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To investigate the effects of deep learning-based imaging reconstruction (DLR) on the image quality of MRI of rectal cancer after chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and its accuracy in diagnosing pathological complete responses (pCR).We included 39 patients (men: women, 21:18; mean age ± standard deviation, 59.1 ± 9.7 years) with mid-to-lower rectal cancer who underwent a long-course of CRT and high-resolution rectal MRIs between January 2020 and April 2021. Axial T2WI was reconstructed using the conventional method (MRIThirty-four patients did not have a pCR whereas five (12.8%) had pCR. Compared with the SNR of MRIDLR produced MR images with higher resolution and SNR. The specificity of MRI for identification of pCR was significantly higher with DLR than with conventional MRI.

Objective To delineate the steps of exoscopic en bloc carotid artery–sparing total temporal bone resection for malignancies involving the temporal bone in a cadaveric model. Methods Dissections were performed on 3 right-sided (3 sides) formalin-fixed, latex-injected cadaveric specimens. An exoscopic en bloc carotid artery–sparing total temporal bone resection was performed on each cadaver. In the past 4 years, 8 patients have undergone exoscope-assisted internal carotid artery–sparing total temporal bone resection with the technique described in this report. As an example, we present a representative case of a patient in whom this technique was used. Results Exoscope-assisted en bloc total temporal bone resections were performed on 3 right-sided cadaveric specimens. The following steps were described to circumferentially expose the petrous temporal bone: infratemporal fossa exposure, temporal craniotomy for subtemporal middle fossa approach to the petrous bone, retrosigmoid craniotomy, and transjugular approach. Finally, 3 skull base osteotomies were performed to liberate anterior, medial, posterior attachments of the petrous bone for en bloc removal. Possible extensions of these dissections as indicated by tumor pathology were described. A case illustration and operative video utilizing these techniques is presented. Conclusions Exoscope-assisted en bloc carotid artery-sparing total temporal bone resection is a feasible technique for management of malignancies with temporal bone invasion.

Recently, the demands for energy storage minerals such as vanadium and lithium are increasing as the use of the batteries for electrical vehicles has increased. Vanadium is one of the energy storage minerals occurred in Korea. In this study, vanadium mineralized zones of the ore deposit, named as Gwanin deposit, was investigated using geophysical exploration techniques. The mineralized zone is known as vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) deposit, originated from pre-cambrian igneous intrusions (850-870 m.a.), located in the northwest region of Korea. Since the vanadium has occurred along with magnetite (low electrical resistivity and high magnetic susceptibility) in the study area, geophysical exploration techniques such as magnetic and electrical resistivity surveys were employed. For magnetic exploration, the drone magnetic survey technique was used since it provides more precise and higher resolution data than any other aerial magnetic exploration techniques for relatively small and mountainous areas. In addition, electrical resistivity data were obtained from the six survey lines in the study area. 3D inversion was performed with magnetic and resistivity data. The anomaly zones of low electrical resistivities and high magnetic susceptibilities were interpreted as VTM mineralized zones from the two different inversion results. The mineralized zones were identified from the drilling investigation for overlapping locations of the anomaly zones. The results of the study have shown that magnetic and electrical resistivity techniques are very effective tools for exploring ore deposits of vanadium resource accompanied with magnetite. In the future, drone magnetic exploration technique combined with other (surface) geophysical exploration techniques would provide more effective results of precise geophysical surveys for relatively small and mountainous areas with similar ore deposit environments.

Inclusion of Black participants in clinical research is a national priority. Mobile applications and remote data collection may increase study access for diverse populations. This study examined the reliability and feasibility of two mobile smartphone application-based cognitive measures in a diverse middle aged and older adult sample. Black (n = 44

This study uses Le Monastere des Augustines Wellness Hotel to explore healing seekers’ eudaimonic wellness experiences and how such experiences are conceptualized in alignment with their underlying...

An unmanned airship was used to overcome the limitations of conventional aeromagnetic exploration systems. The airship was fabricated from non-magnetic fibre-reinforced plastic and urethane cloth, ...

To investigate the clinical impact of a quality improvement program including dedicated emergency radiology personnel (QIP-DERP) on the management of emergency surgical patients in the emergency department (ED).This retrospective study identified all adult patients (n = 3667) who underwent preoperative body CT, for which written radiology reports were generated, and who subsequently underwent non-elective surgery between 2007 and 2018 in the ED of a single urban academic tertiary medical institution. The study cohort was divided into periods before and after the initiation of QIP-DERP. We matched the control group patients (i.e., before QIP-DERP) to the QIP-DERP group patients using propensity score (PS), with a 1:2 matching ratio for the main analysis and a 1:1 ratio for sub-analyses separately for daytime (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays) and after-hours. The primary outcome was timing of emergency surgery (TES), which was defined as the time from ED arrival to surgical intervention. The secondary outcomes included ED length of stay (LOS) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate.According to the PS-matched analysis, compared with the control group, QIP-DERP significantly decreased the median TES from 16.7 hours (interquartile range, 9.4-27.5 hours) to 11.6 hours (6.6-21.9 hours) (QIP-DERP implementation improved the quality of emergency surgical management in the ED by reducing TES, ED LOS, and ICU admission rate, particularly during after-hours.

BACKGROUND Current standards of psychiatric assessment and diagnostic evaluation rely primarily on the clinical subjective interpretation of a patient’s outward manifestations of their internal state. While psychometric tools can help to evaluate these behaviors more systematically, the tools still rely on the clinician’s interpretation of what are frequently nuanced speech and behavior patterns. With advances in computing power, increased availability of clinical data, and improving resolution of recording and sensor hardware (including acoustic, video, accelerometer, infrared, and other modalities), researchers have begun to demonstrate the feasibility of cutting-edge technologies in aiding the assessment of psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE We present a research protocol that utilizes facial expression, eye gaze, voice and speech, locomotor, heart rate, and electroencephalography monitoring to assess schizophrenia symptoms and to distinguish patients with schizophrenia from those with other psychiatric disorders and control subjects. METHODS We plan to recruit three outpatient groups: (1) 50 patients with schizophrenia, (2) 50 patients with unipolar major depressive disorder, and (3) 50 individuals with no psychiatric history. Using an internally developed semistructured interview, psychometrically validated clinical outcome measures, and a multimodal sensing system utilizing video, acoustic, actigraphic, heart rate, and electroencephalographic sensors, we aim to evaluate the system’s capacity in classifying subjects (schizophrenia, depression, or control), to evaluate the system’s sensitivity to within-group symptom severity, and to determine if such a system can further classify variations in disorder subtypes. RESULTS Data collection began in July 2020 and is expected to continue through December 2022. CONCLUSIONS If successful, this study will help advance current progress in developing state-of-the-art technology to aid clinical psychiatric assessment and treatment. If our findings suggest that these technologies are capable of resolving diagnoses and symptoms to the level of current psychometric testing and clinician judgment, we would be among the first to develop a system that can eventually be used by clinicians to more objectively diagnose and assess schizophrenia and depression with the possibility of less risk of bias. Such a tool has the potential to improve accessibility to care; to aid clinicians in objectively evaluating diagnoses, severity of symptoms, and treatment efficacy through time; and to reduce treatment-related morbidity. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/36417

Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are used to treat women at risk of preterm birth to improve neonatal survival. Though affected children may be at long-term risk of neurobehavioural disorders, the driving mechanisms remain unknown. Animal studies have shown that ACS exposure can lead to overlapping changes in DNA methylation between the blood and the brain, identifying gene pathways for neurodevelopment, which highlights the potential to examine peripheral blood as a surrogate for inaccessible human brain tissue. We hypothesized that differential methylation will be identified in blood of term-born neonates following ACS. Mother-infant dyads that received ACS were retrospectively identified through the Ontario Birth Study at Sinai Health Complex and matched to untreated controls for maternal age, BMI, parity and foetal sex (n = 14/group). Genome-wide methylation differences were examined at single-nucleotide resolution in DNA extracted from dried bloodspot cards using reduced representative bisulfite sequencing approaches. 505 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) were identified, wherein 231 were hypermethylated and 274 were hypomethylated. These sites were annotated to 219 genes, of which USP48, SH3PXD2A, NTM, CAMK2N2, MAP6D1 were five of the top ten genes with known neurological function. Collectively, the set of hypermethylated genes were enriched for pathways of transcription regulation, while pathways of proteasome activity were enriched among the set of hypomethylated genes. This study is the first to identify DNA methylation changes in human neonatal blood following ACS. Understanding the epigenetic changes that occur in response to ACS will support future investigations to delineate the effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure on human development.

In the fields of oil and gas exploration, various quantitative seismic interpretation techniques have been developed to identify lithology and pore fluids based on the rock physics. However, discri...

Reservoir characterisation using a crossplot of elastic properties can be used to determine fluid and lithology in a seismic survey area. P-impedance and P-wave/S-wave ratios are commonly used as a...

This review study examines evolving themes in the scholarly literature on religious tourism and identifies research gaps that provide a basis for future investigations. The researchers evaluate a t...

We present our aeromagnetic survey results from an investigation of the iron ore mineral distribution in Pocheon, Korea, in the west-central area of the Korean Peninsula. A manned aeromagnetic system using a helicopter for regional exploration and an unmanned aeromagnetic system using a multicopter for high-resolution exploration were used for the survey. The inversion results of the magnetic data confirmed the possibility of the existence of a new iron ore body. Drilling was carried out based on inversion results and drilling revealed amphibolite including iron ore, as indicated by a strong magnetic response. The position and depth of the iron ore were consistent with the interpretation results of the magnetic data.

Over 30 years ago Sir David Barker first proposed the theory that events in early life could explain an individuals' risk of non-communicable disease in later life; the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory. During the 1990s the validity of the DOHaD theory was extensively tested in a number of human populations and the mechanisms underpinning it characterised in a range of experimental animal models. Over the past decade, researchers have sought to use this mechanistic understanding of DOHaD to develop therapeutic interventions during pregnancy and early life to improve adult health. A variety of animal models have been used to develop and evaluate interventions, each with strengths and limitations. It is becoming apparent that effective translational research requires that the animal paradigm selected mirrors the tempo of human fetal growth and development as closely as possible so that the effect of a perinatal insult and/or therapeutic intervention can be fully assessed. The guinea pig is one such animal model that over the past two decades has demonstrated itself to be a very useful platform for these important reproductive studies. This review highlights similarities in the in utero development between humans and guinea pigs, their strengths and limitations as an experimental model of DOHaD and their potential to enhance clinical therapeutic innovation to improve human health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Constructing a hierarchical value map, a psychological structure is explored to understand how religious tourists perceive the sites they visit in terms of site attributes, the benefits religious t...

The hospitality industry has been struggling to attract and retain quality employees. Labor force demographics in the hospitality industry are changing. The first wave of Millennials has started to...

This article explores consumer tendencies to opt for luxury or economy hotels by identifying their most and least important selection attributes. The researchers investigate how sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics influence traveler assessments of hotel attributes. In explaining consumer hotel selection preferences, the researchers used an unconditional method—best–worst scaling (BWS). Based on an analysis of responses from 397 luxury hotel customers and 351 economy hotel customers in the United States, it was found that the two groups perceive hotel attributes differently. Differentials were also identified on the basis of gender, income, and frequency of purchase. While acknowledging that the task is complex, there is an urgent need to identify the factors influencing hotel selection, because hoteliers need to attract new markets and also balance this by retaining existing patrons. The findings extend existing literature by applying BWS to the identification of hotel selection attributes.

It is important to understand customer dissatisfaction in order to maintain a sustainable business, given that the negative effects of customer dissatisfaction in service businesses may be even gre...

Organizations often view current market situations from the customers’ viewpoints. To do so, they face an incredibly vast volume and variety of data. Data visualization makes huge amounts more accessible and understandable and helps to communicate complex information more accurately and effectively. This chapter discusses how to utilize user-generated data in the tourism industry to enhance the customer experience through data visualization tools. Five analysis tools are used to identify the factors that contribute to hotel guests’ dissatisfaction in five top city destinations. Identifying and eliminating dissatisfaction is the first step in enhancing the quality of the experience and in fostering loyalty in the long run.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze online hotel reviews produced by customers to identify and compare factors known as satisfiers and dissatisfiers based on Herzberg’s two-factor theory. This approach was applied to compare full-service and limited-service hotels, which can show different levels of customer expectation. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of 919 satisfaction- and dissatisfaction-indicating reviews of 100 hotels in both full-service and limited-service hotel segments in New York City on Trip Advisor was conducted. Findings Results show that satisfiers and dissatisfiers in full-service hotels were distinct, with the exception of two common service-related factors, namely, “staff and their attitude” and “service”. On the other hand, “staff and their attitude” and four room facilities-related factors, “room cleanliness/dirtiness”, “bed”, “bathroom” and “room size”, were revealed as common satisfiers and dissatisfiers in limited-service hotels. To fulfill customer satisfaction and resolve dissatisfaction in both full-service and limited-service hotels, satisfiers and dissatisfiers should be highlighted according to the hotel class; the most critical factor is “staff and their attitude”. Practical implications Analysis of online hotel reviews provides understanding of customers’ satisfiers and dissatisfiers, and the results are very useful to hotel management. Therefore, hotel operators should monitor electronic word-of-mouth, recognizing and acting upon previous and current customers’ satisfactory and unsatisfactory reactions. Originality/value As technologies such as social media develop, customers are increasingly sharing their satisfactory and unsatisfactory experiences on consumer-generated online review sites. These have become a major source of information not only for customers deciding on a hotel stay but also for hotel managers trying to understand their customers and competitors.

This article uses the dataset of tourist satisfaction index of Hong Kong to investigate the impact of culture difference on the gap between tourists’ expectations and their perceptions of actual service performance. When the demographic profile and travel experience are controlled, it is found that small culture difference (Hong Kong and China) has positive impact on Expectation-Performance Gap (EPG); whereas negative relationship with EPG is identified for large culture difference (Hong Kong and western countries). The practical implication for tourism managers in Hong Kong is that service providers should manage EPG in accordance with the aspects of the culture difference between the destination and the source markets.

Recently, the studies about rock physics model (RPM) in shale reservoir are widely performed. In shale reservoir, the degree of the maturity can be estimated by kerogen and GOR (Gas-Oil Ratio). The researches on the rock physics model of shale reservoir with the amount of kerogen have been actively carried out but not with GOR. Thus, in this study, we analyzed the changes in seismic velocity and density, and AVO (Amplitude Variation with Offset) response depending on changes in GOR and the amount of kerogen. Since the shale consists of plate-like particles, it has vertical transverse isotropy (VTI). Therefore we estimated the seismic velocity and density by using Backus averaging method and analyzed AVO responses based on these estimated properties. The results of analysis showed that the changes in the velocity with the GOR variation are small but the velocity changes with the variation in kerogen amount are relatively larger. In case, GOR 180 (Litre/Litre) which is boundary between heavy oil and light oil, when volume fraction of kerogen increased from 5% to 35%, the P-wave velocity normal to the layering increased 51%. That is, it helps estimating maturity of kerogen through the velocity. Meanwhile, when rates of oil-gas mixture are large, the effect of GOR variation on the velocity change became larger. In case volume fraction of kerogen is 5%, the P-wave velocity normal to the layering was estimated in heavy oil (GOR 40) but in light oil (GOR 300). The AVO responses analysis showed class 4 regardless of the GOR and amount of kerogen because variation of poisson`s ratio is small. Therefore, shale reservoir has possibility to have class 4.

In recent years, many studies have been performed to reconstruct traces missing from irregularly undersampled seismic data. In this paper, we introduce a new curvelet-transform-based projection onto convex sets (POCS) algorithm that applies the curvelet transform to 2D Fourier-transformed data in the f–k domain instead of data in the t–x domain for each iteration of the POCS algorithm. To verify the efficiency of the suggested method, it was applied to synthetic data generated using the Marmousi2 and Hess vertically transverse isotropy (VTI) models. The results clearly demonstrate that the presented algorithm, which applies the curvelet transform to data in the f–k domain, is superior to conventional POCS and curvelet-transform-based POCS in the t–x domain, especially for reconstructing events with diverse directions and various amplitudes.

Hotels have adopted various sensory strategies in providing unique hotel stay experiences, and customers are aware that hotels are a provider of experiences through visible products and invisible services. Sensory marketing is growing gradually as a research topic, and sensory triggers are a key point that sheds light on customers’ perceptions and their behavior. However, only a few studies have been conducted in the hotel context. A lack of understanding remains about how hotels are managed from the sensory marketing point of view and which sensory triggers can aid hotel operations. This chapter will discuss how sensory marketing can be applied to hotel operations based on different types of sensory triggers.

Nylon 610/nylon 610-grafted graphene oxide (nylon 610/GO-g-nylon 610) composites were fabricated using acyl chloride-functionalized graphene oxide by in-situ interfacial polymerization. GO-g-nylon 610 was synthesized by the condensation reaction between the acyl chloride groups of GO and the amino groups at the nylon 610 chains during the in-situ polymerization. Nylon 610/GO composites without grafting nylon 610 onto GO were also prepared to investigate the influence of grafting nylon 610 on the interfacial adhesion between GO and the nylon 610 matrix. The thermal properties of the nylon 610/GO-g-nylon 610 composites were enhanced with increasing GO-g-nylon 610 content in the nylon 610 matrix. The degradation temperature and thermal conductivity of the nylon 610/GO-g-nylon 610-10 composite were increased to 72.2 °C and 36.9%, respectively, compared with those of pure nylon 610. The crystallinity of the nylon 610/GO-g-nylon 610-10 composite was significantly lower than that of pure nylon 610 due to the hindered mobility of the nylon 610 chains by the strong interfacial adhesion between the GO-g-nylon 610 and the nylon 610 matrix.

Graphenes have been considered suitable candidate materials for electrodes of energy storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their outstanding mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. However, there are problems when using these carbon materials for electrodes because of their low electrochemical performance. In this work, to improve the electrochemical performances of graphenes, free-standing nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxides (FNRGOs) were prepared as an anode for LIBs using a facile vacuum filtration method and thermal annealing at different temperatures. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to characterize the prepared samples, and then their electrochemical performance was investigated by galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) tests. GCD tests revealed that FNRGO prepared from thermal annealing at 500 degrees C exhibited good initial reversible capacity (502 mA h/g at 50 mA/g (0.14 C)) and enhanced cycle stability (capacity retention of 90.5% after 50th cycles at 100 mA/g (0.27 C), which demonstrated that FNRGOs were suitable candidates as anodes for LIBs.

Silver nanowires have unique electrical, thermal and optical properties, which support their potential application in numerous fields including catalysis, electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, and surface-enhanced spectroscopy. Especially, their application such as catalysts for alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) have attracted much interest because of their superior electrical conductivity over that of any metal and their lower cost compared to Pt. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-incorporated bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane electrode with silver nanowire catalyst was prepared. First, acid-treated MWCNTs were incorporated into BC membranes and then freeze-dried after solvent exchange to tert-butanol in order to maintain the 3D-network macroporous structure. Second, silver nanowires synthesized by polyol process were introduced onto the surface of the MWCNTs-incorporated BC membrane through easy vacuum filtration. Finally, thermal treatment was carried out to confirm the effect of the PVP on the silver nanowire catalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction. The electrode with thermally treated silver nanowire had great electrocatalytic activity compared with non-treated one. These results suggest that the MWCNTs-incorporated BC electrode with silver nanowire catalysts after thermal treatment could be potentially used in cathodes of AFCs.