• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.65-91
• /
• 2014

Our study adopted ELM (Elaboration Likelihood Model) to measure the impact of central and peripheral cues on e-healthcare website behavior and its consequence on perceived loyalty of users. While most of ELM studies did not elaborate the antecedent of both central and peripheral cues, we measured the antecedents of those information processing routes to clarify how technical and quality factors (i.e. information organization, security concern, and website attractiveness) develop the nature of either central or peripheral route. We found that information organization was the main antecedent of information quality presented on the website. Second, the results revealed that website security has a positive effect on website credibility. Third, we also found that website attractiveness was positively associated with website credibility. Fourth, consistent with elaboration likelihood model, the empirical findings suggested that information quality (central cue) and website credibility (peripheral cue) were strong predictors of behavior intention to use health website. Our findings also suggested that behavior intention to use health website significantly influenced perceived loyalty.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.77-88
• /
• 2018

Purpose - Past research has not given much attention to the roles of consumers' social relationship type in the effects of justice type of service failure recovery alternatives on their satisfaction to the alternative exposed to them. Current research aimed at exploring the moderation role of consumers' social relationship central versus peripheral in the effects of justice types of service failure recovery alternatives on the recovery satisfaction, and this research also explored whether the level of satisfaction to interaction justice-focused alternative are significantly different between the two, their social relationship central and peripheral relationship. Research design, data, and methodology - 2(social relationship central versus peripheral) between-subjects design was employed. 50 participants for each experimental group there were. Participants of each group took forceful steps in choosing one between the procedural justice-focused alternative and the distribution justice-focused alternative. χ²-analysis was used to verify that the number of choosing each alternative becomes different between the two experimental groups, and a one way ANOVA was used to verify that the extent to which participants are satisfied to the alternative chosen by them becomes different between the two groups. Results - The number of participants choosing procedural justice-focused alternative at the group of social relationship central was larger than that at the group of social relationship peripheral, whereas the number of participants choosing distribution justice-focused alternative at the group of social relationship peripheral was larger than that at the group of social relationship central. And the level of satisfaction to procedural justice-focused alternative at the group of social relationship central was higher than that at the group of social relationship peripheral, whereas the level of satisfaction to distribution justice-focused alternative at the group of social relationship peripheral was higher than that at the group of social relationship central. In addition, the level of satisfaction to interaction justice-focused alternative was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions - Marketers should give attention to the type of justice when developing alternatives by which consumers' service failure can be recovered. They should suggest procedural justice-focused alternative to consumers under social relationship central, whereas they should develop distribution justice-focused alternative for consumers under social relationship peripheral. And in the process of recovering service failure they also should focus on interaction justice.

• Knee surgery & related research
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.319-325
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Body mass index (BMI) is often used to predict surgical difficulty in patients receiving total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, BMI neglects variation in the central versus peripheral distribution of adipose tissue. We sought to examine whether anthropometric factors, rather than BMI alone, may serve as a more effective indication of surgical difficulty in TKA. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 67 patients undergoing primary TKA. Correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the associations of tourniquet time, a surrogate of surgical difficulty, with BMI, pre- and intraoperative anthropometric measurements, and radiographic knee alignment. Similarly, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was compared to BMI. Results: Tourniquet time was significantly associated with preoperative inferior knee circumference (p=0.025) and ankle circumference (p=0.003) as well as the intraoperative depth of incision at the quadriceps (p=0.014). BMI was not significantly associated with tourniquet time or any of the radiographic parameters or KOOS scores. Conclusions: Inferior knee circumference, ankle circumference, and depth of incision at the quadriceps (measures of peripheral obesity) are likely better predictors of surgical difficulty than BMI. Further study of alternative surgical indicators should investigate patients that may be deterred from TKA for high BMI, despite relatively low peripheral obesity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.673-676
• /
• 2016

Background: In the maxillofacial region, giant cell granulomas occur in 2 clinical forms, central and peripheral. Despite histopathological similarity between these 2 forms totally different clinical behaviors have been reported. The present study was undertaken to compare mast cell and vascular concentrations in these pathologic lesions. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 20 pathological samples of central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) and 20 samples of peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) were selected and examined through toluidine blue staining for mast cell assessment and immunohistochemical staining by VEGEF antibody for comparing the number of mast cells. T-test, chi-squared test and backward multivariate linear regression were used for statistical analysis using SPSS 20. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: This study showed significantly greater VEGF expression and mast cell concentrations in CGCG compared to PGCG cases. Also there was a significant correlation between VEGF expression and the concentration of mast cells. No relation was found between age, sex and site of the lesion and concentration of mast cells or VEGF expression. Conclusions: It is feasible that higher concentrations of mast cells in CGCG versus PGCG samples might lead to more aggressive clinical behavior via vascular proliferation and angiogenesis. However, other biologic mechanisms should be considered in this situation.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.156-159
• /
• 2001

Miller Fisher syndrome(MFS) has been the focus of conflicting opinions regarding the peripheral versus the central nature of the site of major neural injury. We present our electrophysiological findings in one case of MFS to help clarify the pattern of peripheral nerve injury in this syndrome. A 45-year-old man visited our hospital due to sudden diplopia. Initial examination revealed internuclear opthalmoplegia. The next day, his symptoms rapidly aggravated to complete external ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia with hand and foot numbness. Serial electrophysiological studies were performed. The results of brainstem evoked potential(BAEP) and blink reflex were normal in the serial studies. Motor and sensory nerve conduction study(NCS) were normal findings in second hospital day, but ulnar sensory nerve shows no sensory nerve action potential(SNAP) and sural sensory conduction velocity was delayed in 7th hospital day. Our patient's clinical presentation began to improve on 15th hospital day, and his electrophysiologic study showed improvement on 29th hospital day. We believe that all the manifestations of MFS can be explained by the involvement of peripheral nerves without brainstem or cerebellar lesion with the serial electrophysiological studies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.24 no.1 s.33
• /
• pp.57-69
• /
• 1991

This study examined the cross-sectional association of central body fat distribution with hypertension as well as the superiority of medial calf skinfold measured as peripheral fat distribution over the conventional triceps skinfold using 450 Korean Navy divers selected by authors' convenience in 1990. Their mean age was 27.9 and range of it was 19-51. The centrally located body fat was approximated by subscapular skinfold and peripherally located fat by triceps and medial calf skinfolds. Four indices were constructed from these skinfold measures to reflect central versus peripheral fat distribution pattern : 2 ratios and 2 differences. After controlling age and overall obesity (body mass index), prevalance odds ratios of the 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 quartiles of subscapular skinfold comparing with lowest 1/4 quartile were 2.05(95% confidence interval, CI 1.18-3.59), 2.02(95% CI 1.06-3.86), 4.00 (95% CI 1.99-8.06) respectively. The difference of subscapular and medial calf skinfolds was associated with hypertension (odds ratio 2.45, 95% CI 1.28-4.68 comparing highest with lowest quartiles). Triceps and medial calf skinfolds alone did not show any odds ratio not including unity. The adjusted odds ratios were generally reduced in small magnitude compared with crude odds ratios not adjusted for age and overall obesity. The medial calf skinfold appeared to be more representative of peripheral body fat distribution than triceps skinfold. These findings suggest that central fat distribution rather than peripheral distribution is associated with hypertension independent of age and overall level of obesity and medial calf skinfold may replace conventional triceps skinfold in predicting peripheral distribution of body fat.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2024

Serotonin, a biogenic amine widely found in many organisms, functions as both a neurotransmitter and hormone. Although serotonin is involved in various physiological processes, this study aimed to review its role in energy metabolism. Given that serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and is synthesized by two different isoforms of tryptophan hydroxylase in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues, it is reasonable to assume that serotonin in the CNS and peripheral tissues functions independently. Recent studies have demonstrated how serotonin influences energy metabolism in metabolic target organs such as the intestines, liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. In summary, serotonin in the CNS induces satiety and appetite suppression, stimulates thermogenesis, and reduces body weight. Conversely, serotonin in the periphery increases intestinal motility, stimulates gluconeogenesis in the liver, suppresses glucose uptake by hepatocytes, promotes fat uptake by liver cells, stimulates insulin secretion while suppressing glucagon secretion in the pancreatic islets, promotes lipogenesis in white adipose tissue, inhibits lipolysis and browning of white adipose tissue, and suppresses thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, thereby storing energy and increasing body weight. However, considering that most experimental results were obtained using mice and conducted under specific nutritional conditions, such as high-fat diets, whether serotonin acts in the same way in humans, whether it will act similarly in individuals with normal versus obese weights, and whether its effects vary depending on the type of food consumed, remain unknown.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.417-425
• /
• 2024

This study investigated the effects of various planting models on the joint cultivation of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and marigold (Tagetes erecta)to enhance sustainable rooftop urban farming. Rooftop agriculture is increasingly valued to boost the food supply and benefit the environment. Integrating such practices into urban planning is viewed as a way to sustainably manage resources and improve the food-energy-water cycle in cities. The experiment was conducted on a rooftop in Chungju, South Korea from May to August. Four different planting setups were used: central eggplant with peripheral marigold (SET), eggplant with a protective net (SIC), central marigold with peripheral eggplant (TES), and control with only eggplant (CON S). These models tested the effects of companion planting versus monoculture using a lightweight soil mix ideal for rooftops made from cocopeat and perlite and enriched with organic fertilizer. Measurements focused on soil conditions and plant health and assessed soil temperature, moisture, conductivity, plant height, width, and leaf size. The results indicated that the SET modelyielded the best growth. This setup benefited from marigold pest control properties and its ability to improve soil conditions by enhancing moisture and nutrient levels and aiding eggplant growth. These findings underscore the potential of mixed planting on rooftops and suggest that such approaches can be effectively incorporated into urban agriculture to boost yield and environmental sustainability. This study supports the idea that diverse planting methods can significantly affect plant growth and promote urban greening and food security.