Enhancing assertive community treatment with cognitive behavioral social skills training for schizophrenia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundSchizophrenia leads to profound disability in everyday functioning (e.g., difficulty finding and maintaining employment, housing, and personal relationships). Medications can effectively reduce positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations and delusions), but they do not meaningfully improve daily life functioning. Psychosocial evidence-based practices (EBPs) improve functioning, but these EBPs are not available to most people with schizophrenia. The field must close the research and service delivery gap by adapting EBPs for schizophrenia to facilitate widespread implementation in community settings. Our hybrid effectiveness and implementation study represents an initiative to bridge this divide. In this study we will test whether an existing EBP (i.e., Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST)) modified to work in practice settings (i.e., Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams) commonly available to persons with schizophrenia results in better consumer outcomes. We will also identify key factors relevant to developing future CBSST implementation strategies.Methods/designFor the effectiveness study component, persons with schizophrenia will be recruited from existing publicly funded ACT teams operating in community settings. Participants will be randomized to one of the 2 treatments (ACT alone or ACT + Adapted CBSST) and followed longitudinally for 18 months with assessments every 18 weeks after baseline (5 in total). The primary outcome domain is psychosocial functioning (e.g., everyday living skills and activities related to employment, education, and housing) as measured by self-report, testing, and observation. Additional outcome domains of interest include mediators of change in functioning, symptoms, and quality of services. Primary analyses will be conducted using linear mixed-effects models for continuous data. The implementation study component consists of a structured, mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology (i.e., Concept Mapping) to characterize and assess the implementation experience from multiple stakeholder perspectives in order to inform future implementation initiatives.DiscussionAdapting CBSST to fit into the ACT service delivery context found throughout the United States creates an opportunity to substantially increase the number of persons with schizophrenia who could have access to and benefit from EBPs. As part of the implementation learning process training materials and treatment workbooks have been revised to promote easier use of CBSST in the context of brief community-based ACT visits.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02254733 . Date of registration: 25 April 2014

Sonography of Uterine Abnormalities in Postpartum and Postabortion Patients

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135300/1/jum2008273343.pd

Measurement of the Surface Gravity of η\eta Boo

Direct angular size measurements of the G0IV subgiant $\eta$ Boo from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer are presented, with limb-darkened angular size of $\theta_{LD}= 2.1894^{+0.0055}_{-0.0140}$ mas, which indicate a linear radius of $R=2.672 \pm 0.028 R_\odot$. A bolometric flux estimate of $F_{BOL} = 22.1 \pm 0.28\times 10^{-7}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ is computed, which indicates an effective temperature of $T_{EFF}=6100 \pm 28$ K and luminosity of $L = 8.89 \pm 0.16 L_\odot$ for this object. Similar data are established for a check star, HD 121860. The $\eta$ Boo results are compared to, and confirm, similar parameters established by the {\it MOST} asteroseismology satellite. In conjunction with the mass estimate from the {\it MOST} investigation, a surface gravity of $\log g=3.817 \pm 0.016$ [cm s$^{-2}$] is established for $\eta$ Boo.Comment: To appear in March 1, 2007 ApJ v657 n

Photospheric and chromospheric activity in four young solar-type stars

We present a photometric and spectroscopic study of four G-K dwarfs, namely HD 166, epsilon Eri, chi1 Ori and kappa1 Cet. In three cases, we find a clear spatial association between photospheric and chromospheric active regions. For chi1 Ori we do not find appreciable variations of photospheric temperature, and chromospheric Halpha emission. We applied a spot/plage model to the observed rotational modulation of temperature and flux to derive spot/plage parameters and to reconstruct a rough three-dimensional map of the outer atmosphere of kappa1 Cet, HD 166 and epsilon Eri.Comment: 12 pages, 3 tables, 9 figures. Submitted to Ap

Monocyte biology conserved across species: Functional insights from cattle.

Similar to human monocytes, bovine monocytes can be split into CD14highCD16- classical, CD14highCD16high intermediate and CD14-/dimCD16high nonclassical monocytes (cM, intM, and ncM, respectively). Here, we present an in-depth analysis of their steady-state bulk- and single-cell transcriptomes, highlighting both pronounced functional specializations and transcriptomic relatedness. Bulk gene transcription indicates pro-inflammatory and antibacterial roles of cM, while ncM and intM appear to be specialized in regulatory/anti-inflammatory functions and tissue repair, as well as antiviral responses and T-cell immunomodulation. Notably, intM stood out by high expression of several genes associated with antigen presentation. Anti-inflammatory and antiviral functions of ncM are further supported by dominant oxidative phosphorylation and selective strong responses to TLR7/8 ligands, respectively. Moreover, single-cell RNA-seq revealed previously unappreciated heterogeneity within cM and proposes intM as a transient differentiation intermediate between cM and ncM

Deep, Wide-field CCD Photometry for the Open Cluster NGC3532

We present the results of a deep, wide-field CCD survey for the open cluster NGC~3532. Our new $BV(RI)_{c}$ photometry effectively covers a one square degree area and reaches an unprecedented depth of $V\sim21$ to reveal that NGC~3532 is a rich open cluster that harbors a large number of faint, low-mass stars. We employ a number of methods to reduce the impact of field star contamination in the cluster color-magnitude diagrams, including supplementing our photometry with $JHK_{s}$ data from the 2MASS catalog. These efforts allow us to define a robust sample of candidate main sequence stars suitable for a purely empirical determination of the cluster's parameters by comparing them to the well-established Hyades main sequence. Our results confirm previous findings that NGC~3532 lies fairly near to the Sun [$(m-M)_0=8.46\pm0.05$; $492^{+12}_{-11}$~pc] and has an extremely low reddening for its location near the Galactic plane [$E(B-V)=0.028\pm0.006$]. Moreover, an age of $\sim300$\,Myr has been derived for the cluster by fitting a set of overshooting isochrones to the well-populated upper main-sequence. This new photometry also extends faint enough to reach the cluster white dwarf sequence, as confirmed by our photometric recovery of eight spectroscopically identified members of the cluster. Using the location of these eight members, along with the latest theoretical cooling tracks, we have identified $\sim30$ additional white dwarf stars in the $[V,~(B-V)]$ color-magnitude diagram that have a high probability of belonging to NGC~3532. The age we derive from fitting white dwarf isochrones to the locus of these stars, $300\pm100$\,Myr, is consistent with the age derived from the turnoff. Our analysis of the photometry also includes an estimation of the binary star fraction, as well as a determination of the cluster's luminosity and mass functions.Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ. 55 pages, 21 figures. High-quality version with complete data tables can be downloaded from http://www.phys.lsu.edu/~jclem/NGC3532

The accuracy of stellar atmospheric parameter determinations: a case study with HD 32115 and HD 37594

We present detailed parameter determinations of two chemically normal late A-type stars, HD 32115 and HD 37594, to uncover the reasons behind large discrepancies between two previous analyses of these stars performed with a semi-automatic procedure and a "classical" analysis. Our study is based on high resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra obtained at the McDonald Observatory. Our method is based on the simultaneous use of all available observables: multicolor photometry, pressure-sensitive magnesium lines, metallic lines and Balmer line profiles. Our final set of fundamental parameters fits, within the error bars, all available observables. It differs from the published results obtained with a semi-automatic procedure. A direct comparison between our new observational material and the spectra previously used by other authors shows that the quality of the data is not the origin of the discrepancies. As the two stars require a substantial macroturbulence velocity to fit the line profiles, we concluded that neglecting this additional broadening in the semi-automatic analysis is one origin of discrepancy. The use of FeI excitation equilibrium and of the Fe ionisation equilibrium, to derive effective temperature and surface gravity, respectively, neglecting all other indicators leads to a systematically erroneously high effective temperature. We deduce that the results obtained using only one parameter indicator might be biased and that those results need to be cautiously taken when performing further detailed analyses, such as modelling of the asteroseismic frequencies or characterising transiting exoplanets.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRA

Innate and adaptive immune responses following PD-L1 blockade in treating chronic murine alveolar echinococcosis.

BACKGROUND Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint blockade is efficacious in certain cancer therapies. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to provide a picture about the development of innate and adaptive immune responses upon PD-L1 blockade in treating chronic murine AE. METHODS Immune treatment started at 6 weeks post E. multilocularis-infection, and was maintained for 8 weeks with twice per week anti-PD-L1 administration (intraperitoneal). The study included an outgroup-control with mice perorally medicated with albendazole five days/week, and another one with both treatments combined. Assessment of treatment efficacy was based on determining parasite weight, innate and adaptive immune cell profiles, histopathology, and liver tissue cytokine levels. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Findings showed that the parasite load was significantly reduced in response to PD-L1 blockade, and this blockade a) contributed to T cell activity by increasing CD4+ /CD8+ effector T cells, and decreasing Tregs; b) had the capacity to re-store DCs and Kupffer cells/Macrophages; c) suppressed NKT and NK cells; and thus d) lead to an improved control of E. multilocularis infection in mice. This study suggests that the PD-L1 pathway plays an important role by regulating adaptive and innate immune cells against E. multilocularis infection, with significant modulation of tissue inflammation

Eclipsing binaries in open clusters. III. V621 Per in chi Persei

V621 Persei is a detached eclipsing binary in the open cluster chi Persei which is composed of an early B-type giant star and a main sequence secondary component. From high-resolution spectroscopic observations and radial velocities from the literature, we determine the orbital period to be 25.5 days and the primary velocity semiamplitude to be K = 64.5 +/- 0.4 km/s. No trace of the secondary star has been found in the spectrum. We solve the discovery light curves of this totally-eclipsing binary and find that the surface gravity of the secondary star is log(g_B) = 4.244 +/- 0.054 (cm/s). We compare the absolute masses and radii of the two stars in the mass--radius diagram, for different possible values of the primary surface gravity, to the predictions of stellar models. We find that log(g_A) is approximately 3.55, in agreement with values found from fitting Balmer lines with synthetic profiles. The expected masses of the two stars are 12 Msun and 6 Msun, and the expected radii are 10 Rsun and 3 Rsun. The primary component is near the blue loop stage in its evolution.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (10 pages, 5 figures

The radius and effective temperature of the binary Ap star beta CrB from CHARA/FLUOR and VLT/NACO observations

The prospects for using asteroseismology of rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars are hampered by the large uncertainty in fundamental stellar parameters. Results in the literature for the effective temperature (Teff) often span a range of 1000 K. Our goal is to reduce systematic errors and improve the Teff calibration of Ap stars based on new interferometric measurements. We obtained long-baseline interferometric observations of beta CrB using the CHARA/FLUOR instrument. To disentangle the flux contributions of the two components of this binary star, we obtained VLT/NACO adaptive optics images. We determined limb darkened angular diameters of 0.699+-0.017 mas for beta CrB A (from interferometry) and 0.415+-0.017 mas for beta CrB B (from surface brightness- color relations), corresponding to radii of 2.63+-0.09 Rsun (3.4 percent uncertainty) and 1.56+-0.07 Rsun (4.5 percent). The combined bolometric flux of the A and B components was determined from satellite UV data, spectrophotometry in the visible and broadband data in the infrared. The flux from the B component constitutes 16+-4 percent of the total flux and was determined by fitting an ATLAS9 model atmosphere to the broad-band NACO J and K magnitudes. Combining the flux of the A component with its measured angular diameter, we determine the effective temperature Teff(A) = 7980+-180 K (2.3 percent). Our new interferometric and imaging data enable a nearly model-independent determination of the effective temperature of beta CrB A. Including our recent study of alpha Cir, we now have direct Teff measurements of two of the brightest roAp stars, providing a strong benchmark for an improved calibration of the Teff scale for Ap stars. This will support the use of potentially strong constraints imposed by asteroseismic studies of roAp stars.Comment: 7 pages, accepted by A&