Remote subcutaneous maternal C. rectus infection increases fetal resorptions and fetal growth restriction in a mouse model. The effects of an oral C. rectus infection on pregnancy remain to be determined.

Past research has suggested that a number of travel package attributes impact on people's choices. In the present study the impacts of a number of these elements (price, package characteristics, travel agents and a seal of approval) in online and off-line environments were examined using conjoint analysis. It was found that price had the biggest impact, although travel agent and airline reputation and trustworthiness also impacted on people's preferences. Interestingly, there were no signifi cant differences in the attributes' impacts in the online and off-line environments. Copyright (Coulter, 2001;Wong and Kwan, 2001;Law et al., 2004), and as the Internet has become a cost-effective distribution channel, travel agents have begun to offer such services online. Information is needed when selecting a holiday destination and when making on-site decisions such as selecting accommodation, transportation, activities and tours (Snepenger et al., 1990;Fodness and Murray, 1999;Gursoy and Chen, 2000). Tourists collect this information prior to taking a trip so as to minimise the risk and uncertainty associated with making a decision to travel to a destination and so as to maximise the perceived quality of their travel experiences (Money and Crotts, 2003).Distribution 'is what makes the product available' (Wahab et al., 1976) and tourism channels have been developed to create a link between suppliers and consumers and to provide information and a way through which consumers can make and pay for reservations (Wahab et al., 1976;Gartner and Bachri, 1994;Kotler et al., 1996;Buhalis, 2000). In recent times, the Internet has emerged as a new distribution channel that enables potential customers to fi nd information more easily (Zhang, 2004). As the travel industry is largely information driven, it is not surprising that online travel services have become one of the largest e-commerce domains around the world (Smith and Jenner, 1998;Anckar and Walden, 2000;Clemons et al., 2002). Further, Peterson et al. (1997 argued that products or services that could be marketed successfully on the Internet are likely to have:(1) a low price and a reasonable frequency of purchase; (2) an identifi able value proposition; and (3) a degree of differentiation.While travel products (such as travel packages) do not meet the fi rst requirement, they are high-involvement products that are less tangible and more differentiated than many other consumer goods, which is likely to make them suitable for sale through the Internet (Bonn et al

There are many bridging-the-digital-divide initiatives implemented by various government agencies and non-governmental organisations throughout the world. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the critical success factors in providing remote and rural communities equitable access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Malaysia has its fair share of successes and failures in such initiatives. One such initiative, the eBario Project, which provided ICTs to the rural and remote community in Bario, Borneo Malaysia, has been in operation over the last decade. The project was undertaken by the

This paper describes an exploratory study conducted to examine the efficacy of the globalsoftware development lifecycle (global-SDLC), a Western software development approach employed to derive software for the global market. In the study, the global-SDLC was applied to adapt a US English spreadsheet for a non-Western market; in particular, the spreadsheet was adapted to accommodate Bahasa Melayu (Malaysia's national language). Malaysians were recruited to evaluate the usability of the spreadsheet utilising three prevalent (Western originated) usability assessment techniques, namely, think aloud, questionnaire, and interview. The design and implementation phase of the global-SDLC were found to be efficacious. However, the results of the usability evalua tion −the last phase of global-SDLC− were found to be inconsistent. These inconsistencies may be attributed to the computer experience as well as the cultural attributes of the participants in the study. Implications of the findings and further work were also discussed.