Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiential dimensions and their influence on behavioral intentions within the context of nature-based tourism

Purpose – This paper aims at investigating the customers’ experience in nature-based attractions and its influence on post consumption behavior. Design – The study uses two theoretical frameworks (experience economy and behavioural intentions) to investigate the determining dimensions of the wildlife experience to customer satisfaction, and the relationships between the wildlife experience and the behavioural intentions. Approach – The research develops an explanatory framework of consumer experience that measures the four dimensions and their relative influence on satisfaction, perceived service quality and behavioral intentions. Methodology – The proposed research framework was empirically tested by implying a quantitative research and the technique of convenience sampling to customers of Game Reserves in Republic of South Africa. Findings – The results indicate that the experience framework constitutes a valid tool for the study of wildlife experiences. In the context of nature-based tourism the experiential dimensions which influence the perceived service quality and customers’ satisfaction are escapism and esthetics. There is also a strong correlation between wildlife experience and post consumption behavioural intentions, especially for word-of-mouth and repurchase intention. Originality – The research extends existing theory by incorporating new elements and empirically investigating them within a new context. It is the first empirical study that investigates the experiential dimensions within the context of nature-based tourism and customers’ behavioural intentions. It develops an explanatory framework of customer experience that measures the four dimensions, their relationship with experience outcomes (satisfaction and perceived service quality) and their relative influence on behavioural intentions.
Loss Aversion and Gain Appetite in the Small and in the Large

In their pioneering works on prospect theory Kahneman and Tversky (1979, 1992) propose the ground-breaking idea that in making decisions under risk individuals evaluate asymmetrically losses and gains against to a personal reference point. According to the Kahneman and Tversky (1979) statement “losses loom larger than gains”, individuals display loss aversion. However, Sacchi and Stanca (2014) argue that people may exhibit gain appetite that states that “gains loom larger than losses”. Although the prospect theory can be traced back of more than thirty years, how to formalize asymmetrical preferences to a reference point is still an open issue (see Abdellaoui et al., 2007; and Ghossoub, 2012). In this short note we set a preference-based definition for loss aversion, gain appetite and equally weighted preferences “in the small”, i.e. for outcomes around a given reference point; and “in the large”, i.e. for any outcome of the domain. The classical Kahneman and Tversky (1979, page 279) loss aversion definition follows as a special case.
ST ] 2 8 O ct 2 01 8 Consistency of ELBO maximization for model selection

The Evidence Lower Bound (ELBO) is a quantity that plays a key role in variational inference. It can also be used as a criterion in model selection. However, though extremely popular in practice in the variational Bayes community, there has never been a general theoretic justification for selecting based on the ELBO. In this short paper, we show that the ELBO maximization strategy has strong theoretical guarantees, and is robust to model misspecification while most works rely on the assumption that one model is correctly specified. We illustrate our theoretical results by an application to the selection of the number of principal components in probabilistic PCA.
Encouraging Use of Subordination in Children’s Narratives: A Classroom-Based Priming Study

ABSTRACT This study investigated the long-term effect of classroom-based input manipulation on children’s use of subordination in a story re-telling task; it also explored the role of receptive vocabulary skills and expressive grammatical abilities in predicting the likelihood of priming. During a two-week priming phase, 47 monolingual English-speaking five-year-olds heard 10 stories, one a day, that either contained a high proportion of subordinate clauses (subordination condition) or a high proportion of coordinate clauses (coordination condition). Post-intervention, there was a significant group difference in likelihood of subordinate use which persisted ten weeks after the priming. Neither expressive grammatical nor receptive vocabulary skills were positively correlated with the likelihood of subordinate use. These findings show that input manipulation can have a facilitative effect on the use of complex syntax over several weeks in a realistic communicative task.
Leptin Levels in Various Manifestations of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Background. Proinflammatory cytokines are prime candidates as causative agents of the metabolic changes that eventually result in tuberculosis-associated weight loss. Microbial products and cytokines such as TNF and IL-1 increase leptin expression dose dependently in adipose tissue. Leptin plays an important role in cellular immunity. Objectives. In this study, we investigated serum leptin and TNF-α levels before and after antituberculosis therapy in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods. Twenty five in patients with active pulmonary TB and 18 healthy controls participated in the study. Leptin and TNF-α levels were measured before treatment and six months after the treatment and they were compared with the control group. Body mass index (BMI) and chest X-rays before and after the treatment were also evaluated. Results. The leptin levels before and after the treatment were 1.66±1.68 ng/mL and 3.26±3.81 ng/mL, respectively. The leptin levels of tuberculous patients were significant than in healthy patients (P < .05). The BMI was 19.36 ± 2.55 kg/m2 before the treatment and 22.87 ± 3.13 kg/m2 after the treatment. The TNF-α level was 23.19±12.78 pg/mL before the treatment and 15.95±6.58 pg/mL after the treatment. There was no correlation between leptin and TNF-α levels. Leptin levels were low in patients who had sequela lesion on chest radiographs. Conclusion. Leptin levels are suppressed in tuberculous patients and low leptin levels may contribute to increased susceptibility to infection and recovery with sequela lesions.
Rubisco turnover and its relationship with herbage yield traits in perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L . )

Leaf Rubisco content was monitored over the life span of the sixth leaf blades of hydroponically grown perennial ryegrass tillers of 18 genotypes, to determine protein turnover patterns and investigate possible links between protein turnover pattern and plant performance. Leaf Rubisco turnover was assumed to follow a log-normal distribution over time defined by three curve parameters; d – the peak height, g – the timing of the peak, and f – the retention time. Highly significant differences among genotypes were observed for all three Rubisco turnover curve parameters. Principal component analysis of Rubisco turnover data with morphological and plant dry weight (DW) data indicated that Rubisco retention time tended to increase with increased leaf appearance interval, and that high DW plants tended to have a lower, earlier Rubisco peak with longer retention. These results must be regarded as tentative until confirmed by further study.
Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Local Health Department Workers' Participation in Infectious Disease Emergency Responses

Context: Local health departments play a key role in emergency preparedness and respond to a wide range of threats including infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza, tuberculosis, H1N1, Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus disease. To successfully respond to an infectious disease outbreak, local health departments depend upon the participation of their workforce; yet, studies indicate that sizable numbers of workers would not participate in such a response. The reasons why local health department workers participate, or fail to participate, in infectious disease responses are not well understood. Objective: To understand why local health department workers are willing, or not willing, to report to work during an infectious disease response. Design: From April 2015 to January 2016, we conducted 28 semistructured interviews with local health department directors, preparedness staff, and nonpreparedness staff. Setting: Interviews were conducted with individuals throughout the United States. Participants: We interviewed 28 individuals across 3 groups: local health department directors (n = 8), preparedness staff (n = 10), and nonpreparedness staff (n = 10). Main Outcome Measures: Individuals' descriptions of why local health department workers are willing, or not willing, to report to work during an infectious disease response. Results: Factors that facilitate willingness to respond to an infectious disease emergency included availability of vaccines and personal protective equipment; flexible work schedule and childcare arrangements; information sharing via local health department trainings; and perceived commitments to one's job and community. Factors that hinder willingness to respond to an infectious disease emergency included potential disease exposure for oneself and one's family; logistical considerations for care of children, the elderly, and pets; and perceptions about one's role during an infectious disease response. Conclusion: Our findings highlight opportunities for local health departments to revisit their internal policies and engage in strategies likely to promote willingness to respond among their staff. As LHDs face the persistent threat of infectious diseases, they must account for response willingness when planning for and fielding emergency responses. Our findings highlight opportunities for local health departments to revisit their internal policies and engage in strategies likely to promote response willingness to infectious disease emergencies among their staff.
Expansion of HIV care and treatment in Yunnan Province, China: Treatment outcomes with scale up of combination antiretroviral therapy

Effective health care models to scale up combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) are needed in rural southwestern China. We aimed to evaluate the ART treatment outcomes and their associations with patients' demographic characteristics and pre-treatment clinical features in a scaled-up provincial ART program serving eight heavily HIV-affected prefectures in Yunnan Province. We abstracted information from a computerized database for adults initiating ART between July 2007 and September 2008. Survival functions of mortality and treatment failure were calculated by age group, gender, transmission mode, and baseline CD4 count. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to find independent associations of various demographic and baseline clinical features with outcome variables. Of the 1967 patients in the mortality analysis, there were 110 deaths, of which 16 were coded as accidents or suicides. Adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) associated with mortality were greater for patients with baseline CD4 counts <100 cells/µl vs. patients with CD4 counts ≥200 cells/µl, for male vs. female, for single vs. married, and for those acquired HIV through injection drug use (IDU) vs. other modes of transmission. Successful treatment was 81.3% at six months after treatment started. Immunologic treatment failure was associated with baseline CD4 counts but not with demographic characteristics. Overall loss to follow-up rate was 2.1%. Collaboration between clinics and community networks are distinctive features of Yunnan's model for scaling up ART across a diverse, poor, and rural population. This study finds that the strategy can succeed even if 40% of the patients have a history of IDU.
On pulse-wave propagation in the ocular circulation.

PURPOSE To measure the oscillation phase delay between retinal arterioles and venules in order to analyze pulse wave propagation in the ocular circulation of vasospastic and nonvasospastic subjects and a change thereof during the cold pressor test in another group of healthy subjects. METHODS Twenty-four young, healthy women, 12 vasospastic and 12 nonvasospastic, were analyzed. A retinal vessel analyzer was used to obtain 1-minute recordings of the ocular fundus. A phase delay between the arteriole and venule pulsations was assessed at three sites, one (proximal) in the close retinal vicinity of the disc, one (middle) 1 to 2 disc diameters away from the disc, and a third (distal) 3 to 4 disc diameters away from the disc; and, assuming that venules are counterphased to the choroidal circulation, a choroid-to-retina pulse delay was calculated. In addition, the change in these parameters was analyzed during the modified cold-pressor test in 10 healthy subjects (five women, five men). RESULTS Pulse oscillations in arterioles led those in venules by 95.0 degrees +/- 39.0 degrees , 60.5 degrees +/- 57.5 degrees , and 47.5 degrees +/- 64.0 degrees in vasospastic subjects, and 76.0 degrees +/- 58.0 degrees , 31.5 degrees +/- 60.0 degrees , and 2.5 degrees +/- 80.5 degrees in nonvasospastic subjects in the proximal, middle, and distal measuring sites, respectively. Calculated choroid-to-retina pulse delays in vasospastic subjects were 0.20 +/- 0.10, 0.28 +/- 0.14, and 0.30 +/- 0.11 seconds and in nonvasospastic subjects 0.25 +/- 0.15, 0.35 +/- 0.11, and 0.43 +/- 0.2 seconds at the proximal, middle, and distal measuring sites, respectively. The difference was significant between vasospastic and nonvasospastic subjects (P = 0.033) and among the measuring sites (P = 0.0023). During exposure to cold, the choroid-to-retina pulse delays changed from 0.31 +/- 0.08, 0.40 +/- 0.16, and 0.51 +/- 0.26 seconds to 0.26 +/- 0.12, 0.30 +/- 0.10, and 0.33 +/- 0.14 seconds at the proximal, middle, and distal measuring sites, respectively (P = 0.024 for the change from baseline to cold exposure, and P = 0.022 for measuring sites). CONCLUSIONS Retinal vessels in vasospastic subjects demonstrate an altered pattern of oscillation phase delay between arterioles and venules. Vessels in vasospastic subjects seem to conduct pulse waves faster and are thus stiffer than those in nonvasospastic subjects. The pattern of oscillation demonstrates changes during the cold pressor test in healthy subjects, indicating faster pulse-wave propagation.
Factors affecting stunting among children under five years of age in Bangladesh

Background. Stunting is a major contributor to child morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Knowledge about the risk factors of stunting among children under five years of age is important for devising nutritional intervention programs and strategies. Objectives. This study attempts to uncover the risk factors associated with stunting status among children under five years of age in bangladesh. Material and methods. This study uses Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2014 data collected from an observational study. The ordinal dependent variable, child stunting status (categorized as severely stunted, moderately stunted and normal) is constructed by calculating height-for-age Z scores (HAZ). The bivariate analyses were performed using chi-square test to explore possible associations between stunting status and selected covariates. To know the marginal effects of independent variables, the proportional odds (PO) model was considered. Results. In bivariate setup, all the selected independent variables were found to be highly significant (p < 0.01). However, in multivariate analyses, child age, mother’s education, mother’s BMI and wealth index were found to be highly significant (p < 0.01) factors for the stunting status of children. The risk of having stunted children was found relatively higher in Chittagong (odds ratio = 1.466, p < 0.05), Sylhet (odds ratio = 1.345, p < 0.05) and Rangpur (odds ratio = 1.276, p < 0.1), compared to the Barisal division. Along with this, the birth interval of children (p < 0.05) and antenatal care service during pregnancy (p < 0.1) were found to be associated with child stunting status. Conclusions. Child age, mother’s education, mother’s BMI and wealth index were the most significant determinants in this study. Hence, policy makers should consider these factors while devising child nutrition programs and intervention strategies.
Complexity of brain signals is associated with outcome in preterm infants

A characteristic feature of complex healthy biological systems is the ability to react and adapt to minute changes in the environment. This ‘complexity’ manifests itself in highly irregular patterns of various physiological measurements. Here, we apply Multiscale Entropy (MSE) analysis to assess the complexity of systemic and cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signals in a cohort of 61 critically ill preterm infants born at median (range) gestational age of 26 (23–31) weeks, before 24 h of life. We further correlate the complexity of these parameters with brain injury and mortality. Lower complexity index (CoI) of oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated haemoglobin (Hb) and tissue oxygenation index (TOI) were observed in those infants who developed intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) compared to those who did not (P = 0.002, P = 0.010 and P = 0.038, respectively). Mean CoI of HbO2, Hb and total haemoglobin index (THI) were lower in those infants who died compared to those who survived (P = 0.012, P = 0.004 and P = 0.003, respectively). CoI-HbO2 was an independent predictor of IVH (P = 0.010). Decreased complexity of brain signals was associated with mortality and brain injury. Measurement of brain signal complexity in preterm infants is feasible and could represent a significant advance in the brain-oriented care.
Microstructure, Length, and Connection of Limbic Tracts in Normal Human Brain Development

The cingulum and fornix play an important role in memory, attention, spatial orientation, and feeling functions. Both microstructure and length of these limbic tracts can be affected by mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, autism, anxiety, and schizophrenia. To date, there has been little systematic characterization of their microstructure, length, and functional connectivity in normally developing brains. In this study, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data from 65 normally developing right-handed subjects from birth to young adulthood was acquired. After cingulate gyrus part of the cingulum (cgc), hippocampal part of the cingulum (cgh) and fornix (fx) were traced with DTI tractography, absolute and normalized tract lengths and DTI-derived metrics including fractional anisotropy, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity were measured for traced limbic tracts. Free water elimination (FWE) algorithm was adopted to improve accuracy of the measurements of DTI-derived metrics. The role of these limbic tracts in the functional network at birth and adulthood was explored. We found a logarithmic age-dependent trajectory for FWE-corrected DTI metric changes with fast increase of microstructural integrity from birth to 2 years old followed by a slow increase to 25 years old. Normalized tract length of cgc increases with age, while no significant relationship with age was found for normalized tract lengths of cgh and fx. Stronger microstructural integrity on the left side compared to that of the right side was found. With integrated DTI and rs-fMRI, the key connectional role of cgc and cgh in the default mode network was confirmed as early as birth. Systematic characterization of length and DTI metrics after FWE correction of limbic tracts offers insight into their morphological and microstructural developmental trajectories. These trajectories may serve as a normal reference for pediatric patients with mental disorders.
Islet Amyloid Polypeptide in Human Insulinomas: Evidence for Intracellular Amyloidogenesis

Amyloid deposits that characteristically form in the pancreatic islets of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and in insulinomas are both derived from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Evidence from previous studies has suggested that deposition of IAPP-derived amyloid is related to inherent amyloidogenic sequences present within normal human IAPP, together with an increased production and local concentration of IAPP. However, whether the aggregation of IAPP to form amyloid fibrils is primarily an intra- or extracellular event is not clear. To address this question, we studied 20 human insulinomas by light and electron microscopy. By light microscopy, amyloid deposits were demonstrated in 13 of 20 (65%) human insulinomas. Furthermore, evaluation of Congo red-stained tumor sections showed small, globular or irregular, congophilic amyloid deposits within the cytoplasm of many tumor cells in 10 of 13 (77%) amyloid-containing insulinomas. Dense, punctate areas of IAPP immunoreactivity within tumor cells corresponded with the congophilic intracellular deposits. Ubiquitin immunoreactivity also was observed as punctate intracellular labeling and within large extracellular amyloid deposits. Among the 10 insulinomas available for electron microscopic evaluation, pathological IAPP-immunoreactive (immunogold) deposits were found in 3 of 5 insulinomas in which amyloid was demonstrated by light microscopy and in none of 5 tumors found negative for amyloid by light microscopy. Morphology of IAPP-immunoreactive deposits varied from those with the classical distinct 7- to 10-nm diameter nonbranching fibrils to those with distinct but faint fibrillarity to those without discernable fibrils. In each of the 3 tumors with ultrastructurally demonstrable amyloid deposits, intracellular aggregates of IAPP-immunoreactive amyloid fibrils were observed either free in the cytoplasmic matrix or in membrane-bound structures. Intracellular IAPP-immunoreactive deposits were up to 10 urn in the greatest dimension. Free intracellular aggregates of amyloid fibrils sometimes contained degenerating secretory vesicles and fragments of membranous organelles. These observations suggest that IAPP-derived amyloid deposits are initially formed intracellularly and are subsequently released to the extracellular space by exocytosis of the membrane-bound structures and/or after necrosis of the tumor cells. Our observations raise the possibility that IAPP-derived islet amyloid deposits (characteristically present in NIODM patients) also may be initially formed within the cytoplasm of β-cells, thus leading to β-cell necrosis and a reduction of β-cell mass as seen in NIDDM.