Understanding destination brand love using machine learning and content analysis method

This study aims to apply the concept of brand love in tourist destinations in order to identify the core-elements that could have influential impacts on generating destination brand love. This has been carried out by using a mixed-method of machine learning and content analysis. We have discovered that the topics have been generated for historical landmarks and destinations by analyzing the visitors’ on-line reviews are architecture, historical sites, tradition and shrine places, which could be similar to other tourist historical destinations in different part of the world. However, this study has the potential to be a model for other researches related to different destinations with possible different topics emerged. Our study contributes by providing both researchers and managers a novel method to understand what attributes of destination brand love they need to posit more emphasize to attract more visitors based on the destination type

Social perception drives eye-movement related brain activity: evidence from pro- and anti-saccades to faces

Social stimuli such as faces attract and retain attention to a greater extent than other objects. Using fMRI, we investigated how the activity of oculomotor and visual brain regions is modulated when participants look towards or away from visual stimuli belonging to different categories (faces and cars). We identified a region within the superior frontal sulcus showing greater difference between anti- and pro-saccades to faces than to cars, and thereby supporting inhibitory control in a social context. In contrast, ventral occipito-temporal regions and the amygdala, which are associated with face perception, showed higher activity for pro-saccades than anti-saccades for faces, but the reverse for cars, suggesting that contextual, top-down mechanisms modulate the functional specialisation of areas involved in perception. In addition, during saccades in the presence of faces, we found increased functional connectivity between the frontal eye-fields and other cortical and subcortical oculomotor structures, namely the inferior frontal eye field, the posterior parietal cortex and the basal ganglia, possibly reflecting the higher demand put on the oculomotor system to inhibit responses to socially salient stimuli. For the first time, these data highlight neural bases for the different orienting responses towards or away from faces as compared to other objects

Medicinal Plants with Multiple Effects on Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review This systematic review describes evidence concerning medicinal plants that, in addition to exerting hypo- glycemic effects, decrease accompanying complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). Recent Findings Studies on the antidiabetic mechanisms of medicinal plants have shown that most of them produce hypogly- cemic activity by stimulating insulin secretion, augmenting peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), inhibiting α- amylase or α -glucosidase, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion, advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation, free radical scavenging plus antioxidant activity (against reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS/RNS)), up-regulating or elevating translocation of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4), and preventing development of insulin resistance. Summary Not only are medicinal plants effective in DM, but many of them also possess a variety of effects on other disease states, including the complications of DM. Such plants may be appropriate a lternatives or adjuncts to availa ble antidiabetic medication

Co-Creating Brand Image and Reputation through higher Education Internal-Stakeholder's Social Network

By drawing on social identity and stakeholders’ theories, this paper seeks to examine how universities co-create and manage their brand image and brand reputation through tapping into internal-stakeholders’ social network. This research utilises explanatory research design at the preliminary stage, and the subsequent model is examined via a positivist survey carried out among higher education internal stakeholders in the UK. The results show that the relationship between navigation design of the website, usability of the website and customization of the website are not significant from students’ perspective, whereas all those are significant from employees’ perspective. Furthermore, the relationship between logo and co-creation behaviour is not significant from employees’ perspective while it is significant from students’ perspective. University website is the most important marketing tool to attract students and other stakeholders. Therefore, these findings have significant implications for higher education branding and marketing managers aiming to design appropriate communication tools with a view to actively engage students and employees in a co-creation process to improve their products, services and brand image

Dramatically increased musculoskeletal ultrasound utilization from 2000 to 2009, especially by podiatrists in private offices

PURPOSE: Over the past two decades, musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound has emerged as an effective means of diagnosing MSK pathologies. However, some insurance providers have expressed concern about increased MSK ultrasound utilization, possibly facilitated by the low cost and ready availability of ultrasound technology. The purpose of this study was to document trends in MSK ultrasound utilization from 2000 to 2009 within the Medicare population. METHODS: Source data were obtained from the CMS Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files from 2000 to 2009, and records were extracted for procedures for extremity nonvascular ultrasound. We analyzed annual volume by provider type using specialties, practice settings, and geographic regions where the studies were performed. RESULTS: In 2000, Medicare reimbursed 56,254 MSK ultrasound studies, which increased to 233,964 in 2009 (+316%). Radiologists performed the largest number of MSK ultrasound studies in 2009, 91,022, an increase from 40,877 in 2000. Podiatrists utilized the next highest number of studies in 2009, 76,332, an increase from 3,920 in 2000. Overall, private office MSK ultrasound procedures increased from 19,372 in 2000 to 158,351 in 2009 (+717%). In 2009, podiatrists performed the largest number of private office procedures (75,544) and accounted for 51.5% of the total private office growth from 2000 to 2009. Radiologist private office procedures totaled 19,894 in 2009, accounting for 9.2% of the total private office MSK ultrasound growth. CONCLUSIONS: The MSK ultrasound volume increase among nonradiologists, especially podiatrists, was far higher than that among radiologists from 2000 and 2009, with the highest growth in private offices. These findings raise concern for self-referral. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

The effects of grape seed extract on glycemic control, serum lipoproteins, inflammation, and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the effects of grape seed extract (GSE) on glycemic control and serum lipoproteins, inflammation and body weight. Two independent authors systematically searched online databases including EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception until May 30, 2019. Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was applied to assess the methodological quality of included trials. The heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using Cochrane's Q test and I-square (I2) statistic. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) was considered as the overall effect size. Fifty trials were included in this meta-analysis. Pooling effect sizes from studies demonstrated a significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (WMD): �2.01; 95 confidence interval (CI): �3.14, �0.86), total cholesterol (TC; WMD: �6.03; 95 CI: �9.71, �2.35), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (WMD: �4.97; 95 CI: �8.37, �1.57), triglycerides (WMD: �6.55; 95 CI: �9.28, �3.83), and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (WMD: �0.81; 95 CI: �1.25, �0.38) following GSE therapy. Grape seed did not influence HbA1c, HDL cholesterol levels, and anthropometric measurements. This meta-analysis demonstrated that GSE intake significantly reduced FPG, TC, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and CRP levels. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Hazenella coriacea gen. nov., sp nov., isolated from clinical specimens

A Gram-staining-positive, endospore-forming rod was isolated independently from clinical specimens in New York State, USA, once in 2009 and twice in 2011. The three isolates had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and, based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence, are most closely related to the type strains of Laceyella sediminis and L. sacchari (94.6% similarity). The partial 23S rRNA gene sequences of the three strains were also 100% identical. Maximumlikelihood phylogenetic analysis suggests that the new isolates belong to the family Thermoactinomycetaceae. Additional biochemical and phenotypic characteristics of the strains support the family designation and suggest that the three isolates represent a single species. In each of the strains, the predominant menaquinone is MK-7, the diagnostic diamino acid is mesodiaminopimelic acid and the major cellular fatty acids are iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C13 : 0. The polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, four unknown phospholipids, four unknown aminophospholipids and an unknown lipid. It is proposed that the novel isolates represent a single novel species within a new genus, for which the name Hazenella coriacea gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Hazenella coriacea is strain 23436T (5DSM 45707T5LMG 27204T)

New species of Colletotrichum from wild Poaceae and Cyperaceae plants in Iran

Twenty-two Colletotrichum strains were isolated from anthracnose symptoms or leaf spots on leaves of various wild Poaceae and Cyperaceae plants collected in three provinces of Iran and tentatively identified as belonging to the Graminicola species complex based on morphology. All strains were studied via a polyphasic approach combining colony characteristics, morphology and phylogeny inferred from multi-locus sequences, including the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), partial sequences of the β-tubulin (tub2), actin (act), manganese superoxide dismutase 2 (sod2), DNA lyase 2 (apn2) genes, a 200-bp intron of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), and the intergenic spacer between the apn2 gene and the mat1 idiomorph (apn2/mat1). Six species were distinguished, including three new species, namely C. caspicum, C. persicum, and C. sacchari, and three previously described species, C. cereale, C. nicholsonii and C. sublineola. Comprehensive morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided for all species. Furthermore, this study provided new insights into the distribution and host range of known species