scholarly journals Seaweed Invasion! Temporal Changes in Beach Conditions Lead to Increasing Cenote Usage and Contamination in the Riviera Maya

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Armando Casas-Beltrán ◽  
Courtney Maloof Gallaher ◽  
Emely Hernandez Yac ◽  
Karelys Febles Moreno ◽  
Kenneth Voglesonger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Beach Tourism ◽  
Karst Ecosystems ◽  
Riviera Maya ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Combined Data

Since 2011, tourism to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has been heavily impacted by large masses of sargassum seaweed washing up on the beaches, with the largest seaweed event occurring in 2019. Seaweed deters beach tourism, potentially shifting tourism inland towards other activities such as swimming in cenotes (sinkholes). Our mixed methods study combined data from surveys of visitors to the region, interviews with tourists and tour operators, thematic analysis of newspaper articles, laws and policies and analysis of water samples from a cenote to understand the environmental impact on cenotes of this shifting tourism industry. We identified intentional efforts by the tourism industry to encourage cenote tourism in response to the seaweed problem, and our survey and interview data confirmed that tourists are choosing to visit cenotes in lieu of beaches. Water samples from one tourist cenote in 2019 indicated increased pollution relative to previous years. Current regulations and management of tourist cenotes are weak, creating the potential for significant long term harm to the environment and to the water sovereignty of surrounding communities. Regulation of cenotes should be strengthened to protect these fragile karst ecosystems and to give local and indigenous residents a formal voice in the management process.

scholarly journals Are Family Firms More Levered? An Analysis of Family and Non-Family Firms

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110223
Author(s):  
Jahanzaib Haider ◽  
Abdul Qayyum ◽  
Zalina Zainudin
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Maturity Structure ◽  
The Family ◽  
Asian Economies ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
East Asian Economies ◽  
Combined Data

This study analyzes the leverage policies of the family and non-family firms of eight East Asian Economies (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan) by using combined data of 690 family and non-family firms with 3,224 firm–years over the period 2006–2010. This study has used an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression for analyzing the data for the first question, while for the second question, logit regression has been used as the dependent variable (a binary variable). Prior research on family and non-family firms has revealed that family firms issue less (high) debt than non-family firms. Our analysis on a sample of East Asian Economies discloses that family firms have significantly different leverage levels than non-family firms, but their signs are not consistent. On the contrary, when the owner works as CEO/Chairman or member of the Board of Directors, then the family firms issue less debt than the non-family firms. Besides that, this study adds a new question that has not been addressed in the prior studies. The new question has focused on the speed of leverage adjustment. It is found that family firms and non-family firms regarding their debt maturity structure (short-term debt and long-term debt), the speed of leverage adjustments, and their decision to issue securities (i.e., debt vs. equity) are not significantly different. This study concluded that though family firms have a strong influence on each economy, but in South-East Asian countries, leverage policies of the family firms are not much different than that of non-family firms.

scholarly journals “Is It Overtraining or Just Work Ethic?”: Coaches’ Perceptions of Overtraining in High-Performance Strength Sports

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Lee Bell ◽  
Alan Ruddock ◽  
Tom Maden-Wilkinson ◽  
Dave Hembrough ◽  
David Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Performance ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Diagnostic Symptoms ◽  
Careful Manipulation ◽  
Sport Coaches

Optimal physical performance is achieved through the careful manipulation of training and recovery. Short-term increases in training demand can induce functional overreaching (FOR) that can lead to improved physical capabilities, whereas nonfunctional overreaching (NFOR) or the overtraining syndrome (OTS) occur when high training-demand is applied for extensive periods with limited recovery. To date, little is known about the OTS in strength sports, particularly from the perspective of the strength sport coach. Fourteen high-performance strength sport coaches from a range of strength sports (weightlifting; n = 5, powerlifting; n = 4, sprinting; n = 2, throws; n = 2, jumps; n = 1) participated in semistructured interviews (mean duration 57; SD = 10 min) to discuss their experiences of the OTS. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the identification of four higher order themes: definitions, symptoms, recovery and experiences and observations. Additional subthemes were created to facilitate organisation and presentation of data, and to aid both cohesiveness of reporting and publicising of results. Participants provided varied and sometimes dichotomous perceptions of the OTS and proposed a multifactorial profile of diagnostic symptoms. Prevalence of OTS within strength sports was considered low, with the majority of participants not observing or experiencing long-term reductions in performance with their athletes.

Tourism Productivity Theory and Measurement for Policy Implications: The Case of Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-266
Author(s):  
Tien Duc Pham
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Multifactor Productivity ◽  
Capital Productivity ◽  
Productivity Theory

Tourism productivity measures are quite diverse, not always compatible and usually based partly on labor productivity for hotels and restaurants. This article develops a holistic approach that integrates the principles of the growth accounting framework and tourism satellite account to measure multifactor productivity, labor productivity and capital productivity for the Australian tourism industry. This study shows that tourism has been identified as a reservoir for other industries through the ebbs and flows of labor demands. Compared with the rest of the economy, the average growth of labor productivity—that is, income per unit of labor—for tourism is stagnant, and has reached an unprecedented low, six times below the market sector average, mainly because of low multifactor productivity. The results are valuable for policy makers and the lobbying groups wanting to identify areas of need for policy changes to ensure the healthy long-term growth of tourism.

Gay, Bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men (GBMSM) remote mental health help-seeking during Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Frankis ◽  
Dimitra Strongylou ◽  
Ross Andrew Kincaid ◽  
Ruth McKenna ◽  
Lisa McDaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Behaviour Change Wheel ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Severe Anxiety

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) experience far worse mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional ‘unique to sexual minority status’ COVID-19 stressors. This sequential, mixed-methods study examined MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the UK and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Quantitative survey data (n=1,368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n=18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking MH help, who focused on GBMSM-facing organisations and population-wide online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland. We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM’s MH needs, post COVID-19.

Exploring behaviours perceived as important for human—dog bonding and their translation to a robotic platform

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Riddoch ◽  
Roxanne Hawkins ◽  
Emily S. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Bonds ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Pet Dogs ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Physical Affection ◽  
Social Robotic ◽  
Insight Into

To facilitate long-term engagement with social robots, emerging evidence suggests that modelling robots on social animals with whom many people form enduring social bonds – specifically, pet dogs – may be useful. However, scientific understanding of the features of pet dogs that are important for establishing and maintaining social bonds remains limited to broad qualities that are liked, as opposed to specific behaviours. To better understand dog behaviours that are perceived as important for facilitating social bonds between owner and pet, we surveyed current dog owners (n = 153) with open-ended questions about their dogs’ behaviours. Thematic analysis identified 7 categories of behaviours perceived as important to human-dog bonding, including: 1) attunement, 2) communication, 3) consistency and predictability, 4) physical affection, 5) positivity and enthusiasm, 6) proximity, and 7) shared activities. We consider the feasibility of translating these behaviours into a social robotic platform, and signpost potential barriers moving forward. In addition to providing insight into important behaviours for human—dog bonding, this work provides a springboard for those hoping to implement dog behaviours into animal-like artificial agents designed for social roles.

You Only Get One Brain: Adult Reflections on the Long-Term Impacts of Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Therese Mulligan ◽  
Suzanne Barker-Collo ◽  
Kerry Gibson ◽  
Kelly Jones
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Perceived Impact

Abstract Background: This research adds to scarce literature regarding adolescent experiences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Retrospective accounts of young adults who had sustained a TBI in adolescence were analysed to explore the perceived impact this had on their lives and forming identities during this important developmental stage. Methods: Thirteen adults (aged 20–25 years; mean 23 years) who sustained a mild or moderate TBI during adolescence (i.e. aged 13–17 years at injury), approximately 7.7 years (range = 6.7–8.0 years) prior, participated in the research. Semi-structured individual interviews, analysed using thematic analysis, explored participants’ experiences following their TBIs. Results: Thematic analysis of interview data produced two categories of themes: (1) Impacts on Important Areas of Life, which included: schoolwork suffered, career opportunities became limited, struggling with work and missing out socially; and (2) Impacts on Identity: with themes including feeling ‘stupid’, feeling self-conscious, loss of social identity and being dependent. Conclusions: TBI sustained during adolescence can have broad impacts on important areas of life and on developing identity.

scholarly journals Ringing the changes: the role of telephone communication in a helpline and befriending service targeting loneliness in older people

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 1528-1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAIRE PRESTON ◽  
STEPHEN MOORE
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Voice Communication ◽  
Telephone Communication ◽  
The United Kingdom

ABSTRACTThe drive to deliver services addressing loneliness in older people by telephone and online makes it increasingly relevant to consider how the mode of communication affects the way people interact with services and the capacity of services to meet their needs. This paper is based on the qualitative strand of a larger mixed-methods study of a national phoneline tackling loneliness in older people in the United Kingdom. The research comprised thematic analysis of four focus groups with staff and 42 semi-structured interviews with callers. It explored the associations between telephone-delivery, how individuals used the services and how the services were able to respond. To understand these associations, it was useful to identify some constituent characteristics of telephone communication in this context: namely its availability, reach and non-visual nature. This enabled various insights and comparison with other communication media. For example, the availability of the services attracted people seeking frequent emotional support but this presented challenges to staff. More positively, the ability of the services to connect disparate individuals enabled them to form different kinds of satisfying relationships. The evolution of mixed communication forms, such as internet-based voice communication and smartphone-based visual communication, makes analysis at the level of a technology's characteristics useful. Such a cross-cutting perspective can inform both the design of interventions and assessment of their suitability for different manifestations of loneliness.

scholarly journals Exploring Innovative Marketing Opportunities for Halal Entrepreneurs in Hospitality and Tourism Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 10001
Author(s):  
Mohamed Battour ◽  
Mohamed Salaheldeen ◽  
Khalid Mady
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
Innovation And Technology ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism Industry

Innovation is essential for long-term competitiveness of firms. The lack of innovation can reduce the competitiveness of firms in the hospitality and tourism industry. Therefore, Halal entrepreneurs in the Halal travel market must prepare for a future led by innovation and technology and to build scalable, digitally enabled business models. There are many innovative opportunities that can be translated into Halal tourism product/services for Muslim and non-Muslim travellers. Some aspects of Halal travel may also satisfy the demands of the non-Muslim market. The paper discusses seven innovative opportunities that could be exploited by Halal entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism market. The findings are useful for entrepreneurs to develop Halal products and services for Muslim and non-Muslim travellers.

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