Implementing a marketing action programme for AIB group

In 1986, with the appointment of Group Chief Executive Mr. G. B. Scanlan, Allied Irish Banks Group recognized the need to respond to a wide range of changes in the competitiveness of its markets, the regulatory environment and the demands of its customers. Radical change was necessary in the internal attitudes and values, formed for the majority of staff by its clearing bank history. AIB decided on a group wide development programme with the objective of building a unified organization, market focused and responsive to customer needs. The programme, communicated under the title MAP (Marketing Action Programme) had an initial 5 year horizon (1989–1992). A series of major initiatives under the MAP banner were designed to achieve significant shift in organizational values and culture.     

Semiparametric multiparameter regression survival modeling

We consider a log-linear model for survival data, where both the location and scale parameters depend on covariates, and the baseline hazard function is completely unspecified. This model provides the flexibility needed to capture many interesting features of survival data at a relatively low cost in model complexity. Estimation procedures are developed, and asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are derived using empirical process theory. Finally, a resampling procedure is developed to estimate the limiting variances of the estimators. The finite sample properties of the estimators are investigated by way of a simulation study, and a practical application to lung cancer data is illustrated.     

Healthy Active Living: A Residence Community–Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity and Healthy Eating During the Transition to First-Year University

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of a Healthy Active Living (HAL) community intervention on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC), and psychosocial mediators of physical activity among students transitioning into university. Methods: Sixty undergraduate students were assigned to reside in either the HAL community or no-treatment control residence and completed questionnaire measures at the beginning and end of the academic year. Results: Students living in the HAL community reported significantly more MVPA (F[1, 58] = 19.93, p <.001, η_p² =.26) and greater FVC (F[1, 56] = 3.12, p =.08, η_p² =.05) compared with controls. Participants in the HAL condition also scored significantly higher in action planning (F[1, 58] = 4.79, p <.05, η_p² =.08), partially mediating the effect of the intervention on MVPA. Conclusion: A peer-delivered healthy lifestyles intervention targeting first-year university students appears to be effective in preserving or enhancing health behaviors and cognitions during their transition into university life.     

LEVINE ON THE MARXIAN TRADITION: From Idealist Roots to Nationalism and Internationalism

Donald N. Levine's treatment of Karl Marx in his Visions of the Sociological Tradition (1995) is an exemplary one by a non-Marxist scholar. In a careful reading, Levine places Marx inside the German idealist tradition. However, he overstates Marx's affinity to Ludwig Feuerbach and understates his continuing debt to G. W. F. Hegel. Levine also points to Marx's internationalism and cosmopolitanism, drawing on both biographical and theoretical material. In addition, he argues that Marx failed to grasp the importance of nationalism and ethnicity. Here, Levine has not considered sufficiently Marx's illuminating and substantial writings on nationalism, race, and ethnicity, particularly those on Poland, Ireland, and the United States. Nonetheless, some problematic features of Marx's writings on Jews and Judaism bear out part of Levine's critique.     

The spread of “big box” retail firms and spatial stratification

Large “big box” retail firms, including general merchandisers (e.g., Walmart and Target) as well as “category killers” (e.g., Home Depot and Toys “R” Us), have spread rapidly across the United States over the past 4 decades. These firms have been lauded for their presumed consumer benefits linked to expansive product selections and discount prices. They have also been criticized for their perceived negative effects on locally owned businesses, jobs, and wages. We provide an overview of the existing literature and point to promising directions for the development of theory and research on this topic. We, in this article, highlight the importance of this shift in economic organization and encourage sociologists to critically examine the stratification consequences of the rise and spread of these firms.     

Safety of a meningococcal group B vaccine used in response to two university outbreaks

Objective: To assess the safety of meningococcal group B (MenB)-4C vaccine. Participants: Undergraduates, dormitory residents, and persons with high-risk medical conditions received the MenB-4C vaccine two-dose series during mass vaccination clinics from 12/2013 through 11/2014. Methods: Adverse events (AEs) were identified by 15 minutes of observation postvaccination, spontaneous reports, surveys, and hospital surveillance. Causality was assessed for serious adverse events (SAEs). Results: 16,974 persons received 31,313 MenB-4C doses. The incidence of syncope during the 15-minutes post-dose 1 was 0.88/1000 persons. 2% of participants spontaneously reported an AE (most common were arm pain and fever). 3 SAEs were suspected of being caused by the vaccine, including one case of anaphylaxis. Conclusions: Most AEs reported were nonserious and consistent with previous clinical trial findings. Measures to prevent injury from syncope and to treat anaphylaxis should be available wherever vaccines are administered. Our safety evaluation supports the use of MenB-4C in response to outbreaks.     

Decision Making for Risk Management: A Comparison of Graphical Methods for Presenting Quantitative Uncertainty

Previous research has shown that people err when making decisions aided by probability information. Surprisingly, there has been little exploration into the accuracy of decisions made based on many commonly used probabilistic display methods. Two experiments examined the ability of a comprehensive set of such methods to effectively communicate critical information to a decision maker and influence confidence in decision making. The second experiment investigated the performance of these methods under time pressure, a situational factor known to exacerbate judgmental errors. Ten commonly used graphical display methods were randomly assigned to participants. Across eight scenarios in which a probabilistic outcome was described, participants were asked questions regarding graph interpretation (e.g., mean) and made behavioral choices (i.e., act; do not act) based on the provided information indicated that decision‐maker accuracy differed by graphical method; error bars and boxplots led to greatest mean estimation and behavioral choice accuracy whereas complementary cumulative probability distribution functions were associated with the highest probability estimation accuracy. Under time pressure, participant performance decreased when making behavioral choices.     

Face Preferences for Infant‐ and Adult‐Directed Speakers in Infants of Depressed and Nondepressed Mothers: Association with Infant Cognitive Development

Face preferences for speakers of infant‐directed and adult‐directed speech (IDS and ADS) were investigated in 4‐ to 13.5‐month‐old infants of depressed and nondepressed mothers. Following 1 min of exposure to an ID or AD speaker (order counterbalanced), infants had an immediate paired‐comparison test with a still, silent image of the familiarized versus a novel face. In the test phase, ID face preference ratios were significantly lower in infants of depressed than nondepressed mothers. Infants' ID face preference ratios, but not AD face preference ratios, correlated with their percentile scores on the cognitive (Cog) scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant & Toddler Development (3rd Edition; BSID‐III), assessed concurrently. Regression analyses revealed that infant ID face preferences significantly predicted infant Cog percentiles even after demographic risk factors and maternal depression had been controlled. Infants may use IDS to select social partners who are likely to support and facilitate cognitive development.     

Religious tattoos at one Christian university

More than one quarter of Americans now have tattoos. The proportion is even higher among younger adults. Tattoos express affiliation and identity. For some, tattoos also express religiosity. Very little research exists on religious tattoos. The purpose of this study is to profile religious tattoos among students at one Christian university in the southwestern United States. We analysed 752 photos of tattoos on campus. One in five photos depicted an overt religious image or text. Men were more likely than women to have a religious tattoo. In addition, the size, placement, and direction of religious tattoos differed by gender. Men’s religious tattoos were larger in size and in more prominent places on their bodies. Women’s religious tattoos were smaller and in more easily concealed locations. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of our findings.