cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and development of the cruise line industry in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is emerging as one of the fastest growing cruise regions in the world. Historically, strong economic growth, and increases in disposable incomes and leisure time, have led to an increase in the popularity and affordability of the cruise product. This paper presents an overview of the trends in the growth and development of the cruise line industry in Southeast Asia. Despite the challenges posed by the current economic crisis, there are still excellent prospects for future growth. The viability and future success of the cruise industry will be largely dependent on the cooperative endeavors shown by the public and private sectors in each Asian country to overcome the challenges and to sustain growth.
Role of implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in patients with long QT syndrome

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is one of several primary electrical disorders or hereditary arrhythmia syndromes along with the short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Since its initial recognition in 1957 by Jervell and Lange-Nielsen ( Am Heart J. 1957;54:59-68), LQTS has been intimately associated with risk for sudden cardiac death. The implantable defibrillator was developed by Morowski et al ( N Engl J Med. 1980;303:322-4) as a treatment to prevent sudden cardiac death. Consequently, implanted cardioverter-defibrillator therapy deserves serious consideration as an important therapy for LQTS.
Slow Channel Calcium Antagonists in the Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia

D EPOLARIZATION in most cardiac cells as well as skeletal muscle, and nerve cells results from increased permeability of sodium ions through a fast channel.’ An alternate mechanism appears to be operating in specialized tissue within the heart, such as the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes, certain nerve fibers, and smooth muscle cells where increases in membrane permeability result from opening of channels to calcium ions.* The calcium or slow channel differs from its sodium or fast channel counterpart in that its gates open and close more slowly with a resultant lowered transmembrane current carried during depolarization.3 The slow calcium channel has been implicated in the chronotropic, dromotropic, and inotropic activity of the heart as well as vascular smooth muscle contraction in coronary and systemic arterioles.3 It has also been implicated in slow pathway depolarization, characteristic of reentrant supraventricular tachyarrhythmiasP Therapeutically, calcium channel antagonists are used to depress these specific cardiac activities and inhibit coronary and systemic arteriolar smooth muscle contraction. It is their negative chronotropic and dromotropic effects that make them useful in the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. However, the variable and numerous vascular and hemodynamic effects of this new class of agents must be considered in selecting the proper drug for the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. The specific electrophysiologic effects that lend calcium channel antagonists effective in the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias are their ability to (1) decrease the spontaneous rate and conduction of the sinus node; (2) prolong AV nodal conduction; and (3) lengthen the functional and effective refractory period of the AV node during AV nodal conduction and to a lesser extent during VA nodal conduction.4 The cardiac structures that are “slow” channel dependent and the electrophysiologic, electrocardiographic, hemodynamic, and vascular effects of calcium channel antagonists on these structures are listed in Table 1.
High resolution on-chip spectroscopy based on miniaturized microdonut resonators

We experimentally demonstrate a high resolution integrated spectrometer on silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate using a large-scale array of microdonut resonators. Through top-view imaging and processing, the measured spectral response of the spectrometer shows a linewidth of ~0.6 nm with an operating bandwidth of ~50 nm. This high resolution and bandwidth is achieved in a compact size using miniaturized microdonut resonators (radius ~2 μm) with a high quality factor, single-mode operation, and a large free spectral range. The microspectrometer is realized using silicon process compatible fabrication and has a great potential as a high-resolution, large dynamic range, light-weight, compact, high-speed, and versatile microspectrometer.
Effects of chronic HIV-1 Tat exposure in the CNS: heightened vulnerability of males versus females to changes in cell numbers, synaptic integrity, and behavior

HIV-associated damage to the central nervous system results in cognitive and motor deficits. Anti-retroviral therapies reduce the severity of symptoms, yet the proportion of patients affected has remained the same or increased. Although approximately half of HIV-infected patients worldwide are women, the question of whether biological sex influences outcomes of HIV infection has received little attention. We explored this question for both behavioral and cellular/morphologic endpoints, using a transgenic mouse that inducibly expresses HIV-1 Tat in the brain. After 3 months of HIV-1 Tat exposure, both sexes showed similar reduced open field ambulation. Male Tat+ mice also showed reduced forelimb grip strength and enhanced anxiety in a light–dark box assay. Tat+ males did not improve over 12 weeks of repeated rotarod testing, indicating a motor memory deficit. Male mice also had more cellular deficits in the striatum. Neither sex showed a change in volume or total neuron numbers. Both had equally reduced oligodendroglial populations and equivalent microglial increases. However, astrogliosis and microglial nitrosative stress were higher in males. Dendrites on medium spiny neurons in male Tat+ mice had fewer spines, and levels of excitatory and inhibitory pre- and post-synaptic proteins were disrupted. Our results predict sex as a determinant of HIV effects in brain. Increased behavioral deficits in males correlated with glial activation and synaptic damage, both of which are implicated in cognitive/motor impairments in patients. Tat produced by residually infected cells despite antiretroviral therapy may be an important determinant of the synaptodendritic instability and behavioral deficits accompanying chronic infection.
The Grad Data Acquisition and Control System

A reliable, low-cost microprocessor based electronics package has been designed and built to support the Gamma Ray Advanced Detector which is scheduled to fly on the Space Shuttle in 1986. The electronics package provides for both control and data acquisition through a telemetry interface to the Air Force AFP-675 experiment support structure. By changing out two interface modules the electronics package can be reconfigured to support a variety of instruments and S/V interfaces.
765-6 Thromboxane Mediates Impaired Coronary Microvascular Responses to Metabolic Stimulation in Diabetes

Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) mediates coronary arteriolar dilation to increased myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO 2 ). NO mediated dilation has been shown to be attenuated in diabetes (DM), and endoperoxide antagonists restore this dilation to normal. We, therefore, studied the effect of DM on metabolically mediated dilation of coronary arterioles. We further tested the effect of S029548 (SQ; thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist) on coronary arteriolar dilatory responses to increased MVO 2 in DM. We measured changes in epicardial arteriolar diameters in 5 DM (1 week alloxan, 60 mg/kg, iv), 4 DM after administration of SQ (2 mg/kg. iv), and 6 normal dogs during increased MVO 2 , using dobutamine (DOB; 10 μ g/kg/min, iv) with rapid atrial pacing (RAP; 288 ± 4 bpm). Diameters were measured using intravital microscopy in anesthetized dogs with stroboscopic epi-illumination coupled to the cardiac cycle. Mean aortic pressure and blood gases were monitored and kept constant throughout the protocol. Results Control DOB DOB + RAP MVO 2 diameter ( μ m) MVO 2 %Δin diameter MVO 2 %Δin diameter Normal 11 ± 1 60 ± 5 23 ± 2 24 ± 4 39 ± 7 43 ± 6 OM 21 ± 7 78 ± 6 36 ± 13 17 ± 5 40 ± 13 14 ± 3 * OM + SQ 16 ± 3 82 ± 9 22 ± 1 20 ± 3 41 ± 5 37 ± 7 mean ± SEM, * P l 0.05 vs. Normal. MVO 2 is ml/min/100 g In DM animals, during DOB + RAP, arterial-venous oxygen difference increased as flow decreased, thus keeping MVO 2 similar. Thus, coronary arterioles in diabetes demonstrate attenuated microvascular dilation to increased myocardial oxygen consumption, and vasoconstrictor endoperoxides playa key role in this impaired response.
Temperature response of oats to water stress in the field

Abstract The temperature of actively growing plants may serve as an index of the water, environmental, or pathogen stress which the crop is experiencing. Spring oats (Avena sativa L.) were grown in a field plot equipped with a moveable shelter to permit programming of applied water. Stress was imposed on the crop at different stages of growth by withholding water. Plant temperatures, relative leaf water contents (RLWC), and leaf diffusion resistances (LDR) were measured during the stress treatments. The leaf temperature of water stressed oats was generally 2.5 to 4.0°C warmer than the leaf temperature of adequately watered plants during the period of maximum solar radiation on cloudless days. Water stressed oats had a RLWC which was 23% less and a 22 sec/cm higher LDR than the control (nonstressed) treatment when the stress was imposed at the boot (growth) stage. Remotely sensed crop temperatures, properly calibrated for local conditions, appear promising as a tool for identifying water deficits and for use in scheduling irrigation.
Resonant laser ignition of reactive gases

A tunable laser system that operates in the ultraviolet (UV) has been utilized to ignite premixed reactive gaseous flows of H2/O2, D2/O2 and CH4/N2O in a jet burner at atmospheric pressure. Multiphoton UV photodissociation of the fuel or oxidizer molecules produced ground state radicals (H and O atoms). Resonance-enhanced multiphoton excitation and ionization of these radicals formed a laser-produced microplasma that served as an ignition source. Time-resolved absorption techniques were utilized to determine minimum ignition energies for the gaseous mixtures when the laser was tuned to resonance two-photon excitation transitions of H and O atoms near 243 nm and 225.6 nm respectively. The minimum ignition energy was found to be wavelength dependent and was the least when the laser was tuned to the resonant two-photon excitation transitions. These results suggest that ignition is not only dependent upon the absorption of a certain minimum amount of energy but is also photochemically enhanced by the production of ground and excited-state radicals and ions which participate in exothermic chemical chain-branching reactions in the early stages of ignition. Therefore, a new laser ignition mechanism is proposed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Children, Ethics, and Modern Medicine

In Children, Ethics, and Modern Medicine, Richard B. Miller elaborates upon moral norms for parental and professional care of children. Miller argues that in pediatric medical ethics, in contrast t...
Information or Regulation: What Drives the International Activities of Commercial Banks?

Information costs and regulatory barriers distinguish international financial markets from national ones. Using panel data on bilateral assets and liabilities of commercial banks, I empirically determine the impact of information, costs and regulations, and I isolate intra-EU financial linkages. I confirm that information costs and regulations are important factors influencing international asset choices of banks, but their relative importance differs among countries.
Protein expression is altered during spontaneous sleep in aged Sprague Dawley rats.

Abstract Age-related changes in brain function include those affecting learning, memory, and sleep-wakefulness. Sleep-wakefulness is an essential behavior that results from the interaction of multiple brain regions, peptides, and neurotransmitters. The biological function(s) of sleep, however, remains unknown due to a paucity of information available at the cellular level. Aged rats exhibit alterations in the circadian and homeostatic influences associated with sleep–wake regulation. We recently showed that alterations in cortical profiles occur after timed bouts of spontaneous sleep in young rats. Examination of the cellular response to sleep–wake in old rats may thus provide insight(s) into the biological function(s) of sleep. To test this hypothesis, we monitored cortical profiles in the frontal cortex of young and old Sprague–Dawley rats after timed bouts of spontaneous sleep–wake behavior. Proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), visualized by fluorescent staining, imaged, and analyzed as a function of behavioral state and age. Old rats showed a 6-fold increase in total protein expression, independent of the behavioral state at sacrifice. When analyzed according to age and behavioral state, there was a decrease (∼ 46%) in the number of phospho-spots present during SWS in aged animals. SWS-associated spots present only in old animals were associated with multiple functions including vesicular transport, cell signaling, oxidation state, cytoskeletal support, and energy metabolism. These data suggest that the intracellular response to the signaling associated with spontaneous sleep is affected by age and is consistent with the idea that the ability of sleep to fulfill its function(s) may become diminished with age.
Longitudinal Study on Oral Health in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease

Objective: To examine longitudinal oral health changes in unmedicated, generally healthy subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and compare them to age- and gender-matched healthy, unmedicated control subjects. Design: Oral health parameters were evaluated over 2 to 3 years and the results compared between subjects with AD and controls. Setting: Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Participants: Twenty-one community-dwelling subjects with a clinical diagnosis of AD and 21 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Neither population was being treated for any other systemic condition nor taking any prescription medications. Measurements: Unstimulated and stimulated major salivary gland flow rates were measured, and gingival, periodontal, dental, and oral mucosal tissues assessed. Main Results: In general, subjects with AD demonstrated decreased salivary flow rates and diminished oral health, but most longitudinal changes in oral health status were not significantly different than controls. Conclusions: Patients with AD are susceptible to a variety of oral health problems, and progression of AD can lead to a deterioration in oral health and function. These patients require aggressive preventive care to maintain function for as long as possible, which necessitates close cooperation among numerous health care professionals. J Am Geriatr Soc 42:57–63, 1994
Biotransformation and DNA Adduct Formation of Trans-8,9-Dihydroxy-8,9-Dihydrodibenzo[a, l]Pyrene by Induced Rat Liver and Human CYP1A1 Microsomes

Abstract In order to explain the adduct patterns observed from the human CYP1A1-mediated binding of dibenzo[a, l]pyrene (DB[a, l]P) to DNA, we have investigated the further metabolism and DNA adduct activity of trans-DB[a, l]P-8,9-diol by induced rat liver and human CYP1A1 microsomes. trans-DB[a, l]P-8,9-diol was synthesized and metabolic studies with β-naphthoflavone-induced rat liver microsomes indicated three major metabolites: 2 diastereomers of trans,trans-8,9,11,12-tetrahydro-8,9,11,12-tetrahydroxy-DB[a, l]P and 8,9,13,14-tetrahydro-8,9,13,14-tetrahydroxy-DB[a, l]P. DB[a, l]P when activated by CYP1A1/epoxide hydrase (EH) and calf thymus DNA gave a complex pattern of DNA adducts most of which cochromatograph with syn- and anti-DB[a, l]P fjord region diol epoxide-DNA standards. Two highly polar eluting adducts were also observed, one which cochromatographs with the single major DNA adduct obtained from the CYP1A1/EH activation of trans-DB[a, l]P-8,9-diol. The relative retention time of this adduct sug...
Evidence of cue use and performance differences in deciphering dysarthric speech

There is substantial performance variability among listeners who transcribe degraded speech. Error patterns from 88 listeners who transcribed dysarthric speech were examined to identify differential use of syllabic strength cues for lexical segmentation. Transcripts from listeners were divided into four groups (ranging from Better- to Poorer- performing). Phrases classified as Higher- and Lower-intelligibility were analyzed separately for each performance group to assess the independent variable of severity. Results revealed that all four listener groups used syllabic strength cues for lexical segmentation of Higher-intelligibility speech, but only the Poorer listeners persisted with this strategy for the Lower-intelligibility phrases. This finding and additional analyses suggest testable hypotheses to address the role of cue-use and performance patterns.
Evidence, content and corroboration and the Tree of Life.

We examine three critical aspects of Popper’s formulation of the ‘Logic of Scientific Discovery’—evidence, content and degree of corroboration—and place these concepts in the context of the Tree of Life (ToL) problem with particular reference to molecular systematics. Content, in the sense discussed by Popper, refers to the breadth and scope of existence that a hypothesis purports to explain. Content, in conjunction with the amount of available and relevant evidence, determines the testability, or potential degree of corroboration, of a statement; content distinguishes scientific hypotheses from metaphysical assertions. Degree of corroboration refers to the relative and tentative confidence assigned to one hypothesis over another, based upon the performance of each under critical tests. Here we suggest that systematists attempt to maximize content and evidence to increase the potential degree of corroboration in all phylogenetic endeavors. Discussion of this “total evidence” approach leads to several interesting conclusions about generating ToL hypotheses.
Non-invasive Compartment Syndrome diagnosis

Compartment Syndrome causes permanent damage to patients who are undiagnosed for more than four hours. Every day, doctors miss the cardinal signs of Compartment Syndrome development after trauma. The lack of an accurate and non-invasive clinical standard for the diagnosis of Compartment Syndrome has led to thousands of amputations and permanent nerve and tissue damage. Our goal was to improve the current gold standard by designing a non-invasive device to quantitatively measure the intercompartmental pressures of the lower leg, the most commonly effected area for patients. For the Kommodo Care system, we used pressure sensors and Wheatstone Bridge strain sensors along a Master Lock 3060DAT strap. SolidWorks 2009 was used for prototype design; the strap is wrapped around the leg to measure intercompartmental pressure at the different compartment locations of the lower leg. The sensor data is sent via a laptop and compiled in MATLAB 2011. Air muscles were bundled to simulate lower leg compartments in testing the efficacy of Kommodo Care. Ultimately, our Kommodo Care system will vastly improve both diagnosis and overall patient care for Compartment Syndrome.
Attenuated Beta Endorphin Response to Acute Stress is Associated with Smoking Relapse

Stress has been cited as an important precipitator of smoking relapse. Dysregulation of neurobiological pathways related to stress might mediate effects of stress on smoking relapse. This study assessed the extent to which beta endorphin response to stress is associated with early smoking relapse. Forty-five smokers interested in smoking cessation were recruited and attended a laboratory session 24 h following the beginning of their abstinence period. During this session beta endorphin samples were collected before and after performing two acute stressors (public speaking and cognitive tasks). Participants also attended four weekly follow-up sessions to assess their smoking status. Results were compared between smokers who relapsed within the 4-week follow-up period and those who maintained abstinence over the same period. The acute stressors were associated with significant increases in measures of craving and withdrawal symptoms (ps<0.01). While baseline measures of beta endorphin did not differ between relapsers and successful abstainers (F<1), results demonstrated that smokers who relapsed exhibited attenuated beta endorphin response to the two stressors relative to those who maintained abstinence over the same period (ps<05). These results support recent evidence indicating that a dysregulated stress response is a key component in predicting smoking relapse.
Parallel synchronization of two trains of droplets using a railroad-like channel network

We present a simple method of water-in-oil droplet synchronization in a railroad-like channel network. The network consisted of a top channel, a bottom channel, and ladder-like channels interconnected between the two main channels. The presence of the pressure difference between the top and bottom channels resulted in the crossflow of carrier oil through the ladder network until the pressure in each channel was balanced automatically. The proposed model and method proved the feasibility of the parallel synchronization of two trains of droplets with up to 95% synchronization efficiency. Physical parameters that could improve the efficiency were investigated with the systematic variation of the droplet length and droplet generation frequency by controlling the flow rate in each channel. Under a subtle difference in the generation frequency, an unmatched droplet sandwiched between two matched droplets in the ladder network was switched and synchronized in turn. For perfect one-to-one droplet synchronization, the droplet length and the droplet generation frequency needed to be the same for both the top and bottom channels. In addition, one-to-multiple droplet synchronization was demonstrated by matching the product of the droplet length and the droplet generation frequency for both the top and bottom channels. The proposed method provides a simple unit operation for parallel synchronization of the trains of droplets that can be easily integrated with the conventional continuous-flow droplet-based microfluidic platform.
A methodology for quantifying the effects of product development on cost and time

This paper demonstrates a methodology to quantify past product development efforts in an attempt to better utilize past experiences. The methodology is centered around conducting an observational study, using regression analysis, to expose relationships between various aspects of past product development efforts, including cost and time. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated by presenting 'generic' results obtained by making use of information and historical data from a well-established electronics company. The results from applying the methodology support certain design for manufacturability guidelines and the statistical models lend themselves to possibly serving as historical records or prediction tools.
Milk synthesis and secretion rates in cows with milk composition changed by oxytocin.

Supraphysiological doses of oxytocin were used to investigate the association among milk composition, secretion rates, and cell electrolyte concentrations. Groups of 8 Holstein cows were injected i.v. with 1, 10, 100, or 1000 IU oxytocin after a normal milking. Milk yield over the following 12-h period declined 5.5, 8.1, 17.0, and 43.7% respectively. Milk Na increased in proportion to oxytocin dose. Yield and concentration of lactose and protein declined with increasing oxytocin doses, but milk fat yield remained unchanged. To determine whether the decreased milk lactose secretion was caused by a decline in synthesis or leakage into blood plasma and subsequent renal clearance, milk and urine were collected for 24-h periods before and after 100 IU oxytocin. Urinary lactose accounted for 2.7 +/- 3.19 and 12.9 +/- 8.9% of the total collected on the days before and after oxytocin. This increase (46.7 g/d) was only one-fifth of the 25% decline in total lactose recovery, suggesting that reduced mammary lactose synthesis is primarily responsible for lower milk yield. Measurement of Na and K in biopsied mammary tissue suggests that a high Na:K ratio in milk will increase that ratio in secretory cells, which may be part of the mechanism for lower milk yield under circumstances that increase permeability of mammary tight junctions.
The role of cytokines in the regulation of Leydig cell P450c17 gene expression.

Cytokines produced by immune-activated testicular interstitial macrophages (TIMs) may play a fundamental role in the local control mechanisms of testosterone biosynthesis in Leydig cells. We investigated whether in vivo immune-activation of TIMs can modulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis. To immune activate TIMs in vivo, mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 6 mg/kg). TIMs and Leydig cells were purified for RNA analysis. LPS treatment resulted in a 47-fold increase in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA in TIMs. P450c17 mRNA levels in the Leydig cells from the same animals, decreased to less than 10% compared to control. The effect of LPS on IL-1β and P450c17 mRNA levels was reversible on both TIMs and Leydig cells, respectively. To determine if the effect of LPS on P450c17 was mediated by a possible decrease in pituitary LH secretion, mice were co-injected with LPS and hCG. Treatment with hCG did not change the effect observed with LPS alone, in TIMs or in Leydig cells. In vitro, LPS treatment of TIMs resulted in marked induction of IL-1β mRNA expression. In parallel, in vitro treatment of Leydig cells with recombinant IL-1 resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of P450c17 mRNA expression and testosterone production. These data demonstrate that LPS treatment, in vivo and in vitro, induced IL-1 gene expression in TIMs, and that IL-1 inhibits P450c17 mRNA in vitro. Therefore, we suggest that immune-activation of TIMs might have caused the observed inhibition of P450c17 gene expression in Leydig cells in vivo.
Impact of Helicobacter pylori colonization on immunoreactive epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha in gastric juice. Its potential pathogenetic implications.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), pivotal in mucosal protection, is partly degraded proteolytically at low pH in the gastric milieu; gastric acid secretion, on the other hand, remains influenced byH. pylori colonization. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate the impact of low pH andH. pylori colonization status on immunoreactive EGF and the other member of EGF-family, immunoreactive transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α). Eighteen patients with nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) colonized byH. pylori and 55 NUD patients withoutH. pylori colonization were investigated. Gastric juice samples were aspirated at the beginning of the endoscopy procedure and immediately placed on ice, and their pH was recorded. The measurement of immunoreactive EGF and TGF-α was performed using commercially available radioimmunoassays (RIAs) after adjustment of pH to neutral using an assay buffer. Statistical analysis was performed using Σ-Stat for Windows. The concentration of immunoreactive EGF in patients with NUD colonized byH. pylori was 80% lower (P < 0.02) than in those withoutH. pylori and in both groups immunoreactive EGF was significantly lower when the pH of gastric juice was below 4.0. The concentration of immunoreactive EGF inH. pylori(+) andH. pylori(−) patients was similar when the pH of aspirated gastric juice was above 4.0. However, with gastric juice pH<4.0, the EGF concentration was 64% lower inH. pylori(+) patients thanH. pylori(−) patients (P<0.05). In general, the concentration of immunoreactive TGF-α in gastric juice was unaffected byH. pylori colonization or pH of gastric juice. It is concluded that: (1) significantly lower immunoreactive EGF concentrations in patients with pH below 4.0 indicate that immunoreactive EGF but not immunoreactive TGF-α is affected by an acidic gastric milieu; (2) the further reduction of gastric juice immunoreactive EGF at pH below 4.0 in patients colonized byH. pylori suggests that this microorganism may elaborate factors that accelerate its proteolytic degradation or inhibit its rate of synthesis and/or secretion; and (3) this diminished content of immunoreactive EGF at low pH, especially in patients colonized byH. pylori, may facilitate the development and/or progression of mucosal damage.
Progress on the global digital divide: an ethical perspective based on Amartya Sen's capabilities model

This paper examines evolving technological capabilities in developing countries. Counts of web sites indicate that some progress is being made in some of the world's poorest countries, but the numbers show even with this progress, the gap between developed and developing countries is actually growing. So has there been progress in closing the global digital divide? The significance of web sites to provide access to necessary medical information, local cultural information, and the general visibility of the developing world is described and the current environment evaluated. The moral situation created by the current status is reviewed using ethical theories proposed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. By reviewing one vehicle for information transfer--the web site--the author hopes to highlight the importance of this vehicle and to present a general overview of the progress that is being made around the world.
The behaviour of microsomal mono-electron carriers in human placenta during late pregnancy.

The activities and the content of enzymes involved in mixed function oxidase systems (cytochromes P-450 and b5, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and NADH cytochrome b5 reductase) in microsomes from 114 human placentae were found to increase from the 34th up to the 38th–39th week of gestation and later to decrease until the 43rd week. Such a process can be related to the following: (i) the phospholipid content of microsomal membranes; (ii) the protein synthesis possibly induced by steroids such as androstenedione and testosterone.
Guadalupe Corridor Transportation Project asbestos health risk assessment, San Jose, California

A study was conducted to assess health risks and identify a set of appropriate mitigation measures to control airborne emissions of natural asbestos from construction of the Guadalupe Corridor Transportation Project, a highway and light-rail construction project in San Jose, California. This study supported a state-mandated Environmental Impact Report. Communication Hill, along the project route, is known to contain natural chrysotile asbestos-bearing rock. The study described in this paper estimated potential asbestos emissions, identified and evaluated mitigation measures, and evaluated air pathway exposure and health risks. With mitigation, estimated risks were found to be acceptable by the regulatory agency, and construction proceeded.
Functional state of corticostriatal synapses determines their expression of short- and long-term plasticity.

Relationships between presynaptic function and short- and long-term plasticity were investigated at adult corticostriatal synapses. Wide variability was observed in the expression of short- and long-term synaptic plasticity. Intracellular records from 47 cells produced 17 examples of LTD ( 110% of control). Similar variation existed in paired-pulse and posttetanic plasticities. The variability expressed in all three forms of plasticity appears to be related, based on correlations found between the paired-pulse ratio (PPR) and tetanus-induced short- (3 min posttetanus) and long-term plasticities (16-20 min posttetanus). These data suggest that tetanus-induced changes in synaptic strength are related to the intrinsic, preconditioned behavior of synapses. Every cell showing paired-pulse depression also expressed LTD in response to high-frequency activation of its afferents. Those synapses showing paired-pulse potentiation tended to express LTP, although exceptions did exist. Similar relationships were found in a parallel analysis of population spikes. PPR also changed in association with the expression of posttetanic and long-term depression. Greater paired-pulse potentiation was observed in medial intracellular recordings, but no medial to lateral differences were seen in posttetanic plasticities. Field recordings also showed a medial bias toward paired-pulse and posttetanic potentiation, but not in long-term plasticity. Block of postsynaptic L-type Ca(2+) channels with nifedipine eliminated LTD expression, but overall no differences were found between nifedipine and control cells.
Phosphorylation and Desensitization of Human Endothelin A and B Receptors: EVIDENCE FOR G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR KINASE SPECIFICITY *

Although endothelin-1 can elicit prolonged physiologic responses, accumulating evidence suggests that rapid desensitization affects the primary G protein-coupled receptors mediating these responses, the endothelin A and B receptors (ETA-R and ETB-R). The mechanisms by which this desensitization proceeds remain obscure, however. Because some intracellular domain sequences of the ETA-R and ETB-R differ substantially, we tested the possibility that these receptor subtypes might be differentially regulated by G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs). Homologous, or receptor-specific, desensitization occurred within 4 min both in the ETA-R-expressing A10 cells and in 293 cells transfected with either the human ETA-R or ETB-R. In 293 cells, this desensitization corresponded temporally with agonist-induced phosphorylation of each receptor, assessed by receptor immunoprecipitation from 32Pi-labeled cells. Agonist-induced receptor phosphorylation was not substantially affected by PKC inhibition but was reduced 40% (p
An Educational Strategy for Treating Chronic, Noncancer Pain With Opioids: A Pilot Test

Abstract Chronic pain is common and can be devastating to the patient and challenging to the health care provider. Despite the importance of the topic, pain management curricula are incomplete in health professionals' training. We developed a longitudinal curriculum to teach therapy for chronic noncancer pain over four units and pilot-tested the teaching of one unit (opioids) to internal medicine residents. The educational strategies we used included didactic sessions, write-up of a management plan following a model, case discussions, and role-play group activities. We pilot-tested one unit (opioid therapy) in March 2008. We performed learner evaluations, using a pretest and posttest, a write-up plan following a model, and a learner knowledge questionnaire. Results showed significant improvement in knowledge. Residents found the sessions and educational strategy to be excellent and reported higher confidence levels in managing patients with chronic noncancer pain. Perspective This article demonstrates that multiple teaching modalities—including didactic lectures, case discussions, write-up of a management plan following a model, and role-play group activities—are effective methods of teaching internal medicine residents how to use opioids to manage chronic noncancer pain.
Action and free energy for black hole topologies

Abstract The gravitational fields of black holes have a thermal interpretation. The static cases correspond to equilibrium, so that the imaginary time or Euclidean method is appropriate. The boundary data required for the Euclidean action coincide with those that specify a canonical ensemble. Evaluation of this action for a finite region in a class of geometries that includes the classical black hole solutions, with the constraints or initial value equations taken into account, produces a “reduced” action and an associated free energy. The reduced action can have locally stable and unstable stationary points or none. In certain cases there are globally stable configurations. Their properties make it possible to understand black holes in the canonical ensemble, which was not possible in the original formulation of black hole thermodynamics. Thermodynamic reasoning in situations where gravity is important must be altered to fit the new point of view.
Regrowth of axons in lesioned adult rat spinal cord: promotion by implants of cultured Schwann cells

Highly purified populations of Schwann cells were grafted into lesioned adult rat spinal cord to determine if they promote axonal regeneration. Dorsal spinal cord lesions were created by a photochemical lesioning technique. Schwann cells derived from E16 rat dorsal root ganglia, either elongated and associated with their extracellular matrix or dissociated and without matrix, were rolled in polymerized collagen to form an implant 4-6 mm long which was grafted at 5 or 28 days after lesioning. No immunosuppression was used. Acellular collagen rolls served as controls. At 14, 28 and 90 days and 4 and 6 months after grafting, animals were analysed histologically with silver and Toluidine Blue stains and EM. The grafts often filled the lesion and the host borders they apposed exhibited only limited astrogliosis. By 14 days, bundles of unmyelinated and occasional thinly myelinated axons populated the periphery of Schwann cell implants. By 28 days and thereafter, numerous unmyelinated and myelinated axons were present in most grafts. Silver staining revealed sprouted axons at the implant border at 28 days and long bundles of axons within the implant at 90 days. Photographs of entire 1 micron plastic cross-sections of nine grafted areas were assembled into montages to count the number of myelinated axons at the graft midpoint; the number of myelinated axons ranged from 517-3214. Electron microscopy of implants showed typical Schwann cell ensheathment and myelination, increased myelin thickness by 90 days, and a preponderance of unmyelinated over myelinated axons. Random EM sampling of five Schwann cell grafts showed that the ratio of unmyelinated to myelinated axons was highest (20:1) at 28 days. These ratios implied that axons numbered in the thousands at the graft midpoint. Dissociated Schwann cells without matrix promoted axonal ingrowth and longitudinal orientation as effectively as did elongated Schwann cells accompanied by matrix. There was a suggestion that axonal ingrowth was at least as successful, if not more so, when the delay between lesioning and grafting was 28 rather than 5 days. Acellular collagen grafts did not contain axons at 28 days, the only interval assessed. In sum, grafts of Schwann cells in a rolled collagen layer filled the lesion and were well tolerated by the host. The Schwann cells stimulated rapid and abundant growth of axons into grafts and they ensheathed and myelinated these axons in the normal manner.
In situ study of coatings using embedded electrodes for ENM measurements

Abstract After preliminary studies attempting to use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a method for in situ measurement of the corrosion protective properties of coatings failed, the use of electrochemical noise methods (ENMs) was examined for this purpose. It has been found that a modified version of the electrode configuration that is most commonly used for ENM in the study of coatings involving embedded wires in the coating film allows one to perform in situ measurements of the electrochemical properties of the film. These continuous measurements of electrochemical properties of coatings in exposure are the very first of this type of measurement ever accomplished . The results of our preliminary studies from ENM in an embedded two-electrode configuration are presented. These studies examined the use of embedded electrodes in coatings on exposure in a cyclic salt fog test chamber (Prohesion™ cycle). The test panels under examination undergo exposures that involve changes in temperature, humidity and electrolyte spraying, and are thus a good emulation of exterior exposure. Results are presented for several types of films along with in situ temperature measurements on the test panels under study. An analysis of this data is given which indicates that coating film noise resistance, R n , decreases as moisture penetrates the film during the “spray cycle”, then rises again during the “dry cycle” in a manner that lags the temperature cycle, while the “localization index” of corrosion as defined by Eden goes through a maximum at the end of the “dry cycle”. This would seem to indicate the internal increase in electrolyte concentration in the film that occurs during drying is one of the key drivers of the transition from low rate general corrosion to the onset of localized corrosion. Implications of the results and the possible uses of the sensing system are also discussed.
Measurement of Combustion Air to a Typical Cyclone Burner With a Common Wind Box and Pressure Loss Effects on the Cyclone Due to Inlet Configuration

To maintain proper fuel air ratio and minimize NOx during combustion, air and coal flow into a cyclone burner must be measured. Due to the large length to width ratio of the air inlet to some burners, often greater than 7, accurate measurement has proven to be difficult; in fact, measurement with a ratio greater than 2 to 1 has proven to be difficult. A typical cyclone burner system was analyzed with a premium CFD modeling package, with particular attention being given to the location which would be considered “worst case”. If this location can be measured accurately, then we can assume that the less stringent locations will also be measured accurately. Additionally, a “best case” was also analyzed to compare pressure loss due to the measurement. The worst case location was chosen based on a cross flow condition of the air just going around the corner at the entrance, where the flow velocity is the highest. See Figure A . The “best case” condition was chosen as the air flow entering the inlet normal to the plane of the inlet, although this condition may not actually exist in the example wind box chosen. Three inlet configurations were analyzed, (1) three optimally designed Oval High Betas across the inlet, (2) two optimally designed Oval High Betas across the inlet and (3) the flow distribution across the inlet as is, with no method to break up the large length to width ratio. Of particular interest, once the analysis for both the “worst case” and “best case” were done for the three inlet configurations, one configuration, proved best for both measurement and pressure loss—condition (1), the three optimally designed Oval High Betas.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Comparison of pulsed field gradient NMR and holographic relaxation spectroscopy in the study of diffusion of photochromic molecules

Abstract Pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) and holographic relaxation spectroscopy (HRS) have been compared in a study of tracer diffusion rates for the photochromic molecules azobenzene and aminoazobenzene in acetone and 1,4-dioxane. These techniques are applicable to exactly the same range of diffusion rates but can provide complementary information. The cis and trans forms of azobenzene can be distinguished in the NMR experiment, and the tracer diffusion coefficient for the cis form is found to be 5% lower than for the trans form. In the HRS experiment a single diffusion coefficient is determined from the rate of decay of the laser-induced concentration pattern of cis azobenzene. Results obtained by the two methods agree, and the magnitudes of the errors are similar. In general HRS is a much more sensitive method, but only NMR permits the diffusing species to be identified.
Arterial Oxygen Saturation during Nasotracheal Suctioning

Twenty-one patients receiving nasotracheal suctioning for removal of secretions were evaluated by ear oximetric studies before, during, and after the procedure to test the hypothesis that arterial desaturation may occur with nasotracheal suctioning, as has been well documented during suctioning through an artificial airway. Compared to values obtained after breathing an enriched oxygen mixture for one minute, the arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ) fell during nasotracheal suctioning in all 21 patients. In three of the 16 with an initial SaO 2 of 94 percent or greater, there was a decrease of 5 percentage points or more (none to 90 percent); however, of five patients with an initial SaO 2 below 94 percent, three fell 5 percentage points or more during nasotracheal suctioning. A second group of ten patients underwent nasotracheal suctioning and a one-minute nonsuctioning control period in random sequence and after preoxygenation, in order to see whether desaturation could be ascribed to discontinuation of therapy with supplemental oxygen alone. All ten had a higher SaO 2 during the control period than at baseline (P 2 (mean, 4 percentage points lower) during suctioning than the control period (P 2 at the start of the procedure.
The Epidemiology of Lung Cancer

A worldwide lung cancer epidemic has occurred during the 20th century. Although the incidence of lung cancer is presently declining among middle-aged men in some countries, it is increasing among women in many developed countries. The rise of smoking in developing nations will inevitably be followed by spread of the lung cancer epidemic. Epidemiologic research has convincingly established that cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer, accounting for the majority of lung cancer cases in most regions. Other remediable causes, including exposure to occupational agents and indoor air pollutants, have been identified. This evidence has provided a strong impetus for the implementation of a broad range of strategies to reduce the occurrence of lung cancer. Smoking prevention and cessation programs have been implemented by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and workplace exposures to atmospheric carcinogens have been reduced through regulatory and other actions. It is encouraging that lung cancer mortality is beginning to decline among middle-aged men in the United States, and further reductions are projected for both men and women. On the other hand, smoking remains prevalent throughout the world, and the association of smoking with lung cancer has not stopped nonsmoking youths from becoming smokers.
The Information Content of High-Frequency Environmental Monitoring Data Signals Pollution Events in the Coastal Ocean

There are an increasing number of coastal ocean observing systems that deploy new technology for environmental sensing and stream these data in near-real-time to end-users (e.g., scientists and coastal managers) via the worldwide web. The temporal resolution, spatial coverage, and accessibility of these data open up new opportunities for better understanding and managing the coastal ocean, but they also present enormous challenges relative to data processing and data interpretation, particularly in cases where these data are to inform rapid management decision making. Here we demonstrate that changes in surf zone water quality at a popular beach in southern California are signaled by changes in the Fisher Information and Shannon Entropy of high frequency (1/4 min(-1)) measurements of salinity and temperature in the surf zone. These results support the hypothesis that the information content of environmental signals, such as salinity and temperature, can be used to identify changes in the water quality of the coastal ocean. More generally, the approach described here-of using information theory indices calculated from monitoring data as real-time indicators of environmental change-is quite general, and may therefore be applicable to other situations where rapid management decisions are based on high-frequency measurements of environmental parameters.