing a trimer of the CE1 element were prepared and introduced into a yeast strain. The yeast was transformed with library DNA that represents RNA isolated from ABA-treated Arabidopsis seedlings. From the screen of 3.6 million yeast transformants, we isolated 78 positive clones. Analysis of the clones revealed that a group of AP2/ERF domain proteins binds the CE1 element. We investigated their expression patterns and analyzed their overexpression lines to investigate the <it>in vivo </it>functions of the CE element binding factors (CEBFs). Here, we show that one of the CEBFs, AtERF13, confers ABA hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis, whereas two other CEBFs enhance sugar sensitivity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that a group of AP2/ERF superfamily proteins interacts with CE1. Several CEBFs are known to mediate defense or abiotic stress response, but the physiological functions of other CEBFs remain to be determined. Our <it>in vivo </it>functional analysis of several CEBFs suggests that they are likely to be involved in ABA and/or sugar response. Together with previous results reported by others, our current data raise an interesting possibility that the coupling element CE1 may function not only as an ABRE but also as an element mediating biotic and abiotic stress responses.</p