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An exploration of loyalty determinants in Greek wine varieties
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the market structure of red and white wines from Greek wine varieties and measure loyalty behaviour of frequent wine buyers in Greece. Design/methodology: The study concerned measuring brand performance and loyalty of 4 different Greek wine varieties. Based on stated preference data, basic brand performance measures are estimated through Juster purchase probabilities of brand choice. To measure loyalty behaviour, the polarisation index φ (phi) is used as a measure to model loyalty both at the brand name and specific wine attributes and attribute-levels. Findings: The findings of the present study point to the conclusion that each one of the four Greek wine varieties under examination exhibits its own market structure and loyalty profile, whereas price, quality certification and winemaker’s size seem to function as loyalty stimulators more effectively for white wines. Moreover, it is also clear that the origin or type of the wine variety per se does not constitute a particularly important loyalty component in the wines’ marketing mix. Research limitations/implications: The wine category has always been one of the most challenging product categories to investigate. Many attributes contribute to building loyalty that is often hard to delineate and take into account each. Moreover, the present methodology is based on stated preference data, whereas revealed preference data could be the ideal for applying the specific methodology. Originality/value: Few studies, if any, have explored the issue of loyalty using the present methodological approach in the case of wine.
An internet-based computer-tailored physical activity intervention has short term positive effects on physical activity levels among adolescents
No full textA closed-form pseudolinear estimator for geolocation of scanning emitters
No full textA closed-form solution for scanning emitter localization has been available for the case of three sensors. For more than three sensors the traditional approach is to employ the maximum likelihood estimator, which is a nonlinear estimator with no closed-form solution. This paper develops a new closed-form pseudolinear estimator for passive localization of scanning emitters for four or more sensors. The proposed estimator achieves localization performance on par with the maximum likelihood estimator at a much reduced complexity and free from stability problems that plague iterative numerical methods for ??nding the maximum likelihood estimate. The new estimator is based on a modi??cation of the pseudolinear estimator for bearings-only localization. The superior performance of the developed estimator is illustrated with numerical examples.
Rheological behaviour of clay-rich gangue mineral dispersions during hydrometallurgical treatment
No full textare discussed.
Screening of green inhibitors used during acid cleaning of heat exhanger tubes in the alumina industry
No full textAluminosilicate scale fouling of heat exchanger tube is a common, and serious, problem for alumina refineries. One of the most economical solutions to this issue is to pump dilute sulphuric acid mixted with an appropriate corrosion inhibitor through the pipes to remove the scale. Although some previous inhibitor formulations used in the acid clean have been extremely effective, a greater awareness of environmental issues has prompted inhibitor manufactures to produce green inhibitors. Developing, validating and interpreting the results of a suitable test protocol that is acceptable for the target alumina industry is challenging. The paper discusses the testing of a variety of formulations in the quest for an inhibitor that is both green and as effective as its predecessor. A test protocol was developed to compare the inhibitors based on the service requirements within an alumina refinery. Linear polarization resistance measurement with a rotating cylinder electrode was found to be an appropriate technique for conducting the evaluations. The results and interpretations of the test are presented in this paper.In addition an associated alkali inhibitor was evaluated using a laboratory based flow loop to simulate plant conditions. Some formulations, although performing poorly as a corrosion inhibitor, exhibited interesting electrochemical behaviour and this is also discussed in this paper.
Teaching CMOS circuit design in nanoscale technologies using microwind
No full textThis paper describes the experience in teaching integrated circuit design using an educational tool called Microwind through a Project-Based Learning approach. The evolution of the tool in the context of technology scale down is described, with focus on nanoscale technologies. An evaluation of the courses taught in two institutions (INSA France, and UniSA Australia) shows high levels of student satisfaction.
Toward a behavioral theory of government-firm relationship behavior : thick description of the dynamics of government's role in shaping China's domestic, inbound, and outbound tourism industry
No full textAuditing, assurance services and ethics in Australia : an integrated approach
No full textThe eighth edition of Auditing, Assurance Services and Ethics in Australia: An Integrated Approach represents a conscious effort to focus on the Australian auditing environment in terms of the current practices and standards issued by the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB). The book is a comprehensive introduction to auditing for students who have not had significant experience in the field. It is also appropriate for introductory professional development courses for public accounting firms, internal auditors and government auditors. The primary emphasis in this text is on the auditor’s decision-making process. The purpose is to integrate the most important concepts of auditing with certain practical aspects in a logical manner to assist students in understanding audit decision-making and evidence accumulation. Technology, e-commerce, and fraud issues are also integrated throughout the chapters, making it one of the most up-to-date texts, not only in current standards, but in keeping up with the digital world. ACL version 9 student software and activities on CD Rom with this edition help develop proficiency in this internationally market leading audit software to enhance students’ future employment prospects.
The metabolism of 25-(OH)vitamin D3 by osteoclasts and their precursors regulates the differentiation of osteoclasts
No full textCurrent evidence suggests that levels of 25-(OH)vitamin D3 (25D), rather than 1α,25-(OH)2vitamin D3 (1,25D), directly affect bone mineralization and that the skeleton is a site of extra-renal synthesis of 1,25D. Since cells of the monocyte lineage can also metabolise 25D, it is possible that osteoclasts participate in local production of, and the response to, 1,25D. In this study, we investigated the effects of vitamin D metabolism on osteoclastogenesis using both the murine RAW 264.7 cell line and the human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) models. PBMC-derived osteoclasts expressed cytoplasmic cyp27b1 and nuclear vdr proteins. PBMC expressed CYP27B1 mRNA, levels of which increased during RANKL induced differentiation into osteoclasts in both cell types. While 1,25D elicited a robust CYP24 transcriptional response in PBMC, the response to 25D was approximately 100-fold less at the concentrations used. Using media devoid of pre-existing vitamin D metabolites, we found that 25D was metabolised by RAW 264.7 cells to 1,25D and resulted in significant elevation in the numbers of TRAP-positive, multinucleated osteoclasts when present in the cultures for the first 3–5 days. These results suggest that vitamin D metabolism by osteoclast lineage cells is an important regulator of osteoclast formation.