Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Mediating Roles of the Overall Perceived Value of the Ecotourism Site and Attitudes Towards Ecotourism in Sustainability Through the Key Relationship Ecotourism Knowledge‐Ecotourist Satisfaction

Tourist satisfaction is a key factor in tourism sustainability. A multiple mediation model is proposed to analyze the relationship between ecotourism knowledge and ecotourist satisfaction, assisting our understanding of the generative mechanism by which ecotourism knowledge influences ecotourist satisfaction. Ecotourists at the Natural Park Saltos de la Damajagua (Dominican Republic) were administered a questionnaire. The results (PLS-SEM) show that ecotourism site perceived value and attitudes towards ecotourism fully mediate the influence of ecotourism knowledge on ecotourist satisfaction. Ecotourism knowledge will therefore only have positive effects on ecotourist satisfaction when the ecotourism site is of high perceived value and there are positive attitudes towards ecotourism. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uncertainty and the Real Effects of Monetary Policy Shocks in the Euro Area

This paper estimates a nonlinear Interacted-VAR model to investigate whether the effectiveness of monetary policy shocks in the Euro area is influenced by the level of European uncertainty. Generalized Impulse Response Functions a la Koop et al. (1996) suggest that the peak and cumulative effects of monetary policy shocks are lower during uncertain times than during tranquil times, and significantly so once times of very high and very low uncertainty are considered. The influence of uncertainty on the historical contribution of monetary stimuli is shown to be empirically relevant.
Effects of PTK 787 / ZK 222584 , a Specific Inhibitor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinases , on Primary Tumor , Metastasis , Vessel Density , and Blood Flow in a Murine Renal Cell Carcinoma Model 1

Antiangiogenic therapy is a promising new strategy to inhibit tumor growth and formation of metastases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, VEGF-receptor 1 (VEGF-R1; FLT-1) and VEGF-R2 (KDR), have been shown to play a major role in tumor angiogenesis. PTK787/ZK 222584, a specific inhibitor of both VEGF-receptor tyrosine kinases, was investigated for its antitumoral and antiangiogenic activity in a murine renal cell carcinoma model. After intrarenal application of the renal carcinoma cells, mice develop a primary tumor and metastases to the lung and to the abdominal lymph nodes. Daily oral therapy with PTK787/ZK 222584 at a dose of 50 mg/kg resulted in a significant decrease of 61 and 67% in primary tumors after 14 and 21 days, respectively. The occurrence of lung metastases was significantly inhibited at both time points (98% reduction and 78% reduction, respectively). After 14 days, no lymph node metastases developed in the PTK787/ZK 222584-treated group, whereas after 21 days of treatment, the lymph node metastases were reduced by 87%. Vessel density in tumor tissues, detected by immunohistochemistry with an anti-CD31 antibody, was significantly decreased by PTK787/ZK 222584. Using color Doppler imaging ultrasound, significant changes in blood flow in the tumor feeding renal artery were found under treatment with PTK787/ZK 222584. Blood flow changes correlated with changes in vessel density but not with tumor volume. The compound was well tolerated in allin vivo experiments and had no significant effects on body weight or general well-being of the animals. This was in contrast to the animals treated with the antiangiogenic agent TNP-470. s.c. therapy with 30 mg/kg TNP-470 every other day had to be discontinued after 13 days because of animal weight loss (>20%) and ataxia. These results demonstrate that PTK787/ZK 222584 is a potent inhibitor of tumor growth, metastases formation, and tumor vascularization in murine renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, we have been able to demonstrate that color Doppler imaging ultrasound can be used to measure blood flow to a tumor and that flow correlates with vessel density. Thus, this may be a valuable noninvasive method for monitoring the effects of antiangiogenic agents such as PTK787/ZK 222584 on tumor vasculature.
Comparison of DVH data from multiple radiotherapy treatment planning systems

This study examined the variation of dose–volume histogram (DVH) data sourced from multiple radiotherapy treatment planning systems (TPSs). Treatment plan exports were obtained from 33 Australian and New Zealand centres during a dosimetry study. Plan information, including DVH data, was exported from the TPS at each centre and reviewed in a digital review system (SWAN). The review system was then used to produce an independent calculation of DVH information for each delineated structure. The relationships between DVHs extracted from each TPS and independently calculated were examined, particularly in terms of the influence of CT scan slice and pixel widths, the resolution of dose calculation grids and the TPS manufacturer. Calculation of total volume and DVH data was consistent between SWAN and each TPS, with the small discrepancies found tending to increase with decreasing structure size. This was significantly influenced by the TPS model used to derive the data. For target structures covered with relatively uniform dose distributions, there was a significant difference between the minimum dose in each TPS-exported DVH and that calculated independently.
Long‐term treatment with ivabradine in post‐myocardial infarcted rats counteracts f‐channel overexpression

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Recent clinical data suggest beneficial effects of ivabradine, a specific heart rate (HR)‐lowering drug, in heart failure patients. However, the mechanisms responsible for these effects have not been completely clarified. Thus, we investigated functional/molecular changes in If, the specific target of ivabradine, in the failing atrial and ventricular myocytes where this current is up‐regulated as a consequence of maladaptive remodelling.
Improving validated depression screen among adolescent population in primary care practice using electronic health records (EHR).

Abstract Adolescent depression, has been identified as one of the important risk factors for adolescent safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screening the adolescent population for depression with a validated screening tool at least once a year. Given the time constraints in primary care, many physicians tend to rely more on clinical questioning to screen depression.This has the potential to miss many adolescents who may have mild to moderate depression which may prove detrimental to their emotional and physical health. Quality measures had consistently indicated that the validated adolescent depression screening rate in our two pediatric clinics was 10-15% in the past two years starting from 2012. There was a need to increase our screening rate for adolescent depression with a validated questionnaire. The stakeholders identified were physicians, nurses and the health information team (HIT). The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) is a standardized tool and serves as a good first step rapid screening of the population. A decision was made to implement the use of PHQ-2 to all the adolescents aged 11-21. A clinic flow protocol was developed. As the patient checks in, there will be a computer pop-up reminding nurses to administer the PHQ-2. The PHQ-2 self-scores in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and if the score is three or more the nurses would automatically administer the PHQ-9 which is also embedded and self-scored in the EHR. After 12 months of implementing this project with four PDSA cycles, the adolescent depression-screening rate improved from 10-15% from the previous two years to 65% (six month period) and 82% at the end of the 12 month period. The rate of referral to mental health services had also increased in the same time period compared to the previous years. In conclusion, screening for adolescent depression with a brief validated tool in a busy primary care office is possible with the help of the EHR.
Sex hormone-binding globulin as an independent determinant of cortical bone status in men at the age of peak bone mass.

CONTEXT Sex steroids are important determinants of the skeletal development, growth, and maintenance after achievement of peak bone mass. A large fraction of these hormones are bound by SHBG, and previous studies have shown that SHBG could be a determinant of bone characteristics. OBJECTIVE We investigated associations of serum SHBG levels with cortical and trabecular bone characteristics in young healthy men. DESIGN AND SETTINGS A total of 677 healthy male siblings aged 25-45 yr were recruited in a cross-sectional, population-based study. MAIN OUTCOMES Areal bone parameters were assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Cortical bone parameters at the tibia and radius and trabecular vBMD at the radius were assessed using peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Serum testosterone, estradiol, and SHBG levels were measured using immunoassays. RESULTS Regression models including age, height, and weight showed that SHBG levels were positively associated with bone area at the hip and the whole body, but not with areal bone mineral density (BMD). Higher SHBG levels were associated with a larger cortical bone area and periosteal and endosteal circumferences at both the tibia and the radius, whereas trabecular volumetric BMD at the radius was negatively associated with SHBG levels. Associations persisted after adjustment for (free) sex steroid levels. No associations were found with cortical volumetric BMD or cortical thickness. CONCLUSION In this population of healthy adult men at the age of peak bone mass, SHBG levels were positively associated with cortical bone size, independently from sex-steroid levels. This suggests a possible independent role of SHBG in the determination of adult bone size.
Autoimmune T cell responses to seminal plasma in chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS)

The aetiology of chronic prostatitis is not understood. The aim of this study is to investigate an autoimmune hypothesis by looking for T cell proliferation in response to proteins of the seminal plasma. We studied peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation from 20 patients with chronic prostatitis and 20 aged‐matched controls in response to serial dilutions of seminal plasma (SP) from themselves (autologous SP) and from a healthy individual without the disease (allo‐SP). We found that the patients have a statistically greater lymphocyte proliferation to autologous SP at the 1/50 dilution on day 6 compared to controls (P = 0·01). They also have a greater proliferation to allo‐SP on both day 5 (P = 0·001) and day 6 (P = 0·01) at the same dilution. Using a stimulation index (SI) of 9 to either autologous SP or allo‐SP on day 6 at the 1/50 dilution as a definition of a proliferative response to SP, then 13/20 patients as compared to 3/20 controls showed a proliferative response to SP (P = 0·003, Fisher’s exact test). These data support an autoimmune hypothesis for chronic prostatitis.
The Self-Organizing Society: The Role of Institutions

Is it possible to constrain a human society in such a way that self-organization will thereafter tend to produce outcomes that advance the goals of the society? Such a society would be self-organizing in the sense that individuals who pursue only their own interests would none-the-less act in the interests of the society as a whole, irrespective of any intention to do so. I sketch an agent-based model that identifies the conditions that must be met if such a self-organizing society is to emerge. The model draws heavily on an understanding of how self-organizing societies have emerged repeatedly during the evolution of life on Earth (e.g. evolution has produced societies of molecular processes, of simple cells, of eukaryote cells and of multicellular organisms). The model demonstrates that the key enabling requirement for a self-organizing society is ‘consequence-capture’. Broadly this means that all agents in the society must capture sufficient of the benefits (and harms) that are produced by the impact of their actions on the goals of the society. If this condition is not met, agents that invest resources in actions that produce societal benefits will tend to be out-competed by those that do not. This ‘consequence-capture’ condition can be met where a society is managed by appropriate systems of evolvable constraints that suppress free riders and support pro-social actions. In human societies these constraints include institutions such as systems of governance and social norms. If a self-organizing society is to emerge, consequence-capture must occur for all agents in the society, including those involved in the establishment and adaptation of institutions. By implementing consequence-capture, appropriate institutions can produce a self-organizing society in which the interests of all agents (including individuals, associations, firms, multi-national corporations, political organizations, institutions and governments) are aligned with those of the society as a whole.
Fracture resistance of zirconia‐based all‐ceramic crowns after bur adjustment

Intra-oral grinding is often required to optimize occlusion of all-ceramic restorations. The effect of burs of different grit size on the fracture resistance of veneered zirconia crowns was investigated in this study. Forty-eight standardized zirconia copings were produced. The ceramic veneer was designed with a positive ellipsoidal defect on the palatal aspect of the crowns. To simulate adjustment of dental restorations by burs, this palatal defect was removed by use of three different diamond-coated burs with grit sizes 46, 107, or 151 μm (fine, medium, or coarse, respectively). Each different grit size of bur was used to grind 16 crowns. All crowns were then polished and surface roughness was measured. Half of the specimens underwent thermomechanical aging (10,000 thermocycles between 6.5°C and 60°C) and 1.2 million cycles of chewing simulation (F = 108 N). A linear regression model was computed to test the effect of aging and grinding grit size at a level of significance of α = 0.05. Fracture loads increased with decreasing grit size. Grit size and aging had a significant effect on the fracture resistance of the crowns. Use of fine and coarse burs for intra-oral adjustments resulted in different fracture resistance of veneered zirconia crowns. Coarse burs should be avoided in the final stage of grinding before polishing.
Antiproliferative efficacies but minor drug transporter inducing effects of paclitaxel, cisplatin, or 5-fluorouracil in a murine xenograft model for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Drug-induced multidrug resistance (MDR) has been linked to overexpression of drug transporting proteins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in vitro. The aim of this work was to reassess these findings in a murine xenograft model. NOD-SCID mice xenotransplanted with 106 HNO97 cells were treated for four consecutive weeks with weekly paclitaxel, biweekly cisplatin (both intraperitoneal), or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, administered by osmotic pump). Tumor volume and body weight were weekly documented. Expression of drug transporters and Ki-67 marker were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and/or immunohistochemistry. Both paclitaxel and cisplatin significantly reduced tumor volumes after 2–3 weeks. 5-FU-treated animals had significantly lower body weights after 2 or 4 weeks of chemotherapy. None of the drugs affected expression of drug transporters at the mRNA level. However, P-glycoprotein (Pgp) protein expression was increased by paclitaxel (P < 0.01). Ki-67 expression did not change during treatment irrespective of the drug applied. Paclitaxel and cisplatin are effectively tumor volume reducing drugs in a murine xenograft model of HNSCC. Paclitaxel enhanced Pgp expression at the protein level, but not at the mRNA level suggesting transcriptional induction to be of minor relevance. In contrast, posttranscriptional mechanisms or Darwinian selection of intrinsically drug transporter overexpressing MDR cells might lead to iatrogenic chemotherapy resistance in HNSCC.
MAP1S controls microtubule stability throughout the cell cycle in human cells

Summary Understanding the molecular basis for proper cell division requires a detailed functional analysis of microtubule (MT)-associated proteins. MT-associated protein 1S (MAP1S), the most ubiquitously expressed MAP1 family member, is required for accurate cell division. Here, using quantitative analysis of MT plus-end tracking, we show that MAP1S knockdown alters MT dynamics throughout the cell cycle. Surprisingly, MAP1S downregulation results in faster growing, yet short-lived, MTs in all cell cycle stages and in a global loss of MT acetylation. These aberrations correlate with severe defects in the final stages of cell division. In monopolar cytokinesis assays, we demonstrate that MAP1S guides MT-dependent initiation of cytokinesis. Our data underline the key role of MAP1S as a global regulator of MT stability and demonstrate a new primary function of MAP1S to regulate MT dynamics at the onset of cytokinesis.
Do More Strikes Mean a Stronger Working Class's Agency: A Comparative Study in Post-Socialist China

Workers’ agency is important to understand the Chinese working class's formation and gauge its capacity to forge transformative social and political movements. Recent labor study literature posits that class inequality and volatile capital movement leads to stronger labor resistance in post-socialist China. Drawing on some of the theories on class consciousness and agency, this article re-conceptualizes workers’ agency, which is broken down into behavioral and cognitive agencies. It examines Chinese workers’ cognitive agency in the megacities and lower-tier cities via statistical survey data. This analysis of cognitive agency is new to the Chinese labor study. I argue that a relatively low class identification, poor understanding of democracy and politics, and weak sense of solidarity combine to reveal a new working class in post-socialist China that, in general, shows both weak cognitive agency and growing conservativism. This distinction of workers’ behavioral and cognitive agency is vital as it may eventually challenge all labor interest parties to re-think their current strategies of labor engagement and organization.
Associations of Mindfulness with Nicotine Dependence, Withdrawal, and Agency

Quitting smoking is a major life stressor that results in numerous aversive consequences, including persistently increased level of post-cessation negative affect and relapse. The identification of factors that may enhance behavioral and emotional regulation after quitting may be useful in enhancing quit rates and preventing relapse. One factor broadly linked with behavioral and emotional regulation is mindfulness. This study examined baseline associations of mindfulness with demographic variables, smoking history, dependence, withdrawal severity, and agency among 158 smokers enrolled in a cessation trial. Results indicated that mindfulness was negatively associated with level of nicotine dependence and withdrawal severity, and positively associated with a sense of agency regarding cessation. Moreover, mindfulness remained significantly associated with these measures even after controlling for key demographic variables. Results suggest that low level of mindfulness may be an important predictor of vulnerability to relapse among adult smokers preparing to quit; thus, mindfulness-based interventions may enhance cessation.
Novel affine-invariant curve descriptor for curve matching and occluded object recognition

The authors present a new approach for affine distorted planar curve matching and exploit it for occluded object recognition. There are two main contributions in the study: First, a novel affine-invariant curve descriptor (AICD) based on a new-defined affine-invariant signature and its unsigned sum is proposed to represent the local shape of a curve with high distinctiveness. Second, a part-to-part curve matching algorithm is developed by combining AICD with a curve segmentation strategy based on inflexion points, which can be applied to object recognition under affine distortions and partial occlusions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits effectiveness in occluded object recognition better than the state-of-the-art partial curve matching methods.
Association beween resting heart rate, shear and flow‐mediated dilation in healthy adults

What is the central question of this study? The aim was to explore the relationships among resting heart rate, shear and endothelial function in humans. What is the main finding and its importance? The main finding is that resting heart rate is associated with shear and endothelial function in humans. This finding could have implications when studying endothelial function in humans with varying heart rates.
Ramadan fasting and the goals of sports nutrition around exercise

Abstract Ramadan fasting, involving abstinence from fluid and food from sunrise to sundown, results in prolonged periods without nutrient intake and inflexibility with the timing of eating and drinking over the day. Dietary choices may also change due to special eating rituals. Although nutrition guidelines are specific to the sport, to the periodized training and competition calendar, and to the individual, many promote the consumption of carbohydrate and fluid before and during exercise, and consumption of protein, carbohydrate, and fluids soon after the session is completed. Failing to meet overall nutritional needs, or to provide specific nutritional support to a session of exercise, is likely to impair acute performance and reduce the effectiveness of training or recovery. Muslim athletes who fast during Ramadan should use overnight opportunities to consume foods and drinks that can supply the nutrients needed to promote performance, adaptation, and recovery in their sports. Because of the benefits of being able to consume at least some of these nutrients before, during or after an exercise session, the schedule of exercise should be shifted where possible to the beginning or end of the day, or during the evening when some nutritional support can be provided.
The Influence of Family Characteristics, Family Financial Management, and Saving Intensity on the Size of Farmer Families' Saving at Ciaruteun Ilir Villages

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of financial management on saving behavior in farmer families. This research uses cross-sectional design conducted in Ciaruteun Ilir Village with purposive selection location. The study was performed in 70 randomly selected families with working wife. The results showed that financial management of farmer family is poor. A total of 71.4 percent of farmer families has saving. The results of multiple linear regression showed that the bigger the family size, the weaker the financial management. Nonetheless, the number of assets and higher family income would increase financial management. Logistic regression showed that family with better financial management is more likely to have better saving. Family size would reduce saving, while family income would increase saving.