88 research outputs found
Making sense of policy choices: understanding the roles of value predispositions, mass media, and cognitive processing in public attitudes toward nanotechnology
Using a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,015 adults in the United States, this study examines how value predispositions, communication variables, and perceptions of risks and benefits are associated with public support for federal funding of nanotechnology. Our findings show that highly religious individuals were less supportive of funding of nanotech than less religious individuals, whereas individuals who held a high deference for scientific authority were more supportive of funding of the emerging technology than those low in deference. Mass media use and elaborative processing of scientific news were positively associated with public support for funding, whereas factual scientific knowledge had no significant association with policy choices. The findings suggest that thinking about and reflecting upon scientific news promote better understanding of the scientific world and may provide a more sophisticated cognitive structure for the public to form opinions about nanotech than factual scientific knowledge. Finally, heuristic cues including trust in scientists and perceived risks and benefits of nanotech were found to be associated with public support for nanotech funding. We conclude with policy implications that will be useful for policymakers and science communication practitioners
sodC-Based Real-Time PCR for Detection of Neisseria meningitidis
Real-time PCR (rt-PCR) is a widely used molecular method for detection of
Neisseria meningitidis (Nm). Several rt-PCR assays for Nm
target the capsule transport gene, ctrA. However, over
16% of meningococcal carriage isolates lack ctrA,
rendering this target gene ineffective at identification of this sub-population
of meningococcal isolates. The Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase gene,
sodC, is found in Nm but not in other
Neisseria species. To better identify Nm, regardless of
capsule genotype or expression status, a sodC-based TaqMan
rt-PCR assay was developed and validated. Standard curves revealed an average
lower limit of detection of 73 genomes per reaction at cycle threshold
(Ct) value of 35, with 100% average reaction efficiency
and an average R2 of 0.9925. 99.7% (624/626) of Nm isolates
tested were sodC-positive, with a range of average
Ct values from 13.0 to 29.5. The mean sodC
Ct value of these Nm isolates was 17.6±2.2 (±SD).
Of the 626 Nm tested, 178 were nongroupable (NG) ctrA-negative
Nm isolates, and 98.9% (176/178) of these were detected by
sodC rt-PCR. The assay was 100% specific, with all
244 non-Nm isolates testing negative. Of 157 clinical specimens tested,
sodC detected 25/157 Nm or 4 additional specimens compared
to ctrA and 24 more than culture. Among 582 carriage specimens,
sodC detected Nm in 1 more than ctrA and
in 4 more than culture. This sodC rt-PCR assay is a highly
sensitive and specific method for detection of Nm, especially in carriage
studies where many meningococcal isolates lack capsule genes
Comparative analysis between endometrial proteomes of pregnant and non-pregnant ewes during the peri-implantation period
Ethics, Risk and Benefits Associated with Different Applications of Nanotechnology: a Comparison of Expert and Consumer Perceptions of Drivers of Societal Acceptance
Genetic ablation of ataxin-2 increases several global translation factors in their transcript abundance but decreases translation rate
Reduction of diabetes risk in routine clinical practice: are physical activity and nutrition interventions feasible and are the outcomes from reference trials replicable? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Development of a surgical procedure for removal of a placentome from a pregnant ewe during gestation
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