Semi microscopic description of 84 Kr

The experimental information on the84Kr nuclei is compared with the model calculation in which two neutron holes are coupled to the vibrational field. Based on the lower-order terms of a perturbative expansion of the E2 and M1 transition matrix elements, a simple rule is obtained for the sign and the magnitude of theδ (E2/M1) ratios for the transitions between the second and first 2+ states in some vibrational nuclei.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Proteome-wide analysis and diel proteomic profiling in the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis PCC 8005

The filamentous cyanobacteriumArthrospira platensishas a long history of use as a food supply and it has been used by the European Space Agency in the MELiSSA project, an artificial microecosystem which supports life during long-term manned space missions. This study assesses progress in the field of cyanobacterial shotgun proteomics and light/dark diurnal cycles by focusing onArthrospira platensis. Several fractionation workflows including gel-free and gel-based protein/peptide fractionation procedures were used and combined with LC-MS/MS analysis, enabling the overall identification of 1306 proteins, which represents 21% coverage of the theoretical proteome. A total of 30 proteins were found to be significantly differentially regulated under light/dark growth transition. Interestingly, most of the proteins showing differential abundance were related to photosynthesis, the Calvin cycle and translation processes. A novel aspect and major achievement of this work is the successful improvement of the cyanobacterial proteome coverage using a 3D LC-MS/MS approach, based on an immobilized metal affinity chromatography, a suitable tool that enabled us to eliminate the most abundant protein, the allophycocyanin. We also demonstrated that cell growth follows a light/dark cycle inA. platensis. This preliminary proteomic study has highlighted new characteristics of theArthrospira platensisproteome in terms of diurnal regulation

Improvement in therapist skills over sessions in brief motivational interventions predicts client language and alcohol use outcomes.

Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) are widely used and efficacious interventions that address alcohol misuse in mandated college students. Consistent with motivational interviewing (MI; Miller & Rollnick, 2013) theory, within-therapist improvements in MI-consistent (MICO) skills over time-that is, as a therapist gains skill through repeated practice-may be associated with concurrent increases in client change language and subsequent changes in behavior. This study examined how therapist skill changed over time and whether within-therapist improvement in MICO skills impacted in-session client change language and subsequent alcohol-related outcomes. BMI sessions (N = 228) from 2 randomized clinical trials that had led to significant reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in mandated student drinkers were coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code 2.0 (Miller, Moyers, Ernst, & Amrhein, 2003). In both studies, the BMI consisted of a single 45- to 60-min session. Analyses examined session-by-session changes in therapist MICO skills, client change language, and alcohol use outcomes. Therapist MICO skills improved over time, and there were significant increases in client change language and decreases in client discussion of topics other than personal alcohol use. Among relatively heavy-drinking clients, those treated by a more experienced therapist demonstrated greater reductions in alcohol use; however, this association was not mediated by client change language. Increased experience conducting BMIs improved therapist MICO skills over time, which in turn increased the focus on personal alcohol use during the session. However, it remains unclear how client language predicts behavior change following a BMI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Does a Brief Motivational Intervention Reduce Frequency of Pregaming in Mandated Students?

BACKGROUND: Pregaming, also known as frontloading or predrinking, is a common but risky drinking behavior among college students. However, little is known about the way in which a brief motivational intervention (BMI) addressing general alcohol use and consequences may impact pregaming frequency. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether mandated students reduced frequency of pregaming following a BMI when pregaming was spontaneously discussed and whether gender moderated these effects. METHODS: Participants (n = 269, 32% female) were mandated college students who had received a campus-based alcohol citation and continued to exhibit risky alcohol use six weeks after receiving a brief advice session. Participants were randomized to a brief motivational intervention (BMI, n = 145) or assessment only (AO, n = 124) and completed follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 9 months postintervention. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to examine both between-person (Level 2) effects (i.e., condition) and within-person (Level 1) effects (i.e., time) on pregaming frequency. Analyses examining discussions of pregaming within the BMI were conducted using a sub-sample of the BMI sessions which had been transcribed (n = 121). RESULTS: Participants in the BMI group did not significantly reduce the frequency of pregaming compared to those in the AO group, even when pregaming was explicitly discussed during the BMI. Moreover, the BMI was equally ineffective at reducing pregaming frequency for both males and females. CONCLUSION/IMPORTANCE: Pregaming frequency appears to be resistant to conventional intervention efforts, but recent research suggests several innovative strategies for addressing pregaming in the college student population

Ordinal scales and fuzzy set systems to measure agreement: An application to the evaluation of teaching activity

teaching evaluation, Likert scale, neutral position, fuzzy set theory,

Tailgating and Pregaming by College Students with Alcohol Offenses: Patterns of Alcohol Use and Beliefs

Research indicates that pregaming (drinking before a social event) and tailgating (drinking before a sporting event) are two culturally ingrained alcohol use behaviors by college students. We examined the prevalence of these two activities in a sample of college students (N = 354) who violated campus alcohol policy and were mandated to receive an alcohol intervention in fall 2010. Results indicated that alcohol consumption and other risk factors were related to pregaming and tailgating. These findings are discussed in the context of clinical implications and future directions for research. This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health