The Patient’s Perspective: Exploring Factors that Contribute to Recovery from Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders (EDs) are quite distinct and difficult to treat mental disorders. Remarkably, when reviewing studies on the recovery process of ED’s, the patients’ experience of the therapeutic process has rarely been taken into account. To address the issue of the patients perspective on their recovery a study was conducted among ED patients. The main aims of the study were to investigate treatment factors, according to the patients view, that contributed to their recovery. Also, if there was any significant improvement within the first six months of the treatment and whether subjective improvement was in accordance with objective ED improvement and finally possible, if any, differences between different diagnostic groups

The Nature of the Stingray Nebula from Radio Observations

We have analysed the full suite of Australia Telescope Compact Array data for the Stingray planetary nebula. Data were taken in the 4- to 23-GHz range of radio frequencies between 1991 and 2016. The radio flux density of the nebula generally declined during that period, but between 2013 and 2016 it shows signs of halting that decline. We produced the first spatially resolved radio images of the Stingray nebula from data taken in 2005. A ring structure, which appears to be associated with the ring seen in HST images, was visible. In addition, we found a narrow extension to the radio emission towards the eastern and western edges of the nebula. We derived the emission measure of the nebula - this decreased between 1992 and 2011, suggesting that the nebula is undergoing recombination. The radio spectral index is broadly consistent with a free-free emission mechanism, however a single data point hints that a steeper spectral index has possibly emerged since 2013, which could indicate the presence of synchrotron emission. If a non-thermal component component has emerged, such as one associated with a region that is launching a jet or outflow, we predict that it would intensify in the years to come.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 9 pages, 6 figure

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE COLDEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE: THE BOOMERANG NEBULA

The Boomerang Nebula is the coldest known object in the universe, and an extreme member of the class of pre-planetary nebulae, objects which represent a short-lived transitional phase between the asymptotic giant branch and planetary nebula evolutionary stages. Previous single-dish CO (J = 1-0) observations (with a 45 '' beam) showed that the high-speed outflow in this object has cooled to a temperature significantly below the temperature of the cosmic background radiation. Here we report the first observations of the Boomerang Nebula with ALMA in the CO J = 2-1 and J = 1-0 lines to resolve the structure of this ultra-cold nebula. We find a central hourglass-shaped nebula surrounded by a patchy, but roughly round, cold high-velocity outflow. We compare the ALMA data with visible-light images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and confirm that the limb-brightened bipolar lobes seen in these data represent hollow cavities with dense walls of molecular gas and dust producing both the molecular-emission-line and scattered-light structures seen at millimeter and visible wavelengths. The large diffuse biconical shape of the nebula seen in the visible wavelength range is likely due to preferential illumination of the cold, high-velocity outflow. We find a compact source of millimeter-wave continuum in the nebular waist-these data, together with sensitive upper limits on the radio continuum using observations with ATCA, indicate the presence of a substantial mass of very large (millimeter-sized) grains in the waist of the nebula. Another unanticipated result is the detection of CO emission regions beyond the ultra-cold region which indicate the re-warming of the cold gas, most likely due to photoelectric grain heating

Development and validation of the schedule for the assessment of insight in eating disorders (SAI-ED)

This study examined the reliability, validity and internal structure of the newly developed, interview-based Schedule for the Assessment of Insight in Eating Disorders (SAI-ED) and the relationships of insight with demographic and clinical characteristics in EDs. Ninety-four female patients – 44 with anorexia nervosa (AN) and 50 with bulimia nervosa (BN) – were assessed with SAI-ED. The Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale was used to evaluate convergent validity of SAI-ED. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling were used to identify insight components and assess their inter-relationships. The final 8-item SAI-ED demonstrated good psychometric properties. Inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities were high. Three subscales of SAI-ED were identified which measure major insight components: awareness of illness, awareness of symptoms, and treatment engagement. Patients with AN had significant lower score on SAI-ED than patients with BN. Impaired insight was associated with: (a) lower current and lowest lifetime BMI and more severe dietary restrain in AN, (b) illness duration, severity of overall ED symptoms, body-related concerns and obsessionality in BN. Insight is a multidimensional construct in EDs associated with different clinical aspects in AN and BN. The SAI-ED is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of insight in EDs patients

Structure of the SMC - Stellar component distribution from 2MASS data

The spatial distribution of the SMC stellar component is investigated from 2MASS data. The morphology of the different age populations is presented. The center of the distribution is calculated and compared with previous estimations. The rotation of the stellar content and possible consequence of dark matter presence are discussed. The different stellar populations are identified through a CMD diagram of the 2MASS data. Isopleth contour maps are produced in every case, to reveal the spatial distribution. The derived density profiles are discussed. The older stellar population follows an exponential profile at projected diameters of about 5 kpc (~5 deg) for the major axis and ~4 kpc for the minor axis, centred at RA: 0h:51min, Dec: -73deg 7' (J2000.0). The centre coordinates are found the same for all the different age population maps and are in good accordance with the kinematical centre of the SMC. However they are found considerably different from the coordinates of the centre of the gas distribution. The fact that the older population found on an exponential disk, gives evidence that the stellar content is rotating, with a possible consequence of dark matter presence. The strong interactions between the MCs and the MilkyWay might explain the difference in the distributions of the stellar and gas components. The lack in the observed velocity element, that implies absence of rotation, and contradicts with the consequences of exponential profile of the stellar component, may also be a result of the gravitational interactions.Comment: 7 Pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Electric vector rotations of \pi/2 in polarized circumstellar SiO maser emission

This paper examines the detailed sub-milliarcsecond polarization properties of an individual SiO maser feature displaying a rotation in polarization electric vector position angle of approximately \pi/2 across the feature. Such rotations are a characteristic observational signature of circumstellar SiO masers detected toward a number of late-type, evolved stars. We employ a new calibration method for accurate circular VLBI polarimetry at millimeter wavelengths, to present the detailed Stokes {I,Q,U,V} properties for this feature. We analyze the fractional linear and circular polarization as a function of projected angular distance across the extent of the feature, and compare these measurements against several theoretical models proposed for sharp rotations of electric vector position angle in polarized SiO maser emission. We find that the rotation is most likely caused by the angle \theta between the line of sight and a projected magnetic field crossing the critical Van Vleck angle for maser propagation. The fractional linear polarization profile m_l(\theta) is well-fit by standard models for polarized maser transport, but we find less agreement for the fractional circular polarization profile m_c(\theta).Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures; to appear in Ap.

New limits on the population of normal and millisecond pulsars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds

We model the potentially observable populations of normal and millisecond radio pulsars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) where the known population currently stands at 19 normal radio pulsars. Taking into account the detection thresholds of previous surveys, and assuming optimal period and luminosity distributions based on studies of Galactic pulsars, we estimate there are (1.79 +/- 0.20) x 10^4 and (1.09 +/- 0.16) x 10^4 normal pulsars in the LMC and SMC respectively. When we attempt to correct for beaming effects, and the fraction of high-velocity pulsars which escape the clouds, we estimate birth rates in both the LMC and SMC to be comparable and in the range 0.5--1 pulsar per century. Although higher than estimates for the rate of core-collapse supernovae in the clouds, these pulsar birth rates are consistent with historical supernova observations in the past 300 yr. A substantial population of active radio pulsars (of order a few hundred thousand) have escaped the LMC and SMC and populate the local intergalactic medium. For the millisecond pulsar (MSP) population, the lack of any detections from current surveys leads to respective upper limits (at the 95% confidence level) of 15,000 for the LMC and 23,000 for the SMC. Several MSPs could be detected by a currently ongoing survey of the SMC with improved time and frequency resolution using the Parkes multibeam system. Giant-pulse emitting neutron stars could also be seen by this survey.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter