A 6 Week Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Ziprasidone for the Acute Depressive Mixed State

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of ziprasidone vs. placebo for the depressive mixed state in patients with bipolar disorder type II or major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: 73 patients were randomized in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to ziprasidone (40-160 mg/d) or placebo for 6 weeks. They met DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE), while also meeting 2 or 3 (but not more nor less) DSM-IV manic criteria. They did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a mixed or manic episode. Baseline psychotropic drugs were continued unchanged. The primary endpoint measured was Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores over time. The mean dose of ziprasidone was 129.7±45.3 mg/day and 126.1±47.1 mg/day for placebo. RESULTS: The primary outcome analysis indicated efficacy of ziprasidone versus placebo (p = 0.0038). Efficacy was more pronounced in type II bipolar disorder than in MDD (p = 0.036). Overall ziprasidone was well tolerated, without notable worsening of weight or extrapyramidal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant benefit with ziprasidone versus placebo in this first RCT of any medication for the provisional diagnostic concept of the depressive mixed state. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00490542

Online Supervision Case Analysis: The Case of Kelly

Providing supervision to graduate counseling students using secured online technology is becoming a trend given the advancements in technology, students’ attending extended campuses rather than traditional universities, and convenience. Building a strong working alliance between the supervisee and supervisor is critical, particularly when the parties involved are establishing the relationship remotely. This article analyzes a case involving online supervision through the application of the Supervisory Working Alliance Model and the Individual Psychology Supervision Model. The supervisory relationship is discussed, and issues such as developing a working alliance virtually, the supervisory relationship, multicultural competency, and supervisor/supervisee evaluation are addressed

General Purpose Computing on Graphics Processing Units using OpenCL (Open Computing Language)

SAAB Security and defense solutions i Järfälla har ett system som används av militären för övervakning av flygplan. Systemet visar på en datorskärm en karta över Europa där flygplanen visas med markeringar från data som samlats in av radars. Då data samlas in med en låg frekvens visas ytterligare en markering som kallas målspår. Dessa målspår beräknas fram med tunga matematiska beräkningar och sköts av datorns processor. Det finns ett önskemål om att flytta dessa beräkningar till datorns Grafikkort med hjälp av OpenCL och därmed frigöra processorns resurser. OpenCL har implementerats med två olika Java bindings och prestandaskillnader mellan dessa samt de ursprungliga beräkningarna har undersökts. Resultatet visar att grafikkortet är överlägsen processorn på beräkningar som kallas för Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) men att det kostar mycket tid att kopiera minne från grafikkortet tillbaka till värddatorn efter att beräkningarna utförts. Den Javabinding med namn JavaCL visar upp ett bra resultat vid kopiering av minne. detta beror med största anledning på att man använder Javas modernare datastrukturer Java NIO buffrar

My Story, My Way: Conceptualization of Narrative Therapy with Trauma-Exposed Black Male Youth

This manuscript conceptualizes narrative therapy as a therapeutic intervention for race-based trauma experienced by trauma-exposed Black males. Urban youth, particularly Black males in high-risk communities, frequently witness community violence and endure multiple ongoing traumas, including those that are race-related. Such trauma may be overlooked or exacerbated in schools through teachers’ implicit bias, inappropriate zero-tolerance disciplinary measures, out-of-school suspension, and misdiagnosis of trauma-related mental illnesses (e.g., anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder) as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This research explores race-based trauma from a blended theoretical framework incorporating trauma and narrative theories. Narrative therapy is presented as a collaboration-based counseling approach that emphasizes client experiences. Traditional talk therapies typically ignore race-based trauma as experienced by Black males. A culturally responsive narrative therapy model is proposed that incorporates the client’s preferred mode of story-sharing, such as poetry, song/rap, drama, dance, writing, and illustration. Model significance and recommendations for school administrators, counselors, and therapists are provided. Keywords: Black males, narrative therapy, urban schools, race-based traum