FROM: Victoria Stagg Elliott, American Medical News

I am writing a story about how involved doctors should be in preventing violence. Should doctors be recommending gun safety programs for adults and kids? How involved should doctors be in getting handgun control legislation enacted? Etc.

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FROM: Cindy Klinger, Psychology Today

Do you have any recent information linking some sort of allergy to mental health or behavior?

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FROM: Melanie Kron, Fox News Channel & MD-TV

I'm a science journalist/television producer looking for an M.D. who integrates acupuncture therapy into their mainstream medical practice.

I'm on a tight deadline and must find an expert by next Wednesday, June 28th. If you are an expert yourself, or if you know of a colleague who might be able to help out, please get in touch with me.

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FROM: Susan Carleton, Senior Editor, illustrated health reference books, Readers Digest

I'm editing a book on allergies. The author and medical consultant are both from the UK, and much of the information seems questionable. I'm just looking for a reality check from a few experts:

1. Is there any credible evidence that diet ("Food intolerance") plays a role in rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, schizophrenia, and autism?

2. What about treating childhood behavior problems (and pervasive developmental disorder) with antifungal drugs?

3. Should celiac disease be classified as an allergy, even though it's not IgE-mediated?

4. Is celiac disease grossly underdiagnosed?

5. Does diet play a significant role in eczema? Should children with eczema be given extensive tests for food allergies?

6. Is infantile colic usually caused by milk allergy?

These questions are all over the place — I don't know if an allergist, gastroenterologist, pediatrician, or all three should reply, but I'd certainly appreciate any help I can get.

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FROM: Sheri McGregor, Freelance for Good Housekeeping

Regarding bone density testing — are they all created equal? The drugstore often has a sign, "Osteoporosis Testing." How does the consumer know the test is accurate? How would the consumer know if they're testing in the right manner? etc.

I would appreciate hearing a little of the expert's credentials and ask that you give a thought or two regarding the above questions.

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FROM: Bill Donohue, Runner's World

I am looking for a sports psychologist who understands the power of the mind and the ability of will power to enable someone to push beyond their capabilities. I need techniques to boost will power and positive thinking to help people mentally prepare for the different aspects of running.

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FROM: Sydney Horton, Audubon magazine

I fact checking an article and would like to speak with an expert marine biologist on Pacific Northwest salmon migration.

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FROM: Constantine von Hoffman, Freelance for Discover magazine

I'm looking at how DNA research is changing how animals are classified. Animals have always been grouped together by physical characteristics, but now DNA research may be showing us links between species that we had never guessed existed before. I would like to speak with anyone with knowledge on the topic.

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FROM: Kate Wong, Scientific American

Scientific American is looking for academic or industry experts who can answer the questions below, which were submitted by online readers. Answers generally range from 500 to 1,000 words. We will edit them as necessary, add art and links and then post them on our website as part of our "Ask the Experts" feature (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/).

If we use an answer that you submit, we will credit you as the expert who provided the answer. By submitting an answer, you assign all rights in the answer to Scientific American Magazine.

-Why does hair turn gray?

-What types of alternative fuels are being explored or used in automobiles today? How effective are they? Will we soon shift from the petroleum gas that we now use?

-How do planets acquire rings and how do these rings affect the planets themselves? Would rings be visible from a planet's surface?

-Why do butterflies frequent mountain summits and other high places that often have no vegetation?

-How does ball lightning form? Can it be replicated in the lab?

-How might a flame behave in an environment lacking gravity?

-Why doesn't cancer arise in the heart?

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FROM: Kristin Leutwyler, Editor, Scientific American

I am looking for academic or industry experts to answer the questions below, which were submitted by online readers to Scientific American Magazine. The answers should be from 500 to 1,000 words. We will edit them as necessary, add art and links and then post them on our website as part of our "Ask the Experts" feature (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/). If we use an answer that you submit, we will credit you as the expert who provided the answer. By submitting an answer, you assign all rights in the answer to Scientific American Magazine.

--What causes hiccups? What is the best way to get rid of them?

--How do chameleons change color? Do octopuses and certain fish species use a similar mechanism?

--Given that a sonic boom occurs when something goes faster than the speed of light, how is the sound actually created?

--What is it that causes our bodies to wake up naturally?

--What is the slingshot effect? How do interplanetary probes make use of it to get to the other planets?

--How are seedless fruits produced?

--What causes the buzzing sound one sometimes hears when walking by high voltage lines?

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FROM: Tabitha M. Powledge, Popular Science magazine

For a Popular Science piece on the recent finds at Fumane cave in Italy (approx 32,000 BP), I'd like some expert comments.

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FROM: Lambrini Stamati, "TA NEA", Lambrakis Press SA

It is mid November and it's still summer-time in Greece and all around the Mediteranean. Is it an effect of global climate change? What should we expect for the near future?

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FROM: Miriam C. Nagel, Technical Insights/John Wiley

I am looking for info on microturbines (any small gas turbines) and related research. The tentative title of this Technical Insights is Microturbines. They are sometimes called combustion turbines, and small gas turbines.

I am interested in the theory (like the Brayton cycle), the technology, and such applications as cogeneration and their use with fuel cells (but this is not a fuel cell report). Research on fluid fuels, such as from biomass will also be useful. This is a tough topic!

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FROM: Bill Donohue, Runner's World

I am looking for a sports psychologist who understands the power of the mind and the ability of will power to enable someone to push beyond their capabilities. I need techniques to boost will power and positive thinking to help people mentally prepare for the different aspects of running.

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FROM: Kirsty Walker, London Daily Express

I am looking for an academician who has researched whether a parent's age affects children's academic performance or quality of life — in the light of women choosing to delay childbirth.

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FROM: Francesca Kelly, Freelance for Redbook magazine

Subject of article: Happily Divorced Women. I am collecting quotes from experts about why women tend to land on their feet after divorce, and how many of them are much happier than they were when married. I am also interviewing happily divorced women, ages 25-41. I need statistics showing correllations between happiness (or depression) and one's marital status and gender, if such exist.

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FROM: Michael Alvear, Freelance for Atlanta City magazine

I'm doing a cover story on different types of wealth — new money, old money, dot.com money, etc. Looking for a sociologist or economist who can provide data and answer these questions and more: How do different types of wealthy people spend their money? What are the lifestyle characteristics that brands new money vs old? What is the definition of wealth? When do you go from being well-off to being wealthy?

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FROM: Beth Moxey Eck, Runner's World magazine, Rodale Press

I am looking for a clutter expert who can help with an article on organizing your gym bag before a big race.

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FROM: Mary Hickey, Parents magazine

I am writing a story on kids and instant messaging and am looking for experts in child psychology and/or kids and media who can discuss this latest trend.

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FROM: Sara Latta, Freelance for Brainconnection.com

For an article on adult illiteracy, I am looking for experts on:

1) the relationship(s) between adult illiteracy and crime, poverty, and unemployment.

2) different approaches to teaching adults to read (and how they differ from child-centered approaches)

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FROM: Andrea Cooper, Freelance for Ladies' Home Journal

For a story about handling stress, I need to talk with people who have high-stress jobs, such as emergency room doctor or air traffic controller. How do you deal with your stress, on the job and off? I also want to interview trainers for people in high-stress jobs, such as people who train CEOs. What do you teach people about dealing with high-stress moments?

I'm really looking for experts who have coached clients one-on-one about how to deal with highly stressful jobs or situations....could be anything from a female general training troops on what to do when you're under fire, to the teacher who trains a surgeon-in-training on how to stay cool in the operating room, to a consultant who works with CEOs on how to stay calm in a room full of hostile shareholders. If by chance your ranks include an air traffic controller, or someone who trains air traffic controllers, that would be wonderful!

My ideal sources are women in their late 30s — although I'm eager to talk with anyone who fits these parameters.

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FROM: Leslie Rogalski, Freelance for Craftopia.com

CRAFTS AS THERAPY: Looking for validation of crafts' positive impact on physical and mental health (weaving, ceramics, knitting, other) The Zen advantage; relaxation, meditation, stress relief... Also medically related aspects including PT and OT applications for post-treatment/trauma recovery; enhancing skills such as Math, spatial cognition; also use of crafts with behavior modification programs in children. For feature article commissioned by Craftopia.com. Thanks to all for any input or connections.

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FROM: Julia Rosien, iParenting, Pregnancy

How do we protect our pre-teenagers, who are almost young adults and are more independent, from possible predators. What precautions can we take? How do we talk to our kids about these issues?

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FROM: Alison Rice, Big Builder magazine

Topic: creating a national brand in the real estate industry (multifamily and/or single-family housing)

Expertise sought: academic (such as a real estate/marketing professor) or nonprofit (researcher from an association).

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FROM: Tracey Paradiso, Executive Report on Customer Retention

I am planning my editorial calendar for Executive Report on Customer Retention (ERCR) for the second half of this year, and I'm looking for cutting-edge information as related to customer loyalty, retention and satisfaction issues. I am interested in anything from pertinent survey results to practical information that companies can use to increase the long-term value of their customers.

Examples of past topics include advanced database segmentation, the importance of media integration, retention lessons from the credit card industry, Q & As with marketing experts, permission marketing, how to cyber schmooze, custom publishing as a retention tool, radio as a retention tool, overcoming common hurdles of CRM programs, crisis managment, and an overview of loyalty cards.

FYI: ERCR is published twice a month by the Customer Service Group in New York City. We have over 3,000 subscribers, with a heavy concentration of b-to-b companies. Our readers include the upper echelons of organizations from CEOs, VPs, business owners, managers and directors, to executives in sales, marketing, customer satisfaction, customer relations, customer service and strategic planning.

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FROM: Joan Lisante, Freelance

I'm writing the "Biz 101" column for Business Start-Ups magazine. The topic is LLCs (limited liability corporations). I'm looking for comments on the pros/cons of using this business structure, and for some entrepreneurs who've started an LLC. My deadline is .

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FROM: Rene Lewandowski Freelance, Journal Les Affaires

I'm a business journalist from Montreal, and I'm doing a paper on sports business. Spefically, I'm interested in talking to an expert who can explain what is so appealing for media and communications conglomerate (ie: Time warner) to aquire professional sports teams: the pros and the cons. Is it a good move or not, and if any expert has any comment on the canadian market this would be a plus.

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FROM: Rene Lewandowki, FPJQ CA magazine

I'm a journalist from Montreal, Qc, and I'm doing a story for CA Magazine, a trade magazine for canadian chartered Accountants. The topic: e-commerce and taxation. What are the issues for governments and corporations concerning e-business and taxes? An example: If I'm in Canada and I purchase by downloading a report from the U.S., will I pay the sale taxes? What do governments do to control this new kind of business? I'm looking to talk to experts in taxation who are working on that issue from the States from Canada. I'm also looking for case stories.

mailto: liquidel@arobas.net phone: 450-441-3223

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FROM: Constantine von Hoffman, the Industry Standard

BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: For a story about when to go independent, I'd like to talk to people who have become independent contractors (ICs), and company representatives or consultants who help people do so. Story will address: How does someone determine the right time to becomean IC? What are the risks and benefits? How does it hurt or help when an IC decides to go back to work for a company? Publihed by IDG, Industry Standard is the weekly newsmagazine of the new economy. Source's answer should have a Web or tech element to it. Please put "When to Go Independent" in the subject line of your response.

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FROM: Eric Siegel, Freelance, Columbia Chronicle

Information and response from experts on Retail Trends in Superstores, like Meijer, Sam's Club, BigKMart and SuperWal-Mart. Please respond by this week. I have a deadline of Friday of this week.

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FROM: Rene Lewandowski, Freelance for Journal Les Affaires

I'm a journalist from Montreal (QC), and I'm doing a big report on e-commerce for Le Journal Les Affaires, Quebec's largest French business newspaper. I'd like to talk to some experts on different issues related to e-business:

1) The impact of e-comm on the economy and the structure of prices (both B2C and B2B)? In those large b2b marketplace, are prices falling because of the transparency factor and the fact that competitors are almost face to face?

2) The impact of auction sites and reverse auction sites on prices and the economy?

3) Is it absolutely necessary to cut prices in order to have success on the Web? How to obtain good profit margin on the Web? Is there a way to be profitable doing business on the Internet?

4) Impact of the big electronic market places on small businesses? How does the supplier establish a good business relationship with his customer through e-comm? In the long run, if the price war is too deep, will it hurt ultimatly the buyer in killing the supplier and the competition?

5) Impact on the distribution firms: is it the end of wholesale?

PS: please excuse my English, my first language is French.

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FROM: Margaret Littman

For an upcoming issue of Working Mother magazine, I'm working on a piece on the 10 best things about investment clubs. I'm interested in speaking to working moms who have been and are in clubs, to discuss what they have gotten out of the experience. I'm particularly interested in things they've been able to do or learn that they don't think they would have learned elsewhere. I'm also interested in speaking with financial experts about their thoughts on how women benefit from investment clubs. Any specifics on what type of clubs seem to provide these benefits would be helpful. I'd like to get contact names and e-mail or phone numbers by Wednesday, Nov. 22. Please contact me via e-mail with leads. Thanks!

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