University of North Carolina at Wilmington

About: University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a education organization based out in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 3329 authors who have published 6797 publications receiving 186308 citations.

SMS: The Short Message Service

Abstract: Although it is a widely used communication mechanism for cell phone users, SMS is far more than just a technology for teenage chat. SMS technology evolved out of the global system for mobile communications standard, an internationally accepted cell phone network specification the European Telecommunications Standards Institute created. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project maintains the SMS standard. SMS messages are handled via a short message service center that the cellular provider maintains for the end devices. The SMSC can send SMS messages to the end device using a maximum payload of 140 octets. This defines the upper bound of an SMS message to be 160 characters using 7-bit encoding. It is possible to specify other schemes such as 8-bit or 16-bit encoding, which decreases the maximum message length to 140 and 70 characters, respectively.

Attitudes Toward Buprenorphine and Methadone Among Opioid-Dependent Individuals

Abstract: Attitudes and beliefs about drug abuse treatment have long been known to shape response to that treatment. Two major pharmacological alternatives are available for opioid dependence: methadone, which has been available for the past 40 years, and buprenorphine, a recently introduced medication. This mixed-methods study examined the attitudes of opioid-dependent individuals toward methadone and buprenorphine. A total of 195 participants (n = 140 who were enrolling in one of six Baltimore area methadone programs and n = 55 who were out-of-treatment) were administered the Attitudes toward Methadone and toward Buprenorphine Scales, and a subset (n = 46) received an ethnographic interview. The in-treatment group had significantly more positive attitudes toward methadone than did the out-of-treatment group (p < .001), while they did not differ in their attitudes toward buprenorphine. Both groups had significantly more positive attitudes toward buprenorphine than methadone. Addressing these attitudes may increase treatment entry and retention.

Climate Change, Coral Reef Ecosystems, and Management Options for Marine Protected Areas

Abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide place-based management of marine ecosystems through various degrees and types of protective actions. Habitats such as coral reefs are especially susceptible to degradation resulting from climate change, as evidenced by mass bleaching events over the past two decades. Marine ecosystems are being altered by direct effects of climate change including ocean warming, ocean acidification, rising sea level, changing circulation patterns, increasing severity of storms, and changing freshwater influxes. As impacts of climate change strengthen they may exacerbate effects of existing stressors and require new or modified management approaches; MPA networks are generally accepted as an improvement over individual MPAs to address multiple threats to the marine environment. While MPA networks are considered a potentially effective management approach for conserving marine biodiversity, they should be established in conjunction with other management strategies, such as fisheries regulations and reductions of nutrients and other forms of land-based pollution. Information about interactions between climate change and more “traditional” stressors is limited. MPA managers are faced with high levels of uncertainty about likely outcomes of management actions because climate change impacts have strong interactions with existing stressors, such as land-based sources of pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing practices, invasive species, and diseases. Management options include ameliorating existing stressors, protecting potentially resilient areas, developing networks of MPAs, and integrating climate change into MPA planning, management, and evaluation.

Distribution of the Na,K-ATPase α Subunit in the Rat Spiral Ganglion and Organ of Corti

Abstract: Processing of sound in the cochlea involves both afferent and efferent innervation. The Na,K-ATPase (NKA) is essential for cells that maintain hyperpolarized membrane potentials and sodium and potassium concentration gradients. Heterogeneity of NKA subunit expression is one mechanism that tailors physiology to particular cellular demands. Therefore, to provide insight into molecular differences that distinguish the various innervation pathways in the cochlea, we performed a variety of double labeling experiments with antibodies against three of the α isoforms of the NKA (NKAα1–3) and markers identifying particular subsets of neurons or supporting cells in whole mount preparations of the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion. We found that the NKAα3 is abundantly expressed within the membranes of the spiral ganglion somata, the type I afferent terminals contacting the inner hair cells, and the medial efferent terminals contacting the outer hair cells. We also found expression of the NKAα1 in the supporting cells that neighbor the inner hair cells and express the glutamate transporter GLAST. These findings suggest that both the NKAα1 and NKAα3 are poised to play an essential role in the regulation of the type I afferent synapses, the medial efferent synapses, and also glutamate transport from the afferent-inner hair cell synapse.