Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of a Scale to Measure Memorable Tourism Experiences

The quality experiences provided to customers, which are indeed memorable, directly determine a business’s ability to generate revenue (Pine and Gilmore 1999). However, the extant tourism literature has provided limited explanation of the factors that characterize memorable tourism experiences. Thus, the goal of the present study was to develop a valid and reliable measurement scale that will assist in understanding the concept and in improving the effective management of the memorable experience. Following Churchill’s (1979) recommended process, we developed a 24-item memorable tourism experience scale that we believe is applicable to most destination areas. The scale comprises seven domains: hedonism, refreshment, local culture, meaningfulness, knowledge, involvement, and novelty. The data support this dimensional structure of the memorable tourism experience as well as its internal consistency and validity (i.e., content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity). Theoretical and managerial implications of the study results are discussed in detail.
O Crescimento da área de relações internacionais no Brasil

The article analyses the Brazilian academic literature in the international relations field during the 1990's, stressing the qualitative changes that marked the period. A brief history of the discipline in the global context is offered in order to present the wider context within which the Brazilian experience took place. The main tendencies, characteristics and absences of the bibliography produced in the country during the period in question are considered. The following themes are contemplated: foreign policies of states, international institutions, the nature of the international system and of international politics and strategic studies and defense policy.
Automatic Pill Identification from Pillbox Images

There is a vital need for fast and accurate recognition of medicinal tablets and capsules. Efforts to date have centered on automatic segmentation, color and shape identification. Our system combines these with preprocessing before imprint recognition. Using the National Library of Medicine Pillbox database, regression analysis applied to automatic color and shape recognition allows for successful pill identification. Measured errors for the subtasks of segmentation and color recognition for this database are 1.9% and 2.2%, respectively. Imprint recognition with optical character recognition (OCR) is key to exact pill ID, but remains a challenging problem, therefore overall recognition accuracy is not yet known.
Efficient Testing of Self-Adaptive Behaviors in Collective Adaptive Systems

Collective adaptive systems (CAS) consist of multiple agents that adapt to changing system and environmental conditions in order to satisfy system goals and quality requirements. As more applications involve using CAS in a critical context, ensuring the correct and safe adaptive behaviors of quality-driven CAS has become more important. In this paper, we propose Collective Adaptive System Testing (CAST), a scalable and efficient approach to testing self-adaptive behaviors of CAS. We propose a selective method to instantiate and execute test cases relevant to the current adaptation context. This enables testers to focus testing on key self-adaptive behaviors while dealing with the scale and dynamicity of the system. An experimental evaluation using a traffic monitoring system is performed to validate its scalability, efficiency, and fault-detection effectiveness. The experimental results provide insights into how CAST can serve as a feasible and effective assurance technique for CAS.
A Psychological Reactance Scale: Development, Factor Structure and Reliability

This paper describes the development of Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded a clearly defined four-factor structure based on the data from 257 tertiary students. This structure compared favourably with previous research findings. Reliabilities for the scale were satisfactory and its use is recommended for gathering further psychometric data with different populations.
Feeding behavior, ruminal fermentation, and performance of pregnant beef cows differing in phenotypic residual feed intake offered grass silage.

This study examined the relationship of residual feed intake (RFI) and performance with feeding behavior and ruminal fermentation variables in pregnant beef cows offered a grass silage diet. Individual grass silage DMI (dry matter digestibility = 666 g/kg) was recorded on 47 gestating (mean gestation d 166, SD = 26 d) Simmental and Simmental × Holstein-Friesian beef cows for a period of 80 d. Cow BW, BCS, skeletal measurements, ultrasonically scanned muscle and fat depth, visual muscular score, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites, and feeding behavior were measured. Phenotypic RFI was calculated as actual DMI minus expected DMI. Expected DMI was computed for each animal by regressing DMI on conceptus-adjusted mean BW(0.75) and ADG over an 80-d period. Within breed, cows were ranked by RFI into low (efficient), medium, or high groups. Overall mean (SD) values for DMI (kg/d), RFI, initial conceptus-adjusted BW, and conceptus-adjusted ADG were 8.41 (1.09) kg/d, 0.01 (0.13) kg/d, 646 (70) kg, and -0.07 (0.32) kg, respectively. High-RFI cows ate 25% and 8% more than low- and medium-RFI cows, respectively. Live weight and ADG were not correlated (P > 0.05), and DMI was positively correlated (r = 0.80; P < 0.001) with RFI. The low- and high-RFI groups had similar (P > 0.05) BW, ADG, BCS, visual muscular scores, skeletal measurements, blood metabolites, calf birth weight, and calving difficulty scores. All ultrasonic fat and muscle depth measurements were similar (P > 0.05) for low- and high-RFI cows except for back fat thickness change, where low-RFI cows gained less fat (P < 0.05) than high-RFI cows. Low-RFI cows had greater pH and lower ammonia concentrations in ruminal fluid compared to their high-RFI contemporaries. Low-RFI cows had fewer (P < 0.001) daily feeding events, but these were of longer (P < 0.001) duration (min·feed event(-1)·d(-1)). Despite this, total daily duration of feeding was shorter (P < 0.001; min/d) for low- compared to high-RFI cows. High-RFI cows had more and a longer total duration of nonfeeding events (P < 0.001) than low-RFI cows. This study showed that compared to cows with high RFI, those with low RFI consumed less feed for similar levels of productivity, spent less time engaged in feeding-behavior-related activities, and differed in ruminal fermentation parameters. Feeding events are a significant (17%) contributory factor to variation in RFI in pregnant beef cows offered grass silage.
Patterns of Heroin use among a Non-Treatment Sample in Glasgow (Scotland)

Semi-struclured interviews were carried out with 74 participants in Glasgow who had used opiates at least twenty times in the previous two years, who had never been in addiction treatment, and who had never served a custodial sentence. Typically, participants were experienced users of a range of non-opiate and of different opiates, with most describing heroin as their “main opiate of use”. Participants tended to have first used opiates at a relatively late age (mean 22.3 years), and a significant minority of the sample are relatively new users of opiates, with some indication that opiate use may be increasing among users of “dance drugs”. Heroin was rated as the most enjoyable opiate to take, and self-ratings of Severity of Dependence for light and moderate heroin users was low by comparison to clinical samples. Participants reported relatively few major drug-related health and social problems. Levels of criminal activity were higher than those reported in the Scottish Crime Survey general population, but.
Employment Status of Adult Intellectual Disability Persons in Bangladesh

The present study was to explore the employment status of adult intellectually disabled persons in Bangladesh. To assess present employment situation of the intellectually disabled persons, a questionnaire was used on sample of 147 adult intellectually disabled subjects. Out of total 147 cases 95 were male and 52 were female participants and 69 were living in urban areas and 78 were living in rural areas. Mild and moderate intellectually disabled participants were selected for this study, Questionnaire was designed specially for this research. The data were analyzed by employing chi-square test. The result revealed that most of the parents expect their adult intellectually disabled persons will work independently or in a sheltered work environment. It is also seen that large majorities of the parents of both urban and rural areas feel the necessity of some employment of their intellectually disabled adult for their financial support and better mental condition. They don’t want to see their intellectually disabled adult as a burden of the family.
Examining the Relationship Between Neighborhood Environment and School Readiness for Kindergarten Children

In the current research project, the relationship between neighborhood environment and school readiness was investigated. To measure neighbourhood environment, data from the 2001 Canadian Census were used, while school readiness was measured using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). EDI data were collected for kindergarten children across British Columbia, Canada, in the school years 2000/2001 through 2004/2005 by the Human Early Learning Partnership. A hierarchical linear modeling approach to data analysis was taken given the complex structure of the data (children nested within neighborhoods). Results from this study suggest that neighborhood environment is related to children's school readiness outcomes as measured by the EDI. Specifically, all 5 EDI domains were significantly predicted by between 2 and 8 of 13 neighborhood variables that were conceptually grouped into 8 categories accounting for family structure, income, education, Aboriginal status, language, labor force occupations, employment rates, and domestic work. Overall, 3 themes emerged from this study that suggest neighborhood-level sources of social wealth: the importance of neighborhood culture, stability, and heterogeneity in promoting better school readiness outcomes for children. Formulations regarding areas for future research are presented.
Salinity tolerance in soybean is modulated by natural variation in GmSALT3.

The identification of genes that improve the salt tolerance of crops is essential for the effective utilization of saline soils for agriculture. Here, we use fine mapping in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) population derived from the commercial cultivars Tiefeng 8 and 85-140 to identify GmSALT3 (salt tolerance-associated gene on chromosome 3), a dominant gene associated with limiting the accumulation of sodium ions (Na+) in shoots and a substantial enhancement in salt tolerance in soybean. GmSALT3 encodes a protein from the cation/H+ exchanger family that we localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and which is preferentially expressed in the salt-tolerant parent Tiefeng 8 within root cells associated with phloem and xylem. We identified in the salt-sensitive parent, 85-140, a 3.78-kb copia retrotransposon insertion in exon 3 of Gmsalt3 that truncates the transcript. By sequencing 31 soybean landraces and 22 wild soybean (Glycine soja) a total of nine haplotypes including two salt-tolerant haplotypes and seven salt-sensitive haplotypes were identified. By analysing the distribution of haplotypes among 172 Chinese soybean landraces and 57 wild soybean we found that haplotype 1 (H1, found in Tiefeng 8) was strongly associated with salt tolerance and is likely to be the ancestral allele. Alleles H2-H6, H8 and H9, which do not confer salinity tolerance, were acquired more recently. H1, unlike other alleles, has a wide geographical range including saline areas, which indicates it is maintained when required but its potent stress tolerance can be lost during natural selection and domestication. GmSALT3 is a gene associated with salt tolerance with great potential for soybean improvement.
A Solution Hiding in Plain Sight: Special Education and Better Outcomes for Students with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges

This Article will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about special education and the IDEA in two ways. First, it will describe patterns that have emerged from our work with individual children and families that shed light on how common IDEA implementation failures increase the risk of poor outcomes for students with social, emotional and behavioral challenges. Critiques of the law and proposals to amend it should be grounded in an understanding of exactly how and why it is falling short of meeting its promise to these children. Our hope is that mapping the common implementation failures we have seen in our cases will advance this understanding - at least with respect to the particular population of students for whom we advocate - and will help guide the development of public policy. Second, this Article will assert that fixing these common implementation failures is a critical reform and a worthwhile investment of public time, money and attention. While proposing specific legislative remedies or strategies is beyond the scope of this Article, we will suggest some priorities for reform that appear warranted based on our work.
Low threshold room-temperature lasing of CdS nanowires

The synthesis of CdS nanostructures (bands, wires, irregular structures) was investigated by systematic variation of temperature and gas pressure, to deduce a comprehensive growth phase diagram. The high quality nanowires were further investigated and show stoichiometric composition of CdS as well as a single-crystalline lattice without any evidence of extended defects. The luminescence of individual nanowires at low excitation shows a strong near band edge emission at 2.41 eV indicating a low point defect concentration. Sharp peaks evolve at higher laser power and finally dominate the luminescence spectrum. The power dependence of the spectrum clearly shows all the characteristics of amplified stimulated emission and lasing action in the nanowire cavity. A low threshold was determined as 10 kW cm−2 for lasing at room temperature with a slope efficiency of 5–10% and a Q factor of up to 1200. The length and diameter relations necessary for lasing of individual nanowires was investigated.
Effectiveness of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug‐Eluting Stents Compared With Bypass Surgery in Diabetics With Multivessel Coronary Disease: Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Randomized Clinical Data

Background Controversy persists regarding the optimal revascularization strategy for diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD). Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug‐eluting stents (DES) in recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods and Results RCTs comparing PCI with DES versus CABG in diabetic patients with MVD who met inclusion criteria were analyzed (protocol registration No. CRD42013003693). Primary end point (major adverse cardiac events) was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke at a mean follow‐up of 4 years. Analyses were performed for each outcome by using risk ratio (RR) by fixed‐ and random‐effects models. Four RCTS with 3052 patients met inclusion criteria (1539 PCI versus 1513 CABG). Incidence of major adverse cardiac events was 22.5% for PCI and 16.8% for CABG (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.54, P<0.0001). Similar results were obtained for death (14% versus 9.7%, RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.10, P=0.01), and MI (10.3% versus 5.9%, RR 1.44, 95% CI 0.79 to 2.6, P=0.23). Stroke risk was significantly lower with DES (2.3% versus 3.8%, RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.90, P=0.01) and subsequent revascularization was several‐fold higher (17.4% versus 8.0%, RR 1.85, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.40, P=0.05). Conclusions These data demonstrate that CABG in diabetic patients with MVD at low to intermediate surgical risk (defined as EUROSCORE <5) is superior to MVD PCI with DES. CABG decreased overall death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization at the expense of an increase in stroke risk.
Interactive Data Visualization with Multidimensional Scaling

As a data-mapping technique, MDS is fundamentally a visualization method. It is hence plausible that MDS gains in power if it is embedded in a data visualization environment. Consequently, the MDS systems presented here are conceived as extensions of multivariate data visualization systems (“GGvis” and “X/GGobi” in this case). The visual analysis of MDS output profits from dynamic projection tools for viewing high-dimensional configurations, from brushing multiple linked views, from plot enhancements such as labels, glyphs, colors, lines, and from selective removal of groups of objects. Powerful is also the ability to move points and groups of points interactively and thereby create new starting configurations for MDS optimization.
Simultaneous multithreading: a platform for next-generation processors

Simultaneous multithreading is a processor design which consumes both thread-level and instruction-level parallelism. In SMT processors, thread-level parallelism can come from either multithreaded, parallel programs or individual, independent programs in a multiprogramming workload. Instruction-level parallelism comes from each single program or thread. Because it successfully (and simultaneously) exploits both types of parallelism, SMT processors use resources more efficiently, and both instruction throughput and speedups are greater.
Patient-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Cross-Recognition of Naturally Occurring Variants of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) p24gagEpitope by HIV-1-Infected Children

ABSTRACT We tested seven human immunodeficiency virus-infected children for their cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activities towards the p24 gag QASQEVKNW epitope and its nine variant sequences. Our data confirm that most, but not all, CTL responses are broadly cross-specific. For the first time, we show the high interpatient variability in cross-recognition of mutant CTL epitopes. These interindividual variations in the CTL response to the same epitope should be taken into account in the design and the evaluation of vaccines.
Epicardial adipose tissue and neural mechanisms of atrial fibrillation.

In this issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology , Nagashima et al1 reported that there is higher epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and greater serum inflammatory biomarker levels in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) than in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Furthermore, they noted that high dominant frequency (DF) sites are located adjacent to EAT sites. The authors proposed 2 possible explanations for these findings. One is that EAT secretes proinflammatory cytokines that alter local atrial and pulmonary vein (PV) electrophysiology and facilitates the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). The second is that EAT contains abundant ganglionated plexi. Activation of the autonomic nerves in the ganglionated plexi facilitates the maintenance of AF. The results of the present study extended their previous observation on EAT2 by providing new data on the correlation between high DF sites and EAT sites. These novel observations provide new insights into the anatomic and physiological differences between PAF and PerAF. Article see p 676 After the initial diagnosis of PAF, there is a slow (5%–10% per year) but steady progression to chronic (permanent or persistent) AF.3 Baseline echocardiographic variables, age, cardiomyopathy, and heart rate are independently associated with progression to chronic AF. On the other hand, PerAF is also frequently the initial diagnosis without preceding PAF episodes. How often PerAF and permanent forms of AF are preceded by recurrent PAF remains unclear. Improving the understanding of PAF to PerAF progression may help secondary prevention efforts to reduce the complications associated with AF. Wijffels et al4 performed intermittent rapid atrial pacing in goats to study the progression of PAF to PerAF. They found that when AF is maintained artificially, the duration of the paroxysms progressively increases, becoming sustained after 1 to 3 weeks of AF. The transition from PAF to PerAF …
Creative and Innovative Uses of English in Contemporary Japan

Over the last century or so, English has become a global lingua franca. Today, English is the first language of 400 million people and the second language of as many as 1.4 billion (Millward & Hayes, 2012: 342). In addition, it is the language that is predominantly used on the Internet; 80% of homepages on the Web are in English, followed by German (4.5%) and Japanese (3.1%) (Millward & Hayes, 2012: 343). Needless to say, English serves as a medium of communication regardless of the speaker's first language. As English spreads globally, fragments of its lexicon also permeate native languages, enriching their lexicons. This paper is concerned with the use of English and its elements, including English-derived words, in contemporary Japan, especially within the discourse of ‘Manners Posters’, posters which promote good manners in public spaces, and advertising texts. These types of media display creative and innovative uses of English that interact with Japanese at various linguistic levels in the form of wordplay, communicating messages, sometimes even in the form of puns, to achieve particular ends in a given context. We will look at this phenomenon from the ‘glocal’ point of view – i.e., the mechanisms and effects of a fusion between ‘global English’ and local culture that create a localised or nativised taste of the global.
The question of community attachment revisited

In this paper we compare the relative effects of satisfaction with specific community (neighborhood) attributes and social integration into the community on community attachment. Previous research on community attachment has not assessed the importance of satisfaction with specific attributes as a determinant of attachment. Instead, this research has focussed on integration into the social life of a community as the primary source of community attachment. We find that although social integration has the more important effect on attachment, satisfaction with specific community attributes also has a statistically significant effect. People who are satisfied with the general physical appearance, the noise level, and the quality of neighbors in their communities tend to be more attached to them than those who are less satisfied. We address the theoretical and policy implications of this finding. In short, this finding implies, contrary to previous thought, that it is possible for there to be higher levels of .
Autonomous motivation of Omani early childhood pre-service teachers for teaching

This study investigated the Omani early childhood pre-service teachers’ motivation for teaching. Specific attention was given to the levels of their autonomous motivation, including: (1) intrinsic motivation and (2) extrinsic motivation comprised of identified, introjected, and external motivations. In addition, the effects of age, cohort (grade level), and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) on their motivation for teaching were examined. Participants included 62 Omani early childhood pre-service teachers. A modified version of the Work Tasks Motivation Scale for Teachers was used as an instrument. The results suggested that the participants had higher intrinsic motivations than extrinsic motivations for teaching. Among their extrinsic motivations, ‘identified motivation’ was reported as the highest, followed by ‘external motivation’, and then ‘introjected motivation’. The results also revealed that participants’ age and cohort had significant effects on their introjected motivations. Implications were discussed and recommendations were made for future studies.