A standardized menu for Goal Attainment Scaling in the care of frail elders.

Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), an individualized measurement approach, is particularly attractive for the evaluation and care planning of frail elders, who often experience multiple, complex problems. Some service providers find GAS too unwieldy for routine use. A modified version of GAS that uses a standardized menu of goals and attainment levels has been developed by the Geriatric Assessment and Rehabilitation Unit of a regional referral hospital in Nova Scotia, Canada. This article reviews the development, implementation, benefits, and challenges of the standardized menu, as well as the results of a retrospective descriptive study of its measurement properties. The standardized menu appears to be a feasible, valid, and responsive alternative to traditional GAS, while retaining much of its individualized nature.

Scanning electron microscopic evaluation of root-end preparations.

The use of an ultrasonic apical preparation technique has been advocated recently. Root-end preparations in 30 extracted single-canaled human teeth were evaluated, comparing those prepared with ultrasonic instrumentation alone, or in combination with rotary bur preparation, to those prepared with rotary instrumentation alone. Specimens were evaluated for the presence of debris, smear layer, and the smoothness and uniformity of the preparations. The apical preparations were completed according to the varying techniques, examined, and photographed under scanning electron microscopy. Those cavities prepared with the ultrasonic, either alone or in combination with rotary instrumentation, showed the presence of significantly less smear layer compared with those made by burs alone. Cavities prepared with ultrasonic instrumentation in combination with rotary instrumentation contained significantly less debris than those prepared with rotary instrumentation alone. There were no significant differences between the techniques in the smoothness or uniformity of the preparations.

Transcription terminator-like element within a Saccharomyces cerevisiae promoter region.

We analyzed a cloned fragment of the yeast URA3 promoter region that contains a sequence of DNA capable of functioning as a highly efficient transcription terminator. BAL 31 deletions have shown the signal for the transcription termination activity is less than or equal to 110 base pairs and resides between bases 45 and 155 upstream of the URA3 primary ATG codon at base 227. In our in vivo assay system, the DNA fragment is able to terminate transcripts very efficiently in either orientation. The terminated transcripts bind to oligodeoxythymidylate cellulose columns and promote the synthesis of full-length cDNAs, suggesting that the transcripts are polyadenylated. The 110-base-pair region contains no sequence resembling terminator consensus sequences described by Zaret and Sherman (K.S. Zaret and F. Sherman, Cell, 28:563-573, 1982) or Henikoff and Cohen (S. Henikoff and E.H. Cohen, Mol. Cell. Biol., 4:1515-1520, 1984). We discuss the possible physiological relevance of this sequence to bona fide termination of transcription and to URA3 regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.