Convention services manager\u27s perception of the strategic outsourcing of convention services

The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of outsourcing and the main advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing perceived by convention services managers. Outsourcing was considered as a convention management strategy in which a convention service department utilizes more specialized assistance in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency; The review of the literature described the background for outsourcing by focusing on the literature in the service field. This study utilized a modified Delphi method to combine opinions of a widespread group of convention services managers. Electronic mail was used as the medium to recruit participants and disseminate the Round I questionnaire and the feedback loop questionnaire; For the first rating in Round I, participants were asked to rate the degree of outsourcing and the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing using a 7-point Likert scale. For the second rating in the feedback loop, participants received the average rating of all participants as well as the standard deviation for compariSon They rated items of advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing once more on the same scale; The findings of this study included six convention services which have the significant usage of outsourcing, 13 main advantages of outsourcing, and two main disadvantages of outsourcing perceived by convention services managers. The results of this study help to better understand the concept of outsourcing and contribute academically and practically to advancing the convention service management

Nutritional and neuroprotective characterization of 'Tadanishiki' yuzu according to harvesting period or extraction condition

The present study investigated the phenolic profile, antioxidant activity, and neuroprotective properties of ‘Tadanishiki’ yuzu (Citrus junos, a seedless variety of yuzu) according to harvesting period and extraction condition. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the functional components. To evaluate the neuroprotective properties, scopolamine was used to induce cholinergic dysfunction in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells pretreated with yuzu extracts. Among the harvesting periods, September provided the optimum fruit weight of yuzu and relatively high amounts of total phenolics (3.67 mg/g DW), flavonoids (10.13 mg/g DW), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity (29.10 μg Vit. C eq.). Of the functional compounds, hesperidin (13.57 mg/100 g DW) and naringin (5.84 mg/100 g DW) were the highest in 5% (w/v) yuzu extracted with 80% ethanol and this extract showed the highest DPPH (289.2 μg Vit. C eq.) scavenging activity. This same extract showed the highest cell viability and lowest cortisol or acetylcholinesterase content in scopolamine-treated SH-SY5Y cells. These results indicate that ‘Tadanishiki’ yuzu harvested in September should be extracted at 5% (w/v) yuzu with 80% EtOH, and this extract might be useful for application as a natural functional additive

Development of a hybrid magnetic resonance/computed tomography-compatible phantom for magnetic resonance guided radiotherapy

The purpose of the present study was to develop a hybrid magnetic resonance/computed tomography (MR/CT)-compatible phantom and tissue-equivalent materials for each MR and CT image. Therefore, the essential requirements necessary for the development of a hybrid MR/CT-compatible phantom were determined and the development process is described. A total of 12 different tissue-equivalent materials for each MR and CT image were developed from chemical components. The uniformity of each sample was calculated. The developed phantom was designed to use 14 plugs that contained various tissue-equivalent materials. Measurement using the developed phantom was performed using a 3.0-T scanner with 32 channels and a Somatom Sensation 64. The maximum percentage difference of the signal intensity (SI) value on MR images after adding K2CO3 was 3.31%. Additionally, the uniformity of each tissue was evaluated by calculating the percent image uniformity (%PIU) of the MR image, which was 82.18 ±1.87% with 83% acceptance, and the average circular-shaped regions of interest (ROIs) on CT images for all samples were within ±5 Hounsfield units (HU). Also, dosimetric evaluation was performed. The percentage differences of each tissue-equivalent sample for average dose ranged from -0.76 to 0.21%. A hybrid MR/CT-compatible phantom for MR and CT was investigated as the first trial in this field of radiation oncology and medical physics

Quantum dots based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy storage, which has significant advantages and great promise. As an emerging photosensitizer, the efficiency of quantum dots (QDs) based artificial photosynthetic system have made breakthroughs. In this review, we will give a summary of the development of QDs based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in these years. First, we highlight different types of hydrogen evolution catalyst combined with QDs; then we focus on the surface modification and heterostructure formation of QDs to improve the photocatalytic efficiency, respectively. In the end, we will propose some Cd‐free QDs and future development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Development of HRPzyme-Integrated PCR Platform for Colorimetric Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

In recent years, foodborne illnesses have become the most significant public health issue in both developed and developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2010, around 1.8 million people died due to foodborne illness. Therefore, the development of a cost-effective, sensitive, and selective detection method for identifying and monitoring foodborne pathogens is necessary for improved public health. Here, we describe a simple and ultrasensitive colorimetric method for the detection of foodborne pathogens based on HRPzyme-integrated PCR using PC-based ImageJ software. We present insights into different aspects of this method such as the importance of 16S rRNA detection, the modification of traditional PCR primers with a unique functional sequence for generating a color signal, and the application of ImageJ in colorimetric image data acquisition. The performance of the proposed strategy in detecting various foodborne pathogens is comparable to that of the commercial UV-Vis spectrophotometer Tecan Infinite 200 Pro. This detection platform exhibits linearity over wide range, high sensitivity, and high selectivity. The diagnostic capability of this colorimetric system to detect foodborne pathogens was demonstrated with spiked fruit and vegetable samples. This low-cost and effective colorimetric method can be conveniently employed for the analysis of DNA sequences arising from pathogenic bacteria

Recurrent odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma (OGCC) at a reconstructed fibular flap : a case report with immunohistochemical findings

Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma (OGCC), a malignant counterpart of the odontogenic ghost cell tumor (OGCT), with aggressive growth characteristics, is exceedingly rare. A painful swelling in the jaw with local paresthesia is the most common symptom. We described a case of 47-year Korean woman who had a rare central epithelial odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma which recurred at reconstructed fibular flap. Immunohistochemical differences between OGCT and OGCC analyzed using primary and recurred surgical specimen. On the basis of this case, the tumor started as an OGCT and transformed into OGCC with highly aggressive, rapidly growing, infiltrative tumors. Our findings suggest that some of the cytokines produced by ghost cells may play important roles in causing extensive bone resorption in the odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma. Wide local excision with histologically clean margins is the treatment mode of selection. Also, we recommend close long-term surveillance of OGCT because of high recurrence and potential for malignancy transformation. © Medicina Oral