From Options to Action: A Roadmap for City Leaders to Connect Formerly Incarcerated Individuals to Work

On February 28, 2008, P/PV, along with The United States Conference of Mayors, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU and the City of New York, convened the Mayors Summit on Reentry and Employment, where 150 city leaders, policymakers, practitioners and academics came together from more than 20 cities to share strategies for connecting formerly incarcerated people to the labor market. From Options to Action was inspired and informed by discussions that took place at the Summit, as well as P/PV's experience in the field and a review of pertinent literature. It is meant to provide a framework for reentry efforts, with guidance for cities in early planning phases as well as those implementing more advanced strategies. The report presents practical steps for achieving a more coordinated, comprehensive approach to reentry at the city level, including identifying and convening relevant stakeholders, addressing city-level barriers to employment, engaging the business community and working with county, state and federal leaders to implement collaborative approaches and produce needed policy change.Because mayors and other municipal leaders are confronted with the day-to-day reality of prison and jail reentry and see its detrimental effects in their cities, many have already begun to seek out, test and refine lasting solutions. We hope this publication will support their efforts, as they work to interrupt the revolving door of recidivism -- and offer hope to returning prisoners, their families and communities

Advanced composite aileron for L-1011 transport aircraft: Aileron manufacture

The fabrication activities of the Advanced Composite Aileron (ACA) program are discussed. These activities included detail fabrication, manufacturing development, assembly, repair and quality assurance. Five ship sets of ailerons were manufactured. The detail fabrication effort of ribs, spar and covers was accomplished on male tools to a common cure cycle. Graphite epoxy tape and fabric and syntactic epoxy materials were utilized in the fabrication. The ribs and spar were net cured and required no post cure trim. Material inconsistencies resulted in manufacturing development of the front spar during the production effort. The assembly effort was accomplished in subassembly and assembly fixtures. The manual drilling system utilized a dagger type drill in a hydraulic feed control hand drill. Coupon testing for each detail was done

Classification of hyperbolic Dynkin diagrams, root lengths and Weyl group orbits

We give a criterion for a Dynkin diagram, equivalently a generalized Cartan matrix, to be symmetrizable. This criterion is easily checked on the Dynkin diagram. We obtain a simple proof that the maximal rank of a Dynkin diagram of compact hyperbolic type is 5, while the maximal rank of a symmetrizable Dynkin diagram of compact hyperbolic type is 4. Building on earlier classification results of Kac, Kobayashi-Morita, Li and Sa\c{c}lio\~{g}lu, we present the 238 hyperbolic Dynkin diagrams in ranks 3-10, 142 of which are symmetrizable. For each symmetrizable hyperbolic generalized Cartan matrix, we give a symmetrization and hence the distinct lengths of real roots in the corresponding root system. For each such hyperbolic root system we determine the disjoint orbits of the action of the Weyl group on real roots. It follows that the maximal number of disjoint Weyl group orbits on real roots in a hyperbolic root system is 4.Comment: J. Phys. A: Math. Theor (to appear

Pharmacogenomic and structural analysis of constitutive G-protein coupled receptor activity

Premi a l'excel·lència investigadora. Àmbit de les Ciències de la Salut. 2008G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to a chemically diverse plethora of signal transduction molecules. The notion that GPCRs also signal without an external chemical trigger, i.e. in a constitutive or spontaneous manner, resulted in a paradigm shift in the field of GPCR pharmacology. With the recognition of constitutive GPCR activity and the fact that GPCR binding and signaling can be strongly affected by a single point mutation, GPCR pharmacogenomics obtained a lot of attention. For a variety of GPCRs, point mutations have been convincingly linked to human disease. Mutations within conserved motifs, known to be involved in GPCR activation, might explain the properties of some naturally occurring constitutively active GPCR variants linked to disease. A brief history historical introduction to the present concept of constitutive receptor activity is given and the pharmacogenomic and the structural aspects of constitutive receptor activity are described

In Defense of the Nigerian Homeland

Recently, Nigeria has experienced various acts of domestic terrorism and kidnapping that may be rooted in many forms of motivations and agitations. These aggressions have resulted in homegrown bloodshed, émigré aggression, or even organized international network assaults against the population. The scourge of these terrorist activities has continued to weaken the Nigerian character or moral fiber. While the government is trying to combat these offenses caused by extremist activities, there are still remedies that have not been implemented prudently or applied properly. In this article, we propose various forms of the repertoire of actions which the government can use to effectively fight and combat terrorism in a democratic Nigeria

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) and Nitric Oxide (NO) are Important Mediators of Reflux-induced Cell Signalling in Esophageal Cells

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in both DNA damage induction and aberrant cell signalling in various tissue and cell backgrounds. We investigated here the role of iNOS and NO in DNA damage induction and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling in esophageal cells in vitro. As esophageal adenocarcinoma develops in a background of Barrett’s esophagus secondary to reflux disease, it is possible that inflammatory mediators like NO may be important in esophageal cancer development. We show that reflux components like stomach acid and bile acids [deoxycholic acid (DCA)] can induce iNOS gene and protein expression and produce NO generation in esophageal cells, using real-time PCR, western blotting and NO sensitive fluorescent probes, respectively. This up-regulation of iNOS expression was not dependent on NF-κB activity. DCA-induced DNA damage was independent of NF-κB and only partially dependent on iNOS and NO, as measured by the micronucleus assay. These same reflux constituents also activated the oncogenic transcription factor NF-κB, as measured by transcription factor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gene expression studies with NF-κB linked genes (e.g. interleukin-8). Importantly, we show here for the first time that basal levels of NF-κB activity (and possibly acid and DCA-induced NF-κB) are dependent on iNOS/NO and this may lead to a positive feedback loop whereby induced iNOS is upstream of NF-κB, hence prolonging and potentially amplifying this signalling, presumably through NO activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, we confirm increased protein levels of iNOS in esophageal adenocarcinoma and, therefore, in neoplastic development in the esophagus

Reducing Stress after Trauma (ReSeT): Study Protocol for a Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Online Psychoeducational Program and Video Therapy Sessions for Children Hospitalized after Trauma

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress symptoms develop in a quarter to half of injured children affecting their longer-term psychologic and physical health. Evidence-based care exists for post-traumatic stress; however, it is not readily available in some communities. We have developed an eHealth program consisting of online, interactive educational modules and telehealth therapist support based in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, the Reducing Stress after Trauma (ReSeT) program. We hypothesize that children with post-traumatic stress who participate in ReSeT will have fewer symptoms compared to the usual care control group. METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the ReSeT intervention in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress compared to a usual care control group. One hundred and six children ages 8-17 years, who were admitted to hospital following an injury, with post-traumatic stress symptoms at 4 weeks post-injury, will be recruited and randomized from the four participating trauma centers. The outcomes compared across groups will be post-traumatic stress symptoms at 10 weeks (primary outcome) controlling for baseline symptoms and at 6 months post-randomization (secondary outcome). DISCUSSION: ReSeT is an evidence-based program designed to reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms among injured children using an eHealth platform. Currently, the American College of Surgeons standards suggest that trauma programs identify and treat patients at high risk for mental health needs in the trauma system. If effectiveness is demonstrated, ReSeT could help increase access to evidence-based care for children with post-traumatic stress within the trauma system

As Time Goes by: Understanding Child and Family Factors Shaping Behavioral Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective: To model pre-injury child and family factors associated with the trajectory of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems across the first 3 years in children with pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to children with orthopedic injuries (OI). Parent-reported emotional symptoms and conduct problems were expected to have unique and shared predictors. We hypothesized that TBI, female sex, greater pre-injury executive dysfunction, adjustment problems, lower income, and family dysfunction would be associated with less favorable outcomes. Methods: In a prospective longitudinal cohort study, we examined the level of behavior problems at 12 months after injury and rate of change from pre-injury to 12 months and from 12 to 36 months in children ages 4–15 years with mild to severe TBI relative to children with OI. A structural equation model framework incorporated injury characteristics, child demographic variables, as well as pre-injury child reserve and family attributes. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were indexed using the parent-rated Emotional Symptoms and Conduct Problems scales from the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire. Results: The analysis cohort of 534 children [64% boys, M (SD) 8.8 (4.3) years of age] included 395 with mild to severe TBI and 139 with OI. Behavior ratings were higher after TBI than OI but did not differ by TBI severity. TBI, higher pre-injury executive dysfunction, and lower income predicted the level and trajectory of both Emotional Symptoms and Conduct Problems at 12 months. Female sex and poorer family functioning were vulnerability factors associated with greater increase and change in Emotional Symptoms by 12 months after injury; unique predictors of Conduct Problems included younger age and prior emotional/behavioral problems. Across the long-term follow-up from 12 to 36 months, Emotional Symptoms increased significantly and Conduct Problems stabilized. TBI was not a significant predictor of change during the chronic stage of recovery. Conclusions: After TBI, Emotional Symptoms and Conduct Problem scores were elevated, had different trajectories of change, increased or stayed elevated from 12 to 36 months after TBI, and did not return to pre-injury levels across the 3 year follow-up. These findings highlight the importance of addressing behavioral problems after TBI across an extended time frame