Influential Factors on Korean Casino Visitor’s Gambling Intention: An Application of the Model of Goal-directed Behavior

By examining the perception of responsible gambling strategy this study developed an extended model of goal-directed behavior (EMGB) in the casino visitor’s decision-making process. This study also aimed to compare EMGB with theory of planned behavior (TPB). The results of the EMGB using structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate that “desire” had the strongest relationship with casino visitors’ intention to play casino gambling. The perception of responsible gambling strategy was also found significant (direct) predictor of both desire and behavioral intention as casino visitors had positive image for casino that implemented responsible gambling strategies. Casino managers should consider responsible gambling strategy as one of the important long-term business activities to increase casino visitor’s intention to play casino gambling

Role of social network services (SNS) sales promotions in generating brand loyalty for chain steakhouses

This research aimed to explore the impact of social network services (SNS) sales promotions on the brand loyalty generation process by considering the role of brand attitude, awareness, service quality, experience, trust, and attachment in the chain steakhouse industry. A field survey was conducted to collect data in a metropolitan city of South Korea. According to our structural equation modeling results, SNS sales promotions significantly increased loyalty and its antecedents, and brand attachment had the greatest influence on brand loyalty. The mediating impact of study variables was also identified. The proposed model had a satisfactory level of prediction power for loyalty. Overall, our findings provided important insights into how steakhouse practitioners can deal with SNS as essential promotional tools and provided valuable insights into why using SNS sales promotions is critical in the fast-changing chain restaurant industry

Age is a determinant factor in the susceptibility of domestic ducks to H5 clade 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4e high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) is a viral disease with devastating consequences for the poultry industry worldwide. Domestic ducks are a major source of HPAI viruses in many Eurasian countries. The infectivity and pathogenicity of HPAI viruses in ducks vary depending on host and viral factors. To assess the factors influencing the infectivity and pathogenicity of HPAI viruses in ducks, we compared the pathobiology of two HPAI viruses (H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1c and H5N6 clade 2.3.4.4e) in 5- and 25-week-old ducks. Both HPAI viruses caused mortality in a dose-dependent manner (104, 106, and 108 EID50) in young ducks. By contrast, adult ducks were infected but exhibited no mortality due to either virus. Viral excretion was higher in young ducks than in adults, regardless of the HPAI strain. These findings demonstrate the age-dependent mortality of clade 2.3.2.1c and clade 2.3.4.4e H5 HPAI viruses in ducks

Whole genome sequencing of an ethnic Pathan (Pakhtun) from the north-west of Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Pakistan covers a key geographic area in human history, being both part of the Indus River region that acted as one of the cradles of civilization and as a link between Western Eurasia and Eastern Asia. This region is inhabited by a number of distinct ethnic groups, the largest being the Punjabi, Pathan (Pakhtuns), Sindhi, and Baloch. RESULTS: We analyzed the first ethnic male Pathan genome by sequencing it to 29.7-fold coverage using the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. A total of 3.8 million single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and 0.5 million small indels were identified by comparing with the human reference genome. Among the SNVs, 129,441 were novel, and 10,315 nonsynonymous SNVs were found in 5,344 genes. SNVs were annotated for health consequences and high risk diseases, as well as possible influences on drug efficacy. We confirmed that the Pathan genome presented here is representative of this ethnic group by comparing it to a panel of Central Asians from the HGDP-CEPH panels typed for ~650 k SNPs. The mtDNA (H2) and Y haplogroup (L1) of this individual were also typical of his geographic region of origin. Finally, we reconstruct the demographic history by PSMC, which highlights a recent increase in effective population size compatible with admixture between European and Asian lineages expected in this geographic region. CONCLUSIONS: We present a whole-genome sequence and analyses of an ethnic Pathan from the north-west province of Pakistan. It is a useful resource to understand genetic variation and human migration across the whole Asian continent

Complexity of Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease and Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Unprotected Left Main Disease Treated With Drug-Eluting Stents or Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare treatment effects of drug-eluting stents (DES) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease according to the complexity of atherosclerotic disease burden.BackgroundLimited information is available on the relationships between the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and very long-term outcomes of surgical or percutaneous LMCA revascularization.MethodsA total of 1,146 patients with unprotected LMCA disease who received DES (n = 645) or underwent CABG (n = 501) were evaluated. The extent of atherosclerotic disease burden was measured using the SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score; a low-risk score was defined as ≤22, an intermediate-risk score as 23 to 32, and a high-risk score as ≥33.ResultsAfter multivariate adjustment with the inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting method, the 5-year risks for death (6.1% for DES vs. 16.2% for CABG; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21 to 1.28; p = 0.15) and the composite of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke (6.4% vs. 16.2%; HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.22 to 1.34; p = 0.18) favored DES in patients with low-risk SYNTAX scores; in contrast, the 5-year risks for death (26.9% vs. 17.8%; HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 0.92 to 2.30; p = 0.11) and the composite outcome (27.6% vs. 19.5%; HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 0.87 to 2.12; p = 0.18) favored CABG in patients with high-risk SYNTAX scores (interaction p = 0.047 for death, interaction p = 0.08 for composite outcome). Patients undergoing CABG consistently had lower rates of target vessel revascularization.ConclusionsAccording to the complexity of concomitant coronary disease, there were differential treatment effects on long-term mortality in patients with unprotected LMCA disease who received DES or underwent CABG

Clinical implications of gut microbiota and cytokine responses in coronavirus disease prognosis

ObjectivesSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects gut luminal cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor and disrupts the gut microbiome. We investigated whether the gut microbiome in the early stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with the prognosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).MethodsThirty COVID-19 patients and 16 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Blood and stool samples and clinical details were collected on days 0 (enrollment), 7, 14, and 28. Participants were categorized into four groups by their clinical course.ResultsGut microbiota composition varied during the clinical course of COVID-19 and was closely associated with cytokine levels (p=0.003). A high abundance of the genus Dialister (linear discriminant analysis [LDA] effect size: 3.97856, p=0.004), species Peptoniphilus lacrimalis (LDA effect size: 4.00551, p=0.020), and Anaerococcus prevotii (LDA effect size: 4.00885, p=0.007) was associated with a good prognosis. Starch, sucrose, and galactose metabolism was highly activated in the gut microbiota of the poor prognosis group. Glucose-lowering diets, including whole grains, were positively correlated with a good prognosis.ConclusionGut microbiota may mediate the prognosis of COVID-19 by regulating cytokine responses and controlling glucose metabolism, which is implicated in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2

Enhanced A-FABP expression in visceral fat: potential contributor to the progression of NASH

Background/AimsAdipose tissue is an active endocrine organ that secretes various metabolically important substances including adipokines, which represent a link between insulin resistance and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The factors responsible for the progression from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis remain elusive, but adipokine imbalance may play a pivotal role. We evaluated the expressions of adipokines such as visfatin, adipocyte-fatty-acid-binding protein (A-FABP), and retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4) in serum and tissue. The aim was to discover whether these adipokines are potential predictors of NASH.MethodsPolymerase chain reaction, quantification of mRNA, and Western blots encoding A-FABP, RBP-4, and visfatin were used to study tissue samples from the liver, and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The tissue samples were from biopsy specimens obtained from patients with proven NASH who were undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to gallbladder polyps.ResultsPatients were classified into two groups: NASH, n=10 and non-NASH, n=20 according to their nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Activity Score. Although serum A-FABP levels did not differ between the two groups, the expressions of A-FABP mRNA and protein in the visceral adipose tissue were significantly higher in NASH group than in non-NASH group (104.34 vs. 97.05, P<0.05, and 190.01 vs. 95.15, P<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, the A-FABP protein expression ratio between visceral adipose tissue and liver was higher in NASH group than in non-NASH group (4.38 vs. 1.64, P<0.05).ConclusionsNASH patients had higher levels of A-FABP expression in their visceral fat compared to non-NASH patients. This differential A-FABP expression may predispose patients to the progressive form of NASH