Does Foreign Direct Investment Stimulate New Firm Creation? In Search of Spillovers through Industrial and Geographical Linkages

This paper examines the spillover effects of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on the entrepreneurial activities of new firm creation through both industrial and geographical linkages. Using a dataset of 44,434 newly created small firms in 234 regions of South Korea in 2000–2004, this study finds that while the spillover impacts of FDI in the low-tech industry are positive and significant across almost all four possible combinations of the intra-/inter-regional and intra-/inter-sectoral channels, the impacts in the high-tech industry are largely intra-sectoral within the host region and across neighboring regions. Moreover, all statistically significant spillover effects follow an inverted ‘U’-shaped curvilinear trend

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in a Parkinson’s Disease Rat Model and the Changes of Dopaminergic, Nitric Oxidergic, and Cholinergic Neurotransmitters in Myenteric Plexus

This study aims to explore the gastrointestinal dysfunction and the changes of dopaminergic, nitric oxidergic, and cholinergic neurons in the myenteric plexus of a Parkinson’s disease (PD) rat model. A PD rat model was induced through unilateral substantia nigra administration of 6-hydroxydopamine. Four weeks later, the feces in 1 h and residual solid food in stomach at 2 h after feeding were measured. Changes in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in substantial nigra, TH, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in gastric antrum and colon tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry. Reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot were used to evaluate and compare the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of TH, ChAT, and nNOS in the GI tract between normal and 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. Compared with control samples, the number of TH+ cells in the damaged side of substantia nigra of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The weight and water content of the fecal matter decreased (P < 0.01), and the percentage of residual solid food increased (P < 0.01). The average integrated optical densities of TH-positive areas in the gastric antrum and colon tissue increased significantly (P < 0.01), nNOS decreased significantly (P < 0.01), and there were no significant changes in ChAT (P > 0.05). TH and nNOS mRNA levels in the gastric antrum and proximal colon decreased (P < 0.01), there were no significant changes in ChAT mRNA levels (P > 0.05). The protein levels of TH in the GI tract were significantly increased (P < 0.01), nNOS significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and ChAT had no significant changes (P > 0.05). 6-Hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats had delayed gastric emptying and constipation that might be related to the gastrointestinal TH increase and nNOS decrease. These symptoms were not related to changes in cholinergic transmitters

Physical activity and risk of Metabolic Syndrome in an urban Mexican cohort

Abstract Background In the Mexican population metabolic syndrome (MS) is highly prevalent. It is well documented that regular physical activity (PA) prevents coronary diseases, type 2 diabetes and MS. Most studies of PA have focused on moderate-vigorous leisure-time activity, because it involves higher energy expenditures, increase physical fitness, and decrease the risk of MS. However, for most people it is difficult to get a significant amount of PA from only moderately-vigorous leisure activity, so workplace activity may be an option for working populations, because, although may not be as vigorous in terms of cardio-respiratory efforts, it comprises a considerable proportion of the total daily activity with important energy expenditure. Since studies have also documented that different types and intensity of daily PA, including low-intensity, seem to confer important health benefits such as prevent MS, we sought to assess the impact of different amounts of leisure-time and workplace activities, including low-intensity level on MS prevention, in a sample of urban Mexican adults. Methods The study population consisted of 5118 employees and their relatives, aged 20 to 70 years, who were enrolled in the baseline evaluation of a cohort study. MS was assessed according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program, ATP III and physical activity with a validated self-administered questionnaire. Associations between physical activity and MS risk were assessed with multivariate logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of the components of MS in the study population were: high glucose levels 14.2%, high triglycerides 40.9%, high blood pressure 20.4%, greater than healthful waist circumference 43.2% and low-high density lipoprotein 76.9%. The prevalence of MS was 24.4%; 25.3% in men and 21.8% in women. MS risk was reduced among men (OR 0.72; 95%CI 0.57–0.95) and women (OR 0.78; 95%CI 0.64–0.94) who reported an amount of ≥30 minutes/day of leisure-time activity, and among women who reported an amount of ≥3 hours/day of workplace activity (OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.59–0.96). Conclusion Our results indicate that both leisure-time and workplace activity at different intensity levels, including low-intensity significantly reduce the risk of MS. This finding highlights the need for more recommendations regarding the specific amount and intensity of leisure-time and workplace activity needed to prevent MS

Review of Technology: Planning for the Development of Telesonography

Teleradiology allows contemporaneous interpretation of imaging exams performed at some distance from the interpreting radiologist. The transmitted images are usually static. However, there is benefit to real-time review of full-motion ultrasound (US) exams as they are performed. Telesonography is transmission of full-motion sonographic data to a remote site. We hypothesize that US exams, read after having been compressed utilizing Motion Picture Experts Group version 4 (MPEG-4) compression scheme, transmitted over the Internet as streaming multimedia, decompressed, and displayed, are equivalent in diagnostic accuracy to reading the examinations locally. MPEG-4 uses variable compression on each image frame to achieve a constant output bit rate. With less compression, the bit rate rises, and the only way the encoder can contain bit rate within the set bandwidth is by lowering frame rate or reducing image quality. We review the relevant technologies and industry standard components that will enable low-cost telesonography