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War is one of the world's great tragedies, but it is clear that the history and social outcomes of war as a human experience and event as well as the indirect outcomes of warfare - artefacts, nostalgia, reunions and physical sites with broader historical or environmental significance - serve as resources that can be positioned to stimulate tourism in formerly war-torn regions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the motivations of visitors to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and examine those findings relative to a review of conceptual research related to identifying the motivations for travel to war-related tourism destinations. An onsite survey was designed and administered to Japanese tourists at the DMZ. The results indicate that five factors could be delineated from thirty-eight DMZ motivations using a factor analysis: opposing political regime; knowledge/appreciation of history, culture, and security; curiosity/adventure; war and consequences; and nature-based tourism. In comparison to a push-pull theory-based framework of ten conceptualized domains of war-tourism-related motivations, three factors indicate a basis in pull forces, one factor in push force motivations, and one factor exhibits both pull and push force characteristics. Managerial implications, which suggest future research directions, are identified and discussed in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although visa-free entry is important to tourism flows across borders there has been limited academic research into the effects of this arrangement on international tourism demand. Using the ARIMA, the ARIMA intervention, Winters Exponential Smoothing and the Stepwise Autoregressive models, this study examined the effect of visa-free entry on tourism demand between South Korea and Japan, and estimated the impact of this visa-free travel on tourism numbers and receipts. The results showed that for Koreans visiting Japan, introducing visa-free travel was statistically significant with a positive sign. In the first year tourists increased by 12.1 percent and receipts by $US246 million and in the second year tourists increased by 25 percent and receipts by $US792 million. The key finding is that in a market with strong effective demand, the influence of a change to visa-free entry could be greater than 20 percent. However, as individual, national and external reasons modulate each context, further research into the influence of visa controls on various established tourism markets is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared residents' community attachment in two rural gaming communities in Colorado, USA and Gangwon Province, South Korea by examining whether residents' socio-demographic variables were related to their community attachment and whether residents' community attachment affected their perceived impacts, benefits and support for casino gaming development. Both casino impact areas have shared similar underlying legalization characteristics; both communities were depressed mining areas whose economy had declined significantly. The findings revealed that residents' community attachments were significantly different between the two data collection sites. Consequently, the differences in community attachment influenced residents' perceptions of, benefits, and support for gaming development in both sites. The findings partly reinforced earlier findings regarding the relationships between community attachment and attitudes to tourism, supporting the notion that highly community-attached individuals view the benefits of tourism more positively and show a stronger support for tourism in their communities than less attached individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to capture the underlying quality dimensions (value antecedents) that distinguish between first-timers and repeaters and that cultivate festival loyalty. Structural relationships were analyzed across the quality dimensions, value, and loyalty for first-time and repeat visitors. Structural equation modeling revealed that program and convenient facilities alone were antecedents to value for repeaters, whereas food and souvenir, as well as program and convenient facilities, were value antecedents for first-timers. Specifically, repeat visitors showed stronger relationships on program value and convenient facility value than did first-time visitors. On the other hand, first-time visitors associated more strongly with relationships on food value and souvenir value than did repeat visitors. This distinction resulted in a stronger value-loyalty relationship for repeat visitors than for first-time visitors. These findings contribute to the understanding of festival-attendee behavior and thus, provide researchers and practitioners with insights into how to design a festival in such a way that promotes repeat visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) and ALPS-like syndrome are variable clinical conditions characterized by lymphoproliferative disease, autoimmune cytopenias and susceptibility to malignancy. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for intractable generalized pain and stiffness with multiple swollen joints for 2 weeks. A low-grade fever, intermittent hypotension and confusion were associated with the pain. The evaluation revealed multiple joint bony erosions with effusion and a ruptured Baker’s cyst and positive AFB testing on the joint biopsy of the right wrist. In addition, there were a macular skin rash with telangiectasia and perivascular lymphocyte infiltration, a cytopenia without abnormal cells, a hepatosplenomegaly, a pericardial thickness with effusion and pleural effusion. The patient was treated with anti-mycobacterial drugs, NSAIDs and glucocorticoids for 10 months. But with the symptoms worsening, the patient developed cervical lymph node enlargements and was diagnosed as a diffuse large B cell lymphoma with hemophagocytosis on biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown horticultural therapy (HT) provides both physical and mental benefits to those engaged in the gardening activities. Individuals' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for these benefits, however, is unknown because of the lack of well-defined markets for HT. As such, this study estimates individuals' mean WTP for a HT site in Busan, South Korea. Mean WTP is ≈$170/month U.S. per individual. WTP, however, shows a wide dispersion; the standard deviation of the estimated WTP is ~$60 U.S. This study provides additional information to the policymakers of Busan concerning the issue of developing a horticultural site for its citizens. This information must be weighed against the costs of developing the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was developed to examine the underlying relationships among the sociodemographic variables of casino community residents, the perceptions of potential benefits and costs, and the support for casino development based on the social exchange theory. The results show that social and economic benefits were most significant in determining the level of support for casino development. None of the demographic variables significantly affected support level. Based on the results of this study, casino operators and policymakers should make efforts to minimize the negative social factors and maximize social and economic benefits if they want support from residents for further development of casino businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is intense competition to host sports mega-events as cities and countries perceive that doing so will enhance their global image and make the destination more attractive to future tourists. Is there empirical evidence to prove that hosting a mega sport event really does stimulate international visitation and enhance the destination's image? In this paper we investigate this question in relation to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. To this end, 412 foreign tourists were surveyed during the World Cup about their image of South Korea. Differences in demographics, motive and perceptions between tourists travelling specifically for the World Cup, and those coming to South Korea for non-World Cup-related reasons, are noted. The study provides a baseline dataset from which future research on mega-sport events can build. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the attempt to quantify the economic benefits of ecotourism resources for recreational use at Mount Minju in South Korea. Use of contingent valuation method (CVM); Method for eliciting willingness to pay (WTP); Selection of a realistic payment vehicle; Model specification for measuring WTP.

Examines the secondary impact as compared to the primary impact of foreign tourists receipts on the South Korean economy. Analysis of the performance of the tourism industry in South Korea; International inbound tourism to South Korea; Methodology; Results and discussion.

Prolonged spiking fever, an evanescent salmon-colored rash, arthralgia or arthritis, leukocytosis and organ dysfunction are characteristic of adult onset Still’s disease (AOSD). A 25-year-old woman with fever lasting over 3 weeks presented to our clinic. The patient had a spiking fever, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, a fine pink-colored skin rash, arthralgia, myalgia with a high ESR, ferritin and elevated hepatic enzymes. NSAID and prednisolone were prescribed for AOSD with SIRS. After 4 days of therapy, with mild confusion, the patient went into status epilepticus lasting several hours and died after cardiovascular collapse. There has been only one case of status epilepticus associated with AOSD in the medical literature. Here we report a case of AOSD with SIRS complicated by fatal status epilepticus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface to the book "Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing" 2009 issue is presented.

In metallic carbon nanotubes with defects, the electric current flow is expected to have characteristic spatial patterns depending on the nature of the defects. Here, we show, using first-principles transport calculations, that locally rotating loop currents in nanometer scale can be generated near defects in carbon nanotubes by quantum interference of conducting and quasi-bound states of electrons. The loop currents appear at energies near transmission dips, having opposite directions at lower- and higher-energy sides of the transmission dips and disappearing exactly at the centers of the dips. Temporal modulations of gate voltage around a transmission dip can produce oscillating magnetic dipoles, inducing magnetic fields that reflect characteristics of defects. This generation of loop currents and magnetic dipoles by quantum interference can generally occur in any nanostructure and it is potentially useful for novel electronic and magnetic nanodevices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by incorporating the expectation of tourist visa exemption to explicitly predict mainland Chinese travellers' intention to visit Korea, and compares the extended model with the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the TPB. The extended model was tested using potential Chinese travellers to Korea as samples. The results of structural analyses indicated that the data fitted the extended model well, and the inclusion of the critical new construct (expectation of tourist visa exemption) in a tourism context significantly enhanced the prediction of visit intention. Specifically, the effects of all volitional and non-volitional factors on visit intention were positive and significant, and expectation of tourist visa exemption was found to be the best predictor of visit intention among antecedent variables. This study concluded that the extended model of the TPB advanced our understanding of Chinese tourists' decision-making process of selecting Korea as a tourist destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform first-principles calculations on metal-HfO2 interfaces in the presence of oxygen vacancies. Pt, Al, Ti, and Ag are considered as electrodes. It is found that oxygen vacancies are strongly attracted to the interface with binding energies of up to several eVs. In addition, the vacancy affinity of interfaces is proportional to the work function of metals, which is understood by the transition level of the vacancy and metal-Hf bonding. Interfacial segregation of vacancies significantly affects effective work functions of p metals. Our results are consistent with flatband shifts in p-type field effect transistors employing high-k dielectrics and metal gates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of various metal coating (Co, Ti, Pd, W, and Ru) on electronic structures of carbon nanotubes are systematically studied by both ab initio calculations and field-emission experiments. The theoretical results indicate that the adsorption of metal atoms leads to substantial changes in the band structures and work functions of nanotubes. In particular, titanium is found to be the most effective coating material for the application of nanotubes to the field emission display, by lowering the work function and increasing the local density of states near the Fermi level. This is confirmed by the field-emission experiments using Ti-coated nanotubes, which shows enhanced emission performances. In addition, it is found that the Ti coating extends the lifetime of the nanotube substantially. Through the thermogravimetric analysis and theoretical modeling, we propose that this is related to the role of metal coating as a protection layer against residual gases such as oxygen, which cause the degradation of nanotubes. The applications of metal-coated nanotubes to other types of electronic devices are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemophagocytic syndrome, cytomegalovirus infection and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) would each be critical diseases separately. Viral infections, autoimmune diseases or malignancies can complicate the Hemophagocytic syndrome. Cytomegalovirus infection is known to be prevalent in immune compromised hosts, and can exacerbate the symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus. A 25-year-old man presented with fever and acute pericarditis with the hemophagocytic syndrome, cytomegalovirus infection and systemic lupus erythematosus; all developed concurrently at the onset of illness. With treatment, using ganciclovir and glucocorticoid medication the patient improved. Here we report this rare case and review the medical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]