An assessment of American Indian women's mammography experiences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mortality from breast cancer has increased among American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women. Despite this alarming reality, AI/AN women have some of the lowest breast cancer screening rates. Only 37% of eligible AI/AN women report a mammogram within the last year and 52% report a mammogram within the last two years compared to 57% and 72% for White women. The experiences and satisfaction surrounding mammography for AI/AN women likely are different from that of women of other racial/ethnic groups, due to cultural differences and limited access to Indian Health Service sponsored mammography units. The overall goals of this study are to identify and understand the mammography experiences and experiential elements that relate to satisfaction or dissatisfaction with mammography services in an AI/AN population and to develop a culturally-tailored AI/AN mammography satisfaction survey.</p> <p>Methods and Design</p> <p>The three project aims that will be used to guide this work are: 1) To compare the mammography experiences and satisfaction with mammography services of Native American/Alaska Native women with that of Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, and Black women, 2) To develop and validate the psychometric properties of an American Indian Mammography Survey, and 3) To assess variation among AI/AN women's assessments of their mammography experiences and mammography service satisfaction. Evaluations of racial/ethnic differences in mammography patient satisfaction have received little study, particularly among AI/AN women. As such, qualitative study is uniquely suited for an initial examination of their experiences because it will allow for a rich and in-depth identification and exploration of satisfaction elements.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This formative research is an essential step in the development of a validated and culturally tailored AI/AN mammography satisfaction assessment. Results from this project will provide a springboard from which a maximally effective breast cancer screening program to benefit AI/AN population will be developed and tested in an effort to alter the current breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality trajectory among AI/AN women.</p

Efficacy of Translocations for Restoring Populations of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs

We evaluated translocation as a method to promote recovery of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) after plague-induced population declines in colonies at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Montana. We translocated prairie dogs in June of 1999 and evaluated the effects of translocation on colony area 1 year and 4 years later. We also assessed effects of release group size and estimated rates of population growth and survival. Initial size of experimental colonies was categorized as inactive (0 ha), small (0.1-2.0 ha), or large (2.0-6.6 ha); numbers of prairie dogs translocated to each colony size class were 0 (control), 60, and 120. Among inactive colonies, the control remained inactive and the colony receiving 60 prairie dogs grew to 1.5 ha by 2000 and after a second release in 2002 was 1.9 ha in 2003. The colony receiving 120 grew to 3.3 ha by 2000 and decreased to 2.6 ha by 2003. Patterns on small and large colonies after 1 year were less dramatic, but in each case the proportional increase in colony area was lowest on the control and high- est on the colony receiving 120 prairie dogs. Patterns were more difficult to discern 4 years after translocations. It appears that as large colonies approach historic size, area growth decreases and is slower than on small colonies. Experimental colonies grew 24.6 ha (315%) by 2000 and 72.1 ha (924%) in 4 years compared to non-experimental colonies of similar size that grew 6.5 ha (23%) in 1 year and 26.5 ha (93%) by 2003. Monthly survival rates of prairie dogs during the first 3 months following translocation were higher on large colonies (0.79, 95% Cl=0.75-0.82) than on small (0.67, 95% CI=0.62-0.72) or inactive colonies, (0.63, 95% Cl=0.57-0.68). Monthly survival rates were relatively high (0.88-1.0) during subsequent intervals and did not vary among initial colony size classes. Recapture rates for all colonies were higher during the fall trapping session (0.83, 95% Cl=0.76-0.90) than in the winter (0.59, 95% CI=0.49-0.69). Translocation was effective for restoration of prairie dog populations, particularly on inactive colonies

SHEAR BAND OBSERVATIONS AND DERIVATIONS OF REQUIREMENTS FOR A SHEAR BAND MODEL

On a analysé les observations de cisaillement adiabatique dans des essais de fragmentation de cylindres et des essais d'impact et de pénétration de projectiles, afin d'obtenir des indications pour le développement d'un modèle théorique. Les essais de fragmentation de cylindres ont conduit à un modèle micromécanique des processus de germination et de croissance pour des bandes de cisaillement microscopiques. Le modèle développé sur la base des observations dans les cylindres est capable de prédire la limite balistique pour la pénétration d'un projectile dans une cible d'acier. Il représente correctement l'ampleur et la nature de l'endommagement dans la cible pour un domaine de vitesses d'impact. Par contre, l'endommagement du projectile par bandes de cisaillement n'est pas bien représenté par ce modèle. Il a été nécessaire de modifier la relation déformation-contrainte en y incorporant l'adoucissement thermique, et de retarder le début de la germination des bandes dans le modèle afin de pouvoir reproduire la position et l'orientation des bandes dans le projectile.Observations of shear banding in fragmenting cylinders and in dynamic punch tests were analyzed for guidance in development of a theoretical model. The fragmenting cylinder tests led to a micro-mechanical model containing nucleation and growth processes for micro shear bands. The model constructed from the cylinder observations was able to predict the critical impact velocity for punching through a steel plate and to correctly represent the extent and nature of the damage in the plate for a range of punch velocities. Shear band damage to the punching rod was not well described by this model. Instead, it was necessary to expand the stress-strain relation to include thermal softening and to delay the onset of band nucleation in the model to approximate the band locations and orientations in the rod

Restorative Justice and Mediation

ARTICLES: 1. Editorial 2. J.C.J.Boutellier - Beyond the criminal justice paradox; Alternatives between law and morality 3. T.F. Marshall - The evolution of restorative justice in Britain 4. F. Dinkel - Töter-Opfer-Ausgleich; German experiences with mediation in a European perspective 5. L. Walgrave and I. Aertsen - Reintegrative shaming and restorative justice; Interchangeable, complementary or different? 6. J. Dullum - The Norwegian mediation boards 7. A. Zandbergen - Shaming in a Dutch diversion project 8. Manuel J.J. Lopez - Crime prevention within metro systems; 9. A. Bequai Cyber crime: the US experience; 10. Penal justice information from France (CESDIP) 11. Crime institute profile: Institute of Justice, Warsaw, Polan

Clinical and six-month angiographic evaluation of coronary arterial graft interrupted anastomoses by use of a self-closing clip device: a multicenter prospective clinical trial

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a self-closing surgical clip with an interrupted technique in left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery bypass grafting.MethodsEighty-two patients were enrolled and treated (February 2000 through August 2001) in a prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter trial. Left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery anastomoses were performed in 60 off-pump coronary artery bypasses (73%), 12 conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (15%), and 10 minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (12%) procedures. Angiograms (64 to 383 days, mean 200 days) were obtained on 63 patients (77%). Qualitative and quantitative angiographic assessment was performed by an independent core laboratory.ResultsThe self-closing surgical clip was used for 82 left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery interrupted anastomoses without the requirement for knot tying or primary suture management. Minimum left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery anastomosis time was 3 minutes. There was one perioperative and one late death (both not heart related) and one reexploration for bleeding unrelated to the anastomotic site. FitzGibbon grades were as follows: A (n = 60, 95.2%), B (n = 3, 4.8%) including one kinked left internal thoracic artery, and O (n = 0, 0%). Quantitative analysis (n = 57) showed mean lumen diameters of left internal thoracic artery proximal to the anastomosis of 2.1 mm, at anastomosis of 2.0 mm, and in the left anterior descending artery distal to the anastomosis of 1.9 mm. The average ratio of the anastomosis to the left anterior descending artery diameter was 1.14 (0.45 to 1.93). Anastomotic stenosis as a percentage of average left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery diameter was −2.3%, comparing favorably with results (23% to 24%) reported from the Patency, Outcomes, Economics, Minimally invasive direct coronary artery (POEM) bypass study.ConclusionsThe interrupted technique, facilitated by a self-closing anastomotic clip, yields favorable 6-month angiographic results when compared with other published studies