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Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigates the correlation between perceived quality and purchase intention within the domain of music streaming services, focusing on Spotify. Employing a quantitative-descriptive approach, the research utilizes surveys for data collection and employs simple linear analysis to scrutinize the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The results underscore a statistically significant positive influence of perceived quality on purchase intention. The conclusion of this study the better the perception of consumer quality towards Spotify, the higher the consumer's purchase intent. This purchase intent will help Spotify acquire subscription users. The results of this study also show that consumer perception of Spotify subscription prices is still not good. In this case, Spotify should market its low-level plans to improve consumer perception of price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers' tendency to avoid purchasing cosmetically "suboptimal" fruits and vegetables has been widely recognized as a significant contributor to food waste. However, the mechanisms that shape and influence this tendency remain largely unknown. The current study evaluates the impact of visual perception and taste experience on willingness to purchase and quality perceptions of fresh produce, focusing on two types of suboptimality: small size and abnormal shape. The study employed a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design in which participants indicated their perceived quality and willingness to purchase suboptimal tomatoes and sweet peppers in three informational conditions: viewing the vegetable picture (no taste), view then taste (participants tasted a slice after viewing the vegetable picture), and taste then view. The results revealed that, as expected, the abnormally shaped vegetable was judged less favorably than the normal one. The small-sized vegetable was judged more favorably than the regular one, in contrast to the current size regulations applied by retailers. Tasting significantly increased people's willingness to purchase the abnormally shaped produce, but had no effect on the willingness to purchase the abnormally sized produce, nor did it impact the perceived quality of the abnormal products. This study highlights consumer bias towards aesthetic qualities and suggests that direct taste experiences can alter perceptions towards accepting visually imperfect produce, thereby contributing to sustainability and food-waste reduction efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This research was conducted to determine the relationship between the work alienation level and quality perceptions of nurses working in the hospital. Method: The population of this descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study consisted of 300 nurses working in a training and research hospital in a province of Turkey, and the sample consisted of 134 nurses who volunteered to participate in the study. Results: The nurses' mean score from the work alienation scale was 66.6 (SD=13.6), and their mean score from the quality perception scale was 257.7 (SD=50.6). A moderately negative and significant relationship was found between work alienation and quality perception scores (r=-0.64; p

The digital era has changed all sides of our life. Citizens expect a greater number of digital services not just in their personal life, but also when interacting with government agencies. Despite its multiple advantages, the digitization of Romania's public sector is still difficult to achieve. Adoption barriers range from privacy concerns and user opposition to individualized ability limitations. To get the most on the positive impacts of digitalization in public services, the crucial first phase is likely to be setting up digital trust. Therefore, public administrations ought to take part in digital trust building to get over current obstacles to digitalizing public services and to build a modern, efficient, and citizen-oriented administration. Another important aspect is the degree of digitization of civil servants, but also the digital education level of citizens, combined with the socio-economic context, access to new technologies and the presence of specific equipment. In this context, I conducted a study in one of the counties of Romania characterized by a low economic level.The majority of research participants (N=323) indicate the use of social networks with a daily frequency, in the current activity, the transfer does not occur. Also, the lack of concern of the local authority to increase the digitization level of civil servants makes the use of modern means of interaction not possible.

Abstract Background The elderly population in China is growing, with hypertension being the most prevalent chronic disease in older adults. Despite the rapid penetration and efficient management effect of mobile health on hypertension healthcare, elderly patients are often less adopted and continue to use mobile health services. Quality perception significantly affects an individual’s satisfaction and continued intention to use mobile health services. The evaluation of the significant factors affecting mobile health quality perception by elderly individuals remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an evaluation scale to measure the perceived quality of mobile health applications for hypertension and determine the underlying influencing factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2018 and October 2019. A quality evaluation scale with three factors and seven indicators was developed based on the Information Systems Success model. Data was analyzed using structural equations modelling (SEM) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). All tests were two-sided and statistically significant at P 10 years. Elderly patients who regularly visited primary hospitals assessed the information quality 0.13 higher (95% CI -0.08 ~ 0.34; P

Touch has a pivotal importance in determining the expressivity of musical performance for a number of musical instruments. However, most digital musical devices provide no interactive force and/or vibratory feedback to the performer, thus depriving the somatosensory channel of a number of cues. Is the lack of haptic feedback only an aesthetic issue, or does it remove cues essential for digital instrument playing? If so, at which level is the interaction objectively impoverished? What are the effects on musical performance? In this survey article we illustrate our recent research about the use of vibrotactile feedback in three digital instrument interfaces, using tools that we developed over several years and made available to the community in open-source form. These interfaces span a wide range of familiarity and gestural opportunities, enabling us to explore the impact of haptic feedback on different types of digital instruments. We conducted experiments with professional musicians to assess the impact of vibratory cues on both the perceived quality of the instrument and the playing experience, as well as on musical performance. Particular attention was paid to scientific rigor and repeatability of the results, so as to serve as a reference for researchers and practitioners of the musical haptics community. Our results suggest a significant role of vibrotactile feedback in shaping the perception of digital musical instruments, although the effects on musical performance varied depending on the interfaces tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health & Nursing Management / Sağlık ve Hemşirelik Yönetimi Dergisi is the property of Logos Medical Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The elderly population in China is growing, with hypertension being the most prevalent chronic disease in older adults. Despite the rapid penetration and efficient management effect of mobile health on hypertension healthcare, elderly patients are often less adopted and continue to use mobile health services. Quality perception significantly affects an individual's satisfaction and continued intention to use mobile health services. The evaluation of the significant factors affecting mobile health quality perception by elderly individuals remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an evaluation scale to measure the perceived quality of mobile health applications for hypertension and determine the underlying influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2018 and October 2019. A quality evaluation scale with three factors and seven indicators was developed based on the Information Systems Success model. Data was analyzed using structural equations modelling (SEM) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). All tests were two-sided and statistically significant at P < 0.05. Results: The proposed mobile health application quality evaluation scale from the perspective of the elderly was shown to be a hierarchical, multidimensional construct with valid reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity, which consists of three factors and seven indicators. The SEM results suggested that information quality and service quality had a significant impact on the satisfaction of elderly individual's with mobile health applications for hypertension management. The results also suggest that the elderly individuals had a low evaluation of mobile medical service quality(4.06 ± 0.70), while the score of information quality was the highest, with an average score of 4.36(SD 0.83) out of 5. Male patients were shown to more readily accept mobile health applications, with their perception of system quality being 0.27 higher than female ones (95% CI 0.00 ~ 0.52; P <.05). Patients with 1–5 years hypertension histories assessed the system (95% CI 0.03 ~ 0.63; P <.05), information (95% CI 0.11 ~ 0.65; P <.05), and service quality (95% CI 0.00 ~ 0.47; P <.05) higher than those with hypertension histories > 10 years. Elderly patients who regularly visited primary hospitals assessed the information quality 0.13 higher (95% CI -0.08 ~ 0.34; P <.05) than those visited tertiary hospitals. Conclusions: These findings have significant implications for theoretical and practical research on mobile health application quality evaluation, which will be helpful for policymakers and mobile health providers in improving the context and utilisation of mobile health to include elderly users. More mobile health applications attributes, such as timely information and interactive services that meet the characteristics of elderly patients with different mental and health demands need to be considered. Deeply embedding mobile health into primary health services is recommended to help increase the perceived quality of mobile health, and ensure the continuous use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Marketing & Marketing Research / Pazarlama ve Pazarlama Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Pazarlama & Pazarlama Arastirmalari Dernegi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A citizen-centric approach was used to understand the effectiveness of e-government web portals in India. So, the study aims to find the factors of e-government (i.e., information clarity and appropriateness, relevance & usefulness, information accuracy & completeness, system security, users' privacy, system stability, and interactive services) and their influence on citizen perception, citizen satisfaction, and users' intention. Since the e-government web portal is for the citizen of a country and random sampling is more appropriate. So, our study did the same with a modified scale. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model was applied to show model fit and multiple regression analysis was employed to analyze the final data. The results revealed that the factors of e-government positively impact quality perception, citizen satisfaction, and Users' intention toward e-government. Further, data analysis has enough evidence to say e-government quality perception and citizen satisfaction mediate the relationship between factors of e-government and Users' intention. This investigation outlines how the government designs its e-government portal to enhance citizen satisfaction, citizen perception in terms of e-government quality, and users' intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The subject of the paper is lighting, which represents one of the instruments of shopper marketing. Review of the relevant literature suggests that lighting can have a significant impact on the appearance of the observed product. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether lighting in a retail facility affects the behaviour of shoppers on the Serbian market. Study design/methodology/approach: Data for testing hypotheses were collected from the sample on the market of Serbia. In order to collect data, an online experiment was conducted. Data were processed using repeated measures one-factor analysis of variance. Findings/conclusions: Based on the research results the conclusion is that different treatments of lighting colour and temperature affect the shoppers' perception of the quality of the observed product, but do not affect shoppers' price perception of the observed product on the Serbian market. Limitations/future research: Limitations of this research are: research on the basis of one characteristics of lighting, online research, one subject of observation, number of treatments, light source and influence of the device screen characteristics. Future research should include: research in more realistic conditions, usage of various stimulus and sources of artificial lighting and identification of the device by which the respondent accessed the questionnaire with the aim of comparison of the obtained results.

[Display omitted] • Wine is a cultural product capable of arousing emotions. • Innovative method to measure emotions aroused by red wine. • Good correlation among emotions and quantitative and hedonic sensory attributes. • Some aromatic molecules as markers of positive or negative emotional reactions. • ANS differences verified by ECG features, related to explicit sensory patterns. Wine is a cultural product capable of arousing emotions. Measuring emotions and figuring out how much they could influence preferences or purchase decisions of consumers is a new trend in sensory and consumer research. However, the complexity of feelings makes the measure of emotions extremely challenging. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of emotions related to sensory stimuli in wine tasting is still missing. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the emotional power of tasting red wines using a multidisciplinary approach, combining sensory analysis performed by trained panelists, implicit and explicit measurements of emotions and chemical analysis of the wines tasted. Various red wines, renowned for their high polyphenol content and expected to exhibit rich texture, mouthfeel, and aging potential, have been utilized to this extent. The results obtained showed that the emotions measured were well-correlated with quantitative and hedonic attributes obtained using classic sensory analysis. Some aromatic molecules can be identified as markers capable of eliciting positive and negative emotional reactions. While increasing literature in the topic is recently available, our study appears to be the first highlighting the presence of autonomic nervous system (ANS) differences verified by means of electrocardiogram (ECG) features, related to explicit and complete sensory patterns, in response to sensory stimuli related to emotional wine, with higher sympathetic values at extrema and vagal increase in the presence of neutral sensory compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch has a pivotal importance in determining the expressivity of musical performance for a number of musical instruments. However, most digital musical devices provide no interactive force and/or vibratory feedback to the performer, thus depriving the somatosensory channel of a number of cues. Is the lack of haptic feedback only an aesthetic issue, or does it remove cues essential for digital instrument playing? If so, at which level is the interaction objectively impoverished? What are the effects on musical performance? In this survey article we illustrate our recent research about the use of vibrotactile feedback in three digital instrument interfaces, using tools that we developed over several years and made available to the community in open-source form. These interfaces span a wide range of familiarity and gestural opportunities, enabling us to explore the impact of haptic feedback on different types of digital instruments. We conducted experiments with professional musicians to assess the impact of vibratory cues on both the perceived quality of the instrument and the playing experience, as well as on musical performance. Particular attention was paid to scientific rigor and repeatability of the results, so as to serve as a reference for researchers and practitioners of the musical haptics community. Our results suggest a significant role of vibrotactile feedback in shaping the perception of digital musical instruments, although the effects on musical performance varied depending on the interfaces tested.

Post-harvest strawberries are hard to store and can easily rot during cold chain transportation (CCT). This leads to considerable economic losses. This paper proposes a strawberry quality perception method used in CCT, based on the correlation between environmental parameters and strawberry quality parameters. The proposed method constructs a shelf-life prediction model based on a back propagation (BP) neural network, using four kinds of environmental parameters, including temperature, humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, to perceive the quality of post-harvest strawberries, and builds a cold chain transportation quality perception system (CCT-QPS) with the help of LabVIEW software for monitoring the cold chain environment and commodity quality constantly. The results showed that the proposed method could precisely predict the remaining shelf-life of post-harvest strawberries. In addition, the proposed system could reflect the vehicle operation in real time, such as commodity quality and the internal environment of transport carriages. Moreover, the quality perception approach can inform decision making for managers and effectively improve the related regulatory measures in the strawberry supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high demand for transportation equipment that continues to increase makes the automotive industry, especially Yamaha motorcycles, continue to grow rapidly and are in demand by consumers, so manufacturers are competing to attract as many consumers as possible. The aim of this research is to determine and analyze the role of perceived quality and brand awareness on brand image which has an impact on brand equity of PT. Yamaha Indonesia Motor Mfg using a quantitative descriptive approach. The data in the study were obtained from 175 respondents who are consumers of PT. Yamaha Motor Indonesia Mfg. Analysis of the data in this study using multiple linear regression and path analysis. The first stage in this research is to test the validity of each variable's questions along with their reliability. The second stage examines the relationship between variables, namely perceived quality, brand awareness, brand image and brand equity. The results of this study state that the perceived quality variable affects brand image, brand awareness affects brand image, perceived quality affects brand imagebrand equity, brand awareness affect brand equity and brand image affect brand equity PT. Yamaha Motor Indonesia Mfg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used three progressive experiments to isolate two dimensions of bottled water packaging: cap color and bottle shape. The objective of the first experiment was to test how the color of the bottle cap can change consumer preference. We evaluated four cylindrical bottles with different color caps (red, black, blue, and white). Results show that using a blue cap generates substantial positive changes in preference. The goal of the second experiment was to isolate the effect of bottle shape. Of the three bottle forms (cylindrical, squared, and anthropomorphic), the anthropomorphic was preferred. Results show that using a blue cap or an anthropomorphic shape improves preference and quality perceptions. A third experiment compared four price gaps (same price, 5%, 10%, and 20%) for the best versus worst shape and/color combination. In general, increasing the price of the bottle with the best color and shape decreases the choice preference. However, a 20% price increase improves the quality perception and inverts this trend. These results give product designers and marketing managers insights on how use color and shape to gain consumer preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology disruption, digitalization and media convergence have triggered a profound crisis in the television industry. In this context, quality is an essential strategic element for success, especially when consumers have learned through their experience with VOD, becoming more demanding and less loyal customers. Then, has the importance of quality signals changed with the emergence of new online alternatives? And the quality perception among viewers? Our research explores four production values (the host, content, the set, and technical quality) as TV program quality signals and their effect on the quality perception of entertainment programs of Spanish broadcasters. We compare two years: 2012 and 2016, a period during which the Spanish television market changed due to appearance of OTT services. Using t-tests and regression models, we establish that the importance of quality signals varied over this period, with content proving more important and the set less so in 2016 as compared with 2012. Additionally, in 2016, the results show that the quality perception of linear TV entertainment programs depended more on subjective elements such as liking and satisfaction than on objective elements, as it was in 2012. Finally, our findings are discussed, and some managerial implications and future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology disruption, digitalization and media convergence have triggered a profound crisis in the television industry. In this context, quality is an essential strategic element for success, especially when consumers have learned through their experience with VOD, becoming more demanding and less loyal customers. Then, has the importance of quality signals changed with the emergence of new online alternatives? And the quality perception among viewers? Our research explores four production values (the host, content, the set, and technical quality) as TV program quality signals and their effect on the quality perception of entertainment programs of Spanish broadcasters. We compare two years: 2012 and 2016, a period during which the Spanish television market changed due to appearance of OTT services. Using t-tests and regression models, we establish that the importance of quality signals varied over this period, with content proving more important and the set less so in 2016 as compared with 2012. Additionally, in 2016, the results show that the quality perception of linear TV entertainment programs depended more on subjective elements such as liking and satisfaction than on objective elements, as it was in 2012. Finally, our findings are discussed, and some managerial implications and future research are suggested.

The research domain on the Quality of Experience (QoE) of 2D video streaming has been well established. However, a new video format is emerging and gaining popularity and availability: VR 360-degree video. The processing and transmission of 360-degree videos brings along new challenges such as large bandwidth requirements and the occurrence of different distortions. The viewing experience is also substantially different from 2D video, it offers more interactive freedom on the viewing angle but can also be more demanding and cause cybersickness. The first goal of this article is to complement earlier research by Tran, et al. (2017) [39] testing the effects of quality degradation, freezing, and content on the QoE of 360-videos. The second goal is to test the contribution of visual attention as an influence factor in the QoE assessment. Data was gathered through subjective tests where participants watched degraded versions of 360-videos through a Head-Mounted Display with integrated eye-tracking sensors. After each video they answered questions regarding their quality perception, experience, perceptual load, and cybersickness. Our results showed that the participants rated the overall QoE rather low, and the ratings decreased with added degradations and freezing events. Cyber sickness was found not to be an issue. The effects of the manipulations on visual attention were minimal. Attention was mainly directed by content, but also by surprising elements. The addition of eye-tracking metrics did not further explain individual differences in subjective ratings. Nevertheless, it was found that looking at moving objects increased the negative effect of freezing events and made participants less sensitive to quality distortions. More research is needed to conclude whether visual attention is an influence factor on the QoE in 360-video. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assesses the perception of clothing products' quality using two independent samples of Czech respondents answering a questionnaire. It fills the current research gap in revealing how the quality of clothing products is currently perceived by different sociodemographic groups and whether other factors neglected previously (e.g., type of store, store's trade name, etc.) contribute to the perceived garment quality. The results show that age plays an important role in assessing some of the parameters by which people define whether garments are quality garments. This demographic criterion also influences the intensity of quality consideration when people buy a product, but no statistically significant dependence was found for the intensity of quality consideration when people buy a clothing product. These and other papers' results may help companies in the clothing industry, and the related sectors better comprehend how different categories of people determine garment quality. Implications for Central European audience: Businesses active in the apparel and fashion industries may better understand the current preferences of Czech customers regarding their clothing quality perceptions. The results could also be useful for managers in other countries of the Central-European region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers increasingly address their attention to healthy fruits produced under organic agricultural managements. However, such produce may be less appealing in appearance influencing the purchase decisions of consumers. This research had the purpose to determine on three Italian local apple cultivars (Casciana, Rosa, Ruggine) the sensory appreciation of fruit through experiments conducted with blind (BC) and sighted (SC) consumers. The appreciation of apples differed between consumers with different visual ability. This aspect mainly concerned cvs Casciana and Rosa with contrasting fruit appearance traits. The BCs were inclined to better evaluate Casciana apples characterised by less attractive fruits. Conversely, the visual factor could have influenced the SCs' judgment, as they appreciated Rosa more by the best outer traits of fruits. Intriguing responses were obtained when SCs were blindfolded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF), the number of conference speakers and attendees who use English is increasing. Simultaneous interpreting (SI) into and from English may be provided at conferences to meet the needs of individuals with differing levels of English ability. This paper reports on the findings obtained from two sets of experiments that explored the link between listeners' perceived dependence on SI and their perceptions of its quality. The first set of experiments was conducted onsite and the second using a remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) setting. Native Hong Kong Cantonese-speaking participants were divided into two groups: one with Russian as the source language (SL) (Russian group) and the other with English as the SL (English group). Both groups listened to the same prerecorded simultaneous interpretation into Cantonese performed by a non-native interpreter. In the onsite setting, the Russian group perceived the non-native-accented interpretation more favorably than the English group did. This suggests that in onsite settings, perceived dependence on SI may be associated with perceptions of its quality; the greater the perceived dependence on SI, the higher the perceived SI quality. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in the RSI setting. Factors such as the inaudible SL in the background, similar levels of perceived dependence, negative feelings about online learning and tensions in the state-society relationship may contribute to the similar quality perception ratings across the two RSI groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat packaging and intelligent evaluation and monitoring of key parameters not only are important technologies to ensure meat quality and safety but also form the key foundation for optimizing packaging materials and improving the efficiency of cold chain operations. In recent years, numerous studies have focused on comprehensive (or multi-functional) packaging materials, multiple parameter evaluation methods, quality intelligent monitoring technology, and optimization of the control of various links in cold chain logistics (CCL). Such research has significant practical application value for extending meat shelf-life and reducing the risk of foodborne diseases. This paper reviews the current research status, existing problems, and future evolution of CCL by focusing on meat packaging, meat quality evaluation and monitoring, and meat quality prediction and control. We also elaborate in detail the challenges faced in researching these topics and discuss the focal points of future research aiming to improve the quality and efficiency of CCL. Packaging material optimization and dynamic quality perception are vital for achieving meat quality and safety over the entire CCL and demand the digital and intelligent development of the meat cold chain. A key finding of this review is that the comprehensive (or composite) packaging and intelligent quality assessment and monitoring are important forces promoting the transformation of traditional meat CCL to smart, green, and efficient CLL involving the intelligent management and control of all links therein. • A comprehensive review is presented on meat-quality maintenance. • Nanotechnology may become a potential avenue for achieving integrated packaging. • The integrity of cold chain logistics (CCL) is rarely maintained in today's commercial food supply chain. • Shelf-life prediction is key to improve meat quality, decision-making, and control. • Future CCL must balance development between economic, environmental, and social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop strategies for sustainable practices and to enhance the replacement of non‐renewable materials with sustainable alternatives such as wood, it is essential to recognize the variables affecting consumers' quality perceptions. Despite this, there is still limited knowledge about the perceived quality of wooden building materials. Wood industry studies have to date approached quality mainly by investigating quality indicators related to the product or supplier, while overlooking the effects of the consumer characteristics on the quality perception process. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by implementing a systematic literature review of peer‐reviewed articles published in international scientific journals during the 2000s using the "Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews" (SPAR‐4‐SLR) protocol. Literature searches are implemented in two scientific databases (ISI Web of Knowledge and Scopus) to gather the material to be analyzed according to two organizing frameworks (i.e., the TCCM framework and the Model of the Quality Perception Process). The results suggest that the perceived quality of wooden building materials is affected by different quality cues and attributes of wood (i.e., sensory, social, economic, technical, and sustainability properties). Furthermore, different personal variables (consumers' socio‐demographic and psychographic characteristics) and situational variables influence consumer behavior regarding wooden building materials. The study contributes to wood products literature by providing new theoretical insights about the perceived quality of wooden building materials and developing a future research agenda that brings forward a number of propositions for future studies based on identified research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Survey development represents a complex process that requires verification of its usefulness before its application. At an international level, there are few instruments to measure the perception of anaesthetic care in elective surgeries, without forgetting that most of them were created in English; therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a brief survey on anaesthetic care as an indicator of quality in the Mexican population. Material and methods: This is a qualitative study that involves the construction phase of a survey in which a review of the international and local literature of the instruments to measure satisfaction in anesthesiology was carried out. Subsequently, informal random interviews were conducted with 82 patients on the most sensitive issues associated with the anaesthetic act for the construction of items. Results: The proposal consists of 16 items divided into three sections corresponding to the three basic anaesthetic evaluations in elective surgery and that explore five domains: communication, autonomy, timely care, adequate treatment, and satisfaction. Conclusions: The proposal made in this project is a potential instrument that could reflect the perceived quality of anaesthetic care in our population, so to strengthen this process it will be necessary to continue with their respective validations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The perceptual quality of magnetic resonance (MR) images influences diagnosis and may compromise the treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the image quality changes influence the interobserver variability of their assessment. Methods For the variability evaluation, a dataset containing distorted MRI images was prepared and then assessed by 31 experienced medical professionals (radiologists). Differences between observers were analyzed using the Fleiss’ kappa. However, since the kappa evaluates the agreement among radiologists taking into account aggregated decisions, a typically employed criterion of the image quality assessment (IQA) performance was used to provide a more thorough analysis. The IQA performance of radiologists was evaluated by comparing the Spearman correlation coefficients, ρ, between individual scores with the mean opinion scores (MOS) composed of the subjective opinions of the remaining professionals. Results The experiments show that there is a significant agreement among radiologists (κ=0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.118, 0.121; P

The existing link between brands and individuals represents an ongoing challenge for both implied parties given the high complexity of involved elements, actions, experiences or required knowledge processes. In the case of the automotive industry the situation is no less intricate. To be accounted into attention are both the high dynamic of consumer’s needs or demands towards lifestyle simplification thru any possible procedure or instrument as well as the constant involvement demonstrated by the brands in this area which’s mail goal remains the leadership on market, while having in vision consumers as central elements, along with environment imprint and a fundamental strong, unique and values-based company culture. The decluttering process of the convoluted dependency appeals for a better understanding of the peculiar premises that generate certain situations with impact on social, economic, financial or phycological patterns. The current preliminary study generates an insight into the direct relationship existent between the two participants: companies, as brand representatives and major role players within a market state of being at a point in time and consumers, as final elements in the business model, with a similar high importance part, in shaping traits of successful interaction models. The interdependency of the two mentioned factors generates remarkable variations which authorizes flexibility and proactivity to contribute to objectives attainment, while sharing the common ground that allows a proper functioning of commercial activities within the studied field, automotive industry for this case.

In our rapidly changing world, consumers are being exposed to an increasing amount of product information day by day, while they are trying to make the best choice in the light of this information. This provides a broad scope for marketers involved in marketing practice or research processes to examine the impact of different product information on consumption behavior. The country-of-origin information is seen as a point in consumers mind that has an impact on the quality perception of the relevant products, purchasing preferences and other issues. Consumers may have tendencies to prefer the products of certain countries or have positive perceptions of that country's product. Although it is a crucial issue for both marketing practitioners and academicians, there is still a lack of literature about the impact of consumers' perceptions towards country of origin of the products on their willingness to pay more and purchase intentions. The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between country of origin (COO), willingness to pay more and purchase intention. Within the scope of the research, the data obtained from 720 consumers were analyzed and then the research model was tested. As a result of the analysis, a significant and positive relationship between the quality perception of the country of origin (COO) and the purchase intention is found. In addition, it was determined that willingness to pay more has an intermediary role in the effect of the quality perception of COO on the purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An advanced multi-touch sensor surface aimed at musical expression was recently equipped by the authors with interactive multi-point localized vibrotactile feedback. Using such interface, a subjective assessment was conducted that measured how the presence and type of vibration affect the perceived quality of the device and various attributes related to the playing experience. Two clearly distinct sound settings each with three vibrotactile feedback strategies were tested. At each trial, the task was to play freely while comparing two related setups which used the same sound setting and differed only in the presence/absence of vibration. Independent of the sound setting, as compared to the respective non-vibrating setups, vibrations conveying frequency and amplitude dynamics cues coherent with the player’s gesture and/or sonic feedback had the most positive effect. Vibrotactile feedback especially improved the enjoyment of playing and the perceived potential for musical expressivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]