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The seed-mediated method is a general procedure for the synthesis of gold nanorods (Au NRs), and reducing agents such as ascorbic acid (AA) and hydroquinone (HQ) are widely used for the growth process. Further, they are mild reducing agents; however, when AA is used, controlling the size of Au NRs with a higher aspect ratio (localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak, λLmax > 900 nm) is challenging because it results in a faster growth rate of Au NRs. In contrast, when HQ is used, Au NRs with a higher aspect ratio can be synthesized as it slows down the growth rate of the Au NRs and greatly enhanced the λLmax. However, the increase in λLmax is still needs not satisfactory due to the limited enhancement in the aspect ratio of Au NRs due to utilization of single reducing agent. The growth kinetics of the Au NRs can be modulated by controlling the reducing power of the reducing agents. In such scenario, judicious use of two reducing agents such as AA and HQ simultaneously can help us to design Au NRs of higher aspect ratio in a controlled manner due to the optimum growth rate resulting from the combined effect of both the reducing agents. In this study, we investigated the effect of the two reducing agents by controlling the volume ratios. When the growth solution contains both the reducing agents, the growth of Au NRs is first initiated by the fast reduction of Au3+ to Au+ due to stronger reducing power of the AA and when the AA in the growth solution is completely utilized, further growth of the Au NRs continues as a result of the HQ thereby resulting to high aspect ratio Au NRs. Consequently, the LSPR peak (λLmax > 1275 nm) can be tuned by controlling the volume ratios of the reducing agents.

At present, COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in the USA, but large proportions of the American populace remain unvaccinated. One possible source of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a lack of trust in science. In this study, drawing from the large literature at the intersection of science and religion, we ask whether beliefs in an engaged God (the belief that God is involved in daily human affairs) predict mistrust of the COVID-19 vaccine and whether any observed association differs across race, gender, and education. Using nationally representative data from Wave 6 of the Baylor Religion Survey (2021), our results suggest that beliefs in an engaged God were associated with greater mistrust in the COVID-19 vaccine. This association was amplified for Hispanic and lower educated Americans. We argue that beliefs in an engaged God may promote a distrust of science, reduce motivation to get vaccinated, and derive comfort and strength by placing control over one's life in the hands of a loving, involved deity. We also situate our findings within an emerging body of work on the "dark side" of religion and reflect on their implications for understanding the broader religion/health connection.

In the last 15 years, about 300 breeds out of 6,000 belonging to different species of animals have been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as extinct. Among the cattle breeds seriously threatened with extinction are the podolian cattle from different parts of Europe. These belong to a group of very old European breeds, having ancestors in Bos primigenius. By studying molecular markers, can be obtained information on the genetic structure of endangered cattle breeds and through identification of some sections of the genome that influence certain traits, can be assess the conservation value of genetic resources of animal origin. The aim of this paper is to identify the main molecular markers used in the analysis of endangered cattle breeds.

This paper proposes an analysis of the discursive dynamics of high-impact concepts in the humanities. These are concepts whose formation and development have a lasting and wide-ranging effect on research and our understanding of discursive reality in general. The notion of a conceptual practice, based on a normative conception of practice, is introduced, and practices are identified, on this perspective, according to the way their respective performances are held mutually accountable. This normative conception of practices is then combined with recent work from philosophy of science that characterizes concepts in terms of conceptual capacities that are productive, open-ended, and applicable beyond the original context they were developed in. It is shown that the formation of concepts can be identified by changes in how practitioners hold exercise of their conceptual capacities accountable when producing knowledge about a phenomenon. In a manner similar to the use of operational definitions in scientific practices, such concepts can also be used to intervene in various discourses within or outside the conceptual practice. Using the formation of the concepts “mechanism” and “performative” as examples, the paper shows how high-impact concepts reconfigure what is at issue and at stake in conceptual practices. As philosophy and other humanities disciplines are its domain of interest, it is a contribution to the methodology of the humanities.

Animal right is one of the most controversial issues in the contemporary world. A number of scholars have been discussing on whether the animals have rights like human beings or not. Through this debate, their opinions can be put into three groups; those who deny animal moral status, those who give some moral considerations to animals but deny them a fuller moral status, and those who extend rights to animals. This paper then gives a general overview on ‘Do Animals have Rights?’ It gives the meaning of the term “right” and explains whether the term right applies to animals too. It also portrays a drama whereby animals complain against sufferings imposed on them by human beings and a response given by a human being. It is also followed by philosophical debate on animal rights: pro and cons arguments. The Christian perspective is not left out. Finally, the paper ends with critical evaluations and conclusion. In evaluation of the debate on animal rights, the study found that, animals deserve to be treated well based on the argument that they have rights as animals. The main recommendation is that human beings should change their perception concerning animals by respecting animal.

Evidence has shown unambiguously that, in certain contexts, vitamin C is effective against the common cold. However, in mainstream medicine, the views on vitamin C and infections have been determined by eminence-based medicine rather than evidence-based medicine. The rejection of the demonstrated benefits of vitamin C is largely explained by three papers published in 1975—two published in JAMA and one in the American Journal of Medicine—all of which have been standard citations in textbooks of medicine and nutrition and in nutritional recommendations. Two of the papers were authored by Thomas Chalmers, an influential expert in clinical trials, and the third was authored by Paul Meier, a famous medical statistician. In this paper, we summarize several flaws in the three papers. In addition, we describe problems with two recent randomized trial reports published in JAMA which were presented in a way that misled readers. We also discuss shortcomings in three recent JAMA editorials on vitamin C. While most of our examples are from JAMA, it is not the only journal with apparent bias against vitamin C, but it illustrates the general views in mainstream medicine. We also consider potential explanations for the widespread bias against vitamin C.

Globally, meat inspection provides data for animal health surveillance. However, paper-based recording of data is often not reported through to higher authorities in sufficient detail. We trialled the use of an electronic meat inspection form in Kenyan slaughterhouses, in lieu of the currently used paper-based format. Meat inspectors in two ruminant slaughterhouses completed and submitted an electronic report for each animal slaughtered at their facility. The reports, which captured information on the animal demographics and any eventual condemnations, were stored in a central database and available in real-time. A stakeholder meeting was held towards the end of the study. Over the 2.75 year study period, 16,386 reports were submitted; a downward linear trend in the monthly submissions was noted. There was a week effect, whereby more reports were submitted on the market day. Of the slaughtered animals, 23% had at least a partial condemnation. The most frequently condemned organs were the liver, lungs and intestines; the primary reasons for condemnations were parasitic conditions. Lack of feedback and difficulty capturing animal origin information were the primary challenges highlighted. The study demonstrated that electronic data capture is feasible in such challenging environments, thereby improving the timeliness and resolution of the data collected.

Los procesos de confinamiento social provocados por la crisis de salud mundial (COVID-19), han obligado a los docentes a asumir nuevas competencias investigativas que le permitan mejorar los indicadores de ciencia y aportar a la cultura de investigación en la era digital para la región latinoamericana. Este artículo analiza la cultura investigativa de los docentes latinoamericanos de 20 países, en la era digital y su relación con la producción de documentos científicos indexados en Journal Citation Report (JCR) entre 1996 y 2019. Se aplicó un cuestionario (con criterios de validez y confiabilidad) con escala tipo Likert a 2.215 docentes derivados de cinco eventos científicos internacionales. Los principales resultados dan cuenta que el 78% de los docentes tienen menos de 15 años de experiencia docente con edades que no superan los 44 años y un nivel académico del 38,9% de pregrado. Estos, a su vez, en un 62,5% respondieron que nunca han publicado en revistas indexadas, además desconociendo la aplicación adecuada de los paradigmas y diseños de investigación. Por otra parte, el 23,86% de las citaciones totales son auto citas. Por tanto, los resultados reflejan una relación significativa entre la cultura investigativa del docente y la producción científica latinoamericana. Finalmente, los docentes latinoamericanos se han visto en circunstancias económicas, políticas y sociales que afectan las buenas prácticas de investigación y publicación científica dejando entre ver una brecha de formación sobre competencias investigativas en la nueva era digital, The processes of social confinement caused by the global health crisis (COVID-19), have forced professors to assume new research competencies that allow them to improve science indicators and contribute to the research culture in the digital era for the Latin American region. This article analyzes the research culture of Latin American professors in 20 countries in the digital era, and their relationship with the production of scientific papers indexed in the Journal Citation Report (JCR) between 1996 and 2019. A questionnaire (with validity and reliability criteria) with a Likert-type scale was applied to 2,215 professors selected from five international scientific events. The main results show that 78% of the professors have less than 15 years of teaching experience, with ages under 44 years of age and 38.9% of them with an undergraduate academic level, 62.5% of whom responded that they have never published in indexed journals, and that they do not know the proper application of paradigms and research designs. On the other hand, 23.86% of the total citations are self-citations. Therefore, the results reflect a significant relationship between the research culture of professors and Latin American scientific production. Finally, Latin American professors have found themselves in economic, political and social circumstances that affect good research and scientific publication practices, leaving a training gap in research competencies in the new digital era

In the paper the costs of Polish county hospitals in 2015–2018 are studied using behavioral cost function. The set of variables combines hospitals’ characteristics which may determine their level of costs, such as the form of ownership, bed turnover rate, number of patient-days and share of beds in emergency department with environment characteristics which may influence both outsourcing costs and patients’ health. In 2017 the system of basic hospital service provision (hospital network) was introduced in Poland. Dummy variables included in the model represent the category of hospital in the system. The results show that the costs may be described using fixed effect panel model. Positive impact of percentage of emergency department patients transferred to other departments and of wages is found. Higher ratio of residents and interns to doctors is found to decrease costs. Dummy variable for the period after the introduction of hospital network assumed a negative sign with costs, but the parameter remained insignificant.

Heavy oil and bitumen play a vital role in the global energy supply, and to unlock such resources, thermal methods, e.g., steam injection, are applied. To improve the performance of these methods, different additives, such as air, solvents, and chemicals, can be used. As a subset of chemicals, surfactants are one of the potential additives for steam-based bitumen recovery methods. Molecular interactions between surfactant/steam/bitumen have not been addressed in the literature. This paper investigates molecular interactions between anionic surfactants, steam, and bitumen in high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. For this purpose, a real Athabasca oil sand composition is employed to assess the phase behavior of surfactant/steam/bitumen under in-situ steam-based bitumen recovery. Two different asphaltene architectures, archipelago and Island, are used to examine the effect of asphaltene type on bitumen's interfacial behavior. The influence of having sulfur heteroatoms in a resin structure and a benzene ring's effect in an anionic surfactant structure on surfactant–steam–bitumen interactions are investigated systematically. The outputs are supported by different analyses, including radial distribution functions (RDFs), mean squared displacement (MSD), radius of gyration, self-diffusion coefficient, solvent accessible surface area (SASA), interfacial thickness, and interaction energies. According to MD outputs, adding surfactant molecules to the steam phase improved the interaction energy between steam and bitumen. Moreover, surfactants can significantly improve steam emulsification capability by decreasing the interfacial tension (IFT) between bitumen and the steam phase. Asphaltene architecture has a considerable effect on the interfacial behavior in such systems. This study provides a better and more in-depth understanding of surfactant–steam–bitumen systems and spotlights the interactions between bitumen fractions and surfactant molecules under thermal recovery conditions.

Earlier findings suggest that men with daughters make judgments and decisions somewhat in line with those made by women. In this paper, we attempt to extend those findings, by testing how gender and parenting daughters affect judgments of the appropriateness of investing in and working for morally controversial companies (“sin stocks”). To do so, in Study 1 (N = 634) we investigate whether women judge the prospect of investing in sin stocks more harshly than men do, and test the hypothesis that men with daughters judge such investments less favorably than other men. In Study 2 (N = 782), we investigate the willingness to work in morally controversial companies at a significant wage premium. Results show that—for men—parenting daughters yields harsher evaluations of sin stocks, but no evidence that it lowers the propensity to work in such companies. This contrasts to the effect of gender: women reliably judge both investment and employment in morally controversial companies more harshly than men do. We suggest that an aversion towards morally controversial companies might be a partial determinant of the gender gap in wages.

El presente trabajo analiza las posiciones asumidas por Gregorio Klimovsky, Oscar Varsavsky y Thomas Moro Simpson en el debate que sostuvieron sobre ciencia e ideología, recopilado en 1975 en un libro y en diversos artículos publicados por la revista Ciencia Nueva. Se analizan específicamente sus señalamientos sobre la objetividad en la ciencia, la relación entre ciencia y sociedad, el rol del científico en la sociedad y la relación entre actividad científica y política. Se destaca la originalidad que presenta el debate en términos de la relación entre epistemología, ciencia, política y procesos sociales, que permite repensar los aportes de los autores en torno a la actualidad del Pensamiento Latinoamericano en Ciencia, Tecnología y Desarrollo (PLACTED) y del campo CTS., This paper analyzes the positions assumed by Gregorio Klimovsky, Oscar Varsavsky and Thomas Moro Simpson in the debate they held on science and ideology, compiled in 1975 in a book and in various articles published by the journal Ciencia Nueva. His remarks on objectivity in science, the relationship between science and society, the role of the scientist in society, and the relationship between scientific and political activity are specifically analyzed. The originality presented by the debate in terms of the relationship between epistemology, science, politics and social processes is highlighted, which allows us to rethink the contributions of the authors regarding the current situation of Latin American Thought in Science, Technology and Development (PLACTED) and the CTS field., Este artigo analisa as posições assumidas por Gregorio Klimovsky, Oscar Varsavsky e Thomas Moro Simpson no debate que travaram sobre ciência e ideologia, compilado, em 1975, em um livro e em vários artigos publicados pela revista Ciencia Nueva. Suas observações sobre a objetividade na ciência, a relação entre ciência e sociedade, o papel do cientista na sociedade e a relação entre a atividade científica e política são analisadas especificamente. Ressalta-se a originalidade apresentada pelo debate em termos da relação entre epistemologia, ciência, política e processos sociais, o que nos permite repensar as contribuições dos autores a respeito da situação atual do Pensamento Latino- Americano em Ciência, Tecnologia e Desenvolvimento (PLACTED) e o campo CTS., Cátedra Libre Ciencia, Política y Sociedad

The 2016 Iranian Census reveals that 14 of the country’s 31 provinces have sub-replacement fertility. The province of Tehran, where a woman on average gives birth to 1.5 children during her reproductive period, has the lowest fertility in Iran. However, the ‘two-child’ norm prevails in the country and even a woman of young reproductive age still values having at least two children on average. In other words, there exists a gap between a woman’s actual and desired fertility. This paper examines the demographic and socio-economic factors influencing the gap between actual and desired fertility in Tehran city based on a sample survey of 400 married women aged 15–49 years, conducted in 2015. The findings of the study reveal that the women of Tehran would be able to meet their fertility desires of two or more children if they were able to achieve their intended number of children they stated in the survey. However, should these women face any socio-economic constraint, they would be very likely to restrain their fertility desires and have fewer additional children than they initially intended, and thus continue with the sub-replacement fertility as being observed in Iran today.