The importance of different culinary aspects when travelling - the case of international tourists to South Africa

Published ArticleTourists spend a good portion of their travel budget on food and beverages. Culinary preference knowledge should thus be important to numerous stakeholders. Little is, however, known about the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists. Furthermore, in the context of developing countries, very little has been published about cuisine in tourism. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa. A newly developed questionnaire based on literature was completed by 627 international tourists. Five culinary preference factors were identified from the results of the study, namely social influence, culture and religion, exploration, the culinary experience and environmental sensitivity. Social influence was the most important factor, followed by environmental sensitivity and then the culinary experience. Only two socio-demographic variables were found to influence the culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa. Implications for each of the findings are put forth. Specific recommendations are also made to national and provincial government, tourism marketers and dining establishments alike, in order to reap the numerous benefits associated with culinary preference knowledge

The relationship between the culinary preference and culinary satisfaction

Purpose – South Africa is considered to be the least prepared culinary tourism destination in the world. This paper puts forth a model portraying the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction to be used to prepare South Africa as a culinary tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was used to determine the importance of specific culinary aspects while travelling, as well as the level of culinary satisfaction experienced in South Africa by a sample of 627 international tourists. Factor analysis established culinary preference and culinary satisfaction factors and structural equational modelling tested a hypothesised model of the relationship between the factors. Findings – Social influence, culture and religion, environmental sensitivity, exploration and the culinary experience emerged as culinary preference themes. Culinary satisfaction themes were identified as satisfaction with affordability, satisfaction with personal preferences being met and satisfaction within the dining environment. Of the hypothesised, 15 relationships between the importance of culinary preference factors and the culinary satisfaction factors, only five relationships existed. Originality of the research – The developed model serves to explain the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction. In order to improve the culinary satisfaction reported by international tourists, the supported hypotheses should be focused on

Systematic review of the effectiveness and cultural adaptation of social skills interventions for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders in Asia

Background: Social skills interventions have been shown to improve social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Because the majority of social skills interventions have been trialled in Western countries, they may not be generalisable to Asian countries with a different cultural background. The purpose of this review was to determine the efficacy and cultural adaptability of social skills interventions for adolescents with ASD (aged 10–19 years) in Asian countries. Method: This review incorporated quantitative and mixed methods published, peer-reviewed research. Five electronic databases were searched. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines. A meta-analysis was conducted by using Revman 5.4 for 3 studies. Results: In total, 15 studies were included in the review (n = 332), conducted across 7 Asian countries. Seven studies had undergone cultural adaptation in 3 countries (e.g., Hong Kong, South Korea, and Israel). Meta-analysis results for three comparable studies showed that the cultural adaptation of social skills interventions improved social skills knowledge of adolescents with ASD. Conclusion: The review identified that social skills interventions for adolescents with ASD in Asian countries, particularly those which have been adapted to adolescents’ cultural needs and preferences, are potentially effective for improving social skills. However, due to the study's limitations and the heterogeneity of included studies, further research is needed to provide strong evidence

Access to and experience of later abortion: accounts from women in Scotland

Context: Except in the presence of significant medical indications, the legal limit for abortion in Great Britain is 24 weeks’ gestation. Nevertheless, abortion for nonmedical reasons is not usually provided in Scotland after 18–20 weeks, meaning women have to travel to England for the procedure. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 women presenting for "later" abortions (i.e., at 16 or more weeks’ gestation) in Scotland. Participants were women who sought an abortion at a participating National Health Service clinic between January and July 2013. Interviews addressed reasons for and consequences of later presentation, as well as women's experiences of abortion. Thematic analysis attended to emerging issues and employed the conceptual tool of candidacy. Results: Delayed recognition of pregnancy, changed life circumstances and conflicting candidacies for motherhood and having an abortion were common reasons for women's presentation for later abortion. Women perceived that the resources required to travel to England for a later abortion were potential barriers to access, and felt that such travel was distressing and stigmatizing. Participants who continued their pregnancy did so after learning they were at a later gestational age than expected or after receiving assurances of support from partners, friends or family. Conclusions: Reasons for seeking later abortion are complex and varied among women in Scotland, and suggest that reducing barriers to access and improving local provision of such abortions are a necessity. The candidacy framework allows for a fuller understanding of the difficulties involved in obtaining abortions

Person-centered healthcare practice in a pandemic context: An exploration of people's experience of seeking healthcare support

Eleanor Curnow - ORCID: 0000-0001-9332-8248 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9332-8248Vaibhav Tyagi - ORCID: 0000-0003-2756-1513 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2756-1513Lisa Salisbury - ORCID: 0000-0002-1400-3224 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1400-3224Brendan McCormack - ORCID: 0000-0001-8525-8905 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8525-8905Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic increased pressure upon healthcare resources resulting in compromised health services. Enforced national lockdown led to people being unable to access essential services in addition to limiting contact with social support networks. The novel coronavirus, and subsequent condition known as long covid were not well-understood and clinicians were not supported by existing guidelines or pathways. Our study explored people's experiences of healthcare during this period with a person-centered “lens.”Methods: Ninety-seven people participated in our online survey about their experiences of the pandemic, particularly while socially isolated and their experiences of healthcare. Following completion of the survey, 11 of these participants agreed to further semi-structured interviews to explore this further in their own words. Interview conversations were transcribed, checked; together with the responses to open questions in the survey. The data were then analyzed thematically by members of the research team. We conducted framework analysis from a post-positivist perspective, using the Person-centered Practice Framework to explore participants' experiences.Results: There were few examples of people describing person-centered care. People experienced barriers to accessing support, and negative experiences of care that represented complexities enacting person-centered care at each level of the framework (processes, practice environment, prerequisites, and macro context). These barriers were influenced greatly by the pandemic, for example, with health professionals being harder to access. Some experiences related to the ways in which health professionals responded to the context, for example, positive examples included active listening, recognition of people's experiences, seeking to find out more, and engaging in collaborative problem-solving.Discussion: People want to feel heard, supported to navigate healthcare systems, source trustworthy information, find appropriate services, and collaborate in learning and problem-solving with healthcare professionals. There have been enormous challenges to the provision of healthcare throughout the pandemic. Moving forward is crucial with emphasis on overcoming barriers to person-centered healthcare. This should focus on steps now and also in planning for the possibility of further rapid changes in the demand for and provision of healthcare.This study received funding from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh through the Scottish Funding Council Research Funding to Mitigate the effects COVID 19 on the Research. It built on previous work which was funded by Chief Scientist Office, Scotland (Rapid Research in Covid−19 programme: COV/QMU/20/04).https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2021.7262102pubpu

The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0281.1The inner shelf, the transition zone between the surfzone and the midshelf, is a dynamically complex region with the evolution of circulation and stratification driven by multiple physical processes. Cross-shelf exchange through the inner shelf has important implications for coastal water quality, ecological connectivity, and lateral movement of sediment and heat. The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE) was an intensive, coordinated, multi-institution field experiment from September–October 2017, conducted from the midshelf, through the inner shelf, and into the surfzone near Point Sal, California. Satellite, airborne, shore- and ship-based remote sensing, in-water moorings and ship-based sampling, and numerical ocean circulation models forced by winds, waves, and tides were used to investigate the dynamics governing the circulation and transport in the inner shelf and the role of coastline variability on regional circulation dynamics. Here, the following physical processes are highlighted: internal wave dynamics from the midshelf to the inner shelf; flow separation and eddy shedding off Point Sal; offshore ejection of surfzone waters from rip currents; and wind-driven subtidal circulation dynamics. The extensive dataset from ISDE allows for unprecedented investigations into the role of physical processes in creating spatial heterogeneity, and nonlinear interactions between various inner-shelf physical processes. Overall, the highly spatially and temporally resolved oceanographic measurements and numerical simulations of ISDE provide a central framework for studies exploring this complex and fascinating region of the ocean.U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)ONR Departmental Research Initiative (DRI)Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE

Early death and causes of death of people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

Background: Death of people with intellectual disabilities is considered to be earlier than for the general population. Methods: Databases were searched for intellectual disability AND death key words. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria were used. Information was extracted from selected papers, tabulated, and synthesised. Results: 27/19,111 articles met criteria. Death was earlier by 20 years. It has improved in recent decades; however the same inequality gap with the general population remains. More severe intellectual disabilities, and/or additional co-morbidities rendered it shortest. Standardised Mortality Rates showed a greater inequality for women than men. Respiratory and circulatory diseases were the main causes of death. Cancer was less common, and profile differed from the general population. Some deaths are potentially avoidable. All research is from high income countries, and cause of death is surprisingly little investigated. Conclusions: Improved anticipatory health care such as health checks and initiatives addressing relevant health risks are recommended

Identification of a BRCA2-Specific modifier locus at 6p24 related to breast cancer risk

Common genetic variants contribute to the observed variation in breast cancer risk for BRCA2 mutation carriers; those known to date have all been found through population-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS). To comprehensively identify breast cancer risk modifying loci for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we conducted a deep replication of an ongoing GWAS discovery study. Using the ranked P-values of the breast cancer associations with the imputed genotype of 1.4 M SNPs, 19,029 SNPs were selected and designed for inclusion on a custom Illumina array that included a total of 211,155 SNPs as part of a multi-consortial project. DNA samples from 3,881 breast cancer affected and 4,330 unaffected BRCA2 mutation carriers from 47 studies belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 were genotyped and available for analysis. We replicated previously reported breast cancer susceptibility alleles in these BRCA2 mutation carriers and for several regions (including FGFR2, MAP3K1, CDKN2A/B, and PTHLH) identified SNPs that have stronger evidence of association than those previously published. We also identified a novel susceptibility allele at 6p24 that was inversely associated with risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers (rs9348512; per allele HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.90, P = 3.9×10−8). This SNP was not associated with breast cancer risk either in the general population or in BRCA1 mutation carriers. The locus lies within a region containing TFAP2A, which encodes a transcriptional activation protein that interacts with several tumor suppressor genes. This report identifies the first breast cancer risk locus specific to a BRCA2 mutation background. This comprehensive update of novel and previously reported breast cancer susceptibility loci contributes to the establishment of a panel of SNPs that modify breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers. This panel may have clinical utility for women with BRCA2 mutations weighing options for medical prevention of breast cancer