Finding Happiness Through Globetrotting: Push Factors of Long-Term Travellers

INTRODUCTION: In addition to attitude, perception, personality/self-concept and learning, motivation is a crucial psychological factor that impacts tourist behaviour (Boo & Jones, 2009; Chen & Uysal, 2003; Fodness, 1994; Jang & Cai, 2002; Maslow, 1943; Yuan & McDonald, 1990). Since people have travelled more and more in recent years, the necessity of understanding the motivational factors of travel has also become increasingly important (Yuan & McDonald, 1990). Knowledge, in return, helps stakeholders better accommodate the needs of future travellers of all kinds, in the planning of transportation infrastructures, accommodation, retailing, dining and entertainment (Li, Law & Wang, 2010). Thus, tourism research benefits the economic, environmental and cultural sustainability of touristic destinations, especially in rural areas and in developing countries (World Travel & Tourism Council, 2015). LITERATURE: Travelling in general is commonly linked to happiness, a search for a ‘getaway’ or a recurrent modern way of escaping from daily stress. Many believe that it increases quality of life due to the many benefits travelling induces (Hsu & Huang, 2008; Cai & Jang, 2002; Chick, Durrenberger, Ribeiro & Yarnal, 2009). But while most studies have put focus on the mainstream travellers, almost none have shown interest for the long-term travellers that dedicate a big part of their life to exploring the world. The term long-term traveller refers to a person who travels widely (Merriam- Webster Dictionary) and spends more time travelling than a traditional holiday period would allow, most often longer than a year (Elsrud, 2001, cited in Brun, Larsen & Øgaard, 2011). This particular way of extended holidaying has gained popularity since the 1960s (Brun, Larsen & Øgaard, 2011), but because this trend is relatively new, literature on the topic is still rare. METHODS: The current study was inspired mainly by the work of Brun, Larsen & Øgaard (2011) who conducted one of only few studies on backpackers and other individualist travellers, and Klenosky’s (2002) unique qualitative study on the push and pull factors of travellers. It was intended to pursue the exploration of long-term travellers’ motivation and help clarify how long-term travel affects their subjective wellbeing. There were two research questions: 1) Why do people travel long-term? and 2) How does long-term travel contribute to happiness? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants using a purposive sample. Interview transcripts were triangulated to external sources (participants’ websites and blogs). Data were coded and analyzed in the NVivo qualitative software program using a mixture of intuitive and methodological (constant comparison) processes. FINDINGS: Findings revealed that old misconceptions surrounding long-term travel still exist. For example, misconceptions such as dated definitions, that this type of travel is best suited for single men, journey as an escape and as a way to achieve fame and glory) still persist. The current study contributes to existing findings by shedding a new light on what long-term travel is, why long-term travellers prefer the road to the modern Western lifestyle, and how the journey enriches their lives. The study highlights the pursuit of freedom and personal growth, open-mindedness to the world and its incredible diversity, and a life path for a self-fulfilling life. CONCLUSION: Although long-term travellers represent a marginal percentage of the total number of travellers worldwide, their impact is nevertheless significant, particularly in rural areas and developing countries. Long-term travellers are more likely to travel to remote areas than the mainstream tourists, they are more willing to endure hardship, and they spend more time travelling than any other types of travellers. Findings on this utopian alternative to the modern Western life increase our understanding of travel and, maybe most importantly, on humankind’s pursuit of happiness. REFERENCES: Boo, S. &, Jones, D.L. (2009). Using a validation process to develop market segmentation based on travel motivation for major metropolitan areas. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 26(1), 60-79. Brun, W., Larsen, S. & Øgaard, T. (2011). Backpackers and Mainstreamers; Realities and Myths. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(2), 690-707. Cai, L. A. & Jang, SC. S. (2002). Travel Motivations and Destination Choice: A Study of British Outbound Market. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 13(3), 111-133. Chen, J.S., & Uysal, M. (2003). Leisure traveler typology: A case of ten Eastern States. Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 10(1-2), 51-62. Chick, G.E., Durrenberger, E.P., Ribeiro, N.F. & Yarnal, C.M. (2009). “I Just Wanted to Get Away”: An Analysis of Spring Breakers Travel Motivations. Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, 272-276. Fodness, D. (1994). Measuring tourist motivation. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(3), 555-581. Hsu, C. H.C. & Huang, S. S. (2008). Travel Motivation: a Critical Review of the Concepts’ Development. In Martin D. & Woodside, A., Tourism Management; Analysis, Behavior and Strategy, pp.14-27. Oxfordshire, UK: CAB International. Jang, S.S., & Cai, L.A. (2002). Travel motivations and destination choice: A study of British outbound market. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 13(3), 111-133. Klenosky, D.B. (2002). The ‘Pull’ of Tourism Destinations: A Means-end Investigation. Journal of Travel Research, 40(4), 385-395. Li, G., Law, R., & Wang, J. (2010). Analyzing international travelers’ profile with self-organizing maps. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 27, 113–131. Maslow, A.H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396. Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/globe-trotter. Yuan. S., & McDonald, C. (1990). Motivational determinates of international pleasure time. Journal of Travel Research, 29(1), 42-44. World Travel & Tourism Council (2015). Economic impact of travel & tourism: 2015 annual up-date -summary. Retrieved from http://www.wttc.org/- /media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/economic%20impact%202 015%20summary_web.pd

Chromoblastomycosis after a leech bite complicated by myiasis: a case report

Background Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic mycotic infection, most common in the tropics and subtropics, following traumatic fungal implantation. Case presentation A 72 year-old farmer was admitted to Luang Namtha Provincial Hospital, northern Laos, with a growth on the left lower leg which began 1 week after a forefoot leech bite 10 years previously. He presented with a cauliflower-like mass and plaque-like lesions on his lower leg/foot and cellulitis with a purulent tender swelling of his left heel. Twenty-two Chrysomya bezziana larvae were extracted from his heel. PCR of a biopsy of a left lower leg nodule demonstrated Fonsecaea pedrosoi, monophora, or F. nubica. He was successfully treated with long term terbinafin plus itraconazole pulse-therapy and local debridement. Conclusions Chromoblastomycosis is reported for the first time from Laos. It carries the danger of bacterial and myiasis superinfection. Leech bites may facilitate infection.This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Role of Heterozygous APC Mutation in Niche Succession and Initiation of Colorectal Cancer – A Computational Study

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene are found in most colorectal cancers. They cause constitutive activation of proliferative pathways when both alleles of the gene are mutated. However studies on individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have shown that a single mutated APC allele can also create changes in the precancerous colon crypt, like increased number of stem cells, increased crypt fission, greater variability of DNA methylation patterns, and higher somatic mutation rates. In this paper, using a computational model of colon crypt dynamics, we evolve and investigate a hypothesis on the effect of heterozygous APC mutation that explains these different observations. Based on previous reports and the results from the computational model we propose the hypothesis that heterozygous APC mutation has the effect of increasing the chances for a stem cell to divide symmetrically, producing two stem cell daughters. We incorporate this hypothesis into the model and perform simulation experiments to investigate the consequences of the hypothesis. Simulations show that this hypothesis links together the changes in FAP crypts observed in previous studies. The simulations also show that an APC+/− stem cell gets selective advantages for dominating the crypt and progressing to cancer. This explains why most colon cancers are initiated by APC mutation. The results could have implications for preventing or retarding the onset of colon cancer in people with inherited or acquired mutation of one APC allele. Experimental validation of the hypothesis as well as investigation into the molecular mechanisms of this effect may therefore be worth undertaking

“Beyond words”: a researcher’s guide to using photo elicitation in psychology

The use of photo elicitation is limited within the field of psychology despite its theoretical and practical potential. It offers significant benefits as a qualitative method that could present a new and interesting way of exploring previously understood topics within the discipline. Within our discussions, we present a Step-by-Step guide in which we outline the key practical stages, as well as ethical assurances involved in photo elicitation research, using our ongoing research as an illustrative example. It is intended that this could be used as a model of good practice for developing research paradigms beyond those typically used within the psychology discipline

Changes in timber haul emissions in the context of shifting forest management and infrastructure

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although significant amounts of carbon may be stored in harvested wood products, the extraction of that carbon from the forest generally entails combustion of fossil fuels. The transport of timber from the forest to primary milling facilities may in particular create emissions that reduce the net sequestration value of product carbon storage. However, attempts to quantify the effects of transport on the net effects of forest management typically use relatively sparse survey data to determine transportation emission factors. We developed an approach for systematically determining transport emissions using: 1) -remotely sensed maps to estimate the spatial distribution of harvests, and 2) - industry data to determine landscape-level harvest volumes as well as the location and processing totals of individual mills. These data support spatial network analysis that can produce estimates of fossil carbon released in timber transport.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transport-related emissions, evaluated as a fraction of transported wood carbon at 4 points in time on a landscape in western Montana (USA), rose from 0.5% in 1988 to 1.7% in 2004 as local mills closed and spatial patterns of harvest shifted due to decreased logging on federal lands.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The apparent sensitivity of transport emissions to harvest and infrastructure patterns suggests that timber haul is a dynamic component of forest carbon management that bears further study both across regions and over time. The monitoring approach used here, which draws only from widely available monitoring data, could readily be adapted to provide current and historical estimates of transport emissions in a consistent way across large areas.</p

Radiotherapeutic alternatives for previously irradiated recurrent gliomas

Re-irradiation for recurrent gliomas has been discussed controversially in the past. This was mainly due to only marginal palliation while being associated with a high risk for side effects using conventional radiotherapy

Vertebrate Vitellogenin Gene Duplication in Relation to the “3R Hypothesis”: Correlation to the Pelagic Egg and the Oceanic Radiation of Teleosts

The spiny ray-finned teleost fishes (Acanthomorpha) are the most successful group of vertebrates in terms of species diversity. Their meteoric radiation and speciation in the oceans during the late Cretaceous and Eocene epoch is unprecedented in vertebrate history, occurring in one third of the time for similar diversity to appear in the birds and mammals. The success of marine teleosts is even more remarkable considering their long freshwater ancestry, since it implies solving major physiological challenges when freely broadcasting their eggs in the hyper-osmotic conditions of seawater. Most extant marine teleosts spawn highly hydrated pelagic eggs, due to differential proteolysis of vitellogenin (Vtg)-derived yolk proteins. The maturational degradation of Vtg involves depolymerization of mainly the lipovitellin heavy chain (LvH) of one form of Vtg to generate a large pool of free amino acids (FAA 150–200 mM). This organic osmolyte pool drives hydration of the ooctye while still protected within the maternal ovary. In the present contribution, we have used Bayesian analysis to examine the evolution of vertebrate Vtg genes in relation to the “3R hypothesis” of whole genome duplication (WGD) and the functional end points of LvH degradation during oocyte maturation. We find that teleost Vtgs have experienced a post-R3 lineage-specific gene duplication to form paralogous clusters that correlate to the pelagic and benthic character of the eggs. Neo-functionalization allowed one paralogue to be proteolyzed to FAA driving hydration of the maturing oocytes, which pre-adapts them to the marine environment and causes them to float. The timing of these events matches the appearance of the Acanthomorpha in the fossil record. We discuss the significance of these adaptations in relation to ancestral physiological features, and propose that the neo-functionalization of duplicated Vtg genes was a key event in the evolution and success of the teleosts in the oceanic environment

Anxiety and Depression in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to be at disproportionate risk of developing mental health comorbidities, with anxiety and depression being considered most prominent amongst these. Yet, no systematic review has been carried out to date to examine rates of both anxiety and depression focusing specifically on adults with ASD. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the rates of anxiety and depression in adults with ASD and the impact of factors such as assessment methods and presence of comorbid intellectual disability (ID) diagnosis on estimated prevalence rates. Electronic database searches for studies published between January 2000 and September 2017 identified a total of 35 studies, including 30 studies measuring anxiety (n = 26 070; mean age = 30.9, s.d. = 6.2 years) and 29 studies measuring depression (n = 26 117; mean age = 31.1, s.d. = 6.8 years). The pooled estimation of current and lifetime prevalence for adults with ASD were 27% and 42% for any anxiety disorder, and 23% and 37% for depressive disorder. Further analyses revealed that the use of questionnaire measures and the presence of ID may significantly influence estimates of prevalence. The current literature suffers from a high degree of heterogeneity in study method and an overreliance on clinical samples. These results highlight the importance of community-based studies and the identification and inclusion of well-characterized samples to reduce heterogeneity and bias in estimates of prevalence for comorbidity in adults with ASD and other populations with complex psychiatric presentations

SEOM clinical guidelines for the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is an uncommon B cell lymphoid malignancy representing approximately 10–15 % of all lymphomas. HL is composed of two distinct disease entities; the more commonly diagnosed classical HL and the rare nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL. An accurate assessment of the stage of disease and prognostic factors that identify patients at low or high risk for recurrence are used to optimize therapy. Patients with early stage disease are treated with combined modality strategies using abbreviated courses of combination chemotherapy followed by involved-field radiation therapy, while those with advanced stage disease receive a longer course of chemotherapy often without radiation therapy. High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is the standard of care for most patients who relapse following initial therapy. Brentuximab vedotin should be considered for patients who fail HDCT with ASCT

Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes

Cancer is driven by genetic change, and the advent of massively parallel sequencing has enabled systematic documentation of this variation at the whole-genome scale(1-3). Here we report the integrative analysis of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We describe the generation of the PCAWG resource, facilitated by international data sharing using compute clouds. On average, cancer genomes contained 4-5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements; however, in around 5% of cases no drivers were identified, suggesting that cancer driver discovery is not yet complete. Chromothripsis, in which many clustered structural variants arise in a single catastrophic event, is frequently an early event in tumour evolution; in acral melanoma, for example, these events precede most somatic point mutations and affect several cancer-associated genes simultaneously. Cancers with abnormal telomere maintenance often originate from tissues with low replicative activity and show several mechanisms of preventing telomere attrition to critical levels. Common and rare germline variants affect patterns of somatic mutation, including point mutations, structural variants and somatic retrotransposition. A collection of papers from the PCAWG Consortium describes non-coding mutations that drive cancer beyond those in the TERT promoter(4); identifies new signatures of mutational processes that cause base substitutions, small insertions and deletions and structural variation(5,6); analyses timings and patterns of tumour evolution(7); describes the diverse transcriptional consequences of somatic mutation on splicing, expression levels, fusion genes and promoter activity(8,9); and evaluates a range of more-specialized features of cancer genomes(8,10-18).Peer reviewe