Identifying Optimal Inbound Market Mixes of the US Tourism Industry

Ming-Hsiang Chen,Yi-Wen Chen 한국관광학회 2012 International Journal of Tourism Sciences Vol.12 No.1

This paper applies a financial portfolio theory to identify the optimal market mixes of foreign tourist arrivals. The international tourism industry often has large fluctuations in demand due to unexpected events, economic situations, and political relations among nations. Targeting the minimization of these fluctuations, this study can shed some light on diversification in the tourism markets and offer tourism authorities explicit guidelines for long-term development of the US tourism industry. For example, to achieve the goal of foreign tourist arrivals to the US, US tourism authorities should shift available resources to the UK, Mexico and Canada. If they pursue the highest reward ratio, they have to focus on UK, Asian (excluding Japan), and Mexican markets. Further implications in this paper are provided to guide tourism authorities and marketers.

Antioxidative and Hepatoprotective Effects of Magnolol on Acetaminophen-induced Liver Damage in Rats

Yung-Hsiang Chen,Feng-Yen Lin,Po-Len Liu,Yi-Tsau Huang,Jen-Hwey Chiu,Yi-Chun Chang,Kee-Ming Man,Chuang-Ye Hong,Yen-Yi Ho,Ming-Tsung Lai 대한약학회 2009 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.32 No.2

Acute liver failure (ALF), an often fatal condition characterized by massive hepatocyte necrosis, is frequently caused by drug poisoning, particularly with acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol/APAP). Hepatocyte necrosis is consecutive to glutathione (GSH) depletion and mitochondrial damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Magnolol, one major phenolic constituent of Magnolia officinalis, have been known to exhibit potent antioxidative activity. In this study, the anti-hepatotoxic activity of magnolol on APAP-induced toxicity in the Sprague-Dawley rat liver was examined. After evaluating the changes of several biochemical parameters in serum, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were elevated by APAP (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneal administration (8 and 24 h) and reduced by treatment with magnolol (0.5 h after APAP administration; 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μg/kg). Histological changes around the hepatic central vein, lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance/TBARS), and GSH depletion in liver tissue induced by APAP were also recovered by magnolol treatment. The data show that oxidative stress followed by lipid peroxidation may play a very important role in the pathogenesis of APAP-induced hepatic injury; treatment with lipid-soluble antioxidant, magnolol, exerts anti-hepatotoxic activity. Our study points out the potential interest of magnolol in the treatment of toxic ALF.

Mutual intercropping-inspired co-silanization to graft well-oriented organosilane as adhesion promotion nanolayer for flexible conductors

Yi-Hsuan Chen,Yi-Hsiang Lai,Ping-Heng Wu,Li-Syuan Chen,Yung-Sen Lin,Chih-Ming Chen 한국공업화학회 2020 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.83 No.-

Surface metallization of polymer substrate andfilm adhesion are crucial to the development offlexibleelectronics. This study demonstrates the co-silanization engineering on the polyimide (PI)film by mutualintercropping of two organosilane molecules to improve their grafting orientability and enhance theadsorbability toward the PI substrate and loaded metal atoms. The mutual intercropping-inspired cosilanizationengineering is implemented by using 3-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]pyridine (TEP) as asupporting organosilane to spatially confine the grafting orientation of the supported aminosilane, 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (ETAS), leading to the formation of a wellorientedorganosilane composite nanolayer as adhesion promotion layer forflexible conductors. Theflexible Cu conductor electrolessly deposited on the PIfilm by co-silanization shows improved adhesionstrength (0.9 kgf/cm) compared to those based on mono-silanization (0.51 kgf/cm) and sputtered Ta/Cu(0.4 kgf/cm). Superior deformability (bendability) was also achieved for the co-silanized Cu/PI sample byretaining good electrical property after bending cycle up to 1000.

DO BRAND IMAGE AND COUNTRY OF MANUFACTUR AFFECT CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION OF LUXURY BRAND AFTER M&AS?

Hsiang-Ming Lee,Tsai Chen,Hong-Yew Lee 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.10

The purpose of this study is to examine the brand image and county of manufacture(COM) effect on brand luxury index, especially when the acquirer brand is afflicted by a low brand image and the acquired brand enjoys a high brand image. There were 248 responses in Taiwan (low image differences were gathered from 119 respondents and high image differences were gathered from 129 respondents). The results indicate that brand image have a positive influence on every dimension of brand luxury, while the better the luxury brand image acquired by one with an inferior image, the more the brand luxury will increase. Regarding the COM effect, the better COM image the acquirer move to, the more the brand luxury will increase. In addition, brand image and COM have interactive effect.

Efficacy and Safety of 12 Weeks of Daclatasvir, Asunaprevir Plus Ribavirin for the Treatment of HCV Genotype 1b Infection without Baseline NS5A Resistance-Associated Variants (DARING)-Interim Report

( Ming-lung Yu ),( Chao-hung Hung ),( Yi-hsiang Huang ),( Cheng-yuan Peng ),( Chun-yen Lin ),( Pin-nan Cheng ),( Rong-nan Chien ),( Shih-jer Hsu ),( Chen-hua Liu ),( Jee-fu Huang ),( Chung-feng Huang 대한간학회 2018 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2018 No.1

Aims: The current study aims to elucidate the treatment efficacy (defined as undetectable HCV RNA throughout 12 weeks of post-treatment follow-up, SVR12) and safety DCV/ASV plus ribavirin for 12 weeks in HCV-1b patients without NS5A RAS. Methods: This is a single-arm, open-label phase 2 study. Seventy directly acting antivirals (DAA)-naïve HCV-1b patients without L31/Y93 RAS are planned to receive daclatasvir (60 mg/ day) and asunaprevir (100 mg twice daily) plus weight-based ribavirin (1000-1200 mg/day) for 12 weeks. After treatment they were followed up for 12 weeks. Results: As of 31 Oct 2017, 58 eligible patients are allocated to treatment, with a mean age of 59.3 years and female predominance (67.2%, 39/58). The mean HCV RNA was 5.87+0.77 log10 IU/mL; 23 patients (39.7 %) had significant hepatic fibrosis (>F2). In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, the rate of undetectable HCV at week 1, week 2, week 4, week 8 and endof- treatment was 25 % (14/56), 84.8 % (39/46), 100 % (46/46), 100 % (38/38) and 100 % (27/27), respectively. Undetectable HCV RNA were observed in all of the patients with HCV RNA assessable 4 weeks (SVR4, 18/18) and 12 weeks (SVR12, 12/12) post treatment. None of the 18 patients who completed the 12-week treatment experienced relapse during post-treatment follow-up. The most common adverse event was fatigue (78.3 %), followed by pruritus (65.2 %) and dizziness (52.2 %), of which were considered as ribavirin related. None of the participating subjects withdrew treatment or follow-up throughout the trial peroid. Three serious adverse events were reported which included urosepsis, appendicitis and left ureteral stone. All were unrelated to the investigating drugs. Conclusions: 12 weeks of DCV/ASV plus ribavirin was highly effective and safe in HCV-1b patients without NS5A RAS in the interim analysis. The satisfactory results would be anticipated in the full patient set.

ANALYZING ISUAL SPECTROPHOTOMETER DATA USING A TWO-COLOR DIAGRAM METHOD

CHEN ALFRED BING-CHIH,CHIANG PO-SHIH,HUANG TIAN-HSIANG,KUO CHENG-LING,WANG SHI-CHUN,SU HAN-TZONG,HSU RUE-RoN,CHANG MING-HUI,CHANG YEOU-SHIN,LIU TIE-YUE,MENDE STEPHEN B.,FREY HARALD U.,FUKUNISHI HIROSH The Korean Astronomical Society 2005 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.38 No.2

Transient luminous events (TLEs; sprites, elves, jets and etc.) are lightning-related optical flashes occurring above thunderstorms. Since the first discovery of sprites in 1989, scientists have learned a great deal about the morphological, spectroscopic and electromagnetic characteristics of TLEs through ground and spacecraft campaigns. However, most of the TLE studies were based on events recorded over US High Plains. To elucidate the possible biasing effects, space-borne observations are needed and have their merits. Imager of sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) on the FORMOSAT-2 satellite is the first instrument to carry out a true global measurement of TLEs from a low- earth orbit. In this short paper, we apply a common astronomical data analysis technique, two-color diagram, on the ISUAL spectrophotometer (SP) data. By choosing appropriated bandpasses and converting the measured flux of TLEs into the unit of magnitude, two-color diagrams of TLEs can be constructed. We demonstrate that two-color diagrams, which were constructed from the narrow-band spectrophotometer data, can be used to classify different types of TLEs and trace their temporal evolution. The amount of reddening due to Earth's atmosphere can also be estimated from two-color diagrams assembled from the broad-band spectrophotometer data.

DO BRAND IMAGE AND COUNTRY OF MANUFACTUR AFFECT CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION OF LUXURY BRAND AFTER M&AS?

Hsiang-Ming Lee,Tsai Chen,Hong-Yew Lee 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.7

The purpose of this study is to examine the brand image and county of manufacture(COM) effect on brand luxury index, especially when the acquirer brand is afflicted by a low brand image and the acquired brand enjoys a high brand image. There were 248 responses in Taiwan (low image differences were gathered from 119 respondents and high image differences were gathered from 129 respondents). The results indicate that brand image have a positive influence on every dimension of brand luxury, while the better the luxury brand image acquired by one with an inferior image, the more the brand luxury will increase. Regarding the COM effect, the better COM image the acquirer move to, the more the brand luxury will increase. In addition, brand image and COM have interactive effect.

Interleukin-20 targets podocytes and is upregulated in experimental murine diabetic nephropathy

Yu-Hsiang Hsu,Hsing-Hui Li,Junne-Ming Sung,Wei-Yu Chen,Ya-Chin Hou,Yun-Han Weng,Wei-Ting Lai,Chih-Hsing Wu,Ming-Shi Chang 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

Interleukin (IL)-20, a proinflammatory cytokine of the IL-10 family, is involved in acute and chronic renal failure. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of IL-20 during diabetic nephropathy development. We found that IL-20 and its receptor IL-20R1 were upregulated in the kidneys of mice and rats with STZ-induced diabetes. In vitro, IL-20 induced MMP-9, MCP-1, TGF-β1 and VEGF expression in podocytes. IL-20 was upregulated by hydrogen peroxide, high-dose glucose and TGF-β1. In addition, IL-20 induced apoptosis in podocytes by activating caspase-8. In STZ-induced early diabetic nephropathy, IL-20R1-deficient mice had lower blood glucose and serum BUN levels and a smaller glomerular area than did wild-type controls. Anti-IL-20 monoclonal antibody (7E) treatment reduced blood glucose and the glomerular area and improved renal functions in mice in the early stage of STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy. ELISA showed that the serum IL-20 level was higher in patients with diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls. The findings of this study suggest that IL-20 induces cell apoptosis of podocytes and plays a role in the pathogenesis of early diabetic nephropathy.

Association between Thioridazine Use and Cancer Risk in Adult Patients with Schizophrenia-A Population-Based Study

Cheng-Chen Chang,Ming-Hong Hsieh,Jong-Yi Wang,Nan-Ying Chiu,Yu-Hsun Wang,Jeng-Yuan Chiou,Hsiang-Hsiung Huang,Po-Chung Ju 대한신경정신의학회 2018 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.15 No.11

Objective Several cell line studies have demonstrated thioridazine’s anticancer, multidrug resistance-reversing and apoptosis-inducing properties in various tumors. We conducted this nationwide population-based study to investigate the association between thioridazine use and cancer risk among adult patients with schizophrenia. Methods Based on the Psychiatric Inpatient Medical Claim of the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, a total of 185,689 insured psychiatric patients during 2000 to 2005 were identified. After excluding patients with prior history of schizophrenia, only 42,273 newly diagnosed patients were included. Among them, 1,631 patients ever receiving thioridazine for more than 30 days within 6 months were selected and paired with 6,256 randomly selected non-thioridazine controls. These patients were traced till 2012/12/31 to see if they have any malignancy. Results The incidence rates of hypertension and cerebrovascular disease were higher among cases than among matched controls. The incidence of hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease and chronic pulmonary disease did not differ between the two groups. By using Cox proportional hazard model for cancer incidence, the crude hazard ratio was significantly higher in age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease and chronic pulmornary disease. However, after adjusting for other covariates, only age and hypertension remained significant. Thioridazine use in adult patients with schizophrenia had no significant association with cancer. Conclusion Despite our finding that thioridazine use had no prevention in cancer in adult patients with schizophrenia. Based on the biological activity, thioridazine is a potential anticancer drug and further investigation in human with cancer is warranted.

Effect of dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis TLRI 211-1 on laying performance, egg quality and blood characteristics of Leghorn layers

Tsai Ming-Yang,Shih Bor-Ling,Liaw Ren-Bao,Chen Wen-Tsen,Lee Tsung-Yu,Hung Hsi-Wen,Hung Kuo-Hsiang,Lin Yih-Fwu 아세아·태평양축산학회 2023 Animal Bioscience Vol.36 No.4

Objective: TLRI 211-1 is a novel Bacillus subtilis strain. This experiment was to investigate dietary supplementation of TLRI 211-1 on laying performance, egg quality and blood characteristics of layers. Methods: One hundred and twenty 65-wk-old Leghorn layers were divided into four treatment groups for 8 weeks experiment. Each treatment had three replicates. The basal diet was formulated as control group with crude protein 17% and metabolizable energy 2,850 kcal/kg and supplemented with TLRI 211-1 0.1%, 0.3%, and commercial Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 0.1% as treatment 2, 3 and 4 groups, respectively. Both TLRI 211-1 and commercial Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were adjusted to contain 1×109 colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL (g), hence the 0.1% supplemental level was 1×109 CFU/kg. Results: The results showed that TLRI 211-1 0.3% and commercial B. amyloliquefaciens groups had higher weight gain than the other groups; TLRI 211-1 0.1% group had better feed to eggs conversion ratio than the control and commercial B. amyloliquefaciens groups (p<0.05). Bacillus subtilis supplementation increased yolk weight (p<0.05). In egg quality during storage, TLRI 211-1 0.1% had higher breaking strength than the control group at the second week of storage (p<0.05). At the third week of storage, TLRI 211-1 0.3% had higher Haugh unit (p<0.05). Hens fed diets supplemented with TLRI 211-1 0.3% significantly decreased blood triglyceride levels and increased blood calcium levels (p< 0.05). TLRI 211-1 0.3% group had lower H2S (p<0.05) and hence had less unpleasant odor in excreta of hens. Conclusion: In conclusion, supplementation with 0.1% TLRI 211-1 can significantly improve feed to eggs conversion ratio. TLRI 211-1 supplementation also can maintain eggs at their optimum quality level during storage. The study showed that B. subtilis TLRI 211-1 can be used as feed additives for improving egg production performance and egg quality.