Determinants of fisher success in southern Chile's loco (Concholepas concholepas) fishery are examined by comparing fisher success in exclusive access territories that vary in relationship to ...tree-plantation development, which can affect shellfish quality. The relative importance of fishers' experience and capture technology (traditional measures of fisher success) are evaluated against environmental and geospatial characteristics. While knowledge and technology explained variation in catches, this did not translate into higher prices or profit. Fishers succeeded (gained higher prices for locos and had higher monthly incomes from their management areas) when they harvested shellfish from closed (exclusive) nearshore management areas where the environmental condition produced high quality locos regardless of their fishing experience, technology, and the geospatial features of management areas. Experienced fishers who worked in management areas near tree plantations that fail to produce resources of sufficient quality shifted to offshore fisheries where their experience counted. Offshore fishers working in the congrio (Genypterus chilensis) fishery likely exposed themselves to more risk and benefited from their experience and available technology; environmental condition and geospatial factors played little role in their success (price). Closed management areas provided resources to harvest, but may reduce a fisher's ability to adapt to environmental change because success depends on environmental factors outside of a fisher's control. Fishers were not financially rewarded for their experience or their technology in the loco fishery.
Postoperative respiratory functions, arterial blood gases, blood loss and clinical outcome following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) were assessed in a prospective randomized single-blind ...(patient- blind) clinical study comparing two different techniques of internal thoracic artery (ITA) harvesting.
Fifty-four patients admitted for CABG were allocated into two groups according to 'random numbers' technique. In a Group 1 (n=26) ITA was prepared keeping the pleura intact and in a Group 2 (n=28) pleura was opened. Both groups were compared in terms of postoperative respiratory functions, arterial blood gases, bleeding and clinical outcomes using ANOVA for repeated measurements analysis.
Analysis of spirometric and partial oxygen pressure data showed that postoperative reductions in forced expiratory volume (0.17+/-0.18 lt vs. 0.28+/-0.14 lt, p=0.016), forced vital capacity (0.18+/-0.19 lt vs. 0.28+/-0.13 lt, p=0.037) and arterial oxygen measurements (-0.03+/-0.22 mmHg vs. 0.15+/-0.4 mmHg, p=0.023) were less pronounced in patients of Group 1 as compared with patients of Group 2. The increase in intrapulmonary shunts (Qs/Qt ratio) after the operation was more pronounced in Group 2 patients than in Group 1 patients (p<0.01) and the mean values of Qs/Qt ratio 24 hours after the operation were higher in group 2 as compared to Group 1 patients(0.100+/-0.063 vs. 0.054+/-0.048, p=0.001). Radiological evaluation revealed that costophrenic angle obliteration after operation more often occurred in Group 2 (14/28 patients) than in Group 1 (0/26 patients) (p<0.0001). Cardiothoracic index increased significantly after operation only in group 2 patients (p=0.001). Postoperative blood loss within 24 hours was significantly lower in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (656+/-179 ml vs. 907+/-257 ml, p=0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in the ICU stay duration (p=0.186), whereas the hospital stay was significantly longer in group 2 patients than in Group 1 patients (8.8+/-2.0 days vs. 7.6+/-2.0 days, p=0.039).
According to our results, preserving pleural integrity has positive effects on the respiratory functions and patients' clinical outcomes following CABG operations.
Possible acute effects of smoking mentholated cigarette on left and right ventricular function is not known. The aim of the study was to compare acute effects of normal and mentholated cigarettes ...smoking on both ventricular diastolic functions in chronic smokers.
In a single-blinded, cross-over, open label and controlled study acute effect of smoking of the mentholated and the regular cigarettes was evaluated. Eighteen other than healthy regular cigarette smokers and 20 nonsmoker control subjects were included into the study. To compare the acute effects of mentholated and regular cigarette in each subject echocardiographic examination including tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were performed at baseline, than in the smokers group TDI was measure 20-30 minutes after smoking two either cigarettes.
In response to smoking two cigarettes, mitral E/A values declined from 1.78+/-0.44 to 1.58+/-0.41 after the regular cigarette (p=0.0043) and from 1.78+/-0.44 to 1.53+/-0.40 after the mentholated cigarette (p=0.0035). Tricuspid E deceleration time values declined from 185.28+/-20.05 ms to 222.72+/-26.47 ms after the regular cigarette (p<0.001) and 185.28+/-20.05 ms to 241.53+/-47.63 ms after the mentholated cigarette (p<0.001). Smoking of mentholated cigarette, but not regular cigarette smoking, increased tricuspid E deceleration time and right ventricular isovolumic contraction time (p=0.044; p=0.024 respectively) and decreased the right ventricular Em values (p=0.027).
Mentholated and regular cigarette smoking have acute detrimental effects on right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. Mentholated cigarettes cause additional unfavorable acute effects on especially right ventricular tissue Doppler velocities, relaxation and contraction indices compared to regular cigarettes.
Low Jeng-tek, who's heading a new Asian venture for alternative-investment firm Everest Capital, contends that the best place to run hedge funds that focus on Japan and China is his hometown, ...Singapore. Low explains that by keeping its distance, Everest can prevent the "noise" of local markets from interfering with objective decision making. More important, Singapore understands hedge funds better than do its Asian counterparts.
