New Normal Tourism Behavior of Free Independent Travelers in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Purpose: This research intended to investigate the motivation and behavior of free independent travelers (FITs) who traveled to Southern Thailand in the Covid-19 pandemic.   Theoretical framework:  Studies on tourist motivation and behavior would provide more insightful implications and Covid-19 safeguards for tourism businesses especially in Southern Thailand – a dominant destination for domestic tourism demand.   Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from 400 domestic FITs using a questionnaire survey, processed in SPSS software, and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and One-way ANOVA.   Findings: The highest level of overall pull and push motivations of domestic FITs while traveling to Southern Thailand. The highest level of pull motivation identified in this study was a promotional scheme, called “WE TRAVEL TOGETHER” the government-subsidized 40% of accommodation expenses to increase tourism demand.   Research, Practical & Social implications: Comparative responses to SHA Plus standard between domestic and international tourists using both qualitative and quantitative data from all stakeholders involved would provide a variety of insightful and beneficial perspectives on NNT in the Covid-19 pandemic.   Originality/value: CCSA should pay more attention on this particular behavior of tourists which might easily spread the disease to others. Everyone should be more aware of this risk and show their greater responsible practice in society

Microfluidic devices for photo-and spectroelectrochemical applications

The review presents recent developments in electrochemical devices for photo- and spectroelectrochemical investigations, with the emphasis on miniaturization (i.e., nanointerdigitated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices, micro- and nano-porous silicon membranes or microoptoelectromechanical systems), silica glass/microreactors (i.e., plasmonic, Raman spectroscopy or optical microcavities) or polymer-based devices (i.e., 3D-printed, laser-engraved channels). Furthermore, we have evaluated inter alia the efficiency of various fabrication approaches for bioelectrochemical systems, biocatalysis, photochemical synthesis, or single nanoparticle spectroelectrochemistry. We envisioned the miniaturization of applied techniques such as cathodoluminescence, surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, voltametric and amperometric methods in the spectroelectrochemical microdevices. The research challenges and development perspectives of microfluidic, and spectroelectrochemical devices were also elaborated on.publishedVersio

Antimicrobial hydrogels based on autoclaved poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) mixtures for wound care applications

Novel antimicrobial hydrogels with good mechanical and physical properties were synthesized by autoclaving aqueous mixtures of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride). The structure of these materials was studied by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance. The swelling behavior, mechanical properties and adhesion of the hydrogels to porcine skin were evaluated. It was established that these hydrogels exhibited antimicrobial properties and inhibited bacteria growth against Staphylococcus aureus. The biocompatibility of the hydrogels was confirmed using an MTT assay (indirect cytotoxicity) and by monitoring cell proliferation in contact with the gels (direct cytotoxicity)

The Production and Application of Hydrogels for Wound Management: A Review

Wound treatment has increased in importance in the wound care sector due to the pervasiveness of chronic wounds in the high-risk population including, but not limited to, geriatric population, immunocompromised and obese patients. Furthermore, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is rapidly growing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global diabetic occurrence has increased from 4.7 in 1980 to 8.5 in 2014. As diabetes becomes a common medical condition, it has also become one of the major causes of chronic wounds which require specialised care to address patients’ unique needs. Wound dressings play a vital role in the wound healing process as they protect the wound site from the external environment. They are also capable of interacting with the wound bed in order to facilitate and accelerate the healing process. Advanced dressings such as hydrogels are designed to maintain a moist environment at the site of application and due to high water content are ideal candidates for wound management. Hydrogels can be used for both exudating or dry necrotic wounds. Additionally, hydrogels also demonstrate other unique features such as softness, malleability and biocompatibility. Nowadays, advanced wound care products make up around 7.1 billion of the global market and their production is growing at an annual rate of 8.3 with the market projected to be worth 12.5 billion by 2022. The presented review focuses on novel hydrogel wound dressings, their main characteristics and their wound management applications. It also describes recent methodologies used for their production and the future potential developments

Ginkgo biloba Responds to Herbivory by Activating Early Signaling and Direct Defenses

Background: Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) is one of the most ancient living seed plants and is regarded as a living fossil. G. biloba has a broad spectrum of resistance or tolerance to many pathogens and herbivores because of the presence of toxic leaf compounds. Little is known about early and late events occurring in G. biloba upon herbivory. The aim of this study was to assess whether herbivory by the generalist Spodoptera littoralis was able to induce early signaling and direct defense in G. biloba by evaluating early and late responses. Methodology/Principal Findings: Early and late responses in mechanically wounded leaves and in leaves damaged by S. littoralis included plasma transmembrane potential (Vm) variations, time-course changes in both cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca 2+]cyt) and H2O2 production, the regulation of genes correlated to terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, the induction of direct defense compounds, and the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results show that G. biloba responded to hebivory with a significant Vm depolarization which was associated to significant increases in both [Ca 2+] cyt and H 2O 2. Several defense genes were regulated by herbivory, including those coding for ROS scavenging enzymes and the synthesis of terpenoids and flavonoids. Metabolomic analyses revealed the herbivore-induced production of several flavonoids and VOCs. Surprisingly, no significant induction by herbivory was found for two of the most characteristic G. biloba classes of bioactive compounds; ginkgolides and bilobalides

Hydrogel beads bio-nanocomposite based on Kappa-Carrageenan and green synthesized silver nanoparticles for biomedical applications

This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads based on Kappa-Carrageenan (κ-Carrageenan) and bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The silver nanoparticles were prepared in aqueous Citrullus colocynthis seed extract as both reducing and capping agent. Cross-linked κ-Carrageenan/Ag-NPs hydrogel beads were prepared using potassium chloride as the cross-linker. The hydrogel beads were characterized using XRD and FESEM. Moreover, swelling property of the hydrogel beads was investigated. The Ag release profile of the hydrogels was obtained by fitting the experimental data to power law equation. The direct visualization of the green synthesized Ag-NPs using TEM shows particle size in the range of 23 ± 2 nm. The bio-nanocomposite hydrogels showed lesser swelling behavior in comparison with pure κ-Carrageenan hydrogel. Regardless the slow Ag release, κ-Carrageenan/Ag-NPs presented good antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Methicilin Resistant Staphylococcus aurous, Peseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli with maximum zones of inhibition 11 ± 2 mm. Cytotoxicity study showed that the bio-nanocomposite hydrogels with non-toxic effect of concentration below 1000 μg/mL have great pharmacological potential and a suitable level of safety for use in the biological systems

Cytotoxicity testing of silver-containing burn treatments using primary and immortal skin cells

A novel burn wound hydrogel dressing has been previously developed which is composed of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt with silver nanoparticles (silver AMPS). This study compared the cytotoxicity of this dressing to the commercially available silver products; Acticoat™, PolyMem Silver® and Flamazine™ cream. Human keratinocytes (HaCaT and primary HEK) and normal human fibroblasts (NHF) were exposed to dressings incubated on Nunc™ polycarbonate inserts for 24, 48 and 72h. Four different cytotoxicity assays were performed including; Trypan Blue cell count, MTT, Celltiter-Blue™ and Toluidine Blue surface area assays. The results were expressed as relative cell viability compared to an untreated control. The cytotoxic effects of Acticoat™ and Flamazine™ cream were dependent on exposure time and cell type. After 24h exposure, Acticoat™ and Flamazine™ cream were toxic to all tested cell lines. Surprisingly, HaCaTs treated with Acticoat™ and Flamazine™ had an improved ability to survive at 48 and 72h while HEKs and NHFs had no improvement in survival with any treatment. The novel silver hydrogel and PolyMem Silver® showed low cytotoxicity to all tested cell lines at every time interval and these results support the possibility of using the novel silver hydrogel as a burn wound dressing. Researchers who rely on HaCaT cells as an accurate keratinocyte model should be aware that they can respond differently to primary skin cells

Defining the domain of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in tourism organisations : a preliminary view from stakeholders in Thailand\u27s accommodation sector

This paper aims to define the domain of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for hotel and accommodation organizations in Thailand. It seeks to integrate the diverse components of CSR as defined within the general business/management, tourism and stakeholder literatures. A review of existing literature, codes of practice and standards, identify three broad CSR components &ndash; economic issues, social/ethical issues and environmental &ndash; although each of the standards varied in terms of the definition and emphasis applied. The components were &lsquo;aggregated&rsquo; within each of the broad management and tourism literature, these two sets of groupings were then aggregated into one overarching set of CSR issues. Semi-structured interviews were then undertaken with 38 key informants from hotel and resort businesses in Thailand to identify their views toward the applicability of these over-arching components to hotel and accommodation organisations.The results of the aggregation of standards suggest that CRS approaches within general business tend to be more socially/ethically orientated whereas within the tourism area approaches tend to be more environmentally orientated. Key respondents&rsquo; views were generally consistent with the three broad issues of the integrated CSR domain, although some issues were identified as more salient to hotel and accommodation organisations than others. The paper suggests that there is a need to develop CSR measures and indicators applicable and reflective of the different environmental, legal, cultural and local setting.<br /

Development and characterization of a novel, antimicrobial, sterile hydrogel dressing for burn wounds: single-step production with gamma irradiation creates silver nanoparticles and radical polymerization

Patients with burn wounds are susceptible to wound infection and sepsis. This research introduces a novel burn wound dressing that contains silver nanoparticles (SNPs) to treat infection in a 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (AMPS-Na(+) ) hydrogel. Silver nitrate was dissolved in AMPS-Na(+) solution and then exposed to gamma irradiation to form SNP-infused hydrogels. The gamma irradiation results in a cross-linked polymeric network of sterile hydrogel dressing and a reduction of silver ions to form SNPs infused in the hydrogel in a one-step process. About 80% of the total silver was released from the hydrogels after 72 h immersion in simulated body fluid solution; therefore, they could be used on wounds for up to 3 days. All the hydrogels were found to be nontoxic to normal human dermal fibroblast cells. The silver-loaded hydrogels had good inhibitory action against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Results from a pilot study on a porcine burn model showed that the 5-mM silver hydrogel was efficient at preventing bacterial colonization of wounds, and the results were comparable to the commercially available silver dressings (Acticoat(TM) , PolyMem Silver(®) ). These results support its use as a potential burn wound dressing