Investigating the concept of potential quality: An exploratory study in the real estate industry

Purpose The purpose of this research is to examine the concept of “potential quality” – that is, a company's tangible search qualities (such as the physical servicescape and virtual servicescape) – within the context of the real‐estate industry in the USA. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study collects data by conducting personal in‐depth interviews with 34 respondents who had been recent buyers or renters of property. The data are then coded and themed to identify quality dimensions relevant to this industry. Findings The results indicate that a buyer's perception of the overall service quality of real‐estate service consists of two components: the interaction with a realtor (process quality); and the virtual servicescape, especially the firm's website design and content (potential quality). The study concludes that existing scales (such as SERVQUAL and RESERV) fail to capture the tangible component of service quality sufficiently in the real‐estate industry. Research limitations/implications The study uses data from only one industry (real estate) and from only one demographic segment (professionals in higher education). Practical implications Service providers of intangible, high‐contact services must appreciate the importance of the virtual servicescape as a surrogate quality indicator that can help to reduce information asymmetries and consumers' uncertainty with regard to initiating a business relationship. Real estate firms need to pay attention to the training of agents and the design and content of their e‐service systems. Originality/value This study integrates potential quality, process quality, and outcome quality in a comprehensive proposed model. In particular, the study identifies “potential quality” as a combination of the attributes of the virtual service environment and the physical service environment.

Creative work environments and employee engagement: Exploring potential links and possibilities

Companies that perform well are often identified as either possessing creative work environments and (or) having high levels of employee engagement. Creative work environments are largely not well defined, although research alludes to contributing factors. On the other hand employee engagement is defined as the multiple emotional, rational and behavioural dimensions of an employee's consistent level of effort, commitment and connection to their job. Some authors including Saks (2006) and Shuck and Wollard (2010) call for more scholarly research to increase our understanding of the drivers of employee engagement and the actions that organisations can take to improve engagement. There are references made in the literature to the existence of a relationship between a creative work environment and engaged employees (Isaksen & Ekvall 2010), but there is a lack of empirical evidence providing support for the direct relationship between the two. This study aims to explore the relationship, addressing the question of how a creative work environment impacts on employee engagement. Exploratory research to investigate this relationship will use a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews, field observations and document analysis. Key themes will be analysed at both the individual and team level reflecting the multi-level nature of the constructs.

Stone baby: An exploration of trembling and its potential for visual art

Informed by Kristeva's formulation of affect and Winnicott's Holding Environment, this practice-led visual art project is an exploration into how sensitivity to the physical sensation of trembling can sustain a creative practice. Building upon this is a further enquiry into what the significance of the affective experience of trembling is for an ethics of affect in contemporary art. I have done this through object and video-based installations informed by my own experience of trembling. This has been further informed by the work of artists like Louise Bourgeois, Dennis Del Favero and Willie Doherty. The creative outcomes contribute to the discourse around ethical responses to affect by extending and developing on the works of these artists.

Academic potential and cognitive functioning of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation

This cross-sectional study assessed intellect, cognition, academic function, behaviour, and emotional health of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation. Eligible children were >5 yr post-transplant, still attending school, and resident in Queensland. Hearing and neurocognitive testing were performed on 13 transplanted children and six siblings including two twin pairs where one was transplanted and the other not. Median age at testing was 13.08 (range 6.52-16.99) yr; time elapsed after transplant 10.89 (range 5.16-16.37) yr; and age at transplant 1.15 (range 0.38-10.00) yr. Mean full-scale IQ was 97 (81-117) for transplanted children and 105 (87-130) for siblings. No difficulties were identified in intellect, cognition, academic function, and memory and learning in transplanted children or their siblings, although both groups had reduced mathematical ability compared with normal. Transplanted patients had difficulties in executive functioning, particularly in self-regulation, planning and organization, problem-solving, and visual scanning. Thirty-one percent (4/13) of transplanted patients, and no siblings, scored in the clinical range for ADHD. Emotional difficulties were noted in transplanted patients but were not different from their siblings. Long-term liver transplant survivors exhibit difficulties in executive function and are more likely to have ADHD despite relatively intact intellect and cognition.

The Bonsai Child: Why Modern Parenting Limits Children’s Potential and Practical Strategies to Turn It Around

The Bonsai Child will change the way you think about parenting. The book explains modern parenting trends and the impact on children. Most importantly, the book offers practical strategies to help your child become confident and resilient. These strategies have worked for thousands of parents: they will work for you, too.

Giving in Australia: Philanthropic Potential Beginning To Be Realized

Australia in a sense has two histories: that of its indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on a traditional culture of mutual dependence and reciprocal altruism (Turner, 1981) and the other from its eighteenth century colonization as a British penal outpost. These colonial overtones have proved an abiding cultural force. A dominant government presence, British legal platform, and ongoing sense that ‘the government will provide’ remain today (Liffman, 2008; McDonald & Scaife, 2011).

Genome-wide association study for radiographic vertebral fractures: A potential role for the 16q24 BMD locus

Vertebral fracture risk is a heritable complex trait. The aim of this study was to identify genetic susceptibility factors for osteoporotic vertebral fractures applying a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach. The GWAS discovery was based on the Rotterdam Study, a population-based study of elderly Dutch individuals aged >55years; and comprising 329 cases and 2666 controls with radiographic scoring (McCloskey-Kanis) and genetic data. Replication of one top-associated SNP was pursued by de-novo genotyping of 15 independent studies across Europe, the United States, and Australia and one Asian study. Radiographic vertebral fracture assessment was performed using McCloskey-Kanis or Genant semi-quantitative definitions. SNPs were analyzed in relation to vertebral fracture using logistic regression models corrected for age and sex. Fixed effects inverse variance and Han-Eskin alternative random effects meta-analyses were applied. Genome-wide significance was set at p<5×10-8. In the discovery, a SNP (rs11645938) on chromosome 16q24 was associated with the risk for vertebral fractures at p=4.6×10-8. However, the association was not significant across 5720 cases and 21,791 controls from 14 studies. Fixed-effects meta-analysis summary estimate was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.98-1.14; p=0.17), displaying high degree of heterogeneity (I2=57%; Qhet p=0.0006). Under Han-Eskin alternative random effects model the summary effect was significant (p=0.0005). The SNP maps to a region previously found associated with lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) in two large meta-analyses from the GEFOS consortium. A false positive association in the GWAS discovery cannot be excluded, yet, the low-powered setting of the discovery and replication settings (appropriate to identify risk effect size >1.25) may still be consistent with an effect size <1.10, more of the type expected in complex traits. Larger effort in studies with standardized phenotype definitions is needed to confirm or reject the involvement of this locus on the risk for vertebral fractures.

Storytelling and new media technologies: Investigating the potential of the ABC's Heywire for regional youth

This thesis investigates an instance of audience participation within the Australian public service media institution, the ABC. The case study for this research – the ABC’s ‘Heywire’ project – is a regional youth storytelling project, an online platform, and an example of the potentials as well as the limitations of personal narrative and digital technologies for incorporating the voices and self-representations of audiences. By investigating 'Heywire', this thesis illuminates the exciting opportunities and also some profound challenges that arise when public service media institutions invite their audiences to participate as content creators and storytellers.

Economic value of recreational fishing in Moreton Bay and the potential impact of the marine park rezoning

In 2009, the area of the Moreton Bay Marine Park was increased from 0.5 per cent of the Bay area to 16 per cent. During the planning process, opposition by commercial and recreational fishers alike was raised, arguing that loss of fishing grounds would lead to substantial loss in economic benefits. The commercial sector was compensated through a buyback of fishing effort, but the recreational sector received no compensation. In this paper, we develop a travel cost model to estimate the potential economic impact on the recreational sector from the marine park rezoning. The results suggest that, counter to initial claims, non-market recreational fishing benefits may have increased by between $1.3m and $2.5m a year, with a current total annual value of around $20m. Keywords: Travel cost model; Economic valuation; Moreton Bay Marine Park; Recreational fishing

Decellularized periodontal ligament cell sheets with recellularization potential

The periodontal ligament is the key tissue facilitating periodontal regeneration. This study aimed to fabricate decellularized human periodontal ligament cell sheets for subsequent periodontal tissue engineering applications. The decellularization protocol involved the transfer of intact human periodontal ligament cell sheets onto melt electrospun polycaprolactone membranes and subsequent bi-directional perfusion with NH4OH/Triton X-100 and DNase solutions. The protocol was shown to remove 92% of DNA content. The structural integrity of the decellularized cell sheets was confirmed by a collagen quantification assay, immunostaining of human collagen type I and fibronectin, and scanning electron microscopy. ELISA was used to demonstrate the presence of residual basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the decellularized cell sheet constructs. The decellularized cell sheets were shown to have the ability to support recellularization by allogenic human periodontal ligament cells. This study describes the fabrication of decellularized periodontal ligament cell sheets that retain an intact extracellular matrix and resident growth factors and can support repopulation by allogenic cells. The decellularized hPDL cell sheet concept has the potential to be utilized in future "off-the-shelf" periodontal tissue engineering strategies.

The potential for production of freeze-dried oral vaccines using alginate hydrogel microspheres as protein carriers

Oral administration of dry vaccine formulations is acknowledged to offer major clinical and logistical benefits by eliminating the cold chain required for liquid preparations. A model antigen, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was encapsulated in alginate microspheres using aerosolisation. Hydrated microspheres 25 to 65 μm in size with protein loading of 3.3 % w/w were obtained. Environmental scanning electron microscopy indicated a stabilizing effect of encapsulated protein on alginate hydrogels revealed by an increase in dehydration resistance. Freeze drying of alginate microspheres without use of a cryoprotectant resulted in fragmentation and subsequent rapid loss of the majority of the protein load in simulated intestinal fluid in 2 h, whereas intact microspheres were observed following freeze-drying of BSA-loaded microspheres in the presence of maltodextrin. BSA release from freeze-dried preparations was limited to less than 7 % in simulated gastric fluid over 2 h, while 90 % of the protein load was gradually released in simulated intestinal fluid over 10 h. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that released BSA largely preserved its molecular weight. These findings demonstrate the potential for manufacturing freeze-dried oral vaccines using alginate microspheres.

Population of computational rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models for investigating sources of variability in cellular repolarisation

Variability is observed at all levels of cardiac electrophysiology. Yet, the underlying causes and importance of this variability are generally unknown, and difficult to investigate with current experimental techniques. The aim of the present study was to generate populations of computational ventricular action potential models that reproduce experimentally observed intercellular variability of repolarisation (represented by action potential duration) and to identify its potential causes. A systematic exploration of the effects of simultaneously varying the magnitude of six transmembrane current conductances (transient outward, rapid and slow delayed rectifier K(+), inward rectifying K(+), L-type Ca(2+), and Na(+)/K(+) pump currents) in two rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models (Shannon et al. and Mahajan et al.) at multiple cycle lengths (400, 600, 1,000 ms) was performed. This was accomplished with distributed computing software specialised for multi-dimensional parameter sweeps and grid execution. An initial population of 15,625 parameter sets was generated for both models at each cycle length. Action potential durations of these populations were compared to experimentally derived ranges for rabbit ventricular myocytes. 1,352 parameter sets for the Shannon model and 779 parameter sets for the Mahajan model yielded action potential duration within the experimental range, demonstrating that a wide array of ionic conductance values can be used to simulate a physiological rabbit ventricular action potential. Furthermore, by using clutter-based dimension reordering, a technique that allows visualisation of multi-dimensional spaces in two dimensions, the interaction of current conductances and their relative importance to the ventricular action potential at different cycle lengths were revealed. Overall, this work represents an important step towards a better understanding of the role that variability in current conductances may play in experimentally observed intercellular variability of rabbit ventricular action potential repolarisation.

Estimating the potential impact of entry fees for marine parks on dive tourism in South East Asia

Marine reserves are increasingly being established as a mechanism to protect marine biodiversity and sensitive habitats. As well as providing conservation benefits, marine reserves provide benefits to recreational scuba divers who dive within the reserve, as well as to recreational and commercial fishers outside the reserve through spill-over effects. To ensure benefits are being realised, management of marine reserves requires ongoing monitoring and surveillance. These are not costless, and many marine reserve managers impose an entry fee. In some countries, dive tourism is major income source to coastal industries, and a concern is that high entry fees may dissuade divers. In this paper, the price elasticity of demand for dive tourism in three countries in South East Asia – Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia – is estimated using a travel-cost model. From the model, the total non-market use value associated with diving in the area is estimated to be in the order of US$4.5 billion a year. The price elasticity of demand in the region is highly inelastic, such that increasing the cost of diving through a management levy would have little impact on total diver numbers.

Potential uses of Bayesian networks as tools for synthesis of systematic reviews of complex interventions

Bayesian networks (BNs) are tools for representing expert knowledge or evidence. They are especially useful for synthesising evidence or belief concerning a complex intervention, assessing the sensitivity of outcomes to different situations or contextual frameworks and framing decision problems that involve alternative types of intervention. Bayesian networks are useful extensions to logic maps when initiating a review or to facilitate synthesis and bridge the gap between evidence acquisition and decision-making. Formal elicitation techniques allow development of BNs on the basis of expert opinion. Such applications are useful alternatives to ‘empty’ reviews, which identify knowledge gaps but fail to support decision-making. Where review evidence exists, it can inform the development of a BN. We illustrate the construction of a BN using a motivating example that demonstrates how BNs can ensure coherence, transparently structure the problem addressed by a complex intervention and assess sensitivity to context, all of which are critical components of robust reviews of complex interventions. We suggest that BNs should be utilised to routinely synthesise reviews of complex interventions or empty reviews where decisions must be made despite poor evidence.

Wolbachia reduces the transmission potential of Dengue-infected Aedes aegypti

BACKGROUND: Dengue viruses (DENV) are the causative agents of dengue, the world's most prevalent arthropod-borne disease with around 40% of the world's population at risk of infection annually. Wolbachia pipientis, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is being developed as a biocontrol strategy against dengue because it limits replication of the virus in the mosquito. The Wolbachia strain wMel, which has been introduced into the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, has been shown to invade and spread to near fixation in field releases. Standard measures of Wolbachia's efficacy for blocking virus replication focus on the detection and quantification of virus in mosquito tissues. Examining the saliva provides a more accurate measure of transmission potential and can reveal the extrinsic incubation period (EIP), that is, the time it takes virus to arrive in the saliva following the consumption of DENV viremic blood. EIP is a key determinant of a mosquito's ability to transmit DENVs, as the earlier the virus appears in the saliva the more opportunities the mosquito will have to infect humans on subsequent bites. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used a non-destructive assay to repeatedly quantify DENV in saliva from wMel-infected and Wolbachia-free wild-type control mosquitoes following the consumption of a DENV-infected blood meal. We show that wMel lengthens the EIP, reduces the frequency at which the virus is expectorated and decreases the dengue copy number in mosquito saliva as compared to wild-type mosquitoes. These observations can at least be partially explained by an overall reduction in saliva produced by wMel mosquitoes. More generally, we found that the concentration of DENV in a blood meal is a determinant of the length of EIP, saliva virus titer and mosquito survival. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The saliva-based traits reported here offer more disease-relevant measures of Wolbachia's effects on the vector and the virus. The lengthening of EIP highlights another means, in addition to the reduction of infection frequencies and DENV titers in mosquitoes, by which Wolbachia should operate to reduce DENV transmission in the field.