Self-relevant disgust and self-harm urges in patients with borderline personality disorder and depression: a pilot study with a newly designed psychological challenge.

BACKGROUND: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common psychiatric condition associated with self-harm. Self-harm is poorly understood and there is currently no treatment for acute presentations with self-harm urges. OBJECTIVES: By using a new task (Self-relevant Task; SRT), to explore emotions related to one's own person (PERSON task) and body (BODY task), to study the correlations of these emotions, specifically disgust, with self-harm urge level changes, and to test the task's potential to be developed into an experimental model of self-harming for treatment trials. METHODS: 17 BPD patients, 27 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, and 25 healthy volunteers performed the SRT. Emotion labels were extracted from task narratives and disgust and self-harm urge level changes measured by visual analogue scales. We used validated rating scales to measure symptom severity. RESULTS: The SRT was effective at inducing negative emotions and self-harm urge changes. Self-harm urge changes correlated with borderline symptom severity. Post-task disgust levels on the visual analogue scales were higher in BPD patients than in healthy controls in the PERSON task, and higher than in both control groups in the BODY task. Changes in disgust levels during the task were significantly greater in the patient groups. Post-task disgust levels or changes in disgust were not associated with self-harm urge changes (except the latter in MDD in the PERSON task), but self-harm urge changes and disgust (but no other emotion) narrative labels were on a whole sample level. CONCLUSION: Although associations with the analogue scale measures were not significant, self-disgust reported in the narrative of patients may be associated with a higher probability of self-harm urges. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm this relationship and to examine whether reducing self-disgust could reduce self-harm urges. The SRT was effective and safe, and could be standardized for experimental studies.This work was partly funded by a Core Award from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust to the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (MRC Ref G1000183; WT Ref 093875/Z/10/Z). Sawsan Abdul-Hamid received a grant from the Evelyn Trust to help to cover the costs of her research placement with the research group. The Talisman Trust also supported the study with a grant.This is the final published version, which can also be found on the PLoS website here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0099696#ac

Timing analysis techniques at large core distances for multi-TeV gamma ray astronomy

We present an analysis technique that uses the timing information of Cherenkov images from extensive air showers (EAS). Our emphasis is on distant, or large core distance gamma-ray induced showers at multi-TeV energies. Specifically, combining pixel timing information with an improved direction reconstruction algorithm, leads to improvements in angular and core resolution as large as ~40% and ~30%, respectively, when compared with the same algorithm without the use of timing. Above 10 TeV, this results in an angular resolution approaching 0.05 degrees, together with a core resolution better than ~15 m. The off-axis post-cut gamma-ray acceptance is energy dependent and its full width at half maximum ranges from 4 degrees to 8 degrees. For shower directions that are up to ~6 degrees off-axis, the angular resolution achieved by using timing information is comparable, around 100 TeV, to the on-axis angular resolution. The telescope specifications and layout we describe here are geared towards energies above 10 TeV. However, the methods can in principle be applied to other energies, given suitable telescope parameters. The 5-telescope cell investigated in this study could initially pave the way for a larger array of sparsely spaced telescopes in an effort to push the collection area to >10 km2. These results highlight the potential of a `sparse array' approach in effectively opening up the energy range above 10 TeV.Comment: Published in Astroparticle Physic

Simulation Study of TenTen: A new Multi-TeV IACT array

TenTen is a proposed array of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) optimized for the gamma ray energy regime of 10 TeV to 100 TeV, but with a threshold of ~1 to a few TeV. It will offer a collecting area of 10 km2 above energies of 10 TeV. In the initial phase, a cell of 3 to 5 modest-sized telescopes, each with 10-30 m2 mirror area, is suggested for an Australian site. A possible expansion of the array could comprise many such cells. Here we present work on configuration and technical issues from our simulation studies of the array. Working topics include array layout, telescope size and optics, camera field of view, telescope trigger system, electronics, and site surveys.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Proceedings of the ICRC 2007, pdf forma

TenTen: A New Array of Multi-TeV Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes

The exciting results from H.E.S.S. point to a new population of gamma-ray sources at energies E > 10 TeV, paving the way for future studies and new discoveries in the multi-TeV energy range. Connected with these energies is the search for sources of PeV cosmic-rays (CRs) and the study of multi-TeV gamma-ray production in a growing number of astrophysical environments. TenTen is a proposed stereoscopic array (with a suggested site in Australia) of modest-sized (10 to 30m^2) Cherenkov imaging telescopes with a wide field of view (8 to 10deg diameter) optimised for the E~10 to 100 TeV range. TenTen will achieve an effective area of ~10 km^2 at energies above 10 TeV. We outline here the motivation for TenTen and summarise key performance parameters.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, proceedings of the 30th ICRC, Merida, Mexico, 200

Advanced engine study program

A design and analysis study was conducted to provide advanced engine descriptions and parametric data for space transfer vehicles. The study was based on an advanced oxygen/hydrogen engine in the 7,500 to 50,000 lbf thrust range. Emphasis was placed on defining requirements for high-performance engines capable of achieving reliable and versatile operation in a space environment. Four variations on the expander cycle were compared, and the advantages and disadvantages of each were assessed. Parametric weight, envelope, and performance data were generated over a range of 7,500 to 50,000 lb thrust and a wide range of chamber pressure and nozzle expansion ratio

An iterative method to compute the overlap Dirac operator at nonzero chemical potential

The overlap Dirac operator at nonzero quark chemical potential involves the computation of the sign function of a non-Hermitian matrix. In this talk we present an iterative method, first proposed by us in Ref. [1], which allows for an efficient computation of the operator, even on large lattices. The starting point is a Krylov subspace approximation, based on the Arnoldi algorithm, for the evaluation of a generic matrix function. The efficiency of this method is spoiled when the matrix has eigenvalues close to a function discontinuity. To cure this, a small number of critical eigenvectors are added to the Krylov subspace, and two different deflation schemes are proposed in this augmented subspace. The ensuing method is then applied to the sign function of the overlap Dirac operator, for two different lattice sizes. The sign function has a discontinuity along the imaginary axis, and the numerical results show how deflation dramatically improves the efficiency of the method.Comment: 7 pages, talk presented at the XXV International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 30 - August 4 2007, Regensburg, German

Dealing with uncertainty in GHG inventories: How to go about it?

The assessment of greenhouse gases emitted to and removed from the atmosphere is high on both political and scientific agendas. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Parties to the Convention publish annual or periodic national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Policymakers use these inventories to develop strategies and policies for emission reductions and to track the progress of these policies. However, greenhouse gas inventories (whether at the global, national, corporate, or other level) contain uncertainty for a variety of reasons, and these uncertainties have important scientific and policy implications. For scientific, political, and economic reasons it is important to deal with the uncertainty of emissions estimates proactively. Proper treatment of uncertainty affects everything from our understanding of the physical system to the economics of mitigation strategies and the politics of mitigation agreements. A comprehensive and consistent understanding of, and a framework for dealing with, the uncertainty of emissions estimates should have a large impact on the functioning and effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol and its successor. This chapter attempts to pull together relevant fragments of knowledge, allowing us to get a better picture of how to go about dealing with the uncertainty in greenhouse gas inventories

Technology as a scapegoat

Not Include

Criminal Law and Procedure—Waiver of Trial by Jury in Criminal Cases

People v. Duchin, 12 N.Y.2d 351, 190 N.E.2d 17, 239 N.Y.S.2d 670 (1963)

Contracts—Contract Intended To Release Liability For Negligence Invalidated—Language Not Sufficiently Explicit

Willard Van Dyke Prods. v. Eastman Kodak Co., 12 N.Y.2d 301, 189 N.E.2d 693, 239 N.Y.S.2d 337 (1963)