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Introduction: PPIs are involved in every disease and specific modulation of these PPIs with small molecules would significantly improve our prospects of developing therapeutic agents. Both industry and academia have engaged in the identification and use of PPI inhibitors. However in comparison, the opposite strategy of employing small-molecule stabilizers of PPIs is underrepresented in drug discovery. Areas covered: PPI stabilization has not been exploited in a systematic manner. Rather, this concept validated by a number of therapeutically used natural products like rapamycin and paclitaxel has been shown retrospectively to be the basis of the activity of synthetic molecules originating from drug discovery projects among them lenalidomide and tafamidis. Here, the authors cover the growing number of synthetic small-molecule PPI stabilizers to advocate for a stronger consideration of this as a drug discovery approach. Expert opinion: Both the natural products and the growing number of synthetic molecules show that PPI stabilization is a viable strategy for drug discovery. There is certainly a significant challenge to adapt compound libraries, screening techniques and downstream methodologies to identify, characterize and optimize PPI stabilizers, but the examples of molecules reviewed here in our opinion justify these efforts.

Customer retention has received ongoing academic focus and scholars have specifically recognized the importance of customer Loyalty within the services sector. There is general agreement within this body of work that achieving customer satisfaction alone is not sufficient to develop customer Loyalty, particularly in a competitive business environment. Relationship development between businesses and customers is a key contributor to customer Loyalty; however, many of the models that are presented within the literature are either product specific or business to business in nature. This chapter presents the results of an examination of a series of relationship development models that was designed to identify the antecedents of relationship development that are Likely to have a positive impact on the delivery of hospitality services. We synthesize the key mediating variables of these models into a single customized model that has the capacity to influence relationship development in a hospitality setting. Within this model we emphasize the importance of trust, commitment and cross cultural communication in order to achieve repeat business and to facilitate positive word of mouth communication.

In recent years, food tourism has emerged as an area of interest for both tourism researchers and practitioners. However, research in food tourism is limited and there is a lack of empirical studies into tourists¿ intentions to visit a food tourism destination. This paper attempts to build a conceptual framework based on the original Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by modifying the TPB model to include three additional constructs: motivation, involvement and past behavior towards visiting a food tourism destination. The influence of socio-demographic variables is also examined in this model. Since very few studies have been published in this particular area, this provides a theoretical base for future studies in the field of food tourism and destination choice.

Forecasting tourism demand is critical to many economies including Australia's where tourism generates 514,000 jobs and contributes AU$35 billion to GDP (Amelung & Nicholls, 2014).While the structural determinants of tourism demand have been extensively examined (e.g. Lim & McAleer, 2001; Seetaram, 2012; Song, Dwyer, Li, & Cao, 2012), Narayan's (2008) seminal work has underpinned numerous studies into market co-movements (Abbott, De Vita, & Altinay, 2012; Lorde & Moore, 2008; Solarin, 2014; Yilanci & Eris, 2012). Using a five-variable VAR model, this study employs Granger causality and impulse responses to examine the dynamic interplay between tourist arrivals from Australia's five largest markets (New Zealand, Japan, the UK, the US, and China).

Early educational theorists have commonly expounded the link between philosophy and education, positioning education as a moral, social imperat ive and public good (Peters, 1966). By contrast, hospitality and tourism education evolved from an operational context (Airey, 2005; Morrison & O 'Mahony, 2003) and the vocational ethos permeating the curriculum has focused, in the main, on extrinsic goals. The advent of degree- level studies, however, prompted the developmellt of a holistic body of knowledge (Airey, 2005) which has allowed tourism to gain 'recognition as a separate area of study in its own right' (Fidgeon, 2010: 700). While the higher education tourism curriculum has incorporated liberal studies such as geography and sociology and included social goals such as poverty alleviation, the hospitality curriculum has, for the most part, remained true to its vocational roots (Lashley, 2013). Arguments for the inclusion of a more liberal hospitality framework in the mid-to- late 1990s have led to the recognition of two curriculum streams within hospitality programmes. These are: hospitality studies - informed by a range of d isciplines; and hospitality management education - aimed at the development of managerial competencies (Lashley & Morrison, 2000; Morrison & O'Mahony, 2003; Wood, 2013). However, the potential ofthe hospitality studies stream has yet to be fully realized. T here are a number of reasons for this. O ne is that the emphasis o n the development of managerial competencies has aligned well with employment outcomes and the needs of the industry (Slattery, 2002). Another is that there has been an increasing reliance on education as an expmt industry in many countries. Both of these issues suppmt a government focus on improving efficiency in what has been described as a ' neoliberal' funding environment (Ayikoru et al., 2009; Marginson & Considine, 2000; O'Mahony, 2009).

This article explores the constructs of private social and commercial hospitality in a panoramic examination of the impact and potential future development of the three-domain approach. Focused primarily (but not exclusively) on the books In Search of Hospitality: theoretical perspectives and debates, and Hospitality: A Social Lens, the article describes how the three-domain approach provides a theoretical framework to inform the holistic study of hospitality and discusses the importance of the broader phenomenon of hospitality in private, social and commercial hospitality provision.

This paper is presented as to examine the significance of Six Sigma methodology approach in the Malaysian hotel industry. It was known that there are many strategies that had been developed over the years to improve service delivery in the hospitality industry. The industry by norm is known to use human to deliver services. Therefore, seeking the best method to increase employee job performance is vital. From the review of the literature it was found that there are several hospitality establishments used Six Sigma to enhance their service delivery efficiency. In Six Sigma, 6¿ symbolizes a specific number, which is 3.4 Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO), where opportunity is understood as any possible source of error in product, process, or service. There are three principles that builds Six Sigma methodology and they are: a) teamwork, b) Statistical Control Process (SPC) and c) shared vision. Despite of that, however, this paper will only focus on a single element of the approach that is shared vision. 2015 Taylor & Francis Group.

This book comprises a collection of essays which emanated from an important Australia China Council (ACC) sponsored event conducted in Wuhan, China in November 2013. Entitled Australia-China Food Knowledge Exchange', the scholarly focus was on the potential of the food sector in both countries and the growing need for 'Good food for all'. This event led many of the specialists to convert their papers into peer reviewed, reflections on the key themes debated in China and subsequently ended up in the collection of essays contained in this book. While a snapshot of the event, this book captures the essence of the knowledge exchange that occurred and the experience that was brought to bear in relation to food knowledge across the these two important nations

Purpose: Governmental agencies are interested in improving the quality of their service delivery. One tool that has been used to manage their performance is performance based reward schemes (PBRS). The aim of this paper is to examine the degree to which a sample of these plans, used within the Botswana public sector, is customer-focused. Being more customer-focused should deliver improved public sector service quality. Design/methodology/approach: This study carried out an evaluation of a sample of Botswana PBRS plans, using multidimensional content analysis undertaken by four expert "evaluators", to identify the degree to which the PBRS were customer-focused. Findings: Classifying PBRS plans as being customer-focused was difficult, as the plans had few objectives related to customer experiences or outcomes. Those that did had poorly defined performance objectives, their targets were not specific, or there was limited explicit role responsibility. Thus, PBRS plans seemed not to focus on improving customer outcomes. Research limitations/implications: The PBRS evaluated do not appear to be customer-focused and, thus, would have limited ability to improve customer experiences (i.e. public sector quality). Further research is needed in other countries to see whether these results are generalisable, and whether service levels vary with more customer-focused PBRS plans. Practical implications: The results suggest improvements that could be adopted by organisations seeking to make their PBRS schemes customer-focused. Originality/value: Extensive research suggests that PBRS plans can be used to improve service quality. Most of the studies have focused on the employees' perspectives and have not looked at the degree of customer orientation within the plans. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Purpose - Achieving quality standards in postgraduate education, particularly among Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students, can be challenging. In addition to the diverse educational and cultural backgrounds of these students, thesis writing frequently involves the development of new skills associated with the comprehension of a large volume of information, critical analysis and the development of an academic writing style. Many students need support in one or all of these key areas. Universities currently provide a number of different writing support activities to address students' needs. The purpose of this study is to report on a writing support intervention that employed a specialist in academic writing to support HDR students in the business faculty. Design/methodology/approach - Following a two-year period, the intervention was evaluated to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of this support using qualitative methods. The results of this study are presented and discussed from different angles. First, a lecturer in academic writing support outlines her observations and reflection on the value of individual consultations and students' progress. Second, the attitudes and experience of students and their supervisors to this service are discussed. This is followed by the faculty senior management view with regard to the effectiveness and efficiency of this service. Findings - This research found that both students and their supervisors expressed satisfaction with the service offered. Also it was found that the writing quality of submitted theses is improving; the costs of thesis editing have reduced; HDR students appear to be more satisfied with and confident of their academic writing; the attractiveness of the PhD program has been enhanced, as judged by the increase in PhD enquiries and the quality of potential applicants. Research limitations/implications - The results reported here indicate that the intervention was successful. However, the sample siz

This study examines the differences in the antecedents of relationship development between Thai and Australian resort guests in Thailand. A modified form of the key mediating variable (KMV) model is used to frame the study. The study found that relationship quality (characterised by trust and commitment) has a strong positive impact on Australian and Thai guests' loyalty and that both groups rely on similar factors when evaluating their long term loyalty intentions. However, cross cultural variation in the weights attached to each of these factors was evident. Australians value special treatment and social benefits, while Thais place more emphasis on communications and opportunistic behaviour. These theoretical insights can assist resort operators to manage guest relationships and to develop service standards that address the guests' cultural needs. 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

In Malaysia, tourism is a major catalyst for growth and development. While many Malaysian hotels are opulent, well-appointed hotels, service delivery standards are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to develop a customized, industry-wide service delivery model that could assist hotel operators to improve service quality. In-depth interviews were used to explore experts' perceptions of the importance of aspects of the people dimension in service delivery. The data obtained from this research process was then used to fashion a customised service improvement model by extracting the most appropriate service improvement dimensions from existing, empirically tested models within the literature.

Since the mid-1990s organic food and beverages have grown from being an insignificant niche market to almost part of the mainstream. Organic products now account for an average of two per cent of food sales in Europe (though with countries like Austria, Switzerland and Denmark it reaches between five and seven per cent of retail value) and 2.5 per cent in the US. Developed markets currendy lead the way with North America and Western Europe collectively making up 90 per cent of global organic sales in 2010. Within these regions, the US and Germany dominate organic sales, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the total sales (Euromonitor 2011a). Organic products in emerging markets have remained limited, driven, in the main, by well-known staple products. According to "the world of organic agriculture: statistics and emerging trends 2012", global sales of organic food and beverages reached US$59.1 billion in 2010. Figure 8.1 shows that the global market has expanded almost three-fold between 2000 and 2010 and although growth slowed with the 2008 financial crisis, Willer and Kilcher (2012) have found that sales have continually increased at a relatively healthy pace.

As a leading player in the international wine arena, Australia's wine regions have experienced the full range of lifecycle stages. This article uses a lifecycle typology that classifies regions as emerging, growing, maturing and rejuvenating to examine the value, strength and importance of regional networks and alliances. Wine regions were selected in each typology category and a series of 47 in-depth interviews were conducted with winery owners and operators, tourism associations, tourism agencies and ancillary networks that helped to promote wine regions. The findings suggest that growing regions were the most likely to have well established, effective and strategic alliances that would assist them to achieve the next stage of development, while other categories within the typology lacked consistent, dynamic and coherent networks and alliances. The article discusses the implications for wine regions and practitioners as well as policy and planning agencies. 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

The hospitality and tourism industry makes a significant contribution to the economic development of many countries with some being reliant on tourism as a major catalyst for growth and development. This is the case in Malaysia where the tourism industry has been hosting large numbers of tourists arriving for business or vacation purposes as well as transient passengers en-route to other destinations. Indeed in 2009, the hospitality and tourism sector contributed RM26.6 billion towards the Malaysia Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it was ranked second, after the manufacturing sector, in terms of overall economic contribution (Ministry ofFinance/Central Bank of Malaysia, 2010). The Malaysian hotel industry has experienced signcant growth in the last 10 years and many hotels in Malaysia are now opulent, with new hotels achieving the highest standards of presentation. However, service delivery often lags behind the physical environment and struggles to meet international standards and therefore the expectations of international guests. There are diverse views among service quality researchers as to how to improve service delivery standards. This paper seeks to examine an appropriate service delivery improvement model that provides a framework that can be used to attract, train, motivate and retain employees. The main arguments relate to the means to achieve customer satisfaction and to develop customer loyalty. The general view among scholars is that there is a link between employee satisfaction and job performance. This is evident within the literature where many strategies that have been developed to enhance both products and services in a variety of contexts are presented.

Sports events represent a major category of event revenue contributing economic benefits to cities and regions. Whilst attendance at sports events is recognised as an important leisure and entertainment activity (Shamir and Ruskin, 1984), over the past 20 years sports event attendance expenditure has been declining as a percentage of total recreation expenditure (Ross, 2006). Consequently, an understanding of the factors that influence sports event attendance is crucial to the sustainability of these events. This study identifies the antecedents of sports event attendance among 460 respondents who were surveyed in Melbourne, a city that was recognised as the Ultimate Sports City in 2008 (Church-Sanders, 2008). Structural Equation Modelling was used to create an empirical model of attendance motivations. The model identifies constructs relating to emotional responses and facilities, as the predictors of event attendance and provides a discussion of the implications of this research for sporting event and hospitality managers. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.