“Membership Retention in the Fitness Industry: A Qualitative Study and the Development of a Predictive Model"

The concern over poor membership retention rates in the fitness industry is increasing, yet it has attracted little empirical research. So far, membership retention has mostly been indirectly and narrowly addressed, whereby research has either measured member satisfaction or member usage of a fitness club from mainly a service quality perspective. This paper introduces a mixed-method (QUAL→quan) research project and presents the findings of the qualitative study. 30 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of current and past members of a fitness club. The responses were thematically analysed and used in the development of a predictive model of fitness club membership retention. The model seeks to predict club usage and actual retention, and includes components such as attitudinal, normative, control beliefs, motivation orientation as well as perceived quality, brand identity and commitment

Yield and predicted feed quality of different German cultivars of blue lupins (Lupinus angustifolius)

In the present work different cultivars of blue lupins were tested at two sites, the experimental farm of the Institute of Organic Farming (IOF-site) at Trenthorst near Hamburg and the experimental station of the Institute of Plant and Soil Science (ICSS-site) at Braunschweig (conventional farming). The field experiments were conducted from 2003 – 2005 at the IOF-site and in 2006 and 2007 at the ICSS-site. At the IOF-site yield was 2,95 t ha-1 on average, whereas the mean yield at the ICSS-site was lower with 2.0 t ha-1. However, a significant interaction between cultivar and year was observed for yield (P<0.001 and P<0.01 for IOF-site and ICSS-site, respectively). At the ICSS-site the cultivars Vitabor, Boltensia, Borlu and Sonet showed the lowest yield. Yield was similar between the branched and determinate cultivars at both sites, but the crude protein content (CP) was in the majority of the cases higher in the branched cultivars. The CP content ranged between 28.2% and 37.8% DM at the IOF-site and between 34.7 and 39.2% DM at the ICSS-site, respectively. The newer cultivars Idefix and Probor, which were tested at ICSS-site in 2006 and 2007, had the highest CP content (39.2 and 38.8% DM). Additionally, the predicted Net Energy for Lactation (NEL) in dairy cow and the predicted Metabolized Energy for pigs (ME) showed interactions between year and cultivar with the exception of ME at the ICSS-site. Cultivars with a high NEL respectively ME were Bora, Boruta, Bolivio and Borlu at the IOF-site and Probor, Borlu, Idefix, Boregine and Boltensia at the ICSS-site

Hypocretin-1 receptors regulate the reinforcing and reward-enhancing effects of cocaine: pharmacological and behavioral genetics evidence.

Considerable evidence suggests that transmission at hypocretin-1 (orexin-1) receptors (Hcrt-R1) plays an important role in the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking behaviors in rodents. However, far less is known about the role for hypocretin transmission in regulating ongoing cocaine-taking behavior. Here, we investigated the effects of the selective Hcrt-R1 antagonist SB-334867 on cocaine intake, as measured by intravenous (IV) cocaine self-administration in rats. The stimulatory effects of cocaine on brain reward systems contribute to the establishment and maintenance of cocaine-taking behaviors. Therefore, we also assessed the effects of SB-334867 on the reward-enhancing properties of cocaine, as measured by cocaine-induced lowering of intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) thresholds. Finally, to definitively establish a role for Hcrt-R1 in regulating cocaine intake, we assessed IV cocaine self-administration in Hcrt-R1 knockout mice. We found that SB-334867 (1-4 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased cocaine (0.5 mg/kg/infusion) self-administration in rats but did not alter responding for food rewards under the same schedule of reinforcement. This suggests that SB-334867 decreased cocaine reinforcement without negatively impacting operant performance. SB-334867 (1-4 mg/kg) also dose-dependently attenuated the stimulatory effects of cocaine (10 mg/kg) on brain reward systems, as measured by reversal of cocaine-induced lowering of ICSS thresholds in rats. Finally, we found that Hcrt-R1 knockout mice self-administered far less cocaine than wildtype mice across the entire dose-response function. These data demonstrate that Hcrt-R1 play an important role in regulating the reinforcing and reward-enhancing properties of cocaine and suggest that hypocretin transmission is likely essential for establishing and maintaining the cocaine habit in human addicts

Sudden changes in volatility: The case of five central European stock markets

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2007 Elsevier B.V.This paper investigates sudden changes in volatility in the stock markets of new European Union (EU) members by utilizing the iterated cumulative sums of squares (ICSS) algorithm. Using weekly data over the sample period 1994–2006, the time period of sudden change in variance of returns and the length of this variance shift are detected. A sudden change in volatility seems to arise from the evolution of emerging stock markets, exchange rate policy changes and financial crises. Evidence also reveals that when sudden shifts are taken into account in the GARCH models, the persistence of volatility is reduced significantly in every series. It suggests that many previous studies may have overestimated the degree of volatility persistence existing in financial time series

Galaxy threshing and the origin of intracluster stellar objects

We numerically investigate dynamical evolution of non-nucleated dwarf elliptical/spiral galaxies (dE) and nucleated ones (dE,Ns) in clusters of galaxies in order to understand the origin of intracluster stellar objects, such as intracluster stars (ICSs), GCs (ICGCs), and ``ultra-compact dwarf'' (UCDs) recently discovered by all-object spectroscopic survey centred on the Fornax cluster of galaxies. We find that the outer stellar components of a nucleated dwarf are removed by the strong tidal field of the cluster, whereas the nucleus manages to survive as a result of its initially compact nature. The developed naked nucleus is found to have physical properties (e.g., size and mass) similar to those observed for UCDs. We also find that the UCD formation processes does depend on the radial density profile of the dark halo in the sense that UCDs are less likely to be formed from dwarfs embedded in dark matter halos with central `cuspy' density profiles. Our simulations also suggest that very massive and compact stellar systems can be rapidly and efficiently formed in the central regions of dwarfs through the merging of smaller GCs. GCs initially in the outer part of dE and dE,Ns are found to be stripped to form ICGCs.Comment: 6 pages and 3 figures (JPG file for Fig. 1), in the proceedings of IAU 217 ``Recycling intergalactic and interstellar matter'

Rethinking Secure Precoding via Interference Exploitation: A Smart Eavesdropper Perspective

Based on the concept of constructive interference (CI), multiuser interference (MUI) has recently been shown to be beneficial for communication secrecy. A few CI-based secure precoding algorithms have been proposed that use both the channel state information (CSI) and knowledge of the instantaneous transmit symbols. In this paper, we examine the CI-based secure precoding problem with a focus on smart eavesdroppers that exploit statistical information gleaned from the precoded data for symbol detection. Moreover, the impact of correlation between the main and eavesdropper channels is taken into account. We first modify an existing CI-based preocding scheme to better utilize the destructive impact of the interference. Then, we point out the drawback of both the existing and the new modified CI-based precoders when faced with a smart eavesdropper. To address this deficiency, we provide a general principle for precoder design and then give two specific design examples. Finally, the scenario where the eavesdropper's CSI is unavailable is studied. Numerical results show that although our modified CI-based precoder can achieve a better energy-secrecy trade-off than the existing approach, both have a limited secrecy benefit. On the contrary, the precoders developed using the new CI-design principle can achieve a much improved trade-off and significantly degrade the eavesdropper's performance

Enhancing Ontario’s Rural Infrastructure Preparedness: Inter-Community Service Sharing in a Changing Climate — Environmental Scan

Given the research that has been done in this environmental scan and the gaps found in this research, it is our aim to find out: What types of service sharing are going on in Ontario municipalities, particularly in rural/remote areas? How can inter-community service sharing (ICSS) benefit the asset management planning process in these rural/remote areas to enhance capacities for climate change resilience? Climate change (CC) will exacerbate deterioration to existing infrastructure and increase replacement costs. Improved preparedness reduces risks and increases efficiency, readiness and coping capacity. To increase the preparedness of Ontario rural communities, this project develops CC-Prepared Inter-Community Service Sharing (ICSS) as an innovative strategy that expands cost-effective solutions within Ontario’s standardized Asset Management Planning (AMP) process. Overseen by a Project Advisory Board (PAB), it identifies a suite of best practice ICSS processes and principles and a range of factors and indicators that influence the uptake of ICSS as a viable and practical opportunity targeted to enhance rural infrastructure preparedness for CC. It utilizes a multimethod, interdisciplinary approach involving an environmental scan, interviews, a survey and case studies and develops an ICSS Toolkit consisting of reports, workbook, policy brief and media kit. Knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) includes blogs, teleconferences, articles, presentations and a workshop. For small rural Ontario communities, this study enhances management of CC impacts on infrastructure through the development of a CC-Prepared ICSS strategy, increasing anticipatory, collective actions that reduce dam age and increase efficiencies. It informs sound municipal/provincial level programs and policies about innovative ICSS that benefit rural communities through the identification of Ontario-wide trends, case study best practises and action-oriented recommendations

Novel energy sharing collisions of multicomponent solitons

In this paper, we discus the fascinating energy sharing collisions of multicomponent solitons in certain incoherently coupled and coherently coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger type equations arising in the context of nonlinear optics.Comment: 7 figure

Exchange Rate Regimes, Foreign Exchange Volatility and Export Performance in Central and Eastern Europe: Just Another Blur Project?

This paper attempts to analyze the direct impact of exchange rate volatility on the export performance of ten Central and Eastern European transition economies as well as its indirect impact via changes in exchange rate regimes. Not only aggregate but also bilateral and sectoral export flows are studied. To this end, we first analyze shifts in exchange rate volatility linked to changes in the exchange rate regimes and second, use these changes to construct dummy variables we include in our export function. The results suggest that the size and the direction of the impact of forex volatility and of regime changes on exports vary considerably across sectors and countries and that they may be related to specific periods.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40168/3/wp782.pd

Nonadiabatic effects in the H+H_2 exchange reaction: accurate quantum dynamics calculations at a state-to-state level

Real wave packet propagations were carried out on both a single ground electronic state and two-coupled-electronic states of the title reaction to investigate the extent of nonadiabatic effects on the distinguishable-atom reaction cross sections. The latest diabatic potential matrix of Abrol and Kuppermann [J. Chem. Phys. 116, 1035 (2002)] was employed in the present nonadiabatic quantum state-to-state scattering calculations over a total energy range-from threshold (the zero point of the reagent H_2) to 3.0 eV. Based on the assumption that the hydrogen atoms are distinguishable in the collisions where the inelastic and elastic ones are excluded, no significant nonadiabatic effects have been found in the calculations of the full state-to-state integral and differential cross sections up to a total energy of 3.0 eV for product vibrational levels v' = 0, 1, 2, 3. Our results therefore confirm the recent and the previous studies of the geometric phase effects in H+H_2 employing a different diabatic double many-body expansion potential matrix or a different BKMP2 potential energy surface