Photometric stereo data for the validation of a structural health monitoring test rig.

Photometric stereo uses images of objects illuminated from various directions to calculate surface normals which can be used to generate 3D meshes of the object. Such meshes can be used by engineers to estimate damage of a concrete surface, or track damage progression over time to inform maintenance decisions. This dataset [1] was collected to quantify the uncertainty in a photometric stereo test rig through both the comparison with a well characterised method (coordinate measurement machine) and experiment virtualisation. Data was collected for 9 real objects using both the test rig and the coordinate measurement machine. These objects range from clay statues to damaged concrete slabs. Furthermore, synthetic data for 12 objects was created via virtual renders generated using Blender (3D software) [2]. The two methods of data generation allowed the decoupling of the physical rig (used to light and photograph objects) and the photometric stereo algorithm (used to convert images and lighting information into 3D meshes). This data can allow users to: test their own photometric stereo algorithms, with specialised data created for structural health monitoring applications; provide an industrially relevant case study to develop and test uncertainty quantification methods on test rigs for structural health monitoring of concrete; or develop data processing methodologies for the alignment of scaled, translated, and rotated data.

"That's the price of living in paradise:" coastal retirement and hurricanes.

Coastal Carolina is a popular retirement destination. Ten individuals, previously interviewed regarding their decision to retire here, were re-interviewed after Hurricane Florence. This sample of eight women and two men, mean age 74.4 (range = 68-88), provided a unique opportunity to learn about their hurricane experiences and to compare their pre- and post-responses about their choice to move to the coast. Nine evacuated, including one to a local shelter. Respondents reported a lack of preparations, but neighbors played an important supportive role. Issues about the shelter and for single women were identified. Results have implications for future disaster preparations.

Professional development in integrative health through an interprofessional online course in clinical settings.

BACKGROUND: Although there is mounting clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence supporting integrative healthcare (IH), a significant knowledge gap hinders widespread adoption by health professionals. INTERVENTION: Foundations in Integrative Health (FIH), a 32-h online competency-based interprofessional course to address this knowledge gap. METHODS: The course was pilot-tested by an interprofessional sample of providers in various clinical settings as professional and staff development. OUTCOME MEASURES: Prior to and following the course, participants completed an IH knowledge test, an IH self-efficacy self-assessment, and validated measures of burnout, wellness behaviors, and attitudes toward IH, interprofessional teams, and patient involvement. Evaluation surveys were administered following each unit and the course. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of the participants (n = 214/690) completed the course. Pre/post course improvements were found in IH knowledge, IH self-efficacy, attitudes towards IH and interprofessional teams, and several wellness behaviors. The course was positively evaluated with 81% of the participants indicating interest in applying IH principles in their practice and 92% reported that the course enhanced their clinical experience. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the outcomes of a multi-site, online IH curriculum offered to a diverse group of health professionals in various clinical settings. This course may allow clinical settings to offer an interprofessional, IH curriculum even with limited on-site faculty expertise.

Sequence capture phylogenomics of eyeless Cicurina spiders from Texas caves, with emphasis on US federally-endangered species from Bexar County (Araneae, Hahniidae).

Morphological, mitochondrial, and nuclear phylogenomic data were combined to address phylogenetic and species delimitation questions in cave-limited Cicurina spiders from central Texas. Special effort was focused on specimens and cave locations in the San Antonio region (Bexar County), home to four eyeless species listed as US Federally Endangered. Sequence capture experiments resulted in the recovery of ~200-400 homologous ultra-conserved element (UCE) nuclear loci across taxa, and nearly complete COI mitochondrial DNA sequences from the same set of individuals. Some of these nuclear and mitochondrial sequences were recovered from "standard" museum specimens without special preservation of DNA material, including museum specimens preserved in the 1990s. Multiple phylogenetic analyses of the UCE data agree in the recovery of two major lineages of eyeless Cicurina in Texas. These lineages also differ in mitochondrial clade membership, female genitalic morphology, degree of troglomorphy (as measured by relative leg length), and are mostly allopatric across much of Texas. Rare sympatry was confirmed in Bexar County, where members of the two major clades sometimes co-exist in the same karst feature. Both nuclear phylogenomic and mitochondrial data indicate the existence of undescribed species from the San Antonio region, although further sampling and collection of adult specimens is needed to explicitly test these hypotheses. Our data support the two following species synonymies (Cicurina venii Gertsch, 1992 = Cicurina madla Gertsch, 1992; Cicurina loftini Cokendolpher, 2004 = Cicurina vespera Gertsch, 1992), formally proposed here. Overall, our taxonomy-focused research has many important conservation implications, and again highlights the fundamental importance of robust taxonomy in conservation research.

Efficacy of early treatment in patients with cobalamin C disease identified by newborn screening: a 16-year experience.

PURPOSE: Despite implementation of newborn screening (NBS), outcomes in cobalamin C disease (cblC) remain poor. Therapy with hydroxycobalamin and betaine is widely used, but dietary recommendations vary among metabolic centers. We present a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between metabolic control, diet, and outcomes in a cohort of cblC patients. METHODS: We completed a retrospective analysis of 12 patients with cblC referred for abnormal NBS results and followed in our center between 1999 and 2015. RESULTS: Of the patients, 87.5% had intellectual disability and 75% had retinopathy; 16.7% had one episode of mild acidosis. However, no patients manifested major metabolic decompensation. Developmental outcomes correlated more closely with initial metabolic abnormalities than with long-term metabolic control. Increased intake of medical foods resulted in better control but also perturbations in the ratios of essential amino acids and lower z-scores for head circumference. We found no relationship between diet and cognitive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although dietary therapy for cblC patients improves metabolic control, few patients experience metabolic decompensation regardless of diet. Increased incomplete protein intake is not correlated with improvements in outcomes. Overall, outcomes are poor despite early initiation of therapy and regardless of the dietary strategy used.Genet Med advance online publication 02 February 2017.

Bumblefoot: a comparison of clinical presentation and treatment of pododermatitis in rabbits, rodents, and birds.

Pododermatitis, also known as bumblefoot, is a common condition encountered in birds, rabbits, and rodents in clinical practice. This article compares the anatomy and physiology of the foot and the predisposing factors for pododermatitis in each of the species discussed. Clinical presentation, diagnostics, and treatment options, including medical and surgical therapies, are provided. In addition, alternative therapies, including natural remedies, therapeutic laser, and acupuncture, are explored. This article is intended to encourage practitioners to use a multimodal approach for successful management of this disease in all species.

Introduction to traditional Asian therapeutic diets: two enduring perspectives.

In some ancient systems of medicine, health was understood as a state of balance, and diet was considered essential to achieving and maintaining that balance. Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are based on this premise. Here we present an overview of these two traditional systems' views on diet and eating. This article aims to explain the reasoning behind some of the recommendations that practitioners of these forms of medicine may be making.

In vivo characterization of 6beta-naltrexol, an opioid ligand with less inverse agonist activity compared with naltrexone and naloxone in opioid-dependent mice.

The mu-opioid receptor displays basal signaling activity, which seems to be enhanced by exposure to opioid agonists. This study assesses the in vivo pharmacology of the putative "neutral" antagonist 6beta-naltrexol in comparison to other ligands with varying efficacy, such as naloxone, an inverse agonist in the opioid-dependent state. ICR mice were used to generate full antagonist dose-response curves for naloxone, naltrexone, nalbuphine, and 6beta-naltrexol in blocking acute antinociceptive effects of morphine and precipitating opioid withdrawal in models of physical dependence. 6beta-Naltrexol was roughly equipotent to naloxone and between 4.5- and 10-fold less potent than naltrexone in blocking morphine-induced antinociception and locomotor activity, showing that 6beta-naltrexol enters the central nervous system. In contrast to naloxone and naltrexone, 6beta-naltrexol precipitated only minimal withdrawal at high doses in an acute dependence model and was approximately 77- and 30-fold less potent than naltrexone and naloxone, respectively, in precipitating withdrawal in a chronic dependence model. 6beta-Naltrexol reduced the inverse agonist effects of naloxone in vitro and in vivo, as expected for a neutral antagonist. Therefore, the pharmacological effects of 6beta-naltrexol differ markedly from those of naloxone and naltrexone in the opioid-dependent state. A reduction of withdrawal effects associated with neutral mu-opioid receptor antagonists may offer advantages in treating opioid overdose and addiction.

Electrocardiographic changes in children and adolescents treated with ziprasidone: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the electrocardiographic safety profile of low-dose ziprasidone (< or =40 mg/day) among pediatric outpatients treated for up to 6 months. METHOD: This was a prospective, open-label trial involving 20 subjects with a mean age of 13.2 +/- 3.0 years. Subjects received a mean ziprasidone dose of 30 +/- 13 mg/day and were followed for 4.6 +/- 2.0 months, receiving a median of nine electrocardiograms each (range 2-11; total, 176). RESULTS: There were statistically significant changes from baseline to peak values in heart rate, PR, and QTc intervals, but not in QRS complex width. The mean QTc prolongation was 28 +/- 26 milliseconds and not related to dose (r = 0.16, p = .07). The peak QTc of three subjects reached or exceeded 450 milliseconds; one subject experienced a 114-millisecond prolongation. There was poor agreement (kappa = 0.25) between automated and manual identification of long QTc intervals (> or =440 milliseconds). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings, occurring at doses low by current treatment standards, suggest that close electrocardiographic monitoring is warranted when prescribing ziprasidone to children, particularly at higher doses or when combined with other QTc-prolonging agents.