Remotely sensed hydroacoustics and observation data for predicting fish habitat suitability

This paper investigates the use of using remotely sensed observation and full coverage hydroacoustic datasets to quantify habitat suitability for a marine demersal fish, the blue-throated wrasse. Because of issues surrounding the detection of species using remotely sensed video techniques, the application of presence-only techniques are well suited for modeling demersal fish habitat suitability. Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis is used to compare analyses conducted using seafloor variables derived from hydroacoustics at three spatial scales; fine (56.25 m²), medium (506.25 m²) and coarse (2756.25 m²), to determine which spatial scale was most influential in predicting blue-throated wrasse habitat suitability. The coarse scale model was found to have the best predictive capabilities with a Boyce Index of 0.80±0.26. The global marginality and specialization values indicated that, irrespective of spatial scale, blue-throated wrasse prefer seafloor characteristics that are different to the mean available within the study site, but exhibit a relatively wide niche. Although variable importance varied over the three spatial scale models, blue-throated wrasse showed a strong preference for regions of shallow water, close to reef, with high rugosity and maximum curvature and low HSI-B values. Generally the spatial patterns in habitat suitability were well represented in the Marine National Park compared to adjacent waters. However, some significant differences in spatial patterns were observed. Interspersion and Juxtaposition Indexes for unsuitable and highly suitable habitat were significantly smaller inside the Marine National Park, while the Mean Shape Index of unsuitable habitat in the Marine National Park was significantly larger.

Diet quality in bipolar disorder in a population-based sample of women

Background : Recent epidemiological evidence has indicated a role for diet quality in unipolar depressive illness. This study examined the association between diet quality and bipolar disorder (BD) in an epidemiological cohort of randomly selected, population-based women aged 20–93 years.

Methods : An a priori diet quality score was derived from food frequency questionnaire data, a factor analysis identified habitual dietary patterns and glycemic load was assessed. Mental health was assessed using the SCID-I/NP.

Results : BD was identified in 23 women and there were 691 participants with no history of psychopathology. Compared to those with no psychopathology, those with BD had a higher glycemic load (p = 0.06) and higher scores on a ‘western’ dietary factor (p = 0.03) and the ‘modern’ dietary factor (p = 0.02). For each standard deviation increase in a ‘western’ and ‘modern’ dietary pattern and glycemic load, the odds ratios for BD were increased (‘western’ OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.33–2.65; ‘modern’ OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.14–2.39; GL OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.13–2.14). Conversely, a ‘traditional’ dietary pattern was associated with reduced odds for BD (OR = 0.53 95% CI 0.32–0.89) after adjustments for overall energy intake.

Limitations : The small sample size did not allow for multivariate analyses and the cross-sectional study design precludes any determinations regarding the direction of the relationships between diet quality and BD.

Conclusion : These data are largely concordant with results from dietary studies in unipolar depression. However, clinical recommendations cannot be made until the direction of the relationship between diet quality and BD is determined. Longitudinal studies are warranted.

Exploring multidimensional person-environment fit

The current study examines the validity of a multidimensional Person-Environment (PE) fit model proposed by Jansen and Kristof-Brown (2006). The overall aim of the paper is to test the model’s factor structure and influences upon outcome measures. A panel of organisational employees from a wide range of companies and locations were asked to complete a survey (n = 1875) measuring five discrete multidimensional facets of PE fit (Person-Organisation, Person-People, Person-Job, Person-Group and Person-Vocation) and three outcomes; organisational commitment, intention to leave and job satisfaction. The first sequence of analysis tested the proposed model using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) statistical approaches. Model comparisons showed that Jansen and Kristof-Brown’s original model in which the five facets of fit coalesce into a multidimensional variable was a poor fit with the data, but that a model in which the five facets of fit operate independently was a good fitting one. The second sequence of analysis found that the model without the multidimensional variable strongly predicted the outcomes of commitment, job satisfaction and intention to leave. This paper discusses the implication of this research in relation to the PE fit literature.

Associations between parental concern for adolescent weight and the home food environment and dietary intake

Objective: Examine associations between parental concern about adolescent weight and adolescent perceptions of their dietary intake, home food availability, family mealtime environment, and parents' feeding practices.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Adolescents, aged 12-15 years from 37 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia, and their parents completed surveys in 2004-2005.

Participants: 1,448 adolescent–parent pairs.

Main Outcome Measures: Parental concern about adolescent weight; adolescent perceptions of their food intake and home food environment.

Analysis: Chi-square tests, exploratory factor analysis, independent t tests (P < .01).

Results: Although 12% of parents perceived their adolescent as overweight, 27% were concerned about their adolescent's weight (under- or overweight). Adolescents of concerned parents reported lower intakes of energy-dense snacks and less home availability of these food items, and they perceived that their parents less often listened to and considered their food preferences when shopping and cooking, than did adolescents of unconcerned parents. Concerned parents were no more likely to provide fruits and vegetables in the home or a positive family mealtime environment than unconcerned parents, at least as reported by their adolescents.

Conclusions and Implications: Parental concern about adolescent weight was associated with lower intakes of energy-dense snacks among adolescents, less home availability of these food items, and less supportive parental feeding practices. Parents should be encouraged to listen to and consider their adolescents' food preferences, and provide supportive family mealtime environments and healthful food in the home.

Testing a multidimensional theory of person-environment fit

The current study examines the validity of a multidimensional Person-Environment (PE) fit model proposed by Jansen and Kristof-Brown (2006). The overall aim of the paper is to test the model's factor structure and influences upon outcome measures. A panel of organizational employees from a wide range of companies and locations were asked to complete a survey (n = 1,875) measuring five discrete dimensions of perceptual PE fit (Person-Organization, Person-People, Person-Job, Person-Group, and Person-Vocation) and three outcomes (organizational commitment, intention to leave, and job satisfaction). The first sequence of analysis tested the proposed model using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) statistical approaches. Model comparisons showed that Jansen and Kristof-Brown's (2006) original model in which the five dimensions of fit coalesce into a multidimensional construct was a poor fit with the data, but that a model in which the five dimensions of fit operate independently fit the data well. The second sequence of analysis found that the model without the multidimensional construct strongly predicted the outcomes of commitment, job satisfaction, and intention to leave. This paper discusses the implication of this research in relation to the PE fit literature.

Research framework and empirical evidence of sustainable supply chain

The aim of this research is to conduct a review on the approaches used to assess different criteria on sustainability used by supply chains and to suggest a framework for a methodical approach that would be easy and practical in making complex sustainable assessments. A review was conducted on the present models that are used to examine sustainability within supply chains. A sample of 332 companies mainly from the manufacturing area was examined to determine what criteria they require for assessing sustainable issues amongst their supply chains. A quantitative study using factor analysis and multiple regression were used to analyse the data to determine the statistical significance of the attempted prediction. It was identified that corporate commitment to sustainability, corporate reporting and management systems are significant predictors for green procurement in supply chain management. This framework can be beneficial in implementing environmental sustainable assessments for supply chains. Much of the empirical research on supply chains has focused on business performance, while there is very little empirical work undertaken in the literature on sustainable supply chains, Sustainability within supply chains implies that businesses need to consider the economic, environmental and social impacts of their activities.

Psychometric properties of a scale to measure investment in the sick role : the Illness Cognitions Scale

Rationale, aims and objectives A person’s beliefs about their illness may contribute to recovery and prognosis. Some degree of acceptance of illness and its impact is necessary to integrate the presence of a chronic disorder into one’s lifestyle and adhere to necessary components of illness management; however, some individuals can become ‘stuck’ and have difficulty adjusting out of the sick role. Inventories exist to measure illness cognitions, attitudes and behaviours as they relate to hypochondria and psychosomatic illness, but there is no extant measure of sick role inertia.We describe the psychometric properties of a new scale, the Illness Cognitions Scale (ICS), a metric of investment in the sick role.

Methods The ICS was administered to 97 individuals with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder, and the psychometric properties of the scale measured. Dimensionality was assessed using Principal Components Analysis with Oblimin rotation.

Results The scale has a strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.858. Results of a factor analysis suggested the presence of one main factor, with three other smaller, related sub-factors, capturing aspects of maladaptive illness beliefs.

Conclusion The ICS is a 17-item, internally validated scale measuring difficulty adjusting out of the sick role. The scale predominantly measures a single construct. Further research on external validity of the ICS is required as well as determination of the clinical significance and patient acceptability of the scale.

The validity and internal structure of the bipolar depression rating scale (BDRS): data from a clinical trial of N-acetylcysteine as adjunctive therapy in bipolar disorder

Background: The phenomenology of unipolar and bipolar disorders differ in a number of ways, such as the presence of mixed states and atypical features. Conventional depression rating instruments are designed to capture the characteristics of unipolar depression and have limitations in capturing the breadth of bipolar disorder.

Method: The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) was administered together with the Montgomery Asberg Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) in a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial of N-acetyl cysteine for bipolar disorder (N = 75).

Results: A factor analysis showed a two-factor solution: depression and mixed symptom clusters. The BDRS has strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.917), the depression cluster showed robust correlation with the MADRS (r = 0.865) and the mixed subscale correlated with the YMRS (r = 0.750).

Conclusion: The BDRS has good internal validity and inter-rater reliability and is sensitive to change in the context of a clinical trial.

Corporate image in the leisure services sector

Purpose – This paper seeks to empirically examine the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction in the leisure services sector. It also aims to examine the mediating impact of employees and servicescape on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a sample of 195 individuals who had visited an Australian zoological garden over a specified time period. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures, whilst structural equation modelling and multiple regression were used in hypothesis testing.
Findings – Findings reveal that corporate image has a significant positive relationship with customer satisfaction. Although the results indicate that the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction is not mediated by either servicescape or employees, they imply that corporate image and employees directly influence customer satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications – A single-case study design was implemented, limiting the generalisability of the findings. This provides an opportunity for replication of the model in other leisure services environments and services contexts outside the leisure services industry.
Practical implications – The findings reinforce the need for leisure services operators to prioritise the development of a strong, clear corporate image. The extended analysis illustrates that the disaggregated dimensions of corporate image are valuable to consider in terms of directing managerial strategy. Employees and servicescape are key aspects of the service offer on which management needs to focus to ensure that their desired corporate image is communicated and reinforced.
Originality/value – This study addresses an identified need to further examine the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction. It also contributes to corporate branding research by broadening the conceptualisation of the corporate image construct. Moreover, this study contributes to the corporate image literature by examining the mediating factors of employees and servicescape.

Modelling dimensionality of cultural experience attitudes for international tourists

This empirical research of tourists’ cultural experiences aims to advance theory by developing a measurement model of attitudes towards attending cultural experiences for a sample of international tourists visiting Melbourne, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to cross-validate the underlying dimensionality structure of cultural experience attitudes in the model. A five-factor model was extracted from the EFA and some further modifications were required to establish discriminant validity. A four-factor model was retained in the CFA, which included three factors based on a liking for different types of cultural experiences and one factor indicating that social interaction was the most liked socio-psychological attitude towards attending cultural experiences. Although the sample were all English-speaking international tourists, cross-cultural validation of the model was also examined for factor configural and metric invariance of the measurement model as there were three different groups of international tourists within the sample: North Americans; New Zealanders; and tourists from United Kingdom and Ireland. This measurement structure was found to be relatively invariant for the factor loadings across the three groups of international tourists.

Cultural experience tourist motives dimensionality : a cross-cultural study

This empirical research of tourists’ cultural experiences aims to advance theory by developing a measurement model of tourists’ motives towards attending cultural experiences for samples of Western and Asian tourists visiting Melbourne, Australia. Drawing upon Iso-Ahola’s (1989) seeking/avoiding dichotomy theory for tourist motivation dimensions, the hypothesized dimensions primarily included escape and seeking-related dimensions, and some hedonic dimensions because of their relevance to aesthetic products (Hirschman & Holbrook, 1982; Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982), which are the context for this study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to crossvalidate the underlying dimensionality structure of cultural experience motives. A four-factor model was extracted from the EFA consistent with some theoretical formulations and was retained in the CFA. Specific cultural language group differences for the motive dimensions were also hypothesized between Western and Asian tourist samples, and within the Chinese- and Japanese-speaking Asian tourist samples, but not within the different cultural groups of English-speaking Western tourists. These cross-cultural hypotheses were tested for the motive dimension measurement model using invariance testing in CFA. The findings for the motive dimensions differing by cultural group were not as expected. Significant cultural differences between Western and Asian tourists were not found, but a new finding of this study was significant differences between English-speaking tourists in their motives for attending cultural experiences. Marketing implications of these findings are also presented.

Pre- and posttrip factors influencing the visitor experience at a battlefield commemorative event : Gallipoli, a case study

Battlefield tourism is a major component of national and international tourism. This article sets out to provide a holistic understanding of the preevent factors influencing attendance at an event commemorating a famous World War I battle and to follow the cycle through to gain an understanding of what postevent factors influence event satisfaction and how this translates into recommending behavior. The Anzac Day commemorative event at Gallipoli, Turkey, provides the backdrop for this study. A two-step process was used to gather information from Australians partaking in the Gallipoli commemorations in 2007. A preevent questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of respondents while they were in transit from Istanbul to Gallipoli for the commemoration. In total, 482 preevent questionnaires were obtained. Step two of this process saw an exit questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of participants on the return journey to Istanbul, resulting in 331 completed postevent questionnaires. The pre- and postevent datasets were separately analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) where appropriate. The findings highlight the role of various event attributes, most prominently the ceremonial and experiential aspects of the Anzac Day commemorations, in encouraging visitor satisfaction and further flow-on effects for recommending behavior.

Motives influencing soccer coaching : an empirical study of professional soccer coaches in South Africa

Heightened competition both on a global and national level has raised the bar regarding the expectations that sport organisations have of their coaches. Using the Self-Determination Theory (SOT), which emphasizes the distinction between intrinsically- and extrinsically- driven behaviours, the current study investigated the specific intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate professional soccer coaches in South Africa to coach. A non-experimental design using a quantitative approach to assess the motives of individual involvement of coaches in South Africa was employed. The Coach Motivation Scale (CMS) designed to assess motivational factors in coaching was administered to a purposive sample of 112 soccer coaches. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the number and nature of factors of the underlying structure of the data. In addition, correlation analysis was conducted on the data set. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation correlated significantly with highest academic qualification. Arising from the findings of the study implications for further study are suggested and recommendations made.

Development and psychometric properties of the Female Sexual Desire Questionnaire (FSDQ)

Introduction.  Sexual desire is often evaluated as part of a global assessment of female sexual function, which may not comprehensively evaluate the various facets of this experience. There currently exists a need to develop a psychometrically robust desire-specific measure for women.

Aim.  The aim of this study was to develop and validate a desire-specific, self-administered instrument that evaluates the multiple facets of sexual desire and factors influencing this experience for partnered heterosexual women, with or without sexual dysfunction.

Methods.  Preliminary items for inclusion in the Female Sexual Desire Questionnaire (FSDQ) were identified through a literature review and individual interviews with partnered heterosexual women, mostly from Australia. The resulting instrument was completed by a validation sample of 741 women, aged between 18 and 71 years, who were involved in a heterosexual relationship of between 3 months' and 49 years' duration.

Main Outcome Measures.  Exploratory factor analysis was used to refine the FSDQ item content and identify the underlying domain structure. The reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent validity) of the FSDQ were also evaluated.

Results.  The final version of the FSDQ consisted of 50 items organized into six domains that characterized the experience of, and factors influencing, sexual desire for heterosexual partnered women: Dyadic Desire, Solitary Desire, Resistance, Positive Relationship, Sexual Self-Image, and Concern. Each domain demonstrated high reliability, as did the overall measure. Evidence of construct validity was ascertained through convergence with the Sexual Desire Inventory and the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Desire. A short-form of the FSDQ, consisting of six items, was also developed.

Conclusions.  The FSDQ is a new reliable and valid multidimensional measure designed specifically for evaluating the facets of, and factors influencing, sexual desire among sexually functional and dysfunctional women who are involved in a heterosexual relationship.

The role of personal values in enhancing student experience and satisfaction among international postgraduate students : an exploratory study

Problem Statement: Universities are faced with the challenging task of educating an increasingly diverse and mobile student community. An understanding of the backgrounds of students and their expectations is central to ensure effective delivery of educational and support services to enhance student experience and satisfaction. The study of student personal values is able to provide better understanding of student demands and aspirations and to assist universities to target educational and support services to meet the differential needs of students.

Purpose of Study: To examine the differences in personal values among Asian international postgraduate students studying in Australian universities and to discuss the strategic implications of these differences in relation to enhancing student experience and satisfaction.

Research Methods: Data collected from a sample of 371 postgraduate students from China, India, Indonesia and Thailand studying in five universities in Victoria, Australia. Personal values were measured using Kahle’s (1983) List Of Values (LOV). Factor analysis was undertaken to determine the underlying personal value domains and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse the relationship of the value constructs to student satisfaction. ANOVA and MANOVA tests employed to examine the differences of personal values between the nationalities, gender and age.

Findings: Factor Analysis resulted in a two factor solution and labelled as Self-efficacy and Hedonism which explained 73.5 percent of the variance. MANOVA and ANOVA results indicated significant differences (.001) across the values constructs of Self-efficacy and Hedonism and the individual variables between nationalities, gender and age.

SEM results indicated a link between student satisfaction and the value domains of Self-efficacy and Hedonism.

Conclusions: The study highlighed the opportunities for universities to recognise that Asia is a differentiated market place and the development of segmented approach in designing educational programs as part of the strategy to enhance student experience and satisfaction. The inclusion of cultural aspects in educational programs, promotional material that fits in with different cultural backgrounds of students, self-paced learning approaches, promotion of cross cultural understanding among university staff are among the recommended strategies.