Establishing realistic performance measurements for customer relationship management in the SME context

This research reviews aspects. of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) literature. It examines, in particular, the area of CRM performance measurement. The main objective of this research is to develop a business-orientated measurement tool for the assessment of CRM performance. The research context is set within the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across the United Kingdom. Although the literature review showed that there are both successful· and unsuccessful cases of CRM performance, the research highlighted a significant issue concerning CRM performance measurement. It was found that many companies are unable to quantify their performance claims. Additionally, there is little or no strong evidence that companies measure their CRM performance, it is therefore questionable in regard to the justification of reported cases of CRM success and failure. Further literature evidence on the area of existing CRM performance measurement tools was critically reviewed. Overall the evidence points to the need for a simplified and realistic measurement tool that is based on what CRM user companies are actually doing or capable of doing regarding the assessment of CRM performance. Research methodological approaches undertaken were hierarchical in their nature. Two stages of empirical work were conducted: questionnaire survey and semistructured interviews. The questionnaire survey covered the scope of 2,200 SMEs across the United Kingdom. The survey aimed to identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ,adopted by companies and to also create a profile of CRM companies for the next phase of research. The interview stage aimed to gain insight into CRM performance measurement in order to aid the development of a practical and business-orientated CRM performance measurement framework. There were 26 self-selected CRM user companies involved at the interview stage. Results from the quantitative analysis of survey data revealed a number of KPIs adopted by companies including the profile of CRM users. The qualitative· and quantitative analyses of interview data allowed a CRM performance measurement framework to be derived and developed. The main findings suggested that companies should focus primarily on assessing the process rather than putting the entire focus only on the final outcome or bottom line (i.e. financial outcome). The close relationship between the process and outcome measures implied that the effective assessment ofprocess would result in the effective outcome. There were also other outcomes relevant to the research such as issues with CRM market forecasts, issues with existing CRM measurement tools and extreme views on CRM. In regard to the ways they assess their CRM, one of the interesting findings of this research revealed that CRM user companies who view CRM from a customer perspective enabled by technology perspective appear to be more successful than those who view CRM solely from a strategy perspective

Analysis of color errors and their sources in a commercial color reproduction process

To analyze color errors and their sources in the color reproduction process, the reproduction is visually evaluated and compared visually with the original scene color scales and also with the original transparency viewed on a variable brightness illuminator (D5000) with an opaque reflective white surround. Graphs (press plate curves, single color proofs and END of single color proofs) have been added to the Kodak tone-reproduction diagram (1960) to obtain more complete steps in the analysis of the tone-reproduction and the color balance. The GATF Evaluation Method of Ink Color is tested and the GARC colorimetric system, which is a modified Adam’s chromatic value system, is used to analyze colorimetric measurement. The slightly dark reproduction, the shift of the color balance to bluish cyan in the reproduction; the shift of hues, the magenta toward red, the cyan and the green toward blue; and the desaturation of the blue, the cyan and the yellow are discovered as errors in the reproduction. The possible improvements of these errors are discussed. The hope to combine the tone-reproduction analysis, the GATF Evaluation of Ink Color and the GARC colorimetric system into one system of analysis of the color errors is not fulfilled, because the mask percentages obtained from the Evaluation of Ink Color do not agree with that of the reproduction process and the hue error and grayness of the Evaluation of Ink Color do not correspond with the visual hue and the color saturation. However, the results of the colorimetric analysis, such as hue errors and the saturation of reproduced color, correspond quite well to the visual evaluation and the results of the tone-reproduction of the colorimetric analysis can be related to the reproduction process. It is concluded that great benefit is obtained by using the three systems; the subjective evaluation, the tone-reproduction analysis and the GARC colorimetric system for the analysis of the color reproduction process

Academic internal motivation and professional nurses personality of nursing students in three border provinces in South Thailand

The purposes of this descriptive study were to examine the academic internal motivation and professional nurses personality of nurse students in three border provinces in southern Thailand. The subjects were 220 nurse students randomly selected. The results of this study indicated that, Nurse students in three border provinces in southern Thailand had academic internal motivation in all at the moderate level, challenge motive and ability motive domains were high level, interest-enjoyment motive, autonomy motive and effort motive domains was moderate level. Part of professional nurses personality in all at the high level, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Intellect domains were high level , Emotional stability domain were moderate level. This study revealed that the moderate significant relationship between academic internal motivation in all, ability motive domains and professional nurses personality in all (r =. and respectively), but mostly academic internal motivation domains were rather low significant relationship. The low significant relationship between challenge motive domains, of interest-enjoyment motive domains and agreeableness domains of professional nurses personality (r =.170 and 138 respectively). Part of effort motive domains and interest-enjoyment motive domains and conscientiousness domains of professional nurses personality were low significant relationship (r =.192). This finding of the study suggest that should be provide Nurse science curriculum in three border provinces in southern Thailand to promote academic internal motivation of nurse students especially supportive challenge activities to study , promote personality part of agreeableness and conscientiousness ,facilitate emotional stability to be professional nurse continuously according to intention of three border provinces in southern Thailand

The rapid expansion of residential long-term care services in Bangkok: A challenge for regulation

As in other middle-income countries, Thailand is experiencing accelerating population ageing, with particularly rapid increases in the numbers of people at very old ages. This creates specific challenges related to meeting health and social care needs associated with later life. This paper analyses the nature of residential long-term care (LTC) services in Bangkok and identifies different forms of provision. It also assesses the suitability of current regulatory practices and provides some evidence of service quality. The study applies a multi-method qualitative approach, using the key informant interviews including HSW, PHCW, LGO, NGOs, and DCH, focus groups and documentary evidence to piece together a “map” of available services. Content analysis was carried out for qualitative data. It provides important insights including a very limited supply of residential LTC in Bangkok relative to the rapidly growing demand, scarce financial support to service providers, largely absent or in the early stage of state regulation, and a continued stigmatisation of residential LTC. Future research should focus more on quality of care and encourage family members to provide support and care for older persons in residential facilities, and should consider including a larger sample size and larger areas

Atypical Avian Influenza (H5N1)

We report the first case of avian influenza in a patient with fever and diarrhea but no respiratory symptoms. Avian influenza should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly if they have a history of exposure to poultry

Molecular genetic diversity and bioinformatic analysis of Leucocytozoon sabrazesi based on the mitochondrial genes cytb, coxI and coxIII and co-infection of Plasmodium spp.

Leucocytozoon sabrazesi is an intracellular haemoprotozoan parasite responsible for leucocytozoonosis, which is transmitted by insect vectors and affects chickens in tropical and subtropical areas in many countries. It causes huge economic losses due to decreased meat and egg production. In the present study, we used nested PCR to determine the genetic diversity of L. sabrazesi based on the cytb, coxI, coxIII and concatenated genes in chickens in Thailand. In addition, we found co-infections between L. sabrazesi and Plasmodium spp. (P. gallinaceum or P. juxtanucleare) in chickens that were not identified by microscopic examination of blood smears. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that L. sabrazesi cytb and coxIII genes were conserved with similarity ranging from 99.9 to 100% and 98 to 100%, respectively whereas the coxI gene was diverse, with similarities ranging from 97 to 100%. These findings ascertained the nucleotide analysis of the cytb, coxI, coxIII and concatenated sequences in which 4, 8, 10 and 9 haplotypes were found, respectively. In addition, it was found that the large number of synonymous substitutions and conservative amino acid replacements in these mitochondrial genes occurred by non-synonymous substitution. The evolutionary analysis of the Ka/Ks ratio supported purifying selection and the negative values of both Fu’s Fs and Tajima’s D indicate selective sweep especially for the coxI gene. The entropy and Simplot analysis showed that the genetic variation in populations of Plasmodium spp. was higher than in Leucocytozoon. Hence, the nucleotide sequences of three mitochondrial genes could reflect the evolutionary analysis and geographic distribution of this protozoan population that switches hosts during its life cycle

Accuracy of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Diagnosis of Human Leptospirosis in Thailand

There is a lack of diagnostic tests for leptospirosis in technology-restricted settings. We developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) specific for the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rrs) of pathogenic and intermediate group Leptospira species. The lower limit of detection was 10 genomic equivalents/reaction, and analytical specificity was high; we observed positive reactions for pathogenic/intermediate groups and negative reactions for non-pathogenic Leptospira species and other bacterial species. We evaluated this assay in Thailand by using a case–control study of 133 patients with laboratory-proven leptospirosis and 133 patients with other febrile illnesses. Using admission blood, we found that the rrs LAMP showed positive results in 58 of 133 cases (diagnostic sensitivity = 43.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 35.0–52.5) and in 22 of 133 controls (diagnostic specificity = 83.5, 95% CI = 76.0–89.3). Sensitivity was high for 39 patients who were culture positive for Leptospira spp. (84.6, 95% CI = 69.5–94.1). The rrs LAMP can provide an admission diagnosis in approximately half of patients with leptospirosis, but its clinical utility is reduced by a lower specificity

HIV Env conserved element DNA vaccine alters immunodominance in macaques

ABSTRACT Sequence diversity and immunodominance are major obstacles in the design of an effective vaccine against HIV. HIV Env is a highly-glycosylated protein composed of ‘conserved’ and ‘variable’ regions. The latter contains immunodominant epitopes that are frequently targeted by the immune system resulting in the generation of immune escape variants. This work describes 12 regions in HIV Env that are highly conserved throughout the known HIV M Group sequences (Env CE), and are poorly immunogenic in macaques vaccinated with full-length Env expressing DNA vaccines. Two versions of plasmids encoding the 12 Env CE were generated, differing by 0–5 AA per CE to maximize the inclusion of commonly detected variants. In contrast to the full-length env DNA vaccine, vaccination of macaques with a combination of these 2 Env CE DNA induced robust, durable cellular immune responses with a significant fraction of CD8+ T cells with cytotoxic phenotype (Granzyme B+ and CD107a+). Although inefficient in generating primary responses to the CE, boosting of the Env CE DNA primed macaques with the intact env DNA vaccine potently augmented pre-existing immunity, increasing magnitude, breadth and cytotoxicity of the cellular responses. Fine mapping showed that 7 of the 12 CE elicited T cell responses. Env CE DNA also induced humoral responses able to recognize the full-length Env. Env CE plasmids are therefore capable of inducing durable responses to highly conserved regions of Env that are frequently absent after Env vaccination or immunologically subdominant. These modified antigens are candidates for use as prophylactic and therapeutic HIV vaccines

Comparison of Two Multilocus Sequence Based Genotyping Schemes for Leptospira Species

Two independent multilocus sequence based genotyping schemes (denoted here as 7L and 6L for schemes with 7 and 6 loci, respectively) are in use for Leptospira spp., which has led to uncertainty as to which should be adopted by the scientific community. The purpose of this study was to apply the two schemes to a single collection of pathogenic Leptospira, evaluate their performance, and describe the practical advantages and disadvantages of each scheme. We used a variety of phylogenetic approaches to compare the output data and found that the two schemes gave very similar results. 7L has the advantage that it is a conventional multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) scheme based on housekeeping genes and is supported by a publically accessible database by which genotypes can be readily assigned as known or new sequence types by any investigator, but is currently only applicable to L. interrogans and L. kirschneri. Conversely, 6L can be applied to all pathogenic Leptospira spp., but is not a conventional MLST scheme by design and is not available online. 6L sequences from 271 strains have been released into the public domain, and phylogenetic analysis of new sequences using this scheme requires their download and offline analysis