Helping persons with traumatic brain injury of minority origin: improve career and employment outcomes.

Racial and ethnic minorities have a disproportionately high rate of disability compared to white Americans, with African and Hispanic Americans overrepresented in all disability categories. Subsequently, the demand for quality employment and rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities from minority racial or ethnic groups is increasing. In order to meet the increasing demands of minorities who are severely impaired, vocational rehabilitation professionals and other team members assisting those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with employment need to become familiar with effective models of service delivery. This article reviews the literature related to return to work following TBI for minorities. A brief review of the supported employment for TBI and supported education literature is also provided. Afterwards, 2 case studies, illustrating the effectiveness of supported employment and educational services, are offered to show how minority individuals with severe TBI can return to work or college postinjury, when services are individualized to meet personal needs.

Solution structure of a BolA-like protein from Mus musculus.

The BolA-like proteins are widely conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. The BolA-like proteins seem to be involved in cell proliferation or cell-cycle regulation, but the molecular function is still unknown. Here we determined the structure of a mouse BolA-like protein. The overall topology is alphabetabetaalphaalphabetaalpha, in which beta(1) and beta(2) are antiparallel, and beta(3) is parallel to beta(2). This fold is similar to the class II KH fold, except for the absence of the GXXG loop, which is well conserved in the KH fold. The conserved residues in the BolA-like proteins are assembled on the one side of the protein.

Contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum by urotensin II via activation of ganglionic cholinergic neurons and acetylcholine release.

Urotensin II and its receptor are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract of mice, but the effects of urotensin II on the gastrointestinal functions have not been established. In the present study, we investigated the effects of human urotensin II on a segment of the guinea-pig ileum. The addition of urotensin II induced contraction of the ileum in concentration-manner (-log EC(50) value was 8.13+/-0.21). The response by urotensin II was extracellular CaCl(2)-dependent and easily desensitized. Like nicotine, the contraction induced by 100 nM urotensin II was inhibited by treatment with atropine, hexamethonium, D-tubocurarine, tetrodotoxin or hemicholinium-3, and enhanced by physostigmine. Treatment with omega-conotoxin GVIA (an inhibitor of N-type Ca(2+) channels, 300 nM) inhibited 100 nM urotensin II- and 4 microM nicotine-, but not 3 microM acetylcholine-, induced contraction. Both urotensin II and nicotine stimulated [(3)H]choline release in a tetrodotoxin-sensitive manner from the prelabeled slices of the ileum. These findings suggest that urotensin II stimulated acetylcholine release from the ganglionic cholinergic neurons and thus stimulated contraction via muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the guinea-pig ileum. Urotensin II receptor system in the myenteric neurons may regulate the gastrointestinal functions.

Return to work after spinal cord injury: a review of recent research.

This manuscript reviews recent research on return to work (RTW) for individuals who sustain spinal cord injury (SCI), including the effects of demographics variables, occupational characteristics, workplace accommodations, quality of life, physical functional limitations, and other variable. Demographic variables that influence RTW for persons with SCI include age at injury onset, chronological age, gender, education, ethnicity, marital status, and per-injury work intensity. Others include satisfaction, and adjustment to sustaining SCI. In an effort to enhance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities including SCI, Ticket to Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999 (TWILA) has been passed by Congress and some states have begun implementing targeted initiatives through the State Partnership Systems Change Initiatives (SPI). Future research directions are recommended in light of recent legislative initiatives.

Return to work for individuals with TBI and a history of substance abuse.

The highest incidence of TBI is among young adult males who also have the highest incidence of substance abuse [1]. Since these individuals have long life expectancies, it is important that they are productive post injury; however, the employment rate is extremely low. This is understandable, given the fact that a person with either a TBI or substance abuse disorder would have difficulties with work. Naturally, the combination of the two compounds the problem and further complicates matters. This article provides an overview of how a Supported Employment approach can be used to assist persons with a TBI and substance abuse problems with returning to work.