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Developments stemming from changed language in IDEIA 2004 have put a renewed spotlight on the concepts, importance, and practices of functional vocational evaluation (FVE). This paper presents the national VECAP workgroup examination of the foundations of (and contrasting opinions about) the topic, discusses the transition requirement of functional vocational evaluation and proposes a working definition as a framework and set of strategies for practical implementation of FVE, and as a platform for dialogue with other professional groups having an intrinsic interest in the topic. (This project is the result of a national VECAP workgroup, with the primary author compiling and synthesizing the discussions, references, feedback from several conferences and views that represent the major workgroup findings.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa contains over 60% of the world's HIV infections and Zambia is among the most severely affected countries in the region. As antiretroviral programs have been rapidly expanding, the long-term success of these programs depends on a good understanding of the behavioral determinants of acceptance and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study used qualitative methods to gain local insight into potentially important factors affecting HIV-infected women's decision to accept or continue with ART. Some of the barriers identified by this study are consistent with factors cited in the existing adherence literature from both developed and developing nations such as side effects, hunger and stigma; other factors have not been previously reported. One major theme was unfamiliarity with the implications of having a chronic, potentially deadly disease. Other emerging themes from this study include the complicated effect of ART on interpersonal relationship, particularly between husbands and wives, the presence of depression and hopelessness, and lack of accurate information. The results suggest that the reasons for non-uptake of treatment include issues related to local cultural frameworks (e.g., illness ideology), mental and behavioral health (e.g., depression and/or interpersonal challenges), stigma, and motivating factors (e.g., values of church or marriage) of different cultures that affect the ability and willingness to take life-saving medicine for a long period of time. Qualitative studies are critical to better understand why ART eligible individuals are choosing not to initiate or continue treatment to achieve needed adherence levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the problem of the hidden presence of an African-American in the assemblage, Goin’ Fishin’ by Arthur Dove. The 1925 image has long been treated as an abstraction, evocative of ‘Huck Finn’ Americana built upon a modernist vocabulary of Cubism and early Surrealist ambiguity. The thesis asserts that the assemblage is a portrait abstraction. This unlocks the key to a world Dove first set out to depict, and gives the viewer a window on the elusive man’s 75-year anonymity and experience. This study will investigate first the actual genesis of the title, its 1926 exhibition by Alfred Stieglitz, 1937 purchase by the Phillips Collection in Washington D. C., and literary parallels in Sherwood Anderson, Waldo Frank, and Jean Toomer.

The genome of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains a gene (slr2097, glbN) encoding a 123 amino-acid product with sequence similarity to globins. Related proteins from cyanobacteria, ciliates, and green algae bind oxygen and have a pronounced tendency to coordinate the heme iron with two protein ligands. To study the structural and functional properties of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 hemoglobin, slr2097 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Purification of the hemoglobin was performed after addition of hemin to the clarified cell lysate. Recombinant, heme-reconstituted ferric Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 hemoglobin was found to be a stable helical protein, soluble to concentrations higher than 500 ¼M. At neutral pH, it yielded an electronic absorption spectrum typical of a low-spin ferric species, with maxima at 410 and 546 nm. The proton NMR spectrum revealed sharp lines spread over a chemical shift window narrower than 40 ppm, in support of low-spin hexacoordination of the heme iron. Nuclear Overhauser effects demonstrated that the heme is inserted in the protein matrix to produce one major equilibrium form. Addition of dithionite resulted in an absorption spectrum with maxima at 426, 528, and 560 nm. This reduced form appeared capable of carbon monoxide binding. Optical data also suggested that cyanide ions could bind to the heme in the ferric state. The spectral properties of the putative Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 hemoglobin confirmed that it can be used for further studies of an ancient hemoprotein structure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Describes the results of a study that explored the particular developmental objective of enhancing interpersonal relationship skills of college students through their participation in a cooperative education experience. Reasons for the selection of the cooperative education experience; Methodology of the study; Discussion of results; Conclusions.

This article reports that in the monumental and impermanent visions of the Bulgarian-born artist Christo, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles found just the sort of ambiguous catalyst of unplanned moments and of unfolding layers of meaning they so admirably capture on film. The Maysleses' method has been associated with the techniques of direct cinema. In Christo's "Valley Curtain," edited by Ellen Giffard, the primary structural juxtaposition is between Christo's idea, its initial planning in the studio, and the subsequent realization of the curtain on a colossal scale, amidst a welter of technical problems at the site, a Colorado valley named Rifle Gap. "Running Fence" is a longer and more complex film just as the project itself was a much more ambitious and entangled venture. The four years of planning and gaining the troublesome permits for the fence are hinted at by the film's subtitle "Christo's Project for Sonoma and Marin Counties, California 1972-76."

Three wharf workers were acutely exposed to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) during an accidental chemical spill. Toluene is neurotoxic as a solvent, while cyanates can cause nervous tissue injury or death by hypoxia. Chronic symptoms which occurred following the incident included headache, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, depression, sleep disturbance, memory and sexual dysfunction. Compared with two months post-exposure, at 16 months post-exposure Full Scale IQ dropped an average of 23 points. Results from additional neuropsychotogical testing at 16 months post-exposure indicated severe deficits in all three subjects in memory, manual dexterity, visuomotor tracking, mental flexibility, ability to detect figure-ground relationships, and word fluency. Nerve conduction velocity testing indicated abnormal peripheral nervous system function in two of the three workers; however, its etiology is not certain. These results may be relevant to the neuroloxicity of methyl isocyanate exposure, such as occurred in Bhopal, India, where an increasing magnitude of depression, anxiety, fatigue, restlessness, and headaches 18 months post-exposure have been reported. In general, continuing decrement in mental function without concomitant environmental exposure should be considered in neuropsychological assessment of chemical toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Organizational and Political Issues Group focused on managerial, structural, and political issues in counseling psychology. Papers were presented by 11 counseling psychologists on 13 basic issues that had been identified by the planning [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Being assertive is not always sufficient. Assertiveness training models show shortcomings in those situations where assertiveness results in stalemates or conflicts, or both. Deadlocks may occur when antagonists demonstrate appropriate assertive behavior. Conflict management using problem-solving skills allows individuals to learn appropriate methods of dealing with conflictual or competitive situations. Two models that could be incorporated into the assertiveness training model are suggested for conflict management. An example illustrates the integration of assertiveness training and problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased encounters with the healthcare system at multiple levels have the potential to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. The literature is replete with evidence on the impact of antenatal care and postnatal care to improve outcomes. Additionally, maternity waiting homes (MWHs) have been identified as a critical link in the continuum of care for maternal and newborn health yet there is scant data on the associations among MWH use and antenatal/postnatal attendance, family planning and immunization rates of newborns.Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted to collect data from women who delivered a child in the past 13 months from catchment areas associated with 40 healthcare facilities in seven rural Saving Mothers Giving Life districts in Zambia. Multi-stage random sampling procedures were employed with a final sample of n = 2381. Logistic regression models with adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to analyze the data.Results: The use of a MWH was associated with increased odds of attending four or more antenatal care visits (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.26, 1.68), attending all postnatal care check-ups (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.29, 3.12) and taking measures to avoid pregnancy (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.55) when compared to participants who did not use a MWH.Conclusions: This is the first study to quantitatively examine the relationship between the use of MWHs and antenatal and postnatal uptake. Developing a comprehensive package of services for maternal and newborn care has the potential to improve acceptability, accessibility, and availability of healthcare services for maternal and newborn health. Maternity waiting homes have the potential to be used as part of a multi-pronged approach to improve maternal and newborn outcomes.Trial Registration: National Institutes of Health Trial Registration NCT02620436, Impact Evaluation of Maternity Homes Access in Zambia, Date of Registration - December 3, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]