Homeless community of Alamance County : an action oriented community diagnosis

This document contains an analysis of interviews, focus groups, and relevant background information on the homeless community in Alamance County. The data were compiled by a group of five graduate students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health, as part of a community assessment, also known as Action-Oriented Community Diagnosis (AOCD). An AOCD is a process through which a student team works with a community to identify strengths and challenges, presents the findings at a community forum, and facilitates the development of tangible action steps to help the community address the identified challenges. The process involves both research and practice. Bill Adams, executive director of the Allied Churches of Alamance County, and Karen Webb, of the Alamance-Caswell-Rockingham Local Management Entity (formerly the Alamance-Caswell Area Mental Health Program), requested the AOCD in order to learn more about homelessness in the county. Another goal of the assessment was to examine the assets and challenges of service providers who work with individuals experiencing homelessness. The information presented in this document is intended for use as a reference and a resource, and may inform program planning, grant writing, and future community forums. The first section of this report contains background information on homelessness and Alamance County. The second part of the document contains a description of the AOCD methods and a summary of community strengths and challenges, including eight domains that emerged from interviews and focus groups with service providers and individuals experiencing homelessness. These eight domains are: mental health, employment, housing, transportation, substance abuse, reentry from prison or psychiatric facilities, perceptions of homelessness, and communication among service providers or between service providers and homeless individuals. The third part of the document contains a description of the community forum, planned by the community and student team, during which project findings were presented and tangible action steps were generated to address the challenges that emerged during the AOCD process. Finally, the student team’s recommendations conclude the report. The scope of this report is limited to the adult homeless community in Graham and Burlington because that is where most services are concentrated. For the purposes of this AOCD, the homeless population is defined broadly, but most interviewees are shelter guests and many are new residents of Alamance County. The student team presented their findings at a community forum, called Homelessness: Creating Community Change, held on April 27, 2007 at the First Christian United Church of Christ in Burlington. The event brought together more than 160 homeless and formerly homeless individuals, service providers and general community members with an interest in homelessness, to identify and discuss action steps related to the identified themes. The action steps and key discussion points from the forum are listed in Appendix C, and a general presentation of the forum planning process and schedule of events is contained in the body of this document. To conclude, this document describes the AOCD process and analyzes the experiences, perceptions, and frustrations of people experiencing homelessness, and the people who serve them, in Alamance County. The primary data, secondary data, recommendations, and action steps contained in this report may be used to guide future program planning and grant-writing. The student team thanks the people of Alamance County for the challenging work they have done already, and the action steps they have committed to take in the future, to improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness.Master of Public Healt

Conceptual Art

Providing a re-examination of what Osborne identifies as a major turning point in contemporary art, this monograph takes a chronological and stylistic look at conceptual art from its “pre-history” (1950-1960) to contemporary practices that use conceptual strategies. Osborne surveys the development of the movement in relation to the social, cultural and political contexts within which it evolved. With extended captions, key works are compiled according to ten themes that also serve to present a collection of critical texts, artists’ statements, interviews and commentaries. Includes biographical notes on artists (6 p.) and authors (2 p.), a bibliography (2 p.) and an onomastic index (4 p.) Circa 150 bibl. ref

Dysregulation of the mTOR Pathway Mediates Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Background: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase that plays a pivotal role in multiple fundamental biological processes, including synaptic plasticity. We explored the relationship between the mTOR pathway and b-amyloid (Ab)-induced synaptic dysfunction, which is considered to be critical in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methodology/Principal Findings: We provide evidence that inhibition of mTOR signaling correlates with impairment in synaptic plasticity in hippocampal slices from an AD mouse model and in wild-type slices exposed to exogenous Ab1-42. Importantly, by up-regulating mTOR signaling, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitors rescued LTP in the AD mouse model, and genetic deletion of FK506-binding protein 12 (FKBP12) prevented Ab-induced impairment in long-term potentiation (LTP). In addition, confocal microscopy demonstrated co-localization of intraneuronal Ab42 with mTOR. Conclusions/Significance: These data support the notion that the mTOR pathway modulates Ab-related synaptic dysfunctio

Influência do tempo de hospitalização sobre o desenvolvimento neuromotor de recém-nascidos pré-termo Influence of length of hospitalization on neuromotor development in premature newborn infants

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do tempo de hospitalização sobre o desenvolvimento neuromotor de recém-nascidos pré-termo (RNPT). Foi feito um estudo prospectivo com 67 RNPT de idade gestacional <36 semanas. O desenvolvimento neuromotor foi avaliado pela escala motora infantil de Alberta (Alberta infant motor scale, AIMS), aplicada no ambulatório de seguimento, quando os RN tinham mediana de idade corrigida de 39 a 44 semanas. Para a análise comparativa, os RNPT foram distribuídos em dois grupos segundo o tempo de hospitalização (TH): grupo A (n=35), com TH <34 dias, e grupo B (n=32), com TH >34 dias. Na análise estatística considerou-se o nível de significância p<0,05. Os escores medianos na AIMS (numa faixa possível de 0 a 21) foram 7 no grupo A, 5 no grupo B; foram encontradas fracas correlações significativas nos dois grupos (r=0,32; r=0,34) entre o escore na AIMS e o TH. Os resultados indicam que os RNPT que permaneceram por mais de 34 dias hospitalizados mostraram atraso no desenvolvimento neuromotor, sugerindo que, sem excluir outros fatores, quanto maior o tempo de internação do RN, maior seu comprometimento motor.<br>The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the length of hospital stay on the neuromotor development of preterm newborns (PTNB). This prospective study was carried out with 67 PTNB (gestational age <36 weeks). Neuromotor development was assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) when NB returned to out-patient follow-up, at median 39 to 44 weeks corrected age. For comparative analysis, PTNB were divided into two groups, according to the length of hospitalization period (HP): group A (n=35) with HP <34 days, and group B (n=32) with HP >34 days. In statistical analysis significance level was set at p<0.05. Median AIMS scores (possible range 0-21) were 7 in group A, 5 in group B; weak, significant correlations were found at both groups (r=0.32; r=0.34) between AIMS scores and HP. Results show that PTNB who stayed in hospital for more than 34 days showed developmental delay, suggesting that, without excluding other factors, the longer PTNB length of stay, the greater the motor impairment

Conceptual Art : A Critical Anthology

The selections in this anthology of critical writings on conceptual art are arranged chronologically according to their year of publication, from 1966 to 1977. These are followed by two sections that look retrospectively at the movement: one entitled “Memoirs of Conceptual Art” features artists’ reflections, and the other offers “Critical Histories of Conceptual Art.” The editors’ introductions contextualise the writings, many of which have been translated into English for the first time or have otherwise had limited availability. Circa 200 bibl. ref

Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art : A Sourcebook of Artists' Writings

Edited by Stiles and Selz, this collection of well known artists' writings and critical texts by North American and European artists/authors draws attention to key moments in the evolution of late-modern art. The texts – manifestos, theoretical essays, interviews, letters, etc. – are placed within one of the following nine categories: Gestural Abstraction; Geometric Abstraction; Figuration; Material Culture and Everyday Life; Art and Technology; Installations, Environments and Sites; Process; Language and Concepts. Includes brief introductions to each chapter. Bibliography. Index. Circa 1300 bibl. ref