On static spherically symmetric solutions of the vacuum Brans-Dicke theory

It is shown that among the four classes of the static spherically symmetric solution of the vacuum Brans-Dicke theory of gravity only two are really independent. Further by matching exterior and interior (due to physically reasonable spherically symmetric matter source) scalar fields it is found that only Brans class I solution with certain restriction on solution parameters may represent exterior metric for a nonsingular massive object. The physical viability of the black hole nature of the solution is investigated. It is concluded that no physical black hole solution different from the Schwarzschild black hole is available in the Brans-Dicke theory.Comment: 15 pages, To be published in Gen. Rel. and Grav, typos in references correcte

Lessons learned in practice-based research: Studying language interventions for young children in the real world

© The Author(s) 2020. Background and aims: Practice-based research holds potential as a promising solution to closing the research-practice gap, because it addresses research questions based on problems that arise in clinical practice and tests whether systems and interventions are effective and sustainable in a clinical setting. One type of practice-based research involves capturing practice by collecting evidence within clinical settings to evaluate the effectiveness of current practices. Here, we describe our collaboration between researchers and clinicians that sought to answer clinician-driven questions about community-based language interventions for young children (Are our interventions effective? What predicts response to our interventions?) and to address questions about the characteristics, strengths, and challenges of engaging in practice-based research. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 59 young children who had participated in three group language interventions at one publicly funded community clinic between 2012 and 2017. Change on the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS), a government mandated communicative participation measure, was extracted as the main outcome measure. Potential predictors of growth during intervention were also extracted from the charts, including type of intervention received, attendance, age at the start of intervention, functional communication ability pre-intervention, and time between pre- and post-intervention FOCUS scores. Results: Overall, 49% of children demonstrated meaningful clinical change on the FOCUS after their participation in the language groups. Only 3% of participants showed possibly meaningful clinical change, while the remaining 46% of participants demonstrated not likely meaningful clinical change. There were no significant predictors of communicative participation growth during intervention. Conclusions: Using a practice-based research approach aimed at capturing current practice, we were able to answer questions about the effectiveness of interventions delivered in real-world settings and learn about factors that do not appear to influence growth during these interventions. We also learned about benefits associated with engaging in practice-based research, including high clinical motivation, high external validity, and minimal time/cost investment. Challenges identified were helpful in informing our future efforts to examine other possible predictors through development of a new, clinically feasible checklist, and to pursue methods for improving collection of outcome data in the clinical setting. Implications: Clinicians and researchers can successfully collaborate to answer clinically informed research questions while considering realistic clinical practice and using research-informed methods and principles. Practice-based research partnerships between researchers and clinicians are both valuable and feasible

SPECIAL TOPIC An Algorithmic Approach to Upper Arm Contouring

Summary: There has been a renewed interest in upper arm contouring given the recent advances and subsequent patient interest in weight loss. Patients undergoing bariatric surgery are often left with a significant amount of redundant skin and laxity of their upper extremity. Some patients within this group have excess fat in their upper arms with relatively good skin tone, while others have a paucity of excess fat with a significant amount of redundant skin. The optimal treatment for each patient can vary. A clinical algorithm is presented that is designed to select the best method for upper arm contouring based on the aesthetic analysis of the upper arm. Case examples are provided demonstrating results that were obtained by following this algorithm. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 118: 237, 2006.

The anatomy of the corrugator supercilii muscle: Part I. Corrugator topography.

Background: This article focuses on delineation of supraorbital nerve branching patterns relative to the corrugator muscle fibers and identifies four branching patterns that help improve understanding of the local anatomy. Methods: Twenty-five fresh cadaver heads (50 corrugator supercilii muscles and 50 supraorbital nerves) were dissected and the corrugator supercilii muscles isolated. After corrugator supercilii muscle measurement points were recorded for part I of the study, the supraorbital nerve branches were then traced from their emergence points from the orbit and dissected out to the defined topographical boundaries of the muscle. Nerve branching patterns relative to the muscle fibers were analyzed, and a classification system for branching patterns relative to the muscle was created. Results: Four types of supraorbital nerve branching patterns were found. In type I (40 percent), only the deep supraorbital nerve division sent branches that coursed directly along the undersurface of the muscle. In type II (34 percent), branches emerging directly from the superficial supraorbital nerve were found in addition to the branches from the deep division. Type III (4 percent) included discrete branches from the superficial division, but none from the deep division. In type IV (22 percent), significant branching began more cephalad relative to the muscle and, therefore, displayed no specific relation to the muscle fibers. Conclusions: Contrary to previous reports, both the deep and superficial divisions of the supraorbital nerve are intimately associated with corrugator supercilii muscle fibers. Four supraorbital nerve branching patterns from these divisions were found. Potential sites of supraorbital nerve compression were identified. This more detailed anatomical information may improve the safety and accuracy of performing complete corrugator supercilii muscle resection. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 121: 233, 2008.

Early cognitive predictors of language, reading, and mathematics outcomes in the primary grades

Early predictors of language, reading, and mathematics are typically examined independently of each other. This study investigated how early cognitive predictors across domains could predict future academic skills across domains using data from 563 students in kindergarten to second grade (ages 5 to 8; 388 males; largely monolingual English). The roles of language, literacy, and numeracy measured as predictors of later academic grades were examined. Results found that academic domains did not always differentiate as expected. Further, kindergarten language and literacy skills were independent predictors of academic outcomes in grade one. By grade two, early language continued to predict language grades, whereas literacy skills predicted mathematics. Results are discussed in light of the overlapping relationships between language, reading, and mathematics