163 research outputs found
Enhancing assertive community treatment with cognitive behavioral social skills training for schizophrenia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
BackgroundSchizophrenia leads to profound disability in everyday functioning (e.g., difficulty finding and maintaining employment, housing, and personal relationships). Medications can effectively reduce positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations and delusions), but they do not meaningfully improve daily life functioning. Psychosocial evidence-based practices (EBPs) improve functioning, but these EBPs are not available to most people with schizophrenia. The field must close the research and service delivery gap by adapting EBPs for schizophrenia to facilitate widespread implementation in community settings. Our hybrid effectiveness and implementation study represents an initiative to bridge this divide. In this study we will test whether an existing EBP (i.e., Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST)) modified to work in practice settings (i.e., Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams) commonly available to persons with schizophrenia results in better consumer outcomes. We will also identify key factors relevant to developing future CBSST implementation strategies.Methods/designFor the effectiveness study component, persons with schizophrenia will be recruited from existing publicly funded ACT teams operating in community settings. Participants will be randomized to one of the 2 treatments (ACT alone or ACT + Adapted CBSST) and followed longitudinally for 18 months with assessments every 18 weeks after baseline (5 in total). The primary outcome domain is psychosocial functioning (e.g., everyday living skills and activities related to employment, education, and housing) as measured by self-report, testing, and observation. Additional outcome domains of interest include mediators of change in functioning, symptoms, and quality of services. Primary analyses will be conducted using linear mixed-effects models for continuous data. The implementation study component consists of a structured, mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology (i.e., Concept Mapping) to characterize and assess the implementation experience from multiple stakeholder perspectives in order to inform future implementation initiatives.DiscussionAdapting CBSST to fit into the ACT service delivery context found throughout the United States creates an opportunity to substantially increase the number of persons with schizophrenia who could have access to and benefit from EBPs. As part of the implementation learning process training materials and treatment workbooks have been revised to promote easier use of CBSST in the context of brief community-based ACT visits.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02254733 . Date of registration: 25 April 2014
Sonography of Uterine Abnormalities in Postpartum and Postabortion Patients
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135300/1/jum2008273343.pd
Finding hens in a haystack: Consistency of movement patterns within and across individual laying hens maintained in large groups
\ua9 2018, The Author(s). We sought to objectively quantify and compare the recorded movement and location patterns of laying hens within a commercial system. Using a custom tracking system, we monitored the location within five zones of a commercial aviary for 13 hens within a flock of 225 animals for a contiguous period of 11 days. Most hens manifested a hen-specific pattern that was (visually) highly consistent across days, though, within that consistency, manifested stark differences between hens. Three different methods were used to classify individual daily datasets into groups based on their similarity: (i) Linear Discriminant Analysis based on six summary variables (transitions into each zone) and total transitions; (ii) Hierarchical Clustering, a na\uefve clustering analysis technique, applied to summary variables and iii) Hierarchical Clustering applied to dissimilarity matrices produced by Dynamic Time Warping. The three methods correctly classified more than 85% of the hen days and provided a unique means to assess behaviour of a system indicating a considerable degree of complexity and structure. We believe the current effort is the first to document these location and movement patterns within a large, complex commercial system with a large potential to influence the assessment of animal welfare, health, and productivity
Measurement of the Surface Gravity of Boo
Direct angular size measurements of the G0IV subgiant Boo from the
Palomar Testbed Interferometer are presented, with limb-darkened angular size
of mas, which indicate a linear
radius of . A bolometric flux estimate of erg cms is computed, which indicates
an effective temperature of K and luminosity of for this object. Similar data are established for a check
star, HD 121860. The Boo results are compared to, and confirm, similar
parameters established by the {\it MOST} asteroseismology satellite. In
conjunction with the mass estimate from the {\it MOST} investigation, a surface
gravity of [cm s] is established for
Boo.Comment: To appear in March 1, 2007 ApJ v657 n
« Le problème, c’est qu’elle est mal baisée »: la lutte contre le sexisme en milieu médical menée par les étudiant·e·s en médecine [« Her problem is she hasn't been laid »: medical students fighting against sexist behaviours during training and clinical practice]
In 2018, a survey conducted by and among medical students in Lausanne revealed that they were witnesses and victims of numerous sexist behaviours during their training and clinical practice. The collected testimonies included accounts of sexual assault, sexual advances and microaggressions that have personal and professional impact on the victims. The CLASH was created with the aim of eradicating these incidents and changing the medical culture through the creation of an awareness-raising campaign, the implementation of a support hotline for victims and the introduction of a practical course during the medical curriculum. Further action at institutional and political level as well as large-scale studies are needed to ensure non-discriminatory training for all in the future
Photospheric and chromospheric activity in four young solar-type stars
We present a photometric and spectroscopic study of four G-K dwarfs, namely
HD 166, epsilon Eri, chi1 Ori and kappa1 Cet. In three cases, we find a clear
spatial association between photospheric and chromospheric active regions. For
chi1 Ori we do not find appreciable variations of photospheric temperature, and
chromospheric Halpha emission. We applied a spot/plage model to the observed
rotational modulation of temperature and flux to derive spot/plage parameters
and to reconstruct a rough three-dimensional map of the outer atmosphere of
kappa1 Cet, HD 166 and epsilon Eri.Comment: 12 pages, 3 tables, 9 figures. Submitted to Ap
Monocyte biology conserved across species: Functional insights from cattle.
Similar to human monocytes, bovine monocytes can be split into CD14highCD16- classical, CD14highCD16high intermediate and CD14-/dimCD16high nonclassical monocytes (cM, intM, and ncM, respectively). Here, we present an in-depth analysis of their steady-state bulk- and single-cell transcriptomes, highlighting both pronounced functional specializations and transcriptomic relatedness. Bulk gene transcription indicates pro-inflammatory and antibacterial roles of cM, while ncM and intM appear to be specialized in regulatory/anti-inflammatory functions and tissue repair, as well as antiviral responses and T-cell immunomodulation. Notably, intM stood out by high expression of several genes associated with antigen presentation. Anti-inflammatory and antiviral functions of ncM are further supported by dominant oxidative phosphorylation and selective strong responses to TLR7/8 ligands, respectively. Moreover, single-cell RNA-seq revealed previously unappreciated heterogeneity within cM and proposes intM as a transient differentiation intermediate between cM and ncM
Deep, Wide-field CCD Photometry for the Open Cluster NGC3532
We present the results of a deep, wide-field CCD survey for the open cluster
NGC~3532. Our new photometry effectively covers a one square
degree area and reaches an unprecedented depth of to reveal that
NGC~3532 is a rich open cluster that harbors a large number of faint, low-mass
stars. We employ a number of methods to reduce the impact of field star
contamination in the cluster color-magnitude diagrams, including supplementing
our photometry with data from the 2MASS catalog. These efforts allow
us to define a robust sample of candidate main sequence stars suitable for a
purely empirical determination of the cluster's parameters by comparing them to
the well-established Hyades main sequence. Our results confirm previous
findings that NGC~3532 lies fairly near to the Sun [;
~pc] and has an extremely low reddening for its location near
the Galactic plane []. Moreover, an age of \,Myr
has been derived for the cluster by fitting a set of overshooting isochrones to
the well-populated upper main-sequence. This new photometry also extends faint
enough to reach the cluster white dwarf sequence, as confirmed by our
photometric recovery of eight spectroscopically identified members of the
cluster. Using the location of these eight members, along with the latest
theoretical cooling tracks, we have identified additional white dwarf
stars in the color-magnitude diagram that have a high probability
of belonging to NGC~3532. The age we derive from fitting white dwarf isochrones
to the locus of these stars, \,Myr, is consistent with the age
derived from the turnoff. Our analysis of the photometry also includes an
estimation of the binary star fraction, as well as a determination of the
cluster's luminosity and mass functions.Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ. 55 pages, 21 figures. High-quality
version with complete data tables can be downloaded from
http://www.phys.lsu.edu/~jclem/NGC3532
The accuracy of stellar atmospheric parameter determinations: a case study with HD 32115 and HD 37594
We present detailed parameter determinations of two chemically normal late
A-type stars, HD 32115 and HD 37594, to uncover the reasons behind large
discrepancies between two previous analyses of these stars performed with a
semi-automatic procedure and a "classical" analysis. Our study is based on high
resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra obtained at the McDonald Observatory.
Our method is based on the simultaneous use of all available observables:
multicolor photometry, pressure-sensitive magnesium lines, metallic lines and
Balmer line profiles. Our final set of fundamental parameters fits, within the
error bars, all available observables. It differs from the published results
obtained with a semi-automatic procedure. A direct comparison between our new
observational material and the spectra previously used by other authors shows
that the quality of the data is not the origin of the discrepancies. As the two
stars require a substantial macroturbulence velocity to fit the line profiles,
we concluded that neglecting this additional broadening in the semi-automatic
analysis is one origin of discrepancy. The use of FeI excitation equilibrium
and of the Fe ionisation equilibrium, to derive effective temperature and
surface gravity, respectively, neglecting all other indicators leads to a
systematically erroneously high effective temperature. We deduce that the
results obtained using only one parameter indicator might be biased and that
those results need to be cautiously taken when performing further detailed
analyses, such as modelling of the asteroseismic frequencies or characterising
transiting exoplanets.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRA
Innate and adaptive immune responses following PD-L1 blockade in treating chronic murine alveolar echinococcosis.
BACKGROUND
Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint blockade is efficacious in certain cancer therapies.
OBJECTIVES
The present study aimed to provide a picture about the development of innate and adaptive immune responses upon PD-L1 blockade in treating chronic murine AE.
METHODS
Immune treatment started at 6 weeks post E. multilocularis-infection, and was maintained for 8 weeks with twice per week anti-PD-L1 administration (intraperitoneal). The study included an outgroup-control with mice perorally medicated with albendazole five days/week, and another one with both treatments combined. Assessment of treatment efficacy was based on determining parasite weight, innate and adaptive immune cell profiles, histopathology, and liver tissue cytokine levels.
RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
Findings showed that the parasite load was significantly reduced in response to PD-L1 blockade, and this blockade a) contributed to T cell activity by increasing CD4+ /CD8+ effector T cells, and decreasing Tregs; b) had the capacity to re-store DCs and Kupffer cells/Macrophages; c) suppressed NKT and NK cells; and thus d) lead to an improved control of E. multilocularis infection in mice. This study suggests that the PD-L1 pathway plays an important role by regulating adaptive and innate immune cells against E. multilocularis infection, with significant modulation of tissue inflammation
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