bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pandora's Box or panacea? Using metaphors to create the public representations of biotechnology
Authors: Liakopoulos Miltos
Published: August 2002

This paper addresses the use of metaphors in creating public representations of biotechnology in the United Kingdom's leading quality press. Metaphors referring to biotechnology and its applications have been analyzed in press articles covering the period 1973-1996. The paper describes how metaphors can be used to popularize complex technical information while at the same time providing a highly charged message about the technology itself. The analysis draws conclusions about the content and general direction of the debate on biotechnology during the past three decades.
A survey of public scientific literacy in China
Authors: Zhang Zhongliang , Zhang Jiansheng
Published: August 2002

There is growing recognition in developed countries that public scientific literacy is a basic component of long-term social and economic growth. In recent years, surveys of public scientific literacy have been conducted in the USA, the UK and elsewhere, and various efforts are being made to improve the level of public scientific literacy. The first survey of Chinese public scientific literacy was conducted in September 1990. This paper reports a portion of the statistical results of that survey. It reveals the Chinese public's level of understanding of scientific terms and methods, scientific conclusions, and attitudes towards the impact of science and technology on society. Comparisons are also made with survey data from the USA and the UK.
Science in the marketplace: Acnotabs and the Food and Drug Administration
Authors: Apple Rima D.
Published: August 2002

Though acne is not a life-threatening condition, it is a highly emotionally charged one, particularly for teenagers. In the early 1960s, when the Pannett Company used medical and scientific claims to convince adolescents to purchase their product, Acnotabs, their amazing advertising claims attracted the attention of the US Food and Drug Administration. Typically the Agency seized a product it considered mislabelled in terms of its ingredients or its efficacy; and most companies, not willing to face a potentially expensive fight, did not object to the action. In effect, they allowed the courts to issue a condernnation order by default. The Pannett Company, however, resisted the FDA's seizure and decided to present their case for Acnotabs in court. The Company insisted that their tests had demonstrated the usefulness of Acnotabs in treating the skin condition. The FDA claimed that there was no evidence for the effectiveness of Acnotabs and, moreover, that scientific and medical theory denied that the ingredients in Acnotabs would cure acne. The records of this case provide a unique demonstration of how a layperson, a judge, evaluated competing definitions of science and scientific proof.
Between facts and values: print media coverage of the greenhouse effect, 1987-1990
Authors: Wilkins Lee
Published: August 2002

Using as a baseline Herbert Gans' work on values in the news, this qualitative study of US print media coverage of the greenhouse effect between 1987 and 1990 asserts there are at least three additional values that help frame news of the greenhouse effect: progress, the institutionalization of knowledge, and innocence. These values replicate in some crucial ways the values of the scientific community doing research on the greenhouse effect. However, the impact of these values tends to de-emphasize a view of the future and the role of ethical value choices in covering this story, both of which are essential to public understanding of the issue.
School students' understanding of key ideas about radioactivity and ionizing radiation
Authors: Millar Robin
Published: August 2002

This paper looks in detail at the understanding of school students in the UK of fundamental ideas about radioactivity and ionizing radiation. An adequate grasp of basic ideas in this area of science would be widely seen as an essential element of functional `scientific literacy'. A written diagnostic test was developed and administered to a representative sample of 16 year old students ( n = 144). Analysis of their responses corroborates the results of previous research in indicating the widespread use of an undifferentiated conception of radioactive material/radiation and suggests that many students may hold a conception of the process of absorption of radiation (including ionizing radiation) which is significantly different from the accepted science view. This may have important consequences for their reception and interpretation of media reports and other public information about phenomena involving radioactivity and radiation.
Science, meaning and myth in the museum
Authors: Bud Robert
Published: August 2002

The paper depicts the potential of the exhibit which addresses science and technology historically to answer urgent contemporary problems. Such exhibits can, it is argued, help the public respond to the threat posed by scientific and technological change to categories—ranging from motherhood to self-will—used to structure our world. Museum accounts can play a mythological role in helping individuals make renewed sense of their world. Examples show how hypothetical exhibits dealing with themes such as fermentation and optics can be used to enable visitors to examine their own interpretations of the natural and the subjective respectively.
Political parties, parliamentary lobbies and embryo research
Authors: Mulkay Michael
Published: August 2002

Evidence drawn from the parliamentary record, from the scientific press and from the popular press is used as the basis for a description of some of the political processes involved in the lengthy debate over experimentation on human embryos which occurred in the British Parliament during the 1980s. The study examines the balance of support for, and opposition to, embryo research within the two main political parties and shows how this balance altered over the course of the debate. The changing pattern of opposition and support is explained by reference to ideological divisions within the two parties and to the impact of organized campaigns of parliamentary lobbying.
The relationship between knowledge and attitudes in the public understanding of science in Britain
Authors: Evans Geoffrey , Durant John
Published: August 2002

The belief that greater understanding leads to more positive attitudes informs many practical initiatives in the public understanding of science. However, there has been comparatively little empirical study of the justification for this belief. This paper explores the relationship between understanding of science and levels of support for science using a national sample of over 2000 British respondents. The analysis indicates that the internal consistency of attitudes towards science is poor, and that the links between attitudes towards science in general and attitudes towards specific areas of scientific research are weak. Understanding of science is weakly related to more positive attitudes in general: but, more significantly, it is also associated with more coherent and more discriminating attitudes. Of particular importance is the finding that while knowledgeable members of the public are more favourably disposed towards science in general, they are less supportive of morally contentious areas of research than are those who are less knowledgeable. Although an informed public opinion is likely to provide a slightly more supportive popular basis for some areas of scientific research, it could serve to constrain research in controversial areas such as human embryology.
Adults' understanding of electricity
Authors: Caillot Michel , Nguyen-Xuan Anh
Published: August 2002

We describe how unskilled manual workers and office staff perceive everyday situations involving static and domestic electricity. The data were gathered in interviews about situations relating to static electricity in cars or in an electronic assembly workshop, and the functioning of different devices (e.g. a lamp, a circuit-tester, a washing machine). Different phenomena were discussed (e.g. electric shocks, short circuits). The interviews were analysed within a framework of mental models. Despite having learnt about electricity in school or during their in-service training, the subjects made little reference to formalized electricity. The models they used were built up from their own experience. Electricity is often considered as a substance or a fluid easily transferable from one place to another. Conceptions about grounding show that the earth is assimilated to a vast reservoir into which electricity flows and is then lost. The human body is also thought of as a reservoir that can accept a limited amount of electricity.
Do you want to go for a ride on the chunnel? The British public understandings of the Channel Tunnel meet the Eurotunnel Exhibition Centre
Authors: Rogers Richard
Published: August 2002

As readers of British newspapers know very well, the Channel Tunnel has a long history and a potent mythology. The mere mention of the Tunnel summons associations extending from the technological and ecological to the patriotic and erotic. This paper takes up the historical and contemporary meanings of the Channel Tunnel and situates them in the context of its perceived `social threat'. Drawing on a variety of materials, including newspaper articles, cartoons, plays, fiction and museum displays, the paper deals with four types of ominous fears of the Tunnel: fear of (subterranean) invasion; fear of the end of the island race and splendid isolation; fear of the destruction of the countryside and the country life in the `Garden of England'; and fear of sudden, violent death caused by rabies, fire, flooding or terrorist attack. Laden with concerns about the Tunnel, the author (like members of the British public have done) takes a trip to the Eurotunnel Exhibition Centre in Folkestone, England, to hear Eurotunnel's arguments about the Tunnel. In all, Eurotunnel exhibitors either ignore or recast concerns about the Channel Tunnel, leaving the visitor with the impression that, while the Channel Tunnel was an engineering feat unprecedented in history, a trip through the Tunnel will be a non-event.
Lay and professional knowledge of genetics and inheritance
Authors: Richards Martin
Published: August 2002

Despite almost a century of educational effort, studies of both schoolchildren and adults show that the public understanding of Mendelian genetics is very limited. A similar conclusion is drawn from studies of those who have been offered explanations of inheritance in genetic counselling clinics. The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation of these observations. It is argued that Mendelian explanations of inheritance conflict in a number of ways with a lay knowledge of inheritance that is general in society. Furthermore, it is suggested that lay knowledge is grounded in concepts of kinship which are themselves sustained by everyday social practice and relationships, which may make the lay knowledge of inheritance particularly resistant to change. It is suggested that Mendelian explanations may not be easily assimilated because of the conflicts with pre-existing lay knowledge that an individual holds. Preliminary results are described from an empirical study which tests the hypothesis that ideas of genetic connectedness are derived from concepts of kin relationships. The evidence appears to confirm the hypothesis. Parallels are drawn between the history of the acceptance of Mendel's ideas in the scientific community and the assimilation (or the lack of it) of Mendelian explanations by the public. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of public education in Mendelian genetics in schools and genetic counselling clinics, and the ways in which it could be more effective.
Political images of science in Portugal
Authors: Gonçalves Maria Eduarda , Patrício Maria Teresa , da Costa António Firmino
Published: August 2002

In the mid-1980s, as a result of pressure from the national scientific community and the influence of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 1984 science and technology policy review, science was introduced into the Portuguese political agenda. A Framework Law and a series of institutional reforms were the most visible signs of change. Admission to the EC in 1986, however, provided an excuse for reducing the public R&D budget. While science policy remains, in the 1990s, a priority in the political discourse, there is a lack of correspondence between this discourse and policy practice. A survey of members of the Portuguese Parliament undertaken in 1995 was designed to shed some light on their perceptions and opinions concerning the value of science and the role of the Parliament in science policy, and, therefore, on the reasons for the gap between the discourse and practical behaviour of policy-makers in this field.
Skirts in the lab: Madame Curie and the image of the woman scientist in the feature film
Authors: Elena Alberto
Published: August 2002

Recent research has appropriately emphasized the significant role played by feature films in the creation (as well as the reflection) of popular stereotypes of the scientist. However, no particular study has yet been devoted to the depiction of women scientists in the cinema, even though it is quite clear that this presents its own distinctive features. Taking the influential Madame Curie (Mervyn LeRoy, 1943) as a starting point, this paper attempts to give a first overview of the subject.
Reputation in science and prominence in the media: the Goldhagen debate
Authors: Weingart Peter , Pansegrau Petra
Published: August 2002

This paper argues that in media reporting on science, media prominence competes with scientific reputation. That is, in certain cases the media compete with science, both in terms of knowledge claims and in terms of the internal mechanisms of self-direction. This implies that in cases where scientific and media evaluations diverge, the media's control over public attention opens the possibility that priority-setting and evaluation within science are no longer the exclusive orientation criteria for the public's willingness to grant financial support. Taking Luhmann's theory of functional differentiation as a starting point in conjunction with “news-value-theory,” the argument assumes that the media have different criteria than the sciences for selecting scientists and their topics as worthy of reporting (and attributing prominence), an area where the sciences have internal processes of attributing reputation on the basis of excellence in research. The case investigated is the reception of Daniel Goldhagen's book Hitler's Willing Executioners in the German print media over a period of about ten months in 1996-1997. The case demonstrates how media evaluation differed markedly from the judgment by the historical community and provided Goldhagen with a tremendous public prominence.
Golem science and the public understanding of science: from deficit to dilemma
Authors: Locke Simon
Published: August 2002

“Golem science” is Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch's humanized image of science, filled with irresolution, that they wish to substitute for the “god-like” image of definitive knowledge characteristic of public presentations of science. This god-like image creates unrealistic expectations that fuel “anti-scientific” reactions when unmet. This paper argues that the “flip-flop” view set forth by Collins and Pinch is a deficit model that positions the public as sociologically incompetent. It reflects the dilemma of professional social scientists who deconstruct science whilst appealing to the authority of science. This dilemma is an outcome of a deeper tension within science between the universal status of knowledge claims and the particular, human conditions of knowledge production. Drawing on discursive (or rhetorical) psychology, I show that this tension plays out in the rhetorical organization of scientific discourse in the form of a characteristic contrast between empiricist and contingent repertoires. A similar tension is discernible in everyday, mundane reasoning, which suggests that a golem image of science is already present in commonsense understanding alongside the “god-like” image. Thus, the public understanding of science is dilemmatically constituted, providing the conditions of argumentation with science seen in “antiscience”—itself a “folk devil” and rhetorical label. The analysis in this paper is illustrated using the example of creationism, which arises from an argumentative engagement with science that draws on the resources provided by the dilemma of science in conjunction with other resources drawn from Christianity. There is no simple “flip-flop” here. Further research into rhetorical reasoning in public understanding is called for on the grounds that greater appreciation of this is needed alongside golem science to improve relations between scientists and the public.
Attitudes towards creationism and evolutionary theory: the debate among secondary pupils attending Catholic and Protestant schools in Northern Ireland
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Greer John E.
Published: August 2002

A sample of 2129 pupils in the third through sixth years of Protestant and Catholic grammar schools in Northern Ireland completed an index concerned with attitudes towards creationism and evolutionary theory. The data demonstrate that among this age group in Northern Ireland, 48 percent accept the view that “God created the world as described in the Bible,” while 33 percent accept the view that “Science disproves the biblical account of creation.” Support for creationism is stronger among girls than boys, among Protestants than Catholics, and among third and fourth year students than fifth and sixth year students. The results have implications for understanding the conflict between science and religion and for both science educators and religious educators.
Experts and the public: a needed partnership for genetic policy
Authors: Garland Michael J.
Published: August 2002

Scientists are wary of public participation in policy that influences the work of scientific discovery and technological application. In the area of genetic science this is particularly troublesome. The science and its applications are extremely complex. How the public can play a part in guiding the process is not clear. Yet genetic possibilities affect individuals and social groups intimately and the exercise of social responsibility for policies is imperative. A solution lies in effective partnership between scientific experts and the general public within the framework of representative democracy. Goals of education, information transfer, and community building point to methods for public participation. The community meeting approach used in the development of health care priorities in Oregon is highlighted. Obstacles to participation come from our weak sense of community, widespread political alienation, endemic cynicism, and problems of social voice.
Uses of expertise: sources, quotes, and voice in the reporting of genetics in the news
Authors: Conrad Peter
Published: August 2002

Science journalists call upon experts for background and for clarification and comment on scientific findings. This paper examines how science writers choose and use experts, and it focuses on several cases of reporting about genetics and behavior. Our research included two sources of data: interviews with 15 science reporters and three print media samples of coverage of genetics and behavior—alcoholism (between 1980-1995), homosexuality (in 1993 and 1995), and mental illness (between 1970-1995). Science reporters seek relevant and specific experts for nearly every story. Good sources are knowledgeable, are connected to prestigious institutions, are direct and articulate and don't overqualify statements, and they return phone calls. The mean number of experts quoted was 2.8 per story, differing for alcoholism (3.5), homosexuality (2.8), and mental illness (2.6). Researchers and scientists predominated among experts quoted. Quotes were used to provide context, give legitimization, as explication, to provide a kind of balance, and to outline implications. For the homosexuality sample, a significantly greater percentage of activists and advocates were quoted (21 percent compared with 5 percent and 1 percent in other samples, X2< 0.0001). “Lay” quotes for alcoholism and mental illness were minimal. Except for homosexuality, whose advocates are organized, those “affected” do not have a voice in genetics news stories.
The Mars Meteorite: A case study in controls on dissemination of science news
Authors: Kiernan Vincent
Published: August 2002

Through interviews with participants and analysis of media reports, this paper reconstructs the preparations for the 1996 announcement of the discovery of evidence of fossilized life in a meteorite from Mars. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) attempted to manipulate the timing and manner of press coverage. Contrary to the stated rationale for embargoes on science news, premature disclosure of the paper in the media resulted in news coverage that was largely accurate.
What is scientific and technological culture and how is it measured? A multidimensional model
Authors: Godin Benoit , Gingras Yves
Published: August 2002

In the last decade, scientific culture has become a theme much discussed at all levels of public discourse. All scientific and technological policies developed in the last few years in OECD countries have included scientific culture as one of their aims, principles, or objectives. Despite the ubiquity of the term “scientific culture,” there is little agreement on its content. Definitions and understandings of what a scientific culture is vary across countries, groups, and individuals. There is also no consensus on how to measure scientific culture. The present paper addresses the question “what is a scientific culture?”. It presents a multidimensional model wherein scientific culture is defined as having two dimensions: individual and social. It then discusses how the model can be used to define indicators of scientific culture and to understand recent developments regarding the role of scientists in the diffusion of scientific culture.
Landscaping climate change: a mapping technique for understanding science and technology debates on the World Wide Web
Authors: Rogers Richard , Marres Noortje
Published: August 2002

New World Wide Web (web) mapping techniques may inform and ultimately facilitate meaningful participation in current science and technology debates. The technique described here “landscapes” a debate by displaying key “webby” relationships between organizations. “Debate-scaping” plots two organizational positionings—the organizations' inter-hyperlinking as well as their discursive affinities. The underlying claim is that hyperlinking and discursive maps provide a semblance of given socio-epistemic networks on the web. The climate change debate on the web in November 1998 serves as a test case. Three findings are reported. First, distinctive .com, .gov and .org linking styles were found. Second, organizations take care in making hyperlinks, leading to the premise that the hyperlinks (and the “missing links”) reveal which issue and debate framings organizations acknowledge, and find acceptable and unacceptable. Finally, it was learned that organizations take substantive positions and address other organizations' positions. Thus, we found the makings of a “debate” that may be mapped. Scenarios of use to support new public participation techniques and experiments are discussed by way of conclusion.
In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change?
Authors: Bord Richard J. , O'Connor Robert E. , Fisher Ann
Published: August 2002

In a survey of 1,218 Americans, the key determinant of behavioral intentions to address global warming is a correct understanding of the causes of global warming. Knowing what causes climate change, and what does not, is the most powerful predictor of both stated intentions to take voluntary actions and to vote on hypothetical referenda to enact new government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Identifying bogus causes (e.g., insecticides) correlates with the belief that the globe will warm, but is only weakly related to voluntary actions and not at all related to support for government policies. General pro-environmental beliefs and perceptions that global warming poses serious threats to society also help to explain behavioral intentions. The explanatory power of an air pollution framework is substantial in bivariate analyses, but has little explanatory power in multivariate analyses that include knowledge, risk perceptions, and general environmental beliefs. Translating public concern for global warming into effective action requires real knowledge. General environmental concern or concern for the negative effects of air pollution appear not to motivate people to support programs designed to control global warming.
The impact of the fall 1997 debate about global warming on American public opinion
Authors: Krosnick Jon A. , Holbrook Allyson L. , Visser Penny S.
Published: August 2002

Although global warming has been the subject of some public discussion since the turn of the 20thCentury, it was pushed into the national spotlight during the fall of 1997, when President Bill Clinton's administration instigated a campaign to build public support for the Kyoto treaty. To examine the effect of this campaign and the debate it sparked, we conducted two national surveys, one immediately before and the other immediately after the campaign. We addressed three questions: (1) What were Americans' beliefs and attitudes about global warming before the debate? (2) Did the debate catch the public's attention? and (3) Did the debate change people's beliefs and attitudes about global warming? We found that a majority of the American general public and of the global warming “issue public” endorsed the views advocated by President Clinton before the media campaign began. The debate did attract people's attention and strengthened the public's beliefs and attitudes. The debate produced almost no changes in public opinion when the nation's population is lumped together. But beneath this apparently calm surface, strong Democrats came to endorse the positions advocated by the Clinton administration, while strong Republicans were less inclined to endorse the administration's views.
Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: climate change versus the ozone hole
Authors: Ungar Sheldon
Published: August 2002

This paper begins with the “knowledge-ignorance paradox”—the process by which the growth of specialized knowledge results in a simultaneous increase in ignorance. It then outlines the roles of personal and social motivations, institutional decisions, the public culture, and technology in establishing consensual guidelines for ignorance. The upshot is a sociological model of how the “knowledge society” militates against the acquisition of scientific knowledge. Given the assumption of widespread scientific illiteracy, the paper tries to show why the ozone hole was capable of engendering some public understanding and concern, while climate change failed to do so. The ozone threat encouraged the acquisition of knowledge because it was allied and resonated with easy-to-understand bridging metaphors derived from the popular culture. It also engendered a “hot crisis.” That is, it provided a sense of immediate and concrete risk with everyday relevance. Climate change fails at both of these criteria and remains in a public limbo.
Generic aspects of axonemal beating
Authors: Camalet Sébastien , Jülicher Frank
Published: August 2002

We study the dynamics of an elastic rod-like filament in two dimensions, driven by internally generated forces. This situation is motivated by cilia and flagella which contain an axoneme. These hair-like appendages of many cells are used for swimming and to stir surrounding fluids. Our approach characterizes the general physical mechanisms that govern the behaviour of axonemes and the properties of the bending waves generated by these structures. Starting from the dynamic equations of a filament pair in the presence of internal forces we use a perturbative approach to systematically calculate filament shapes and the tension profile. We show that periodic filament motion can be generated by a self-organization of elastic filaments and internal active elements, such as molecular motors, via a dynamic instability termed Hopf bifurcation. Close to this instability, the behaviour of the system is shown to be independent of many microscopic details of the active system and only depends on phenomenological parameters such as the bending rigidity, the external viscosity and the filament length. Using a two-state model for molecular motors as an active system, we calculate the selected oscillation frequency at the bifurcation point and show that a large frequency range is accessible by varying the axonemal length between 1 and 50 µm. We discuss the effects of the boundary conditions and externally applied forces on the axonemal wave forms and calculate the swimming velocity for the case of free boundary conditions.
Quantum noise in VCSELs
Authors: Hermier J-P , Maurin I , Giacobino E , Schnitzer P , Michalzik R , Ebeling K J , Bramati A , Khoury A Z
Published: August 2002

In this paper, we study in detail the intensity noise characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). We demonstrate the possibility of generating intensity squeezed light with free-running or injection-locked VCSELs. Sub-shot noise operation results from very strong anticorrelations between the transverse modes. These anticorrelations have also been analysed through the transverse spatial distribution of the intensity noise. In the case of two transverse modes above threshold, our experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of a phenomenological model.
Control of atomic state decay in cavities and microspheres
Authors: Kurizki G , Kofman A G , Kozhekin A , Harel G
Published: August 2002

Novel methods are discussed for the state control of atoms coupled to single-mode and multi-mode cavities and microspheres. (1)Excitation decay control: The quantum Zeno effect, i.e. inhibition of spontaneous decay by frequent measurements, is observable in high-Qcavities and microspheres using a sequence of evolution-interrupting pulses or randomly-modulated CW fields. By contrast, in 'bad' cavities or open space, frequent measurements can onlyacceleratethe decay, causing the anti-Zeno effect. (2)Location-dependent interference of decay channels: Control of two metastable states is feasible viaresonantsingle-photon absorption to an intermediate state, by engineering spontaneous emission in a multimode cavity. (3)Decoherence control by conditionally interfering parallel evolutions: Anarbitraryinternal state of an atomic wavepacket can be protected from decoherence by interference of its interactions with the cavity over many different time intervalsin parallel, followed by the detection of appropriate atomic-momentum observables. The arsenal of control methods described above can advance the state-of-the-art of quantum information storage and manipulation in cavities.
Hyperon enhancement in the dual parton
model
Authors: Capella A , Salgado C A
Published: August 2002

We review the two sources of hyperon enhancement in the dual parton model: strings
originating from diquark-antidiquark pairs in the nucleon sea and net baryons
containing two or three sea quarks with a yield controlled by the observed stopping.
We show that by adding final state interactions (including strangeness exchange
reactions as well as the inverse reactions required by detailed balance) with a
single averaged cross section, σ = 0.2 mb, we can explain the observed hyperon
enhancement in PbPb collisions at CERN SPS.
Electrochemical and in situ UV-vis Spectroelectrochemical Studies on a New Photosynthesis Reaction Centre Model Compound: Benzoporphyrin–Anthraquinone Compound
Authors: SUN HAO-RAN , YANG YUN-XIN , LIU GUO-FA , CAO XI-ZHANG
Published: August 2002

The redox behaviour of a new covalently linked benzoporphyrin–anthraquinone compound ( ZnBPAQ ) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in situ UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry in N,N-dimethylformamide solution. Three redox waves of this compound were found in the available potential range. The first oxidation process occurs on the benzoporphyrin ring at 0.570 V and is a quasi-revisible diffusion-controlled one-electron electrode reaction. The first reduction process is also a quasi-reversible diffusion-controlled one-electron electrode reaction and occurs at –0.950 V on the anthraquinone moiety. However, the second reduction process occurs at –1.410 V and involves an overlap of the first reduction of the benzoporphyrin ring and the second reduction of the anthraquinone moiety. The in situ UV-vis spectroelectrochemical results affirm the above conclusions.
Rheological, morphological, mechanical, and barrier properties of PP/EVOH blends
Authors: Yeo Jong Ho , Lee Chong Hoon , Park Chan‐Seok , Lee Ki‐Jun , Nam Jae‐Do , Kim Seong Woo
Published: August 2002

Using the biaxially oriented film process, polypropylene (PP)/ethylene‐vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) blends with an improved barrier property could be obtained by generating a laminar structure of the dispersed phase in the matrix phase. This laminar morphology, induced by biaxial orientation, was found to result in a significant increase in the oxygen barrier property of PP/EVOH (85/15) blends by about 10 times relative to the pure PP. In this study, compatibility in the PP/EVOH blend system was evaluated by investigating the influence of compatibilizer on the rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties of the blends. In addition, the effects of compatibilizer content, draw ratio, and draw temperature on the oxygen permeability and morphology of biaxially drawn blend films were also studied. It was revealed that an optimum amount of compatibilizer, maleic anhydride grafted PP, should be used to improve the barrier property of the PP/EVOH blends with a well‐developed laminar structure. The draw ratio and draw temperature had a significant influence on the permeability of the blends. The blend films exhibited a more pronounced laminar structure when the blends were stretched biaxially under processing conditions of higher draw ratio and draw temperature, resulting in higher barrier properties. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 20: 191–201, 2001
Massive splenic infarction in Saudi patients with sickle cell anemia: A unique manifestation
Authors: Jama Ali Hassan Al , Salem Ahmed Hassan Al , Dabbous Ibrahim Abdalla Al
Published: August 2002

Splenic infarcts are common in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA), but these are usually small and repetitive, leading ultimately to autosplenectomy. Massive splenic infarcts on the other hand are extremely rare. This is a report of our experience with 8 (4 males and 4 females) cases of massive splenic infarction in patients with SCA. Their ages ranged from 16 to 36 years (mean 22 years). Three presented with left upper quadrant abdominal pain and massive splenic infarction on admission, while the other 5 developed massive splenic infarction while in hospital. In 5 the precipitating factors were high altitude, postoperative, postpartum, salmonella septicemia, and strenuous exercise in one each, while the remaining 3 had severe generalized vasoocclusive crises. Although both ultrasound and CT scan of the abdomen were of diagnostic value, we found CT scan more accurate in delineating the size of infarction. All our patients were managed conservatively with I.V. fluids, analgesia, and blood transfusion when necessary. Diagnostic aspiration under ultrasound guidance was necessary in two patients to differentiate between massive splenic infarction and splenic abscess. Two patients required splenectomy during the same admission because of suspicion of secondary infection and abscess formation, while a third patient had splenectomy 2 months after the attack because of persistent left upper quadrant abdominal pain. In all the 3 histology of the spleen showed congestive splenomegaly with massive infarction. All of our patients survived. Two patients subsequently developed autosplenectomy while the remaining 3 continue to have persistent but asymptomatic splenomegaly. Massive splenic infarction is a rare and unique complication of SCA in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and for early diagnosis and treatment, physicians caring for these patients should be aware of such a complication. Am. J. Hematol. 69:205–209, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TEL/AML1 rearrangement and the prognostic significance in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Hong Kong
Authors: Tsang Kam Sze , Li Chi Kong , Chik Ki Wai , Shing Matthew Ming Kong , Tsoi Wai Chiu , Ng Margaret Heung Ling , Lau Tai Tap , Leung Yonna , Yuen Patrick Man Pan
Published: August 2002

The TEL/AML1 rearrangement has been implicated as an independent good prognostic factor in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We examined TEL/AML1 using nested reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and correlated TEL/AML1 with cytogenetics and immunophenotypes in 75 consecutively analyzed Chinese children with ALL in Hong Kong. TEL/AML1 was detected in 17.9% (12/67) B‐lineage ALL at diagnosis but not in 8 T‐ALL children or in 34 adults with ALL. E2A/PBX1, MLL/AF4, and BCR/ABL were not found in TEL/AML1+ patients. Coexpression of cross‐lineage antigens was associated with TEL/AML1 gene fusion (p = 0.032), with CD13 in 80% (4/5) TEL/AML1+ cohort. Chromosomal abnormalities were demonstrated in 50% of the TEL/AML1+ ALL; however, a cryptic t(12;21) was not detected in these cases. Hyperdiploidy of 47–48 chromosomes was encountered in 25%. Deletion of 12p resulting in the loss of the normal allele of TEL and nonspecific del(6q) were noted in 8% (1/12) and 25% (3/12) of the TEL/AML1+ children, respectively. Rapid clearance of TEL/AML1 was noted in 50% of the patients on completion of the induction therapy; however, 16.7% (2/12) TEL/AML1+ ALL relapsed at a mean of 48.6 months from diagnosis (25 months off‐therapy). The incidence of relapses of TEL/AML1+ ALL was comparable to that at diagnosis in B‐lineage ALL (14.3% [2/14] vs. 17.9% [12/67], p > 0.05). The relapse rate in TEL/AML1+ ALL was similar to that of TEL/AML1− ALL (16.7% [2/12] vs. 20.6% [13/63], p > 0.05). The duration of first complete remission in TEL/AML1+ ALL was significantly longer as compared to TEL/AML1− ALL (mean [range] in month: 48.6 [47.2 − 50] vs 14.6 [2.9 − 42.3], p < 0.0001). Irrespective of TEL/AML1 rearrangement, the probabilities of the five‐year overall survival and the event‐free survival of patients were comparable (overall survival: 100% vs. 72.3%, p = 0.166 and event‐free survival: 60% vs. 56.2%, p = 0.343). Our data would not suggest a less aggressive treatment regimen for TEL/AML1+ ALL. Am. J. Hematol. 68:91–98, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Age at onset of Parkinson disease and apolipoprotein E genotypes
Authors: Zareparsi Sepideh , Camicioli Richard , Sexton Gary , Bird Thomas , Swanson Phillip , Kaye Jeffrey , Nutt John , Payami Haydeh
Published: August 2002

Several lines of evidence suggest that the variable age at onset of Parkinson disease (PD) is likely influenced by genes. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is associated with onset of Alzheimer disease, and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders. APOE has been investigated in relation to onset of PD, but results have been inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to determine if APOE genotypes are associated with onset age of PD, using a patient population large enough to assure sufficient power. We studied 521 unrelated Caucasian patients with idiopathic PD from movement disorder clinics in Oregon and Washington. Genotyping and statistical analyses were carried out using standard methods. Age at onset of PD was significantly earlier in patients with the ε3ε4/ε4ε4 genotype than in patients with the ε3ε3 genotype (56.1 ± 10.9 vs. 59.6 ± 11.0, P = 0.003). The significantly earlier onset of PD was not influenced by the possible effects of recruitment site, family history and gender. The effect of the ε2ε3 genotype on onset of PD differed between the two recruitment sites. There was a trend for earlier onset of PD in ε2ε3 patients than in ε3ε3 patients only in the Oregon sample. In conclusion, APOE is associated with age at onset of PD. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MCA syndrome with renal‐hepatic‐pancreatic dysplasia, posterior fossa cyst, symmetrical limb deficiencies, cleft palate, cardiac and Müllerian duct anomalies
Authors: Witters I. , Devriendt K. , Spinnewijn D. , Moerman Ph. , Van Assche F.A. , Fryns J.P.
Published: August 2002

We report the second trimester prenatal diagnosis of severe symmetrical limb deficiencies with posterior fossa cyst and cardiac anomaly in a female fetus. Fetopathological examination revealed additional anomalies: renal‐hepatic‐pancreatic dysplasia, cleft palate, and Müllerian duct anomaly. The spectrum of congenital malformations in the present observation is difficult to classify into a single syndrome entity and presents an overlap with several syndromes: Roberts syndrome, Goldston syndrome, and renal‐hepatic‐pancreatic dysplasia. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis in male sibs
Authors: McLeod D. Ross , Snyder Floyd , Bridge Peter , Pinto Alfredo
Published: August 2002

Male siblings developed acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHL) at age five months and eight months, respectively. This rare condition has not been reported in individuals less than two years of age or with a recurrence in the family. The diagnosis was based on neuropathologic features after ruling out potentially mimicking conditions. Genetic counseling of early onset AHL should include the possibility of recurrence in siblings. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association study of a SNAP‐25 microsatellite and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Mill Jonathan , Curran Sarah , Kent Lindsey , Gould Alison , Huckett Louise , Richards Sandra , Taylor Eric , Asherson Philip
Published: August 2002

Several lines of evidence implicate synaptosomal‐associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP‐25) in the etiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most notably, the coloboma mouse mutant, considered to be a good animal model of hyperactivity, has a deletion spanning this gene. Introducing a SNAP‐25 transgene into these animals alleviates hyperlocomotion. We have identified a novel microsatellite repeat in SNAP‐25 located between the 5′UTR and the first coding exon, and tested for association with ADHD. Case‐control analyses suggest there may be a role of this polymorphism in ADHD, with one allele over‐represented in controls and another over‐represented in probands. Within‐family tests of linkage and association confirmed these findings. Further work is needed to ascertain the role of SNAP‐25 in ADHD and assess the functional significance of this polymorphism. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Homosexual behavior in wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii)
Authors: Fox Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2002

Wild male Sumatran orangutans at two study sites engaged in homosexual behavior. These observations demonstrate that homosexual behavior is not an artifact of captivity or contact with humans. In separate instances, homosexual behavior was associated with affiliative and agonistic behaviors. These observations add orangutans to the list of primates in which homosexual behavior forms part of the natural repertoire of sexual or sociosexual behavior. Am. J. Primatol. 55:177–181, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection of bone glue treatment as a major source of contamination in ancient DNA analyses
Authors: Nicholson Graeme J. , Tomiuk Jürgen , Czarnetzki Alfred , Bachmann Lutz , Pusch Carsten M.
Published: August 2002

Paleogenetic investigations of ancient DNA extracted from fossil material is for many reasons susceptible to falsification by the presence of more recent contamination from several sources. Gelatine‐based bone glue that has been used extensively for nearly two centuries by curators to preserve hard tissues contributes nonauthentic DNA to paleontological material. This fact has been frequently neglected and is barely mentioned in the literature. Now paleogeneticists, curators, and conservators are faced with the problem that treatment of samples with adhesives and consolidants for conservatory purposes has seldom been recorded. Here, we show that racemization of amino acids, and in particular serine, is an excellent indicator for the treatment of paleontological samples with glue. Am J Phys Anthropol 118:117–120, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PMP22 transgenic dorsal root ganglia cultures show myelin abnormalities similar to those of human CMT1A
Authors: Nobbio Lucilla , Mancardi Gianluigi , Grandis Marina , Levi Giovanni , Suter Ueli , Nave Klaus‐Armin , Windebank Anthony J. , Abbruzzese Michele , Schenone Angelo
Published: August 2002

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth 1A (CMT1A) neuropathy is caused by duplication of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene, leading to protein overexpression. Although this protein has a role in regulating Schwann cell growth and peripheral myelin compaction, how altered concentrations of PMP22 impair myelination is unknown. We established dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cultures from a transgenic rat overexpressing PMP22 (PMP22tg) to study the behavior of PMP22tg Schwann cells in early stages of development and myelination. We used reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and light and electron microscopy to study PMP22 expression and myelin formation. Myelin ultrastructure was evaluated in sural nerves from CMT1A patients to compare experimental and human findings. PMP22tg DRG cultures contained a greater number of internodes devoid of myelin, in the absence of remyelination, and increased periodicity of myelin lamellae compared with normal cultures. Widening of myelin lamellae was also observed in CMT1A biopsy specimens. Our results suggest that both functions of PMP22, in regulating Schwann cell differentiation and contributing to peripheral myelin compaction, are affected by its overexpression. The presence of similar myelin abnormalities in PMP22tg cultures and human nerves emphasizes the importance of developing in vitro models of hereditary neuropathies to study their underlying pathomechanisms.
Nanoscale skeletal nickel catalysts prepared via ‘bottom up’ method
Authors: Richards Ryan , Geibel Gabriele , Hofstadt Werner , Bönnemann Helmut
Published: August 2002

NiAl nanoparticles are of considerable importance because of interest in examining the effects of size, surface area, and composition on their physical and catalytic properties. Recently, a new method for the ‘bottom up’ wet chemical preparation of nickel aluminides has been reported. The ability to leach the aluminum from this system provides an entrance to the preparation of skeletal‐type metal catalysts similar to those produced in Raney‐type systems. Furthermore, it is believed that these nanoparticulate catalysts should provide high surface areas and high activities, while the presence of aluminum within the bulk of these catalysts provides additional stability. Here, we present the results of studies conducted on this system which compare their properties and behavior with traditional bulk Raney nickel systems. Additionally, we show that we are able to alter the properties of these nanoparticles by changing the stoichiometric ratio of nickel and aluminum. The properties of all systems have been analyzed through the use of nitrogen adsorption, X‐ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. Finally, the catalysts generated have been compared for their activity in the hydrogenation of butyronitrile. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.