An empirical investigation of socio-cultural factors of information sharing in China

Understanding information sharing is an important challenge to modern organizations, and is likely to be increasingly considered when IT investment decisions are made world-wide. Our research study investigated the influence of cultural factors on information sharing in China. It was postulated that social network structures such as guanxi, Confucian dynamism, and collectivism could explain the degree to which information sharing took place between people in China. It was found that guanxi, Confucian dynamism, and collectivism all had a significant influence on information sharing.     

Culture and characterization of sinusoidal endothelial cells isolated from human liver

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic data concerning skin diseases in many rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa are not available. Little is known about the effect of regular treatment schedules by paramedical staff (especially community health workers) in the primary healthcare system on the severity and prevalence of dermatoses. METHODS: 5780 school and pre-school children from 13 primary schools in four sublocations in rural western Kenya (Kisumu District) were examined for dermatoses by the author, together with community health workers in 1993. On-the-spot training and weekend seminars about important and common dermatoses were also given. In 1994 a dermatology program was started within the primary healthcare system. Twelve trained community health workers carried out regular school visits once a week and diagnosed and treated pupils with dermatoses. Treatment was performed with gentian violet 1% solution for bacterial skin infections, Whitfield's ointment for dermatophytoses, benzylbenzoate emulsion 25% for scabies, and hydrocortisone acetate 1% cream for eczemas. All schools were visited again in 1995 to evaluate the long-term effects of the program. RESULTS: In 1993, the prevalence rate for dermatoses was 32.4%. Most of the skin diseases found were of infective origin (27.1% were caused by bacteria, 21.6% by fungi, and 17.6% by arthropods, mainly scabies mites). Dermatitis accounted for 3.5%. In 1995, the prevalence of dermatoses declined to 29.6% (p<0.05), and this reduction was most strongly observed for tropical ulcers and tinea capitis. Additionally, there was an improvement in the extent and severity of skin diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines, for the first time, the number and extent of skin diseases in children in rural Kisumu District; most dermatoses were of infective origin. The study demonstrates that community health workers in the primary healthcare system are capable of dealing successfully with the most common dermatoses in children following a short training period.     

Expression of protein kinase C gene family members is temporally and spatially regulated during neural development in vitro

The dog mastocytoma BR cell line provides us with a permanent source of canine mast cells, allowing a characterization of secretory mediators that exert important effects in canine allergic and nonallergic diseases and in physiological processes. We studied the ultrastructural characteristics and histamine releasing activity after immunological and non-immunological stimuli of the dog mastocytoma BR cell line, and compared the cell line to normal skin mast cells enzymatically isolated from healthy dogs. The histamine content of BR cells was 0.04 +/- 0.002 pg/cell, approximately 100-fold less than that found in canine skin mast cells. Non-immunologic stimuli induced similar concentration-dependent histamine release from skin mast cells and BR cells: 29.3 +/- 0.9% vs. 12.7 +/- 0.7% (calcium ionophore A23187), 23.3 +/- 0.7% vs. 18.8 +/- 0.7% (substance P) and 12.5 +/- 0.3% vs. 12.1 +/- 0.9% (compound 48/80), respectively. Immunologic stimulation, however, was only effective on canine skin mast cells, causing 30.9 +/- 1.7%, 27.7 +/- 0.6% and 12.2 +/- 0.9% histamine release in response to anti-canine IgE, concanavalin A, and antigen Asc S 1, respectively. The absence of functional IgE receptors in BR cells was confirmed by the lack of response to anti-IgE and antigen Asc S 1 following passive sensitization with dog atopic serum and dog antigen sensitized serum. We conclude that BR cells are able to release histamine after non-immunologic stimulation in a similar manner to canine skin mast cells, but that there are morphological and functional differences possibly due to different states of maturity or differentiation. For this reason the study of the highly homogeneous BR cells could offer insights into dog mast cell biology in contexts where freshly isolated cells cannot be used because of low purity and recovery.     

Allelotype analysis of uterine leiomyoma: localization of a potential tumor suppressor gene to a 4-cM region of chromosome 7q

The degree and nature of patient involvement in consultations with health professionals influences problem and needs recognition and management, and public accountability. This paper suggests a framework for understanding the scope for patient involvement in such consultations. Patients are defined as co-producers of formal health services, whose potential for involvement in consultations depends on their personal rights, responsibilities and preferences. Patients' rights in consultations are poorly defined and, in the National Health Service (NHS), not legally enforceable. The responsibilities of patients are also undefined. I suggest that these are not to deny, of their own volition, the rights of others, which in consultations necessitate mutuality of involvement through information-exchange and shared decision-making. Preferences should be met insofar as they do not militate against responsibilities and rights.     

Atrazine, alachlor, and total inorganic nitrogen concentrations of winter wind-eroded sediment samples

Virus-specific CD8+ effector T cells (eCTL) are enriched in the lungs of mice with primary influenza pneumonia, though later detection of memory T cells (mCTL) in the mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN) or spleen by peptide-based staining protocols is at the limits of flow cytometric analysis. Respiratory challenge with an H3N2 virus months after H1N1 priming induces a massive recall response, which reduces virus titers 2-3 days earlier than in nave controls. Influenza-specific mCTL produce interferon-gamma within 6 hr, but still take 4-5 days to localize to the infected respiratory tract. The delay reflects that the recall response develops first in the MLN, which contains relatively few mCTL. The response to a subdominant epitope is less obvious after secondary challenge.     

An orphan nuclear receptor activated by pregnanes defines a novel steroid signaling pathway

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of 28 d of creatine supplementation during training on body composition, strength, sprint performance, and hematological profiles. METHODS: In a double-blind and randomized manner, 25 NCAA division IA football players were matched-paired and assigned to supplement their diet for 28 d during resistance/agility training (8 h x wk[-1]) with a Phosphagen HP (Experimental and Applied Sciences, Golden, CO) placebo (P) containing 99 g x d(-1) of glucose, 3 g x d(-1) of taurine, 1.1 g x d(-1) of disodium phosphate, and 1.2 g x d(-1) of potassium phosphate (P) or Phosphagen HP containing the P with 15.75 g x d(-1) of HPCE pure creatine monohydrate (HP). Before and after supplementation, fasting blood samples were obtained; total body weight, total body water, and body composition were determined; subjects performed a maximal repetition test on the isotonic bench press, squat, and power clean; and subjects performed a cycle ergometer sprint test (12 x 6-s sprints with 30-s rest recovery). RESULTS: Hematological parameters remained within normal clinical limits for active individuals with no side effects reported. Total body weight significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the HP group (P 0.85 +/- 2.2; HP 2.42 +/- 1.4 kg) while no differences were observed in the percentage of total body water. DEXA scanned body mass (P 0.77 +/- 1.8; HP 2.22 +/- 1.5 kg) and fat/bone-free mass (P 1.33 +/- 1.1; HP 2.43 +/- 1.4 kg) were significantly increased in the HP group. Gains in bench press lifting volume (P -5 +/- 134; HP 225 +/- 246 kg), the sum of bench press, squat, and power clean lifting volume (P 1,105 +/- 429; HP 1,558 +/- 645 kg), and total work performed during the first five 6-s sprints was significantly greater in the HP group. CONCLUSION: The addition of creatine to the glucose/taurine/electrolyte supplement promoted greater gains in fat/bone-free mass, isotonic lifting volume, and sprint performance during intense resistance/agility training.     

Long-term evaluation of the ventricular defibrillation energy requirement

INTRODUCTION: Defibrillation energy requirements in patients with nonthoracotomy defibrillators may increase within several months after implantation. However, the stability of the defibrillation energy requirement beyond 1 year has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to characterize the defibrillation energy requirement during 2 years of clinical follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-one consecutive patients with a biphasic nonthoracotomy defibrillation system underwent defibrillation energy requirement testing using a step-down technique (20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 J) during defibrillator implantation, and then 24 hours, 2 months, 1 year, and 2 years after implantation. The mean defibrillation energy requirement during these evaluations was 10.9+/-5.5 J, 12.3+/-7.3 J, 11.7+/-5.6 J, 10.2+/-4.0 J, and 11.7+/-7.4 J, respectively (P = 0.4). The defibrillation energy requirement was noted to have increased by 10 J or more after 2 years of follow-up in five patients. In one of these patients, the defibrillation energy requirement was no longer associated with an adequate safety margin, necessitating revision of the defibrillation system. There were no identifiable clinical characteristics that distinguished patients who did and did not develop a 10-J or more increase in the defibrillation energy requirement. CONCLUSION: The mean defibrillation energy requirement does not change significantly after 2 years of biphasic nonthoracotomy defibrillator system implantation. However, approximately 15% of patients develop a 10-J or greater elevation in the defibrillation energy requirement, and 3% may require a defibrillation system revision. Therefore, a yearly evaluation of the defibrillation energy requirement may be appropriate.     

Native valve infective endocarditis in elderly and younger adult patients: comparison of clinical features and outcomes with use of the Duke criteria and the Duke Endocarditis Database

The effect of age on the presentation and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) is unclear. Many of the available data are based on analyses of mixed populations of patients including intravenous drug users or those with prosthetic valve endocarditis or native valve IE. We used the Duke criteria to compare the characteristics of 44 episodes of definite native valve IE in elderly patients (> 64 years old) with the characteristics of 64 similarly defined episodes of native valve IE in younger, nonintravenous-drug-using adult patients (> 29 years and < 60 years old). Our data suggest that the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcome of native valve IE are similar for elderly patients and younger adult patients, although elderly patients were hospitalized an average of 12 days longer. Although we found that the occurrence of renal failure and cerebral embolism during an episode of IE was associated with higher rates of death (odds ratios, 4.8 and 4.0, respectively), age was not a significant contributor to mortality.     

Sanger DNA-sequencing reactions performed in a solid-phase nanoreactor directly coupled to capillary gel electrophoresis

A miniaturized, solid-phase nanoreactor was developed to prepare Sanger DNA-sequencing ladders which was directly interfaced to a capillary gel electrophoresis system. A biotinylated fragment of the rat brain actin gene (1 kbp) was amplified by PCR and attached to the interior wall of an (aminoalkyl)silane-derivatized fused-silica capillary tube via a biotin/streptavidin/biotin linkage. Coverage of the capillary wall with the biotinylated DNA averaged 77 +/- 10%. Stability of the anchored template under pressure (33 nL/s) and electroosmotic flows (11.3 nL/s) were favorable, requiring rinsing for > 150 h to reduce the surface coverage by only 50%. In addition, the immobilized template was stable toward temperatures required for preparing sequencing ladders, even under cycling conditions. Standard Sanger dideoxynucleotide termination performed in a large-volume (approximately 8 microL) solid-phase reactor using the thermally stable polymerase enzymes Taq and Vent and the polymerases T7 and Bst with off-line slab gel electrophoresis and autoradiographic detection indicated that acceptable fragment generation was achieved only in the case of the thermally stable polymerases. Banding was not apparent for T7 and Bst since all reagents were inserted into the column in a single plug at the beginning of the reaction. A small volume reactor (volume approximately 62 nL) was then used to perform DNA polymerase reactions and was coupled directly to a capillary gel column for separation. The capillary reactor was placed inside a thermocycler to control the temperature during chain extension and was directly connected to the gel column via zero dead volume fused-silica connectors. The complementary DNA fragments generated (C-track only) in the reactor were denatured using heat and directly injected onto the gel-filled capillary for size separation with detection accomplished using near-IR laser-induced fluorescence. Extension and single-base separation resolution of the C-track, which was directly injected onto the gel column, was estimated to be > 450 bases from the primer annealing site with plate numbers ranging from 1 x 10(6) to 2 x 10(6)/m.