Theory of Service: The User Perspective

For development of the theory of service, the focus was on the constructs of service. The theory is expanded to encompass the various business models of service and the service encounter including but not limited to guest satisfaction, service quality, service and technology, service system design, and customer relationship management. The theory began with the observed differences in different service settings, the emergence of technology and defining the service experience across multiple sectors. Further consideration is given to the aspects of the service transaction and what constitutes service, where a labor component of a firm’s product has been transferred to the customer. Lastly, self-service and automation are considered in the context of the user experience. Implications for industry application are discussed

Discrimination of attractiveness and health in men’s faces: The impact of color cues and variation in relation to sex and age of rater

Cues available in facial skin are used to assess mate quality in humans and non-human primates. In men, perception of skin healthiness and facial attractiveness are associated with heterozygosity at genes in the major histocompatibility complex, with potential implications for securing direct benefits through mate choice. There is, however, some debate as to the precise nature of the information available in skin that is used in health and attractiveness judgments. Here we investigate whether color cues are important in discrimination of skin healthiness and facial attractiveness in men’s faces. We presented images of men judged to have attractive or unattractive faces, and healthy or less healthy skin, to independent raters in either full-color or gray-scale monochrome. Differences in ratings across these conditions indicate that hue carries additive information over that available in other skin cues (e.g. texture and tone) and that this aids discrimination of individual men’s quality, especially in judgments of skin condition. We also found significant sex and age effects on discrimination. Our results are consistent with findings from other species that color cues can signal underlying quality and that sexual selection may have contributed to the evolution of color vision in primates

Still the exception and not the rule: The populist radical right in Latin America

Sin duda, los partidos populistas radicales de derecha (PRR, por sus siglas en inglés) representan la familia de partidos populistas más numerosa. Sin embargo, en los 18 países que componen el subcontinente sudamericano solamente dos líderes parecen encarnar de manera rotunda esa ideología: Jair Bolsonaro en Brasil y José Antonio Kast en Chile. El objetivo de este artículo es examinar las razones detrás de la escasa proliferación de los prr en América Latina. En Europa occidental la emergencia de estos partidos se relaciona con una suerte de contrarrevolución silenciosa (Inglehart 1971; Ignazi 1992) en oposición a los valores posmateriales sobre los que muchos partidos tradicionales han convergido en décadas pasadas. Por el contrario, en América Latina los valores materiales son todavía de vital importancia debido a los altos niveles de desigualdad en la región. Además, en el artículo se demuestra que el único caso en el que un líder populista radical de derecha ha logrado conquistar el gobierno ha sido por la ocurrencia simultánea de tres factores que combinan la experiencia europea y las características del continente. Primero, la existencia de un discurso que politiza cuestiones como la seguridad y los valores tradicionales. En segundo lugar, el discurso nativista, que a diferencia de la mayoría de los partidos PRR en Europa occidental y EE. UU.-donde los excluidos son los inmigrantes-, se caracteriza por el hecho de que la discriminación es primero en contra de los pueblos nativos. Finalmente, la tercera característica es la construcción del apoyo sobre una identidad negativa en contra de la izquierda.Undoubtedly, populist radical right parties (PRR) represent the largest family of populist parties. However, in the 18 countries that make up the South American subcontinent, only two leaders seem to fully embody this ideology: Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and José Antonio Kast in Chile. The aim of this article is to examine the reasons behind the scarce proliferation of PRRs in Latin America. In Western Europe the emergence of these parties is related to a sort of silent counter-revolution (Inglehart 1971; Ignazi 1992) in opposition to post-material values on which many traditional parties have converged in past decades. In contrast, in Latin America material values are still of vital importance due to the high levels of inequality in the region. Moreover, the article demonstrates that the simultaneous occurrence of three factors that combine the European experience and characteristics of the continent was the only reason one radical right-wing populist leader has been able to successfully rise to power in Latin America until today. First, the existence of a discourse that politicizes issues such as security and traditional values. Second, the nativist discourse, which unlike most PRR parties in Western Europe and the US -where the excluded are immigrants- is characterized by the fact that discrimination is mostly against native people. Finally, the third characteristic is the reliance on a negative identity against the left

\u3ci\u3ePseudomonas syringae\u3c/i\u3e Type III Secretion System Targeting Signals and Novel Effectors Studied with a Cya Translocation Reporter

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 is a pathogen of tomato and Arabidopsis. The hrp-hrcencoded type III secretion system (TTSS), which injects bacterial effector proteins (primarily called Hop or Avr proteins) into plant cells, is required for pathogenicity. In addition to being regulated by the HrpL alternative sigma factor, most avr or hop genes encode proteins with N termini that have several characteristic features, including (i) a high percentage of Ser residues, (ii) an aliphatic amino acid (Ile, Leu, or Val) or Pro at the third or fourth position, and (iii) a lack of negatively charged amino acids within the first 12 residues. Here, the well-studied effector AvrPto was used to optimize a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase (Cya) reporter system for Hrp-mediated translocation of P. syringae TTSS effectors into plant cells. This system includes a cloned P. syringae hrp gene cluster and the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. Analyses of truncated AvrPto proteins fused to Cya revealed that the N-terminal 16 amino acids and/or codons of AvrPto are sufficient to direct weak translocation into plant cells and that longer N-terminal fragments direct progressively stronger translocation. AvrB, tested because it is poorly secreted in cultures by the P. syringae Hrp system, was translocated into plant cells as effectively as AvrPto. The translocation of several DC3000 candidate Hop proteins was also examined by using Cya as a reporter, which led to identification of three new intact Hop proteins, designated HopPtoQ, HopPtoT1, and HopPtoV, as well as two truncated Hop proteins encoded by the naturally disrupted genes hopPtoS4::tnpA and hopPtoAG::tnpA. We also confirmed that HopPtoK, HopPtoC, and AvrPphEPto are translocated into plant cells. These results increased the number of Hrp system-secreted proteins in DC3000 to 40. Although most of the newly identified Hop proteins possess N termini that have the same features as the N termini of previously described Hop proteins, HopPtoV has none of these characteristics. Our results indicate that Cya should be a useful reporter for exploring multiple aspects of the Hrp system in P. syringae

Enhancing Financial Literacy among College Athletes

College students, including athletes, have limited exposure to financial education prior to enrolling in college (Britt et al., 2015). Athletes juggling two full-time roles as athlete and college student have limited time for financial education and the opportunity to work. Some athletes receive athletic scholarships and some do not, but either way, many athletes must seek additional funding and student loans to pay for college. Huston’s (2010) model demonstrated connections between financial literacy, behaviors, and education to serve as a framework for our study. The purpose of this study was to determine college athletes’ subjective and objective financial literacy, how they applied this knowledge, and their preferred mode(s) of financial education to pilot financial literacy education geared specifically for athletes based on their preferences. Data was collected from two institutions in the same Power 5 conference: monthly spending logs, focus groups, interviews, a financial knowledge survey, and pre- and post-tests flanking a financial literacy module in first-year experience courses and summer bridge. A Money 101 course was piloted over eight weeks, and peer financial counseling was offered. As athletes might gain access to their name, image, and likeness (NIL) for potential income in the near future, financial education is paramount

Communication Behaviors of County Extension Directors Post-Hurricane

In disaster crises, communication among stakeholders and response organizations are important. In Florida, the role of the County Extension Director (CED) is threefold – educational programming, leadership of a county extension program, and county office administrative responsibilities. However, their primary role in disaster emergencies is to facilitate collaborations with state and federal partners. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, UF/IFAS CEDs assisted in response efforts. However, communication efforts can become challenging in such chaotic and stressful situations. This research explored communication challenges among CEDs, clients, and statewide partners in hurricane events. Insights into the communication role of CEDs could enhance UF/IFAS Extension’s communication plan for effective information dissemination post-disaster. The Uses and Gratifications Theory guided this qualitative study. Interviews occurred with nine CEDs from various counties across Florida. Results showed CEDs used numerous communication channels to connect with clients, staff, and statewide partners, mainly for the purposes of information dissemination. The main reasons for selecting these communication channels depended on its accessibility, reliability, and whether it was a usual form of communication. Some participants were unaware of available resources which resulted in duplicate efforts. Thus, they required additional information from statewide partners. Some participants also had difficulty connecting clients with people who could assist them with insurance information and aid. As such, this study recommended a central communication system to avoid redundant efforts, strengthening relationships with disaster agencies to promote information-sharing and avoid miscommunication, and developing a list of resources and contacts for CEDs’ first engagement in disaster response

Time, monetary and other costs of participation in family-based child weight management interventions: qualitative and systematic review evidence.

BACKGROUND: Childhood overweight and obesity have health and economic impacts on individuals and the wider society. Families participating in weight management programmes may foresee or experience monetary and other costs which deter them from signing up to or completing programmes. This is recognised in the health economics literature, though within this sparse body of work, costs to families are often narrowly defined and not fully accounted for. A societal perspective incorporating a broader array of costs may provide a more accurate picture. This paper brings together a review of the health economics literature on the costs to families attending child weight management programmes with qualitative data from families participating in a programme to manage child overweight and obesity. METHODS: A search identified economic evaluation studies of lifestyle interventions in childhood obesity. The qualitative work drew on interviews with families who attended a weight management intervention in three UK regions. RESULTS: We identified four cost-effectiveness analyses that include information on costs to families. These were categorised as direct (e.g. monetary) and indirect (e.g. time) costs. Our analysis of qualitative data demonstrated that, for families who attended the programme, costs were associated both with participation on the scheme and with maintaining a healthy lifestyle afterwards. Respondents reported three kinds of cost: time-related, social/emotional and monetary. CONCLUSION: Societal approaches to measuring cost-effectiveness provide a framework for assessing the monetary and non-monetary costs borne by participants attending treatment programmes. From this perspective, all costs should be considered in any analysis of cost-effectiveness. Our data suggest that family costs are important, and may act as a barrier to the uptake, completion and maintenance of behaviours to reduce child obesity. These findings have implications for the development and implementation of child weight initiatives in particular, in relation to reducing inequalities in health

Behavioral family intervention for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral problems

The outcomes of a randomized clinical trial of a new behavioral family intervention, Stepping Stones Triple P, for preschoolers with developmental and behavior problems are presented. Forty-eight children with developmental disabilities participated, 27 randomly allocated to an intervention group and 20 to a wait-list control group. Parents completed measures of parenting style and stress, and independent observers assessed parent-child interactions. The intervention was associated with fewer child behavior problems reported by mothers and independent observers, improved maternal and paternal parenting style, and decreased maternal stress. All effects were maintained at 6-month follow-up