Density-equalizing maps for simply-connected open surfaces

In this paper, we are concerned with the problem of creating flattening maps of simply-connected open surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Using a natural principle of density diffusion in physics, we propose an effective algorithm for computing density-equalizing flattening maps with any prescribed density distribution. By varying the initial density distribution, a large variety of mappings with different properties can be achieved. For instance, area-preserving parameterizations of simply-connected open surfaces can be easily computed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method. Applications to data visualization and surface remeshing are explored

Segmenting Chinese Tourists to Korea: Experiential Value Based Approach

The aim of this study is to explore how tourists derive experiential value. To assess tourists’ travel experiences, the experiential value was adopted from scales developed by Mathwick et al. (2001). The seven-dimensional measures—visual appeal, entertainment value, escapism, efficiency, economic value, service excellence, and intrinsic enjoyment—were used. This study contributed to the existing literature by utilizing a multi-dimensional experiential value to segment the Chinese tourists visiting Korea. This study identified three lucrative segments: value ignored, neutral and highly value driven. The study discusses the implications

Text mining approach to explore dimensions of national parks visitors’ experience and satisfaction using online customer reviews

Natural parks are gaining global popularity with millions of visits per year. However, studies evaluating park visitors\u27 experiences, satisfaction, and motivations are limited to traditional methods, such as direct observations, spatial analysis using global positioning system (GPS) trackers, interviews, surveys, and focus groups. As an alternative to these conventional methods, user-generated content (UGC) provides available, easily accessible, and consumers\u27 reliable recent experiences with services. This study investigated visitors\u27 reviews of selected Canadian national parks to explore the dimensions of the visitors\u27 quality of experience and the drivers of satisfaction based on online ratings on the Trip Advisor website. The analysis yielded various topics ranging from visitors\u27 pleasant feelings about trails, mountain views, and water activities to their unpleasant experiences regarding food, crowds, lineups, and parking lots. Besides, analysis of the reviews based on the reviewers\u27 start ratings highlighted the most important drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction between them. Findings suggest that topics related to schedule and weather-related hassles; food, tickets, and shopping experiences; and visitor information center and exhibitions were among the most distinguishes dissatisfied visitors (1- and 2-star) from others. On the other hand, positive vibes, expressiveness, photography opportunities, and daytime and weather experience were the principal determinants of visitors\u27 satisfaction (4- and 5-star)

The Potential for Developing Rural Tourism in Xiajin County, China: A SWOT Analysis

Tourism is becoming increasingly significant for the Xiajin County economy. The county has abundant natural, cultural and historical resources, and it would benefit from the development of rural tourism (RT). However, rural areas face many challenges in developing RT. The first step in overcoming these challenges is to engage in strategic planning, which is the process of determining a vision for the desired future and establishing how to get there. This study was intended to highlight the potential for RT in Xiajin County, China. The specific objectives of the study were to understand the current state of RT development in Xiajin County, to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and to provide possible strategies for development of RT in the county. Findings of the study indicate that to grow sustainable tourism, the Xiajin County government should develop, implement and monitor appropriate RT management and marketing plans that include identified weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities; its strategic focus should be to increase not only the volume of tourists, but also their spending and length of stay. In addition, the study proposes key recommendations for Xiajin County leadership to consider when developing tourism strategies

The Lost Tribes of Charmonium

To illustrate the campaign to extend our knowledge of the charmonium spectrum, I focus on a puzzling new state, $X(3872) \to \pi^+\pi^- J/\psi$. Studying the influence of open-charm channels on charmonium properties leads us to propose a new charmonium spectroscopy: additional discrete charmonium levels that can be discovered as narrow resonances of charmed and anticharmed mesons. I call attention to open issues for theory and experiment.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, uses espcrc2.sty (included); presented at BEACH 2004, 28 June - 3 July, IIT/Chicag

Exploratory Study of Promotional Videos in the 10 Major Tourist Destinations in China: A Content Analysis

Since the mid 1990s, both domestic and international tourism in China has grown rapidly evidenced in many destinations. In particular, tourism plays an important role as a major destination in regional economic development. This article reviews promotional videos of the main destinations in China as research data, analyzes the common content elements, orientations, presentation methods, persuasion methods, time patterns, and the use of sound, music and volume in Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Hangzhou. Finally, the authors make suggestions regarding the images of promotional videos, reflecting on the subjects, contents and techniques of shooting the videos, and study the content and techniques of the photographers. Moreover, the authors put forward suggestions on improving promotional videos of destinations from the perspective of the subjects, contents and techniques of shooting

Testing the Task-Media Fit: The Effects of Task Equivocality on Social Presence of Mobile Video-Mediated Communication

Since social presence theory was introduced, many researchers have tried to apply it to various technology-mediated communication media, including E-Mail, videoconferencing, and instant messengers. Yet few researches have investigated the influence of mobile video-mediated communication (VMC) on the social presence despite prevalence in business practices. In this paper, a research model is developed to test the relationship between the mobile VMC (video telephony and video chatting) and the level of social presence. And the task equivocality, whether it’s an intellective task or a negotiation task, is also considered as moderating variables, based on the task-media fit proposition. Hence, mobile video chatting could be suggested as an alternative media of mobile video telephony for less equivocal informative tasks according to this study