A Proposed Model Of Business Co-Creation For Service Innovation

This study explores the dynamics of collaboration between travel agents and their suppliers in co-creating value for their customers. It examines the relationship among co-creation elements, service innovation, technology adoption and environmental change. Results indicate that all the above effects are significant

Portraying older age in television advertisements: a comparative study between the UK and Taiwan

This thesis is a cross-cultural comparative study on media representations of older people in UK and Taiwanese TV advertisements. Three analytical approaches (content analysis, the constant comparative method and critical discourse analysis) were employed. The content analytical study in this thesis revealed that older people were still under-represented as suggested in existing literature. Role salience and visibility of older characters were greater in Taiwanese TV advertisements than in UK TV advertisements. Taiwanese older characters were more likely associated with family relationships and indoor/home contexts while UK older characters were more frequently depicted at outdoor and entertainment settings. Nine character types emerged in the constant comparative study to describe media representations of older people in UK and Taiwanese TV advertisements. They are 'Competent', 'Conservative/Traditional', 'Engaged in Female-Male Relations', 'Golden Ager', 'Humorous', 'Unwell and Declining Health', 'Incompetent', 'Engaged in Intergenerational Relations', and 'Vulnerable'. Results of the cross-cultural comparisons indicated that the Confucian tradition of filial piety was a defining factor that distinguished the portrayals of older adults in Taiwanese TV adverts from those in the UK TV adverts. The critical discourse analysis in this thesis focused on UK and Taiwanese TV adverts for over 50s life insurance products. It was found that a positive construction of ageing was commonly linked to consumer choices so as to legitimate the advertised products (targeting older people) in the two cultural contexts. However, the positive ageing was arguably offset by ageist ideological presuppositions behind the product messages which conventionally highlighted low cost, eligibility, medical exemption and free gifts both in the UK and Taiwanese dat

A Study Of Travel Agency Collaboration And Co-Creation In The Tourism Industry

This study explores the dynamics of collaboration between travel agencies and their suppliers in co-creating value with their customers. It examines the relationship among six collaboration elements (co-creation dynamics), service innovation, competitive advantage, technology adoption and environmental change, and the moderating effect of trust on the co-creation elements and service innovation. The effects of technology adoption and environmental changes on the six elements were also examined. Results indicate that all the above effects are significant, and trust enhances the effect of the elements on innovation for Taiwan travel agencies. However, technology adoption and trust differed for the Malaysian travel agencies

An overview of out-of-step protection in power systems

Power system is subjected to an extensive variety of little or bigger disturbance to the system during the operation. The power system that designed as one of the main requirement is to survive from the larger type of disturbances like faults. The power swing in certain system is the variation in three phase power flow in the power system. This paper mainly discussed the power swing and distance relay and the effect of the power swing on the distance relay and demonstrate about the basic power system stability and power swing phenomena. Moreover, out of step protection and detection applications are revised as well. At the end, the paper also demonstrated the past study of out of step application of TNB 275 KV network

Shikonin enhances efficacy of a gene-based cancer vaccine via induction of RANTES

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Shikonin, a phytochemical purified from <it>Lithospermum erythrorhizon</it>, has been shown to confer diverse pharmacological activities, including accelerating granuloma formation, wound healing, anti-inflammation and others, and is explored for immune-modifier activities for vaccination in this study. Transdermal gene-based vaccine is an attractive approach for delivery of DNA transgenes encoding specific tumor antigens to host skin tissues. Skin dendritic cells (DCs), a potent antigen-presenting cell type, is known to play a critical role in transmitting and orchestrating tumor antigen-specific immunities against cancers. The present study hence employs these various components for experimentation.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The mRNA and protein expression of RANTES were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. The regional expression of RANTES and tissue damage in test skin were evaluated via immunohistochemistry assay. Fluorescein isothiocyanate sensitization assay was performed to trace the trafficking of DCs from the skin vaccination site to draining lymph nodes. Adjuvantic effect of shikonin on gene gun-delivered human gp100 (hgp100) DNA cancer vaccine was studied in a human gp100-transfected B16 (B16/hgp100) tumor model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among various phytochemicals tested, shikonin induced the highest level of expression of RANTES in normal skin tissues. In comparison, mouse RANTES cDNA gene transfection induced a higher level of mRANTES expression for a longer period, but caused more extensive skin damage. Topical application of shikonin onto the immunization site before gene gun-mediated vaccination augmented the population of skin DCs migrating into the draining lymph nodes. A hgp100 cDNA gene vaccination regimen with shikonin pretreatment as an adjuvant in a B16/hgp100 tumor model increased cytotoxic T lymphocyte activities in splenocytes and lymph node cells on target tumor cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Together, our findings suggest that shikonin can effectively enhance anti-tumor potency of a gene-based cancer vaccine via the induction of RANTES expression at the skin immunization site.</p

Comparison of domiciliary oxygen using liquid oxygen and concentrator in northern Taiwan

Background/PurposeLong-term oxygen therapy has become standard treatment for patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. However, patterns of long-term home oxygen therapy have not been well studied in Taiwan. Oxygen concentrator systems are commonly used in Taiwan, but liquid oxygen delivery systems are portable and may provide advantages over the concentrator system. This study compared oxygen usage between patients from a liquid oxygen group (LOG) and an oxygen concentrator group (OCG). The authors also assessed the physiologic responses of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to ambulatory oxygen use at home.MethodsThe study used a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational survey design. The LOG comprised 42 patients, and the OCG comprised 102 patients. We recruited participants in northern Taiwan from July 2009 to April 2010. The questionnaire instruments that were used to collect data consisted of three parts: demographic characteristics, devices used in respiratory care, and activity status with portable oxygen. Two-minute walking tests were performed on COPD patients in their homes.ResultsCOPD was the most common diagnosis in our study, with more than 50% of patients who received oxygen long term in both groups having received this diagnosis. The LOG used oxygen for an average of 21.7 hours per day, whereas OCG averaged 15.2 hours per day (p<0.001). In the OCG, 92.2% of patients used a concentrator alone, whereas 23.8% of the LOG used liquid oxygen alone (p<0.001). The LOG patients were involved in significantly more outdoors activities (p=0.002) and reported traveling with oxygen more often (p<0.001) than the OCG patients. For patients with the same dyspnea level of COPD severity, those using liquid oxygen had a lower increase in pulse rate after the walking test, in comparison with the concentrator users.ConclusionPatients in the LOG used oxygen for longer hours, went on more outings, and were more likely to travel with oxygen than patients in the OCG. Being ambulatory with liquid oxygen might enable patients with COPD to walk more effectively