Understanding cyclic behavior in tourism destinations: Analysis of theories and concept for a new strategic management model

The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information on lifecycle theories that may provide tourist destinations with a better understanding on how to have more control over their long-term sustainability. An extensive literature review was conducted that resulted in identifying and analyzing four applicable models and theories. As a result of this analysis, the researcher concluded that these four theories and models do not independently nor collectively offer a single, comprehensive working model for destinations to use in evaluating and monitoring their strategy for long term success. To help bridge this gap and point the way toward a comprehensive operational and analytical tool, the researcher has proposed a new interactive model FOSTRAK It is suggested that FOSTRAK may offer tourist destinations a system for planned global positioning through constant awareness and evaluation of six critical survival factors. With an understanding of these six major interrelated survival components, destinations may be better prepared to implement strategic corrective-action needed to maintain a competitive edge and predictive course

The young people's consultation service: An evaluation of a consultation model of very brief psychotherapy

The Young People's Consultation Service (YPCS) is a four‐session, self‐referral, psychodynamically‐oriented psychotherapeutic consultation service for young people aged between 16 and 30, at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London. Aim: It was hypothesized that clients would show an improvement on outcome measures at the end of the four sessions. It was also hoped that the data would identify characteristics of the clients who show the most benefit. Method: A review of the case‐notes of all clients attending the service between January 2003 to April 2006 was carried out, and details were entered into a database, including demographic information, presenting issues and attendance. Clients were given the Youth Self‐Report form (YSR) (Achenbach, 1991) or the Young Adult Self Report form (YASR) (Achenbach, 1997), according to age, before the start of the intervention and at the end of the four sessions. Outcome data were analysed, comparing pre‐ and post‐treatment scores on the YSR/YASR. Results: A total of 236 clients attended the service during the study period. Pre‐ to post‐comparison data on the YSR/YASR was available for 24 clients. Of those, YSR/YASR scores reduced significantly on all subscales and severity reduced over time in all cases. In addition, there was a trend towards moving from the clinical to the non‐clinical range, reaching statistical significance on the Internalizing and Total subscales. A number of YPCS clients showed both statistically significant and clinical improvement on the Internalizing and Externalizing scales of the YSR/YASR, with a greater number showing improvement on the Internalizing scale. Conclusions: Improvements were found on all subscales of the YSR/YASR at the end of the four session intervention. A greater number of clients showed improvement on the Internalizing subscale, suggesting that this form of very brief psychotherapy is most effective for clients with emotional problems

You Don\u27t Belong: Exploring Luxury Branding Strategy

Luxury branding strategies create impressions of exclusivity which is transmitted into the brand’s products and retail spaces. Exclusivity is a necessary component to create consumer desire despite limitations of accessibility, time, effort, and pricing. A new population of aspirational shoppers, known as Chandlers, highly value exclusive brands as they increase perceptions of social status. This study will examine the impact of loud vs. discrete luxury branding on perceptions of brand status and browsing intentions, and the moderating impact of the Chandler effect

Effectiveness of Checkout Charities: Exploring Generational Differences

As consumer-brand relationships continue to evolve, the role of cause-related marketing (CRM) is becoming increasingly complex (Mohr et al., 1998). A specific type of CRM, checkout charities, is becoming common in brick-and-mortar and online retailers (Sudbury & Vossler, 2021). Previous check-out-charity research has focused on consumer stress and cause fit while ignoring the influence of generational differences on perceptions and participation. Research has found that some generational groups differ in motivations for giving and donation expectations, thus impacting consumer behaviors in the context of checkout charities. Therefore, this study will attempt to answer the following research question: Do younger generations have a more negative view of checkout charities? Answering this question will provide insight into the effectiveness of checkout charities and the opportunities for companies to improve CRM tactics and remain an efficient source of donations for causes

Rosiglitazone Metabolism in Human Liver Microsomes Using a Substrate Depletion Method

Background: Elimination of rosiglitazone in humans is via hepatic metabolism. The existing studies suggest that CYP2C8 is the major enzyme responsible, with a minor contribution from CYP2C9; however, other studies suggest the involvement of additional cytochrome P450 enzymes and metabolic pathways. Thus a full picture of rosiglitazone metabolism is unclear. Objective: This study aimed to improve the current understanding of potential drug–drug interactions and implications for therapy by evaluating the kinetics of rosiglitazone metabolism and examining the impact of specific inhibitors on its metabolism using the substrate depletion method. Methods: In vitro oxidative metabolism of rosiglitazone in human liver microsomes obtained from five donors was determined over a 0.5–500 µM substrate range including the contribution of CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, CYP2E1, and CYP2D6. Results: The maximum reaction velocity was 1.64 ± 0.98 nmol·mg−1·min−1. The CYP2C8 (69 ± 20%), CYP2C9 (42 ± 10%), CYP3A4 (52 ± 23%), and CEP2E1 (41 ± 13%) inhibitors all significantly inhibited rosiglitazone metabolism. Conclusion: The results suggest that other cytochrome P450 enzymes, including CYP2C9, CYP3A4, and CEP2E1, in addition to CYP28, also play an important role in the metabolism of rosiglitazone. This example demonstrates that understanding the complete metabolism of a drug is important when evaluating the potential for drug–drug interactions and will assist to improve the current therapeutic strategies.</p

Single electron Sensitive Readout (SiSeRO) X-ray detectors: Technological progress and characterization

Single electron Sensitive Read Out (SiSeRO) is a novel on-chip charge detector output stage for charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors. Developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, this technology uses a p-MOSFET transistor with a depleted internal gate beneath the transistor channel. The transistor source-drain current is modulated by the transfer of charge into the internal gate. At Stanford, we have developed a readout module based on the drain current of the on-chip transistor to characterize the device. Characterization was performed for a number of prototype sensors with different device architectures, e.g. location of the internal gate, MOSFET polysilicon gate structure, and location of the trough in the internal gate with respect to the source and drain of the MOSFET (the trough is introduced to confine the charge in the internal gate). Using a buried-channel SiSeRO, we have achieved a charge/current conversion gain of >700 pA per electron, an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of around 6 electrons root mean square (RMS), and a full width half maximum (FWHM) of approximately 140 eV at 5.9 keV at a readout speed of 625 Kpixel/s. In this paper, we discuss the SiSeRO working principle, the readout module developed at Stanford, and the characterization test results of the SiSeRO prototypes. We also discuss the potential to implement Repetitive Non-Destructive Readout (RNDR) with these devices and the preliminary results which can in principle yield sub-electron ENC performance. Additional measurements and detailed device simulations will be essential to mature the SiSeRO technology. However, this new device class presents an exciting technology for next generation astronomical X-ray telescopes requiring fast, low-noise, radiation hard megapixel imagers with moderate spectroscopic resolution.Comment: To appear in SPIE Proceedings of Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 202

The high-speed X-ray camera on AXIS

AXIS is a Probe-class mission concept that will provide high-throughput, high-spatial-resolution X-ray spectral imaging, enabling transformative studies of high-energy astrophysical phenomena. To take advantage of the advanced optics and avoid photon pile-up, the AXIS focal plane requires detectors with readout rates at least 20 times faster than previous soft X-ray imaging spectrometers flying aboard missions such as Chandra and Suzaku, while retaining the low noise, excellent spectral performance, and low power requirements of those instruments. We present the design of the AXIS high-speed X-ray camera, which baselines large-format MIT Lincoln Laboratory CCDs employing low-noise pJFET output amplifiers and a single-layer polysilicon gate structure that allows fast, low-power clocking. These detectors are combined with an integrated high-speed, low-noise ASIC readout chip from Stanford University that provides better performance than conventional discrete solutions at a fraction of their power consumption and footprint. Our complementary front-end electronics concept employs state of the art digital video waveform capture and advanced signal processing to deliver low noise at high speed. We review the current performance of this technology, highlighting recent improvements on prototype devices that achieve excellent noise characteristics at the required readout rate. We present measurements of the CCD spectral response across the AXIS energy band, augmenting lab measurements with detector simulations that help us understand sources of charge loss and evaluate the quality of the CCD backside passivation technique. We show that our technology is on a path that will meet our requirements and enable AXIS to achieve world-class science.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Proceedings of SPIE Optics + Photonics 202

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transmission from Human to Canine

A 71-year-old woman from Tennessee, USA with a 3-week history of a productive, nonbloody cough was evaluated. Chest radiograph showed infiltrates and atelectasis in the upper lobe of the right lung. A tuberculosis (TB) skin test resulted in a 14-mm area of induration. Sputum stained positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by DNA probe and culture. Treatment was initiated with isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide. After 14 days of daily, directly observed therapy, the patient complained of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Treatment adjustments were made, and therapy was completed 11 months later with complete recovery. Six months after the patient\u27s TB diagnosis, she took her three and a half-year-old male Yorkshire Terrier to a veterinary clinic with cough, weight loss, and vomiting of several months\u27 duration. Initial sputum sample was negative on AFB staining. Eight days after discharge from a referral veterinary teaching hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of TB, the dog was euthanized due to urethral obstruction. Liver and tracheobronchial lymph node specimens collected at necropsy were positive for M. tuberculosis complex by polymerase chain reaction. The M. tuberculosis isolates from the dog and its owner had an indistinguishable 10-band pattern by IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping

Choriorefinal Disease Patterns in Congenic Mice following Intraocular Inoculation with HSV-1

The von Szily method of uniocular intracameral inoculation of herpes simplex virus has recently been adapted to a murine model of HSV-1-mediated chorioretinitis. 1 &apos; 2 Studies to date have shown that following the inoculation of HSV-1 into the anterior chamber of one eye of a BALB/c mouse, the virus travels via neuronal pathways to gain access to the contralateral eye, producing a necrotizing chorioretinitis with relative ipsilateral retinal sparing. Intravitreal injection of virus, in contrast, produces both ipsilateral and contralateral chorioretinitis. 3 While the exact mechanism(s) responsible for these observations are not entirely known, a unique set of acquired, HSV-specific cellular immune responses develops following inoculation and is implicated in the pathogenesis of the von Szily model. &quot; 6 Specifically,

The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER): design and development

During 2014 and 2015, NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission proceeded successfully through Phase C, Design and Development. An X-ray (0.2-12 keV) astrophysics payload destined for the International Space Station, NICER is manifested for launch in early 2017 on the Commercial Resupply Services SpaceX-11 flight. Its scientific objectives are to investigate the internal structure, dynamics, and energetics of neutron stars, the densest objects in the universe. During Phase C, flight components including optics, detectors, the optical bench, pointing actuators, electronics, and others were subjected to environmental testing and integrated to form the flight payload. A custom-built facility was used to co-align and integrate the X-ray "concentrator" optics and silicon-drift detectors. Ground calibration provided robust performance measures of the optical (at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center) and detector (at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) subsystems, while comprehensive functional tests prior to payload-level environmental testing met all instrument performance requirements. We describe here the implementation of NICER's major subsystems, summarize their performance and calibration, and outline the component-level testing that was successfully applied