251 research outputs found
A new parenting-based group intervention for young anxious children: results of a randomized controlled trial
Objective
Despite recent advances, there are still no interventions that have been developed for the specific treatment of young children who have anxiety disorders. This study examined the impact of a new, cognitiveâbehaviorally based parenting intervention on anxiety symptoms.
Method
Families of 74 anxious children (aged 9 years or less) took part in a randomized controlled trial, which compared the new 10-session, group-format intervention with a wait-list control condition. Outcome measures included blinded diagnostic interview and self-reports from parents and children.
Results
Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that children whose parent(s) received the intervention were significantly less anxious at the end of the study than those in the control condition. Specifically, 57% of those receiving the new intervention were free of their primary disorder, compared with 15% in the control condition. Moreover, 32% of treated children were free of any anxiety diagnosis at the end of the treatment period, compared with 6% of those in the control group. Treatment gains were maintained at 12-month follow-up.
Conclusions
This new parenting-based intervention may represent an advance in the treatment of this previously neglected group. Clinical trial registration information: Anxiety in Young Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a New Cognitive-Behaviourally Based Parenting Intervention; http://www.isrctn.org/; ISRCTN12166762
Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation in bipolar depression: an open-label treatment study of clinical outcomes, acceptability and adverse events
Current treatments for bipolar depression have limited effectiveness, tolerability and acceptability. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation method that has demonstrated treatment efficacy for major depressive episodes. tDCS is portable, safe, and individuals like having sessions at home. We developed a home-based protocol with real-time remote supervision. In the present study, we have examined the clinical outcomes, acceptability and feasibility of home-based tDCS treatment in bipolar depression
Reactivity of Gold Hydrides: O2 Insertion into the AuâH Bond
Dioxygen reacts with the gold(I) hydride (IPr)AuH under insertion to give the hydroperoxide, (IPr)AuOOH, a long-postulated reaction in gold catalysis and the first demonstration of O2 activation by Au-H in a well-defined system. Subsequent condensation gave the peroxide (IPr)Au-OO-Au(IPr) (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazole-2-ylidene). The reaction kinetics are reported, as well as the reactivity of Au(I) hydrides with radical scavengers
Multi-spacecraft study of the solar wind at solar minimum: Dependence on latitude and transient outflows
Context: The recent launches of Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter (SO), and BepiColombo, along with several older spacecraft, have provided the opportunity to study the solar wind at multiple latitudes and distances from the Sun simultaneously.
Aims: We take advantage of this unique spacecraft constellation, along with low solar activity across two solar rotations between May and July 2020, to investigate how the solar wind structure, including the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), varies with latitude.
Methods: We visualise the sector structure of the inner heliosphere by ballistically mapping the polarity and solar wind speed from several spacecraft onto the Sunâs source surface. We then assess the HCS morphology and orientation with the in situ data and compare this with a predicted HCS shape.
Results: We resolve ripples in the HCS on scales of a few degrees in longitude and latitude, finding that the local orientations of sector boundaries were broadly consistent with the shape of the HCS but were steepened with respect to a modelled HCS at the Sun. We investigate how several CIRs varied with latitude, finding evidence for the compression region affecting slow solar wind outside the latitude extent of the faster stream. We also identified several transient structures associated with HCS crossings and speculate that one such transient may have disrupted the local HCS orientation up to five days after its passage.
Conclusions: We have shown that the solar wind structure varies significantly with latitude, with this constellation providing context for solar wind measurements that would not be possible with a single spacecraft. These measurements provide an accurate representation of the solar wind within ±10° latitude, which could be used as a more rigorous constraint on solar wind models and space weather predictions. In the future, this range of latitudes will increase as SOâs orbit becomes more inclined
Fascin Is Regulated by Slug, Promotes Progression of Pancreatic Cancer in Mice, and Is Associated With Patient Outcomes
Background & AimsPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is often lethal because it is highly invasive and metastasizes rapidly. The actin-bundling protein fascin has been identified as a biomarker of invasive and advanced PDAC and regulates cell migration and invasion in vitro. We investigated fascin expression and its role in PDAC progression in mice.MethodsWe used KRasG12D p53R172H Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mice to investigate the effects of fascin deficiency on development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIn), PDAC, and metastasis. We measured levels of fascin in PDAC cell lines and 122 human resected PDAC samples, along with normal ductal and acinar tissues; we associated levels with patient outcomes.ResultsPancreatic ducts and acini from control mice and early-stage PanINs from KPC mice were negative for fascin, but approximately 6% of PanIN3 and 100% of PDAC expressed fascin. Fascin-deficient KRasG12D p53R172H Pdx1-Cre mice had longer survival times, delayed onset of PDAC, and a lower PDAC tumor burdens than KPC mice; loss of fascin did not affect invasion of PDAC into bowel or peritoneum in mice. Levels of slug and fascin correlated in PDAC cells; slug was found to regulate transcription of Fascin along with the epithelialâmesenchymal transition. In PDAC cell lines and cells from mice, fascin concentrated in filopodia and was required for their assembly and turnover. Fascin promoted intercalation of filopodia into mesothelial cell layers and cell invasion. Nearly all human PDAC samples expressed fascin, and higher fascin histoscores correlated with poor outcomes, vascular invasion, and time to recurrence.ConclusionsThe actin-bundling protein fascin is regulated by slug and involved in late-stage PanIN and PDAC formation in mice. Fascin appears to promote formation of filopodia and invasive activities of PDAC cells. Its levels in human PDAC correlate with outcomes and time to recurrence, indicating it might be a marker or therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
Midgestation Maternal Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Soluble Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1/Placental Growth Factor Ratio as Predictors of Severe Preeclampsia
Recent studies have shown that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level is a risk factor for preeclampsia. The clinical significance of in vitro findings that vitamin D regulates vascular endothelial growth factor production is unclear. We sought to determine whether there is an association between midgestation serum 25(OH)D levels and angiogenic factor activity and to compare their predictive value for the development of severe preeclampsia. We conducted a nested case-control study of women with severe preeclampsia (n=41) versus women with uncomplicated term birth (n=123) who had second trimester genetic screening (15â20 weeks). Using banked frozen serum, we measured levels of 25(OH)D, vascular endothelial growth factor, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, and placental growth factor and compared their correlations and predictive values. We found no correlation between serum 25(OH)D and angiogenic factors levels. 25(OH)D alone was comparable to vascular endothelial growth factor and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1/placental growth factor ratio as a predictive marker for severe preeclampsia. A composite of both 25(OH)D level and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1/placental growth factor ratio was more predictive than either alone (area under curve: 0.83 versus 0.74 and 0.67, respectively). In conclusion, combining midpregnancy 25(OH)D level with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1/placental growth factor ratio provides a better prediction for the development of severe preeclampsia
Magnetic field spectral evolution in the inner heliosphere
Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter data are used to investigate the radial
evolution of magnetic turbulence between au.
The spectrum is studied as a function of scale, normalized to the ion inertial
scale . In the vicinity of the Sun, the inertial range is limited to a
narrow range of scales and exhibits a power-law exponent of, , independent of plasma parameters. The inertial range grows with
distance, progressively extending to larger spatial scales, while steepening
towards a scaling. It is observed that spectra for intervals
with large magnetic energy excesses and low Alfv\'enic content steepen
significantly with distance, in contrast to highly Alfv\'enic intervals that
retain their near-Sun scaling. The occurrence of steeper spectra in slower wind
streams may be attributed to the observed positive correlation between solar
wind speed and Alfv\'enicity.Comment: Accepted to APJ letters with minor revision
First Solar Orbiter observation of the Alfvénic slow wind and identification of its solar source
Context: Turbulence dominated by large amplitude nonlinear Alfvén-like fluctuations mainly propagating away from the Sun is
ubiquitous in high speed solar wind streams. Recent studies have shown that also slow wind streams may show strong Alfvénic
signatures, especially in the inner heliosphere.
Aims: The present study focuses on the characterisation of an Alfvénic slow solar wind interval observed by Solar Orbiter on July
14-18, 2020 at a heliocentric distance of 0.64 AU.
Methods: Our analysis is based on plasma moments and magnetic field measurements from the Solar Wind Analyser (SWA) and
Magnetometer (MAG) instruments, respectively. We compare the behaviour of different parameters to characterise the stream in
terms of the Alfvénic content and magnetic properties. We perform also a spectral analysis to highlight spectral features and waves
signature using power spectral density and magnetic helicity spectrograms, respectively. Moreover, we reconstruct the Solar Orbiter
magnetic connectivity to the solar sources via both a ballistic and a Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model.
Results: The Alfvénic slow wind stream described in this paper resembles in many respects a fast wind stream. Indeed, at large scales,
the time series of the speed profile shows a compression region, a main portion of the stream and a rarefaction region, characterised by
different features. Moreover, before the rarefaction region, we pinpoint several structures at different scales recalling the spaghetti-like
flux-tube texture of the interplanetary magnetic field. Finally, we identify the connections between Solar Orbiter in situ measurements,
tracing them down to coronal streamer and pseudostreamer configurations.
Conclusions. The characterisation of the Alfvénic slow wind stream observed by Solar Orbiter and the identification of its solar
source are extremely important aspects to understand possible future observations of the same solar wind regime, especially as solar
activity is increasing toward a maximum, where a higher incidence of this solar wind regime is expected
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Medical Education Escape Room Aligned with Flipped Classroom and Powered by Mobile Augmented Reality
Medical education escape rooms are emerging as a viable technological resource for pedagogy-first, learner-centric educational activities. This work presents the evaluation results of the first flipped classroom implementation in medical education, thus utilizing a mobile-driven augmented reality (AR) escape room. A total of 21 first-year medical students attended a flipped classroom educational activity that aimed to acclimate the students with the workflows of basic life support. Knowledge acquisition and user perceptions were evaluated. Knowledge acquisition was evaluated with an ad hoc relevant instrument at three timepoints: (a) baseline at recruitment, (b) preclass after students had prepared for the episode, and (c) after class. Learner perceptions about the activity and the AR escape room were recorded at the activityâs end using a previously designed evaluation instrument. The results demonstrated sufficient knowledge acquisition only after completing the whole educational activity, while learners found the experience interesting, and the AR escape room challenging, thus reflecting an activity that was well formulated in structure and content. The challenges identified were the limited out of class collaboration capacity of the digital application and the highly gamified approach that at points counteracted the educational scope of the activity. Overall, these positive initial results demonstrate the potential of collaborative, escape based, activities for self-directed, learner-centric medical education
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