Migrating eastern North Pacific gray whale call and blow rates estimated from acoustic recordings, infrared camera video, and visual sightings.

During the eastern North Pacific gray whale 2014-2015 southbound migration, acoustic call recordings, infrared blow detections, and visual sightings were combined to estimate cue rates, needed to convert detections into abundance. The gray whale acoustic call rate ranged from 2.3-24 calls/whale/day during the peak of the southbound migration with an average of 7.5 calls/whale/day over both the southbound and northbound migrations. The average daily calling rate increased between 30 December-13 February. With a call rate model, we estimated that 4,340 gray whales migrated south before visual observations began on 30 December, which is 2,829 more gray whales than used in the visual estimate, and would add approximately 10% to the abundance estimate. We suggest that visual observers increase their survey effort to all of December to document gray whale presence. The infrared camera blow rate averaged 49 blows/whale/hour over 5-8 January. Probability of detection of a whale blow by the infrared camera was the same at night as during the day. However, probability of detection decreased beyond 2.1 km offshore, whereas visual sightings revealed consistent whale densities up to 3 km offshore. We suggest that future infrared camera surveys use multiple cameras optimised for different ranges offshore

Amygdalar function reflects common individual differences in emotion and pain regulation success

Although the co-occurrence of negative affect and pain is well recognized, the mechanism underlying their association is unclear. To examine whether a common self-regulatory ability impacts the experience of both emotion and pain, we integrated neuroimaging, behavioral, and physiological measures obtained from three assessments separated by substantial temporal intervals. Out results demonstrated that individual differences in emotion regulation ability, as indexed by an objective measure of emotional state, corrugator electromyography, predicted self-reported success while regulating pain. In both emotion and pain paradigms, the amygdala reflected regulatory success. Notably, we found that greater emotion regulation success was associated with greater change of amygdalar activity following pain regulation. Furthermore, individual differences in degree of amygdalar change following emotion regulation were a strong predictor of pain regulation success, as well as of the degree of amygdalar engagement following pain regulation. These findings suggest that common individual differences in emotion and pain regulatory success are reflected in a neural structure known to contribute to appraisal processes

Drug design and synthesis of first in class PDZ1 targeting NHERF1 inhibitors as anticancer agents

Targeted approaches aiming at modulating NHERF1 activity, rather than its overall expression, would be preferred to preserve the normal functions of this versatile protein. We focused our attention on the NHERF1/PDZ1 domain that governs its membrane recruitment/displacement through a transient phosphorylation switch. We herein report the design and synthesis of novel NHERF1 PDZ1 domain inhibitors. These compounds have potential therapeutic value when used in combination with antagonists of β-catenin to augment apoptotic death of colorectal cancer cells refractory to currently available Wnt/β-catenin-targeted agents

A new case manager for diabetic patients: a pilot observational study of the role of community pharmacists and pharmacy services in the case management of diabetic patients

The adherence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) patients with an individual care plan (ICP) is often not satisfactory, nor does it allow for a significant improvement in outcome, because of poor accessibility to services, poor integration of pathway articulations, poor reconciliation with the patient's life, or the lack of a constant reference person. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of community pharmacists and pharmacy services in improving adherence with periodic controls in DM2. The study was conducted at a rural pharmacy. A sample of 40 patients was calculated with respect to a historical cohort and subsequently enrolled. Clinical and personal data were collected in an electronic case report form. Pharmacists acting as a case manager followed patients carrying out their ICP developed by an attending physician. Some of the activities foreseen by the ICP, such as electrocardiogram, fundus examination, and self-analysis of blood and urine, were carried out directly in the pharmacy by the pharmacist through the use of telemedicine services and point of care units. Activities that could not be performed in the pharmacy were booked by the pharmacist at the accredited units. Examination results were electronically reported by the pharmacist to the attending physician. The primary endpoint was the variation in patient adherence with the ICP compared to a historical cohort. Secondary endpoints were variation in waiting time for the examinations, mean percentage change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and blood pressure, impact on healthcare-related costs, and perceived quality of care. Adherence to the ICP significantly increased. Waiting times were reduced and clinical outcomes improved with conceivable effects on costs. Patients appreciated the easier access to services. Community pharmacists and pharmacy services represent ideal actors and context that, integrated in the care network, can really favor ICP adherence and obtain daily morbidity reduction and cost savings through proper disease control and an early diagnosis of complications

Bimodality in Damped Lyman alpha Systems

We report evidence for a bimodality in damped Ly systems (DLAs). Using [C II] 158 mu cooling rates, lc, we find a distribution with peaks at lc=10^-27.4 and 10^-26.6 ergs s^-1 H^-1 separated by a trough at lc^crit ~= lc < 10^-27.0 ergs s^-1 H^-1. We divide the sample into low cool DLAs with lc < lc^crit and high cool DLAs with lc > lc^crit and find the Kolmogorv-Smirnov probabilities that velocity width, metallicity, dust-to-gas ratio, and Si II equivalent width in the two subsamples are drawn from the same parent population are small. All these quantities are significantly larger in the high cool population, while the H I column densities are indistinguishable in the two populations. We find that heating by X-ray and FUV background radiation is insufficient to balance the cooling rates of either population. Rather, the DLA gas is heated by local radiation fields. The rare appearance of faint, extended objects in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field rules out in situ star formation as the dominant star-formation mode for the high cool population, but is compatible with in situ star formation as the dominant mode for the low cool population. Star formation in the high cool DLAs likely arises in Lyman Break galaxies. We investigate whether these properties of DLAs are analogous to the bimodal properties of nearby galaxies. Using Si II equivalent width as a mass indicator, we construct bivariate distributions of metallicity, lc, and areal SFR versus the mass indicators. Tentative evidence is found for correlations and parallel sequences, which suggest similarities between DLAs and nearby galaxies. We suggest that the transition-mass model provides a plausible scenario for the bimodality we have found. As a result, the bimodality in current galaxies may have originated in DLAs.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal 18 pages 14 figure

Conscientiousness predicts greater recovery from negative emotion

Greater levels of conscientiousness have been associated with lower levels of negative affect. We focus on one mechanism through which conscientiousness may decrease negative affect: effective emotion regulation, as reflected by greater recovery from negative stimuli. In 273 adults who were 35 - 85 years old, we collected self-report measures of personality including conscientiousness and its self-control facet, followed on average 2 years later by psychophysiological measures of emotional reactivity and recovery. Among middle-aged adults (35 - 65 years old), the measures of conscientiousness and self-control predicted greater recovery from, but not reactivity to, negative emotional stimuli. The effect of conscientiousness and self-control on recovery was not driven by other personality variables or by greater task adherence on the part of high conscientiousness individuals. In addition, the effect was specific to negative emotional stimuli and did not hold for neutral or positive emotional stimuli

Reconstrução paleoambiental da Laguna de Maricá, RJ, com base em foraminíferos bentônicos

In order to evaluate the coastal evolution based on the distribution of benthic foraminifera associated with sedimentological features, two cores were drilled at the Maricá Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro. Two biofacies were recognized: (i) Ap-At (Ammonia parkinsoniana - A. tepida) biofacies - corresponding to the lower portion of the cores, characterized by abundance of calcareous-hyaline foraminifera, such as Ammonia parkinsoniana and A. tepida, associated with the intercalation of silty mud and sandy mud with abrasion and broken shells, suggesting storm wave events; and (ii) Ac-As (Ammotium cassis - A. salsum) biofacies – comprising the upper portion of the cores, characterized by agglutinated species, such as Ammotium cassis, A. salsum, Trochammina inflata, Miliammina fusca, Ammobaculites spp., associated with silty mud and occurrence of microshells, indicating a low energy environment. This record of calcareous and hyaline foraminifera distribution is mainly related with the dynamic opening and closing of the sandy barriers Maricá Lagoon.Com o objetivo de avaliar a evolução costeira baseada na distribuição dos foraminíferos bentônicos e nos aspectos sedimentológicos, duas testemunhagens foram realizadas na Laguna de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro. Duas biofácies foram reconhecidas: (i) biofácies Ap-At (Ammonia parkinsoniana - A. tepida) correspondendo à metade inferior de ambos os testemunhos,  caracterizada pela abundância de foraminíferos calcário-hialinos, entre os quais destacam-se Ammonia parkinsoniana e A. tepida, associada à intercalação de lama siltosa e lama arenosa com conchas desgastadas e quebradas, sugerindo eventos de ondas de tempestades; e (ii) biofácies Ac-As (Ammotium cassis - A. salsum) compreendendo à metade superior dos testemunhos, caracterizada por espécies aglutinantes, como Ammotium cassis, A. salsum, Trochammina inflata, Miliammina fusca e Ammobaculites spp., associados à lama siltosa e à ocorrência de alguns micromoluscos, indicando uma fase de baixa energia hidrodinâmica. Este registro da distribuição de foraminíferos calcários e aglutinantes relaciona-se principalmente com a dinâmica de abertura e fechamento da barreira arenosa da Laguna de Maricá

Evaluation of a Youth Suicide Prevention Course: Increasing Counseling Students’ Knowledge, Skills, and Self-Efficacy

Adolescent suicide rates continue to rise within the United States. This study evaluated a Youth Suicide Prevention course in a Master’s in Counseling Program. Participants reported increases in knowledge and perceived ability to help suicidal clients post-training and in suicide prevention skills and suicide assessment and intervention self-efficacy at the 3-month follow-up. Implications for counselor education programs, such as using both experiential and didactic teaching methods, as well as timing suicide training before practicum, are discussed

Evaluation of a Youth Suicide Prevention Course: Increasing Counseling Students’ Knowledge, Skills, and Self-Efficacy

Adolescent suicide rates continue to rise within the United States. This study evaluated a Youth Suicide Prevention course in a Master’s in Counseling Program. Participants reported increases in knowledge and perceived ability to help suicidal clients post-training and in suicide prevention skills and suicide assessment and intervention self-efficacy at the 3-month follow-up. Implications for counselor education programs, such as using both experiential and didactic teaching methods, as well as timing suicide training before practicum, are discussed