The Influence of Virtual Reality on Religious Digital Cultural Heritage

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to propose an expanded experience economy model and to explore if this model provides a better understanding of the process of growing continuance intention of religious digital cultural heritage and intention to visit the cultural heritage site. In particular, it examines whether spiritual experiences influence the evaluation of religious digital cultural heritage comparing a virtual reality (VR) to a web-based experience. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, a representative destination of religious cultural heritage, Jerusalem, was chosen as an example for the application. 292 participants were randomly divided into two groups, one group using the Web and the other group experiencing VR. After experiencing the destination virtually, participants completed a survey which was analysed using path analysis and multi-group analysis. Findings: The results suggest that the spiritual experience mediates Pine and Gilmore's (1998) four experiences and the continuance intention. It was also found that intellectual awareness about religious cultural heritage is the factor that strengthens the spiritual experience, and that spiritual experience is an important variable mediating educational and aesthetic experiences and the successful use of VR and Web. Additionally, experiencing VR strengthened the influence of spiritual experiences on the continuance use of virtual heritage and visits to actual religious heritage than using the Web. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in the exploration of the use of digital technologies for the exploration of spiritual experiences, utilizing an expanded experience economy model as a theoretical foundation. The comparison of web-based and VR experiences provides important implications for destination marketers in terms of promoting destinations online to create actual visit intentions in the future

Orbital and sub-orbital space tourism : motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence

Purpose: There is limited research on the behavior of different categories of space tourists as identified by different types of space tourism. To address this deficiency, the purpose of this study is to examine what factors make consumers participate in orbital and/or suborbital space tourism, along with three dimensions of motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence. To achieve this study’s goals, a comprehensive research model was developed that included three dimensions of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, intrapersonal and interpersonal constraint and awareness of and trust in artificial intelligence, in comparing orbital and suborbital space tourism groups. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was carried out with respondents who wanted to participate in orbital (n = 332) and suborbital (n = 332) space tourism in the future. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, multi-group analysis and deep learning were used to understand potential space tourist behavior. Findings: Extrinsic motivation has the greatest positive impact on behavioral intention, followed by awareness of and trust in artificial intelligence, while intrapersonal constraint strongly negatively affects behavioral intention. Surprisingly, interpersonal constraint is insignificant by partial least squares-structural equation modeling but is still one of sufficient causal configurations by fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Interestingly, the two types of space tourism have very distinct characteristics. Originality/value: This study created a comprehensive integrated research model with three dimensions of motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence, along with potential orbital and suborbital space tourist groups, to identify future consumer behavior. Importantly, this study used multi-analysis methods using four different approaches to better shed light on potential orbital and suborbital space tourists

Blocking β1/β2-Adrenergic Signaling Reduces Dietary Fat Absorption by Suppressing Expression of Pancreatic Lipase in High Fat-Fed Mice

We investigated whether β-adrenergic antagonists attenuates dietary fat absorption through the regulation of pancreatic lipase (PNLIP) expression in pancreatic acinar cells in the context of high fat diet feeding. Male six-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned into an ad libitum fed control diet (CON) and a high fat diet (HIGH). Within each diet group, subgroups of mice were treated with vehicle (VEH) or propranolol, a β-adrenergic antagonist (BB). Over 12 weeks, body weight gain observed in HIGHVEH was mitigated in HIGHBB (+103% vs. +72%). Increase in fecal fat amount observed in HIGHVEH was further increased in HIGHBB. Increase in PNLIP expressions observed in HIGHVEH pancreatic tissues was abolished in HIGHBB. PNLIP expression in mouse primary pancreatic acinar cells and 266-6 cell lines increased with isoproterenol treatment, which was blocked by propranolol. Isoproterenol increased PNLIP expression in a cAMP/protein kinase A/ cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB)-dependent manner. CREB directly bound to the CRE on the mouse PNLIP promoter and transactivated PNLIP expression. These results suggest that sympathetic activation increases dietary fat absorption through the upregulation of PNLIP expression and that a β-adrenergic antagonist attenuates obesity development partly through the downregulation of PNLIP expression and inhibition of dietary fat absorption in the context of high fat diet feeding

Undercarboxylated, But Not Carboxylated, Osteocalcin SuppressesTNF-alpha-Induced Inflammatory Signaling Pathway in Myoblasts

Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOCN) has been considered to be an important endocrine factor, especially to regulate bone and energy metabolism. Even with the mounting evidence showing the consistent inverse correlation of ucOCN levels in chronic inflammatory diseases, however, the mechanism underlying the involvement of ucOCN in the muscular inflammation has not been fully understood. In the present study, we explored 1) the endocrine role of ucOCN in the regulation of inflammation in C2C12 myoblasts and primary myoblasts and the underlying intracellular signaling mechanisms, and 2) whether G protein-coupled receptor family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A) is the ucOCN-sensing receptor associated with the ucOCN-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling pathway in myoblasts. ucOCN suppressed the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced expressions of major inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and inhibited the TNF-alpha-stimulated activities of transcription factors, including NF-kappa B, in C2C12 and primary myoblasts. Both knockdown and knockout of GPRC6A, by using siRNA or a CRISPR/CAS9 system, respectively, did not reverse the effect of ucOCN on IL-1 beta expression in myoblasts. Interestingly, TNF-alpha-induced IL-1 beta expression was inhibited by knockdown or deletion of GPRC6A itself, regardless of the ucOCN treatment. ucOCN was rapidly internalized into the cytoplasmic region via caveolae-mediated endocytosis, suggesting the presence of new target proteins in the cell membrane and/or in the cytoplasm for interaction with ucOCN in myoblasts. Taken together, these findings indicate that ucOCN suppresses theTNF-alpha-induced inflammatory signaling pathway in myoblasts. GPRC6A is not a sensing receptor associated with the ucOCN-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling pathway in myoblasts.N

Industrial Applications of Dinoflagellate Phycotoxins Based on Their Modes of Action: A Review

Dinoflagellates are an important group of phytoplanktons, characterized by two dissimilar flagella and distinctive features of both plants and animals. Dinoflagellate-generated harmful algal blooms (HABs) and associated damage frequently occur in coastal areas, which are concomitant with increasing eutrophication and climate change derived from anthropogenic waste and atmospheric carbon dioxide, respectively. The severe damage and harmful effects of dinoflagellate phycotoxins in the fishing industry have been recognized over the past few decades, and the management and monitoring of HABs have attracted much attention, leaving aside the industrial application of their valuable toxins. Specific modes of action of the organisms’ toxins can effectively be utilized for producing beneficial materials, such as Botox and other therapeutic agents. This review aims to explore the potential industrial applications of marine dinoflagellate phycotoxins; furthermore, this review focuses on their modes of action and summarizes the available knowledge on them

Preclinical immunogenicity testing using anti-drug antibody analysis of GX-G3, Fc-fused recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, in rat and monkey models

Abstract Human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, this study used Fc-fused recombinant G-CSF; GX-G3) is an important glycoprotein that stimulates the proliferation of granulocytes and white blood cells. Thus, G-CSF treatment has been considered as a crucial regimen to accelerate recovery from chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in cancer patients suffering from non-myeloid malignancy or acute myeloid leukemia. Despite the therapeutic advantages of G-CSF treatment, an assessment of its immunogenicity must be performed to determine whether the production of anti-G-CSF antibodies causes immune-related disorders. We optimized and validated analytical tools by adopting validation parameters for immunogenicity assessment. Using these validated tools, we analyzed serum samples from rats and monkeys injected subcutaneously with GX-G3 (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg once a week for 4 weeks followed by a 4-week recovery period) to determine immunogenicity response and toxicokinetic parameters with serum concentration of GX-G3. Several rats and monkeys were determined to be positive for anti-GX-G3 antibodies. Moreover, the immunogenicity response of GX-G3 was lower in monkeys than in rats, which was relevant to show less inhibition of toxicokinetic profiles in monkeys, at least 1 mg/kg administrated group, compared to rats. These results suggested the establishment and validation for analyzing anti-GX-G3 antibodies and measurement of serum levels of GX-G3 and anti-GX-G3 antibodies, which was related with toxicokinetic profiles. Taken together, this study provides immunogenicity assessment which is closely implicated with toxicokinetic study of GX-G3 in 4-week repeated administrated toxicological studies