Profile of the scuba diving vacationer to the island of Bonaire

The island of Bonaire, part of the Netherland Antilles in the Caribbean, is percieved to be experiencing a decline in their tourism arrivals of scuba diving vacationers from the United States. Tourism is an important export for the economic stability of Bonaire, with the scuba vacationing market accounting for up to 53% of total arrivals to the island (Tourism Corporation Bonaire). Economic impacts are filtering down to the working class, affecting the socio-economic climate of the island. Bonaire has enjoyed being one of the premier scuba diving destinations on the Caribbean for many years. Its clear waters, tropical climate, abundant marine life, ease of shore access, and calm seas on the leeward side of the island lend it to being a scuba diver\u27s paradise. The Tourism Corporation Bonaire (herein called \u27 TCB\u27) has shifted its focus of target markets to that of upscale, European clientele. In the recent economic recession in the United States, combined with the war in the Gulf, many islands, hotels and attractions have shifted their strategies in this manner. The reason for the high-end market is due to the amount of discretionary income and time the market segment has. Market share is becoming increasingly harder to obtain and sustain due to increased competition of this target market. The Council of Underwater Resort Operators (herein called \u27CURO\u27) are interested in finding out who their clientele are, and where they are coming from. The assessment of where Bonaire is in respect to product life cycle is also an important issue to be considered in this study. This may show the need for improvement of percieved image, as well as possibly infrastructure and/or superstructures

An Analysis Of The Duties And Responsibilities Of The California Elementary School Vice-Principal

The purpose of this study was to determine California elementary vice principals\u27 perceptions of the actual time allocated to their duties, the time that should be given to their duties, and their level of responsibility for each of their activities

DESIGN METHODS FOR REMOTELY POWERED UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

A method for sizing remotely powered unmanned aerial vehicles is presented to augment the conventional design process. This method allows for unconventionally powered aircraft to become options in trade studies during the initial design phase. A design matrix is created that shows where, and if, a remotely powered vehicle fits within the design space. For given range and power requirements, the design matrix uses historical data to determine whether an internal combustion or electrical system would be most appropriate. Trends in the historical data show that the break in the design space between the two systems is around 30 miles and 1 kW. Electrical systems are broken into subcategories of onboard energy sources and remote power sources. For this work, only batteries were considered as an onboard energy source, but both lasers and microwaves were considered for remote power transmission methods. The conventional sizing method is adjusted to so that it is based on energy consumption, instead of fuel consumption. Using the manner in which microwaves and laser propagate through the atmosphere, the weight fraction of a receiving apparatus is estimated. This is then used with the sizing method to determine the gross takeoff weight of the vehicle. This new sizing method is used to compare battery systems, microwave systems, and laser systems

Interactions between Prefrontal Cholinergic and Glutamatergic Signaling Support Attentional Function.

Attentional processes and capacities are central to cognitive performance. Cortically projecting cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain are essential components of the neural systems underlying attentional function; however exactly how the cholinergic system supports attentional performance remains unknown. Our current model suggests that transient (scale of seconds) increases in acetylcholine (ACh) release in the prefrontal cortex foster the detection of predictive cues, and that the generation of such transients is dictated by glutamate released from mediodorsal thalamic afferents and the stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors. The studies that informed this model were based on data from anesthetized preparations and animals performing relatively simple instrumental tasks. Two of the primary aims of the work going in to my dissertation were to utilize a novel technique with a high degree of temporal precision to record glutamatergic and cholinergic activity in animals performing a sustained attention task (SAT) to characterize how these two major neurotransmitter systems interact to support attentional performance. The major results from these studies are that in contrast to signal detection per se, transient increases in ACh release mediate performance on signal trials requiring a shift from cue-independent to cue-dependent processing. The pattern of glutamate release in task performing animals suggests that in addition to recruiting cholinergic mechanisms, glutamate plays an additional role in signaling choice. Finally our work revealing the interactions between cholinergic and glutamatergic mechanisms additionally predict and explain the observation that α4β2 nAChR agonists more robustly enhance attentional performance in the distractor version of the SAT than the non-selective nAChR agonist nicotine. The results from these studies suggest the limited beneficial effects of nicotine are due to its stimulation of long lasting release events that are unlikely to support specific cognitive operations. Collectively, the work included here has 1) redefined the role of cholinergic transient in attention 2) begun to explore the complex interplay between glutamatergic and cholinergic signaling in cognitive performance 3) demonstrated that by building upon our knowledge of the functions of and interactions between these two systems we can predict the pro-attentional efficacy of putative cognition enhancers.Ph.D.PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91399/1/wmhowe_1.pd

Cross-Cultural Analysis of Gamer Identity: A Comparison of the United States and Poland

Who is a gamer? What kind of people are perceived to be gamers? And finally – who perceives themselves as a gamer? In this article the authors attempt to answer these three questions from a multinational perspective. Background. Games are nowadays one of the most frequently encountered forms of entertainment and constitute an ever-increasing part of many people’s day-to-day lives. With the rising popularity of video games, there is a need to conduct a research concerning gamer identity and to find out who perceives themselves as a gamer. The aim of this study is to compare the results of the survey conducted in two different countries to better understand the characteristics of players that self-identified as gamers. Methods. The quantitative study was conducted in two countries – Poland and the United States – in order to research gamer identity. The questionnaire consisted of questions about the self-identification as a gamer, time spent playing video games, types of games played, and the platforms used. It was conducted among 223 students who play video games. Results. The results show that there are both similarities and differences in the meaning of gamer identity between Poland and the United States. People who consider themselves gamers generally spend more time playing games than non-gamers regardless of the country. However, some differences can be spotted between Poland and the U.S. concerning among others types of games played, used platforms or different styles of playing video games. Limitations and further research. The main problem in the study was the limited age range in the sample. In the future it seems valuable to include people of different age groups to broaden the study of self-identified gamer identity

Spatial restriction of alpha4 integrin phosphorylation regulates lamellipodial stability and alpha4beta1-dependent cell migration.

Integrins coordinate spatial signaling events essential for cell polarity and directed migration. Such signals from alpha4 integrins regulate cell migration in development and in leukocyte trafficking. Here, we report that efficient alpha4-mediated migration requires spatial control of alpha4 phosphorylation by protein kinase A, and hence localized inhibition of binding of the signaling adaptor, paxillin, to the integrin. In migrating cells, phosphorylated alpha4 accumulated along the leading edge. Blocking alpha4 phosphorylation by mutagenesis or by inhibition of protein kinase A drastically reduced alpha4-dependent migration and lamellipodial stability. alpha4 phosphorylation blocks paxillin binding in vitro; we now find that paxillin and phospho-alpha4 were in distinct clusters at the leading edge of migrating cells, whereas unphosphorylated alpha4 and paxillin colocalized along the lateral edges of those cells. Furthermore, enforced paxillin association with alpha4 inhibits migration and reduced lamellipodial stability. These results show that topographically specific integrin phosphorylation can control cell migration and polarization by spatial segregation of adaptor protein binding