International visitor perception of cultural heritage for tourism development on the island of Phuket, Thailand: A marketing mix approach

Scope and Method of Study: The factors for tourists to make a decision to select Phuket, Thailand as a cultural heritage destination was researched to glean information regarding cultural heritage site selection. The specific objectives of the research were to (1) identify the underlying dimensions of factors influencing tourists' decisions to visit a cultural heritage tourism destination (2) classify and segment the cultural heritage tourism market (3) develop the marketing strategy of the cultural heritage destinations. Data was collected by utilizing a self administrative questionnaire. Quantitative research methodology was applied to research paradigm. Descriptive Statistics such as Mean, Standard Deviation, and ANOVA and Multivariate methods such as MANOVA, Factor Analysis, and Cluster Analysis was used to determine the objective of this study.Findings and Conclusions: The sample size consisted of 400 respondents. Of these respondents 53.5% were female. Most of the respondents were married (56.9%) and travel with their family (49%). The major findings indicated the international visitors have somewhat different influence level of factors to make decisions to select Phuket, Thailand as a cultural heritage destination. The development of marketing strategies for cultural heritage tourism in Phuket island of Thailand should regard the potentiality of the destination in being a cultural heritage tourist attraction

Prevalence and factors associated with memory disturbance and dementia after acute ischemic stroke

Prevalence and risk factors associated with memory disturbance and dementia were determined in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients in hospitals before discharge, three and six months after stroke. A prospective cohort study was conducted during January-December 2017 with 401 AIS patients admitted to Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Hospital and Chum Phae Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The demographics and clinical characteristics, previous illness and past medical history, and laboratory test results of the patients were collected from the medical records, while depression screening, NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) scoring and mini mental state examination (MMSE) were performed using particular medical record forms. The prevalence of memory disturbance and dementia was 56.6, 41.6 and 38.2% before discharge, three and six months after stroke, respectively. Based on logistic regression analysis, age, education and stroke severity were the risk factors associated with the studied disorders before discharge and three months after stroke. Meanwhile, age and education were the risk factors for six months after stroke. Our findings suggested that the prevalence of memory disturbance and dementia remained high at all study periods

EMAS recommendations for conditions in the workplace for menopausal women

Women form a large part of many workforces throughout Europe. Many will be working throughout their menopausal years. Whilst the menopause may cause no significant problems for some, for others it is known to present considerable difficulties in both their personal and working lives. During the menopausal transition women report that fatigue and difficulties with memory and concentration can have a negative impact on their working lives. Furthermore, hot flushes can be a source of embarrassment and distress. Some consider that these symptoms can impact on their performance. Greater awareness among employers, together with sensitive and flexible management can be helpful for women at this time. Particular strategies might include: fostering a culture whereby employees feel comfortable disclosing health problems, allowing flexible working, reducing sources of work-related stress, providing easy access to cold drinking water and toilets, and reviewing workplace temperature and ventilation

Investigation of Physical Properties and Electrochemical Behavior of Nitrogen-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Films

This work reports characterizations of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films used as electrodes for electrochemical applications. DLC thin films are prepared on glass slides and silicon substrates by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) using a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen. In addition, the DLC films are doped with nitrogen in order to reduce electrical resistivity. Compared to the undoped DLC films, the electrical resistivity of nitrogen-doped (N-doped) DLC films is decreased by three orders of magnitude. Raman spectroscopy and UV/Vis spectroscopy analyses show the structural transformation in N-doped DLC films that causes the reduction of band gap energy. Contact angle measurement at N-doped DLC films indicates increased hydrophobicity. The results obtained from the cyclic voltammetry measurements with Fe(CN)63-/Fe(CN)64- redox species exhibit the correlation between the physical properties and electrochemical behavior of DLC films

Risk factors associated with post-stroke dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for prognostic of post-stroke dementia (PSD). A systematic review included case-control and/or cohort studies, we searched both published and unpublished literatures between 2000 to July 31, 2016. Two authors independently screened and selected research articles. If another one disagreed, the third author would be just along with his/her professionally. Moreover, Critical appraisal was measured by the quality (GRADE). Data collection was in the data extraction form. The Rev-Man 5.3 was used to estimate pooled data. The fixed-effect model will be used when the heterogeneity I2>50%. Result eight publications were pooled for measuring an association between risk factors and PSD by meta-analysis. There were 6 strongly PSD risk factors. The pooled relative ratio (RR) of atrial fibrillation was 1.68, previous stroke 1.59, myocardial infarction 1.40, hypertension 1.36, diabetes mellitus 1.25 and previous transient ischemic attack 1.25 respectively. Un-pooled data from 13 publications reported that the risk factors for dementia in stroke patients were i) demographic factors, ii) vascular risk factors, iii) stroke factors, iv) stroke complications, and v) abnormalities on brain imaging. Strongly risk factors associated with increasing PSD risk were atrial fibrillation, previous stroke, myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previous transient ischemic attack. Further studies, strongly risk factors need to investigate and develop the risk score for the prediction of dementia in stroke patients