Freedom of Information Act and Libraries

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) makes government information accessible to everyone, including libraries and library patrons. The Patriot Act has undermined the FOIA and put the freedom to read at risk

Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescents\u27 Sexual Intentions

This study investigated the quality and quantity of sexual communication between teens and parents in relation to the teens\u27 sexual intentions. Perceptions about communication were examined of parents and adolescents of both genders separately. Both same- and cross-gender effects of parental communication on adolescent sexual intent ions were explored. Approximately 290 families (target teen and parent) were measured in pre- and posttests. Parents perceived higher quality communication with teens than teens did, but not necessarily more frequent sexual communication. As teens\u27 perceptions of quality of communication with mother and father went up, teens\u27 sexual intentions went down. The higher sons\u27 intention toward early sexual involvement, the more often sons perceived that their parents talked with them about sexual issues. Daughters who perceived more sexual communication with parents at Time 1 reported higher sexual intentions at Time 2. Fathers perceived that as quality and frequency of communication with daughter went up, the daughter\u27s sexual intentions also went up. Fathers perceived that as frequency of communication with all teens went up, the teen\u27s sexual intentions also went up. Mothers perceived that the higher the quality of communication with sons at Time 1, the higher the sexual intentions among sons at Time 2. The more often mothers perceived that their daughters talked with them about sexual issues at Time 1, the higher the daughters\u27 intention toward early sexual involvement at Time 2. The more the discrepancy between teens and fathers and mothers about communication quality, the more the adolescents\u27 intention toward early sexual involvement

High-Speed, Random-Access Fluorescence Microscopy: II. Fast Quantitative Measurements With Voltage-Sensitive Dyes

AbstractAn improved method for making fast quantitative determinations of membrane potential with voltage-sensitive dyes is presented. This method incorporates a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning scheme (Bullen et al., 1997. Biophys. J. 73:477–491) with simultaneous detection at two emission wavelengths. The basis of this ratiometric approach is the voltage-dependent shift in the emission spectrum of the voltage-sensitive dye di-8-butyl-amino-naphthyl-ethylene-pyridinium-propyl-sulfonate (di-8-ANEPPS). Optical measurements are made at two emission wavelengths, using secondary dichroic beamsplitting and dual photodetectors (<570nm and >570nm). Calibration of the ratiometric measurements between signals at these wavelengths was achieved using simultaneous optical and patch-clamp measurements from adjacent points. Data demonstrating the linearity, precision, and accuracy of this technique are presented. Records obtained with this method exhibited a voltage resolution of ∼5mV, without any need for temporal or spatial averaging. Ratiometric recordings of action potentials from isolated hippocampal neurons are used to illustrate the usefulness of this approach. This method is unique in that it is the first to allow quantitative determination of dynamic membrane potential changes in a manner optimized for both high spatiotemporal resolution (2μm and <0.5ms) and voltage discrimination

Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative research: reflections from an interview-based study.

To explore the challenges of engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview research

THE IMPACT OF PENILE CANCER TREATMENT ON SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS: A QUALITATIVE ENQUIRY

Background: Penile cancer is a rare but highly treatable condition. Current guidance recommends the use of a surgical procedure to excise the primary tumour (and a margin of normal penile tissue). Whilst treatment can be effective, treatment often has a significant impact on a patient's sexual and urinary function, and physical and mental wellbeing. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of treatment for penile cancer on sexual function and relationships. Methods: Qualitative data was collected via narrative video interviews. Maximum variation sampling was used to acquire the widest possible range of experiences. All interviews were recorded using either a digital video recorder or digital audio recorder, transcribed. A method of constant comparison analysis was used to illicit themes and outliers. Results: Twenty seven men were interviewed; mean age at diagnosis = 63 (range = 41-82); Mean number of years post-surgery = 3 (range = 0-15 years) 15 men were married, a further two were in a committed relationship, the remaining 10 were single/widowed. All men had received surgical treatment ranging from circumcision to total penectomy. Just two men had attended any form of psychological therapy. The impact of treatment varied considerably. The majority of men talked about still being able to experience arousal and sexual pleasure in some way. However, for many, penetrative sex was awkward and less gratifying than before treatment. One man who had received a total penectomy was surprised to experience a form of orgasm after surgery. For a number of men, the impact of treatment on their ability to satisfy their sexual partners was a key concern. Men who were able to openly talk with their partners about sex and the impact of the treatment on sexual practice found this a great comfort. Conclusion: The significance of sex for a man can differ considerably between individuals; relationship status, age and life stage are all likely to have a bearing on the role that sex plays in a man life. A diagnosis of cancer can also affect how a man (and his partner) views sex and the level of importance which he attaches to it. For men who are sexually active prior to treatment, surgery will undoubtedly result in changes to sexual practice, however, treatment does not have to result in sexual abstinence

Parasitic light absorption, rate laws and heterojunctions in the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenic(III) using composite TiO2/Fe2O3

Composite photocatalyst-adsorbents such as TiO2/Fe2O3 are promising materials for the one-step treatment of arsenite contaminated water. However, no previous study has investigated how coupling TiO2 with Fe2O3 influences the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenic(III). Herein, we develop new hybrid experiment/modelling approaches to study light absorption, charge carrier behaviour and changes in the rate law of the TiO2/Fe2O3 system, using UV-Vis spectroscopy, transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), and kinetic analysis. Whilst coupling TiO2 with Fe2O3 improves total arsenic removal by adsorption, oxidation rates significantly decrease (up to a factor of 60), primarily due to the parasitic absorption of light by Fe2O3 (88% of photons at 368 nm) and secondly due to changes in the rate law from disguised zero-order kinetics to first-order kinetics. Charge transfer across this TiO2-Fe2O3 heterojunction is not observed. Our study demonstrates the first application of a multi-adsorbate surface complexation model (SCM) towards describing As(III) oxidation kinetics which, unlike Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics, includes the competitive adsorption of As(V), and we further highlight the importance of parasitic light absorption and catalyst fouling when designing heterogeneous photocatalysts for As(III) remediation

Ultrastructural defects in stereocilia and tectorial membrane in aging mouse and human cochleae

The aging cochlea is subjected to a number of pathological changes to play a role in the onset of age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Although ARHL has often been thought of as the result of the loss of hair cells, it is in fact a disorder with a complex etiology, arising from the changes to both the organ of Corti and its supporting structures. In this study, we examine two aging pathologies that have not been studied in detail despite their apparent prevalence; the fusion, elongation, and engulfment of cochlear inner hair cell stereocilia, and the changes that occur to the tectorial membrane (TM), a structure overlying the organ of Corti that modulates its physical properties in response to sound. Our work demonstrates that similar pathological changes occur in these two structures in the aging cochleae of both mice and humans, examines the ultrastructural changes that underlie stereocilial fusion, and identifies the lost TM components that lead to changes in membrane structure. We place these changes into the context of the wider pathology of the aging cochlea, and identify how they may be important in particular for understanding the more subtle hearing pathologies that precede auditory threshold loss in ARHL

Severe hearing loss and outer hair cell death in homozygous Foxo3 knockout mice after moderate noise exposure

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a disease that affects millions of Americans. Identifying genetic pathways that influence recovery from noise exposure is an important step forward in understanding NIHL. The transcription factor Foxo3 integrates the cellular response to oxidative stress and plays a role in extending lifespan in many organisms, including humans. Here we show that Foxo3 is required for auditory function after noise exposure in a mouse model system, measured by ABR. Absent Foxo3, outer hair cells are lost throughout the middle and higher frequencies. SEM reveals persistent damage to some surviving outer hair cell stereocilia. However, DPOAE analysis reveals that some function is preserved in low frequency outer hair cells, despite concomitant profound hearing loss. Inner hair cells, auditory synapses and spiral ganglion neurons are all present after noise exposure in the Foxo3KO/KO fourteen days post noise (DPN). We also report anti-Foxo3 immunofluorescence in adult human outer hair cells. Taken together, these data implicate Foxo3 and its transcriptional targets in outer hair cell survival after noise damage. An additional role for Foxo3 in preserving hearing is likely, as low frequency auditory function is absent in noise exposed Foxo3KO/KOs even though all cells and structures are present