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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-75). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

1.1 Background: Since Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) systems were firstly introduced in USA in 1983, they have begun to be implemented in more developed countries and some developing countries among the world during two decades. As one of the prospective payment systems, it focuses on enhancing the efficiency through reduction in the length of stays in hospitals, and improves the health care services by decreasing and controlling the unnecessary treatments. This paper reviewed the impacts of DRGs both in the countries with long period’s implementation and in China, including the above beneficial outcomes and negative influences in health care delivery. Furthermore, considering the current concerns of health care delivery in Mainland China, this paper discussed the difficulties and challenges in widely implementation over the whole country. 1.2 Methods: This study focused on the published papers in English through Pubmed, Google scholar, Google and in Chinese through CNKI. The articles in Chinese were searched from 1994. A literature search of all articles was conducted using keywords such as DRGs, impacts, efficiency, and quality both in English and in Chinese, so that relevant studies had been chosen according to the aims of the review. 1.3 Result: This review revealed the beneficial outcomes within health care delivery after the implementation of DRGs, which focused on the decrease in average length of hospital stay and the medical expenses per case. In addition, the relevant adverse outcomes had been reflected simultaneously through the studies, which were mainly indicated through the increase in emergency visits and mortality rates. The findings included both the benefits DRGs brings and negative outcomes, and the current effects of DRGs in Mainland China. 1.4 Conclusion: Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) system plays the different roles in different kinds of health care systems. It controls the medical expenses through less hospital activities, which can be indicated by the decreases in both the lengths of hospital stay and medical expenditures per case through the literatures. However, this system may produce the adverse outcomes within health care delivery due to insufficient, intentional, and cost-saving services. Furthermore, China has introduced this payment system since 1994, and needs to overcome the challenges through the gradual implementation process. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

På en alltmer konkurrensutsatt marknad har det blivit viktigare för företag att aktivt arbeta med att värna om kundrelationer. Ett vanligt sätt att arbeta med att värna om befintliga kunder och locka nya är genom lojalitetsprogram. Dessa ämnar uppmuntra till återkommande köp genom att erbjuda kunder olika typer av förmåner för att de är kunder hos företaget. Inom cafébranschen används dessa i olika utsträckning då vissa cafékedjor använder dessa och andra inte gör det. Idag ställer konsumenter höga krav på att företag ska arbeta med hållbarhetsfrågor. Därmed är det viktigt för företag som arbetar med detta att kommunicera ut det på lämpligt sätt. En specifik form av arbete med detta är Cause-Related Marketing, CRM. CRM innebär att företag skänker pengar till icke-vinstdrivande organisationer eller välgörande ändamål när kunder handlar av företag. Eftersom lojalitetsprogram används för att värna om kunder och ansvarsfullt företagande är viktigt för kunder fann vi det intressant att undersöka en sammansättning av dessa, något som inte identifierats forskning kring.      Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur mycket värde kunder upplever med CRM som belöning i ett lojalitetprogram inom cafébranschen och hur mycket CRM som belöning påverkar kunders intentioner att gå med i ett sådant lojalitetsprogram. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en kvantitativ studie hos Barista i Umeå. Barista är en cafékedja som starkt genomsyras av ansvarsfullt företagande och har kombinerat CRM med lojalitetsprogram via sitt Stammiskort.   Studiens resultat visar att respondenterna upplever ganska mycket värde med CRM som belöning i ett lojalitetsprogram i cafébranschen samt att respondenterna är mer positivt inställda till lojalitetsprogram som har CRM som belöning än de som inte har det. Inga skillnader mellan det upplevda värdet identifierades mellan män och kvinnor eller bland olika åldersgrupper. Vidare identifierades inga skillnader angående det upplevda värdet med CRM som belöning mellan de som har Stammiskortet och de som inte har det. Det påvisas att det upplevda värdet med CRM som belöning påverkar cafékunders intention att gå med i lojalitetsprogram. Det kan även konstateras att CRM som belöning påverkar cafékunders intention att gå med i ett sådant lojalitetsprogram ganska mycket. De slutsatser som dras utifrån detta är att CRM som belöning i lojalitetsprogram både ger upphov till värde för cafékunder och även påverkar deras intention att gå med i sådana lojalitetsprogram i cafébranschen. Således bidrar studien till insikt kring kunders upplevelse av CRM som belöning och till att fylla forskningsgapet.

Many non-profit organizations in need of funding have turned to using endurance athletic events as fundraisers. These events, also known as cause-related sport events, can fulfill the many needs and desires of athletes. This study was designed to compare the motives of athletes in cause-related and non-cause-related sport events. Using the Motives of Marathoners Scales (MOMS), participants were asked to rate their motivations for attending either a cause-related sport event or non-cause-related sport event. Multiple motivations were found for attending both cause-related and non-cause-related sport events. Being associated with a cause provided cause-related sport events with an attribute that attracted participants for self-esteem, recognition/approval, personal goal achievement, and competition reasons. Non-cause-related events attracted participants motivated by general health motives. Overall, motives to attend events can be affected by the event’s attributes, such as affiliation with a cause, and these event attributes can fulfill more than one motive. / text

The psychostimulant effects of cocaine can be associated with environmental stimuli and thus can be easily conditioned in a laboratory setting. In rats, both behavioural stimulant and reinforcing effects of cocaine have been induced by presentation of stimuli previously paired with cocaine treatment. The stimulant locomotor response evoked by contextual stimuli is termed conditioned activity. It is hypothesized that haloperidol and the specific D3 receptor antagonist ABT-127 will produce a doubly dissociable effect on acquisition vs. expression of cocaine conditioned activity. Male rats received three 1-hr sessions of habituation to activity monitoring chambers (outfitted with infrared emitters and detectors), one session each day, over 3 days during which no drug was administered. The conditioning phase began on the next day and consisted of three 1-hr sessions, one every 48 hrs. Rats were pre-treated intraperitoneally (IP) with haloperidol (50 µg/kg) or ABT-127 (1 mg/kg) (or vehicle) 1 hr and 0.5 hr before being placed into the activity chambers, respectively, and with the indirect-acting dopamine agonist cocaine (10 mg/kg) or saline immediately before placement into the chambers. The expression phase took place 48 hrs following the last conditioning session. Animals received a single injection of haloperidol, ABT-127 (or vehicle) 1 hr or 0.5 hr prior to placement in the activity chambers and saline was administered immediately before. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of drug by phase. In agreement with my hypothesis, haloperidol given during the conditioning phase blocked the acquisition of conditioned activity but failed to block the expression of conditioning when given on the test day. In contrast, ABT-127, when given before cocaine during conditioning failed to block the acquisition of conditioned activity but blocked the expression of conditioning when administered on the test day. Results suggest that D2 receptors are necessary for acquisition but not initial expression and D3 receptors are required for expression but not acquisition of cocaine conditioned activity. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-19 01:00:11.058

The studies described in this thesis examine the effect of environmental and nutritional factors on cycling time trail (TT) performance. The first investigation determined the effect of ambient temperature (T[sub]a) on 1-h TT performance and physiological responses. A curvilinear relationship was found between T[sub]a and performance, with the optimal distance covered at 18.6[degrees]C. A linear increase in physiological parameters (heart rate, core temperature, mean body temperature, sweat loss and self-selected fluid intake) was found with increasing T[sub]a. During the second study fluid intake and sweat loss were recorded during 40.2-km TT under competitive conditions. Whilst 43 of 75 riders consumed a pre-ride bolus, few chose to drink during racing. A significant relationship was found between pre-ride bolus volume and race speed (speed increase by 0.3km h[sup]-1 for each 100ml of fluid consumed). Despite moderate environmental conditions sweat losses were high (1.5[plus or minus]0.5 and 1.2[plus or minus]0.3 L h[sup]-1). As the actual type and beverage volume was not controlled in this study, and there is clear evidence to suggest that carbohydrate (CHO) consumption will assist performance, an investigation to determine whether different volumes of fluid, with identical CHO content, consumed before and during exercise, had an effect of 1-h TT performance under thermoneutral conditions was conducted. Although differences in stomach fullness ratings were found, there were no differences in either performance parameters or physiological variables (heart rate or sweat loss) between trails. These results suggest that when a pre-exercise CHO bolus is consumed there is no effect of subsequent consumption of different CHO beverages. Further, due to abdominal discomfort associated with high fluid consumption it might be neither advisable nor practical to consume high volumes of fluid during 1-h TT performance. The last investigation examined alterations in TT performance within a simulated three-day stage race when a moderate and high dietary CHO intake was consumed, observations were of any alterations in metabolism and immune function. Despite being well trained and ingesting more than 6 g kg[sup]-1 of CHO per day two subjects did not manage to complete the performance trials on the third day with the moderate CHO diet. There was a trend for a larger reduction in mean distance covered and mean power output when the moderate was compared to the high CHO trial. A shift in substrate use was detected during both treatments with a greater reliance on fat as a fuel towards the end of the trial. This shift appeared to occur earlier with moderate CHO ingestion.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2001. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008. / Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Prepared for: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Bibliography: leaves 163 - 177.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008. / Prepared for: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Bibliography: leaves 163 - 177. Also available online via the Internet.