Disseminating an Evidence-Based Course to Teach Self-Management of Auditory Hallucinations

This multi-site project extended course dissemination of the 10-session Behavioral Management of Auditory Hallucinations Course to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health outpatient settings. The VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) model and Rogers\u27 theory of diffusion of innovations served as the theoretical framework. The course was taught to mental health professionals using teleconferencing, electronic media, and monthly conference calls across 24 VA mental health outpatient sites. Twenty course leaders provided feedback. One hundred percent reported being better able to communicate with patients about their voices and 96% reported improved understanding of the voice-hearing experience. Thirty-three course participants provided feedback. Ninety-four percent would recommend the course, 85% reported being better able to communicate with staff about their voices, and 66% reported being better able to manage their voices. Facilitators and barriers to course implementation are described

Timing the Nearby Isolated Neutron Star RX J1856.5-3754

RX J1856.5-3754 is the X-ray brightest among the nearby isolated neutron stars. Its X-ray spectrum is thermal, and is reproduced remarkably well by a black-body, but its interpretation has remained puzzling. One reason is that the source did not exhibit pulsations, and hence a magnetic field strength--vital input to atmosphere models--could not be estimated. Recently, however, very weak pulsations were discovered. Here, we analyze these in detail, using all available data from the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray observatories. From frequency measurements, we set a 2-sigma upper limit to the frequency derivative of \dot\nu<1.3e-14 Hz/s. Trying possible phase-connected timing solutions, we find that one solution is far more likely than the others, and we infer a most probable value of \dot\nu=(-5.98+/-0.14)e-16 Hz/s. The inferred magnetic field strength is 1.5e13 G, comparable to what was found for similar neutron stars. From models, the field seems too strong to be consistent with the absence of spectral features for non-condensed atmospheres. It is sufficiently strong, however, that the surface could be condensed, but only if it is consists of heavy elements like iron. Our measurements imply a characteristic age of about 4 Myr. This is longer than the cooling and kinematic ages, as was found for similar objects, but at almost a factor ten, the discrepancy is more extreme. A puzzle raised by our measurement is that the implied rotational energy loss rate of about 3e30 erg/s is orders of magnitude smaller than what was inferred from the H-alpha nebula surrounding the source.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal (Letters

Self-Management of Unpleasant Auditory Hallucinations: A Tested Practice Model

Individuals who experience auditory hallucinations (AH) frequently report hearing unpleasant voices saying disturbing things to them, making derogatory remarks about them, or commanding them to do something, including harming themselves or someone else. The Self-Management of Unpleasant Auditory Hallucinations Practice Model was developed to help psychiatric-mental health nurses in both inpatient and outpatient settings implement evidence-based nursing care for voice hearers who are distressed by unpleasant voices. The model\u27s utility extends to nursing education, administration, and research. The model is comprised of three parts: (a) Assessment of Voice Hearer\u27s Experience, (b) Nursing Interventions, and (c) Voice Hearer\u27s Expected Positive Outcomes. These three parts of the model describe nursing assessments conducted with an interview guide and two self-report tools, nursing interventions that teach strategies to manage unpleasant AH in a 10-session course or individually, and evaluation of voice hearer outcomes with two self-report tools

Lung tumour markers in oncology practice: a study of TPA and CA125

Several substances mark the course of lung cancer and may reliably help the clinician in decision-making. This is the first clinical study specifically designed to compare tissue polypeptide antigen and CA 125 tumour associated antigen. Three hundred and eighty-four new lung cancer patients (309 males) were studied at their first clinical presentation and then strictly followed-up. Anthropometric, clinical and laboratory data – including tissue polypeptide antigen and CA 125 tumour associated antigen serum levels – were prospectively recorded. A total of 1000 tissue polypeptide antigen and CA 125 tumour associated antigen serum assays (384 pre-treatment and 616 posttreatment assays) were performed. Both tissue polypeptide antigen and CA 125 tumour associated antigen correlated significantly with the T, N and M stage descriptors at diagnosis (Rho: 0.200, 0.203, 0.263 and 0.181, 0.240, 0.276, respectively), and then with the objective response to treatment (Rho: 0.388 and 0.207, respectively). A pleural neoplastic involvement was mainly associated to an increase of CA 125 tumour associated antigen (Rho: 0.397). Both tissue polypeptide antigen and CA 125 tumour associated antigen were strongly predictive of the patients' outcome, as assessed by the univariate analysis of survival (log-rank test: 37.24 and 29.01) and several Cox' proportional hazards regression models. The two marker tests are similarly helpful and appear complementary, given the low inter-marker correlation and their independent prognostic capability

A Coherent Timing Solution for the Nearby Isolated Neutron Star RX J0720.4-3125

We present the results of a dedicated effort to measure the spin-down rate of the nearby isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125. Comparing arrival times of the 8.39-sec pulsations for data from Chandra we derive an unambiguous timing solution for RX J0720.4-3125 that is accurate to 5 years. Adding data from XMM and ROSAT, the final solution yields Pdot=(6.98+/-0.02)x10^(-14) s/s; for dipole spin-down, this implies a characteristic age of 2 Myr and a magnetic field strength of 2.4e13 G. The phase residuals are somewhat larger than those for purely regular spin-down, but do not show conclusive evidence for higher-order terms or a glitch. From our timing solution as well as recent X-ray spectroscopy, we concur with recent suggestions that RX J0720.4-3125 is most likely an off-beam radio pulsar with a moderately high magnetic field.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in ApJ

The best approximation of a given function in L2L^2-norm by Lipschitz functions with gradient constraint

The starting point of this paper is the study of the asymptotic behavior, as $p\to\infty$, of the following minimization problem $$\min\left\{\frac1{p}\int|\nabla v|^{p}+\frac12\int(v-f)^2 \,, \quad \ v\in W^{1,p} (\Omega)\right\}.$$ We show that the limit problem provides the best approximation, in the $L^2$-norm, of the datum $f$ among all Lipschitz functions with Lipschitz constant less or equal than one. Moreover such approximation verifies a suitable PDE in the viscosity sense. After the analysis of the model problem above, we consider the asymptotic behavior of a related family of nonvariational equations and, finally, we also deal with some functionals involving the $(N-1)$-Hausdorff measure of the jump set of the function

X-ray Timing of PSR J1852+0040 in Kesteven 79: Evidence of Neutron Stars Weakly Magnetized at Birth

The 105-ms X-ray pulsar J1852+0040 is the central compact object (CCO) in SNR Kes 79. We report a sensitive upper limit on its radio flux density of 12 uJy at 2 GHz using the NRAO GBT. Timing using XMM and Chandra over a 2.4 yr span reveals no significant change in its spin period. The 2 sigma upper limit on the period derivative leads, in the dipole spin-down formalism, to an energy loss rate E-dot < 7e33 ergs/s, surface magnetic field strength B_p < 1.5e11 G, and characteristic age tau_c = P/2P-dot > 8 Myr. This tau_c exceeds the age of the SNR by 3 orders of magnitude, implying that the pulsar was born spinning at its current period. However, the X-ray luminosity of PSR J1852+0040, L(bol) ~ 3e33(d/7.1 kpc)^2 ergs/s is a large fraction of E-dot, which challenges the rotation-powered assumption. Instead, its high blackbody temperature, 0.46+/-0.04 keV, small blackbody radius ~ 0.8 km, and large pulsed fraction, ~ 80%, may be evidence of accretion onto a polar cap, possibly from a fallback disk made of supernova debris. If B_p < 1e10 G, an accretion disk can penetrate the light cylinder and interact with the magnetosphere while resulting torques on the neutron star remain within the observed limits. A weak B-field is also inferred in another CCO, the 424-ms pulsar 1E 1207.4-5209, from its steady spin and soft X-ray absorption lines. We propose this origin of radio-quiet CCOs: the B-field, derived from a turbulent dynamo, is weaker if the NS is formed spinning slowly, which enables it to accrete SN debris. Accretion excludes neutron stars born with both B_p 0.1 s from radio pulsar surveys, where B_p 40 Myr) or recycled pulsars. Finally, such a CCO, if born in SN 1987A, could explain the non-detection of a pulsar there.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa

Discovery of a New 89 Second X-ray Pulsar XTE J1906+09

We report on the discovery of a new pulsating X-ray source during Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of a low galactic latitude field centered at RA (J2000) = 19 hr 05 m 43 s and Dec (J2000) = +08 deg 58 arcmin 48 arcsec. Significant pulsations were detected by both the PCA and HEXTE instruments aboard RXTE at a fundamental period of 89.17 +/- 0.02 seconds, with higher harmonics also visible in the 2-10 keV power spectrum. The folded lightcurve from the source is multiply peaked at lower energies, and changes to single peaked morphology above ~20 keV. The phase averaged spectrum from the source is well fit by strongly absorbed power law or thermal bremsstrahlung spectral models of photon index 1.9 +/- 0.1 or temperature 19.5 +/- 4.6 keV, respectively. The mean neutral hydrogen column density is approximately 10^23 cm^-2, suggesting a distance of >10 kpc to the source and a minimum 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity of 2*10^{35} ergs s^{-1}. By comparison with other pulsars with similar periods and luminosities, we suggest that XTE J1906+09 has a supergiant companion with an underfilled Roche lobe. We speculate further that one of the M stars in a peculiar M star binary system may be the companion.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures. Accepted by ApJ Letter

Are You on My Wavelength? Interpersonal Coordination in Dyadic Conversations

Conversation between two people involves subtle nonverbal coordination in addition to speech. However, the precise parameters and timing of this coordination remain unclear, which limits our ability to theorize about the neural and cognitive mechanisms of social coordination. In particular, it is unclear if conversation is dominated by synchronization (with no time lag), rapid and reactive mimicry (with lags under 1 s) or traditionally observed mimicry (with several seconds lag), each of which demands a different neural mechanism. Here we describe data from high-resolution motion capture of the head movements of pairs of participants (n = 31 dyads) engaged in structured conversations. In a pre-registered analysis pathway, we calculated the wavelet coherence of head motion within dyads as a measure of their nonverbal coordination and report two novel results. First, low-frequency coherence (0.2–1.1 Hz) is consistent with traditional observations of mimicry, and modeling shows this behavior is generated by a mechanism with a constant 600 ms lag between leader and follower. This is in line with rapid reactive (rather than predictive or memory-driven) models of mimicry behavior, and could be implemented in mirror neuron systems. Second, we find an unexpected pattern of lower-than-chance coherence between participants, or hypo-coherence, at high frequencies (2.6–6.5 Hz). Exploratory analyses show that this systematic decoupling is driven by fast nodding from the listening member of the dyad, and may be a newly identified social signal. These results provide a step towards the quantification of real-world human behavior in high resolution and provide new insights into the mechanisms of social coordination

Finite-temperature corrections to the Lorenz ratio at the N = 3 topological Kondo fixed point

We analyze the finite-temperature scaling of the Lorenz ratio at the topological Kondo fixed point realized at a junction of three interacting quantum wires connected to a floating superconducting island. Using the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid approach to the quantum wires, we derive the full functional dependence of the finite-temperature correction on the Luttinger parameter g