Is using abortion to select the sex of children ever permissible?

The revelation that some clinicians in Britain have agreed to undertake Sex- Selective Abortions (SSAs) has brought several ethical issues to the fore. Two philosophers analyse the complex arguments surrounding this banned practice, from differing points of view. Jeremy Williams makes the case that SSA could be right in some particular circumstances. But Heather Widdows emphasises the moral dangers involved in permitting SSA

Misalignment of Learning Contexts - an explanation of the Chinese Learner Paradox.

There is considerable research evidence (e.g. Biggs 1991, Watkins et al 1990, Kember et al 1991) to suggest that East Asian learners exhibit superior learning styles and academic performance to their western counterparts at secondary and tertiary levels. This is a surprising outcome given the less favourable educational environment of most East Asian societies (such as large class size, expository teaching methodology, highly competitive exam system and exam-oriented curriculum) which, according to educational literature, is more conducive to surface learning and atomistic learning outcome. This seemingly contradictory situation, known as the Chinese Learner Paradox (Marton et al, 1993), has been the subject of quantitative and qualitative educational researches since the late 1980s. However, existing research has tended not to examine the impacts of different assessment regimes (i.e. exam essay, short answer question, MCQ test, term essay, reflective journal, practicum etc) on the learning process. More specifically, they did not investigate the interaction of learning approaches with assessment types in influencing learning outcomes in cross-cultural studies. In this study intensive semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 tertiary students, consisting of 5 East Asian and 5 local Australian students in Brisbane, the overriding aim being to investigate their ideas of learning, and their approaches to learning for written assignments and for exams, to establish whether cultural difference is a determining influence on the learning process. Preliminary results suggest a different way of interpreting and explaining the paradox.

Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on simulated soccer performance

Purpose: To determine the effects of acute short-term creatine (Cr) supplementation on physical performance during a 90-min soccer-specific performance test. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental design was adopted during which 16 male amateur soccer players were required to consume 20 g/d Cr for 7 d or a placebo. A Ball-Sport Endurance and Speed Test (BEAST) comprising measures of aerobic (circuit time), speed (12- and 20-m sprint), and explosive-power (vertical jump) abilities performed over 90 min was performed presupplementation and postsupplementation. Results: Performance measures during the BEAST deteriorated during the second half relative to the first for both Cr (1.2–2.3%) and placebo (1.0–2.2%) groups, indicating a fatigue effect associated with the BEAST. However, no significant differences existed between groups, suggesting that Cr had no performance-enhancing effect or ability to offset fatigue. When effect sizes were considered, some measures (12-m sprint, –0.53 ± 0.69; 20-m sprint, –0.39 ± 0.59) showed a negative tendency, indicating chances of harm were greater than chances of benefit. Conclusions: Acute short-term Cr supplementation has no beneficial effect on physical measures obtained during a 90-min soccer-simulation test, thus bringing into question its potential as an effective ergogenic aid for soccer players

An Analysis of Homicides in Oakland 2002, 2003 and 2004

The number of homicides committed in Oakland decreased substantially between 2003 and 2004. The decline has been attributed, in part, to the Oakland Police Department's Violence Reduction Plan launched in October 2003, greater collaboration between local and state law enforcement agencies, and increased community involvement in violence prevention activities.This report summarizes changes in specific characteristics of homicides over the past three years, such as victim and suspect demographic characteristics, locations of the crimes, the parole/probation status of victims and suspects, and the time of day and month that the homicides were committed. In addition to presenting annual data for 2002, 2003, and 2004, the tables and figures in this report show how characteristics of the homicides changed from year to year and over the three-year period

7,8-dihydroxyflavone, a selective tyrosine kinase receptor B agonist and BDNF mimic, promotes angiogenesis.

7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), which is a member of the flavonoid family, is a selective tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) agonist that has neurotrophic effects in various neurological diseases such as ischemic stroke and Parkinson’s disease [3]. In this study, we assessed the angiogeneic effect of 7,8-DHF in endothelial cells derived from resistance vessel of the brain. Angiogenesis by 7,8-DHF is an important factor that helps prevent and treat various ischemic diseases. In this study, we found that rat RV cells used in the experiment possess the TrkB receptor. Our data also demonstrates that 7,8-DHF is able to stimulate cell proliferation in RV cells, suggesting that 7,8-DHF is capable of inducing angiogenesis. The 7,8-DHF activates the TrkB receptor which then leads to cell proliferation. In our study we also showed the effects of 7,8-DHF in the presence of the TrkB inhibitor cyclotraxin-B. Addition of cyclotraxin-B blocked the TrkB receptor and counteracted the effects of 7,8-DHF. Cell proliferation occurs in RV cells with the addition of 7,8-DHF, but this proliferation is inhibited by cyclotraxin-B

An Examination of the Individual Mandate

This paper examined the history, role, and the future of the individual mandate. It also examined problems in the United States’ health care system that the individual mandate intends to address, such as free-riding and adverse selection. Research indicated that the individual mandate was first implemented in Massachusetts under Governor Romney. This research examined Massachusetts’s individual mandate through public opinion polls before and after implementation. These public opinion polls indicated that the individual mandate was popular before and after it was implemented in Massachusetts. Studies also indicated that the individual mandate proved to be very successful. Massachusetts’s individual mandate eliminated both the free-riding problem, and adverse selection. These findings indicate that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate will have similar success at the federal level