Clinical management of confidentiality: A survey of psychologists in seven states.

Psychologists in seven states were surveyed regarding their management of confidentiality in general and in specific situations that challenge confidentiality. The 188 respondents indicated a high regard for the confidentiality of the psychotherapy relationship and a reluctance to disclose information without the client's consent. In response to only two situations, consulting a colleague and dealing with a potentially dangerous client, were psychologists willing to consider disclosure of information without consent. There was considerable variability in how respondents inform their clients about confidentiality, with half either alluding to or mentioning specific limits of confidentiality from the outset of the psychotherapy relationship and the other half either saying nothing at all or indicating that everything is confidential. Previous experience with breaches of confidentiality appeared to influence psychologists' general approach to informing about confidentiality. In a situation relating to potential dangerousness, theoretical orientation and potential target of harm emerged as important factors in determining information given about confidentiality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' Use of Touch in Individual Psychotherapy.

A national sample of 470 practicing psychologists responded to a survey regarding touch in adult individual psychotherapy. Results reflected a high degree of caution regarding physical contact with clients. Close to 90% of respondents never or rarely offered touch to clients during a session. The handshake, a socially stereotyped form of touch most likely to occur during greeting or parting, was the only form of touch that occurred with some frequency. Therapist and client gender, theoretical orientation, and touch experience of the therapist were related to the use of touch. Contrary to guidelines, touch was typically not discussed with clients when it occurred. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional Polysaccharide Composite Nanoparticles from Cellulose Acetate and Potential Applications

An in situ technique for preparing composite nanoparticles from hydrophobic cellulose acetate and hydrophilic polysaccharides using nanoprecipitation is presented. This technique allows the nanoparticles’ surface properties to be tuned very specifically. Spherical, narrow‐size‐distributed composite nanoparticles of different size, charge, functionality, and increased stability can be generated by using hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, low molecular weight chitosan, and amino cellulose. The influence of the pH and hydrophilic polysaccharide content in the particle formation is shown. The pH‐ and ionic strength‐ effective zeta‐potential functions are evidence of the presence of functional polysaccharides at the nanoparticle surface. The in situ technique is compared with the adsorption of hydrophilic polysaccharides onto cellulose acetate nanoparticles in two steps. The great potential of in situ prepared composite nanoparticles in the pharmaceutical industry and bio‐ or food technology, as carriers of hydrophobic substances in aqueous media and for specific surface modifications, e.g., to selectively introduce strong antimicrobial properties, is illustrated.     

Haptic collision handling for simulation of transnasal surgery

Simulation of endoscopic navigation in the narrow nasal cavity poses important challenges to the computation of adequate and near‐realistic collision response and haptic feedback because extensive multidirectional contact and massive tissue deformations are inevitable. We present a virtual coupling algorithm that provides stable collision response as well as intuitive and smooth haptic interaction in all phases of the simulation. In each iteration, continuous collision detection between the point shell representing the surface of the virtual patient anatomy and the endoscope, represented by a cylinder, is performed. This allows for rolling back the instrument movement to the point in time the first collision occurred. Subsequently, a relaxation process locally optimizes the position and orientation of the instrument. A novel method of applying contact forces to colliding tissues and thus triggering appropriate deformations improves the fluency of navigation. This paper describes the algorithm and presents experimental results. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2012. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Medical Devices, National Research Council Canada.     

Modification, calibration and verification of the IWA River Water Quality Model to simulate a pilot-scale high rate algal pond

We implemented the IWA River Water Quality Model No. 1 (Reichert et al., 2001. River Water Quality Model No. 1, IWA Scientific & Technical Report No. 12) to simulate water-quality characteristics in two pilot-scale High Rate Algal Ponds. Simulation results were compared with two years' of data from the ponds. The first year's data from one pond were used for model calibration; the remaining data were used for validation. As originally formulated and parameterized, the model consistently yielded summer-time algal biomass concentrations which were too low - with consequent failures in its reproduction of dissolved oxygen, pH and nutrient dynamics. We experimented with various structural/parametric changes to improve the model's performance. The most effective strategy was to greatly increase the respiratory losses suffered by the heterotrophic osmotrophs (thereby giving the algae access to a larger fraction of the incoming dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen). This suggests that CO₂-bubbling alone cannot entirely preclude resource-limitation of algal production. We doubt that our parameterization of heterotrophic osmotrophs is correct and infer that the algae derive a large fraction of their nutrition by direct osmotrophic uptake of dissolved organic matter. This inference is supported by the literature concerning the physiology of the dominant algal species in our ponds.     

Development and validation of a novel real-time PCR method for the detection of celery (Apium graveolens) in food

The paper presents a novel real-time PCR method allowing the detection of traces of celery (Apium graveolens) in complex food matrices. The method is based on the amplification of a sequence of the gene coding for the Apium graveolens NADPH-dependent mannose-6-phosphate reductase. It allows the detection of three commonly used celery varieties, celery roots (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), celery stalks (Apium graveolens var. dulce) and leaf celery (Apium graveolens var. secalinum) and does not show any cross-reactivity with 64 biological species, including ten members of the Apiaceae family. The limit of detection, determined by analysing serially diluted celery extracts, is 10 pg celery DNA for all three celery varieties. In spiked model sausages, the LOD is 0.005% celery. The real-time PCR method was applied to 26 commercial food products. Celery DNA was found in one out of ten samples without any information about the presence of celery.     

Photoinduced Degradation of Polymer and Polymer–Fullerene Active Layers: Experiment and Theory

As organic photovoltaic efficiencies steadily improve, understanding degradation pathways becomes increasingly important. In this paper, the stability under prolonged illumination of a prototypical polymer:fullerene active layer is studied without the complications introduced by additional layers and interfaces in complete devices. Combining contactless photoconductivity with spectroscopy, structural characterization at the molecular and film level, and quantum chemical calculations, the mechanism of photoinduced degradation in bulk heterojunctions of poly (3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is studied. Bare films are subjected to four conditions for 1000 h with either constant illumination or dark and either ambient or inert atmosphere. All samples are found to be intrinsically stable for 1000+ h under inert conditions, in contrast to complete devices. While PCBM stabilizes P3HT films exposed to air, its fullerene cage is found to undergo a series of oxidations that are responsible for the deterioration of the photoconductivity of the material. Quantum chemical calculations show that PCBM oxides have deeper LUMO levels than pristine PCBM and therefore act as traps for electrons in the PCBM domains.     

Differential somatic cell count in milk before,during, and after lipopolysaccharide- and lipoteichoic-acid-induced mastitis in dairy cows

Intramammary infections induce the initiation of the inflammatory response, resulting in an increase in somatic cell count (SCC) in milk. The SCC includes several different types of cells but does not differentiate between them. On the contrary, the new differential somatic cell count (DSCC) parameter allows for the differentiation between 2 groups of cells: polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and lymphocytes versus macrophages. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to describe the changes of both DSCC and SCC during mastitis induced by cell wall components from typical mastitis-causing pathogens [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Escherichia coli; lipoteichoic acid (LTA), Staphylococcus aureus] known to trigger different severities of mastitis. In addition, the effect the glucocorticoid prednisolone (PRED), which is known to attenuate the immune response in the mammary gland, was investigated. Twenty dairy cows were equally divided into 5 groups and treated with LPS, LTA, LPS+PRED, LTA+PRED, or a saline control. Milk samples were taken at the following time points: baseline (d ?3, ?2, and ?1), right before treatment (d 0), 5 h after treatment (d 0.2), early cure phase (d 1 and 2), and late cure phase (d 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 14) and analyzed for DSCC and SCC. Mean DSCC values increased significantly from <60% at baseline and right before treatment to >81% 5 h after treatment and the early cure phase in all groups, except for the groups control and LTA+PRED. This increase clearly reflects a shift in cell populations to predominantly PMN. The SCC increased significantly following the stimulation, too, as expected. Interestingly, we observed cases where SCC increased moderately only whereas DSCC showed an evident increase, meaning that the shift in cell populations occurred even at low SCC levels. The PRED clearly lowered the cell migration in group LTA+PRED. This is the first ever study investigating DSCC during induced mastitis under controlled conditions. The combination of DSCC and SCC could be employed for the earlier detection of mastitis by revealing the shift in cell population independent from the SCC level. Furthermore, combining DSCC and SCC information could help to determine the stage of mastitis because we observed high DSCC and SCC results in the early stage of mastitis but evidently lower DSCC and high SCC in the cure phase. Hence, our results offer the first fundamental insights on how mastitis monitoring could be improved in the frame of dairy herd improvement programs.     

Increased serum serotonin improves parturient calcium homeostasis in dairy cows

Hypocalcemia in dairy cows is caused by the sudden increase in calcium demand by the mammary gland for milk production at the onset of lactation. Serotonin (5-HT) is a key factor for calcium homeostasis, modulating calcium concentration in blood. Therefore, it is hypothesized that administration of 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan (5-HTP), a 5-HT precursor, can increase 5-HT concentrations in blood and, in turn, induce an increase in blood calcium concentration. In this study, 20 Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups. Both groups received a daily i.v. infusion of 1 L of either 0.9% NaCl (C group; n = 10) or 0.9% NaCl containing 1 mg of 5-HTP/kg of BW (5-HTP group, n = 10). Infusions started d 10 before the estimated parturition and ceased the day of parturition, resulting in at least 4 d of infusion (8.37 ± 0.74 d of infusion). Until parturition, blood samples were collected every morning before the infusions, after parturition samples were taken daily until d 7, and a final sample was collected on d 30. Milk yield was recorded during this period. No differences between groups were observed for blood glucose, magnesium, and β-hydroxybutyrate. Cows receiving the 5-HTP infusion showed an increase in fatty acid concentrations from d ?3 to ?1 before parturition. Serum 5-HT concentrations were increased at d ?4 related to parturition until d 5 postpartum in the 5-HTP group compared with the C group. In addition, cows from the 5-HTP group had increased 5-HT concentrations in colostrum, but not in mature milk, on d 7 postpartum. Serum calcium concentrations decreased in both groups around parturition; however, calcium remained higher in the 5-HTP group than in controls, with a significant difference between groups on d 1 (1.62 ± 0.08 vs. 1.93 ± 0.09 mmol/L in control and 5-HTP groups, respectively) and d 2 (1.83 ± 0.06 vs. 2.07 ± 0.07 mmol/L in control and 5-HTP groups, respectively). Additionally, colostrum yield (first milking) was lower in the 5-HTP group compared with the C group, but without consequences on colostrum IgG concentrations. Milk yield did not differ between groups during the rest of the experiment. The study data were consistent with the concept that infusion of 5-HTP to dairy cows increases blood 5-HT concentrations, which in turn is a significant regulatory component in the chain of effectors that affect calcium status around parturition, hence the occurrence of clinical or subclinical hypocalcemia.     

Toward a 2D/3D Finite-Element–Based Digital Shadow for the Approximation of Metrologically Inaccessible Dynamic Fields of State Variables during Heavy Plate Rolling

While innovations in metal forming technology are closely linked to material science, automation, and mechatronization in recent decades, nowadays, and in the upcoming years, they are supposed to be driven by digital transformation and virtualization. Motivated by this expectation and the fact that the dynamic, process-relevant thermophysical state variables in plates during rolling are difficult or even impossible to measure, a modularly structured 2D/3D model, integrated into a digital shadow, is built and validated against a metrologically accessible process data. The decisive innovation of the presented modeling strategy is the investigation of the state during longitudinal rolling in the fillet, depending on the width direction. The fillet marks the heavy plate without head and tail crops, developed during longitudinal rolling. Application of the simulation tool reveals significant temperature gradients near the plate surfaces, both horizontally and vertically, but also a region of nearly constant temperature near the core. The development of the fillet cross-section shape, including the emergence of bulges or contractions at the side surfaces, is predicted within the simulation. The digital shadow is scalable and has a parameterized structure so that rolling schedules of different compositions can be simulated.