A Novel Vascular Anastomotic Coupling Device for End-to-End Anastomosis of Arteries and Veins.

Objective: Hand-sutured (HS) techniques remain the gold standard for most microvascular anastomoses in microsurgery. HS techniques can result in endothelial lacerations and back wall suturing, leading to complications such as thrombosis and free tissue loss. A novel force-interference-fit vascular coupling device (FIF-VCD) system can potentially reduce the need for HS and improve end-to-end anastomosis.

Spatio-Temporal Modelling Informing Replacement Releases in a Low Rainfall Climate.

Releases of carrying bacteria are known to suppress arbovirus transmission and reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases. In planning for releases in the arid environment of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, we collected entomological data with ovitraps across a 7-month period in four locations. Herein, we show that mosquito presence in basements does not differ from that of non-basement areas of buildings.

Kinematic and Kinetic Predictors of Y-Balance Test Performance.

Background: The Y-Balance Test (YBT) assesses dynamic stability and neuromuscular control of the lower extremity. Several authors have analyzed kinematic predictors of YBT performance with conflicting results, but the influence of kinetic factors is not well understood.

Purpose: To examine kinematic predictors of YBT performance and determine the joint kinetics which predict YBT performance.

Promoting Resilience to Food Commercials Decreases Susceptibility to Unhealthy Food Decision-Making.

Children are vulnerable to adverse effects of food advertising. Food commercials are known to increase hedonic, taste-oriented, and unhealthy food decisions. The current study examined how promoting resilience to food commercials impacted susceptibility to unhealthy food decision-making in children.

Validating indicators of treatment response: application to trichotillomania.

Different studies of the treatment of trichotillomania (TTM) have used varying standards to determine the proportion of patients who obtain clinically meaningful benefits, but there is little information on the similarity of results yielded by these methods or on their comparative validity. Data from a stepped-care (Step 1: Web-based self-help; Step 2: Individual behavior therapy; N = 60) treatment study of TTM were used to evaluate 7 potential standards: complete abstinence, ≥ 25% symptom reduction, recovery of normal functioning, and clinical significance (recovery + statistically reliable change), each of the last 3 being measured by self-report (Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale; MGH-HPS) or interview (Psychiatric Institute Trichotillomania Scale). Depending on the metric, response rates ranged from 25 to 68%.

Stepped care in the treatment of trichotillomania.

Objective: There are effective treatments of trichotillomania (TTM), but access to expert providers is limited. This study tested a stepped care model aimed at improving access.

Method: Participants were 60 (95% women, 75% Caucasian, 2% Hispanic) adults (M = 33.

Light and electron microscopical data on the spores of Thelohanellus rhabdalestus n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea), a parasite of a freshwater fish from the Kwanza River, Angola.

The myxosporean Thelohanellus rhabdalestus n. sp. (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida), a parasite of the freshwater fish Rhabdalestes maunensis (Fower) collected from the Kwanza River, Angola, is described based on light and electron microscopical studies.

The West's moral obligation to assist developing nations in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is increasingly a disease of the disadvantaged, a destroyer of nations, and a threat to global security and well-being. But this need not be so: the world has the scientific knowledge, technological innovations, and financial resources to significantly reduce the spread and suffering caused by the disease. This paper argues that the wealthy nations of the world, led by the United States, have a moral obligation to offer much greater assistance to developing countries where the epidemic is most severe.