Use of Electroshock for Euthanizing and Immobilizing Adult Spring Chinook Salmon in a Hatchery

This study evaluated the use of electroshock as in alternative to traditional techniques for immobilizing and euthanizing hatchery fish. We used a commercially available electroanesthesia unit at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Carson National Fish Hatchery (Carson, Washington) to euthanize adult spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and to son and collect gametes of fish at maturation. During euthanization by electroshock, the response of each fish was observed, Muscular and vertebral hemorrhaging wits quantified, and electrical settings were optimized accordingly. During gamete collection, fish were either electroshocked or exposed to tricaine methanesulfortate (MS-222); hemorrhaging, egg viability. egg size and quantity, and resultant fry quality were examined for each treatment group. Electroshocked fish had a higher likelihood Of injury during gamete collection than did fish exposed to MS-222. On average, each electroshocked fish had less than two hemorrhages oil both fillets examined. The size of each hemorrhage was less than 0.10% of the fillet surface. Fecundity and egg and fry quality were not affected by either immobilization method. Electroshock was a viable and efficient means of euthanizing adult spring Chinook salmon or sorting the fish and collecting their gametes. However, equipment settings must be optimized based on site-specific (e.g., water conductivity) and species-specific (e.g., fish size and seasonal state of maturation) factors.

Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and electric shocks and risk of ALS: The Swiss National Cohort

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been associated with exposures in so-called 'electrical occupations'. It is unclear if this possible link may be explained by exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) or by electrical shocks. We evaluated ALS mortality in 2000-2008 and exposure to ELF-MF and electrical shocks in the Swiss National Cohort, using job exposure matrices for occupations at censuses 1990 and 2000. We compared 2.2 million workers with high or medium vs. low exposure to ELF-MF and electrical shocks using Cox proportional hazard models. Results showed that mortality from ALS was higher in people who had medium or high ELF-MF exposure in both censuses (HR 1.55 (95% CI 1.11-2.15)), but closer to unity for electrical shocks (HR 1.17 (95% CI 0.83-1.65)). When both exposures were included in the same model, the HR for ELF-MF changed little (HR 1.56), but the HR for electric shocks was attenuated to 0.97. In conclusion, there was an association between exposure to ELF-MF and mortality from ALS among workers with a higher likelihood of long-term exposure.

An in situ surface electrochemistry approach towards whole-cell studies: the structure and reactivity of a Geobacter sulfurreducens submonolayer on electrified metal/electrolyte interfaces

A direct electron transfer process between bacterial cells of electrogenic species Geobacter sulfurreducens (Gs) and electrified electrode surfaces was studied to exploit the reactivity of Gs submonolayers on gold and silver surfaces. A submonolayer of Gs was prepared and studied to explore specifically the heterogeneous electron transfer properties at the bacteria/electrode interface. In situ microscopic techniques characterised the morphology of the Gs submonolayers under the operating conditions. In addition, complementary in situ spectroscopic techniques that allowed us to access in situ molecular information of the Gs with high surface selectivity and sensitivity were employed. The results provided clear evidence that the outermost cytochrome C in Gs is responsible for the heterogeneous electron transfer, which is in direct contact with the metal electrode. Feasibility of single cell in situ studies under operating conditions was demonstrated where the combination of surface-electrochemical tools at the nano- and micro-scale with microbiological approaches can offer unique opportunities for the emerging field of electro-microbiology to explore processes and interactions between microorganisms and electrical devices.

Slow conduction in mixed cultured strands of primary ventricular cells and stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Modern concepts for the treatment of myocardial diseases focus on novel cell therapeutic strategies involving stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (SCMs). However, functional integration of SCMs requires similar electrophysiological properties as primary cardiomyocytes (PCMs) and the ability to establish intercellular connections with host myocytes in order to contribute to the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. The aim of this project was to investigate the properties of cardiac conduction in a co-culture approach using SCMs and PCMs in cultured cell strands. Murine embryonic SCMs were pooled with fetal ventricular cells and seeded in predefined proportions on microelectrode arrays to form patterned strands of mixed cells. Conduction velocity (CV) was measured during steady state pacing. SCM excitability was estimated from action potentials measured in single cells using the patch clamp technique. Experiments were complemented with computer simulations of conduction using a detailed model of cellular architecture in mixed cell strands. CV was significantly lower in strands composed purely of SCMs (5.5 ± 1.5 cm/s, n = 11) as compared to PCMs (34.9 ± 2.9 cm/s, n = 21) at similar refractoriness (100% SCMs: 122 ± 25 ms, n = 9; 100% PCMs: 139 ± 67 ms, n = 14). In mixed strands combining both cell types, CV was higher than in pure SCMs strands, but always lower than in 100% PCM strands. Computer simulations demonstrated that both intercellular coupling and electrical excitability limit CV. These data provide evidence that in cultures of murine ventricular cardiomyocytes, SCMs cannot restore CV to control levels resulting in slow conduction, which may lead to reentry circuits and arrhythmias.

Intrinsic characteristics of the proton pump in the luminal membrane of a tight urinary epithelium. The relation between transport rate and delta mu H.

A number of tight urinary epithelia, as exemplified by the turtle bladder, acidify the luminal solution by active transport of H+ across the luminal cell membrane. The rate of active H+ transport (JH) decreases as the electrochemical potential difference for H+ [delta mu H = mu H(lumen) - mu H(serosa)] across the epithelium is increased. The luminal cell membrane has a low permeability for H+ equivalents and a high electrical resistance compared with the basolateral cell membrane. Changes in JH thus reflect changes in active H+ transport across the luminal membrane. To examine the control of JH by delta mu H in the turtle bladder, transepithelial electrical potential differences (delta psi) were imposed at constant acid-base conditions or the luminal pH was varied at delta psi = 0 and constant serosal PCO2 and pH. When the luminal compartment was acidified from pH 7 to 4 or was made electrically positive, JH decreased as a linear function of delta mu H as previously described. When the luminal compartment was made alkaline from pH 7 to 9 or was made electrically negative, JH reached a maximal value, which was the same whether the delta mu H was imposed as a delta pH or a delta psi. The nonlinear JH vs. delta mu H relation does not result from changes in the number of pumps in the luminal membrane or from changes in the intracellular pH, but is a characteristic of the H+ pumps themselves. We propose a general scheme, which, because of its structural features, can account for the nonlinearity of the JH vs. delta mu H relations and, more specifically, for the kinetic equivalence of the effects of the chemical and electrical components of delta mu H. According to this model, the pump complex consists of two components: a catalytic unit at the cytoplasmic side of the luminal membrane, which mediates the ATP-driven H+ translocation, and a transmembrane channel, which mediates the transfer of H+ from the catalytic unit to the luminal solution. These two components may be linked through a buffer compartment for H+ (an antechamber).

ASSESSMENT OF SKELETAL MUSCLE BLOOD FLOW AND GLUCOSE METABOLISM WITH POSITRON EMITTING RADIONUCLIDES

In order to evaluate factors regulating substrate metabolism in vivo positron emitting radionuclides were used for the assessment of skeletal muscle blood flow and glucose utilization. The potassium analog, Rb-82 was used to measure skeletal muscle blood flow and the glucose analog, 18-F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) was used to examine the kinetics of skeletal muscle transport and phosphorylation.^ New Zealand white rabbits' blood flow ranged from 1.0-70 ml/min/100g with the lowest flows occurring under baseline conditions and the highest flows were measured immediately after exercise. Elevated plasma glucose had no effect on increasing blood flow, whereas high physiologic to pharmacologic levels of insulin doubled flow as measured by the radiolabeled microspheres, but a proportionate increase was not detected by Rb-82. The data suggest that skeletal muscle blood flow can be measured using the positron emitting K+ analog Rb-82 under low flow and high flow conditions but not when insulin levels in the plasma are elevated. This may be due to the fact that insulin induces an increase in the Na+/K+-ATPase activity of the cell indirectly through a direct increase in the Na+/H+pump activity. This suggests that the increased cation pump activity counteracts the normal decrease in extraction seen at higher flows resulting in an underestimation of flow as measured by rubidium-82.^ Glucose uptake as measured by FDG employed a three compartment mathematical model describing the rates of transport, countertransport and phosphorylation of hexose. The absolute values for the metabolic rate of FDG were found to be an order of magnitude higher than those reported by other investigators. Changes noted in the rate constant for transport (k1) were found to disagree with the a priori information on the effects of insulin on skeletal muscle hexose transport. Glucose metabolism was however, found to increase above control levels with administration of insulin and electrical stimulation. The data indicate that valid measurements of skeletal muscle glucose transport and phosphorylation using the positron emitting glucose analog FDG requires further model application and biochemical validation. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.) ^

Physical properties of firn cores from the 1995/96 and 1996/97 field seasons

The paper focuses on studies of snow-pit samples and shallow firn cores taken during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 field seasons at Amundsenisen, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The dating of the firn is based on the artificial tritium distribution in the snow cover and on several reference horizons identified by electrical measurements. The early 1964 through 1965 horizon is marked by the deposition of sulfate released to the atmosphere during the eruption of the Agung volcano in March 1963; this horizon was detected by dielectric profiling and electrical conductivity measurements; the proof by chemical analysis has still to be seen. At the ten investigated sites on Amundsenisen the 1964-65 horizon was identified 4.1-5.7 m below the surface. The accumulation rates on Amundsenisen are 41-91 kg/m**2/a. The cores are up to 100 years old. A relationship between isotope content and the mean air temperature on a regional scale can be based on measurements of firn temperature at 10 m depth at the drilling sites. Between Neumayer station at the coast and Heimefrontfjella, the temperature gradient of the deuterium content is 9.6 per mil/K. South of Heimefrontfjella, on the Amundsenisen plateau, it is only 5.5 per mil/K. Time series of yearly accumulation rates show no significant trend. For the isotope records a significant trend to higher values with gradients of 0.1-0.2 d2H per mil/a can be seen in five of the ten time series.

Susceptibility, conductivity and porosity along a GEM-SHARK profile

The coastal systems, are often subjected to high anthropogenic pressure, which makes it necessary to develop new techniques to assess the environmental impacts caused by such human activity. This paper presents the first results obtained during the development and implementation of a new equipment of submarine geophysics survey oriented to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). It is based on the drag of a submarine in contact with the sea-bottom. The submarine is equipped with an electromagnetic sensor which allows the measurement of the magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity of the surface sediments continuously and to a depth of sediment of 40 cm. This system, once improved, will allow us to obtain valuable information for monitoring the environmental quality of coastal areas.

Age model and stable oxygen isotope mean values of ice core SZ99 from Akademii Nauk ice cap on Severnaya Zemlya

Between 1999 and 2001, a 724 m long ice core was drilled on Akademii Nauk, the largest glacier on Severnaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic. The drilling site is located near the summit. The core is characterized by high melt-layer content. The melt layers are caused by melting and even by rain during the summer. We present high-resolution data of density, electrical conductivity (dielectrical profiling), stable water isotopes and melt-layer content for the upper 136 m (120 m w.e.) of the ice core. The dating by isotopic cycles and electrical conductivity peak identification suggests that this core section covers approximately the past 275 years. Singularities of volcanogenic and anthropogenic origin provide well-defined additional time markers. Long-term temperatures inferred from 12 year running mean averages of d18O reach their lowest level in the entire record around 1790. Thereafter the d18O values indicate a continuously increasing mean temperature on the Akademii Nauk ice cap until 1935, interrupted only by minor cooling episodes. The 20th century is found to be the warmest period in this record.

Chapter 7 Clusters of Modern and Local Industries in Vietnam

Since the introduction of the Doi Moi ('renovation') economic reform in 1986, Vietnam has experienced a transformation of its economic management, from a central planning economy to a market-oriented economy. High economic growth, created by the liberalization of activities in all sectors of the economy, has changed the economic structure of the country, and the once agriculture-based and poverty-stricken land now generates a midlevel income and possesses many industrial bases. Economic growth has also changed the landscape of the country. Business complexes have been built in metropolises like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and rice fields have been converted into industrial zones. As the number of enterprises increased, areas began to emerge where many enterprises agglomerated. Some of these 'clusters' were groups of cottage industry households, while many others were large-scale industrial clusters. As Porter [1998] argues, industrial clusters are the source of a nation's 'competitive advantage'. McCarty et al. [2005] indicate that in some key industries in Vietnam, some clusters of enterprises have been created, although the degree of agglomeration differs from one industry to another. Using industry census data from 2001, they include dot density maps for the 12 leading manufacturing industries in Vietnam. They show that most of the industries analyzed are clustered either in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (or both). Among these 12 industries, the garments industry has the greatest tendency to cluster, followed by textile, rice, seafood, and paper industries. The fact that industrial clusters have begun to form in some areas could be a positive sign for Vietnam's future economic development. What is lacking in McCarty et al. [2005], however, is the identification of the participants in the industrial clusters. Some argue for the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam's economic development (e.g. Nguyen Tri Thanh [2007], Tran Tien Cuong et al. [2008]), while others stress the impact of foreign direct investments (FDI) (for example, Tuan Bui [2009]). Adding information about the participants in the above cluster study (and in other studies of spatial patterns of location of enterprises) may broaden the scope for analysis of economic development in Vietnam. This study aims to reveal the characteristics of industrial clusters in terms of their participants and locations. The findings of the study may provide basic information for evaluating the effects of agglomeration and the robustness of the effects in the industrial clusters in Vietnam. Section 1 describes the characteristics of economic entities in Vietnam such as ownership, size of enterprise, and location. Section 2 examines qualitative aspects of industrial clusters identified in McCarty et al. [2005] and uses information on the size and ownership of clusters. Three key industries (garments, consumer electronics, and motor vehicle) are selected for the study. Section 3 identifies another type of cluster commonly seen in Vietnam, composed of local industries and called 'craft villages'. Many such villages have been developed since the early 1990s. The study points out that some of these villages have become industrialized (or are becoming industrialized) by introducing modern modes of production and by employing thousands of laborers.

Innovation networks in China, Japan, and Korea : further evidence from U.S. patent data

The growing importance of innovation in economic growth has encouraged the development of innovation capabilities in East Asia, within which China, Japan, and Korea are most important in terms of technological capabilities. Using U.S. patent data, we examine how knowledge networks have developed among these countries. We find that Japan's technological specialization saw gradual changes, but those of Korea and China changed rapidly since 1970s. By the year 2009, technology specialization has become similar across three countries in the sense that the common fields of prominent technology are electronics and semiconductors. Patent citations suggest that technology flows were largest in the electronics technology, pointing to the deepening of innovation networks in these countries. Together with our prior work, the Japanese and U.S. data produce similar conclusions about innovation networks.