Formal and Informal Learning and First-Year Psychology Students' Development of Scientific Thinking: A Two-Wave Panel Study.

Scientific thinking is a predicate for scientific inquiry, and thus important to develop early in psychology students as potential future researchers. The present research is aimed at fathoming the contributions of formal and informal learning experiences to psychology students' development of scientific thinking during their 1st-year of study. We hypothesize that informal experiences are relevant beyond formal experiences.

Comblike Polyethylenimine-Based Polyplexes: Balancing Toxicity, Cell Internalization, and Transfection Efficiency via Polymer Chain Topology.

Comblike polyethylenimines with varying degrees of polymerization of both the main and side chains as well as different grafting densities were evaluated as gene delivery vectors. They were able to condense linear and plasmid DNA into nanosized polyplex particles with dimensions and surface potentials in the 130-330 nm and -30 to +15 mV ranges, respectively, depending on the amine/phosphate (N/P) ratio. The polyplexes remained stable in aqueous and buffer solutions from several hours up to several days.

Effect of light transition metal complexes of methanesulfonic acid hydrazide on the viability of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The effect of methanesulfonic acid hydrazide (MSH) and its complexes [M(MSH)4Cl2] (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) and [Zn(MSH)2Cl2] on culture growth suppression and viability (Colony Forming Units) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied. The highest culture growth suppression was exhibited by [Co(MSH)4Cl2], whereas the most cytotoxic appeared [Mn(MSH)4Cl2]. The changes in cell morphology were also traced by means of FACS analysis.

Enhanced gene expression promoted by hybrid magnetic/cationic block copolymer micelles.

We report on novel gene delivery vector systems based on hybrid polymer-magnetic micelles. The hybrid micelles were prepared by codissolution of hydrophobically surface modified iron oxide and amphiphilic polystyrene-b-poly(quaternized 2-vinylpyridine) block copolymer (PS-b-P2QVP) in organic solvent. After extensive dialysis against water, micelles with positively charged hydrophilic corona of PQVP and hydrophobic PS core were prepared, in which magnetic nanoparticles were randomly distributed.

Application of comet assay for the assessment of DNA damage caused by chemical genotoxins in the dairy yeast Kluyveromyces lactis.

Kluyveromyces lactis, also known as dairy yeast, has numerous applications in scientific research and practice. It has been approved as a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) organism, a probiotic, a biotechnological producer of important enzymes at industrial scale and a bioremediator of waste water from the dairy industry. Despite these important practical applications the sensitivity of this organism to genotoxic substances has not yet been assessed.