Hunger Still Lingers in Memory As More Chinese Get Their Fill

In the hands of chef Bai Changji, tofu （soybean curd） alone can be turned out to be a banquet of more than 200 kinds of cuisine. Even the bean dregs after making tofu will be cooked into dishes.

Dark Touristic Perception: Motivation, Experience and Benefits Interpreted from the Visit to Seismic Memorial Sites in Sichuan Province

This study investigates the motivations of Chinese domestic tourists visiting seismic memorial sites after the great Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, and examines their interpretation of experiences and benefits of the visits. Recent research on dark tourism has raised the possibility that people are attracted to death and memorial sites in ways different from other tourist attractions. The study used an empirical research design employing questionnaires to collect data from 255 Chinese domestic visitors at seismic memorial sites in west Sichuan. Analysis revealed that the obligation of commemoration mixed with curiosity represents a different set of travel motivation in dark tourism settings than in other kinds of tourism. In addition, the empirical evidence also suggests an interrelated pattern between motivations, experiences and benefits. This study implies that Chinese domestic tourists were attracted in ways different from other tourist attractions both because they tended to fulfill their obligation of commemoration and were interested in destruction; and visitor experiences played an important mediating role between travel motivations and benefits gained.

Effects of 5-hydroxymethyl Furfural Extracted from Rehmannia Glutinosa Libosch on the Expression of Signaling Molecules Relevant to Learning and Memory among Hippocampal Neurons Exposed to High Concentration of Corticosterone

Objective：To determine the effects of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural（5-HMF）,an extract of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch,on several down-regulated signaling molecules involved in learning and memory in hippocampal neurons.Methods：After cultured for 7 days,primary hippocampal neurons were divided into 5 groups：normal,corticosterone model,RU38486,5-HMF,and donepezil group.Neuron survival rates were calculated 24 h later using SYT013-P1 double-fluorescence staining and an 3-（4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide（MTT）assay.β-galactosidase activity was also assayed.Protein expressed by the glucocorticoid receptor（GCR）,brainderived neurotrophic factor（BDNF）,and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B（NR2B）,as well as phosphorylationcyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）response element binding protein（p-CREB）,phosphorylation-extracellular signal-regulated kinase（p-ERK）,and phosphorylation-synapsin（p-synapsin）were quantified with Western blot.Results：Hippocampal neuron survival rates and the above-mentioned proteins were dramatically decreased（P〈0.05）,β-galactosidase activity was significantly increased in the model group,but the effect was reversed by5-HMF,RU38486,and to a lesser extent by donepezil（P〈0.05）.Conclusion：5-HMF extracts from the Chinese herb Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch could protect hippocampal neurons from glucocorticoid injury and from down-regulated signaling molecules in the GCR-BDNF-NR2B-p-ERK-p-CREB-p-synapsin signal transduction pathway.