COVID-19 has affected travel and will undoubtedly impact how people view travel and future intentions to travel as we adjust to life moving forward. Understanding how people arrive at these travel ...intentions will be paramount for managers and planners in determining how best to reactively and proactively plan for tourism, especially considering perceived risk and uncertainty related to COVID-19. By extending the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to examine the relationship between perceived risk, perceived uncertainty, subjective norms, attitudes about future travel, and perceived behavioral control in explaining individuals’ intentions to travel in the near future. This study employed a quantitative research method, and data were gathered using an online questionnaire distributed through Qualtrics from a sample of 541 potential travelers (representing residents of 46 US states) from 23 June 2020 to 1 July 2020. Of the eight hypotheses tested, four were supported. Surprisingly, neither perceived risk nor uncertainty were significant within the model. Subjective norms significantly predicted both attitudes about traveling and perceived behavioral control. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, in turn, explained a moderate degree of variation in individuals’ intentions to travel. Study implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are offered. One of the main managerial implications includes the need for destinations to be proactive and focus on intentional planning for sustainable tourism.
Summary
Electric vehicles are becoming more popular in the automobile sector since questions about the environment and quality of life have become increasingly important. New ways of commercializing ...energy should be regulated, like the sale prices applied to service stations for electric vehicles. This study adopted a model for calculating tariffs at a charging station using the optimized tariff methodology—Tarot, a new application for this method. The charging station proposed uses an alternative energy generation system comprised of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. We evaluated four regions in Brazil with different solar and wind potentials. This is done to see how the tariff can be impacted by the use of natural resources. As a result, we indicate that the application of the Tarot methodology adapted to the concept of charging electric vehicles from the use of renewable sources becomes an opportunity for the sector to apply a tariff adjusted to national regulatory guidelines and to provide a better cost/benefit for the consumer. Of the four regions analyzed, Region 2 proved to be the best region for the implementation of this type of enterprise with the use of a wind and solar distributed generator. The difference in billing value with the average tariff applied with the aid of the distributed system and purely energy network reaches 6% in Region 2. If the photovoltaic generation is added in 30% in this location, it can cause a reduction of up to 7% in the tariff for the sale of energy to vehicles.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Several types of chronic liver disease predispose to HCC, and several different signalling pathways have been ...implicated in its pathogenesis, but no common molecular event has been identified. Ca
signalling regulates the proliferation of both normal hepatocytes and liver cancer cells, so we investigated the role of intracellular Ca
release channels in HCC.
Expression analyses of the type 3 isoform of the inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor (ITPR3) in human liver samples, liver cancer cells and mouse liver were combined with an evaluation of DNA methylation profiles of ITPR3 promoter in HCC and characterisation of the effects of ITPR3 expression on cellular proliferation and apoptosis. The effects of
ITPR3 expression on hepatocyte calcium signalling and liver growth were evaluated in mice.
ITPR3 was absent or expressed in low amounts in hepatocytes from normal liver, but was expressed in HCC specimens from three independent patient cohorts, regardless of the underlying cause of chronic liver disease, and its increased expression level was associated with poorer survival. The
gene was heavily methylated in control liver specimens but was demethylated at multiple sites in specimens of patient with HCC. Administration of a demethylating agent in a mouse model resulted in ITPR3 expression in discrete areas of the liver, and Ca
signalling was enhanced in these regions. In addition, cell proliferation and liver regeneration were enhanced in the mouse model, and deletion of
from human HCC cells enhanced apoptosis.
These results provide evidence that
expression of ITPR3 typically occurs in HCC and may play a role in its pathogenesis.
The aim of this study was to determine the palynological origin, phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant properties of twenty-five samples of bee pollen harvested during a nine-month period ...(February-November) from the Canavieiras municipality (northeastern Brazil). Of the 25 samples analyzed, only two (February 01 and 02) were heterofloral. The predominant pollens in the samples analyzed during that month were: Cecropia, Eucalyptus, Elaeis, Mimosa pudica, Eupatorium, and Scoparia. Ethyl acetate fractions were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. The flavonoids isoquercetin, myricetin, tricetin, quercetin, luteolin, selagin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin were detected. The flavonoid present in all 22 samples was isolated and identified as isorhamnetin 3-O-b-neohesperidoside. The total phenolic contents determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent ranged from 41.5 to 213.2 mg GAE/g. Antioxidant activities based on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and Fe2+ ion chelating activity assays were observed for all extracts, and correlated with the total phenolic content.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study introduces an orbital monitoring system designed to quantify non-technical losses (NTLs) within electricity distribution networks. Leveraging Sentinel-2 satellite imagery alongside ...advanced techniques in computer vision and machine learning, this system focuses on accurately segmenting urban areas, facilitating the removal of clouds, and utilizing OpenStreetMap masks for pre-annotation. Through testing on two datasets, the method attained a Jaccard index (IoU) of 0.9210 on the training set, derived from the region of France, and 0.88 on the test set, obtained from the region of Brazil, underscoring its efficacy and resilience. The precise segmentation of urban zones enables the identification of areas beyond the electric distribution company’s coverage, thereby highlighting potential irregularities with heightened reliability. This approach holds promise for mitigating NTL, particularly through its ability to pinpoint potential irregular areas.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Remote robotics laboratories have been successfully used for engineering education. However, few of them use mobile robots to to teach computer science. This article describes a mobile robot Control ...and Programming Environment (CPE) and its pedagogical applications. The system comprises a remote laboratory for robotics, an online programming tool, and a virtual learning environment. It allows experiments with a mobile robot to be carried out, tested and validated remotely, using a simple graphic interface via web browser, without additional software installation on the user's computer. Students can control and manipulate the robot with simple commands without worrying about hardware details or use C/C++ programming language to develop complex programs. The robot has been built with inexpensive components and has sensors that enable its use in several experiments. CPE can be used in contextualized teaching in various subjects of computer science, both in class and at distance. A practical application of the whole system using CPE, introducing programming concepts, is also described in this paper. The initial assessment of the environment as an educational tool shows high levels of interest among our students, an improvement in their academic scores, and potential for application in the context of computing education, when properly introduced as a learning tool.
Impairment of the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we used 4-mo-old male C57BL/6 interleukin-6 (IL-6) knockout mice (KO) to ...investigate the role of this cytokine on IDE expression and activity. IL-6 KO mice displayed lower insulin clearance in the liver and skeletal muscle, compared with wild type (WT), due to reduced IDE expression and activity. We also observed that after 3-h incubation, IL-6, 50 and 100 ng ml
, increased the expression of IDE in HEPG2 and C2C12 cells, respectively. In addition, during acute exercise, the inhibition of IL-6 prevented an increase in insulin clearance and IDE expression and activity, mainly in the skeletal muscle. Finally, IL-6 and IDE concentrations were significantly increased in plasma from humans, after an acute exercise, compared to pre-exercise values. Although the increase in plasma IDE activity was only marginal, a positive correlation between IL-6 and IDE activity, and between IL-6 and IDE protein expression, was observed. Our outcomes indicate a novel function of IL-6 on the insulin metabolism expanding the possibilities for new potential therapeutic strategies, focused on insulin degradation, for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases related to hyperinsulinemia, such as obesity and T2DM.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
New strategy for liquefying corn stover pellets dos Santos, Antonio C. Freitas; Overton, Jonathan C.; Szeto, Ryan ...
Bioresource technology,
December 2021, 2021-12-00, 20211201, 2021-12-01, Volume:
341, Issue:
C
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
•Corn stover pellets (300 g/L) were successfully liquefied without pretreatment.•Combination of enzyme and maleic acid liquefactions reduced yield stress 40 times.•Efficient mixing improved ...liquefaction by an order of magnitude.•Mimetic maleic acid cooking of biomass lowered subsequent inhibition of enzymes.
The movement of solid material into and between unit operations within a biorefinery is a bottleneck in reaching design capacity, with formation of biomass slurries needed to introduce feedstock. Corn stover slurries have been achieved from dilute acid, pretreated materials resulting in slurry concentrations of up to about 150 g/L, above which flowability is compromised. We report a new strategy to liquefy corn stover at higher solids concentration (300 g/L) by initially cooking it with the enzyme mimetic maleic acid at 40 mM and 150 °C. This is followed by 6 h of enzymatic modification at 1 FPU (2.2 mg protein)/g solids, resulting in a yield stress of 171 Pa after 6 h and 58 Pa in 48 h compared to 6806 Pa for untreated stover. Mimetic treatment of corn stover pellets minimizes the inhibitory effect of xylo-oligomers on hydrolytic enzymes. This strategy allows for the delivery of solid lignocellulosic slurry into a pretreatment reactor by pumping, improving operability of a biorefinery.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
OBJECTIVE:--We measured plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and pro-coagulation in obese Hispanic/Latino children and adolescents with normal glucose tolerance and ...determined their relationship to body composition and indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--A total of 38 lean or obese Hispanic children and adolescents (10-18 years of age) were selected. The overweight group (n = 21) had a BMI >85th percentile for their age and sex, and the lean group (n = 17) had a BMI between the 25th and 50th percentiles. Studies included an oral glucose tolerance test, measurements of plasma glucose and lipids, several markers of endothelial function and inflammation, and determination of body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS:--The obese group had higher systolic blood pressure and plasma triglycerides and was more insulin resistant than the lean group. The obese group also had higher plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (259.5 ± 60.0 vs. 223.2 ± 47.5 ng/ml, P = 0.047), tumor necrosis factor-α (2.57 ± 1.1 vs. 1.74 ± 0.6 pg/ml, P = 0.008), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (2.0 vs. 0.13 mg/l, P < 0.0001), plasminogen-activated inhibitor-1 (47.0 ± 35.7 vs. 12.0 ± 5.2 ng/ml, P < 0.0001), tissue plasminogen activator (6.1 ± 1.9 vs. 4.1 ± 0.8 ng/ml, P = 0.001), and white blood cell count (6.9 vs. 5.3 x 10³, P = 0.031) and lower levels of adiponectin (8.7 ± 3.3 vs. 12.6 ± 5.2 μg/ml, P = 0.022). No significant differences were observed for soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule or interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS:--Overweight Hispanic children and adolescents with normal glucose tolerance exhibit increased plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction and subclinical inflammation in association with obesity and insulin resistance. These abnormalities may predispose them to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The present study was conducted to identify the major seminal plasma protein profile of boars and its associations with semen criteria. Semen samples were collected from 12 adult boars and subjected ...to evaluation of sperm parameters (motility, morphology, vitality, and percent of cells with intact acrosome). Seminal plasma was obtained by centrifugation, analyzed by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, and proteins identified by mass spectrometry (electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight). We tested regression models using spot intensities related to the same proteins as independent variables and semen parameters as dependent variables (P ≤ 0.05). One hundred twelve spots were identified in the boar seminal plasma gels, equivalent to 39 different proteins. Spermadhesin porcine seminal protein (PSP)-I and PSP-II, as well as spermadhesins AQN-1, AQN-3 and AWN-1 represented 45.2 ± 8% of the total intensity of all spots. Other proteins expressed in the boar seminal plasma included albumin, complement proteins (complement factor H precursor, complement C3 precursor and adipsin/complement factor D), immunoglobulins (IgG heavy chain precursor, IgG delta heavy chain membrane bound form, IgG gamma-chain, Ig lambda chain V-C region PLC3, and CH4 and secreted domains of swine IgM), IgG-binding proteins, epididymal-specific lipocalin 5, epididymal secretory protein E1 precursor, epididymal secretory glutathione peroxidase precursor, transferrin, lactotransferrin and fibronectin type 1 (FN1). On the basis of the regression analysis, the percentage of sperm with midpiece defects was related to the amount of CH4 and secreted domains of swine IgM and FN1 (r² = 0.58, P = 0.006), IgG-binding protein (r² = 0.41, P = 0.024), complement factor H precursor (r² = 0.61, P = 0.014) and lactadherin (r² = 0.45, P = 0.033). The percentage of sperm with tail defects was also related to CH4 and secreted domains of swine IgM and FN1 (r² = 0.40, P = 0.034), IgG-binding protein (r² = 0.35, P = 0.043) and lactadherin (r² = 0.74, P = 0.001). Sperm motility, in turn, had association with the intensities of spots identified as lactadherin (r² = 0.48, P = 0.027). In conclusion, we presently describe the major proteome of boar seminal plasma and significant associations between specific seminal plasma proteins and semen parameters. Such relationships will serve as the basis for determination of molecular markers of sperm function in the swine species.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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