Asian Americans and the First Amendment

This issue brief outlines the Asian American Movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It highlights major events that questioned American democracy in calling to mind the first amendment, serving to define the Asian American Movement

Asian Americans and the First Amendment

This issue brief outlines the Asian American Movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It highlights major events that questioned American democracy in calling to mind the first amendment, serving to define the Asian American Movement

Structural Verification of the First Orbital Wonder of the World - The Structural Testing and Analysis of the International Space Station (ISS)

The International Space Station (ISS) can be considered one of the structural engineering wonders of the world. On par with the World Trade Center, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Liberty, the Great Pyramids, the Petronas towers and the Burj Khalifa skyscraper of Dubai, the ambition and scope of the ISS structural design, verification and assembly effort is a truly global success story. With its on-orbit life projected to be from its beginning in 1998 to the year 2020 (and perhaps beyond), all of those who participated in its development can consider themselves part of an historic engineering achievement representing all of humanity. The structural design and verification of the ISS could be the subject of many scholarly papers. Several papers have been written on the structural dynamic characterization of the ISS once it was assembled on-orbit [1], but the ground-based activities required to assure structural integrity and structural life of the individual elements from delivery to orbit through assembly and planned on-orbit operations have never been totally summarized. This paper is intended to give the reader an overview of some of the key decisions made during the structural verification planning for the elements of the U.S. On-Orbit Segment (USOS) as well as to summarize the many structural tests and structural analyses that were performed on its major elements. An effort is made for this paper to be summarily comprehensive, but as with all knowledge capture efforts of this kind, there are bound to be errors of omission. Should the reader discover any of these, please feel free to contact the principal author. The ISS (Figure 1) is composed of pre-integrated truss segments and pressurized elements supplied by NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency (RSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Each of these elements was delivered to orbit by a launch vehicle and connected to one another either robotically or autonomously. The primary structure of each element was assembled and verified by teams of responsible structural engineers within and among their respective agencies and agency contractors

Magnitude and factors associated with pre-diagnosis loss to follow-up among tuberculosis presumptive patients in the Cycle of Health Care, Musoma, Tanzania: Cross-sectional study

Background: Despite National Tuberculosis (TB) Program efforts on tuberculosis control in the country, pre-diagnosis loss to follow-up is still a major problem. The study aims at exploring the magnitude and risk factors of presumptive TB cases who either do not submit a second sputum sample or do not show up for their laboratory results. Methods: The study included presumptive TB registered at the Musoma Regional Referral Hospital between May and November 2014.  Lost to follow up presumptive TB were then traced and interviewed from December 2014 to April 2015. One hundred and thirty-two among those who submitted both samples and showed up for their results were randomly selected as a comparison group.  Results: A total of 620 presumptive TB was registered at the Musoma Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), of which 521 (84.0%) completed TB testing in accordance with the national TB diagnostic algorithm while 99 (16.0%) did not complete. Out of those who did not complete, 65 (65.7%) submitted only one spot sample and 34 (34.3%) submitted both but all of these did not pick-up their results. The Mean age of participants was 45.3 years (Standard deviation 17.7). The main reasons for loss to follow-up were: 23 (23.2%) opted to go to other health care facilities; 23 (23.2%) lack of transport fare; and 20 (20.2%) long distance to the hospital. Males were 1.6 (95%CI1.02-2.90) more likely to complete TB diagnostic algorithm

A recurrent missense variant in HARS2 results in variable sensorineural hearing loss in three unrelated families

HARS2 encodes mitochondrial histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HARS2), which links histidine to its cognate tRNA in the mitochondrial matrix. Biallelic variants in HARS2 are associated with Perrault syndrome, a rare recessive condition characterized by sensorineural hearing loss in both sexes and primary ovarian insufficiency in 46,XX females. Some individuals with Perrault syndrome have a broader phenotypic spectrum with neurological features, including ataxia and peripheral neuropathy. Here, we report a recurrent variant in HARS2 in association with sensorineural hearing loss. In affected individuals from three unrelated families, the variant HARS2 c.1439G>A p.(Arg480His) is present as a heterozygous variant in trans to a putative pathogenic variant. The low prevalence of the allele HARS2 c.1439G>A p.(Arg480His) in the general population and its presence in three families with hearing loss, confirm the pathogenicity of this variant and illustrate the presentation of Perrault syndrome as nonsyndromic hearing loss in males and prepubertal females

Epirubicin With Cyclophosphamide Followed by Docetaxel With Trastuzumab and Bevacizumab as Neoadjuvant Therapy for HER2-Positive Locally Advanced Breast Cancer or as Adjuvant Therapy for HER2-Positive Pathologic Stage III Breast Cancer: A Phase II Trial of the NSABP Foundation Research Group, FB-5

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiac safety and clinical activity of trastuzumab and bevacizumab with docetaxel after epirubicin with cyclophosphamide (EC) in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) or pathologic stage 3 breast cancer (PS3BC). Patients and Methods Patients received every 3 week treatment with 4 cycles of EC (90/600 mg/m2) followed by 4 cycles of docetaxel (100 mg/m2). Targeted therapy with standard-dose trastuzumab with bevacizumab 15 mg/kg was given for a total of 1 year. Coprimary end points were (1) rate of cardiac events (CEs) in all patients defined as clinical congestive heart failure with a significant decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction or cardiac deaths; and (2) pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast and nodes in the neoadjuvant cohort. An independent cardiac review panel determined whether criteria for a CE were met. Results A total of 105 patients were accrued, 76 with LABC treated with neoadjuvant therapy and 29 with PS3BC treated with adjuvant therapy. Median follow-up was 59.2 months. Among 99 evaluable patients for cardiac safety, 4 (4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1%-10.0%) met CE criteria. The pCR percentage in LABC patients was 46% (95% CI, 34%-59%). Five-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients was 79.9% and 90.8%, respectively. Conclusion The regimen met predefined criteria for activity of interest with an acceptable rate of CEs. Although the pCR percentage was comparable with chemotherapy regimens with trastuzumab alone the high RFS and OS are of interest in these high-risk populations

Implementing a multidisciplinary psychotropic medication review among nursing home residents with dementia:a process evaluation

OBJECTIVES: Before drawing conclusions on the contribution of an effective intervention to daily practice and initiating dissemination, its quality and implementation in daily practice should be optimal. The aim of this process evaluation was to study these aspects alongside a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a multidisciplinary biannual medication review in long-term care organizations (NTR3569). DESIGN: Process evaluation with multiple measurements. SETTING: Thirteen units for people with dementia in six long-term care organizations in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians, pharmacists, and nursing staff of participating units. INTERVENTION: The PROPER intervention is a structured and biannually repeated multidisciplinary medication review supported by organizational preparation and education, evaluation, and guidance. MEASUREMENTS: Web-based questionnaires, interviews, attendance lists of education sessions, medication reviews and evaluation meetings, minutes, evaluation, and registration forms. RESULTS: Participation rates in education sessions (95%), medication reviews (95%), and evaluation meetings (82%) were high. The intervention's relevance and feasibility and applied implementation strategies were highly rated. However, the education sessions and conversations during medication reviews were too pharmacologically oriented for several nursing staff members. Identified barriers to implementation were required time, investment, planning issues, and high staff turnover; facilitators were the positive attitude of professionals toward the intervention, the support of higher management, and the appointment of a local implementation coordinator. CONCLUSION: Implementation was successful. The commitment of both higher management and professionals was an important factor. This may partly have been due to the subject being topical; Dutch long-term-care organizations are pressed to lower inappropriate psychotropic drug use

Effect of Electrode Composition and Microstructure on Impendancemetric nitric oxide sensors based on YSZ Electrolyte

The role of metal (Au, Pt, and Ag) electrodes in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte-based impedancemetric nitric oxide (NO) sensors is investigated using impedance spectroscopy and equivalent circuit analysis. Focus on the metal/porous YSZ interface is based on previous studies using a symmetric cell (metal/YSZporous/YSZdense/YSZporous/metal) and attempts to further elucidate the important processes responsible for sensing. The current test cell consists of a rectangular slab of porous YSZ with two metal-wire loop electrodes (metal/YSZporous/metal), both exposed to the same atmosphere. Of the electrode materials, only Au was sensitive to changes in NO concentration. The impedance behavior of porous Au electrodes in a slightly different configuration was compared with dense Au electrodes and was also insensitive to NO. Although the exact mechanism is not determined, the composition and microstructure of the metal electrode seem to alter the rate-limiting step of the interfering O2 reaction. Impedance behavior of the O2 reaction that is limited by processes occurring away from the triple-phase boundary may be crucial for impedancemetric NO sensing

F.A.R.O.G. FORUM Vol. 2, No. 2

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/1001/thumbnail.jp

FGF-23 and PTH levels in patients with acute kidney injury: A cross-sectional case series study

BackgroundFibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), a novel regulator of mineral metabolism, is markedly elevated in chronic kidney disease and has been associated with poor long-term outcomes. However, whether FGF-23 has an analogous role in acute kidney injury is unknown. The goal of this study was to measure FGF-23 levels in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury to determine whether FGF-23 levels were elevated, as in chronic kidney disease.MethodsPlasma FGF-23 and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured in 12 patients with acute kidney injury and 8 control subjects.ResultsFGF-23 levels were significantly higher in acute kidney injury cases than in critically ill subjects without acute kidney injury, with a median FGF-23 level of 1948 RU/mL (interquartile range (IQR), 437-4369) in cases compared with 252 RU/mL (IQR, 65-533) in controls (p = 0.01). No correlations were observed between FGF-23 and severity of acute kidney injury (defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria); among patients with acute kidney injury, FGF-23 levels were higher in nonsurvivors than survivors (median levels of 4446 RU/mL (IQR, 3455-5443) versus 544 RU/mL (IQR, 390-1948; p = 0.02). Severe hyperparathyroidism (defined as intact PTH >250 mg/dL) was present in 3 of 12 (25%) of the acute kidney injury subjects versus none of the subjects without acute kidney injury, although this result did not meet statistical significance.ConclusionsWe provide novel data that demonstrate that FGF-23 levels are elevated in acute kidney injury, suggesting that FGF-23 dysregulation occurs in acute kidney injury as well as chronic kidney disease. Further studies are needed to define the short- and long-term clinical effects of dysregulated mineral metabolism in acute kidney injury patients