Climate change, economic growth, and health

This paper studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylized world with four heterogeneous regions, labeled 'West' (cold and rich), 'China' (cold and poor), 'India' (warm and poor), and 'Africa' (warm and very poor). We introduce health impacts into a simple integrated assessment model where both the local cooling effect of aerosols as well as the global warming effect of CO2 are endogenous, and investigate how those factors affect the equilibrium path. We show how some of the important aspects of the equilibrium, including emission abatement rates, health costs, and economic growth, depend on the economic and geographical characteristics of each region.

Climate Change, Economic Growth, and Health

This paper studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylized world with four heterogeneous regions, labeled ‘West’ (cold and rich), ‘China’ (cold and poor), ‘India’ (warm and poor), and ‘Africa’ (warm and very poor). We introduce health impacts into a simple integrated assessment model where both the local cooling effect of aerosols as well as the global warming effect of CO2 are endogenous, and investigate how those factors affect the equilibrium path. We show how some of the important aspects of the equilibrium, including emission abatement rates, health costs, and economic growth, depend on the economic and geographical characteristics of each region.

Phase Structure of a Four- and Eight-Fermion Interaction Model at Finite Temperature and Chemical Potential in Arbitrary Dimensions

The phase structure of a four- and eight-fermion interaction model is investigated at finite temperature and chemical potential in arbitrary space-time dimensions, $2\leq D<4$. The effective potential and the gap equation are calculated in the leading order of the 1/N expansion. If the first order phase transition takes place, the phase boundary dividing the symmetric and the broken phase is modified by the eight-fermion interaction.Comment: 20 pages, 26 figures; revised argument and added reference for section

Radar-Based Respiratory Measurement of a Rhesus Monkey by Suppressing Nonperiodic Body Motion Components

We propose a method to measure the respiration of a rhesus monkey using a millimeter-wave radar system with an antenna array. Unlike humans, small animals are generally restless and hyperactive in nature, and suppression of their body motion components is thus necessary to realize accurate respiratory measurements. The proposed method detects and suppresses nonperiodic body motion components while also combining and emphasizing the periodic components from multiple echoes acquired from the target. Results indicate that the proposed method can measure respiration rate of the target monkey accurately, even with frequent body movements.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures. This work is going to be submitted to the IEEE for possible publicatio

Y-shaped Muscular Wrapping Technique Avoiding Re-infection of a Replaced Aortic Graft: A Cadaveric Study

Replacing an infected prosthetic thoracic aorta graft carries a high re-infection risk. We previously reported two clinical cases successfully treated with a new muscular wrapping technique: latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle flap with a distally based serratus anterior (SA) extension; however, a cadaveric study to prove the regular existence of the distal attachment area was lacking. We tried to establish an appropriate way of elevating the combined muscle flap safely. All of the cadavers were preserved using the Thiel embalming technique to retain flexibility. We checked for the existence of the distal attachment area between the LD and SA. Combined muscle flaps were elevated proximally while identifying the thoracodorsal artery, including the LD and SA branches. After the SA branch was ligated and cut, the SA muscle was manually peeled from the LD muscle with only the distal tight attachment area remaining. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed using a multislice computed tomography system. Six human cadavers (three men, three women: 91 years old, on average) were examined. All six LD and SA combined muscle flaps showed a distal tight attachment area at the level from the seventh rib to the ninth rib. The tip of the SA muscle easily reached the sternum. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography failed to reconfirm the distal vascular flow from the LD to the reverse SA muscle, which we had visualized in a clinical case. We demonstrated the anatomical reliability of the new Y-shaped muscular flaps, which are suitable for preventing re-infection of aortic graft replacement

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A/G heterozygote of the A-3826G polymorphism in the UCP-1 gene has higher BMI than A/A and G/G homozygote in young Japanese males

UCP-1 is suggested to have important roles for thermogenesis and energy expenditure. To elucidate whether the A-3826G polymorphism that is located in the 5’ flanking region of the UCP-1 gene has roles in healthy young people, the polymorphism was genotyped among 251 young Japanese men whose mean age is 22.7 years old. We analyzed relationship between the A-3826G polymorphism and body mass index (BMI) or six biochemical parameters, serum concentration of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), asparatate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting plasma glucose. The genotype frequencies were observed at the frequencies of 24.3% for AA, 48.2% for AG and 27.5% for GG, respectively. When BMI and the biochemical parameters were compared by ANOVA among individuals with each genotype, the statistical difference was observed only for BMI (P=0.016). Bonferroni’s test demonstrated that the men with the AG genotype have higher BMI than those with the AA genotype (22.4±2.8 vs. 21.4±2.2)(P=0.04). The individuals with the AG genotype also showed trend to have higher BMI than those with the GG, although the difference was not statistically apparent (22.4±2.8 vs. 21.5±2.3) (P=0.07). Our results indicated that the young healthy Japanese men with the AG heterozygote showed higher BMI than those with other genotypes

Prediction of Japanese children at risk for complications of childhood obesity : gender differences for intervention approaches

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health problems in Japan, especially in Tokushima compared with other prefectures. This study was designed to clarify the life habits which predispose to development of obesity and can be modified through an appropriate intervention program to combat childhood obesity and its lifestyle-related diseases. A total of 216 school children from Itano Town, a municipality of Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, who are attending the fourth grade (9-10 years) of elementary schools, participated in the study from 2004 to 2007. The study included child’s life habits questionnaire, investigating physical activity by recording the daily steps using a pedometer, anthropometric measurements, hematological examination and hemodynamometry in a cross-sectional survey during a two-month period from June to July every year. We conclude that there are considerable gender-related differences for developing obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases ; and all intervention strategies against obesity must consider such gender differences. For example, restriction of television watching hours must be intervened for controlling obesity in boys, however for girls, promotion of exercise practice or making more steps per day with adequate sleeping periods should be intervened as the proper approaches for preventing and controlling obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases