Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy (NT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses collaboration between the client or family and the therapist to help clients see themselves as empowered and capable of living the way they want. In the face of crisis or trauma, NT helps clients achieve a “This too will pass” attitude, while positioning the therapist as an appreciative ally in the process. NT is useful with individuals and is used extensively with families due to its ability to separate clients from problems and unite families against problematic patterns. NT also lends itself well to joining with families because it stresses strengths and achievements over problems

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the merging of behavioral and cognitive therapies that mostly focuses on working with the client in the present. Although there are many approaches to CBT, there tend to be some common features. For example, CBT is generally a directive approach to psychotherapy that helps clients to challenge their problematic thoughts and to change the behaviors associated with those thoughts. In addition, most approaches to CBT are structured and time limited and include some type of homework where the client can practice the cognitive and behavioral strategies learned in the therapeutic setting. This entry focuses mostly on CBT as defined by Aaron Beck, one of the early founders of this approach

The Repetitive Behavior Spectrum in Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: From Helpful to Harmful

Systematic study comparing repetitive behaviors in autism with those observed in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and other Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses is lacking despite its diagnostic and treatment significance. This research examines repetitive behaviors in a sample of children and adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (OCD), or both. Data were collected from three participant pools; clinic clients, parents/caregivers, and therapists; in order to test the psychometric properties of questions for assessing the functional characteristics of repetitive thoughts and behavior (i.e., stereotypy, compulsion, obsession, perseveration, preoccupation). Exploratory factor analyses revealed four factors that demonstrated reasonable consistency across the three types of informants. These four assessed factors included: 1) intrusive effects; 2) soothing effects; 3) level of distress, and; 4) pleasure-seeking qualities. Reliability for the new scales was calculated separately for subjects, correspondents, and therapists revealing high internal consistency. Validity analyses were completed, first by examining bivariate correlations among the new scales and then by examining correlations between the new scales and then by examining correlations between the new scales and established measures of functioning (i.e., Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition; GARS-2, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale; Y-BOCS, and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition; ABAS-II). As hypothesized, the new scales measuring soothing and pleasure-seeking qualities of repetitive behavior had higher correlations with measures of ASD than OCD and the new scales measuring level of distress and intrusiveness in repetitive behavior had higher correlations with measures of OCD than ASD. The results of this study take a step toward better distinguishing what motivates repetitive behaviors and, thus, how to best think about them in the context of intervention strategies

Surface enhanced resonance Raman and luminescence on plasmon active nanostructured cavities

Presented here are studies of the impact of excitation angle on surface enhanced Raman and luminescence spectroscopy of dye immobilised on a plasmon active nanocavity array support. Results show that both Raman and luminescence intensities depend on the angle of incidence consistent with the presence of cavity supported plasmon modes. Dependence of scattering or emission intensity with excitation angle occurs over the window of observation

The implementation of a lossless data compression module in an advanced orbiting system: Analysis and development

Data compression has been proposed for several flight missions as a means of either reducing on board mass data storage, increasing science data return through a bandwidth constrained channel, reducing TDRSS access time, or easing ground archival mass storage requirement. Several issues arise with the implementation of this technology. These include the requirement of a clean channel, onboard smoothing buffer, onboard processing hardware and on the algorithm itself, the adaptability to scene changes and maybe even versatility to the various mission types. This paper gives an overview of an ongoing effort being performed at Goddard Space Flight Center for implementing a lossless data compression scheme for space flight. We will provide analysis results on several data systems issues, the performance of the selected lossless compression scheme, the status of the hardware processor and current development plan

Evolutionary origin and diversification of epidermal barrier proteins in amniotes.

The evolution of amniotes has involved major molecular innovations in the epidermis. In particular, distinct structural proteins that undergo covalent cross-linking during cornification of keratinocytes facilitate the formation of mechanically resilient superficial cell layers and help to limit water loss to the environment. Special modes of cornification generate amniote-specific skin appendages such as claws, feathers, and hair. In mammals, many protein substrates of cornification are encoded by a cluster of genes, termed the epidermal differentiation complex (EDC). To provide a basis for hypotheses about the evolution of cornification proteins, we screened for homologs of the EDC in non-mammalian vertebrates. By comparative genomics, de novo gene prediction and gene expression analyses, we show that, in contrast to fish and amphibians, the chicken and the green anole lizard have EDC homologs comprising genes that are specifically expressed in the epidermis and in skin appendages. Our data suggest that an important component of the cornified protein envelope of mammalian keratinocytes, that is, loricrin, has originated in a common ancestor of modern amniotes, perhaps during the acquisition of a fully terrestrial lifestyle. Moreover, we provide evidence that the sauropsid-specific beta-keratins have evolved as a subclass of EDC genes. Based on the comprehensive characterization of the arrangement, exon-intron structures and conserved sequence elements of EDC genes, we propose new scenarios for the evolutionary origin of epidermal barrier proteins via fusion of neighboring S100A and peptidoglycan recognition protein genes, subsequent loss of exons and highly divergent sequence evolution

CCNS Response to LANL\u27s Letter of January 29, 2007 - Information Concerning Radionuclides in Water Supply Wells

Response by Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) to the January 29, 2007 letter from Andrew Phelps, Associate Director of Environmental Programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) about reported detections of radionuclides in the Los Alamos County and the City of Santa Fe drinking water wells. There are a number of supplemental files that accompany this document. They are: January 29, 2007 Letter from LANL to CCNS - Information Concerning Radionuclides in Water Supply WellsAttachment 1: Predicted Plume Migration for Sources Releases at the Water Table Below Mortandad Canyon Attachment 2: Data Gaps Prevent Accurate Calculation of Containment Travel Times by Computer Models Attachment 3: DOE/LANL has Used Improper Fluid-Assisted Drilling Methods that Mask Detection of Groundwater Contamination for the Installation of the LANL Characterization Wells that are Planned to be Used as Monitoring Wells Flyer: Downstream from Los Alamos? Your Drinking Water is at Risk (English) Flyer: Downstream from Los Alamos? Your Drinking Water is at Risk (Spanish) This research was completed money allocated during Round 5 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/ccns/1002/thumbnail.jp

Deducing signaling pathways from parallel actions of arsenite and antimonite in human epidermal keratinocytes.

Inorganic arsenic oxides have been identified as carcinogens in several human tissues, including epidermis. Due to the chemical similarity between trivalent inorganic arsenic (arsenite) and antimony (antimonite), we hypothesized that common intracellular targets lead to similarities in cellular responses. Indeed, transcriptional and proteomic profiling revealed remarkable similarities in differentially expressed genes and proteins resulting from exposure of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes to arsenite and antimonite in contrast to comparisons of arsenite with other metal compounds. These data were analyzed to predict upstream regulators and affected signaling pathways following arsenite and antimonite treatments. A majority of the top findings in each category were identical after treatment with either compound. Inspection of the predicted upstream regulators led to previously unsuspected roles for oncostatin M, corticosteroids and ephrins in mediating cellular response. The influence of these predicted mediators was then experimentally verified. Together with predictions of transcription factor effects more generally, the analysis has led to model signaling networks largely accounting for arsenite and antimonite action. The striking parallels between responses to arsenite and antimonite indicate the skin carcinogenic risk of exposure to antimonite merits close scrutiny