Specific, Common, and Unintended Factors in Psychotherapy: Descriptive and Correlational Approaches to What Creates Change

From the psychotherapy outcome literature, many have inferred that either theory-specific techniques or interventions common to all therapies are what produce symptom change. However, such conclusions are premature because (a) too few direct tests have been conducted of how variation in the levels of either specific or common factor interventions relate to outcome, (b) those prior investigations of specific and common factors and outcome have often been limited to examining linear relations between intervention use and outcome when curvilinear functions might better model their association, and (c) most studies of psychotherapy and outcome have failed to consider how interventions specific to theoretical orientations other than that being studied (i.e., interventions not intended to be in the specific treatment under investigation nor common to all therapies) might also contribute to outcome. In this thesis, I present two studies investigating the relation of interventions from a number of different therapy systems to subsequent symptom improvement in behavioral therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and psychodynamic therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Theory-specific techniques were prominent in both therapies (e.g., behavioral techniques in behavioral therapy, psychodynamic techniques in dynamic therapy), and moderate levels of specific factors were related to better outcome than were higher or lower levels in each treatment. Common factor techniques were among the highest reported interventions in both treatments, but were not predictive of symptom improvement in either therapy. Interventions from other theoretical orientations were present in both therapies, but in such a way that individual techniques appeared to be selected for use based on their congruence with the theoretical orientation of the treatment. In behavioral therapy, no other types of interventions contributed to outcome more than behavioral interventions. In psychodynamic therapy, moderate levels of process-experiential techniques were associated with better outcome than were higher or lower levels. Further research needs to document how specific, common, and unintended factors occur in different psychotherapies and how such interventions might relate to outcome in complex ways before conclusions can be made about the mechanisms of therapy

Phenomenological power spectrum models for Hα\alpha emission line galaxies from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

The High Latitude Spectroscopic Survey (HLSS) is the reference baseline spectroscopic survey for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman space telescope, measuring redshifts of $\sim 10$M H$\alpha$ emission line galaxies over a $2000$ deg$^2$ footprint at $z=1-2$. In this work, we use a realistic Roman galaxy mock catalogue to explore optimal phenomenological modeling of the measured power spectrum. We consider two methods for modeling the redshift-space distortions (Kaiser squashing and another with a window function on $\beta$ that selects out the coherent radial infall pairwise velocities, $M_A$ and $M_B$, respectively), two models for the nonlinear impact of baryons that smears the BAO signal (a fixed ratio between the smearing scales in the perpendicular and parallel dimensions and another where these smearing scales are kept as a free parameters, P$_{dw}(k|k_*)$ and P$_{dw}(k|\Sigma_\perp,\Sigma_\parallel)$, respectively), and two analytical emulations of nonlinear growth (one employing the halo model and another formulated from simulated galaxy clustering of a semi-analytical model, $F_{HM}$ and $F_{SAM}$, respectively). We find that the best model combination employing $F_{HM}$ is $P_{dw}(k|k_*)*F_{HM}*M_B$, while the best combination employing $F_{SAM}$ is $P_{dw}(k|k_*)*F_{SAM}*M_B$, which leads to unbiased measurements of cosmological parameters. We compare these to the Effective Field Theory of Large-Scale Structure perturbation theory model $P_{EFT}(k|\Theta)$, and find that our simple phenomenological models are comparable across the entire redshift range for $k_{max}=0.25$ and $0.3$ $h$/Mpc. We expect the tools that we have developed to be useful in probing dark energy and testing gravity using Roman in an accurate and robust manner.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, Accepted to MNRAS 23 May 202

The detuning effects of a wrist-worn antenna and design of a custom antenna measurement system

This paper investigates the effects of antenna detuning on wireless devices caused by the presence of the human body,particularly the wrist. To facilitate repeatable and consistent antenna impedance measurements, an accurate and low cost human phantom arm, that simulates human tissue at 433MHz frequencies, has been developed and characterized. An accurate and low cost hardware prototype system has been developed to measure antenna return loss at a frequency of 433MHz and the design, fabrication and measured results are presented. This system provides a flexible means of evaluating closed-loop reconfigurable antenna tuning circuits for use in wireless mote applications

Antenna tuning for wearable wireless sensors

When miniaturized wireless sensors are placed on or close to the human body, they can experience a significant loss inperformance due to antenna detuning, resulting in degradationof wireless performance as well as decreased battery lifetime.Several antenna tuning technologies have been proposed formobile wireless devices but devices suitable for widespread integration have yet to emerge. This paper highlights the possible advantages of antenna tuning for wearable wireless sensors and presents the design and characterization of a prototype 433MHz tuner module

Fusion and Beyond: Satellite Cell Contributions to Loading-Induced Skeletal Muscle Adaptation

Satellite cells support adult skeletal muscle fiber adaptations to loading in numerous ways. The fusion of satellite cells, driven by cell-autonomous and/or extrinsic factors, contributes new myonuclei to muscle fibers, associates with load-induced hypertrophy, and may support focal membrane damage repair and long-term myonuclear transcriptional output. Recent studies have also revealed that satellite cells communicate within their niche to mediate muscle remodeling in response to resistance exercise, regulating the activity of numerous cell types through various mechanisms such as secretory signaling and cell–cell contact. Muscular adaptation to resistance and endurance activity can be initiated and sustained for a period of time in the absence of satellite cells, but satellite cell participation is ultimately required to achieve full adaptive potential, be it growth, function, or proprioceptive coordination. While significant progress has been made in understanding the roles of satellite cells in adult muscle over the last few decades, many conclusions have been extrapolated from regeneration studies. This review highlights our current understanding of satellite cell behavior and contributions to adaptation outside of regeneration in adult muscle, as well as the roles of satellite cells beyond fusion and myonuclear accretion, which are gaining broader recognition

APOBEC3G Polymorphism as a Selective Barrier to Cross-Species Transmission and Emergence of Pathogenic SIV and AIDS in a Primate Host

Cellular restriction factors, which render cells intrinsically resistant to viruses, potentially impose genetic barriers to cross-species transmission and emergence of viral pathogens in nature. One such factor is APOBEC3G. To overcome APOBEC3G-mediated restriction, many lentiviruses encode Vif, a protein that targets APOBEC3G for degradation. As with many restriction factor genes, primate APOBEC3G displays strong signatures of positive selection. This is interpreted as evidence that the primate APOBEC3G locus reflects a long-term evolutionary “arms-race” between retroviruses and their primate hosts. Here, we provide direct evidence that APOBEC3G has functioned as a barrier to cross-species transmission, selecting for viral resistance during emergence of the AIDS-causing pathogen SIVmac in captive colonies of Asian macaques in the 1970s. Specifically, we found that rhesus macaques have multiple, functionally distinct APOBEC3G alleles, and that emergence of SIVmac and simian AIDS required adaptation of the virus to evade APOBEC3G-mediated restriction. Our evidence includes the first comparative analysis of APOBEC3G polymorphism and function in both a reservoir and recipient host species (sooty mangabeys and rhesus macaques, respectively), and identification of adaptations unique to Vif proteins of the SIVmac lineage that specifically antagonize rhesus APOBEC3G alleles. By demonstrating that interspecies variation in a known restriction factor selected for viral counter-adaptations in the context of a documented case of cross-species transmission, our results lend strong support to the evolutionary “arms-race” hypothesis. Importantly, our study confirms that APOBEC3G divergence can be a critical determinant of interspecies transmission and emergence of primate lentiviruses, including viruses with the potential to infect and spread in human populations

Endemic invasive amoebiasis in northern Australia

In October 2000, a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy from the Darwin region of the Northern Territory was referred to hospital with a 24-hour history of abdominal pain, initially generalised, but then localising to the right iliac fossa. The pain was accompanied by occasional vomiting, but no fever or diarrhoea was noted. At laparotomy, a gangrenous, unruptured appendix was removed. Postoperatively, the patient made a good recovery. Neither he nor any family members had travelled outside the Northern Territory.Histological sections of the surgical specimen showed changes typical of acute suppurative appendicitis. Closer examination, however, revealed numerous round-to-oval structures resembling trophozoites (see Box). When the possibility of invasive amoebiasis was raised, staining of the section with Entamoeba histolytica-specific sera confirmed the diagnosis. E. histolytica serology was negative

On the Double Planet System Around HD 83443

The Geneva group has reported two Saturn-mass planets orbiting HD 83443 (K0V) with periods of 2.98 and 29.8 d. The two planets have raised interest in their dynamics because of the possible 10:1 orbital resonance and the strong gravitational interactions. We report precise Doppler measurements of HD 83443 obtained with the Keck/HIRES and the AAT/UCLES spectrometers. These measurements strongly confirm the inner planet with period of 2.985 d, with orbital parameters in very good agreement with those of the Geneva group. However these Doppler measurements show no evidence of the outer planet, at thresholds of 1/4 (3 m/s) of the reported velocity amplitude of 13.8 m/s. Thus, the existence of the outer planet is in question. Indeed, the current Doppler measurements reveal no evidence of any second planet with periods less than a year.Comment: 26 pages incl. 3 tables and 8 figures; uses AASTE

A dual-ISM-band antenna of small size using a spiral structure with parasitic element

This letter presents a compact, single-feed, dual-band antenna covering both the 433-MHz and 2.45-GHz Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) bands. The antenna has small dimensions of 51 ×28 mm². A square-spiral resonant element is printed on the top layer for the 433-MHz band. The remaining space within the spiral is used to introduce an additional parasitic monopole element on the bottom layer that is resonant at 2.45 GHz. Measured results show that the antenna has a 10-dB return-loss bandwidth of 2 MHz at 433 MHz and 132 MHz at 2.45 GHz, respectively. The antenna has omnidirectional radiation characteristics with a peak realized gain (measured) of -11.5 dBi at 433 MHz and +0.5 dBi at 2.45 GHz, respectively