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The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the management of the rural tourist experience in Cyprus. In doing so, it specifically attempts to examine rural tourists’ experiences in relation to travel motives and activities performed in rural areas in Cyprus, explore overall satisfaction with the rural tourist experience with regard to several physical, social, and symbolic attributes derived from the literature review and elicit recommendations that can improve the tourist experience in rural areas.

An exploratory research approach was utilized, whereby 70 open-ended casual interviews were conducted with domestic and international tourists visiting rural areas in Cyprus.

Main findings derived from this study include the realization that the rural tourism experience is fragmented and largely shaped by travel motives, regional characteristics, support services, and service provision.

A refined segmentation strategy is proposed as well as the development of synergistic, innovative linkages among rural tourism stakeholders and across sectors in the industry, with thematic clusters representing a favorable proposed strategy.

Although the study is centered on a single case, theoretical and practical implications may be derived with regard to the demand aspects of rural tourist experiences. In turn, such insights may be transferrable to other rural destination contexts.

Entrepreneurship education and digital marketing courses tend to be studied separately although some topics around digitalisation are similar to both. The aim of this chapter is to discuss in more depth how entrepreneurship education can embed more digital marketing techniques. This is useful particularly in response to the COVID-19 crisis where most entrepreneurship education courses have moved to an online format. To take advantage of this increase in digital technology, entrepreneurship educators need to embed more effectively digital marketing techniques within their courses. This will lead to an embrace of a digital marketing philosophy that is conducive to the overall understanding of entrepreneurship education being about how to progress based on emerging technology changes. Suggestions for future research are stated in the chapter that highlight the relevance of digital marketing for entrepreneurship educators.

It has been well known that the quantum zero‐point energy (ZPE) cannot be conserved in simulations of atoms and molecules dynamics based on classical mechanics. The purpose of this paper is to examine fundamental issues related to the treatment of quantum ZPE constraint in simulations of atoms and molecules dynamics.

The ZPE is well known to be a quantum mechanical expectation value that is equivalent to an ensemble average when this value is interpreted to classical mechanics. An important point is that the ensemble‐averaged energies on simulations are expected to obey the ZPE criteria rather than those of individual simulation. The point is elucidated using quasiclassical trajectory calculations with a popular hydrogen atom‐diatom direct collision process incorporating a potential energy surface of a triatomic hydrogen system.

The results obtained by using standard classical trajectory calculations agree well with the quantum calculations. Using them, the author found that the classical results remain valid even if some trajectory calculations have vibrational energies that are less than the ZPE.

It is found that the ensemble‐average of each trajectory calculation can provide results that are consistent with quantum mechanical ones that obey the ZPE criteria, without the introduction of any additional constraint conditions for atoms and simulation algorithms.

This chapter explores the origins, development, and organization of the main Portuguese capitalist groups throughout the fascist dictatorship, the Carnation Revolution, and the neoliberal European integration until the onset of the financial crisis of 2008. The Portuguese experience confirms that, far from the usual neoliberal view that presents the process of accumulation and concentration of capital as the result of fair market mechanisms, large capitalist groups emerge as a combination of three factors: privileged access to finance, State protection, and family inheritance. Furthermore, it is argued that, if capital is considered as embodiment of power relations and not as factor of production, the link between concentration/accumulation of capital and economic growth is appropriately lost. Concentration strategies can have a detrimental effect on the economy. In Portugal, the dominance of these large economic groups contributed to the development of a rentist economic structure that was contrary to the goals of productive and economic development.

This chapter challenges the urban bias in studies on the middle class in India and underlines the need to focus on the significant role rural middle class plays in economic diversification. Given that more than 23% of the upper middle class are located in rural India, it is surprising to note that their contribution in supporting experience economy remains under-researched. Thus, this chapter fills a key gap in existing studies on rural tourism in India by underlining how rural middle-class has triggered a huge demand for travel within the country itself for rural cultural programmes and different schemes to promote rural heritage sights.

Sport startups are a specific form of new business venture that enters the market in a fast manner. There has been more emphasis on sport startups due to the need to capitalize on innovations particularly digital types in the global business environment. The increased competitiveness of the sport industry has meant a need for startups to fill gaps in the marketplace. As a result, more entrepreneurs have become interested in startups due to the way they offer quick market entry, which is particularly important in dynamic environments. This chapter highlights the role of sport startups in the global economy by focusing on their advantages in terms of usefulness thereby offering a new theoretical and practical approach.

Entrepreneurial opportunities come in various forms and are influenced by socio-economic conditions. Increasingly entrepreneurs are being asked to take a more balanced approach between financial and environmental considerations when assessing an opportunity. The aim of this chapter is to discuss how entrepreneurial opportunities need to take an economics and sustainability perspective in the competitive global marketplace in order to keep up to date with contemporary business practices. This will enable a more transdisciplinary approach to the opportunity recognition process that integrates multiple disciplinary frameworks.

The need for random assignment in sexual offending programme evaluation is clear. Decades of high dependence on weak-inference methodology, that of observational studies, has inhibited professional agreement regarding the effects of programmes. Observational studies have a place in evaluation research when more rigorous scientific designs precede them, as occurs in neighbouring fields of drug development and health. If, however, observational studies remain the only method used to evaluate sexual offending programmes, the field will continue to endure uncertainty with confident causal inferences regarding their effects remaining elusive. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The paper takes the form of a literature review and discussion.

The case for random assignment is made alongside a rebuttal of arguments against their use.

This is an original look at the need for random assignment in sexual offending programme evaluation taking into account existing studies and discussion topics.

This study aims to obtain the lowest surface roughness (Ra) and drill bit adhesion values (AV) depending on the change in control factors (cutting speed-Vc, feed rate-f and drill bit-D) during drilling of the Al 5083 H116 alloy. Low roughness values increase the fatigue strength of the final part and affect tribological properties such as lubrication and friction. In the machining of ductile materials, the AV increases the Ra value and negatively affects the tool life.

Drilling tests were conducted using Taguchi L16 orthogonal array. The experimental measurement findings for Ra and AV were adjusted utilizing the Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), the Response Surface Method (RSM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to generate prediction values. SEM detected drill-tip adhesions and chip morphology and they were analyzed by EDX.

Ra and AV increased as the f increased. Vc affects AV; 86.04% f on Ra and 54.71% Vc on AV were the most effective control parameters. After optimizing Ra and AV using GRA, the f is the most effective control factor. Vc: 120 m/min, f: 0.025 mm/rev and D2 were optimal. ANN predicted with Ra 99.6% and AV 99.8% accurately. Mathematical models are obtained with RSM. The increase in f increased AV, which had a negative effect on Ra, whereas the increase in Vc decreased the adhesion tendency. With the D1 drill bit with the highest flute length, a relatively lower Ra was measured, as it facilitates chip evacuation. In addition, the high correlations of the mathematical models obtained indicate that the models can be used safely.

The novelty of this study is to determine the optimum drilling parameters with GRA and ANN for drilling the necessary holes for the assembly of ammunition wing propulsion systems, especially those produced with Al 5083 H116 alloy, with rivets and bolts.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the marketing actions developed for rural tourism lodgings and the effect of these actions on lodgings’ performance.

Data were collected with a questionnaire-based survey, addressing promoters of rural tourism supply in Portugal and were analysed using SPSS. Descriptive analysis was undertaken along with a cluster analysis aimed at identifying groups of suppliers according to the types marketing activities they carried out.

Results show that the majority of the suppliers are engaged in other professional activities, aside from running a tourist lodging. These “other activities” provide the bulk of lodging suppliers’ household income. Moreover, they dedicate very little of their time to managing the tourism lodging and develop few marketing activities. Despite this, there is a small group of lodging suppliers who, even though in minority, show a more entrepreneurial and professional attitude regarding marketing actions. They are correspondingly more successful and more satisfied with the performance of their business.

A more qualitative in-depth case study approach with a systematic triangulation of findings from diverse sources and approaches might have permitted an even deeper understanding of some of the results, such as the reasons for the identified passivity of suppliers or their lack of marketing initiatives, as well as possible solutions to overcome these identified barriers.

This study is important, as there is little existing work connecting rural tourism and marketing. Apart from providing knowledge from theory, the empirical results indicate from a practical perspective some of the potential benefits of assuming a marketing perspective in rural tourism.