2,952 research outputs found
Multi-channel customer management: A case study in Egypt
No full textChannel management is one CRM systems component much influenced by the behaviour of customers in relation to the implementation and use of channel management CRM component. The consumers’ behaviours, preferences, perceptions and expectations are crucial for the implementation and use of channel management. Customers’ contact with the organization’s multi-channels can occur at several touch points through out customer lifecycle. Customers’ behaviours may be differentiated according to the individual or micro level, but it might also differ at an ecological or macro level of analysis (Ramaseshan et al., 2006). In this paper the author has conducted a case study in Egypt to analyze customers’ behaviours at a macro level and customers channel choices, through out the customer lifecycle. The author has used a Structurational Analysis model (Ali and Brooks, 2008) to identify the cultural factors (Ali, et al. 2008) that influence the multi-channel customer management in Egypt
An interview with Ali M. Ahad
No full textAli Mumin Ahad is a Somali scholar with multifaceted interests and a personal life story that brought him from Somalia to Italy, and now to Australia. Ali obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics at the Somali National University, and then moved to Italy where he earned his master’s degree in agribusiness at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, in Milan. His doctorate was awarded by La Trobe University in Australia, while he now holds a position as Honorary Research Fellow at Melbourne University, Faculty of Arts. In his works, Ali focuses on Somali history, including colonialism, on literature, and on questions of migration and integration. He is the author of the book “Somali Oral Poetry and the Failed She-Camel Nation State: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Deelley Poetry Debate (1979-1980)”, published in 2015. Ali is also an eminent voice of Italian post-colonial studies: his “I peccati storici del colonialismo” is a must-read for those interested in understanding the legacy of Italian colonialism in Somalia. Marco Zoppi has conducted this interview for WardheerNews.com, and wishes to thank Ali M. Ahad for his kind availability
Cultural aspects of multi-channel customer management: A case study in Italy
No full textChannel management is one of CRM systems component much influenced by the behaviour of customers in relation to its implementation and use. The consumers’ behaviours, preferences, perceptions and expectations are crucial for the implementation and use of channel management. Customers’ contact with the organization’s multi-channels can occur at several touch points throughout the customer lifecycle. Customers’ behaviours may be differentiated according to the individual or micro level, but it might also differ at an ecological or macro level of analysis (Ramaseshan et al., 2006). In this paper the author has conducted a case study in a multinational organization in Italy to analyze customers’ behaviours at a macro level and customers channel choices, through out the customer lifecycle. The author has used a content analysis technique to define the themes of the case study and then used the Structurational Analysis model by Ali and Brooks, (2008) to identify the cultural values dimensions (Ali, et al. 2008a) that influence multi-channel customer management in Italy. The research findings highlight the cultural dimensions, which should be considered while adopting multi-channel customer strategy. Also, the research findings encourage the articulation of situated cultural approach to study cultural impact within IS discipline as alternative approach than predefined culture archetype
An analytical study of the theatre of the Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous, with particular emphasis on the plays written after the 1967 war
No full textThis study is an examination of the life and work of
the Syrian dramatist Saadallah Wannous (1941-1997). Wannous's name is virtually unknown in the West; only two academic studies of any significance have appeared in English on this eminent and challenging writer, who was honoured by UNESCO at the end of his life. Even in the Arab world his standing rests largely upon his celebrity as a cultural icon, since professional performances of his plays are rare due to the decline of the theatre in the region, and little attention has been devoted to theatre studies by Arab academics. The two studies in English do not attempt to be comprehensive but focus on particular stages of Wannous's career. This study is, therefore, the first to encompass the full range of Wannous's work. To do so it combines an account of his life which seeks to comprehend the various forces that shaped his thinking with an analysis of his dramatic works. The study concentrates on the plays written in the years following the trauma inflicted on the Arab world by the catastrophe of their
defeat in the Arab-Israeli war of June, 1967. Wannous's career can be divided into three phases: the immature plays of his young manhood which are influenced by European models and generally focus on the social condition of the individual; his middle period - the `theatre of politicisation', when his Marxist politics were the main
factor shaping his drama; and his late works, which are characterised by an extraordinary freedom of thought and expression. The introduction places Wannous in his historical and sociocultural context and provides a brief background explaining the literary and theatrical traditions of the Arab world that influenced his activity as a dramatist. Each phase is then examined in turn and the plays are analysed in accordance with the focus of the study. This means that emphasis is given to the middle period,
but no significant work is neglected. The study aims to trace the trajectory of Wannous's development using a
variety of sources: the plays themselves, Wannous's own journalism and critical writings, interviews with his widow, his friends and colleagues, and numerous
journals, books and articles, some of which contain
important interviews with Wannous that shed light on his thought and ways of working. Use is also made of the
two studies mentioned above. The study shows that Wannous's theatre was influenced by the key political, social and cultural developments of his time, and that he
constantly sought to find forms that would express those transformations in dramatic terms
Family altruism and incentives
No full textThe author builds on the altruistic model of the family, to explore the strategic interaction between altruistic parents, and selfish children, when children's efforts are endogenous. If there is uncertainty about the amount of income the children will realize, and if parents have imperfect information, the children have an incentive to exert little effort, and to rely on their parent's altruistically motivated transfers. Because of this, parents face a tradeoff between the insurance that bequests implicitly provide their children, and the disincentive to work prompted by their altruism. The author shows that if parents can credibly commit to a pattern of transfers, they will choose not to compensate children in bad outcomes, as much as predicted by the standard (no uncertainty, no asymmetric information) dynastic model of the family. Alternatively, parents may choose to forgo any insurance, and offer a fixed level of bequest, to elicit greater effort from their children. The optimal transfers structure that the author derives, reconciles the predictions of the altruistic family model, with much of the existing evidence on inter-generational transfers, which suggests that parents compensate only partially, or not at all, for earnings differentials among their children. Moreover, the author shows that Ricardian equivalence holds in this setup, except when non-negativity constraints are binding.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Educational Sciences,Safety Nets and Transfers
Characterization of the passive layer on ferrite and austenite phases of super duplex stainless steel
No full textIn this study, we report on a combined microscopic, analytical and electrochemical characterization of the nanoscopic passive layer on a tungsten‑molybdenum-containing super duplex stainless steel. We used scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis to correlate the local chemical composition and electronic properties of passive layers on austenite and ferrite phases. The passive layer on the ferrite phase contains a higher amount of Mo, W, and Cr, which accommodates a higher nobility of ferrite and a higher local energy of the band gap compared to those on the austenite. The two aforementioned phases exhibit a different composition and semi-conductive properties of their passive layers leading to dissimilar local corrosion susceptibility. These findings are of pivotal importance in further studies of austenite and ferrite phase resolved corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel demanding a dedicated alloying strategy.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.(OLD) MSE-6QN/Zandbergen La
»Tri ali štiri maksime...«
No full textIn the Discours de la Méthode Descartes mentions three or four maxims of his temporary morals. How to understand this indetermination? The author, after sketching two interpretations of this locus (F. Alquié and J.-M. Beyssade), attempts an analysis of the first maxim, which shows its internal bifurcation. It's actually composed of two promises. After the initial promise to external authorities, which is sometimes seen as the entire first maxim there appears an often unseen or underestimated second one, according to which it's not appropriate to make promises concerning matters, that are subject to changeable judgements. Between the promise of loyalty to external authorities and the freedom of rational researches arises a tension difficult to surmount.
The author is pledging for the priority of the promise made to himself, which is the only one to provide an adequate basis for the wanted freedom of scientific research, and is from this point of view the fundamental maxim of Descartes's morals. The so called fourth maxim only reformulates and develops it in a »safe« distance from the opposition of the strategically declarative beginning of the first.Descartes v Razpravi o metodi spregovori o maksimah svoje začasne morale, ki so »tri ali štiri«. Kako razumeti to nedoločnost? Po prikazu dveh interpretacij tega mesta (F. Alquié in J.-M. Beyssade) jo avtor pojasnjuje s pomočjo analize prve maksime, ki pokaže na njen notranji razcep. Sestavljata jo dve obljubi. Uvodni obljubi zunanjim avtoritetam, ki je včasih dojeta kot vsa »vsebina« prve maksime, se v nadaljevanju pridružuje često prezrta ali slabo ovrednotena obljuba samemu sebi, po kateri ne kaže obljubljati drugim ničesar o stvareh, do katerih se sodba lahko spremeni. Med obljubo lojalnosti zunanjim avotritetam in zvestobo svobodi razumskega raziskovanja je težko premostljiva napetost.
Avtor dokazuje prvenstvo Descartesove obljube samemu sebi, ki edina zagotavlja ustrezno podlago znanstvenemu raziskovanju in je v tem pogledu temeljna maksima morale - t.i. četrta maksima jo le reformulira in razvije v »varni« razdalji od opozicije s strateško deklarativnim začetkom prve
Adjunctive treatment with oral AKL1, a botanical nutraceutical, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No full textClaire Brockwell,1 Sundari Ampikaipakan,1,2 Darren W Sexton,1 David Price,3,4 Daryl Freeman,5 Mike Thomas,6 Muzammil Ali,4 Andrew M Wilson1,21Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK; 2Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK; 3Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; 4Research in Real Life, Cambridge, UK; 5Mundesley Medical Centre, Mundesley, Norwich, UK; 6Primary Care Research, Aldermoor Health Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UKPurpose: The objective of this pilot trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AKL1, a patented botanical formulation containing extracts of Picrorhiza kurroa, Ginkgo biloba, and Zingiber officinale, as add-on therapy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic cough.Patients and methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled male and female patients >18 years old with COPD and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) score of <18. The 10-week study period comprised a 2-week single-blind placebo run-in period followed by add-on treatment with AKL1 or placebo twice daily for 8 weeks. The primary study endpoint was the change from week 0 to week 8 in cough-related health status, as assessed by the LCQ.Results: Of 33 patients enrolled, 20 were randomized to AKL1 and 13 to placebo. Patients included 19 (58%) men and 14 (42%) women of mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 67 (9.4) years; 15 (45%) patients were smokers and 16 (49%) were ex-smokers. The mean (SD) change from baseline in LCQ score at 8 weeks was 2.3 (4.9) in the AKL1 group and 0.6 (3.7) in the placebo group, with mean difference in change of 1.8 (95% confidence interval: –1.5 to 5.1; P=0.28). The St George's Respiratory Questionnaire score improved substantially in the AKL1 treatment group by a mean (SD) of –7.7 (11.7) versus worsening in the placebo group (+1.5 [9.3]), with mean difference in change of –9.2 (95% confidence interval: –19.0 to 0.6; P=0.064). There were no significant differences between treatment groups in change from baseline to week 8 in other patient-reported measures, lung function, or the 6-minute walk distance.Conclusion: Further study is needed with a larger patient population and over a longer duration to better assess the effects of add-on therapy with AKL1 in COPD.Keywords: Leicester Cough Questionnaire, anti-inflammatory, Picrorhiza kurroa, Ginkgo biloba, Zingiber officinal
Influence of Batch Cooling Crystallization on Mannitol Physical Properties and Drug Dispersion from Dry Powder Inhalers
No full textThis study provides, for the first time, an evaluation of the physicochemical properties of batch cooling crystallized mannitol particles combined with how these properties correlated with the inhalation performance from a dry powder inhaler (Aerolizer). The results showed that the type of polymorph changed from β-form (commercial mannitol) to mixtures of β- + δ-mannitol (cooling crystallized mannitol crystals). In comparison to mannitol particles, crystallized at a higher supersaturation degree, a lower degree of supersaturation favored the formation of mannitol crystals with a more regular and elongated habit, smoother surface, higher specific surface area, higher fine particle content, higher bulk density, and higher tap density. Cooling crystallized mannitol particles demonstrated considerably lower salbutamol sulfate–mannitol adhesion in comparison to commercial mannitol, with a linear reduction as surface roughness decreased and fines content increased. Also, mannitol crystals with smoother surfaces demonstrated a reduction in salbutamol sulfate content uniformity (expressed as %CV) within salbutamol sulfate–mannitol formulations. Despite the different physical properties, all mannitol products showed similar flow properties and similar emission of salbutamol sulfate upon inhalation. However, mannitol crystals grown from lower supersaturation (reduced roughness and increased fines) generated a finer aerodynamic size distribution and consequently deposited higher amounts of salbutamol sulfate on lower stages of the impactor. Regression analysis indicated linear relationships showing higher fine particle fraction of salbutamol sulfate in the case of mannitol particles having a more elongated shape, higher fines content, higher specific surface area, higher bulk density, and higher tap density. In conclusion, a cooling crystallization technique could be controlled to produce mannitol particles with controlled physical properties that could be used to influence aerosolization performance of a dry powder inhaler product
Seasons Without Borders: the Ali Smith Quartet
No full textThis project considers how the novels of contemporary Scottish author Ali Smith work to destabilize traditional constructions of temporal, formal, national, and gender borders. The motifs of the border and the border identity have been thematically pervasive in Scottish literary history, as reflected in the recurrence of the Scottish split identity. This thesis explores how the borders that have become essential to the construction of Scottish national literature, often relying on binaristic categorizations, have been disestablished in the contemporary era. Ali Smith’s novels, particularly the novels of her seasonal quartet, introduce forms and figures that highlight the instability of many of these borders, challenging fixed representations of the border identity. Through this focus on Scotland, Smith constructs a template for a consideration of national identity beyond the boundaries of Scotland, extending toward a more global sensibility
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