Adolescent varicocoele management controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Serefoglu, E C; Saitz, T R; La Nasa, J A; Hellstrom, W J

2013-01-01

Varicocoele is defined as excessive dilatation of the pampiniform venous plexus of the spermatic cord. Varicocoele frequently appears during early puberty and is recognized to be the most common surgically correctable cause of male infertility. However, the actual incidence in adolescents, pathophysiology and the association with male factor infertility all remain somewhat controversial. The most accurate diagnostic technique for identifying young men who will benefit from surgical treatment has yet to be established. Observations of testicular asymmetry and deteriorating semen quality helped establish current guidelines and recommendations for surgical treatment. Further studies, comparing observation with surgical intervention, are needed to refine the current indications for varicocoele repair in the adolescent male. © 2012 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Socio-scientific controversies and beginning teachers’ pedagogical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Reis

2005-08-01

Full Text Available The current investigation aimed to study the impact of recent socio-scientific controversies, made public through the media, on the concepts and practices of a group of Natural Science teachers at the start of their careers. This study is particularly relevant at a time that is heavily marked by much debate regarding the social and environmental impact of several scientific and technological innovations and by the implementation of new science curricula, that stress the importance of discussing socio-scientific controversies in the context of students’ scientific alphabetisation (namely in their understanding of the nature of science and its relation to society and culture (McComas, 2000. This investigation followed an interpretative approach of a qualitative nature. Through the construction of case studies, it sought to analyse the possible impact of socio-scientific controversies on the teachers’ concepts (about the nature, teaching and learning of science and pedagogic practice. For data collection semi-structured interviews were conducted and classes observed.The controversial issues raised by certain recent technological innovations – namely the environmental, social and cultural impact they may have – did have an impact on the teachers’ concepts about the nature, teaching and learning of science. Besides reinforcing the duality of feelings as regards science and technology, as a source of both progress and concern, they triggered in these teachers the idea of the need for a widespread scientific alphabetisation that empowers the population for understanding and deciding and acting upon these issues. However, the concept of scientific alphabetisation and the best way to achieve it vary among the teachers participating in this study.

The breast implant controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, R R; Harrison, M C; LeVier, R R

1994-02-01

The breast implant issue is a "bad news/good news" story. For many women with implants, the controversy has caused a fair degree of anxiety which may or may not be resolved as further information becomes available. It has also taken its toll on Dow Corning. Whole lines of medical products have been eliminated or are being phase out. The development of new medical applications has been terminated. As a consequence, employees have lost their jobs. What the effect will be on the biomedical industry as a whole remains to be seen (11). While silicones have been an important component in various medical devices, it is likely that other materials can be used as replacements. However, suppliers of non-silicone materials are also reevaluating their role in this market. For example, Du Pont, the nation's largest chemical company, has determined that the unpredictable and excessive costs of doing business with manufacturers of implantable medical devices no longer justifies the unrestricted sale of standard raw materials into this industry. Other companies are quietly following suit. On the up side, it is possible that the research being driven by this controversy will result in a greater understanding of the immunologic implications of xenobiotics, of the importance of nonbiased observations, of the need for ready access to valid data sets, and of the opportunity for valid scientific information to guide legal decisions. Only time will tell.

Controversial Issues in Thyroid Cancer Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuttle, R Michael

2018-04-13

The lack of prospective randomized clinical trials for most management topics in differentiated thyroid cancer force us to make management recommendations based on retrospective observational data which is often incomplete, subject to selection bias, and conflicting. Therefore, it is not surprising that many aspects of thyroid cancer management remain controversial and not well defined. This review will examine the controversies surrounding three important topics in thyroid cancer management: (1) the option of thyroid lobectomy as initial therapy for thyroid cancer, (2) the proper use of preoperative neck imaging to optimize the completeness of the initial surgical procedure, and (3) the selective use RAI therapy as remnant ablation, adjuvant treatment or treatment of known persistent/recurrent disease. As thyroid cancer management moves toward a much more risk adapted approach to personalized management recommendations, clinicians and patients must balance the risks and benefits of the potential management options to arrive at a management plan that is optimized based on both patient preferences/values and the philosophy/experience of the local disease management team. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Tené T; Cogburn, Courtney D; Williams, David R

2015-01-01

Over the past two decades, research examining the impact of self-reported experiences of discrimination on mental and physical health has increased dramatically. Studies have found consistent associations between exposure to discrimination and a wide range of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-diagnosed mental disorders as well as objective physical health outcomes. Associations are seen in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies and persist even after adjustment for confounding variables, including personality characteristics and other threats to validity. However, controversies remain, particularly around the best approach to measuring experiences of discrimination, the significance of racial/ethnic discrimination versus overall mistreatment, the need to account for "intersectionalities," and the importance of comprehensive assessments. These issues are discussed in detail, along with emerging areas of emphasis including cyber discrimination, anticipatory stress or vigilance around discrimination, and interventions with potential to reduce the negative effects of discrimination on health. We also discuss priorities for future research and implications for interventions and policy.

Epidural analgesia in early labour blocks the stress response but uterine contractions remain unchanged.

Science.gov (United States)

Scull, T J; Hemmings, G T; Carli, F; Weeks, S K; Mazza, L; Zingg, H H

1998-07-01

To determine the effect of epidural analgesia on biochemical markers of stress, plasma oxytocin concentrations and frequency of uterine contractions during the first stage of labour. Nine nulliparous women, in spontaneous labour, with a singleton fetus and cervical dilatation < or = 5 cm were enrolled. Epidural bupivacaine 0.25% (range 10-14 ml) was administered and bilateral sensory blockade to ice (T8-L4) achieved. Blood samples were collected before the epidermal block and every 10 min for one hour after the block was achieved for the measurement of plasma beta-endorphin, cortical, glucose, lactate and oxytocin concentrations. No exogenous oxytocin was given. Intensity of pain was assessed at the time of the blood sampling using a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). The frequency of uterine contractions was recorded for 60 min before and after the epidural block. There was a decrease in plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol concentrations after epidural block (P < 0.01). There were no changes in plasma glucose and lactate concentrations. The mean VAS for pain decreased 10 min after epidural block was achieved and remained < 2 throughout the study period (P < 0.001). Mean plasma oxytocin concentrations did not change. The frequency of uterine contractions before and after the epidural block was similar. The metabolic stress response to the pain of labour was attenuated by epidural analgesia. In contrast, plasma oxytocin concentration and frequency of uterine contractions were unaffected by the attenuation of metabolic stress response.

Doctrinal controversies and ecumenical councils | Ogbonnaya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This work focused on the doctrinal controversies that have confronted the Church in the course of its development and the accompanying councils that sought to resolve these theological controversies. The paper did this historically, by showing the origin of the problems, the factors and features involved in the controversies ...

Plutonium controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richmond, C.R.

1980-01-01

The toxicity of plutonium is discussed, particularly in relation to controversies surrounding the setting of radiation protection standards. The sources, amounts of, and exposure pathways of plutonium are given and the public risk estimated

Predictors of patients remaining anovulatory during clomiphene citrate induction of ovulation in normogonadotropic oligoamenorrheic infertility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Imani (Babak); M.J.C. Eijkemans (René); E.R. te Velde (Egbert); J.D.F. Habbema (Dik); B.C.J.M. Fauser (Bart)

1998-01-01

textabstractThe diagnostic criteria used to identify patients suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome remain controversial. The present prospective longitudinal follow-up study was designed to identify whether certain criteria assessed during standardized initial

Managing Controversies in the Fuzzy Front End

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, John K.; Gasparin, Marta

2016-01-01

This research investigates the controversies that emerge in the fuzzy front end (FFE) and how they are closed so the innovation process can move on. The fuzzy front has been characterized in the literature as a very critical phase, but controversies in the FFE have not been studied before....... The analysis investigates the microprocesses around the controversies that emerge during the fuzzy front end of four products. Five different types of controversies are identified: profit, production, design, brand and customers/market. Each controversy represents a threat, but also an opportunity to search...

Controversies in gestational diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Christopher J

2011-02-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and controversy are old friends. However, several major studies in the field have clarified some of the main issues. There is now no doubt that hyperglycaemia, at levels less than those that occur in overt diabetes, is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as large-for-gestational age infants, neonatal hyperinsulinism, neonatal hypoglycaemia and pre-eclampsia. We also have evidence now that a standard approach to GDM with diagnosis at 24-28 weeks, dietary advice, self-monitoring of blood glucose and insulin therapy as needed reduces these adverse perinatal outcomes. Unknown, however, is if this same approach is effective at reducing long-term risks of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in both the mothers and babies. For example, could our management strategies miss critical time points of fuel-mediated injury to the foetus important for the baby's long-term metabolic health? The implications of a recent international consensus statement on new diagnostic criteria for GDM are discussed, as well as issues relating to the timing of diagnosis. The potential place for a risk calculator for adverse outcomes in GDM pregnancy that takes into account glycaemic and non-glycaemic risk factors is considered. Such a tool could help stratify GDM women to different levels of care. Ongoing issues relating to maternal glycaemic and foetal growth targets, and the use of oral hypoglycaemic agents in GDM are discussed. To resolve some of the remaining controversies, further carefully designed randomised controlled trials in GDM with long-term follow-up of both mothers and babies are necessary. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plutonium controversy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richmond, C.R.

1980-01-01

The toxicity of plutonium is discussed, particularly in relation to controversies surrounding the setting of radiation protection standards. The sources, amounts of, and exposure pathways of plutonium are given and the public risk estimated. (ACR)

Unicameral bone cysts: general characteristics and management controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretell-Mazzini, Juan; Murphy, Robert Francis; Kushare, Indranil; Dormans, John P

2014-05-01

Unicameral bone cysts are benign bone lesions that are often asymptomatic and commonly develop in the proximal humerus and femur of skeletally immature patients. The etiology of these lesions remains unknown. Most patients present with a pathologic fracture, but these cysts can be discovered incidentally, as well. Radiographically, a unicameral bone cyst appears as a radiolucent lesion with cortical thinning and is centrally located within the metaphysis. Although diagnosis is frequently straightforward, management remains controversial. Because the results of various management methods are heterogeneous, no single method has emerged as the standard of care. New minimally invasive techniques involve cyst decompression with bone grafting and instrumentation. These techniques have yielded promising results, with low rates of complications and recurrence reported; however, prospective clinical trials are needed to compare these techniques with current evidence-based treatments.

Mourning, Memorials, and Religion: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on the Park51 Controversy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathan Carlin

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This article summarizes a version of the “mourning religion” thesis—derived from the work of Peter Homans and further developed and advanced by William Parsons, Diane Jonte-Pace, and Susan Henking—and then demonstrates how this thesis can shed light on the Park51 controversy. We argue that the Park51 controversy represents a case of incomplete cultural mourning of an aspect of American civil religion that manifests itself in melancholic rage by means of protests, threats to burn the Qur’an (as well as actual burnings of the Qur’an, and vandalism of mosques around the United States. We explore various losses—military, economic, and symbolic—and note that these losses remain ambiguous, therefore preventing closure and productive mourning. The fact that a permanent memorial still has not been built at Ground Zero reflects, and perhaps exacerbates, this incomplete cultural mourning. Also, the fact that Freedom Tower, the building to replace the Twin Towers, is to be 1776 feet tall reflects that the losses related to 9/11 are connected to American civil religion, as 1776 is a sacred year in American history. Setting aside the ethics and the politics related to this controversy, we attempt here to understand this controversy from a psychoanalytic perspective.

Energy, controversies and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertholet, J.-L.; Garbely, M.; Lachal, B.; Romerio, F.; Weber, W.

2003-01-01

The energy debate raises deep controversies, as discussions on climate change or electricity markets' deregulation show. In this context, it is very difficult for the citizen to express himself in referendums and for the decision maker to slice between various options. Experts themselves deliver controversial evaluations and interest groups can benefit from them to suggest their own solution. This book enables to get a better insight and better understand energy-related controversies and the environmental and socio-economic impacts of energy. It deals with topics as complex and politically extreme as the exhaustion of fossil fuels, climate change, ionising radiations, renewable energy sources, energy consumption in Southern countries and the reorganisation of electricity markets. It starts with an article on the precaution principle and it ends with a glance on the future, devoted to education in the field of efficient energy use [fr

Teen Addiction. Current Controversies Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Paul A., Ed.

The Current Controversies series explores social, political, and economic controversies that dominate the national and international scenes today from a variety of perspectives. Recent surveys have shown that, after years of decline, drug use among teenagers has increased during the 1990s, and that alcohol and tobacco use have remained…

Managing Controversies in the Fuzzy Front End

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, John K.; Gasparin, Marta

2016-01-01

. The analysis investigates the microprocesses around the controversies that emerge during the fuzzy front end of four products. Five different types of controversies are identified: profit, production, design, brand and customers/market. Each controversy represents a threat, but also an opportunity to search...... for new solutions in the unpredictable non-linear processes. The study uses an ethnographic approach using qualitative data from interviews, company documents, external communication and marketing material, minutes of meetings, informal conversations and observations. The analysis of four FFE processes...... demonstrates how the fuzzy front requires managers to deal with controversies that emerge from many different places and involve both human and non-human actors. Closing the controversies requires managers to take account of the situation, identify the problem that needs to be addressed, and initiate a search...

ER stress is the initial response to polyglutamine toxicity in PC12 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Hitoshi; Hamada, Masashi; Fujikake, Nobuhiro; Nagai, Yoshitaka; Zhao, Jing; Hatano, Osamu; Shimoke, Koji; Isosaki, Minoru; Yoshizumi, Masanori; Ikeuchi, Toshihiko

2008-01-01

Persistent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) cause neuronal cell death. However, the relationship between these two phenomena remains controversial. In our current study, we have utilized an expanded polyglutamine fusion protein (polyQ81) expression system in PC12 cells to further examine the involvement of ER stress and UPS impairment in cell death. The expression of polyQ81-induced ER stress and cell death. PolyQ81 also induced the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-3 and an increase in polyubiquitin immunoreactivity, suggesting UPS impairment. ER stress was induced prior to the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Low doses of lactacystin had almost similar effects on cell viability and on the activation of JNK and caspase-3 between normal cells and polyQ81-expressing cells. These results suggest that ER stress mediates polyglutamine toxicity prior to UPS impairment during the initial stages of these toxic effects.

Obstetric controversies in thyroidology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ambika Gopalakrishnan Unnikrishnan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It is well known that thyroid disorders commonly affect women. The care of pregnant women affected by thyroid disease is an important clinical challenge for endocrinologists. Hypothyroidism is the commonest problem, and maternal hypothyroxinemia has been linked to adverse feto-maternal outcomes. This article would discuss the controversy regarding first-trimester thyroid hormone deficiency and fetal brain development. Certain obstetric controversies in the management of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy, including the indications of TSH receptor antibody measurements and fetal thyroid status monitoring would also be discussed.

Remaining life case history studies for high energy piping systems using equivalent stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohn, M.J.

1987-01-01

As the development of plant life extension for high energy piping systems is progressing, conventional piping system design methodologies are also being reevaluated. Traditional guidelines such as American National Standard Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers B31.1 (ANSI/ASME) were developed for plants having design lives in the 25- to 30-year regime based upon relatively short-term base metal creep data. These guidelines use a simplified approach for the piping analysis. Two types of stress criteria must be satisfied. The first type is longitudinal plus torsion stress checks for several types of loading conditions versus the material allowable stresses. The second type is an independent minimum wall thickness check which considers the hoop stress versus the material allowable stress. Seven case histories have been evaluated to estimate the minimum piping system creep life based on the current ANSI/ASME B31.1 finite element type of analysis, which is a traditional approach, versus a multiaxial stress state type of analysis. In nearly every case, the equivalent stress methodology predicted significantly higher stresses. Consequently, the equivalent stress methodology resulted in 11 to 96% lower time to rupture values as compared to the values predicted using ANSI/ASME B31.1 stresses

How science makes environmental controversies worse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarewitz, Daniel

2004-01-01

I use the example of the 2000 US Presidential election to show that political controversies with technical underpinnings are not resolved by technical means. Then, drawing from examples such as climate change, genetically modified foods, and nuclear waste disposal, I explore the idea that scientific inquiry is inherently and unavoidably subject to becoming politicized in environmental controversies. I discuss three reasons for this. First, science supplies contesting parties with their own bodies of relevant, legitimated facts about nature, chosen in part because they help make sense of, and are made sensible by, particular interests and normative frameworks. Second, competing disciplinary approaches to understanding the scientific bases of an environmental controversy may be causally tied to competing value-based political or ethical positions. The necessity of looking at nature through a variety of disciplinary lenses brings with it a variety of normative lenses, as well. Third, it follows from the foregoing that scientific uncertainty, which so often occupies a central place in environmental controversies, can be understood not as a lack of scientific understanding but as the lack of coherence among competing scientific understandings, amplified by the various political, cultural, and institutional contexts within which science is carried out. In light of these observations, I briefly explore the problem of why some types of political controversies become 'scientized' and others do not, and conclude that the value bases of disputes underlying environmental controversies must be fully articulated and adjudicated through political means before science can play an effective role in resolving environmental problems

Spine Trauma-What Are the Current Controversies?

Science.gov (United States)

Oner, Cumhur; Rajasekaran, Shanmuganathan; Chapman, Jens R; Fehlings, Michael G; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Schroeder, Gregory D; Sadiqi, Said; Harrop, James

2017-09-01

Although less common than other musculoskeletal injuries, spinal trauma may lead to significantly more disability and costs. During the last 2 decades there was substantial improvement in our understanding of the basic patterns of spinal fractures leading to more reliable classification and injury severity assessment systems but also rapid developments in surgical techniques. Despite these advancements, there remain unresolved issues concerning the management of these injuries. At this moment there is persistent controversy within the spinal trauma community, which can be grouped under 6 headings. First of all there is still no unanimity on the role and timing of medical and surgical interventions for patients with associated neurologic injury. The same is also true for type and timing of surgical intervention in multiply injured patients. In some common injury types like odontoid fractures and burst type (A3-A4) fractures in thoracolumbar spine, there is wide variation in practice between operative versus nonoperative management without clear reasons. Also, the role of different surgical approaches and techniques in certain injury types are not clarified yet. Methods of nonoperative management and care of elderly patients with concurrent complex disorders are also areas where there is no consensus. In this overview article the main reasons for these controversies are reviewed and the possible ways for resolutions are discussed.

The Criterion A problem revisited: controversies and challenges in defining and measuring psychological trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Weathers, Frank W; Keane, Terence M

2007-04-01

The Criterion A problem in the field of traumatic stress refers to the stressor criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and involves a number of fundamental issues regarding the definition and measurement of psychological trauma. These issues first emerged with the introduction of PTSD as a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980) and continue to generate considerable controversy. In this article, the authors provide an update on the Criterion A problem, with particular emphasis on the evolution of the DSM definition of the stressor criterion and the ongoing debate regarding broad versus narrow conceptualizations of traumatic events.

The nuclear controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walske, C.; Dobkin, R.A.

1984-01-01

The article deals with the nuclear controversy, especially in the United States. To a certain extent the nuclear debate has become heavily politicised. Public opinion and anti-nuclear groups are mentioned as well as nuclear disarmament

The Reviewing of Controversial Juvenile Books: A Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Crow, Sherry R.

1986-01-01

Describes a study which examined reviewers' treatment of controversial juvenile books in Booklist, Bulletin of Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, and School Library Journal. The total number of controversial books reviewed by each journal, promptness of reviews, and extent of discussion of controversial features are discussed. (MBR)

Controversies in hormone replacement therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Baziad

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Deficiency of estrogen hormone will result in either long-term or short-term health problems which may reduce the quality of life. There are numerous methods by which the quality of female life can be achieved. Since the problems occuring are due to the deficiency of estrogen hormone, the appropriate method to tackle the problem is by administration of estrogen hormone. The administration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT with estrogen may eliminate climacteric complaints, prevent osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, dementia, and colon cancer. Although HRT has a great deal of advantage, its use is still low and may result in controversies. These controversies are due to fact that both doctor and patient still hold on to the old, outmoded views which are not supported by numerous studies. Currently, the use of HRT is not only based on experience, or temporary observation, but more on evidence based medicine. (Med J Indones 2001; 10: 182-6Keywords: controversies, HRT

Effects of Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Constructive Controversy on Social Interdependence, Motivation, and Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Roseth, Cary J.; Saltarelli, Andy J.; Glass, Chris R.

2011-01-01

Cooperative learning capitalizes on the relational processes by which peers promote learning, yet it remains unclear whether these processes operate similarly in face-to-face and online settings. This study addresses this issue by comparing face-to-face and computer-mediated versions of "constructive controversy", a cooperative learning procedure…

Computerized screening for visual stress in children with dyslexia.

Science.gov (United States)

Singleton, Chris; Henderson, Lisa-Marie

2007-05-01

Visual stress-a condition in which unpleasant visual symptoms are experienced when reading-has been reported to be more prevalent in dyslexic individuals but at the present time the relationship between dyslexia and visual stress remains controversial. ViSS, a computerized visual stress screener that incorporates reading-like visual search, has recently shown promise in studies with unselected samples of primary and secondary school children. This study investigated the use of ViSS with dyslexic children. Dyslexic children identified as having high visual stress showed significantly higher per cent increases in reading rate with a coloured overlay and reported significantly higher critical symptoms of visual stress, compared to dyslexic children with low visual stress. The same results were found for reading-age controls, indicating that ViSS can be equally effective with normal readers as well as with children with dyslexia. Compared to reading-age controls, dyslexic children were found to have significantly higher susceptibility to visual stress, significantly larger per cent increases in reading rate with an overlay, and significantly higher critical and non-critical symptoms of visual stress. Extrapolated to unselected population samples, the data also suggest that visual stress is more likely to be found in people with dyslexia than in people who do not have dyslexia. These results, which point to an important link between the two conditions, are discussed in relation to current theories that attribute visual stress to either a magnocellular dysfunction or cortical hyperexcitability.

Critical features of acute stress-induced cross-sensitization identified through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis output.

Science.gov (United States)

Belda, Xavier; Nadal, Roser; Armario, Antonio

2016-08-11

Stress-induced sensitization represents a process whereby prior exposure to severe stressors leaves animals or humans in a hyper-responsive state to further stressors. Indeed, this phenomenon is assumed to be the basis of certain stress-associated pathologies, including post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis. One biological system particularly prone to sensitization is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the prototypic stress system. It is well established that under certain conditions, prior exposure of animals to acute and chronic (triggering) stressors enhances HPA responses to novel (heterotypic) stressors on subsequent days (e.g. raised plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels). However, such changes remain somewhat controversial and thus, the present study aimed to identify the critical characteristics of the triggering and challenging stressors that affect acute stress-induced HPA cross-sensitization in adult rats. We found that HPA cross-sensitization is markedly influenced by the intensity of the triggering stressor, whereas the length of exposure mainly affects its persistence. Importantly, HPA sensitization is more evident with mild than strong challenging stressors, and it may remain unnoticed if exposure to the challenging stressor is prolonged beyond 15 min. We speculate that heterotypic HPA sensitization might have developed to optimize biologically adaptive responses to further brief stressors.

Breast cancer screening controversies: who, when, why, and how?

Science.gov (United States)

Chetlen, Alison; Mack, Julie; Chan, Tiffany

2016-01-01

Mammographic screening is effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer. The issue is not whether mammography is effective, but whether the false positive rate and false negative rates can be reduced. This review will discuss controversies including the reduction in breast cancer mortality, overdiagnosis, the ideal screening candidate, and the optimal imaging modality for breast cancer screening. The article will compare and contrast screening mammography, tomosynthesis, whole-breast screening ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and molecular breast imaging. Though supplemental imaging modalities are being utilized to improve breast cancer diagnosis, mammography still remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma: pitfalls and controversies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernando, Sujan [University of Missouri-Kansas School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kansas City, MO (United States); Obaldo, Ruby E. [The University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Kansas City, MO (United States); Walsh, Irene R. [The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children' s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kansas City, MO (United States); Lowe, Lisa H. [The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children' s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Radiology, Kansas City, MO (United States)

2008-08-15

Although certain neuroimaging appearances are highly suggestive of abuse, radiological findings are often nonspecific. The objective of this review is to discuss pitfalls, controversies, and mimics occurring in neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma in order to allow the reader to establish an increased level of comfort in distinguishing between nonaccidental and accidental head trauma. Specific topics discussed include risk factors, general biomechanics and imaging strategies in nonaccidental head trauma, followed by the characteristics of skull fractures, normal prominent tentorium and falx versus subdural hematoma, birth trauma versus nonaccidental head trauma, hyperacute versus acute on chronic subdural hematomas, expanded subarachnoid space versus subdural hemorrhage, controversy regarding subdural hematomas associated with benign enlarged subarachnoid spaces, controversy regarding hypoxia as a cause of subdural hematoma and/or retinal hemorrhages without trauma, controversy regarding the significance of retinal hemorrhages related to nonaccidental head trauma, controversy regarding the significance of subdural hematomas in general, and pitfalls of glutaric aciduria type 1 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis mimicking nonaccidental head trauma. (orig.)

KNOW NUKES: a model for teaching controversial issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomashow, M.S.

1986-01-01

This dissertation articulates elements of an educational strategy derived from the experience of the KNOW NUKES program, a teacher training project designed to introduce the nuclear power controversy in the high school classroom. This strategy can be used as means of furthering the effectiveness of controversial issues education, not only in the area of nuclear power, but in teaching about any environmental issue. This is specifically achieved by (2) placing the KNOW NUKES institute in the broader context of controversial issues education; (2) describing in detail KNOW NUKES project planning; (3) reviewing the structure and content of the various teaching techniques and materials that have been developed for the KNOW NUKES institute; (4) utilizing a particular technique developed by the institute that reveals varying perspectives on controversial issues, in this case, an instrumental for decoding the controversial issues that are explicit and implicit in corporate image advertisements; and (5) qualitatively evaluating the practical implementation of the KNOW NUKES model

Neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma: pitfalls and controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernando, Sujan; Obaldo, Ruby E.; Walsh, Irene R.; Lowe, Lisa H.

2008-01-01

Although certain neuroimaging appearances are highly suggestive of abuse, radiological findings are often nonspecific. The objective of this review is to discuss pitfalls, controversies, and mimics occurring in neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma in order to allow the reader to establish an increased level of comfort in distinguishing between nonaccidental and accidental head trauma. Specific topics discussed include risk factors, general biomechanics and imaging strategies in nonaccidental head trauma, followed by the characteristics of skull fractures, normal prominent tentorium and falx versus subdural hematoma, birth trauma versus nonaccidental head trauma, hyperacute versus acute on chronic subdural hematomas, expanded subarachnoid space versus subdural hemorrhage, controversy regarding subdural hematomas associated with benign enlarged subarachnoid spaces, controversy regarding hypoxia as a cause of subdural hematoma and/or retinal hemorrhages without trauma, controversy regarding the significance of retinal hemorrhages related to nonaccidental head trauma, controversy regarding the significance of subdural hematomas in general, and pitfalls of glutaric aciduria type 1 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis mimicking nonaccidental head trauma. (orig.)

The Effects of Early-Life Predator Stress on Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors of Adult Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu-jing Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Childhood emotional trauma contributes significantly to certain psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. In experimental animals, however, whether or not early-life stress results in behavioral abnormalities in adult animals still remains controversial. Here, we investigated both short-term and long-term changes of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors of Wistar rats after being exposed to chronic feral cat stress in juvenile ages. The 2-week predator stress decreased spontaneous activities immediately following stress but did not increase depression- or anxiety-like behaviors 4 weeks after the stimulation in adulthood. Instead, juvenile predator stress had some protective effects, though not very obvious, in adulthood. We also exposed genetic depression model rats, Wistar Kyoto (WKY rats, to the same predator stress. In WKY rats, the same early-life predator stress did not enhance anxiety- or depression-like behaviors in both the short-term and long-term. However, the stressed WKY rats showed slightly reduced depression-like behaviors in adulthood. These results indicate that in both normal Wistar rats and WKY rats, early-life predator stress led to protective, rather than negative, effects in adulthood.

The Effects of Early-Life Predator Stress on Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors of Adult Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lu-jing; Shen, Bing-qing; Liu, Dan-dan; Li, Sheng-tian

2014-01-01

Childhood emotional trauma contributes significantly to certain psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. In experimental animals, however, whether or not early-life stress results in behavioral abnormalities in adult animals still remains controversial. Here, we investigated both short-term and long-term changes of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors of Wistar rats after being exposed to chronic feral cat stress in juvenile ages. The 2-week predator stress decreased spontaneous activities immediately following stress but did not increase depression- or anxiety-like behaviors 4 weeks after the stimulation in adulthood. Instead, juvenile predator stress had some protective effects, though not very obvious, in adulthood. We also exposed genetic depression model rats, Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, to the same predator stress. In WKY rats, the same early-life predator stress did not enhance anxiety- or depression-like behaviors in both the short-term and long-term. However, the stressed WKY rats showed slightly reduced depression-like behaviors in adulthood. These results indicate that in both normal Wistar rats and WKY rats, early-life predator stress led to protective, rather than negative, effects in adulthood. PMID:24839560

Understanding Controversies in Urban Climate Change Adaptation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baron, Nina; Petersen, Lars Kjerulf

2015-01-01

This article explores the controversies that exist in urban climate change adaptation and how these controversies influence the role of homeowners in urban adaptation planning. A concrete SUDS project in a housing cooperative in Copenhagen has been used as a case study thereby investigating the m...

Controversies relating to the management of acromioclavicular joint dislocations.

Science.gov (United States)

Modi, C S; Beazley, J; Zywiel, M G; Lawrence, T M; Veillette, C J H

2013-12-01

The aim of this review is to address controversies in the management of dislocations of the acromioclavicular joint. Current evidence suggests that operative rather than non-operative treatment of Rockwood grade III dislocations results in better cosmetic and radiological results, similar functional outcomes and longer time off work. Early surgery results in better functional and radiological outcomes with a reduced risk of infection and loss of reduction compared with delayed surgery. Surgical options include acromioclavicular fixation, coracoclavicular fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction. Although non-controlled studies report promising results for arthroscopic coracoclavicular fixation, there are no comparative studies with open techniques to draw conclusions about the best surgical approach. Non-rigid coracoclavicular fixation with tendon graft or synthetic materials, or rigid acromioclavicular fixation with a hook plate, is preferable to fixation with coracoclavicular screws owing to significant risks of loosening and breakage. The evidence, although limited, also suggests that anatomical ligament reconstruction with autograft or certain synthetic grafts may have better outcomes than non-anatomical transfer of the coracoacromial ligament. It has been suggested that this is due to better restoration horizontal and vertical stability of the joint. Despite the large number of recently published studies, there remains a lack of high-quality evidence, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding these controversial issues.

Neural and non-neural control of skin blood flow during isometric handgrip exercise in the heat stressed human

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shibasaki, M.; Rasmussen, P.; Secher, Niels H.

2009-01-01

as an absence of sweating and cutaneous vasodilatation during a whole-body heat stress. Upon this confirmation, adenosine was perfused through one of the microdialysis probes to increase skin blood flow similar to that of the unblocked site. After internal temperature increased approximately 0.7 degrees C......During heat stress, isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise causes cutaneous vasoconstriction, but it remains controversial whether neural mechanisms are responsible for this observation. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that cutaneous vasoconstriction during IHG exercise in heat...... stressed individuals occurs via a neural mechanism. An axillary nerve blockade was performed to block efferent nerve traffic to the left forearm in seven healthy subjects. Two intradermal microdialysis probes were placed within forearm skin of the blocked area. Forearm skin blood flow was measured by laser...

A STUDY OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DIABETES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babu Rao

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Non - enzymatic free radical mediated oxidation of biological molecules, membranes and tissues is associated with a variety of pathological events such as cancer, aging and diabetes mellitus . [1] Increased oxidative stress is seen in both types of diabetes me llitus namely type 1 and type 2, irrespective of duration, complications and treatment. In diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress seems primarily due to both an increased plasma free radical concentration and a sharp decline in antioxidant defences . [1] Among the causes of enhanced free radical production, hyperglycemia and hyper insulinemia seem to play a major role , [2,3] Hyperglycemia is the more easily modifiable factor among the two and good glycemic control can reduce the oxidative stress. Controversy pers ists regarding the other possible mechanisms of increased oxidative stress in diabetes and whether oxidative stress normalizes with adequate metabolic control alone. The role of oxidative stress and diabetic complications has been extensively investigated. Oxidative stress has been suggested to be involved in the genesis of both macro and micro angiopathy [4,5] Prospective trials are now underway addressing the controversial issues of possible role of pharmacological antioxidants in preventing or at least de laying the onset of diabetic complications.

Bereavement, multimorbidity and mortality: a population-based study using bereavement as an indicator of mental stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prior, A; Fenger-Grøn, M; Davydow, D S

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mental stress is associated with higher mortality, but it remains controversial whether the association is causal or a consequence of a higher physical disease burden in those with a high mental stress load. Understanding causality is important when developing targeted interventions. We...... with bereavement rose with increasing number of physical diseases (1.33 v. 7.00 excess death per 1000 person-months for individuals with 0 v. ⩾3 physical conditions during the first month) and was exacerbated by the presence of mental illness. The excess mortality among bereaved individuals was primarily due...... aimed to estimate the effect of mental stress on mortality by performing a 'natural' experiment using spousal bereavement as a disease-independent mental stressor. METHODS: We followed a population-based matched cohort, including all individuals in Denmark bereaved in 1997-2014, for 17 years...

Malrotation and midgut volvulus: a historical review and current controversies in diagnosis and management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lampl, Brooke; Berdon, Walter E.; Levin, Terry L.; Cowles, Robert A.

2009-01-01

The complex and sometimes controversial subject of malrotation and midgut volvulus is reviewed commencing with the 19th-century Bohemian anatomist, Vaclav Treitz, who described the suspensory muscle anchoring of the duodenal-jejunal junction in the left upper quadrant, and continuing with William Ladd, the 20th-century American ''father of pediatric surgery'' who pioneered the surgical treatment of midgut volvulus. In this review, we present the interesting history of malrotation and discuss the current radiologic and surgical controversies surrounding its diagnosis and treatment. In the symptomatic patient with malrotation and possible midgut volvulus, prompt diagnosis is critical. The clinical examination and plain film are often confusing, and delayed diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and death. Despite recent intense interest in the position of the mesenteric vessels on US and CT scans, the upper gastrointestinal series remains the fastest and most accurate method of demonstrating duodenal obstruction, the position of the ligament of Treitz, and, if the contrast agent is followed distally, cecal malposition. Controversy exists over the management of asymptomatic patients with malrotation in whom the diagnosis is made incidentally during evaluation for nonspecific complaints, prior to reflux surgery, and in those with heterotaxy syndromes. (orig.)

Is there a scientific nuclear controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muench, E.; Borsch, P.

1977-01-01

In the present rather violent discussion about the introduction of nuclear power into the energy supply system it is often alleged that even experts disagree about many aspects, which is interpreted to prove the existence of a scientific controversy in these points. This study about the existence or in existence of such controversy critically reviews both the different collections of signatures organized by scientists and the statements published in specific areas of science. Important partial aspects are the energy requirement and the ways and means available to meet it, the safety and the risks of nuclear technology, radiation exposure and biological effects, the misuse of plutonium, and reprocessing and the ultimate storage of radioactive waste. The study concludes that there is no scientific controversy about the peaceful uses of nuclear power in the sense of the term used here. (orig.) [de

Controversies in Obesity Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Karandish

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The markedly high prevalence of obesity contributes to the increased incidence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and heart disease. Because of high prevalence of obesity in almost all countries, it has been the focus of many researches throughout the world during the recent decades. Along with increasing researches, new concepts and controversies have been emerged. The existing controversies on the topic are so deep that some researches argue on absolutely philosophical questions such as “Is obesity a disease?” or “Is it correct to treat obesity?” These questions are based on a few theories and real data that explain obesity as a biological adaptation and also the final results of weight loss programs. Many people attempt to lose weight by diet therapy, physical activity and lifestyle modifications. Importantly, weight loss strategies in the long term are ineffective and may have unintended consequences including decreasing energy expenditure, complicated appetite control, eating disorders, reducing self-esteem, increasing the plasma and tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants that promote metabolic complications, and consequently, higher risk of repeated cycles of weight loss and weight regain. In this review, major paradoxes and controversies on obesity including classic obesity paradox, pre-obesity; fat-but-fit theory, and healthy obesity are explained. In addition, the relevant strategies like “Health at Every Size” that emphasize on promotion of global health behaviors rather than weight loss programs are explained.

The words of controversy about climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chetouani, Lamria

2007-01-01

The author analyses the rhetorical staging of controversies which occur in France about climate change, and more particularly about the greenhouse effect. In a first part, she makes a distinction between four registers of controversy: on responsibilities, on consequences and extent of the phenomenon, on solutions, and on spatio-temporal projections of the greenhouse effect. She shows that debates are structured by an opposition between optimism and pessimism. In a second part, based on a lexicological analysis, she highlights the important oppositions between scientific speeches and political speeches, independent speeches and technocratic speeches, and so on, with unexpected aspects. It appears that controversy goes largely beyond the scientific debate, and incorporates crossed interventions of economic, political and social concern

On the history of the nuclear controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muench, E.

1979-01-01

For the past ten years or so the introduction and expansion of nuclear power in a number of industrialized countries of the Western world has been accompanied by a sometimes vehement controversy. This controversy has taken many forms and, in almost all countries, has had distinct effects on the utilization of nuclear power for energy supply purposes. It has given rise to considerable delays in the completion of nuclear installations and, in one country, has even resulted in a rejection of nuclear power altogether. The different facets of the picture, i.e. public action groups opposing nuclear power, the nuclear controversy and scientists, political activities, appeals to courts of law and actions bordering on illegality, are described chronologically and their impacts are analyzed. (orig.) [de

Endothelial progenitor cell subsets and preeclampsia: Findings and controversies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armin Attar

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Vascular remodeling is an essential component of gestation. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs play an important role in the regulation of vascular homeostasis. The results of studies measuring the number of EPCs in normal pregnancies and in preeclampsia have been highly controversial or even contradictory because of some variations in technical issues and different methodologies enumerating three distinct subsets of EPCs: circulating angiogenic cells (CAC, colony forming unit endothelial cells (CFU-ECs, and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs. In general, most studies have shown an increase in the number of CACs in the maternal circulation with a progression in the gestational age in normal pregnancies, while functional capacities measured by CFU-ECs and ECFCs remain intact. In the case of preeclampsia, mobilization of CACs and ECFCs occurs in the peripheral blood of pregnant women, but the functional capacities shown by culture of the derived colony-forming assays (CFU-EC and ECFC assays are altered. Furthermore, the number of all EPC subsets will be reduced in umbilical cord blood in the case of preeclampsia. As EPCs play an important role in the homeostasis of vascular networks, the difference in their frequency and functionality in normal pregnancies and those with preeclampsia can be expected. In this review, there was an attempt to provide a justification for these controversies.

Covering Conflict and Controversy: Measuring Balance, Fairness, Defamation.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Todd F.; And Others

1989-01-01

Measures balance, fairness, and defamation in local stories containing controversy and covering law enforcement, education, local government, and business. Finds that most stories lack balance and that the opposing side of the controversy was not contacted in 28 percent of the instances. (RS)

Six controversial issues on subclinical Cushing's syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiodini, Iacopo; Albani, Adriana; Ambrogio, Alberto Giacinto; Campo, Michela; De Martino, Maria Cristina; Marcelli, Giorgia; Morelli, Valentina; Zampetti, Benedetta; Colao, Annamaria; Pivonello, Rosario

2017-05-01

Subclinical Cushing's syndrome is a condition of hypercortisolism in the absence of signs specific of overt cortisol excess, and it is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, fragility fractures, cardiovascular events and mortality. The subclinical Cushing's syndrome is not rare, being estimated to be between 0.2-2 % in the adult population. Despite the huge number of studies that have been published in the recent years, several issues remain controversial for the subclinical Cushing's syndrome screening, diagnosis and treatment. The Altogether to Beat Cushing's syndrome Group was founded in 2012 for bringing together the leading Italian experts in the hypercortisolism-related diseases. This document represents the Altogether to Beat Cushing's syndrome viewpoint regarding the following controversial issues on Subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS): (1) Who has to be screened for subclinical Cushing's syndrome? (2) How to screen the populations at risk? (3) How to diagnose subclinical Cushing's syndrome in patients with an adrenal incidentaloma? (4) Which consequence of subclinical Cushing's syndrome has to be searched for? (5) How to address the therapy of choice in AI patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome? (6) How to follow-up adrenal incidentaloma patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome surgically or conservatively treated? Notwithstanding the fact that most studies that faced these points may have several biases (e.g., retrospective design, small sample size, different criteria for the subclinical Cushing's syndrome diagnosis), we believe that the literature evidence is sufficient to affirm that the subclinical Cushing's syndrome condition is not harmless and that the currently available diagnostic tools are reliable for identifying the majority of individuals with subclinical Cushing's syndrome.

Malrotation and midgut volvulus: a historical review and current controversies in diagnosis and management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lampl, Brooke; Berdon, Walter E. [Morgan Stanley Children' s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Department of Radiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY (United States); Levin, Terry L. [Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Mamaroneck, NY (United States); Cowles, Robert A. [Morgan Stanley Children' s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY (United States)

2009-04-15

The complex and sometimes controversial subject of malrotation and midgut volvulus is reviewed commencing with the 19th-century Bohemian anatomist, Vaclav Treitz, who described the suspensory muscle anchoring of the duodenal-jejunal junction in the left upper quadrant, and continuing with William Ladd, the 20th-century American ''father of pediatric surgery'' who pioneered the surgical treatment of midgut volvulus. In this review, we present the interesting history of malrotation and discuss the current radiologic and surgical controversies surrounding its diagnosis and treatment. In the symptomatic patient with malrotation and possible midgut volvulus, prompt diagnosis is critical. The clinical examination and plain film are often confusing, and delayed diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and death. Despite recent intense interest in the position of the mesenteric vessels on US and CT scans, the upper gastrointestinal series remains the fastest and most accurate method of demonstrating duodenal obstruction, the position of the ligament of Treitz, and, if the contrast agent is followed distally, cecal malposition. Controversy exists over the management of asymptomatic patients with malrotation in whom the diagnosis is made incidentally during evaluation for nonspecific complaints, prior to reflux surgery, and in those with heterotaxy syndromes. (orig.)

Controversies in faith and health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomkins, Andrew; Duff, Jean; Fitzgibbon, Atallah; Karam, Azza; Mills, Edward J; Munnings, Keith; Smith, Sally; Seshadri, Shreelata Rao; Steinberg, Avraham; Vitillo, Robert; Yugi, Philemon

2015-10-31

Differences in religious faith-based viewpoints (controversies) on the sanctity of human life, acceptable behaviour, health-care technologies and health-care services contribute to the widespread variations in health care worldwide. Faith-linked controversies include family planning, child protection (especially child marriage, female genital mutilation, and immunisation), stigma and harm reduction, violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and HIV, gender, end-of-life issues, and faith activities including prayer. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and traditional beliefs have similarities and differences in their viewpoints. Improved understanding by health-care providers of the heterogeneity of viewpoints, both within and between faiths, and their effect on health care is important for clinical medicine, public-health programmes, and health-care policy. Increased appreciation in faith leaders of the effect of their teachings on health care is also crucial. This Series paper outlines some faith-related controversies, describes how they influence health-care provision and uptake, and identifies opportunities for research and increased interaction between faith leaders and health-care providers to improve health care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Danish Cartoon Crisis/Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hervik, Peter

2017-01-01

The Danish Cartoon Crisis Controversy is one of several terms that refer to the turmoil that associates with the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten’s publication of 12 cartoons on 30 September 2005. “The Muhammad Cartoon Crisis” is an alternative heading used for the violent global rea...

Influence d'une période de restriction alimentaire sur les marqueurs salivaires du stress, les paramètres psychologiques et la performance chez des haltérophiles de haut niveau

OpenAIRE

Durguerian , Alexandre

2017-01-01

Restricting dietary intake is a widespread method for losing weight in weight categories sports. Reduction of calorie intake results in an activation of the physiological stress systems, both at central and peripheral levels, aiming at preserving energy homeostasis. Nevertheless, the influence on physiological, psychological and physical parameters remains controversial and do not allows to clearly defining a negative impact of dietary restriction on health and performance level. The objectiv...

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma: controversies on the extent of surgical resection aiming at cure.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Shuai; Lau, Wan Yee; Chen, Xiao-ping

2015-02-01

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is the most common malignant tumor affecting the extrahepatic bile duct. Surgical treatment offers the only possibility of cure, and it requires removal of all tumoral tissues with adequate resection margins. The aims of this review are to summarize the findings and to discuss the controversies on the extent of surgical resection aiming at cure for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The English medical literatures on hilar cholangiocarcinoma were studied to review on the relevance of adequate resection margins, routine caudate lobe resection, extent of liver resection, and combined vascular resection on perioperative and long-term survival outcomes of patients with resectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Complete resection of tumor represents the most important prognostic factor of long-term survival for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The primary aim of surgery is to achieve R0 resection. When R1 resection is shown intraoperatively, further resection is recommended. Combined hepatic resection is now generally accepted as a standard procedure even for Bismuth type I/II tumors. Routine caudate lobe resection is also advocated for cure. The extent of hepatic resection remains controversial. Most surgeons recommend major hepatic resection. However, minor hepatic resection has also been advocated in most patients. The decision to carry out right- or left-sided hepatectomy is made according to the predominant site of the lesion. Portal vein resection should be considered when its involvement by tumor is suspected. The curative treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma remains challenging. Advances in hepatobiliary techniques have improved the perioperative and long-term survival outcomes of this tumor.

Nuclear controversy with many undercurrents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lingjaerde, R.O.

1979-01-01

The president of the Norwegian Atomic Energy Society presents, in the form of an interview his opinions on the nature of the nuclear controversy in Norway. He is very critical of the emotional and uninformed nature of much of the criticism of nuclear power, and emphasises that nuclear power must be regarded as an alternative to other, less favourable forms of thermal power, as a supplement to hydroelectric power, or to electricity rationing. While a society using less energy is quite feasible, it would hardly be acceptable. The waste disposal controversy is quite artifical, as perfectly safe methods of disposal are available. Finally he regrets that it is the conclusions only in the Nuclear Power Commission's report which have attracted attention, and mainly the comments of the dissident minority. (JIW)

Why Map Issues? On Controversy Analysis as a Digital Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Marres, Noortje

2015-09-01

This article takes stock of recent efforts to implement controversy analysis as a digital method in the study of science, technology, and society (STS) and beyond and outlines a distinctive approach to address the problem of digital bias. Digital media technologies exert significant influence on the enactment of controversy in online settings, and this risks undermining the substantive focus of controversy analysis conducted by digital means. To address this problem, I propose a shift in thematic focus from controversy analysis to issue mapping. The article begins by distinguishing between three broad frameworks that currently guide the development of controversy analysis as a digital method, namely, demarcationist, discursive, and empiricist. Each has been adopted in STS, but only the last one offers a digital "move beyond impartiality." I demonstrate this approach by analyzing issues of Internet governance with the aid of the social media platform Twitter.

Mapping Controversies with Social Media: The Case for Symmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noortje Marres

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This article assesses the usefulness for social media research of controversy analysis, an approach developed in Science and Technology Studies (STS and related fields. We propose that this approach can help to address an important methodological problem in social media research, namely, the tension between social media as resource for social research and as an empirical object in its own right. Initially developed for analyzing interactions between science, technology, and society, controversy analysis has in recent decades been implemented digitally to study public debates and issues dynamics online. A key feature of controversy analysis as a digital method, we argue, is that it enables a symmetrical approach to the study of media-technological dynamics and issue dynamics. It allows us to pay equal attention to the ways in which a digital platform like Twitter mediates public issues, and to how controversies mediate “social media” as an object of public attention. To sketch the contours of such a symmetrical approach, the article discusses examples from a recent social media research project in which we mapped issues of “privacy” and “surveillance” in the wake of the National Security Agency (NSA data leak by Edward Snowden in June 2013. Through a discussion of social media research practice, we then outline a symmetrical approach to analyzing controversy with social media. We conclude that the digital implementation of such an approach requires further exchanges between social media researchers and controversy analysts.

The chilling effect: how do researchers react to controversy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Kempner

2008-11-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Can political controversy have a "chilling effect" on the production of new science? This is a timely concern, given how often American politicians are accused of undermining science for political purposes. Yet little is known about how scientists react to these kinds of controversies. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Drawing on interview (n = 30 and survey data (n = 82, this study examines the reactions of scientists whose National Institutes of Health (NIH-funded grants were implicated in a highly publicized political controversy. Critics charged that these grants were "a waste of taxpayer money." The NIH defended each grant and no funding was rescinded. Nevertheless, this study finds that many of the scientists whose grants were criticized now engage in self-censorship. About half of the sample said that they now remove potentially controversial words from their grant and a quarter reported eliminating entire topics from their research agendas. Four researchers reportedly chose to move into more secure positions entirely, either outside academia or in jobs that guaranteed salaries. About 10% of the group reported that this controversy strengthened their commitment to complete their research and disseminate it widely. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence that political controversies can shape what scientists choose to study. Debates about the politics of science usually focus on the direct suppression, distortion, and manipulation of scientific results. This study suggests that scholars must also examine how scientists may self-censor in response to political events.

The Chilling Effect: How Do Researchers React to Controversy?

Science.gov (United States)

Kempner, Joanna

2008-01-01

Background Can political controversy have a “chilling effect” on the production of new science? This is a timely concern, given how often American politicians are accused of undermining science for political purposes. Yet little is known about how scientists react to these kinds of controversies. Methods and Findings Drawing on interview (n = 30) and survey data (n = 82), this study examines the reactions of scientists whose National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded grants were implicated in a highly publicized political controversy. Critics charged that these grants were “a waste of taxpayer money.” The NIH defended each grant and no funding was rescinded. Nevertheless, this study finds that many of the scientists whose grants were criticized now engage in self-censorship. About half of the sample said that they now remove potentially controversial words from their grant and a quarter reported eliminating entire topics from their research agendas. Four researchers reportedly chose to move into more secure positions entirely, either outside academia or in jobs that guaranteed salaries. About 10% of the group reported that this controversy strengthened their commitment to complete their research and disseminate it widely. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that political controversies can shape what scientists choose to study. Debates about the politics of science usually focus on the direct suppression, distortion, and manipulation of scientific results. This study suggests that scholars must also examine how scientists may self-censor in response to political events. PMID:19018657

Studying a Controversy amongst Pashtuns of Torghar, Balochistan, Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luc Bellon

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Much has been written about the political structures of tribal groups. The present article looks at political dynamics amongst Pashtuns of Balochistan, through the prism of a controversy. The sociological interest of studying the arguments used during a controversy has been underlined by Boltanski and Thevenot. A controversy finishes by the establishment, through consensus, of a common agreement upon accepted norms, determined limits, redefinition of social values, etc. The advantage of focusing on the argumentation itself is to avoid taking the agreement as a pre-established social truth, a reference that concerned people would reluctantly challenge. To study a controversy is to study the social realities in the making, to study the archaeology of collective consensus, to reinstate history, contingencies and individual plurality within the social dynamics and to take seriously their performative actions alongside other social determinisms. This article shows that to study controversy is a way not only to set light on political dynamics and structures, but also to discuss the impact and definition of concepts such as segmentarity, equality, rights, interests, and their relevance within the Pashtun society which was observed.

Walking the line. Palliative sedation for existential distress: still a controversial issue?

Science.gov (United States)

Schur, Sophie; Radbruch, Lukas; Masel, Eva K; Weixler, Dietmar; Watzke, Herbert H

2015-12-01

Adequate symptom relief is a central aspect of medical care of all patients especially in those with an incurable disease. However, as an illness progresses and the end of life approaches, physical or psychoexistential symptoms may remain uncontrollable requiring palliative sedation. Although palliative sedation has become an increasingly implemented practice in the care of terminally ill patients, sedation in the management of refractory psychological symptoms and existential distress is still a controversial issue and much debated. This case report presents a patient who received palliative sedation for the treatment of existential distress and discusses considerations that may arise from such a therapeutic approach.

The Controversy about Education for Citizenship: The Contested Limits of Tolerance in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flora Burchianti

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Education is of crucial importance to ensure social cohesion and progress in a given society. Even if the content of citizenship education has been a matter of debate in several European countries, it has taken a singular development in Spain. The important controversy that has been triggered by its introduction in secondary school curriculum is a matter of interrogation: Why did Spain react differently than other European countries? The argument put forward in this article is that education for citizenship reveals the impossibility for Spain to provide a stabilised and consensual definition of national values and identity, precisely because the country is characterised by unresolved questions about its territorial and national diversity, and exemplifies multiple diversity challenges. After providing a European contextualisation of questions of religious and values teaching in Spain, we present a chronology of the controversy and then analyse the public debate in terms of limits to tolerance. We will show that the question of the shared public values highlighted by this conflict is still unsolved and remain non-consensual in the Spanish society.

Exxon Valdez controversy revived

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

Four years after its occurrence rocked the petroleum industry and revitalized the US environmental movement, the Exxon Valdez tanker oil spill off Alaska continues to stir controversy. Conflicting reports abound over whether there is long term damage to the Prince William Sound ecosystem resulting from the March 24, 1989, spill. Government scientists at recent conferences disclosed studies they contend show long term, significant damage to the sound. Exxon this month launched a counteroffensive, disclosing results of studies it funded that it claims show no credible scientific evidence of long term damage. At the same time, the company blasted as flawed the government's data on assessing environmental damage to the sound and charged that test samples from the sound were mishandled. Meantime, Prince William Sound still shows lingering effects from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. But recovery has been so rapid that there is more controversy over how to use $900 million in natural resource recovery funds that Exxon paid than over how badly species are suffering. The paper describes Exxon's studies; faulty data; lingering damage; and an update on tanker safety

Oxidative Stress Implications in the Affective Disorders: Main Biomarkers, Animal Models Relevance, Genetic Perspectives, and Antioxidant Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Balmus, Ioana Miruna; Ciobica, Alin; Antioch, Iulia; Dobrin, Romeo; Timofte, Daniel

2016-01-01

The correlation between the affective disorders and the almost ubiquitous pathological oxidative stress can be described in a multifactorial way, as an important mechanism of central nervous system impairment. Whether the obvious changes which occur in oxidative balance of the affective disorders are a part of the constitutive mechanism or a collateral effect yet remains as an interesting question. However it is now clear that oxidative stress is a component of these disorders, being characterized by different aspects in a disease-dependent manner. Still, there are a lot of controversies regarding the relevance of the oxidative stress status in most of the affective disorders and despite the fact that most of the studies are showing that the affective disorders development can be correlated to increased oxidative levels, there are various studies stating that oxidative stress is not linked with the mood changing tendencies. Thus, in this minireview we decided to describe the way in which oxidative stress is involved in the affective disorders development, by focusing on the main oxidative stress markers that could be used mechanistically and therapeutically in these deficiencies, the genetic perspectives, some antioxidant approaches, and the relevance of some animal models studies in this context.

Controversy and consensus nuclear beta decay 1911-1934

CERN Document Server

Jensen, Carsten

2000-01-01

In 1920s, a long-lasting controversy on the interpretation of nuclear beta spectrum arose between Lise Meitner and Charles Drummond Ellis. This controversy, and the reactions from the contending parties when it was settled, reflect clearly the difference between the scientific communities in Berlin and Cambridge at that time. The Meitner-Ellis controversy ended in 1929, and it left an anomaly that attracted leading theoretical physicists. A new dispute, this time between Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, broke out. It concerned the explanation of the continuity of the primary beta particles and dominated the discussions for the next five years. Pauli argued for a new particle, and Bohr for a new theory; both suggestions were radical steps, but they reflected two different ways of doing physics.

Controversial Science and the Media

Science.gov (United States)

Riordon, James

2012-03-01

The possibility that the OPERA collaboration has detected superluminal neutrinos was among the most controversial topics in physics news in decades, and one of the most widely covered stories in all of science in 2011. Word of the research initially reached journalists and the public prior to publication in peer-reviewed journals. Understandably, many physicists are concerned that the significance of controversial science may be exaggerated or distorted when news organizations report on science at such an early stage. I will offer an overview of the ways the story was promoted by the media relations personnel, and outline the rationales that motivate media relations efforts along with the associated benefits and drawbacks that can result. Finally, I will examine the accuracy and completeness of the superluminal neutrino news stories that ultimately were made available to the general public.

Comprehension of Relations among Controversial Texts: Effects of External Strategy Use

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Keiichi

2009-01-01

This study examined the effects of external strategy use on the comprehension of relations among controversial texts. About 80 undergraduates read six controversial texts for the purpose of either finding intertextual relations or forming their opinion about the controversial issue. Half of them were permitted to use external strategies, the other…

Mapping intravascular ultrasound controversies in interventional cardiology practice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Maresca

Full Text Available Intravascular ultrasound is a catheter-based imaging modality that was developed to investigate the condition of coronary arteries and assess the vulnerability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques in particular. Since its introduction in the clinic 20 years ago, use of intravascular ultrasound innovation has been relatively limited. Intravascular ultrasound remains a niche technology; its clinical practice did not vastly expand, except in Japan, where intravascular ultrasound is an appraised tool for guiding percutaneous coronary interventions. In this qualitative research study, we follow scholarship on the sociology of innovation in exploring both the current adoption practices and perspectives on the future of intravascular ultrasound. We conducted a survey of biomedical experts with experience in the technology, the practice, and the commercialization of intravascular ultrasound. The collected information enabled us to map intravascular ultrasound controversies as well as to outline the dynamics of the international network of experts that generates intravascular ultrasound innovations and uses intravascular ultrasound technologies. While the technology is praised for its capacity to measure coronary atherosclerotic plaque morphology and is steadily used in clinical research, the lack of demonstrated benefits of intravascular ultrasound guided coronary interventions emerges as the strongest factor that prevents its expansion. Furthermore, most of the controversies identified were external to intravascular ultrasound technology itself, meaning that decision making at the industrial, financial and regulatory levels are likely to determine the future of intravascular ultrasound. In light of opinions from the responding experts', a wider adoption of intravascular ultrasound as a stand-alone imaging modality seems rather uncertain, but the appeal for this technology may be renewed by improving image quality and through combination with

Desecuritization as Displacement of Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Marc; Strandsbjerg, Jeppe

2017-01-01

By signing the Ilulissat Declaration of May 2008, the five littoral states of the Arctic Ocean pre-emptively desecuritized potential geopolitical controversies in the Arctic Ocean by confirming that international law and geo-science are the defining factors underlying the future delimitation...

A dual role of lipasin (betatrophin) in lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis: consensus and controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ren; Abou-Samra, Abdul B

2014-09-13

Metabolic syndrome includes glucose intolerance and dyslipidemia, both of which are strong risk factors for developing diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Recently, multiple groups independently studied a previously uncharacterized gene, officially named C19orf80 (human) and Gm6484 (mouse), but more commonly known as RIFL, Angptl8, betatrophin and lipasin. Both exciting and conflicting results have been obtained, and significant controversy is ongoing. Accumulating evidence from genome wide association studies and mouse genetic studies convincingly shows that lipasin is involved in lipid regulation. However, the mechanism of action, the identity of transcription factors mediating its nutritional regulation, circulating levels, and relationship among lipasin, Angptl3 and Angptl4, remain elusive. Betatrophin represents a promising drug target for replenishing β-cell mass, but current results have not been conclusive regarding its potency and specificity. Here, we summarize the consensus and controversy regarding functions of lipasin/betatrophin based on currently available evidence.

'Mysticism' in quantum mechanics: the forgotten controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, Juan Miguel

2009-01-01

This paper argues that a European controversy over a 'mystical' hypothesis, one assigning the mind a role to play at the material level of reality, shaped much of the debate over the interpretation of the quantum equations. It traces back the controversy to the past two decades, beginning in the late 1920s-birth of quantum theory-and concluding with Erwin Schroedinger's lectures published as 'Mind and Matter'. Becoming aware of the issues at stake can help us understand the historical, philosophical and cultural background from which today's physics emerged

COOPERATIVE CONTROVERSY TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH DEBATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suciati Suciati

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Many students do not like English debate. They argue that in the debate, they should apply four skills in English and should have appropriate matter, manner, and method. One of the reasons which make them do not like the debate is their lack of motivation. To solve this problem, teacher or lecturer should apply the appropriate technique in the teaching-learning process. Cooperative controversy technique is different with the traditional debate. In this technique, debaters change positions and try to reach a consensus at the end of the debate. By doing it before practicing the real English debate format, the students will get the basic knowledge about the debate so they do not directly practice the complicated one. Cooperative controversy increases the number of ideas, quality of ideas, feelings of stimulation, and enjoyment and originality of expression in creative problem solving. If it is compared to the group which does not use controversy, in controversy, the members get motivation and satisfaction in solving the problems.Keywords: English debate, students’ motivation, cooperative controversy

Risk controversies. Concepts - conflicts - communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jungermann, H.

1991-01-01

Common arguments and differences in risk communication in connection with the controversial discussion surrounding the fields of genetic engineering, chemistry, nuclear engineering, information techniques, and climate research are investigated. Presented are comparative analyses on subjects, those becoming active, and strategies of risk communication. (DG) [de

16 CFR 2.3 - Policy as to private controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Policy as to private controversies. 2.3 Section 2.3 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ORGANIZATION, PROCEDURES AND RULES OF PRACTICE... other action when the alleged violation of law is merely a matter of private controversy and does not...

Epistemic Authority and Genuine Ethical Controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Adam James

2017-05-01

In 'Professional Hubris and its Consequences', Eric Vogelstein claims that 'that there are no good arguments in favor of professional organizations taking genuinely controversial positions on issues of professional ethics'. In this response, I defend two arguments in favour of organisations taking such positions: that their stance-taking may lead to better public policy, and that it may lead to better practice by medical professionals. If either of those defences succeeds, then Vogelstein's easy path to his conclusion - that professional organisations should not take such stances - is blocked. He or others must instead look to establish that the reasons against stance-taking on genuine ethical controversies are more compelling than those for it: plausibly a more challenging task. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Controversial Issues in Learning Disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Sapir, Selma C.

The author discusses controversial issues in the field of learning disabilities (LD). Among topics addressed are conflicting definitions of LD and the impact of the operational definition accepted by the US Government; etiological questions concerning the separation of neurological, environmental, and emotional factors; approaches used in training…

Current controversies, is there merit?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Twetman, S

2009-01-01

Xylitol has become a debated measure in caries prevention. This paper aims to examine and comment on some possible controversies, with emphasis on the most recent literature. A search for clinical trials was conducted through 2007 in PubMed, and papers describing a controlled xylitol intervention...

Hydroelectric power is green, although controversial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulp, A.

2003-01-01

Hydroelectric power is worldwide the most important source of renewable energy. Still, it has some controversial aspects, which are briefly discussed in this article, focusing on Belgium and the Netherlands [nl

Teaching controversial issues in the secondary school science classroom

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooy, Wilhelmina

1993-12-01

A sample of fourteen secondary school biology teachers chosen from twelve schools were interviewed. The purpose was to determine their views on how controversial issues in science might be handled in the secondary school science classroom and whether the issues of surrogacy and human embryo experimentation were suitable controversial issues for discussion in schools. In general, teachers indicated that controversial issues deserve a more prominent place in the science curriculum because they have the potential to foster thinking, learning, and interest in science. The issues of surrogacy and human embryo experimentation were seen as appropriate contexts for learning, provided that teachers were well informed and sensitive to both the students and to the school environment.

Women's Athletics: Coping with Controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoepner, Barbara J., Ed.

This book is a collection of papers discussing controversial topics in women's athletics. Section one, "Overview--Women's Rights," includes articles on women's rights and equal opportunities in sports, the emergence of women in sports, and significant events in a century of American women's sports. Section two, "Women's Intercollegiate…

The first Pico-Ficino Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aasdalen, Unn Irene

2011-01-01

-scale conflict regarding how to live and die according to Platonic ideals. The themes of the controversy are firstly the interpretation of Plato’s Symposium, in particular Diotima’s speech, and secondly the practical conclusions one should draw from Plato’s fictional banquet. Ficino’s position is presented...

The design of an enzyme: a chronology on the controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Buc, Henri

2013-05-13

After the publication of the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model, a controversy arose between Jacques Monod, Francis Crick and Jeffries Wyman about the comparison of the regulatory performances of an oligomer undergoing a concerted transition between two states and a monomer having the same composition and subjected to a similar conformational equilibrium. The controversy took place between September 1965 and March 1966. It gave rise to several unpublished notes. Numerous misunderstandings between the participants were not fully dissipated as the controversy abruptly ended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of controversy, regulation and engineering in UK biofuel development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, Philip

2012-01-01

Biofuels have undergone a controversial resurgence in the UK since the turn of the century. The aim of this article is to consider this development in the context of ongoing interactions between the controversy and regulatory and engineering activities. It is found that the discursive space of the controversy has increasingly narrowed around environmental issues, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. The implications for biofuel development are considered in the context of changing regulatory and engineering visions in response to indirect land-use change. Opposition to the third generation biofuels may be softened, but it may be more difficult to justify the cost of holistic regulation of land-use change. - Highlights: ► The relationships between regulation, engineering and controversy are considered. ► The controversy has reduced, shifted focus and narrowed in scope. ► The narrowed scope may soften opposition to third generation biofuels. ► It may make it difficult to justify the cost of holistic regulation.

Turkish Social Studies Teachers’ Thoughts About the Teaching of Controversial Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Copur

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In today’s world, one of the primary goals of education is to raise individuals as citizens equipped with the skills of communication, high-level thinking, problem solving and questioning as well as with a global viewpoint. Introducing controversial issues into the classroom environment may be among the steps to be taken to achieve these goals. In this context, this study has the primary goal of revealing Social Studies teachers’ thoughts about the teaching of controversial issues in the classroom environment. This study adopted mixed methods. The study participants consisted of Social Studies teachers working in Bursa, which is a large-scale province of Turkey, in the 2014-2015 school year. According to the study findings, while terror was the most controversial issue, faith in creation was the least controversial issue. In addition, teachers mainly preferred to introduce issues related to the Social Studies curriculum and that were appropriate for the students’ preparedness. However, another result is that controversial issues contributed to students’ acquisition of personal critical skills such as high-level thinking and communication. It was also observed that the teaching of controversial issues was related to the Social Studies lesson and was important for the achievement of the goals of the lesson.

Introducing Ethics Using Structured Controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Wareham, David; Elefsiniotis, Takis P.; Elms, David

2006-01-01

This paper describes a method of introducing ethics to a second-year class of civil engineering students. The method, known as a "structured controversy", takes the form of a workshop where the students assume the identity of stakeholders having an interest in a proposed development in an environmentally sensitive region. The instructor…

Current controversies and future perspectives in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agustí, Alvar; Vestbo, Jørgen

2011-01-01

Over the past decade there has been much research and interest in COPD. As a result, the understanding and management of the disease has improved significantly. Yet, there are many uncertainties and controversies that require further work. This review discusses these controversies and anticipates...

Weak value controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidman, L.

2017-10-01

Recent controversy regarding the meaning and usefulness of weak values is reviewed. It is argued that in spite of recent statistical arguments by Ferrie and Combes, experiments with anomalous weak values provide useful amplification techniques for precision measurements of small effects in many realistic situations. The statistical nature of weak values is questioned. Although measuring weak values requires an ensemble, it is argued that the weak value, similarly to an eigenvalue, is a property of a single pre- and post-selected quantum system. This article is part of the themed issue `Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'.

Review of the recent carbon dioxide-climate controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luther, F.M.; Cess, R.D.

1992-01-01

Model calculations of the climatic impact of the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration consistently suggest that a doubling of the CO 2 concentration would lead to a warming of global average surface air temperatures by as much as several degrees Celsius. In this appendix, this controversy about the effect of CO 2 on climate is reviewed. Because the surface energy balance approach to estimating climate sensitivity has been the source of much of the controversy, a review of this approach is presented. It is shown that prior applications of this approach violate the law of conservation of energy (the first law of thermodynamics); therefore, these results are incorrect. Empirical data indicating the relationship between atmospheric emittance and surface vapor pressure and surface air temperature are shown to be consistent with climate model calculations. Consequently, it is not the experimental data that are the basis of the controversy, but rather the analysis and interpretation of these data

Controversies regarding decentralism, regionalism, and local governance in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitrović Milovan M.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The article is composed from three parts. In the first part, I emphasize the importance of theoretical and sociological discussion for the design of the model of social system reforms and stress the problems that occur in Serbia with regard to this. In the second part, I discuss public controversies regarding decentralism, regionalism, and local governance in Serbia. I advocate for regionalism that is closer to local then to para-state governance and argue for the advantages of alternative model of 'functional autonomy of different tempo', that could harmonize inherited historical geopolitical, economic, and cultural differences and reconcile current political antagonisms in Serbia. In the third part I give a proposition that envisages central (Republic administration and local (municipal and city self-governance as main levels of territorial organization of governance (with original authorities, while federal and regional levels would be complementary with it, not parallel. In that sense, I propose 15 autonomous regions for Serbia, with possibility of making 4 to 6 larger regions out of them, at different pace.

42 CFR 405.817 - Principles for determining amount in controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Principles for determining amount in controversy... the Medicare Part B Program § 405.817 Principles for determining amount in controversy. (a) Individual... may assert that the aggregation principles contained in this subpart may be applied to determine the...

Chernobylsk: a 'cloud' crosses... the facts and the controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerouge, B.

2008-01-01

Twenty years after the Chernobylsk accident the effects are detailed by specialists, in radiobiology to judge the eventual sanitary injuries. It is a critical analysis that is made in this work, at the light of todays knowledge. The first part treats the question of communication, faults, late, silent. The second part is the time of controversy, the contamination in France, the radiation doses in France, thyroid cancers, the controversy of low doses effects, the controversy of sanitary consequences in USSR. The third part concerns the modernization of the nuclear world, the radiobiology, the public opinion. In annexes are: radioactivity, serious accidents, radiation doses (concepts and units), radiation protection and standards, the scientific bases of radiation protection, the figured conclusions of Chernobylsk forum, the European contamination map. (N.C.)

The Satanic Ritual Abuse Controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, Frank W.

1991-01-01

The issues raised by Jonker and Jonker-Bakker and Young et al (EC 601 187-188) illustrate a major controversy dividing the child abuse community, the alleged existence of a conspiracy of satanic, ritual, sexual abuse of children. No evidence is found to support claims that large numbers of babies and children are being sacrificed or abused in…

The Association of Sever Stressful Life Events and Multiple Sclerosis

OpenAIRE

Rozita Naeeni; Zlbar Soltanzadeh; Homan Salimipour; Zahra Vahhabi; Samira Yadegari

2015-01-01

Background: Stressful life events have suggested as one of etiologic cause of the disease from the middle of last century, but controversies still is going on. Materials and Methods: This study is a case- control study conducted on 100 MS patients in neurology clinic of Shariati Hospital during one year. History of stressful life events one year before beginning of the disease was questioned. These events, according to Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, were severe and affected the disease progres...

Remaining life assessment of a high pressure turbine rotor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Ninh; Little, Alfie

2012-01-01

This paper describes finite element and fracture mechanics based modelling work that provides a useful tool for evaluation of the remaining life of a high pressure (HP) steam turbine rotor that had experienced thermal fatigue cracking. An axis-symmetrical model of a HP rotor was constructed. Steam temperature, pressure and rotor speed data from start ups and shut downs were used for the thermal and stress analysis. Operating history and inspection records were used to benchmark the damage experienced by the rotor. Fracture mechanics crack growth analysis was carried out to evaluate the remaining life of the rotor under themal cyclic loading conditions. The work confirmed that the fracture mechanics approach in conjunction with finite element modelling provides a useful tool for assessing the remaining life of high temperature components in power plants.

The cartoon controversy as a case of multiculturalrecognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lægaard, Sune

2007-01-01

The paper considers what ‘recognition' might mean in theory and which policies would in practice qualify as policies of recognition in relation to multicultural conflicts such as the ‘cartoon controversy' sparked by the publication of drawings of the Prophet Mohammad in the Danish Newspaper...... Jyllands-Posten. The paper provides a general theoretical account of recognition as a strictly political concept, including distinctions between different conceptions hereof, and asks whether the cartoon controversy can be described in these terms and what the relevant meaning of recognition might then be...

Remaining stress-state and strain-energy in tempered glass fragments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Henrik

2016-01-01

to the fragmentation process and some authors e.g. Barsom (J Am Ceram Soc 51(2):75, 1968), Gulati (Glass processing days, Tamglass Engineering Oy, Tampere, 1997), Warren (Fractography of glasses and ceramics IV, Alfred University, Alfred, 2001) and Tandon and Glass (Fracture mechanics of ceramics—active materials......When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into relatively small pieces depending on the residual stress state in the glass. This has been known for centuries and is currently used in standards for classifying whether a piece of glass is tempered or not. However, the process of fragmentation...... is complex and only a few, relatively simple, models have been suggested for predicting the fragment size. The full theoretical explanation is still to be found and this work aims at providing another brick to the puzzle. The strain-energy present in tempered glass is obviously contributing...

Perspectives on classical controversies about the motor cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Omrani, Mohsen; Kaufman, Matthew T; Hatsopoulos, Nicholas G; Cheney, Paul D

2017-09-01

Primary motor cortex has been studied for more than a century, yet a consensus on its functional contribution to movement control is still out of reach. In particular, there remains controversy as to the level of control produced by motor cortex ("low-level" movement dynamics vs. "high-level" movement kinematics) and the role of sensory feedback. In this review, we present different perspectives on the two following questions: What does activity in motor cortex reflect? and How do planned motor commands interact with incoming sensory feedback during movement? The four authors each present their independent views on how they think the primary motor cortex (M1) controls movement. At the end, we present a dialogue in which the authors synthesize their views and suggest possibilities for moving the field forward. While there is not yet a consensus on the role of M1 or sensory feedback in the control of upper limb movements, such dialogues are essential to take us closer to one. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

From Classroom to Controversy: Conflict in the Teaching of Religion

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Lynn S.

2013-01-01

What happens when a class assignment becomes a source of controversy? How do we respond? What do we learn? By describing the controversy surrounding an assignment on religion and representation, this article examines conflict's productive role in teaching about New Religious Movements (NRMs) and religion. It suggests that we consider how our…

Breast cancer radiotherapy: controversies and prospectives

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YU Jin-ming; WANG Yong-sheng

2008-01-01

@@ Despite consensus on breast cancer radiotherapy, there are still some controversies over post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI), appropriate sequence of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal treatment, and radiotherapy after preoperative systemic therapy.

The controversial role of food allergy in infantile colic: evidence and clinical management.

Science.gov (United States)

Nocerino, Rita; Pezzella, Vincenza; Cosenza, Linda; Amoroso, Antonio; Di Scala, Carmen; Amato, Francesco; Iacono, Giuseppe; Canani, Roberto Berni

2015-03-19

Food allergies (FAs) are an increasing problem in Western countries, affecting up to 10% of young children. FAs are frequently associated with gastrointestinal manifestations. The role of FAs as a potential causative factor for infantile colic (IC) is still controversial. We report the most recent evidence on the pathogenesis, clinical and diagnostic aspects of FA-induced infantile colic (IC) and suggest a stepwise diagnostic approach. We selected articles on clinical and immunologic features, pathogenesis and management of FAs and IC from of 1981 to 2015. Original and review articles were identified through selective searches performed on PubMed, using the following terms: colic, infantile colic, food allergy and infantile colic, infantile colic treatment. The possible relationship between FAs and IC derives from the presence of dysmotility with visceral hypersensitivity and dysbiosis, demonstrated in both conditions, and the clinical response to dietary interventions. Unfortunately, the design of the studies, poor characterization of atopy and different dietary approaches limit the understanding of the importance of FAs in subjects with IC. The role of FAs in IC subjects without other symptoms of atopy remains controversial. However, where there is a suspicion of FAs, a short trial with an extensively hydrolyzed cow's proteins formula or, if breast fed, with maternal elimination diet may be considered a reasonable option.

[Complex posttraumatic stress disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Tamar; Kotler, Moshe

2007-11-01

The characteristic symptoms resulting from exposure to an extreme trauma include three clusters of symptoms: persistent experience of the traumatic event, persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and persistent symptoms of increased arousal. Beyond the accepted clusters of symptoms for posttraumatic stress disorder exists a formation of symptoms related to exposure to extreme or prolonged stress e.g. childhood abuse, physical violence, rape, and confinement within a concentration camp. With accumulated evidence of the existence of these symptoms began a trail to classify a more complex syndrome, which included, but was not confined to the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. This review addresses several subjects for study in complex posttraumatic stress disorder, which is a complicated and controversial topic. Firstly, the concept of complex posttraumatic stress disorder is presented. Secondly, the professional literature relevant to this disturbance is reviewed and finally, the authors present the polemic being conducted between the researchers of posttraumatic disturbances regarding validity, reliability and the need for separate diagnosis for these symptoms.

Ego Involvement and Topic Controversiality as Related to Attitude Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Sledden, Elizabeth A.; Fernandez, Katherine A.

Attitude change was measured on four different topics before and immediately after a persuasion was presented in order to compare the degree of change with the level of ego involvement as it relates to topic controversiality. Ego involvement was based on self-ratings of concern for each topic. Objective topic controversiality was based on the…

Fish can show emotional fever: stress-induced hyperthermia in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Sonia; Huntingford, Felicity A; Boltaña, Sebastian; Vargas, Reynaldo; Knowles, Toby G; Mackenzie, Simon

2015-11-22

Whether fishes are sentient beings remains an unresolved and controversial question. Among characteristics thought to reflect a low level of sentience in fishes is an inability to show stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH), a transient rise in body temperature shown in response to a variety of stressors. This is a real fever response, so is often referred to as 'emotional fever'. It has been suggested that the capacity for emotional fever evolved only in amniotes (mammals, birds and reptiles), in association with the evolution of consciousness in these groups. According to this view, lack of emotional fever in fishes reflects a lack of consciousness. We report here on a study in which six zebrafish groups with access to a temperature gradient were either left as undisturbed controls or subjected to a short period of confinement. The results were striking: compared to controls, stressed zebrafish spent significantly more time at higher temperatures, achieving an estimated rise in body temperature of about 2-4°C. Thus, zebrafish clearly have the capacity to show emotional fever. While the link between emotion and consciousness is still debated, this finding removes a key argument for lack of consciousness in fishes. © 2015 The Authors.

Controversies in the Diagnosis and Management of NAFLD and NASH.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinella, Mary E; Loomba, Rohit; Caldwell, Stephen H; Kowdley, Kris; Charlton, Michael; Tetri, Brent; Harrison, Stephen A

2014-04-01

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs in a subset of patients with NAFLD and is characterized by the presence of hepa-tocellular injury, which is progressive in a substantial proportion of cases and can lead to cirrhosis and all of its complications. Although the diagnosis of NAFLD can be made through imaging studies or liver biopsy, the diagnosis of NASH still requires histologic confirmation. Liver biopsy should be performed in the presence of risk factors for advanced disease. Measures aimed at promoting weight loss, a healthier lifestyle, and optimization of metabolic risk factors remain the cornerstone of management of NAFLD. Therapeutic agents that are presently considered the most promising in NAFLD are effective in less than 50% of patients. Among patients with biopsy-proven NASH, treatment with pharmacologic agents should be considered; however, the role of specific agents in NASH still needs further study. Despite a wealth of research over the past 15 years, many controversies remain with respect to the diagnosis and management of NAFLD and NASH as well as the influence of alcohol on liver disease progression in these patients.

Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), a controversial 21st century honey bee pathogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Higes, Mariano; Meana, Aránzazu; Bartolomé, Carolina; Botías, Cristina; Martín-Hernández, Raquel

2013-02-01

The worldwide beekeeping sector has been facing a grave threat, with losses up to 100-1000 times greater than those previously reported. Despite the scale of this honey bee mortality, the causes underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, yet they are thought to be multifactorial processes. Nosema ceranae, a microsporidium recently detected in the European bee all over the world, has been implicated in the global phenomenon of colony loss, although its role remains controversial. A review of the current knowledge about this pathogen is presented focussing on discussion related with divergent results, trying to analyse the differences specially based on different methodologies applied and divisive aspects on pathology while considering a biological or veterinarian point of view. For authors, the disease produced by N. ceranae infection cannot be considered a regional problem but rather a global one, as indicated by the wide prevalence of this parasite in multiple hosts. Not only does this type of nosemosis causes a clear pathology on honeybees at both the individual and colony levels, but it also has significant effects on the production of honeybee products. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Oxidative stress and the effect of parasites on a carotenoid-based ornament.

Science.gov (United States)

Mougeot, F; Martínez-Padilla, J; Blount, J D; Pérez-Rodríguez, L; Webster, L M I; Piertney, S B

2010-02-01

Oxidative stress, the physiological condition whereby the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species overwhelms the capacity of antioxidant defences, causes damage to key bio-molecules. It has been implicated in many diseases, and is proposed as a reliable currency in the trade-off between individual health and ornamentation. Whether oxidative stress mediates the expression of carotenoid-based signals, which are among the commonest signals of many birds, fish and reptiles, remains controversial. In the present study, we explored interactions between parasites, oxidative stress and the carotenoid-based ornamentation of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. We tested whether removing nematode parasites influenced both oxidative balance (levels of oxidative damage and circulating antioxidant defences) and carotenoid-based ornamentation. At the treatment group level, parasite purging enhanced the size and colouration of ornaments but did not significantly affect circulating carotenoids, antioxidant defences or oxidative damage. However, relative changes in these traits among individuals indicated that males with a greater number of parasites prior to treatment (parasite purging) showed a greater increase in the levels of circulating carotenoids and antioxidants, and a greater decrease in oxidative damage, than those with initially fewer parasites. At the individual level, a greater increase in carotenoid pigmentation was associated with a greater reduction in oxidative damage. Therefore, an individual's ability to express a carotenoid-based ornament appeared to be linked to its current oxidative balance and susceptibility to oxidative stress. Our experimental results suggest that oxidative stress can mediate the impact of parasites on carotenoid-based signals, and we discuss possible mechanisms linking carotenoid-based ornaments to oxidative stress.

The Saga of the HIV Controversy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 14; Issue 5. The Saga of the HIV Controversy - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - 2008. Udaykumar Ranga. General Article Volume 14 Issue 5 May 2009 pp 472-498. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Controversies: Optic nerve sheath fenestration versus shunt placement for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arielle Spitze

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH has been increasing in prevalence in the past decade, following the obesity epidemic. When medical treatment fails, surgical treatment options must be considered. However, controversy remains as to which surgical procedure is the preferred surgical option - optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF shunting - for the long-term treatment of this syndrome. Purpose: To provide a clinical update of the pros and cons of ONSF versus shunt placement for the treatment of IIH. Design: This was a retrospective review of the current literature in the English language indexed in PubMed. Methods: The authors conducted a PubMed search using the following terms: Idiopathic IIH, pseudotumor cerebri, ONSF, CSF shunts, vetriculo-peritoneal shunting, and lumbo-peritoneal shunting. The authors included pertinent and significant original articles, review articles, and case reports, which revealed the new aspects and updates in these topics. Results: The treatment of IIH remains controversial and lacks randomized controlled clinical trial data. Treatment of IIH rests with the determination of the severity of IIH-related visual loss and headache. Conclusion: The decision for ONSF versus shunting is somewhat institution and surgeon dependent. ONSF is preferred for patients with visual symptoms whereas shunting is reserved for patients with headache. There are positive and negative aspects of both procedures, and a prospective, randomized, controlled trial is needed (currently underway. This article will hopefully be helpful in allowing the reader to make a more informed decision until that time.

Current controversies and future perspectives in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agustí, Alvar; Vestbo, Jørgen

2011-01-01

Over the past decade there has been much research and interest in COPD. As a result, the understanding and management of the disease has improved significantly. Yet, there are many uncertainties and controversies that require further work. This review discusses these controversies and anticipates...... some of the changes that may occur in the near future in the field of COPD....

Evidence to the Windscale Inquiry on the social and political implications of the nuclear controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, P.J.

1977-01-01

Mr.Taylor's paper has the following section headings: preface; my relevant experience; the problem of controversy; the nature of the nuclear power controversy; the role of argument; paranoia and repression; structural inertia and conflict; the internationalisation of the opposition; the place of THORP in the context of an environmental revolution; the effect on THORP; the disposal controversy; the safety controversy; the psychological aspects of the nuclear controversy; nuclear power and symbolic representation; my own view as a social anthropologist (fledgling). (U.K.)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations

OpenAIRE

Pai, Anushka; Suris, Alina M.; North, Carol S.

2017-01-01

The criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD have changed considerably with the newest edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Changes to the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV to DSM-5 include: the relocation of PTSD from the anxiety disorders category to a new diagnostic category named “Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders”, the elimination of the subjective component to the definition of trauma, the exp...

Consensus or controversy? The classification and treatment decision-making by 491 maxillofacial surgeons from around the world in three cases of a unilateral mandibular condyle fracture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kommers, S.C.; Boffano, P.; Forouzanfar, T.

2015-01-01

Purpose Many studies are available in the literature on both classification and treatment of unilateral mandibular condyle fractures. To date however, controversy regarding the best treatment for unilateral mandibular condyle fractures remains. Material and methods In this study, an attempt was made

Controversy matters: Impacts of topic and solution controversy on the perceived credibility of a scientist who advocates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindsey Beall

Full Text Available In this article, we focus on the potential influence of a scientist's advocacy position on the public's perceived credibility of scientists as a whole. Further, we examine how the scientist's solution position (information only, non-controversial, and controversial affects the public's perception of the scientist's motivation for sharing information about specific issues (flu, marijuana, climate change, severe weather. Finally, we assess how perceived motivations mediate the relationship between solution position and credibility. Using data from a quota sample of American adults obtained by Qualtrics (n = 2,453, we found that in some conditions advocating for a solution positively predicted credibility, while in one condition, it negatively predicted scientist credibility. We also found that the influence of solution position on perceived credibility was mediated by several motivation perceptions; most notably through perception that the scientist was motivated to: (a serve the public and (b persuade the public. Further results and implications are discussed.

Cartography of architectural controversies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lotz, Katrine

2009-01-01

on the visual materials and documents produced during the process, and interviews with architects, clients and engineers, I describe the continuous efforts to establish and strengthen architectural motives, and how they eventually gain the ability to align other motives and other actors. I suggest...... that employing the visualising methods of the recent development of Actor-Network-Theory called ‘Cartography of Controversies' might contribute to trans-disciplinary efforts to develop analytic understanding of the conflicting human purposes and power-struggles at stake in the be-coming of architecture....

Global Banning of a Diffused Controversial Practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gurses, Kerem; Giones, Ferran; Mehta, Kandarpkumar

2017-01-01

We study the deinstitutionalization of a controversial practice that had previously reached a level of international diffusion. We draw on international diffusion and deinstitutionalization theory to study the emergence and diffusion of the third-party ownership practice in the soccer industry. We...... use an inductive case study combining archival and interview data to study the determinants of the international diffusion of a controversial practice at a global scale, the contestation, and finally the deinstitutionalization process that resulted from the ban of the practice. We find...... that the opacity of the practice can be a diffusion driver, locally and at the international level, nevertheless the opacity also may lead to different meaning creation attempts and potential discursive battles between actors, and eventually to deinstitutionalization of the practice. This article advances our...

Three controversies over item disclosure in medical licensure examinations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoon Soo Park

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In response to views on public's right to know, there is growing attention to item disclosure – release of items, answer keys, and performance data to the public – in medical licensure examinations and their potential impact on the test's ability to measure competence and select qualified candidates. Recent debates on this issue have sparked legislative action internationally, including South Korea, with prior discussions among North American countries dating over three decades. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze three issues associated with item disclosure in medical licensure examinations – 1 fairness and validity, 2 impact on passing levels, and 3 utility of item disclosure – by synthesizing existing literature in relation to standards in testing. Historically, the controversy over item disclosure has centered on fairness and validity. Proponents of item disclosure stress test takers’ right to know, while opponents argue from a validity perspective. Item disclosure may bias item characteristics, such as difficulty and discrimination, and has consequences on setting passing levels. To date, there has been limited research on the utility of item disclosure for large scale testing. These issues requires ongoing and careful consideration.

An Exploration of Wind Stress Calculation Techniques in Hurricane Storm Surge Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyra M. Bryant

2016-09-01

Full Text Available As hurricanes continue to threaten coastal communities, accurate storm surge forecasting remains a global priority. Achieving a reliable storm surge prediction necessitates accurate hurricane intensity and wind field information. The wind field must be converted to wind stress, which represents the air-sea momentum flux component required in storm surge and other oceanic models. This conversion requires a multiplicative drag coefficient for the air density and wind speed to represent the air-sea momentum exchange at a given location. Air density is a known parameter and wind speed is a forecasted variable, whereas the drag coefficient is calculated using an empirical correlation. The correlation’s accuracy has brewed a controversy of its own for more than half a century. This review paper examines the lineage of drag coefficient correlations and their acceptance among scientists.

The use of content analysis in the assessment of medical controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

de Villiers, F P

1991-12-01

Medicine is fraught with controversies, and several strategies have been developed in order to reach rational conclusions. Examples are using more subjects or an improved research design, developing consensus statements or using meta-analysis. An additional strategy is described in this paper. The language content of scientific papers is examined to establish whether the authors use factual (informational) language or emotional appeals (directive language) to convince the reader. This type of content analysis is then applied to a sample controversy. The paper shows that directive language content analysis can be applied effectively to scientific publications to clarify the basis of and reasoning behind some controversies.

Actor-network Theory and cartography of controversies in Information Science

OpenAIRE

LOURENÇO, Ramon Fernandes; TOMAÉL, Maria Inês

2018-01-01

Abstract The present study aims to discuss the interactions between the Actor-network Theory and the Cartography of Controversies method in Information Science research. A literature review was conducted on books, scholarly articles, and any other sources addressing the Theory-Actor Network and Cartography of Controversies. The understanding of the theoretical assumptions that guide the Network-Actor Theory allows examining important aspects to Information Science research, seeking to identif...

Neural tube defects – recent advances, unsolved questions and controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Copp, Andrew J.; Stanier, Philip; Greene, Nicholas D. E.

2014-01-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe congenital malformations affecting around 1 in every 1000 pregnancies. Here we review recent advances and currently unsolved issues in the NTD field. An innovation in clinical management has come from the demonstration that closure of open spina bifida lesions in utero can diminish neurological dysfunction in children. Primary prevention by folic acid has been enhanced through introduction of mandatory food fortification in some countries, although not yet in UK. Genetic predisposition comprises the majority of NTD risk, and genes that regulate folate one-carbon metabolism and planar cell polarity have been strongly implicated. The sequence of human neural tube closure events remains controversial, but study of mouse NTD models shows that anencephaly, open spina bifida and craniorachischisis result from failure of primary neurulation, while skin-covered spinal dysraphism results from defective secondary neurulation. Other ‘NTD’ malformations, such as encephalocele, are likely to be post-neurulation disorders. PMID:23790957

Framing effectiveness in impact assessment: Discourse accommodation in controversial infrastructure development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rozema, Jaap G., E-mail: j.rozema@uea.ac.uk [Science, Society and Sustainability (3S) Research Group, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom); Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, DK-2450 København SV (Denmark); Bond, Alan J. [Science, Society and Sustainability (3S) Research Group, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom); School of Geo and Spatial Sciences, Internal Box 375, North West University (Potchefstroom campus) (South Africa)

2015-01-15

There is ongoing debate about the effectiveness of impact assessment tools, which matters both because of the threat to future practice of the tools which are frequently perceived to be ineffective, and because of the disillusionment that can ensue, and controversy generated, amongst stakeholders in a decision context where opportunities for meaningful debate have not been provided. In this article we regard debate about the meaning of effectiveness in impact assessment as an inevitable consequence of increased participation in environmental decision-making, and therefore frame effectiveness based on an inclusive democracy role to mean the extent to which impact assessment can accommodate civil society discourse. Our aim is to investigate effectiveness based on this framing by looking at one type of impact assessment – environmental impact assessment (EIA) – in two controversial project proposals: the HS2 rail network in England; and the A4DS motorway in the Netherlands. Documentary analysis and interviews held with key civil society stakeholders have been deployed to identify discourses that were mobilised in the cases. EIA was found to be able to accommodate only one out of four discourses that were identified; for the other three it did not provide the space for the arguments that characterised opposition. The conclusion in relation to debate on framings of effectiveness is that EIA will not be considered effective by the majority of stakeholders. EIA was established to support decision-making through a better understanding of impacts, so its ineffectiveness is unsurprising when its role is perceived to be broader. However, there remains a need to map discourses in different decision contexts and to analyse the extent to which the range of discourses are accommodated throughout the decision process, and the role of impact assessment in those processes, before recommendations can be made to either improve impact assessment effectiveness, or whether it is

Framing effectiveness in impact assessment: Discourse accommodation in controversial infrastructure development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozema, Jaap G.; Bond, Alan J.

2015-01-01

There is ongoing debate about the effectiveness of impact assessment tools, which matters both because of the threat to future practice of the tools which are frequently perceived to be ineffective, and because of the disillusionment that can ensue, and controversy generated, amongst stakeholders in a decision context where opportunities for meaningful debate have not been provided. In this article we regard debate about the meaning of effectiveness in impact assessment as an inevitable consequence of increased participation in environmental decision-making, and therefore frame effectiveness based on an inclusive democracy role to mean the extent to which impact assessment can accommodate civil society discourse. Our aim is to investigate effectiveness based on this framing by looking at one type of impact assessment – environmental impact assessment (EIA) – in two controversial project proposals: the HS2 rail network in England; and the A4DS motorway in the Netherlands. Documentary analysis and interviews held with key civil society stakeholders have been deployed to identify discourses that were mobilised in the cases. EIA was found to be able to accommodate only one out of four discourses that were identified; for the other three it did not provide the space for the arguments that characterised opposition. The conclusion in relation to debate on framings of effectiveness is that EIA will not be considered effective by the majority of stakeholders. EIA was established to support decision-making through a better understanding of impacts, so its ineffectiveness is unsurprising when its role is perceived to be broader. However, there remains a need to map discourses in different decision contexts and to analyse the extent to which the range of discourses are accommodated throughout the decision process, and the role of impact assessment in those processes, before recommendations can be made to either improve impact assessment effectiveness, or whether it is

Acute Stress Disorder: Conceptual Issues and Treatment Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Koucky, Ellen M.; Galovski, Tara E.; Nixon, Reginald D. V.

2012-01-01

Acute stress disorder (ASD) was included as a diagnosis to the 4th edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual" (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as a way of describing pathological reactions in the first month following a trauma. Since that time, ASD has been the focus of some controversy, particularly regarding the theoretical basis…

Apraxia of Speech: Concepts and Controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Wolfram; Aichert, Ingrid; Staiger, Anja

2012-01-01

Purpose: This article was written as an editorial to a collection of original articles on apraxia of speech (AOS) in which some of the more recent advancements in the understanding of this syndrome are discussed. It covers controversial issues concerning the theoretical foundations of AOS. Our approach was motivated by a change of perspective on…

Determination of Remaining Useful Life of Gas Turbine Blade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meor Said Mior Azman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to determine the remaining useful life of gas turbine blade, using service-exposed turbine blades. This task is performed using Stress Rupture Test (SRT under accelerated test conditions where the applied stresses to the specimen is between 400 MPa to 600 MPa and the test temperature is 850°C. The study will focus on the creep behaviour of the 52000 hours service-exposed blades, complemented with creep-rupture modelling using JMatPro software and microstructure examination using optical microscope. The test specimens, made up of Ni-based superalloy of the first stage turbine blades, are machined based on International Standard (ISO 24. The results from the SRT will be analyzed using these two main equations – Larson-Miller Parameter and Life Fraction Rule. Based on the results of the remaining useful life analysis, the 52000h service-exposed blade has the condition to operate in the range of another 4751 hr to 18362 hr. The microstructure examinations shows traces of carbide precipitation that deteriorate the grain boundaries that occurs during creep process. Creep-rupture life modelling using JMatPro software has shown good agreement with the accelerated creep rupture test with minimal error.

Are the alleged remains of Johann Sebastian Bach authentic?

Science.gov (United States)

Zegers, Richard H C; Maas, Mario; Koopman, A Ton G; Maat, George J R

2009-02-16

A skeleton alleged to be that of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was exhumed from a graveyard in Leipzig, Germany, in 1894, but its authenticity is not established. In 1895, anatomist Wilhelm His concluded from his examination of the skeleton and reconstruction of the face that it most likely belonged to Bach. In 1949, surgeon Wolfgang Rosenthal noticed exostoses on the skeleton and on x-rays of 11 living organists and proposed a condition, Organistenkrankheit, which he interpreted as evidence that the skeleton was Bach's. However, our critical assessment of the remains analysis raises doubts: the localisation of the grave was dubious, and the methods used by His to reconstruct the face are controversial. Also, our study of the pelvic x-rays of 12 living professional organists failed to find evidence for the existence of Organistenkrankheit. We believe it is unlikely that the skeleton is that of Bach; techniques such as DNA analysis might help resolve the question but, to date, church authorities have not approved their use on the skeleton.

Glaciers in Patagonia: Controversy and prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Kargel, J. S.; Alho, P.; Buytaert, W.; Célleri, R.; Cogley, J. G.; Dussaillant, A.; Guido, Z.; Haeberli, W.; Harrison, S.; Leonard, G.; Maxwell, A.; Meier, C.; Poveda, G.; Reid, B.; Reynolds, J.; Rodríguez, C. A. Portocarrero; Romero, H.; Schneider, J.

2012-05-01

Lately, glaciers have been subjects of unceasing controversy. Current debate about planned hydroelectric facilities—a US7- to 10-billion megaproject—in a pristine glacierized area of Patagonia, Chile [Romero Toledo et al., 2009; Vince, 2010], has raised anew the matter of how glaciologists and global change experts can contribute their knowledge to civic debates on important issues. There has been greater respect for science in this controversy than in some previous debates over projects that pertain to glaciers, although valid economic motivations again could trump science and drive a solution to the energy supply problem before the associated safety and environmental problems are understood. The connection between glaciers and climate change—both anthropogenic and natural—is fundamental to glaciology and to glaciers' practical importance for water and hydropower resources, agriculture, tourism, mining, natural hazards, ecosystem conservation, and sea level [Buytaert et al., 2010; Glasser et al., 2011]. The conflict between conservation and development can be sharper in glacierized regions than almost anywhere else. Glaciers occur in spectacular natural landscapes, but they also supply prodigious exploitable meltwater.

Understanding the agreements and controversies surrounding childhood psychopharmacology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston Josephine

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The number of children in the US taking prescription drugs for emotional and behavioral disturbances is growing dramatically. This growth in the use of psychotropic drugs in pediatric populations has given rise to multiple controversies, ranging from concerns over off-label use and long-term safety to debates about the societal value and cultural meaning of pharmacological treatment of childhood behavioral and emotional disorders. This commentary summarizes the authors' eight main findings from the first of five workshops that seek to understand and produce descriptions of these controversies. The workshop series is convened by The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute located in Garrison, New York, U.S.A.

Mercury, vaccines, and autism: one controversy, three histories.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Jeffrey P

2008-02-01

The controversy regarding the once widely used mercury-containing preservative thimerosal in childhood vaccines has raised many historical questions that have not been adequately explored. Why was this preservative incorporated in the first place? Was there any real evidence that it caused harm? And how did thimerosal become linked in the public mind to the "autism epidemic"? I examine the origins of the thimerosal controversy and their legacy for the debate that has followed. More specifically, I explore the parallel histories of three factors that converged to create the crisis: vaccine preservatives, mercury poisoning, and autism. An understanding of this history provides important lessons for physicians and policymakers seeking to preserve the public's trust in the nation's vaccine system.

Mapping Wind Energy Controversies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munk, Anders Kristian

As part the Wind2050 project funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research we have mapped controversies on wind energy as they unfold online. Specifically we have collected two purpose built datasets, a web corpus containing information from 758 wind energy websites in 6 different countries......, and a smaller social media corpus containing information from 14 Danish wind energy pages on Facebook. These datasets have been analyzed to answer questions like: How do wind proponents and opponents organize online? Who are the central actors? And what are their matters of concern? The purpose of this report...

Topical therapy of atopic dermatitis: controversies from Hippocrates to topical immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilles, Gérard; Wallach, Daniel; Taïeb, Alain

2007-02-01

Although atopic dermatitis can be treated efficiently, there is still much controversy about the risk/benefit ratio of both topical corticosteroids and topical immunomodulators. Conflicting data may be found about the usefulness of bathing, diet regulation, and other therapeutic interventions. These controversies result in part from the persistence of Hippocratic doctrines in modern medical thinking. Humoralist and diathetic doctrines, as they pertain to eczema, are reviewed. The paradoxical worsening of oozing and the deadly hazards of hospitalization before the era of antibiotics are brought to mind. We hope that this historical review will improve the understanding of current controversies and help dermatologists to manage patients with atopic dermatitis and other chronic skin diseases.

Controversy in the classroom: How eighth-grade and undergraduate students reason about tradeoffs of genetically modified food

Science.gov (United States)

Seethaler, Sherry Lynn

Current issues in science provide a rich context for learning because they can involve complex tradeoffs that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Despite this potential benefit, and the need for citizens to make decisions about such issues, science controversy remains rare in the classroom. Consequently, there is much unknown about how students make sense of complex, multidisciplinary science. This research examined eighth-grade (n = 190) and undergraduate (n = 9) students' reasoning about tradeoffs in the genetically modified food controversy (main study). To extend the findings from the main study, undergraduate students' reasoning was followed as they learned about ten additional science controversies (extension). The studies took place in the context of curricula designed on the basis of the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration Framework, which posits a set of design principles that help students form a rich, integrated network of ideas about a topic. Two new methodologies were developed for this work. The Embedded Perspective of Science Controversy was used to study students' integration of content in their written arguments (main study) and oral and written questions (extension). The Perspective views science controversy as a set of nested levels, where tradeoffs are one of the levels, but connecting to other levels (underlying scientific details, bigger picture context, etc.) is important for the weighing of tradeoffs. A scheme based on Toulmin's (1958) work on argumentation provided a way of comparing the structure of students' arguments. As indicated by pre and post test scores, the curriculum helped both eighth-grade students (t = 11.7, p genetically modified food. In their final papers, both eighth-grade and undergraduate students presented evidence for and against their positions, in contrast with prior literature showing individuals have difficulty coming up with evidence against their positions. The students were also moving across the levels

Controversy, Trials, and Crime--Oh My!

Science.gov (United States)

Rott, Kim

2006-01-01

Teenagers' innate interest with the justice system is one of the reasons that so many high school literary classics teem with criminals, controversial issues, and trials. Novels such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," "A Separate Peace," "The Crucible," and "Twelve Angry Men" feature high-impact trials. In the author's desire to tap into this interest,…

Sympathoneural and Adrenomedullary Responses to Mental Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Jason R.; Goldstein, David S.

2017-01-01

This concept-based review provides historical perspectives and updates about sympathetic noradrenergic and sympathetic adrenergic responses to mental stress. The topic of this review has incited perennial debate, because of disagreements over definitions, controversial inferences, and limited availability of relevant measurement tools. The discussion begins appropriately with Cannon's "homeostasis" and his pioneering work in the area. This is followed by mental stress as a scientific idea and the relatively new notions of allostasis and allostatic load. Experimental models of mental stress in rodents and humans are discussed, with particular attention to ethical constraints in humans. Sections follow on sympathoneural to mental stress, reactivity of catecholamine systems, clinical pathophysiologic states, and the cardiovascular reactivity hypothesis. Future advancement of the field will require integrative approaches and coordinated efforts between physiologists and psychologists on this interdisciplinary topic. PMID:25589266

ST-segment deviation during 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and exercise stress test in healthy male subjects 51 to 75 years of age: the Copenhagen City Heart Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaage-Nilsen, M; Rasmussen, Verner; Sørum, C

1999-01-01

or descending ST-segment depression of >/=0.15 mV during Holter monitoring or at the exercise test, respectively. Furthermore, the specificity was 0.95 when a horizontal or downsloping ST-segment depression of 0.1 mV was displayed in both the Holter and exercise electrocardiographic recording system......BACKGROUND: Although ST-segment deviation has been evaluated and used during many years both on continuous electrocardiographic Holter monitoring and during exercise stress testing, considerable controversy still remains concerning the prevalence and diagnostic significance of fortuitously...... discovered ST-segment deviation in asymptomatic healthy persons. METHODS AND RESULTS: The occurrence of ST-segment deviation was studied in a population of 63 clinically healthy male subjects 51 to 75 years of age, with the use of 24-hour Holter monitoring and exercise stress testing. The subjects were...

History of the Belgian nuclear power controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laes, E.

2009-01-01

Partly because nuclear energy technology continues to provoke profound controversy, the Flemish institute for technology assessment (viWTA) took the initiative to order a study aimed at mapping out the historical dynamics of the societal debate on nuclear energy. This study was carried out by the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN, under the research programme PISA) together with the Free university of Brussels (VUB, research group MEKO) in 2004. In 2007, the report was updated and published by Acco (Leuven) under the title Kernenergie (on)besproken. This study had three main objectives: 1) to discuss the societal debate on nuclear energy in Belgium in relation to major events (Chernobyl, TMI, etc.); 2) to elucidate the role of social actors in the controversy on both a national and international level and 3) to discuss possible alternatives for a better structuring of the debate in the future, building on existing approaches

Metaphysics for an enlightened public: The controversy over monads in Germany, 1746-1748.

Science.gov (United States)

Broman, Thomas

2012-03-01

This essay analyzes the controversy that attended the prize essay question on monads proposed by the Berlin Academy of Sciences in 1746. The controversy was first touched off by an anonymous pamphlet published by the mathematician Leonhard Euler, the academy's most well known member, that attacked the doctrine of monads. It peaked with the awarding of the prize to Johann Heinrich Gottlob Justi, whose winning essay closely followed Euler's arguments. This essay discusses the controversy as one instance in a broader quarrel in the German academic community over the suitability of Christian Wolff's philosophy as the foundation for a broad range of academic disciplines, including natural philosophy. It also analyzes the controversy as displaying the central role of the periodical press in the emergent German public sphere.

Why nurses chose to remain in the workforce: Portraits of resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Cope, Vicki; Jones, Bronwyn; Hendricks, Joyce

2016-01-01

This study explored why nurses chose to remain in the Western Australian workforce and to develop insights into the role of resilience of nurses and to identify the key characteristics of resilience displayed by these nurses. Nursing is a stressful profession. Prolific quantitative research which measures job stress and resilience has been implemented; however, there is a dearth of qualitative studies which hear the personal narratives as to why nurses remain and thrive in a stressful workplace. Vignettes of nursing resilience reveal underlying themes of resilience where personal stories and events are presented as narrative. Portraiture recognises the inherent value of the nurses' stories giving attention to the nature of their resilience. Interpretation illuminates the portraits or verbal canvasses of the told experience, reflecting success and positivity despite disarray in healthcare settings. Eight themes were identified. The portraits highlight a sometimes imperceptible theme of resilience within nursing. Nurses are resilient; they rely on the social support of colleagues, family and friends to continue to bear their mantle of responsibility. They take pride in their work and accomplishments and give to others altruistically. They laugh, they love nursing and they keep the needs of their patients, clients, residents or students foremost. This paper describes the hallmarks of resilience demonstrated by nurses. Resilience and its relationship to coping in times of adversity are captured within the portraits presented.

Controversies in watermanagement : Frames and mental models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolkman, Rien; van der Veen, A.; Geurts, Petrus A.T.M.

2007-01-01

Controversies in decision and policy-making processes can be analysed using frame reflection and mental model mapping techniques. The purpose of the method presented in this paper is to improve the quality of the information and interpretations available to decision makers, by surfacing and

Debating Diversity: Ethics and Controversial Public Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Darr, Christopher R.

2016-01-01

Courses: Ethics, Organizational Communication, Political Communication. Objectives: After completing this unit activity, students should be able to (1) apply multiple ethical perspectives to real-world diversity issues in a debate format, and (2) explain the role of informational and social category diversity in current controversies.

Central neuropeptide Y plays an important role in mediating the adaptation mechanism against chronic stress in male rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu; Babygirija, Reji; Zheng, Jun; Shi, Bei; Sun, Weinan; Zheng, Xiaojiao; Zhang, Fan; Cao, Yu

2018-02-07

Exposure to continuous life stress often causes gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Studies have shown that neuropeptide Y (NPY) counteracts the biological actions of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), and is involved in the termination of the stress response. However, in chronic repeated restraint stress (CRS) conditions, the actions of NPY on GI motility remain controversial. To evaluate the role of NPY in mediation of the adaptation mechanism and GI motility in CRS conditions, a CRS rat model was set up. Central CRF and NPY expression levels were analyzed, serum corticosterone and NPY concentrations were measured, and GI motor function was evaluated. The NPY Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP-3226 was centrally administered before stress loading, and on days, 1-5, of repeated stress, the central CRF and the serum corticosterone concentrations were measured. In addition, gastric and colonic motor functions were evaluated. The elevated central CRF expression and corticosterone concentration caused by acute stress began to fall after 3 days of stress loading, while central NPY expression and serum NPY began to increase. GI dysmotility also returned to a normal level. Pretreatment with BIBP-3226 abolished the adaptation mechanism, and significantly increased CRF expression and the corticosterone concentration, which resulted in delayed gastric emptying and accelerated fecal pellet output. Inhibited gastric motility and enhanced distal colonic motility were also recorded. CRS-produced adaptation, over-expressed central CRF, and GI dysmotility observed in acute restraint stress were restored to normal levels. Central NPY via the Y1 receptor plays an important role in mediating the adaptation mechanism against chronic stress. Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society.

Factor Structure of the Acute Stress Disorder Scale in a Sample of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

Science.gov (United States)

Edmondson, Donald; Mills, Mary Alice; Park, Crystal L.

2010-01-01

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a poorly understood and controversial diagnosis (A. G. Harvey & R. A. Bryant, 2002). The present study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the factor structure of the most widely used self-report measure of ASD, the Acute Stress Disorder Scale (R. A. Bryant, M. L. Moulds, & R. M. Guthrie, 2000),…

What Can We Learn from Taiwanese Teachers about Teaching Controversial Public Issues?

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Yu-Han

2016-01-01

This study explores how history teachers in Taiwan make curricular decisions while engaging controversial public issues. The main political controversies discussed in Taiwanese society center on the relationship between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. This study documents how four social studies teachers formulate their curricular…

Atomic weight versus atomic mass controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holden, N.E.

1985-01-01

A problem for the Atomic Weights Commission for the past decade has been the controversial battle over the names ''atomic weight'' and ''atomic mass''. The Commission has considered the arguments on both sides over the years and it appears that this meeting will see more of the same discussion taking place. In this paper, I review the situation and offer some alternatives

Teaching global climate change as a controversial issue - Active learning in higher education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manolas, E.I.

2007-07-01

Global climate change is one of the most important controversial issues of our time. If the role of Universities is to create the leaders of tomorrow, then, the duty of teachers in institutions of higher education is to find ways to help students become aware of the problem and understand the complexity of the issue. Following presentation of the definition of controversial issues, the reasons for teaching controversial topics as well as the characteristics of controversial topics, this paper puts forward certain active learning approaches which are in conformity with such considerations without, at the same time, loosing sight of the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. The paper concludes with a discussion of the obstacles which should be overcome so that the methods put forward in this paper can be applied successfully. (orig.)

Empowerment in healthcare policy making: three domains of substantive controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiapperino, Luca; Tengland, Per-Anders

2015-12-01

This paper distinguishes between the uses of empowerment across different contexts in healthcare policy and health promotion, providing a model for the ethical and political scrutiny of those uses. We argue that the controversies currently engendered by empowerment are better understood by means of a historical distinction between two concepts of empowerment, namely, what we call the radical empowerment approach and the new wave of empowerment. Building on this distinction, we present a research agenda for ethicists and policy makers, highlighting three domains of controversy raised by the new wave of empowerment, namely: (1) the relationship between empowerment and paternalistic interferences on the part of professionals; (2) the evaluative commitment of empowerment strategies to the achievement of health-related goals; and (3) the problems arising from the emphasis on responsibility for health in recent uses of empowerment. Finally, we encourage the explicit theorisation of these moral controversies as a necessary step for the development and implementation of ethically legitimate empowerment processes.

Effect of the unfolded protein response on ER protein export: a potential new mechanism to relieve ER stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaheen, Alaa

2018-05-05

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an adaptive cellular response that aims to relieve endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via several mechanisms, including inhibition of protein synthesis and enhancement of protein folding and degradation. There is a controversy over the effect of the UPR on ER protein export. While some investigators suggested that ER export is inhibited during ER stress, others suggested the opposite. In this article, their conflicting studies are analyzed and compared in attempt to solve this controversy. The UPR appears indeed to enhance ER export, possibly via multiple mechanisms. However, another factor, which is the integrity of the folding machinery/environment inside ER, determines whether ER export will appear increased or decreased during experimentation. Also, different methods of stress induction appear to have different effects on ER export. Thus, improvement of ER export may represent a new mechanism by which the UPR alleviates ER stress. This may help researchers to understand how the UPR works inside cells and how to manipulate it to alter cell fate during stress, either to promote cell survival or death. This may open up new approaches for the treatment of ER stress-related diseases.

E-cigarettes: scientific and political controversies

OpenAIRE

Yussuf Saloojee

2018-01-01

Background and challenges to implementation The e-cigarette is touted as a disruptive technology that could make combustible cigarettes obsolete. The product, its science and politics though are controversial. Intervention or response Published journal articles, reports and conference presentations on e-cigarettes were located using PubMed, plus conference, industry and other websites. These were critically reviewed. Results and lessons learnt A number of contenti...

The controversy about nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bethe, H.A.

1977-01-01

A short review of the events of the past several years in the conflict in the USA between the groups supporting or opposing nuclear power. Reference is made to publications on both sides of the controversy which the author considers to be well reasoned and useful sources of information. Mention is also made of the legal and legislative actions taken by both sides. The arguments against nuclear power are summarized and solutions to the problems which are the source of these arguments are suggested

Focal adhesions, stress fibers and mechanical tension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burridge, Keith, E-mail: Keith_Burridge@med.unc.edu [Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, 12-016 Lineberger, CB#7295, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Guilluy, Christophe, E-mail: christophe.guilluy@univ-nantes.fr [Inserm UMR-S1087, CNRS UMR-C6291, L' institut du Thorax, and Université de Nantes, Nantes (France)

2016-04-10

Stress fibers and focal adhesions are complex protein arrays that produce, transmit and sense mechanical tension. Evidence accumulated over many years led to the conclusion that mechanical tension generated within stress fibers contributes to the assembly of both stress fibers themselves and their associated focal adhesions. However, several lines of evidence have recently been presented against this model. Here we discuss the evidence for and against the role of mechanical tension in driving the assembly of these structures. We also consider how their assembly is influenced by the rigidity of the substratum to which cells are adhering. Finally, we discuss the recently identified connections between stress fibers and the nucleus, and the roles that these may play, both in cell migration and regulating nuclear function. - Highlights: • The different types of stress fiber and focal adhesion are described. • We discuss the controversy about tension and assembly of these structures. • We describe the different models used to investigate assembly of these structures. • The influence of substratum rigidity is discussed. • Stress fiber connections to the nucleus are reviewed.

Electrical stimulation in dysphagia treatment: a justified controversy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bogaardt, H. C. A.

2008-01-01

Electrical stimulation in dysphagia treatment: a justified controversy? Neuromuscular electrostimulation (LAMES) is a method for stimulating muscles with short electrical pulses. Neuromuscular electrostimulation is frequently used in physiotherapy to strengthen healthy muscles (as in sports

[Stress-induced cellular adaptive mutagenesis].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Linjiang; Li, Qi

2014-04-01

The adaptive mutations exist widely in the evolution of cells, such as antibiotic resistance mutations of pathogenic bacteria, adaptive evolution of industrial strains, and cancerization of human somatic cells. However, how these adaptive mutations are generated is still controversial. Based on the mutational analysis models under the nonlethal selection conditions, stress-induced cellular adaptive mutagenesis is proposed as a new evolutionary viewpoint. The hypothetic pathway of stress-induced mutagenesis involves several intracellular physiological responses, including DNA damages caused by accumulation of intracellular toxic chemicals, limitation of DNA MMR (mismatch repair) activity, upregulation of general stress response and activation of SOS response. These responses directly affect the accuracy of DNA replication from a high-fidelity manner to an error-prone one. The state changes of cell physiology significantly increase intracellular mutation rate and recombination activity. In addition, gene transcription under stress condition increases the instability of genome in response to DNA damage, resulting in transcription-associated DNA mutagenesis. In this review, we summarize these two molecular mechanisms of stress-induced mutagenesis and transcription-associated DNA mutagenesis to help better understand the mechanisms of adaptive mutagenesis.

Remaining life diagnosis method and device for nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Michiyoshi.

1996-01-01

A neutron flux measuring means is inserted from the outside of a reactor pressure vessel during reactor operation to forecast neutron-degradation of materials of incore structural components in the vicinity of portions to be measured based on the measured values, and the remaining life of the reactor is diagnosed by the forecast degraded state. In this case, the neutron fluxes to be measured are desirably fast and/or medium neutron fluxes. As the positions where the measuring means is to be inserted, for example, the vicinity of the structural components at the periphery of the fuel assembly is selected. Aging degradation characteristics of the structural components are determined by using the aging degradation data for the structural materials. The remaining life is analyzed based on obtained aging degradation characteristics and stress evaluation data of the incore structural components at portions to be measured. Neutron irradiation amount of structural components at predetermined positions can be recognized accurately, and appropriate countermeasures can be taken depending on the forecast remaining life thereby enabling to improve the reliability of the reactor. (N.H.)

No role for benzodiazepines in posttraumatic stress disorder? A surplus of certainty despite scarce evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Starcevic, Vladan

2017-08-01

This article addresses some of the controversies about the role of benzodiazepines in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Benzodiazepines have been admonished in treatment guidelines for posttraumatic stress disorder, but this is based on very little solid evidence. Although benzodiazepines do not seem to be effective in the treatment of the core posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, their careful use as adjunctive agents for the symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbance may be useful. Future research needs to identify predictors of improved treatment outcomes in posttraumatic stress disorder with use of benzodiazepines.

Understanding and Developing Controversial Issues in College Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Brian K.; Gainey, Randy R.

2003-01-01

Discusses common controversial issues in different college disciplines, such as the death penalty and drug legalization. Also suggests useful methods for encouraging enlightening discussions, such as verbal and physical cues, student-centered activities, and text selection. (SLD)

Emergence of controversy in technology transitions: Green revolution and Bt cotton in India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramani, S.V.; Thutupalli, A.

2015-01-01

Technology transitions following radical technological breakthroughs are often marked by controversies and the transitions to Green Revolution (GR) and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds in India were no exceptions to this rule. Controversies can trigger social dilemmas, but in economics we do not yet

The rocky flats controversy on radionuclide soil action levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earle, T.C.

2004-01-01

This report describes the Rocky Flats radionuclide soil action level controversy as a case study for the purpose of understanding the nature and value of stakeholder involvement in the management of radiological hazards. The report consists of three main sections. The first section outlines the Rocky Flats story, including the Cold War era, the post-Cold War era, and the transition between the two. This provides the context necessary to understand the radionuclide soil action level controversy, the main events of which are described in the second section. In the final section, the Rocky Flats case is briefly discussed within the framework of a general model of stakeholder involvement and the lessons learned from the case are identified. (author)

Controversy and consensus on a clinical pharmacist in primary care in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazen, Ankie C M; Wal, Aletta W Van Der; Sloeserwij, Vivianne M.; Zwart, Dorien L M; Gier, Johan J De; de Wit, Niek J; Leendertse, Anne J.; Bouvy, Marcel L.; Bont, Antoinette A De

2016-01-01

Background Controversy about the introduction of a non-dispensing pharmacist in primary care practice hampers implementation. Objective The aim of this study is to systematically map the debate on this new role for pharmacists amongst all stakeholders to uncover and understand the controversy and

Integration of basic controversies in cross-cultural psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poortinga, Y.H.

2016-01-01

This article discusses controversies in the field of cross-cultural psychology, including cultural psychology, with a view to possible integration.1 It briefly describes the indigenisation movement as a reaction against Western scientific ethnocentrism and mentions two methodological topics, that

Datasprints as a method for Controversy Mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Torben Elgaard; Munk, Anders Kristian; Bach, Daniel

2017-01-01

A datasprint is an intensive 3-5 day workshop that brings together humanistic researchers, data experts, and stakeholders from a selected field. Together, the participants visualize and analyse a collection of data sets, which have been prepared before the datasprint. In the beginning of a datasp......A datasprint is an intensive 3-5 day workshop that brings together humanistic researchers, data experts, and stakeholders from a selected field. Together, the participants visualize and analyse a collection of data sets, which have been prepared before the datasprint. In the beginning...... of a datasprint, stakeholders present their understandings and views of the field in question. Following this, the workshop participants explore how the prepared data may shed new light on the field. The final products of a datasprint are prototypes of analyses or digital products that forms the basis for future...... collaboration between the partners. Since 2015, DIGHUMLAB has sponsored a special interest group in controversy mapping. Datasprints have proved to be a very productive format for controversy making and for creating dialogue and joint projects between humanistic researchers....

The Case of the Danish Cartoons Controversy: The Paradox of Civility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lægaard, Sune

2014-01-01

The so-called ‘Danish cartoons controversy’ set in motion by the publication of twelve drawings under the title ‘the face of Mohammed’ by the Danish broadsheet Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 has become one of the iconic controversies surrounding Islam in Europe. But the cartoon controversy...... by interpreting it in terms of the concept of ‘civility’ as a social theoretical concept and analytical category. The introduction of this analytical perspective gives a more complete picture of what was actually at stake in the cartoons controversy. The introduction of the concept of civility makes it possible...... due to the discursive logic of civility claims. This ‘paradox of civility’ is a practical problem facing any attempt by minority groups to raise issues of civility. This discursive phenomenon might have empirical explanatory significance, since the logic of claims of civility might explain some...

Does Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Ameliorate Oxidative Stress in Diabetes?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Karen Ekkelund; Rakipovski, Günaj; Raun, Kirsten

2016-01-01

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has shown to influence the oxidative stress status in a number of in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. Well-known effects of GLP-1 including better glycemic control, decreased food intake, increased insulin release and increased insulin sensitivity may indirectly...... a controversial topic but could hold a therapeutic potential against micro- and macrovascular diabetic complications. This review discusses the presently available knowledge from experimental and clinical studies on the effects of GLP-1 on oxidative stress in diabetes and diabetes-related complications....

Bilateral stress fractures of femoral neck in non-athletes: a report of four cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naik Monappa A

2013-04-01

Full Text Available 【Abstract】Femoral neck stress fractures (FNSFs are rare, constituting only 5% of all stress fractures in young adults. These fractures are usually seen in athletes, military recruits and patients with underlying metabolic diseases. The treatment of FNSFs is still controversial because of the inherent complications associated with the treatment procedure. We came across 4 cases of bilateral FNSFs in non-athletic individuals who were manual labourers with-out underlying bony disorders. Two patients with FNSFs and coxa vara deformity on both sides were managed by subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy and dynamic hip screw fixation. One of the remaining two patients was treated by cannulated cancellous screw fixation on one side and sub-trochanteric valgus osteotomy on the other side. The fourth patient received subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy on one side and bipolar hemiarthroplasty on the other side after failed cannulated screw fixation. All the fractures healed without any complications. No evidence of avascular ne-crosis or arthritis was noted in our series. Subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy restores normal neck-shaft angle in pa-tients suffering from FNSFs combined with coxa vara deformity. Moreover, it helps to bring the forces acting around the hip to normal biomechanical levels, leading to fracture union and better results. Replacement arthroplasty is recommended to patients who fail to achieve bony union after fixation. Key words: Fractures, stress; Femoral neck fractures; Coxa vara; Osteotomy

Federal Judge Orders Showing of Controversial Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Flygare, Thomas J.

1987-01-01

Reviews a recent court decision in Nebraska regarding the cancellation of a controversial film on the University of Nebraska campus. The film was cancelled after a state senator threatened to close the theater if the movie was shown. The lawsuit alleged the university violated the First Amendment in cancelling the film; the judge ruled for the…

Controversial Novels and Censorship in the Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, John Stuart

The legal history of censorship in general in the United States as well as the legal context in particular of the censorship of novels from schools is discussed. This thesis deals with four novels which have aroused substantial controversy when taught in the schools. The novels are: "The Catcher in the Rye," by J. D. Salinger, "The Adventures of…

Siting controversial facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baird, R.D.; Blacker, P.B.

1985-01-01

There is often significant difficulty involved with siting controversial facilities. The social and political problems are frequently far more difficult to resolve than the technical and economic issues. The tendancy for most developing organizations is to address only technical issues in the search for a technically optimal site, to the exclusion of such weighting considerations as the social and political climate associated with potential sites--an approach which often imperils the success of the project. The site selection processes currently suggested is summarized and two contemporary examples of their application are cited. The difference between developers' real objectives and the objectives they have implicitly assumed by adopting the recommended approaches without augmentation are noted. The resulting morass of public opposition is attributed to the failure to consider the needs of individuals and groups who stand to be negatively impacted by the development. A comprehensive implementation strategy which addresses non-technical consideration in parallel with technical ones is presented and evaluated

JUDGMENTS CONCERNING THE ACCOUNTING CONTROVERSIAL OVER THE REVALUATION OF ESTATE INVESTMENTS

OpenAIRE

Raluca Andreea Trandafir; Nicoleta Asalos

2009-01-01

The present work tackles as main theme the bookkeeping controversy, which is met when the two international audit standards are put face to face, especially IAS 16 that it refers to corporal immobilizations versus IAS 40, that it refers to an real investment. This work has as a goal the presentation and the differentiation of the bookkeeping controversy between the two audit international standards. In the first part of the work there are presented the two standards, IAS 16 corporal Immobiliz...

Unconsciously against it. Psychological aspects of the nuclear controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuenschmann, A.

1980-06-01

The book deals with the psychological aspects of the nuclear controversy. An attempt is made to describe, in psychological terms, arrange, explain and, in this sense, 'comprehend' the phenomenon of the nuclear controversy in the light of the following facts: - individual and archetypal spectra of associations arising in the minds of many people in combination with the term 'nuclear power plant', the existence of different psychological types; the suggestion and psychological regression in the group. Especially the nuclear opponents, more or less successfully, have used the individual and archetypal association spectrum as an instrument to further their own ends and have thus contributed to the erection of psychological barriers against nuclear power in the minds of many people. (orig./RW) [de

Effect of chronic exposure to aspartame on oxidative stress in the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2012-08-03

Aug 3, 2012 ... This study was aimed at investigating the chronic effect of the artificial sweetener aspartame on oxidative stress in brain regions of Wistar strain albino rats. Many controversial reports are available on the use of aspartame as it releases methanol as one of its metabolite during metabolism. The present study ...

Leptospirosis-associated acute kidney injury: penicillin at the late stage is still controversial.

Science.gov (United States)

Daher, E F; Silva, G B; de Abreu, K L S; Mota, R M S; Batista, D V; Rocha, N A; Araújo, S M H A; Libório, A B

2012-08-01

Some antimicrobial agents are active in vitro against Leptospiras. The use of penicillins at the late stage of leptospirosis is still controversial. We aimed to evaluate the use of penicillin in patients with leptospirosis-associated acute kidney injury (AKI). A retrospective study was conducted of patients with leptospirosis admitted to two hospitals in Fortaleza city, Brazil, between 1985 and 2008. AKI was defined according to the RIFLE and AKIN classifications. Patients were divided in two groups according to whether they were treated with a penicillin or not. Two hundred and eighty-seven patients were included, with an average age of 36·8±15·6 years and mostly male (80·8%). One hundred and twelve patients (39%) received a penicillin. Patients treated with a penicillin were younger (32±14 years vs. 39±16 years, P=0·0002) and had a shorter hospital stay (8·4±5·0 vs. 11±7·7 days, Ppenicillin group (111±21 vs. 119±22 mmHg, P=0·04). AKI, need of dialysis and renal recovery at the time of hospital discharge were more frequent in patients who did not use a penicillin (Ppenicillin, remains controversial. The main benefit of using penicillin in the present study was a reduction in the length of hospital stay and fewer complications, such as AKI, but its use was not associated with a decrease in mortality. On balance of risks and benefits, we recommend the use of penicillin in late-stage leptospirosis. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Five major controversial issues about fusion level selection in corrective surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Choon Sung; Hwang, Chang Ju; Lee, Dong-Ho; Cho, Jae Hwan

2017-07-01

Shoulder imbalance, coronal decompensation, and adding-on phenomenon following corrective surgery in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis are known to be related to the fusion level selected. Although many studies have assessed the appropriate selection of the proximal and distal fusion level, no definite conclusions have been drawn thus far. We aimed to assess the problems with fusion level selection for corrective surgery in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and to enhance understanding about these problems. This study is a narrative review. We conducted a literature search of fusion level selection in corrective surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Accordingly, we selected and reviewed five debatable topics related to fusion level selection: (1) selective thoracic fusion; (2) selective thoracolumbar-lumbar (TL-L) fusion; (3) adding-on phenomenon; (4) distal fusion level selection for major TL-L curves; and (5) proximal fusion level selection and shoulder imbalance. Selective fusion can be chosen in specific curve types, although there is a risk of coronal decompensation or adding-on phenomenon. Generally, wider indications for selective fusions are usually associated with more frequent complications. Despite the determination of several indications for selective fusion to avoid such complications, no clear guidelines have been established. Although authors have suggested various criteria to prevent the adding-on phenomenon, no consensus has been reached on the appropriate selection of lower instrumented vertebra. The fusion level selection for major TL-L curves primarily focuses on whether distal fusion can terminate at L3, a topic that remains unclear. Furthermore, because of the presence of several related factors and complications, proximal level selection and shoulder imbalance has been constantly debated and remains controversial from its etiology to its prevention. Although several difficult problems in the diagnosis and

Controversial Therapies for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Nickel, Robert E.

1996-01-01

This article examines reasons parents may choose a controversial alternative treatment for a child with developmental disabilities and reviews a few specific treatments--vitamin B-6 and magnesium, auditory integration training, megavitamins and minerals, Piracetam, intravenous immunoglobulin, and melatonin. Recommendations on talking with families…

Are too many inferior vena cava filters used? Controversial evidences in different clinical settings: a narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalla Vestra, Michele; Grolla, Elisabetta; Bonanni, Luca; Pesavento, Raffaele

2018-03-01

The use of inferior vena cava filters to prevent pulmonary embolism is increasing mainly because of indications that appear to be unclearly codified and recommended. The evidence supporting this approach is often heterogeneous, and mainly based on observational studies and consensus opinions, while the insertion of an IVC filter exposes patients to the risk of complications and increases health care costs. Thus, several proposed indications for an IVC filter placement remain controversial. We attempt to review the proof on the efficacy and safety of IVC filters in several "special" clinical settings, and assess the robustness of the available evidence for any specific indication to place an IVC filter.

Allocative inefficiency and the capital-energy controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christopoulos, Dimitris K.; Tsionas, Efthymios G.

2002-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to estimate a system of input demands for Greek manufacturing deviating from the standard practice of assuming strict cost minimization. The study allows for the presence of price distortions and allocative inefficiency in the decision process. This assumption affects parameter estimates and estimated elasticities materially, and throws new light on the capital-energy controversy in Greek manufacturing

Pension Reform Act 2004 and its Controversies: Repeating or ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pension Reform Act 2004 and its Controversies: Repeating or Learning from Past Mistakes? ... Journal of Research in National Development ... and discusses how the present pension reform will affect active employees when they retire.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anushka Pai

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD have changed considerably with the newest edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5. Changes to the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV to DSM-5 include: the relocation of PTSD from the anxiety disorders category to a new diagnostic category named “Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders”, the elimination of the subjective component to the definition of trauma, the explication and tightening of the definitions of trauma and exposure to it, the increase and rearrangement of the symptoms criteria, and changes in additional criteria and specifiers. This article will explore the nosology of the current diagnosis of PTSD by reviewing the changes made to the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the DSM-5 and discuss how these changes influence the conceptualization of PTSD.

The World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer (CoBRA in Melbourne, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilana Rabinoff-Sofer

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer (CoBRA will take place October 22-24, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.CoBRA is a concept congress dealing with controversial topics in breast cancer in the format of debates and discussions, allowing ample time for speaker-participant interaction.CLICK HERE for more information

37 CFR 351.3 - Controversy and further proceedings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., the contested amount of a claim is $10,000 or less, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall decide the... CONGRESS COPYRIGHT ROYALTY JUDGES RULES AND PROCEDURES PROCEEDINGS § 351.3 Controversy and further... negotiation period, the Copyright Royalty Judges will issue an order declaring that further proceedings are...

Some diagnostic and therapeutic controversies in glaucoma addressed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Müskens, Rogier Peter Hendrik Maria

2008-01-01

In the five studies contained in this thesis, several controversies on the diagnosis of and therapy for glaucoma have been addressed. The first part of this thesis consisted of three studies that aimed tot improve existing technologies for diagnosing glaucoma. The latter part consisted of two

Nuclear Deterrence in Cyber-ia: Challenges and Controversies

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

54 | Air & Space Power Journal Nuclear Deterrence in Cyber-ia Challenges and Controversies © Dr. Stephen J. Cimbala* Disclaimer: The views and...into here. 11. Mazanec, “International Order in Cyberspace,” 83. 12. Joel Brenner, Glass Houses: Privacy , Secrecy, and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent

Use of Concomitant Stress Incontinence Surgery at Time of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery Since Release of the 2011 Notification on Serious Complications Associated with Transvaginal Mesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Drain, Alice; Khan, Aqsa; Ohmann, Erin L; Brucker, Benjamin M; Smilen, Scott; Rosenblum, Nirit; Nitti, Victor W

2017-04-01

There is controversy regarding the performance of concomitant anti-incontinence procedures at the time of pelvic organ prolapse repair. Data support improvement in stress urinary incontinence with a concomitant sling but increased adverse events. We assessed trends in preoperative stress urinary incontinence evaluation, concomitant anti-incontinence procedure at pelvic organ prolapse surgery and postoperative anti-incontinence procedures at our institution before and after the 2011 FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) Public Health Notification pertaining to vaginal mesh. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent pelvic organ prolapse surgery from 2009 to 2015. Preoperative workup included assessment of subjective stress urinary incontinence and/or evaluation for leakage with reduction of pelvic organ prolapse on physical examination, urodynamics or a pessary trial. The percentages of concomitant and postoperative anti-incontinence procedures were compared before and after the 2011 FDA notification. A total of 775 women underwent pelvic organ prolapse repair. The percentage of anti-incontinence procedures at pelvic organ prolapse repair decreased from 54.8% to 38.0% after the FDA notification (p = 0.002) while the incidence of preoperative objective stress urinary incontinence on examination, urodynamics and pessary trials remained constant. The incidence of postoperative anti-incontinence procedures within 1 year of the index surgery remained low. We found a decrease in the incidence of concomitant anti-incontinence procedures at the time of pelvic organ prolapse repair following the 2011 FDA notification despite no significant decline in subjective stress urinary incontinence or demonstrable stress urinary incontinence on preoperative evaluation. Further analysis is warranted to assess the impact of the FDA notification on treatment patterns in women with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Copyright © 2017 American

Behavioural controversy concerning homo economicus: a Humean perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khandakar Elahi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In his monumental masterpiece, A Treatise on Human Nature, which explains the methodology of human reasoning concerning matters of fact and describes the roles that passions and morals play in it, Hume arrives at an enormously interesting maxim: An academic controversy cannot continue for long unless the disputants assign different meanings to the major terms employed in the debate. This theory has been applied in this paper to examine the behavioural criticisms about Homo Economicus (HE, the pivotal perception in the neoclassical microeconomic model.To achieve this objective, the paper discusses the origin and evolution of the concept, reviews behavioural criticisms, summarises the main tenets of Hume’s philosophy of human knowledge and finally examines the behavioural opinions from Hume’s perspective. The paper concludes that Hume’s theory convincingly explains the reason why the HE controversy is continuing for over half century- a fact that both the mainstream and behavioural economists are ignoring.

Resolving the controversy over beneficial effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuttler, J.M.

1999-01-01

In spite of the extensive research carried out during the past century, intense controversy continues over the health effects of low-level radiation. This controversy is largely due to political, social and economic issues among scientists and analysts in a variety of disciplines. These issues cloud objectivity and strengthen paradigms. Over the past ten years, in 14 universities and two research institutes, Japanese scientists have conducted exceptional research which clearly demonstrates beneficial effects of low-level radiation and cancer cures following therapy with low doses of radiation. Assessment, replication and extension of this work in North America could lead to greater appreciation of its significance. Cancer patients would demand such treatments, leading to universal acceptance of these bio-positive effects and reducing public fear of nuclear technology. (author)

A systematic review of controlled trials on visual stress using Intuitive Overlays or the Intuitive Colorimeter.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Bruce J W; Allen, Peter M

2016-01-01

Claims that coloured filters aid reading date back 200 years and remain controversial. Some claims, for example, that more than 10% of the general population and 50% of people with dyslexia would benefit from coloured filters lack sound evidence and face validity. Publications with such claims typically cite research using methods that have not been described in the scientific literature and lack a sound aetiological framework. Notwithstanding these criticisms, some researchers have used more rigorous selection criteria and methods of prescribing coloured filters that were developed at a UK Medical Research Council unit and which have been fully described in the scientific literature. We review this research and disconfirm many of the more extreme claims surrounding this topic. This literature indicates that a minority subset of dyslexics (circa 20%) may have a condition described as visual stress which most likely results from a hyperexcitability of the visual cortex. Visual stress is characterised by symptoms of visual perceptual distortions, headaches, and eyestrain when viewing repetitive patterns, including lines of text. This review indicates that visual stress is distinct from, although sometimes co-occurs with, dyslexia. Individually prescribed coloured filters have been shown to improve reading performance in people with visual stress, but are unlikely to influence the phonological and memory deficits associated with dyslexia and therefore are not a treatment for dyslexia. This review concludes that larger and rigorous randomised controlled trials of interventions for visual stress are required. Improvements in the diagnosis of the condition are also a priority. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

The angular momentum controversy: What’s it all about and does it matter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leader, Elliot, E-mail: e.leader@imperial.ac.uk [Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Lorcé, Cédric, E-mail: lorce@ipno.in2p3.fr [IPNO, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, 91406 Orsay (France); IFPA, AGO Department, Université de Liège, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège (Belgium)

2014-08-20

The general question, crucial to an understanding of the internal structure of the nucleon, of how to split the total angular momentum of a photon or gluon into spin and orbital contributions is one of the most important and interesting challenges faced by gauge theories like Quantum Electrodynamics and Quantum Chromodynamics. This is particularly challenging since all QED textbooks state that such a splitting cannot be done for a photon (and a fortiori for a gluon) in a gauge-invariant way, yet experimentalists around the world are engaged in measuring what they believe is the gluon spin! This question has been a subject of intense debate and controversy, ever since, in 2008, it was claimed that such a gauge-invariant split was, in fact, possible. We explain in what sense this claim is true and how it turns out that one of the main problems is that such a decomposition is not unique and therefore raises the question of what is the most natural or physical choice. The essential requirement of measurability does not solve the ambiguities and leads us to the conclusion that the choice of a particular decomposition is essentially a matter of taste and convenience. In this review, we provide a pedagogical introduction to the question of angular momentum decomposition in a gauge theory, present the main relevant decompositions and discuss in detail several aspects of the controversies regarding the question of gauge invariance, frame dependence, uniqueness and measurability. We stress the physical implications of the recent developments and collect into a separate section all the sum rules and relations which we think experimentally relevant. We hope that such a review will make the matter amenable to a broader community and will help to clarify the present situation.

The angular momentum controversy: What’s it all about and does it matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leader, Elliot; Lorcé, Cédric

2014-01-01

The general question, crucial to an understanding of the internal structure of the nucleon, of how to split the total angular momentum of a photon or gluon into spin and orbital contributions is one of the most important and interesting challenges faced by gauge theories like Quantum Electrodynamics and Quantum Chromodynamics. This is particularly challenging since all QED textbooks state that such a splitting cannot be done for a photon (and a fortiori for a gluon) in a gauge-invariant way, yet experimentalists around the world are engaged in measuring what they believe is the gluon spin! This question has been a subject of intense debate and controversy, ever since, in 2008, it was claimed that such a gauge-invariant split was, in fact, possible. We explain in what sense this claim is true and how it turns out that one of the main problems is that such a decomposition is not unique and therefore raises the question of what is the most natural or physical choice. The essential requirement of measurability does not solve the ambiguities and leads us to the conclusion that the choice of a particular decomposition is essentially a matter of taste and convenience. In this review, we provide a pedagogical introduction to the question of angular momentum decomposition in a gauge theory, present the main relevant decompositions and discuss in detail several aspects of the controversies regarding the question of gauge invariance, frame dependence, uniqueness and measurability. We stress the physical implications of the recent developments and collect into a separate section all the sum rules and relations which we think experimentally relevant. We hope that such a review will make the matter amenable to a broader community and will help to clarify the present situation

The 'Ottoman-German Jihad': Lessons for the Contemporary 'Area Studies' Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jung, Dietrich

2014-01-01

The 'Arab Spring' added new fuel to the ongoing controversy over the validity of regional or area studies. None of the Middle East 'area experts' predicted the revolutionary events that led to the fall of a number of authoritarian rulers in the Arab world. As a result, scholars, the media and pol....... The article would argue that this historical dispute already reflected some of the core issues of the contemporary controversy of 'area studies' and contained some lessons for us to learn regarding the analysis of Middle Eastern economy, society and politics....

Adjunctive use of the diode laser in non-surgical periodontal therapy: exploring the controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Porteous, Mary Sornborger; Rowe, Dorothy J

2014-04-01

Despite the controversy regarding clinical efficacy, dental hygienists use the diode laser as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy. The technique to maximize successful laser therapy outcome is controversial as well. The purpose of this review is to explore the scientific foundation of the controversy surrounding the use of the diode laser as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy. Further, this paper addresses the weaknesses in study design, the heterogeneity of methodology in the published clinical studies, especially the laser parameters, and how these issues impact the collective clinical and microbial data, and thus conclusions regarding clinical efficacy. Evaluation of the literature identifies possible mechanisms that could contribute to the varied, often conflicting results among laser studies that are the foundation of the controversy surrounding clinical efficacy. These mechanisms include current paradigms of periodontal biofilm behavior, tissue response to laser therapy being dependent on tissue type and health, and that the successful therapeutic treatment window is specific to the target tissue, biofilm composition, laser wavelength, and laser energy delivered. Lastly, this paper discusses laser parameters used in the various clinical studies, and how their diversity contributes to the controversy. Although this review does not establish clinical efficacy, it does reveal the scientific foundation of the controversy and the need for standardized, well designed randomized controlled clinical trials to develop specific guidelines for using the laser as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy. Using evidence-based laser guidelines would allow dental hygienists to provide more effective non-surgical periodontal care.

Controversies in water management: Frames and mental models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolkman, M.J.; Veen, A. van der; Geurts, P.A.T.M.

2007-01-01

Controversies in decision and policy-making processes can be analysed using frame reflection and mental model mapping techniques. The purpose of the method presented in this paper is to improve the quality of the information and interpretations available to decision makers, by surfacing and juxtaposing the different frames of decision makers, experts, and special interests groups. The research provides a new method to analyse frames. It defines a frame to consist of perspectives and a mental model, which are in close interaction (through second order learning processes). The mental model acts like a 'filter' through which the problem situation is observed. Five major perspective types guide the construction of meaning out of the information delivered by the mental model, and determine what actors see as their interests. The perspective types are related to an actor's institutional and personal position in the decision making process. The method was applied to a case, in order to test its viability. The case concerns the decision making process and environmental impact assessment procedure for the improvement of dike ring 53 in the Netherlands, which was initiated by the Dutch 'Flood Defences Act 1996'. In this specific case the perspectives and mental models of stakeholders were elicited to explain controversies. The case was analysed with regard to the conflicts emerging between stakeholders, on an individual level. The influence of institutional embedding of individuals on the use of information and the construction of meaning, and the limits of a participatory approach were analysed within the details of controversies that emerged during the case analysis. Complicating factor appeared to be the interaction between national dike safety norms (short term) and local water management problems (long term). Revealed controversies mainly concerned disputes between an organisational and a technical perspective. But also disputes on distribution of responsibilities

Socio-Scientific Controversial Issues in 1st Cycle of Basic Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Ribeiro

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Assuming the importance of science education, from early years, aiming to educate citizens capable of thinking critically and act in scientific and technological contexts, a study was carried out in order to develop learning situations focused on controversial socio-scientific issues to promote students’ argumentation skills and scientific knowledge building / mobilization. The study was based on a qualitative methodology, following an action research plan. It was conducted with a class of 3th grade, having been addressed controversial socio-scientific issues, framed in science curriculum topics, using strategies of debate, role-play and argumentative essays. Data was collected using an analyzing instrument of student´s oral and written productions. In data analysis the privileged technique was content analysis. The results suggest that students mobilized requested scientific knowledge, showing improvement in the effective use of argumentation skills required. This allows us to conclude that the approach of controversial socio-scientific issues contributes to the promotion students´ argumentation skills as well as for scientific knowledge construction / mobilization.

Radiotherapy in prostate cancer. Innovative techniques and current controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geinitz, Hans

2015-01-01

Examines in detail the role of innovative radiation techniques in the management of prostate cancer, including IMRT, IGRT, BART, and modern brachytherapy. Explores a range of current controversies in patient treatment. Intended for both radiation oncologists and urologists. Radiation treatment is rapidly evolving owing to the coordinated research of physicists, engineers, computer and imaging specialists, and physicians. Today, the arsenal of ''high-precision'' or ''targeted'' radiotherapy includes multimodal imaging, in vivo dosimetry, Monte Carlo techniques for dose planning, patient immobilization techniques, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), biologically adapted radiotherapy (BART), quality assurance methods, novel methods of brachytherapy, and, at the far end of the scale, particle beam radiotherapy using protons and carbon ions. These approaches are like pieces of a puzzle that need to be put together to provide the prostate cancer patient with high-level optimized radiation treatment. This book examines in detail the role of the above-mentioned innovative radiation techniques in the management of prostate cancer. In addition, a variety of current controversies regarding treatment are carefully explored, including whether prophylactic treatment of the pelvic lymphatics is essential, the magnitude of the effect of dose escalation, whether a benefit accrues from hypofractionation, and what evidence exists for the superiority of protons or heavy ions. Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer: Innovative Techniques and Current Controversies is intended for both radiation oncologists and urologists with an interest in the up-to-date capabilities of modern radiation oncology for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Addressing the controversy regarding the association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism

OpenAIRE

García-Fernández, Lisset; Unidad de Análisis y Generación de Evidencias en Salud Pública (UNAGESP), Instituto Nacional de Salud. Lima, Perú. Médica infectóloga.; Hernández, Adrián V.; Unidad de Análisis y Generación de Evidencias en Salud Pública (UNAGESP), Instituto Nacional de Salud. Lima, Perú. Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland. Ohio, EE. UU. médico epidemiólogo clínico, PhD in Health Science.; Suárez Moreno, Víctor; Unidad de Análisis y Generación de Evidencias en Salud Pública (UNAGESP), Instituto Nacional de Salud. Lima, Perú. médico infectólogo, MPH in Public Health.; Fiestas, Fabián; Unidad de Análisis y Generación de Evidencias en Salud Pública (UNAGESP), Instituto Nacional de Salud. Lima, Perú. médico epidemiólogo.

2014-01-01

Vaccination is one of the most important public health interventions in the reduction childhood morbidity and mortality. Thimerosal is an organic mercury compound used as preservante in multi-dose vials. Often in Peru, there are waves of controversy about the safety of this type of vaccines, mainly arguing that there is an association between them and autism. As a result of these controversies, there have been some voices asking for laws banning thimerosal-containing vaccines, which would...

Does Controversial Science Call For Public Participation? The Case Of Gmo Skepticism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Christiansen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Many instances of new and emerging science and technology are controversial. Although a number of people, including scientific experts, welcome these developments, a considerable skepticism exists among members of the public. The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs is a case in point. In science policy and in science communication, it is widely assumed that such controversial science and technology require public participation in the policy-making process. We examine this view, which we call the Public Participation Paradigm, using the case of GMOs as an example. We suggest that a prominent reason behind the call for public participation is the belief that such participation is required for democratic legitimacy. We then show that the most prominent accounts of democratic legitimacy do not, in fact, entail that public participation is required in cases of controversial science in general, or in the case of GMOs in particular.

Diversity in Information Technology Education: Issues and Controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Trajkovski, Goran, Ed.

2006-01-01

"Diversity in Information Technology Education: Issues and Controversies" sheds light on the status of diversity in the field of IT education. It identifies a wide range of problems that educators face on a daily basis, and gives practical, applicable solutions, mainly by showcasing successful and replicable examples. The chapters in "Diversity in…

Assessment of the potential for exploitation of the remaining reserves of coal in Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wodarski, K.; Bijanska, J.

2014-01-01

In mining areas belonging to the Polish mining companies, there is a significant amount of coal, contained in remaining reserves, that have not been exploited so far. For years, the mines have been evaluating the possibility of its exploitation, since it would expand its resource base and would extend its useful life. In addition, exploitation of the remaining reserves can minimize stress concentration zones in the soil, the rebel y improving conditions for maintenance of excavations and limiting the risk of shock rock. (Author)

Gossip in organisations: Contexts, consequences and controversies

OpenAIRE

Michelson, G.; van Iverson, A.; Waddington, K.

2010-01-01

This article examines the key themes surrounding gossip including its contexts, the various outcomes (positive and negative) of gossip as well as a selection of challenges and controversies. The challenges which are highlighted revolve around definitional issues, methodological approaches, and ethical considerations. Our analysis suggests that the characteristics and features of gossip lend itself to a process-oriented approach whereby the beginning and, particularly, end points of gossip are...

Stress, fatigue, and sleep quality leading up to and following a stressful life event.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Laethem, Michelle; Beckers, Debby G J; Dijksterhuis, Ap; Geurts, Sabine A E

2017-10-01

This study aims to examine (a) the time course of stress, fatigue, and sleep quality among PhD students awaiting a stressful event and (b) whether daily anticipation of this event influences day-level stress, fatigue, and sleep quality. Forty-four PhD students completed evening and morning questionnaires on eight days from 1 month before their dissertation defense until one month thereafter. Results showed increased stress leading up to the defense, while fatigue and sleep quality remained unchanged. Comparing the night before the defense with the night after, stress rapidly decreased, whereas fatigue and sleep quality increased. Following the defense, stress and sleep quality remained stable, whereas fatigue declined. Stress 1 month before the defense was higher than 1 month thereafter. Regarding day-level relations, stress was adversely affected by negative anticipation and favorably by positive outcome expectancy, whereas positive anticipation had no influence. Positive outcome expectancy was an important predictor of improved sleep quality. We conclude that stress may be elevated long before a stressful event takes place but that one can recover rather quickly from temporary stress. Positive outcome expectancy of a stressful event may be an important predictor of reduced day-level stress and improved day-level sleep quality leading up to a stressful event. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Update on the surgical management of ulcerative colitis and ulcerative proctitis: current controversies and problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagar, P M; Pemberton, J H

1995-01-01

: The surgical management of ulcerative colitis has been revolutionized in recent years by the development of the ileal pouch-anal procedure. Although it is now the operation of choice for most patients, there remain several controversies. A variety of designs of ileal pouch are available each with advantages and disadvantages. The technique used to anastomose the pouch to the anal canal is also open to debate with some surgeons favoring distal mucosectomy with eradication of all disease and others choosing to perform a stapled anastomosis to achieve better functional results. The main concern for gastroenterologists, however, is the risk of development of pouchitis. The etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition will also be discussed in this review as well as the more classical options for the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Awakening the Sufferers: Reflections on Public Relations, Activism, and Subalternity in Postcolonial Controversies between Taiwan and Japan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sejrup, Jens

2014-01-01

and analysing the public relations implications of two politically sensitive and controversial cases, I question the nature of representative relations as reflected in mainstream mass media coverage in these two societies. Doing so, I raise concerns about the critical scope of scholarly interest in activism...... and the representation of other voices in public relations studies and draw on theoretical insights from Spivak, Guha, and others in order to untangle some of the complexities inherent in the mobilization of subaltern groups, here victims of historical abuse and maltreatment. The existence of such complexities in public...... and legal activism, I argue, remains largely ignored in public relations studies, despite the emergence of a new critical or postmodern paradigm....

Hermeneutics versus science in psychoanalysis: a resolution to the controversy over the scientific status of psychoanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fusella, Paul

2014-12-01

The controversy over the scientific status of psychoanalysis is investigated and a resolution is proposed. The positions held by the hermeneuticists, conveyed through the hermeneutic interpretation of psychoanalysis put forth by Jurgen Habermas and Paul Ricoeur, are reviewed. The views of psychoanalysis as a science held by the philosopher of science Adolf Grünbaum and by American psychoanalyst Robert S. Wallerstein are also considered. Psychoanalysis remains relevant today because it has situated itself among the other disciplines as a hybrid science, not quite a pure hermeneutic on the one hand, and not quite a pure science on the other, while at the same time having proven to be both these things-and in doing so has revolutionized the way we think about human nature.

Darwinian Controversies: An Historiographical Recounting

Science.gov (United States)

Depew, David J.

2010-05-01

This essay reviews key controversies in the history of the Darwinian research tradition: the Wilberforce-Huxley debate in 1860, early twentieth-century debates about the heritability of acquired characteristics and the consistency of Mendelian genetics with natural selection; the 1925 Scopes trial about teaching evolution; tensions about race, culture, and eugenics at the 1959 centenary celebration Darwin’s Origin of Species; adaptationism and its critics in the Sociobiology debate of 1970s and, more recently, Evolutionary Psychology; and current disputes about Intelligent Design. These controversies, I argue, are etched into public memory because they occur at the emotionally charged boundaries between public-political, technical-scientific, and personal-religious spheres of discourse. Over most of them falls the shadow of eugenics. The main lesson is that the history of Darwinism cannot be told except by showing the mutual influence of the different norms of discourse that obtain in the personal, technical, and public spheres. Nor can evolutionary biology successfully be taught to citizens and citizens-to-be until the fractious intersections between spheres of discourse have been made explicit. In the course of showing why, I take rival evolutionary approaches to be dynamical historical research traditions rather than static theories. Accordingly, I distinguish Darwin’s version of Darwinism from its later transformations. I pay special attention to the role Darwin assigned to development in evolution, which was marginalized by twentieth-century population genetical Darwinism, but has recently resurfaced in new forms. I also show how the disputed phrases “survival of the fittest” and “social Darwinism” have shaped personal anxieties about “Darwinism,” have provoked public opposition to teaching evolution in public schools, and have cast a shadow over efforts to effectively communicate to the public largely successful technical efforts to make

Adolescent Controversial Status Brokers: A Double-Edged Sword

Science.gov (United States)

Borowski, Sarah; Zeman, Janice; Carboni, Inga; Gilman, Rich; Thrash, Todd

2017-01-01

Using a 3-wave longitudinal, multidimensional approach, this study investigated the influence of social network position and social status on the psychosocial outcomes of 440 youth (45.1% girls; M[subscript age] = 16.1 years; 90.9% Caucasian) over 26 months, focusing on the controversial status classification (i.e., youth who are highly liked and…

Taking One's Principles Seriously: A Teacher Confronts Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Hare, William

2010-01-01

A teacher faces hostility from certain colleagues who view his decision to attend a controversial lecture as tantamount to the repudiation of the principle of inclusive education and the rights of students with disabilities. The teacher sees the proposed boycott of the lecture as a form of censorship threatening freedom of inquiry and critical…

Preparing student teachers to address complex learning and controversy with middle grades students

OpenAIRE

Smith, Ann Marie; Lennon, Sean

2011-01-01

This qualitative study explores pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teaching critical literacy through discussions of controversial issues. Personality questionnaires were given to six classes of pre-student teachers over three semesters in order to gauge interest in teaching methods that incorporate inquiry learning and critical literacy. The results of this study suggest that these pre-service teachers were generally unwilling to discussing controversial issues in their classes. Also some ...

Should We Teach Homosexuality as a Controversial Issue?

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, Michael

2007-01-01

Philosophers of education disagree on how the question of the moral status of homosexual acts should be tackled in the classroom. Some argue that the question should be taught as a controversial issue, that we should present rival moral positions as even-handedly as possible; others maintain that we should actively promote the view that homosexual…

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This has been called 'clonal interference' which puts a speed limit on adaptation. The original clonal interference hypothesis has been modified recently. Nonheritable (transient) hypermtability conferring significant adaptive benefits also occur during stress response although its molecular basis remains controversial.

Radiotherapy in prostate cancer. Innovative techniques and current controversies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geinitz, Hans [Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Schwestern, Linz (Austria). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Linz Univ. (Austria). Medical Faculty; Roach, Mack III [California Univ., San Francisco, CA (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Van As, Nicholas (ed.) [The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton Surrey (United Kingdom)

2015-04-01

Examines in detail the role of innovative radiation techniques in the management of prostate cancer, including IMRT, IGRT, BART, and modern brachytherapy. Explores a range of current controversies in patient treatment. Intended for both radiation oncologists and urologists. Radiation treatment is rapidly evolving owing to the coordinated research of physicists, engineers, computer and imaging specialists, and physicians. Today, the arsenal of ''high-precision'' or ''targeted'' radiotherapy includes multimodal imaging, in vivo dosimetry, Monte Carlo techniques for dose planning, patient immobilization techniques, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), biologically adapted radiotherapy (BART), quality assurance methods, novel methods of brachytherapy, and, at the far end of the scale, particle beam radiotherapy using protons and carbon ions. These approaches are like pieces of a puzzle that need to be put together to provide the prostate cancer patient with high-level optimized radiation treatment. This book examines in detail the role of the above-mentioned innovative radiation techniques in the management of prostate cancer. In addition, a variety of current controversies regarding treatment are carefully explored, including whether prophylactic treatment of the pelvic lymphatics is essential, the magnitude of the effect of dose escalation, whether a benefit accrues from hypofractionation, and what evidence exists for the superiority of protons or heavy ions. Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer: Innovative Techniques and Current Controversies is intended for both radiation oncologists and urologists with an interest in the up-to-date capabilities of modern radiation oncology for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Association of Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder vs Postconcussion Syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lagarde, E.; Salmi, L. R.; Holm, L. W.

2014-01-01

, there is controversy whether PCS deserves to be identified as a diagnostic syndrome. OBJECTIVE To assess whether persistent symptoms 3 months following head injury are specific to MTBI or whether they are better described as part of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We conducted...

[Foucault, Derrida, and the history of madness: notes on a controversy].

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira Neto, A F

1998-01-01

The publication of the book Folie et Déraison. Histoire de la Folie à l'Age Classique (1961), by Michel Foucault, sparked a debate between the author and philosopher Jacques Derrida during the 1960s and 70s. Derrida criticized the methodological proposal and organization of the History of Madness presented by Foucault in the foreword to the first edition. The controversy appears to have motivated the author to withdraw this same foreword from the second edition. The purpose of this article is to analyze some current points in this controversy. It also presents a research agenda for an understanding of the reasons leading Foucault to take this stance.

Imaging Management of Breast Density, a Controversial Risk Factor for Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Falcon, Shannon; Williams, Angela; Weinfurtner, Jared; Drukteinis, Jennifer S

2017-04-01

Breast density is well recognized as an independent risk factor for the development of breast cancer. However, the magnitude of risk is controversial. As the public becomes increasingly aware of breast density as a risk factor, legislation and notification laws in relation to breast density have become common throughout the United States. Awareness of breast density as a risk factor for breast cancer presents new challenges for the clinician in the approach to the management and screening of women with dense breasts. The evidence and controversy surrounding breast density as a risk factor for the development of breast cancer are discussed. Common supplemental screening modalities for breast cancer are also discussed, including tomosynthesis, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging. A management strategy for screening women with dense breasts is also presented. The American College of Radiology recognizes breast density as a controversial risk factor for breast cancer, whereas the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recognizes breast density as a modest risk factor. Neither organization recommends the routine use of supplemental screening in women with dense breasts without considering additional patient-related risk factors. Breast density is a poorly understood and controversial risk factor for the development of breast cancer. Mammography is a screening modality proven to reduce breast cancer-related mortality rates and is the single most appropriate tool for population-based screening. Use of supplemental screening modalities should be tailored to individual risk assessment.

The Association of Sever Stressful Life Events and Multiple Sclerosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rozita Naeeni

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Stressful life events have suggested as one of etiologic cause of the disease from the middle of last century, but controversies still is going on. Materials and Methods: This study is a case- control study conducted on 100 MS patients in neurology clinic of Shariati Hospital during one year. History of stressful life events one year before beginning of the disease was questioned. These events, according to Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, were severe and affected the disease progression. The analysis of data was performed using SPSS 15. Results: The mean age of patients was 30.9 ± 7.1. Most of them (n=87 had relapsing- remitting MS. 51% of patients and 26% of controls had stressful life events (P<0.001. Odd's Ratio with confidence interval of 95% was 2.71. The most frequent stressful events were family problems and death of first degree relatives. Conclusion: This study showed that stressful life events were significantly more prevalent in MS, but we cannot conclude that stress lonely is a cause of MS. Although, major stress along with multiple other risk factors may be related to MS.

Social reporting, engagements, controversies and conflict in an arena context

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Georgakopoulos, G.; Thomson, I.

2008-01-01

Purpose - To empirically investigate relationships between engagement activities and social reporting practices in a controversial and environmentally sensitive industry. The interactions investigated were not restricted to stakeholder relationships but included other communications between

[Reflections on stress and burnout and their relationship with nursing].

Science.gov (United States)

Murofuse, Neide Tiemi; Abranches, Sueli Soldati; Napoleão, Anamaria Alves

2005-01-01

This bibliographic review aimed to differentiate between stress and Burnout and to establish their relationship with nursing work to support the understanding of psychical suffering at work. The study was based on the analysis and interpretation of articles, thesis and dissertations produced between 1990 and 2001. Although there is a consensus among the individuals on the existence of stress and burnout, there are several controversies surrounding these terms. These theories were created in the context of capitalist production increase. Stress refers to a personal tiring that interferes in the life of the person but not necessarily in his/her relationship with the work. Burnout is a syndrome involving negative attitudes and behaviors towards users, clients, organization and work. It is a gradual process of subjective experiences that result in practical and emotional problems to workers and organizations. Nursing work facilitates stress and burnout and causes suffering and illness among workers.

The development of mathematics education as seen in mathematics education controversies in Japan

OpenAIRE

Makinae , Naomichi

2016-01-01

International audience; It can be said that mathematics education in Japan was started in 1872 when the school system was established. Since that establishment era, controversies have emerged time and again in mathematics education in Japan. Through these controversies, debates have been held on views on mathematics education such as how mathematics ought to be taught and what constitutes knowledge concerning numbers, quantities, and shapes that is desirable for students to acquire. In this ...

The Use and Abuse of "Universal Values" in the Danish Cartoon Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostbøll, Christian Fogh

's embodiment of these values from the more abstract ideas. To avoid self-contradiction, liberal principles and constitutional norms should not be seen as incontestable aspects of democracy but rather as subject to recursive democratic justification and revision by everyone subject to them. Newcomers should......During the Danish cartoon controversy in 2005-2006 appeals to universal liberal values were often made in ways that marginalized Muslims. An analysis of the controversy shows that referring to "universal values" can be exclusionary when dominant actors fail to distinguish their own culture...

Current Therapeutic Cannabis Controversies and Clinical Trial Design Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Ethan B.

2016-01-01

This overview covers a wide range of cannabis topics, initially examining issues in dispensaries and self-administration, plus regulatory requirements for production of cannabis-based medicines, particularly the Food and Drug Administration “Botanical Guidance.” The remainder pertains to various cannabis controversies that certainly require closer examination if the scientific, consumer, and governmental stakeholders are ever to reach consensus on safety issues, specifically: whether botanical cannabis displays herbal synergy of its components, pharmacokinetics of cannabis and dose titration, whether cannabis medicines produce cyclo-oxygenase inhibition, cannabis-drug interactions, and cytochrome P450 issues, whether cannabis randomized clinical trials are properly blinded, combatting the placebo effect in those trials via new approaches, the drug abuse liability (DAL) of cannabis-based medicines and their regulatory scheduling, their effects on cognitive function and psychiatric sequelae, immunological effects, cannabis and driving safety, youth usage, issues related to cannabis smoking and vaporization, cannabis concentrates and vape-pens, and laboratory analysis for contamination with bacteria and heavy metals. Finally, the issue of pesticide usage on cannabis crops is addressed. New and disturbing data on pesticide residues in legal cannabis products in Washington State are presented with the observation of an 84.6% contamination rate including potentially neurotoxic and carcinogenic agents. With ongoing developments in legalization of cannabis in medical and recreational settings, numerous scientific, safety, and public health issues remain. PMID:27683558

Current Therapeutic Cannabis Controversies and Clinical Trial Design Issues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ethan Budd Russo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This overview covers a wide range of cannabis topics, initially examining issue in dispensaries and self-administration, plus regulatory requirement for production of cannabis-based medicines, particularly the Food and Drug Administration Botanical Guidance. The remainder pertains to various cannabis controversies that certainly require closer examination if the scientific, consumer and governmental stakeholders are ever to reach consensus on safety issues, specifically: whether botanical cannabis displays herbal synergy of its components, pharmacokinetics of cannabis and dose titration, whether cannabis medicines produce cyclo-oxygenase inhibition, cannabis-drug interactions and cytochrome P450 issues, whether cannabis randomized clinical trials are properly blinded, combatting the placebo effect in those trials via new approaches, the drug abuse liability of cannabis-based medicines and their regulatory scheduling, their effects on cognitive function and psychiatric sequelae, immunological effects, cannabis and driving safety, youth usage, issues related to cannabis smoking and vaporization, cannabis concentrates and vape-pens, and laboratory analysis for contamination with bacteria and heavy metals. Finally, the issue of pesticide usage on cannabis crops is addressed. New and disturbing data on pesticide residues in legal cannabis products in Washington State are presented with the observation of an 84.6% contamination rate including potentially neurotoxic and carcinogenic agents. With ongoing developments in legalization of cannabis in medical and recreational settings, numerous scientific, safety and public health issues remain.

De-escalating Antibiotic Use in the Inpatient Setting: Strategies, Controversies, and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel Markley, J; Bernard, Shaina; Bearman, Gonzalo; Stevens, Michael P

2017-04-01

Antibiotic de-escalation (ADE) is widely accepted as an integral strategy to curtail the global antibiotic resistance crisis. However, there is significant uncertainty regarding the ideal ADE strategy and its true impact on antibiotic resistance. Rapid diagnostic testing has the potential to enhance ADE strategies. Herein, we aim to discuss the current strategies, controversies, and challenges of ADE in the inpatient setting. A consensus definition of ADE remains elusive at this time. Preliminary studies utilizing rapid diagnostic tests including matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF), procalcitonin, and other molecular techniques have demonstrated the potential to support ADE strategies. In the absence of evidence-based, highly specific ADE protocols, the likelihood that individual providers will make consistent, often challenging, decisions to de-escalate antibiotic therapy is low. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should support local physicians with ADE and develop innovative ways to integrate ADE into the broader construct of antimicrobial stewardship programs. The evolving field of rapid diagnostics has significant potential to improve ADE strategies, but more research is needed to fully realize this goal.

Cause for controversy? Infliximab in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: an update

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garrett Lawlor

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Garrett Lawlor, Alan C MossBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USAAbstract: Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor (TNF which has become an established therapy for Crohn’s disease over the last 10 years. Given the similarities between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC, it is no surprise that gastroenterologists have used infliximab in patients with UC who have failed other therapies. Although the initial controlled trials with infliximab in steroid-refractory disease were unimpressive, subsequent controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of infliximab in both moderate to severe disease, and as rescue-therapy to avoid colectomy. The long-term remission rates, colectomy-sparing effects, and the impact of concomitant immunomodulator therapy, remain to be determined in these patients. Whether infliximab is a superior strategy to cyclosporine in patients with steroidrefractory disease is controversial. This review examines the data on the efficacy and safety of infliximab as an induction and maintenance agent for UC.Keywords: ulcerative colitis, infliximab, biologics

Evidence-Based Management and Controversies in Blunt Splenic Trauma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olthof, D. C.; van der Vlies, C. H.; Goslings, J. C.

2017-01-01

The study aims to describe the evidence-based management and controversies in blunt splenic trauma. A shift from operative management to non-operative management (NOM) has occurred over the past decades where NOM has now become the standard of care in haemodynamically stable patients with blunt

Congenital bronchopulmonary foregut malformations: concepts and controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, Beverley

2006-01-01

This article addresses the scope, etiology, important associations and imaging features of congenital bronchopulmonary foregut malformations. Etiologic concepts, including airway obstruction and vascular anomalies, are highlighted. Technical imaging advances, especially CT and MR, have greatly enhanced our diagnostic abilities in evaluating these lesions; however, thorough and careful assessment of all aspects of the malformation is still necessary. Several specific lesions are discussed in more detail, particularly regarding controversial issues in classification, understanding, imaging and management. (orig.)

Congenital bronchopulmonary foregut malformations: concepts and controversies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newman, Beverley [University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2006-08-15

This article addresses the scope, etiology, important associations and imaging features of congenital bronchopulmonary foregut malformations. Etiologic concepts, including airway obstruction and vascular anomalies, are highlighted. Technical imaging advances, especially CT and MR, have greatly enhanced our diagnostic abilities in evaluating these lesions; however, thorough and careful assessment of all aspects of the malformation is still necessary. Several specific lesions are discussed in more detail, particularly regarding controversial issues in classification, understanding, imaging and management. (orig.)

Child injury control: trends, themes, and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Brian D; Ebel, Beth E

2013-01-01

Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among US children, and an important driver of health status globally. Despite its enormous burden, injury is preventable. Over the last 10 years, significant progress has been made in the reduction of unintentional injury among US children. However, aggregate trends mask important disparities by age group, region, and injury mechanism. Basic and translation research is needed to develop and test prevention strategies to address these new or recalcitrant problems. Motor vehicle occupant injury has fallen to historic lows, but challenges remain in protecting novice drivers and managing the distraction of new technologies. Injury to pedestrians has also declined, but likely as a result of decreased exposure as fewer children walk. This calls for a broader public health perspective to promote activity while enhancing safety. Deaths due to drowning are common and illustrate the difficulty in measuring and promoting appropriate supervision. Environmental modification and use of protective products may be a more appropriate response. Concussion in sport is another challenging issue: public health laws promote identification and appropriate management of concussed athletes, but less progress has been made on primary prevention of these injuries. Unintentional poisoning is on the rise, attributable to misuse of, and overdose with, prescription opioids. Injury deaths to infants are also increasing. This trend is driven in part by better death investigation that classifies more sleep-related deaths as suffocation events. Finally, we examine a sample of cross-cutting themes and controversies in injury control that might be amenable to empiric evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The controversy of routine articulator mounting in orthodontics].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Han, Xianglong; Bai, Ding

2013-06-01

Articulators have been widely used by clinicians of dentistry. But routine articulator mounting is still controversial in orthodontics. Orthodontists oriented by gnathology approve routine articulator mounting while nongnathologic orthodontists disapprove it. This article reviews the thoughts of orthodontist that they agree or disagree with routine articulator mounting based on the considerations of biting, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), periodontitis, and so on.

Effects of Metformin on Tissue Oxidative and Dicarbonyl Stress in Transgenic Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Expressing Human C-Reactive Protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hana Malínská

Full Text Available Inflammation and oxidative and dicarbonyl stress play important roles in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Metformin is the first-line drug of choice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes because it effectively suppresses gluconeogenesis in the liver. However, its "pleiotropic" effects remain controversial. In the current study, we tested the effects of metformin on inflammation, oxidative and dicarbonyl stress in an animal model of inflammation and metabolic syndrome, using spontaneously hypertensive rats that transgenically express human C-reactive protein (SHR-CRP. We treated 8-month-old male transgenic SHR-CRP rats with metformin (5 mg/kg/day mixed as part of a standard diet for 4 weeks. A corresponding untreated control group of male transgenic SHR-CRP rats were fed a standard diet without metformin. In a similar fashion, we studied a group of nontransgenic SHR treated with metformin and an untreated group of nontransgenic SHR controls. In each group, we studied 6 animals. Parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism and oxidative and dicarbonyl stress were measured using standard methods. Gene expression profiles were determined using Affymetrix GeneChip Arrays. Statistical significance was evaluated by two-way ANOVA. In the SHR-CRP transgenic strain, we found that metformin treatment decreased circulating levels of inflammatory response marker IL-6, TNFα and MCP-1 while levels of human CRP remained unchanged. Metformin significantly reduced oxidative stress (levels of conjugated dienes and TBARS and dicarbonyl stress (levels of methylglyoxal in left ventricles, but not in kidneys. No significant effects of metformin on oxidative and dicarbonyl stress were observed in SHR controls. In addition, metformin treatment reduced adipose tissue lipolysis associated with human CRP. Possible molecular mechanisms of metformin action-studied by gene expression profiling in the liver-revealed deregulated genes from inflammatory and insulin signaling

The nuclear controversy as reflected in the daily newspapers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buire, S. van.

1980-01-01

The development and utilization of nuclear energy has led to conflicts of larger dimensions in our society. What has been the role of the mass communication media in this discussion. Did they fulfill their duty to inform the public, did they actively foster discussions about the facts to be considered, and did they play their part in public opinion making by publishing critical analyses. These are questions answered by this book by presenting analyses of newspaper articles on the nuclear controversy, facts and figures on the opinions and information published in the daily newspapers on the subject of nuclear energy utilization, and analyses of tendencies pro or contra nuclear energy as expressed by the various articles. By an evaluation of the history of discussions, the development and modifications of the arguments put forward and the reactions shown by the various social groups involved in the process are illustrated and commented in the light of the controversy becoming more acute. (orig./HP) [de

Nuclear energy: public controversies and the analysis of risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sills, D.L.

1984-01-01

Energy is a social concept, the product of social, economic, and political processes that define certain raw materials as resources and thus convert them into usable energy. Like all social concepts, energy is controversial. Out of a wide range of controversies, three are selected for analysis here: (1) the relationship of nuclear power systems to nuclear weapons proliferation; (2) the risks of terrorism and sabotage associated with the operation of nuclear power facilities, including threats to civil liberties; and (3) the problems associated with the long-term management of radioactive wastes. The final section of the paper describes various modes of analyzing risks and the perception of risks. It is concluded that it may take many decades to learn whether nuclear energy is as natural a source of electrical power as wells are of drinking water, or whether nuclear energy is a horror that mankind in the 1980s or 1990s took a hard look at and then backed away. (author)

Dissociative identity disorder: a controversial diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillig, Paulette Marie

2009-03-01

A brief description of the controversies surrounding the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder is presented, followed by a discussion of the proposed similarities and differences between dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder. The phenomenon of autohypnosis in the context of early childhood sexual trauma and disordered attachment is discussed, as is the meaning of alters or alternate personalities. The author describes recent neurosciences research that may relate the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder to demonstrable disordered attention and memory processes. A clinical description of a typical patient presentation is included, plus some recommendations for approaches to treatment.

The Life of Stars The Controversial Inception and Emergence of the Theory of Stellar Structure

CERN Document Server

Shaviv, Giora

2009-01-01

This beautifully illustrated book describes the birth and evolution of the theory of stellar structure through the vehement controversy between biology (as presented by Darwin) and physics (as presented by Kelvin) about the age of the Earth, which culminated with Rutherford suggesting radioactive dating. Shaviv analyzes critically many proclaimed scientific results, showing how and why they were wrong, and explains why it took decades to find the now accepted scientific answers - where there are such - and why there remains much more to be done before we can say we fully understand what happens up there in the heavens. The Life of the Stars provides fascinating reading for all those interested in the stars, in the history of astronomy and in what their story tells us about how science progresses. Moreover, it will bring readers up-to-date on current problems in astrophysics.

A 3D finite element model to investigate prosthetic interface stresses of different posterior tibial slope.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yi; Li, Xiaomiao; Fu, Xiaodong; Wang, Weili

2015-11-01

Posterior tibial slope that is created during proximal tibial resection in total knee arthroplasty has emerged as an important factor in the mechanics of the knee joint and the surgical outcome. But the ideal degree of posterior tibial slope for recovery of the knee joint function and preventions of complications remains controversial and should vary in different racial groups. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of posterior tibial slope on contact stresses in the tibial polyethylene component of total knee prostheses. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to calculate contact stresses in tibial polyethylene component of total knee prostheses subjected to a compressive load. The 3D finite element model of total knee prosthesis was constructed from the images produced by 3D scanning technology. Stresses in tibial polyethylene component were calculated with four different posterior tibial slopes (0°, 3°, 6° and 9°). The 3D finite element model of total knee prosthesis we presented was well validated. We found that the stress distribution in the polythene as evaluated by the distributions of the von Mises stress, the maximum principle stress, the minimum principle stress and the Cpress were more uniform with 3° and 6° posterior tibial slopes than with 0° and 9° posterior tibial slopes. Moreover, the peaks of the above stresses and trends of changes with increasing degree of knee flexion were more ideal with 3° and 6° posterior slopes. The results suggested that the tibial component inclination might be favourable to 7°-10° so far as the stress distribution is concerned. The range of the tibial component inclination also can decrease the wear of polyethylene. Chinese posterior tibial slope is bigger than in the West, and the current domestic use of prostheses is imported from the West, so their demands to tilt back bone cutting can lead to shorten the service life of prostheses; this experiment result is of important

Electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment for protracted refractory delirium in the intensive care unit--five cases and a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, R M; Olsen, K S; Lauritsen, Anne Øberg

2014-01-01

of stress, and able to cooperate with the ventilator but remained in a state of posttraumatic amnesia after a head trauma. CONCLUSION: Although controversial, ECT is nevertheless recognized as an efficient and safe treatment for various psychiatric illnesses including delirium. Considering the significantly...

Teaching Controversy by Seminar: An Example in Quaternary Geomorphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Harwood, Doug

1987-01-01

Describes how seminar work can be structured to help students develop skills of critical thinking and expression when discussing controversial issues in their chosen subject. Particular emphasis is given to methods of organizing instructional materials and appropriate roles for seminar leaders. The debate surrounding the existence of a prehistoric…

Early Controversies over Athetosis: I. Clinical Features, Differentiation from other Movement Disorders, Associated Conditions, and Pathology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas J. Lanska

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Since the description of athetosis in 1871 by American neurologist William Alexander Hammond (1828-1900 the disorder has been a source of controversy, as were many aspects of Hammond’s career.  Methods: Review of controversies in the semi-centennial since the description of athetosis.  Results: Hammond struggled to establish athetosis as a distinct clinic-pathological entity, and had successfully predicted the striatal pathology in his initial case (albeit somewhat serendipitously.  Athetosis was, nevertheless, considered by many neurologists to be a form of post-hemiplegic chorea or part of a continuum between chorea and dystonia. European neurologists, and particularly the French, initially ignored or discounted the concept. Additional controversies arose over whether the movements persisted during sleep, whether athetosis was, or could be, associated with imbecility or insanity, and how it should be treated. Discussion: Some controversies concerning athetosis served to identify areas where knowledge was insufficient to make accurate statements, despite prior self-assured or even dogmatic statements to the contrary.  Other controversies illustrated established prejudices, even if these biases were often only apparent with the greater detachment of hindsight. 

The Role of Historical-Philosophical Controversies in Teaching Sciences: The Debate between Biot and Ampere

Science.gov (United States)

Braga, Marco; Guerra, Andreia; Reis, Jose Claudio

2012-01-01

This paper evaluates the viability of using controversies in teaching. An educational project has been elaborated in which some historical-philosophical clashes were introduced into the classical syllabus of physics. The historical-philosophical controversy dealt with here, took place between the French physicists Biot and Ampere in the 19th…

Nuclear critics and nuclear controversy: Lessons for the next 50 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, B.

1992-01-01

For more than a decade, nuclear electric power was at the center of one of the most widespread and passionate controversies in the United States. A combination of local community groups and a sophisticated national opposition seriously delayed nuclear plants being built in state after state, contributing to major cost increases and, in some instances, project cancellations. According to plans of the US government and electric power industry, new nuclear power plants will be ordered by the mid-1990s and will be in operation around the turn of the century. The success of these plans will depend in part on how well the government and industry learned the lessons of the years of controversy - how well they can rally public support despite the inevitable opposition of nuclear critics. This paper is based on a review of the national nuclear controversy of the 1970s and early 1980s. It analyzes the key lessons to be learned from those experiences and projects them onto the new societal and political setting of the 1990s, reflecting more recent research into effective siting procedures, public participation, risk communications, and other disciplines related to the development of public acceptance for nuclear power plants

Teacher College Students' Views of Controversial Environmental Issues: Ambivalence and Readiness to Adopt a Stance

Science.gov (United States)

Weinberger, Yehudith; Dreyfus, Amos

2013-01-01

One of the most important goals of discussing controversial issues in the classroom is to educate students to possess an inclination towards reason, open mindedness and fairness. However, research tends to show that teachers are not adequately trained to lead fruitful discussions about controversial issues and do not possess the necessary skills…

Using deliberation to address controversial issues: Developing Holocaust education curriculum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

THOMAS MISCO

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper explores how a cross-cultural project responded to the need for new Holocaust educational materials for the Republic of Latvia through the method of curriculum deliberation. Analysis of interview, observational, and document data drawn from seven curriculum writers and numerous project members suggest that curriculum deliberation helped awaken a controversial and silenced history while attending to a wide range of needs and concerns for a variety of stakeholders. The findings highlight structural features that empowered the curriculum writers as they engaged in protracted rumination, reflected upon competing norms, and considered the nuances of the curriculum problem in relation to implementation. Understanding the process, challenges, and promises of cross-cultural curriculum deliberation holds significance for educators, curricularists, and educational researchers wishing to advance teaching and learning within silenced histories and controversial issues.

Management of ß-thalassemia – Consensus and controversies!

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mamta V. Manglani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The mainstay of treatment of ß-Thalassemia major includes life-long regular packed red cell transfusions and iron chelation. With advances in understanding the molecular biology and its implications in the patients, newer modalities are now being explored to offer a better quality of life to transfusion dependent thalassemic patients. Improved safety of transfusions, newer chelator drugs and combination of chelators have improved outcomes in these patients. Amlodipine along with chelators may be a future option for preventing cardiac iron overload related complications. Drugs which improve HbF levels and thus ameliorate anemia such as hydroxyurea, butyrates azacytidine etc. have also been explored with little relief to transfusion dependent patients. HSCT, which is the only curative treatment available at present, has its own limitations as sibling donors may not be available to many. However, there has been extensive work done on improving outcomes with MUD and Haplo-identical HSCT in the recent times. Gene therapy using lentiviral vectors is also offering great hope to these children. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC is a promising advance in the treatment of thalassemia. Several newer molecules targeting different pathophysiologic aspects are being explored and have met with good success. These include luspatercept, sotatercept, macrophage inhibition, JAK2 inhibition using ruxolitinib etc. Controversies regarding use of wheat grass and ESAs are relatively less worrisome. But use of thalidomide should be done with great caution. Despite its success reported in anecdotal reports, in the absence of adequate data with larger trials, its role in routine management of thalassemia syndromes remains to be ascertained.

Partisan Scholarship in Technoscientific Controversies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galis, Vasilis; Hansson, Anders

2012-01-01

of who controls, manipulates, and establishes decisions, facts, and knowledge. With this in mind, it is possible to identify different forms of partisan research including capture by participants, de facto and overt partisanship, and mercenary scholarship. These different forms of partisan scholarship...... are characterised by differences in the motives underlying epistemological choices of research topic and method, personal commitments to the fields studied, use of research findings in controversies, and positioning of results in wider debates. Two examples help to illustrate partisan scholarship: first, a study...... of new technologies for managing climate change (carbon dioxide capture and storage); and second, the construction of the new underground metro system in Athens and its accommodation of accessibility standards. Both cases entail partisan positions and raise similar concerns about the orthodox...

The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Joint Committee Practice Advisory on Controversial Topics in Pediatric Regional Anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivani, Giorgio; Suresh, Santhanam; Ecoffey, Claude; Bosenberg, Adrian; Lonnqvist, Per-Anne; Krane, Elliot; Veyckemans, Francis; Polaner, David M; Van de Velde, Marc; Neal, Joseph M

2015-01-01

Some topics in the clinical management of regional anesthesia in children remain controversial. To evaluate and come to a consensus regarding some of these topics, The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) developed a joint committee practice advisory on pediatric regional anesthesia (PRA). Representatives from both ASRA and ESRA comprised the joint committee practice advisory on PRA. Evidence-based recommendations were based on a systematic search of the literature. In cases where no literature was available, expert opinion was elicited. Experts selected controversial topics in PRA. The performance of PRA under general anesthesia or deep sedation is associated with acceptable safety and should be viewed as the standard of care (Evidence B2 and Evidence B3). Because of the difficulty interpreting a negative test dose, the use of test dosing should remain discretionary (Evidence B4). The use of either air-loss of resistance or saline-loss of resistance techniques is supported by expert opinion, but the literature supporting one technique over the other is sparse and controversial; when used appropriately, each technique may be safely used in children. There are no current evidence-based data that the use of RA increases the risk for acute compartment syndrome or delays its diagnosis in children. High-level evidence is not yet available for the topics evaluated, and most recommendations are based on Evidence B studies. The ESRA/ASRA recommendations intend to provide guidance for the safe practice of regional anesthesia in children.

The Animal Experimentation Controversy: Ethical Views of Prospective Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

de Villiers, Rian

2012-01-01

Vivisection (live animal experimentation) is a controversial issue for many people. The purpose of this case study is to examine the attitudes of prospective teachers toward vivisection in education and research, to determine if gender has an influence on these attitudes, and to discuss the implications of these attitudes with regard to teaching…

Sirenomelia: A Multi-systemic Polytopic Field Defect with Ongoing Controversies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, L.L.; Morava, E.; Klein, W.M.; Schepens-Franke, A.N.; Oostra, R.J.

2017-01-01

The most impressive phenotypic appearance of sirenomelia is the presence of a 180 degrees -rotated, axially positioned, single lower limb. Associated gastrointestinal and genitourinary anomalies are almost always present. This rare anomaly is still the subject of ongoing controversies concerning its

Sirenomelia: A Multi-systemic Polytopic Field Defect with Ongoing Controversies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, Lucas L.; Morava, Eva; Klein, Willemijn M.; Schepens-Franke, Annelieke N.; Oostra, Roelof Jan

2017-01-01

The most impressive phenotypic appearance of sirenomelia is the presence of a 180 degrees-rotated, axially positioned, single lower limb. Associated gastrointestinal and genitourinary anomalies are almost always present. This rare anomaly is still the subject of ongoing controversies concerning its

Recent hospital charity care controversies highlight ambiguities and outdated features of government regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKelvie, Charles; Apolskis, Michael; Unland, James J

2005-01-01

For years the hospital industry has been embroiled in controversies involving pricing, charity care, and collection practices. Unfortunately, Medicare regulations and policies governing hospital charge-setting and collection practices have not helped bring much clarity to the situation, nor has related CMS and OIG guidance. Coordinated effort by hospitals and regulatory bodies can help clarify unclear government regulation of charity care, pricing, and collections and end potentially destructive controversies that sap valuable time, energy, and resources from efforts addressing much graver long-term threats to hospital viability.

Is There Still Any Role for Oxidative Stress in Mitochondrial DNA-Dependent Aging?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gábor Zsurka

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Recent deep sequencing data has provided compelling evidence that the spectrum of somatic point mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA in aging tissues lacks G > T transversion mutations. This fact cannot, however, be used as an argument for the missing contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS to mitochondria-related aging because it is probably caused by the nucleotide selectivity of mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (POLG. In contrast to point mutations, the age-dependent accumulation of mitochondrial DNA deletions is, in light of recent experimental data, still explainable by the segregation of mutant molecules generated by the direct mutagenic effects of ROS (in particular, of HO· radicals formed from H2O2 by a Fenton reaction. The source of ROS remains controversial, because the mitochondrial contribution to tissue ROS production is probably lower than previously thought. Importantly, in the discussion about the potential role of oxidative stress in mitochondria-dependent aging, ROS generated by inflammation-linked processes and the distribution of free iron also require careful consideration.

Everything You Need To Know To Understand the Current Controversies You Learned from Psychological Research: A Comment on the Rind and Lilienfeld Controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternberg, Robert J.

2002-01-01

Discusses applications of theories and research in psychology to understand controversies generated by two recent articles, explaining the need to distinguish between rational and intuitive thinking, recognize the power of context, think reflectively, and realize the costs of defying the crowd, and noting steps one can take to be wiser and more…

Before We Were Us, We Were Them: Curating Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Keri

2014-01-01

Prompted by the passage of Alabama House Bill 56, I organized the museum studies course I taught for Auburn University at Montgomery in the 2013 spring semester around an exhibition on immigration. The course offered the opportunity to engage students, faculty, and the community in discussion of an important, timely, and controversial topic.…

Science and controversy a biography of Sir Norman Lockyer

CERN Document Server

Meadows, A

2008-01-01

Sir Norman Lockyer left Nature, the world''s leading scientific journal, as his lasting memorial. But his life, and controversial theories, are an important part of science history. His ideas were at the forefront of public debate, and ranged from brilliant to perverse. This entertaining book is a fascinating insight into his eventful life

Medical students and controversial ethical issues: results from the multicenter study SBRAME.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; de Oliveira, Leandro Romani; Leite, José Roberto; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero

2014-12-15

Medical students(MS) will face ethical issues throughout their lives as doctors. The present study aims to investigate medical students' opinions on controversial ethical issues and factors associated with these opinions. SBRAME (Spirituality and Brazilian Medical Education) is a multicenter study involving 12 Brazilian medical schools with 5950 MS. Participants completed a questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic data, medical schools characteristics, religious beliefs and opinions on controversial ethical issues. Of all MS, 3630 participated in the survey (61.0%). The sample was 53.8% women and the mean age was 22.5 years. In general, most MS have no objections to prescription of birth control (90.8%), adult stem cell use (87.5%), embryonic stem cell use (82.0%) and abortion for genetic reasons (51.2%). Approximately half of students have no objections to human cloning (47.3%), 45.7% to withdrawal of artificial life support, 41.4% to euthanasia and 23.3% to abortion for failed contraception. Socio-demographic data such as age, gender and income had little influence on MS opinions. On the other hand, medical schools characteristics (number of medical students in the university, year of medical school foundation, location of the university and type of university) and religious aspects (religious affiliation, religious attendance, non-organizational religiousness and intrinsic religiousness) were highly correlated with their opinions. In general, MS with more supportive opinions on controversial ethical issues were less religious and from non-traditional (newer), urban, public and bigger universities. The current study reveals MS have different opinions regarding controversial ethical issues. Noteworthy, these opinions seem to be shaped more by university characteristics and religious beliefs than socio-demographic data.

Patients' perspective on controversial issues in total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Kyun; Choi, Jinbae; Shin, Kwang Sook; Chang, Chong Bum; Seong, Sang Cheol

2008-03-01

We investigated the level of patient knowledge and preferences over the currently controversial issues in TKA. One hundred patients who had decided to undergo TKA for advanced osteoarthritis were asked to complete a questionnaire inquiring their knowledge and preferences over three controversial issues: (1) computer assisted surgery (CAS), (2) minimal invasive surgery (MIS), and (3) ceramic femoral component. The patient preferences over the three issues were questioned again after they had been informed of advantages and disadvantages of each option using an explanatory document. Most (more than 75%) of the patients did not have sufficient knowledge and their knowledge was based on non-professional sources (more than 85%). Before the information was given, most (more than 80%) of the patients preferred a new option. After the information was provided, more patients preferred a standard option in the issues of CAS (60%) and MIS (88%). This study prompts health care providers to become more active in providing accurate information and to consider patients perspective in making decisions which will influence the benefits and risk of the patients.

The nuclear controversy as reflected in the daily press

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buiren, S. van.

1980-01-01

Based on a content analysis of 2047 journal articles of the years 1974 to 1977 on conflicts over nuclear power plants (Wyhl, Brokdorf), the book intends to analyze the role of the media in present social conflicts. The book presents facts and figures concerning the information and opinions on nuclear power in five newspapers and the bias of these newspapers in favour of nuclear power or against it. According to the author, newspaper journalists have failed at least in one thing: to explain the dimensions of the conflict with regard to social policy and to give background information on their own opinions. On the other hand, the press has proved its independence: It is not an extended arm of industrial PR departments - at least not in the nuclear controversy. The greater part of the articles is in opposition to nuclear power. The development and modifications of the arguments stated by the various groups active in the nuclear controversy are analyzed in dependence of the increasingly aggressive nature of the conflict. (HP) [de

Playful biometrics: controversial technology through the lens of play.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellerbrok, Ariane

2011-01-01

This article considers the role of play in the context of technological emergence and expansion, particularly as it relates to recently emerging surveillance technologies. As a case study, I consider the trajectory of automated face recognition—a biometric technology of numerous applications, from its more controversial manifestations under the rubric of national security to a clearly emerging orientation toward play. This shift toward “playful” biometrics—or from a technology traditionally coded as “hard” to one now increasingly coded as “soft”—is critical insofar as it renders problematic the traditional modes of critique that have, up until this point, challenged the expansion of biometric systems into increasingly ubiquitous realms of everyday life. In response to this dynamic, I propose theorizing the expansion of face recognition specifically in relation to “play,” a step that allows us to broaden the critical space around newly emerging playful biometrics, as well as playful surveillance more generally. In addition, play may also have relevance for theorizing other forms of controversial technology, particularly given its potential role in processes of obfuscation, normalization, and marginalization.

Factors Affecting the Participation of Social Studies Teacher Candidates in Discussions on Controversial Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Figen ERSOY

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Social studies teachers employ discussions about controversial issues in their classrooms as an effective instructional tool in order to improve citizenship education. Therefore, teaching about controversial issues in preservice social studies programs is important for improving pre-service teachers’ understanding of their own abilities to teach about citizenship issues and their skills to teach about controversial issues in their classrooms as well. Preservice teachers ought to be encouraged to participate more in classroom discussions about controversial issues. Therefore, this study aim to understand and explain factors that affect social studies teacher candidates’ participation in classroom discussions about controversial issues and suggest how this process might be more efficient and effective in Turkey. 1957 pre-service social studies teachers from 12 different universities in Turkey participated in this study. A questionaire was used to collect data for this research. The questionaire included likert type 16 items regarding students’ personal information and factors that affect the level of participation in classroom discussions about controversial issues and one open-ended question regarding implications on how discussions can be improved in a way that help the discussions more effective and efficient. Chi-Square, frequency, and percentange tests were used to analyze the quantitative data. Inductive content analysis method was employed to analyze and code the qualitative data. The findings of the study showed that while 92.2 % pre-service social studies teachers stated that they participate in the dicussions on controversial issues when they only find it interested, 79.4 % participant pointed out that they do not participate in the discussions, if they believe they do not have enough knowledge about the topic of the dicussion. In addition, 47.5% of the participants stated that they do not want to participate in the discussions

Understanding the nuclear controversy: An application of cultural theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graaff, Shashi van de

2016-01-01

The need for a secure and sustainable energy future has become firmly entrenched on the global political agenda. Governments worldwide are seeking solutions that will ensure security of their energy supplies, while reducing carbon emissions in the fight against climate change. Advocates of nuclear power have reframed the technology as the most reliable, cost-effective and immediate solution to both of these policy problems, and predicted the emergence of a 'nuclear renaissance’. However, there is little evidence to date that suggests a nuclear renaissance has actually taken place. Public opinion polling demonstrates that many remain unconvinced of the need for nuclear power. This paper uses Cultural Theory as a heuristic to understand why the arguments for a nuclear renaissance have been largely unsuccessful. It argues that the failure of nuclear advocates to engage with a wider cross-section of world-views has prevented the controversy surrounding nuclear power from being resolved, and the nuclear renaissance from becoming a reality. In doing so, this paper builds upon a growing recognition of the contribution that social science research can make to understanding public acceptance of energy policy choices. - Highlights: • There is little evidence of a nuclear renaissance taking place in Western Europe or North America. • Public opinion on nuclear power continues to be deeply divided. • Pro-nuclear arguments are dominated by a particular cultural rationality. • A broader range of cultural perspectives needs to be recognised for the nuclear debate to progress.

Staggering successes amid controversy in California water management

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, J. R.

2012-12-01

Water in California has always been important and controversial, and it probably always will be. California has a large, growing economy and population in a semi-arid climate. But California's aridity, hydrologic variability, and water controversies have not precluded considerable economic successes. The successes of California's water system have stemmed from the decentralization of water management with historically punctuated periods of more centralized strategic decision-making. Decentralized management has allowed California's water users to efficiently explore incremental solutions to water problems, ranging from early local development of water systems (such as Hetch Hetchy, Owens Valley, and numerous local irrigation projects) to more contemporary efforts at water conservation, water markets, wastewater reuse, and conjunctive use of surface and groundwater. In the cacophony of local and stakeholder interests, strategic decisions have been more difficult, and consequently occur less frequently. California state water projects and Sacramento Valley flood control are examples where decades of effort, crises, floods and droughts were needed to mobilize local interests to agree to major strategic decisions. Currently, the state is faced with making strategic environmental and water management decisions regarding its deteriorating Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Not surprisingly, human uncertainties and physical and fiscal non-stationarities dominate this process.

Sentencing and Other Controversial Issues: Why We Need Rational Debate More Than Ever

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Gray

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article seeks to demonstrate the importance of rational debate in the community on controversial issues. It focuses on the need for rationalism to prevail in community debates on controversial issues. Issues inclusive of sentencing, climate change, mental health and its prevalence in the prison system and ‘whether courts are out of touch’ with the community. The article recognises the difficulties faced by those engaged in community issues and concludes by promoting the need to maintain a tolerant and harmonious society by engaging in well informed rational debate.

Applying environmental-behaviour concepts to renewable energy siting controversy: Reflections on a longitudinal bioenergy case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upham, Paul, E-mail: paul.upham@manchester.ac.u [Tyndall Centre Manchester and Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Pariser Building, University of Manchester, Manchester M60 1QD (United Kingdom)

2009-11-15

To date, studies of energy siting controversy and of environmental psychology have barely informed one another, despite the environmental-behaviour literature potentially having considerable relevance to understanding public opposition to energy projects. This paper points towards this relevance, using the example of a longitudinal study of public objections to a 21.5 MWe bioenergy gasifier proposed for Winkleigh in Devon, England. Local opinion surveys in 2004 and 2007 showed that public opposition to the proposed gasifier remained strong but also revealed some statistically significant change and correlations of wider interest. In the context of the environmental psychology literature, the dominant model of contextualised values, intention and behaviour, as well as other psychological approaches, are found to be helpful, both for making sense of the results and for informing a psychological research agenda on public objection to new energy infrastructure.

Applying environmental-behaviour concepts to renewable energy siting controversy: Reflections on a longitudinal bioenergy case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upham, Paul

2009-01-01

To date, studies of energy siting controversy and of environmental psychology have barely informed one another, despite the environmental-behaviour literature potentially having considerable relevance to understanding public opposition to energy projects. This paper points towards this relevance, using the example of a longitudinal study of public objections to a 21.5 MWe bioenergy gasifier proposed for Winkleigh in Devon, England. Local opinion surveys in 2004 and 2007 showed that public opposition to the proposed gasifier remained strong but also revealed some statistically significant change and correlations of wider interest. In the context of the environmental psychology literature, the dominant model of contextualised values, intention and behaviour, as well as other psychological approaches, are found to be helpful, both for making sense of the results and for informing a psychological research agenda on public objection to new energy infrastructure.

Fetal abuse and neglect: an emerging controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Landwirth, J

1987-04-01

Advances in fetal medicine have expanded opportunities for protection of fetal health and intrauterine management of an increasing number of fetal disorders. The legal rights and duties of parents to provide necessary medical treatment for the child may extend to the prenatal period. Resolution of the conflict between the rights of the fetus to be born healthy and the pregnant woman's right of privacy is difficult and controversial. It is suggested that intrusion into a woman's individual fundamental rights for the potential benefit of her fetus should be permissible only in narrowly defined circumstances.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress does not contribute to steatohepatitis in obese and insulin-resistant high-fat-diet-fed foz/foz mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Legry, Vanessa; Van Rooyen, Derrick M; Lambert, Barbara; Sempoux, Christine; Poekes, Laurence; Español-Suñer, Regina; Molendi-Coste, Olivier; Horsmans, Yves; Farrell, Geoffrey C; Leclercq, Isabelle A

2014-10-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver (steatosis) and steatohepatitis [non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)] are hepatic complications of the metabolic syndrome. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is proposed as a crucial disease mechanism in obese and insulin-resistant animals (such as ob/ob mice) with simple steatosis, but its role in NASH remains controversial. We therefore evaluated the role of ER stress as a disease mechanism in foz/foz mice, which develop both the metabolic and histological features that mimic human NASH. We explored ER stress markers in the liver of foz/foz mice in response to a high-fat diet (HFD) at several time points. We then evaluated the effect of treatment with an ER stress inducer tunicamycin, or conversely with the ER protectant tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), on the metabolic and hepatic features. foz/foz mice are obese, glucose intolerant and develop NASH characterized by steatosis, inflammation, ballooned hepatocytes and apoptosis from 6 weeks of HFD feeding. This was not associated with activation of the upstream unfolded protein response [phospho-eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) activity and spliced X-box-binding protein 1 (Xbp1)]. Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and up-regulation of activating transcription factor-4 (Atf4) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (Chop) transcripts were however compatible with a 'pathological' response to ER stress. We tested this by using intervention experiments. Induction of chronic ER stress failed to worsen obesity, glucose intolerance and NASH pathology in HFD-fed foz/foz mice. In addition, the ER protectant TUDCA, although reducing steatosis, failed to improve glucose intolerance, hepatic inflammation and apoptosis in HFD-fed foz/foz mice. These results show that signals driving hepatic inflammation, apoptosis and insulin resistance are independent of ER stress in obese diabetic mice with steatohepatitis.

[Controversies regarding distribution, instrumentation, and competence of hemodynamics laboratories].

Science.gov (United States)

Olivari, Z; Piccolo, E

2001-01-01

In the last few years we have witnessed a substantial growth in the number of catheterization laboratories, especially in the northern regions of Italy, a phenomenon which has met some controversy and has been discussed in a Symposium at the ANMCO National Conference (Florence, May 20-23, 2000). The controversy is essentially between those who believe in the implementation of catheterization laboratories in all cardiology units equipped with a cardiological intensive care unit (and the creation of a functional network with the tutorial centers) and those who refer to the existing guidelines, standards and VRQ which envisage a geographical distribution of laboratories on the basis of a balance between needs of the population and the minimum quantity of procedures performed by each center in order to guarantee the best quality and cost-effectiveness. The aim of the Symposium was to clarify whether the two "innovations" of these last few years, namely the introduction of new portable radiological equipment on the one hand and the effectiveness of primary angioplasty in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction on the other, may influence the redefinition of criteria regarding the distribution of laboratories, taking into account as well the expansion of indications for coronary angioplasty and coronary angiography. After a lively discussion, the proceedings can be summed up as follows: no agreement was reached regarding the role of portable radiological equipment in the decisional process regarding the setting up of a new catheterization laboratory; primary angioplasty should be carried out in centers with an adequate volume of activity and a functioning inter-hospital organizational structure for this demanding activity; otherwise it does not offer any advantages over fibrinolytic therapy; the proposal of a new organizational model is based on the creation of transverse inter-hospital cardiology departments, the size of which is based on the overall size of the

Effect of Short-Term High Fat Diet Inducing Obesity on Hematological, Some Biochemical Parameters and Testicular Oxidative Stress in Male Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherif M. Shawky

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Obesity constitutes a health problem due to its increasing worldwide prevalence. Among the health detriments caused by obesity, reproduction is disrupted. Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity and infertility, but until now it remains controversial. The objective of the current work was to examine the effect of diet-induced obesity on blood parameters, liver and kidney function tests, lipid profile and testicular oxidative stress. For that purpose, Male rats were fed ad libitum with a standard diet (control group; n.= 15 and high fat diet (HFD group; n.= 15 for 6 weeks. Hematological parameters, urea, creatinine, albumin were similar between the two groups. Intergroup testosterone levels were also comparable. The high fat diet induced significant increase in serum triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This diet also increases significantly alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and decreased total protein level and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. Furthermore, HFD showed a significant increasing in malondialdehyde contents in testes and decreasing in superoxide dismutase activity, the results of this study concluded that short-term high fat diet affect on liver enzymes and causing oxidative stress in testes.

Behavior of NiTiNb SMA wires under recovery stress or prestressing.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eunsoo; Nam, Tae-Hyun; Chung, Young-Soo; Kim, Yeon-Wook; Lee, Seung-Yong

2012-01-05

The recovery stress of martensitic shape-memory alloy [SMA] wires can be used to confine concrete, and the confining effectiveness of the SMA wires was previously proved through experimental tests. However, the behavior of SMA wires under recovery stress has not been seriously investigated. Thus, this study conducted a series of tests of NiTiNb martensitic SMA wires under recovery stress with varying degrees of prestrain on the wires and compared the behavior under recovery stress with that under prestressing of the wires. The remaining stress was reduced by the procedure of additional strain loading and unloading. More additional strains reduced more remaining stresses. When the SMA wires were heated up to the transformation temperature under prestress, the stress on the wires increased due to the state transformation. Furthermore, the stress decreased with a decreasing temperature of the wires down to room temperature. The stress of the NiTiNb wires was higher than the prestress, and the developed stress seemed to depend on the composition of the SMAs. When an additional strain was subsequently loaded and unloaded on the prestressed SMA wires, the remaining stress decreased. Finally, the remaining stress becomes zero when loading and unloading a specific large strain.

Can we resolve the radiation controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webster, E.W.

1983-01-01

The past 20 years has seen an intensification of anxieties about potential harm, specifically cancer, from low levels of x or gamma rays. The idea that radiation is more damaging than previously estimated, says the author, is a central theme in current radiation phobia and probably the principal prop of the antinuclear movement. A current law-suit decision in Salt Lake City will settle the issue for the present. Historical data from Japanese A-bomb survivors and other studies are reviewed, the need for further epidemiologic work pointed out, and 20 years more of data collection from the Japanese survivors indicated as the final arbiter of the controversy. 18 references, 8 figures, 11 tables

Status Report: Black Hole Complementarity Controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bum-Hoon; Yeom, Dong-han

2014-01-01

Black hole complementarity was a consensus among string theorists for the interpretation of the information loss problem. However, recently some authors find inconsistency of black hole complementarity: large N rescaling and Almheiri, Marolf, Polchinski and Sully (AMPS) argument. According to AMPS, the horizon should be a firewall so that one cannot penetrate there for consistency. There are some controversial discussions on the firewall. Apart from these papers, the authors suggest an assertion using a semi-regular black hole model and we conclude that the firewall, if it exists, should affect to asymptotic observer. In addition, if any opinion does not consider the duplication experiment and the large N rescaling, then the argument is difficult to accept

[On controversies around the Oedipus Complex].

Science.gov (United States)

Drwiega, Marek

2002-01-01

In the article the author would like to draw the readers' attention to one of the central issues of psychoanalysis, i.e. Oedipus complex. In the development of the psychoanalysis the classical conception of Oedipus complex presented by Freud gave rise to a severe criticism both on the part of some psychoanalysts, especially women such as e.g. Melanie Klein, and on the part of ethnographers such as B. Malinowski. In the paper the author presents the main controversies concerning this interesting discussion. The fact of the matter is that the Oedipus complex is a hotly debated subject, not only from the cultural point of view but also within the psychoanalytical movement.

The Legitimizing Function of Judicial Rhetoric in the Eugenics Controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasian, Marouf, Jr.; Croasmun, Earl

1992-01-01

Investigates the possibility that judicial policymaking is responsive to the situational exigencies created in part through public discourse. Investigates the elite and public perspectives regarding the eugenics controversy in the 1920s to explore the emergent relationship between the public and technical spheres of argument. (SR)

Stress in the zoo: Tracking the impact of stress on memory formation over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Susanne; Schwabe, Lars

2016-09-01

Although stress is well known to modulate human memory, precisely how memory formation is altered by a stressful encounter remains unclear. Stress effects on cognition are mainly mediated by the rapidly acting sympathetic nervous system, resulting in the release of catecholamines, and the slower acting hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis secreting cortisol, which induces its effects on cognition through fast, non-genomic actions and delayed, genomic actions. Importantly, these different waves of the physiological stress response are thought to dynamically alter neural processing in brain regions important for memory such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. However, the precise time course of stress effects on memory formation is still unclear. To track the development of stress effects on memory over time, we tested individuals who underwent a stressful experience or a control procedure before a 2-h walk through a zoo, while an automatic camera continuously photographed the events they encoded. In a recognition memory test one week later, participants were presented with target photographs of their own zoo tour and lure photographs from an alternate tour. Stressed participants showed better memory for the experimental treatment than control participants, and this memory enhancement for the stressful encounter itself was directly linked to the sympathetic stress response. Moreover, stress enhanced memory for events encoded 41-65min after stressor onset, which was associated with the cortisol stress response, most likely arising from non-genomic cortisol actions. However, memory for events encoded long after the stressor, when genomic cortisol actions had most likely developed, remained unchanged. Our findings provide novel insights into how stress effects on memory formation develop over time, depending on the activity of major physiological stress response systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Legal aspects of work related stress in nursing. Exploring the issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu al Rub, R

2000-03-01

Nurses are under a great deal of distress related to a variety of work stressors. Work related stress jeopardizes the mental and physical well being of nurses, as well as the quality of care provided for clients. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 holds employers responsible for the mental and physical well being of their employees. However, the regulations are not always straightforward concerning compensation claims for mental disabilities due to work stress. Recovery of claims is possible if standards (i.e., personal injury, causal relationship between injury and employment) are met. Requirements for recovery of physical/mental and mental/physical claims are agreed on by most states, whereas mental/mental claims are controversial among states and courts. Nurses can monitor and influence legislation to create requirements to encourage employers to develop preventive approaches to reducing work induced stress.

Why are U.S. nuclear weapon modernization efforts controversial?

Science.gov (United States)

Acton, James

2016-03-01

U.S. nuclear weapon modernization programs are focused on extending the lives of existing warheads and developing new delivery vehicles to replace ageing bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and ballistic missile submarines. These efforts are contested and controversial. Some critics argue that they are largely unnecessary, financially wasteful and potentially destabilizing. Other critics posit that they do not go far enough and that nuclear weapons with new military capabilities are required. At its core, this debate centers on three strategic questions. First, what roles should nuclear weapons be assigned? Second, what military capabilities do nuclear weapons need to fulfill these roles? Third, how severe are the unintended escalation risks associated with particular systems? Proponents of scaled-down modernization efforts generally argue for reducing the role of nuclear weapons but also that, even under existing policy, new military capabilities are not required. They also tend to stress the escalation risks of new--and even some existing--capabilities. Proponents of enhanced modernization efforts tend to advocate for a more expansive role for nuclear weapons in national security strategy. They also often argue that nuclear deterrence would be enhanced by lower yield weapons and/or so called bunker busters able to destroy more deeply buried targets. The debate is further fueled by technical disagreements over many aspects of ongoing and proposed modernization efforts. Some of these disagreements--such as the need for warhead life extension programs and their necessary scope--are essentially impossible to resolve at the unclassified level. By contrast, unclassified analysis can help elucidate--though not answer--other questions, such as the potential value of bunker busters.

Ethical Perspectives on the Current Controversy Regarding Openness in Adoption.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavis, Timothy M.

This paper outlines current changes in American adoption practice and the controversies surrounding these changes. It includes a discussion of the role that neo-Kantian and utilitarian perspectives have played in American adoption policy and practice, and offers an alternative, the communitarian perspective, described by Sandel (1984). Adoption…

Information, education, and health behaviors: Evidence from the MMR vaccine autism controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Lenisa V

2018-05-02

In the wake of strong, although later refuted, claims of a link between autism and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, I examine whether fewer parents immunized or delayed vaccinations for their children and if there was a differential response by mother's education level. Using various controls and a differencing strategy that compares in MMR take-up with other vaccines, I find that the MMR-autism controversy led to a decline in the immediate years and that there were negative spillovers onto other vaccines. I also find evidence that more highly educated mothers responded more strongly to the controversy either by not immunizing their children altogether or, to a lesser degree, delaying vaccination. Moreover, the educational gap was greater in states where there was greater media attention devoted to the controversy. This is consistent with the health allocative efficiency hypothesis whereby part of the education gradient in health outcomes is due to more-educated individuals absorbing and responding to health information more quickly. However, unlike in the United Kingdom, where previous studies find that the gap was eliminated after the link was refuted, the evidence for the United States suggests that the educational gap persisted. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Role of Art in Emotional-Moral Reflection on Risky and Controversial Technologies : the Case of BNCI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roeser, S.; Alfano, V.R.; Nevejan, Caroline

2018-01-01

In this article, we explore the role that art can play in ethical reflection on risky and controversial technologies. New technologies often give rise to societal controversies about their potential risks and benefits. Over the last decades, social scientists, psychologists, and philosophers have

The London Spikes Controversy: Homelessness, Urban Securitisation and the Question of ‘Hostile Architecture’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Petty

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article examines an ostensibly new feature of the securitised urban landscape: ‘hostile architecture’. Following controversy in 2014 London over ‘anti-homeless spikes’– metal studs implanted at ground level designed to discourage the homeless from sleeping in otherwise unrestricted spaces – certain visible methods of environmental social control were temporarily subject to intense public scrutiny and debate. While contests over public and urban spaces are not new, the spikes controversy emerged in the context of broader socio-political and governmental shifts toward neoliberal arrangements. Using the spikes issue as a case study, I contextualise hostile architecture within these broader processes and in wider patterns of urban securitisation. The article then offers an explanatory framework for understanding the controversy itself. Ultimately the article questions whether the public backlash against the use of spikes indicates genuine resistance to patterns of urban securitisation or, counterintuitively, a broader public distaste for both the homeless and the mechanisms that regulate them. 

Subclinical hypothyroidism: Controversies to consensus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Abbas Raza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Diagnoses of subclinicaal hypothyroidism (SCH is biochemically made, when serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH levels is elevated while free thyroid hormone levels are within normal reference range. SCH is diagnosed after excluding all other causes of elevated TSH levels. Symptoms of SCH may vary from being asymptomatic to having mild nonspecific symptoms. The risk of progression to overt hypothyroidism is related to number of factors including initial serum TSH concentration, presence of auto antibodies, family history and presence goiter. Various screening recommendations for thyroid function assessment are in practice. There are still controversies surrounding SCH and associated risk of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs, pregnancy outcomes, neuropsychiatric issues, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. Consensus will require more large randomized clinical studies involving various age groups and medical condition, especially in developing countries. All these efforts will definitely improve our understanding of disease and ultimately patient outcomes.

Lessons learnt from the organ retention controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madden, D.

2009-01-01

This paper examines the lessons to be learnt from the organ retention controversy in the Republic of Ireland. The paper emphasises the importance of good communication between clinicians and families of deceased persons and a move away from a medical culture based on paternalism to a partnership approach between clinicians and patients based on mutual trust and understanding. A model of authorisation rather than consent is proposed as the way forward for dealing with the difficult and traumatic experience of asking families for permission to carry out a post mortem examination on their deceased child. (authors)

Physician-patient discussions of controversial cancer screening tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, A S; Shridharani, K V; Lou, W; Bernstein, J; Horowitz, C R

2001-02-01

Screening mammography for younger women and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement have controversial benefits and known potential adverse consequences. While providing informed consent and eliciting patient preference have been advocated for these tests, little is known about how often these discussions take place or about barriers to these discussions. We administered a survey to medical house staff and attending physicians practicing primary care. The survey examined physicians' likelihood of discussing screening mammography and PSA testing, and factors influencing the frequency and quality of these discussions. For the three scenarios, 16% to 34% of physicians stated that they do not discuss the screening tests. The likelihood of having a discussion was significantly associated with house staff physicians' belief that PSA screening is advantageous; house staff and attending physicians' intention to order a PSA test, and attending physicians' intention to order a mammogram; and a controversial indication for screening. The most commonly identified barriers to discussions were lack of time, the complexity of the topic, and a language barrier. Physicians report they often do not discuss cancer screening tests with their patients. Our finding that physicians' beliefs and intention to order the tests, and extraneous factors such as time constraints and a language barrier, are associated with discussions indicates that some patients may be inappropriately denied the opportunity to choose whether to screen for breast and prostate cancer.

D. W. Griffith's Controversial Film, "The Birth of a Nation."

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, Conrad

1999-01-01

Presents a lesson plan that enables students to investigate race relations during the Progressive Era by analyzing D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" and the controversy surrounding the release of the film. Explores the pros and cons of using motion pictures as teaching tool. Includes two student handouts. (CMK)

The Future Path of Organic Farming - Values, Standards and Controversy!

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgård, Bente; Pedersen, Kirsten Bransholm; Land, Birgit

The study focuses on the recent debate about what is, or what constitutes, organic farming and what is the right path for organic farming in the future. The study is based on a critical discourse analysis of the controversy about suspending the private standard for organic farming adopted by the ...

Current Therapeutic Cannabis Controversies and Clinical Trial Design Issues

OpenAIRE

Russo, Ethan B.

2016-01-01

This overview covers a wide range of cannabis topics, initially examining issues in dispensaries and self-administration, plus regulatory requirements for production of cannabis-based medicines, particularly the Food and Drug Administration “Botanical Guidance.” The remainder pertains to various cannabis controversies that certainly require closer examination if the scientific, consumer, and governmental stakeholders are ever to reach consensus on safety issues, specifically: whether botanica...

Understanding the relationship between cesarean birth and stress, anxiety, and depression after childbirth: A nationwide cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hung-Hui; Lai, Jerry Cheng-Yen; Hwang, Shyh-Jou; Huang, Nicole; Chou, Yiing-Jenq; Chien, Li-Yin

2017-12-01

Women who undergo cesarean birth might have an increased risk for poor mental health after childbirth, possibly because of maternal and neonatal physical problems, low parental confidence, and decreased levels of oxytocin. However, this relationship remains controversial and requires further examination. The study aimed to examine the effect of cesarean birth on postpartum stress, anxiety, and depression. This nationwide population-based cohort study was conducted using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. A total of 12 619 women who underwent cesarean birth and 12 619 control women who underwent vaginal birth were matched by propensity score based on age, socioeconomic status, residential urbanicity, antepartum comorbidity, and index year of delivery. We compared the incidence of stress, anxiety, and depression during the first postpartum year between cesarean and comparison groups by calculating incidence rate ratios (IRRs). The cesarean group showed a significantly higher risk for stress symptoms (IRR 1.4 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.02-1.92]), but not anxiety (IRR 1.14 [95% CI 0.95-1.38]) or depression (IRR 1.32 [95% CI 0.94-1.87]), although the IRRs were also greater than one. The cesarean group had a significantly higher risk of any of the above-listed three disorders than the comparison group (incidence 27.6 vs 23.4 per 1000 person-years; IRR 1.18 [95% CI 1.01-1.38]). Cesarean birth was associated with an increased risk of postpartum stress symptoms. Health professionals should avoid unnecessary cesarean birth, pay attention to women who deliver by cesarean, and intervene appropriately in an attempt to improve mental health among postpartum women. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thinking About Education in Human Rights from an Ethical and Controversial Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abraham Magendzo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper delves into the relationship between the education in human rights and ethics from a controversial perspective. It is a direction that seeks to help people become active and participatory citizens in a pluralistic democracy. Three fundamental ethical principles are analyzed, and they allow teaching human rights through controversy: Human rights: a global ethics of human rights; human rights: an ethical minimum; human rights and moral pluralism. This article proposes to relate human rights education with the critical-dialogical pedagogy. In this perspective are identified four critical inquiry tools that serve to develop different dimensions for a critical understanding in the social sphere: the approach of the problem, the reflexive skepticism, the multiperspectivity, and systemic thinking.

[Vitamins and minerals with antioxidant properties and cardiometabolic risk: controversies and perspectives].

Science.gov (United States)

Catania, Antonela Siqueira; Barros, Camila Risso de; Ferreira, Sandra Roberta G

2009-07-01

Oxygen reactive species (ROS) are generated during cellular processes. In excess, they may cause damages to the cell. Oxidative stress is an imbalance in the redox state that favors oxidation. Endogenous enzymes and some vitamins and minerals participate in the plasma antioxidant defense. Vitamin E is found in the plasma and in the LDL particle, avoiding lipid peroxidation. Observational studies reported an inverse association between vitamin E consumption and cardiometabolic (CM) risk. However, clinical trials were not able to prove the efficacy of its supplementation on CM endpoints. Vitamin C participates in the vitamin E regeneration system, keeping the plasma's antioxidant potential. Data about beneficial effects of its supplementation in CM risk reduction are inconclusive. The antioxidant activity of carotenoids is partially responsible for its protective role against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Supplementation of this nutrient did not provide consistent findings in terms of CM risk reduction. Recently, zinc and selenium's participation in the antioxidant defense has been studied, yet its supplementation in individuals with normal levels and adequate ingestion of these nutrients does not seem necessary. In summary, the role of these micronutrients for CM risk is still very controversial. Epidemiological studies suggest that diets rich in antioxidants, or simply in fruit and vegetables intake, can reduce CM risk. Further studies are needed before recommending antioxidant supplements for this purpose.

Nuclear power. The Windscale controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, G.

1978-01-01

The aims of this unit are: (1) to provide a basic understanding of nuclear technology and of the associated technical and environmental problems; (2) to provide an understanding of: (a) the historical growth of the nuclear industry; (b) the arguments for the continued development of nuclear power, and the institutions promoting that development; (3) to provide a basic understanding of the mechanisms and institutions which officially regulate the nuclear power programme in the UK; (4) to provide an understanding of the main issues - technical, economic, social and political - involved in the controversy over the proposed expansion of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd's reprocessing facilities at Windscale, and the events leading up to the Public Inquiry on the proposal which began in June 1977; and (5) to examine (a) the reason for the growth in opposition to nuclear power in various countries and the different approaches taken by the opposition groups; (b) the political impact and effectiveness of that opposition. (author)

Antimicrobials and Non-Healing Wounds. Evidence, controversies and suggestions-key messages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gottrup, Finn; Apelqvist, Jan; Bjarnsholt, Thomas

2014-01-01

This article constitutes an extraction of key messages originally presented in the Document: Antimicrobials and Non-Healing Wounds. Evidence, controversies and suggestions written by the European Wound Management Association (EWMA), and originally published by the Journal of Wound Care in 2013. All...

37 CFR 251.72 - Declaration of controversy: Initiation of arbitration proceeding.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COPYRIGHT ARBITRATION ROYALTY PANEL RULES AND PROCEDURES COPYRIGHT ARBITRATION ROYALTY PANEL RULES OF PROCEDURE Royalty Fee Distribution Proceedings § 251.72 Declaration of... royalties, the Librarian shall publish in the Federal Register a declaration of controversy along with a...

Science and Social Studies Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices about Teaching Controversial Issues: Certain Comparisons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zafer Kuş

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The current study aims to investigate social studies and science teachers’ attitudes and classroom practices associated with controversial issues. The study is a qualitative research based on data collected through interviews and observation. Social studies and Science teachers participated in the current study which was conducted in Kirsehir, a city in the center of Turkey, during the 2012-2013 academic years. Data were collected through classroom observation and interviews with teachers. In this study, teachers' positioning during controversial issues are determined by Kelly's (1986 positioning classification: Exclusive Neutrality, Exclusive Partiality, Neutral Impartiality, and Committed Impartiality. According to results of the research, violence against women, education system, terrorism and nationalism are the leading issues among the controversial issues that both social studies and science teachers listed in Turkey. In relation to their area, social studies teachers stated that the issues such as Kemalism, democracy, military coups, and deep state, which are associated with recent history of Turkey, were among the important controversial issues. Science teachers on the other hand stated issues such as cancer and anti-toxic foods and global warming among the controversial issues in Turkey. Both social studies and science teachers stated that the most frequently encountered problem in discussions was lack of knowledge by students. Whereas social studies teachers stated that their priority goals were particularly to raise active citizens and to set up a democratic classroom environment, science teachers pointed to raising scientifically thinking students and increasing students’ knowledge as their priority goals. During in-class discussions teachers take some positions. The positions stated by the teachers and in-class observations of them conflict. Whereas the teachers stated that they prefer the 4th and 3rd positions, the in

Estimation the remaining service-lifetime of wooden structure of geothermal cooling tower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Effendi Tri Bahtiar

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Similar with other construction materials, wood strength is decreasing when applied by long term loading. Wooden cooling tower structure at Star Energy Geothermal (Wayang Windu Ltd was built in 1998 and it should be evaluated to avoid sudden structural failure. Evaluation conducted through several steps: wood species identification, the physical and mechanical properties testing, and estimation for remaining service-lifetime by generating mathematical models derived from creep test and reduction of cross sectional area of the wood. Identification result that the wood are redwood (Sequoia sempervirens and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii. The wood density value has degraded from the surface until 0.25 cm depth. Strength characteristics of the wood have considerably decreased, but the allowable stress for bending, tension parallel to grain, and shear were still higher than NDS2005 requirements. The allowable stress for compression parallel to grain was slightly lower than NDS, while compression perpendicular to grain was much lower. Average modulus of elasticity reduces become lower than the value stated by the code, but the minimum value of modulus of elasticity (Emin of redwood was still higher than the code value, while Emin of Douglas fir is slightly lower. Then, in accordance with those findings, the construction would not failure yet but the deformation and vibration will occur in higher rate than design planning. This research develops mathematical models for estimating the remaining service-lifetime of the wooden cooling tower structure in geothermal power plant based on the wood performance in resisting long term loading and its deterioration rate. The deterioration rate of wood member of cooling tower structure at Star Energy Geothermal (Wayang Windu Ltd is 0.0147 cm depth per year, so equation for the residual service life estimation is σlaterσtoday=bh2(b−0.0147T(h−0.0147T2, and σlater must be lower than allowable stress.

[3rd and 4th generation estroprogestatives French controversy: What effect on women's behavior?].

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Luis; Frapard, Christian; Daumas, Aurélie; Guibert, Nicolas; Lagouanelle-Simeoni, Marie-Claude; Rakoto, Jean-Claude; Villani, Patrick; Sambuc, Roland

2016-04-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine the reasons given by women who have changed or suspended their contraceptive method in 2013. What influence had the 3rd and 4th generation estroprogestatives (EP) French controversy and advices from doctors? Did they notice any consequences of the controversy on their lifestyle? Did they feel an impact on their behavior to health professionals? A study was conducted on women of childbearing age. Data collection took place between November 4 and December 16, 2013. The included subjects were between 18 and 55 years old females. Subjects were surveyed through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire distributed through pharmacies. The protocol called for the construction of clusters of subjects by having heard about, or not, of the controversy. Patients reporting having heard about the controversy have formed the "exposed" group while the others have formed the "unexposed" group. We compared two parameters between these two groups: the rate of subjects who reported having modified or suspended their contraceptive method in 2013 on one hand, and the rate of subjects who reported having made a change in their contraceptive method without or against advices from a doctor on the other hand. The sample included 988 subjects. The average age was 34 years. The level of exposure to media debates was 86.5%. Of the respondents, 19.8% were under 3rd or 4th generation EP in 2012, thus directly involved in the discussions and affected by health recommendations. Of the patients, 38.5% reported having changed their contraception in 2013. In these women, when they confirmed having heard about the controversy, 40.1% of them claimed to have conducted this process without or against advices from a doctor. This number dropped to 18.2% for those who had not heard of it. Media coverage of the 3rd and 4th generation EP vascular risk was not mentioned more by patients who suspended all medical contraceptive method than it was by

How did the fracking controversy emerge in the period 2010-2012?

Science.gov (United States)

Mazur, Allan

2016-02-01

In 2010-2012, the controversy over fracking grew rapidly, first in the United States, and then internationally. An important step was the anti-fracking documentary film Gasland. With help from celebrity sources, the film was produced and won a prize at the Sundance Film Festival by early 2010 and had an Oscar nomination by early 2011, in the meantime popularizing potent images of hazard including tainted aquifers and ignitable water running from kitchen faucets. During this period, major US news organizations paid little attention to the issue. The offshore Deepwater Horizon disaster of April 2010 spurred The New York Times to prolific reporting on potential risks of the new onshore technique for extracting shale gas. With flagship news coverage, the controversy had by 2012 gained wide media attention that evoked public concern and opposition, spreading from the United States to other nations. © The Author(s) 2014.

The trans-Alaska pipeline controversy: Technology, conservation, and the frontier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coates, P.A.

1991-01-01

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was the object of perhaps the most passionately fought conservation battle in the U.S. Although numerous authors documented the pipeline construction during its construction, there is, surprisingly, no previous scholarly treatment of this event written by an historian. Coates is an environmental historian who views the most interesting aspect of the controversy to be open-quote its relationship to earlier engineering projects and technological innovations in Alaska and the debates that accompanied them.close quotes Thus, he describes how the conservationist and environmental ideas arose during numerous earlier major Alaskan projects and controversies, including the Alaska Highway (1938-41), Canol Pipeline (1943-45), exploration of Naval Petroleum Reserve Number Four (Pet 4, 1944-1953), DEWline (1953-57), oil development in the Kenai National Moose Range (1957-58), statehood (1958), the creation of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge (1960), Project Chariot (1958-63), and Rampart Dam (1959-67). The history starts with the acquisition of Alaska in 1867 and finishes about the time of the Valdez oil spill in 1989

Autonomy, Respect, and Arrogance in the Danish Cartoon Controversy

OpenAIRE

Rostbøll, Christian F.

2009-01-01

Udgivelsesdato: 2009 Autonomy is increasingly rejected as a fundamental principle by liberal political theorists, because it is regarded as incompatible with respect for diversity. This article seeks, via an analysis of the Danish cartoon controversy, to show that the relationship between autonomy and diversity is more complex than often posited. Particularly, it asks whether the autonomy defense of freedom of expression encourages disrespect for religious feelings. Autonomy leads to disre...

Yield stress fluids slowly yield to analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonn, D.; Denn, M.M.

2009-01-01

We are surrounded in everyday life by yield stress fluids: materials that behave as solids under small stresses but flow like liquids beyond a critical stress. For example, paint must flow under the brush, but remain fixed in a vertical film despite the force of gravity. Food products (such as

Remaining questions in the case for balanced harvesting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burgess, Matthew G; Diekert, Florian K; Jacobsen, Nis Sand

2016-01-01

are controversial, including its call for extensive harvesting of juveniles and forage fish. Balanced harvesting also calls for targeting species and size-classes that are not currently marketable, possibly at a significant economic cost. Some have argued that this cost is outweighed by the ecological benefits......Balanced harvesting – harvesting all species and sizes in an ecosystem in proportion to their productivity – is a fisheries management strategy that has been suggested recently to increase yields, while reducing overall ecosystem impact. However, some aspects of balanced harvesting...

PET in cancer screening: a controversial imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Minggang; Tan Tianzhi

2012-01-01

Malignancy has been one of the most dangerous threats to human health. Early diagnosis and treatment are key factors for improving prognosis. Cancer screening is an important way to detect early stage cancer and precancerous lesion. PET has been used increasingly in cancer screening in accordance with the requirement of the public. Though a great number of data show that PET can find some subclinical malignancy, yet as a cancer screening modality, PET is still controversial in contemporary medical practice. The aim of this article is to review the application status and existing problem of PET in cancer screening, and to offer some recognition and view about cancer srceening. (authors)

New Reproductive Conception Technologies: Bioethics and Controversies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlene Tamanini

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This article concerns some of the multiple ethical-bioethical and gender issues in the field of new reproductive and contraceptive technologies. The literature presented points to the plurality of possible situations and approaches in a multidimensional and controversial field. It presents some ethical-bioethical principals of biomedical action found in the study of heterosexual couples who use assisted reproduction. and of medical specialists in human reproduction in southern Brazil. It presents the ethical-bioethical presumptions that sanction medical behavior and the continuity of the so-called impregnation treatments, and analyzes the mechanisms used to raise the expectations of couples who lack confidence or success.

Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Progress and Remaining Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Links, Paul S; Shah, Ravi; Eynan, Rahel

2017-03-01

The main purpose of this review was to critically evaluate the literature on psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder (BPD) published over the past 5 years to identify the progress with remaining challenges and to determine priority areas for future research. A systematic review of the literature over the last 5 years was undertaken. The review yielded 184 relevant abstracts, and after applying inclusion criteria, 16 articles were fully reviewed based on the articles' implications for future research and/or clinical practice. Our review indicated that patients with various severities benefited from psychotherapy; more intensive therapies were not significantly superior to less intensive therapies; enhancing emotion regulation processes and fostering more coherent self-identity were important mechanisms of change; therapies had been extended to patients with BPD and posttraumatic stress disorder; and more research was needed to be directed at functional outcomes.

Reading "Daddy's Roommate": Preservice Teachers Respond to a Controversial Text.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Shawyn

2002-01-01

Explores the responses of the author's 31 pre-service teachers to a controversial picture book. Begins by searching for a short text geared to elementary age children and suited for read-alouds. Notes that she believes that the majority of pre-service teachers at this stage in the program are still very impressionable and must be given multiple…

Race and Genetics: Controversies in Biomedical, Behavioral, and Forensic Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Ossorio, Pilar; Duster, Troy

2005-01-01

Among biomedical scientists, there is a great deal of controversy over the nature of race, the relevance of racial categories for research, and the proper methods of using racial variables. This article argues that researchers and scholars should avoid a binary-type argument, in which the question is whether to use race always or never.…

Physician–Patient Discussions of Controversial Cancer Screening Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Andrew S.; Shridharani, Kanan V.; Lou, Wendy; Bernstein, Jeffrey; Horowitz, Carol R.

2016-01-01

Background Screening mammography for younger women and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement have controversial benefits and known potential adverse consequences. While providing informed consent and eliciting patient preference have been advocated for these tests, little is known about how often these discussions take place or about barriers to these discussions. Methods We administered a survey to medical house staff and attending physicians practicing primary care. The survey examined physicians’ likelihood of discussing screening mammography and PSA testing, and factors influencing the frequency and quality of these discussions. Results For the three scenarios, 16% to 34% of physicians stated that they do not discuss the screening tests. The likelihood of having a discussion was significantly associated with house staff physicians’ belief that PSA screening is advantageous; house staff and attending physicians’ intention to order a PSA test, and attending physicians’ intention to order a mammogram; and a controversial indication for screening. The most commonly identified barriers to discussions were lack of time, the complexity of the topic, and a language barrier. Conclusions Physicians report they often do not discuss cancer screening tests with their patients. Our finding that physicians’ beliefs and intention to order the tests, and extraneous factors such as time constraints and a language barrier, are associated with discussions indicates that some patients may be inappropriately denied the opportunity to choose whether to screen for breast and prostate cancer. PMID:11165455

Controversies in breast cancer: adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Montemurro, Filippo; Redana, Stefania; Valabrega, Giorgio; Aglietta, Massimo

2005-06-01

Initial randomised studies of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy showed that systemic treatments had a substantial impact on the survival of women with early breast cancer. The original assumption was that the efficacy of these treatments was limited to those patients presenting with more adverse prognostic features. Subsequently, meta-analyses of randomised trials revealed that the benefits of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy are not mutually exclusive and extend to all the prognostic subgroups. However, the absolute benefit varies according to baseline characteristics such as tumour stage and other biological factors. Over the last 10 years, considerable progress has been made with the introduction of new drugs into the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of women with breast cancer. Taxanes and third-generation aromatase inhibitors are providing proof of additional benefits compared with standard reference treatments. In parallel, research on the biology of breast cancer is establishing novel prognostic and predictive factors, which may allow better treatment tailoring. Currently, however, women with early breast cancer and their doctors face the difficult task of making therapeutic decisions often based on early results from positive studies. In a disease where follow up is crucial to fully assess the benefit and long-term toxicities of an intervention, current knowledge leaves unanswered questions that generate debate and controversy. This review will summarise recent results from randomised trials of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy in women with early breast cancer and focus on the current controversies.

The rocky flats controversy on radionuclide soil action levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earle, T.C.

2004-01-01

An account of the Rocky Flats radionuclide soil action level controversy is presented as: a case study for the purpose of understanding the nature and value of stakeholder involvement in the management of radiological hazards. The report consists of three main sections. The first section outlines the Rocky Flats story, including the Cold War era, which was characterised by secrecy and distrust, the post-Cold War era, in which trust and co-operation between risk managers and the public began to develop. This contrast between these two historical periods provides the context necessary to understand the radionuclide soil action level controversy, the main events of which are described in the second section. In the final section, the Rocky Flats case is briefly discussed within the framework of a general model of stakeholder involvement and the lessons learned from the case are identified: (1) without a basis in shared values, collaborative public involvement in the management of radiological hazards is not possible; (2) given a basis in shared values, collaborative public involvement can lead to improved solutions to the management of radiological hazards; and (3) risk managers should therefore seek to understand the values of public stakeholders and to identify ways, through stakeholder involvement, that those values can be incorporated in management practice. (author)

Writing about stress: the impact of a stress-management programme on staff accounts of dealing with stress.

Science.gov (United States)

van Oorsouw, Wietske M W J; Embregts, Petri J C M; Bosman, Anna M T; Jahoda, Andrew

2014-05-01

Helping staff serving clients with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour to cope with stress has implications for their own well-being and for the lives of those they support. This study examined staff members' views of stress and the effectiveness of a stress-management intervention. Effectiveness was assessed using written assignments regarding stress management, and changes in views presented were tested in a pre- and post-test control group design. In the first phase, a content analysis was conducted across groups, which revealed that participants expressed a broad variety of views about stress and coping mechanisms, with considerable individual differences. In the second phase, a more fine-grained quantitative analysis was conducted to assess training effectiveness. Results showed an increase in the proportion of coping strategies referred to by the experimental group post-training. This positive change remained at follow-up. The results of the content analysis and the outcome data have implications for staff training. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Removing Mill Weirs in France: The Structure and Dynamics of an Environmental Controversy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regis Barraud

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In France, as in many other parts of Europe and North America, the vast increase in the number of dam removals in order to restore ecological continuity has led to a large number of local conflicts, resulting in a significant ecological controversy. Most of these hydraulic works were connected to former water mills. This article will suggest new analytical methods to help understand and interpret this controversy through the use of two complementary approaches. The first is based on a geohistorical approach. It allows us to identify the development of the meanings and values associated with mill weirs and also to trace the development, since the 19th century, of state involvement in dealing with their ecological impact. Our second method, based on political ecology, attempts to decipher the current state of the controversy. Taking this as our objective we have undertaken a qualitative analysis of the discourse produced on a national level and also of the network of actors who make up the oppositional base to dam removal. The affective and emotional dimensions of the controversy, and also the attachment to local places, both of which are often crucial in the expression of opposition on the local scale, can be identified in the discourse. Yet, the discourse we have analysed reveals argumentative poles which translate both the opposition based on rational arguments and also an alternative vision of the development of rivers (heritage status, green and local power production. The oppositional argument which has been developed notably includes a discussion of the knowledge and scientific expertise upon which the process of dam removal is based. It also includes a critique of local consultation and decision-making methods.

Adolescents' sleep in low-stress and high-stress (exam) times: a prospective quasi-experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewald, Julia F; Meijer, Anne Marie; Oort, Frans J; Kerkhof, Gerard A; Bögels, Susan M

2014-01-01

This prospective quasi-experiment (N = 175; mean age = 15.14 years) investigates changes in adolescents' sleep from low-stress (regular school week) to high-stress times (exam week), and examines the (moderating) role of chronic sleep reduction, baseline stress, and gender. Sleep was monitored over three consecutive weeks using actigraphy. Adolescents' sleep was more fragmented during the high-stress time than during the low-stress time, meaning that individuals slept more restless during stressful times. However, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and sleep onset latency remained stable throughout the three consecutive weeks. High chronic sleep reduction was related to later bedtimes, later sleep start times, later sleep end times, later getting up times, and more time spent in bed. Furthermore, low chronic sleep reduction and high baseline stress levels were related to more fragmented sleep during stressful times. This study shows that stressful times can have negative effects on adolescents' sleep fragmentation, especially for adolescents with low chronic sleep reduction or high baseline stress levels.

Deciding on gender in children with intersex conditions: considerations and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Thyen, Ute; Richter-Appelt, Hertha; Wiesemann, Claudia; Holterhus, Paul-Martin; Hiort, Olaf

2005-01-01

Biologic factors such as genetic and hormonal influences contribute to gender identity, gender role behavior, and sexual orientation in humans, but this relationship is considerably modified by psychologic, social, and cultural factors. The recognition of biologically determined conditions leading to incongruity of genetically determined sex, somatic phenotype, and gender identity has led to growing interest in gender role development and gender identity in individuals with intersex conditions. Sex assignment of children with ambiguous genitalia remains a difficult decision for the families involved and subject to controversial discussion among professionals and self-help groups. Although systematic empirical data on outcomes of functioning and health-related quality of life are sparse, anecdotal evidence from case series and individual patients about their experiences in healthcare suggests traumatic experiences in some. This article reviews the earlier 'optimal gender policy' as well as the more recent 'full consent policy' and reviews published data on both surgical and psychosocial outcomes. The professional debate on deciding on sex assignment in children with intersex conditions is embedded in a much wider public discourse on gender as a social construction. Given that the empirical basis of our knowledge of the causes, treatment options, long-term outcomes, and patient preferences is insufficient, we suggest preliminary recommendations based on clinical experience, study of the literature, and interviews with affected individuals.

Changing perspectives of stress gastritis prophylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smythe, M A; Zarowitz, B J

1994-09-01

To present recent advances in stress gastritis prophylaxis in the critically ill and review considerations in selection of a prophylactic agent. Information was obtained from MEDLINE search, reference lists from articles identified in search, and from review articles. Emphasis was placed on controlled trials conducted within the last 5 years. All literature was assessed for methodology, results, and conclusions. Results of prospective, randomized trials, and meta-analyses are summarized. Histamine2-receptor antagonists, antacids, and sucralfate appear equally effective in preventing stress gastritis in the critically ill. A definitive cause-effect relationship between histamine2-receptor antagonists and increased incidence of nosocomial pneumonia has not yet been established. The indications for using a prophylactic agent and consideration in selecting an agent should include an evaluation of the following: risk factors for gastritis including the type of intensive care patient, comparative efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions, cost, and ease of administration. The least expensive, safest agent requiring minimal monitoring is sucralfate. Prevention of stress gastritis has never been shown to reduce morbidity or mortality significantly. Controversies still exist regarding the need to provide prophylaxis, the choice of an agent, and the relative importance of previously identified risk factors. Further well-designed studies are needed before consensus can be reached.

The influence of motivation on stress: is it stressful not to fit?

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Sebastian; Wolf, Oliver T; Memmert, Daniel

2015-01-01

The present research elaborates on the regulatory fit hypothesis by investigating a biological stress marker in a motivational fit- and non-fit-situation. Recent stress theories lead to the assumption that the participants' stress level in fit-situations remains constant or rather decreases, whereas under non-fit-conditions an increase of the stress activity is observed. We tested this hypothesis by assessment of salivary α-amylase (sAA), a saliva-based stress marker presumed to reflect noradrenergic activity. The results indicated that participants in a fit-situation show a decrease in sAA, whereas participants in a non-fit-situation demonstrate a contrary effect with an increase in sAA. These findings extend the concept of regulatory fit by illustrating that there are differences in sAA activity depending on whether participants are in a fit-situation. The experience of regulatory fit appears to be associated with a reduction of stress.

Safe but controversial: A study of recent high-visibility spent fuel shipping campaigns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimm, P.D.; Harmon, L.H.

1987-01-01

Since the need to move radioactive materials is at the core of every part of the fuel cycle, it is not surprising that the waste management program also has a critical transportation link. Yet, in spite of a nearly flawless safety record, transportation of spent fuel is an extremely controversial and emotional issue. There are reactions at every political level and pressures from special interest groups across the Nation. In many cases the courts make the final decisions. An example is the DOE program to move spent fuel from Brookhaven National Laboratory which took ten years to accomplish and wound up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Two other DOE shipping campaigns now underway contain all of the same elements of controversy. About 35 - 40 rail shipments are intended to move the damaged Three-Mile Island core to DOE's Idaho facility. In addition, approximately 50 shipments of spent fuel will be made from the VEPCO plant at Surry, Virginia, to Idaho for use in testing above-ground storage methods. This paper traces the background of the campaigns and the controversies generated. Comparisons and contrasts of ''routine'' shipments of recent years with problems of today, including lawsuits to prevent shipment, are given along with implications for the future

Controversy Associated With the Common Component of Most Transgenic Plants – Kanamycin Resistance Marker Gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srećko Jelenić

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Plant genetic engineering is a powerful tool for producing crops resistant to pests, diseases and abiotic stress or crops with improved nutritional value or better quality products. Currently over 70 genetically modified (GM crops have been approved for use in different countries. These cover a wide range of plant species with significant number of different modified traits. However, beside the technology used for their improvement, the common component of most GM crops is the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (nptII, which confers resistance to the antibiotics kanamycin and neomycin. The nptII gene is present in GM crops as a marker gene to select transformed plant cells during the first steps of the transformation process. The use of antibiotic-resistance genes is subject to controversy and intense debate, because of the likelihood that clinical therapy could be compromised due to inactivation of the oral dose of the antibiotic from consumption of food derived from the transgenic plant, and because of the risk of gene transfer from plants to gut and soil microorganisms or to consumer’s cells. The present article discusses these possibilities in the light of current scientific knowledge.

Acute Social Stress Engages Synergistic Activity of Stress Mediators in the VTA to Promote Pavlovian Reward Learning

OpenAIRE

Kan, Russell; Pomrenze, Matthew; Tovar-Diaz, Jorge; Morikawa, Hitoshi; Drew, Michael; Pahlavan, Bahram

2017-01-01

Stressful events rapidly trigger activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in certain brain areas, driving the formation of aversive memories. However, it remains unclear how stressful experience affects plasticity mechanisms to regulate learning of appetitive events, such as intake of addictive drugs or palatable foods. Using rats, we show that two acute stress mediators, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and norepinephrine (NE), enhance plasticity of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic tra...

42 CFR 405.740 - Principles for determining the amount in controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Principles for determining the amount in... Reconsiderations and Appeals Under Medicare Part A § 405.740 Principles for determining the amount in controversy... more appellants, the Secretary may assert that the aggregation principles contained in this subpart may...

Behavioral consequences of conflict-oriented health news coverage: the 2009 mammography guideline controversy and online information seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Weeks, Brian E; Friedenberg, Laura M; Southwell, Brian G; Slater, Jonathan S

2012-01-01

Building on channel complementarity theory and media-system dependency theory, this study explores the impact of conflict-oriented news coverage of health issues on information seeking online. Using Google search data as a measure of behavior, we demonstrate that controversial news coverage of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's November 2009 recommendations for changes in breast cancer screening guidelines strongly predicted the volume of same-day online searches for information about mammograms. We also found that this relationship did not exist 1 year prior to the coverage, during which mammography news coverage did not focus on the guideline controversy, suggesting that the controversy frame may have driven search behavior. We discuss the implications of these results for health communication scholars and practitioners.

Management of endometrial cancer: issues and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogani, G; Dowdy, S C; Cliby, W A; Ghezzi, F; Rossetti, D; Frigerio, L; Mariani, A

2016-01-01

Although endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecologic cancer in developed countries, several aspects of its management are still controversial. In particular, the need to perform lymphadenectomy represents an important matter of discussion. Because of the discordant results in the literature, it is still not possible to draft any definitive conclusions regarding the therapeutic value of lymph node dissection. The present review discusses the role of lymphadenectomy in the setting of EC, risk factors for lymphatic spread, identification of patients at risk for lymph node dissemination, and the current evidence for adjuvant therapies in patients with positive nodes. Reasons for the difficulty in demonstrating any therapeutic value of pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy are also discussed.

Drug safety: Pregnancy rating classifications and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmer, Erin; Chai, Sandy; Kroumpouzos, George

2016-01-01

This contribution consolidates data on international pregnancy rating classifications, including the former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Swedish, and Australian classification systems, as well as the evidence-based medicine system, and discusses discrepancies among them. It reviews the new Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR) that replaced the former FDA labeling system with narrative-based labeling requirements. PLLR emphasizes on human data and highlights pregnancy exposure registry information. In this context, the review discusses important data on the safety of most medications used in the management of skin disease in pregnancy. There are also discussions of controversies relevant to the safety of certain dermatologic medications during gestation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Controversies over Bioenergy in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Andersen, Bente Hessellund

2012-01-01

convert coal fired power plants to biomass in order to sustain the role of these power plants. Their increasing use of imported wood pellets is criticized for increasing greenhouse gas emissions because of fast logging of years of forest growth. A Danish biotech company is developing enzymes...... a prominent role in several Danish climate and energy plans, alongside with wind and solar energy, and energy savings. There are major controversies about targets for bioenergy with respect to acceptable types, sources and amounts of biomass. Strong path dependency is identified. Energy companies in Denmark...... for processing of biomass for biofuels. The alignment with the private car regime is strong, because biofuel enables continuation of fuel-driven vehicles as dominating transportation mode. Danish farmers see manure as important source for biogas while arguing for reduction of climate impact and nuisances from...

An overview of the Hanford controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, A.M.; Kneale, G.W.

1991-01-01

In 1964, the Atomic Energy Commission agreed to sponsor 'a study of the lifetime health and mortality experiences of all employees of AEC contractors.' The commission put in charge of this study a physician (Thomas Mancuso) who had recently shown how the U.S. Social Security system could be used to identify the dates and causes of death of all insured workers. As director of the AEC project, Mancuso was at liberty to include any or all the postwar offshoots of the Manhattan Project. His master plan included workers from Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Hanford, but it soon became apparent that his attempts to link radiation exposures to subsequent events were proving more successful at Hanford than elsewhere. The authors of this paper, who participated in the study, review the controversy surrounding its eventual publication.22 references

The Relationship of Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in a Culturally Distinct, Conflict-Affected Population: A Study among West Papuan Refugees Displaced to Papua New Guinea.

Science.gov (United States)

Silove, Derrick; Tay, Alvin Kuowei; Kareth, Moses; Rees, Susan

2017-01-01

Controversy continues about the validity of the construct of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). In particular, questions remain whether C-PTSD can be differentiated from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and, secondarily, other common mental disorders. The examination of these issues needs to be expanded to populations of diverse cultural backgrounds exposed to prolonged persecution. We undertake such an inquiry among a community sample of West Papuan refugees exposed to extensive persecution and trauma. We interviewed over 300 West Papuan refugees using the Refugee-Mental Health Assessment Package to record symptoms of PTSD, C-PTSD, major depressive disorder (MDD), and complex grief (CG). We used first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test aspects of the convergent and discriminant validity of C-PTSD. The CFA analysis supported both a one-factor and two-factor model of PTSD and C-PTSD. Nested model comparison tests provide support for the parsimonious one-factor model solution. A second-order CFA model of PTSD and C-PTSD produced a poor fit. The modified three-factor multi-disorder solution combining a traumatic stress (TS) factor (amalgamating PTSD and C-PTSD), MDD, and CG yielded a good fit only after removing three CG domains (estrangement, yearning, and behavioral change), a model that produced large standardized residuals (>0.20). The most parsimonious model yielded a single TS factor combining symptom domains of C-PTSD and PTSD in this culturally distinct community exposed to extensive persecution and conflict-related trauma. There may be grounds for expanding the scope of psychological treatments for refugees to encompass this wider TS response. Our findings are consistent with theoretical frameworks focusing on the wider TS reaction of refugees exposed to human rights-related traumas of mass conflict, persecution, and displacement.

The Relationship of Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in a Culturally Distinct, Conflict-Affected Population: A Study among West Papuan Refugees Displaced to Papua New Guinea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derrick Silove

2017-05-01

Full Text Available BackgroundControversy continues about the validity of the construct of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD. In particular, questions remain whether C-PTSD can be differentiated from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD and, secondarily, other common mental disorders. The examination of these issues needs to be expanded to populations of diverse cultural backgrounds exposed to prolonged persecution. We undertake such an inquiry among a community sample of West Papuan refugees exposed to extensive persecution and trauma.MethodsWe interviewed over 300 West Papuan refugees using the Refugee-Mental Health Assessment Package to record symptoms of PTSD, C-PTSD, major depressive disorder (MDD, and complex grief (CG. We used first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA to test aspects of the convergent and discriminant validity of C-PTSD.ResultsThe CFA analysis supported both a one-factor and two-factor model of PTSD and C-PTSD. Nested model comparison tests provide support for the parsimonious one-factor model solution. A second-order CFA model of PTSD and C-PTSD produced a poor fit. The modified three-factor multi-disorder solution combining a traumatic stress (TS factor (amalgamating PTSD and C-PTSD, MDD, and CG yielded a good fit only after removing three CG domains (estrangement, yearning, and behavioral change, a model that produced large standardized residuals (>0.20.ConclusionThe most parsimonious model yielded a single TS factor combining symptom domains of C-PTSD and PTSD in this culturally distinct community exposed to extensive persecution and conflict-related trauma. There may be grounds for expanding the scope of psychological treatments for refugees to encompass this wider TS response. Our findings are consistent with theoretical frameworks focusing on the wider TS reaction of refugees exposed to human rights-related traumas of mass conflict, persecution, and displacement.

Clinical Correlates of Alleged Satanic Abuse and Less Controversial Sexual Molestation.

Science.gov (United States)

Leavitt, Frank

1994-01-01

This study found that 39 women alleging satanic ritual abuse and 47 women reporting less controversial forms of sexual trauma as children were characterized by high but nondiscriminating levels of psychiatric pathology. Patients alleging satanic ritual abuse reported higher levels of dissociation, in the range often exhibited by patients with…

General Education Today. A Critical Analysis of Controversies, Practices, and Reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaff, Jerry G.

The range of controversies and changes emerging from the current revival of general education are examined, and many ideas, examples, and recommendations for achieving realistic and successful curricular reform are offered. Instead of either offering an apology for general education or advocating any particular approach, the book draws on solid…

Controversies about a common etiology for eating and mood disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clara eRossetti

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Obesity and depression represent a growing health concern worldwide. For many years, basic science and medicine have considered obesity as a metabolic illness, while depression was classified a psychiatric disorder. Despite accumulating evidence suggesting that obesity and depression may share commonalities though, the causal link between eating and mood disorders remains to be fully understood. This etiology is highly complex, consisting of multiple environmental and genetic risk factors that interact with each other. In this review, we sought to summarize the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting a common etiology for eating and mood disorders, with a particular emphasis on signaling pathways involved in the maintenance of energy balance and mood stability, among which orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptides, metabolic factors, stress responsive hormones, cytokines and neurotrophic factors.

Androgen replacement therapy in late-onset hypogonadism: current concepts and controversies - a mini-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mäkinen, Juuso I; Huhtaniemi, Ilpo

2011-01-01

Normal testicular function is essential for the maintenance of male physical strength and behaviour irrespective of age. A new term of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) has been coined for the condition of decreased testosterone (T) and hypogonadal symptoms in ageing men. The most important testicular hormone, T, is responsible for the gender-specific androgenic-anabolic effects in men. Testicular T production remains stable until around the age of 40 years after which it declines by 1-2% annually. Despite this age-related decline, serum T levels in most older men remain within the reference range of younger men. The decreasing androgen levels are paralleled by well-defined objective biological and nonspecific subjective signs and symptoms of ageing. Because these symptoms are similar to those observed in young men with documented hypogonadism, androgen replacement therapy (ART) has been considered a logical way to treat them. A thorough review of the existing literature was performed to evaluate the current concepts and controversies related to ageing men and ART. Although it is intuitively logical that the symptoms of LOH are due to the ageing-related deficiency of T, and that they can be reversed by ART, the evidence for this is still variable and often weak. In particular, evidence-based information about long-term benefits and risks of ART in ageing men is largely missing. Despite widespread use, evidence-based proof for the objective benefits and side effects of ART of elderly men is still scanty, and such treatments should be considered experimental. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Joshua J; Golden, Sherita H

2017-03-01

Controversy exists over the role of stress and depression in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Depression has been shown to increase the risk for progressive insulin resistance and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in multiple studies, whereas the association of stress with diabetes is less clear, owing to differences in study designs and in forms and ascertainment of stress. The biological systems involved in adaptation that mediate the link between stress and physiological functions include the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous and immune systems. The HPA axis is a tightly regulated system that represents one of the body's mechanisms for responding to acute and chronic stress. Depression is associated with cross-sectional and longitudinal alterations in the diurnal cortisol curve, including a blunted cortisol awakening response and flattening of the diurnal cortisol curve. Flattening of the diurnal cortisol curve is also associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this article, we review and summarize the evidence supporting HPA axis dysregulation as an important biological link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

TREM-1 expression in craniopharyngioma and Rathke's cleft cyst: its possible implication for controversial pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; Wang, Chao-Hu; Li, Dan-Ling; Zhang, Shi-Chao; Peng, Yu-Ping; Peng, Jun-Xiang; Song, Ye; Qi, Song-Tao; Pan, Jun

2016-08-02

Whether a mixed type of craniopharyngioma (CP) exists and whether papillary craniopharyngioma (pCP) is on a histopathological continuum with Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC) remain controversial. Herein, we examined the expression and localization of β-catenin, BRAF p.V600E (V600E), and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) in 58 samples including 20 pCPs, 26 adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (aCP), and 12 RCCs. Five aCPs were diagnosed with mixed type CPs and the remaining 21 cases were pure aCPs. Four of the 12 RCCs presented with significant squamous epithelium (SE). V600E immunoreactivity was observed in all pCPs in the cytoplasm, but not in the nuclei. aCPs and RCCs, including mixed type CP, did not express V600E. Nuclear β-catenin translocation was detected exclusively in aCPs. TREM-1 was expressed in pCPs. Additionally, TREM-1 expression was detected in the SE of 5 "mixed type" CPs, while it was absent in pure aCPs. TREM-1 was expressed in 4 RCCs with SE, but not in the remaining 8 RCCs. TREM-1 mRNA levels were compared in cultured pCP and aCP cells. TREM-1 mRNA level was significantly (p < 0.001; up to 4.045 fold) higher in pCPs than in aCPs. Western blotting revealed a significantly (p < 0.001; up to 7.19 fold) lower level of TREM-1 expression in aCP cells compared to that in pCP cells. Our findings further supported that RCC and pCP may represent two ends of a morphological spectrum. A variant showing overlapping histological features of aCP and pCP should not be considered as a mixed type.

Einstein's opponents the public controversy about the theory of relativity in the 1920s

CERN Document Server

Wazeck, Milena

2014-01-01

This detailed account of the controversy surrounding the publication of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity explores the ferocious popular and academic opposition which at one time encircled one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the twentieth century. Based on extensive archival research, this fascinating discourse includes a compelling and entertaining examination of the contemporary literature created by Einstein's detractors. Exploring the arguments and strategies, social contexts, and motivations of Einstein's detractors, and providing unique insights into the dynamics of scientific controversies, this book is ideal for anyone interested in the history and philosophy of physics, popular science, and the public understanding of science.

Effect of Free Radicals & Antioxidants on Oxidative Stress: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok Shinde

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recently free radicals have attracted tremendous importance in the field of medicine including dentistry and molecular biology. Free radicals can be either harmful or helpful to the body. When there is an imbalance between formation and removal of free radicals then a condition called as oxidative stress is developed in body. To counteract these free radicals body has protective antioxidant mechanisms which have abilities to lower incidence of various human morbidities and mortalities. Many research groups in the past have tried to study and confirm oxidative stress. Many authors also have studied role of antioxidants in reducing oxidative stress. They have come across with controversial results and furthermore it is not yet fully confirmed whether oxidative stress increases the need for dietary antioxidants. Recently, an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease has received considerable attention. Various forms of antioxidants have been introduced as an approach to fight dental diseases and improve general gingival health. The implication of oxidative stress in the etiology of many chronic and degenerative diseases suggests that antioxidant therapy represents a promising avenue for treatment. This study was conducted with the objective of reviewing articles relating to this subject. A Pub Med search of all articles containing key words free radicals, oxidative stress, and antioxidants was done. A review of these articles was undertaken.

The Ground Zero Mosque Controversy: Implications for American Islam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liyakat Takim

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The controversy surrounding the “ground zero mosque” is part of a larger debate about the place of Islam in U.S. public space. The controversy also reveals the ways in which the boundaries of American identity continue to be debated, often through struggles over who counts as a “real” American. It further demonstrates the extent to which Islam is figured as un-American and militant, and also the extent to which all Muslims are required to account for the actions of those who commit violence under the rubric of Islam. This paper will discuss how, due to the events of September 11, 2001, Muslims have engaged in a process of indigenizing American Islam. It will argue that the Park51 Islamic Community Center (or Ground Zero mosque is a reflection of this indigenization process. It will go on to argue that projects such as the Ground Zero mosque which try to establish Islam as an important part of the American religious landscape and insist on the freedom of worship as stated in the U.S. constitution, illustrate the ideological battlefield over the place of Islam in the U.S. The paper will also examine the possible ramifications of building the Park51 Islamic Community Center including how this will shape the role that Islam plays in the socio-political lives America Muslims.

Controversies Concerning the Canadian Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacroix, Robert; O'Shaughnessy, Roy; McNiel, Dale E; Binder, Renée L

2017-03-01

In Canada, individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder are subject to the disposition recommendations of the Provincial or Territorial Review Board of the jurisdiction where the offense was committed. Bill C-14, known as "The Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act" made changes to the postverdict disposition process of these individuals. This legislation was consistent with a broader "tough-on-crime" agenda of the previous federal government. The legislative changes codify that Review Boards take public safety as the "paramount consideration" in making their recommendations. The legislation also creates a new "high-risk" category for certain offenders and imposes limitations on their liberty. Further, Bill C-14 seeks to enhance victim involvement in the disposition process. The passage of this legislation has generated significant controversy in the medical and legal fields. Critics have stated that there is an absence of empirical evidence on which to base the amendments, that the legislation was an overreaction to high-profile cases, and that Bill C-14 is in questionable compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this review, we explore the potential catalysts involved in the creation of Bill C-14, the controversy surrounding the legislation, and the potential future impact on practicing forensic psychiatrists and on the forensic mental health system in Canada. © 2017 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Adolescent antisocial behavior explained by combining stress-related parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Platje, Evelien; Jansen, Lucres M. C.; Vermeiren, Robert R. J. M.; Doreleijers, Theo A. H.; van Lier, Pol A. C.; Koot, Hans M.; Meeus, W.H.J.; Branje, Suzan J. T.; Popma, Arne

Many stress-related parameters have been associated with antisocial behavior, including low cortisol awakening responses (CAR), as well as low cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity to stress. These parameters reflect different, yet interrelated components of the stress system, yet it remains to be

Effect of Crack Tip Stresses on Delayed Hydride Cracking in Zr-2.5Nb Tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Suk; Cheong, Yong Moo

2007-01-01

Delayed hydride cracking (DHC) tests have shown that the DHC velocity becomes faster in zirconium alloys with a higher yield stress. To account for this yield stress effect on the DHC velocity, they suggested a simple hypothesis that increased crack tip stresses due to a higher yield stress would raise the difference in hydrogen concentration between the crack tip and the bulk region and accordingly the DHC velocity. This hypothesis is also applied to account for a big leap in the DHC velocity of zirconium alloys after neutron irradiation. It should be noted that this is based on the old DHC models that the driving force for DHC is the stress gradient. Puls predicted that an increase in the yield stress of a cold worked Zr-2.5Nb tube due to neutron irradiation by about 300 MPa causes an increase of its DHC velocity by an order of magnitude or 2 to 3 times depending on the accommodation energy values. Recently, we proposed a new DHC model that a driving force for DHC is not the stress gradient but the concentration gradient arising from the stress-induced precipitation of hydrides at the crack tip. Our new DHC model and the supporting experimental results have demonstrated that the DHC velocity is governed primarily by hydrogen diffusion at below 300 .deg. C. Since hydrogen diffusion in Zr-2.5Nb tubes is dictated primarily by the distribution of the β-phase, the DHC velocity of the irradiated Zr-2.5Nb tube must be determined mainly by the distribution of the β-phase, not by the increased yield stress, which is in contrast with the hypothesis of the previous DHC models. In short, a controversy exists as to the effect on the DHC velocity of zirconium alloys of a change in the crack tip stresses by irradiation hardening or cold working or annealing. The aim of this study is to resolve this controversy and furthermore to prove the validity of our DHC model. To this end, we cited Pan et al.'s experiment where the delayed hydride cracking velocity, the tensile strengths

Service and Emotional Support Animals on Campus: The Relevance and Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Melinda

2016-01-01

Service and emotional support animals (ESA) have recently been a topic of conversation on college campuses, despite decades of controversy related to the interpretation of federal law. The distinction between an Emotional Support Animal and Service Animals, and the rights of the student regarding accommodations under FHA and ADA have been debated…

Controversies in the management of tongue base cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Neill, J P

2012-01-31

BACKGROUND: Tongue base cancer is one of the most lethal head and neck cancers. There is considerable controversy in the management of this disease with wide variation of opinion within the literature. METHODS: We discuss the presentation, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies which exist in the literature. Articles were reviewed from 1970 to 2007 within the Medline, Pubmed and Cochrane libraries. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers with a history of persistent unilateral neck pain, even in the absence of clinical signs warrant MRI neck imaging. Tongue base cancer organ preservation therapeutic strategies, radiation and concomitant platinum based chemotherapy, currently optimise oncologic and quality of life outcomes.

Psychological Stress Increases Risk for Peptic Ulcer, Regardless of Helicobacter pylori Infection or Use of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Levenstein, Susan; Rosenstock, Steffen; Jacobsen, Rikke Kart

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is controversy over whether psychological stress contributes to development of peptic ulcers. We collected data on features of life stress and ulcer risk factors from a defined population in Denmark and compared these with findings of confirmed ulcers during the next 11......, smoking, H pylori infection, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were independent predictors of ulcer. CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective study of a population-based Danish cohort, psychological stress increased the incidence of peptic ulcer, in part by influencing health risk behaviors. Stress had......-12 years. METHODS: We collected blood samples and psychological, social, behavioral, and medical data in 1982-1983 from a population-based sample of 3379 Danish adults without a history of ulcer participating in the World Health Organization's MONICA study. A 0- to 10-point stress index scale was used...

Prevention of sudden cardiac death in young athletes: controversies and conundrums.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowland, Thomas

2011-01-01

Strategies for preventing sudden cardiac death in young athletes are predicated on the assumption that: (1) these events reflect pre-existing, clinically silent heart disease, and (2) means for detecting these abnormalities on the pre-participation evaluation are both feasible and accurate. Recent controversy has surrounded both of these presumptions. Some evidence suggests that the myocardial hypertrophy accompanying sports training itself might serve as a substrate for fatal arrhythmias. As well, vigorous debate has arisen over the optimal content of the pre-participation evaluation, particularly regarding the inclusion of routine screening electrocardiograms. As the rarity of these fatal events does not lend itself to an experimental approach, such disagreements are not easily resolved. Consequently, it is expected that decisions regarding approaches to prevention of sudden death in athletes will be dictated largely by region-specific financial, political, and cultural factors. This chapter examines the aetiologies of sudden cardiac death in young athletes as well as the controversies surrounding the prevention of these tragedies. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Neuromodulator and Emotion Biomarker for Stress Induced Mental Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Simeng; Wang, Wei; Wang, Fushun; Huang, Jason H

2016-01-01

Affective disorders are a leading cause of disabilities worldwide, and the etiology of these many affective disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder is due to hormone changes, which includes hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in the peripheral nervous system and neuromodulators in the central nervous system. Consistent with pharmacological studies indicating that medical treatment acts by increasing the concentration of catecholamine, the locus coeruleus (LC)/norepinephrine (NE) system is regarded as a critical part of the central "stress circuitry," whose major function is to induce "fight or flight" behavior and fear and anger emotion. Despite the intensive studies, there is still controversy about NE with fear and anger. For example, the rats with LC ablation were more reluctant to leave a familiar place and took longer to consume the food pellets in an unfamiliar place (neophobia, i.e., fear in response to novelty). The reason for this discrepancy might be that NE is not only for flight (fear), but also for fight (anger). Here, we try to review recent literatures about NE with stress induced emotions and their relations with mental disorders. We propose that stress induced NE release can induce both fear and anger. "Adrenaline rush or norepinephrine rush" and fear and anger emotion might act as biomarkers for mental disorders.

Predicted supplies of oil: a controversy revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackay, R.M.; Probert, S.D.

1993-01-01

This investigation had two objectives. The first was to consider future problems of the oil industry, as envisaged at the time of the impending 1973-74 unit-oil-price crisis. To this end, selected early 1970's pertinent published papers have been analysed and their conclusions now assessed in hindsight. The chosen published articles were considered then to be in part controversial, visionary and simultaneously, often predicting very different outcomes for the future supply, demand and unit cost of crude oil. The second objective was to assess pertinent recent research, and compare what we at present believe to be the status quo for the oil industry, with the perception of how the industry would have developed as portrayed by the early 1970's oil publications. (author)

Perspective: Challenges and Controversial Issues in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 1980-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Nestle, Marion

2018-03-01

Since 1980, every edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) has recommended increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but reduced consumption of saturated fat, sugars, and sodium and, therefore, their primary food sources. Every edition has generated controversy, mainly from producers of foods affected by "eat less" recommendations, particularly meat. Objections to the 2015 DGAs focused on environmental as well as scientific issues, but also on purported conflicts of interest among members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. On this basis, critics induced Congress to authorize the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to review the process of drawing up the guidelines. The NAM's 2017 reports should strengthen the process, but as long as science continues to support advice to reduce consumption of targeted foods, the guidelines will continue to elicit political controversy.

Cooperative Learning, Responsibility, Ambiguity, Controversy and Support in Motivating Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald Brecke, PhD

2007-08-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that student motivation is nurtured more by intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards. Rather than relying on grades alone to stimulate students, this paper explores how engendering a natural critical learning environment can give students a sense of ownership in their own learning and lead to their commitment to that learning. We examine uses of cooperative learning, shared responsibility, ambiguity, controversy and support in student motivation.

Cooperative Learning, Responsibility, Ambiguity, Controversy and Support in Motivating Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald Brecke

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that student motivation is nurtured more by intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards. Rather than relying on grades alone to stimulate students, this paper explores how engendering a natural critical learning environment can give students a sense of ownership in their own learning and lead to their commitment to that learning. We examine uses of cooperative learning, shared responsibility, ambiguity, controversy and support in student motivation.

Mild mental stress in diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hildebrandt, P; Mehlsen, J; Sestoft, L

1985-01-01

A TV-game of tennis of 20 min duration was used to study the influence of mild mental stress on subcutaneous blood-flow (SBF), blood-pressure and heart rate in nine insulin-dependent diabetics and nine healthy subjects. SBF was measured on the thigh by local clearance of xenon-133. Measurements...... were made before, during and after the period of stress. During stress, SBF increased significantly by 26% in the healthy subjects, while SBF remained unchanged in the diabetics. The difference between the two groups was significant (P less than 0.05). Following stress, SBF returned to pre-stress level...... in the healthy subjects, while a significant decrease of 33% was observed in the diabetics. The pre-stress heart rate level was higher and the stress-induced increase in heart rate was less in the diabetics compared with the healthy subjects (P less than 0.05). During the stress a slight--but insignificant...

[MELATONIN CONCENTRATION IN THE BLOOD OF VITILIGO PATIENTS WITH STRESS IN ANAMNESIS].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsiskarishvili, N I; Katsitadze, A; Tsiskarishvili, N V; Tsiskarishvil, Ts; Chitanava, L

2016-05-01

In recent years, despite some progress in the study of vitiligo many aspects of pathogenesis and treatment of this dermatosis remain unsolved or are highly controversial. It is believed that progression of disease is associated with a genetic predisposition, autoimmune processes and oxidative stress, but the concrete role of stress on the processes having place in the organism of vitiligo patients so far is not investigated. As we know, epiphysis is the main regulator of adaptation of the individual to the environment. An important product of secretion of the pineal gland is the hormone melatonin - a universal regulator of vital functions and biorhythms of the body. Psychoses, neuroses, depression, immunopathology are aspects of disturbances in circadian, seasonal and annual rhythms of the synthesis of this hormone. Clinical and experimental studies indicate that the hormone melatonin, which is one of the links in a stress defense mechanism of the body, has antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. The purpose of this study was to determine plasma level of melatonin in the blood of vitiligo patients (with stress in anamnesis), depending on the clinical form and duration of the disease. 41 patients with vitiligo (16 with segmental and 25 with non-segmental form) with stress in anamnesis and duration of disease from several months to 20 years were under observation. The level of melatonin in the blood plasma was determined by ELISA (IBL - international - reagent), the results were expressed in units of pg/ml. According to the results of our study, 8 patients with segmental vitiligo had the normal level of plasma melatonin concentration (in the range of 20.2-31.1 pg/ml), in 2 cases - the level was near the norm (19.2 pg/ml). In the group of patients with non-segmental vitiligo, the level of melatonin was below the norm (12.5 pg/ml) and in 2 cases, the content of melatonin was very low - 4.05 pg / ml. Correlation analysis of melatonin levels with duration of disease

Acute Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Independent Unconventional Splicing of XBP1 mRNA in the Nucleus of Mammalian Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanyuan Wang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The regulation of expression of X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1, a transcriptional factor, involves an unconventional mRNA splicing that removes the 26 nucleotides intron. In contrast to the conventional splicing that exclusively takes place in the nucleus, determining the location of unconventional splicing still remains controversial. This study was designed to examine whether the unconventional spicing of XBP1 mRNA could occur in the nucleus and its possible biological relevance. We use RT-PCR reverse transcription system and the expand high fidelity PCR system to detect spliced XBP1 mRNA, and fraction cells to determine the location of the unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA. We employ reporter constructs to show the presence of unconventional splicing machinery in mammal cells independently of acute endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress. Our results reveal the presence of basal unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA in the nucleus that also requires inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase and endonuclease 1α (IRE1α and can occur independently of acute ER stress. Furthermore, we confirm that acute ER stress induces the splicing of XBP1 mRNA predominantly occurring in the cytoplasm, but it also promotes the splicing in the nucleus. The deletion of 5′-nucleotides in XBP1 mRNA significantly increases its basal unconventional splicing, suggesting that the secondary structure of XBP1 mRNA may determine the location of unconventional splicing. These results suggest that the unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA can take place in the nucleus and/or cytoplasm, which possibly depends on the elaborate regulation. The acute ER stress-independent unconventional splicing in the nucleus is most likely required for the maintaining of day-to-day folding protein homeostasis.

Controversies in the Management of Borderline Resectable Proximal Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma with Vascular Involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga N. Tucker

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Synchronous major vessel resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD for borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial. In the 1970s, regional pancreatectomy advocated by Fortner was associated with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rates, with no impact on long-term survival. With the establishment of a multidisciplinary approach, improvements in preoperative staging techniques, surgical expertise, and perioperative care reduced mortality rates and improved 5-year-survival rates are now achieved following resection in high-volume centres. Perioperative morbidity and mortality following PD with portal vein resection are comparable to standard PD, with reported 5-year-survival rates of up to 17%. Segmental resection and reconstruction of the common hepatic artery/proper hepatic artery (CHA/PHA can be performed to achieve an R0 resection in selected patients with limited involvement of the CHA/PHA at the origin of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA. PD with concomitant major vessel resection for borderline resectable tumours should be performed when a margin-negative resection is anticipated at high-volume centres with expertise in complex pancreatic surgery. Where an incomplete (R1 or R2 resection is likely neoadjuvant treatment with systemic chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation as part of a clinical trial should be offered to all patients.

Clarifying some remaining questions in the anomaly puzzle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xing; Parker, Leonard

2011-01-01

We discuss several points that may help to clarify some questions that remain about the anomaly puzzle in supersymmetric theories. In particular, we consider a general N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The anomaly puzzle concerns the question of whether there is a consistent way in the quantized theory to put the R-current and the stress tensor in a single supermultiplet called the supercurrent, even though in the classical theory they are in the same supermultiplet. It was proposed that the classically conserved supercurrent bifurcates into two supercurrents having different anomalies in the quantum regime. The most interesting result we obtain is an explicit expression for the lowest component of one of the two supercurrents in 4-dimensional spacetime, namely the supercurrent that has the energy-momentum tensor as one of its components. This expression for the lowest component is an energy-dependent linear combination of two chiral currents, which itself does not correspond to a classically conserved chiral current. The lowest component of the other supercurrent, namely, the R-current, satisfies the Adler-Bardeen theorem. The lowest component of the first supercurrent has an anomaly, which we show is consistent with the anomaly of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. Therefore, we conclude that there is no consistent way to construct a single supercurrent multiplet that contains the R-current and the stress tensor in the straightforward way originally proposed. We also discuss and try to clarify some technical points in the derivations of the two supercurrents in the literature. These latter points concern the significance of infrared contributions to the NSVZ β-function and the role of the equations of motion in deriving the two supercurrents. (orig.)

The nuclear controversy: unequal competition in public policy-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, I.

1980-05-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction; some epistemological problems; energy policy-making and the energy crisis; the nuclear controversy - substantive issues (the need for nuclear power; the desirability of nuclear power (safety of nuclear power; cost of nuclear power; nuclear power and weapons proliferation; nuclear power and civil liberties; some other aspects of nuclear power development); conclusion); the dominance of pro-nuclear thinking; conclusion and prospects. Appendix A describes the structure of the UK nuclear industry and its European connections. (U.K.)

Nuclear controversy and the political organisations and pressure groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robin, M.

1983-01-01

This paper describes the rise of nuclear controversy in France and the organisation of pressure groups in a political context. The author points out that public opinion became alerted to the dangers of nuclear energy much later in France than for example in the United States and highlights the action of ecologist groups. He concludes that contrary to the case in Australia, the FRG and Sweden anti-nuclear pressure groups have not been successful in truly influencing French governmental policy in that area. (NEA) [fr

The Paravascular Pathway for Brain Waste Clearance: Current Understanding, Significance and Controversy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Bacyinski

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The paravascular pathway, also known as the “glymphatic” pathway, is a recently described system for waste clearance in the brain. According to this model, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF enters the paravascular spaces surrounding penetrating arteries of the brain, mixes with interstitial fluid (ISF and solutes in the parenchyma, and exits along paravascular spaces of draining veins. Studies have shown that metabolic waste products and solutes, including proteins involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyloid-beta, may be cleared by this pathway. Consequently, a growing body of research has begun to explore the association between glymphatic dysfunction and various disease states. However, significant controversy exists in the literature regarding both the direction of waste clearance as well as the anatomical space in which the waste-fluid mixture is contained. Some studies have found no evidence of interstitial solute clearance along the paravascular space of veins. Rather, they demonstrate a perivascular pathway in which waste is cleared from the brain along an anatomically distinct perivascular space in a direction opposite to that of paravascular flow. Although possible explanations have been offered, none have been able to fully reconcile the discrepancies in the literature, and many questions remain. Given the therapeutic potential that a comprehensive understanding of brain waste clearance pathways might offer, further research and clarification is highly warranted.

The Paravascular Pathway for Brain Waste Clearance: Current Understanding, Significance and Controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacyinski, Andrew; Xu, Maosheng; Wang, Wei; Hu, Jiani

2017-01-01

The paravascular pathway, also known as the "glymphatic" pathway, is a recently described system for waste clearance in the brain. According to this model, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) enters the paravascular spaces surrounding penetrating arteries of the brain, mixes with interstitial fluid (ISF) and solutes in the parenchyma, and exits along paravascular spaces of draining veins. Studies have shown that metabolic waste products and solutes, including proteins involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyloid-beta, may be cleared by this pathway. Consequently, a growing body of research has begun to explore the association between glymphatic dysfunction and various disease states. However, significant controversy exists in the literature regarding both the direction of waste clearance as well as the anatomical space in which the waste-fluid mixture is contained. Some studies have found no evidence of interstitial solute clearance along the paravascular space of veins. Rather, they demonstrate a perivascular pathway in which waste is cleared from the brain along an anatomically distinct perivascular space in a direction opposite to that of paravascular flow. Although possible explanations have been offered, none have been able to fully reconcile the discrepancies in the literature, and many questions remain. Given the therapeutic potential that a comprehensive understanding of brain waste clearance pathways might offer, further research and clarification is highly warranted.

A study on level of physical activity, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajik, Esra; Abd Latiff, Latiffah; Adznam, Siti N; Awang, Hamidin; Yit Siew, Chin; Abu Bakar, Azrin S

2017-10-01

Inadequate physical activity has adverse health consequences among adolescents. Mental health problem can be developed by lack of physical activity however it is controversial. The current study aimed to examine the association between level of physical activity with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among adolescents. A representative sample of 1747 adolescents (13-14 years) was randomly selected from 6 schools in a south part of Malaysia. Respondents were asked to fill consent form, and questionnaires including Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. Majority of respondents (71.9%) was Malay and more than half of the adolescents had low physical activity. About 40% had depression symptoms, followed by anxiety symptoms (65.9%) and stress symptoms (38.5%). Level of physical activity was significantly associated with gender, anxiety and stress (P<0.001). There were no associations with race, religion and depression symptom. This study provides some evidence among school-going adolescents related to anxiety and stress symptoms and low physical activities. Further studies are needed to show the protection effects of higher physical activity for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in adolescents.

Truth in Packaging: Teaching Controversial Topics to Undergraduates in the Human Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredericks, Marcel; Miller, Steven I.

1993-01-01

Argues that the behavioral or "human" sciences are fundamentally different in scope and intent from the natural sciences. Describes the use of controversial topics in undergraduate courses and provides a four-step process. Recommends using Karl Popper's falsification theory to help students think critically about issues. (CFR)

Evaluation of stresses generated in steel finger joint of bridge by X-ray stress measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohri, Ami; Kawano, Yutaka; Nishido, Takayuki

2017-01-01

In a steel bridge, the evaluation of the stress generated in the finger joint without a gap to absorb temperature change can be an index when evaluating the remaining life. This study chose as the object the finger joint of a diagonal bridge, where the generated stress state is considered to be more complicated, prepared a finger joint test specimen that simulated an actual part, and performed a load test. For judgment, FEM analysis, non-destructive X-ray stress measurement, and measurement of the generated stress using strain gauge were applied. Compared with the FEM analysis results, the difference in the stress value was generated due to the difference in the contact state, but the trends of the stress distribution were equivalent. In addition, the same measurement value as the strain gauge was obtained, and the validity of the X-ray stress measurement method was confirmed. As a result, it was found that the stress measurement method by X-ray is effective for measuring the generated stress including the residual stress of the finger joint without gap at a bridge. (A.O.)

The portrayal of J. Marion Sims' controversial surgical legacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Spettel, Sara; White, Mark Donald

2011-06-01

In the mid 1800s Dr. J. Marion Sims reported the successful repair of vesicovaginal fistulas with a technique he developed by performing multiple operations on female slaves. A venerated physician in his time, the legacy of Dr. Sims is controversial and represents a significant chapter in the mistreatment of African-Americans by the medical establishment. This review compares the modern debate surrounding his legacy with the presentation of his operation in widely consulted urological texts and journals. A literature review was performed of medical, sociological and periodical sources (1851 to the present) regarding J. Marion Sims and vesicovaginal fistula repair. During the last several decades, while the controversy around Dr. Sims' surgical development has produced a steady stream of articles in the historical and popular literature, relatively little mention is found in standard urology textbooks or journals. With increased public attention, some have debated the removal or modification of public tributes to Dr. Sims. This move has been countered by arguments against the validity of judging a 19th century physician by modern standards. While historians, ethicists and the popular press have debated Dr. Sims' legacy, medical sources have continued to portray him unquestionably as a great figure in medical history. This division keeps the medical profession uninformed and detached from the public debate on his legacy and, thus, the larger issues of ethical treatment of surgical patients. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

STRESS INDUCED OBESITY: LESSONS FROM RODENT MODELS OF STRESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zachary Robert Patterson

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Stress is defined as the behavioral and physiological responses generated in the face of, or in anticipation of, a perceived threat. The stress response involves activation of the sympathetic nervous system and recruitment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis. When an organism encounters a stressor (social, physical, etc., these endogenous stress systems are stimulated in order to generate a fight-or-flight response, and manage the stressful situation. As such, an organism is forced to liberate energy resources in attempt to meet the energetic demands posed by the stressor. A change in the energy homeostatic balance is thus required to exploit an appropriate resource and deliver useable energy to the target muscles and tissues involved in the stress response. Acutely, this change in energy homeostasis and the liberation of energy is considered advantageous, as it is required for the survival of the organism. However, when an organism is subjected to a prolonged stressor, as is the case during chronic stress, a continuous irregularity in energy homeostasis is considered detrimental and may lead to the development of metabolic disturbances such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus and obesity. This concept has been studied extensively using animal models, and the neurobiological underpinnings of stress induced metabolic disorders are beginning to surface. However, different animal models of stress continue to produce divergent metabolic phenotypes wherein some animals become anorexic and loose body mass while others increase food intake and body mass and become vulnerable to the development of metabolic disturbances. It remains unclear exactly what factors associated with stress models can be used to predict the metabolic outcome of the organism. This review will explore a variety of rodent stress models and discuss the elements that influence the metabolic outcome in order to further our understanding of stress

The controversy on chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Zamboni

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this review is to analyze the actual scientific controversy on chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI and its association with both neurodegenerative disorders and multiple sclerosis (MS. We revised all published studies on prevalence of CCSVI in MS patients, including ultrasound and catheter venography series. Furthermore, we take into consideration other publications dealing with the pathophysiologic consequences of CCSVI in the brain, as well as ecent data characterizing the pathology of the venous wall in course of CCSVI. Finally, safety and pilot data on effectiveness of endovascular CCSVI treatment were further updated. Studies of prevalence show a big variability in prevalence of CCSVI in MS patients assessed by established ultrasonographic criteria. This could be related to high operator dependency of ultrasound. However, 12 studies, by the means of more objective catheter venography, show a prevalence >90% of CCSVI in MS. Global hypo-hypoperfusion of the brain, and reduced cerebral spinal fluid dynamics in MS was shown to be related to CCSVI. Postmortem studies and histology corroborate the 2009 International Union of Phlebology (UIP Consensus decision to insert CCSVI among venous malformations. Finally, safety of balloon angioplasty of the extracranial veins was certainly demonstrated, while prospective data on the potential effectiveness of endovascular treatment of CCSVI support to increase the level of evidence by proceeding with a randomized control trial (RCT. Taking into account the current epidemiological data, including studies on catheter venography, the autoptic findings, and the relationship between CCSVI and both hypo-perfusion and cerebro-spinal fluid flow, we conclude that CCSVI can be definitively inserted among the medical entities. Research is still inconclusive in elucidating the CCSVI role in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. The controversy between the vascular and the

Hydroxyurea-Induced Replication Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenza Lahkim Bennani-Belhaj

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Bloom's syndrome (BS displays one of the strongest known correlations between chromosomal instability and a high risk of cancer at an early age. BS cells combine a reduced average fork velocity with constitutive endogenous replication stress. However, the response of BS cells to replication stress induced by hydroxyurea (HU, which strongly slows the progression of replication forks, remains unclear due to publication of conflicting results. Using two different cellular models of BS, we showed that BLM deficiency is not associated with sensitivity to HU, in terms of clonogenic survival, DSB generation, and SCE induction. We suggest that surviving BLM-deficient cells are selected on the basis of their ability to deal with an endogenous replication stress induced by replication fork slowing, resulting in insensitivity to HU-induced replication stress.

A Controversial Reform in Indigenous Education: The Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy

Science.gov (United States)

McCollow, John

2012-01-01

This article examines a controversial initiative in Indigenous education: the establishment of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA). The article provides a brief description of the Academy's three campuses and their communities and considers: the circumstances of its creation, including the role of Noel Pearson and Cape York…

Emotionally Responsive Wearable Technology and Stress Detection for Affective Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Tillotson, Jenny

2017-09-01

As humans, we are born with no knowledge of odour. Our sense of smell is linked directly to the limbic system, the emotional part of our brain responsible for memory and behaviour, and therefore, our individual sense of smell is based purely on life's deep experiences and impressions. The roots of "Aromatherapy" can be traced back more than 3,500 years, to a time when essential oils were first recorded in human history for their therapeutic and medicinal properties. However, in the 21 st century, it remains one of the most controversial complementary therapies applied in medicine because of its pseudoscience connotations and limited available data on health benefits, despite the importance of smell on human health. Here I introduce the concept of "eScent", an emotionally responsive wearable technology that picks up on your emotions and vital signs and sends a personalisable 'scent bubble' to your nose. It combines sensing and dispensing aromatics for immersive experiences and multiple health benefits. It presents an empowering, sensory intervention and resilience builder that emits mood-enhancing aromas in a controllable way, depending on biofeedback. The advantage of essential oils merged with biometric sensors and intelligent tracking devices (e.g. an Apple Watch), could lead to a new palette of scents that are bio-synchronized to an individual's emotional, mental, and/or physical state and in a real-time manner alleviate high levels of stress, thus preventing the risk of a serious mental ill health relapse. Closure of the loop with wearable scent delivery systems requires an innovative, creative and collaborative approach, crossing many disciplines in psychological related sciences, biotechnology and industrial design. Testing such hypotheses in translational human studies is a matter of future research which could not only lead to valuable "prodromal" interventions for psychiatry, but new stress management tools for people suffering from affective disorders.

Seeding Stress Resilience through Inoculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Archana Ashokan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stress is a generalized set of physiological and psychological responses observed when an organism is placed under challenging circumstances. The stress response allows organisms to reattain the equilibrium in face of perturbations. Unfortunately, chronic and/or traumatic exposure to stress frequently overwhelms coping ability of an individual. This is manifested as symptoms affecting emotions and cognition in stress-related mental disorders. Thus environmental interventions that promote resilience in face of stress have much clinical relevance. Focus of the bulk of relevant neurobiological research at present remains on negative aspects of health and psychological outcomes of stress exposure. Yet exposure to the stress itself can promote resilience to subsequent stressful episodes later in the life. This is especially true if the prior stress occurs early in life, is mild in its magnitude, and is controllable by the individual. This articulation has been referred to as “stress inoculation,” reminiscent of resilience to the pathology generated through vaccination by attenuated pathogen itself. Using experimental evidence from animal models, this review explores relationship between nature of the “inoculum” stress and subsequent psychological resilience.

Is there a way to resolve the controversy on low dose effects?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higson, D.J.

2002-01-01

The controversy which is addressed in this paper is whether there are risks or benefits to health from exposure to low levels of ionising radiation or, indeed, whether there are any significant health effects at all. The background to this controversy was outlined in 1998 in the report of a Task Group on Low Dose Effects, convened by the International Nuclear Societies Council (INSC). For the purpose of the INSC report, low levels of radiation were defined as acute doses less than 10 mSv and chronic dose rates less than 20 mSv per year. The INSC Task Group itself concluded that, either there is no risk, or there may be health benefits from such exposures. The scientific aspects of the matter were reviewed by the author in 2001 at the IRPA Regional Congress on Radiation Protection in Central Europe, in Dubrovnik, and are summarised in the next section of this paper. In Dubrovnik, the author concluded that there is at least as much evidence of beneficial health effects as harmful effects from low level radiation. Controversy on the biological effects of low level radiation continues to be polarised to an extent which should be considered unacceptable in a rational community, and it is aggravated by the multiplicity of different viewpoints from which to consider the information available on this subject. These viewpoints include not only the scientific and regulatory positions, but also public and political perceptions, and the news media; and they lead to a wide variety of views, each of which is considered to be legitimate by most of those who adopt it

Element 74, the Wolfram Versus Tungsten Controversy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holden,N.E.

2008-08-11

Two and a quarter centuries ago, a heavy mineral ore was found which was thought to contain a new chemical element called heavy stone (or tungsten in Swedish). A few years later, the metal was separated from its oxide and the new element (Z=74) was called wolfram. Over the years since that time, both the names wolfram and tungsten were attached to this element in various countries. Sixty years ago, IUPAC chose wolfram as the official name for the element. A few years later, under pressure from the press in the USA, the alternative name tungsten was also allowed by IUPAC. Now the original, official name 'wolfram' has been deleted by IUPAC as one of the two alternate names for the element. The history of this controversy is described here.

Fair and Unfair Strategies in Public Controversies: The Case of Induced Earthquakes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Laar, Jan Albert; Krabbe, Erik C. W.; Mohammed, Dima; Lewinski, Marcin

2016-01-01

Contemporary theory of argumentation offers many insights about fallacies and the ways to react to them. But what if, in a public controversy, it is not a matter of occasional derailments but one party is systematically trivializing the other party’s problems or resorting to pressure in the form of

Justifying the Use of Internet Sources in School Assignments on Controversial Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Mikkonen, Teemu

2018-01-01

Introduction: This study concerns students' criteria in the evaluation of Internet sources for a school assignment requiring reflections on a controversial issue. The findings are elaborated by analysing students' discursive accounts in justifying the use or non-use of sources. Method: The interview data was collected in a Finnish upper secondary…

Controversy in the Psychology Classroom: Using Hot Topics to Foster Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Dana S., Ed.; Gurung, Regan A. R., Ed.; Naufel, Karen Z., Ed.; Wilson, Janie H., Ed.

2012-01-01

One of the hallmarks of a quality liberal arts education is providing undergraduates the opportunity to wrestle with controversial issues. Yet many teachers feel ill-equipped when it comes to broaching disagreeable topics, managing the resulting heated debates, or helping students to separate their personal feelings from scientific evidence. This…

Entanglements of Consumption, Cruelty, Privacy, and Fashion: The Social Controversy over Fur.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Kathryn M.; Goodnight, G. Thomas

1994-01-01

Posits a critical approach to the study of contemporary social controversy. Examines objectives to the use of fur as oppositional argument, rhetoric that veers from the goal of persuasion to block conventional associations and refashion communication norms. Shows how pro-fur responses illustrate strategies available to bolster, alter, or abandon…

Media Misrepresentations of a Mascot Controversy: Contested Constructions of Race and Gender

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstl-Pepin, Cynthia; Liang, Guodong

2010-01-01

This article examines media coverage of a high school Native American mascot controversy. Discourse analysis of media documents and artifacts was utilized to explore how the issue was socially constructed for public consumption. Critical race feminism was used as a framework to examine how media discourses can oversimplify the complex interaction…

The influence of environmental variables and irradiation on iodine stress corrosion crack initiation and growth in Zircaloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunde, L.; Videm, K.

1980-01-01

Variables in the SCC testing technique and the effect of the fast neutron dose appear to explain most of the controversy about the effect of irradiation damage on the SCC behaviour of Zircaloy. On the basis of extensive laboratory testing functions expressing the time for stress corrosion crack (SCC) initiation and the rate of crack propagation at different stresses and temperatures have been worked out. The environmental variables in the SCC test can have a much larger influence on the life-time for autoclaved material than for pickled and sandblasted metal. For irradiated (oxidized) material a ten times increase in the iodine concentration reduced the failure stress from 500 to 250 MPa. By comparing our results with published data it is concluded that the failure stress (after 1-3 hours) is very dependent upon the neutron dose. Neutron damage will raise the stress threshold for doses up to 10 20 n/cm 2 and thereafter the failure stress is gradually decreased to low values with increasing neutron doses up to 5.10 21 n/cm 2 . (author)

Effect of applied stress on the compressive residual stress introduced by laser peening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumiya, Rie; Tazawa, Toshiyuki; Narazaki, Chihiro; Saito, Toshiyuki; Kishimoto, Kikuo

2016-01-01

Peening is the process which is able to be generated compressive residual stress and is known to be effective for preventing SCC initiation and improvement of fatigue strength. Laser peening is used for the nuclear power plant components in order to prevent SCC initiation. Although it is reported that the compressive residual stress decreases due to applied stresses under general operating condition, the change of residual stress might be large under excessive loading such as an earthquake. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the relaxation behavior of the compressive residual stress due to laser peening and to confirm the surface residual stress after loading. Therefore laser peened round bar test specimens of SUS316L which is used for the reactor internals of nuclear power plant were loaded at room temperature and elevated temperature and then surface residual stresses were measured by X-ray diffraction method. In the results of this test, it was confirmed that the compressive residual stress remained after applying uniform stress larger than 0.2% proof stress, and the effect of cyclic loading on the residual stress was small. The effect of applying compressive stress on the residual stress relaxation was confirmed to be less than that of applying tensile stress. Plastic deformation through a whole cross section causes the change in the residual stress distribution. As a result, the surface compressive residual stress is released. It was shown that the effect of specimen size on residual stress relaxation and the residual stress relaxation behavior in the stress concentration region can be explained by assumed stress relaxation mechanism. (author)

From Iconoclasm to Arianism: The Construction of Christian Tradition in the Iconoclast Controversy

OpenAIRE

David M. Gwynn

2010-01-01

The defenders of icons in the eighth and ninth centuries, especially Photius, significantly reinterpreted the fourth-century Arian controversy and the views of Eusebius in order to link the Iconoclasts to the Arians and themselves to Church fathers like Athanasius.

Genetic genealogy reveals true Y haplogroup of House of Bourbon contradicting recent identification of the presumed remains of two French Kings.

Science.gov (United States)

Larmuseau, Maarten H D; Delorme, Philippe; Germain, Patrick; Vanderheyden, Nancy; Gilissen, Anja; Van Geystelen, Anneleen; Cassiman, Jean-Jacques; Decorte, Ronny

2014-05-01

Genetic analysis strongly increases the opportunity to identify skeletal remains or other biological samples from historical figures. However, validation of this identification is essential and should be done by DNA typing of living relatives. Based on the similarity of a limited set of Y-STRs, a blood sample and a head were recently identified as those belonging respectively to King Louis XVI and his paternal ancestor King Henry IV. Here, we collected DNA samples from three living males of the House of Bourbon to validate the since then controversial identification of these remains. The three living relatives revealed the Bourbon's Y-chromosomal variant on a high phylogenetic resolution for several members of the lineage between Henry IV and Louis XVI. This 'true' Bourbon's variant is different from the published Y-STR profiles of the blood as well as of the head. The earlier identifications of these samples can therefore not be validated. Moreover, matrilineal genealogical data revealed that the published mtDNA sequence of the head was also different from the one of a series of relatives. This therefore leads to the conclusion that the analyzed samples were not from the French kings. Our study once again demonstrated that in order to realize an accurate genetic identification of historical remains DNA typing of living persons, who are paternally or maternally related with the presumed donor of the samples, is required.

Early Vessels Exploration of Pink Pulseless Hand in Gartland III Supracondylar Fracture Humerus in Children: Facts and Controversies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tunku-Naziha TZ

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The management of pink pulseless limbs in supracondylar fractures has remained controversial, especially with regards to the indication for exploration in a clinically well-perfused hand. We reviewed a series of seven patients who underwent surgical exploration of the brachial artery following supracondylar fracture. All patients had a non-palpable radial artery, which was confirmed by Doppler ultrasound. CT angiography revealed complete blockage of the artery with good collateral and distal run-off. Two patients were more complicated with peripheral nerve injuries, one median nerve and one ulnar nerve. Only one patient had persistent arterial constriction which required reverse saphenous graft. The brachial arteries were found to be compressed by fracture fragments, but were in continuity. The vessels were patent after the release of obstruction and the stabilization of the fracture. There was no transection of major nerves. The radial pulse was persistently present after 12 weeks, and the nerve activity returned to full function.

Oxidative stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osredkar Joško

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The human organism is exposed to the influence of various forms of stress, either physical, psychological or chemical, which all have in common that they may adversely affect our body. A certain amount of stress is always present and somehow directs, promotes or inhibits the functioning of the human body. Unfortunately, we are now too many and too often exposed to excessive stress, which certainly has adverse consequences. This is especially true for a particular type of stress, called oxidative stress. All aerobic organisms are exposed to this type of stress because they produce energy by using oxygen. For this type of stress you could say that it is rather imperceptibly involved in our lives, as it becomes apparent only at the outbreak of certain diseases. Today we are well aware of the adverse impact of radicals, whose surplus is the main cause of oxidative stress. However, the key problem remains the detection of oxidative stress, which would allow us to undertake timely action and prevent outbreak of many diseases of our time. There are many factors that promote oxidative stress, among them are certainly a fast lifestyle and environmental pollution. The increase in oxidative stress can also trigger intense physical activity that is directly associated with an increased oxygen consumption and the resulting formation of free radicals. Considering generally positive attitude to physical activity, this fact may seem at first glance contradictory, but the finding has been confimed by several studies in active athletes. Training of a top athlete daily demands great physical effort, which is also reflected in the oxidative state of the organism. However, it should be noted that the top athletes in comparison with normal individuals have a different defense system, which can counteract the negative effects of oxidative stress. Quite the opposite is true for irregular or excessive physical activity to which the body is not adapted.

Hemodynamic responses to mental stress during salt loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goyal, Maria Gefke; Christensen, Niels Juel; Bech, Per

2017-01-01

) during preparation for a medical exam (prolonged stress) and (ii) outside the exam period (low stress). All subjects consumed a controlled diet for 3 days with low- or high-salt content in randomized order. The subjective stress was measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Scale, SCL......, CO as well as plasma levels of NE, E and PRA remained unchanged by changes in stress level. Day-night reduction in SAP was significantly larger during moderate stress and high-salt intake; however, no significant difference was observed during daytime and night-time. Individual increase in mental...

Interactions between the phase stress and the grain-orientation-dependent stress in duplex stainless steel during deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, N.; Peng, R. Lin; Wang, Y.D.; Chai, G.C.; Johansson, S.; Wang, G.; Liaw, P.K.

2006-01-01

The development of phase stress and grain-orientation-dependent stress under uniaxial compression was investigated in a duplex stainless steel consisting of austenite and ferrite. Using in situ neutron diffraction measurements, the strain response of several h k l planes to the applied compressive stress was mapped as a function of applied stress and sample direction. Analysis based on the experimental results and elastoplastic self-consistent simulations shows that phase stresses of thermal origin further increase during elastic loading but decrease with increased plastic deformation. Grain-orientation-dependent stresses become significant in both austenite and ferrite after loading into the plastic region. After unloading from the plastic regime, a considerable intergranular stress remains in the austenitic phase and dominates over the phase stress. This study provides fundamental experimental inputs for future micromechanical modeling aiming at the evaluation and prediction of the mechanical performance of multiphase materials

Protective effects of the compounds isolated from the seed of Psoralea corylifolia on oxidative stress-induced retinal damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyung-A [Functional Food Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Gangneung Institute, Gangneung 210-340 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Sang Hee [School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Hong Ryul [Functional Food Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Gangneung Institute, Gangneung 210-340 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Sang Hoon, E-mail: shjung507@gmail.com [Functional Food Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Gangneung Institute, Gangneung 210-340 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-06-01

The mechanism underlying glaucoma remains controversial, but apoptosis caused by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is thought to play a role in its pathogenesis. We investigated the effects of compounds isolated from Psoralea corylifolia on oxidative stress-induced cell death in vitro and in vivo. Transformed retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5) were treated with L-buthione-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) and glutamate in the presence or with pre-treatment with compound 6, bakuchiol isolated from P. corylifolia. We observed reduced cell death in cells pre-treated with bakuchiol. Moreover, bakuchiol inhibited the oxidative stress-induced decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm). Furthermore, while intracellular Ca{sup 2+} was high in RGC-5 cells after exposure to oxidative stress, bakuchiol reduced these levels. In an in vivo study, in which rat retinal damage was induced by intravitreal injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), bakuchiol markedly reduced translocation of AIF and release of cytochrome c, and inhibited up-regulation of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved PARP. The survival rate of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) 7 days after optic nerve crush (ONC) in mice was significantly decreased; however, bakuchiol attenuated the loss of RGCs. Moreover, bakuchiol attenuated ONC-induced up-regulation of apoptotic proteins, including cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9. Bakuchiol also significantly inhibited translocation of mitochondrial AIF into the nuclear fraction and release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol. These results demonstrate that bakuchiol isolated from P. corylifolia has protective effects against oxidative stress-induced retinal damage, and may be considered as an agent for treating or preventing retinal degeneration. - Highlights: • Psoralea corylifolia have neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. • Bakuchiol attenuated the increase of apoptotic proteins induced by oxidative

Protective effects of the compounds isolated from the seed of Psoralea corylifolia on oxidative stress-induced retinal damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyung-A; Shim, Sang Hee; Ahn, Hong Ryul; Jung, Sang Hoon

2013-01-01

The mechanism underlying glaucoma remains controversial, but apoptosis caused by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is thought to play a role in its pathogenesis. We investigated the effects of compounds isolated from Psoralea corylifolia on oxidative stress-induced cell death in vitro and in vivo. Transformed retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5) were treated with L-buthione-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) and glutamate in the presence or with pre-treatment with compound 6, bakuchiol isolated from P. corylifolia. We observed reduced cell death in cells pre-treated with bakuchiol. Moreover, bakuchiol inhibited the oxidative stress-induced decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm). Furthermore, while intracellular Ca 2+ was high in RGC-5 cells after exposure to oxidative stress, bakuchiol reduced these levels. In an in vivo study, in which rat retinal damage was induced by intravitreal injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), bakuchiol markedly reduced translocation of AIF and release of cytochrome c, and inhibited up-regulation of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved PARP. The survival rate of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) 7 days after optic nerve crush (ONC) in mice was significantly decreased; however, bakuchiol attenuated the loss of RGCs. Moreover, bakuchiol attenuated ONC-induced up-regulation of apoptotic proteins, including cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9. Bakuchiol also significantly inhibited translocation of mitochondrial AIF into the nuclear fraction and release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol. These results demonstrate that bakuchiol isolated from P. corylifolia has protective effects against oxidative stress-induced retinal damage, and may be considered as an agent for treating or preventing retinal degeneration. - Highlights: • Psoralea corylifolia have neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. • Bakuchiol attenuated the increase of apoptotic proteins induced by oxidative

From Iconoclasm to Arianism: The Construction of Christian Tradition in the Iconoclast Controversy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M. Gwynn

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The defenders of icons in the eighth and ninth centuries, especially Photius, significantly reinterpreted the fourth-century Arian controversy and the views of Eusebius in order to link the Iconoclasts to the Arians and themselves to Church fathers like Athanasius.

Controversy and consensus on a clinical pharmacist in primary care in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.C.M. Hazen (Ankie); Wal, A.W.V.D. (Aletta W. Van Der); V.M. Sloeserwij (Vivianne); D.L.M. Zwart (Dorien); Gier, J.J.D. (Johan J. De); Wit, N.J.D. (Niek J. De); A.J. Leendertse (Anne); M.L. Bouvy (Marcel); A.A. de Bont (Antoinette)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground Controversy about the introduction of a non-dispensing pharmacist in primary care practice hampers implementation. Objective The aim of this study is to systematically map the debate on this new role for pharmacists amongst all stakeholders to uncover and understand the

Training Institutions as places of reproduction of official and scientific knowledge on ecological transition. An analysis with mapping controversies tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargues, Emilie; Landivar, Diego

2016-01-01

Through an exploratory approach mobilizing a 'mapping controversies methodology', this article analyses the role of training institutions in producing, distributing and criticizing knowledge related to ecological transition. The current work deals with the case of biomass production and activity, a central sector in French ecological transition. The analysis of semantic and unstructured data crawled from 3900 web sites highlights the major issues of controversy, the actors of the controversy, the points of agreement/disagreement among actors, and the particular position of training organizations in the knowledge structure. We find that these organizations are strongly correlated to official and scientific knowledge and less related to critical and marginal knowledge

Work stress and metabolic and hemostatic risk factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vrijkotte, T. G.; van Doornen, L. J.; de Geus, E. J.

1999-01-01

A high level of work stress has been associated with cardiovascular disease. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. This study examined the effect of work stress on a cluster of metabolic and hemostatic risk factors. Blood was collected three times, on

Hypercholesterolemia aggravates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via activating endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Nan; Zhang, Xiaowen; Jia, Pengyu; Jia, Dalin

2015-12-01

The effect of hypercholesterolemia on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) is in controversy and the underlying mechanism is still not well understood. In the present study, we firstly detected the effects of hypercholesterolemia on MIRI and the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis pathway in this process. The infarct size was determined by TTC staining, and apoptosis was measured by the TUNEL method. The marker proteins of ER stress response and ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathway were detected by Western blot. The results showed that high cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia significantly increased the myocardial infarct size, the release of myocardium enzyme and the ratio of apoptosis, but did not affect the recovery of cardiac function. Moreover, hypercholesterolemia also remarkably up-regulated the expressions of ER stress markers (glucose-regulated protein 78 and calreticulin) and critical molecules in ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathway (CHOP, caspase 12, phospho-JNK). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that hypercholesterolemia enhanced myocardial vulnerability/sensitivity to ischemia reperfusion injury involved in aggravation the ER stress and activation of ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathway and it gave us a new insight into the underlying mechanisms associated with hypercholesterolemia-induced exaggerated MIRI and also provided a novel target for preventing MIRI in the presence of hypercholesterolemia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A confusion of tongues between psychoanalysis and philosophy: is the controversy over drive versus relational theory a philosophical one?

Science.gov (United States)

Taub, Gadi

2009-06-01

In recent years the controversy over Drive versus Relational models of the psyche has become entangled in a philosophical controversy over epistemology. Some have argued that the Drive model was a relic of an age of positivistic science, while Relational models are a product of a postmodern condition. This paper argues that the controversy need not be a philosophical one, and that Relational views are not, in fact, a product of postmodernism, nor are they necessarily dependent on a postmodern epistemology. Separating the epistemological from the psychological more carefully may help return the debate to its proper, psychoanalytic domain, and perhaps contribute to a more fruitful dialogue across what, at times, seems like an abyss between Relational views and Drive theory.

Association of Oxidative Stress and Obesity with Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, P; Biswas, S; Mukherjee, S; Bandyopadhyay, S K

2016-01-01

Oxidative stress occurs due to delicate imbalance between pro-oxidant and anti oxidant forces in our system. It has been found to be associated with many morbidities but its association with obesity and insulin resistance is still controversial. Here in our study we examined 167 patients of recent onset type 2 diabetes mellitus and 60 age sex matched non-diabetic control. Body Mass Index (BMI), abdominal circumference, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma Malondealdehyde (MDA, marker for oxidative stress) were measured in them. On the basis of BMI, subjects were divided into obese (BMI≥25) and non obese (BMIobese and non-obese sub groups. Insulin resistance score showed positive correlation with BMI, abdominal circumference, and plasma MDA, strength of association being highest with abdominal circumference. Plasma MDA was found to have positive correlation with physical parameters. Study concludes that, obesity mainly central type may predispose to insulin resistance and oxidative stress may be a crucial factor in its pathogenesis. Thus, oxidative stress may be the connecting link between obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, two on going global epidemics.

Neuromodulator and Emotion Biomarker for Stress Induced Mental Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simeng Gu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Affective disorders are a leading cause of disabilities worldwide, and the etiology of these many affective disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder is due to hormone changes, which includes hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in the peripheral nervous system and neuromodulators in the central nervous system. Consistent with pharmacological studies indicating that medical treatment acts by increasing the concentration of catecholamine, the locus coeruleus (LC/norepinephrine (NE system is regarded as a critical part of the central “stress circuitry,” whose major function is to induce “fight or flight” behavior and fear and anger emotion. Despite the intensive studies, there is still controversy about NE with fear and anger. For example, the rats with LC ablation were more reluctant to leave a familiar place and took longer to consume the food pellets in an unfamiliar place (neophobia, i.e., fear in response to novelty. The reason for this discrepancy might be that NE is not only for flight (fear, but also for fight (anger. Here, we try to review recent literatures about NE with stress induced emotions and their relations with mental disorders. We propose that stress induced NE release can induce both fear and anger. “Adrenaline rush or norepinephrine rush” and fear and anger emotion might act as biomarkers for mental disorders.

Teaching the Philosophical Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Chemistry through Controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Garritz, Andoni

2013-01-01

This study has the key premise of teaching history and philosophy of physical sciences to illustrate how controversies and rivalries among scientists play a key role in the progress of science and why scientific development is not only founded on the accumulation of experimental data. The author is a defender of teachers who consider…

For a Psycholinguistic Model of Handwriting Production: Testing the Syllable-Bigram Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Kandel, Sonia; Peereman, Ronald; Grosjacques, Geraldine; Fayol, Michel

2011-01-01

This study examined the theoretical controversy on the impact of syllables and bigrams in handwriting production. French children and adults wrote words on a digitizer so that we could collect data on the local, online processing of handwriting production. The words differed in the position of the lowest frequency bigram. In one condition, it…

The Samba Controversy between Noel Rosa and Wilson Batista: Intertextuality and the Meanders of Composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Moreira da Luz

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the meanders of composition and their intertextuality in the samba controversy between Noel Rosa and Wilson Batista. We observe dialogism in the verbal and musical interaction between the samba writers and several texts of the 1930s. When ears are in tune with the "samba controversy," one observes that the compositions reveal inexorable tensions between the festive world of the "malandro" and the limits of the reality of the time. Accordingly, based on studies that address this theme, we aim to present an insight into this musical "duel," which is not restricted to purely aesthetics issues, but certainly disseminated in society.

Denver's airport of doom; the story behind the world's possibly most controversial airport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stolwijk, J.

2014-01-01

Big airport projects have often been prone to controversy. Schiphol’s Polderbaan project, Heathrow’s expansion, and the construction of Berlin’s new airport all suffered from political, financial or technical issues. However, Denver International Airport (often referred to as DIA) caused uproar in

Biopower, Normalization, and HPV: A Foucauldian Analysis of the HPV Vaccine Controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Engels, Kimberly S

2016-09-01

This article utilizes the Foucauldian concepts of biopower and normalization to give an analysis of the debate surrounding the controversial administration of the HPV vaccine to adolescents. My intention is not to solve the problem, rather to utilize a Foucauldian framework to bring various facets of the issue to light, specifically the way the vaccine contributes to strategies of power in reference to how young adults develop within relationships of power. To begin, the article provides an overview of the Foucauldian concepts of biopower and normalization, including how these two strategies of power were present in the administration of the smallpox vaccine in the 19th century. Next, information about HPV and the history of the current controversy in the United States is presented. Lastly, the article presents an analysis of the strategies of biopower and normalization present in the debate on HPV, including an emphasis on how the vaccination is similar to, and different from, 19th century smallpox vaccination. It also explores the way that mechanisms of disease control affect and are affected by individual subjects, in this case, adolescents.

Tooth-bleaching procedures and their controversial effects: A literature review

Science.gov (United States)

Alqahtani, Mohammed Q.

2014-01-01

Aim This review article will help clinicians improve their understanding of the history of bleaching procedures, bleaching types, components, mechanisms, and their effects on soft tissue, tooth structures, resin composite, and bonding. Methods The controversial issues about bleaching procedures and their effects are reviewed. Additionally, the consequences of pre- and post-bleaching on the bonding potential of composite resin restorations to tooth structure are discussed. Conclusion The overall goal of the paper is to help reduce risks for patients. PMID:25408594

Effect of interaction of embedded crack and free surface on remaining fatigue life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genshichiro Katsumata

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Embedded crack located near free surface of a component interacts with the free surface. When the distance between the free surface and the embedded crack is short, stress at the crack tip ligament is higher than that at the other area of the cracked section. It can be easily expected that fatigue crack growth is fast, when the embedded crack locates near the free surface. To avoid catastrophic failures caused by fast fatigue crack growth at the crack tip ligament, fitness-for-service (FFS codes provide crack-to-surface proximity rules. The proximity rules are used to determine whether the cracks should be treated as embedded cracks as-is, or transformed to surface cracks. Although the concepts of the proximity rules are the same, the specific criteria and the rules to transform embedded cracks into surface cracks differ amongst FFS codes. This paper focuses on the interaction between an embedded crack and a free surface of a component as well as on its effects on the remaining fatigue lives of embedded cracks using the proximity rules provided by the FFS codes. It is shown that the remaining fatigue lives for the embedded cracks strongly depend on the crack aspect ratio and location from the component free surface. In addition, it can be said that the proximity criteria defined by the API and RSE-M codes give overly conservative remaining lives. On the contrary, the WES and AME codes always give long remaining lives and non-conservative estimations. When the crack aspect ratio is small, ASME code gives non-conservative estimation.

CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS REGARDING TAX EVASION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mircea-Constantin SINESCU

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Throughout the paper, we have highlighted some controversial aspects regarding the crime of tax evasion, referring to some important decisions of the High Court of Cassation and Justice and also of the Bucharest Court of Appeal. Debating upon the impunity provision stated by art. 10 of Law no. 241/2005, the study also sheds light upon the issue of the perspective of the judicial organs regarding the juridical regime of the tax due for dividends. The main focus of the paper leads to the situations when there is legal ground for the tax due for dividends to be considered part of the damage caused by tax evasion crime. The study includes a short analysis of some relevant provisions of the Romanian Fiscal Code and also some aspects deriving from decisions issued by the Administrative and Tax Litigation Chamber of The High Court of Cassation and Justice concerning the legal regime of dividends. Consequently, the authors are presenting both perspectives of the interpretation of the issue regarding the tax due for dividends to be considered part of the damage caused by tax evasion crime, resulting from two decisions of the two Criminal Sections of The Bucharest Court of Appeal, also arguing in favour of the most solid interpretation among them

Lyme disease: why the controversy?

Science.gov (United States)

Beaman, M H

2016-12-01

Some Australians have become convinced of the existence of locally acquired Lyme disease (LD). The history of LD, since its recognition in the early 1970s, is reviewed as a model for investigative approaches to unknown syndromes. Australian Management Guidelines for LD include the requirement for diagnostic testing by National Association of Testing Authorities-accredited laboratories using Therapeutic Goods Administration-licensed tests, which result in the efficient diagnosis of LD in overseas travellers. Despite this, patients who have not left Australia pay many thousands of dollars for non-specialist consultations and testing at overseas laboratories. Unproven long-term therapy with multiple antibiotics has resulted in serious complications, including allergies, line sepsis, pancreatitis and pseudomembranous colitis. Studies have shown that LD vectors are not found in Australia, and Lyme Borrelia has not been found in Australian vectors, animals or patients with autochthonous illnesses. I propose that (i) A non-controversial name for the chronic syndrome should be adopted, 'Australian Multisystem Disorder'. (ii) Research funding should enable the development of a consensus case definition and studies of the epidemiology of this syndrome with laboratory investigations to identify an aetiology and surrogate markers of disease. Prospective, randomised treatment studies could then be undertaken using ethical protocols. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadège Bourvis

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Borderline personality disorder (BPD is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients’ personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior – including suicide – and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD.

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Bourvis, Nadège; Aouidad, Aveline; Cabelguen, Clémence; Cohen, David; Xavier, Jean

2017-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients' personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior - including suicide - and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological) contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses) are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD.

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Bourvis, Nadège; Aouidad, Aveline; Cabelguen, Clémence; Cohen, David; Xavier, Jean

2017-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients’ personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior – including suicide – and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological) contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses) are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD. PMID:29250007

What Should We Teach as Controversial? A Defense of the Epistemic Criterion

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, Michael

2008-01-01

There is an emerging consensus that to teach something as controversial is to present it as a matter on which different views are or could be held and to expound those different views as impartially as possible. This raises an important normative question that has yet to receive the attention it deserves from educational theorists: how are we to…

Impairments of spatial working memory and attention following acute psychosocial stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Olver, James S; Pinney, Myra; Maruff, Paul; Norman, Trevor R

2015-04-01

Few studies have investigated the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm on impaired attention and working memory in humans. Further, the duration of any stress-related cognitive impairment remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm, the Trier Social Stress, on cognitive function in healthy volunteers. Twenty-three healthy male and female subjects were exposed to an acute psychosocial stress task. Physiological measures (salivary cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure) and subjective stress ratings were measured at baseline, in anticipation of stress, immediately post-stress and after a period of rest. A neuropsychological test battery including spatial working memory and verbal memory was administered at each time point. Acute psychosocial stress produced significant increases in cardiovascular and subjective measures in the anticipatory and post-stress period, which recovered to baseline after rest. Salivary cortisol steadily declined over the testing period. Acute psychosocial stress impaired delayed verbal recall, attention and spatial working memory. Attention remained impaired, and delayed verbal recall continued to decline after rest. Acute psychosocial stress is associated with an impairment of a broad range of cognitive functions in humans and with prolonged abnormalities in attention and memory. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Controversial Embodiment: Sport, Masculinity, Dis/Ability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marilena Parlati

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This essay is an attempt at investigating visible forms of complex, indeed controversial embodiment, with the specific intention of concentrating on the ways they interrogate delicate issues such as disability, masculinity and prosthetic sport performance. I intend to sound the shifting boundaries between dis-ability and super-ability as manifested in iconic figures such as Stelarc and, in other fields, Oscar Pistorius, whose unsteady position as privileged/disabled bladerunner seems to require – and indeed to gather – particularly intense scrutiny. I shall introduce a few contemporary discourses on corporeality and embodiment, which focus on the ‘troubling’ nature of auxiliary organs Freud refers to in the much contended paragraph I adopt as epigraph and guiding procedural light; I shall move from Butler and Giddens to Jean-Luc Nancy’s work on transplants and/as prostheses to include theoretical debates on disintegrating embodiment and disability studies, in order to proceed towards an analysis of the short-circuiting of allegedly secure practices of (masculine embodiment in sport culture and theory.

The nuclear energy controversy in Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oszuszky, F.; Szeless, A.

1981-01-01

The sociological aspects of the energy issue have become of overwhelming importance in the last few years. As a result, traditional considerations such as the importance of adequate and cheap energy supplies as the basis for growth, and the necessity, in a time of politically uncertain oil supplies, of energy supply security and diversity, have been equalled in importance, and sometimes replaced, by arguments about the social goals to be achieved. Nuclear energy has been selected as the vehicle for a socio-political debate on the controversial issue of the application of large-scale technology. Beyond that it has acquired a symbolic role in what is really an emotional attack on the political systems, economy and culture of present day civilization. It stands for the concentration of power, the centralization of technology and society, and man's dependence on the products of that centralization. Nuclear power is seen as one of the motors of further economic growth and thus an apparent pioneer of the further destruction of our natural and social environment. (author)

Preparing Student Teachers to Address Complex Learning and Controversy with Middle Grades Students

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Ann Marie; Lennon, Sean

2011-01-01

This qualitative study explores pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching critical literacy through discussions of controversial issues. Personality questionnaires were given to six classes of pre-student teachers over three semesters in order to gauge interest in teaching methods that incorporate inquiry learning and critical literacy. The…

The stress shadow induced by the 1975-1984 Krafla rifting episode

KAUST Repository

Maccaferri, F.; Rivalta, E.; Passarelli, L.; Jonsson, Sigurjon

2013-01-01

of several magnitude 6–7 earthquakes. This compelling case of the existence of a stress shadow has never been studied in detail, and the implications of such a stress shadow remain an open question. According to rate-state models, intense stress shadows cause

Autism Narratives in Media Coverage of the MMR Vaccine-Autism Controversy under a Crip Futurism Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Benjamin W

2018-03-09

While previous studies in health communication have examined online news media regarding autism, there is a lack of research that critically examines how such media representations may stigmatize autism and seeks to eliminate the condition, particularly in the context of the resurging measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine-autism controversy. To address this gap in the literature, this study analyzes 153 articles that engage the MMR vaccine-autism controversy from the top 10 online news sources in the U.S. from September 2015 through July 2017. It draws from Kafer's (2013) work in Feminist, Crip, Queer, using a lens of crip futurism to interpret three major narrative themes: a death and survival narrative that purports autism as a worst-case scenario, a societal problem narrative, and a preventative narrative that seeks to eliminate the condition. These themes suggest that online news media narratives about autism surrounding the autism-MMR controversy play into stereotypes about autism, including stigmatization and prioritization of preventive behaviors and cures over supporting the lived experiences of autistic individuals. Continued research on the impact of online media portrayals of autism specifically, and disability in health contexts generally, is called for.

Cigarette smoking and lung cancer: a continuing controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Burch, P R

1982-09-01

During the late 1950s Sir Ronald Fisher questioned the already popular, but in his view precipitate, causal interpretation of the association between smoking and lung cancer. His pungently expressed views began a controversy that has smouldered and sometimes flared ever since. The most recent attack on Fisher's constitutional hypothesis was launched by Reif and in this paper I consider the validity of his criticisms. A range of evidence shows that it is not yet possible to distinguish between constitutional and causal-plus-constitutional interpretations although recent studies indicate that a pure causal hypothesis is incapable of explaining the full association as observed in Western populations. Unfortunately, errors of diagnosis and death certification still impede the rigorous testing of adequately formulated hypotheses.

Blood pressure reactivity to psychological stress predicts hypertension in the CARDIA study.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Karen A; Katholi, Charles R; McCreath, Heather; Whooley, Mary A; Williams, David R; Zhu, Sha; Markovitz, Jerry H

2004-07-06

A longstanding but controversial hypothesis is that individuals who exhibit frequent, large increases in blood pressure (BP) during psychological stress are at risk for developing essential hypertension. We tested whether BP changes during psychological stress predict incident hypertension in young adults. We used survival analysis to predict hypertensive status during 13 years of follow-up in a sample of >4100 normotensive black and white men and women (age at entry, 18 to 30 years) enrolled in the CARDIA study. BP responses to 3 psychological challenges--cold pressor, star tracing, and video game tasks--were measured. Hypertensive status was defined as use of antihypertensive medication or measured BP > or =140/90 mm Hg. After adjustment for race, gender, covariates (education, body mass index, age, and resting pressure), and their significant interactions, the larger the BP responses were to each of the 3 tasks, the earlier hypertension occurred (Pvideo game was apparent for men. Young adults who show a large BP response to psychological stress may be at risk for hypertension as they approach midlife.

Promoting the Role of the Personal Narrative in Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Levinson, Ralph

2008-01-01

Citizens participating in contemporary socio-scientific issues (SSI) need to draw on local knowledge and personal experience. If curricular developments in the teaching of controversial SSI are to reflect contemporary notions of citizenship then the personal narrative is an indispensable instrument in bridging the gap between the local/personal…

Ibuprofen in paediatrics: pharmacology, prescribing and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, Camilla; Carroll, Will

2016-12-01

Ibuprofen, a propionic acid derivative, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The oral formulation is widely used in paediatric practice and after paracetamol it is one of the most common drugs prescribed for children in hospital. The treatment of fever with antipyretics such as ibuprofen is controversial as fever is the normal response of the body to infection and unless the child becomes distressed or symptomatic, fever alone should not be routinely treated. Combined treatment with paracetamol and ibuprofen is commonly undertaken but almost certainly is not helpful. This article aims to describe the indications and mode of action of the drug, outline its pharmacokinetics and highlight the important key messages regarding its use in clinical practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress).

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Bruce J W; Allen, Peter M; Wilkins, Arnold J

Visual stress (VS) is characterised by symptoms of visual perceptual distortions and eyestrain when viewing text, symptoms that are alleviated by individually prescribed coloured filters. A recent review supports the existence of VS and its treatment, but noted that controversy remains, in part due to inconsistencies in the diagnosis of the condition. The present paper reviews the diagnostic criteria for VS in the literature and reports a Delphi analysis of the criteria currently used in clinical practice. Twenty-six eyecare practitioners were invited to participate in a Delphi study. They were selected because they were frequent prescribers of precision tinted lenses. In the first round they were sent a list of the indicators for which there is literature to suggest a relevance in the diagnosis of VS. The practitioners were invited to rank the indicators and add any additional criteria they use in diagnosis. In the second round a revised list was circulated, including items added from the responses in the first round. The respondents included optometrists, orthoptists and opticians. In the first round the response rate was 85%. Ninety-one percent of those who participated in the first round also responded in the second round. Strong indicators in the second round included the symptom of words moving when reading, voluntary use of an overlay for a prolonged period, improved performance of ≥15% with an overlay on the Wilkins Rate of Reading test, and an abnormally high score on the Pattern Glare Test. The strongest diagnostic criteria are combined in a diagnostic tool. This is proposed as a guide for clinical practice and further research. Copyright © 2016 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Short overview on metabolomics approach to study pathophysiology of oxidative stress in cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luka Andrisic

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Association of oxidative stress with carcinogenesis is well known, but not understood well, as is pathophysiology of oxidative stress generated during different types of anti-cancer treatments. Moreover, recent findings indicate that cancer associated lipid peroxidation might eventually help defending adjacent nonmalignant cells from cancer invasion. Therefore, untargeted metabolomics studies designed for advanced translational and clinical studies are needed to understand the existing paradoxes in oncology, including those related to controversial usage of antioxidants aiming to prevent or treat cancer. In this short review we have tried to put emphasis on the importance of pathophysiology of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in cancer development in relation to metabolic adaptation of particular types of cancer allowing us to conclude that adaptation to oxidative stress is one of the main driving forces of cancer pathophysiology. With the help of metabolomics many novel findings are being achieved thus encouraging further scientific breakthroughs. Combined with targeted qualitative and quantitative methods, especially immunochemistry, further research might reveal bio-signatures of individual patients and respective malignant diseases, leading to individualized treatment approach, according to the concepts of modern integrative medicine. Keywords: Carcinogenesis, Cancer, Oxidative stress, Lipid peroxidation, 4-hydroxynonenal, Glutathione, Metabolomics, Immunochemistry, Biomarkers, Omics science

The "Magic Cure" A Review of the Current Controversial Approaches for Treating Learning Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, Larry B.

1987-01-01

In view of popular press coverage of controversial approaches to treating learning disabilities, the article briefly reviews evidence concerning the following: neurophysiological retraining (patterning, optometric visual training, cerebellar-vestibular remediation, and applied kinesiology); and orthomolecular medicine (concerning megavitamins,…

Stress in Context: Morpho-Syntactic Properties Affect Lexical Stress Assignment in Reading Aloud.

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli, Giacomo; Sulpizio, Simone; Primativo, Silvia; Burani, Cristina

2016-01-01

Recent findings from English and Russian have shown that grammatical category plays a key role in stress assignment. In these languages, some grammatical categories have a typical stress pattern and this information is used by readers. However, whether readers are sensitive to smaller distributional differences and other morpho-syntactic properties (e.g., gender, number, person) remains unclear. We addressed this issue in word and non-word reading in Italian, a language in which: (1) nouns and verbs differ in the proportion of words with a dominant stress pattern; (2) information specified by words sharing morpho-syntactic properties may contrast with other sources of information, such as stress neighborhood. Both aspects were addressed in two experiments in which context words were used to induce the desired morpho-syntactic properties. Experiment 1 showed that the relatively different proportions of stress patterns between grammatical categories do not affect stress processing in word reading. In contrast, Experiment 2 showed that information specified by words sharing morpho-syntactic properties outweighs stress neighborhood in non-word reading. Thus, while general information specified by grammatical categories may not be used by Italian readers, stress neighbors with morpho-syntactic properties congruent with those of the target stimulus have a primary role in stress assignment. These results underscore the importance of expanding investigations of stress assignment beyond single words, as current models of single-word reading seem unable to account for our results.

Incidental findings of thyroid tissue in cervical lymph nodes: old controversy not yet resolved?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Triantafyllou, A.; Williams, M.D.; Angelos, P.; Shah, J.P.; Westra, W.H.; Hunt, J.L.; Devaney, K.O.; Rinaldo, A.; Slootweg, P.J.; Gnepp, D.R.; Silver, C.; Ferlito, A.

2016-01-01

The clinical significance of papillary or follicular thyroid tissue incidentally discovered in cervical lymph nodes during pathological assessment of neck dissections for non-thyroid cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract is critically reviewed. Special emphasis is given to controversies over

CONTROVERSY AND CONFLICTS DUE TO IMPROPER MEDICAL CARE AND LEGAL PRACTICE OF THEIR RESOLVING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. O. Perepechina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of the statistical data on the Russian Federation, showing how often controversy and conflicts due to improper medical care occurs in medical practice, as well as what are the ways to resolve them.

Ethical Considerations for Psychologists Taking a Public Stance on Controversial Issues: The Balance Between Personal and Professional Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Haeny, Angela M

2014-07-01

Previous literature has documented the general issues psychologists often face while balancing their personal and professional lives. The struggle stems from attempting to satisfy the need to maintain a life outside of work while having the professional obligation to follow the American Psychological Association's (APA's) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Ethics Code) to prevent their personal lives from interfering with their professional roles and relationships. The present paper analyzes the subject of psychologists taking a public position on controversial public issues. Although the APA Ethics Code does not restrict how psychologists conduct themselves during their personal time, taking a public stance on a controversial issue could potentially strain professional relationships and inadvertently reflect negatively on the profession. The present paper examines ethical issues that a) should be taken into account before psychologists take a public position on a controversial issue, and b) are in conflict with APA's Ethics Code or current research.

Ethical Considerations for Psychologists Taking a Public Stance on Controversial Issues: The Balance Between Personal and Professional Life

Science.gov (United States)

Haeny, Angela M.

2014-01-01

Previous literature has documented the general issues psychologists often face while balancing their personal and professional lives. The struggle stems from attempting to satisfy the need to maintain a life outside of work while having the professional obligation to follow the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Ethics Code) to prevent their personal lives from interfering with their professional roles and relationships. The present paper analyzes the subject of psychologists taking a public position on controversial public issues. Although the APA Ethics Code does not restrict how psychologists conduct themselves during their personal time, taking a public stance on a controversial issue could potentially strain professional relationships and inadvertently reflect negatively on the profession. The present paper examines ethical issues that a) should be taken into account before psychologists take a public position on a controversial issue, and b) are in conflict with APA’s Ethics Code or current research. PMID:25342876

[Sampling in qualitative research: basic principles and some controversies].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Salgado, Carolina

2012-03-01

This paper presents the rationale for the choice of participants in qualitative research in contrast with that of probability sampling principles in epidemiological research. For a better understanding of the differences, concepts of nomothetic and ideographic generalizability, as well as those of transferability and reflexivity, are proposed, Fundamentals of the main types of sampling commonly used in qualitative research, and the meaning of the concept of saturation are mentioned. Finally, some reflections on the controversies that have arisen in recent years on various paradigmatic perspectives from which to conduct qualitative research, their possibilities of combination with epidemiological research, and some implications for the study of health issues are presented.

Sensitive and Controversial Issues in the Classroom: Teaching History in a Divided Society

Science.gov (United States)

Kello, Katrin

2016-01-01

Teaching sensitive and controversial issues (SCIs) is of growing interest in contemporary, increasingly heterogeneous societies. In democracies, different groups and institutions expect their values and worldviews to be conveyed at school. On one hand, there is the expectation that SCIs should be treated neutrally. On the other hand, there are…

Controversy about Management of Hydrocephalus - Shunt vs. Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Vikas; Bodeliwala, Shaam; Singh, Daljit

2017-08-01

The best management of hydrocephalus is still controversial in the twenty-first century. Shunt treatment for hydrocephalus is the most common procedure performed in neurosurgical practice and is associated with the highest complications rate. But during the last 2 decades, the treatment of hydrocephalus has improved with better shunt devices available today, increased facilities for investigations and newer approaches like endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The recent advances in development of better endoscopes have provided the patient and treating doctor with an option for an alternative surgery for treatment of hydrocephalus.

Stress analyses for reactor pressure vessels by the example of a product line '69 boiling water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mkrtchyan, Lilit; Schau, Henry; Wolf, Werner; Holzer, Wieland; Wernicke, Robert; Trieglaff, Ralf

2011-01-01

The reactor pressure vessels (RPV) of boiling water reactors (BWR) belonging to the product line '69 have unusually designed heads. The spherical cap-shaped bottom head of the vessel is welded directly to the support flange of the lower shell course. This unusual construction has led repeatedly to controversial discussions concerning the limits and admissibility of stress intensities arising in the junction of the bottom head to the cylindrical shell. In the present paper, stress analyses for the design conditions are performed with the finite element method in order to determine and categorize the occurring stresses. The procedure of stress classification in accordance with the guidelines of German KTA 3201.2 and Section III of the ASME Code (Subsection NB) is described and subsequently demonstrated by the example of a typical BWR vessel. The accomplished investigations yield allowable stress intensities in the considered area. Additionally, limit load analyses are carried out to verify the obtained results. Complementary studies, performed for a torispherical head, prove that the determined maximum peak stresses in the junction between the bottom head and the cylindrical shell are not unusual also for pressure vessels with regular bottom head constructions. (orig.)

Association between prenatal psychological stress and oxidative stress during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Eick, Stephanie M; Barrett, Emily S; van 't Erve, Thomas J; Nguyen, Ruby H N; Bush, Nicole R; Milne, Ginger; Swan, Shanna H; Ferguson, Kelly K

2018-03-30

Prenatal psychological stress during pregnancy has been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. A growing animal literature supports an association between psychological stress and oxidative stress. We assessed this relationship in pregnant women, hypothesising that psychological stress is associated with higher concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers during pregnancy. Psychosocial status and stressful life events (SLE) were self-reported. 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α (8-iso-PGF 2α ) was measured as a biomarker of oxidative stress in urine samples at median 32 weeks' gestation. We examined SLEs individually (ever vs never) and in summary (any vs none) and psychosocial status as measured by individual subscales and in summary (poor vs good). Linear models estimated associations between these parameters and urinary 8-iso-PGF 2α concentrations after adjusting for covariates. The geometric mean of 8-iso-PGF 2α was significantly higher among pregnant women who were non-White, smokers, had less than a college education, higher pre-pregnancy BMI and were unmarried. Having ever had a death in the family (n = 39) during pregnancy was associated with a 22.9% increase in 8-iso-PGF 2α in unadjusted models (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50, 48.8). Poor psychosocial status was associated with a 13.1% (95% CI 2.43, 25.0) greater mean 8-iso-PGF 2α in unadjusted analyses. Associations were attenuated, but remained suggestive, after covariate adjustment. These data suggest that 8-iso-PGF 2α is elevated in pregnant women with who are at a sociodemographic disadvantage and who have higher psychological stress in pregnancy. Previous studies have observed that 8-iso-PGF 2α levels are associated with adverse birth outcomes, oxidative stress could be a mediator in these relationships. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

HPV vaccines: a controversial issue?

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, A F; Andrade, C V; Russomano, F B; Rodrigues, L L S; Oliveira, N S; Provance, D W

2016-01-01

Controversy still exists over whether the benefits of the available HPV vaccines outweigh the risks and this has suppressed uptake of the HPV vaccines in comparison to other vaccines. Concerns about HPV vaccine safety have led some physicians, healthcare officials and parents to withhold the recommended vaccination from the target population. The most common reason for not administering the prophylactic HPV vaccines are concerns over adverse effects. The aim of this review is the assessment of peer-reviewed scientific data related to measurable outcomes from the use of HPV vaccines throughout the world with focused attention on the potential adverse effects. We found that the majority of studies continue to suggest a positive risk-benefit from vaccination against HPV, with minimal documented adverse effects, which is consistent with other vaccines. However, much of the published scientific data regarding the safety of HPV vaccines appears to originate from within the financially competitive HPV vaccine market. We advocate a more independent monitoring system for vaccine immunogenicity and adverse effects to address potential conflicts of interest with regular systematic literature reviews by qualified individuals to vigilantly assess and communicate adverse effects associated with HPV vaccination. Finally, our evaluation suggests that an expanded use of HPV vaccine into more diverse populations, particularly those living in low-resource settings, would provide numerous health and social benefits.

HPV vaccines: a controversial issue?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.F. Nicol

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Controversy still exists over whether the benefits of the available HPV vaccines outweigh the risks and this has suppressed uptake of the HPV vaccines in comparison to other vaccines. Concerns about HPV vaccine safety have led some physicians, healthcare officials and parents to withhold the recommended vaccination from the target population. The most common reason for not administering the prophylactic HPV vaccines are concerns over adverse effects. The aim of this review is the assessment of peer-reviewed scientific data related to measurable outcomes from the use of HPV vaccines throughout the world with focused attention on the potential adverse effects. We found that the majority of studies continue to suggest a positive risk-benefit from vaccination against HPV, with minimal documented adverse effects, which is consistent with other vaccines. However, much of the published scientific data regarding the safety of HPV vaccines appears to originate from within the financially competitive HPV vaccine market. We advocate a more independent monitoring system for vaccine immunogenicity and adverse effects to address potential conflicts of interest with regular systematic literature reviews by qualified individuals to vigilantly assess and communicate adverse effects associated with HPV vaccination. Finally, our evaluation suggests that an expanded use of HPV vaccine into more diverse populations, particularly those living in low-resource settings, would provide numerous health and social benefits.

Controversies in presacral tumors management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nidal Issa

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Presacral tumors are rare lesions of the retrorectal space that can present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulty because of their anatomic location and the different tissue types and etiology. Although the diagnosis and management of these tumors has evolved in recent years, several points still to be addressed in order to improve perioperative diagnosis and treatment. In the upcoming we will try to highlight some controversial points; the pre-operative biopsies, neoadjuvant therapy, the necessity of surgery and the role of minimally invasive surgeries of presacral tumors. Resumo: Tumores pré-sacrais são lesões raras do espaço retrorretal que podem trazer dificuldades diagnósticas e terapêuticas por causa de sua localização anatômica e também pelos diferentes tipos de tecidos e etiologia. Embora nos últimos anos o diagnóstico e tratamento desses tumores tenham evoluído, diversos pontos ainda devem ser estudados com vistas à melhora do diagnóstico e tratamento no perioperatório. Mais adiante, tentaremos esclarecer alguns pontos controversos; biópsias pré-operatórias, terapia neoadjuvante, a necessidade de cirurgia e o papel das cirurgias minimamente invasivas para os tumores pré-sacrais. Keywords: Presacral tumor, Preoperative biopsy, Neoadjuvant therapy, Palavras-chave: Tumor pré-sacral, Biópsia pré-operatória, Terapia neoadjuvante

Everything you need to know to understand the current controversies you learned from psychological research. A comment on the Rind and Lilienfeld controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternberg, Robert J

2002-03-01

Psychological theory and research can help explain some of the aspects of the controversies that arose over articles written by B. Rind, P. Tromovitch, and R. Bauserman (1998) and by S. O. Lilienfeld (2002). In particular, one needs to distinguish between rational and intuitive thinking, to recognize the power of context, to be reflective in one's own thinking, and to realize the costs of defying the crowd. There are steps one can take to be wiser and more balanced in one's own thinking than one may have been in the past. One such step is to resolve conflicts among psychologists by attempting to defuse rather than to exacerbate or avoid them.

The history of stress hyperglycaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasanthiran, A; Shotliff, K

2015-01-01

Stress hyperglycaemia, is a common phenomenon, frequently associated with adverse outcomes in a number of prevalent conditions including myocardial infarction and stroke. Knowledge on stress hyperglycaemia evolved in tandem with knowledge relating to homeostasis, stress and disease and involved some of the world's most eminent thinkers. Despite this, it still remains under-recognised. This paper illustrates significant points in the history of stress hyperglycaemia, from antiquity through to the present day, as well as the challenges faced in translating research into clinical benefit for patients. Profiles of significant protagonists including Claude Bernard, Walter Cannon and Hans Seyle are presented, as well their roles in the emergence of modern-day terminology and pathophysiological models. Major themes such as 'fight or flight' and homeostasis are central to this discussion. Closer to the present day, the role of stress hyperglycaemia in a number of common medical conditions is explored in more detail. Contention around evidence for treatment and the future risk of diabetes mellitus are also discussed.

The electric car controversy. A social-constructivist interpretation of the California zero-emission vehicle mandate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogelberg, H

1998-07-01

This study focuses the socio-technical dynamics of the attempted reintroduction of electric cars in California. The underlying question is whether or not it is possible to open up an entrenched technological area as car technology, and achieve a radical change. With the perspectives of social constructivist approaches to technological change, this study examines how a large technological controversy was initiated by regulatory action of the air agency in California, the California Air Resources Board, how this controversy developed and stabilized, and how it was ended by the air agency and the auto industry. Based on mainly secondary sources, the definitions that were established on electric cars and gasoline cars at the turn of the 20th century are highlighted, thus showing the existence of two types of automobiles: the city car and the endurance car. The city car did not survive, and was not defined as being a real car. Based on mainly primary sources, the recent electric car controversy is examined, suggesting that the air agency could not force the car industry to re-introduce the city car, and consequently the efforts were directed towards the development of more advanced batteries that could give the electric car a performance close to that of the gasoline car. It also display that electric car technology was enhanced due to the mandate. In ending the controversy, the agency, due to political forces, changed from 'command-and-control' to a 'partnership' strategy. The California Air Resources Board postponed the mandate (from 1998 to 2003), due to the fact that large volume production of advanced batteries was not expected to be in place by 1998. This regulatory relief removed the principal obstacle on behalf of auto manufacturers of not to accept mandated markets, and led General Motors to start to market their purpose built electric sports car by late 1996, and Toyota to promote electric- and electric hybrid car technologies. Thus car technology was re-opened.

The electric car controversy. A social-constructivist interpretation of the California zero-emission vehicle mandate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogelberg, H.

1998-07-01

This study focuses the socio-technical dynamics of the attempted reintroduction of electric cars in California. The underlying question is whether or not it is possible to open up an entrenched technological area as car technology, and achieve a radical change. With the perspectives of social constructivist approaches to technological change, this study examines how a large technological controversy was initiated by regulatory action of the air agency in California, the California Air Resources Board, how this controversy developed and stabilized, and how it was ended by the air agency and the auto industry. Based on mainly secondary sources, the definitions that were established on electric cars and gasoline cars at the turn of the 20th century are highlighted, thus showing the existence of two types of automobiles: the city car and the endurance car. The city car did not survive, and was not defined as being a real car. Based on mainly primary sources, the recent electric car controversy is examined, suggesting that the air agency could not force the car industry to re-introduce the city car, and consequently the efforts were directed towards the development of more advanced batteries that could give the electric car a performance close to that of the gasoline car. It also display that electric car technology was enhanced due to the mandate. In ending the controversy, the agency, due to political forces, changed from 'command-and-control' to a 'partnership' strategy. The California Air Resources Board postponed the mandate (from 1998 to 2003), due to the fact that large volume production of advanced batteries was not expected to be in place by 1998. This regulatory relief removed the principal obstacle on behalf of auto manufacturers of not to accept mandated markets, and led General Motors to start to market their purpose built electric sports car by late 1996, and Toyota to promote electric- and electric hybrid car technologies. Thus car

Academic Controversy in Macroeconomics: An Active and Collaborative Method to Increase Student Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Santicola, Craig F.

2015-01-01

The literature indicates that there is a lack of learning outcomes in economics that can be attributed to the reliance on traditional lecture and the failure to adopt innovative instructional techniques. This study sought to investigate the student learning effects of academic controversy, a cooperative learning technique that shows promise in the…

Creating a Controversial Picturebook: Discussions with the Creators of "And Tango Makes Three"

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Craig A.

2011-01-01

Censorship is not a new phenomenon in the field of children's literature. Children's and young adult books are often scrutinized for text and illustrations that may be found questionable for use with young readers. If deemed inappropriate, these books become the subjects of controversial debate and may fall victim to censorship. Although numerous…

Blunted cortisol response to stress in patients with eating disorders: Its association to bulimic features.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz-Leal, Francisco J; Ramos-Fuentes, María I; Rodríguez-Santos, Laura; Chimpén-López, Carlos; Fernández-Sánchez, Nieves; Zamora-Rodríguez, Francisco J; Beato-Fernández, Luis; Rojo-Moreno, Luis; Guisado-Macías, Juan A

2018-05-01

Clinical research on cortisol response to stress in patients with eating disorders has provided controversial and even contradictory results. As this might be the consequence of the inclusion in the studies of heterogeneous clinical populations, 3 highly selected samples were studied. Dexamethasone suppression test was performed on 15 restricting anorexia nervosa patients without history of bulimia nervosa (BN), 17 BN patients with normal weight and no history of anorexia nervosa, and 22 healthy controls. Three days later, the Trier Social Stress Test was applied, and 8 saliva samples were collected along the trial for cortisol assessment. When the patients were considered as a single group, a slightly blunted cortisol response to stress was observed, but when the 3 groups were considered separately, the blunted response was observed only in the BN patients. The results support the association between blunted cortisol response and bulimic features. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Effect of Interbody Fusion on the Remaining Discs of the Lumbar Spine in Subjects with Disc Degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Robert; Techy, Fernando; Varadarajan, Ravikumar; Amirouche, Farid

2016-02-01

To study effects (stress loads) of lumbar fusion on the remaining segments (adjacent or not) of the lumbar spine in the setting of degenerated adjacent discs. A lumbar spine finite element model was built and validated. The full model of the lumbar spine was a parametric finite element model of segments L 1-5 . Numerous hypothetical combinations of one-level lumbar spine fusion and one-level disc degeneration were created. These models were subjected to 10 Nm flexion and extension moments and the stresses on the endplates and consequently on the intervertebral lumbar discs measured. These values were compared to the stresses on healthy lumbar spine discs under the same load and fusion scenarios. Increased stress at endplates was observed only in the settings of L4-5 fusion and L3-4 disc degeneration (8% stress elevation at L2,3 in flexion or extension, and 25% elevation at L3,4 in flexion only). All other combinations showed less endplate stress than did the control model. For fusion at L3-4 and degeneration at L4-5 , the stresses in the endplates at the adjacent level inferior to the fused disc decreased for both loading disc height reductions. Stresses in flexion decreased after fusion by 29.5% and 25.8% for degeneration I and II, respectively. Results for extension were similar. For fusion at L2-3 and degeneration at L4-5 , stresses in the endplates decreased more markedly at the degenerated (30%), than at the fused level (14%) in the presence of 25% disc height reduction and 10 Nm flexion, whereas in extension stresses decreased more at the fused (24.3%) than the degenerated level (5.86%). For fusion at L3-4 and degeneration at L2-3 , there were no increases in endplate stress in any scenario. For fusion at L4-5 and degeneration at L3-4 , progression of degeneration from I to II had a significant effect only in flexion. A dramatic increase in stress was noted in the endplates of the degenerated disc (L3-4 ) in flexion for degeneration II. Stresses are greater

Ruffled feathers: Costume, gender and authorship in the Black Swan controversy

OpenAIRE

Warner, Helen

2012-01-01

In 2011, the popular and trade press reported a dispute between costume designer Amy Westcott and creators of fashion label Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, following the decision that the fashion designers were only to receive a back-end credit for their work on psychological thriller Black Swan (Aronofsky, 2010). This article traces the coverage of the Black Swan controversy in order to demonstrate that press discourses surrounding the costume designer perform a series of cultural function...

Oncologic PET/CT: current status and controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, B.A.; Dehdashti, F.

2005-01-01

The introduction of integrated PET/CT has dramatically increased the worldwide rate of growth for PET, predominantly for oncologic imaging with the glucose analog 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). A rapidly expanding body of literature demonstrates that the use FDG-PET/CT and the resultant ability to interpret coregistered and fused PET and CT images lead to improved observer confidence and improved diagnostic performance by comparison with PET alone, CT alone, and visually correlated PET and CT. The value of PET/CT is likely to be even greater with new PET radiopharmaceuticals under development, many of which produce PET images with even fewer anatomical landmarks than FDG images. PET/CT is also likely to lead to the resurrection of 18 F-fluoride as a principal agent for radionuclide bone imaging. There are a number of controversies related to PET/CT, including minimum training and experience requirements for interpreting physicians and defining new models for technical and professional reimbursement. (orig.)

Epistemological depth in a GM crops controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Daniel J

2015-04-01

This paper examines the scientific controversy over the yields of genetically modified [GM] crops as a case study in epistemologically deep disagreements. Appeals to "the evidence" are inadequate to resolve such disagreements; not because the interlocutors have radically different metaphysical views (as in cases of incommensurability), but instead because they assume rival epistemological frameworks and so have incompatible views about what kinds of research methods and claims count as evidence. Specifically, I show that, in the yield debate, proponents and opponents of GM crops cite two different sets of claims as evidence, which correspond to two rival epistemological frameworks, classical experimental epistemology and Nancy Cartwright's evidence for use. I go on to argue that, even if both sides of the debate accepted Cartwright's view, they might still disagree over what counts as evidence, because evidence for use ties standards of evidence to what is sometimes called the "context of application." Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Social Life of Data (Prototyping Controversies)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Tobias Bornakke; Birkbak, Andreas; Petersen, Morten Krogh

are out, which leaves it to the public to stumble upon the webpages and explore the results. This unspecified public, however, often seems to have more similarities to a void of non-engagement than a receptive social room. In this paper we take two related steps to counter the lack of public engagement...... that makes available a large relational data set on the Danish power elite (Ellersgaard et al. 2015) through an interactive data navigation tool. The tool allows visitors to explore a data set that is potentially controversial but difficult to navigate. Further, Google Analytics and a simple survey allows us...... to examine how visitors to the website were led to the site in the first place, how they made use of the data navigation tool and how customized maps from the webpage travelled into new and unpredictable arenas. The experiment thus explores the tension between publishing and making things public...

The Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale: Measurement Invariance, Stability, and Validity in Three Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Schlotz, Wolff; Yim, Ilona S.; Zoccola, Peggy M.; Jansen, Lars; Schulz, Peter

2011-01-01

There is accumulating evidence that individual differences in stress reactivity contribute to the risk for stress-related disease. However, the assessment of stress reactivity remains challenging, and there is a relative lack of questionnaires reliably assessing this construct. We here present the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale (PSRS), a…

Articles and contributions to the nuclear controversy - 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wethe, P.I.

1976-08-01

In the beginning of the 1970s the public interest in nuclear power in Norway was negligible, and an active information campaign might have been interpreted as an attack on the dominant hydroelectric development policy. In 1973 the electricity authorities themselves began to propose concrete nuclear power projects. Over a very short interval of time organised protest groups emerged whose main objective was to hinder the establishment of nuclear power in their own districts. T hese have since developed into agressive national groups and in the period up to the spring of 1975 an intense press debate took place. The staff of Institutt for Atomenergi took an active part in this debate and this collection of articles and contributions gives an impression of the nuclear controversy in Norway from 1973 to 1976. (JIW)

[PALEOPATHOLOGY OF HUMAN REMAINS].

Science.gov (United States)

Minozzi, Simona; Fornaciari, Gino

2015-01-01

Many diseases induce alterations in the human skeleton, leaving traces of their presence in ancient remains. Paleopathological examination of human remains not only allows the study of the history and evolution of the disease, but also the reconstruction of health conditions in the past populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from the Roman Imperial Age necropoles found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumours, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, the palaeopathological study allowed to highlight the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population.

Endoplasmic reticulum: ER stress regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics

Science.gov (United States)

Bravo, Roberto; Gutierrez, Tomás; Paredes, Felipe; Gatica, Damián; Rodriguez, Andrea E.; Pedrozo, Zully; Chiong, Mario; Parra, Valentina; Quest, Andrew F.G.; Rothermel, Beverly A.; Lavandero, Sergio

2014-01-01

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activates an adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) that facilitates cellular repair, however, under prolonged ER stress, the UPR can ultimately trigger apoptosis thereby terminating damaged cells. The molecular mechanisms responsible for execution of the cell death program are relatively well characterized, but the metabolic events taking place during the adaptive phase of ER stress remain largely undefined. Here we discuss emerging evidence regarding the metabolic changes that occur during the onset of ER stress and how ER influences mitochondrial function through mechanisms involving calcium transfer, thereby facilitating cellular adaptation. Finally, we highlight how dysregulation of ER–mitochondrial calcium homeostasis during prolonged ER stress is emerging as a novel mechanism implicated in the onset of metabolic disorders. PMID:22064245

Coupling at Mauna Loa and Kīlauea by stress transfer in an asthenospheric melt layer

Science.gov (United States)

Gonnermann, Helge M.; Foster, James H.; Poland, Michael; Wolfe, Cecily J.; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Miklius, Asta

2012-01-01

The eruptive activity at the neighbouring Hawaiian volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, is thought to be linked despite both having separate lithospheric magmatic plumbing systems. Over the past century, activity at the two volcanoes has been anti-correlated, which could reflect a competition for the same magma supply. Yet, during the past decade Kīlauea and Mauna Loa have inflated simultaneously. Linked activity between adjacent volcanoes in general remains controversial. Here we present a numerical model for the dynamical interaction between Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, where both volcanoes are coupled by pore-pressure diffusion, occurring within a common, asthenospheric magma supply system. The model is constrained by measurements of gas emission rates indicative of eruptive activity, and it is calibrated to match geodetic measurements of surface deformation at both volcanoes, inferred to reflect changes in shallow magma storage. Although an increase in the asthenospheric magma supply can cause simultaneous inflation of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, we find that eruptive activity at one volcano may inhibit eruptions of the adjacent volcano, if there is no concurrent increase in magma supply. We conclude that dynamic stress transfer by asthenospheric pore pressure is a viable mechanism for volcano coupling at Hawai‘i, and perhaps for adjacent volcanoes elsewhere.

Brokered dialogue: A new research method for controversial health and social issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Janet A; Lavery, James V

2012-07-02

Dialogue is a foundational feature of social life and an important way in which we come to understand one another. In situations of controversy dialogue is often absent because of a range of social barriers. We have developed a new film-based qualitative research method for studying controversial issues in healthcare and social policy. We call this method Brokered Dialogue. Theoretically informed by the traditions in narrative inquiry and visual anthropology, the method is premised on the idea that dialogue possesses features making it unique as a generator of new knowledge and opportunities for social intervention. Film is not only an extraordinarily rich data source, but an excellent medium for knowledge transfer and dissemination. The paper introduces the Brokered Dialogue method. We outline its critical steps, including the procedures for sampling, data collection and data analysis of both textual and visual data. Participants in a Brokered Dialogue engage in filmed interviews that capture their perspectives on a given topic; they then share their perspectives with, and pose questions of, one another through the medium of film. Using a participatory editing process, only footage that participants feel comfortable showing to others is incorporated. This technique offers participants a 'safe' space for respectful interaction. The editing process itself is analytic, and the final assembly of footage approximates a dialogue on the topic at hand. A link to a film produced from a project piloting the method is provided to demonstrate its real world application. Brokered Dialogue is a method for promoting respectful interactions among those with seemingly divergent views on a controversial topic and for discovering critical points of divergence that may represent pathways for improvement. While the end product is a 'film', the goal is to have these films used as catalysts for ongoing respectful dialogue and problem-solving concerning the topic at hand informing

Brokered dialogue: A new research method for controversial health and social issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parsons Janet A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dialogue is a foundational feature of social life and an important way in which we come to understand one another. In situations of controversy dialogue is often absent because of a range of social barriers. We have developed a new film-based qualitative research method for studying controversial issues in healthcare and social policy. We call this method Brokered Dialogue. Theoretically informed by the traditions in narrative inquiry and visual anthropology, the method is premised on the idea that dialogue possesses features making it unique as a generator of new knowledge and opportunities for social intervention. Film is not only an extraordinarily rich data source, but an excellent medium for knowledge transfer and dissemination. Discussion The paper introduces the Brokered Dialogue method. We outline its critical steps, including the procedures for sampling, data collection and data analysis of both textual and visual data. Participants in a Brokered Dialogue engage in filmed interviews that capture their perspectives on a given topic; they then share their perspectives with, and pose questions of, one another through the medium of film. Using a participatory editing process, only footage that participants feel comfortable showing to others is incorporated. This technique offers participants a ‘safe’ space for respectful interaction. The editing process itself is analytic, and the final assembly of footage approximates a dialogue on the topic at hand. A link to a film produced from a project piloting the method is provided to demonstrate its real world application. Summary Brokered Dialogue is a method for promoting respectful interactions among those with seemingly divergent views on a controversial topic and for discovering critical points of divergence that may represent pathways for improvement. While the end product is a ‘film’, the goal is to have these films used as catalysts for ongoing respectful

Multidisciplinary Identification of the Controversial Freedom Fighter Jörg Jenatsch, Assassinated 1639 in Chur, Switzerland.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Haeusler

Full Text Available Jörg Jenatsch, a leading freedom fighter during the Thirty Year's War in Graubünden, Switzerland, was assassinated on carnival 1639. Jenatsch's controversial biography and the unclear circumstances of his death inspired the formation of various legends, novels and films. In 1959, a skeleton discovered in the cathedral of Chur with remains of wealthy baroque clothing was tentatively attributed to Jenatsch. Here, we reassess the skeleton based on a new exhumation. Our multidisciplinary analysis and the head injuries are consistent with reports of the eyewitnesses of the crime, demonstrating that Jenatsch was killed from behind with a semi-sharp implement, supposedly an axe, as well as by a blow with a broad-surfaced object. Moreover, our facial reconstruction closely matches an oil portrait of Jenatsch, and the HIrisPlex system applied to DNA-extracts from the femoral bone reveals brown eye and dark brown hair colour, which coincides well with the portrait, too. Finally, isotope analysis of the femoral bone and a molar support Jenatsch's high social status, luxury diet and a high mobility in the last decade of his life. This multidisciplinary approach thus reinforces personal identification and provides additional insight into the life of this important historic person beyond written resources.

Multidisciplinary Identification of the Controversial Freedom Fighter Jörg Jenatsch, Assassinated 1639 in Chur, Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Haeusler, Martin; Haas, Cordula; Lösch, Sandra; Moghaddam, Negahnaz; Villa, Igor M; Walsh, Susan; Kayser, Manfred; Seiler, Roger; Ruehli, Frank; Janosa, Manuel; Papageorgopoulou, Christina

2016-01-01

Jörg Jenatsch, a leading freedom fighter during the Thirty Year's War in Graubünden, Switzerland, was assassinated on carnival 1639. Jenatsch's controversial biography and the unclear circumstances of his death inspired the formation of various legends, novels and films. In 1959, a skeleton discovered in the cathedral of Chur with remains of wealthy baroque clothing was tentatively attributed to Jenatsch. Here, we reassess the skeleton based on a new exhumation. Our multidisciplinary analysis and the head injuries are consistent with reports of the eyewitnesses of the crime, demonstrating that Jenatsch was killed from behind with a semi-sharp implement, supposedly an axe, as well as by a blow with a broad-surfaced object. Moreover, our facial reconstruction closely matches an oil portrait of Jenatsch, and the HIrisPlex system applied to DNA-extracts from the femoral bone reveals brown eye and dark brown hair colour, which coincides well with the portrait, too. Finally, isotope analysis of the femoral bone and a molar support Jenatsch's high social status, luxury diet and a high mobility in the last decade of his life. This multidisciplinary approach thus reinforces personal identification and provides additional insight into the life of this important historic person beyond written resources.

Lyme disease: diagnostic issues and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguero-Rosenfeld, Maria E; Wormser, Gary P

2015-01-01

The diagnosis of Lyme disease is a controversial topic. Most practitioners and scientists recognize that Lyme disease is associated with certain objective clinical manifestations supported by laboratory evidence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the etiologic agent). There are others, however, who believe that patients with Lyme disease may have a wide variety of entirely nonspecific symptoms without any objective clinical manifestation and that laboratory evidence of infection by B. burgdorferi is not required to support the diagnosis. In reality, this perspective is not evidence based and would inevitably lead to innumerable misdiagnoses, given the high frequency of medically unexplained symptoms, such as fatigue and musculoskeletal pains, in the general population. Although those espousing this viewpoint do not believe that a positive laboratory test is required, nevertheless, they often seek out and promote alternative, unapproved testing methods that frequently provide false-positive results to justify their diagnosis. Herein, we provide a brief overview of Lyme disease testing, emphasizing current usage and limitations. We also discuss the use of nonvalidated procedures and the prospects for a reduction in such testing practices in the future.

Show what you know and deal with stress yourself: a qualitative interview study of medical interns’ perceptions of stress and gender

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Medical students report high stress levels and in particular, the clinical phase is a demanding one. The field of medicine is still described as having a patriarchal culture which favors aspects like a physicians’ perceived certainty and rationalism. Also, the Effort-Recovery Model explains stress as coming from a discrepancy between job demands, job control, and perceived work potential. Gendered differences in stress are reported, but not much is known about medical interns’ perceptions of how gender plays in relation to stress. The aim of this study is to explore how medical interns experience and cope with stress, as well as how they reflect on the gendered aspects of stress. Methods In order to do this, we have performed a qualitative study. In 2010–2011, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seventeen medical interns across all three years of the Masters programme (6 male, 11 female) at a Dutch medical school. The interview guide is based on gender theory, the Effort-Recovery Model, and empirical literature. Transcribed interviews have been analyzed thematically. Results First, stress mainly evolves from having to prove one’s self and show off competencies and motivation (“Show What You Know…”). Second, interns seek own solutions for handling stress because it is not open for discussion (… “And Deal With Stress Yourself”). Patient encounters are a source of pride and satisfaction rather than a source of stress. But interns report having to present themselves as ‘professional and self-confident’, remaining silent about experiencing stress. Female students are perceived to have more stress and to study harder in order to live up to expectations. Conclusions The implicit message interns hear is to remain silent about insecurities and stress, and, in particular, female students might face disadvantages. Students who feel less able to manifest the ‘masculine protest’ may benefit from a culture that

Show what you know and deal with stress yourself: a qualitative interview study of medical interns' perceptions of stress and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdonk, Petra; Räntzsch, Viktoria; de Vries, Remko; Houkes, Inge

2014-05-17

Medical students report high stress levels and in particular, the clinical phase is a demanding one. The field of medicine is still described as having a patriarchal culture which favors aspects like a physicians' perceived certainty and rationalism. Also, the Effort-Recovery Model explains stress as coming from a discrepancy between job demands, job control, and perceived work potential. Gendered differences in stress are reported, but not much is known about medical interns' perceptions of how gender plays in relation to stress. The aim of this study is to explore how medical interns experience and cope with stress, as well as how they reflect on the gendered aspects of stress. In order to do this, we have performed a qualitative study. In 2010-2011, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seventeen medical interns across all three years of the Masters programme (6 male, 11 female) at a Dutch medical school. The interview guide is based on gender theory, the Effort-Recovery Model, and empirical literature. Transcribed interviews have been analyzed thematically. First, stress mainly evolves from having to prove one's self and show off competencies and motivation ("Show What You Know…"). Second, interns seek own solutions for handling stress because it is not open for discussion (… "And Deal With Stress Yourself"). Patient encounters are a source of pride and satisfaction rather than a source of stress. But interns report having to present themselves as 'professional and self-confident', remaining silent about experiencing stress. Female students are perceived to have more stress and to study harder in order to live up to expectations. The implicit message interns hear is to remain silent about insecurities and stress, and, in particular, female students might face disadvantages. Students who feel less able to manifest the 'masculine protest' may benefit from a culture that embraces more collaborative styles, such as having open conversation

Use of NDE and FM for the assessment of remaining life of steam turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alley, T [Duke Power Co., Charlotte, NC (United States); Stone, R [Electric Power Research Inst., Charlotte, NC (United States). Nondestructive Evaluation Center

1988-12-31

Catastrophic failures of rotating turbine components, such as the Gallatin rotor burst in 1974 and the shrunk-on disk rupture at Hinkley Point in 1969, alerted the utility industry to the failure potential of these components. Such failures can cause severe financial loss; endanger personnel; and, in nuclear plants, damage safety related equipment. To adequately predict the remaining life of a turbine rotor requires accurate information about component flaws, material properties, future operating loads, relevant failure mechanisms, and an approach to combine this information to make an assessment of remaining life. EPRI has supported the development of improved ultrasonic test equipment for use from the rotor bore (bore-sonic examination) and a fracture mechanics based life assessment code called SAFER (Stress and Fracture Evaluation of Rotors). The EPRI NDE Center has supported the transfer of this technology to industry. This presentation deals with the NDE Center`s transfer of the NDE and life assessment technology to industry and discusses a particular application by Duke Power Company at their Allen Plant, Unit 1 to extend the operating life of an IP/LP turbine. (author).

Use of NDE and FM for the assessment of remaining life of steam turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alley, T.; Stone, R.

1988-01-01

Catastrophic failures of rotating turbine components, such as the Gallatin rotor burst in 1974 and the shrunk-on disk rupture at Hinkley Point in 1969, alerted the utility industry to the failure potential of these components. Such failures can cause severe financial loss; endanger personnel; and, in nuclear plants, damage safety related equipment. To adequately predict the remaining life of a turbine rotor requires accurate information about component flaws, material properties, future operating loads, relevant failure mechanisms, and an approach to combine this information to make an assessment of remaining life. EPRI has supported the development of improved ultrasonic test equipment for use from the rotor bore (bore-sonic examination) and a fracture mechanics based life assessment code called SAFER (Stress and Fracture Evaluation of Rotors). The EPRI NDE Center has supported the transfer of this technology to industry. This presentation deals with the NDE Center's transfer of the NDE and life assessment technology to industry and discusses a particular application by Duke Power Company at their Allen Plant, Unit 1 to extend the operating life of an IP/LP turbine. (author)

Influence of treatments on prognosis for vulvar lichen sclerosus: facts and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodrick, Brooks; Belkin, Zoe R; Goldstein, Andrew T

2013-01-01

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is an inflammatory dermatosis with a predilection for the anogential skin. Vulvar LS can be a debilitating disease, causing pruritus and pain, and it carries the potential for atrophy, scarring, and significant functional impairment. Recently, many advances have been made regarding the etiology and natural history of the disease process; however, much debate still exists regarding the most advantageous medical and surgical management of this disorder. In an effort to provide a comprehensive review on current vulvar LS literature, the following three controversies will be discussed: (1) optimal disease treatment, (2) theories behind LS's oncogenicity and treatments for minimizing malignancy, and (3) the value of surgical treatment for LS. Ultra-potent topical corticosteroids (TCSs) are the first-line treatment for vulvar LS, while topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) remain second-line agents for patients for whom TCS treatment resulted in incomplete resolution of symptoms or adverse events. Due to the relapsing nature of the disease, long-term maintenance therapy is often required. In addition, recent advances have contributed to the understanding of the association between LS and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). While the exact mechanism responsible for LS-associated SCC is not known, immune dysregulation and inflammation may play an important role; therefore, successful treatment of LS should be directed towards alleviation of symptoms and reversal of the underlying histopathologic changes. Patients with LS-associated malignancy, as well as patients who need correction of functionally restrictive, scarring processes, can successfully undergo surgical intervention with tissue conservation. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abscisic Acid and abiotic stress signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuteja, Narendra

2007-05-01

Abiotic stress is severe environmental stress, which impairs crop production on irrigated land worldwide. Overall, the susceptibility or tolerance to the stress in plants is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also cross-talk with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Plant responses to abiotic stress can be determined by the severity of the stress and by the metabolic status of the plant. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone critical for plant growth and development and plays an important role in integrating various stress signals and controlling downstream stress responses. Plants have to adjust ABA levels constantly in responce to changing physiological and environmental conditions. To date, the mechanisms for fine-tuning of ABA levels remain elusive. The mechanisms by which plants respond to stress include both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent processes. Various transcription factors such as DREB2A/2B, AREB1, RD22BP1 and MYC/MYB are known to regulate the ABA-responsive gene expression through interacting with their corrosponding cis-acting elements such as DRE/CRT, ABRE and MYCRS/MYBRS, respectively. Understanding these mechanisms is important to improve stress tolerance in crops plants. This article first describes the general pathway for plant stress response followed by roles of ABA and transcription factors in stress tolerance including the regulation of ABA biosynthesis.

Bioethics networks and reproduction technologies: theoretical and methodological controversies - DOI: 10.3395/reciis.v1i2.87en

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Maria Leite Pedro

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The object of this paper is to discuss some of the theoretical and methodological controversies surrounding the emerging field of bioethics, especially focusing on reproduction biotechnologies, attempting to give some examples of its implications as a network of controversies. Initially, it presents the new reproduction biotechnologies in terms of the effect which they are producing on our understanding about human nature and life, as well as the context of the emergence of bioethics, traditionally conceived of as a critical and analytical example of the relationship between technology and humanity. As an alternative way of explaining these relationships, it outlines the aspect of bioethics as a network effect, in which the technology-society hybrid is shown both in the building of bioethical norms and in the instabilities which challenge these norms. As a way of understanding this heterogeneous and complex network, Controversy Analysis is proposed as a methodological tool. In order to illustrate the richness of such perspective, a brief empirical study is presented, in which an attempt is made to track controversies articulated around the relations between bioethics and reproduction biotechnologies, with a specific focus on stem cell research, as published by the on-line media from January of 2004 until July of 2006, raising questions about subjects such as: life, humanity, artifice and autonomy.

Stress analyses for reactor pressure vessels by the example of a product line '69 boiling water reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mkrtchyan, Lilit; Schau, Henry [TUEV SUED Energietechnik GmbH, Mannheim (Germany). Abt. Strukturverhalten; Wolf, Werner; Holzer, Wieland [TUEV SUED Industrie Service GmbH, Muenchen (Germany). Abt. Behaelter und Turbosatz; Wernicke, Robert; Trieglaff, Ralf [TUEV NORD SysTec GmbH und Co. KG, Hamburg (Germany). Abt. Festigkeit und Konstruktion

2011-08-15

The reactor pressure vessels (RPV) of boiling water reactors (BWR) belonging to the product line '69 have unusually designed heads. The spherical cap-shaped bottom head of the vessel is welded directly to the support flange of the lower shell course. This unusual construction has led repeatedly to controversial discussions concerning the limits and admissibility of stress intensities arising in the junction of the bottom head to the cylindrical shell. In the present paper, stress analyses for the design conditions are performed with the finite element method in order to determine and categorize the occurring stresses. The procedure of stress classification in accordance with the guidelines of German KTA 3201.2 and Section III of the ASME Code (Subsection NB) is described and subsequently demonstrated by the example of a typical BWR vessel. The accomplished investigations yield allowable stress intensities in the considered area. Additionally, limit load analyses are carried out to verify the obtained results. Complementary studies, performed for a torispherical head, prove that the determined maximum peak stresses in the junction between the bottom head and the cylindrical shell are not unusual also for pressure vessels with regular bottom head constructions. (orig.)

Benefit and Risk Perceptions of Controversial Facilities: A Comparison between Local Officials and the Public in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingduo Mao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the perception biases of local government officials and the general public by comparing their benefit and risk perceptions towards controversial facilities. The analysis framework of Social Judgement Theory (SJT—i.e., (a economic benefits, (b environmental health, and (c social and political factors—was used to design the research. SJT is a widely recognized theoretical framework that includes experimental approaches to the study of cognitive conflicts. An experimental survey was conducted to collect data in order to make a comparison of the weight of different elements. Results demonstrate that there are perception differences between the general public and local officials on controversial facilities. Local officials responsible for endorsing and supervising plants attach more significance to environmental factors than the public, while the public focuses more on social and political factors than officials. There is no significant difference in the cognition of economic benefits. Factors such as demolition compensation and legitimacy may provoke these perception gaps. This paper enriches the current understanding of SJT and policy making for controversial facilities by investigating the perception gaps between officials and the general public.

Dialogs on the Yucca Mountain controversy. Special report No. 10

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schluter, C.M.; Szymanski, J.S.

1993-08-01

In an attempt to resolve the controversial issue of tectonic and hydrologic stability of the Yucca Mountain region, the National Academy of Sciences established a Panel on Coupled Hydrologic/Tectonic/HydrothermaI Systems. The Panel has recently released it's findings in a report entitled Ground Water at Yucca Mountain: How High Can It Rise? The representation of data and the scientific validity of this report was the subject of comprehensive evaluations and reviews which has led to correspondence between Dr. Charles Archarnbeau and Dr. Frank Press, the President of the National Academy of Sciences. All such correspondence prior to April 9, 1993 is covered by TRAC Special Report No. 5, open-quotes Dialogs on the Yucca Mountain Controversy.close quotes The present report represents a continuation of the dialog between Dr. Archambeau and Dr. Press; specifically the letter from Dr. Press to Dr. Archambeau dated April 9, 1993 and Archambeau's response to Press, dated August 19, 1993. In addition to the correspondence between Press and Archambeau, a series of recent reports by other investigators, referred to in the correspondence from Archambeau, are included in this report and document new data and inferences of importance for resolution of the question of suitability of the Yucca Mountain site as a high level nuclear waste repository. These reports also demonstrate that other scientists, not previously associated with the government's program at Yucca Mountain or the National Academy review of an aspect of that program, have arrived at conclusions that are different than those stated by the Academy review and DOE program scientists

Sugars and Health Controversies: What Does the Science Say?123

Science.gov (United States)

Rippe, James M; Angelopoulos, Theodore J

2015-01-01

The consumption of sugar and its relation to various potential adverse health consequences are the subjects of considerable debate and controversy. This supplement to Advances in Nutrition provides an expanded summary of a symposium held on 26 April 2014 entitled “Sugars and Health Controversies: What Does the Science Say?” as part of the ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2014. The articles in the supplement discuss results of current systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as randomized controlled trials and draw implications for public policy considerations. In addition, future research gaps are identified. Current research trials conducted with commonly consumed sugars [e.g., sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)] do not support a unique relation to obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, risk factors for heart disease, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Neurologic differences in response to studies that used pure fructose compared with pure glucose have not been confirmed using typical sugars that are consumed (i.e., sucrose and HFCS), which contain ∼50% glucose and fructose. We conclude that added sugars consumed in the normal forms in which humans consume them, at amounts typical of the human diet and for the time period studied in randomized controlled trials, do not result in adverse health consequences. Although more research trials are needed in many areas of sugar consumption and health, there is little scientific justification for recommending restricting sugar consumption below the reasonable upper limit recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 of no more than 25% of calories.

Effects of Synchronicity and Belongingness on Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Constructive Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Saltarelli, Andy J.; Roseth, Cary J.

2014-01-01

Adapting face-to-face (FTF) pedagogies to online settings raises boundary questions about the contextual conditions in which the same instructional method stimulates different outcomes. We address this issue by examining FTF and computer-mediated communication (CMC) versions of constructive controversy, a cooperative learning procedure involving…

Triumph & Commemoration: Collective Imagination and the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Controversy

OpenAIRE

Powell, Julie M.

2013-01-01

This study reassesses the meaning of the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ controversy of 2010 through the lens of urban sociology and collective imagination. It utilizes the imaginative fruits of civic forums, such as “Imagine NY” and “Listening to the City,” to determine New Yorkers’ collective vision for the rehabilitation of Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11. Articulated as a clarion call for the manifestation of commemoration and triumph over terrorism in the New York cityscape...

Patently controversial: markets, morals, and the President's proposal for embryonic stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Fins, Joseph J; Schachter, Madeleine

2002-09-01

This essay considers the implications of President George W. Bush's proposal for human embryonic stem cell research. Through the perspective of patent law, privacy, and informed consent, we elucidate the ongoing controversy about the moral standing of human embryonic stem cells and their derivatives and consider how the inconsistencies in the president's proposal will affect clinical practice and research.

Human Rights Education: A Pedagogical and Didactic (Teaching Strategy Focused in a Controversial Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abraham Magendzo-Kolstrein

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article, which can be envision as an essay, is to present a pedagogical-didactic strategy for human rights education focusing on the controversy. Advancements and setbacks faced by human rights education in Latin America are exposed in order to support this strategy. Therefore, it indicates that education has denied the conflict and explains the need for its inclusion under the idea of ‘controversial issue’. Additionally, the existence of conflicts in the interpretation, violation and/or respect for human rights is pointed out. The principal tensions that cross human rights are displayed. Based on the above, the need to support the existence of a human rights education focusing on the conflict and central components of its teaching strategy are described, and it ends by referring to its didactic approach and the role which should be assumed by faculty when teaching human rights including the conflict.

Left ventricular performance during psychological stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, D.Z.; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Dimsdale, J.E.; Moore, R.H.; Barlai-Kovach, M.; Newell, J.B.; McKusick, K.A.; Boucher, C.A.; Fifer, M.A.; Strauss, H.W.

1989-01-01

Left ventricular ejection fraction, systolic blood pressure and plasma norepinephrine were measured in six normotensive and six mildly hypertensive subjects during rest and psychological stress. Compared with rest, 8 of the 12 subjects developed significant changes in ejection fraction (increase in 6, decrease in 2); 10 of 12 subjects developed significant elevations of plasma norepinephrine; and all developed significant increases in systolic blood pressure. When the stress effects were examined for the total group, as opposed to within subjects, there were significant increases in plasma norepinephrine and systolic blood pressure but, interestingly, mean ejection fraction and stroke volume remained unchanged, implying stress led to increased left ventricular contractility. (orig.)

Social support, stress and the aging brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Stephanie M; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Fingerman, Karen L; Schnyer, David M

2016-07-01

Social support benefits health and well-being in older individuals, however the mechanism remains poorly understood. One proposal, the stress-buffering hypothesis states social support 'buffers' the effects of stress on health. Alternatively, the main effect hypothesis suggests social support independently promotes health. We examined the combined association of social support and stress on the aging brain. Forty healthy older adults completed stress questionnaires, a social network interview and structural MRI to investigate the amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex circuitry, which is implicated in social and emotional processing and negatively affected by stress. Social support was positively correlated with right medial prefrontal cortical thickness while amygdala volume was negatively associated with social support and positively related to stress. We examined whether the association between social support and amygdala volume varied across stress level. Stress and social support uniquely contribute to amygdala volume, which is consistent with the health benefits of social support being independent of stress. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Controversies in external beam and high dose rate brachytherapy of oesophageal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sur, R.K.; Levin, V.C.; Malas, Simon; Donde, Bernard

1994-01-01

Various controversies in the treatment of oesophageal carcinoma with external beam radiotherapy and high dose rate intracavitary irradiation have been reviewed. Conflicting results from different parts of the world has made it difficult to optimize the radiation dose that may give the best results. More studies and longer follow-up are needed before a definite conclusion can be made on the optimization of dose. (author). 18 refs., 2 tabs

Whole-body heat stress and exercise stimulate the appearance of platelet microvesicles in plasma with limited influence of vascular shear stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Eurico N; González-Alonso, José; Chiesa, Scott T; Trangmar, Steven J; Kalsi, Kameljit K; Rakobowchuk, Mark

2017-11-01

Intense, large muscle mass exercise increases circulating microvesicles, but our understanding of microvesicle dynamics and mechanisms inducing their release remains limited. However, increased vascular shear stress is generally thought to be involved. Here, we manipulated exercise-independent and exercise-dependent shear stress using systemic heat stress with localized single-leg cooling (low shear) followed by single-leg knee extensor exercise with the cooled or heated leg (Study 1, n  = 8) and whole-body passive heat stress followed by cycling (Study 2, n  = 8). We quantified femoral artery shear rates (SRs) and arterial and venous platelet microvesicles (PMV-CD41 + ) and endothelial microvesicles (EMV-CD62E + ). In Study 1, mild passive heat stress while one leg remained cooled did not affect [microvesicle] ( P  ≥ 0.05). Single-leg knee extensor exercise increased active leg SRs by ~12-fold and increased arterial and venous [PMVs] by two- to threefold, even in the nonexercising contralateral leg ( P  body passive heat stress increased arterial [PMV] compared with baseline (mean±SE, from 19.9 ± 1.5 to 35.5 ± 5.4 PMV . μ L -1. 10 3 , P  stress increased [PMV] further in the venous circulation (from 27.5 ± 2.2 at baseline to 57.5 ± 7.2 PMV . μ L -1. 10 3 during cycling with heat stress, P  body heat stress may increase arterial [PMV], and intense exercise engaging either large or small muscle mass promote PMV formation locally and systemically, with no influence upon [EMV]. Local shear stress, however, does not appear to be the major stimulus modulating PMV formation in healthy humans. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Advanced Concepts and Controversies in Emergency Department Pain Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Motov, Sergey M; Nelson, Lewis S

2016-06-01

Pain is the most common complaint for which patients come to the emergency department (ED). Emergency physicians are responsible for pain relief in a timely, efficient, and safe manner in the ED. The improvement in our understanding of the neurobiology of pain has balanced the utilization of nonopioid and opioid analgesia, and simultaneously has led to more rational and safer opioid prescribing practices. This article reviews advances in pain management in the ED for patients with acute and chronic pain as well as describes several newer strategies and controversies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Journalism, controversy and convincing practices: the words and the training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco José Castilhos Karam

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Journalism is raised by Greco-RomanRhetoric and Dialectics and comes through thepresent days without ever giving up on its centralpillar: words. Words are to be found everywhere:in writt en texts, static or dynamic images; in infographicsand great, typical journalistic tales. Theyare to be found in chronics, comics, informal talkand social networks. To become a journalist meansto not give up on words that are central when oneacknowledges the importance of the surroundings,of detection methods and narrative models. Wordsare at the core of controversy and convincing practices.They are at the core of becoming a journalist.

Assessing the public's views in research ethics controversies: deliberative democracy and bioethics as natural allies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Scott Y H; Wall, Ian F; Stanczyk, Aimee; De Vries, Raymond

2009-12-01

In a liberal democracy, policy decisions regarding ethical controversies, including those in research ethics, should incorporate the opinions of its citizens. Eliciting informed and well-considered ethical opinions can be challenging. The issues may not be widely familiar and they may involve complex scientific, legal, historical, and ethical dimensions. Traditional surveys risk eliciting superficial and uninformed opinions that may be of dubious quality for policy formation. We argue that the theory and practice of deliberative democracy (DD) is especially useful in overcoming such inadequacies. We explain DD theory and practice, discuss the rationale for using DD methods in research ethics, and illustrate in depth the use of a DD method for a longstanding research ethics controversy involving research based on surrogate consent. The potential pitfalls of DD and the means of minimizing them as well as future research directions are also discussed.

The Response to Heat Shock and Oxidative Stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Morano, Kevin A.; Grant, Chris M.; Moye-Rowley, W. Scott

2012-01-01

A common need for microbial cells is the ability to respond to potentially toxic environmental insults. Here we review the progress in understanding the response of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to two important environmental stresses: heat shock and oxidative stress. Both of these stresses are fundamental challenges that microbes of all types will experience. The study of these environmental stress responses in S. cerevisiae has illuminated many of the features now viewed as central to our understanding of eukaryotic cell biology. Transcriptional activation plays an important role in driving the multifaceted reaction to elevated temperature and levels of reactive oxygen species. Advances provided by the development of whole genome analyses have led to an appreciation of the global reorganization of gene expression and its integration between different stress regimens. While the precise nature of the signal eliciting the heat shock response remains elusive, recent progress in the understanding of induction of the oxidative stress response is summarized here. Although these stress conditions represent ancient challenges to S. cerevisiae and other microbes, much remains to be learned about the mechanisms dedicated to dealing with these environmental parameters. PMID:22209905

Enhanced tumor growth in the remaining lung after major lung resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Fumiho; Ueda, Kazuhiro; Murakami, Junichi; Hayashi, Masataro; Nishimoto, Arata; Hamano, Kimikazu

2016-05-01

Pneumonectomy induces active growth of the remaining lung in order to compensate for lost lung tissue. We hypothesized that tumor progression is enhanced in the activated local environment. We examined the effects of mechanical strain on the activation of lung growth and tumor progression in mice. The mechanical strain imposed on the right lung after left pneumonectomy was neutralized by filling the empty space that remained after pneumonectomy with a polypropylene prosthesis. The neutralization of the strain prevented active lung growth. According to an angiogenesis array, stronger monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression was found in the strain-induced growing lung. The neutralization of the strain attenuated the release of MCP-1 from the lung cells. The intravenous injection of Lewis lung cancer cells resulted in the enhanced development of metastatic foci in the strain-induced growing lung, but the enhanced development was canceled by the neutralization of the strain. An immunohistochemical analysis revealed the prominent accumulation of tumor-associated macrophages in tumors arising in the strain-induced growing lung, and that there was a relationship between the accumulation and the MCP-1 expression status. Our results suggested that mechanical lung strain, induced by pulmonary resection, triggers active lung growth, thereby creating a tumor-friendly environment. The modification of that environment, as well as the minimizing of surgical stress, may be a meaningful strategy to improve the therapeutic outcome after lung cancer surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Controversial Issues in the Diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, Luis A.

2001-01-01

Reviews the literature on some of the issues that have been proposed as controversial with the diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Discusses the issues of comorbidity that questions the validity of the diagnosis; dimensional models of classification and what constitutes a narcissistic personality disorder; and the role that culture…

No effects of psychosocial stress on intertemporal choice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johannes Haushofer

Full Text Available Intertemporal choices - involving decisions which trade off instant and delayed outcomes - are often made under stress. It remains unknown, however, whether and how stress affects intertemporal choice. We subjected 142 healthy male subjects to a laboratory stress or control protocol, and asked them to make a series of intertemporal choices either directly after stress, or 20 minutes later (resulting in four experimental groups. Based on theory and evidence from behavioral economics and cellular neuroscience, we predicted a bidirectional effect of stress on intertemporal choice, with increases in impatience or present bias immediately after stress, but decreases in present bias or impatience when subjects are tested 20 minutes later. However, our results show no effects of stress on intertemporal choice at either time point, and individual differences in stress reactivity (changes in stress hormone levels over time are not related to individual differences in intertemporal choice. Together, we did not find support for the hypothesis that psychosocial laboratory stressors affect intertemporal choice.

Stress coping style does not determine social status, but influences the consequences of social subordination stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Boersma, Gretha J; Smeltzer, Michael D; Scott, Karen A; Scheurink, Anton J; Tamashiro, Kellie L; Sakai, Randall R

2017-09-01

Chronic stress exposure may have negative consequences for health. One of the most common sources of chronic stress is stress associated with social interaction. In rodents, the effects of social stress can be studied in a naturalistic way using the visual burrow system (VBS). The way an individual copes with stress, their "stress coping style", may influence the consequences of social stress. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that stress coping style may modulate social status and influence the consequences of having a lower social status. We formed 7 VBS colonies, with 1 proactive coping male, 1 passive coping male, and 4 female rats per colony to assess whether a rat's coping style prior to colony formation could predict whether that individual is more likely to become socially dominant. The rats remained in their respective colonies for 14days and the physiological and behavioral consequences of social stress were assessed. Our study shows that stress coping style does not predict social status. However, stress coping style may influence the consequences of having a lower social status. Subordinate passive and proactive rats had distinctly different wound patterns; proactive rats had more wounds on the front of their bodies. Behavioral analysis confirmed that proactive subordinate rats engaged in more offensive interactions. Furthermore, subordinate rats with a proactive stress coping style had larger adrenals, and increased stress responsivity to a novel acute stressor (restraint stress) compared to passive subordinate rats or dominant rats, suggesting that the allostatic load may have been larger in this group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress-Induced Chronic Visceral Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Visceral pain is generally poorly localized and characterized by hypersensitivity to a stimulus such as organ distension. In concert with chronic visceral pain, there is a high comorbidity with stress-related psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. The mechanisms linking visceral pain with these overlapping comorbidities remain to be elucidated. Evidence suggests that long term stress facilitates pain perception and sensitizes pain pathways, leading to a feed-forward cycle promoting chronic visceral pain disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS. Early life stress (ELS is a risk-factor for the development of IBS, however the mechanisms responsible for the persistent effects of ELS on visceral perception in adulthood remain incompletely understood. In rodent models, stress in adult animals induced by restraint and water avoidance has been employed to investigate the mechanisms of stress-induce pain. ELS models such as maternal separation, limited nesting, or odor-shock conditioning, which attempt to model early childhood experiences such as neglect, poverty, or an abusive caregiver, can produce chronic, sexually dimorphic increases in visceral sensitivity in adulthood. Chronic visceral pain is a classic example of gene × environment interaction which results from maladaptive changes in neuronal circuitry leading to neuroplasticity and aberrant neuronal activity-induced signaling. One potential mechanism underlying the persistent effects of stress on visceral sensitivity could be epigenetic modulation of gene expression. While there are relatively few studies examining epigenetically mediated mechanisms involved in visceral nociception, stress-induced visceral pain has been linked to alterations in DNA methylation and histone acetylation patterns within the brain, leading to increased expression of pro-nociceptive neurotransmitters. This review will discuss the potential neuronal pathways and mechanisms responsible for

Stress-Induced Chronic Visceral Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood-Van Meerveld, Beverley; Johnson, Anthony C.

2017-01-01

Visceral pain is generally poorly localized and characterized by hypersensitivity to a stimulus such as organ distension. In concert with chronic visceral pain, there is a high comorbidity with stress-related psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. The mechanisms linking visceral pain with these overlapping comorbidities remain to be elucidated. Evidence suggests that long term stress facilitates pain perception and sensitizes pain pathways, leading to a feed-forward cycle promoting chronic visceral pain disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Early life stress (ELS) is a risk-factor for the development of IBS, however the mechanisms responsible for the persistent effects of ELS on visceral perception in adulthood remain incompletely understood. In rodent models, stress in adult animals induced by restraint and water avoidance has been employed to investigate the mechanisms of stress-induce pain. ELS models such as maternal separation, limited nesting, or odor-shock conditioning, which attempt to model early childhood experiences such as neglect, poverty, or an abusive caregiver, can produce chronic, sexually dimorphic increases in visceral sensitivity in adulthood. Chronic visceral pain is a classic example of gene × environment interaction which results from maladaptive changes in neuronal circuitry leading to neuroplasticity and aberrant neuronal activity-induced signaling. One potential mechanism underlying the persistent effects of stress on visceral sensitivity could be epigenetic modulation of gene expression. While there are relatively few studies examining epigenetically mediated mechanisms involved in visceral nociception, stress-induced visceral pain has been linked to alterations in DNA methylation and histone acetylation patterns within the brain, leading to increased expression of pro-nociceptive neurotransmitters. This review will discuss the potential neuronal pathways and mechanisms responsible for stress

Balding goes trolling? Cross-media amplification of controversy at the 2012 Olympics

OpenAIRE

Aslan, Billur; Dennis, James William; O'Loughlin, Ben

2015-01-01

Victory by Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen in the 400 metre individual medley at the London Olympic Games provoked instant and controversial reactions. BBC presenter Clare Balding immediately linked Shiwen to doping. If ‘trolling’ online is the deliberate upsetting of audiences to trigger debate and reflection, was Balding trolling? Her comments triggered trajectories of affective engagement across social and mainstream media, in Britain and internationally, which fed back into BBC coverage. We tra...

Stress relaxation characteristics of type 304 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manjoine, M.J.

1975-01-01

The stress relaxation of type 304 stainless steel below 900 0 F (482 0 C) is practically time independent after 100 h and has a maximum of about 18 per cent. The per cent relaxation decreases with increasing degree of cold work and with decreasing stress. Above 900 0 F the per cent relaxation increases with time, temperature, and cold work. The initial stress can also be increased for cold work materials so that the remaining stress can be maintained at a higher value even up to 1200 0 F (649 0 C). Time-temperature parameters are practical to correlate and extrapolate the data in the higher temperature range. (author)

The social construction of risk and the controversial Brazilian Nuclear Program: among scientific, political and public

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camelo, Ana Paula

2015-01-01

This research aims to investigate the Brazilian Nuclear Program (PNB) stating as reference the Fukushima nuclear accident. Its main purpose is to analyze how the Japanese accident impacted the PNB. Therefore, the program will be analyzed within 10-years (2004-2014) in order to answer this question. The discussion launched in this thesis is based on the framework of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, which enables the understanding of socio-technical controversies beyond the social or technological determinism. Through the discussion of the concepts of framing, socio-technical imaginary, risk and governance of science and technology, the research shows how the controversy in focus has resulted in the opportunity to consider not only economic, technological, environmental issues about nuclear energy, but also its political dimensions and challenges. Among these challenges, and from very different perspectives, arise questions about the role nuclear energy plays in the Brazilian context, the future of the program and the decision making process on these issues. Despite the central purpose of this study is essentially on risks, PNB and on the Brazilian context, it should be pointed that it is impossible to consider it in isolation of what is happening internationally (considering interests, tensions, relations between actors, etc.) The research thereby identifies key implications of Fukushima in the international context, but focuses on the disputes regarding possible review of the PNB. It also highlights how the socio-technical controversies, such as the nuclear energy, demand or impose a discussion on the governance of science and technology, risk and on the engagement of different sectors and actors in decision-making on issues, that are at the same time about energy, technology and nationality relevance. All this reflection is made from multi-sited analysis, which allowed following the controversy surrounding nuclear energy, reheated by the Fukushima

News coverage of controversial emerging technologies. Evidence for the issue attention cycle in print and online media.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Ashley A; Brossard, Dominique; Scheufele, Dietram A

2012-01-01

This study analyzes the issue attention cycle for print and online media coverage of a scientific publication examining the deaths of Chinese factory workers due to lung damage from chronic exposure to nanoparticles. The results of the nanoparticle study, published in 2009, embody news values that would make the study a prime candidate for press coverage, namely, novelty, negativity, controversy, and potential widespread impact. Nevertheless, mentions of the event in traditional English-language print media were nearly nonexistent. Online media, on the other hand, gave the story greater coverage. This case study exemplifies why online media may not be bound to the same issue attention cycle that print media are for controversial scientific events.

Can only one person be right? The development of objectivism and social preferences regarding widely shared and controversial moral beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiphetz, Larisa; Young, Liane L

2017-10-01

Prior work has established that children and adults distinguish moral norms (e.g., hitting is wrong) from conventional norms (e.g., wearing pajamas to school is wrong). Specifically, moral norms are generally perceived as universal across time and space, similar to objective facts. We examined preschoolers' and adults' perceptions of moral beliefs alongside facts and opinions by asking whether only one person could be right in the case of disagreements. We also compared perceptions of widely shared moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is better to pull someone's hair or share with someone) and controversial moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is better to help someone with a project or make cookies for someone). In Studies 1 and 2, preschoolers and adults were more likely to judge that only one person could be right in the case of widely shared versus controversial moral beliefs, treating the former as more objective or fact-like. Children were also more likely than adults to say that only one person could be right in a moral disagreement. Study 2 additionally revealed that adults were more likely than children to report preferring individuals who shared their controversial moral beliefs. Study 3 replicated these patterns using a different sample of widely shared beliefs (e.g., whether it is okay to mock a poor classmate) and controversial moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is okay to tell small, prosocial lies). While some aspects of moral cognition may depend on abundant social learning and cognitive development, the perception that disagreements about widely shared moral beliefs have only one right answer while disagreements about controversial moral beliefs do not emerges relatively early. We discuss implications for moral learning and social preferences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transmission of stress between cagemates: a study in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Akyazi, Ibrahim; Eraslan, Evren

2014-01-17

The neuroendocrine responses triggered by stressors cause significant behavioral changes in animals. Considering the continuous behavioral interaction between social animals, it would be reasonable to suggest that the aforementioned behavioral changes can lead to transmission of stress between individuals. In the present study the aim is to investigate the outcomes of the behavioral interaction between stressed and unstressed animals housed together. A total of 28 adult male Wistar rats were used in the study. The animals were randomly allocated to four groups. Two of the groups were exposed to white noise stress in a period of 15days, while the other two groups remained unstressed. One of the stress exposed groups served as the stress control (SC) group and one of the non-stressed groups served as the reference value (RV) group. The remaining two groups were transmission groups. Every two animals of the non-stressed transmission group (TC) have been housed with two other animals of the stress exposed transmission group (TS) during the experimental period. After the stress exposure period, six animals from each group were subjected to behavioral assessment in an elevated plus maze (EPM), and subsequently, their cortisol levels were determined. White noise exposure of animals in the SC group induced a stress response indicated by an 1.8 fold increase of plasma cortisol level compared to the RV group (2.11±0.43 and 1.16±0,02, respectively). The transmission groups (TS and TC) entered the open arms more frequently and spent more time in open arms compared to the RV group. White noise exposure caused a stress response characterized by an elevation of cortisol level in rats. The gradual decrease of cortisol level from the SC towards the RV group may be interpreted as an evidence supporting the hypothesis of stress-transmission between cagemates. The moderate stress levels of the transmission groups, but not low and high levels of the SC and RV groups, decreased the

Discussing agrochemical themes: an approach through socio-scientific controversies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eril Medeiros da Fonseca

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The theme of "agro-toxicology" in the Rural Education pervades key issues to be problematized, such as the care of rural workers, from the concept of health as something broad, involving access to cultural goods, leisure and communication and still, the collective physical, mental and social well-being. The use of pesticides, in addition to compromising the health of those who work in the field and those who feed on what is produced in the field, brings with it a conception of health that, in addition to suffering and individualizing, affects our biological diversity. The objective of this study is to discuss pesticides and their implications for health, through the approach of Socio-Scientific Controversies (CSC in Science Teaching and Rural Education.