The relationship of punishment- and victim-based moral orientation to prosocial, externalizing, and norm trespassing behaviour in delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents:a validation study of the Moral Orientation Measure

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Moral Orientation Measure (MOM), which was administered to 75 juvenile delinquents and 579 non-delinquent adolescents from lower socio-economic and educational backgrounds. Confirmatory factor analysis of a two-factor model, with punishment- and victim-based moral orientation as factors, showed an adequate fit to the data, indicating construct validity of the MOM. Moderate associations between moral orientation and sociomoral reasoning, as well as empathy, were also considered indicative of construct validity. Additional evidence for construct validity was found in only small associations between moral orientation and social desirability and verbal intelligence. Stronger victim-based orientation proved to be associated with less norm trespassing behaviour in non-delinquent adolescents and more prosocial behaviour in juvenile delinquents, which was considered indicative of concurrent validity. The results of this study strengthen the case for the MOM as a reliable and valid instrument to assess moral development in adolescents at risk of behavioural maladjustment, showing that moral orientation is differently associated with morally relevant behaviour in delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents

Recent developments in multiple sclerosis therapeutics

Multiple sclerosis, the most common neurologic disorder of young adults, is traditionally considered to be an inflammatory, autoimmune, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Based on this understanding, the initial therapeutic strategies were directed at immune modulation and inflammation control. These approaches, including high-dose corticosteroids for acute relapses and long-term use of parenteral interferon-β, glatiramer acetate or natalizumab for disease modification, are at best moderately effective. Growing evidence supports that, while an inflammatory pathology characterizes the early relapsing stage of multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative pathology dominates the later progressive stage of the disease. Multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapies currently in development attempt to specifically target the underlying pathology at each stage of the disease, while avoiding frequent self-injection. These include a variety of oral medications and monoclonal antibodies to reduce inflammation in relapsing multiple sclerosis and agents intended to promote neuroprotection and neurorepair in progressive multiple sclerosis. Although newer therapies for relapsing MS have the potential to be more effective and easier to administer than current therapies, they also carry greater risks. Effective treatments for progressive multiple sclerosis are still being sought

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Strengthening Dapped Ends of Precast Double Tees with Externally Bonded FRP Reinforcement

A 90,000 square meter, three-story, precast concrete parking garage in Pittsburgh, PA was strengthened in order to address concerns regarding distress in the double tee beams supporting each elevated floor. Initially, the distress was manifest in inclined cracks forming at the reentrant corner of the dapped ends. During an independent load test of sample tees, additional cracks at approximately 1.5 m from the dapped end formed and became so severe that, at roughly 75% of the design load, the tees were deemed to have failed. This failure condition resulted in an effort to strengthen the ends of the tees in the garage for shear and flexure. In assessing various strengthening alternatives, externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement was determined to be the most cost effective, the least disruptive to the operation of the parking garage, and virtually unnoticeable once the installation was complete. A load test of several tees after the installation of the FRP reinforcement demonstrated that the retrofitted tees could support loads over 100% of the design load. This paper presents the details of the design, specification, installation, and testing of the FRP strengthening system for this large retrofit project

Severity of Aortic Atheromatous Disease Diagnosed by Transesophageal Echocardiography Predicts Stroke and Other Outcomes Associated with Coronary Artery Surgery: A Prospective Study

Advanced atheromatous disease of the thoracic aorta identified by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a major risk factor for perioperative stroke.This study investigated whether varying degrees of atherosclerosis of the descending aorta, as assessed by TEE, are an independent predictor of cardiac and neurologic outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Intraoperative TEE of the descending aorta was performed on 189 of 248 patients participating in a randomized controlled trial of low (50-60 mm Hg) or high (80-100 mm Hg) mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass for elective CABG. Aortic atheromatous disease was graded from I to V in order of increasing severity by observers blinded to outcome. Measured outcomes were death, stroke, and major cardiac events assessed at 1 wk and 6 mo. Nine of the 189 patients with TEE examinations had perioperative strokes by 1 wk. At 1 wk, no strokes had occurred in the 123 patients with atheroma Grades I or II, while the 1-wk stroke rate was 5.5% (2/36), 10.5% (2/19), and 45.5% (5/11) for Grades III, IV, and V, respectively (Fisherʼs exact test, P = 0.00001). For 6-mo outcome, advancing aortic atheroma grade was a univariate predictor of stroke (P = 0.00001) and death (P = 0.03). By 6 mo there were one additional stroke, three additional deaths, and one additional major cardiac event. Atheromatous disease of the descending aorta was a strong predictor of stroke and death after CABG. TEE determination of atheroma grade is a critical element in the management of patients undergoing CABG surgery.(Anesth Analg 1996;83:701-8

The Post-Myocardial Infarction Pacing Remodeling Prevention Therapy (PRomPT) Trial:Design and Rationale

Cardiolog