Politics by other means?:STS and research in education

Science and Technology Studies (STS) has been surprisingly slow to become widely known and deployed in the field of education. Yet STS has a rich array of concepts and analytical methods to offer to studies of: knowledge practices and epistemic cultures; the interrelationship between states and knowledge; regulatory practices, governance and institutions; and classrooms, pedagogy, teaching and learning. Most importantly, it provides a fresh perspective on how power operates in ordering societies, disciplining actors and promoting ideas and practices. In this paper, we provide an introduction to STS and elaborate what it offers education scholars. Using examples from the emerging body of STS work in the field of education, and in particular from the papers in this special issue, we argue that STS is not only useful, but an exciting and generative form of critique–one that is especially suited to investigating contemporary issues in education policies and practices

Francisella-like endosymbionts, potentially harmful to human health, are transported by the universally distributed species of the ciliate Euplotes.

Genome analyses of wild-type strains of two ecologically separated Euplotes species, E. raikovi living in temperate sea waters and E. petzi living in the polar seas, revealed that both host bacteria in their cytoplasm. These bacteria have been identified with facultative intracellular gamma-proteobacteria of the genus Francisella, which includes a number of closely related species well known as extremely infectious to a great variety of organisms. Francisella tularensis, with its four subspecies, is a specialized intracellular pathogen capable of infecting both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, humans included; F. noatunensis is the etiological agent of the fish disease known as francisellosis, and its two subspecies well adapt to different temperatures of their hosts; the Francisella-like endosymbionts Wolbachia persica, together with the freely living generalists F. philomiragia and F. novicida cause diseases in humans with a compromised immune system. The Francisella endosymbionts of E. raikovi and E. petzi have been successfully isolated and their genomes completely sequenced. They are genetically distant from one another and form two different clades in the Francisella phylogenetic tree, which are distinct from the all other well-established Francisella clades. The finding that Francisella has equally colonized polar and temperate-water species provides evidence that this bacterium is more common and widespread than previously hypothesized, and confirms that free-living Euplotes species and ciliates in general, with their worldwide distribution, may represent a natural reservoir of Francisella in every aquatic environment

Complete Genome Sequence of Francisella endociliophora Strain FSC1006, Isolated from a Laboratory Culture of the Marine Ciliate Euplotes raikovi

A strain of Francisella endociliophora was isolated from a laboratory culture of the marine ciliate Euplotes raikovi. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the bacterial strain FSC1006 (Francisella Strain Collection, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden)

Business models in servitization

This chapter sheds light on the different business models of manufacturing companies that have servitized their business operations. This chapter presents four distinctive yet simultaneously pursued business models for servitized manufacturers: (1) the product business model, (2) the service-agreement business model (3) the process-oriented business model, and (4) the performance-oriented business model. Depending on the direction taken, dedicated customer needs targeted, value propositions adopted, and services and solutions provided, a servitized manufacturer should decide which business model(s) the firm will adopt with different customers.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Circulating Metabolites Associated with Body Fat and Lean Mass in Adults with Overweight/Obesity

The interplay between fat mass and lean mass within human metabolism is not completely understood. We aimed to identify specific circulating metabolomic profiles associated with these body composition compartments. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted over 236 adults with overweight/obesity from the Satiety Innovation (SATIN) study. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A targeted multiplatform metabolite profiling approach was applied. Associations between 168 circulating metabolites and the body composition measures were assessed using elastic net regression analyses. The accuracy of the multimetabolite weighted models was evaluated using a 10-fold cross-validation approach and the Pearson's correlation coefficients between metabolomic profiles and body compartments were estimated. Two different profiles including 86 and 65 metabolites were selected for % body fat and lean mass. These metabolites mainly consisted of lipids (sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines), acylcarnitines, and amino acids. Several metabolites overlapped between these body composition measures but none of them towards the same direction. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the metabolomic profiles and % body fat or lean mass were 0.80 and 0.79, respectively. Our findings suggest alterations in lipid metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and protein degradation with increased adiposity and decreased lean body mass. These findings could help us to better understand the interplay between body composition compartments with human metabolic processes

Time on a Rotating Platform

Traditional clock synchronisation on a rotating platform is shown to be incompatible with the experimentally established transformation of time. The latter transformation leads directly to solve this problem through noninvariant one-way speed of light. The conventionality of some features of relativity theory allows full compatibility with existing experimental evidence.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, no figure. Copies available at [email protected] accepted for publication in Found. Phys. Let

Gestational Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Reciprocal Social, Repetitive, and Stereotypic Behaviors in 4- and 5-Year-Old Children: The HOME Study

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be involved in the etiology of autism spectrum disorders, but identifying relevant chemicals within mixtures of EDCs is difficult. Objective: Our goal was to identify gestational EDC exposures associated with autistic behaviors. Methods: We measured the concentrations of 8 phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A, 25 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 6 organochlorine pesticides, 8 brominated flame retardants, and 4 perfluoroalkyl substances in blood or urine samples from 175 pregnant women in the HOME (Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment) Study (Cincinnati, OH). When children were 4 and 5 years old, mothers completed the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a measure of autistic behaviors. We examined confounder-adjusted associations between 52 EDCs and SRS scores using a two-stage hierarchical analysis to account for repeated measures and confounding by correlated EDCs. Results: Most of the EDCs were associated with negligible absolute differences in SRS scores (≤ 1.5). Each 2-SD increase in serum concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ether-28 (PBDE-28) (β = 2.5; 95% CI: –0.6, 5.6) or trans-nonachlor (β = 4.1; 95% CI: 0.8–7.3) was associated with more autistic behaviors. In contrast, fewer autistic behaviors were observed among children born to women with detectable versus nondetectable concentrations of PCB-178 (β = –3.0; 95% CI: –6.3, 0.2), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β = –3.3; 95% CI: –6.1, –0.5), or PBDE-85 (β = –3.2; 95% CI: –5.9, –0.5). Increasing perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) concentrations were also associated with fewer autistic behaviors (β = –2.0; 95% CI: –4.4, 0.4). Conclusions: Some EDCs were associated with autistic behaviors in this cohort, but our modest sample size precludes us from dismissing chemicals with null associations. PFOA, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, PCB-178, PBDE-28, PBDE-85, and trans-nonachlor deserve additional scrutiny as factors that may be associated with childhood autistic behaviors. Citation: Braun JM, Kalkbrenner AE, Just AC, Yolton K, Calafat AM, Sjödin A, Hauser R, Webster GM, Chen A, Lanphear BP. 2014. Gestational exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and reciprocal social, repetitive, and stereotypic behaviors in 4- and 5-year-old children: the HOME Study. Environ Health Perspect 122:513–520; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.130726

Gestational Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Social Skills and Problem Behaviors in Adolescents: The Home Study

Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent environmental pollutants used as flame retardants. Gestational PBDE exposure has been associated with a variety of behavior problems in children, but little is known about its impact into adolescence, particularly on social skills, which are important for achieving social competence, establishing identity, and forming lasting relationships. Objective: We investigated associations between gestational exposure to PBDEs and social skills and problem behaviors in early adolescence in a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort in Cincinnati, Ohio (recruited 2003–2006). Methods: We measured maternal serum concentrations of five PBDE congeners during gestation. At age 12, we measured social skills and problem behaviors scores for 243 adolescents using self- and caregiver-report on the Social Skills Improvement System (SSiS). We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate associations between maternal PBDE concentrations and SSiS scores, controlling for potential covariates. We report associations for the five congeners and a summary exposure variable (∑5BDE: the sum of BDE- 28, 47, 99, 100, and 153, n = 197). Results: We found sex-specific associations of ∑5BDE concentrations with adolescent-reported Problem Behaviors (∑5BDE × sex pint = 0.02) and caregiver-reported Social Skills (∑5BDE × sex pint = 0.02). In sex-stratified models, log10 transformed data revealed increased maternal ∑5BDE concentration among males was associated with decreased caregiver-reported Social Skills composite score (β = -10.2, 95% CI: −19.5, −1.0), increased adolescent-reported Problem Behaviors composite score (β = 12.1, 95% CI: 5.4, 18.8), and increased caregiver-reported Problem Behaviors composite score (β = 6.2, 95% CI: 0.7, 11.7). Further analysis on SSiS subscales revealed similar patterns in significant associations among males. There were no statistically significant associations in stratified models among females despite higher ∑5BDE exposure (Female GM=40.15 ng/g lipid, GSE=1.10; Male GM=35.30 ng/g lipid, GSE=1.09). Discussion: We found gestational PBDE exposure in males was associated with poorer behavioral outcomes, extending previous findings among this cohort into early adolescence

Association between CSF alpha-synuclein seeding activity and genetic status in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

The clinicopathological heterogeneity in Lewy-body diseases (LBD) highlights the need for pathology-driven biomarkers in-vivo. Misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a lead candidate based on its crucial role in disease pathophysiology. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) analysis of CSF has recently shown high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of misfolded α-Syn in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In this study we performed the CSF RT-QuIC assay in 236 PD and 49 DLB patients enriched for different genetic forms with mutations in GBA, parkin, PINK1, DJ1, and LRRK2. A subgroup of 100 PD patients was also analysed longitudinally. We correlated kinetic seeding parameters of RT-QuIC with genetic status and CSF protein levels of molecular pathways linked to α-Syn proteostasis. Overall, 85% of PD and 86% of DLB patients showed positive RT-QuIC α-Syn seeding activity. Seeding profiles were significantly associated with mutation status across the spectrum of genetic LBD. In PD patients, we detected positive α-Syn seeding in 93% of patients carrying severe GBA mutations, in 78% with LRRK2 mutations, in 59% carrying heterozygous mutations in recessive genes, and in none of those with bi-allelic mutations in recessive genes. Among PD patients, those with severe GBA mutations showed the highest seeding activity based on RT-QuIC kinetic parameters and the highest proportion of samples with 4 out of 4 positive replicates. In DLB patients, 100% with GBA mutations showed positive α-Syn seeding compared to 79% of wildtype DLB. Moreover, we found an association between α-Syn seeding activity and reduced CSF levels of proteins linked to α-Syn proteostasis, specifically lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 and neurosecretory protein VGF. These findings highlight the value of α-Syn seeding activity as an in-vivo marker of Lewy-body pathology and support its use for patient stratification in clinical trials targeting α-Syn

A spatially-VSL gravity model with 1-PN limit of GRT

A scalar gravity model is developed according the 'geometric conventionalist' approach introduced by Poincare (Einstein 1921, Poincare 1905, Reichenbach 1957, Gruenbaum1973). In principle this approach allows an alternative interpretation and formulation of General Relativity Theory (GRT), with distinct i) physical congruence standard, and ii) gravitation dynamics according Hamilton-Lagrange mechanics, while iii) retaining empirical indistinguishability with GRT. In this scalar model the congruence standards have been expressed as gravitationally modified Lorentz Transformations (Broekaert 2002). The first type of these transformations relate quantities observed by gravitationally 'affected' (natural geometry) and 'unaffected' (coordinate geometry) observers and explicitly reveal a spatially variable speed of light (VSL). The second type shunts the unaffected perspective and relates affected observers, recovering i) the invariance of the locally observed velocity of light, and ii) the local Minkowski metric (Broekaert 2003). In the case of a static gravitation field the model retrieves the phenomenology implied by the Schwarzschild metric. The case with proper source kinematics is now described by introduction of a 'sweep velocity' field w: The model then provides a hamiltonian description for particles and photons in full accordance with the first Post-Newtonian approximation of GRT (Weinberg 1972, Will 1993).Comment: v1: 11 pages, GR17 conf. paper, Dublin 2004, v2: WEP issue solved, section on acceleration transformation added, text improved, more references, same results, v3: typos removed, footnotes, added and references updated, v4: appendix added, improved tex