Acceptance and commitment therapy groups for individuals with psychosis: a grounded theory analysis

Theoretical assumptions and emerging research point to possible mechanisms of change in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for psychosis. However, the specific processes by which change occurs remain unclear and under-researched. No current research has explored processes facilitating change in the group format of an ACT intervention for psychosis. Participant perspectives were sought to help elucidate potential mechanisms of change. Nine participants of ACT groups for people with psychosis were interviewed about their experiences of the intervention. Interviews were analysed using methods and techniques informed by grounded theory. A proposed model outlined key mechanisms of awareness, relating differently and reconnecting with life, which led to reductions in distress and behavioural change. Leaning on others highlighted the importance of the group context in supporting change processes. The processes identified, and the mechanisms through which these were achieved, as articulated by participants, were consistent with proposed change processes. Participants also offered additional insights based on experiential accounts. Contributions to theoretical understandings and clinical practice are discussed

Trend analysis of climate change “temperature and precipitation "space-time department Boyaca (Colombia)

Con el fin de estudiar uno de los factores más importantes en la afectación humana se ha llevado a cabo un análisis de las series de tiempo de 29 estaciones meteorológicas del Departamento de Boyacá, con registros que datan de 1997 y 2001 con el cual se pretende analizar la variabilidad espacial en la distribución geográfica sobre el territorio boyacense de la temperatura, así como el cambio en la precipitación llevado a cabo mediante el promedio medio mensual anual de la temperatura y la precipitación calculado entre los 2 años de registros mensualesTo study one of the most important factors in human involvement has been carried out an analysis of the time series of 29 meteorological seasons of Department of Boyacá, with records dating back to 1997 and 2001 with which to analyze spatial variability in the geographical distribution of the territory boyacense temperature and change in precipitation carried out by the average monthly temperature and precipitation de Calculated in 2 years of monthly record

Development of High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging Analysis Paradigms for the Investigation of Neuropathology

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), provides unique insight into the microstructure of neural white matter tissue, allowing researchers to more fully investigate white matter disorders. The abundance of clinical research projects incorporating DW-MRI into their acquisition protocols speaks to the value this information lends to the study of neurological disease. However, the most widespread DW-MRI technique, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), possesses serious limitations which restrict its utility in regions of complex white matter. Fueled by advances in DW-MRI acquisition protocols and technologies, a group of exciting new DW-MRI models, developed to address these concerns, are now becoming available to clinical researchers. The emergence of these new imaging techniques, categorized as high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI), has generated the need for sophisticated computational neuroanatomic techniques able to account for the high dimensionality and structure of HARDI data. The goal of this thesis is the development of such techniques utilizing prominent HARDI data models. Specifically, methodologies for spatial normalization, population atlas building and structural connectivity have been developed and validated. These methods form the core of a comprehensive analysis paradigm allowing the investigation of local white matter microarcitecture, as well as, systemic properties of neuronal connectivity. The application of this framework to the study of schizophrenia and the autism spectrum disorders demonstrate its sensitivity sublte differences in white matter organization, as well as, its applicability to large population DW-MRI studies

An unusual case of acute pulmonary embolism

Patiant with a history of hypertension presented to the emergency room with progressive dyspnoea over afew weeks. There was no relevant past history. Clinical examination revealed an elevated jugular venous pressure, pedal oedema and tenderness in the right hypochondrium

Analyse des dynamiques spatiales en région Rhône-Alpes

Ce travail s'inscrit dans un programme de recherche du LET qui s'efforce de mieux comprendre les dynamiques spatiales à différentes échelles. Sur un espace concernant quatre départements de Rhône- Alpes, il s'agit, pour nous de mieux comprendre et représenter les interactions entre caractéristiques socio-économiques des communes qui composent cet espace, et les formes de mobilité quotidienne de leurs actifs. Le choix méthodologique a consisté à établir des classements typologiques des 1553 communes : l'un repose sur les distributions statistiques du lieu de travail des résidents et des modes de transport utilisés ; l'autre sur des indicateurs socio-économiques (PCS et revenus). La mise en correspondances de ces typologies, par une analyse factorielle, permet de dégager une classification communale qui croise les deux séries de dimensions, mobilité et socio-économique, et de délivrer une représentation spatiale qui restitue des territoires très homogènes quant à ces deux dimensions. Les représentations cartographiques de ces deux typologies, et de la classification finale, permettent de restituer ces décompositions et recompositions territoriales.Dynamiques spatiales ; analyse de données ; analyse factorielle ; caractéristiques socio-économiques des communes ; région Rhône-Alpes (France)

Who guards the guardians?

The United Kingdom’s Leveson Inquiry has been the hottest free show in town since it began taking evidence in November 2011 until the first phase of the Inquiry concluded on 24 July 2012. During that time, the general public has been exposed to a tsunami of information from the great and the good in Britain, which raised questions not only about journalism practices and ethics but the separation of powers and the rule of law. The importance to any democracy of an independent judiciary cannot be overestimated. Sir Brian Leveson began the inquiry by posing the question: Who guards the guardians? He stressed that the concept of the freedom of the press was a fundamental part of any democracy and that he had no desire to stifle freedom of speech in Britain. This article reflects on missed opportunities and considers the future for press regulation in Britain. It also makes the point that irrespective of whatever new regime is established, it is time for proprietors, editors and journalists to stand up for responsible, public interest journalism and only then will there be an outside chance that the public’s faith in mainstream journalism will be restored

“My voices are just part of me, they don’t own me”: a qualitative investigation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy groups for people experiencing psychosis

Background: This study aimed to generate a grounded theory of change processes as experienced by people with psychosis who engaged in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group program. A secondary aim was to identify how participants described changes in their relationship to distress following the groups. Methods: The study used a qualitative research methodology, grounded theory. This was used to explore emergent themes in the participants’ subjective experiences of group ACT delivered in community mental health services. The experience of the ACT group process was investigated for nine participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore how the group experience and the exercises, metaphors and skills promoted by ACT were used by participants in their daily lives. Results: There were four main themes emerging from the interviews: awareness, relating differently, reconnection with life, leaning on others. Conclusions: The participants all described experiencing subjective benefits from being involved in the ACT groups, along with perspectives on processes of change. These reports of changes were consistent with the model and extend our understanding of the lived experience of engaging in ACT for psychosis group

The effect of water temperature on the distribution of the Eastern Cape redfin minnow, Pseudobarbus afer (Peters, 1864)

The main objective of this MSc study was to disentangle whether temperature or the presence of non-native fish was limiting the distribution of Pseudobarbus afer (Peters, 1864) in the Blindekloof stream, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aims were to: i) describe the thermal regime of the Blindekloof stream; ii) conduct experiments to determine the preferred and critical temperatures of P. afer and; iii) use snorkel surveys to contextualise the distribution of both native and non-native fishes in the Blindekloof stream to assess whether the downstream distribution of P. afer was likely to be influenced by temperature or by the presence of non-native, predatory fishes. To describe the thermal regime, year-long temperature data from four long term monitoring sites in the Blindekloof stream were collected using Hobo temperature loggers and analysed in order to better understand the thermal profile, the thermal variation and the rate of temperature change in the stream. The warmest temperatures were recorded in late December 2015 (absolute maximum of 29.4 °C). The coolest water temperatures were recorded in early August 2015 (absolute minimum of 9.5 °C). There is both seasonal and diel variation in temperature with mean, minimum, maximum, 7 day mean, 7 day maximum and temperature ranges differing significantly between sites. With knowledge of the thermal regime of a monitored reach of the Blindekloof stream, the thermal tolerance and preference of P. afer were investigated. The thermal tolerance of P. afer was investigated using the Critical Thermal Method (CTM) which uses non-lethal endpoints (the loss of equilibrium). At low acclimatization temperatures (11.9 ± 0.7 °C), the mean CTmax of P. afer was found to be 29.9 ± 0.7 °C, while at a higher acclimatization temperature (19.9 ± 0.1 °C), the mean CTmax was 35.1 ± 0.6°C. Custom-built thermal choice tanks were used to investigate the thermal preference of P. afer in both summer and winter. The preferred median temperatures for the summer experiments ranged from 22.4 - 29.3 °C while the winter preferred median temperatures ranged from 18.5 - 23.1 °C. The thermal tolerance of P. afer was compared to the thermal regime of the stream and the results suggest that temperature is not limiting the distribution of P. afer. Snorkel surveys were used to determine the distribution of fishes in the Blindekloof stream. Analysis of the distribution data suggests that, in the absence of non-native predatory species, native fishes have the potential to inhabit pools throughout the system right to the confluence, thus predatory fishes and not temperature was limiting P. afer distributions