Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Chinese nationals’ attitudes to wildlife tourist attractions different from those of other nationalities?

Abstract Many wildlife tourist attractions (WTAs) have negative impacts on animal welfare and species conservation. In the absence of regulation, raising standards requires tourists to create market pressure by choosing to attend WTAs with benefits for wildlife. We surveyed respondents from five countries – China, Australia, Canada, UK, and USA – to quantify how attitudes to captive animals, and towards WTAs’ outputs and standards, may vary with nationality. Our aim was to provide a firm basis for behaviour change interventions to alter current patterns of tourist consumption of WTAs. All respondents agreed on the importance of conservation and animal welfare, but Chinese respondents were twice as likely to believe that WTAs would not be allowed to exist if they were bad for animals, and that WTAs’ promotional materials were reliable indicators of welfare and conservation standards. These findings indicate Chinese respondents had fundamentally similar attitudes to those from the other countries, but differed in how those attitudes were likely to be applied. Chinese tourists may experience more barriers to aligning their actions with their values with respect to WTAs. Removing these barriers may require information campaigns to highlight the lack of regulation, and the unreliability of some WTAs’ promotional materials and tourists’ reviews.
Interpretation training in individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy of a multisession computerized interpretation modification program (IMP) in the treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD). METHOD The sample comprised 49 individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for GSAD who were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial comparing IMP (n = 23) with an interpretation control condition (ICC; n = 26). The interpretation training procedures comprised a word-sentence association task in which participants decided whether a word implying a threatening or benign meaning was related to an ambiguous social scenario. In the IMP group, participants were reinforced for interpreting ambiguous social information in a nonthreatening and more benign manner. In the ICC group, participants were reinforced with equal frequency for interpreting ambiguous social information in either a threatening or benign manner. RESULTS Intent-to-treat and completer analyses revealed that IMP significantly decreased threat interpretations and increased benign interpretations from pre- to post-assessment relative to the ICC group. Moreover, IMP participants displayed significantly larger reductions in clinician-rated social anxiety symptoms and functional impairment as well as self-reported trait anxiety and depression relative to ICC participants. Groups did not differ on change in self-rated social anxiety symptoms. Participants no longer meeting DSM-IV criteria for GSAD at post-assessment were 65% in IMP and 13% in ICC. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that computerized interpretation training procedures may be beneficial for treating social anxiety disorder.
Comparison of the children with special health care needs screener to the questionnaire for identifying children with chronic conditions--revised.

BACKGROUND The Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Screener is an instrument to identify CSHCN, one that is based on parent-reported consequences experienced by children with ongoing health conditions. Information about how this instrument compares to other methods for identifying CSHCN is important for current and future uses of the CSHCN Screener. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to assess the level of agreement between the CSHCN Screener and the Questionnaire for Identifying Children With Chronic Conditions--Revised (QuICCC-R) and to describe the characteristics of children in whom these methods do not agree. METHODS The CSHCN Screener and the QuICCC-R were administered to 2 samples: a random sample of parents of children under age 18 years through the first pretest of the National CSHCN Survey (n = 2420) and a random sample of children under age 14 years enrolled in a managed care health plan (n = 497). Information on specific conditions and needs for health services were collected for children identified by one or both instruments in the national sample. Data from the administrative data-based Clinical Risk Groups (CRGs) were collected for all children in the health plan sample. The proportions of children identified with the CSHCN Screener and the QuICCC-R were compared, the level of agreement between these 2 methods was assessed, and the health service needs of children identified by the QuICCC-R but not the CSHCN Screener were evaluated. RESULTS In both study samples, the CSHCN Screener agreed with the QuICCC-R approximately 9 out of 10 times on whether or not a child was identified as having a special health care need. Compared to the CSHCN Screener, the QuICCC-R identified an additional 7.6% and 8.5% of children as having special health care needs in the national and health plan samples, respectively. Compared to children identified by the QuICCC-R only, the odds were 12 times greater that children identified by both the CSHCN Screener and the QuICCC-R needed health care services, 6 times greater that parents named a specific chronic health condition, and 9 times greater that children were identified with a chronic condition using the CRG algorithm. Study design and purposeful differences in question design or content account for most cases in which children are not identified by the CSHCN Screener but are identified using the QuICCC-R. CONCLUSIONS The brief CSHCN Screener exhibits a high level of agreement with the longer QuICCC-R instrument. Whereas nearly all children identified by the CSHCN Screener are also identified by the QuICCC-R, the QuICCC-R classifies a higher proportion of children as having special health care needs.
Rationale for current therapies in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects an estimated 1 million people in the US and tens of millions worldwide. Medication therapy has made significant advances and improvements especially over the last 10 years. A number of new treatments and new strategies have emerged and the quality of life for the average sufferer has improved. This review will describe the rationale and strategies for current medical therapies in PD, with special emphasis on the use of antipsychotic agents. Levodopa remains the most efficacious medication for the management of PD. Long-term use of levodopa, however, is associated with the development of motor fluctuations including dyskinesia. Trials with dopamine agonists have demonstrated a delay in the onset of dyskinesia with the use of this therapy. There is also active, ongoing investigation to determine whether a neuroprotective effect may be present with agonist therapy. Anticholinergics have been successfully used to treat tremor as well as sialorrhoea and urinary urgency. Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors increase ‘on time’, decrease ‘off time,’ and improve motor scores. Continuous stimulation of dopamine receptors may decrease the fluctations observed with pulsatile delivery of anti-Parkinsonian medications, but this will require more study. Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors, specifically selegiline, may provide symptomatic improvement; the question as to whether a neuroprotective benefit is present remains unanswered. Amantadine has demonstrated both symptomatic benefit and dyskinesia benefit in some patients. Selective dopamine blockers such as clozaril and quetiapine, have been shown to be effective in the treatment of psychosis. This class of medications is particularly useful as an adjunctive to levodopa and dopamine agonists. Doses of dopaminergic drugs can be escalated to treat Parkinsonian symptoms, whereas selective dopamine blockers can be added to block psychosis. Old management strategies required a reduction in dopaminergic therapy and therefore worsened Parkinsonian symptoms. Even though there have been great advances in the medical options for symptomatic management of PD, there are still many unmet needs for this patient population.
Trade and Productivity Growth: Dynamic Panel Study on Selected Asian Countries

The paper studies the impact of trade variables of exports and imports on productivity growth in selected Asian countries using a dynamic panel VAR. The panel unit roots and co-integration techniques are utilized to determine the proper time-series properties of the model. As oppose to studies that suggest export-led productivity growth, we found significant import-led productivity growth in our panel of Asian countries. In fact, we found negative impact of exports on labor productivity. The result on the positive impact of imports on productivity growth is robust to both labor productivity and total factor productivity measures. This suggests that imports as opposed to exports play an important role in increasing productivity and transferring foreign technology onto the domestic economy. Further, we also found bi-directional effects of productivity on imports.
Bothrojaracin: a potent two-site-directed thrombin inhibitor.

The thrombin inhibitor, bothrojaracin [Zingali, R. B. , Jandrot-Perrus, M. , Guillin, M. C. , & Bon, C. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 10794-10802], is a 27 kDa protein isolated from the venom of Bothrops jararaca that blocks several thrombin functions, including fibrinogen clotting, platelet activation, and fibrin and thrombomodulin binding, but does not interact with the catalytic site. In the present report, we show that the high affinity binding of alpha-thrombin to immobilized bothrojaracin (Kd = 0.6 nM) is inhibited by the C-terminal peptide of hirudin and that the gamma-cleavage within exosite 1 reduces the affinity of bothrojaracin for thrombin (Kd = 0.3 microM), indicating that bothrojaracin binding to exosite 1 is a major determinant of the thrombin-bothrojaracin interaction. In addition, we show that bothrojaracin decreases the rate of inhibition of alpha- and gamma-thrombin by the antithrombin III-heparin complex. Competition of bothrojaracin with heparin or prothrombin fragment 2 for binding to thrombin indicates that bothrojaracin not only binds exosite 1 but also binds exosite 2 or in close proximity. Bothrojaracin binds to the thrombin precursor, prothrombin. This interaction is calcium-independent and is prevented by heparin, suggesting that it is mediated by exosite 2. Bothrojaracin inhibits platelet activation induced by clot-bound thrombin and slowly dissociates thrombin from the fibrin clots. Altogether, our results indicate that the high affinity of bothrojaracin for thrombin is supported by a double-site interaction and results in an efficient inhibition of both soluble and clot-bound thrombin.
Systematic review of effective retention incentives for health workers in rural and remote areas: towards evidence-based policy.

BACKGROUND Poor retention of health workers is a significant problem in rural and remote areas, with negative consequences for both health services and patient care. OBJECTIVE This review aimed to synthesise the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of retention strategies for health workers in rural and remote areas, with a focus on those studies relevant to Australia. DESIGN A systematic review method was adopted. Six program evaluation articles, eight review articles and one grey literature report were identified that met study inclusion/exclusion criteria. RESULTS While a wide range of retention strategies have been introduced in various settings to reduce unnecessary staff turnover and increase length of stay, few have been rigorously evaluated. Little evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of any specific strategy is currently available, with the possible exception of health worker obligation. Multiple factors influence length of employment, indicating that a flexible, multifaceted response to improving workforce retention is required. CONCLUSIONS This paper proposes a comprehensive rural and remote health workforce retention framework to address factors known to contribute to avoidable turnover. The six components of the framework relate to staffing, infrastructure, remuneration, workplace organisation, professional environment, and social, family and community support. In order to ensure their effectiveness, retention strategies should be rigorously evaluated using appropriate pre- and post-intervention comparisons.
Leptin and Pro-Inflammatory Stimuli Synergistically Upregulate MMP-1 and MMP-3 Secretion in Human Gingival Fibroblasts

Introduction Gingival fibroblast-mediated extracellular matrix remodelling is implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, yet the stimuli that regulate this response are not fully understood. The immunoregulatory adipokine leptin is detectable in the gingiva, human gingival fibroblasts express functional leptin receptor mRNA and leptin is known to regulate extracellular matrix remodelling responses in cardiac fibroblasts. We therefore hypothesised that leptin would enhance matrix metalloproteinase secretion in human gingival fibroblasts. Methods and Results We used in vitro cell culture to investigate leptin signalling and the effect of leptin on mRNA and protein expression in human gingival fibroblasts. We confirmed human gingival fibroblasts expressed cell surface leptin receptor, found leptin increased matrix metalloproteinase-1, -3, -8 and -14 expression in human gingival fibroblasts compared to unstimulated cells, and observed that leptin stimulation activated MAPK, STAT1/3 and Akt signalling in human gingival fibroblasts. Furthermore, leptin synergised with IL-1 or the TLR2 agonist pam2CSK4 to markedly enhance matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3 production by human gingival fibroblasts. Signalling pathway inhibition demonstrated ERK was required for leptin-stimulated matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression in human gingival fibroblasts; whilst ERK, JNK, p38 and STAT3 were required for leptin+IL-1- and leptin+pam2CSK4-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression. A genome-wide expression array and gene ontology analysis confirmed genes differentially expressed in leptin+IL-1-stimulated human gingival fibroblasts (compared to unstimulated cells) were enriched for extracellular matrix organisation and disassembly, and revealed that matrix metalloproteinase-8 and -12 were also synergistically upregulated by leptin+IL-1 in human gingival fibroblasts. Conclusions We conclude that leptin selectively enhances the expression and secretion of certain matrix metalloproteinases in human gingival fibroblasts, and suggest that gingival fibroblasts may have an ECM-degrading phenotype during conditions of hyperleptinaemia (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, exogenous leptin therapy).
A Low-Profile Ultra-Wideband Modified Planar Inverted-F Antenna

A miniaturized modified planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is presented and experimentally studied. This antenna consists of a planar rectangular monopole top-loaded with a rectangular patch attached to two rectangular plates, one shorted to the ground and the other suspended, both placed at the optimum distance on each side of the planar monopole. The fabricated antenna prototype had a measured impedance bandwidth of 125%, covering 3 to 13 GHz for reflection coefficient better than -10 dB. The radiator size was 20×10×7.5 mm3, making it electrically small over most of the band and suitable for incorporation in mobile devices. The radiation patterns and gains of this antenna have been cross-validated numerically and experimentally and confirm that this antenna has adequate characteristics for short range ultra-wideband wireless applications.
Determinants of Bitcoin Expected Returns

In this study, we investigate the relationship between Bitcoin mining technology variables and Bitcoin returns, using a GARCH-M model. Additionally, we examine the predictive power of the mining technology variables on future Bitcoin returns. We find that mining difficulty and block size are inversely related to Bitcoin returns. Additionally, our findings signifying that the higher the block size the lower the Bitcoin price and consequently the lower the expected return. Second, our findings show that mining difficulty and block size are robust predictors of future Bitcoin returns.
CT or MRI for image-based brachytherapy in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE To compare volumes and doses of tumour and organs at risk with computed tomography vs. magnetic resonance imaging in cervical cancer brachytherapy. METHODS Seventeen previously untreated patients with cervical cancer suitable for radical treatment were included. All patients underwent brachytherapy using a magnetic resonance imaging-compatible applicator followed by both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The tumour and organs at risk (bladder, rectum, sigmoid and intestines) were contoured on computed tomography using only clinical findings and on magnetic resonance imaging using GEC-ESTRO guidelines. The volume and doses for tumour and organs at risk were evaluated using two-sided t-test. RESULTS When magnetic resonance imaging information is not included in contouring on computed tomography images, there is significant underestimation of tumour height and overestimation of the width (P< 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in V(100), D(90) and D(100) for high- and intermediate-risk clinical target volume in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The volumes and doses to 0.1, 1 and 2 cc for organs at risk were also similar. CONCLUSIONS Magnetic resonance imaging remains the gold standard for tumour delineation, but computed tomography with clinical information can give comparable results, which need to be studied further. Computed tomography-based contouring can be used comfortably for delineation of organs at risk.
Serum Pentraxin-3 Level in Patients Who Underwent Coronary Angiography and Relationship with Coronary Atherosclerosis

Objectives: To evaluate the role of pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) in determining the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Subjects and Methods: Ninety-five patients (77 males and 18 females) who underwent elective coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. Patients with heart failure, renal failure, diabetes and thyroid disease were excluded. The study population was divided into 3 groups: individuals with normal coronary arteries, patients with critical CAD (n = 35) and patients with noncritical CAD (n = 36). The association of PTX-3 levels with the presence and severity of CAD and the number of involved vessels were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 53.40 ± 10.25 years. The PTX-3 levels were significantly higher in patients with CAD than without CAD (146.48 ± 48.52 vs. 109.83 ± 49.06 pg/ml, p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found among the 3 groups regarding the severity of CAD (165.66 ± 49.10, 127.83 ± 40.51 and 109.83 ± 49.06 pg/ml, p < 0.001, respectively). The serum PTX-3 levels in normal arteries were 110.4 ± 48.11 pg/ml, in single-vessel disease 132.35 ± 32.96 pg/ml, in 2-vessel disease 142.57 ± 55.88 pg/ml, in 3-vessel disease 156.07 ± 50.53 pg/ml, and in 3-vessel disease 160.50 ± 30.41 pg/ml. After adjusting for baseline confounders, older age (OR = 1.107, 95% CI = 1.027-1.193, p = 0.008) and higher PTX-3 levels (OR = 1.017, 95% CI = 1.003-1.032, p = 0.021) were detected as significant predictors for the presence of CAD. Conclusions: Higher PTX-3 levels were associated with the presence of CAD and its increased severity in clinically stable patients. Higher PTX-3 levels may be regarded as a novel diagnostic predictor and may offer therapeutic options in the clinic.
Evaluating the Roles of Regional Based Political Parties in Fostering Ethnic Unity in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia (Since 1991)

In multi-ethnic federations which were particularly established to manage the existing diversity, the political parties should promote, preserve and protect the existing diversity and simultaneously endorse the sense of unity. Under multi-ethnic states political parties as one main actor should audaciously nurture sense of unity in diversity ideally and practically. Here, fostering ethnic unity means not only sharing identical political philosophy among individuals or groups, but it also remind as that individuals or groups may have differences in opinion and leaning. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to critically examining the practical role of regional based political parties in promotion of ethnic unity under contemporary Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (hereafter used as BGRS). In this regard, the author of this paper collected various empirical data through personal interviews, focus group discussions and administering survey questionnaire. Based on the information gained through various research instruments the author concluded that despite the fact that the government has recognized the creation of ethnic political parties as a positive political measure to promote every ethnic group in the country to have a sense of belonging, but in contrast, the existence of ethnic based political parties and hasty mushrooming of narrow ethno-nationalist politics has constituted one major impediment to promote unity and peaceful coexistence among various ethnic groups in BGRS. Moreover, the writer also argued that organizing political parties only through political lens of ethnicity would gradually create elevated ethnic fundamentalism, chauvinism and parochialism among politicians and individuals. And later it also opened the door for politicians and individuals to play lopsided proxy ethnic political game within the neighbouring regional states and consequently this situation tend to ethnic conflict. Thus, this kind of political party establishment road-map in the country has paved the way to series ethnic conflicts which resulted major predicaments and disunity among various ethnic groups in the country in general and regional states in particular. Keywords: Political Party; BGRS; Ethnicity; Ethnic Unity; Ethnic Conflict; Ethnic Diversity; Politicians DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-1-06
Phosphorylation of the arginine/serine dipeptide‐rich motif of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nucleocapsid protein modulates its multimerization, translation inhibitory activity and cellular localization

Coronavirus nucleocapsid protein is abundant in infected cells and participates in viral RNA replication and transcription. The central domain of the nucleocapsid protein contains several arginine/serine (RS) dipeptides, the biological significance of which has not been well investigated. In the present study, we demonstrate that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nucleocapsid protein is phosphorylated primarily within the RS‐rich region in cells and by SR protein kinase 1 in vitro. The nucleocapsid protein could suppress translation and its RS motif is essential for such an activity. Moreover, phosphorylation of the RS motif could modulate the translation inhibitory activity of the nucleocapsid protein. We further found that RS motif phosphorylation did not significantly affect RNA binding of the nucleocapsid protein but impaired its multimerization ability. We observed that the nucleocapsid protein could translocate to cytoplasmic stress granules in response to cellular stress. Deletion or mutations of the RS motif enhanced stress granule localization of the nucleocapsid protein, whereas overexpression of SR protein kinase 1 inhibited nucleocapsid protein localization to stress granules. The nucleocapsid protein lacking the RS motif formed high‐order RNP complexes, which may also account for its enhanced stress granule localization. Taken together, phosphorylation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome‐CoV nucleocapsid protein modulates its activity in translation control and also interferes with its oligomerization and aggregation in stress granules.