Optometrists with defective vision: marketing orientation in the independent optical sector

Research into the marketing activities of the optical sector is extremely limited. The aim of this paper is redress this imbalance, and to examine and assess the role and relevance of marketing orientation to the independent optometrist. A national survey was undertaken using an adapted form of the MARKOR questionnaire, which sought to establish the level of marketing orientation of independent practitioners. This was supplemented by an in depth interview with a senior figure in an influential independent practitioner support organisation. The research shows that gaps exist in the market orientation activity of the independents. There is a lack of acceptance of the marketing function and practitioners score poorly on a number of aspects of marketing implementation. Whilst the response rate was good, those who completed the questionnaire represent a relatively small sample of optical practitioners and further research is required to validate the findings here. With the independent sector facing intensive competition and lacking in marketing orientation, a key recommendation is that the education and training of optometrists should incorporate a strong marketing and entrepreneurial element

Instability of Shear Waves in an Inhomogeneous Strongly Coupled Dusty Plasma

It is demonstrated that low frequency shear modes in a strongly coupled, inhomogeneous, dusty plasma can grow on account of an instability involving the dynamical charge fluctuations of the dust grains. The instability is driven by the gradient of the equilibrium dust charge density and is associated with the finite charging time of the dust grains. The present calculations, carried out in the generalized hydrodynamic viscoelastic formalism, also bring out important modifications in the threshold and growth rate of the instability due to collective effects associated with coupling to the compressional mode.Comment: 9 pages with 2 figure

Tree-Maiming to Crop Destruction: Considering a Re-Emerging Repertoire

Property destruction has been a key part of the protest repertoire in Western Europe (and further afield) throughout history. Such acts have represented the physical manifestation of opposition to perceived inequalities in society, ranging from actions of groups such as the Luddites through to spontaneous food riots. Although these actions can be portrayed as unthinking and solely focused on destruction, it is important to consider underlying claim being made through the action. This paper draws on a catalogue of protest events to consider the wave of crop trashing that took place in the UK in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aim is to locate these actions in the broader tradition of destruction targeting flora to determine the extent to which these actions can be seen as representing a traditional form of action and consider the degree of continuity in the underlying motives

Design support of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission

Engineering design specifications and development of the large area detector and photomultiplier tube assemblies for the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission are examined

Rethinking brand feminine dimension: brand femininity or brand femininities?.

The aim of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of brand personality by focusing on feminine dimension of brands. Previous research in marketing considered the femininity of brands as a unidimensional construct often opposed to masculinity. Through several studies, we explore the structure and the nature of brand femininity construct. Results indicate that brand femininity is a bi-dimensional construct. A scale reliable and generalizable across product categories’ gender is developed leading to the development of four brand femininity types. To finish, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.Scale development; Brand; Genre; Marketing;

Fcc-bcc transition for Yukawa interactions determined by applied strain deformation

Calculations of the work required to transform between bcc and fcc phases yield a high-precision bcc-fcc transition line for monodisperse point Yukawa (screened-Couloumb) systems. Our results agree qualitatively but not quantitatively with previously published simulations and phenomenological criteria for the bcc-fcc transition. In particular, the bcc-fcc-fluid triple point lies at a higher inverse screening length than previously reported.Comment: RevTex4, 9 pages, 6 figures. Discussion of phase coexistence extended, a few other minor clarifications added, referencing improved. Accepted for publication by Physical Review