Efficacy of Hedonic Shopping Value in Predicting Word of Mouth

This research examines the efficacy of hedonic shopping value in predicting tourists’ satisfaction and word of mouth communication. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews of 506 tourists of whom 383 respondents indicated that they had shopped and made a purchase during their holidays in Turkey. A total of 345 completed interviews were used for analysis. Findings suggest that hedonic shopping value is strongly linked to tourists’ satisfaction and word of mouth. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed within the context of retailing industry in a maturing tourist destination

Thyroid Function and Body Weight: A Community-Based Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE: Body weight and overt thyroid dysfunction are associated. Cross-sectional population-based studies have repeatedly found that thyroid hormone levels, even within the normal reference range, might be associated with body weight. However, for longitudinal data, the association is less clear. Thus, we tested the association between serum thyrotropin (TSH) and body weight in a community-based sample of adult persons followed for 11 years. METHODS: A random sample of 4,649 persons aged 18-65 years from a general population participated in the DanThyr study in 1997-8. We included 2,102 individuals who participated at 11-year follow-up, without current or former treatment for thyroid disease and with measurements of TSH and weight at both examinations. Multiple linear regression models were used, stratified by sex and adjusted for age, smoking status, and leisure time physical activity. RESULTS: Baseline TSH concentration was not associated with change in weight (women, P = 0.17; men, P = 0.72), and baseline body mass index (BMI) was not associated with change in TSH (women, P = 0.21; men, P = 0.85). Change in serum TSH and change in weight were significantly associated in both sexes. Weight increased by 0.3 kg (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1, 0.4, P = 0.005) in women and 0.8 kg (95% CI 0.1, 1.4, P = 0.02) in men for every one unit TSH (mU/L) increase. CONCLUSIONS: TSH levels were not a determinant of future weight changes, and BMI was not a determinant for TSH changes, but an association between weight change and TSH change was present

On the dynamics of the adenylate energy system: homeorhesis vs homeostasis.

Biochemical energy is the fundamental element that maintains both the adequate turnover of the biomolecular structures and the functional metabolic viability of unicellular organisms. The levels of ATP, ADP and AMP reflect roughly the energetic status of the cell, and a precise ratio relating them was proposed by Atkinson as the adenylate energy charge (AEC). Under growth-phase conditions, cells maintain the AEC within narrow physiological values, despite extremely large fluctuations in the adenine nucleotides concentration. Intensive experimental studies have shown that these AEC values are preserved in a wide variety of organisms, both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Here, to understand some of the functional elements involved in the cellular energy status, we present a computational model conformed by some key essential parts of the adenylate energy system. Specifically, we have considered (I) the main synthesis process of ATP from ADP, (II) the main catalyzed phosphotransfer reaction for interconversion of ATP, ADP and AMP, (III) the enzymatic hydrolysis of ATP yielding ADP, and (IV) the enzymatic hydrolysis of ATP providing AMP. This leads to a dynamic metabolic model (with the form of a delayed differential system) in which the enzymatic rate equations and all the physiological kinetic parameters have been explicitly considered and experimentally tested in vitro. Our central hypothesis is that cells are characterized by changing energy dynamics (homeorhesis). The results show that the AEC presents stable transitions between steady states and periodic oscillations and, in agreement with experimental data these oscillations range within the narrow AEC window. Furthermore, the model shows sustained oscillations in the Gibbs free energy and in the total nucleotide pool. The present study provides a step forward towards the understanding of the fundamental principles and quantitative laws governing the adenylate energy system, which is a fundamental element for unveiling the dynamics of cellular life

Customer Mood and Service Quality Evaluation of Tour Operations

The purpose of this research is to examine the moderating effect of tourists’ moods on service evaluation of tour operations and overall trip satisfaction. The study used a sample of Germany tourists who traveled to the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The overall hypothesis of the paper is that tourists’ assessments of service and satisfaction may not be free of bias, but may depend on the emotional state (such as mood) during the evaluation stage. The findings of the study are consistent with extant literature in the area in that a tourist’s mood does influence his/her response to tour operations and overall trip satisfaction level

Tour Operators' Service Quality and Efficacy of Satisfaction Measurement

The purpose of this research is to assess the service quality determinants of tour operators and examine the efficacy of these evaluations on overall trip satisfaction when customer mood is introduced as a moderating variable. The overall hypothesis of the article is that tourists' assessments of services and satisfaction may not be free of bias, but may depend on emotional states (such as mood) during the evaluation stage. The study used a sample of german tourists who traveled to the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The findings of the study lend support to previous literature that suggests tourists' moods influence overall trip satisfaction. Specifically, mood had significant interaction effects with intangible components of tour operations, such as staff and tour guides' services, as well as attitudes of locals, in predicting the overall trip satisfaction ratings. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed within the general framework of consumer behavior, and research ideas are provided to help guide further research in the area.</jats:p

Efficacy of Hedonic Shopping Value in Predicting Word of Mouth

This research examines the efficacy of hedonic shopping value in predicting tourists’ satisfaction and word of mouth communication. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews of 506 tourists of whom 383 respondents indicated that they had shopped and made a purchase during their holidays in Turkey. A total of 345 completed interviews were used for analysis. Findings suggest that hedonic shopping value is strongly linked to tourists’ satisfaction and word of mouth. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed within the context of retailing industry in a maturing tourist destination