The augmented convention offering: the impact of destination and product images on attendees' perceived benefits

In order to benefit from the significant dual spending of meetings, incentives, conventions/conferences, exhibitions/events (MICE) attendees, destination marketers have attempted to identify key success criteria that enable increased convention and exhibition participation. Given the significant growth of the MICE industry in Asia, this study examines the role of destination and product images on Chinese attendees' perceptions of the benefits acquired through convention and exhibition participation in the regions of Macau and Hong Kong. Data were collected using an intercept survey and a systematic random sampling procedure. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test a model that integrates two strands of literature from the fields of marketing and international business: Product–Country Image (PCI) and the Augmented Service Offering (ASO). Results show that a favorable overall destination image positively impacts the image of the MICE product of the destination, which, in turn, leads to a greater perception of personal and professional benefit acquisition. Based on these findings, the authors propose the Augmented MICE Offering as a theoretical framework that can serve as a foundation for more comprehensive inquiry into the decision-making process of the MICE attendee and postattendance behavioral impacts. The study also provides important positioning and communication implications for MICE destinations

Proposal for Compact Optical Filters Using Large Index Step Binary Supergratings

Compact optical filters are proposed using an aperiodic grating of fixed element size [i.e., a binary supergrating (BSG)] with a large refractive index step. These filters allow for almost arbitrary wavelength filtering, yet they are more compact than previous demonstrations of BSG. The filters are designed using a combination of Boolean particle swarm optimization (B-PSO) and a one-dimensional transfer matrix method. To demonstrate the compact device size, several 50-mum-long single-wavelength transmission filters are demonstrated theoretically, each having a different wavelength while using the same structural parameters. A multiwavelength filter is also proposed in an 80-mum-long structure to show the versatility of the large refractive index step BSG. A genetic algorithm is substituted for the B-PSO; however, B-PSO shows better performance here. This work may be applied to produce compact optical filters for intrachip optical networks and compact tunable lasers, while using existing single-step photolithography processes

MantissaCam: Learning Snapshot High-dynamic-range Imaging with Perceptually-based In-pixel Irradiance Encoding

The ability to image high-dynamic-range (HDR) scenes is crucial in many computer vision applications. The dynamic range of conventional sensors, however, is fundamentally limited by their well capacity, resulting in saturation of bright scene parts. To overcome this limitation, emerging sensors offer in-pixel processing capabilities to encode the incident irradiance. Among the most promising encoding schemes is modulo wrapping, which results in a computational photography problem where the HDR scene is computed by an irradiance unwrapping algorithm from the wrapped low-dynamic-range (LDR) sensor image. Here, we design a neural network--based algorithm that outperforms previous irradiance unwrapping methods and, more importantly, we design a perceptually inspired "mantissa" encoding scheme that more efficiently wraps an HDR scene into an LDR sensor. Combined with our reconstruction framework, MantissaCam achieves state-of-the-art results among modulo-type snapshot HDR imaging approaches. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method in simulation and show preliminary results of a prototype MantissaCam implemented with a programmable sensor

Long-term surveillance of SUDEP in drug-resistant epilepsy patients treated with VNS therapy.

Limited data are available regarding the evolution over time of the rate of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients (SUDEP) in drug-resistant epilepsy. The objective is to analyze a database of 40 443 patients with epilepsy implanted with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy in the United States (from 1988 to 2012) and assess whether SUDEP rates decrease during the postimplantation follow-up period. Patient vital status was ascertained using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Death Index (NDI). An expert panel adjudicated classification of cause of deaths as SUDEP based on NDI data and available narrative descriptions of deaths. We tested the hypothesis that SUDEP rates decrease with time using the Mann-Kendall nonparametric trend test and by comparing SUDEP rates of the first 2 years of follow-up (years 1-2) to longer follow-up (years 3-10). Our cohort included 277 661 person-years of follow-up and 3689 deaths, including 632 SUDEP. Primary analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in age-adjusted SUDEP rate during follow-up (S = -27 P = .008), with rates of 2.47/1000 for years 1-2 and 1.68/1000 for years 3-10 (rate ratio 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-0.87; P = .002). Sensitivity analyses confirm these findings. Our data suggest that SUDEP risk significantly decreases during long-term follow-up of patients with refractory epilepsy receiving VNS Therapy. This finding might reflect several factors, including the natural long-term dynamic of SUDEP rate, attrition, and the impact of VNS Therapy. The role of each of these factors cannot be confirmed due to the limitations of the study

Proposal for Compact Optical Filters Using Large Index Step Binary Supergratings

Compact optical filters are proposed using an aperiodic grating of fixed element size [i.e., a binary supergrating (BSG)] with a large refractive index step. These filters allow for almost arbitrary wavelength filtering, yet they are more compact than previous demonstrations of BSG. The filters are designed using a combination of Boolean particle swarm optimization (B-PSO) and a one-dimensional transfer matrix method. To demonstrate the compact device size, several 50-mum-long single-wavelength transmission filters are demonstrated theoretically, each having a different wavelength while using the same structural parameters. A multiwavelength filter is also proposed in an 80-mum-long structure to show the versatility of the large refractive index step BSG. A genetic algorithm is substituted for the B-PSO; however, B-PSO shows better performance here. This work may be applied to produce compact optical filters for intrachip optical networks and compact tunable lasers, while using existing single-step photolithography processes

A generalization of the q-Saalschutz sum and the Burge transform

A generalization of the q-(Pfaff)-Saalschutz summation formula is proved. This implies a generalization of the Burge transform, resulting in an additional dimension of the ``Burge tree''. Limiting cases of our summation formula imply the (higher-level) Bailey lemma, provide a new decomposition of the q-multinomial coefficients, and can be used to prove the Lepowsky and Primc formula for the A_1^{(1)} string functions.Comment: 18 pages, AMSLaTe

Protein-carbohydrate interaction XX. On the number of combining sites of concanavalin A, the phytohemagglutinin of the jack bean

Equilibrium dialysis of concanavalin A against methyl [alpha]--mannopyranoside and methyl [alpha]--glucopyranoside conducted at 2[deg] in the presence of 1 M NaCl showed that concanavalin A is bivalent. plot of the data obtained gave straight lines for both sugars with observed association constants (K') of 1.4[middle dot]104 1/mole for methyl [alpha]--mannopyranoside and 0.3 [middle dot] 104 1/mole for methyl [alpha]--glucopyranoside in the pH range 4.7-5.3. Binding studies carried out at various pH values (5, 6.2, 7.3) also indicated 2 binding sites on the concanavalin A molecule. Calculations were based on a molecular weight of 6800 for concanavalin A. The binding of methyl [alpha]--mannopyranoside to concanavalin A was maximal at pH 6.2 (K' = 2.06 [middle dot] 104 1/mole). The standard free energy change ([Delta]F[deg]) of this reaction was estimated to be -5.4 kcal/mole. No appreciable binding was observed when metal-free concanavalin A was employed in the dialysis experiment. The relative affinity of concanavalin A for methyl [alpha]--mannopyranoside and methyl [alpha]--glucopyranoside parallels the relative activity of these sugars in hapten inhibition experiments reported in previous studies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/33095/1/0000481.pd

Adaptive AOA-Aided TOA Self-Positioning for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

Location-awareness is crucial and becoming increasingly important to many applications in wireless sensor networks. This paper presents a network-based positioning system and outlines recent work in which we have developed an efficient principled approach to localize a mobile sensor using time of arrival (TOA) and angle of arrival (AOA) information employing multiple seeds in the line-of-sight scenario. By receiving the periodic broadcasts from the seeds, the mobile target sensors can obtain adequate observations and localize themselves automatically. The proposed positioning scheme performs location estimation in three phases: (I) AOA-aided TOA measurement, (II) Geometrical positioning with particle filter, and (III) Adaptive fuzzy control. Based on the distance measurements and the initial position estimate, adaptive fuzzy control scheme is applied to solve the localization adjustment problem. The simulations show that the proposed approach provides adaptive flexibility and robust improvement in position estimation

Chronic tophaceous gout presenting as acute arthritis during an acute illness: a case report

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