Purpose -This paper aims to examine how customer relationship management (CRM) systems are implemented in practice with a focus on the strategic application, i.e. how analytical CRM systems are used to support customer knowledge acquisition and how such a system can be developed. Design/methodology/approach -The current practice of CRM application is based on examining data reported from a four-year survey of CRM applications in the UK and an evaluation of CRM analytical functions provided by 20 leading software vendors. A conceptual model of an analytical CRM system for customer knowledge acquisition is developed based on the findings and literature review. Findings -Current CRM systems are dominated by operational applications such as call centres. The application of analytical CRM has been low, and the provision of these systems is limited to a few leading software vendors. Practical implications -The findings shed light on the potential area in which organisations can strategically use CRM systems. It also provides guidance for the IT industry as to how an analytical CRM system should be developed to support customer knowledge acquisition. Originality/value -The latest findings on CRM systems application are reported, and an innovative analytical CRM system is proposed for customer knowledge acquisition.

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Objective-Behavioral conditioning as an inherent component of many pharmacotherapeutic protocols has never been examined. We hypothesized that psoriasis patients treated under a partial schedule of pharmacologic (corticosteroid) reinforcement would show less severe symptoms and relapse than those given the same amount of drug under standard conditions. Methods-A double blind, simple randomization intervention was conducted with 46 patients from California and New York. Initially, lesions were treated with 0.1% acetonide triamcinolone under standard treatment conditions. Thereafter, a Standard Therapy group continued on continuous reinforcement (active drug every treatment) with 100% of the initial dose; Partial Reinforcement patients received a full dose 25-50% of the time and placebo medication other times; Dose Control patients received continuous reinforcement with 25-50% of the initial dose.Results-Severity of disease scores in CA neither supported nor refuted the hypothesis. In NY, where there was no difference between Partial Reinforcement and Dose Control groups at baseline, partial reinforcement effected a greater reduction in lesion severity than Dose Control conditions and did not differ from Standard Therapy patients receiving 2-4 times more drug. For the entire NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript population, the incidence of relapse under partial reinforcement (26.7%) was lower than in Dose Control patients (61.5%) and did not differ from full-dose treatment (22.2%).Conclusions-A partial schedule of pharmacotherapeutic reinforcement could maintain psoriasis patients with a cumulative amount of corticosteroid that was relatively ineffective when administered under standard treatment conditions. Conceivably, corticosteroid administration only one quarter or half as frequently as currently prescribed is sufficient to treat psoriasis. We posit, however, that these preliminary observations implicate conditioning processes in-and for the design of-regimens of pharmacotherapy.

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The replacement of fish oil (FO) with a DHA-rich Schizochytrium sp. algal meal 16 (AM) at two inclusion levels (11% and 5.5% of diet) was tested in Atlantic salmon 17 post-smolts compared to fish fed a FO diet of northern (NFO) or southern hemisphere 18 (SFO) origin. Fish were preconditioned prior to the 19-week experimental feeding 19 period to reduce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) and persistent 20 organic pollutant levels (POPs). Dietary POP levels differed significantly between 21 treatments in the order of NFO>SFO>11AM/5.5AM and were subsequently reflected 22 in the flesh. Fish fed the 11AM diet contained similar DHA levels (g.100g -1 flesh) to 23 FO-fed fish, despite percentage differences. However, the low levels of EPA in the 24 diets and flesh of algal-fed fish compromised the overall nutritional value to the final 25 consumer. Nevertheless, further developments in microalgae culture offer a 26 promising alternative lipid source of LC-PUFA to FO in salmon feeds that warrants 27 further investigation. 28 29

SynopsisThis paper describes the construction, refinement and implementation of a self-administered measure of personal hopefulness, the Hunter Opinions and Personal Expectations Scale (HOPES). Initial state and trait versions of the HOPES instrument were utilized in three separate studies, comprising a medical student sample (N = 211), an adolescent male sample (N = 280) and a psychiatric hospital staff sample (N = 318). A revised 20-item, two factor, trait version of the scale was then utilized in a prospective, longitudinal investigation (N = 753) of the psychosocial sequelae of the earthquake which struck Newcastle (Australia) in December, 1989. Data from all four studies provide strong support for the HOPES instrument's construct, concurrent and predictive validity. Global personal hopefulness (GPH) was shown to be an enduring characteristic of individuals, with a test–retest correlation of r = +0·71 (over 64 weeks). The association between GPH and trait anxiety (r = −0·64) raised the possibility of redefining anxiety as hope under threat. The hope subscale (HS) and the despair subscale (DS) were moderately negatively correlated (r = −0·32), suggesting that hope and despair are not simply polar opposites. There were no gender differences in GPH scores, however, there were relatively clear age effects, with those aged 70 years and over reporting the lowest levels of personal hopefulness. GPH was negatively correlated with post-earthquake scores on the General Health Questionnaire (r = −0·33), the Impact of Event Scale (r = −0·33), the Beck Depression Inventory (r = −0·54) and the global symptom index from the SCL-90-R (r = −0·43). Overall, the contribution made by personal hopefulness to post-earthquake morbidity was equal to the contributions made by initial exposure to disruption and threat experiences.

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