Mapping the risk of introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza to Swedish poultry.

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have resulted in severe economic impact for national governments and poultry industries globally and in Sweden in recent years. Veterinary authorities can enforce prevention measures, e.g.

Improved Hodgkin-Huxley type model for neural action potentials.

The simple Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz model for resting-state membrane potentials has been generalized to provide a new nonlinear theoretical model for action potentials in perfused axons. Our minimalistic model appeals naturally to physically based electrodiffusion principles to describe electric-current densities inside sodium and potassium-ion channels whereas the 1952 Hodgkin-Huxley model describes such current densities in an ad hoc way. Although the two models share similar schemes for the kinetics of ion-channel gating, our relaxation times for channel gating are simpler, being independent of membrane potential.

Evaluation of Protective Equipment Used Among Motorbike Riders.

Introduction: This study compared outcomes between patients injured at a motorbike track, which requires riders to follow safety equipment guidelines, and those involved in recreational riding where safety equipment usage is voluntary.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients presenting with motorbike-related injuries at an American College of Surgeons verified level-I trauma center between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Data collected included demographics, injury details, safety equipment use, hospitalization details, and discharge disposition.

Repeat head imaging in blunt pediatric trauma patients: Is it necessary?

Background: Children with confirmed brain injury usually undergo follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan of the head within 24 hours of admission. To date, no evidence exists to validate the diagnostic or therapeutic value of these repeat CTs. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate progression of traumatic brain injuries, (2) determine if routine repeat imaging changes management, and (3) compare the efficacy of recognizing worsening hemorrhage with serial neurological examination versus repeat imaging.

Pediatric trauma system models: do systems using adult trauma surgeons exclusively compare favorably with those using pediatric surgeons after initial resuscitation with an adult trauma surgeon?

Background: A shortage of pediatric surgeons exists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pediatric outcomes using pediatric surgeons vs adult trauma surgeons.

Methods: A review was conducted at 2 level II pediatric trauma centers.

Evaluation of chest tube administration of tissue plasminogen activator to treat retained hemothorax.

Background: When retained hemothorax occurs, video-assisted thoracoscopy or thoracotomy is performed, but recently, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been used. This study evaluated intrapleural tPA use for retained traumatic hemothoraces.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of trauma patients treated with intrapleural tPA for retained hemothorax.

Examining attitudes about and influences on research participation among forensic psychiatric inpatients.

Although a growing body of research has examined various types of coercive practices that may occur among psychiatric patients over the years, almost no attention has been given to coercive influences that may occur specifically in the context of recruitment into research projects. Particularly for those who are institutionalized (e.g.

Do the psychopathic personality traits of fearless dominance and self-centered impulsivity predict attitudes about and influences on research participation?

Little is known about potential participants' views about research, their willingness to participate in research, and the extent to which they might be susceptible to coercive attempts to compel their participation, particularly among populations at risk for exploitation (e.g., offenders).

Voluntary consent in correctional settings: do offenders feel coerced to participate in research?

A major ethical concern in research with criminal offenders is the potential for abuse due to coercive influences that may adversely affect offenders' capacity to give voluntary consent to participate in research conducted in correctional settings. Despite this concern, to date there have been almost no systematic scientific investigations of the extent to which offenders themselves perceive that coercion occurs in these settings or that it is likely to influence their decisions about research participation. In a sample of over 600 ethnically diverse men and women recruited from various prisons and community corrections facilities in Texas and Florida, we used a vignette-based survey concerning a hypothetical research project to measure and compare offenders' global perceptions of coercive processes, as well as the differential salience and perceived coercive influence of specific factors (e.

Awareness of the Tuskegee syphilis study: impact on offenders' decisions to decline research participation.

Ethnic and racial minorities are often under-represented in research. There is considerable speculation that Blacks, in particular, are discouraged from research participation because of researcher improprieties in the U.S.

Formal assessment of voluntariness with a three-part consent process.

Informed consent that is voluntary and made by an individual who is knowledgeable and competent is a foundational requirement for protecting human subjects from harm and exploitation that could result from research participation. In 1974 Miller and Willner proposed a two-part consent process that involved disclosure of information and assessment of comprehension. The authors propose a brief third component to the consent process: assessment of voluntariness.

(HCN)(m)-M(n) (M = K, Ca, Sr): vibrational excitation induced solvation and desolvation of dopants in and on helium nanodroplets.

Infrared (IR) laser spectroscopy is used to probe the rotational and vibrational dynamics of the (HCN)(m)-M(n) (M = K, Ca, Sr) complexes, either solvated within or bound to the surface of helium nanodroplets. The IR spectra of the (HCN)(m)-K (m = 1-3), HCN-Sr, and HCN-Ca complexes have the signature of a surface species, similar to the previously reported spectra of HCN-M (M = Na, K, Rb, Cs) [Douberly, G. E.

Multi-ink pattern generation by dip-pen nanolithography.

Multiplexed patterns of hydrogels and phospholipids with fluorescent dyes are accomplished by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). For example, four different dye-labeled hydrogel dot arrays are DPN patterned within 50x50 microm(2) area, and two different dye-doped phospholipids dots and letters with less than 1 microm line-width are also DPN patterned. We demonstrate that multi-ink patterns with precise alignment are able to be printed by DPN within a micron-scale.

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of Mg-HF and Mg-(HF)2 solvated in helium nanodroplets.

High-resolution infrared (IR) spectroscopy is used to investigate the Mg-HF and Mg-(HF)(2) van der Waals complexes. Both complexes are formed and probed within helium nanodroplets. Rotationally resolved zero-field and Stark spectra are assigned to a linear binary complex composed of a Mg atom bound to the hydrogen end of the HF molecule.

Adherence to practice guidelines, clinical outcomes, and costs among Medicaid enrollees with severe mental illnesses.

The treatment of Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with depression or schizophrenia was examined to determine whether adherence to treatment guideline was associated with health care financing strategy, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. Individuals in a fee-for-service condition were significantly more likely to receive treatment consistent with guidelines than those in managed care. Mental health costs were higher for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, individuals in an acute phase of illness at intake into the study, and those receiving treatment consistent with practice guidelines.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

The ability to control the size, shape, and material of a surface has reinvigorated the field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Because excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance of a nanostructured surface or nanoparticle lies at the heart of SERS, the ability to reliably control the surface characteristics has taken SERS from an interesting surface phenomenon to a rapidly developing analytical tool. This article first explains many fundamental features of SERS and then describes the use of nanosphere lithography for the fabrication of highly reproducible and robust SERS substrates.

Infrared spectroscopy of prereactive aluminum-, gallium-, and indium-HCN entrance channel complexes solvated in helium nanodroplets.

Prereactive metal atom-HCN entrance channel complexes [M-HCN (M=Al, Ga, In)] have been stabilized in helium nanodroplets. Rotationally resolved infrared spectra are reported for the CH stretching vibration of the linear nitrogen-bound HCN-Ga and HCN-In complexes that show significant perturbation due to spin-orbit coupling of the 2Pi1/2 ground state with the 2Sigma1/2 state which are degenerate at long range. Six unresolved bands are also observed and assigned to the linear hydrogen-bound isomers of Al-HCN, Ga-HCN, and In-HCN corresponding to the fundamental CH stretching vibration and a combination band involving the CH stretch plus intermolecular stretch for each isomer.

Proactive monitoring: implications of implantable devices for future heart failure management.

Heart failure (HF) decompensation continues to account for approximately 1 million hospitalizations per year in the United States. Pulmonary congestion is the hallmark sign of worsening HF. Better strategies aimed at identifying subclinical congestion would be of great value in the management of HF.

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of HCN-Agn (n = 1-4) complexes solvated in superfluid helium droplets.

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy has been used to determine the structures, C-H stretching frequencies, and dipole moments of the HCN-Agn (n = 1-3) complexes formed in superfluid helium droplets. The HCN-Ag4 cluster was tentatively assigned based upon pick-up cell pressure dependencies and harmonic vibrational shift calculations. Ab initio and density functional theory calculations were used in conjunction with the high-resolution spectra to analyze the bonding nature of each cluster.

Evaluation of a summer research institute in behavioral health for undergraduate students.

Because of the need for additional researchers in the interdisciplinary field of behavioral health services research, the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida developed and pilot tested a summer research institute for undergraduate students. Participants completed a 6-week program in which they developed a research project with a mentor and participated in a research seminar. The long-term objectives of the program were to attract promising students to the field and encourage them to pursue careers in behavioral health services research; short-term goals of the program were to strengthen participants' research skills and knowledge, provide an intensive and enjoyable learning experience, and positively impact participants' intentions to pursue graduate education in behavioral health.

A long-term bacteriological and immunological study in Holstein-Friesian cattle experimentally infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and necropsy culture results for Holstein-Friesian cattle, Merino sheep and Angora goats.

The aims were to longitudinally evaluate the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) test in comparison to faecal culture and the absorbed ELISA in a cattle infection model for Johne's disease and to determine the adult infection status, by necropsy and tissue culture, of sheep, goats and cattle infected as young animals. Clinical disease, faecal culture results and immunological responses for Merino sheep [Stewart, D.J.