Corporate social responsibility and global IT outsourcing

How to improve IT outsourcing relationships while doing good for society.</jats:p

Crack-heroin speedball injection and its implications for vein care: Qualitative study

Background We report on an exploratory qualitative study investigating drug injectors’ narratives of vein damage and groin (femoral vein) injection associated with the injection of crack-heroin speedball. Methods We undertook 44 in-depth qualitative interviews among injectors of crack-heroin speedball in Bristol and London, England, in 2006. Findings Data suggests an emerging culture of crack-based speedball injection. Injectors’ narratives link speedball injection with shifts towards groin injection articulated as an acceptable risk and not merely as a last resort in the face of increased vein deterioration associated with speedball. Accounts of vein damage linked to speedball emphasise ‘missed hits’ related to the local anaesthetic action of crack, the excess use of citric in the preparation of speedball injections, and ‘flushing’ when making a hit. We find that groin injection persists despite an awareness of health risks and medical complications. Conclusions We emphasise an urgent need for reviewing harm reduction in relation to vein care in the context of shifts to crack-based speedball injection, and the use of the femoral vein, among UK injectors. There is an additional need for interventions to promote safer groin and speedball injecting as well as to prevent transitions toward groin and crack injection

Injecting drug use and unstable housing: Scope for structural interventions in harm reduction

Evidence links unstable housing, and especially homelessness, with elevated health harm among drug users, including riskier drug injecting practices. We undertook 45 in-depth qualitative interviews with injecting drug users (IDUs) in Bristol and London in 2006. IDUs were recruited through drug user networks and drug agencies. Temporary accommodation and hostels for the homeless may provide a ‘safe haven’ from street-based drug use and public injecting environments, and are characterised as a retreat from the ‘chaos’ of the street. But hostels may also constitute ‘risk environments’ in facilitating drug using and risk networks, transitions to new patterns of use, including increased frequency of injecting. For some, homelessness was positioned as ‘safer’ than temporary housing with regards to managing drug use. Stable housing emerges as a key structural factor in creating enabling environments for health. We emphasise that temporary accommodation hostels have potential for harm-reduction interventions, but may also be associated with the production of risk related to drug use and injecting

Use of a Distal Radius Endoprosthesis Following Resection of a Bone Tumour: A Case Report

Limited literature is available on the reconstruction of the distal radius using prosthetic replacement following resection of a bone tumour. We present the first reported case, in the English literature, of the use of an entirely metal endoprosthesis for the reconstruction of the distal radius. This case involves a 66-year-old male who was treated for giant cell tumour of the distal radius with surgical excision of the lesion and replacement of the defect using a predominantly titanium endoprosthesis. He was followed-up for 56 months following surgery and had a good functional outcome with no associated pain or complications. We propose that the use of a primarily titanium endoprosthesis for the reconstruction of a bone defect of the distal radius is a suitable alternative, providing good function of the forearm with satisfactory range of movement at the wrist and adequate pain relief

Nucleotide modification at the γ-phosphate leads to the improved fidelity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase

The mechanism by which HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT) discriminates between the correct and incorrect nucleotide is not clearly understood. Chemically modified nucleotides containing 1-aminonaphthalene-5-sulfonate (ANS) attached to their γ-phosphate were synthesized and used to probe nucleotide selection by this error prone polymerase. Primer extension reactions provide direct evidence that the polymerase is able to incorporate the gamma-modified nucleotides. Forward mutation assays reveal a 6-fold reduction in the mutational frequency with the modified nucleotides, and specific base substitutions are dramatically reduced or eliminated. Molecular modeling illustrates potential interactions between critical residues within the polymerase active site and the modified nucleotides. Our data demonstrate that the fidelity of reverse transcriptase is improved using modified nucleotides, and we suggest that specific modifications to the γ-phosphate may be useful in designing new antiviral therapeutics or, more generally, as a tool for defining the structural role that the polymerase active site has on nucleotide selectivity

Identification of Evening Complex Associated Proteins in Arabidopsis by Affinity Purification and Mass Spectrometry

Many species possess an endogenous circadian clock to synchronize internal physiology with an oscillating external environment. In plants, the circadian clock coordinates growth, metabolism and development over daily and seasonal time scales. Many proteins in the circadian network form oscillating complexes that temporally regulate myriad processes, including signal transduction, transcription, protein degradation and post-translational modification. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a tripartite complex composed of EARLY FLOWERING 4 (ELF4), EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), and LUX ARRHYTHMO (LUX), named the evening complex, modulates daily rhythms in gene expression and growth through transcriptional regulation. However, little is known about the physical interactions that connect the circadian system to other pathways. We used affinity purification and mass spectrometry (AP-MS) methods to identify proteins that associate with the evening complex in A. thaliana. New connections within the circadian network as well as to light signaling pathways were identified, including linkages between the evening complex, TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1), TIME FOR COFFEE (TIC), all phytochromes and TANDEM ZINC KNUCKLE/PLUS3 (TZP). Coupling genetic mutation with affinity purifications tested the roles of phytochrome B (phyB), EARLY FLOWERING 4, and EARLY FLOWERING 3 as nodes connecting the evening complex to clock and light signaling pathways. These experiments establish a hierarchical association between pathways and indicate direct and indirect interactions. Specifically, the results suggested that EARLY FLOWERING 3 and phytochrome B act as hubs connecting the clock and red light signaling pathways. Finally, we characterized a clade of associated nuclear kinases that regulate circadian rhythms, growth, and flowering in A. thaliana. Coupling mass spectrometry and genetics is a powerful method to rapidly and directly identify novel components and connections within and between complex signaling pathways

Prospectus, September 21, 1976

PC BOARD OF TRUSTEES OKS DEFICIT BUDGET; Anna Dearing of the LS testing lab: I enjoy it ; Write-ins dominate election, 1st Stu-Go meeting tommorow; PC news in brief: Sociological Association, First Meeting, Yea team!!!, Need some help?, Basketball tryouts; Women\u27s program sponsors : Antonia ; Improve reading at PC; Letters to the editor: The pins, Again..., And again?..., Oh no! not again?..., Give a Schmidt!!!, Where are the sports?; Editorial: Students are consumers; Quad fest featured music, magic; Counselors comply with Title IX; Prairie Festival set for Sunday; Louise Parker: \u27People are fun to watch\u27; Auditions today, tomorrow; Summer school in the Rockies; Drag races teach needed skills; 45 students attend: Marriott\u27s Great America attracts Parkland field trip; Ike\u27s opinion: Controversy continues: feedback on Dr. Richards; Uncle Bob: Slinging vegies is old tradition; Country crowd: Charlie and his fans; Mark Twain; Mediaseen: Carter and the media; Classifieds; Hoofers do \u27extremely well\u27 at UI; Women\u27s volleyball schedule; Locks and Dam 26 is subject of Oct. 12 debate; Know your athletes: \u27T\u27 Square keeps on running to own beat; Ten men: C-C members listed; Cobra\u27s Corner: Women\u27s volleyball improves; Cross Country Schedule 1976; Golfers fourth in tourney; Lose your nose?; Know your athletes: Kathy Kaler prepares for teaching; Linton wins Fast Fred; Fast Freddy\u27s Football Forecast; Games of September 25https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1976/1011/thumbnail.jp