title: Driving while conversing: Cell phones that distract and passengers who react

authors: Charlton, Samuel G.

subjects: cell phone

abstract: The research systematically compared the driving performance and conversational patterns of drivers speaking with in-car passengers, hands-free cell phones, and remote passengers who could see the driver's current driving situation (via a window into a driving simulator). Driving performance suffered during cell phone and remote passenger conversations as compared with in-car passenger conversations and no-conversation controls in terms of their approach speeds, reaction times, and avoidance of road and traffic hazards. Of particular interest was the phenomenon of conversation suppression, the tendency for passengers to slow their rates of conversation as the driver approached a hazard. On some occasions these passengers also offered alerting comments, warning the driver of an approaching hazard. Neither conversation suppression nor alerting comments were present during cell phone conversations. Remote passengers displayed low levels of alerting comments and conversation suppression, but not enough to avoid negative effects on driving performance. The data suggested that conversation modulation was a key factor in maintaining driving performance and that seeing the road and traffic was not sufficient to produce it. A second experiment investigated whether a cell phone modified to emit warning tones could alleviate some of the adverse effects typically associated with cell phone conversations. The modified cell phone produced discourse patterns that were similar to passenger conversations and driving performance nearly as good as that of drivers who were not conversing. This latter finding supported the argument that conversation modulation is a key ingredient in avoiding adverse effects of conversations with drivers, rather than the physical presence of an in-car passenger.

text: Driving while conversing: Cell phones that distract and passengers who react The research systematically compared the driving performance and conversational patterns of drivers speaking with in-car passengers, hands-free cell phones, and remote passengers who could see the driver's current driving situation (via a window into a driving simulator). Driving performance suffered during cell phone and remote passenger conversations as compared with in-car passenger conversations and no-conversation controls in terms of their approach speeds, reaction times, and avoidance of road and traffic hazards. Of particular interest was the phenomenon of conversation suppression, the tendency for passengers to slow their rates of conversation as the driver approached a hazard. On some occasions these passengers also offered alerting comments, warning the driver of an approaching hazard. Neither conversation suppression nor alerting comments were present during cell phone conversations. Remote passengers displayed low levels of alerting comments and conversation suppression, but not enough to avoid negative effects on driving performance. The data suggested that conversation modulation was a key factor in maintaining driving performance and that seeing the road and traffic was not sufficient to produce it. A second experiment investigated whether a cell phone modified to emit warning tones could alleviate some of the adverse effects typically associated with cell phone conversations. The modified cell phone produced discourse patterns that were similar to passenger conversations and driving performance nearly as good as that of drivers who were not conversing. This latter finding supported the argument that conversation modulation is a key ingredient in avoiding adverse effects of conversations with drivers, rather than the physical presence of an in-car passenger.

year: 2009

title: Adhesion GPCRs are widely expressed throughout the subsections of the gastrointestinal tract

authors: Badiali, Luca

abstract: Background: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent one of the largest families of transmembrane receptors and the most common drug target. The Adhesion subfamily is the second largest one of GPCRs and its several members are known to mediate neural development and immune system functioning through cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The distribution of these receptors has not been characterized in detail in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Here we present the first comprehensive anatomical profiling of mRNA expression of all 30 Adhesion GPCRs in the rat GI tract divided into twelve subsegments. Methods: Using RT-qPCR, we studied the expression of Adhesion GPCRs in the esophagus, the corpus and antrum of the stomach, the proximal and distal parts of the duodenum, ileum, jejunum and colon, and the cecum. Results: We found that twenty-one Adhesion GPCRs (70%) had a widespread (expressed in five or more segments) or ubiquitous (expressed in eleven or more segments) distribution, seven (23%) were restricted to a few segments of the GI tract and two were not expressed in any segment. Most notably, almost all Group III members were ubiquitously expressed, while the restricted expression was characteristic for the majority of group VII members, hinting at more specific/localized roles for some of these receptors. Conclusions: Overall, the distribution of Adhesion GPCRs points to their important role in GI tract functioning and defines them as a potentially crucial target for pharmacological interventions. © 2012 Badiali et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

text: Adhesion GPCRs are widely expressed throughout the subsections of the gastrointestinal tract Background: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent one of the largest families of transmembrane receptors and the most common drug target. The Adhesion subfamily is the second largest one of GPCRs and its several members are known to mediate neural development and immune system functioning through cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The distribution of these receptors has not been characterized in detail in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Here we present the first comprehensive anatomical profiling of mRNA expression of all 30 Adhesion GPCRs in the rat GI tract divided into twelve subsegments. Methods: Using RT-qPCR, we studied the expression of Adhesion GPCRs in the esophagus, the corpus and antrum of the stomach, the proximal and distal parts of the duodenum, ileum, jejunum and colon, and the cecum. Results: We found that twenty-one Adhesion GPCRs (70%) had a widespread (expressed in five or more segments) or ubiquitous (expressed in eleven or more segments) distribution, seven (23%) were restricted to a few segments of the GI tract and two were not expressed in any segment. Most notably, almost all Group III members were ubiquitously expressed, while the restricted expression was characteristic for the majority of group VII members, hinting at more specific/localized roles for some of these receptors. Conclusions: Overall, the distribution of Adhesion GPCRs points to their important role in GI tract functioning and defines them as a potentially crucial target for pharmacological interventions. © 2012 Badiali et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

year: 2012

title: Closing geographical distances: The value of a New Zealand perspective on the admission policy of a Native Hawaiian School

authors: Hemi, Keakaokawai Varner

subjects: Racial discrimination

abstract: This article examines the legal narratives evident in the American federal court decision in Doe v Kamehameha Schools (Kamehameha).' The article first describes the historical development of everyone/ no-one, someone and Indigenous equality narratives and their particular impact on the narration of Indigenous peoples in the law. It then examines how the opinions of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in this case exhibit significant narrative confusion and distrust about the relationship between Indigenous identity and equality, with the Ninth Circuit interpreting the Native Hawaiian schools' preference for Native Hawaiian students as either reverse racial discrimination or an exception to the general rule of homogeneity and anonymity. For comparison, the article then examines similar equality narratives in New Zealand law, which reveal few legal challenges to admission policies which, either explicitly or implicitly, prefer Maori and demonstrate a narrative complementarity between equality and Indigenous identity. The article recognises that, while complementarity could clarify the narrative issues in Kamehameha for future American federal courts, it also provides the opportunity for New Zealand to pause and reflect. Ultimately, the article advocates a weaving of equality narratives across geographical distances.

text: Closing geographical distances: The value of a New Zealand perspective on the admission policy of a Native Hawaiian School This article examines the legal narratives evident in the American federal court decision in Doe v Kamehameha Schools (Kamehameha).' The article first describes the historical development of everyone/ no-one, someone and Indigenous equality narratives and their particular impact on the narration of Indigenous peoples in the law. It then examines how the opinions of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in this case exhibit significant narrative confusion and distrust about the relationship between Indigenous identity and equality, with the Ninth Circuit interpreting the Native Hawaiian schools' preference for Native Hawaiian students as either reverse racial discrimination or an exception to the general rule of homogeneity and anonymity. For comparison, the article then examines similar equality narratives in New Zealand law, which reveal few legal challenges to admission policies which, either explicitly or implicitly, prefer Maori and demonstrate a narrative complementarity between equality and Indigenous identity. The article recognises that, while complementarity could clarify the narrative issues in Kamehameha for future American federal courts, it also provides the opportunity for New Zealand to pause and reflect. Ultimately, the article advocates a weaving of equality narratives across geographical distances.

year: 2016