Examining How Festival Attendees\u27 Motivation Affect Their Involvement and Satisfaction; Food & Wine Festival Attendees\u27 Perspective

Research on wine tourism is recent and mostly attraction-based. This study aims to understand how motivation could influence tourists’ involvement, perceptions and intention. Data were collected in a Wine and Food Festival in Miami, FL and SEM method was used to analyze it. The results show that novelty seeking and socialization motivation are positively related to pleasure experience whereas socialization motivation is negatively associated with risk probability and importance. Pleasure experience, risk probability, and risk importance are related to satisfaction, yet the directions are different for the two aspects of satisfaction. Only satisfaction of intangible service is related to loyalty

Resident Attitude towards Tourism – The State of Knowledge

As residents’ attitudes toward tourism are influenced by how tourism is perceived to impact their communities both positively and negatively, the study of resident attitudes toward tourism has been an important area of research in the field for a number of years. After nearly 30 years of research, many insights can now be gained about resident attitudes toward, and subsequent support for, tourism. This paper presents an overview of the current state of research, frames it for the managerial perspective and makes suggestions for where the research should move from this point

Structural and functional abnormities of amygdala and prefrontal cortex in major depressive disorder with suicide attempts

Finding neural features of suicide attempts (SA) in major depressive disorder (MDD) may be helpful in preventing suicidal behavior. The ventral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as the amygdala form a circuit implicated in emotion regulation and the pathogenesis of MDD. The aim of this study was to identify whether patients with MDD who had a history of SA show structural and functional connectivity abnormalities in the amygdala and PFC relative to MDD patients without a history of SA. We measured gray matter volume in the amygdala and PFC and amygdala-PFC functional connectivity using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 158 participants [38 MDD patients with a history of SA, 60 MDD patients without a history of SA, and 60 healthy control (HC)]. MDD patients with a history of SA had decreased gray matter volume in the right and left amygdala (F = 30.270, P = 0.000), ventral/medial/dorsal PFC (F = 15.349, P = 0.000), and diminished functional connectivity between the bilateral amygdala and ventral and medial PFC regions (F = 22.467, P = 0.000), compared with individuals who had MDD without a history of SA, and the HC group. These findings provide evidence that the amygdala and PFC may be closely related to the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior in MDD and implicate the amygdala-ventral/medial PFC circuit as a potential target for suicide intervention

Structural and functional abnormities of amygdala and prefrontal cortex in major depressive disorder with suicide attempts

Finding neural features of suicide attempts (SA) in major depressive disorder (MDD) may be helpful in preventing suicidal behavior. The ventral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as the amygdala form a circuit implicated in emotion regulation and the pathogenesis of MDD. The aim of this study was to identify whether patients with MDD who had a history of SA show structural and functional connectivity abnormalities in the amygdala and PFC relative to MDD patients without a history of SA. We measured gray matter volume in the amygdala and PFC and amygdala-PFC functional connectivity using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 158 participants [38 MDD patients with a history of SA, 60 MDD patients without a history of SA, and 60 healthy control (HC)]. MDD patients with a history of SA had decreased gray matter volume in the right and left amygdala (F = 30.270, P = 0.000), ventral/medial/dorsal PFC (F = 15.349, P = 0.000), and diminished functional connectivity between the bilateral amygdala and ventral and medial PFC regions (F = 22.467, P = 0.000), compared with individuals who had MDD without a history of SA, and the HC group. These findings provide evidence that the amygdala and PFC may be closely related to the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior in MDD and implicate the amygdala-ventral/medial PFC circuit as a potential target for suicide intervention

Exploring the Differences between Tourists Visiting Heritage Sites and Those Visiting Cultural Events: A Cognitive Perspective

Heritage tourism, which is considered a popular form of tourism, includes two major types of attractions—sites and events. Based on the cognitive perspective, this paper aims to compare the perceptions, the sociodemographic characteristics, and the travel patterns of tourists visiting cultural sites and events. The results showed that while site visitors and event goers were homogenous in some variables, such as gender, age, number of children, education, income, accommodation, transportation mode, and travel party makeup, they were significantly different in the aspects of relationship status, employment status, information source, use of markers, repeated visit, geographic origin, and expenditure. Some management implications are discussed, including establishing more interactive activities in cultural attractions so that the social relations can be enhanced

Effects of pH on phosphorus form transformation in lake sediments

The pH value of lake water varies with the lake environment, which has an effect on the form of phosphorus in sediment, and then the release of sediment phosphorus. The form of phosphorus in sediments was analyzed using field sampling. The environmental conditions with pH values of 4.0, 7.0 and 10.0 were simulated indoors to estimate the effects of pH on phosphorus release from sediments and the content change of various forms of phosphorus was studied. The results showed that in Wuliangsuhai Lake, Ca-P accounted for 54.3%, which was the largest portion of the TP. Phosphorus release was favored under acidic and alkaline conditions, and the alkaline condition was more favorable. The proportion of Fe/Mn-P and Fe/Al-P in the TP decreased with an increase in the pH, while the proportion of Ca-P in the TP increased with an increase in the pH. Under the alkaline condition (pH = 10), Ca-P in the sediment increased significantly, with an increase of 22.5%. However, Fe/Mn-P and Fe/Al-P decreased significantly, with drops of 37.3% and44.9%, respectively. Under the acidic condition (pH = 4), Fe/Mn-P and Fe/Al-P in the sediment increased significantly, and the increases were 63.1% and 37.1%, respectively. However, Ca-P decreased significantly, with a drop of 39.2%. In general, low pH promoted the release of Ca-P, and a high pH promoted the release of Fe/Mn-P and Fe/Al-P. Wuliangsuhai Lake water is characterized by weak alkaline characteristics throughout the year, and biological available phosphorus accounts for 13.3%-20.9% of the TP, with Fe/Mn-P being the dominant form. This study revealed that the risk of phosphorus release from sediments to the overlying water was greater under alkaline conditions.Peer reviewe

Experiencing ‘Otherness’ in Ethnic-Themed Restaurants

Ethnic-themed restaurants are one of the most powerful influential socializing agents of foreign cultures. The most common reference point for those seeking enriching leisurely cultural experience is object authenticity. Yet little research has been done on authenticity in eatertainment experiences from both supply and demand perspectives. This paper attempts to fill the lacuna through exploring how ethnic-themed restaurant owners/managers use markers to create a genuine version of their food and cook in the virtual cyber world and how patrons project authenticity to their experiences on the blogosphere. The preliminary results indicate that patrons continue to place emphasis on experiencing the \u27other\u27 in an objectively authentic setting but in a negotiated manner so that it relates to their comfort and style. More effort is needed on the part of management to understand consumer demand and \u27typify the market niche\u27

Water Balance Analysis of Hulun Lake, a Semi-Arid UNESCO Wetland, Using Multi-Source Data

Hulun Lake is the largest lake in northeastern China, and its basin is located in China and Mongolia. This research aims to analyze the dynamic changes in the water volume of Hulun Lake and to estimate the groundwater recharge of the lake during the past 60 years. Multi-source data were used, and water-level-data-interpolation extrapolation, water-balance equations, and other methods were applied. The proportion of the contribution of each component to the quantity of water in Hulun Lake during the last 60 years was accurately calculated. Evaporation loss was the main component in the water loss in Hulun Lake. In the last 60 years, the average annual runoff into the lake was about 1.202 billion m3, and it was the factor with the largest variation range and the leading factor affecting the changes in the quantity of water in Hulun Lake. There was groundwater recharge in Hulun Lake for a long period, and the average annual groundwater recharge was about 776 million m3 (excluding leakage). The contribution ratio of the river water, groundwater, and precipitation to the recharging of Hulun Lake was about 5:3:2. The changes in the quantity of water in Hulun Lake are affected by climate change and human activities in China and Mongolia, especially those in Mongolia

Soil Chemical Properties Depending on Fertilization and Management in China: A Meta-Analysis

The long-term overuse of fertilizers negatively affects soil chemical properties and health, causing unsustainable agricultural development. Although many studies have focused on the effects of long-term fertilization on soil properties, few comparative and comprehensive studies have been conducted on fertilization management over the past 35 years in China. This meta-analysis (2058 data) evaluated the effects of the fertilizer, climate, crop types, cultivation duration and soil texture on the soil chemical properties of Chinese croplands. NPKM (NPK fertilizers + manure) led to the highest increase in pH (−0.1), soil organic carbon (SOC) (+67%), total nitrogen (TN) (+63%), alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (AN) (+70%), total phosphorus (TP) (+149%) and available potassium (AK) (+281%) compared to the unfertilized control, while the sole nitrogen fertilizer (N) led to the lowest increase. The SOC (+115%) and TN (+84%) showed the highest increase under the influence of NPKM in an arid region. The increase in the chemical properties was higher in unflooded crops, with the maximum increase in the wheat–maize rotation, compared to rice, under NPKM. The SOC and TN increased faster under the influence of organic fertilizers (manure or straw) compared to mineral fertilization. Fertilizers produced faster effects on the change in the SOC and TN in sandy loam compared to the control. Fertilizers showed the highest and lowest effects on change in pH, organic C to total N ratio (C/N), TP and TK in clay loam with the cultivation duration. NPKM greatly increased the C/N compared to NPK in an arid region by 1.74 times and in wheat by 1.86 times. Reaching the same SOC increase, the lowest TN increase was observed in wheat, and the lowest increase in TP and AK was observed in rice, compared to the other crops. These results suggest that organic fertilizers (manure or straw) play important roles in improving soil fertility and in acidification. NPKM greatly increased the potential for soil C sequestration in wheat and in the arid region. The small increases in TP and TK can increase the SOC in rice and in the humid region. Therefore, considering the crop types and climatic conditions, reduced fertilization and the combination of mineral fertilizers with manure may be the best ways to avoid agricultural soil deterioration and increase soil carbon sequestration