Orthodontic preparation for orthognathic surgery.

Orthodontic preparation is critical to the success of orthognathic surgery. Recognition and correction of existing dental compensations allows full correction of skeletal discrepancies. Presurgical orthodontic goals are important to define at the start of treatment and may not always include complete arch leveling or space closure, or ideal interdigitation.

Duplicate and conquer: multiple homologs of PHOSPHORUS-STARVATION TOLERANCE1 enhance phosphorus acquisition and sorghum performance on low-phosphorus soils.

Low soil phosphorus (P) availability is a major constraint for crop production in tropical regions. The rice (Oryza sativa) protein kinase, PHOSPHORUS-STARVATION TOLERANCE1 (OsPSTOL1), was previously shown to enhance P acquisition and grain yield in rice under P deficiency. We investigated the role of homologs of OsPSTOL1 in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) performance under low P.

The public and professionals reason similarly about the management of non-native invasive species: a quantitative investigation of the relationship between beliefs and attitudes.

Despite continued critique of the idea of clear boundaries between scientific and lay knowledge, the 'deficit-model' of public understanding of ecological issues still seems prevalent in discourses of biodiversity management. Prominent invasion biologists, for example, still argue that citizens need to be educated so that they accept scientists' views on the management of non-native invasive species. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with members of the public and professionals in invasive species management (n = 732) in Canada and the UK to investigate commonalities and differences in their perceptions of species and, more importantly, how these perceptions were connected to attitudes towards species management.

The effectiveness of wellness coaching for improving quality of life.

Objective: To learn more about the potential psychosocial benefits of wellness coaching. Although wellness coaching is increasing in popularity, there are few published outcome studies.

Patients And Methods: In a single-cohort study design, 100 employees who completed the 12-week wellness coaching program were of a mean age of 42 years, 90% were women, and most were overweight or obese.

Tri-layered elastomeric scaffolds for engineering heart valve leaflets.

Tissue engineered heart valves (TEHVs) that can grow and remodel have the potential to serve as permanent replacements of the current non-viable prosthetic valves particularly for pediatric patients. A major challenge in designing functional TEHVs is to mimic both structural and anisotropic mechanical characteristics of the native valve leaflets. To establish a more biomimetic model of TEHV, we fabricated tri-layered scaffolds by combining electrospinning and microfabrication techniques.

Mechanisms promoting escape from mitotic stress-induced tumor cell death.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is notorious for its paltry responses to first-line therapeutic regimens. In contrast to acquired chemoresistance, little is known about the molecular underpinnings of the intrinsic resistance of chemo-naïve NSCLC. Here we report that intrinsic resistance to paclitaxel in NSCLC occurs at a cell-autonomous level because of the uncoupling of mitotic defects from apoptosis.

Systematic spatial mapping of proteins at exocytic and endocytic structures.

Vesicular secretion (exocytosis) involves the release and then compensatory recycling of vesicle components through endocytosis. This fundamental cellular process is controlled by the coordinated assembly and interactions of dozens of proteins at the plasma membrane. Understanding the molecular composition of individual exocytic and endocytic structures and their organization across the plasma membrane is critical to understanding the behavior and regulation of these two cellular processes.

Resource Utilization and Costs of Care prior to ART Initiation for Pediatric Patients in Zambia.

Objective. We estimated time to initiation, outpatient resource use, and costs of outpatient care during the 6 months prior to ART initiation for HIV-infected pediatric patients in Zambia. Methods.

Assertive women as expert witnesses: a study of assertive and defensive responses in male and female experts.

This investigation of expert witness gender used scenarios addressing threats to the expert, sexuality, parenting by the expert, and lying, and in which intrusive and non-intrusive gender cross-examinations were presented to 352 mock jurors. Male and female experts were matched carefully on attractiveness and other social desirability dimensions. In half of the situations the expert witnesses replied with defensive answers, and in the other half, they replied assertively.

Retention in care, resource utilization, and costs for adults receiving antiretroviral therapy in Zambia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Of the estimated 800,000 adults living with HIV in Zambia in 2011, roughly half were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). As treatment scale up continues, information on the care provided to patients after initiating ART can help guide decision-making. We estimated retention in care, the quantity of resources utilized, and costs for a retrospective cohort of adults initiating ART under routine clinical conditions in Zambia.

The feasibility of implementing the HIV seek, test, and treat strategy in jails.

To successfully implement the Seek, Test, and Treat (STT) strategy to curb the HIV epidemic, the criminal justice system must be a key partner. Increasing HIV testing and treatment among incarcerated persons has the potential to decrease HIV transmission in the broader community, but whether it is feasible to consider the implementation of the STT within jail facilities is not known. We conducted a retrospective review of Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) medical records to assess whether persons newly diagnosed in the jail were able to start ART and be linked to community HIV care after release.

Accuracy, reproducibility, and time efficiency of dental measurements using different technologies.

Introduction: Historically, orthodontists have taken dental measurements on plaster models. Technological advances now allow orthodontists to take these measurements on digital models. In this study, we aimed to assess the accuracy, reproducibility, and time efficiency of dental measurements taken on 3 types of digital models.

Electrospun PGS:PCL microfibers align human valvular interstitial cells and provide tunable scaffold anisotropy.

Tissue engineered heart valves (TEHV) can be useful in the repair of congenital or acquired valvular diseases due to their potential for growth and remodeling. The development of biomimetic scaffolds is a major challenge in heart valve tissue engineering. One of the most important structural characteristics of mature heart valve leaflets is their intrinsic anisotropy, which is derived from the microstructure of aligned collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix (ECM).

Gaps in exposure to essential competencies in hand surgery fellowship training: a national survey of program directors.

Background: Graduate medical education has moved towards competency-based training. The aim of this study was to assess hand surgery program directors' opinions of exposure gaps in core competencies rated as essential for hand surgery training.

Methods: We surveyed the 74 ACGME hand surgery fellowship program directors.

Understanding quality of life and patient expectations among adolescents with neonatal brachial plexus palsy: a qualitative and quantitative pilot study.

Purpose: To explore the quality of life (QOL) and patient expectations among adolescents with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP)and their parents using qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Methods: A total of 18 adolescents (10-17 y) with residual NBPP impairment and their parents under went separate 1-hour tape-recorded semistructured interviews. We also collected quantitative physical examination measures and patient-rated outcome scores, specifically the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument and the Child Health Questionnaire, to quantify the severity of each adolescent’s functional deficit and increase our understanding of QOL and patient expectations.

Social care networks and older LGBT adults: challenges for the future.

Research on service needs among older adults rarely addresses the special circumstances of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, such as their reliance on friend-centered social networks or the experience of discrimination from service providers. Limited data suggests that older LGBT adults underutilize health and social services that are important in maintaining independence and quality of life. This study explored the social care networks of this population using a mixed-methods approach.

Three-dimensional treatment outcomes in Class II patients treated with the Herbst appliance: a pilot study.

Introduction: The aims of this study were to analyze 3-dimensional skeletal changes in subjects with Class II malocclusion treated with the Herbst appliance and to compare these changes with treated Class II controls using 3-dimensional superimposition techniques.

Methods: Seven consecutive Herbst patients and 7 Class II controls treated with Class II elastics who met the inclusion criteria had cone-beam computed tomographs taken before treatment, and either after Herbst removal or at posttreatment for the control subjects. Three-dimensional models were generated from the cone-beam computed tomography images, registered on the anterior cranial bases, and analyzed using color maps and point-to-point measurements.

Biomimetic scaffold combined with electrical stimulation and growth factor promotes tissue engineered cardiac development.

Toward developing biologically sound models for the study of heart regeneration and disease, we cultured heart cells on a biodegradable, microfabricated poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) scaffold designed with micro-structural features and anisotropic mechanical properties to promote cardiac-like tissue architecture. Using this biomimetic system, we studied individual and combined effects of supplemental insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and electrical stimulation (ES). On culture day 8, all tissue constructs could be paced and expressed the cardiac protein troponin-T.

A biodegradable microvessel scaffold as a framework to enable vascular support of engineered tissues.

A biodegradable microvessel scaffold comprised of distinct parenchymal and vascular compartments separated by a permeable membrane interface was conceptualized, fabricated, cellularized, and implanted. The device was designed with perfusable microfluidic channels on the order of 100 μm to mimic small blood vessels, and high interfacial area to an adjacent parenchymal space to enable transport between the compartments. Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) elastomer was used to construct the microvessel framework, and various assembly methods were evaluated to ensure robust mechanical integrity.