Tourism in the EU economic and social cohesion policy in 1994–1999 and 2000–2006 budget programming periods

The European Union is an international formation in which advanced integration processes are being implemented. These processes cover almost all the political, economic and social activities. The intensification of the processes in the recent two decades has led to the creation of the most developed system of supporting regional development worldwide. The aim of this article is to identify the level of the European Union (EU) economic and social cohesion policy engagement towards tourism sector in the two recently closed periods of EU budget programming (1994–1999 and 2000–2006). The following analyses were conducted: 1) qualitative which is examining the extent to which tourism was considered as a domain covered by the support in development programmes co-financed from the EU Structural Funds; 2) quantitative, which is related to the level of financial allocation from Structural Funds, designed to support tourism sector. A comparison of the levels of the European cohesion policy engagement towards tourism in the periods: 1994–1999 and 2000–2006 is also conducted. In the summary, discussion of the factors decisive of the role and the rank of tourism in the EU cohesion policy are presented

Exploring the foundations of tourism geography: between flat ontology and J. Searle’s vertical social ontology

This article explores the theoretical foundations of tourism geography, focusing on the dialectic between flat ontology and John Searle's vertical ontology. Drawing from contemporary debates in the field, it examines the philosophical underpinnings of tourism geography and their implications for understanding the social and spatial dynamics of tourism. The concept of flat ontology, rooted in posthuman approach, posits an egalitarian view of the world, where both human and nonhuman entities possess equal ontological status. Proponents argue that this perspective provides a holistic understanding of tourism, acknowledging the co-agency of non-human elements such as landscapes, ecosystems, and material culture. In contrast, J. Searle's ontology underscores the significance of human intentionality and social structures in shaping the institutional frameworks and practices of tourism. By engaging with these two ontological frameworks, the article highlights the potential synergies, but also tensions between flat ontology and vertical social ontology within tourism geography

Neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 immunotherapy promotes a survival benefit with intratumoral and systemic immune responses in recurrent glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and is associated with poor survival. The Ivy Foundation Early Phase Clinical Trials Consortium conducted a randomized, multi-institution clinical trial to evaluate immune responses and survival following neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab in 35 patients with recurrent, surgically resectable glioblastoma. Patients who were randomized to receive neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, with continued adjuvant therapy following surgery, had significantly extended overall survival compared to patients that were randomized to receive adjuvant, post-surgical programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade alone. Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade was associated with upregulation of T cell- and interferon-γ-related gene expression, but downregulation of cell-cycle-related gene expression within the tumor, which was not seen in patients that received adjuvant therapy alone. Focal induction of programmed death-ligand 1 in the tumor microenvironment, enhanced clonal expansion of T cells, decreased PD-1 expression on peripheral blood T cells and a decreasing monocytic population was observed more frequently in the neoadjuvant group than in patients treated only in the adjuvant setting. These findings suggest that the neoadjuvant administration of PD-1 blockade enhances both the local and systemic antitumor immune response and may represent a more efficacious approach to the treatment of this uniformly lethal brain tumor

Assessment of the effects of dietary fibre and animal-derived fermentable substrates on the gastrointestinal microbiome and associated faecal parameters of the domestic cat (Felis catus) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Appendix 1 is reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license as: Butowski CF, Thomas DG, Young W, Cave NJ, McKenzie CM, Rosendale DI, & Bermingham EN. (2019.) Addition of plant dietary fibre to a raw red meat high protein, high fat diet, alters the faecal microbiome and organic acid profiles of the domestic cat (Felis catus). PLOS ONE, 14(5):e0216072. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216072Globally, commercial diets high in animal protein and fat are becoming increasingly popular for pets. However, there is little research assessing the impacts of such diets in domestic cats. Dietary fibre and animal-derived fermentable substrates (ADFS) are of interest because of their role in gastrointestinal health. A series of in vivo and in vitro studies were conducted to determine the effects of ADFS on the food-host-microbiome interaction in the domestic cat. Initially, the impact of dietary fibre inclusion in a high protein raw meat diet on the faecal microbiome was determined (Chapter Two). Observations from this study suggested that a high protein raw meat diet was highly digestible and influenced the frequency of defecation in the domestic cat. As part of this study, I also assessed two methodologies. Firstly, the point at which the faecal microbiome should be sampled after diet adaption (Chapter Three) and secondly, the suitability of a rectal swab sample (Chapter Four) in determining the composition of the faecal microbiome. I ascertained that the faecal microbiome of the cat could ferment dietary fibre (inulin and cellulose). Furthermore, relative stability of the microbiome was reached after day 5. However, rectal swab samples did not replicate the taxonomic complexity of the faecal microbiome. Based on results from Chapter Two, I assessed the fermentative capacity of a range of ADFS compared to dietary fibre in vitro (Chapter Five). I found that hydrolysed collagen produced the greatest concentrations of butyrate in this system. Therefore, in the final study, I assessed the impacts of hydrolysed collagen inclusion in a high protein raw meat diet on the faecal metagenome (Chapter Six). Additionally, I assessed tryptophan metabolites as they include a key neurotransmitter, serotonin, which has local effects on the colon and may explain the differences in defecation frequency observed. I found that the hydrolysed collagen was fermented by the gastrointestinal microbiome of the domestic cat and could have the potential to replace dietary fibre in the diet of the domestic cat. From this, future research could verify the potential of ADFS in replacing dietary fibre in domestic cats. In addition, further work is required in determining the functional potential of the microbiome of the domestic cat to fully understand the impact of diet on the host-microbiome interactions

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Neutralize the Anti-tumor Effect of CSF1 Receptor Blockade by Inducing PMN-MDSC Infiltration of Tumors.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) contribute to all aspects of tumor progression. Use of CSF1R inhibitors to target TAM is therapeutically appealing, but has had very limited anti-tumor effects. Here, we have identified the mechanism that limited the effect of CSF1R targeted therapy. We demonstrated that carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are major sources of chemokines that recruit granulocytes to tumors. CSF1 produced by tumor cells caused HDAC2-mediated downregulation of granulocyte-specific chemokine expression in CAF, which limited migration of these cells to tumors. Treatment with CSF1R inhibitors disrupted this crosstalk and triggered a profound increase in granulocyte recruitment to tumors. Combining CSF1R inhibitor with a CXCR2 antagonist blocked granulocyte infiltration of tumors and showed strong anti-tumor effects