The language of marketing hyperbole and consumer perception: the case of Glasgow

The aim of the study was to explore the potential of a timed word association task to generate detailed insights into the perception of Glasgow city and its people which could inform destination and brand marketing. Destination marketers have a challenge to convey the tourist destination image to attract and satisfy the expectations of its visitors. Yet destination perceptions are often the result of multiple tourist visitor experiences at a location, neglecting the voice of the resident. The extent to which word associations varied by participants’ relationship to Glasgow was identified in terms of Aaker’s brand personality scale, an extension of personality research on brands and destinations. Surveying of 1,219 UK participants generated a total of 5,993 terms (city; 1,144 unique) and 5,034 terms (people; 944 unique). The value of capturing the perceptions of a destination by its residents is identified. The results showed that the city of Glasgow was often described as cold and busy, while the people were primarily described as friendly and funny. Evidence was found in support of dual-processing theory suggesting word associations based on lived experiences of a city may be generated later (in terms of the order in which the terms were generated) in a word association task, while common linguistic associations (e.g. synonyms, antonyms, hierarchies etc.) tend to be generated earlier in the task. As hypothesised, analyses revealed a significant relationship between several of the Aaker-dimensions of brand personality, and the consumers’ relationship to Glasgow, extending marketing research with an empirical approach to identifying differences in the perceived personality of a destination. The study offers a practical, fast, and replicable method for destination marketers to study consumer perception at scale, which is currently not widely utilised in this field. In particular, the use of semantic distance and word embeddings provides a readily available approach to automatically categorise content derived from word associations studies, or indeed, any text-based content. In contrast, financial investment in non-validated branding and destination marketing campaigns appear to be increasingly problematic. Advances were made in testing an approach to interpreting word associations through the lens of linguistic and situated simulation (LASS) theory to provide deeper analysis to both categorise and interpret consumers’ perception. Traditional approaches to tourism marketing and destination branding rarely provide such a level of analytical appraisal. The analysis presented in this paper challenges the orthodoxy and validity of investment in brand and destination marketing at a city level and the potential for word association tasks to be used as a valuable alternative method to create more effective destination marketing and branding.<br/

Changes in Physician Antipsychotic Prescribing Preferences, 2002–2007

Objective Physician antipsychotic prescribing behavior may be influenced by comparative effectiveness evidence, regulatory warnings, and formulary and other restrictions on these drugs. This study measured changes in the degree to which physicians are able to customize treatment choices and changes in physician preferences for specific agents after these events. Methods The study used 2002–2007 prescribing data from the IMS Health Xponent database and data on physician characteristics from the American Medical Association for a longitudinal cohort of 7,399 physicians. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses were conducted of the concentration of prescribing (physician-level Herfindahl index) and preferences for and likelihood of prescribing two first-generation antipsychotics and six second-generation antipsychotics. Analyses adjusted for prescribing volume, specialty, demographic characteristics, practice setting, and education. Results Antipsychotic prescribing was highly concentrated at the physician level, with a mean unadjusted Herfindahl index of .33 in 2002 and .29 in 2007. Psychiatrists reduced the concentration of their prescribing more over time than did other physicians. High-volume psychiatrists had a Herfindahl index that was half that of low-volume physicians in other specialties (.18 versus .36), a difference that remained significant (p<.001) after adjustment for physician characteristics. The share of physicians preferring olanzapine dropped from 29.9% in 2002 to 10.3% in 2007 (p<.001) while the share favoring quetiapine increased from 9.4% to 44.5% (p<.001). Few physicians (<5%) preferred a first-generation antipsychotic in 2002 or 2007. Conclusions Preferences for specific antipsychotics changed dramatically during this period. Although physician prescribing remained heavily concentrated, the concentration decreased over time, particularly among psychiatrists.National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Grant R01MH093359)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Grant P30 MH090333)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Grant R01MH087488)Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Grant R01HS017695)Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Investigator Award in Health Policy Research

Regional Variation in Physician Adoption of Antipsychotics: Impact on US Medicare expenditures

Background—Regional variation in US Medicare prescription drug spending is driven by higher prescribing of costly brand-name drugs in some regions. This variation likely arises from differences in the speed of diffusion of newly-approved medications. Second-generation antipsychotics were widely adopted for treatment of severe mental illness and for several off-label uses. Rapid diffusion of new psychiatric drugs likely increases drug spending but its relationship to non-drug spending is unclear. The impact of antipsychotic diffusion on drug and medical spending is of great interest to public payers like Medicare, which finance a majority of mental health spending in the U.S.National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (R01 MH093359

How Quickly Do Physicians Adopt New Drugs? The Case of Second-Generation Antipsychotics

Objective The authors examined physician adoption of second-generation antipsychotic medications and identified physician-level factors associated with early adoption. Methods The authors estimated Cox proportional-hazards models of time to adoption of nine second-generation antipsychotics by 30,369 physicians who prescribed antipsychotics between 1996 and 2008, when the drugs were first introduced, and analyzed the total number of agents prescribed during that time. The models were adjusted for physicians’ specialty, demographic characteristics, education and training, practice setting, and prescribing volume. Data were from IMS Xponent, which captures over 70% of all prescriptions filled in the United States, and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. Results On average, physicians waited two or more years before prescribing new second-generation antipsychotics, but there was substantial heterogeneity across products in time to adoption. General practitioners were much slower than psychiatrists to adopt second-generation antipsychotics (hazard ratios (HRs) range .10−.35), and solo practitioners were slower than group practitioners to adopt most products (HR range .77−.89). Physicians with the highest antipsychotic-prescribing volume adopted second-generation antipsychotics much faster than physicians with the lowest volume (HR range .15−.39). Psychiatrists tended to prescribe a broader set of antipsychotics (median=6) than general practitioners and neurologists (median=2) and pediatricians (median=1). Conclusions As policy makers search for ways to control rapid health spending growth, understanding the factors that influence physician adoption of new medications will be crucial in the efforts to maximize the value of care received by individuals with mental disorders as well as to improve medication safety.National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (R01 MH093359)Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Investigator Award in Health Policy Research)Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (R01HS017695)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) ((NIMH) R34 MH082682)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) ((NIMH) P30 MH090333)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) ((NIMH) R01 MH087488)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (0915674

AVERT2(a very early rehabilitation trial, a very effective reproductive trigger): retrospective observational analysis of the number of babies born to trial staff

Objective: To report the number of participants needed to recruit per baby born to trial staff during AVERT, a large international trial on acute stroke, and to describe trial management consequences. Design: Retrospective observational analysis. Setting: 56 acute stroke hospitals in eight countries. Participants: 1074 trial physiotherapists, nurses, and other clinicians. Outcome measures: Number of babies born during trial recruitment per trial participant recruited. Results: With 198 site recruitment years and 2104 patients recruited during AVERT, 120 babies were born to trial staff. Births led to an estimated 10% loss in time to achieve recruitment. Parental leave was linked to six trial site closures. The number of participants needed to recruit per baby born was 17.5 (95% confidence interval 14.7 to 21.0); additional trial costs associated with each birth were estimated at 5736 Australian dollars on average. Conclusion: The staff absences registered in AVERT owing to parental leave led to delayed trial recruitment and increased costs, and should be considered by trial investigators when planning research and estimating budgets. However, the celebration of new life became a highlight of the annual AVERT collaborators’ meetings and helped maintain a cohesive collaborative group

Reflections on the Formation and Growth of the SURE Network: a National Disciplinary Network to Enhance Undergraduate Research in the Sciences

The Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Network is an academic network comprised of nine Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Ireland that seeks to enhance the profile of, and practices in, undergraduate research in the Sciences within the Technological Higher Education Sector. This paper presents the reflections of the network\u27s leaders on the formation and growth of the network over the period from 2015, just prior to its establishment, to 2020 when the network hosted its seventh undergraduate research conference, published its second undergraduate journal issue, and initiated a coordinated community of practice in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The paper presents the motivations of the leaders for establishing and joining the SURE network, their interpretation of how involvement in the network enhances practice in their own HEI, their reflections on how their own personal development was enhanced, their interpretation of the factors that have contributed to the success of the network, and the direction in which they see the network going in the future. The collective reflections of the leaders of the SURE Network, as presented in this paper, provide importance guidance for those seeking to establish similar academic networks, both in the area of undergraduate research and elsewhere

The development of a HAMstring InjuRy (HAMIR) index to mitigate injury risk through innovative imaging, biomechanics, and data analytics : Protocol for an observational cohort study

Background The etiology of hamstring strain injury (HSI) in American football is multi-factorial and understanding these risk factors is paramount to developing predictive models and guiding prevention and rehabilitation strategies. Many player-games are lost due to the lack of a clear understanding of risk factors and the absence of effective methods to minimize re-injury. This paper describes the protocol that will be followed to develop the HAMstring InjuRy (HAMIR) index risk prediction models for HSI and re-injury based on morphological, architectural, biomechanical and clinical factors in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate football players. Methods A 3-year, prospective study will be conducted involving collegiate football student-athletes at four institutions. Enrolled participants will complete preseason assessments of eccentric hamstring strength, on-field sprinting biomechanics and muscle–tendon volumes using magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI). Athletic trainers will monitor injuries and exposure for the duration of the study. Participants who sustain an HSI will undergo a clinical assessment at the time of injury along with MRI examinations. Following completion of structured rehabilitation and return to unrestricted sport participation, clinical assessments, MRI examinations and sprinting biomechanics will be repeated. Injury recurrence will be monitored through a 6-month follow-up period. HAMIR index prediction models for index HSI injury and re-injury will be constructed. Discussion The most appropriate strategies for reducing risk of HSI are likely multi-factorial and depend on risk factors unique to each athlete. This study will be the largest-of-its-kind (1200 player-years) to gather detailed information on index and recurrent HSI, and will be the first study to simultaneously investigate the effect of morphological, biomechanical and clinical variables on risk of HSI in collegiate football athletes. The quantitative HAMIR index will be formulated to identify an athlete’s propensity for HSI, and more importantly, identify targets for injury mitigation, thereby reducing the global burden of HSI in high-level American football players. Trial Registration The trial is prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05343052; April 22, 2022)

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC on behalf of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly.Peer reviewe