A Review of Qualitative Research in Counseling and Psychotherapy

In reviewing Qualitative Research in Counseling and Psychotherapy (McLeod, 2011), I encountered with this text a backdrop of a grand tour question, How well has the author contextualized qualitative inquiry in the realm of counseling and psychotherapy theory and practice? I found McLeod (2011) constantly embedding qualitative methodology and plethora of methods into counseling and psychotherapy field by pointing out the relationship between research and practice of counseling and psychotherapy and giving detailed account on philosophical foundations and actual practice of qualitative methods while zigzagging among multiple levels of contexts. At the same time, McLeod maintained his pluralistic position on methodologies and methods by critically examining multiple forms of knowing and positioning toward production of knowledge

A Conversation Analysis of Therapist-Client Interactional Patterns in Single Session Therapy: A Researcher\u27s Interpretation

In response to the growing awareness of the issue of accessibility to mental health services (World Health Organization, 2013), single session therapy (SST) has been implemented in various settings throughout the world. (Hoyt &Talmon, 2014b; Miller, 2008; Miller & Slive, 2004; Talmon, 2014). Although there has been much advancement in the knowledge and application of SST, an understanding of therapist-client interactional patterns that enfold in SST is extremely scarce. In this study, I investigated how therapists collaboratively improved the talk in SST turn by turn in such a way that promoted therapeutic improvement. I utilized conversation analysis (Sacks et al., 1974) to analyze a video-recording of a SST consultation within a single instrumental case study format (Stake, 2005). The findings of this study provide an interactional understanding of the collaborative practice, valued in SST literature (e.g., Campbell, 2012; Miller & Slive, 2004; Slive et al., 2008). Specifically, the therapists’ collaborative manner is exemplified in how the therapists oriented to the moment-to-moment interaction with the client within and across various interactional practices to coordinate their interaction, form and maintain the therapeutic relationship with the client, invite therapeutic change, and negotiate advice with the client. The findings of this study offer SST therapists and supervisors a potential interactional repertoire that they can utilize in their SST consultations and SST trainings. This study also presents a method of psychotherapy research that can address the research-practice gap (Strong & Gale, 2013)

Distortion of the outer boundary of the closed region in the Tsyganenko magnetic field model

Using the Tsyganenko magnetic field model (TSYGANENKO, Planet. Space Sci., 37, 5, 1989) we make an attempt to determine the outer boundary of the closed region when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is southward. As a simple magnetic field model including the effect of IMF B_z<0, the B_z component of a constant value of minus a few nanoTeslas is added to the magnetic field in the Tsyganenko model with low K_p values. In this paper, if the magnetic field strength, B, is not less than 2 nT in the whole range of a field line (namely the minimum B along a field line is greater than 2 nT), this field line is judged to be "firmly" closed. The firmly closed field lines are thought to be definitely closed as long as the fluctuation amplitude of B_z (around its average level) in the interplanetary (solar wind) magnetic field is less than 2 nT. The outer boundary of the firmly closed region is then constituted by field lines with the minimum B of 2 nT. This boundary is found to be close to (just inside of) the open-closed boundary, which can be determined with accuracy of 0.01° in latitude of the foot point of a field line. It is found that a circle with the center at a latitude of about 85° on the midnight meridian can be fitted to the outer boundary of the firmly closed region, as it is projected to the ionosphere. Interestingly this circle coincides with a typical auroral circle; the auroral circles are those delineating the poleward boundary of the quiet auroral belt, which were earlier identified from the statistical analysis of satellites\u27 auroral images by MENG et al. (J. Geophys. Res., 82, 164, 1977). Importantly we find that the outer boundary of the firmly closed region is "distorted" on the nightside in the sense that the ionospheric projection of the average magnetic drift velocity of a plasma with isotropic pressure is not parallel to the boundary; more specifically, that of an isotropic ion fluid has an equatorward component on the duskside boundary and a poleward one on the dawnside boundary, respectively. This kind of the boundary distortion may be one of the possible causes of the generation of the nightside region 1 field-aligned current, which has been first suggested by HRUSKA (J. Geophys. Res., 91, 371, 1986) and recently, further studied by YAMAMOTO and INOUE (Proc. NIPR Symp. Upper Atmos. Phys., 11, 106, 1998)

Juggling texts and contexts using recursive frame analysis

Qualitative research is a platform where researchers juggle creative imagination on one hand and a set of principles prescribed by a particular qualitative method on the other hand. Recently, the presenters conducted a qualitative recursive frame analysis to analyze progress notes conducted by Marriage and Family Therapist trainees at a university clinic. The presenters found its analysis process complex and fluid due to the creative nature of its analysis. To experientially demonstrate this aspect of the qualitative recursive frame analysis, the presenter will conduct a mini-recursive frame analysis with participants

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Influence of lithium salts on the combustion characteristics of dimethyl carbonate-based electrolytes using a wick combustion method

Flammability studies of electrolytes are required for screening safer materials used in lithium-ion batteries. Besides the thermal stability, the effects of lithium salts on electrolyte combustion are important as well for fire safety of electrolytes. To clarify the influence of lithium salts on the electrolyte flammability, experimental analyses were conducted using a unique wick combustion system in conjunction with the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) test, called wick-LOC method. The dimethyl carbonate (DMC)-based electrolytes with 1M addition of different lithium salts (LiPF6, LiBF4, and LiTFSI) were studied comparing with pure DMC and trimethyl phosphate (TMP)-added solvents. The three lithium salts gave unique and distinct flame behaviors including flame shapes, colors and the changes of wick surface until self-extinguishing. The wick-LOC results indicated a considerable flame-retardant effect of LiPF6, while other salts have minor effects on the flame extinction. Utilizing the flame spectrum and combustion residue analyses, the roles of salts during combustion were characterized. The PF6 anion played a similar role with the TMP additive in the gas phase flame inhibition. In the cases of LiPF6 and LiBF4, the solid products (LiF) accumulation blocked the fuel supply from the wick to the flame region. In the case of LiTFSI, the serious charring of the cotton wick was considered as a potential hazard on solid combustibles in the real fire scenarios

Experimental study on flame stability limits of lithium ion battery electrolyte solvents with organophosphorus compounds addition using a candle-like wick combustion system

To evaluate the fire-retardant effectiveness of organophosphorus compounds (OPC) added to Li-ion battery electrolyte solvents, the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) method is used in conjunction with a wick combustion system, called as wick-LOC method. With the wick-LOC method, two modes of stabilized flame are found, namely, wake flame and full flame. When OPC is added to the electrolyte, two distinct branches of extinction processes occur according to the different flame modes near extinction with no transition from the full flame to the wake flame in the case of higher OPC addition. The flame stability limits are measured as a function of OPC addition for both flame modes. The wake flame is shown to be consistently more stable at low levels of OPC addition. However, once the OPC addition exceeds a critical amount, the full flame shows higher stability with a lower LOC than the wake flame. These phenomena in the two regimes are also found in other cases of high OPC addition (different type of OPC and electrolyte solvent). In the most stable flame mode, the regime switches from the wake flame to the full flame with increasing OPC addition, and they are defined correspondingly as "blow-off regime" and "quenching regime". To explain the presence of these two regimes, the thermal balance effect is considered in the discussion of flame extinction mechanisms. The difference in flame volume near the extinction limit shows that the quenching mechanism dominates flame extinction under higher OPC addition. The thermal balance effect on flame stabilization or extinction can be the additional impact on the fire retardation abilities of OPC itself