A Proposal for a Federal AIDS Immunization Policy

This paper will examine the creation of a federal AIDS compensation scheme for victims of injuries caused by vaccines which are distributed as a part of a national immunization program. As a preliminary inquiry, I will examine the impact of perceived liability on potential manufacturers to determine whether the risk of liability for manufacturers decreases the possibility that a successful AIDS vaccine will be introduced into the market. I will then discuss whether, given the present laws and economic incentives surrounding the vaccine industry, a federal compensation scheme for an AIDS vaccine is necessary. After analyzing the unique problems of AIDS and its implications for the design of a compensation scheme, I will present one model for a compensation scheme. The model is premised upon the distinctive difficulties of the introduction of a licensed AIDS vaccine in the mass immunization context. The need for implementation of an active post-market surveillance system will be addressed. Finally, I will discuss the possible costs of such a program, emphasizing the impact of the chosen immunization strategy on the extent of liability

Surfaces with pg = q = 2, K2 = 6, and albanese map of degree 2

We classify minimal surfaces of general type with pg = q = 2 and K2 = 6 whose Albanese map is a generically finite double cover. We show that the corresponding moduli space is the disjoint union of three generically smooth irreducible components MIa, MIb, M II of dimension 4, 4, 3, respectively. © Canadian Mathematical Society 2012

A new family of surfaces with pg = q = 2 and K2 = 6 whose Albanese map has degree 4

We construct a new family of minimal surfaces of general type with pg = q = 2 and K2 = 6, whose Albanese map is a quadruple cover of an abelian surface with polarization of type (1, 3). We also show that this family provides an irreducible component of the moduli space of surfaces with pg = q = 2 and K2 = 6. Finally, we prove that such a component is generically smooth of dimension 4 and that it contains the two-dimensional family of product-quotient examples previously constructed by the first author. The main tools we use are the Fourier-Mukai transform and the Schrödinger representation of the finite Heisenberg group H3

An Integrated Accident & Consequence Analysis Approach for Accidental Releases through Multiple Leak Paths

This paper presents a consequence analysis for a postulated fire accident on a building containing plutonium when the resulting outside release is partly through the ventilation/filtration system and partly through other pathways such as building access doorways. When analyzing an accident scenario involving the release of radioactive powders inside a building, various pathways for the release to the outside environment can exist. This study is presented to guide the analyst on how the multiple building leak path factors (combination of filtered and unfiltered releases) can be evaluated in an integrated manner starting with the source term calculation and proceeding through the receptor consequence determination. The analysis is performed in a two-step process. The first step of the analysis is to calculate the leak path factor, which represents the fraction of respirable radioactive powder that is made airborne that leaves the building through the various pathways. The computer cod e of choice for this determination is MELCOR. The second step is to model the transport and dispersion of powder material released to the atmosphere and to estimate the resulting dose that is received by the downwind receptors of interest. The MACCS computer code is chosen for this part of the analysis. This work can be used as model for performing analyses for systems similar in nature where releases can propagate to the outside environment via filtered and unfiltered pathways. The methodology provides guidance to analysts outlining the essential steps needed to perform a sound and defensible consequence analysis

A study of maternal competence in preterm birth condition, during the transition from hospital to home: An early intervention program’s proposal

The study was conducted with 104 mothers (average age 32.5 years, SD 6.1) of preterm infants (very and moderately preterm but still healthy) to monitor the perceived maternal role competence from the time of hospitalisation to post-discharge, in order to define an intervention program to support mothers during this transition. A targeted Q-Sort tool (Maternal Competence Q-Sort in preterm birth) was applied at two different times as a self-observation tool for parenting competence in neonatology. A tendency towards dysregulation of the maternal role competence was detected, mainly in terms of low self-assessment and was found to worsen during post-discharge, particularly with regard to caregiving ability. This study suggests the importance of accompanying parenting competence in preterm birth conditions, not only during hospitalisation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but also following discharge in order to promote the development of premature infants. This paper reports in the last part a specific integrated psychoeducational intervention program (psychologist and nurses), which we defined precisely in light of the suggestions offered by the study data on perceived maternal competence created with the Q-sort

Parental Resources in Parents of Children with Special Needs (SNs) at the Time of COVID-19

Background. The limitations imposed by governments for containing the spread of COVID-19 have affected familial relationships, especially those of families dealing with children with special needs or chronic illness conditions. The current study aims to better understand what pathological/disability condition has impacted parental resources, sense of competence, and perception of children's executive functioning the most. Methods. A sample of 648 parents was asked to answer a survey assessing children's condition (typical development, specific learning disorder, autism spectrum syndrome, chronic illness), parental resources, parenting sense of competence (distinguished into parental satisfaction and self-efficacy), and parents' perception of their children's executive functioning. A MANOVA model was performed to assess differences in parental resources, sense of competence, and perception of the children's executive functions according to their condition. A path analysis model was performed to examine the impact of sense of competence and children's condition on parental resources and children's executive functions. Results. Parents with children with specific learning disorder reported lower scores of parental resources in terms of total scores, common antecedents, and specific antecedents compared to parents with typically developed children (total scores: MD = 56.45, p < 0.001; common antecedents: MD = 22.28, p < 0.00; specific antecedents: MD = 34.17, p < 0.001), parents with autistic children (total scores: MD = 62.79, p = 0.01; common antecedents: MD = 24.03, p = 0.01; specific antecedents: MD = 38.76, p = 0.02) and parents of children with chronic illness (total scores: MD = 37.42, p = 0.04; common antecedents: MD = 16.59, p = 0.01). The path analysis model shows a direct effect of parental satisfaction (beta = 0.26) and pathology/disability (beta = -0.10) on parental resources that, in turn, influence parents' perception of their children's executive functioning (beta = 0.24). Conclusion. Although no data about the prepandemic situation is available, the current study highlights that parental stress influence children's cognition. Moreover, parents of children with special needs seemed to be challenged during COVID-19, especially parents of children with specific learning disorders, that are already stressed out by their children's condition. Therefore, academic services should undertake preventive measures to preserve parental well-being and to provide a supportive environment for children, especially for those with atypical development

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in restrictive cardiomyopathies

The restrictive cardiomyopathies constitute a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases with a different pathogenesis and overlapping clinical presentations. Diagnosing them frequently poses a challenge. Echocardiography, electrocardiograms and laboratory tests may show non-specific changes. In this context, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may play a crucial role in defining the diagnosis and guiding treatments, by offering a robust myocardial characterization based on the inherent magnetic properties of abnormal tissues, thus limiting the use of endomyocardial biopsy. In this review article, we explore the role of CMR in the assessment of a wide range of myocardial diseases causing restrictive patterns, from iron overload to cardiac amyloidosis, endomyocardial fibrosis or radiation-induced heart disease. Here, we emphasize the incremental value of novel relaxometric techniques such as T1 and T2 mapping, which may recognize different storage diseases based on the intrinsic magnetic properties of the accumulating metabolites, with or without the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents. We illustrate the importance of these CMR techniques and their great support when contrast media administration is contraindicated. Finally, we describe the useful role of cardiac computed tomography for diagnosis and management of restrictive cardiomyopathies when CMR is contraindicated

Inhibitor binding mode and allosteric regulation of Na+-glucose symporters.

Sodium-dependent glucose transporters (SGLTs) exploit sodium gradients to transport sugars across the plasma membrane. Due to their role in renal sugar reabsorption, SGLTs are targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Current therapeutics are phlorizin derivatives that contain a sugar moiety bound to an aromatic aglycon tail. Here, we develop structural models of human SGLT1/2 in complex with inhibitors by combining computational and functional studies. Inhibitors bind with the sugar moiety in the sugar pocket and the aglycon tail in the extracellular vestibule. The binding poses corroborate mutagenesis studies and suggest a partial closure of the outer gate upon binding. The models also reveal a putative Na+ binding site in hSGLT1 whose disruption reduces the transport stoichiometry to the value observed in hSGLT2 and increases inhibition by aglycon tails. Our work demonstrates that subtype selectivity arises from Na+-regulated outer gate closure and a variable region in extracellular loop EL5

Charging induced asymmetry in molecular conductors

We investigate the origin of asymmetry in various measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of molecules with no inherent spatial asymmetry, with particular focus on a recent break junction measurement. We argue that such asymmetry arises due to unequal coupling with the contacts and a consequent difference in charging effects, which can only be captured in a self-consistent model for molecular conduction. The direction of the asymmetry depends on the sign of the majority carriers in the molecule. For conduction through highest occupied molecular orbitals (i.e. HOMO or p-type conduction), the current is smaller for positive voltage on the stronger contact, while for conduction through lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (i.e. LUMO or n-type conduction), the sense of the asymmetry is reversed. Within an extended Huckel description of the molecular chemistry and the contact microstructure (with two adjustable parameters, the position of the Fermi energy and the sulphur-gold bond length), an appropriate description of Poisson's equation, and a self-consistently coupled non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) description of transport, we achieve good agreement between theoretical and experimental I-V characteristics, both in shape as well as overall magnitude.Comment: length of the paper has been extended (4 pages to 6 pages), two new figures have been added (3 figures to 5 figures), has been accepted for PR