How Do Level of Novelty and Camera Angle of Tourism-Themed Short Videos on Douyin Influence Potential Travelers' Behavioral Intentions?

The advent of short video apps like Douyin has greatly popularized the practice of sharing travel experiences in the form of live-streaming or prerecorded videos. With the breakout of COVID-19, the feasibility and appeal of physical travel were substantially undermined such that people now become increasingly dependent on watching short videos as a means of consuming travel-related content. This revolutionary change in the landscape of destination marketing is reshaping the tourism industry, which calls for research efforts of both scholars and practitioners. Our study aimed to investigate how two major characteristics of tourism-themed short videos, namely, level of novelty and camera angle, influence viewers' behavioral intentions toward actually visiting the places, with the incorporation of several relevant psychological mediators, including immersion, positive surprise, spatial presence, and perceptual realism. A 2 (low- vs. high-level novelty) × 2 (first- vs. third-person view) factorial experiment was designed and conducted. Statistical analysis based on a sample of 480 participants suggested that the perception of positive surprise increased with the level of novelty contained in the videos, which was positively associated with viewers' visit intentions in an indirect manner. Moreover, compared to the third-person view, employing the first-person view to film sites and scenes produced a greater sense of immersion, which in turn stimulated interest in taking a tour. This study contributes to the growing body of research in digital travel and telepresence.

COP27 perspective of resources management: From conflict to COVID-19 of emerging countries.

Resources management in the modern era is a crucial perspective of a sustainable environment linked with sustainable development. Therefore, it is crucial to re-estimate the resources-environment management nexus in a new setting. Concerning environmental management from the COP27 perspective, economies are taking various economic, financial, and environmental steps to reduce hazardous emissions in the region. Recently, BRICS economies have invested in renewables and enhanced capital formation to accelerate environmental recovery. In this respect, this study tends to examine the influence of electricity from renewable resources (ELREC), resources management (resources rents), research and development (RDEV) and gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) on carbon emissions of the BRICS economies throughout 1989-2021. Using various diagnostic tests, this study confirms the long-run equilibrium association between the variables. This study uses non-parametric estimation approaches and concludes that ELREC and RDEV significantly enhance environmental sustainability. Except for forest and oil resources, the rest of the forms of the resources increase emissions. On the other hand, economic growth and GFCF significantly lead to higher emissions, which degrades the environment. Resources rents also contribute to increasing carbon emissions.

Use of routine computed tomography scans for detecting osteoporosis in thoracolumbar vertebral bodies.

OBJECTIVE: This study observed the distribution of CT attenuation values for T10-L3 vertebral bodies and derived the Hounsfield unit (HU) thresholds using the quantitative computed tomography (QCT) as a reference to predict osteoporosis and normal bone density. METHODS: We included 482 subjects who were scheduled to undergo CT lung cancer screening and pulmonary nodule follow-up from May 2015 to February 2019. The subjects were scanned with the calibration phantom beneath the back while performing a chest CT scan. The volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and CT attenuation values of T10-L3 vertebral bodies were measured, and the correlation between the two measurements was analyzed. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine diagnostic optimal thresholds. RESULTS: A total of 2716 vertebral bodies of 457 participants were measured after exclusion screening. CT attenuation value of each plane's vertebral body showed a strong correlation with vBMD. The optimal threshold of > 141 HU was 93.5% sensitive and 86.1% specific for the recognition of normal BMD. The optimal threshold of < 102.4 HU was 96.9% specific and 82.1% sensitive for distinguishing osteoporosis from osteopenia and normal BMD. The average CT attenuation values of vertebral bodies with compressed and normal morphology were 108.9 ± 20.6 and 136.8 ± 32.2 HU, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sagittal reconstruction of the thoracic vertebrae using routine thoracic CT image combined with CT attenuation value measurements of the spine is valuable for predicting bone mineral density in high-risk populations. The mean CT attenuation values of the vertebral bodies with vertebral compression appearance were lower than that of normal vertebral shape.

Overexpression of the long non-coding RNA BLACAT1 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence demonstrates that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) BLACAT1 is associated with the progression and development of various cancers; however, its effect on tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of BLACAT1 in CRC. METHODS: Expression data from the GEO and GEPIA databases and results obtained from clinical samples/patients were used to determine the correlation between BLACAT1 expression, and CRC metastasis and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, we knocked down BLACAT1 using short interfering RNA (siRNA) and observed its biological functions using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, tumor cell clone formation, and Matrigel invasion assays in the HCT116 cell line. RESULTS: BLACAT1 level was higher in CRC tissues and cell lines than in normal colon mucosal tissues and cell lines. Correlation of data from the GEO and GEPIA databases with several clinical parameters revealed that CRC patients with high BLACAT1 expression showed poor OS. Multivariate analysis indicated that high BLACAT1 expression is an independent risk factor in patients with CRC. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of BLACAT1 suppressed proliferation and invasion of CRC cells in vitro. This in turn was associated with reduced expression of cyclin D1, CDK6, and vimentin, and enhanced expression of E-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS: BLACAT1 may play an important role in the progression and development of CRC, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for patients with CRC.

Inhalation lung injury induced by smoke bombs in children: CT manifestations, dynamic evolution features and quantitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the computed tomography (CT) manifestations, short-term dynamic evolution features and quantitative lung CT analysis of inhalation lung injury induced by smoke bomb flare. METHODS: Eleven pediatric patients (aged 11 to 13) who inhaled the smoke of smoke bombs underwent several low-dose chest CT scans. The image characteristics and their dynamic changes were observed and quantitative CT values were analyzed. The quantitative CT indicators included lung injury CT score (LICTS), lung fibrosis CT score (LFCTS), mean lung density (MLD), normally aerated volume ratio (NAVR) and reductively aerated volume ratio (RAVR). Box-plot was used to analyze the dynamic changes of each indicator and Spearman statistical method was used to analyze the correlation between any two indicators. RESULTS: (I) In most cases, there were multiple consolidation and massive ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the two lungs, which aggravated in the early stage and then gradually dissoluted in the later stage. LICTS was positively correlated with MLD (r=0.811, P=0.000), while it was negatively correlated with NAVR (r=-0.712, P=0.000). There existed interstitial fibrosis in the later stage, and LFCTS was positively correlated with RAVR (r=0.382, P=0.028). (II) In one case, the patterns were like layered cake, i.e., consolidation with air bronchus signs in the accumulation area, GGOs in the aforementioned area and normal lung in the top area. The patterns aggravated in the early stage and quickly dissolved in the later stage, and only a few residual fibrotic lesions existed on the final scan. (III) For severe cases, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema aggravated in the early stage and then gradually dissolved in the later stage. CONCLUSIONS: The chest CT manifestations of inhalation lung injury induced by smoke bombs are predominantly GGOs and consolidation. They aggravate in the early stage and gradual dissolute in the later stage. CT quantitative values can contribute to evaluating the extent of this disease, and NAVR and RAVR can be used to assess pulmonary function.