318 research outputs found
‘Born to Shop’: Malls, Dream-Worlds and Capitalism
No full textIt has been twenty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a new generation, untouched by the previous communist regimes, has come to adulthood throughout the post-communist world. The Iulius Group’s logo – ‘Born to shop!’ – suggests that these are born shoppers: the capitalist babies of Central and Eastern Europe who are sustaining the largest growth in retail and shopping malls in Europe. With no living memory of shortages, queuing, or government restrictions, they know only the limit of their own – or their parents’ – pocket/credit. Their world could not be more different from the one that their parents and grandparents experienced: both the abundance of goods and services, as well as the opulent settings under which they are now sold, offer striking visual contrasts to the not-so-distant past. In addition, the very experience of consumption is directly connected to the way in which the current social fabric – and new social divisions within it – is interwoven with the physical and architectural changes taking place in the urban setting
Designing strategic and transformative tourism education programmes and education strategies
No full textThis chapter brings together the disciplines of transformative education, tourism strategy development and performance, and role of tourism education to enrich and embed sustainability in our future tourism leaders. With a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) 4 (Quality Education) and 13 (Climate Action) the author uses the PPP framework of strategic portfolios, programmes, and project management to present propositions of how to develop a framework to design strategic and transformative tourism futures. The 3Ps, namely, portfolios of work (strategies), programmes of work (Tertiary education), and individual projects (modules), enable us to develop and deliver strategies with a focus on sustainability, developing transformative curriculum, using good practice to enable ‘flow’, and developing governance themes to enable informed tourism strategy development. Bringing in the dimensions of transformative tourism education will ensure that all we leave behind as travellers/tourists ‘are footprints’. Treading lightly on the earth is a formula for tourism, tourism education, and transformative tourism education
Global ethnic and geographic differences in the clinical presentations of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody–associated vasculitis
No full text© The Author 2017. Objectives. There are few data on clinical profiles of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in different ethnic populations. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in the ANCA type and clinical features of AAV between populations using the Diagnostic and Classification Criteria in Vasculitis Study (DCVAS) dataset. Methods. The DCVAS is an international, multicentre, observational study recruiting in 133 sites. Eight ethnic categories were analysed: Northern European, Caucasian American, Southern European, Middle Eastern/Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Indian subcontinent and other. ANCA type was categorized as myeloperoxidase (MPO), PR3 and ANCA negative. Organ system involvement was recorded using a standard dataset. Differences were analysed by chi-squared tests using a Bonferroni correction and logistic regression (adjusting for age and sex). Northern European was the reference population. Results. Data from 1217 patients with AAV were available and the 967 (79.5%) patients recruited by rheumatology departments were analysed to reduce confounding by recruitment specialty. There were differences in ANCA type between ethnic categories (P < 0.001): MPO-ANCA was more common than PR3-ANCA in Japanese, Chinese and Southern Europeans; PR3-ANCA was more common in the other groups. Compared with Northern Europeans, Japanese had a nearly 60-fold increased chance of having MPO-ANCA (vs PR3-ANCA) [odds ratio (OR) 59.2 (95% CI 8.0, 440.7), P < 0.001] and Chinese had a nearly 7-times increased chance [OR 6.8 (95% CI 2.6, 17.8), P < 0.001]. Ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic involvement were less common in Japanese and Chinese populations than Northern Europeans; otherwise, there were few differences in organ involvement between ethnic groups. Conclusion. This study confirms the previously observed differential occurrence of MPO-AAV and PR3- AAV between different ethnic groups
Transformative tourism education: An evidence-based framework as best practice in the age of overtourism
No full textThis chapter addresses the need for educational change in the face of uncertainties posed by overtourism. It is underpinned by a critical discussion of the challenges to liberal education advocated in Tribe’s (2002) ethical-tourism-in-action education to connect with the broader PRME higher education goals to develop future leaders with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A case study based on a global immersion practicum in Bali is used. Instruction on steps of evidence-based practice and research skills enables students to identify problem areas of priority for the long-term sustainable and responsible vision for tourism growth in the Badung region of Bali in light of overtourism. In order to develop a transformative education of future tourism practitioners, an evidence-based transformational tourism education framework operationalises different educational practices that include core theoretical knowledge, experiential learning, community- and problem-based learning and participatory research. The proposed framework provides an inspirational design and practical tourism education strategy to address overtourism. By sitting within cutting-edge evidence-driven education and research paradigms that draw on extant knowledge, the framework allows for the engagement and contributions of the three constituencies explicitly recognised by PRME: students, business (stakeholders), and faculty
Tourism as industry and field of study
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this article is (1) to highlight the dual, Janis-faced, nature of the study of tourism as an industry and as a field of study; (2) to discuss how education is used to promote sustainable tourism and prevent overtourism, both in the academic arena as well as where tourism occurs; and (3) to offer suggestions concerning the value of education as an avenue for harmonizing the Janus-faced character of tourism, in order to foster a tourism industry that can better achieve global sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach: This paper combines literature review with assessment. The authors use existing literature on overtourism, tourism education, and critical tourism studies to provide insights into how education can help enhance sustainable tourism practices.
Findings: The authors find that there are two “faces” of tourism education, one focusing on growth and capital accumulation, and the other on the critical analysis of tourism, highlighting problems with the industry. The authors propose that this Janus-faced approach to tourism education should be reconciled to enable the promotion of sustainability in the industry and in tourist destinations.
Practical implications: This chapter outlines an educational path for tourism and hospitality programs, as well as for local publics, to foster more sustainable forms of tourism and avoid overtourism. Unsustainable tourism, however, is a global problem that requires a concerted international solution.
Originality and value: The authors apply the concept of Janus-faced tourism to better understand the divergence between theoretically oriented tourism education in the academy and practically oriented tourism education in management and hospitality schools. This analysis offers suggested paths towards transforming education in both hospitality schools and in local destinations to foster scale-appropriate forms of sustainable tourism.
Keywords: Overtourism, sustainable tourism, tourism education, critical tourism studies, Janus-faced tourism
Enhanced Formation and Disordered Regulation of NETs in Myeloperoxidase-ANCA-Associated Microscopic Polyangiitis.
No full textMicroscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is an ANCA-associated vasculitis that affects small vessels, especially renal glomeruli. We recently demonstrated that the abnormal formation and impaired degradation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) may be crucially involved in the generation of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA and subsequent development of MPA. This study assessed the formation and regulation of NETs in patients with MPO-ANCA-associated MPA. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 38 patients with MPO-ANCA-associated MPA, 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 8 healthy controls. IgG eluted from MPO-ANCA-associated MPA sera demonstrated the highest ability to induce NETs, and this ability correlated with disease activity and paralleled ANCA affinity for MPO. Moreover, addition of recombinant human MPO to these IgG samples reduced NET induction. Additionally, MPO-ANCA-associated MPA sera exhibited lower rates of NET degradation that recovered partially upon depletion of IgG. The activity of DNase I, an important regulator of NETs, was also lower in MPO-ANCA-associated MPA and SLE sera. IgG depletion from MPO-ANCA-associated MPA sera partially restored the rate of NET degradation, and addition of DNase I synergistically enhanced this restoration. Addition of anti-MPO antibodies did not inhibit DNase I activity, and some MPO-ANCA-associated MPA sera contained anti-NET antibodies at levels not correlated with MPO-ANCA titers, suggesting the involvement of unidentified autoantibodies as well. The collective evidence suggests a vicious cycle involving MPO-ANCA and the regulation of NETs could be critically involved in the pathogenesis of MPO-ANCA-associated MPA
Pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions for ANCA-associated vasculitis.
No full textAnti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) affects systemic small vessels and is accompanied by the presence of ANCAs in the serum. This disease entity includes microscopic polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and drug-induced AAV. Similar to other autoimmune diseases, AAV develops in patients with a predisposing genetic background who have been exposed to causative environmental factors. The mechanism by which ANCAs cause vasculitis involves ANCA-mediated excessive activation of neutrophils that subsequently release inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species and lytic enzymes. In addition, this excessive activation of neutrophils by ANCAs induces formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Although NETs are essential elements in innate immunity, excessive NET formation is harmful to small vessels. Moreover, NETs are involved not only in ANCA-mediated vascular injury but also in the production of ANCAs themselves. Therefore, a vicious cycle of NET formation and ANCA production is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of AAV. In addition to this role of NETs in AAV, some other important discoveries have been made in the past few years. Incorporating these new insights into our understanding of the pathogenesis of AAV is needed to fully understand and ultimately overcome this disease
ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis
No full textCrescentic glomerulonephritis is a severe form of glomerular injury that is characterized by disruption of the glomerular basement membrane, cellular proliferation within Bowman space, and (often) fibrinoid necrosis. Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, so called because it involves little or no glomerular immunoglobulin deposition, is one of the most common causes of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. in the majority of patients, pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis is a manifestation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. However, some patients with pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis lack ANCAs. This review compares the prevalence, clinical manifestations, histopathology, and outcomes of ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis with those of ANCA-positive disease. we also discuss the possible pathogenesis of ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, paying particular attention to the mechanisms and role of neutrophil activation
“SEGMENTATION OF ANTI NEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES (ANCA) IMAGES BASED ON WATERSHED AND WAVELET”
No full textAutoimmune disease is a type of disease where immune system unable to tell between the good side and bad side which lead to the misguided attack on the healthy cells and tissues. Autoimmune disease can be classified to more than 80 types depending on the affected area. The test also varies according to the suspected type of disease. Some examples of the test are Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test, Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF) test of Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) by using HeP-2 Cells and IIF test for Anti Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA). However in this project, author only focus on the ANCA images with two major staining patterns which are P-ANCA and C-ANCA. Currently the positivity of the images depends solely on the experience of the physician which led to variety of result and lack of reliability. Besides the time to get the result is time consuming. Thus an automatic classification system has been developed to overcome the manual process. The vital process inside the automatic system is the segmentation part. Many researchers suggest different techniques of segmentation to segment the ANCA images before being further processed. In this research, author focus on Watershed technique to segment the ANCA images by implementing the algorithm in Matlab. Author use Wavelet transform to suppress noise to avoid from over segmentation of the ANCA images. Using Rand Index method, the result of segmentations is verified. Combination of Watershed and Wavelet transform gives a very promising result. Recommendation for future work is to explore on automatic determination of noise variance inside images
Fatal cardiac small-vessel involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis: an autopsy case report
No full textAn 80-year-old Japanese man, who had fever and generalized fatigue not improved by antibiotics, was admitted to our hospital. Laboratory data indicative of renal dysfunction and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in the serum led to the consideration of ANCA-associated vasculitis as a differential diagnosis. However, before the diagnostic confirmation, he was found dead on the bed. Autopsy revealed necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis in the kidneys. In addition, necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis with infiltration of multinucleated giant cells and neutrophils but not eosinophils was present in multiple organs. The direct cause of death was presumed as cardiac arrest by lethal arrhythmia because vasculitic lesions were distributed widely in the cardiac walls, acute congestion was observed in the systemic organs, and other causes of death were ruled out. This report presents the unusual manifestation of cardiac small-vessel involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis related to sudden death
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