Bridging the gap between therapy research and practice in a person-centered/experiential therapy training program : the Leuven systematic case study research protocol

The goal of the Leuven Systematic Case Study Research Protocol project is to stimulate practice-oriented research in order to bridge the gap between research and practice. In this article we give a progress report of the project, in which a set of Dutch-language research instruments was created and tested with postgraduate trainees in person-centered/experiential therapy at the University Leuven (Belgium). We begin by presenting the general framework for the protocol, including the three major domains of therapy process, therapy outcome, and client/therapist characteristics. Then we give an overview of the quantitative and qualitative instruments used. We explain how the project has been implemented in the postgraduate program. To evaluate the success of the project, we analyzed the answers of our trainees on a questionnaire. We give an overview of the clinical cases involved and the variety of research questions that have been formulated in the individual case studies. Finally we discuss the value of this pilot project

Integrated nano-opto-electro-mechanical sensor for spectrometry and nanometrology

Spectrometry is widely used for the characterization of materials, tissues, and gases, and the need for size and cost scaling is driving the development of mini and microspectrometers. While nanophotonic devices provide narrowband filtering that can be used for spectrometry, their practical application has been hampered by the difficulty of integrating tuning and read-out structures. Here, a nano-opto-electro-mechanical system is presented where the three functionalities of transduction, actuation, and detection are integrated, resulting in a high-resolution spectrometer with a micrometer-scale footprint. The system consists of an electromechanically tunable double-membrane photonic crystal cavity with an integrated quantum dot photodiode. Using this structure, we demonstrate a resonance modulation spectroscopy technique that provides subpicometer wavelength resolution. We show its application in the measurement of narrow gas absorption lines and in the interrogation of fiber Bragg gratings. We also explore its operation as displacement-to-photocurrent transducer, demonstrating optomechanical displacement sensing with integrated photocurrent read-out

A study of thermally-induced optical bistability and the role of surface treatments in Si-based mid-infrared photonic crystal cavities

We report the observation of optical bistability in Si-based photonic crystal cavities operating around 4.5 \mum. Time domain measurements indicate that the source of this optical bistability is thermal, with a time constant on the order of 5 \mus. Quality (Q) factor improvement is shown by the use of surface treatments (wet processes and annealing), resulting in an increase of Q-factor from 11,500 to 29,300 at 4.48 \mum. After annealing in a N2 environment, optical bistability is no longer seen in our cavities

Exploring corrections to the optomechanical Hamiltonian

We compare two approaches for deriving corrections to the “linear model” of cavity optomechanics, in order to describe effects that are beyond first order in the radiation pressure coupling. In the regime where the mechanical frequency is much lower than the cavity one, we compare: (I) a widely used phenomenological Hamiltonian conserving the photon number; (II) a two-mode truncation of C. K. Law’s microscopic model, which we take as the “true” system Hamiltonian. While these approaches agree at first order, the latter model does not conserve the photon number, resulting in challenging computations. We find that approach (I) allows for several analytical predictions, and significantly outperforms the linear model in our numerical examples. Yet, we also find that the phenomenological Hamiltonian cannot fully capture all high-order corrections arising from the C. K. Law model

The 24-h Energy Intake of Obese Adolescents Is Spontaneously Reduced after Intensive Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Calorimetric Chambers

Background: Physical exercise can modify subsequent energy intake and appetite and may thus be of particular interest in terms of obesity treatment. However, it is still unclear whether an intensive bout of exercise can affect the energy consumption of obese children and adolescents. [br/] Objective: To compare the impact of high vs. moderate intensity exercises on subsequent 24-h energy intake, macronutrient preferences, appetite sensations, energy expenditure and balance in obese adolescent. [br/] Design: This randomized cross-over trial involves 15 obese adolescent boys who were asked to randomly complete three 24-h sessions in a metabolic chamber, each separated by at least 7 days: (1) sedentary (SED); (2) Low-Intensity Exercise (LIE) (40% maximal oxygen uptake, VO(2)max); (3) High-Intensity Exercise (HIE) (75% VO(2)max). Results: Despite unchanged appetite sensations, 24-h total energy intake following HIE was 6-11% lower compared to LIE and SED (p<0.05), whereas no differences appeared between SED and LIE. Energy intake at lunch was 9.4% and 8.4% lower after HIE compared to SED and LIE, respectively (p<0.05). At dinner time, it was 20.5% and 19.7% lower after HIE compared to SED and LIE, respectively (p<0.01). 24-h energy expenditure was not significantly altered. Thus, the 24-h energy balance was significantly reduced during HIE compared to SED and LIE (p<0.01), whereas those of SED and LIE did not differ. [br/] Conclusions: In obese adolescent boys, HIE has a beneficial impact on 24-h energy balance, mainly due to the spontaneous decrease in energy intake during lunch and dinner following the exercise bout. Prescribing high-intensity exercises to promote weight loss may therefore provide effective results without affecting appetite sensations and, as a result, food frustrations