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Limited historical data are the primary cause of the failure of tourism forecasts. Bayesian bootstrap aggregation (BBagging) may offer a solution to this problem. This study is the first to apply BBagging to tourism demand forecasting. An analysis of annual and quarterly tourism demand for Hong Kong shows that BBagging can, in general, improve the forecasting accuracy of the econometric models obtained using the general‐to‐specific (GETS) approach by reducing, relative to the ordinary bagging method, the variability in the posterior distributions of the forecasts it generates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesis of adipic acid from renewable biomass is a very attractive goal of sustainable chemistry. Herein, we report efficient catalysts for a two‐step transformation of cellulose‐derived glucose into adipic acid via glucaric acid. Carbon nanotube‐supported platinum nanoparticles are found to work efficiently for the oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid. An activated carbon‐supported bifunctional catalyst composed of rhenium oxide and palladium is discovered to be powerful for the removal of four hydroxyl groups in glucaric acid, affording adipic acid with a 99 % yield. Rhenium oxide functions for the deoxygenation but is less efficient for four hydroxyl group removal. The co‐presence of palladium not only catalyzes the hydrogenation of olefin intermediates but also synergistically facilitates the deoxygenation. This work presents a green route for adipic acid synthesis and offers a bifunctional‐catalysis strategy for efficient deoxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schisandra chinensis fruit has been shown to restore carbohydrate‐ and lipid‐metabolic disorders and has anti‐hepatotoxicity and anti‐hepatitis activities. However, the molecular targets mediating the pharmacological properties of S. chinensis fruit have not been clarified. Here, we assayed the effects of S. chinensis fruit ethanol extract (SCE) on farnesoid X receptor (FXR) transactivity. The pharmacological effects of SCE (1 g/100 g diet) were assessed in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed C57BL/6 mice and ob/ob mice. The FXR and Fgf15 signalling pathways were evaluated by FXR silencing, ELISA, Western blot and RT‐PCR analyses. The results showed that SCE treatment increased FXR transcription activity and improved obesity, hypercholesteremia and fatty liver in HFD‐fed mice, while it had limited effects on ob/ob mice. Our study suggests that SCE treatment may improve HFD‐induced metabolic disorders through pharmacological activation of FXR/Fgf15 signalling, and such beneficial effects of SCE may require leptin participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peaches are easily perishable fruit, and their quality is quickly lost after harvest. In this study, "Hujingmilu" peach (Prunus persica L.) fruit was treated with citric acid (CA) and stored at 20°C for 15 days. Fruit decay and quality were evaluated during the storage period. Compared with the control, CA treatment did not inhibit climacteric ethylene release, but CA was significantly effective at maintaining firmness, inhibiting decay, and preventing a decrease in titration acid (TA). CA treatment inhibited the increase in total soluble solids (TSS), sucrose, and fructose in the first week after fruit harvest, but then their content was significantly higher in CA‐treated fruits than that in the control group. The decrease in malic acid and citric acid was significantly prevented by CA treatment. During storage, the concentrations of C6 volatile compounds decreased rapidly whereas lactones sharply increased, and the concentrations of δ‐decalactone, γ‐decalactone, and γ‐dodecalactone were found to be significantly high in CA fruits compared with the control after the eighth day of storage (p < .05). Similarly, higher contents of chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, catechin, and L‐epicatechin were maintained in fruits treated with CA during the same storage period (p < .05). Our findings suggest that treatment with 10 g/L citric acid can reduce postharvest decay and effectively maintain the texture, flavor, and nutrition quality of peach fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to propose an index approach to study the impact of travel experience on tourists' satisfaction and the further impact on their sense of well‐being. Based on the latest development of tourist satisfaction research, that is, the tourist satisfaction indices, this innovative study further extends the two‐stage framework of tourist travel experiences to account for subjective well‐being and subsequently calculates a tourist well‐being index. A questionnaire with 496 respondents was used, which focused on four service sectors' tourist satisfaction indices. From this, a destination overall tourist satisfaction index and a tourist well‐being index were produced using the results of structural equation modelling. Some key findings include the higher the impact of the trip on tourist's sense of well‐being the higher the loyalty towards the destination. Different cultures had different results concerning the trip experiences (satisfaction) and the impact of the latter on their subjective well‐being. Group travellers also had a significantly more positive experience compared with solo travellers. A new innovative indices system capturing tourist satisfaction and its causes and outcomes, in particular its impact on tourist's subjective well‐being, was developed. This research therefore extends work done on the impact of tourist experience and quality of life/subjective well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most refractory subtype of breast cancer to current treatments, accounts disproportionately for the majority of breast cancer‐related deaths. This is largely due to cancer plasticity and the development of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Recently, distinct yet interconvertible mesenchymal‐like and epithelial‐like states have been revealed in breast CSCs. Thus, strategies capable of simultaneously inhibiting bulk and CSC populations in both mesenchymal and epithelial states have yet to be developed. Wnt/β‐catenin and Hippo/YAP pathways are crucial in tumorigenesis, but importantly also possess tumor suppressor functions in certain contexts. One possibility is that TNBC cells in epithelial or mesenchymal state may differently affect Wnt/β‐catenin and Hippo/YAP signaling and CSC phenotypes. In this report, we found that YAP signaling and CD44high/CD24−/low CSCs were upregulated while Wnt/β‐catenin signaling and ALDH+ CSCs were downregulated in mesenchymal‐like TNBC cells, and vice versa in their epithelial‐like counterparts. Dual knockdown of YAP and Wnt/β‐catenin, but neither alone, was required for effective suppression of both CD44high/CD24−/low and ALDH+ CSC populations in mesenchymal and epithelial TNBC cells. These observations were confirmed with cultured tumor fragments prepared from patients with TNBC after treatment with Wnt inhibitor ICG‐001 and YAP inhibitor simvastatin. In addition, a clinical database showed that decreased gene expression of Wnt and YAP was positively correlated with decreased ALDH and CD44 expression in patients’ samples while increased patient survival. Furthermore, tumor growth of TNBC cells in either epithelial or mesenchymal state was retarded, and both CD44high/CD24−/low and ALDH+ CSC subpopulations were diminished in a human xenograft model after dual administration of ICG‐001 and simvastatin. Tumorigenicity was also hampered after secondary transplantation. These data suggest a new therapeutic strategy for TNBC via dual Wnt and YAP inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effect and short‐term efficacy and long‐term prognosis of decompensated liver cirrhosis patients caused by hepatitis B after a double transplantation with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs). Methods: Fifty inpatients were recruited and given the same medical treatments, receiving hUCMSCs injection intravenously. Fifty‐three patients (Group B) matched for age, sex, and baseline alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time, and model for end‐stage liver disease score and Child–Pugh classification, acted as the control group. Results: Interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels markedly decreased, and interleukin‐10 level apparently increased in Group A at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Transforming growth factor beta in Group A increased more remarkably at 2 weeks after treatment. T4 cells and Treg cells in Group A were apparently higher than those in Group B at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment, and T8 cells and B cells were significantly lower than those in Group B. Aspartate aminotransferase levels in Group A were dramatically declining at 8 and 12 weeks after treatment. Levels of albumin, total bilirubin, and prothrombin time in Group A were apparently improved from 4 to 12 weeks after treatment. The improvements in model for end‐stage liver disease and Child–Pugh scores in Group A were notably superior to those in Group B from 4 to 36 weeks after treatment. There were no remarkable differences in the incidence of developing liver failure throughout the follow‐up period, but the mortality rate of Group A was lower than that of Group B. Conclusion: This therapeutic method may be an appropriate choice for patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using a sample that covers all casino companies in Macao from March 2010 to June 2015, this paper investigates the impact of institutional investment on stock return volatility in the casino industry. The results suggest that higher institutional ownership is conducive to lower return volatility on Macao casino stocks. Such volatility also hinges on policy shifts, such as China's anti‐corruption campaign, in tourist source communities. In addition, the estimation reveals that both smoking bans and business size significantly decrease return volatility, whereas cross‐listing increases return volatility significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tourism practitioners must often rely on each other in a tourism supply chain (TSC). Demand forecasting plays a key role in shaping the activities of TSC practitioners. In the past 4 decades, researchers have developed many techniques for advanced tourism demand forecasting, but practitioners have had little interest in them. To bridge this gap, we examine the nature of the forecasting tasks of TSC practitioners in Hong Kong and propose a collaborative TSC forecasting framework that not only integrates tourism demand forecasting methods with practitioners' knowledge, but also facilitates information sharing between TSC practitioners to increase industry collaboration and improve forecasting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assumes that tourists' demand reactions to income and price changes are asymmetric at different phases of the business cycle. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed the demand for international tourism in five source markets using a modified growth rate (MGR) model. The empirical evidence demonstrates that income elasticity is indeed asymmetric across the business cycle in four source markets. In addition, asymmetric price effects were found for one source market. To compare forecasting performance, we also estimated a time-varying parameter (TVP) model. The results show that the MGR model generally outperforms the TVP model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Prussian blue/copper-gold bimetallic nanoparticles hybrid film modified electrode was prepared by electrochemical deposition on a glassy carbon electrode (PB/Cu-AuNPs/GCE). Morphology and electrochemistry of this electrode were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The sensor showed significantly better electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide in comparison with the single PB/GCE and PB/AuNPs/GCE. This was attributed to the synergistic effect of PB and Cu-Au bimetallic nanoparticles. Also, the sensor demonstrated an overall high level of performance for the analysis of H2O2 in the concentration range from 0.002 to 0.84 mM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to test a two-step tourist satisfaction index framework empirically. The first step estimates sectoral-level satisfaction indexes based on a structural equation model, and the second obtains an overall tourist satisfaction index by conducting second-order confirmatory factor analysis. This study is a pilot test of the theoretical framework based on three tourism-related service sectors in Hong Kong. The results indicate that mainland Chinese tourists are most satisfied with the hotel sector in Hong Kong, followed by the retail sector, and least satisfied with local tour operators. The aggregate tourist satisfaction index is 74.04 out of 100. The results of this study have important practical implications for long-term destination management. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a study of the attitudes of residents towards tourism in the District of Viengxay, Lao People's Democratic Republic, where tourism is in its infancy. Based on focus group interviews, the paper analyses the societal and individual attitudes of the residents towards tourists, tourism development and employment in the tourism field. It was found that locals have little understanding of the motivations of tourists for visiting their villages. Villagers look forward to tourism development to bring more communication and fame to their village, as well as to tourism's contribution to the local economy. Community-mindedness, control and organisation, cultural exchange, understanding and cultural awareness are prime motivators in forming local attitudes towards tourism. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a time-series and cross-sectional budget survey analyses of the demand for food in the United States and the Netherlands. Tasks set by Jan Magnus and Mary Morgan; Alternatives to Tobin's method of data pooling; Use of time-varying parameter modelling; Comments from assessors; Reactions to comments.

In the title complex, poly[triaquabis(dimethylformamide)di-mu3-oxalato-mu2-oxalato-dilanthanum(III)], [La2(C2O4)3(C3H7NO)(H2O)3]n, both La ions are coordinated by nine O atoms, forming slightly distorted tricapped trigonal prisms. The two La ions, the terminal water O atom, and the O and N atoms of the dimethylformamide molecule reside on twofold rotation axes, giving the two La-centered coordination geometries twofold or pseudo-twofold symmetries. The two oxalate ligands, one of which rests on a center of inversion at the mid-point of the C-C bond, adopt different bridging modes, connecting with the La ions to form two types of lanthanide oxalate chains, i.e. anionic {[La(C2O4)2(DMF)(H2O)2]n-}(n) (DMF is dimethylformamide) and cationic zigzag {[La(C2O4)(H2O)]n+}n, respectively. Each zigzag cationic chain is linked to four adjacent anionic chains via the bridging oxalate anions, and each anionic chain connects with four zigzag cationic chains, constructing a three-dimensional neutral framework.