Therapists-in-Training Who Experience a Client Suicide: Implications for Supervision

Client suicide is often an extraordinarily painful process for clinicians, especially those still in training. Given their training status, supervisees may look to their graduate programs and supervisors for guidance and support when such an event occurs. This study qualitatively examined the experiences of 13 prelicensure doctoral supervisees regarding their client\u27s suicide. Findings suggest that these supervisees received minimal graduate training about suicide and that support from others, including supervisors, helped them cope with their client\u27s death. Supervisors are advised to normalize and process supervisees\u27 experiences of client suicide. Implications for training and practice are discussed

Petri Net Modelling for Enhanced IT Asset Recycling Solutions

From preliminary design through product sustainment to end of life removal, optimal performance through the entire life cycle, is one of the most important design considerations in engineering systems. There are a number of mathematical modelling techniques available to determine the performance of any system, or process, design. This paper focuses on the Petri Net technique for the representation and simulation of complex cases with the ultimate aim of automatically generating a model from the system, or process, description. If the model can be automatically generated changes can be investigated easily, enabling different designs to be investigated. Within this research, a Petri Net model is developed for a process of recycling IT assets. This model is simulated and programmed in Matlab©. The model enables the simulation of various flow paths through the recycling process, giving an understanding of the current process limiting factors. These can then be used to identify possible ways of improving the efficiency of the recycling process and enhancing the current IT asset management strategy. The future aim of this research is the automatic generation of a system model for complex industrial systems and processes by converting the SysML – based specifications into Petri Nets

Reliability Modelling of Automated Guided Vehicles by the Use of Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis, and Fault Tree Analysis

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are being increasingly used for intelligent transportation and distribution of materials in warehouses and auto-production lines. In this paper, a preliminary hazard analysis of an AGV\u27s critical components is conducted by the approach of Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). To implement this research, a particular AGV transport system is modelled as a phased mission. Then, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is adopted to model the causes of phase failure, enabling the probability of success in each phase and hence mission success to be determined. Through this research, a promising technical approach is established, which allows the identification of the critical AGV components and crucial mission phases of AGVs at the design stage

Effect of a University Physical Activity Challenge on Levels of Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Perceived Dependency of Wearing a Physical Activity Tracker

Many studies have researched the benefits of physical activity (PA) and well-being, leading many universities to promote PA on campus. There is limited research on how university-based PA promotion impacts mental health, as well as the impact of wearing a physical activity tracker (PAT) and its potential to create dependency on wearing the device. PURPOSE: To understand the effects of a 4-week campus-wide PA challenge on levels of anxiety, depression, and stress in college students, and the potential dependency effects of wearing a PAT. METHODS: For the duration of the 4-week challenge, 44 undergraduate and 6 graduate students (μ = 21.4 years) wore a PAT with limited feedback, and answered questionnaires regarding their anxiety, depression, stress, and their perceived PAT dependency at the beginning, middle, end, and two weeks post-challenge. RESULTS: The results indicate that anxiety, depression, and stress did not change across time. Interestingly, significant interactions were revealed, such that individuals who wore a PAT (PAT Users) before the study differed in their perceived dependency on wearing an activity tracker compared to those who did not wear one prior to the study (PAT Non-users). Differences between PAT Users and PAT Non-users occurred when asked if they would modify their behavior due to the absence of the tracker, and the degree to which they attributed their PA engagement to be driven by needing it to be counted on the PAT. CONCLUSION: Further analyses need to be conducted to determine if the challenge led to changes in PA behavior, and explore if those changes were related to changes in anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as PAT dependency. Future research should continue to explore the psychological consequences of wearing a PAT to better understand the potential dependence effects that can occur

Optimising police dispatch for incident response in real-time

It is crucial that police forces operate in a cost efficient manner and, in the case of incident response, that the most efficient resources are allocated. The current procedure is that police response units are allocated manually by a dispatcher using a resource list and mapping software. The efficiency of this process can be improved by the use of integrated mathematical approaches embedded within an automatic framework, yielding the optimal selection framework developed in this paper. The framework combines mapping and routing algorithms, and a decision process to facilitate optimal officer selection for incident response. The decision process considers information such as quickest response time, predicted traffic conditions, driving qualifications, response unit availability and demand coverage. The selection framework has been tested and validated through simulation and has shown to increase the efficiency of response units through reduced response times, increased response unit availability, and greater demand coverage

Amplification Dynamics of Platy-1 Retrotransposons in the Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage

Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date, only the marmoset genome has been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content. Here, we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other New World monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared with the marmoset genome. In addition, only a few older Platy-1 subfamilies were recovered in this study, with no Platy-1 subfamilies younger than Platy-1-6. By contrast, 62 Platy-1 subfamilies were discovered in the marmoset genome. All of the lineage-specific insertions found in the squirrel and capuchin monkeys were fixed present. However, similar to 15% of the lineage-specific Platy-1 loci in Aotus were polymorphic for insertion presence/absence. In addition, two new Platy-1 subfamilies were identified in the owl monkey genome with low nucleotide divergences compared with their respective consensus sequences, suggesting minimal ongoing retrotransposition in the Aotus genus and no current activity in the Saimiri, Cebus, and Sapajus genera. These comparative analyses highlight the finding that the high number of Platy-1 elements discovered in the marmoset genome is an exception among NWM analyzed thus far, rather than the rule. Future studies are needed to expand upon our knowledge of Platy-1 amplification in other NWM genomes

Perseverance with technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice after stroke: a systematic mixed studies review

Background: Technology is being increasingly investigated as an option to allow stroke survivors to exploit their full potential for recovery by facilitating home-based upper limb practice. This review seeks to explore the factors that influence perseverance with technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice after stroke. Methods: A systematic mixed studies review with sequential exploratory synthesis was undertaken. Studies investigating adult stroke survivors with upper limb disability undertaking technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice administered ≥ 3 times/week over a period of ≥ 4 weeks were included. Qualitative outcomes were stroke survivors’ and family members’ perceptions of their experience utilising technology to facilitate home-based upper limb practice. Quantitative outcomes were adherence and dropouts, as surrogate measures of perseverance. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess quality of included studies. Results: Forty-two studies were included. Six studies were qualitative and of high quality; 28 studies were quantitative and eight were mixed methods studies, all moderate to low quality. A conceptual framework of perseverance with three stages was formed: (1) getting in the game; (2) sticking with it, and; (3) continuing or moving on. Conditions perceived to influence perseverance, and factors mediating these conditions were identified at each stage. Adherence with prescribed dose ranged from 13 to 140%. Participants were found to be less likely to adhere when prescribed sessions were more frequent (6–7 days/week) or of longer duration (≥ 12 weeks). Conclusion: From the mixed methods findings, we propose a framework for perseverance with technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice. The framework offers opportunities for clinicians and researchers to design strategies targeting factors that influence perseverance with practice, in both the clinical prescription of practice and technology design. To confirm the clinical utility of this framework, further research is required to explore perseverance and the factors influencing perseverance

Menopausal hormone therapy and risk of biliary tract cancers

Funding: Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. The funders had no role in the conduct of this research.Peer reviewedPostprintsupplementary_dat

Fractalkine-CX3CR1 signaling is critical for progesterone-mediated neuroprotection in the retina

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) encompasses a group of retinal diseases resulting in photoreceptor loss and blindness. We have previously shown in the rd10 mouse model of RP, that rd10 microglia drive degeneration of viable neurons. Norgestrel, a progesterone analogue, primes viable neurons against potential microglial damage. In the current study we wished to investigate this neuroprotective effect further. We were particularly interested in the role of fractalkine-CX3CR1 signaling, previously shown to mediate photoreceptor-microglia crosstalk and promote survival in the rd10 retina. Norgestrel upregulates fractalkine-CX3CR1 signaling in the rd10 retina, coinciding with photoreceptor survival. We show that Norgestrel-treated photoreceptor-like cells, 661Ws, and C57 explants modulate rd10 microglial activity in co-culture, resulting in increased photoreceptor survival. Assessment of Norgestrel’s neuroprotective effects when fractalkine was knocked-down in 661 W cells and release of fractalkine was reduced in rd10 explants confirms a crucial role for fractalkine-CX3CR1 signaling in Norgestrel-mediated neuroprotection. To further understand the role of fractalkine in neuroprotection, we assessed the release of 40 cytokines in fractalkine-treated rd10 microglia and explants. In both cases, treatment with fractalkine reduced a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings further our understanding of Norgestrel’s neuroprotective properties, capable of modulating harmful microglial activity indirectly through photoreceptors, leading to increased neuroprotection