Client characteristics as predictors of best and worst outcome in two versions of emotion focused therapy for child abuse trauma

The present study examined client characteristics that differentiate between best and worst outcome in two versions of EFTT. Both versions of EFTT have been shown to be effective for survivors of child abuse (Paivio et al., 2009); however the unique features of the two versions of EFTT may interact with client characteristics, and hence differentially affect outcome. Certain client characteristics have been examined in relation to outcome; however, many relevant client characteristics have been neglected. Results indicated that marital status, personality pathology, and abuse characteristics differentiated clients who did best and worst in EE, whereas personality pathology, alexithymia symptom clusters, and abuse characteristics differentiated best and worst outcome in IC. This comprehensive examination of pre-treatment client characteristics provides a more complete picture of what factors may facilitate or impede improvement in EFTT. Findings can guide future research and inform individual treatment planning and tailoring to improve effectiveness

Angiotensin type-2 (AT-2)-receptor activation reduces renal fibrosis in cyclosporine nephropathy: evidence for blood-pressure independent effect

Compound 21 (C21), selective agonist of AT2 receptors, shows antinflammatory effects in hypertension and nephroprotection in diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of C21 in cyclosporine nephropathy, which is characterized mainly by tubulo-interstitial fibrosis. Ten days before and during the experimental periods, low-salt diet was administered to Sprague Dawley rats. Cyclosporine-A (15mg/kg/day, i.p.) and cyclosporine-A plus C21 (0.3 mg/kg /day, i.p) were administered for 1 and 4 weeks. Control groups was left without any treatment. Blood pressure (plethysmographic method) and 24 hour albuminuria were measured once a week. At the end of the experiments, the kidneys were excised for histomorphometric analysis of renal fibrosis and for immunohistochemical evaluation of inflammatory infiltrates and type I and IV collagen expression.After 1 and 4 weeks, the rats treated with cyclosporine showed a significant increase (p <0.01) in blood pressure, no significant changes in albuminuria, a significant increase (p <0.01) in glomerular and tubulo-interstitial fibrosis and inflammatory infiltrates as compared to the control rats. Treatment with C21 did not modify the cyclosporine dependent increase of blood pressure, which was higher than in control rats, but after 4 weeks of treatment significantly reduced (p <0.01) glomerular and tubulo-interstitial fibrosis, type 1 collagen expression and macrophage infiltration, as compared to rats treated with cyclosporine.The administration of C21 showed a protective effect on cyclosporine nephropathy, decreasing renal fibrosis and macrophage infiltration. These data suggest that C21 may counteract tubulo-interstitial fibrosis, the most potent predictor of the progression of renal diseases

Rosmarinic acid recovery from Lamiaceae plants

Póster presentado en las I Jornadas Científicas CIAL Forum 2014, celebrado en Madrid el 5 de junio de 2014.El ácido Rosmarínico es un ácido fenólico conocido por sus múltiples propiedades biológicas, tales como antioxidante, antiinflamatoria, anticancerígena y antibacteriana. Se encuentra en diferentes especies de la familia Lamiaceae, en concentraciones desde 0.01 a 9.30 mg/g. En este estudio el ácido rosmarínico ha sido recuperado de diferentes plantas de la familia de las Lamiaceae (Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Origanum Majorana) utilizando extracción sólido-líquido asistida por ultrasonidos (UAE) y extracción con líquidos presurizados (PLE). Debido a la naturaleza polar de este ácido fenólico, diferentes disolventes polares fueron estudiados, incluyendo metanol, etanol, agua y mezclas de metanol-agua (1:1). Los ensayos UAE fueron llevados a cabo usando una sonda (Branson Digital Sonifier, Branson Ultrasonics, model 250; Danbury, USA) durante 15 minutos, con agitación, y manteniendo la temperatura en 45°C. La mezcla de metanol:agua fue la que presentó mayor capacidad para la extracción de ácido rosmarínico. Además, Romero y Salvia fueron las plantas de las cuales se obtuvo extractos con mayor concentración de dicho ácido (61.7 y 46.5 mg/g, respectivamente). Los experimentos PLE fueron realizados con Salvia, a tres temperaturas diferentes: 100, 150 and 200°C utilizando la mezcla metanol:agua. Los rendimientos fueron considerablemente mayores que los obtenidos por UAE (61% a 200°C). El aumento de temperatura produce un incremento en el rendimiento de extracción y una disminución en la concentración de ácido rosmarínico en los extractos. Así, la mayor concentración de ácido rosmarínico en los ensayos PLE se obtuvo a la menor temperatura (100°C) y fue similar al obtenido mediante UAE. Por otro lado, en los extractos PLE las recuperaciones fueron aproximadamente dos veces mayores que las obtenidas por UAE (12.34 mg/g vs. 6.61 mg/g).Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el proyecto ALIBIRD-S2009/AGR-1469, de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid.Peer reviewe

Possible Evidence for Truncated Thin Disks in the Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei M81 and NGC 4579

M81 and NGC 4579 are two of the few low-luminosity active galactic nuclei which have an estimated mass for the central black hole, detected hard X-ray emission, and detected optical/UV emission. In contrast to the canonical ``big blue bump,'' both have optical/UV spectra which decrease with increasing frequency in a $\nu L_\nu$ plot. Barring significant reddening by dust and/or large errors in the black hole mass estimates, the optical/UV spectra of these systems require that the inner edge of a geometrically thin, optically thick, accretion disk lies at roughly 100 Schwarzschild radii. The observed X-ray radiation can be explained by an optically thin, two temperature, advection-dominated accretion flow at smaller radii.Comment: emulateapj.sty, to appear in ApJ Letter

Academic Achievement and Delay: A Study with Italian Post Graduate Students in Psychology

publishedVersio

High serum osteopontin levels are associated with prevalent fractures and worse lipid profile in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes

Purpose: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have increased fracture risk. Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein involved in bone remodeling and inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of OPN with fracture prevalence and with metabolic parameters in post-menopausal women with T2DM. Methods: Sixty-four post-menopausal women with T2DM (age 67.0 ± 7.8 years, diabetes duration 8.9 ± 6.7 years), enrolled in a previous study, were followed up (3.6 ± 0.9 years). Previous fragility fractures were recorded. The FRAX score (without BMD) was calculated and biochemical parameters (plasma glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile and renal function) were assessed. Serum 25OH-vitamin D, calcium, PTH and OPN were evaluated at baseline. The association between OPN and fracture prevalence at baseline was evaluated by a logistic model. Results: OPN levels were higher in patients with previous fractures (n.25) than in patients without previous fractures at baseline (n.39) (p = 0.006). The odds of having fractures at baseline increased by 6.7 (1.9–31.4, 95% CI, p = 0.007) for each increase of 1 ng/ml in OPN levels, after adjustment for vitamin D and HbA1c levels. Fracture incidence was 4.7%. Higher OPN associated with a decrease in HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.048), after adjustment for age, basal HDL-cholesterol, basal and follow-up HbA1c and follow-up duration. 25OH-vitamin D associated with an increase in FRAX-estimated probability of hip fracture at follow-up (p = 0.029), after adjustment for age, 25OH-vitamin D and time. Conclusions: In post-menopausal women with T2DM, OPN might be a useful marker of fracture and worse lipid profile

Supercritical Phase Equilibria Modeling of Glyceride Mixtures and Carbon Dioxide Using the Group Contribution EoS

The Group Contribution Equation of State (GC-EoS) was extended to represent high-pressure phase equilibria behavior of mixtures containing mono-, di-, triglycerides, and carbon dioxide (CO2). For this purpose, the alcohol-ester and the alcoholtriglyceride binary group interaction parameters were regressed in this work, using experimental phase equilibria data from the literature. The capability of the parameters obtained was assessed by applying the GC-EoS model to simulate the supercritical CO2 fractionation of a complex glyceride mixture, which was produced by the ethanolysis of sunflower oil. Experimental data was obtained in a countercurrent packed extraction column at pressures ranging from 16 to 25MPa and temperatures from 313 to 368 K. The GC-EoS model was applied in a completely predictive manner to simulate the phase equilibria behavior of the multistage separation process. The chemical analysis of the glyceride mixture allowed a significant simplification of its complex composition and thus, a simple and satisfactory simulation of the supercritical extraction process was achievedThis work has been financed by project ALIBIRD (S2009-AGR-1469) from the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid and project FUN-C-FOOD (CSD2007-00063, CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010)

A Physical Model for the Origin of Quasar Lifetimes

We propose a model of quasar lifetimes in which observational quasar lifetimes and an intrinsic lifetime of rapid accretion are strongly distinguished by the physics of obscuration by surrounding gas and dust. Quasars are powered by gas funneled to galaxy centers, but for a large part of the accretion lifetime are heavily obscured by the large gas densities powering accretion. In this phase, starbursts and black hole growth are fueled but the quasar is buried. Eventually, feedback from accretion energy disperses surrounding gas, creating a window in which the black hole is observable optically as a quasar, until accretion rates drop below those required to maintain a quasar luminosity. We model this process and measure the unobscured and intrinsic quasar lifetimes in a hydrodynamical simulation of a major galaxy merger. The source luminosity is determined from the black hole accretion rate, calculated from local gas properties. We calculate the column density of hydrogen to the source along multiple lines of sight and use these column densities and gas metallicities to determine B-band attenuation of the source. Defining the observable quasar lifetime as the total time with an observed B-band luminosity above some limit L_B,min, we find lifetimes ~10-20 Myr for L_B,min=10^11 L_sun (M_B=-23), in good agreement with observationally determined quasar lifetimes. This is significantly smaller than the intrinsic lifetime ~100 Myr obtained if attenuation is neglected. The ratio of observed to intrinsic lifetime is also strong function of both the limiting luminosity and the observed frequency.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ApJ Letter