From Fairies to Giants: Untangling the Effect of Body Size, Phylogeny, and Ecology on Vertebral Bone Microstructure of Xenarthran Mammals.

Trabecular bone is a spongy bone tissue that serves as a scaffolding-like support inside many skeletal elements. Previous research found allometric variation in some aspects of trabecular bone architecture (TBA) and bone microstructure, whereas others scale isometrically. However, most of these studies examined very wide size and phylogenetic ranges or focused exclusively on primates or lab mice.

Tuning of strong nonlinearity in radio-frequency superconducting-quantum-interference-device meta-atoms.

Strong nonlinearity of a self-resonant radio-frequency (rf) superconducting-quantum-interference-device (SQUID) meta-atom is explored via intermodulation (IM) measurements. Previous work in zero dc magnetic flux showed a sharp onset of IM response as the frequency sweeps through the resonance. A second onset at higher frequency was also observed, creating a prominent gap in the IM response.

Effect of captivity on the vertebral bone microstructure of xenarthran mammals.

Captive specimens in museum collections facilitate study of rare taxa, but the lifestyles, diets, and lifespans of captive animals differ from their wild counterparts. Trabecular bone architecture adapts to in vivo forces, and may reflect interspecific variation in ecology and behavior as well as intraspecific variation between captive and wild specimens. We compared trunk vertebrae bone microstructure in captive and wild xenarthran mammals to test the effects of ecology and captivity.

Nursing Roles: Clinical Implications Regarding Trends, Administration, and Education for Biosimilars in Oncology Practice.

Background: With the advent of biosimilars into the U.S. healthcare market, knowledge deficits exist for nurses and patients regarding the regulatory approval process and key nursing considerations for each of these new medications.

The Role of Interactional Quality in Learning from Touch Screens during Infancy: Context Matters.

Interactional quality has been shown to enhance learning during book reading and play, but has not been examined during touch screen use. Learning to apply knowledge from a touch screen is complex for infants because it involves transfer of learning between a two-dimensional (2D) screen and three-dimensional (3D) object in the physical world. This study uses a touch screen procedure to examine interactional quality measured via maternal structuring, diversity of maternal language, and dyadic emotional responsiveness and infant outcomes during a transfer of learning task.

Advancing research and practice in HIV and rehabilitation: a framework of research priorities in HIV, disability and rehabilitation.

Background: HIV increasingly is experienced as a complex chronic illness where individuals are living longer with a range of physical, cognitive, mental and social health-related challenges associated with HIV, comorbidities and aging, a concept that may be termed 'disability'. Rehabilitation such as physical therapy and occupational therapy can help address disability and has the potential to improve quality of life in people living with HIV. Hence, the role for rehabilitation in the context of HIV, aging and comorbidities is emerging.

Evidence-informed recommendations for rehabilitation with older adults living with HIV: a knowledge synthesis.

Objective: Our aim was to develop evidence-informed recommendations for rehabilitation with older adults living with HIV.

Design: We conducted a knowledge synthesis, combining research evidence specific to HIV, rehabilitation and ageing, with evidence on rehabilitation interventions for common comorbidities experienced by older adults with HIV.

Methods: We included highly relevant HIV-specific research addressing rehabilitation and ageing (stream A) and high-quality evidence on the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for common comorbidities experienced by older adults ageing with HIV (stream B).

Perceptions of HIV-related health services in Zambia for people with disabilities who are HIV-positive.

Introduction: Despite the emerging body of literature on increased vulnerability to HIV among people with disabilities (PWDs), there is a dearth of evidence related to experiences of PWDs who have become HIV-positive. This priority was identified by a disability advocacy organization in Lusaka, Zambia, where the prevalence of HIV and of disability is each approximately 15%. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions and experiences of HIV-related health services for PWDs who are also living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia.

Considerations for conducting Web-based survey research with people living with human immunodeficiency virus using a community-based participatory approach.

Background: Web or Internet-based surveys are increasingly popular in health survey research. However, the strengths and challenges of Web-based surveys with people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are unclear.

Objective: The aim of this article is to describe our experience piloting a cross-sectional, Web-based, self-administered survey with adults living with HIV using a community-based participatory research approach.

Emerging therapies for autoimmune disorders.

Several monoclonal antibodies and other biologic drugs are used to treat a variety of common autoimmune disorders that are progressive in nature or resistant to standard therapies. Although monoclonal antibodies were recently removed from the hazardous drugs list, most of these drugs are considered high-risk substances that require specialized knowledge regarding care before, during, and after administration. Yet no national standards exist for nurses working with autoimmune patients, nor have minimum nursing practice competency guidelines been identified.

15-month-olds' transfer of learning between touch screen and real-world displays: language cues and cognitive loads.

Infants have difficulty transferring information between 2D and 3D sources. The current study extends Zack, Barr, Gerhardstein, Dickerson & Meltzoff's (2009) touch screen imitation task to examine whether the addition of specific language cues significantly facilitates 15-month-olds' transfer of learning between touch screens and real-world 3D objects. The addition of two kinds of linguistic cues (object label plus verb or nonsense name) did not elevate action imitation significantly above levels observed when such language cues were not used.

Chemotherapy and biotherapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases.

New trends have emerged in treating patients with autoimmune diseases with medications traditionally used in oncology. This article will summarize a comprehensive literature review performed to identify effective chemotherapy and biotherapeutic agents for treating each of the main autoimmune subtypes (nervous, gastrointestinal, blood and blood vessel, skin, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems). In addition to agents currently used, some of the newer therapeutic options show great promise to radically improve treatment choices when considering individualized plans.

Age-related changes in learning across early childhood: a new imitation task.

Imitation plays a critical role in social and cognitive development, but the social learning mechanisms contributing to the development of imitation are not well understood. We developed a new imitation task designed to examine social learning mechanisms across the early childhood period. The new task involves assembly of abstract-shaped puzzle pieces in an arbitrary sequence on a magnet board.

Developing clinical practice guidelines in HIV rehabilitation: process recommendations and guiding principles.

Our purpose was to develop process recommendations and guiding principles for future clinical practice guidelines in HIV rehabilitation. We conducted a scoping study that included focus group and interview consultations with 28 participants including people living with HIV, researchers, clinicians, educators, and policy stakeholders with expertise in HIV and rehabilitation. We used qualitative content analysis techniques to identify emergent themes related to the development of clinical practice guidelines.

Enhancing labour force participation for people living with HIV: a multi-perspective summary of the research evidence.

Labour force participation has been identified as a critical social and health issue facing people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs). We conducted a scoping study (a form of literature synthesis that summarizes research findings, research activity, and identifies literature strengths and gaps) on labour force participation for PHAs, guided by a community advisory committee. We summarized information from 243 peer-reviewed articles and 42 reports from the grey literature, and synthesized the evidence into a preliminary conceptual framework with five components: (1) the meaning of work, (2) key factors (barriers and facilitators) influencing labour force participation, (3) factors affecting vulnerable populations, (4) strategies and supports for returning to or sustaining work, and (5) outcomes (benefits and risks) of labour force participation for individuals and employers.

Television Viewing Patterns in 6- to 18-Month-Olds: The Role of Caregiver-Infant Interactional Quality.

The present study examines coviewing of Baby Mozart by 6- to 18-month-old infants and their caregivers under naturalistic conditions. We had two questions. First, extending the method of Barr, Zack, Garcia, and Muentener (Infancy, 13 [2008], 30-56) to a younger population, we asked if age, prior exposure, and caregiver verbal input would predict infant looking to a Baby Mozart video from 6 to 18 months.

Infant imitation from television using novel touch screen technology.

Infants learn less from a televised demonstration than from a live demonstration, the video deficit effect. The present study employs a novel approach, using touch screen technology to examine 15-month olds' transfer of learning. Infants were randomly assigned either to within-dimension (2D/2D or 3D/3D) or cross-dimension (3D/2D or 2D/3D) conditions.

HIV, disability and discrimination: making the links in international and domestic human rights law.

Stigma and discrimination constitute one of the greatest barriers to dealing effectively with the HIV epidemic, underlying a range of human rights violations and hindering access to prevention, care, treatment and support. There is some existing protection against HIV-based discrimination under international law, but the extent of states' obligations to address such discrimination has not been comprehensively addressed in an international instrument.The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force in May 2008.

Scoping the field: identifying key research priorities in HIV and rehabilitation.

The purpose of this project was to identify key research priorities related to HIV and rehabilitation. We conducted a scoping study which included a literature review of published and grey literature, followed by focus group and interview consultations with 28 participants including people living with HIV, researchers, educators, clinicians, and policy makers with expertise in HIV and rehabilitation. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify emergent themes related to research priorities in HIV and rehabilitation.

Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity threshold effect.

This study examined the influence of exercise intensity upon the cortisol response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Specifically, we examined exercise at intensities of 40, 60, and 80% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in an attempt to determine the intensity necessary to provoke an increase in circulating cortisol. Twelve active moderately trained men performed 30 min of exercise at intensities of 40, 60, and 80% of their VO2max, as well as a 30-min resting-control session involving no exercise on separate days.

HIV and rehabilitation: development of a conceptual framework for curriculum planning.

The overall purpose of this paper is to present the development of a conceptual framework of existing HIV curricula and educational resources on to inform future curriculum planning for the education of rehabilitation professionals on rehabilitation in the context of HIV/AIDS. We conducted a scoping review of the literature from 1980 onwards to identify existing HIV curricula and resources used with current or future health professionals. Preliminary findings were reviewed with a national Advisory Committee and a framework was developed to inform future curriculum planning.

Issues in defining and measuring facial cleanliness for national trachoma control programs.

The WHO trachoma control strategy includes promotion of facial cleanliness to interrupt transmission. However, scant data exist on measuring a clean face. Our goals were to determine reliable indicators of a clean face in a child, and disparities between the assessments of faces at a clinic versus at home.

Physiological day-to-day variability of select hormones at rest in exercise-trained men.

The purpose was to determine the day-to-day variability of total testosterone (tT), total T4 (tT4), total 3,5,3'-T3 (tT3), and cortisol (C) levels in exercise-trained men [no.=63, 24+/-4 yr (X+/-SD)]. Resting blood samples were collected at the same time of day (morning) over 3 consecutive days, 24 h apart, under controlled conditions.

Smoking withdrawal and prolonged hospitalization.

Many individuals who smoke are hospitalized for extended periods of time for treatment of their diseases. These patients are at increased risk for developing withdrawal symptoms and maladaptive behavior because hospitals have adopted smoke-free policies in accordance with federal law and consumer pressures. Tobacco addiction often is overlooked by healthcare providers or receives low priority on admission.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: scientific rationale and patient care.

Purpose/objectives: To describe the history of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), review the current scientific literature comparing the benefits and shortcomings of SLNB with traditional axillary lymph node dissection, and describe the nursing role that should be employed when instructing patients who are considering SLNB.

Data Sources: Journal articles, published research data, and clinical experience.

Data Synthesis: Traditional axillary lymph node dissection has the potential to cause serious complications such as lymphedema, scarring, numbness, pain, and psychological distress.