The Wild Borderlands of Science and Technology

A review of recent scholarship in the sociology of fringe and counterculture science

Factorial Invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) for Adults of Mexican Descent across Nativity Status, Language Format, and Gender

The cultural equivalence of psychological outcome measures remains a major area of investigation. The current study sought to test the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) with a sample of adult individuals of Mexican descent (N = 923) across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The results show that 1-factor and 3-factor measurement models provided a good fit to the data; however, a single-factor model was deemed more appropriate and parsimonious. Tests of measurement invariance and invariance of factor variances (i.e., structural invariance) indicated at least partial measurement invariance across gender, nativity status, and language format. These findings suggest that the BSI-18 operates in a similar fashion among adults of Mexican descent regardless of nativity status, language format of the survey, and gender. Clinical and practical implications for use of the BSI-18 with Latino populations are discussed

The Mental Health Implications of Experiencing Racial/Ethnic Microaggressions Among Latina/os: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Components

The present study sought to elucidate the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components associated with the experience of racial/ethnic microaggressions among Latina/os, and the mental health outcomes of this form of discrimination. The study examined data from 175 Mexican and Mexican-American Latina/o adults recruited from a large Latina/o ethnic festival in a moderately-sized Midwestern city. Methodology of the present study incorporated innovative materials, including a quantitative measure of racial/ethnic microaggressions and a vignette to elicit an experience of a racial/ethnic microaggression. Results showed that past six-month experiences with racial/ethnic microaggressions are predictive of psychological distress. Overall, one\u27s greater affective stress response to a microaggression experience resulted in increased probability of the participant having clinically-significant psychological distress, while use of social coping was protective against psychological distress. Differences were determined for sociodemographic variables, including gender and nativity status. The present study provides better understanding of the psychological components associated with racial/ethnic microaggressions, and offers insight for theory, future research, and clinical practice with Latina/os

Geochemical Impacts From Permanganate Oxidation Based on Field Scale Assessments.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate is a technology for treatment of organic hazardous wastes. This research is a review of 30 permanganate (MnO4-) ISCO sites to determine whether there are long term impacts on groundwater quality due to the introduction of the oxidant into the subsurface. A second objective is to determine if manganese concentration can be predicted by trends in specific pre and postoxidation monitored parameters (i.e., pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP)). The final objective is to identify the effects of site and design conditions on groundwater conditions postoxidation. Results indicate that (1) there are limited long term groundwater impacts due to oxidant introduction (i.e., water quality indicators begin to approach preoxidation levels by 2 years postoxidation), (2) manganese concentrations can be predicted and (3) site and design conditions have pronounced short term impacts on geochemical parameters (i.e., especially site media type, mass of oxidant injected, and initial ORP)

Gold Nanoparticles and Peptoids as Novel Inhibitors of Amyloid Beta Aggregation in Alzheimer\u27s Disease

In 2012 it was estimated that one in every nine Americans over the age of 65 has Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) (1). These patients experience gradual loss of memory, cognition, and behavioral stability eventually leading to death (2). These symptoms were first described in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer and now are the classic signs of the number one neurodegenerative disease today. Current AD therapies delay or mitigate the symptoms associated with AD to improve the quality of life for the patient; however, there is currently no cure for those that have been diagnosed. In order to develop a possible treatment for patients with mild to severe AD, the disease pathology must first be understood. One neuropathological marker for AD is the development of amyloid plaques, which are deposited around the neurons in the brain and are associated with neuronal atrophy. The main constituents of these plaques are aggregated forms of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide. Thus, one possible therapeutic intervention for AD is to inhibit the formation of the Abeta aggregates

Geochemical Impacts From Permanganate Oxidation Based on Field Scale Assessments.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate is a technology for treatment of organic hazardous wastes. This research is a review of 30 permanganate (MnO4-) ISCO sites to determine whether there are long term impacts on groundwater quality due to the introduction of the oxidant into the subsurface. A second objective is to determine if manganese concentration can be predicted by trends in specific pre and postoxidation monitored parameters (i.e., pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP)). The final objective is to identify the effects of site and design conditions on groundwater conditions postoxidation. Results indicate that (1) there are limited long term groundwater impacts due to oxidant introduction (i.e., water quality indicators begin to approach preoxidation levels by 2 years postoxidation), (2) manganese concentrations can be predicted and (3) site and design conditions have pronounced short term impacts on geochemical parameters (i.e., especially site media type, mass of oxidant injected, and initial ORP)