23 research outputs found
Service quality, visitor satisfaction and future behavior in the museum sector
The present study investigates the factors that affect visitors’ satisfaction and their future behavior. A survey based on the dimensions of SERVPERF among 632 visitors in two distinct in terms of atmosphere, exhibits and activities museums, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum for Science and Technology in Thessaloniki (Greece) provides the empirical evidence. The results indicate that the five dimensions of SERVPERF can successfully determine the degree of visitors’ satisfaction and predict future behavior. Future behavior is often subject to visitors’ place of residence. The type of museum is also a significant factor affecting satisfaction and future behavior. on and loyalty
Strong and Broadband Pure Optical Activity in 3D Printed THz Chiral Metamaterials
Optical activity (polarization rotation of light) is one of the most desired
features of chiral media, as it is important for many polarization related
applications. However, in the THz region, chiral media with strong optical
activity are not available in nature. Here, we study theoretically, and
experimentally a chiral metamaterial structure composed of pairs of vertical
U-shape resonators of "twisted" arms, and we reveal that it demonstrates large
pure optical activity (i.e. optical activity associated with negligible
transmitted wave ellipticity) in the low THz regime. The experimental data show
polarization rotation up to 25 (deg) for an unmatched bandwidth of 1 THz
(relative bandwidth 80 %), from a 130 um-thickness structure, while theoretical
optimizations show that the rotation can reach 45 (deg). The enhanced chiral
response of the structure is analyzed through an equivalent RLC circuit model,
which provides also simple optimization rules for the enhancement of its chiral
response. The proposed chiral structures allow easy fabrication via direct
laser writing and electroless metal plating, making them suitable candidates
for polarization control applications.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
Neorogioltriol and related diterpenes from the red alga Laurencia inhibit inflammatory bowel disease in mice by suppressing M1 and promoting M2-like macrophage responses
High-Throughput miRNA and mRNA Sequencing of Paired Colorectal Normal, Tumor and Metastasis Tissues and Bioinformatic Modeling of miRNA-1 Therapeutic Applications
MiRNAs are discussed as diagnostic and therapeutic molecules. However,
effective miRNA drug treatments with miRNAs are, so far, hampered by the
complexity of the miRNA networks. To identify potential miRNA drugs in
colorectal cancer, we profiled miRNA and mRNA expression in matching normal,
tumor and metastasis tissues of eight patients by Illumina sequencing. We
validated six miRNAs in a large tissue screen containing 16 additional tumor
entities and identified miRNA-1, miRNA-129, miRNA-497 and miRNA-215 as
constantly de-regulated within the majority of cancers. Of these, we
investigated miRNA-1 as representative in a systems-biology simulation of
cellular cancer models implemented in PyBioS and assessed the effects of
depletion as well as overexpression in terms of miRNA-1 as a potential
treatment option. In this system, miRNA-1 treatment reverted the disease
phenotype with different effectiveness among the patients. Scoring the gene
expression changes obtained through mRNA-Seq from the same patients we show
that the combination of deep sequencing and systems biological modeling can
help to identify patient-specific responses to miRNA treatments. We present
this data as guideline for future pre-clinical assessments of new and
personalized therapeutic options
The dental calculus metabolome in modern and historic samples.
INTRODUCTION: Dental calculus is a mineralized microbial dental plaque biofilm that forms throughout life by precipitation of salivary calcium salts. Successive cycles of dental plaque growth and calcification make it an unusually well-preserved, long-term record of host-microbial interaction in the archaeological record. Recent studies have confirmed the survival of authentic ancient DNA and proteins within historic and prehistoric dental calculus, making it a promising substrate for investigating oral microbiome evolution via direct measurement and comparison of modern and ancient specimens. OBJECTIVE: We present the first comprehensive characterization of the human dental calculus metabolome using a multi-platform approach. METHODS: Ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) quantified 285 metabolites in modern and historic (200 years old) dental calculus, including metabolites of drug and dietary origin. A subset of historic samples was additionally analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography-MS (GC-MS) and UPLC-MS/MS for further characterization of metabolites and lipids. Metabolite profiles of modern and historic calculus were compared to identify patterns of persistence and loss. RESULTS: Dipeptides, free amino acids, free nucleotides, and carbohydrates substantially decrease in abundance and ubiquity in archaeological samples, with some exceptions. Lipids generally persist, and saturated and mono-unsaturated medium and long chain fatty acids appear to be well-preserved, while metabolic derivatives related to oxidation and chemical degradation are found at higher levels in archaeological dental calculus than fresh samples. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that certain metabolite classes have higher potential for recovery over long time scales and may serve as appropriate targets for oral microbiome evolutionary studies