Diaspora tourists' emotional experience

This article attempts to empirically test a model to explain the hypothesized relationships between important constructs such as emotional experience, personal involvement, destination image, destination satisfaction, and place attachment as antecedents of the future intentions of mature/senior diaspora tourists. The hypothesized relationships were explored using a sample of 419 mature/senior diaspora tourists visiting Ghana. A three-step process was used to explore, confirm and test the interrelationships between the constructs. The results showed that emotional experiences related to joy and love influenced personal involvement. While other hypothesized relationships were supported, unpleasantness and positive surprise did not have a direct effect on personal involvement. Future studies can apply this model to understand other types of tourism

Allometric Modelling of Tectona grandis for Diameter at Breast Height and Crown Collar Diameter Estimations in the Dry Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone of Ghana

The increased rate of deforestation and forest degradation in developing tropical countries like Ghana, necessitated massive afforestation and reforestation as the approach for mitigating this menace with mostly short rotational tree crops like Tectona grandis (teak). Teak poles have been noted worldwide for their durability especially for electrification projects. However, its usage for electrification projects in Ghana has attracted immense attention and concern in Ghana primarily because of massive demand but frequent rejection of the poles due to unsuitable crown collar diameter and length of the tree required for electric poles. Currently, the relationship between the diameters at breast height, collar diameter and height - parameters that can be adopted for easy determination of crown collar diameter on field has not been well established in Ghana. This study was carried out to determine the relationships between and among diameter at breast height, height and crown collar diameter and diameter at breast height, height and crown collar diameter of teak in the dry semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana to ease the determination of crown collar diameter to avoid its waste due to rejection. The study was carried out in compartment 5 of Chirimfa Forest Reserve. Diameter at breast height, total height and crown collar diameter variables were measured on hundred (100) felled trees. Regression analysis performed at a confidence level of 95% revealed no significant relationship (R2 = 0.00, p > 0.05) between diameter at breast height and total height. However, significant relationship (R2 = 73.40, p < 0.05) was found between crown collar diameter and diameter at breast height. The significant relationship (R2 = 76.60, p < 0.05) among crown collar diameter, diameter at breast height and height as indicated by the model CD (cm) = 0.6625DBH (cm) – 0.563H (m) + 3.83, indicates that the appropriate determination of crown collar diameter of teak is a function of height and DBH growth. However, relationship between DBH and collar diameter was the strongest and suggest the DBH as the most important determining parameter for correlating Collar diameter of teak trees in the dry semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana The study has thus provided a baseline equation that could be used to predict and determine teak trees crown collar diameters with diameter at breast heights in Ghana and also for further exploration for better predictions. Keywords: Deforestation, degradation, reforestation, electrification, diameter, colla

Board Ethics and Auditor Choice – International Evidence

2 Board Ethics and Auditor Choice – International Evidence ABSTRACT This study examines whether firms‟ auditor choice relates reflects the strength of board ethics. Using a large sample of firms 132,853 firm year observations from forty-six countries around the globe. and controlling for a number of firm- and country-level factors, we find that firms in countries where “high board ethical values” prevail are more likely to hire a Big 4 auditor. We also find that the relation between board ethical values and auditor choice is mitigated by the firm‟s board size. These results establish an indirect link between board ethics and financial reporting quality through the firm‟s choice of auditor

Consumer confidence indices and stock markets’ meltdowns

Consumer confidence indices (CCIs) are a closely monitored barometer of countries’ economic health and an informative forecasting tool. Using European and US data, we provide a case study of the two recent stock market meltdowns (the post-dotcom bubble correction of 2000–2002 and the 2007–2009 decline at the beginning of the financial crisis) to contribute to the discussion on their appropriateness as proxies for stock markets’ investor sentiment. Investor sentiment should positively covary with stock market movements (DeLong, Shleifer, Summers, and Waldmann 1990); however, we find that the CCI–stock market relationship is not universally positive.We also do not find support for the information effect documented in the previous literature, but identify a more subtle relationship between consumer expectations about future household finances and stock market fluctuations

Finding regions of interest on toroidal meshes

Fusion promises to provide clean and safe energy, and a considerable amount of research effort is underway to turn this aspiration intoreality. This work focuses on a building block for analyzing data produced from the simulation of microturbulence in magnetic confinementfusion devices: the task of efficiently extracting regions of interest. Like many other simulations where a large amount of data are produced,the careful study of ``interesting'' parts of the data is critical to gain understanding. In this paper, we present an efficient approach forfinding these regions of interest. Our approach takes full advantage of the underlying mesh structure in magnetic coordinates to produce acompact representation of the mesh points inside the regions and an efficient connected component labeling algorithm for constructingregions from points. This approach scales linearly with the surface area of the regions of interest instead of the volume as shown with bothcomputational complexity analysis and experimental measurements. Furthermore, this new approach is 100s of times faster than a recentlypublished method based on Cartesian coordinates

Updated consensus guidelines on the management of Phelan–McDermid syndrome

Phelan–McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a genetic condition caused by SHANK3 haploinsufficiency and characterized by a wide range of neurodevelopmental and systemic manifestations. The first practice parameters for assessment and monitoring in individuals with PMS were published in 2014; recently, knowledge about PMS has grown significantly based on data from longitudinal phenotyping studies and large-scale genotype–phenotype investigations. The objective of these updated clinical management guidelines was to: (1) reflect the latest in knowledge in PMS and (2) provide guidance for clinicians, researchers, and the general community. A taskforce was established with clinical experts in PMS and representatives from the parent community. Experts joined subgroups based on their areas of specialty, including genetics, neurology, neurodevelopment, gastroenterology, primary care, physiatry, nephrology, endocrinology, cardiology, gynecology, and dentistry. Taskforce members convened regularly between 2021 and 2022 and produced specialty-specific guidelines based on iterative feedback and discussion. Taskforce leaders then established consensus within their respective specialty group and harmonized the guidelines. The knowledge gained over the past decade allows for improved guidelines to assess and monitor individuals with PMS. Since there is limited evidence specific to PMS, intervention mostly follows general guidelines for treating individuals with developmental disorders. Significant evidence has been amassed to guide the management of comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions in PMS, albeit mainly from caregiver report and the experience of clinical experts. These updated consensus guidelines on the management of PMS represent an advance for the field and will improve care in the community. Several areas for future research are also highlighted and will contribute to subsequent updates with more refined and specific recommendations as new knowledge accumulates

Constraints to exclusive breastfeeding practice among breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria: implications for scaling up

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The practice of exclusive breastfeeding is still low despite the associated benefits. Improving the uptake and appropriating the benefits will require an understanding of breastfeeding as an embodied experience within a social context. This study investigates breastfeeding practices and experiences of nursing mothers and the roles of grandmothers, as well as the work-related constraints affecting nurses in providing quality support for breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a concurrent mixed method approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 breastfeeding mothers. In-depth interviews were also held with breastfeeding mothers (11), nurses (10) and a focus group discussion session with grandmothers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Breastfeeding was perceived as essential to baby's health. It strengthens the physical and spiritual bond between mothers and their children. Exclusive breastfeeding was considered essential but demanding. Only a small proportion (19%) of the nursing mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding. The survey showed the major constraints to exclusive breastfeeding to be: the perception that babies continued to be hungry after breastfeeding (29%); maternal health problems (26%); fear of babies becoming addicted to breast milk (26%); pressure from mother-in-law (25%); pains in the breast (25%); and the need to return to work (24%). In addition, the qualitative findings showed that significant others played dual roles with consequences on breastfeeding practices. The desire to practice exclusive breastfeeding was often compromised shortly after child delivery. Poor feeding, inadequate support from husband and conflicting positions from the significant others were dominant constraints. The nurses decried the effects of their workload on providing quality supports for nursing mothers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Breastfeeding mothers are faced with multiple challenges as they strive to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Thus, scaling up of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers requires concerted efforts at the macro, meso and micro levels of the Nigerian society.</p

Absence of repellents in Ustilago maydis induces genes encoding small secreted proteins

The rep1 gene of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis encodes a pre-pro-protein that is processed in the secretory pathway into 11 peptides. These so-called repellents form amphipathic amyloid fibrils at the surface of aerial hyphae. A SG200 strain in which the rep1 gene is inactivated (∆rep1 strain) is affected in aerial hyphae formation. We here assessed changes in global gene expression as a consequence of the inactivation of the rep1 gene. Microarray analysis revealed that only 31 genes in the ∆rep1 SG200 strain had a fold change in expression of ≥2. Twenty-two of these genes were up-regulated and half of them encode small secreted proteins (SSPs) with unknown functions. Seven of the SSP genes and two other genes that are over-expressed in the ∆rep1 SG200 strain encode proteins that can be classified as secreted cysteine-rich proteins (SCRPs). Interestingly, most of the SCRPs are predicted to form amyloids. The SCRP gene um00792 showed the highest up-regulation in the ∆rep1 strain. Using GFP as a reporter, it was shown that this gene is over-expressed in the layer of hyphae at the medium-air interface. Taken together, it is concluded that inactivation of rep1 hardly affects the expression profile of U. maydis, despite the fact that the mutant strain has a strong reduced ability to form aerial hyphae