Acceptance and commitment therapy for symptom interference in metastatic breast cancer patients: a pilot randomized trial

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. With medical advances, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients often live for years with many symptoms that interfere with activities. However, there is a paucity of efficacious interventions to address symptom-related suffering and functional interference. Thus, this study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of telephone-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for symptom interference with functioning in MBC patients. METHODS: Symptomatic MBC patients (N = 47) were randomly assigned to six telephone sessions of ACT or six telephone sessions of education/support. Patients completed measures of symptom interference and measures assessing the severity of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. RESULTS: The eligibility screening rate (64%) and high retention (83% at 8 weeks post-baseline) demonstrated feasibility. When examining within-group change, ACT participants showed decreases in symptom interference (i.e., fatigue interference and sleep-related impairment; Cohen's d range = - 0.23 to - 0.31) at 8 and 12 weeks post-baseline, whereas education/support participants showed minimal change in these outcomes (d range = - 0.03 to 0.07). Additionally, at 12 weeks post-baseline, ACT participants showed moderate decreases in fatigue and sleep disturbance (both ds = - 0.43), whereas education/support participants showed small decreases in these outcomes (ds = - 0.24 and - 0.18 for fatigue and sleep disturbance, respectively). Both the ACT and education/support groups showed reductions in depressive symptoms (ds = - 0.27 and - 0.28) at 12 weeks post-baseline. Group differences in all outcomes were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: ACT shows feasibility and promise in improving fatigue and sleep-related outcomes in MBC patients and warrants further investigation

Inverse Modeling for MEG/EEG data

We provide an overview of the state-of-the-art for mathematical methods that are used to reconstruct brain activity from neurophysiological data. After a brief introduction on the mathematics of the forward problem, we discuss standard and recently proposed regularization methods, as well as Monte Carlo techniques for Bayesian inference. We classify the inverse methods based on the underlying source model, and discuss advantages and disadvantages. Finally we describe an application to the pre-surgical evaluation of epileptic patients.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figur

Hispanic Familism Reconsidered

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93710/1/tsq1252.pd

On the algorithmic construction of classifying spaces and the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups

We show that the isomorphism problem is solvable in the class of central extensions of word-hyperbolic groups, and that the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups reduces to that for biautomatic groups with finite centre. We describe an algorithm that, given an arbitrary finite presentation of an automatic group $\Gamma$, will construct explicit finite models for the skeleta of $K(\Gamma,1)$ and hence compute the integral homology and cohomology of $\Gamma$.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Effect of Oral Meloxicam on Health and Performance of Beef Steers Relative to Bulls Castrated on Arrival at the Feedlot

Castration in weaned calves is stressful and affects profitability by reducing ADG and increasing susceptibility to disease. This study evaluated the effect of meloxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on performance and health of calves received as steers compared with bull calves surgically castrated on arrival at the feedlot. British × Continental bulls (n = 145) and steers (n = 113; BW = 193 to 285 kg) were transported for 12 h in 3 truckloads (d 0), weighed, and randomly assigned to receive either lactose placebo (CONT; 1 mg/kg) or meloxicam (MEL; 1 mg/kg) suspended in water and administered per os, 24 h before castration. On d 1, bulls were surgically castrated (CAST) and steers were processed without castration (STR). Combinations of CONT/MEL and CAST/STR were allocated to 24 pens (6 pens per treatment) of 8 to 14 calves each. Pen was the experimental unit. Plasma meloxicam concentrations at the time of castration (d 1) were determined by HPLC-mass spectroscopy. Pen-level ADG, DMI, and G:F were estimated using BW obtained on d 0, 14, and 28 and weigh-back of feed. Individual animals were classified as sick based on a depression score of ≥2 on a 5-point scale and a rectal temperature of ≥39.8°C. On d 0, 1, and 14, calf chute temperament was evaluated using a 4-point scale. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and survival curve analyses. Castration reduced pen ADG (P \u3c 0.001) and G:F (P \u3c 0.001) from d 1 to 14, yet no effects (P \u3e 0.45) were apparent by d 28. For all treatment groups, DMI increased with days on feed (P \u3c 0.0001) but was less in CAST compared with STR calves (P \u3c 0.016) throughout the study. From d 15 to 28, ADG increased (P = 0.0011) in CAST but not STR calves, and G:F decreased (P = 0.0004) in STR but not CAST calves. In CAST calves only, MEL treatment reduced the pen-level first pull rate (P = 0.04) and reduced bovine respiratory disease morbidity rate (P = 0.03). The frequency of chute escape behavior was greater on arrival and at castration in CAST vs. STR calves (P \u3c 0.01) but not significantly different at d 14 (P = 0.22). Mean MEL concentrations at castration were no different between treated STR and CAST calves (P = 0.70). Meloxicam administration before castration in postweaning calves reduced the incidence of respiratory disease at the feedlot. These findings have implications for developing NSAID protocols for use in calves at castration with respect to addressing animal health and welfare concerns

Particle-in-cell Simulations of Ion Dynamics in a Pinched-beam Diode

article-in-cell simulations of a 1.6 MV, 800 kA, and 50 ns pinched-beam diode have been completed with emphasis placed on the quality of the ion beams produced. Simulations show the formation of multiple regions in the electron beam flow characterized by locally high charge and current density (“hot spots”). As ions flow through the electron-space-charge cloud, these hot spots electrostatically attract ions to produce a non-uniform ion current distribution. The length of the cavity extending beyond the anode-to-cathode gap (i.e., behind the cathode tip) influences both the number and amplitude of hot spots. A longer cavity length increases the number of hot spots yet significantly reduces the amplitude producing a smoother, more uniform ion beam than for shorter cavities. The net current and the ion bending angles are also significantly smaller with long cavities

Tyrosine phosphorylation of type Iγ phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase by Src regulates an integrin–talin switch

Engagement of integrin receptors with the extracellular matrix induces the formation of focal adhesions (FAs). Dynamic regulation of FAs is necessary for cells to polarize and migrate. Key interactions between FA scaffolding and signaling proteins are dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation. However, the precise role of tyrosine phosphorylation in FA development and maturation is poorly defined. Here, we show that phosphorylation of type Iγ phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase (PIPKIγ661) on tyrosine 644 (Y644) is critical for its interaction with talin, and consequently, localization to FAs. PIPKIγ661 is specifically phosphorylated on Y644 by Src. Phosphorylation is regulated by focal adhesion kinase, which enhances the association between PIPKIγ661 and Src. The phosphorylation of Y644 results in an ∼15-fold increase in binding affinity to the talin head domain and blocks β-integrin binding to talin. This defines a novel phosphotyrosine-binding site on the talin F3 domain and a “molecular switch” for talin binding between PIPKIγ661 and β-integrin that may regulate dynamic FA turnover