Resident Attitudes toward Dark Tourism, a Perspective of Place-based Identity Motives

Place-based identity theories prove to be valid in better understanding resident attitudes towards support for tourism. Yet, its effectiveness is not verified in the context of dark tourism and resident attitudes towards dark tourism remains unknown. Based on a survey of 526 local residents in China’s Yingxiu, the epicentre of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake, the authors examined the relationships between the local residents’ place-based identity motives and their attitudes towards support for dark tourism development. Results show that the motive of ‘belonging/meaning’ is one of the most important determinants; residents’ involvement in dark tourism and bereavement affect their identity motives and attitudes towards support for dark tourism. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed

Embedding and Duality of Matrix-Weighted Modulation Spaces

In this paper, we give a approximation characterization, embedding properties and the duality of matrix weighted modulation spaces

Reflectance and Carbon Isotopes of Kerogen in Lower Cambrian Black Shales of Zunyi and Zhangjiajie, Southwest China : Indicators to the Source of Au-Ag-PGE

China University of GeosciencesInstitute of Geochemistry, Academia SinicaScedule:17-18 March 2003, Vemue: Kanazawa, Japan, Kanazawa Citymonde Hotel, Project Leader : Hayakawa, Kazuichi, Symposium Secretariat: XO kamata, Naoto, Edited by:Kamata, Naoto

Ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral injection of dexamethasone palmitate combined with ropivacaine for the treatment of thoracic herpes zoster-related pain: protocol for a prospective, randomized controlled, single-center study

BackgroundHerpes zoster (HZ) patients often experience herpes zoster-associated pain (ZAP). Thoracic paravertebral nerve block has been proven effective in relieving ZAP and reducing the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Compared to dexamethasone, dexamethasone palmitate (DXP) has stronger anti-inflammatory effects, a longer duration of action, and fewer adverse reactions. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral injection of DXP combined with ropivacaine for treating thoracic ZAP, compared to traditional famciclovir therapy.MethodsThis prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label, endpoint-blinded, single-center trial will recruit 254 patients with ZAP. Patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention group (thoracic paravertebral injections of DXP combined with ropivacaine and antiviral therapy) or the control group (antiviral therapy). Assessments will include pain intensity, quality of life, sleep quality, inflammatory markers, and adverse events.Ethics and registrationThis study strictly adheres to the 2013 SPIRIT Statement and the Declaration of Helsinki and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Approval Number: 2024-KY(0505)). This clinical trial is registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry platform (ChiCTR) at https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html (ChiCTR2400087273), registered on 2024-07-24. The results will be disseminated through scientific journals and conferences, aiming to provide evidence supporting the global management of ZAP. The study is expected to start on 1 August 2024, and continue until 31 July 2027

A Variational Bayesian Superresolution Approach Using Adaptive Image Prior Model

The objective of superresolution is to reconstruct a high-resolution image by using the information of a set of low-resolution images. Recently, the variational Bayesian superresolution approach has been widely used. However, these methods cannot preserve edges well while removing noises. For this reason, we propose a new image prior model and establish a Bayesian superresolution reconstruction algorithm. In the proposed prior model, the degree of interaction between pixels is adjusted adaptively by an adaptive norm, which is derived based on the local image features. Moreover, in this paper, a monotonically decreasing function is used to calculate and update the single parameter, which is used to control the severity of penalizing image gradients in the proposed prior model. Thus, the proposed prior model is adaptive to the local image features thoroughly. With the proposed prior model, the edge details are preserved and noises are reduced simultaneously. A variational Bayesian inference is employed in this paper, and the formulas for calculating all the variables including the HR image, motion parameters, and hyperparameters are derived. These variables are refined progressively in an iterative manner. Experimental results show that the proposed SR approach is very efficient when compared to existing approaches

Temporary trigeminal ganglion stimulation can improve zoster-related trigeminal neuralgia: a retrospective study in a single center

IntroductionConventional management approaches have been challenged in dealing with zoster-related trigeminal neuralgia. Percutaneous trigeminal ganglion stimulation (TGS) has been rarely reported as a potential treatment option for alleviating pain associated with this condition. The present study investigated the application of percutaneous TGS in a series of patients suffering from Zoster-related trigeminal neuralgia to evaluate its potential efficacy of pain relief.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent TGS at the Department of Pain Management, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. All patients were followed for up to 6 months. Clinical data, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and medication consumption were recorded before and after treatment. Adverse events related to the treatment were also documented.ResultsA total of nine patients underwent percutaneous TGS for Zoster-related trigeminal neuralgia. Among these patients, five (56%) experienced more than 50% pain relief at discharge. At the six-month follow-up, the mean VAS score decreased from preoperative 6.1 ± 1.5 to 2.5 ± 1.9, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction (t = 4.36, p < 0.05). The PSQI also showed a significant reduction from a baseline score of 14.1 to 6.5 at the six-month follow-up (Z = 4.2, p < 0.05). Seven patients reported satisfaction with the treatment and no serious adverse events occurred.DiscussionThe results of the present study suggest that this contributes growing evidence that percutaneous TGS may be an effective treatment for Zoster - related trigeminal neuralgia

Mulching effects on the quality formation of medicinal materials and rhizosphere soil microenvironment in Notopterygium franchetii in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

ABSTRACT Different cultivation methods directly affect the quality of medicinal materials, to gain insights into the effects of different type of mulching on the quality of Notopterygium franchetii root medicinal materials, farmland experiments were conducted in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We subjected two-year-old Notopterygium franchetii seedling to five mulching treatments: no mulching (CK, control), coarse sand mulching (CM), grassy mulching (GM), stalk mulching (SM), and plastic mulching (PM). Following these treatments, we determined the moisture content, pH, NPK contents, and enzymeatic activity of the soil, and morphological indexes and content of the main components of root. Stalk mulching and PM increased the main root biomass by increasing its ground diameter and reduced branched root biomass by reducing the number of branched roots produced. Grassy mulching increased the root biomass by promoting main root elongation. Mulching increased the total content of the six main root components, with the most significant change obtained with GM, but the pattern of change of the different components varied among the mulch treatments. Contents of NPK were significantly higher than in the control with GM, but decreased with PM. Coarse sand mulching and PM significantly reduced the activities of urease and sucrase, and SM significantly increased the activities of urease, catalase and sucrase, but significantly decreased that of phosphatase. Furthermore, GM significantly increased phosphatase and sucrase activities, while CM significantly decreased urease and sucrase activities. Various soil enzymes and its pH promote main root bioaccumulation by increasing the root ground diameter or main root length. Sucrase activity promoted the accumulation of ferulic acid, psoralen, and notopterol content, and inhibited the accumulation of chlorogenic acid and nodakenin. Elevated soil water content promoted the accumulation of ferulic acid, notopterol and nodakenin, and inhibited isoimperatorin accumulation. Hence, NPK, pH, and various enzymes have different effects on the accumulation of major components in the root. The effect of mulching is closely linked to root growth and distribution, as well as to the soil environment. Various soil factors affect the quality of medicinal materials differently and, ultimately, can work together to form an equilibrium state that benefit the accumulation of main root biomass and main components with medicinal interest in Notopterygium franchetii

Advanced age is associated with increased adverse outcomes in patients undergoing middle cerebral artery stenting

PurposeThis study tried to evaluate whether advanced age has an increased incidence of major complications in patients undergoing MCA stenting.MethodsA total of 348 patients who underwent MCA stenting were reviewed from a prospectively maintained database. Ninety-day ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and death outcomes were compared among the young (≤40 years old), middle (41–60 years old) and old (≥61 years old) groups. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to investigate different variables associated with 90-day major adverse events. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to determine long-term outcomes during follow-up.ResultsThe incidence of 90-day ischemic stroke was 9.26% in the old group, 2.86% in the middle group, and 0% in the young group (P = 0.024). The incidence of all 90-day major adverse events was 3.33% in patients ≤40 years old, 19.90% in patients 41–60 years old, and 24.07% in patients ≥61 years old, with statistical significance (P = 0.04). Advanced age was associated with increased 90-day ischemic stroke (OR = 1.074, 95% CI: 1.019–1.132, P = 0.007; adjusted OR: 1.071, 95% CI: 1.008–1.138, P = 0.026) and 90-day death (OR = 1.072, 95% CI: 1.012–1.135, P = 0.018; adjusted OR: 1.095, 95% CI: 1.015–1.182, P = 0.018). Meanwhile, advanced age was also associated with decreased long-term survival and ischemic stroke-free survival during follow-up.ConclusionOur data indicated that MCA stenting in elderly patients is associated with a high risk of adverse events and should be cautiously considered

Resilience-oriented repair crew and network reconfiguration coordinated operational scheduling for post-event restoration

This paper introduces a post-disaster load restoration approach for the distribution grid, utilizing network reconfiguration (NR) and dispatching of repair crews (RCs) to significantly enhance grid resilience. We propose an RC–NR coordinated model that leverages diverse flexible resources within the active distribution network (ADN), aimed at not only enhancing the grid’s resilience level but also efficiently mending the fault lines. The model introduces fault repairing and sequential NR coupled constraints to devise an optimal resilience strategy within temporal domain cooperation, focusing on minimizing repair and penalty costs associated with the restoration process. To tackle the challenge of computational complexity, the nonlinear model is reformulated into a mixed-integer second-order cone programming model. The efficacy of the approach is validated through case studies on an IEEE 33-bus system, in which simulation results demonstrate a considerable improvement in grid resilience, achieving optimal load recovery with reduced restoration time and costs. The proposed approach outperforms traditional methods with optimal repair sequence and RC scheduling, aligned with NR efforts, and contributes to an improved system resilience level