scholarly journals Areca Nut Chewing: Initiation, Addiction, and Harmful Effects Emphasizing the Barriers and Importance of Cessation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
I. A. Athukorala ◽  
W. M. Tilakaratne ◽  
R. D. Jayasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Tobacco Cessation ◽  
Areca Nut ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Addictive Substance ◽  
Tobacco Addiction ◽  
The World ◽  
Harmful Effects

Areca nut is a highly addictive substance with carcinogenic properties and causes many harmful effects to the human body. Alkaloids are the major chemicals found in areca nut, and their mechanism of action has been studied for several years. About 600 million people around the world use areca nut, and its usage is higher in Asian countries. Areca nut chewers get used to the habit mainly due to social influence, stress, or lack of awareness. Some studies have reported a dependence syndrome related to areca nut chewing. Even though there are many ongoing research studies regarding tobacco addiction, less concern has been given to the areca nut addiction. There are only few studies related to areca nut cessation, and even those few cessation programs are mainly designed using tobacco cessation methodology. Sociocultural influence, behavioral factors, and accessibility are the main barriers to cessation. Behavior changing interventions proved to be more effective in areca nut cessation, but recently studies on pharmacological therapies are also emerging.

scholarly journals Selenium behavior in the soil environment and its implication for human health

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Lopes ◽  
Fabrício William Ávila ◽  
Luiz Roberto Guimarães Guilherme
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Total Content ◽  
Functional Disorders ◽  
Soil Environment ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The World ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Harmful Effects

ABSTRACT Selenium (Se) is an important element that was discovered in 1817, and since the 1960s, it has been regarded as an essential micronutrient for both animals and humans, playing among other functions a relevant role in the antioxidant system of mammals. Inadequate blood Se levels in the human body is a well-known concern in many parts of the world. This malnutrition problem is often due to Se-poor diet, probably as a result of the low Se availability in soils where crops are growing. Nowadays, it is known that not only the total content, but also the inorganic and organic forms of Se contained in foods are important for human nutrition. However, paradoxically some regions of the world present high Se levels in soils causing several functional disorders and diseases in people who live in seleniferous areas. As essential micronutrient, Se should be supplied in controlled amounts to avoid harmful effects. Therefore, taking into account the importance of the soils as a way to ensure the adequate Se supply for the population, this review has dealt with Se behavior in soil environment (e.g., Se forms and adsorption and desorption reactions) and its relevance for the human health. As a final message, the further understanding of Se behavior in soils to predict its availability for crops in different systems will be a significant approach in future studies to establish forms and safe doses of Se to be added in fertilizers. Agronomic and genetic biofortification of staple crops with Se has been suggested as an important tool to improve Se intake by population in Se-poor sites.

Sex Differences in Mass Media Preferences Across Four Asian Countries

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 186-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malini Ratnasingam ◽  
Lee Ellis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
The United States ◽  
Female Students ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Evolutionary Explanation ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Media Preferences

Background. Nearly all of the research on sex differences in mass media utilization has been based on samples from the United States and a few other Western countries. Aim. The present study examines sex differences in mass media utilization in four Asian countries (Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore). Methods. College students self-reported the frequency with which they accessed the following five mass media outlets: television dramas, televised news and documentaries, music, newspapers and magazines, and the Internet. Results. Two significant sex differences were found when participants from the four countries were considered as a whole: Women watched television dramas more than did men; and in Japan, female students listened to music more than did their male counterparts. Limitations. A wider array of mass media outlets could have been explored. Conclusions. Findings were largely consistent with results from studies conducted elsewhere in the world, particularly regarding sex differences in television drama viewing. A neurohormonal evolutionary explanation is offered for the basic findings.

Sonic Movements – Spatial Reflexivity

Somatechnics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-148
Author(s):  
Johanna Hällsten
Keyword(s):  
Alarm System ◽  
Edo Period ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Rural Environments ◽  
The World ◽  
Architectural Structures ◽  
Sonic Environment ◽  
Sonic Structures

This article aims to investigate the creation of space and sound in artistic and architectural fields, with particular emphasis on the notions of interval and duration in the production and experience of soundscapes. The discussion arises out of an ongoing research project concerning sonic structures in public places, in which Japanese uguisubari ([Formula: see text]) – ‘nightingale flooring’, an alarm system from the Edo period) plays a key role in developing new kinds of site-specific and location-responsive sonic architectural structures for urban and rural environments. This paper takes uguisubari as its frame for investigating and evaluating how sounds create a space (however temporary), and how that sound in turn is created through movement. It thus seeks to unpick aspects of the reciprocal and performative act in which participant and the space engage through movement, whilst creating a sonic environment that permeates, defines and composes the boundaries of this space. The article will develop a framework for these kinds of works through a discussion on walking, movement, soundscape and somatechnical aspects of our experience of the world, drawing upon the work of Merleau-Ponty, Bergson and the Japanese concept of Ma (space-time).

Mobile Perception and the Automotive Prosthetic

Transfers ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charissa N. Terranova
Keyword(s):  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Conceptual Art ◽  
Robert Smithson ◽  
Martha Rosler ◽  
The World ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
And Linguistics

This essay focuses on a body of photoconceptual works from the 1960s and 1970s in which the automobile functions as a prosthetic-like aperture through which to view the world in motion. I argue that the logic of the “automotive prosthetic“ in works by Paul McCarthy, Dennis Hopper, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Wall, John Baldessari, Richard Prince, Martha Rosler, Robert Smithson, Ed Kienholz, Julian Opie, and Cory Arcangel reveals a techno-genetic understanding of conceptual art, functioning in addition and alternatively to semiotics and various philosophies of language usually associated with conceptual art. These artworks show how the automobile, movement on roads and highways, and the automotive landscape of urban sprawl have transformed the human sensorium. I surmise that the car has become a prosthetic of the human body and is a technological force in the maieusis of the posthuman subject. I offer a reading of specific works of photoconceptual art based on experience, perception, and a posthumanist subjectivity in contrast to solely understanding them according to semiotics and linguistics.

The Anticholinesterase Activity of Three Local Food Spices and Their Anti-Alzheimer Application

2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruqia Bibi ◽  
Saima Gul ◽  
Abdul Wahab ◽  
Mohammad Iqbal Khan ◽  
Murad Ali Khan
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Chloroform Extract ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Assay Method ◽  
Inhibiting Activity ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Phytochemical Study ◽  
The World

Background: The incidence of dementia is increasing as the aging population of the world is increasing. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. There are presently 7.3 million patents of AD and the number may rise to 34 million at this pace in the coming thirty years. In the disease, the level of Acetylcholine is reduced and as a result, causes the loss of cholinergic neurons in the brain. The disease is less common in Asian countries as compared to the western nations of the world. This work aimed to establish the role of the common medicinal and food plants against Alzheimer. Methods: The enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis and reduction of Acetylcholine. The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of different extracts of three local plants used as spices in the daily food, Curcuma longa, Cinnnamomum tamala, and Zingiber officinale, were determined using the Microplate Assay method. Results: The phytochemical study of the selected plants revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenes, flavones, saponins, and tannins in these plants. The chloroform extract of all the three plants presented promising AChE inhibiting activity having IC50 >200μg/ml. A probable reason will be the alkaloids and terpenes present in the chloroform extract. Conclusion: The chloroform extract of all three plants presented promising AChE inhibiting activity and can become a reasonable therapy for the cure/ prevention of Alzheimer disease. The frequent use of these spices may be a possible reason for the fever incidence of Alzheimer in Asian countries. Further in vivo studies are required to find its action and studies to find the exact compound responsible for the action.

Beyond Technonationalism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn C. Ibata-Arens
Keyword(s):  
Innovation Policy ◽  
High Technology ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Firm Creation ◽  
Biomedical Innovation ◽  
The World ◽  
Asian Economies ◽  
Biomedical Industry ◽  
Innovation And Entrepreneurship

What explains the rapid and sustained economic rise of Asian countries in high-technology industries, including biomedicals? The biomedical industry, comprised mainly of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, is among the fastest growing globally and has been an economic-development target of national governments around the world. The book presents a conceptual framework to assess national government management of innovation and entrepreneurship in the fast-growing biomedical industry in Asia, which at current growth rates is on track to become the center of the world economy. Four Asian countries—China, India, Japan, and Singapore—are compared in terms of innovation capacities, government policy, and firm-level strategies underlying competitive advantages in high technology. The book argues that countries that pursue networked technonationalism have been effective in upgrading innovation capacity and also encouraging entrepreneurial activity in targeted industries. The study begins with a global-level analysis of biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship, identifying emerging concentrations of scientific citation, patenting, and firm creation—paying close attention to trends in Asian economies and future prospects. Findings indicate a gradual shift to Asian economies of many biomedical-innovation and new-business-creation activities. The book concludes with implications for innovation policy and entrepreneurship strategy in Asia and elsewhere.

scholarly journals Balneotherapy with the Use of Radon–Sulphide Water: The Mechanisms of Therapeutic Effect

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2849
Author(s):  
Lilla Pawlik-Sobecka ◽  
Joanna Górka-Dynysiewicz ◽  
Jadwiga Kuciel-Lewandowska
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
World Literature ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Health Resort ◽  
The World ◽  
Spa Treatment ◽  
Combined Action

Despite its enormous therapeutic potential, spa treatment is not always properly perceived, hence the numerous attempts to assess its effectiveness. In the world literature, there are few reports on therapy using sulphur- and radon-containing therapeutic waters. In countries with a long tradition of balneotherapy, activity in this field of medicine is evident. Undoubtedly, the interest in balneotherapy results also from natural resources used in spa medicine, which, as geological and balneochemical research shows, are enormous in Poland. A particular example of the occurrence of radon–sulphide waters, rare on the European scale, is the Przerzeczyn-Zdrój health resort. The mechanism of action of therapeutic waters is not fully explored, but their effectiveness in therapy is confirmed by many authors. It is believed to be an effect of combined action of many factors, the most important of which are thermal, mechanical, and chemical.

scholarly journals Faux Fur Trade Networks Using Macroscopic Data: A Social Network Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1427
Author(s):  
Yeong-Hyeon Choi ◽  
Seong Eun Kim ◽  
Kyu-Hye Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
The United States ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Total Trade ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Alternative Materials ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Network Approach ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
And Control

This study used social network analysis, which is often adopted to analyze changes in trade structures and the world trade network for faux fur products, which are alternative materials used in vegan fashion. The data on the total trade value of artificial fur (HS Code: 4304) and animal fur and leather (HS Code: 0505) imports and exports between countries were collected through UN Comtrade, and the degree and betweenness centralities were used to analyze the trade structure of faux fur in 2009, 2014, and 2019 using NodeXL 1.0.1 programs. The results of the study are as follows: First, while the total amount of export and import of faux fur is increasing globally every day, the total amount of export and import in other Asian countries and Vietnam is decreasing. Second, due to the reduction in exports of the main producing countries of animal materials such as China, global imports of animal fur and leather decreased. Third, China was the largest ex-porter of faux fur, exporting to a large number of countries; it also played an important role in the intermediation and control over faux fur export. In exporting faux fur, the influence of other Asian countries declined over time, and Vietnam and the United States played an outstanding role as arbitrators in the export network. Fourth, Italy and France were the largest importers of faux fur from various countries and exerted significant influence as intermediaries in the import network of faux fur. On the other hand, Vietnam’s influence in import network decreased. Saudi Arabia appeared to be an important arbitrator in mediating the import. This study is significant due to its findings, obtained through micro-trading data, in respect of industrial moves of ethical fashion in the form of increased trade in faux fur and decline in the trade of animal fur and leather.

The Global Environmental Agenda of 2021 and the tasks of sustainable energy-ecological development and cooperation between Japan and countries Southeast Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 951-965
Author(s):  
Yana Vadimovna Mishchenko
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The World ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

The article discusses the main results of two major international summits held in October-November 2021, the key topics of which were the issues of the global fight against climate change and environmental protection. The decisions taken at these conferences, with the broad participation of world leaders, reflect the fundamental trends of the global environmental agenda. Within the framework of this agenda, Japan and the countries of Southeast Asia are building their modern energy and environmental cooperation. In this context, the article examines the main urgent tasks of energy-environmental interaction and sustainable development of Japan and the states of Southeast Asia. These countries are located in the Asia-Pacific region, which remains until now the main emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. However, the indicators of environmental pollution by Japan and the Southeast Asian countries are relatively not so high, compared to some other states in the region and the world. The article discusses the most relevant and significant examples of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between these countries in areas related to curbing global warming and climate protection. It has been revealed that with all the efforts made, since the 1990s, the indicators of reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere in Japan remain modest and even lag behind some of the Western countries. The Southeast Asian countries show a serious attitude to the development of renewable energy, but their intention to abandon coal still raises some doubts about the methods of implementing this ambitious plan. In particular, it is currently not entirely clear whether these countries are preparing to make a full-fledged "energy transition" in the coming decades, or whether they just intend to replace their coal-fired thermal power plants with gas ones.

The current state of the question of the "reaction" of fluids of the human body

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-420
Author(s):  
L. B. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Current State ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The World ◽  
Diagnostics And Therapy

The question of the "reaction" of the fluids of the human body is not entirely new, but only in the last few years, mainly during the war years, it has attracted the general attention of biologists, physiologists and doctors around the world. Only now are more or less broad prospects emerging, which the development of this question promises for physiology, diagnostics, and therapy. Therefore, I ask the reader to arm yourself with patience in order to overcome the preliminary physico-chemical part of this review.

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