Cognitive Analytic Therapy in People with Learning Disability: An investigation into the common reciprocal roles found within this client group

Developments over the last twenty years have shown that, contrary to previous opinion, people with learning disabilities can benefit from psychotherapy (Sinason 1992; Kroese, Dagnan & Loumidia, 1997). Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) has been adapted for use with a learning disability population (Ryle 2002). CAT collaboratively examines the Reciprocal Roles (RRs) a client plays in relationships. These are impacted by clients’ experiences of the world. The aim of this research is to identify which RRs may become apparent in working with people with learning disabilities. The therapy notes of participants (n=16) who had undergone CAT were examined and analysed using content analysis. Twenty-two different RRs were found. Four common Reciprocal Roles and two common idealised Reciprocal Roles were identified. Other observations about the data are presented. The limitations and clinical implications of the study are discussed

Neutron halos in heavy nuclei -- relativistic mean field approach

Assuming a~simple spherical relativistic mean field model of the nucleus, we estimate the width of the antiproton--neutron annihilation ($\Gamma_n$) and the width of antiproton--proton ($\Gamma_p$) annihilation, in an antiprotonic atom system. This allows us to determine the halo factor $f$, which is then discussed in the context of experimental data obtained in measurements recently done on LEAR utility at CERN. Another quantity which characterizes the deviation of the average nuclear densities ratio from the corresponding ratio of the homogeneous densities is introduced too. It was shown that it is also a good indicator of the neutron halo. The results are compared to experimental data as well as to the data of the simple liquid droplet model of the nuclear densities. The single particle structure of the nuclear density tail is discusssed also.Comment: revtex, 12 pages + 6 postscript figure

Charged Dilatonic AdS Black Branes in Arbitrary Dimensions

We study electromagnetically charged dilatonic black brane solutions in arbitrary dimensions with flat transverse spaces, that are asymptotically AdS. This class of solutions includes spacetimes which possess a bulk region where the metric is approximately invariant under Lifshitz scalings. Given fixed asymptotic boundary conditions, we analyze how the behavior of the bulk up to the horizon varies with the charges and derive the extremality conditions for these spacetimes.Comment: References update

Diagnostic Utility of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised in Two Samples of Survivors of War

The study aimed at examining the diagnostic utility of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) as a screening tool for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of war. The IES-R was completed by two independent samples that had survived the war in the Balkans: a sample of randomly selected people who had stayed in the area of former conflict (n = 3,313) and a sample of refugees to Western European countries (n = 854). PTSD was diagnosed using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Prevalence of PTSD was 20.1% in the Balkan sample and 33.1% in the refugee sample. Results revealed that when considering a minimum value of specificity of 0.80, the optimally sensitive cut-off score for screening for PTSD in the Balkan sample was 34. In both the Balkan sample and the refugee sample, this cut-off score provided good values on sensitivity (0.86 and 0.89, respectively) and overall efficiency (0.81 and 0.79, respectively). Further, the kappa coefficients for sensitivity for the cut-off of 34 were 0.80 in both samples. Findings of this study support the clinical utility of the IES-R as a screening tool for PTSD in large-scale research studies and intervention studies if structured diagnostic interviews are regarded as too labor-intensive and too costly

Physics of Neutron Star Kicks

It is no longer necessary to `sell' the idea of pulsar kicks, the notion that neutron stars receive a large velocity (a few hundred to a thousand km s$^{-1}$) at birth. However, the origin of the kicks remains mysterious. We review the physics of different kick mechanisms, including hydrodynamically driven, neutrino and magnetically driven kicks.Comment: 8 pages including 1 figure. To be published in "Stellar Astrophysics" (Pacific Rim Conference Proceedings), (Kluwer Pub.

Loop Quantum Gravity

The problem of finding the quantum theory of the gravitational field, and thus understanding what is quantum spacetime, is still open. One of the most active of the current approaches is loop quantum gravity. Loop quantum gravity is a mathematically well-defined, non-perturbative and background independent quantization of general relativity, with its conventional matter couplings. The research in loop quantum gravity forms today a vast area, ranging from mathematical foundations to physical applications. Among the most significative results obtained are: (i) The computation of the physical spectra of geometrical quantities such as area and volume; which yields quantitative predictions on Planck-scale physics. (ii) A derivation of the Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy formula. (iii) An intriguing physical picture of the microstructure of quantum physical space, characterized by a polymer-like Planck scale discreteness. This discreteness emerges naturally from the quantum theory and provides a mathematically well-defined realization of Wheeler's intuition of a spacetime ``foam''. Long standing open problems within the approach (lack of a scalar product, overcompleteness of the loop basis, implementation of reality conditions) have been fully solved. The weak part of the approach is the treatment of the dynamics: at present there exist several proposals, which are intensely debated. Here, I provide a general overview of ideas, techniques, results and open problems of this candidate theory of quantum gravity, and a guide to the relevant literature.Comment: Review paper written for the electronic journal `Living Reviews'. 34 page

Protocol: does sodium nitrite administration reduce ischaemia-reperfusion injury in patients presenting with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction? Nitrites in acute myocardial infarction (NIAMI)

BACKGROUND: Whilst advances in reperfusion therapies have reduced early mortality from acute myocardial infarction, heart failure remains a common complication, and may develop very early or long after the acute event. Reperfusion itself leads to further tissue damage, a process described as ischaemia-reperfusion-injury (IRI), which contributes up to 50% of the final infarct size. In experimental models nitrite administration potently protects against IRI in several organs, including the heart. In the current study we investigate whether intravenous sodium nitrite administration immediately prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction will reduce myocardial infarct size. This is a phase II, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded and multicentre trial. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: The aim of this trial is to determine whether a 5 minute systemic injection of sodium nitrite, administered immediately before opening of the infarct related artery, results in significant reduction of IRI in patients with first acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI). The primary clinical end point is the difference in infarct size between sodium nitrite and placebo groups measured using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) performed at 6-8 days following the AMI and corrected for area at risk (AAR) using the endocardial surface area technique. Secondary end points include (i) plasma creatine kinase and Troponin I measured in blood samples taken pre-injection of the study medication and over the following 72 hours; (ii) infarct size at six months; (iii) Infarct size corrected for AAR measured at 6-8 days using T2 weighted triple inversion recovery (T2-W SPAIR or STIR) CMR imaging; (iv) Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction measured by CMR at 6-8 days and six months following injection of the study medication; and (v) LV end systolic volume index at 6-8 days and six months. FUNDING,ETHICS AND REGULATORY APPROVALS: This study is funded by a grant from the UK Medical Research Council. This protocol is approved by the Scotland A Research Ethics Committee and has also received clinical trial authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (EudraCT number: 2010-023571-26)

Stereoselective handling of perhexiline:Implications regarding accumulation within the human myocardium

Purpose: Perhexiline is a prophylactic anti-ischaemic agent with weak calcium antagonist effect which has been increasingly utilised in the management of refractory angina. The metabolic clearance of perhexiline is modulated by CYP2D6 metaboliser status and stereoselectivity. The current study sought to (1) determine whether the acute accumulation of perhexiline in the myocardium is stereoselective and (2) investigate the relationship between duration of short-term therapy and the potential stereoselective effects of perhexiline within myocardium. Method: Patients (n = 129) from the active arm of a randomised controlled trial of preoperative perhexiline in cardiac surgery were treated with oral perhexiline for a median of 9 days. Correlates of atrial and ventricular concentrations of enantiomers were sought via univariate followed by multivariate analyses. Results: Myocardial uptake of both (+) and (−) perhexiline was greater in ventricles than in atria, and there was more rapid clearance of (−) than (+) perhexiline. The main determinants of atrial uptake of both (+) and (−) perhexiline were the plasma concentrations [(+) perhexiline: β = −0.256, p = 0.015; (−) perhexiline: β = −0.347, p = 0.001] and patients’ age [(+) perhexiline: β = 0.300, p = 0.004; (−) perhexiline: β = 0.288, p = 0.005]. Atrial uptake of (+) enantiomer also varied directly with duration of therapy (β = 0.228, p = 0.025), while atrial uptake of (−) perhexiline varied inversely with simultaneous heart rate (β = −0.240, p = 0.015). Conclusion: (1) Uptake of both perhexiline enantiomers into atrium is greater with advanced age and displays evidence of both saturability and minor stereoselectivity. (2) Atrial uptake of (−) perhexiline may selectively modulate heart rate reduction

Generalized Holographic Quantum Criticality at Finite Density

We show that the near-extremal solutions of Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton theories, studied in ArXiv:1005.4690, provide IR quantum critical geometries, by embedding classes of them in higher-dimensional AdS and Lifshitz solutions. This explains the scaling of their thermodynamic functions and their IR transport coefficients, the nature of their spectra, the Gubser bound, and regulates their singularities. We propose that these are the most general quantum critical IR asymptotics at finite density of EMD theories.Comment: v4: Corrected the scaling equation for the conductivity in section 9.