Management Strategies and Sustainability of National Museums in Bangkok

Today, tourism is one of the most important industries for Thailand. Among the attractions, national museums are considered the center that present the nation’s history, art and culture inherited from the past and preserved until now. These make management and sustainability as public organizations very important to consider. This research was therefore conducted to find out what and how strategies are developed and practiced among the national museums in Bangkok as well as significant areas that lead to sustainability. Only qualitative methods were adopted in the conduct of this research. In-depth interview, focus group and observation were selected to be the most effective options for research data collection. The results of this research indicate the key findings that the national museums are under similar management strategies for development as learning sources and tourism attractions. Such strategies are implemented by the Office of National Museums, put and updated in National Museum Development Plan. Furthermore, on tourism and hospitality services, technologies for visitors are being focused, while Public Relations, Information Technology, Personnel, and Image of the national museums should be emphasized for sustainability

Proposal for best practice in the use of video-EEG when psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are a possible diagnosis

The gold-standard for the diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) is capturing an attack with typical semiology and lack of epileptic ictal discharges on video-EEG. Despite the importance of this diagnostic test, lack of standardisation has resulted in a wide variety of protocols and reporting practices. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of research findings on the diagnostic video-EEG procedure, in both the adult and paediatric literature. We discuss how uncertainties about the ethical use of suggestion can be resolved, and consider what constitutes best clinical practice. We stress the importance of ictal observation and assessment and consider how diagnostically useful information is best obtained. We also discuss the optimal format of video-EEG reports; and of highlighting features with high sensitivity and specificity to reduce the risk of miscommunication. We suggest that over-interpretation of the interictal EEG, and the failure to recognise differences between typical epileptic and nonepileptic seizure manifestations are the greatest pitfalls in neurophysiological assessment of patients with PNES. Meanwhile, under-recognition of semiological pointers towards frontal lobe seizures and of the absence of epileptiform ictal EEG patterns during some epileptic seizure types (especially some seizures not associated with loss of awareness), may lead to erroneous PNES diagnoses. We propose that a standardised approach to the video-EEG examination and the subsequent written report will facilitate a clear communication of its import, improving diagnostic certainty and thereby promoting appropriate patient management

Enhanced resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in splenectomized mice.

Mice infected with live Listeria monocytogenes intravenously from 1 week to 3 months following splenectomy exhibit greatly enhanced antibacterial resistance to this micro-organism as compared to normal or sham-splenectomized mice. They survive a dose of Listeria 100 times higher than is the LD50 of this parasite for normal mice. Initially, the same number of viable micro-organisms lodge in the livers of splenectomized and normal hosts. However, within 24 h after infection, the number of viable Listeria which can be recovered from the livers of splenectomized animals is significantly reduced in comparison with control mice. This effect of splenectomy is transient and gradually disappears spontaneously within 3 months following splenectomy. Enhancement of anti-listerial resistance in splenectomized mice can be abrogated by the transfer of normal spleen cells. The presence of a normal splenic cell population that controls macrophage activation is postulated

Increased phagocytic activity of splenectomized mice challenged with listeria monocytogenes.

Adult splenectomized mice exhibit increased resistance to infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Phagocytosis, by reticulo-endothelial cells, of test particles (51Cr-labelled sheep erythrocytes) is the same in splenectomized and control mice. However, 24 h exposure to Listeria, which fails to influence phagocytic activity of normal mice, greatly enhances the blood clearance and liver uptake of the test particles in splenectomized mice. The presence of a cell population and/or product in the spleen which modulates macrophage activation upon the exposure to appropriate stimuli is postulated