214 research outputs found

    Human service: a framework for education and practice

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    This paper sets out to deal with two main themes. The first theme considers the historical, political and social forces in human service delivery which were instrumental in the gradual recognition of human service as a field of academic study and practice. The paper firmly locates human services in organisational and administrative settings, in contrast to therapeutic or clinical orientations of the established helping professions. The second theme deals with the domain of human services by incorporating the value commitment to meeting human needs. The normative position identifies human service as a field of study and practice which cuts across the national and cultural boundaries. This position calls for the imperatives of the comparative cross-cultural perspectives in human services since the diversity of human needs as well as individual, culture, resource and aspirations and time specific nature of human needs have to be recognised. Furthermore, comparative cross-cultural perspective provides human service with a disciplinary base in the social sciences. The latter part of the paper incorporates the first and second themes in developing a framework for education and practice. This is approached by introducing the concept of \u27human service mix\u27 to advance a position that human services do not have to be \u27locked\u27 into a particular settings, such as a Government provision of service. Human Services is presented as a conjoint product of many different activities which are instrumental to meeting human needs

    Effects of the Internal and External Factors of Small and Mediumsized Corporations on Green Management Performances through the Establishment and Utilization of Information Systems and Building Relationships for Information and Knowledge

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    The current research was intended to examine the effects of internal and external factors of small and medium-sizedcorporations (SMC) on green management performances through the establishment and utilization of InformationTechnology (IT) and building external relations. The results of the study showed that of the corporate internal factors, theinterest levels of CEOs concerning the environment did not significantly affect the establishment and utilization ofinformation systems that required large expenses and investments in technological core competencies. Of the corporateexternal factors, the intensity of competition within the industry was shown to have a significant effect on buildingrelationships for information and knowledge, but not on the establishment and utilization of information systems. On theother hand, government regulations on the environment had significant effects both on the establishment and utilization ofinformation systems and on building relationships for information and knowledge. The establishment and utilization ofinformation systems had significant effects on building relationships for information and knowledge, but not on greenmanagement performances. However, building relationships for information and knowledge showed significant effects ongreen management performances, suggesting the importance of building relationships for information and knowledge withexternal parties

    Synthesis, characterization and effect of pH variation on zinc oxide nanostructures

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    Here we present a systematic study on the morphological deviation of ZnO nanostructure (from sheets to micro-flowers) by varying pH of the solution via precipitation method. In this regard, zinc nitrate hexa-hydrate, NaOH and hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH 2 OHÁHCl) were used. The solution of all three compounds was refluxed at a very low temperature (60 C) for short time (20 min). The solution pH was calibrated from 6 to 12 by the controlled addition of NaOH and HCl. We have observed from FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy) that the morphology of ZnO microballs composed with thin sheets markedly varies from sheet (at pH ¼ 6) to micro-flower composed with sheets of zinc oxide (pH ¼ 10{12). Further the morphology and crystallinity were also studied by the TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and HR-TEM (High resolution transmission electron microscopy) and it's clearly consistent with the FESEM observations. The FTIR spectroscopic measurement also confirms the compositional analysis of ZnO and it comes in the range of 475 to 424 cm À1 which is a standard peak of ZnO. In addition to this, the amount of H þ and OH À ions are found a key to control the structure of studied material and discussed in the growth mechanism

    Formation of ZnO Micro-Flowers Prepared via Solution Process and their Antibacterial Activity

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    This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide micro-flowers and their antibacterial activity. The micro-flowers of zinc oxide composed of hexagonal nanorods have been prepared via solution process using precursor zinc acetate di-hydrate and sodium hydroxide in 3 h of refluxing time at ~90°C. The antibacterial activities of grown micro-flowers were investigated against four pathogenic bacteria namely S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhimurium and K. pneumoniae by taking five different concentrations (5–45 μg/ml) of ZnO micro-flowers (ZnO-MFs). Our investigation reveals that at lowest concentration of ZnO-MFs solution inhibiting the growth of microbial strain which was found to be 5 μg/ml for all the tested pathogens. Additionally, on the basis of morphological and chemical observations, a chemical reaction mechanism of ZnO-MFs composed of hexagonal nanorods was also proposed

    MN2006-17031 MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF NANO COMPOSITE FABRICATED BY NANO COMPOSITE DEPOSITION SYSTEM (NCDS)

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    ABSTRACT The rapid prototyping (RP) technology has been advanced for various applications such as verification of design, functional test. Recently, researchers have studied various materials to fabricate functional RP parts. In this research, a nano composite deposition system (NCDS), which can fabricate various nano composites using polymer resins with various nano particles, was introduced. The NCDS is a hybrid system in which material removal process by mechanical micro machining and/or the deposition process is combined. To predict the mechanical behavior of nano composite part made by NCDS, it is critical to understand the mechanical properties of the NCDS material. The NCDS process was characterizes by process parameters such as raster orientation, bead width, weight percent, and curing condition. Tensile strengths and compressive strengths of fabricated specimens with various raster orientation were measured, and various sample parts made of nano composites were fabricated using NCDS. INTRODUCTION The Rapid Prototyping technology has been advanced in product development cycle for more than 20 years. Relatively new approaches of RP cover micro scale devices such as micro-stereo lithography and various materials including ceramic and composite materials. Another promising area of RP application is bio and medical fields where simulation of operation by RP model is performed, and artificial bone made by RP is implanted into human body However, many RP machines still have the stair-step effect resulting in poor surface quality, time consuming post-process and limitation of applications for various materials. In this research, a nano composite deposition system (NCDS) was developed to fabricate three dimensional nano composite parts. The NCDS uses polymer resins as matrix and various nano particles to form composite materials, an

    Molecular cloning and expression of a novel human cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor

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    AbstractIn order to isolate the unidentified autoantigens in autoimmune diabetes, a human pancreatic islet cDNA library was constructed and screened with the sera from the diabetic patients. From the library screening, one clone (DRS-1) that strongly reacted with the sera was isolated. Subsequent sequence analysis revealed that the clone was a novel cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor. DRS-1 was expressed in most tissues including liver, lung, tonsil, and thymus, in addition to pancreatic islets. DRS-1 was in vitro translated and the recombinant DRS-1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The size of the in vitro translated or bacterially expressed DRS-1 protein was in agreement with the conceptually translated polypeptide of DRS-1 cDNA. Further studies are required to test whether or not DRS-1 is a new autoantigen in autoimmune diabetes

    Facial reanimation with masseter nerve–innervated free gracilis muscle transfer in established facial palsy patients

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    Background The masseter nerve is a useful donor nerve for reconstruction in patients with established facial palsy, with numerous advantages including low morbidity, a strong motor impulse, high reliability, and fast reinnervation. In this study, we assessed the results of masseter nerve–innervated free gracilis muscle transfer in established facial palsy patients. Methods Ten patients with facial palsy who received treatment from January 2015 to January 2017 were enrolled in this study. Three patients received masseter nerve–only free gracilis transfer, and seven received double-innervated free gracilis transfer (masseter nerve and a cross-face nerve graft). Patients were evaluated using the Facial Assessment by Computer Evaluation software (FACEgram) to quantify oral commissure excursion and symmetry at rest and when smiling after muscle transfer. Results The mean time between surgery and initial movement was roughly 167.7 days. A statistically significant increase in excursion at rest and when smiling was seen after muscle transfer. There was a significant increase in the distance of oral commissure excursion at rest and when smiling. A statistically significant increase was observed in symmetry when smiling. Terzis’ functional and aesthetic grading scores showed significant improvements postoperatively. Conclusions Masseter nerve innervation is a good option with many uses in in established facial palsy patients. For some conditions, it is the first-line treatment. Free gracilis muscle transfer using the masseter nerve has excellent results with good symmetry and an effective degree of recovery

    Clinical Characteristics and Management of Saccular Cysts: A Single Institute Experience

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    Objectives A saccular cyst is defined as a dilated saccule of the larynx, filled with mucus, and is located between the false vocal cords and the thyroid cartilage. Although this uncommon laryngeal condition is benign in nature, it could lead to dyspnea, stridor, and airway obstruction, depending on its size and location. Furthermore, some saccular cysts have been associated with laryngeal carcinoma. This study aimed to characterize this rather uncommon laryngeal condition to aid in determining the proper management of this pathology. Methods Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of all patients with saccular cysts diagnosed and treated between 2006 and 2017 at a tertiary otolaryngologic care center. Results Seven patients with saccular cysts were identified (male:female=2:5; mean age, 34.1 years); two were pediatric patients. Surgical intervention was performed in all patients by laryngo-microsurgery using CO2 laser. There was no recurrence after the initial surgical treatment. Conclusion Saccular cysts can be managed endoscopically using CO2 laser, without requiring an external approach. Therefore, an endoscopic approach should be actively considered for an optimal treatment outcome

    Anti-metastatic effect of GV1001 on prostate cancer cells; roles of GnRHR-mediated Gαs-cAMP pathway and AR-YAP1 axis

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    Background Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) transmits its signal via two major Gα-proteins, primarily Gαq and Gαi. However, the precise mechanism underlying the functions of Gαs signal in prostate cancer cells is still unclear. We have previously identified that GV1001, a fragment of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase, functions as a biased GnRHR ligand to selectively stimulate the Gαs/cAMP pathway. Here, we tried to reveal the potential mechanisms of which GV1001-stimulated Gαs-cAMP signaling pathway reduces the migration and metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Methods The expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes was measured by western-blotting and spheroid formation on ultra-low attachment plate was detected after GV1001 treatment. In vivo Spleen-liver metastasis mouse model was used to explore the inhibitory effect of GV1001 on metastatic ability of PCa and the transwell migration assay was performed to identify whether GV1001 had a suppressive effect on cell migration in vitro. In order to demonstrate the interaction between androgen receptor (AR) and YAP1, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), immunofluorescence (IF) staining, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were performed in LNCaP cells with and without GV1001 treatment. Results GV1001 inhibited expression of EMT-related genes and spheroid formation. GV1001 also suppressed in vivo spleen-liver metastasis of LNCaP cells as well as cell migration in vitro. GV1001 enhanced the phosphorylation of AR and transcription activity of androgen response element reporter gene through cAMP/protein kinase A pathway. Moreover, GV1001 increased Ser-127 phosphorylation of YAP1 and its ubiquitination, and subsequently decreased the levels of AR-YAP1 binding in the promoter region of the CTGF gene. In contrast, both protein and mRNA levels of NKX3.1 known for tumor suppressor gene and AR-coregulator were upregulated by GV1001 in LNCaP cells. YAP1 knockout using CRISPR/Cas9 significantly suppressed the migration ability of LNCaP cells, and GV1001 did not affect the cell migration of YAP1-deficient LNCaP cells. On the contrary, cell migration was more potentiated in LNCaP cells overexpressing YAP5SA, a constitutively active form of YAP1, which was not changed by GV1001 treatment. Conclusions Overall, this study reveals an essential role of AR-YAP1 in the regulation of PCa cell migration, and provides evidence that GV1001 could be a novel GnRHR ligand to inhibit metastasis of PCa via the Gαs/cAMP pathway.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Kim HS, 2018M3A9C8021792, Kang KW, 2021R1A2C2093196)
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