The feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

Background: Maltreated children have significant and complex problems which clinicians find difficult to diagnose and treat. Previous US pilot work suggests that Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) may be effective; however, rigorous evidence from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is lacking. The purpose of this study is to establish the feasibility of an RCT of DDP by exploring the ways that DDP is operating across different UK sites and the impacts of current practice on the potential set-up of an RCT. Methods: Qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups and teleconferences) were used to explore trial feasibility with therapists and service managers from teams implementing both DDP and possible control interventions. Data were analysed thematically and related to various aspects of trial design. Results: DDP was commonly regarded as having a particular congruence with the complexity of maltreatment-associated problems and a common operating model of DDP was evident across sites. A single control therapy was harder to establish, however, and it is likely to be a non-specific and context-dependent intervention/s offered within mainstream Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Because a ‘gold standard’ Treatment as Usual (TAU) does not currently exist, randomisation between DDP and TAU (CAMHS) therefore looks feasible and ethical. The nature of family change during DDP was regarded as multi-faceted, non-linear and relationship-based. Assessment tools need to be carefully considered in terms of their ability to capture change that covers both individual child and family-based functioning. Conclusions: An RCT of DDP is feasible and timely. This study has demonstrated widespread interest, support and engagement regarding an RCT and permissions have been gained from sites that have shown readiness to participate. As maltreated children are among the most vulnerable in society, and as there are currently no treatments with RCT evidence, such a trial would be a major advance in the field

A satisfação vital: sua relação com o preconceito, a identidade nacional, a autoestima e o bem-estar material, em imigrantes

El propósito de esta investigación fue estudiar la relación de la satisfacción vital con varios factores psicosociales corrientemente vinculados a los procesos de migración internacional. En concreto, este estudio exploró la relación de la satisfacción vital - componente cognitivo del bienestar subjetivo - con las variables prejuicio grupal percibido, discriminación personal percibida, autoestima global personal, identidad nacional y bienestar material percibido. La investigación, de tipo empírico y cuantitativo, se realizó a través de un muestreo no probabilístico con inmigrantes colombianos en varias ciudades del Ecuador (N = 185). Confirmando las hipótesis, se halló una relación positiva entre la satisfacción vital, el bienestar material percibido y la autoestima. Se confirmó así mismo una relación negativa entre la satisfacción vital, la discriminación personal percibida y la identidad nacional. Estas mismas variables; la autoestima, el bienestar material percibido, la discriminación personal percibida y la identidad nacional, emergieron como predictoras de la satisfacción vital. No se confirmó, en cambio, la relación negativa hipotetizada entre la satisfacción vital y el prejuicio grupal percibido. Se hace un análisis de dichos resultados desde la literatura psicosocial.O propósito desta pesquisa foi estudar a relação da satisfação vital com vários fatores psicossociais correntemente vinculados aos processos de migração internacional. Em concreto, este estudo explorou a relação da satisfação vital - componente cognitivo do bem-estar subjetivo - com as variáveis preconceito grupal percebido, discriminação pessoal percebida, autoestima global pessoal, identidade nacional e bem-estar material percebido. A pesquisa, de tipo empírica e quantitativa, foi realizada através de um amostra não probabilística com imigrantes colombianos em várias cidades do Equador (N = 185). Confirmando as hipóteses, foi encontrada uma relação positiva entre a satisfação vital, o bem-estar material percebido e a autoestima. Foi confirmada assim uma relação negativa entre a satisfação vital, a discriminação pessoal percebida e a identidade nacional. Estas mesmas variáveis; a autoestima, o bem-estar material percebido, a discriminação pessoal percebida e a identidade nacional, emergiram como preditoras da satisfação vital. Contudo, não foi confirmada a relação negativa hipotética entre a satisfação vital e o preconceito grupal percebido. É feita uma análise desses resultados desde a literatura psicossocial.The aim of this research was to study the relationship between life satisfaction and various psychosocial variables usually linked to international migration processes. Specifically, this study explored the relationship between life satisfaction-a cognitivedimension of subjective well-being- and perceived group prejudice, perceived personal discrimination, global personal self-esteem, national identity and perceived material well- being. The research, of empirical quantitative type, was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of Colombian migrants at several cities of Ecuador. As expected, the hypothesis that life satisfaction was positively related to self -esteem and perceived material well-being was confirmed. Also, a negative correlation was confirmed between life satisfaction, perceived personal discrimination and national identity. Results show that the variables self-esteem, perceived material well-being, perceived personal discrimination and national identity are significant predictors of life satisfaction. Findings didn´t confirm the expected negative association between life satisfaction and perceived group prejudice. Results are analyzed from a psychosocial perspective

A technical study of TLD beta calibration factor for exposures to depleted uranium

The beta calibration factor for converting light output (on reading a thermoluminescent dosimeter) to shallow dose equivalent has been reexamined through theoretical calculations and experimental measurements. The results support the previously determined value for contact with a depleted uranium slab but indicate that for many actual workplace situations, the contact value may be overly conservative

Microstructural analysis of TRISO particles using multi-scale X-ray computed tomography

TRISO particles, a composite nuclear fuel built up by ceramic and graphitic layers, have outstanding high temperature resistance. TRISO fuel is the key technology for High Temperature Reactors (HTRs) and the Generation IV Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) variant. TRISO offers unparalleled containment of fission products and is extremely robust during accident conditions. An understanding of the thermal performance and mechanical properties of TRISO fuel requires a detailed knowledge of pore sizes, their distribution and interconnectivity. Here 50 nm, nano-, and 1 μm resolution, micro-computed tomography (CT), have been used to quantify non-destructively porosity of a surrogate TRISO particle at the 0.3–10 μm and 3–100 μm scales respectively. This indicates that pore distributions can reliably be measured down to a size approximately 3 times the pixel size which is consistent with the segmentation process. Direct comparison with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) sections indicates that destructive sectioning can introduce significant levels of coarse damage, especially in the pyrolytic carbon layers. Further comparative work is required to identify means of minimizing such damage for SEM studies. Finally since it is non-destructive, multi-scale time-lapse X-ray CT opens the possibility of intermittently tracking the degradation of TRISO structure under thermal cycles or radiation conditions in order to validate models of degradation such as kernel movement. X-ray CT in-situ experimentation of TRISO particles under load and temperature could also be used to understand the internal changes that occur in the particles under accident conditions.Scanning and analysis was performed at the Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility which has been funded through support from EPSRC under Grants EP/F007906, EP/F028431 and EP/I02249X. Imaging on the UltraXRM-L200 system was carried out at Zeiss Xradia Inc., Pleasanton, CA, USA

Attentive Learning of Sequential Handwriting Movements: A Neural Network Model

Defense Advanced research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0409, N00014-92-J-1309); National Science Foundation (IRI-97-20333); National Institutes of Health (I-R29-DC02952-01)

An Extended Technicolor Model With QCD-like Symmetry Breaking

We present a one-doublet extended technicolor model, with all fermions in fundamental representations. The bare lagrangian has no explicit mass terms but generates masses through gauge symmetry breaking by purely QCD-like dynamics. The model generates three families of quarks and leptons and can accommodate the observed third family mass spectrum (including a large top mass and light neutrinos). In addition, we show how the model may be extended to incorporate a top color driven top mass without the need for a strong U(1) interaction. We discuss the compatiblity of the model with experimental constraints and its possible predicitive power with respect to first and second family masses.Comment: 25 pages, latex, 7 figure

Reflection and Ducting of Gravity Waves Inside the Sun

Internal gravity waves excited by overshoot at the bottom of the convection zone can be influenced by rotation and by the strong toroidal magnetic field that is likely to be present in the solar tachocline. Using a simple Cartesian model, we show how waves with a vertical component of propagation can be reflected when traveling through a layer containing a horizontal magnetic field with a strength that varies with depth. This interaction can prevent a portion of the downward-traveling wave energy flux from reaching the deep solar interior. If a highly reflecting magnetized layer is located some distance below the convection zone base, a duct or wave guide can be set up, wherein vertical propagation is restricted by successive reflections at the upper and lower boundaries. The presence of both upward- and downward-traveling disturbances inside the duct leads to the existence of a set of horizontally propagating modes that have significantly enhanced amplitudes. We point out that the helical structure of these waves makes them capable of generating an alpha-effect, and briefly consider the possibility that propagation in a shear of sufficient strength could lead to instability, the result of wave growth due to over-reflection.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Solar Physic

Five blood pressure loci identified by an updated genome-wide linkage scan: meta-analysis of the Family Blood Pressure Program.

BACKGROUND: A preliminary genome-wide linkage analysis of blood pressure in the Family Blood Pressure Program (FBPP) was reported previously. We harnessed the power and ethnic diversity of the final pooled FBPP dataset to identify novel loci for blood pressure thereby enhancing localization of genes containing less common variants with large effects on blood pressure levels and hypertension. METHODS: We performed one overall and 4 race-specific meta-analyses of genome-wide blood pressure linkage scans using data on 4,226 African-American, 2,154 Asian, 4,229 Caucasian, and 2,435 Mexican-American participants (total N = 13,044). Variance components models were fit to measured (raw) blood pressure levels and two types of antihypertensive medication adjusted blood pressure phenotypes within each of 10 subgroups defined by race and network. A modified Fisher's method was used to combine the P values for each linkage marker across the 10 subgroups. RESULTS: Five quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected on chromosomes 6p22.3, 8q23.1, 20q13.12, 21q21.1, and 21q21.3 based on significant linkage evidence (defined by logarithm of odds (lod) score ≥3) in at least one meta-analysis and lod scores ≥1 in at least 2 subgroups defined by network and race. The chromosome 8q23.1 locus was supported by Asian-, Caucasian-, and Mexican-American-specific meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The new QTLs reported justify new candidate gene studies. They may help support results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that fall in these QTL regions but fail to achieve the genome-wide significance

Can forest management based on natural disturbances maintain ecological resilience?

Given the increasingly global stresses on forests, many ecologists argue that managers must maintain ecological resilience: the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances without undergoing fundamental change. In this review we ask: Can the emerging paradigm of natural-disturbance-based management (NDBM) maintain ecological resilience in managed forests? Applying resilience theory requires careful articulation of the ecosystem state under consideration, the disturbances and stresses that affect the persistence of possible alternative states, and the spatial and temporal scales of management relevance. Implementing NDBM while maintaining resilience means recognizing that (i) biodiversity is important for long-term ecosystem persistence, (ii) natural disturbances play a critical role as a generator of structural and compositional heterogeneity at multiple scales, and (iii) traditional management tends to produce forests more homogeneous than those disturbed naturally and increases the likelihood of unexpected catastrophic change by constraining variation of key environmental processes. NDBM may maintain resilience if silvicultural strategies retain the structures and processes that perpetuate desired states while reducing those that enhance resilience of undesirable states. Such strategies require an understanding of harvesting impacts on slow ecosystem processes, such as seed-bank or nutrient dynamics, which in the long term can lead to ecological surprises by altering the forest's capacity to reorganize after disturbance