Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local community, volunteering and tourism development: the case of the Blackwood River Valley, Western Australia

Rural communities, especially those that strive to become tourist destinations face many challenges, including limited human and financial resources in developing their own tourism sector. The importance of local visitor centres in promoting the region can be invaluable assets in addressing those limitations. However, to what extent can efforts among a community's residents also contribute towards the promotion of local tourism? The present study investigates this aspect of community involvement from the perspective of representatives (managers, staff) of an emerging rural tourism destination, the Blackwood River Valley in Western Australia. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in four visitor centres. Volunteerism among local residents in various ways of tourism promotion emerged as a key finding in this study, as well as volunteer work providing support beyond involvement at visitor centres. Indeed, this aspect of community involvement was further illustrated in other forms of community involvement (e.g. helping host and cater for events). The findings, therefore, reinforce the notion that through volunteerism, local residents make direct and indirect participatory contributions that help strengthen the social aspect, or social fabric, of the community, while contributing to tourism development.
"Widening Participation"? An analysis of a short University based programme

This short report outlines small scale research undertaken within the context of current Widening Participation (WP) practice at Staffordshire University. The focus of this work investigated the effectiveness of a specific approach designed to enable learner opportunities within Higher Education (HE). The data obtained allowed insight into the level of preparation for Undergraduate (UG) level study being provided within this type of programme. The findings of this study have directly informed aspects of current practice particularly in terms of developing problem solving skills.
Current valuation practice in Australia: A survey of valuers

The approaches used by valuers in assessing the market value of investment property are explained with reference to a survey of practising valuers in Australia. The survey examined the profile of the valuers, their interpretation of market value in a volatile market and details of the valuation methodology used for urban investment property. Identifies the cross‐tabulations between valuation qualifications, experience and methodology. The need for greater market research and a specialist group of valuers with sound cash flow analysis skills to undertake major urban investment valuation are proposed.
Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency

Between 1984 and 1995 New Zealand changed from a closed and centrally controlled economy to one of the most open countries in the OECD. The reforms liberalizing the economy were notable for their very comprehensive coverage and innovations that included: performance contracts for senior civil servants and the central bank, legislated constraints on fiscal expenditure decisions backed by accrual accounting, tax neutrality, subsidy-free agriculture, and no industry-specific regulation of competition. Modern microeconomics contributed much to policy design. Economic growth has been vigorous since 1991, but a different sequencing of reforms may have enhanced outcomes.
Termination of early (pre-nidation) pregnancy in the mouse by single injection of ergocornine methanesulphonate.

*{Received 13th February 1961) Summary. The effect of a single subcutaneous injection of ergocornine methanesulphonate on early pregnancy in mice was studied. In all animals receiving 0-5 mg (4 ? $) or 0-25 mg (8 CJC) of the drug on Day 4, pregnancy was terminated, but only two of four pregnancies were terminated with 0-1 mg and none with 0-05 mg. Thirty-two mice in groups of four were given 0-25 mg ergocornine from Day 0 through Day 7 of pregnancy. All mice that received the drug on Days 3 or 4 terminated their pregnancy. On all other days, the animals delivered normal litters. It is quite probable that the action of ergocornine in mice is similar to its action in rats.
The adiponectin/leptin ratio is a useful tool to evaluate the metabolic status in an obstetrical intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION Critically ill patients, including obstetrical patients, face undernutrition but a reliable and cost effective study to assess their nutritional state is still missing. Our main objective was to analyze serum leptin and adiponectin concentrations in puerperal women attended in an Obstetrical Intensive Care Unit (OICU) in order to evaluate their potential role as nutritional metabolic parameter. METHODS This was a descriptive, clinical, longitudinal and comparative study. We evaluated the anthropometric variables, clinical laboratories, daily calories and adiponectin and leptin serum levels of 16 puerperal women attended at the OICU of the Materno Perinatal Hospital "Mónica Pretelini" (HMPMP). RESULTS For all women there was a negative correlation with Spearman test between leptin the day of discharge from the obstetrical intensive care unit and the days of stay -0.632 (p = 0.011). Considering an adiponectin/leptin ratio, the media in the first day was of 0.3 (0.07-13.6) and in the day of discharge it was of 2.4 (0.1-24.6) in overweight women. The same values for obese women were of 0.3 (0.2-0.4) and 0.5 (0.3-1.2). CONCLUSION After an average of six days of hospitalization, leptin showed a decrement in women attended at the OICU. As expected, adiponectin increased in both groups. The adiponectin/ leptin ratio could be a useful metabolic parameter.
Factors Influencing Adherence in Cancer Patients Taking Oral Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: A Qualitative Study

Background: Nonadherence in cancer patients taking oral anticancer drugs is common. Reasons for nonadherence are still not really understood as influencing factors are often complex, dynamic, and interrelated. Objective: A qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into (non-)adherence behavior in patients taking oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors by exploring (1) processes and factors influencing (non-)adherence and (2) their interrelatedness. Methods: Semistructured interviews were held with 30 patients of different ages and with different types of cancer. A grounded theory approach was used. Results: Three foci were found when dealing with oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors: (1) a focus on survival, (2) a focus on quality of life, and (3) a balance between survival and quality of life. The process of adherence was determined by a set of complex and interrelated influencing factors: treatment-related side effects, hope, anxiety, trust, and feedback mechanisms. Conclusions: This qualitative study gives insight into processes and factors influencing (non-)adherence behavior in patients taking oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The results of this study can help healthcare professionals understand why patients taking oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors do not always adhere to their therapy. Implications for Practice: Conditions should be created by which patients get maximum opportunity to establish a balance between survival and quality of life. An open climate and a trust-based relationship should be established in which patients feel comfortable to openly discuss their therapy and the difficulties they experience.
Information Mirages in Experimental Asset Markets

One explanation for the apparent volatility of asset prices is that people overreact to trades that are uninformative, creating self-generated information "mirages. " The authors test whether mirages occur in experimental asset markets. There are insiders in only half the periods, so traders cannot be sure if the trades of others reveal information. The authors observed four clear mirages in forty-seven periods without insiders. Mirages always occurred early in an experimental session; in later periods, traders learn whether there are insiders by observing nonprice information, such as the speed of trading, and mirages occurred only temporarily. Copyright 1991 by University of Chicago Press.
Initiation of Mauthner- or Non-Mauthner-Mediated Fast Escape Evoked by Different Modes of Sensory Input

Brainstem reticulospinal neurons (RSNs) serve as the major descending system in vertebrate sensorimotor integration. One of the paired RSNs in zebrafish, the Mauthner (M) cell, is thought to initiate fast escape from sudden noxious stimuli. Two other paired RSNs, morphologically homologous to the M-cell, are also suggested to play key roles in controlling fast escape. However, the relationship among activities of the M-cell and its homologs during fast escape and the sensory inputs that elicit escape via their activation are unclear. We have monitored hindbrain RSN activity simultaneously with tail flip movement during fast escape in zebrafish. Confocal calcium imaging of RSNs was performed on larvae rostrally embedded in agar but with their tails allowed to move freely. Application of a pulsed waterjet to the otic vesicle (OV) to activate acousticovestibular input elicited contralateral fast tail flips with short latency and an apparent Ca2+ increase, reflecting a single action potential, in the ipsilateral M-cell (M-escape). Application of waterjet to head skin for tactile stimulation elicited fast escapes, but onset was delayed and the M-cell did not fire (non-M-escape). After eliminating either the M-cell or OV, only non-M-escape was initiated. Simultaneous high-speed confocal imaging of the M-cell and one of its homologs, MiD3cm, revealed complementary activation during fast escape: MiD3cm activity was low during M-escape but high during non-M-escape. These results suggest that M-cell firing is necessary for fast escape with short latency elicited by acousticovestibular input and that MiD3cm is more involved in non-M-escape driven by head-tactile input.
The cellular and synaptic location of activated TrkB in mouse hippocampus during limbic epileptogenesis

Understanding the mechanisms of limbic epileptogenesis in cellular and molecular terms may provide novel therapeutic targets for its prevention. The neurotrophin receptor tropomyosin‐related kinase B (TrkB) is thought to be critical for limbic epileptogenesis. Enhanced activation of TrkB, revealed by immunodetection of enhanced phosphorylated TrkB (pTrkB), a surrogate measure of its activation, has been identified within the hippocampus in multiple animal models. Knowledge of the cellular locale of activated TrkB is necessary to elucidate its functional consequences. Using an antibody selective to pTrkB in conjunction with confocal microscopy and cellular markers, we determined the cellular and subcellular locale of enhanced pTrkB induced by status epilepticus (SE) evoked by infusion of kainic acid into the amygdala of adult mice. SE induced enhanced pTrkB immunoreactivity in two distinct populations of principal neurons within the hippocampus—the dentate granule cells and CA1 pyramidal cells. Enhanced immunoreactivity within granule cells was found within mossy fiber axons and giant synaptic boutons. By contrast, enhanced immunoreactivity was found within apical dendritic shafts and spines of CA1 pyramidal cells. A common feature of this enhanced pTrkB at these cellular locales is its localization to excitatory synapses between excitatory neurons, presynaptically in the granule cells and postsynaptically in CA1 pyramidal cells. Long‐term potentiation (LTP) is one cellular consequence of TrkB activation at these excitatory synapses that may promote epileptogenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:499–521, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Internal Customer Satisfaction in Health-Care Organizations: A Multicriteria Analysis Approach

The main aim of the presented research is to assess personnel satisfaction at the General Hospital of Chania (GHC), Greece, during the current economic crisis period. Data analysis is based on the MUltiplecriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) method, which is a multicriteria analysis model for collectively measuring customer satisfaction. The provided results are able to evaluate quantitative overall and partial satisfaction levels and determine the weak and strong points of employee satisfaction. According to the presented results, the personnel of the GHC appear to be satisfied, particularly regarding the work content and the relation with co-workers, while higher dissatisfaction may be observed in other characteristics. The improvement actions should be focused on the provided means/tools, the salary/other benefits, and the organization’s human resources management, given that these are the characteristics having the lowest satisfaction indices, while at the same time being the ones that are really important for the personnel.
Outcome and cost of trauma among the elderly: a real-life model of a single-payer reimbursement system.

BACKGROUND As our population ages, the number of elderly trauma patients (age > or = 65 years) increases. Studies have demonstrated increased mortality and cost for a given injury severity in the elderly compared with younger patients. The financial viability of trauma centers in the United States has been an area of concern for many years. As reimbursement diminishes for privately insured patients, the ability to finance the care of the indigent is jeopardized. Medicare, the single-payer insurance plan for the elderly, reimburses at a lower rate than standard private insurance carriers. We examined the differences in outcome and cost between the elderly and younger patients and the financial burden imposed by care for elderly trauma. Our hypothesis was that elderly trauma patients would have poorer outcomes, higher cost, and generate greater financial losses than younger patients. METHODS All patients admitted to the University of Virginia Trauma Service from July 1, 1994, to July 1, 1997 were included. Trauma registry and patients records were examined. Patients with incomplete financial data (cost, reimbursement, and payer source) were excluded. Patients were grouped by age (18-64 and > or =65 years), Injury Severity Score, and payer source. RESULTS One thousand one hundred twenty-seven patients met the entry criteria. One hundred forty patients had incomplete financial or patient data and were excluded. Nine hundred eighty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 159 were elderly and 828 were 18 to 64 years of age. Injury Severity Scores were significantly higher in the elderly group. Only 2% of elderly patients were uninsured (76% were insured by Medicare), whereas 25% of younger patients were uninsured. Medicare reimbursement rates actually exceeded those of all other carriers (114% of costs). Elderly patients had a higher mortality rate, but the z score did not reach significance. The W score, however, indicated that there were more unexpected, negative outcomes among elderly patients. As injury severity increased, profit per case increased in the elderly and decreased in the younger group. CONCLUSION Despite higher injury severity and lower survival probability for the elderly, the length of hospital and intensive care unit stays, as well as the percentage of admissions to the intensive care unit, were similar. The per capita cost of hospital care for the elderly was lower than for younger patients, whereas reimbursement was higher, primarily because 98% of elderly patients were insured. Medicare, the single-payer insurance plan for the elderly, adequately reimburses for elderly trauma care. This implies that universal insurance coverage for all trauma patients would be desirable, even if reimbursement rates decreased significantly. The increased mortality in the elderly requires continued study and diligence.
Convergence on Gauss-Seidel iterative methods for linear systems with general H-matrices

It is well known that as a famous type of iterative methods in numerical linear algebra, Gauss-Seidel iterative methods are convergent for linear systems with strictly or irreducibly diagonally dominant matrices, invertible $H-$matrices (generalized strictly diagonally dominant matrices) and Hermitian positive definite matrices. But, the same is not necessarily true for linear systems with nonstrictly diagonally dominant matrices and general $H-$matrices. This paper firstly proposes some necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence on Gauss-Seidel iterative methods to establish several new theoretical results on linear systems with nonstrictly diagonally dominant matrices and general $H-$matrices. Then, the convergence results on preconditioned Gauss-Seidel (PGS) iterative methods for general $H-$matrices are presented. Finally, some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the results obtained in this paper.
CEO Stock Options and Equity Risk Incentives

We test the hypothesis that the risk incentive effects of CEO stock option grants motivate managers to take on more risk than they would otherwise. Using a sample of mergers we document that the ratio of post- to pre-merger stock return variance is positively related to the risk incentive effect of CEO stock option compensation but this relationship is conditioned on firm size, with firm size having a moderating effect on the risk incentive effect of stock options. Using a broader time-series cross-sectional sample of firms we find a strong positive relationship between CEO risk incentive embedded in the stock options and subsequent equity return volatility. As in the case of the merger sample, this relationship is stronger for smaller firms. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2006.
Diffusion - or delusion? Challenging an IS research tradition

– This paper seeks to critique the notion of diffusionism. , – The notion of diffusionism provides a general way of understanding innovation and human progress. It is pervasive within IS research and practice. Generically, diffusionism denotes an asymmetrical view of innovation as originating exclusively in “progressive” centres, from which it spreads through an essentially passive recipient community. This model is pernicious, as it privileges an elite few over the majority, with the innovator/imitator dichotomy presented as natural, moral and inevitable. This paper analyses the notion of diffusionism in information systems (IS). , – The failure to find any empirical support for diffusionism reveals both its mythical character and its ideological rationale in lending moral legitimacy to colonialistic projects. Empirical examples demonstrate both the ubiquity of the diffusionist mindset in IS research and practice, and its linkage to pseudo‐colonial activities in the home domain. , – The paper concludes by arguing for a more critical approach within IS research on innovation, the use of richer, process‐based theories, and greater partnership with practitioners in order to close the research/practice gap.
Diameter of non-small cell lung cancer correlates with long-term survival: implications for T stage.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of tumor diameter on the long-term survival of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within a large multi-institutional database, and to assess the accuracy of the T-descriptor threshold of 3 cm. DESIGN AND PATIENTS A total of 9,191 patients > or = 20 years old with surgically treated stage I NSCLC < or = 6 cm registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1992 to 1997 were included. The size of the nodule was grouped into six categories: < 1 cm (n = 191, 2%), 1 to 1.9 cm (n = 2,130, 23%), 2 to 2.9 cm (n = 2,851, 31%), 3 to 3.9 cm (n = 1,984, 22%), 4 to 4.9 cm (n = 1,161, 13%), and 5 to 6 cm (n = 874, 9%). Due to its limited sample size, subcentimeter nodules were not included in the survival analysis. Survival analyses were performed with Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards models. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS A total of 4,904 (53%) men and 4,287 women (mean +/- SD age, 66.6 +/- 9.4 years) with stage I NSCLC were analyzed. The use of lobectomies and pneumonectomies as surgical treatment instead of limited resections increased with the size of the tumor, from 62% in subcentimeter nodules to 96% in 5- to 6-cm tumors (p < 0.0001). Survival decreased with increasing size of the tumor (p < 0.0001). There was a significant survival difference when size groups were compared to tumors 1.0 to 1.9 cm: 2.0 to 2.9 cm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 1.47), 3.0 to 3.9 cm (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.69), 4.0 to 4.9 cm (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.59 to 2.08), and 5.0 to 6.0 cm (HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.77 to 2.36). Survival was similar in tumors between 2.0 to 2.9 cm and 3.0 to 3.9 cm, and in tumors between 4.0 to 4.9 cm and 5.0 to 6.0 cm. CONCLUSIONS The T descriptor should be changed so that T1 is reserved for tumors < 2 cm. Further refinement of larger tumors into T2a (2 to 3.9 cm) and T2b (> or = 4 cm) should be considered.
Testing Theories to Explore the Drivers of Cities' Atmospheric Emissions

Abstract Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of cities as sources of many local, regional, and global impacts on the atmosphere, ecosystems, and human populations, most theories on the relationship between society and the environment have focused on the global or national level. A variety of theories exist on human–environment interactions; for example, ecological modernization, urban transitions, and human ecology. However, with the exception of urban transitions, these theories have been mainly concerned with nation states and have ignored the subnational and local (city) levels. This article aims at filling this gap by employing ordinary least squares regression to examine these theories at the city level using the STIRPAT formula. It finds that with the exception of population (which shows an unstable relationship with the impacts indicators applied in the analysis) a remarkable level of variation exists in the importance of drivers across the three exercises. This led us to conclude that urban atmospheric pollutants result from diverse activities (e.g., transportation, industrial), are formed through different processes (vehicle combustion, biomass burning), have a residence time ranging from hours to years, and are the outcome of diverse sets of societal and environmental drivers.
The association of Helicobacter pylori infection with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATD) are multifactorial conditions that result from genetic predisposition in combination with environmental risk factors. Helicobacter pylori infection as an environmental risk factor has been proposed to imitate the antigenic components of the thyroid cell membrane and may play a leading role in the onset of the autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto thyroiditis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). The participants in this case-control study included 43 patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and 40 healthy individuals without history of autoimmune disease as the control group. Anti HP IgG and anti-TPO antibodies were determined using ELISA method. Results were considered positive when the IgG anti-HP value was higher than 30 IU/ml and the anti-TPO autoantibody value was higher than 75 IU/ml. The mean TSH level was 18.3±16.8 IU/ml for patients and 2.8±1.2 IU/ml for the control group (P<0.001). 46.5% of the patient group and 10.8% of the control group were infected with HP. The association between HP and Hashimoto's thyroiditis was statistically significant (Odds Ratio=7.2, 95%, Confidence Interval: 2.0- 28.8, P<0.001). The findings show that, there is an association between HP and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. To establish a definite correlation between them, more detailed studies with a more specialized examination and precise consideration regarding species of HP, genetic polymorphism of the host and investigation of environmental factors are needed.