Targeting hyperarousal: Mantram Repetition Program for PTSD in US veterans.

Background: Hyperarousal appears to play an important role in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, but current evidence-based treatments appear to address this symptom type less effectively than the other symptom clusters. The Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) is a meditation-based intervention that has previously been shown to improve symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be especially helpful for hyperarousal. If MRP is an effective tool for decreasing this often treatment-resistant symptom cluster, it may become an important clinical tool. Objective: The goal of this secondary analysis was to examine the effect of the MRP on hyperarousal and other PTSD symptom clusters and to examine hyperarousal as a mediator of treatment response. Method: Secondary analyses were conducted on data from a randomized controlled trial in which Veterans with PTSD (n = 173) were assigned to the MRP or a non-specific psychotherapy control and assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment and 8 weeks after treatment completion. The impact of the interventions on PTSD symptom clusters was examined, and time-lagged hierarchical linear modelling was applied to examine alternative mediation models. Results: All PTSD symptom clusters improved in both treatments. MRP led to greater reductions in hyperarousal at post-treatment (Hedge's g = 0.57) and follow-up (Hedge's g = 0.52), and in numbing at post-treatment (Hedge's g = 0.47). Hyperarousal mediated reductions in the composite of the other PTSD symptom clusters. Although the reverse model was significant as well, the effect was weaker in this direction. Conclusion: Interventions focused on the management of hyperarousal may play an important role in recovery from PTSD. The MRP appears efficacious in reducing hyperarousal, and thereby impacting other PTSD symptom clusters, as one pathway to facilitating recovery

El ensordecimiento de la fricativa alveolopalatal asibilada y su variación regional en Argentina

As is well known, Argentine Spanish demonstrates žeísmo, i.e., the voiced palatal phoneme //, standard for most Spanish dialects, is realized as a voiced alveopalatal fricative [] or its voiceless counterpart []. The variation of [] and [] has been shown to be conditioned by social factors such as sex, age, and social class (Wolf & Jimenez, 1977; Fontanella de Weinberg, 1978). The devoicing of [] has been described as a change in progress, led by younger, middle class, female speakers, and spreading to other groups in the populations studied (Wolf, 1984; Chang, 2008; Rohena-Madrazo, 2008, for Buenos Aires). The present study builds upon previous sociolinguistic analyses of žeísmo and takes a step towards a more comprehensive view of Argentine Spanish by investigating the allophonic variation in two lesser studied regional dialects of Argentina - Córdoba and Tucumán - as well as Buenos Aires. Spontaneous speech was collected from speakers in each of these three regions by use of a role-play elicitation exercise (La encuesta porteña, Gabriel et al, 2010). An acoustic analysis of the pronunciation of orthographic <y> and <ll> (in word-initial and intervocalic positions) measured duration, fundamental frequency, and intensity for these and surrounding segments of speech to describe voicing as a gradient production across regional and gender groups. Results show that females are devoicing more than males in Córdoba and Tucumán, with the most voiced productions coming from both genders of speakers in Córdoba. Males and females in Buenos Aires were not statistically different from one another, and these males devoiced significantly more (40% voicing) than those from Córdoba and Tucuman (both 95% voicing). This study presents the first recorded acoustic data for Tucumán, belonging to the northwest dialectal zone, anddata for Córdoba, contributing to the very few publications with respect to thisphenomenon (cf. Colantoni, 2005; Castellani, 1998). Additionally, the present study provides an acoustic analysis which considers the gradient nature of devoicing and quantifies the productivity of voicing among speakers from diverse populations.Como es bien sabido, el español argentino demuestra žeísmo, i.e. la aproximantepalatal, //, lo que constituye una pronunciación estándar en la mayoría de losdialectos del español, se pronuncia como fricativa postalveolar asibilada o sonora [] o sorda []. Se ha demostrado que la variación de [] and [] está condicionada por factores sociales, tales como el género, la edad, y la clase social (Wolf & Jimenez, 1977; Fontanella de Weinberg, 1978), y que el ensordecimiento se describe como un ‘cambio lingüístico en marcha’, propulsado por hablantes femeninas, jóvenes, y de clase social media que se extiende a los otros grupos en las poblaciones estudiadas (Wolf, 1984; Chang, 2008; Rohena-Madrazo, 2008, for Buenos Aires). La investigación que se presenta aquí amplía los análisis previos sociolingüísticos sobre el žeísmo, y avanza hacía una vista más completa del español a través de la investigación de la variación alofónica en dos dialectos menos estudiados en Argentina – los de Córdoba y Tucumán – además del dialecto de Buenos Aires. Se grabó el habla espontánea de hablantes en cada una de estas tres regiones a través de un instrumento que elicita una reacción oral frente a situaciones hipotéticas (La encuesta porteña, Gabriel et al, 2010). Después, un análisis acústico de la pronunciación de ‘y’ y ‘ll’ ortográficos (solamente en posición inicial de palabra y posición intervocálica) midió la duración, la frecuencia fundamental, y la intensidad como producción gradiente entre grupos divididos por región y género. Los resultados demuestran que los hablantes féminas en Córdoba y Tucumán producen una fricativa ([]) más sorda que la de los hablantes varones de la misma región, y que las producciones más sonoras vienen de ambos géneros de Córdoba. Entre los dos grupos de género, los hablantes de Buenos Aires no mostraron ninguna diferencia estadística significativa, mientras los varones de este grupo produjeron fonemas mucho menos sonoros (40% de sonoridad) que los varones de Córdoba y Tucumán (ambos 95% de sonoridad). Este estudio presenta los primeros datos acústicos grabados en Tucumán, el cual pertenece a la zona dialectal noroeste, y también datos de Córdoba, un dialecto que ha sido poco estudiado en relación a este fenómeno (cf. Colantoni, 2005; Castellani, 1998). Finalmente, este estudio provee un análisis acústica que toma en cuenta la naturaleza gradiente de la sonoridad además de cuantificar la producción de ella entre hablantes de poblaciones diversas

Draft Genome Sequence of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens Strain UCD-AKU (Phylum Actinobacteria).

Here we present the draft genome of an actinobacterium, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens strain UCD-AKU, isolated from a residential carpet. The genome assembly contains 3,692,614 bp in 130 contigs. This is the first member of the Curtobacterium genus to be sequenced

The question of ‘alternatives’ within food and drink markets and marketing: introduction to the special issue

The question of 'alternatives' within food and drink markets and marketing: introduction to the special issu

Applied Personality Assessment: A 'Cronbachian' Perspective in Open Peer Commentary and Author's Response

Lievens's proposal that personality psychology would benefit from using applied tools of assessment—situation judgement tests and assessment centre exercises—was appropriate, especially as these tools focus on real-world criteria in high-stakes situations. Their use would help to integrate (specific) situationally influenced intra-individual differences (variability) and (general) inter-individual differences (diversity). Lievens's proposal also raised a broader issue: each assessment tool yields unique information, and together they have potential to provide a truly comprehensive model of personality based on the ‘Cronbachian’ perspective that has, so far, not been realized. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psycholog

Medical device design for adolescent adherence and developmental goals: a case study of a cystic fibrosis physiotherapy device

Purpose: This study investigates the psychosocial aspects of adolescent medical device use and the impact on adolescent adherence and goals for the transitional years between child and adulthood. Patients and methods: Interviews were carried out with 20 adolescents with cystic fibrosis, investigating adolescent medical device use and experiences in relation to their personal and social lives and development through the adolescent years. The qualitative dataset was thematically examined using a content analysis method. Results: The results show that adolescent users of medical technologies want their independence and capabilities to be respected. Adolescent adherence to medical device use was associated with short- and long-term motivations, where older adolescents were able to comprehend the longer-term benefits of use against short-term inconvenience more acutely than younger adolescents. It was suggested that medical devices could provide a tool for communication with families and clinicians and could support adolescents as they take responsibility for managing their condition. Themes of “fitting into teenage life” and “use in the community” were associated with adolescents' needs to form their own identity and have autonomy. Conclusion: This study shows that adolescent needs regarding medical device use are complex. It provides evidence to suggest that devices designed inclusively for adolescents may lead to improved adherence and also facilitate transition through the adolescent years and achievement of adolescent goals

Additivity of the mechanical properties of Al-Sn pseudoalloys

The influence of deformation on the mechanical properties of sintered Al-Sn composites was investigated. It was found that under compression test the strength of investigated materials is an additive value and determined by the rule of mixture. After processing by ECAP the strength of sintered Al-Sn composites increases by more than 2 times but remains additive value. During ECAP, the strengthening of the composites is caused by grinding of the grain structure of the aluminum matrix

A Tale of Two Sylamores: Understanding Relationships Among Land Use, Nutrients, and Aquatic Communities Across a Subsidy-Stress Gradient

Agricultural land use is known to degrade aquatic systems with high inputs of nutrients, sediments, and pesticides. Increased nutrients can lead to increased algal growth and thus possible hypoxic conditions in slow moving water, while increased sediment loads have been shown to obstruct light and reduce substrate stability. These conditions negatively impact primary producers, macroinvertebrates, and fish. However, small-scale changes in land use can subsidize an aquatic ecosystem instead, where an increase in nutrients allows nutrient-limited biota to flourish, and minor increases in sedimentation may help support populations of collector-filterers. The stimulation in performance caused by small disturbances is part of the subsidy-stress gradient, where increasing perturbation subsidizes an ecosystem until a certain threshold is reached, at which a decline in performance and increased variability starts to occur. The North and South Sylamore watersheds in north Arkansas provide a useful template to investigate the subsidy-stress gradient in relation to land use. North Sylamore flows through the Ozark National Forest and has a heavily forested catchment, while South Sylamore flows through mostly private land, some of which is pasture (23%). Physicochemical, macroinvertebrate, and fish data were collected from multiple sites within each watershed to determine if South Sylamore is exhibiting a response to pasture/agriculture characteristic of a subsidy-stress gradient. Sites within South Sylamore had significantly higher nitrate levels, larger macroinvertebrate populations dominated by collector-filterers, and greater abundance of algivorous fish, suggesting South Sylamore may be subsidized by the surrounding pastoral lands. However, South Sylamore also had a significantly lower proportional abundance of sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa and more unique tolerant fish taxa, suggesting South Sylamore is experiencing stress as well. Habitat quality of South Sylamore could be improved by restoration of trees within the riparian zone. Monitoring aquatic systems for subsidy-stress responses can inform restoration/management decisions and guide intervention prior to watersheds and aquatic communities becoming overly stressed