ABSTRACT Public level of familiarity with nanotechnology partly determines their acceptance or re... more ABSTRACT Public level of familiarity with nanotechnology partly determines their acceptance or rejection of the technology. This study examines the differential influence of public attention to science news in the media and reflective integration on perceived familiarity with nanotechnology among people in the higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups in Singapore. Significant three-way interactions among education, science news attention, and reflective integration variables were found. Attention to television science news narrowed the level of perceived familiarity with nanotechnology between the higher and lower SES groups for those who engaged in high elaborative processing. Science newspaper attention, on the other hand, widened the familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups among those who engaged in high elaborative processing. Two-way interaction among education and elaborative processing were found—elaborative processing closed the familiarity gap between higher and lower SES groups. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
We present a new method for detecting the missing baryons by generating a template for the kinema... more We present a new method for detecting the missing baryons by generating a template for the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. The template is computed from the product of a reconstructed velocity field with a galaxy field; we find that the combination of a galaxy redshift survey such as SDSS and a CMB survey such as ACT and PLANCK can detect the kSZ, and thus the ionized gas, at significant signal-to-noise. Unlike other techniques that look for hot gas or metals, this approach directly detects the electrons in the IGM through their signature on the CMB. The estimated signal-to-noise for detecting the galaxy-momentum kSZ cross-correlation is 4, 9, and 12 for ACT (with survey area of 2000 $\mathrm{deg}^2$) with SDSS-DR4, SDSS3 and ADEPT respectively. The estimated signal-to-noise for PLANCK with SDSS-DR4, SDSS3 and ADEPT is 11, 23, and 32. Our method provides a new mean for determining properties of the ionized gas in the Universe. We provide galaxy momentum templates constructed from Sloan Digital Sky Survey online at our website at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~shirley/SZ/SZ.html. The predicted correlation coefficients are provided along with the momentum maps. One can download the momentum templates and cross-correlate directly with CMB maps from ACT and PLANCK to detect the missing baryons.
The study set out to determine the potential for commercially available preparations of black coh... more The study set out to determine the potential for commercially available preparations of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus), crampbark (Viburnum opulus) and false unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) to inhibit the major human drug metabolizing enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 as well as CYP1A1 which activates some carcinogens. In vitro microplate-based assays using cDNA-expressed CYP450 isoforms and fluorogenic substrates were used. Components of the commercial herbal preparations interfered with the assays and limited the concentration ranges that could be tested. Nevertheless, the fluorogenic assays were robust, reproducible and easy to perform and thus are still useful for initial screening for potential herb-drug interactions. None of the preparations affected CYPs 1A1 or 2C9 at the concentrations tested but all preparations inhibited some of the enzymes with potencies around 1 μg/mL. The three most potent interactions were: chaste tree berry and CYP2C19 (IC₅₀) 0.22 μg/mL); chaste tree berry and CYP3A4 (IC₅₀) 0.3 μg/mL); black cohosh and CYP2C19 (IC₅₀) 0.37 μg/mL,). Thus, the study successfully identified the potential for the commercial herbal preparations to inhibit human drug metabolizing enzymes. Whether this potential translates into clinically significant herb-drug interactions can only be confirmed by appropriate in vivo studies.
ABSTRACT As breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Singapore, encouraging them... more ABSTRACT As breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Singapore, encouraging them to engage in preventive measures becomes increasingly important. This study aims to take a closer look at the influence of attention to media, interpersonal communication, news elaboration, and knowledge on women’s (aged between 30 and 70) perceived risks of breast cancer and their intentions to engage in preventive measures in Singapore. Attention to media, frequency of interpersonal communication, fatalistic belief, and knowledge structure density were found to be associated with risk perception of breast cancer among Singaporean women. Findings also showed that frequency of interpersonal communication, risk perception, elaboration, and factual knowledge were positively associated with women’s intentions to take up preventive measures such as breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography. Implications for theory and practice were discussed.
The focus on knowledge acquisition is an important component of health communication. This study ... more The focus on knowledge acquisition is an important component of health communication. This study tests the Cognitive Mediation Model (CMM) in the breast cancer context in Singapore, where a nationally representative survey data was collected from 802 women between the ages of 30 and 70 through random digit dialing. Results supported the augmented CMM model, which proposed structural knowledge as an added dimension of knowledge. Attention to media was found to have indirect influence on factual and structural knowledge through interpersonal communication and elaboration. Interpersonal communication and elaboration were significantly related to both forms of knowledge and they mediate the influence of attention to media and two forms of knowledge. Risk perception is positively related to attention to media; it also has indirect influence on interpersonal communication and elaboration mediated by media attention. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
The original knowledge gap hypothesis posits differential knowledge gains between people in the h... more The original knowledge gap hypothesis posits differential knowledge gains between people in the higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. This study put forth the notion of “perceived familiarity” as another dimension of knowledge and proposes a complementary model—the “perceived familiarity gap hypothesis”—that examines how media attention and reflective integration are associated with gaps in familiarity between the higher and lower SES groups in the context of nanotechnology in Singapore. Significant three way-and two-way interactions between education, attention to media and reflective integration were found—higher television usage closed the perceived familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups and for individuals who engaged in higher elaborative processing and more interpersonal discussion. Newspaper attention on the other hand widened the perceived familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups among those who engaged more in elaborative proces...
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2015
ABSTRACT Many astronomers now participate in large international collaborations, and it is import... more ABSTRACT Many astronomers now participate in large international collaborations, and it is important to examine whether these structures foster a scientific climate that is inclusive and diverse. The Committee on the Participation of Women in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (CPWS) was formed to evaluate the demographics and gender climate within SDSS-IV, one of the largest and most geographically distributed astronomical collaborations. In April 2014, the CPWS administered a demographic survey to establish a baseline for the incipient SDSS-IV. We received responses from 250 participants (46% of the active membership). Half of the survey respondents were located in the US or Canada and 30% were based in Europe. Eleven percent of survey respondents considered themselves to be an ethnic minority at their current institution. Twenty-five percent of the SDSS-IV collaboration members are women, a fraction that is consistent with the US astronomical community, but substantially higher than the fraction of women in the IAU (16%). Approximately equal fractions of men and women report holding positions of leadership. When binned by academic age and career level, men and women also assume leadership roles at approximately equal rates, in a way that increases steadily for both genders with increasing seniority. In this sense, SDSS-IV has been successful in recruiting leaders that are representative of the collaboration. Yet, more progress needs to be made towards achieving gender balance and increasing diversity in the field of astronomy, and there is still room for improvement in the membership and leadership of SDSS-IV. For example, at the highest level of SDSS-IV leadership, women disproportionately assume roles related to education and public outreach. The CPWS plans to use these initial data to establish a baseline for tracking demographics over time as we work to assess and improve the climate of SDSS-IV.
ABSTRACT Public level of familiarity with nanotechnology partly determines their acceptance or re... more ABSTRACT Public level of familiarity with nanotechnology partly determines their acceptance or rejection of the technology. This study examines the differential influence of public attention to science news in the media and reflective integration on perceived familiarity with nanotechnology among people in the higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups in Singapore. Significant three-way interactions among education, science news attention, and reflective integration variables were found. Attention to television science news narrowed the level of perceived familiarity with nanotechnology between the higher and lower SES groups for those who engaged in high elaborative processing. Science newspaper attention, on the other hand, widened the familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups among those who engaged in high elaborative processing. Two-way interaction among education and elaborative processing were found—elaborative processing closed the familiarity gap between higher and lower SES groups. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
We present a new method for detecting the missing baryons by generating a template for the kinema... more We present a new method for detecting the missing baryons by generating a template for the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. The template is computed from the product of a reconstructed velocity field with a galaxy field; we find that the combination of a galaxy redshift survey such as SDSS and a CMB survey such as ACT and PLANCK can detect the kSZ, and thus the ionized gas, at significant signal-to-noise. Unlike other techniques that look for hot gas or metals, this approach directly detects the electrons in the IGM through their signature on the CMB. The estimated signal-to-noise for detecting the galaxy-momentum kSZ cross-correlation is 4, 9, and 12 for ACT (with survey area of 2000 $\mathrm{deg}^2$) with SDSS-DR4, SDSS3 and ADEPT respectively. The estimated signal-to-noise for PLANCK with SDSS-DR4, SDSS3 and ADEPT is 11, 23, and 32. Our method provides a new mean for determining properties of the ionized gas in the Universe. We provide galaxy momentum templates constructed from Sloan Digital Sky Survey online at our website at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~shirley/SZ/SZ.html. The predicted correlation coefficients are provided along with the momentum maps. One can download the momentum templates and cross-correlate directly with CMB maps from ACT and PLANCK to detect the missing baryons.
The study set out to determine the potential for commercially available preparations of black coh... more The study set out to determine the potential for commercially available preparations of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus), crampbark (Viburnum opulus) and false unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) to inhibit the major human drug metabolizing enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 as well as CYP1A1 which activates some carcinogens. In vitro microplate-based assays using cDNA-expressed CYP450 isoforms and fluorogenic substrates were used. Components of the commercial herbal preparations interfered with the assays and limited the concentration ranges that could be tested. Nevertheless, the fluorogenic assays were robust, reproducible and easy to perform and thus are still useful for initial screening for potential herb-drug interactions. None of the preparations affected CYPs 1A1 or 2C9 at the concentrations tested but all preparations inhibited some of the enzymes with potencies around 1 μg/mL. The three most potent interactions were: chaste tree berry and CYP2C19 (IC₅₀) 0.22 μg/mL); chaste tree berry and CYP3A4 (IC₅₀) 0.3 μg/mL); black cohosh and CYP2C19 (IC₅₀) 0.37 μg/mL,). Thus, the study successfully identified the potential for the commercial herbal preparations to inhibit human drug metabolizing enzymes. Whether this potential translates into clinically significant herb-drug interactions can only be confirmed by appropriate in vivo studies.
ABSTRACT As breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Singapore, encouraging them... more ABSTRACT As breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Singapore, encouraging them to engage in preventive measures becomes increasingly important. This study aims to take a closer look at the influence of attention to media, interpersonal communication, news elaboration, and knowledge on women’s (aged between 30 and 70) perceived risks of breast cancer and their intentions to engage in preventive measures in Singapore. Attention to media, frequency of interpersonal communication, fatalistic belief, and knowledge structure density were found to be associated with risk perception of breast cancer among Singaporean women. Findings also showed that frequency of interpersonal communication, risk perception, elaboration, and factual knowledge were positively associated with women’s intentions to take up preventive measures such as breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography. Implications for theory and practice were discussed.
The focus on knowledge acquisition is an important component of health communication. This study ... more The focus on knowledge acquisition is an important component of health communication. This study tests the Cognitive Mediation Model (CMM) in the breast cancer context in Singapore, where a nationally representative survey data was collected from 802 women between the ages of 30 and 70 through random digit dialing. Results supported the augmented CMM model, which proposed structural knowledge as an added dimension of knowledge. Attention to media was found to have indirect influence on factual and structural knowledge through interpersonal communication and elaboration. Interpersonal communication and elaboration were significantly related to both forms of knowledge and they mediate the influence of attention to media and two forms of knowledge. Risk perception is positively related to attention to media; it also has indirect influence on interpersonal communication and elaboration mediated by media attention. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
The original knowledge gap hypothesis posits differential knowledge gains between people in the h... more The original knowledge gap hypothesis posits differential knowledge gains between people in the higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. This study put forth the notion of “perceived familiarity” as another dimension of knowledge and proposes a complementary model—the “perceived familiarity gap hypothesis”—that examines how media attention and reflective integration are associated with gaps in familiarity between the higher and lower SES groups in the context of nanotechnology in Singapore. Significant three way-and two-way interactions between education, attention to media and reflective integration were found—higher television usage closed the perceived familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups and for individuals who engaged in higher elaborative processing and more interpersonal discussion. Newspaper attention on the other hand widened the perceived familiarity gap between the higher and lower SES groups among those who engaged more in elaborative proces...
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2015
ABSTRACT Many astronomers now participate in large international collaborations, and it is import... more ABSTRACT Many astronomers now participate in large international collaborations, and it is important to examine whether these structures foster a scientific climate that is inclusive and diverse. The Committee on the Participation of Women in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (CPWS) was formed to evaluate the demographics and gender climate within SDSS-IV, one of the largest and most geographically distributed astronomical collaborations. In April 2014, the CPWS administered a demographic survey to establish a baseline for the incipient SDSS-IV. We received responses from 250 participants (46% of the active membership). Half of the survey respondents were located in the US or Canada and 30% were based in Europe. Eleven percent of survey respondents considered themselves to be an ethnic minority at their current institution. Twenty-five percent of the SDSS-IV collaboration members are women, a fraction that is consistent with the US astronomical community, but substantially higher than the fraction of women in the IAU (16%). Approximately equal fractions of men and women report holding positions of leadership. When binned by academic age and career level, men and women also assume leadership roles at approximately equal rates, in a way that increases steadily for both genders with increasing seniority. In this sense, SDSS-IV has been successful in recruiting leaders that are representative of the collaboration. Yet, more progress needs to be made towards achieving gender balance and increasing diversity in the field of astronomy, and there is still room for improvement in the membership and leadership of SDSS-IV. For example, at the highest level of SDSS-IV leadership, women disproportionately assume roles related to education and public outreach. The CPWS plans to use these initial data to establish a baseline for tracking demographics over time as we work to assess and improve the climate of SDSS-IV.
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