A Novel Group Parenting Intervention for Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties in Young Autistic Children: Autism Spectrum Treatment and Resilience (ASTAR): A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a group behavioral parenting intervention for emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) in young autistic children.

Method: This was a feasibility pilot randomized controlled trial comparing a 12-week group behavioral parenting intervention (Predictive Parenting) to an attention control (Psychoeducation). Parents of 62 autistic children 4 to 8 years of age were randomized to Predictive Parenting (n = 31) or Psychoeducation (n = 31).

Surgical Treatment of Iatrogenic Ventral Glottic Stenosis Using a Mucosal Flap Technique.

Objective: To describe a novel surgical technique for correcting postoperative ventral glottic stenosis (cicatrix or web formation) and the outcome in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses.

Study Design: Retrospective case report.

Animals: Thoroughbreds diagnosed with ventral glottic stenosis (n=2).

Real-time adjudication: collecting copayments and balances before the patient sees the doctor.

Doctors need to become better businesspeople, which means making sure that they collect all the monies that they deserve for all the services they provide to their patients. One method to achieve this is to use real-time adjudication. This article will describe real-time adjudication and how it can improve your collections by 7% to 10%.

The effect of saliva on the viscosity of thickened drinks.

Powdered thickeners are used to modify drink consistency in the clinical management of dysphagia. These thickeners are composed of primarily modified maize starch; some varieties also incorporate powdered gums. Amylase is a digestive enzyme found in saliva that initiates the breakdown of starch.

A portable self-sensing rheometer for investigation and therapy of swallowing disorders.

Dysphagia is a medical condition in which the safety or efficiency of eating and drinking is compromised. Thin, watery fluids flow too quickly through the oral anatomy during an abnormal swallow, pre-empting airway protective mechanisms, and potentially resulting in fluid entry into the lung. Dysphagia therapy consists of reducing flow speed during swallowing by increasing fluid viscosity using thickeners.

Viscosity and non-Newtonian features of thickened fluids used for dysphagia therapy.

Thickening agents based primarily on granulated maize starch are widely used in the care of patients with swallowing difficulties, increasing viscosity of consumed fluids. This slows bolus flow during swallowing, allowing airway protection to be more properly engaged. Thickened fluids have been shown to exhibit time-varying behavior and are non-Newtonian, complicating assessment of fluid thickness, potentially compromising efficacy of therapy.

Variation of the apparent viscosity of thickened drinks.

Background: In dysphagia care, thickening powders are widely added to drinks to slow their flow speed by increasing their viscosity. Current practice relies on subjective evaluation of viscosity using verbal descriptors. Several brands of thickener are available, with differences in constituent ingredients and instructions for use.

Force modeling for needle insertion into soft tissue.

The modeling of forces during needle insertion into soft tissue is important for accurate surgical simulation, preoperative planning, and intelligent robotic assistance for percutaneous therapies. We present a force model for needle insertion and experimental procedures for acquiring data from ex vivo tissue to populate that model. Data were collected from bovine livers using a one-degree-of-freedom robot equipped with a load cell and needle attachment.