Locating the past in its silence: history and marketing theory in India

The paper aims to argue, while examining the history of marketing theory in India, that the discipline is a historical, serves large business interests and is shaped by hegemonic Western knowledge.

Preservation challenges in the digital age

The digital preservation field is evolving rapidly. Focal areas are changing and best practices are still under debate. Preservation efforts must address not just preservation of the technologies of the past, but also those of the future. The rapidly increasing volume of data requiring preservation makes other digital preservation challenges inherently larger and more complex. The shorter lifespan of digital materials also makes the need for timely and effective preservation action more urgent. This article describes what the author sees as the current major challenges in digital preservation, and covers a range of technical, administrative, legal and logistical aspects.

Naturalistic decision making: a model to overcome methodological challenges in the study of critical care nurses` decision making about patients` hemodynamic status

The quality of critical care nurses' decision making about patients' hemodynamic status in the immediate period after cardiac surgery is important for the patients' well-being and, at times, survival. The way nurses respond to hemodynamic cues varies according to the nurses' skills, experiences, and knowledge. Variability in decisions is also associated with the inherent complexity of hemodynamic monitoring. Previous methodological approaches to the study of hemodynamic assessment and treatment decisions have ignored the important interplay between nurses, the task, and the environment in which these decisions are made. The advantages of naturalistic decision making as a framework for studying the manner in which nurses make decisions are presented.

Corporate brand identity and image congruence in the leisure services sector : a stakeholder perspective

This paper aims to contribute to current leisure services and branding literature by conceptualising the relationship between brand identity, brand image and whether a congruent relationship between the two influences customer satisfaction and loyalty. A conceptual model is developed in the context of zoological operations, central constructs and subsequent research propositions are discussed.

Current developments and future challenges for the creation of aortic heart valve

The concept of tissue-engineered heart valves offers an alternative to current heart valve replacements that is capable of addressing shortcomings such as life-long administration of anticoagulants, inadequate durability, and inability to grow. Since tissue engineering is a multifaceted area, studies conducted have focused on different aspects such as hemodynamics, cellular interactions and mechanisms, scaffold designs, and mechanical characteristics in the form of both in vitro and in vivo investigations. This review concentrates on the advancements of scaffold materials and manufacturing processes, and on cell–scaffold interactions. Aside from the commonly used materials, polyglycolic acid and polylactic acid, novel polymers such as hydrogels and trimethylene carbonate-based polymers are being developed to simulate the natural mechanical characteristics of heart valves. Electrospinning has been examined as a new manufacturing technique that has the potential to facilitate tissue formation via increased surface area. The type of cells utilized for seeding onto the scaffolds is another factor to take into consideration; currently, stem cells are of great interest because of their potential to differentiate into various types of cells. Although extensive studies have been conducted, the creation of a fully functional heart valve that is clinically applicable still requires further investigation due to the complexity and intricacies of the heart valve.

Mother and toddler activity in the zone of proximal development for pretend play as a predictor of higher child IQ

This study investigated the pretend play of mother—toddler dyads in relation to later child IQ. Twenty-one toddlers were videotaped in monthly play sessions with their mothers, from age 8 to 17 months, and later assessed at 5 years of age on the Stanford-Binet IV. Children's and mothers' pretend play levels and frequencies were measured using Brown's (1997) Pretend Play Observation Scale. Dyadic play activity was analyzed using the conceptual frameworks of scaffolding and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Toddlers later assessed as having higher IQ demonstrated more rapid learning in the ZPD for pretend play and experienced earlier maternal transfer of responsibility for play. These findings support other evidence on the differential early development of high ability or gifted children and the role of caregiver interactions in that development.

Putting the Research to Use: This study provides evidence that gifted children show differential development, in this case more rapid learning, from the first year of life. It also demonstrates how responsive parental interactions can support this advanced development. For family and professional caregivers, the findings imply that optimum caregiving for the young gifted child involves interactions that are both responsive to individual potential and appropriately challenging. In regard to the methodological challenges of researching early giftedness, the study demonstrated that the constructs of the ZPD and scaffolding were useful frameworks for investigating early gifted development and caregiver influences on that development. Pretend play activity was also shown to be an effective measure and a useful context for the study of gifted development in infants and toddlers. It would be valuable for future researchers in this area to utilize similar approaches that are grounded in the unique developmental characteristics of young children, and that aim to account for the interactive contexts that are so important in children's lives. The field of gifted education, in general, would also benefit from an increased awareness and exploration of the role of play in the development of intellect, imagination and creativity.

Developmental stress affects the attractiveness of male song and female choice in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Developmental stress has recently been shown to have adverse effects upon adult male song structure in birds, which may well act as an honest signal of male quality to discriminating females. However, it still remains to be shown if females can discriminate between the songs of stressed and non-stressed males. Here we use a novel experimental design using an active choice paradigm to investigate preferences in captive female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Nine females were exposed to ten pairs of songs by previously stressed and non-stressed birds that had learned their song from the same tutor. Song pairs differed significantly in terms of song complexity, with songs of stressed males exhibiting lower numbers of syllables and fewer different syllables in a phrase. Song rate and peak frequency did not differ between stressed and non-stressed males. Females showed a significant preference for non-stressed songs in terms of directed perching activity and time spent on perches. Our results therefore indicate that developmental stress affects not only the structure of male song, but that such structural differences are biologically relevant to female mate choice decisions.

Reaching and influencing consumers in the prescription medicine market

Purpose – Celebrex became the first of a new class of drugs known as COX-2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It improves treatment for arthritis sufferers without compromising the protective lining of the stomach. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicines can be used to rebuild faith in the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) product category.

Design/methodology/approach – The case is developed using published sources and no input is required from company representatives. The presentation style follows the classic comprehensive case format used in postgraduate teaching programmes.

Findings – Business executives and strategic marketing students would benefit from a discussion on how external environmental factors can suddenly impose a review of marketing strategy. The reader learns how management addresses the business dilemma using DTCA.

Research limitations/implications – A blockbuster rival drug Vioxx is withdrawn due to cardiovascular (CV) health safety concerns. A resulting dominant market situation soon becomes a business dilemma. The Federal Drug Administration calls for a “black box” warning label on Celebrex, the most serious type of warning.

Practical implications – The implications are that having a product in a class of its own is not enough. It highlights the need to communicate to different audiences, to both the medical profession and the end-user. Getting doctors to recommend the medicine and pulling the product through the channel by stimulating patient demand after a health scare are paramount.

Originality/value – This is the first pharmaceutical business case where the withdrawal of a rival product leaves the dominant competitor in a monopoly situation. Contrary to expectation, market share plummets despite the absence of competition.