How students evaluate information and sources when searching the World Wide Web for information

The World Wide Web (WWW) has become the biggest information source for students while solving information problems for school projects. Since anyone can post anything on the WWW, information is often unreliable or incomplete, and it is important to evaluate sources and information before using them. Earlier research has shown that students have difficulties with evaluating sources and information. This study investigates the criteria secondary educational students use while searching the Web for information. 23 students solved two information problems while thinking aloud. After completing the tasks they were interviewed in groups on their use of criteria. Results show that students do not evaluate results, source and information very often. The criteria students mention when asked which criteria are important for evaluating information are not always the same criteria they mention while solving the information problems. They mentioned more criteria but also admitted not always using these criteria while searching the Web.     

A case of fungal keratitis: A clinical and in vivo confocal microscopy assessment

A presumed case of fungal keratitis is presented. Confocal images highlight the advantage of using such technology to follow therapeutic progress, particularly when standard laboratory testing is inconclusive. This case also demonstrates the importance of continued patient education regarding overall compliance and lens care.     

Non-gadolinium dynamic angiography of the neurovasculature using arterial spin labeling MRI: preliminary experience in children

Objective

We demonstrate the potential clinical utility of a 4D non-gadolinium dynamic angiography technique based on arterial spin-labeling called contrast inherent inflow enhanced multi-phase angiography (CINEMA) in pediatric patients.

Materials and Methods

CINEMA was qualitatively compared to conventional time-of-flight (TOF) angiography in a cohort of 31 pediatric patients at 3 Tesla.

Results

CINEMA data were successfully acquired and reconstructed in all patients with no image artifacts. There were no cases where CINEMA was rated inferior to TOF in depicting intracranial vessel conspicuity. In 19 cases, CINEMA was rated equivalent to TOF and in the 12 remaining cases CINEMA was rated superior to TOF.

Conclusion

There is a steadily rising concern in adults and children over the potential effects of intracranial deposition of gadolinium. CINEMA is therefore a viable alternative in dynamic neurovascular imaging.

     

Housing quality and resilience in New Zealand

There is extensive research on the negative health impacts of poor housing quality. However, little is known about the potential health benefits of high-quality housing in poor neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods with unexpectedly good health outcomes despite high levels of deprivation have been deemed resilient places and housing quality in these areas may be a contributor to this resilience. This study aimed to evaluate whether an indicator of neighbourhood housing quality was associated with a previously quantified resilience index (RINZ) in New Zealand. It was found that areas with high housing quality tended to have higher median income, greater proportions of partnered people and shorter-term residents, and very low proportions of Māori. A positive association was found between housing quality and resilience, after adjustment for deprivation. There was no indication of differences by heterogeneity in housing quality within the aggregate unit of analysis. These findings pose the hypothesis that improving housing quality in similarly deprived areas that have poor health outcomes could potentially boost health. To extend this understanding, further development of a more sophisticated housing quality indicator is recommended.     

Physicochemical and toxicological properties of commercial carbon blacks modified by reaction with ozone

Ozonation of two commercial carbon blacks (CBs), Printex 90 (P90) and Flammruss 101 (F101), was carried out and changes in their morphology, physical properties, and cytotoxicity were examined. The hypothesis examined was that different methods of manufacture of CBs influence their chemical reactivity and toxicological properties. Structural changes were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Introduction of surface oxygen functionality upon ozonation led to changes in surface charge, aggregation characteristics, and free radical content of the CBs. However, these changes in surface functionality did not alter the cytotoxicity and release of inflammation markers upon exposure of the CBs to murine macrophages. Interaction of macrophages with F101 resulted in higher levels of inflammatory markers than P90, and the only structural correlation was with the higher persistent radical concentration on the F101.     

Are oral contraceptives a significant contributor to the estrogenicity of drinking water?

Recent observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns about estrogenic compounds in water supplies and the potential for these chemicals to reach drinking water. Public perception frequently attributes this feminization to oral contraceptives (OCs) in wastewater and raises concerns that exposure to OCs in drinking water may contribute to the recent rise in human reproductive problems. This paper reviews the literature regarding various sources of estrogens, in surface, source and drinking water, with an emphasis on the active molecule that comes from OCs. It includes discussion of the various agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources and outlines the contributions of estrogenic chemicals to the estrogenicity of waterways and estimates that the risk of exposure to synthetic estrogens in drinking water on human health is negligible. This paper also provides recommendations for strategies to better understand all the potential sources of estrogenic compounds in the environment and possibilities to reduce the levels of estrogenic chemicals in the water supply.     

Comment on "In vivo flow cytometry reveals a circadian rhythm of circulating tumor cells"

Dear Editor, Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are instrumental in hematogenous metastasis and are widely studied using liquid biopsy methods.     

Altruism on American Television: Examining the Amount of, and Context Surrounding, Acts of Helping and Sharing

Using a representative sample of television content featuring 2,227 programs across different genres and 18 different channels, the frequency and context of altruistic actions were content analyzed. A social cognitive theory approach was taken to guide the selection of contextual variables. The results showed that 73% of the programs in the sample featured instances of helping/sharing at a rate of 2.92 incidents per hour. Further, the actions were most likely to be initiated by adult White males and many acts were depicted in a humorous, realistic, and rewarding context. In terms of channel differences, shows on children's basic cable featured not only the highest proportion of programs with one or more instances of altruism but also the highest rate per hour (4.02 acts). Differences in contextual features and channel type are discussed in terms of social cognitive theory below.     

Nanoparticle Accumulation in Angiogenic Tissues: Towards Predictable Pharmacokinetics

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in medical applications such as drug delivery, imaging, and biodiagnostics, particularly for cancer. The design of nanoparticles for tumor delivery has been largely empirical, owing to a lack of quantitative data on angiogenic tissue sequestration. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, the deposition rate constants of nanoparticles into angiogenic blood vessel tissue are determined. It is shown that deposition is dependent on surface charge. Moreover, the size dependency strongly suggests that nanoparticles are taken up by a passive mechanism that depends largely on geometry. These findings imply that it is possible to tune nanoparticle pharmacokinetics simply by adjusting nanoparticle size.     

Development of a flickermeter for grid-connected wind turbines using a DSP-based prototyping system

The measurement of one of the power-quality problems (flicker), which may arise due to the presence of wind-turbine generators, is presented. This paper focuses on the design of a complete fully digital flickermeter relying on an in-house-developed measurement system, which features a data-acquisition system, using a C6711 DSP-based starter kit (DSK) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). To study flicker produced during the wind turbine's continuous operation, special attention is given to the simulation of the voltage fluctuations on a fictitious grid.