Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determining the relationship between destination brand image and its components with intention to visit

Tourism, considered one of the fastest growing industries, is characterized as having a high level of competitiveness. In attempts to attract tourists, destinations have relatively recently begun taking strides to engage in and improve their destination marketing efforts, making the subject significantly relevant. Creating a positive brand image is especially important in the tourism industry, as it is necessary for destinations, many of which tout the same benefits and attributes, to set themselves apart from the competition. Previous studies have shown that destination brand image, or the way people perceive a specific destination, effects consumer behavior. This paper sought to further examine the relationship between brand image and intention to visit. In order to gain a better understanding of this relationship, a group of relatively homogenous Americans that had never visited Spain were interviewed about their currently held brand images of Spain as well as the information sources, which assumedly influenced their perception, that they had been exposed to. The answers of participants were then assessed in order to discern if there is a relationship between perceived destination image and its components with intention to visit. Results from the interviews reaffirmed previous studies that indicated a relationship between intention to visit a destination and a positive brand image. In addition, many components of destination brand image also demonstrated a positive relationship. As respondents demonstrated greater familiarity with the place, for instance, they had a greater intention of visiting.
Lethal Granuloma Disintegration in Mycobacteria-Infected TNFRp55−/− Mice Is Dependent on T Cells and IL-121

Genetically susceptible, TNFRp55 gene-deficient (TNFRp55−/−) mice succumb to infection with Mycobacterium avium. Before their death, M. avium-infected TNFRp55−/− mice develop granulomatous lesions that, in contrast to granulomas in wild-type syngeneic mice, undergo acute disintegration. To determine the factors involved in these events, we depleted T cell subsets or neutralized the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, or TNF in TNFRp55−/− mice infected i.v. with M. avium. Infected TNFRp55−/− mice treated with a control mAb became moribund between days 26 and 34 postinfection, showing widespread inflammatory cell apoptosis within disintegrating granulomas. In contrast, TNFRp55−/− mice depleted of either CD4+ or CD8+ cells after granuloma initiation stayed healthy until at least day 38 postinfection and showed no signs of granuloma destruction. Neutralization of IL-12, but not of IFN-γ or TNF, also protected M. avium-infected TNFRp55−/− mice from granuloma decomposition and from premature death. Treatment with dexamethasone or with a specific inhibitor of inducible NO synthase did not prevent granuloma dissolution or death of TNFRp55−/− mice. In conclusion, granuloma disintegration in TNFRp55−/− mice is a lethal event that is dependent on IL-12 and that is mediated by an excess of T cells.
Achieving business excellence and competitiveness in the MENA region

The objective of this introductory chapter is to outline key factors that are influencing and influenced by the business environment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. These key factors such as economy, infrastructure, development, education, technology, etc. are essential for achieving business excellence and competitiveness in the region. The performance of the different countries in the region will be assessed against each other and the rest of the world using different international indicators and measurements. However, it is important to note that understanding the nature of problems, challenges and opportunities in the region is a very difficult task for many people outside its territories. Equally important to mention the fact that it is not possible to have contributions from important countries in the region such as Iraq and Palestine due to the current situation is both countries.
Financial Reserves : A Necessary Condition for Not-for-Profit Sustainability?

Should not-for-profit (NFP) organisations hold reserves to hedge uncertainty and protect mission delivery? This chapter outlines the nature and contxt of NFP reserves. many would accept that actors within NFP organisations have a broad accountability to ensure sustinability where an appropriate mission exists, and that sustinability is assisted or ensured through the purposeful accumulation of reserves. This chapter examins current relevant literature on reserves, reviews various approaches to reserves accumulation across jurisdictions and reports what is known about practice. We highlight the tension faced by NFP organisations, balancing mission spending against the need to hedge uncertainty. We investigate the role of reserves, and how an appropriate level is determined to ensure a NFP board's accountability for organisational sustinability. This issue is particularly significant in the period following the global financial crisis, and while practitioner interest is evident, there has been little academic attention paid to the topic of NFP reserves, and 'very few [articles] have even forcused on related topics' (Calabrese, 2011, p. 282).
The Bacillus subtilis nrdEF Genes, Encoding a Class Ib Ribonucleotide Reductase, Are Essential for Aerobic and Anaerobic Growth

ABSTRACT Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are essential for the biosynthesis of the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates of DNA. Recently, it was proposed that externally supplied deoxyribonucleosides or DNA is required for the growth of Bacillus subtilis under strict anaerobic conditions (M. J. Folmsbee, M. J. McInerney, and D. P. Nagle, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:5252-5257, 2004). Cultivation of B. subtilis on minimal medium in the presence of oxygen indicators in combination with oxygen electrode measurements and viable cell counting demonstrated that growth occurred under strict anaerobic conditions in the absence of externally supplied deoxyribonucleosides. The nrdEF genes encode the only obvious RNR in B. subtilis. A temperature-sensitive nrdE mutant failed to grow under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, indicating that this oxygen-dependent class I RNR has an essential role under both growth conditions. Aerobic growth and anaerobic growth of the nrdE mutant were rescued by addition of deoxynucleotides. The nrd locus consists of an nrdI-nrdE-nrdF-ymaB operon. The 5′ end of the corresponding mRNA revealed transcriptional start sites 45 and 48 bp upstream of the translational start of nrdI. Anaerobic transcription of the operon was found to be dependent on the presence of intact genes for the ResDE two-component redox regulatory system. Two potential ResD binding sites were identified approximately 62 bp (site A) and 50 bp (site B) upstream of the transcriptional start sites by a bioinformatic approach. Only mutation of site B eliminated nrd expression. Aerobic transcription was ResDE independent but required additional promoter elements localized between 88 and 275 bp upstream of the transcriptional start.
Modular expert network approach to histogram thresholding

The problem of histogram thresholding is tackled using a modular expert network. The modular expert network is a network of expert modules modulated by a gating network. The expert modules incorporate individual experts' opinions on the thresholding problem. The difficult task of integration of conflicting experts' opinions is achieved through a training of the gating network using backpropa- gation. The resulting network achieves accurate modeling of the solution mapping through the efficient combination of existing ex- perts. Experimental results show the superior performance of the modular network over classical algorithms. In particular, a near- optimal solution was shown to be achievable using a small training set. Application to a real-world biomedical cell segmentation prob- lem is also given. © 1997 SPIE and IS&T. (S1017-9909(97)00603-X)
Electroconvulsive seizure increases adult hippocampal angiogenesis in rats

Electroconvulsive seizure has a proven therapeutic application in the treatment of severe depression and treatment‐resistant depression. Despite the efficacy of electroconvulsive seizure as a non‐chemical antidepressant treatment, the mechanism of action is unclear. Elevation in hippocampal trophic factor expression and concomitant cellular proliferation are thought to play a role in its action. We examined whether the reported induction of angiogenic factors and endothelial cell proliferation leads to an increase in vascular density. Two hippocampal regions, the dentate gyrus and the stratum lacunosum moleculare (SLM), were examined employing a combination of vascular density quantification, angiogenic gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry. A 6% increase in vascular density was observed in the dentate gyrus but this did not achieve statistical significance. The SLM of the hippocampus exhibited a robust 20–30% increase in vascular density and was accompanied by an increase in expression of inhibitor of differentiation‐3. There was also an induction of the angiogenesis markers αVβ3 integrin and Del1. Increases in the vascular density of the SLM could be in response to enhanced metabolic activity in this region. This is supported by the induction of glutamine synthetase and the glutamate transporter GLT1.
Erythropoietin on a Tightrope: Balancing Neuronal and Vascular Protection between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Pathways

Enthusiasm for erythropoietin (EPO) as a broad cytoprotective agent continues to increase at an almost exponential rate. The premise that EPO was required only for erythropoiesis was eventually shed by recent work demonstrating the existence of EPO and its receptor in other organs and tissues outside of the liver and the kidney, such as the brain and heart. As a result, EPO has been identified as a possible candidate in the formulation of therapeutic strategies for both cardiac and nervous system diseases. EPO has been shown to mediate an array of vital cellular functions that involve progenitor stem cell development, cellular protection, angiogenesis, DNA repair, and cellular longevity. An important requirement to achieve the goal of preventing or even reducing cellular injury by any cytoprotective agent is the ability to uncover the cellular pathways that ultimately drive a cell to its demise. We present for consideration several critical cellular pathways modulated by EPO that involve Janus kinase 2 (Jak2), the serine-threonine kinase Akt, forkhead transcription factors, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), cellular calcium, protein kinase C, caspases, as well as the control of inflammatory microglial activation. As we continue to gain new insight into these pathways, EPO should emerge as a critical agent for the development, maturation, and survival of cells throughout the body.
GROWTH IN PINNIPEDS

This review presents summary figures of, and fits growth curves to, data on body lengths (as standard length, SL, whenever possible) of pinnipeds at ages estimated to O.I y. (1) Generalized von Bertalanffy (vB) growth curves are fitted to most data: Lx = L infinity (I - ea(x-x0)b, Lx is length at age x, x0 is the origin of the curve (here chosen a priori as time of initiation of embryonic growth), L infinity is asymptotic length, a (which is negative) determines rate of approach to the asymptote, and b influences the 'shape' of the approach. (2) No single monotonic growth equation suffices for growth in length, which is linear before birth and remains so during early life. The vB equation is only suitable to describe mean lengths of newborns, and animals one or more years old. (3) Also, for males of polygynous species, two functions are needed to account for accelerated growth at puberty. Generally a Gompertz equation is adequate for adult males of these species. (4) The fitted growth equations permit statistical comparisons of sizes and growth rates, as well as of individual variability (as growth-curve residuals), among populations and species. (5) For the following species (including different populations when available), the reliability of data is assessed and parameters of growth curves are presented (with sexes separated where significantly different): walrus, California and Steller sea lions, Antarctic, subantarctic and northern fur seals, Hawaiian monk seal, crabeater, Weddell and Leopard seals, southern and northern elephant seals, bearded, hooded, ringed, Baikal, Caspian, spotted, harbour, harp, ribbon and grey seals. (6) Some novel findings pertain to individual species as follows. Although the Pacific walrus is generally stated to be the larger subspecies, females from Hudson Bay and males from Foxe Basin, in the eastern Canadian Arctic, may be as long as those from the Bering Sea. Although female Weddell seals have been assumed to grow larger than males, there is no significant difference in growth curves fitted to the most complete data. Uniquely among populations examined, the relative variability (absolute growth curve residuals/predicted lengths) of male southern elephant seals is amplified with age. Among ringed seals from Svalbard, the eastern, western and high Canadian Arctic, and the Bering, Chukchi, Okhotsk, Barents and Baltic Seas, asymptotic sizes are larger among those that breed on land-fast ice rather than floes, and size may be more variable in more extreme Arctic environments. The Baikal seal is confirmed as the smallest species of pinniped. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Possible Role of Drug Interactions in Bupivacaine-induced Problems Related to Intraventricular Conduction Disorders

Clinically, bupivacaine has depressant effects on intraventricular conduction that may lead to serious atrioventricular blocks or reentrant arrhythmias at plasma levels below those required to produce these effects experimentally (2-3 μg/ml instead of 8-10 μg/ml). The difference could be due to drugs present in the blood at the time of regional anesthesia that similarly inhibit conduction. This hypothesis was examined in 30 anesthetized, closed-chest dogs by measuring conduction time in the ventricular contractile fibers as well as effective refractory period under pacing at a constant, relatively high (180 beats/minute) rate. Changes in sinus rate were limited, as well as changes in ventricular effective refractory period and blood pressure regardless of the drug tested. In contrast, cibenzoline, disopyramide, and propranolol increased conduction time and lengthened QRS duration. Clomipramine appeared to prolong conduction time and widen QRS only moderately in therapeutic doses, whereas verapamil did not manifest noticeable effects on conduction. Caution is therefore recommended in regional anesthesia with bupivacaine in subjects being treated with cardiovascular drugs, such as cibenzoline, disopyramide, and propranolol and their congeners, or even by tricyclic antidepressants.
Histopathological Changes in Rabbit Gastric Mucosa After Chronic Exposure to Pickled Vegetables: An Experimental Study

Gastric cancer (GC) is very common in Iran. Daily consumption of pickled vegetables is a routine dietary habit in most areas of Iran. Because pickled vegetables have been associated with GC it can be of importance to study the relationship between the two. We have therefore studied the histo-morphological effects of pickled vegetables on the Rabbit gastric mucosa. Forty and twenty healthy male rabbits were respectively allocated in the experimental and control groups. The rabbits were fed freely with pickled (experimental group) and fresh vegetables (control group) for 1 yr. The gastric mucosa of rabbits was examined and the results were compared. In addition to all the rabbits of the control group, 14 rabbits (35%) of the experimental group had normal gastric mucosa. The rest showed abnormal changes including atypia—so called indefinite for dysplasia—in 10 (25%), low-grade dysplasia in 14 (35%), and high-grade dysplasia in 2 (5%). The analysis showed significant difference between results of the 2 groups (P < 0.001). Daily consumption of pickled vegetables can produce atypical and dysplastic changes in the gastric mucosa. Such preneoplastic changes can potentially transform to gastric carcinoma. This process could be prevented by reduction or cessation of daily pickled food consumption.
Corporate audit theory

The what and why of corporate audit theory doubt, verification and corporate auditing economic and social roles for corporate auditing prescribing an objective for corporate auditing toward a history of corporate auditing the feasibility of corporate auditing an independent corporate audit the corporate auditor's duty of care attesting corporate financial statement quality corporate audit evidence and evidential material.
Ambient and exhaled carbon monoxide levels in a high traffic density area in Christchurch.

AIMS To monitor outdoor and indoor levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in a sample of shops and offices in a high traffic density area of Christchurch and to measure end-exhaled CO levels in the respective shop and office workers in order to assess the potential for adverse health effects. METHODS Outdoor CO was monitored at two fixed locations near a congested traffic intersection in Riccarton Road, Christchurch. Six shops and three offices were purposefully selected within 300 metres of the monitoring sites. Indoor CO was monitored with a portable ambient gas monitor. Participants in each shop and office underwent end-exhaled breath testing for CO three times daily at approximately 0900, 1300 and 1600 hours for the week their premises was monitored. RESULTS Outdoor CO levels exceeded the ambient 8-hour guideline of 8 ppm on five of the 37 (14%) monitored days and indoor CO levels exceeded the ambient 8-hour guideline on two days. Thirty-two workers, mean age (SD) 34 (9.9) years, participated in the study. End-exhaled CO levels were all below 7 ppm, within the normal range for non-smokers. There was no consistent relationship between indoor CO levels and outdoor CO levels. CONCLUSIONS The 8-hour ambient guideline for CO was exceeded on several days but there was no evidence of elevated exhaled CO levels in any of the participants. It is unlikely that such exposures would impact adversely on the health of workers unless they suffered from an underlying cardiovascular disorder.
MBDS Solvent: An Improved Method for Assessment of Biofilms

Biofilms are recognised as an important contributor to bacterial resistance towards traditional antimicrobial treatments. Assessment of biofilm formation currently relies on a 96 well microtitre plate assay, which usually involves the colourimetric detection of stain (typically crystal violet) removed from previously stained biofilm. The amount of crystal violet released is then used as a quantitative indicator of the amount of biofilm formed. Currently, this is achieved by solubilisation of the stain by ethanol which results in partial decolourisation of the crystal violet stained biofilm which impacts the accuracy and reproducibility of this method. Herein, we describe a modified biofilm dissolving solution (MBDS) which produces a more uniform and reproducible colour release from stained biofilm through solubilisation of the biofilm architecture itself. Here we use crystal violet stained biofilms of P. aeruginosa strain PA0-1, to demonstrate an approximate two fold increase in crystal violet release by MBDS, as compared to ethanol treatment. In addition, when ethanol decolourised biofilms were treated again with MBDS, an almost equal amount of remnant crystal violet was recovered by dissolving the biofilm and the stain trapped within it. These results were reflected in microscopic analysis of ethanol treated and MBDS treated biofilm. Similar results were obtained when MBDS was used to decolourise and dissolve the biofilms of a number of other bacterial species highlighting the advantages of MDBS as a universal solvent for the colour detection of biofilm.
ACV synthetase.

ACV synthetase (ACVS) is the first enzyme and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of all natural penicillins and cephalosporins. The enzyme is extremely unstable and little had been known about it until recently. This article summarizes the progress in research on this enzyme, including the establishment of a cell-free assay system, stabilization, purification, characterization, and gene cloning. A possible reaction sequence for ACVS catalysis is suggested.
Prerequisite for cardiac aldosterone action. Mineralocorticoid receptor and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the human heart.

BACKGROUND It has been proposed that aldosterone exerts direct effects on heart function, most notably on the development of myocardial fibrosis during ventricular hypertrophy in rat. Initial events in aldosterone action entail its binding to mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Because MR displays similar affinities for aldosterone and glucocorticoids, the in vivo aldosterone selectivity of MR requires the presence of an enzyme, 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11-HSD), which metabolizes glucocorticoids into inactive derivatives. Although evidence exists for the presence of MR in rodent heart, no data are available for humans; moreover, the existence of cardiac 11-HSD is controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS The heart samples used originated from tissue removed during cardiac surgery in nontransplant patients or from endocavitary biopsies done for the follow-up of heart transplantation. The expression of MR was examined at the mRNA and protein level by in situ hybridization with cRNA probes specific for human MR mRNA and by immunodetection with two specific anti-MR antibodies. 11-HSD catalytic activity was determined by measurement of the metabolic rate of tritiated corticosteroids by cardiac samples. In nontransplanted hearts, an in situ hybridization signal equivalent to that found in the whole kidney was present on cardiomyocytes. Specific immunolabeling of cardiomyocytes with anti-MR antibodies demonstrated the presence of the MR protein. Cardiac 11-HSD activity was detected (243 +/- 26 fmol.30 min-1.mg protein-1) and was dependent on the cofactor NAD, not NADP, suggesting that it corresponds to the form of the enzyme specifically responsible for MR protection. In transplanted hearts that presented severe alterations, MR immunodetection was weaker and irregular, with no specific hybridization signal. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that MR is coexpressed with 11-HSD in human heart, which thus possesses the cellular machinery required for direct aldosterone action.
Plant Water Use Affects Competition for Nitrogen: Why Drought Favors Invasive Species in California

Classic resource competition theory typically treats resource supply rates as independent; however, nutrient supplies can be affected by plants indirectly, with important consequences for model predictions. We demonstrate this general phenomenon by using a model in which competition for nitrogen is mediated by soil moisture, with competitive outcomes including coexistence and multiple stable states as well as competitive exclusion. In the model, soil moisture regulates nitrogen availability through soil moisture dependence of microbial processes, leaching, and plant uptake. By affecting water availability, plants also indirectly affect nitrogen availability and may therefore alter the competitive outcome. Exotic annual species from the Mediterranean have displaced much of the native perennial grasses in California. Nitrogen and water have been shown to be potentially limiting in this system. We parameterize the model for a Californian grassland and show that soil moisture–mediated competition for nitrogen can explain the annual species’ dominance in drier areas, with coexistence expected in wetter regions. These results are concordant with larger biogeographic patterns of grassland invasion in the Pacific states of the United States, in which annual grasses have invaded most of the hot, dry grasslands in California but perennial grasses dominate the moister prairies of northern California, Oregon, and Washington.