Making isotopes matter : Francis Aston and the mass-spectrograph

Francis Aston «discovered» the isotopes of the light elements at the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919 using his newly devised mass-spectrograph. With this device, a modification of the apparatus he had used as J.J. Thomson's lab assistant before the war, Aston was surprised to find that he could elicit isotopes for many of the elements. This work was contested, but Rutherford, recently appointed to head the Cavendish, was a strong supporter of Aston's work, not least because it supported his emergent programme of research into nuclear structure. This paper will explore Aston's work in the context of skilled practice at the Cavendish and in the wider disciplinary contexts of physics and chemistry. Arguing that Aston's work was made significant by Rutherford ―and other constituencies, including chemists and astrophysicists― it will explore the initial construction of isotopes as scientific objects through their embodiment in material practices. It will also show how the process of constructing isotopes was retrospectively reified by the award to Aston of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Making isotopes matter: Francis Aston and the mass-spectrograph

Francis Aston «discovered» the isotopes of the light elements at the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919 using his newly devised mass-spectrograph. With this device, a modification of the apparatus he had used as J.J. Thomson’s lab assistant before the war, Aston was surprised to find that he could elicit isotopes for many of the elements. This work was contested, but Rutherford, recently appointed to head the Cavendish, was a strong supporter of Aston’s work, not least because it supported his emergent programme of research into nuclear structure. This paper will explore Aston’s work in the context of skilled practice at the Cavendish and in the wider disciplinary contexts of physics and chemistry. Arguing that Aston’s work was made significant by Rutherford ―and other constituencies, including chemists and astrophysicists― it will explore the initial construction of isotopes as scientific objects through their embodiment in material practices. It will also show how the process of constructing isotopes was retrospectively reified by the award to Aston of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

The Sugar\u27d Game before Thee : Gamification Revisited

Gamification, the application of game elements to nongame contexts, was recently a subject of great interest in the library literature, inspiring a number of articles. That interest tapered off in tandem with gamification’s wider decline, but signs point to its reemergence. Anticipating renewed interest in gamification, the authors reviewed the literature to determine what has—and has not—been examined by librarianship’s proponents of gamification. They found serious concerns regarding gamification’s practical and ethical limitations. Moreover, the authors believe that the purported benefits of gamification are more readily found in its progenitor—games

Travailler pour survivre : exploration du travail des jeunes de la rue

Le présent article explore les diverses formes que prennent l’emploi et les « petits boulots » dans la vie des jeunes de la rue. L’étude a été faite à Halifax, au Canada, et porte sur un matériel tiré d’entretiens menés auprès de 34 jeunes. Les résultats de l’enquête suggèrent que l’économie du travail à laquelle doivent faire face les jeunes de la rue revêt un aspect autant formel qu’informel. Ils montrent aussi que ces jeunes sont motivés mais vivent aussi des enjeux tant personnels qu’environnementaux. La plupart des jeunes interrogés réalisent des activités informelles rémunératrices parmi lesquelles figurent entre autres la mendicité, la pratique du squeegee (du nom anglais de la raclette servant à nettoyer les pare-brise), et l’art ambulant, la vente de créations artistiques, la composition et la déclamation de poèmes, la diffusion de blagues et autres activités créatrices. La diversité de ces activités témoigne de l’esprit d’entreprise et de la capacité de résilience de cette jeunesse itinérante. Pour survivre, les jeunes sans-abri sont en effet prêts à entreprendre un grand nombre de tâches souvent peu valorisées dans notre société. À vrai dire, il leur est surtout difficile d’accéder à un travail socialement reconnu. Pourtant, la société, en s’inscrivant dans une logique de criminalisation de certains types de pauvreté, réprime le plus souvent les activités informelles qu’adoptent les jeunes comme stratégies de survie.This paper explores how employment and labor are situated within the lives of homeless youth and is based upon the findings emerging from in-depth interviews with 34 youth in Halifax, Canada. The findings suggest that street-involved and homeless young people are straddling formal and informal work economies while mediating layers of external and internal motivations and tensions. For the most part, youth interviewed engaged in informal money-making activities including panhandling, squeegeeing, busking, making and selling art, performing poetry and/or jokes, among many other creative pursuits. The diversity of these activities demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity/resilience of street-involved young people. They are willing to undertake any number of often undesirable tasks to survive. The reality is that the participants in this study could not very easily engage in formal work. In addition, their stories showed how society takes particular effort to criminalize certain types of poverty – in this case much of the informal work in which homeless youth engage.Con base en 34 entrevistas a fondo con jóvenes de Halifax, Canadá, el presente artículo analiza el lugar que el trabajo formal e informal ocupan en las vidas de los jóvenes de la calle. La investigación sugiere que los jóvenes que habitan o realizan actividades en la calle oscilan entre las economías formal e informal, con diversas mediaciones, motivaciones y tensiones internas y externas. La mayoría de jóvenes entrevistados realiza actividades cuyos ingresos son informales, entre ellas la mendicidad, el limpiado de parabrisas y diversas actividades creativas como la interpretación musical, la fabricación y venta de arte y la presentación de poesía y comedia, entre otras. Esta diversidad de actividades muestra el espíritu empresarial y la creatividad y perseverancia de los jóvenes de la calle, dispuestos para sobrevivir a emprender actividades muchas veces consideradas indeseables. Una realidad es que los participantes de este estudio no podrían fácilmente obtener empleo formal. Además, lo que cuentan ilustra la forma en que la sociedad se empeña en criminalizar cierto tipo de pobreza, en este caso el trabajo informal en que los jóvenes de la calle se autoemplean

An expanded prescribing role for pharmacists – an Australian perspective

Expanded pharmacist prescribing is a new professional practice area for pharmacists. Currently, Australian pharmacists' prescribing role is limited to over-the-counter medications. This review aims to identify Australian studies involving the area of expanded pharmacist prescribing. Australian studies exploring the issues of pharmacist prescribing were identified and considered in the context of its implementation internationally. Australian studies have mainly focused on the attitudes of community and hospital pharmacists towards such an expansion. Studies evaluating the views of Australian consumers and pharmacy clients were also considered. The available Australian literature indicated support from pharmacists and pharmacy clients for an expanded pharmacist prescribing role, with preference for doctors retaining a primary role in diagnosis. Australian pharmacists and pharmacy client's views were also in agreement in terms of other key issues surrounding expanded pharmacist prescribing. These included the nature of an expanded prescribing model, the need for additional training for pharmacists and the potential for pharmacy clients gaining improved medication access, which could be achieved within an expanded role that pharmacists could provide. Current evidence from studies conducted in Australia provides valuable insight to relevant policymakers on the issue of pharmacist prescribing in order to move the agenda of pharmacist prescribing forwards

Dr Google and the consumer: A qualitative study exploring the navigational needs and online health information-seeking behaviors of consumers with chronic health conditions

Background: The abundance of health information available online provides consumers with greater access to information pertinent to the management of health conditions. This is particularly important given an increasing drive for consumer-focused health care models globally, especially in the management of chronic health conditions, and in recognition of challenges faced by lay consumers with finding, understanding, and acting on health information sourced online. There is a paucity of literature exploring the navigational needs of consumers with regards to accessing online health information. Further, existing interventions appear to be didactic in nature, and it is unclear whether such interventions appeal to consumers’ needs. Objective: Our goal was to explore the navigational needs of consumers with chronic health conditions in finding online health information within the broader context of consumers’ online health information-seeking behaviors. Potential barriers to online navigation were also identified. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with adult consumers who reported using the Internet for health information and had at least one chronic health condition. Participants were recruited from nine metropolitan community pharmacies within Western Australia, as well as through various media channels. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then imported into QSR NVivo 10. Two established approaches to thematic analysis were adopted. First, a data-driven approach was used to minimize potential bias in analysis and improve construct and criterion validity. A theory-driven approach was subsequently used to confirm themes identified by the former approach and to ensure identified themes were relevant to the objectives. Two levels of analysis were conducted for both data-driven and theory-driven approaches: manifest-level analysis, whereby face-value themes were identified, and latent-level analysis, whereby underlying concepts were identified. Results: We conducted 17 interviews, with data saturation achieved by the 14th interview. While we identified a broad range of online health information-seeking behaviors, most related to information discussed during consumer-health professional consultations such as looking for information about medication side effects. The barriers we identified included intrinsic barriers, such as limited eHealth literacy, and extrinsic barriers, such as the inconsistency of information between different online sources. The navigational needs of our participants were extrinsic in nature and included health professionals directing consumers to appropriate online resources and better filtering of online health information. Our participants’ online health information-seeking behaviors, reported barriers, and navigational needs were underpinned by the themes of trust, patient activation, and relevance. Conclusions: This study suggests that existing interventions aimed to assist consumers with navigating online health information may not be what consumers want or perceive they need. eHealth literacy and patient activation appear to be prevalent concepts in the context of consumers’ online health information-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, the role for health professionals in guiding consumers to quality online health information is highlighted

Stability studies of lincomycin hydrochloride in aqueous solution and intravenous infusion fluids

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemical stability of Lincocin® (lincomycin hydrochloride) in commonly used intravenous fluids at room temperature (25°C), at accelerated-degradation temperatures and in selected buffer solutions. Materials and methods: The stability of Lincocin® injection (containing lincomycin 600 mg/2 mL as the hydrochloride) stored at 25°C±0.1°C in sodium lactate (Hartmann’s), 0.9% sodium chloride, 5% glucose, and 10% glucose solutions was investigated over 31 days. Forced degradation of Lincocin® in hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide was performed at 60°C. The effect of pH on the degradation rate of lincomycin hydrochloride stored at 80°C was determined. Results: Lincomycin hydrochloride was found to maintain its shelf life at 25°C in sodium lactate (Hartmann’s) solution, 0.9% sodium chloride solution, 5% glucose solution, and 10% glucose solution, with less than 5% lincomycin degradation occurring in all intravenous solutions over a 31-day period. Lincomycin hydrochloride showed less rapid degradation at 60°C in acid than in basic solution, but degraded rapidly in hydrogen peroxide. At all pH values tested, lincomycin followed first-order kinetics. It had the greatest stability near pH 4 when stored at 80°C (calculated shelf life of 4.59 days), and was least stable at pH 2 (calculated shelf life of 0.38 days). Conclusion: Lincocin® injection was chemically found to have a shelf life of at least 31 days at 25°C when added to sodium lactate (Hartmann’s) solution, 0.9% sodium chloride solution, 5% glucose solution, and 10% glucose solution. Solutions prepared at approximately pH 4 are likely to have optimum stability

The role of the pharmacist in the management of type 2 diabetes: current insights and future directions

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease occurring in ever increasing numbers worldwide. It contributes significantly to the cost of health globally; however, its management remains in the most part less than optimal. Patients must be empowered to self-manage their disease, and they do this in partnership with health care professionals. Whilst the traditional role of the pharmacist has been centered around the supply of medicines and patient counseling, there is an evergrowing body of evidence that pharmacists, through a range of extended services, may contribute positively to the clinical and humanistic outcomes of those with diabetes. Further, these services can be delivered cost-effectively. This paper provides a review of the current evidence supporting the role of pharmacists in diabetes care, whilst providing a commentary of the future roles of pharmacists in this area