939 research outputs found
Social work, ethics and vulnerable groups in the time of Coronavirus and COVID-19
The profession of social work is dedicated to the betterment of society and to the protection of marginalized and vulnerable groups. The profession’s mission is detailed in the set of seven core values: service; social justice; dignity and work of the person; importance of human relationships; integrity; and competence. Relationships between people and among groups are the primary tools of social work assessment, intervention and evaluation. In the time of coronavirus and COVID-19, there are many challenges for professional practitioners to adhere to social work’s core values as well as to maintain their own health and welfare in a time of uncertain and rapidly changing situations. This paper will examine the challenges and innovations for each social work core value and present ideas for innovation and adaptation suited to these times. The paper will present challenges and innovations using examples of two community agencies providing services to people who are homeless and addicted. In summary we will offer some insights and expectations for the future of social work in the coming years, after this experience of coronavirus and COVID-19
Quantum chemical study of the hydrolysis of oxidized endogenous psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine
The metabolism of biogenic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) starts with its enzymatic oxidation to indole-3-N,N-dimethylethaniminium cation (imDMT(+)) by monoamine oxidase (MAO). Following this reaction, a nonenzymatic hydrolysis occurs, yielding indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAL) and dimethylamine (DMA). In our in silico study, using a hybrid DFT method at the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ level, we examined the necessity of explicit water molecules to accurately model the hydrolysis. Our calculations revealed that despite an implicit continuum solvent model, one or two explicit solvent molecules should be added to obtain meaningful activation barriers. Thus, we demonstrate that the hydrolysis can occur in a human cell without enzymatic assistance, paving the way for deeper understanding of DMT metabolism
Test of classical nucleation theory on deeply supercooled high-pressure simulated silica
We test classical nucleation theory (CNT) in the case of simulations of
deeply supercooled, high density liquid silica, as modelled by the BKS
potential. We find that at density ~g/cm, spontaneous nucleation
of crystalline stishovite occurs in conventional molecular dynamics simulations
at temperature T=3000 K, and we evaluate the nucleation rate J directly at this
T via "brute force" sampling of nucleation events. We then use parallel,
constrained Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate , the free energy
to form a crystalline embryo containing n silicon atoms, at T=3000, 3100, 3200
and 3300 K. We find that the prediction of CNT for the n-dependence of fits reasonably well to the data at all T studied, and at 3300 K yields a
chemical potential difference between liquid and stishovite that matches
independent calculation. We find that , the size of the critical nucleus,
is approximately 10 silicon atoms at T=3300 K. At 3000 K, decreases to
approximately 3, and at such small sizes methodological challenges arise in the
evaluation of when using standard techniques; indeed even the
thermodynamic stability of the supercooled liquid comes into question under
these conditions. We therefore present a modified approach that permits an
estimation of at 3000 K. Finally, we directly evaluate at T=3000
K the kinetic prefactors in the CNT expression for J, and find physically
reasonable values; e.g. the diffusion length that Si atoms must travel in order
to move from the liquid to the crystal embryo is approximately 0.2 nm. We are
thereby able to compare the results for J at 3000 K obtained both directly and
based on CNT, and find that they agree within an order of magnitude.Comment: corrected calculation, new figure, accepted in JC
GLP-1 receptor stimulation of the lateral parabrachial nucleus reduces food intake: neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral evidence.
The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is a key nucleus for the regulation of feeding behavior. Inhibitory inputs from the hypothalamus to the PBN play a crucial role in the normal maintenance of feeding behavior, because their loss leads to starvation. Viscerosensory stimuli result in neuronal activation of the PBN. However, the origin and neurochemical identity of the excitatory neuronal input to the PBN remain largely unexplored. Here, we hypothesize that hindbrain glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) neurons provide excitatory inputs to the PBN, activation of which may lead to a reduction in feeding behavior. Our data, obtained from mice expressing the yellow fluorescent protein in GLP-1-producing neurons, revealed that hindbrain GLP-1-producing neurons project to the lateral PBN (lPBN). Stimulation of lPBN GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) reduced the intake of chow and palatable food and decreased body weight in rats. It also activated lPBN neurons, reflected by an increase in the number of c-Fos-positive cells in this region. Further support for an excitatory role of GLP-1 in the PBN is provided by electrophysiological studies showing a remarkable increase in firing of lPBN neurons after Exendin-4 application. We show that within the PBN, GLP-1R activation increased gene expression of 2 energy balance regulating peptides, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and IL-6. Moreover, nearly 70% of the lPBN GLP-1 fibers innervated lPBN CGRP neurons. Direct intra-lPBN CGRP application resulted in anorexia. Collectively, our molecular, anatomical, electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral data provide evidence for a functional role of the GLP-1R for feeding control in the PBN
WAO guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema
Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease and for this reason proper diagnosis and appropriate therapy are often unknown or not available for physicians and other health care providers. For this reason we convened a group of specialists that focus upon HAE from around the world to develop not only a consensus on diagnosis and management of HAE, but to also provide evidence based grades, strength of evidence and classification for the consensus. Since both consensus and evidence grading were adhered to the document meets criteria as a guideline. The outcome of the guideline is to improve diagnosis and management of patients with HAE throughout the world and to help initiate uniform care and availability of therapies to all with the diagnosis no matter where the residence of the individual with HAE exists
The post-mortem resilience of facial creases and the possibility for use in identification of the dead
The post-mortem resilience of facial creases was studied using donated bodies in order to establish the
efficacy of crease analysis for identification of the dead. Creases were studied on normal (pre-embalmed)
and bloated (embalmed) cadavers at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) to
establish whether facial bloating would affect facial crease visibility. Embalming was chosen to simulate
the effects produced by post-mortem bloating. The results suggested that creases are resilient and
changes were only detected for creases located on the periphery of the face, particularly at areas where
the skin is thick, such as at the cheeks. Two new creases not previously classified were identified; these
creases were called the vertical superciliary arch line and the lateral nose crease. This research suggests
that facial creases may be resilient enough after death to be utilised for human identification
Feasibility Study of Dual Energy Radiographic Imaging for Target Localization in Radiotherapy for Lung Tumors
Purpose
Dual-energy (DE) radiographic imaging improves tissue discrimination by separating soft from hard tissues in the acquired images. This study was to establish a mathematic model of DE imaging based on intrinsic properties of tissues and quantitatively evaluate the feasibility of applying the DE imaging technique to tumor localization in radiotherapy.
Methods
We investigated the dependence of DE image quality on the radiological equivalent path length (EPL) of tissues with two phantoms using a stereoscopic x-ray imaging unit. 10 lung cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy each with gold markers implanted in the tumor were enrolled in the study approved by the hospital's Ethics Committee. The displacements of the centroids of the delineated gross tumor volumes (GTVs) in the digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) and in the bone-canceled DE image were compared with the averaged displacements of the centroids of gold markers to evaluate the feasibility of using DE imaging for tumor localization.
Results
The results of the phantom study indicated that the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was linearly dependent on the difference of EPL and a mathematical model was established. The objects and backgrounds corresponding to ΔEPL less than 0.08 are visually indistinguishable in the bone-canceled DE image. The analysis of patient data showed that the tumor contrast in the bone-canceled images was improved significantly as compared with that in the original radiographic images and the accuracy of tumor localization using the DE imaging technique was comparable with that of using fiducial makers.
Conclusion
It is feasible to apply the technique for tumor localization in radiotherapy
How the AIS can Improve its Contributions to the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals: Towards A Framework for Scaling Collaborations and Evaluating Impact
In June, 2019, the Association for Information Systems (AIS) adopted a new approach to addressing global sustainability issues by establishing the AIS Sustainability Task Force (AIS STF). This initiative focuses on building on the outcomes from the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDG, 2000-2015) and applying them to address the challenges associated with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG, 2016-2030). In this paper, we review the challenges and outcomes from the UN sustainability programs with their potential relevance to IS in general and the AIS in particular to inform and assist increased efforts to achieve the global sustainability goals. The initial event, the AIS Sustainability Summit held at ICIS 2019, provided a forum for AIS groups and communities to share their current interests, plans, activities, and experiences relevant to the MDG and SDG. The event primarily focused on facilitating opportunities to scale the AIS’s sustainability activities through multi-disciplinary collaboration across the AIS and its communities. Members from four AIS special interest groups and the STF’s Education Workgroup presented exemplary projects at the summit that demonstrated how one can apply applied IS and research capabilities to address sustainability challenges. The sustainability summit’s also explored opportunities to achieve positive impact in addressing the SDG’s global challenges through applying AIS members’ knowledge, skills, and capabilities in relevant ways in collaboration with suitable organizations outside the AIS. Potential organizations include business, government, societal groups, and UN bodies. We presented and discussed the AIS STF’s aims, plans, outcomes, and impact. By analyzing details and options for cross-organizational collaboration, the representatives of organizations at the sustainability summit developed a proposed framework for scaling contributions and evaluating impact. Finally, they drew conclusions about the proposed activities, approaches, and framework for the AIS to improve the scope and scale of its contributions in addressing the SDG. Critically, the AIS needs to ensure that its proposed activities, contributions, and impact are examined by an internationally recognized independent process. We propose a model for the AIS to realize this requirement for evaluation in 2021
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