Practical pursuit in stem cell biology: Innovation, translation, and incomplete theorization.

This paper aims to contribute to the study of practical pursuit-worthiness in science by engaging with a case in therapeutic stem cell biology. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) research emerged from research in developmental biology and the molecular biology of cell fate conversion. It took on practical significance when proposed as an alternative to therapeutic stem cell research that used human embryonic stem cells.

Evaluation of recruitment and selection for specialty training in public health: interim results of a prospective cohort study to measure the predictive validity of the selection process.

Background: The recruitment process for public health specialty training includes an assessment centre (AC) with three components, Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal (RANRA), Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCT) and a Situation Judgement Test (SJT), which determines invitation to a selection centre (SC). The scores are combined into a total recruitment (TR) score that determines the offers of appointment.

Methods: A prospective cohort study using anonymous record linkage to investigate the association between applicant's scores in the recruitment process and registrar's progress through training measured by results of Membership Faculty Public Health (MFPH) examinations and outcomes of the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP).

Early and late outcomes after cardiac retransplantation.

Background: Cardiac retransplantation remains the most viable option for patients with allograft heart failure; however, careful patient selection is paramount considering limited allograft resources. We analyzed clinical outcomes following retransplantation in an academic, tertiary care institution.

Methods: Between 1981 and 2011, 593 heart transplantations, including 22 retransplantations were performed at our institution.

Explaining explanation in chemistry.

The notion that explanations are arguments, central to the covering law account, persists in developments of accounts of explanation in general philosophy of science. I argue that these developments fail to capture chemical explanation-motivating the explanatory autonomy of chemistry requires the investigation of alternative accounts. Ubiquitous use of models in chemistry is indicative of their importance to explanation.