Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Progress in tourism and destination wellbeing research

A proliferation of research in recent years has revealed a myriad of relationships between tourism and the concept of wellbeing. These include health benefits of visiting tourist destinations, a product focus on wellness and maintaining good health. Broader interpretations emphasize the complex ways in which tourism can influence the emotional, psychological, cognitive and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing, both for tourists and for destination communities. This study reflects an emerging paradigm shift that incorporates a deeper appreciation of the benefits derived at the destination level from a focus on health and wellbeing. The study highlights three key perspectives, namely the tourist, the destination community and the destination itself. The study concludes that research in this area is critical to the future development, management and marketing of sustainable and competitive destinations with the wellbeing of tourists, their destination host communities, and the overall destination experience, critical to their ultimate success.
Dickkopf-1 Enhances Inflammatory Interaction Between Platelets and Endothelial Cells and Shows Increased Expression in Atherosclerosis

Objective—Based on the emerging importance of the wingless (Wnt) pathways in inflammation and vascular biology, we hypothesized a role for Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), a major modulator of Wnt signaling, in atherogenesis and plaque destabilization. Methods and Results—We report increased levels of DKK-1 in experimental (ApoE−/− mice) and clinical (patients with coronary artery disease [n=80] and patients with carotid plaque [n=47]) atherosclerosis, both systemically (serum) and within the lesion, with particularly high levels in advanced and unstable disease. We identified platelets as an important cellular source of DKK-1 as shown by in vitro experiments and by immunostaining of thrombus material obtained at the site of plaque rupture in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction, with strong immunoreactivity in platelet aggregates. Our in vitro experiments identified a role for platelet- and endothelial-derived DKK-1 in platelet-dependent endothelial activation, promoting enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines. These inflammatory effects of DKK-1 involved inhibition of the Wnt/&bgr;-catenin pathway and activation of nuclear factor &kgr;B. Conclusion—Our findings identify DKK-1 as a novel mediator in platelet-mediated endothelial cell activation. The demonstration of enhanced DKK-1 expression within advanced carotid plaques may suggest that this DKK-1-driven inflammatory loop could be operating within the atherosclerotic lesion.
Testing the Bureau Voting Model: A Research Note on Federal and State-Local Employees

The purpose of this research note is to examine differences in support for the bureau voting model among federal and state-local government employees. In the 1982 National Election Study, data on government employment is broken down into federal, state, and local categories. In order to explore briefly some of the differences between federal and combined state-local government employees, Exhibit 1 presents the difference-of-means results based on an OLS regression model, with separate binary variables representing federal and state-local employees included as independent variables. In Exhibit 1, the intercept term for each variable represents the mean on that variable for private-sector employees, and the unstandardized regression coefficients (b) represent the differences in means for the two groups of government employees. The means for each government employee group can be calculated by adding the b coefficient to the intercept.1
Return Predictability Conditional on the Characteristics of Information Signals

This dissertation examines whether simultaneously conditioning on the multidimensional characteristics of information signals can help predict returns that are of economic significance. We use large price changes, public announcements, and large volume increases to proxy for the magnitude, dissemination, and precision of information signals. Abnormal returns following large price change events are found to be unimportant. As we condition on other characteristics of information signals, the abnormal returns become large. Large price change events accompanied by both a public announcement and an increase in volume have a 20-day abnormal return of almost 2% for positive events and -1.68% for negative events. The type of news provides further refinement. If the news relates to earnings announcements, management earnings forecasts, or analyst recommendations then the 20-day abnormal returns becomes much larger: ranging from 3% to 4% for positive events and about -2.25% for negative events. For these news events, we also find that the underreaction is greater for positive (negative) event firms that underperformed (overperformed) the market in the prior period, earning 20-day post-event abnormal returns of 4.85% (-3.50%). This evidence is consistent with the Barberis, Shleifer, and Vishny (1998) model of investor sentiment that
Comparison of top and bottom loading of a dextran gradient for rat pancreatic islet purification.

Rat pancreatic islet yields obtained with dextran gradient purification were compared after suspending the digest into either the top or the bottom layer of the gradient. A 5-layer discontinuous gradient was used, which consisted of 16 ml 31% dextran as bottom layer, overlayered with 25%, 23%, 20% and 11% dextran (4 ml each). When the digest of 1 rat pancreas was suspended into the top layer of the gradient, the total number of islets obtained from the 11-20, 20-23 and 23-25% interfaces was 862 +/- 38, 240 +/- 39 and 54 +/- 5, respectively. From this gradient, also 1409 +/- 81 islets were retrieved from the bottom layer (i.e., exocrine pellet). In contrast, when the pancreas digest was suspended into the bottom layer of the gradient, 1964 +/- 63, 435 +/- 42, and 177 +/- 34 islets were obtained from the successive interfaces, and only 50 +/- 20 islets from the exocrine pellet. The total islet volume obtained from the two uppermost interfaces was 3.46 +/- 0.31 microliters after top-loading, and 4.93 +/- 0.16 microliters after bottom-loading (n = 7, p < 0.01). When the islets retrieved from one bottom loaded gradient were transplanted into either 1 (n = 6) or 2 (n = 9) diabetic recipients, glucose levels normalized in all instances. We therefore conclude that a bottom-loaded dextran gradient separates islets from exocrine tissue effectively, resulting in significantly higher islet yields than obtained with a top-loaded dextran gradient.
Epidural morphine with butorphanol in pediatric patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether the addition of butorphanol to epidural morphine is effective in reducing the frequency of side effects caused by neuraxial opioids. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind study. SETTING Large tertiary care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS 20 children between the ages of 2 and 17 years undergoing spinal, abdominal, or thoracic procedures. INTERVENTIONS Patients were divided randomly into one of two groups to receive either 80 micrograms/kg of preservative-free epidural morphine (Group 1) or 80 micrograms/kg of preservative-free epidural morphine with 40 micrograms/kg of butorphanol (Group 2). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and the first need for additional opioids were monitored in the two groups. In addition, pruritus, nausea and vomiting, and supplemental oxygen (O2) required to maintain oxygen saturation (SpO2) above 90% were monitored. Children who received butorphanol in addition to epidural morphine were much less likely to develop pruritus or nausea and vomiting or to require supplemental O2 to maintain SpO2 above 90%. CONCLUSION Butorphanol 40 micrograms/kg added to epidural morphine 80 micrograms/kg is effective in decreasing the occurrence of side effects caused by neuraxial opioids in pediatric patients.
Temporal profiling of human urine VOCs and its potential role under the ruins of collapsed buildings

Context: The scent profile of human urine was investigated as potential source of chemical markers of human presence in collapsed buildings after natural or man-made disasters. Objective: The main goals of this study were to build a library of potential biomarkers of human urine to be used for the detection of entrapped victims and to further examine their evolution profile in time. Materials and methods: Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to detect and identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spontaneously released from urine of 20 healthy volunteers. Additionally, the evolution of human urine headspace during four days storage at room temperature was investigated. Results: 33 omnipresent species with incidence higher than 80% were selected as potential urine markers. The most represented chemical classes were ketones with 10 representatives, aldehydes (7 species) and sulfur compounds (7 species). The monitoring of the evolution of the urine scent demonstrated an increase in the emission of 26 omnipresent urinary volatiles (rise from 36% to 526%). The highest increase was noted for dimethyldisulfide and dimethyltrisulfide (fivefold increase) and 3-methyl-2-butanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone and 3-hexanone (fourfold rise). Only three compounds exhibited decreasing trend; dimethylsulfone, octanal and propanal. Conclusion: The ubiquitous urine VOCs identified within this study create a library of potential markers of human urine to be verified in further field studies, involving portable and sensitive instruments, directly applied in the field.
Morphological Variants of Aedes aegypti Collected from the Leeward Island of Antigua

Abstract Nineteen Aedes aegypti larvae were collected in rural Antigua, West Indies, from an 18-liter plastic bucket. The location was in a rural area at the northern end of Antigua bordering the coast of Dickenson Bay and approximately 50 m south of Halcyon Cove Beach (17°09′42.54″N, 61°50′44.50″W; elevation 16 m). Atypical morphology was noted in larvae and 3 reared adult females. Fourth instars showed a reduction in length of the lateral hair on the saddle (seta 1-X) with measurements ranging from 0.36 to 0.57 the length of the saddle. Two atypical female specimens displayed an abundance of dull white to gold scales that blanketed the abdomen. A 3rd specimen bore fine, golden scales on the mesonotum and bronze scales on the vertices of the head. These adult specimens demonstrated morphological characteristics that closely parallel described mutations, although the genetic basis for these characters was not confirmed. The remaining adults in the collection were morphologically typical. Adults and larvae were compared to field populations from Florida, Bahamas, and Antigua, as well as to the Rockefeller strain maintained at Rutgers University.
Improved affinity of engineered streptavidin for the Strep‐tag II peptide is due to a fixed open conformation of the lid‐like loop at the binding site

The Strep‐tag II is a nine‐amino acid peptide that was developed as an affinity tool for the purification of corresponding fusion proteins on streptavidin columns. The peptide recognizes the same pocket of streptavidin where the natural ligand is normally bound so that biotin or its chemical derivatives can be used for competitive elution. We report here the crystal structures of the streptavidin mutants '1' and '2,' which had been engineered for 10‐fold higher affinity towards the Strep‐tag II. Both streptavidin mutants carry mutations at positions 44, 45, and 47, that is, in a flexible loop region close to the binding site. The crystal structures of the two apo‐proteins and their complexes with the Strep‐tag II peptide were refined at resolutions below 2 Å. Both in the presence and absence of the peptide, the lid‐like loop next to the ligand pocket—comprising residues 45 through 52—adopts an 'open' conformation in all four subunits within the asymmetric unit. The same loop was previously described to be disordered in the wild‐type apo‐streptavidin and to close over the pocket upon complexation of the natural ligand biotin. Our findings suggest that stabilization of the 'open' loop conformation in the absence of a ligand abolishes the need for conformational rearrangement prior to the docking of the voluminous peptide. Because no direct contacts between the flexible part of the loop and the peptide ligand were detected, it seems likely that the higher affinity of the two streptavidin mutants for the Strep‐tag II is caused by a predominantly entropic mechanism.
Initiation of hypertension in utero and its amplification throughout life.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether the relation between high blood pressure and low birth weight is initiated in utero or during infancy, and whether it changes with age. DESIGN--A longitudinal study of children and three follow up studies of adults. SETTING--Farnborough, Preston, and Hertfordshire, England, and a national sample in Britain. SUBJECTS--1895 children aged 0-10 years, 3240 men and women aged 36 years, 459 men and women aged 46-54 years, and 1231 men and women aged 59-71 years. The birth weight of all subjects had been recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Systolic blood pressure. RESULTS--At all ages beyond infancy people who had lower birth weight had higher systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure was not related to growth during infancy independently of birth weight. The relation between systolic pressure and birth weight became larger with increasing age so that, after current body mass was allowed for, systolic pressure at ages 64-71 years decreased by 5.2 mm Hg (95% confidence interval 1.8 to 8.6) for every kg increase in birth weight. CONCLUSIONS--Essential hypertension is initiated in fetal life. A raised blood pressure is then amplified from infancy to old age, perhaps by a positive feedback mechanism.
NF-&kgr;B Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Cell and Bile Salt-Induced Migration After Injury

ObjectiveTo determine if NF-&kgr;B regulates intestinal epithelial cell migration and if it has a role during bile salt-induced migration. Summary Background DataMucosal restitution is an important repair modality in the gastrointestinal tract. The authors have shown that taurodeoxycholate (TDCA) increases intestinal epithelial cell migration. NF-&kgr;B regulates activation of a number of genes involved in inflammatory responses. MethodsStudies were conducted in IEC-6 cells. I&kgr;B protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis. Sequence-specific NF-&kgr;B binding activity was measured by EMSA shift assays and nuclear localization by immunohistochemistry. Cell migration was examined by using an in vitro model that mimics the early cell division-independent stages of epithelial restitution. ResultsThe process of cell migration over the wounded area was associated with a significant increase in NF-&kgr;B binding activity in IEC-6 cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed translocation of NF-&kgr;B into the nucleus. Western blot analysis showed that injury decreased I&kgr;B protein expression. Inhibition of the binding activity by treatment with a specific NF-&kgr;B inhibitor, MG-132, inhibited cell migration during restitution. Further, exposure to TDCA at the physiologic concentration that induces intestinal epithelial cell migration increased NF-&kgr;B binding activity, induced NF-&kgr;B translocation into the nucleus, and decreased I&kgr;B protein expression. MG-132 also inhibits bile salt-induced cell migration. ConclusionsNF-&kgr;B regulates intestinal epithelial cell migration. Bile salts at physiologic concentrations increase cell migration by activation of NF-&kgr;B. These data show that bile salts may have a role in the maintenance of intestinal mucosal integrity.
Carbon fluxes acclimate more strongly to elevated growth temperatures than to elevated CO2 concentrations in a northern conifer

Increasing temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations will affect tree carbon fluxes, generating potential feedbacks between forests and the global climate system. We studied how elevated temperatures and CO2 impacted leaf carbon dynamics in Norway spruce (Picea abies), a dominant northern forest species, to improve predictions of future photosynthetic and respiratory fluxes from high‐latitude conifers. Seedlings were grown under ambient (AC, c. 435 μmol mol−1) or elevated (EC, 750 μmol mol−1) CO2 concentrations at ambient, +4 °C, or +8 °C growing temperatures. Photosynthetic rates (Asat) were high in +4 °C/EC seedlings and lowest in +8 °C spruce, implying that moderate, but not extreme, climate change may stimulate carbon uptake. Asat, dark respiration (Rdark), and light respiration (Rlight) rates acclimated to temperature, but not CO2: the thermal optimum of Asat increased, and Rdark and Rlight were suppressed under warming. In all treatments, the Q10 of Rlight (the relative increase in respiration for a 10 °C increase in leaf temperature) was 35% higher than the Q10 of Rdark, so the ratio of Rlight to Rdark increased with rising leaf temperature. However, across all treatments and a range of 10–40 °C leaf temperatures, a consistent relationship between Rlight and Rdark was found, which could be used to model Rlight in future climates. Acclimation reduced daily modeled respiratory losses from warm‐grown seedlings by 22–56%. When Rlight was modeled as a constant fraction of Rdark, modeled daily respiratory losses were 11–65% greater than when using measured values of Rlight. Our findings highlight the impact of acclimation to future climates on predictions of carbon uptake and losses in northern trees, in particular the need to model daytime respiratory losses from direct measurements of Rlight or appropriate relationships with Rdark.
RNA recognition by transcriptional antiterminators of the BglG/SacY family: functional and structural comparison of the CAT domain from SacY and LicT.

Transcriptional antiterminators of the BglG/SacY family are regulatory proteins that mediate the induction of sugar metabolizing operons in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Upon activation, these proteins bind to specific targets in nascent mRNAs, thereby preventing abortive dissociation of the RNA polymerase from the DNA template. We have previously characterized the RNA-binding domain of SacY from Bacillus subtilis and determined its three-dimensional structure by both NMR and crystallography. In the present study, we have characterized the paralogous domain from LicT and we present the first structural comparison between two BglG/SacY family members. Similar to SacY, the RNA-binding activity of LicT is contained within the 56 N-terminal amino acid residue fragment corresponding to the so-called co-antiterminator (CAT) domain. Surface plasmon resonance affinity measurements show that, compared to SacY-CAT, LicT-CAT binds more tightly and more specifically to its cognate RNA target, with a KD value of about 10(-8) M. The crystal structure of LicT-CAT has been determined at 1.8 A resolution and compared to that of SacY-CAT. Both molecules fold as symmetrical dimers, each monomer comprising a four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet that stacks against the beta-sheet of the other monomer in a very conserved manner. Comparison of the proposed RNA-binding surfaces shows that many of the conserved atoms concentrate in a central region across one face of the CAT dimer, whereas variable elements are mostly found at the edges. Interestingly, the electrostatic potential maps calculated for the two molecules are quite different, except for the core of the RNA-binding site, which appears essentially neutral in both structures.
The relationship between computerized physician order entry and pediatric adverse drug events: a nested matched case‐control study

This study assesses the impact of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) implementation in pediatric hospitals on reported adverse drug events. Using a nested matched case‐control design; we linked CPOE implementation information from the health information management systems society analytics database with reported adverse drug event (ADE) from the national association of children's hospitals and related institutions case mix comparative data program. Differences were examined using univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses. Patients from CPOE hospitals were more frequently seen in larger hospitals have more co‐morbidities than those from non‐CPOE hospitals. When matched by admitting diagnosis, age, gender and race, ADE cases were associated with more reported co‐morbidities, and were reported less frequently in hospitals with CPOE. Patients from hospitals without CPOE were 42% more likely to experience reportable ADE after adjusting for the presence of co‐morbidities. In conclusion, we found significant beneficial associations between reportable ADE and CPOE adoption in a representative sample of pediatric hospitals. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing Insecticide Susceptibility of Laboratory Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus papatasi Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

ABSTRACT Chemical insecticides are effective for controlling Lutzomyia and Phlebotomus sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) vectors of Leishmania parasites. However, repeated use of certain insecticides has led to tolerance and resistance. The objective of this study was to determine lethal concentrations (LCs) and lethal exposure times (LTs) to assess levels of susceptibility of laboratory Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Nieva) and Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) to 10 insecticides using a modified version of theWorld Health Organization (WHO) exposure kit assay and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bottle bioassay. Sand flies were exposed to insecticides coated on the interior of 0.5-gallon and 1,000-ml glass bottles. Following exposure, the flies were allowed to recover for 24 h, after which mortality was recorded. From dose-response survival curves for L. longipalpis and P. papatasi generated with the QCal software, LCs causing 50, 90, and 95% mortality were determined for each insecticide. The LCs and LTs from this study will be useful as baseline reference points for future studies using the CDC bottle bioassays to assess insecticide susceptibility of sand fly populations in the field. There is a need for a larger repository of sand fly insecticide susceptibility data from the CDC bottle bioassays, including a range of LCs and LTs for more sand fly species with more insecticides. Such a repository would be a valuable tool for vector management.
Using common factors to identify substitution possibilities in a factor demand system with technological changes

I apply a common factor approach to identifying substitution possibilities between input factors in a factor demand system. Technological changes can lead to shifts in the relative use of input factors within an industry. Technological changes can also be common to several industries. If such common shocks are not taken into account, the estimates of the substitution elasticity might be biased. In this paper, I investigate the importance of taking account of technological changes by allowing for different kinds of common factors, both within and between industries. The estimation results show that, if technological changes are not properly taken into account, we obtain unreliable (negative) estimates of the elasticity of substitutions. When taking such changes into account, however, the estimated elasticities of substitution are positive in all the non-government industries in mainland Norway.