Use of the Iso Principle as a Central Method in Mood Management: A Music Psychotherapy Clinical Case Study

The iso principle originated in 1948, as a concept and method of intervention in the context of mood management (Altshulter, 1948). Since then, the use of the iso principle has expanded to a variety of areas within music therapy (Smeijesters, 1995; Crowe, 2004; Michel & Pinson, 2005; Wigram, Pedersen, Bonde, 2002). This article traces the use of the iso principle as a means for mood management from its origins through contemporary clinical uses. It then poses a method of mood management utilizing the iso principle as a central concept and reviews its implementation and efficacy through the presentation of a case study with a female client battling a compulsive overeating disorder, depression, and anxiety. Considerations and implications of the use of the iso principle are also identified and discussed

Asfotase alfa therapy for children with hypophosphatasia

Background. Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is caused by loss-of-function mutation(s) of the gene that encodes the tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). Consequently, cell-surface deficiency of TNSALP phosphohydrolase activity leads to extracellular accumulation of inorganic pyrophosphate, a natural substrate of TNSALP and inhibitor of mineralization. Children with HPP can manifest rickets, skeletal pain, deformity, fracture, muscle weakness, and premature deciduous tooth loss. Asfotase alfa is a recombinant, bone-targeted, human TNSALP injected s.c. to treat HPP. In 2012, we detailed the 1-year efficacy of asfotase alfa therapy for the life-threatening perinatal and infantile forms of HPP. Methods. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of asfotase alfa treatment administered to children 6–12 years of age at baseline who were substantially impaired by HPP. Two radiographic scales quantitated HPP skeletal disease, including comparisons to serial radiographs from similarly affected historical control patients. Results. Twelve children receiving treatment were studied for 5 years. The 6-month primary endpoint was met, showing significant radiographic improvement. Additional significant improvements included patient growth, strength, motor function, agility, and quality of life, which for most patients meant achieving normal values for age- and sex-matched peers that were sustained at 5 years of treatment. For most, pain and disability resolved. Mild to moderate injection-site reactions were common and were sometimes associated with lipohypertrophy. Low anti–asfotase alfa antibody titers were noted in all patients. No evidence emerged for clinically important ectopic calcification or treatment resistance. Conclusions. Asfotase alfa enzyme replacement therapy has substantial and sustained efficacy with a good safety profile for children suffering from HPP. Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00952484 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00952484) and NCT01203826 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01203826). Funding. Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Shriners Hospitals for Children

Oligarchia revisisted

This article revisits an ostensibly important monument in Classical Attic historiography: the so-called Tomb of Critias, as preserved in a scholium note in Aeschines’ “Against Timarchus” (1.39). We survey prior scholarly positions on the realia of this monument, suggest it is a fiction, and consider the possible sources for the hexameter verse associated with it. We argue that the poetic composition from which the entire tradition derives, rather than being an inscription on a tomb, may in fact be an oligarchic commemoration, perhaps an encomium or epitaphios logos recited at Eleusis in the aftermath of the fall of the Thirty. As such, the verse composition may allude to a historiographical tradition that viewed the Thirty as a subversive hetaireia/kōmos group led out to govern the unruly dēmos. The reception of this composition generates a ‘lieu de mémoire’ in the historical imagination of later readers. The composition offers a piece of comparanda for the political views expressed by other Athenians with pro-oligarchic tendencies, an extreme formulation that strongly contrasts with the extant writings of Critias, Plato, and Xenophon. In revisiting this short anecdote we highlight the relevance of both scholia and monuments in our understanding of Attic historiography

Does Self-Esteem Moderate the Associations Between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Negative Outcomes Associated With Alcohol Consumption?

Previous research has shown that protective behavioral strategies tend to be associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption and fewer negative alcohol-related consequences. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-esteem would moderate the association between protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related outcomes. Participants were undergraduates (94 men and 363 women) between the ages of 18–25 who reported that they had consumed alcohol within the past 30 days. Results showed that greater use of protective behavioral strategies was associated with lower rates of alcohol consumption, less harmful drinking patterns, and fewer negative consequences for everyone except men with low self-esteem. The implications of these findings for understanding the link between protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related outcomes are discussed

Postdisaster Supervisor Strategies for Promoting Supervisee Self-Care: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina

The purpose of this article is to provide supervisors with postdisaster strategies for promoting supervisee self-care. These recommendations are based on relevant disaster mental health and supervision research along with the authors\u27 experiences of supervising and teaching in a university setting following Hurricane Katrina in South Mississippi. Supervisory examples from the authors\u27 hurricane experiences are also provided to highlight each recommendation. A supervisee self-care tool is offered to aid supervisors in their efforts to help supervisees develop positive coping responses in the event of a disaster. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved

DESS deconstructed: Is EDTA solely responsible for protection of high molecular weight DNA in this common tissue preservative?

DESS is a formulation widely used to preserve DNA in biological tissue samples. Although it contains three ingredients, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium chloride (NaCl), it is frequently referred to as a DMSO-based preservative. The effectiveness of DESS has been confirmed for a variety of taxa and tissues, however, to our knowledge, the contributions of each component of DESS to DNA preservation have not been evaluated. To address this question, we stored tissues of three aquatic taxa, Mytilus edulis (blue mussel), Faxonius virilis (virile crayfish) and Alitta virens (clam worm) in DESS, each component of DESS individually and solutions containing all combinations of two components of DESS. After storage at room temperature for intervals ranging from one day to six months, we extracted DNA from each tissue and measured the percentage of high molecular weight (HMW) DNA recovered (%R) and normalized HMW DNA yield (nY). Here, HMW DNA is defined as fragments >10 kb. For comparison, we also measured the %R and nY of HMW DNA from extracts of fresh tissues and those stored in 95% EtOH over the same time intervals. We found that in cases where DESS performed most effectively (yielding ≥ 20%R of HMW DNA), all solutions containing EDTA were as or more effective than DESS. Conversely, in cases where DESS performed more poorly, none of the six DESS-variant storage solutions provided better protection of HMW DNA than DESS. Moreover, for all taxa and storage intervals longer than one day, tissues stored in solutions containing DMSO alone, NaCl alone or DMSO and NaCl in combination resulted in %R and nY of HMW DNA significantly lower than those of fresh tissues. These results indicate that for the taxa, solutions and time intervals examined, only EDTA contributed directly to preservation of high molecular weight DNA