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The storyline of operas, with historical or fictional characters, often include potions and poisons. This has prompted a study of the chemistry behind some operatic plots. The results were originally presented as a lecture given at the University of Minho in Portugal, within the context of the International Year of Chemistry. The same lecture was subsequently repeated at other universities as an invited lecture for science students and in public theaters for wider audiences. The lecture included a multimedia and interactive content that allowed the audience to listen to arias and to watch video clips with selected scenes extracted from operas. The present article, based on the lecture, demonstrates how chemistry and opera can be related and may also serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for chemistry teachers looking for alternative pedagogical approaches. Moreover, the lecture constitutes a vehicle that transports chemistry knowledge to wider audiences through examples of everyday molecules, with particular emphasis on natural products. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

This historical study identifies catalysts for transformative learning in the lives of three scientist-environmentalists important to the 20th-century environmental movement: Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, and David Suzuki. Following a brief review of theoretical perspectives on transformative learning, the article argues that transformative learning for these scientists was catalyzed by certain "disorienting dilemmas" and was both rational and emotional. Moreover, the personal transformative learning of each scientist helped provoke a process of transformative learning in society at large: Leopold's contribution to the founding of the disciplines of wildlife conservation and restoration ecology, and his "land ethic" fostered the development an ecological consciousness in the 1940s; Carson's "Silent Spring" helped provoke the environmental consciousness of the 1960s; and Suzuki's public environmental education and activism from the 1970s to the present-day played an influential role in North American environmental movement.

Objective: To determine content, education channels, and motivational factors that influence what health professionals teach about safe food handling to populations who are highly susceptible for foodborne illnesses. To assess the differences in information provided by health professionals to highly susceptible populations. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional, Web-based survey. Setting: National convenience sample from across the United States. Participants: Registered nurses (RNs; n = 232) and registered dietitians (RDs; n = 267). Main Outcome Measure(s): Content, motivation, and education channels used to educate highly susceptible populations. Analysis: Various nonparametric tests were applied to measure differences. Significance was declared at P less than 0.05. Results: Although both RDs and RNs were providing some food safety information to their high-risk clients, RDs had more training than RNs in safe food handling and were more likely to provide comprehensive food safety messages to their highly susceptible clients; however, neither professional type provided consistent food safety information to patients at high risk for foodborne illness. Conclusions and Implications: There is a need for more information about what motivates the health professional to teach safe food handling and a need for a universally adopted, evidence-based practice for teaching safe food handling to patients at high risk for foodborne illness. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This study compared neuropsychological test performance of individuals (n = 18) with an occupational history of pesticide exposure to individuals (n = 35) with no such exposure history. Results showed that a history of pesticide-related occupation exposure led to deficits in only Digit Symbol performance. Additionally, the correlation between Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) performance and age was negative and significant in individuals with pesticide-related occupation exposure (r = -0.45, p less than 0.04) but not in those without occupational exposure (r = 0.09, p greater than 0.61), suggesting that cognitive ability (as measured by the MMSE) declines faster in the occupational-exposed group as compared to their counterparts without such exposure. This decline was evident despite the fact that groups did not differ significantly in age. (Contains 1 table.)

The inexpensive and disposable electrode based on a double-polymer-modified pencil lead is proposed for upper-division undergraduate instrumental laboratories to enable the highly sensitive detection of perchlorate. Students fabricate and utilize their own electrodes in the 3-4 h laboratory session to learn important concepts and methods of electrochemistry. The simple electrodes allow for the detection of perchlorate in tap water at concentrations below an interim health advisory level of 15 ppb ([approximately]150 nM) set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Specifically, a pencil lead is first modified with a conducting poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) membrane through electropolymerization by cyclic voltammetry, followed by the dip coating of a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane. The PVC/POT-modified electrode is operated in the stripping voltammetric mode to give a linear current response to 100-1000 nM perchlorate in tap water. This high sensitivity is due to the thermodynamically favorable preconcentration of relatively lipophilic perchlorate from the aqueous sample into the lipophilic PVC membrane, which is driven by the oxidation of the underlying POT membrane. Additionally, students can use a PVC/POT-modified pencil lead to detect other anions of interest and evaluate their lipophilicity, which affects their environmental toxicity and pharmaceutical activity. (Contains 3 figures.)

Relatively little is known about legal entanglements and suicide risk. This matched case-control study estimated the risk of suicide associated with legal strains using online court archives, a novel source of exposure data. Court records linked to suicide deaths (N = 315), controls (N = 630), and unintentional injury and poisoning deaths (N = 630) for an urban county from 2000 to 2005 revealed that nearly a third of suicide victims had recent court involvement, twice the proportion among controls. Misdemeanors, car accidents, and foreclosures were each associated with a threefold risk of suicide. Implications for suicide prevention and research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)

Previous research identifies changing world cultural norms as the impetus for a worldwide trend promoting environmentalism. However, the extent to which countries comply with the norms promoted and codified by environmental organizations and treaties has been less rigorously tested. Suspected noncompliance is generally explained as "decoupling" between policy and outcome. Here, I address the relationship between stated environmental objectives and practices and integrate world society and world-systems perspectives on the natural environment. Using random effects regression analyses of cross-national chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, I find that integration into world culture significantly predicts overall decreased use of these environmentally harmful products. However, the effect varies by zone of the world system, which supports an integrated theory of global environmentalism.

As part of a university-wide project to explore Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet," from a variety of perspectives, an interdisciplinary talk was presented to the university community on the chemistry of the potions and poisons referenced in "Romeo and Juliet." To draw the multidisciplinary audience in and to teach about forensics as well as pharmaceutical herbs and chemicals, the presentation was given from the perspective of how a modern crime scene investigator would approach the famous play's final death scene without any prior knowledge of the situation. An autopsy of Juliet's body might have revealed the presence of the chemicals, hyoscine and atropine, that come from the plant "Atropa belladonna." The autopsy could reveal whether the Friar had set out to sedate Juliet or if he had attempted to kill her. An autopsy of Romeo's body might have revealed the presence of aconitine from the plant "Aconitum napellus." Using a classic story to teach about chemistry, basic ideas were introduced about forensics and pharmacology, emphasizing the importance of dose when determining the effect of a drug on the human body. (Contains 9 figures.)

Objective: Although the majority of poisonings in young children are due to exploratory ingestions and might be prevented through improved caregiver supervision, the circumstances that warrant evaluation for suspected maltreatment and referral to Child Protective Services (CPS) are unclear. Therefore the objective of this study was to determine the percentage and characteristics of young poisoning victims who were evaluated for child maltreatment by the hospital team (social work and/or child protection team) and/or referred to CPS. Methods: Retrospective study of poisoning victims less than 6 years old seen at an urban children's hospital from 2006 to 2008. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the associations between the outcomes (evaluation for maltreatment by hospital team and/or referral to CPS) and predictor variables (demographics and circumstances, type and severity of poisoning). Results: Among 928 poisonings, 41% were from household products, 20% from over-the-counter drugs, 7% from prescription narcotics/sedatives, 29% from other prescription drugs, and [less than or equal to]1% each from ethanol, illicit drugs, or other substances. Most children were asymptomatic (69%) or stable (28%); 3% were critically ill. Only 13% were evaluated by the hospital team and 4% were referred to CPS. Demographic characteristics were not associated with referral to CPS. Higher clinical severity was associated with increased referral (p less than 0.001). Compared to poisonings with over-the-counter drugs, referrals were more likely for poisonings with ethanol and prescription narcotics/sedatives, but not other prescription drugs or household products (p less than 0.001). All illicit drug poisonings and 44% of ethanol poisonings were referred. The majority of referrals to CPS were for concerns for illicit drugs, poor supervision or multiple forms of maltreatment; 6% were secondary to concerns for intentional poisoning. Conclusions: Evaluations and referrals to CPS for maltreatment are uncommon in young poisoning victims. Referrals occurred consistently for illicit drugs but not ethanol. Although referrals were more likely for higher severity poisonings, it is unclear if the severity of poisoning is associated with the level of supervisory neglect or a marker of ongoing risk to the child. These findings suggest the need to identify risk factors for ongoing harm and the development of clinical guidelines used to determine which poisoning victims should be referred to Child Protective Services. (Contains 3 tables.)

Farmer field schools (FFSs) originated in Asia as a means of achieving several objectives, of which key was to deliver training on 'integrated pest management' as an alternative to intensive pesticide spraying, which was severely damaging farm production, the environment and farmers' health. Integrated pest management (IPM) was developed in the 1960s and 70s (Kelly, 2005) and aimed to minimise pesticide use through use of more 'natural' techniques of pest management. Integrated pest management methods promoted in FFSs typically range from more simple practices, such as not applying pesticides in the first 30 days after planning ('no early spray'), to more complex ones that require in-depth agro-ecological and crop management knowledge, such as being able to differentiate beneficial from harmful insects, and creating a conducive environment for pest predators (Ricker-Gilbert et al., 2008). The primary objective of the review is to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of farmer field school interventions in disseminating information on integrated pest management (IPM). The review aims to answer the following questions: (1) What is the impact of farmer field schools on their objectives in terms of 'endpoint' outcomes such as increased yields, net revenues and farmer empowerment, and intermediate outcomes such as capacity building and adoption of improved practices (e.g. reduced use of pesticides) in low and middle income countries? and (2) Under which circumstances and why: what are the facilitators and barriers to FFS effectiveness and sustainability? [For the full study, see ED557982.]

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe malicious nonpharmaceutical exposures in children reported to US poison centers. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all nonpharmaceutical exposures involving children 7 years old reported to the US National Poison Data System (NPDS) from 2000 to 2008 for which the reason for exposure was coded as "malicious". The American Association of Poison Control Centers definition and categorization of nonpharmaceuticals was used. Data collected for each case included age, gender, month and year of the exposure, the exposed substance or substances, intent, and poison center outcome designation. Fatality abstracts (summaries of the facts reported to the poison center) were reviewed. Results: Out of approximately 21.4 million exposures reported to NPDS during the study period, 4,053 cases involving 4,232 nonpharmaceuticals were identified. The mean number of cases per year was 450 (range 409-546) with no linear annual trend (p = 0.28). The median age was 3 years (1.5, 5) with boys constituting 57%. 4.5% of the cases resulted in moderate or worse outcomes in which the outcome was known. The most commonly reported major categories were household cleaning substances (23%), cosmetics/personal care products (13%), pesticides (8%), other/unknown nondrug substances (6%), foreign bodies/toys/miscellaneous (5%), alcohols (5%), hydrocarbons (4%), lacrimators (4%), chemicals (4%), and deodorizers (3%). Four children died and 18 others had life-threatening injuries. Among these 22 children, cleaning substances (7) were the most common major category followed by chemicals (4), alcohols (3), fumes/gases/vapors (2) and six other categories with 1 each. In the only case where the presence or absence of associated physical injuries was described, the child had multiple injuries consistent with physical abuse. Conclusion: Malicious administration of nonpharmaceuticals is an important component of child maltreatment with cases being reported consistently to poison centers. Practical implications: Clinicians should consider the possibility of child abuse when presented with these exposures. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

Bangladesh has experienced the largest mass poisoning of a population in history owing to contamination of groundwater with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. Prolonged drinking of such water risks development of diseases and therefore has implications for children's cognitive and psychological development. This study examines the effect of arsenic contamination of tubewells, the primary source of drinking water at home, on the learning outcome of school-going children in rural Bangladesh using recent nationally representative data on secondary school children. We unambiguously find a negative and statistically significant correlation between mathematics scores and arsenic-contaminated drinking tubewells at home, net of the child's socio-economic status, parental background and school specific unobserved correlates of learning. Similar correlations are found for an alternative measure of student achievement and subjective well-being (i.e. self-reported measure of life satisfaction), of the student. We conclude by discussing the policy implication of our findings in the context of the current debate over the adverse effect of arsenic poisoning on children. (Contains 9 tables and 2 figures.)

Sense About Science is a UK-based charitable trust that equips people to make sense of science and of evidence on issues that matter to society. It was set up in 2003 in response to newspaper front pages being full of headlines about mobile phones "frying your brain", genetically modified "Frankenstein foods", the MMR vaccine, "cocktails of toxic chemicals", radiation and "the electrosmog". (Contains 5 figures and 2 online resources.)

The University of Florida offers continuing education units (CEUs) via distance technology using Polycom[R] to meet requirements for applicators of pesticides to renew their licenses. A large statewide event conducted in 2010 also included a needs assessment of this group concerning CEUs. Results indicate that these applicators strongly prefer earning CEUs rather than retesting for renewal and that they don't mind short travel distances and paying nominal fees to attend programs. Distance delivery was a first-time experience for most in obtaining CEUs, and they were overwhelmingly positive about attending such an event in the future. (Contains 1 table.)

The growing criticism of intensive agricultural practices that lead to a deterioration of natural resources and a decrease of biodiversity has progressively led to more environmental constraints being put on agricultural activities through an "ecologization" of agricultural policies. The aims of these policies have been to protect environmentally sensitive areas, to improve groundwater quality and, more recently, to develop organic farming and/or reduce pesticide use. However, these efforts are still a far cry from a robust ecologization of agricultural practices. In order to identify the conditions for the implementation of such an ecologization, the changes in practices from conventional agriculture towards organic farming and integrated pest management (IPM) are investigated using a sociological study of farmers' trajectories, coupled with the ESR (Efficiency-Substitution-Redesign) framework developed by biological and agricultural scientists. This combined approach reveals that a robust ecologization of agricultural practices requires us to take into account the specific and variable "tempo" of farmers' trajectories and to redesign not only technical agricultural systems but also interactions within larger agrifood systems. (Contains 2 tables.)

This article looks at the costs and benefits of producing organic milk. To be organic, dairy farmers must use organic fertilizer and organic pesticides, and the cows are not given supplemental hormones or antibiotics--that is, the milk must be produced without chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics (Hannon 2009). The organic versus nonorganic world can be confusing. Is it worth it? It is certainly a personal decision, with health, economics, and values coming into play. Knowing more about food production and standards is critical: What are the health implications of food additives? What do studies say about the long-term implications of pesticide use, etc.? Thinking about what one eats, where the food comes from, and how it is produced is complex, but worthy of attention. (Contains 2 figures.)

The trend toward encouraging adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in schools has increased in the last decade. Because IPM helps reduce risk of human pesticide exposure, reduce allergens and asthma triggers, save energy, and protect the environment, it's essential that IPM awareness continue not only with current school administrators, parents, and staff, but with students as well. This article discusses how UNL Extension developed, piloted, and evaluated Pest Private Eye and the Case of IPM in Schools, an educational video game that teaches children about pests and IPM, and potential impacts its lessons will have on future generations. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Nationwide data were collected concerning inpatient care use and medical expenditure of people with disabilities (N = 937,944) among national health insurance beneficiaries in Taiwan. Data included gender, age, hospitalization frequency and expenditure, healthcare setting and service department, discharge diagnose disease according to the ICD-9-CM coding system which has been used in Taiwan NHI diagnosis system. There were 27.88% of persons with disabilities have been hospitalized for treatments during the year 2005 and it was 3.5 times of the general population (7.95%). The mean of annual inpatient care expenditure was 163,544.21 NTD, and male patients use more inpatient care cost than female patients in people with disabilities. However, the hospitalization rate in female patients is statistical higher than male patients in the study (p less than 0.001). Infectious and parasitic diseases, mental disorders, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the circulatory system, injury and poisoning were the top five reasons for hospitalization among the subjects. Our study also found that psychiatry, internal medicine, orthopedic, surgery and neurosurgery are the top five clinical divisions which the cases used more frequently than other clinical departments in hospitalizations. The present study presents the first information of hospitalization care and medical costs in people with disabilities based on a nationwide data analyzes in Taiwan. We suggest the importance of supporting people with disabilities during hospitalizations, following up rehabilitation and there is an urgent need for cost-effective intervention programs for disability prevention, which could be offset against the cost for treating the disabled in the future. (Contains 4 figures and 7 tables.)

Sulfur mustard is an alkylating agent with highly cytotoxic properties even at low exposure. It was used widely against both military and civilian population by Iraqi forces in the Iraq-Iran war (1983-1988). Although various aspects of mustard gas effects on patients with chemical injury have been relatively well characterized, its effects on speech are still evolving. We evaluated aerodynamics of speech in male patients following sulfur mustard inhalation. In a case-control study patients with chemical injuries (n=19) along with age and sex-matched healthy control group (n=20) were selected. Aerodynamic analyses were performed by using the Glasgow Airflow Measurement System (known as ST1 dysphonia). Results indicated that except mean flow rate, there were statistically significant differences in vital capacity, phonation time, phonation volume, vocal velocity index, total expired volume and phonation quotient of patients between experimental and control groups (P less than 0.05). This study demonstrated mustard gas can impair different parameters of speech aerodynamics. Learning outcomes: As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to describe: (1) the evaluation of air flow in relation to speech system dysfunction and efficiency; (2) the effect of sulfur mustard known as mustard gas on respiratory physiology. (Contains 1 table.)

This study analyzed the impact of a medical amnesty policy and an online alcohol poisoning video on college students' intentions to seek help when witnessing alcohol poisoning symptoms. Students were randomly assigned to receive an amnesty policy, alcohol poisoning video, or both. The group that received both treatments was most likely to seek help. Females, abstainers, and those not previously exposed to an alcohol poisoning situation were more likely to seek help. (Contains 5 tables.)

In 2005 there were 1,825 alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths (e.g., vehicular accidents, falls, drowning, burns, suffocation, and gunshot wounds) among college students from 18 to 24 years of age. Of these, 468 college students died from alcohol-related, nontraffic injuries. Unfortunately, there is no good estimate of the number of college students who die each year of alcohol poisoning (i.e., overdose) per se, in contradistinction to the other alcohol-related deaths noted above. Reliance on college student peer assessment of the signs of alcohol poisoning to prevent overdose deaths is, in most instances, an impossible dream, one that is both misleading and dangerous insofar as it fosters a false sense of security and enhances the perception of personal invulnerability. Although teaching the signs of alcohol poisoning should certainly continue, college students must understand that moderate and responsible drinking is the only reliable way to avoid death from alcohol poisoning.

Operation Cleansweep is a free pesticide disposal program that has operated in Florida since 1995. The program is open to commercial facilities, including agricultural production establishments, golf course operators, and pest control companies. Since its inception, the program has had more than 1,700 participants and collected more than 1,000,000 pounds of unused pesticides. University of Florida Extension's role with the program has been to serve as a member of the steering committee and promote and market Operation Cleansweep through normal Extension channels. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

A pilot study was conducted to better understand the knowledge, perceptions, and concerns of turf and lawn care pesticide professionals in New York State (NYS) regarding cancer and other health risks. Data were collected from 31 focus group participants and 104 questionnaire respondents in applicator trainings and other meetings around the state. Three distinct themes emerged from focus group discussions: cultural shift in pesticide management practices, costs and benefits of pesticide regulations, and challenges of understanding and communicating about health risks. Factor analysis yielded three subscales: "control disease," "reduce chemical risk," and "concern." Exploratory regression analysis yielded predictive relationships between work experience, cancer risk knowledge, and attitudes in support of reducing chemical risk, which in turn predicted precautionary pesticide behavior, such as reading the label and using personal protective equipment. Results suggest the need to incorporate cancer risk education into continuing education for turf and lawn care professionals. (Contains 5 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)

Lead poisoning has been a problem since early history and continues into modern times. An appealing characteristic of lead is that many lead salts are sweet. In the absence of cane and beet sugars, early Romans used "sugar of lead" (lead acetate) to sweeten desserts, fruits, and sour wine. People most at risk would have been those who consumed the most wine, the aristocracy, although they appeared unaware of the neurological and reproductive damage to themselves and their children. This article focuses on lead use in the Roman Empire as an example and attempts to address some of the major concerns voiced by opponents of Nriagu's 1983 article, published in "The New England Journal of Medicine," on saturnine gout in the Roman Empire. Despite new theories formulated since 1983, current archeological evidence does not match the claims of widespread use of leaden vessels made by historical accounts. Although historical sources are consistent, more substantive archeological evidence is needed before convincing arguments can be made in favor of the role of lead poisoning in the downfall of the Roman Empire. (Contains 2 notes, 1 table, and 1 figure.)

This article discusses Fundreds in Arkansas, an interactive cooperative in Arkansas to promote and support Mel Chin's nationwide interdisciplinary artwork, Operation Paydirt (The Fundred Dollar Bill Project). The artwork involves communities and educational institutions across the country, healthcare professionals, engineers, urban planners, and expert environmental and biological scientists. It is a national collaborative effort to acquire Congressional support for resolving the lead polluted soil problem within the city of New Orleans and raise national and global awareness of this continued oversight in many cities throughout the world. The Fundred Dollar Bill Project is an excellent example of social justice, giving children a political voice in the form of a donated Fundred drawing, an expression of their concern and empathy for lead-poisoned children. (Contains 8 figures.)

A large body of experimental animal research on the neurotoxic effects of certain environmental chemicals provides evidence of a cascade of neurobehavioural effects including learning deficits, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, increased aggressiveness, altered maternal care and bonding, and an over-reaction to small stressors. For a number of years, scientific meetings and reports have recommended that assessing risk in chemical safety evaluations should include tests for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) to uncover the potential of chemical substances to affect the developing brain. However, DNT testing has been required only in rare circumstances, and for some classes of neurotoxic pesticides. The role of developmental neurotoxicants as causative or contributory factors in children's learning and behavioural disorders warrants more attention in both research and policy.

Polycom technology has potential for efficient use of program delivery by Extension educators. A survey of licensed pesticide applicators attending a 1-day event at one of 20 host polycom sites revealed that polycom distance learning is effective for presenting information and learning. Responses also indicated that most of this audience is comfortable with the format of the polycom environment and would attend a similar type event in the future. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The decline of colonies of honey bees across the world is threatening local plant biodiversity and human food supplies. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been implicated as a major cause of the problem and are banned or suspended in several countries. Other factors could also be lowering the resistance of bees to opportunist infections by, for example, new resistant strains of the Varroa mite and by the parasite "Nosema". Intensive agricultural practices and modern beekeeping practices may also be implicated. A model is proposed that envisages honey bees, weakened by sub-optimal doses of neonicotinoid pesticides, becoming more susceptible to environmental stresses.

Comparisons of psychiatric patients who die by suicide using different methods are scarce. We aimed to establish the methods of suicide used by those who are currently or have recently been in contact with mental health services in England and Wales (N = 6,203), and describe the social and clinical characteristics of suicides by different methods. We found that hanging, self-poisoning, and jumping (from a height or in front of a moving vehicle) were the most common methods of suicide, accounting for 79% of all deaths. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its symptom domains are related to blood lead level, even at background exposure levels typical in western countries. However, recent studies disagreed as to whether lead was related to inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity within the ADHD domain. More definitive evaluation of these questions was sought. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six (236) children aged 6-17 years participated (61 ADHD-Combined type, 47 ADHD Predominantly Inattentive type, 99 non-ADHD control, 29 unclassified borderline, situational, or not otherwise specified (NOS) cases). Formal diagnosis was reliably established by a best estimate procedure based on a semi-structured clinical interview and parent and teacher ratings. Lead was assayed from whole blood using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a method detection limit of 0.3 [mu]g/dL. Results: Blood lead levels were slightly below United States and Western Europe population exposure averages, with a mean of 0.73 and a maximum of 2.2 [mu]g/dL. This is the lowest level of blood lead ever studied in relation to ADHD. After statistical control for covariates including IQ and prenatal smoking exposure, blood lead was associated with ADHD-combined type but not inattentive type. Parent and teacher report indicated association of blood lead with Conners cognitive problems, but only teacher report showed effects on DSM-IV inattention symptoms. Blood lead was associated with hyperactivity-impulsivity in parent report regardless of measurement method, whereas teacher report effects depended on child treatment history. Conclusions: These findings confirm that in children with typical US population lead exposure, careful identification of children with ADHD also identifies children with slightly elevated blood lead.

In this study, farm worker children (N = 40) in 2nd and 5th grade were interviewed about (a) their conceptions and judgments of pesticide exposure and (b) their reasoning about the moral standing of nature. First, results showed that all participants negatively judged pesticide exposure based on moral obligatory criteria. Yet, most children accepted pesticide use in the orchards where they lived. Their reasoning was either based on assumptions that certain practices eliminated potential harms or coordination of potential physical harms with concerns for financial security. Second, participants expressed biocentric considerations (wherein nature is accorded moral standing) when reasoning about harms to nature. The results provide evidence of biocentric reasoning earlier than previously shown in the developmental literature, and indicate a developmental shift in the form of biocentric reasoning. Finally, the results offer support of a new methodology for disentangling human considerations from environmental moral reasoning. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

This meta-analysis examined the association between conduct problems and lead exposure. Nineteen studies on 8,561 children and adolescents were included. The average "r" across all 19 studies was 0.19 (p less than 0.001), which is considered a medium effect size. Studies that assessed lead exposure using hair element analysis yielded considerably larger effect sizes than those that assessed lead exposure using blood, tooth, or bone lead levels. Excluding the 3 hair analysis studies, the average "r" was 0.15 (p less than 0.001). The age of the participants did not significantly moderate the relation between lead exposure and conduct problems. Overall, the relation between lead exposure and conduct problems was strikingly similar in magnitude to the relation between lead exposure and decreased IQ. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)

This article analyzes the practice of information dissemination regarding pesticide usage in floating gardening in a rural area. The analysis reveals reasons why the current information dissemination methods employed by relevant stakeholders do not work. It then puts forward a proposition that information sharing within organizations of and among information providers is a key element in effective information dissemination. The analysis and proposition are expected to be helpful for government and international nongovernmental organizations in the studied area to adapt their strategies of information dissemination. This article is unique because the studied area is a rural area in Myanmar, a country in which only a few studies on environmental issues in a local context have been undertaken. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)

During the past two decades, historians have been brought into legal cases in unprecedented numbers. As the courts have tried to adjudicate responsibility for environmental and occupational diseases, history and historians have played an increasingly central role in shaping decisions in the cases themselves as well as in related social policy. In suits over tobacco-related diseases, asbestosis, harm from radiation, and other toxic substances, historians of technology and science, social history, and public health are being brought to the courts in growing numbers to provide expert testimony aimed at assessing responsibility for damages that have arisen years, sometimes decades, after exposure. As the role of the historian has expanded, so, too, has the controversy surrounding the participation of historians in legal cases. In this essay, the authors have gone through their own internal process in deciding whether to work for those injured by industries, institutions, or products. The authors share their experience when they became expert witnesses in two cases. Their experience and the controversies that are roiling the historical community take on a special resonance in the light of the recent BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The understanding of complex physiological processes requires information from many different areas of knowledge. To meet this interdisciplinary scenario, the ability of integrating and articulating information is demanded. The difficulty of such approach arises because, more often than not, information is fragmented through under graduation education in Health Sciences. Shifting from a fragmentary and deep view of many topics to joining them horizontally in a global view is not a trivial task for teachers to implement. To attain that objective we proposed a course herein described--Biochemistry of the envenomation response--aimed at integrating previous contents of Health Sciences courses, following international recommendations of interdisciplinary model. The contents were organized by modules with increasing topic complexity. The full understanding of the envenoming pathophysiology of each module would be attained by the integration of knowledge from different disciplines. Active-learning strategy was employed focusing concept map drawing. Evaluation was obtained by a 30-item Likert-type survey answered by ninety students; 84% of the students considered that the number of relations that they were able to establish as seen by concept maps increased throughout the course. Similarly, 98% considered that both the theme and the strategy adopted in the course contributed to develop an interdisciplinary view. (Contains 2 tables and 1 box.)

This study examined the experiences of students in an active learning group work exercise in an introductory food microbiology course involving the study of foodborne pathogens. Small groups were required to access, analyze, and present information regarding a single food poisoning bacterium. The presentations contained features and epidemiological information of the pathogen and also a review of a research journal article and a real food poisoning outbreak report involving the pathogen. Analysis of responses from a questionnaire that allowed direct comparisons to be made with other published group work studies revealed that this exercise was a positive learning experience. In particular, students noted improvements in communication, interaction, information acquisition, and organizational skills.

The popular construction of rural places as "white" spaces has significant repercussions for ethnic, Indigenous and "other" groups who do not always fit within prescribed dominant processes. This paper provides new insights for rural scholarship through an engagement with Indigenous specific experiences of governance and decision making in rural and remote areas. Drawing on powerful Yolngu metaphors from northeast Arnhem Land, Australia, it makes Yolngu law and perspectives visible. Like the cycad nut that has poison within its flesh, so have government impositions on Indigenous people in remote areas. This paper is written to leach the poison out, to let it be cleansed. (Contains 6 figures.)

Conditioned taste aversions (CTAs) may be acquired when an animal consumes a novel taste (CS) and then experiences the symptoms of poisoning (US). This aversion may be extinguished by repeated exposure to the CS alone. However, following a latency period in which the CS is not presented, the CTA will spontaneously recover (SR). In the current study we employed an explicitly unpaired extinction procedure (EU-EXT) to determine if it could thwart SR of a CTA. Sprague-Dawley rats acquired a strong CTA after three pairings of saccharin (SAC the CS) and Lithium Chloride (LiCl the US). CTA acquisition was followed by extinction (EXT) training consisting of either (a) CS-only exposure (CSO) or (b) exposure to saccharin and Lithium Chloride on alternate days (i.e., explicitly unpaired: EU). Both extinction procedures resulted in greater than or equal to 90% reacceptance of SAC, although the EU extinction procedure (EU-EXT) significantly decreased the time necessary for rats to reach this criterion (compared to CSO controls). Rats were subsequently tested for SR of the CTA upon re-exposure to SAC following a 30-day latency period of water drinking. Rats that acquired a CTA and then underwent the CSO extinction procedure exhibited a significant suppression of SAC drinking during the SR test (as compared to their SAC drinking at the end of extinction). However, animals in the EU-EXT group did not show such suppression in drinking compared to CSO controls. These data suggest that the EU-EXT procedure may be useful in reducing both time to extinction and the spontaneous recovery of fears. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

Different methods of poisoning used by individuals with the diagnosis of parasuicide admitted to the Loghman Hospital, Tehran, from 2000 to 2004 were investigated, with particular focus on gender and age differences. Drugs, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals (women: 12.7%, men: 9%) were the most commonly used methods. In males, the percentage of use of drugs increased with age, but the frequency of pesticides use decreased with age. In females, drugs were most often used in the youngest age group, whereas the use of pesticides was lowest in the youngest age category. Females outnumbered males, especially in the youngest age group of 10 to 19 years olds. Drugs and pesticides were the substances used most often for parasuicide in each age group regardless of gender.

To investigate pesticide use and prevention practices of tangerine growers in Fang district, Chiang Mai province in Northern Thailand. A questionnaire survey of 312 farmers in the study area, in-depth interviews and group discussions. Only 36% of the participants pursued the recommended prevention practices every time they used pesticides. Methomyl which is on the watch list of chemicals was used by 87.8% participants. Cultivating experience and pesticides use experience contributed significantly to the use and prevention practices of growers, while the attendance in the training program did not contribute in the same way. The farmers rather believed in their experiences and those of their neighbors. Education, training and research into harmful effects and the health and environmental costs of pesticide use are needed. The extension workers can go directly to weak points and narrow their intervention plan to alter the pesticide policy instead of providing basic knowledge on pesticides again and again. Knowledge of pesticide prevention practices did not make tangerine growers protect themselves against pesticides or reduce their exposure to chemicals. The training program did not work as the key of extension and should not be presented as one. (Contains 9 tables and 2 notes.)

Agricultural pesticide use is the highest of any industry, yet there is little research evaluating farmworkers' understandings of the health risks chemical exposure poses. This study examines pesticide education, risk perception, and self-protective behaviors among farmworkers in California's Salinas Valley. Fifty current and former farmworkers were interviewed for this research. Despite several potential barriers to risk communication (e.g., language differences and nonuniform methods of pesticide safety training), the respondents understood many of the potential health consequences of exposure while holding elevated levels of risk perception relative to the general public. They received information on the health effects of pesticide exposure from both grower-based training and personal social networks; however, the respondents continued to participate in unnecessarily risky behaviors. (Contains 3 tables and 2 notes.)

This article examines, by way of a case study, a community where groundwater has been highly contaminated with nitrate and how that situation brings together matters of public policy, environmental justice, and emerging technology. The Mountain View community lies in an unincorporated area of Bernalillo County, New Mexico; the neighborhood is 77% Hispanic and is a pocket of poverty whose residents are considered at risk for environmental injustice. Groundwater nitrate contamination was discovered in the 1960s, but residents were merely encouraged to dig deeper wells, until 1984 when most residents were put on nearby municipal water after a child was poisoned and hospitalized with methemoglobinemia, known as blue baby syndrome. In situ biodenitrification is an emerging technology that has been shown to completely remediate groundwater nitrate contamination after the injection of a food source for naturally occurring denitrifying bacteria; this technology is being considered for use in Mountain View. (Contains 2 figures.)

Farmworkers carry pesticide residue home on their clothing, boots, and skin, placing other household members at risk, particularly children. Specific precautions are recommended to reduce this take-home pathway, yet few studies have examined the perspectives of farmworkers and other household members regarding these behaviors and the reasons for or against adoption. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 37 Mexican/Mexican-American women in farmworker households to explore the family and cultural context in which pesticide safety practices are performed and to identify factors that facilitate or hinder their adoption. Whereas women could describe the take-home pathway, they were less able to connect it with their family's susceptibility to pesticide exposure. Women experienced difficulty integrating the prevention behaviors into their everyday lives because of competing responsibilities, conflicts with their husbands' intentions and with cultural health beliefs, perceived lack of control, and community barriers that interfered with women's motivations. Implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Wicked problems are multifactorial in nature and possess no clear resolution due to numerous community stakeholder involvement. We demonstrate childhood lead poisoning as a wicked problem and illustrate how understanding a community's ecology can build community capacity to affect local environmental management by (1) forming an academic-community partnership and (2) developing a place-specific strategy grounded in the cultural-experiential model of risk. We propose that practitioners need to consider a community's ecology and social context of risk as it pertains to wicked problems. These factors will determine how a diverse community interprets and responds to environmental communication and capacity-building efforts. (Contains 1 figure.)

Commonly referred to as CFLs, compact fluorescent light bulbs are rapidly replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs for residential use. However, controversy and even comic parody have arisen surrounding CFL use. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, and several public forums and news agencies have been announcing that the breakage of a CFL in one's home may result in exposure to dangerously high mercury levels that can cause serious physical side effects. The purpose of this article is to introduce the basics of how incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs work, explain why the switch to CFLs is being promoted, and summarize the potential hazards of CFL use for the residential consumer. (Contains 2 figures.)

Given the commonness of pets in communities throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia, among other countries, pet stewardship should be a natural topic of study for the integration of science, mathematics, and technology. Therefore, the term "stewardship" will be examined by applying observation and research to shape our behaviors and raise our students' awareness of pet ownership. After completing the interdisciplinary lessons in this article, it should be evident that our responsibility for our pets begins at home. (Contains 6 figures and 1 resource.)

Bridging the areas of political-economic sociology, the sociology of agriculture and environmental sociology, this study tests two hypotheses derived from a refined theory of foreign investment dependence. The hypotheses state that pesticide and fertilizer use intensity in less-developed countries are both positively associated with foreign investment dependence in the primary sector. The use of such inputs in agriculture production is known to contribute to a variety of human health and environmental problems. Findings for random effects and static score panel regression analyses of 35 less-developed countries confirm the hypotheses, and point to the sociological relevance in assessing the potential social and environmental impacts of both the transnational organization and the relative scale of production in different sectors. (Contains 6 tables and 18 notes.)

Conventional technology transfer is based on the assumption that autonomous individuals independently make behavioral decisions. In contrast, Actor-Network Theory (ANT) suggests that people and technologies are interconnected in ways that reinforce and reproduce some types of knowledge and consequent behavioral practices, but not others. Research on pest management in Mali shows the extent to which farm-level decisions are shaped off-farm through contracts that communicate commercial and regulatory decision-making information. Findings from the analysis of Ukrainian farmer pest management decision-making demonstrate the exercise of power of commercial interests. In light of these findings, evidence from Farmer Field School experiences in Indonesia is reinterpreted. This paper concludes that knowledge networks are not monolithic and, furthermore, there is competition between network segments to define appropriate knowledge and practice. It also recommends that agricultural scientists pay more attention to the negotiations framing legitimate knowledge about the networks in which their producer clienteles are embedded. (Contains 2 tables, 3 figures and 6 footnotes.)