Groundwater management and development by integrated remote sensing and geographic information systems: prospects and constraints

Groundwater is one of the most valuable natural resources, which supports human health, economic development and ecological diversity. Overexploitation and unabated pollution of this vital resource is threatening our ecosystems and even the life of future generations. With the advent of powerful personal computers and the advances in space technology, efficient techniques for land and water management have evolved of which RS (remote sensing) and GIS (geographic information system) are of great significance. These techniques have fundamentally changed our thoughts and ways to manage natural resources in general and water resources in particular. The main intent of the present paper is to highlight RS and GIS technologies and to present a comprehensive review on their applications to groundwater hydrology. A detailed survey of literature revealed six major areas of RS and GIS applications in groundwater hydrology: (i) exploration and assessment of groundwater resources, (ii) selection of artificial recharge sites, (iii) GIS-based subsurface flow and pollution modeling, (iv) groundwater-pollution hazard assessment and protection planning, (v) estimation of natural recharge distribution, and (vi) hydrogeologic data analysis and process monitoring. Although the use of these techniques in groundwater studies has rapidly increased since early nineties, the success rate is very limited and most applications are still in their infancy. Based on this review, salient areas in need of further research and development are discussed, together with the constraints for RS and GIS applications in developing nations. More and more RS- and GIS-based groundwater studies are recommended to be carried out in conjunction with field investigations to effectively exploit the expanding potential of RS and GIS technologies, which will perfect and standardize current applications as well as evolve new approaches and applications. It is concluded that both the RS and GIS technologies have great potential to revolutionize the monitoring and management of vital groundwater resources in the future, though some challenges are daunting before hydrogeologists/hydrologists.     

Fetal alcohol syndrome in twins of alcoholic mothers: concordance of diagnosis and IQ

The effects of teratogens can be modified by genetic differences in fetal susceptibility and resistance. Twins of alcoholic mothers provide a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon with respect to alcohol teratogenesis. Sixteen pairs of twins, 5 MZ and 11 DZ, all heavily exposed to alcohol prenatally, were evaluated. They represented all available twins of alcohol-abusing mothers who were on the patient rolls of the authors. The rate of concordance for diagnosis was 5/5 for MZ and 7/11 for DZ twins. In two DZ pairs, one twin had fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), while the other had fetal alcohol effects (FAE). In 2 other DZ pairs, one twin had no diagnosis while one had FAE. IQ scores were most similar within pairs of MZ twins and least similar within pairs of DZ twins discordant for diagnosis. Despite equivalent alcohol exposure within twin pairs, alcohol teratogenesis appears to be more uniformly expressed in MZ than in DZ twins. These data are interpreted as reflecting the modulating influence of genes in the expression of the teratogenic effects of alcohol.     

Survival tucker: improved diet and health indicators in an aboriginal community

The poor nutritional status of Aboriginal Australians is a serious and complex public health concern. We describe an unusually successful health and nutrition project initiated by the people of Minjilang, which was developed, implemented and evaluated with the community. Apparent community dietary intake, assessed by the 'store-turnover' method, and biochemical, anthropometric and haematological indicators of health and nutritional status were measured before intervention and at three-monthly intervals during the intervention year. Following intervention, there was a significant decrease in dietary intake of sugar and saturated fat, an increase in micronutrient density, corresponding improvements in biochemical indices (for example, a 12 per cent decrease in mean serum cholesterol, increases in serum and red cell folate, serum vitamin B6 and plasma ascorbic acid), decrease in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures, a normalisation of body mass index, and a normalisation of haematologic indices. The success of this project demonstrates that Aboriginal communities can bring about improvements in their generally poor nutritional status, and that the store-turnover method provides a valid, inexpensive and noninvasive method for evaluating the resultant changes in community diet. Although the project was undoubtedly effective in the short term, further work is in progress to assess individual strategies with respect to sustainability, cost-effectiveness and generalisability.     

The role of pneumolysin and autolysin in the pathology of pneumonia and septicemia in mice infected with a type 2 pneumococcus

Mice were infected intranasally with a serotype 2 pneumococcus, a pneumolysin-negative derivative (PLN-A), or an autolysin-negative derivative (AL-2). Numbers of wild type pneumococci were seen in the lung from approximately 12 h after infection and were first detected in the blood around this time. Immunofluorescent staining of lung sections showed that pneumolysin was produced in vivo. Pneumococcal infection resulted in alteration of the composition of the blood but not the bone marrow. Some of the hematologic changes did not occur after PLN-A. PLN-A had a slower growth rate in the lung and bacteremia was delayed. AL-2 was rapidly cleared from the lungs and was not detected in the blood. These events paralleled the pattern of histology in the lung, with the severity of inflammation reduced with PLN-A and no inflammation or hematologic changes with AL-2.     

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor prevents retinal ischemia-associated iris neovascularization in a nonhuman primate

The antiestrogenic drug tamoxifen induces liver tumors in rats by a genotoxic mechanism. The key step has been proposed to be the formation of a reactive carbocation from the metabolite alpha-hydroxytamoxifen. This compound reacts with DNA in vitro to a small extent (1 in 10(5) DNA bases), giving products identical to those found in rat liver cells treated with tamoxifen. Now we have prepared the more reactive alpha-acetoxytamoxifen, which reacts with DNA in vitro to a much greater extent (1 in 50 bases). The products of this reaction were subjected to 32P postlabeling and shown by both TLC and reverse-phase liquid chromatography to be identical to those isolated from DNA treated with alpha-hydroxytamoxifen and to those found in the liver DNA of rat hepatocytes treated with tamoxifen or of the livers of rats treated with tamoxifen. The major product was also isolated as the nucleoside and characterized by UV, mass, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It is an adduct of tamoxifen and deoxyguanosine in which the alpha position of tamoxifen is linked covalently to the exocyclic amino group of deoxyguanosine.     

Autonomic paroxysms: their pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment

In the article the rules about etiology and pathogenesis of vegetative paroxysms are stated based on careful analysis of the publications of researches as Russian, so foreign authors, and also own experimental and clinical supervision. During experimental and clinical researches the modern methods were used, enabling to estimate from positions of the system analysis different parts of pathogenesis of vegetative paroxysms, and also to offer ways of differential diagnostics of the various forms of disease. The application of some new preparations and direction of therapy of vegetative paroxysms are substantiated, and also the various circuits of treatment of the patients with distinguishing forms of given pathology are motivated.     

Program- and method-related determinants of first DMPA use duration in rural Bangladesh

This article examines the determinants of first-time use durations of the injectable contraceptive Depo Medroxy Progesterone Acetate (DMPA) for rural Bangladeshi women. The method's side effects were defined by 200 first-time users in Matlab district during lengthy, open-ended interviews. Women with many children used the method longer than did women of low parity. Those who experienced side effects had shorter use durations than those who did not, and those who cited heavy bleeding as their main problem discontinued use soonest. Women whose husbands approved of family planning had significantly longer use durations than those whose husbands disapproved. Respondents who adopted DMPA because of perceived positive aspects of the drug used it longer than those who chose it for other reasons. Results of the study underscore the importance of viewing side effects in a specific social and cultural context. Expanded side-effects counseling for women and their husbands is needed.     

Activating and inactivating mutations in LH receptors

In rats, galanin modulates luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons provide a possible source of this galanin. To understand galanin's physiological role in GnRH neurons, we used double-label in situ hybridization and computerized image analysis to examine the regulation of galanin message in GnRH neurons. We found that galanin gene expression in GnRH neurons is regulated by sex steroids, induced coincident with the LH surge, and persists well after the completion of the LH surge, and that the induction of galanin message in GnRH neurons coincident with the LH surge is sexually differentiated neonatally. We postulate that the rise in galanin gene expression in GnRH neurons at the time of the LH surge serves to replenish galanin released with GnRH that is needed for the production of the LH surge, or that galanin is involved in physiological events that occur subsequent to the LH surge.