Mindfulness-based cognitive therapie for depression (MBCT) in clinical practice - baseline patient characteristics, process and outcome

Introduction: Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression (MBCT) has shown to be effective for the reduction of depressive relapse. However, additional information regarding baseline patient characteristics and process features related to positive response could be helpful both for the provision of MBCT in clinical practice, as well as for its further development. Method: Baseline characteristics, process data, and immediate outcome (symptom change, change in attitudes and trait mindfulness) of 108 patients receiving MBCT in routine care were recorded. A newly developed self-report measure (Daily Mindfulness Scale, DMS) was applied daily during the MBCT program. Additionally, patients filed daily reports on their mindfulness practice. There was no control group available. Results: Patients with more severe initial symptoms indicated greater amounts of symptom improvement, but did not show great rates of dropout from the MBCT intervention. Younger age was related to higher rates of dropout. Contradictory to some previous data, patients with lower levels of initial trait mindfulness showed greater improvement in symptoms, even after controlling for initial levels of symptoms. Adherence to daily mindfulness practice was high. Consistent with this result, the duration of daily mindfulness practice was not related to immediate outcome. Process studies using multivariate time series analysis revealed a specific role of daily mindfulness in reducing subsequent negative mood. Conclusions: Within the range of patient present in this study and the given study design, results support the use of MBCT in more heterogeneous groups. This demanding intervention was well tolerated by patients with higher levels of symptoms, and resulted in significant improvements regarding residual symptoms. Process-outcome analyses of initial trait mindfulness and daily mindfulness both support the crucial role of changes in mindfulness for the effects of MBCT.

Sparse representation based action and gesture recognition

In this paper we present a solution to the problem of action and gesture recognition using sparse representations. The dictionary is modelled as a simple concatenation of features computed for each action or gesture class from the training data, and test data is classified by finding sparse representation of the test video features over this dictionary. Our method does not impose any explicit training procedure on the dictionary. We experiment our model with two kinds of features, by projecting (i) Gait Energy Images (GEIs) and (ii) Motion-descriptors, to a lower dimension using Random projection. Experiments have shown 100% recognition rate on standard datasets and are compared to the results obtained with widely used SVM classifier.

A Bootstrap Test for the Probability of Ruin in the Compound Poisson Risk Process

In this article we propose a bootstrap test for the probability of ruin in the compound Poisson risk process. We adopt the P-value approach, which leads to a more complete assessment of the underlying risk than the probability of ruin alone. We provide second-order accurate P-values for this testing problem and consider both parametric and nonparametric estimators of the individual claim amount distribution. Simulation studies show that the suggested bootstrap P-values are very accurate and outperform their analogues based on the asymptotic normal approximation.

Comprehensive assessment of gesture production: a new test of upper limb apraxia (TULIA)

BACKGROUND: Only few standardized apraxia scales are available and they do not cover all domains and semantic features of gesture production. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a newly developed test of upper limb apraxia (TULIA), which is comprehensive and still short to administer. METHODS: The TULIA consists of 48 items including imitation and pantomime domain of non-symbolic (meaningless), intransitive (communicative) and transitive (tool related) gestures corresponding to 6 subtests. A 6-point scoring method (0-5) was used (score range 0-240). Performance was assessed by blinded raters based on videos in 133 stroke patients, 84 with left hemisphere damage (LHD) and 49 with right hemisphere damage (RHD), as well as 50 healthy subjects (HS). RESULTS: The clinimetric findings demonstrated mostly good to excellent internal consistency, inter- and intra-rater (test-retest) reliability, both at the level of the six subtests and at individual item level. Criterion validity was evaluated by confirming hypotheses based on the literature. Construct validity was demonstrated by a high correlation (r = 0.82) with the De Renzi-test. CONCLUSION: These results show that the TULIA is both a reliable and valid test to systematically assess gesture production. The test can be easily applied and is therefore useful for both research purposes and clinical practice.

Development of a novel fMRI compatible visual perception prototype battery to test older people with and without dementia

Background: Visuoperceptual deficits in dementia are common and can reduce quality of life. Testing of visuoperceptual function is often confounded by impairments in other cognitive domains and motor dysfunction. We aimed to develop, pilot, and test a novel visuocognitive prototype test battery which addressed these issues, suitable for both clinical and functional imaging use. Methods: We recruited 23 participants (14 with dementia, 6 of whom had extrapyramidal motor features, and 9 age-matched controls). The novel Newcastle visual perception prototype battery (NEVIP-B-Prototype) included angle, color, face, motion and form perception tasks, and an adapted response system. It allows for individualized task difficulties. Participants were tested outside and inside the 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed using SPM8. Results: All participants successfully completed the task inside and outside the scanner. Functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis showed activation regions corresponding well to the regional specializations of the visual association cortex. In both groups, there was significant activity in the ventral occipital-temporal region in the face and color tasks, whereas the motion task activated the V5 region. In the control group, the angle task activated the occipitoparietal cortex. Patients and controls showed similar levels of activation, except on the angle task for which occipitoparietal activation was lower in patients than controls. Conclusion: Distinct visuoperceptual functions can be tested in patients with dementia and extrapyramidal motor features when tests use individualized thresholds, adapted tasks, and specialized response systems.

Study design features affecting outcome in antidepressant trials

A key issue in the approval process of antidepressants is the inconsistency of results between antidepressant clinical phase III trials. Identifying factors influencing efficacy data is needed to facilitate interpretation of the results.

[The model project "newborn auditory screening" in the Upper Palatinate: high process and result quality of an interdisciplinary concept]

BACKGROUND: In May 2003, a newborn auditory screening program was initiated in the Upper Palatinate. METHODS: Sequential OAE- and BERA-screening was conducted in all hospitals with obstetric facilities. The Screening Center at the Public Health Authority was responsible for the coordination of the screening process, completeness of participation, the follow-up of all subjects with a positive screening test and the quality of instrumental screening. RESULTS: A total of 96% of 17,469 newborns were screened. The referral rate at discharge was 1.6% (0.4% for bilateral positive findings). For 97% of the positive screening results, a definite diagnosis to confirm or exclude hearing loss was achieved; for 43% only after intervention by the Screening Center. Fifteen children with profound bilateral hearing impairment were identified of whom eight were only detected by the intervention of the Screening Center. CONCLUSION: The effective structures established in the Upper Palatinate provide a standard for the quality of neonatal auditory screening achievable in Germany.

Monitoring thrombin generation by electrochemistry: development of an amperometric biosensor screening test for plasma and whole blood

BACKGROUND: Complete investigation of thrombophilic or hemorrhagic clinical presentations is a time-, apparatus-, and cost-intensive process. Sensitive screening tests for characterizing the overall function of the hemostatic system, or defined parts of it, would be very useful. For this purpose, we are developing an electrochemical biosensor system that allows measurement of thrombin generation in whole blood as well as in plasma. METHODS: The measuring system consists of a single-use electrochemical sensor in the shape of a strip and a measuring unit connected to a personal computer, recording the electrical signal. Blood is added to a specific reagent mixture immobilized in dry form on the strip, including a coagulation activator (e.g., tissue factor or silica) and an electrogenic substrate specific to thrombin. RESULTS: Increasing thrombin concentrations gave standard curves with progressively increasing maximal current and decreasing time to reach the peak. Because the measurement was unaffected by color or turbidity, any type of blood sample could be analyzed: platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and whole blood. The test strips with the predried reagents were stable when stored for several months before testing. Analysis of the combined results obtained with different activators allowed discrimination between defects of the extrinsic, intrinsic, and common coagulation pathways. Activated protein C (APC) predried on the strips allowed identification of APC-resistance in plasma and whole blood samples. CONCLUSIONS: The biosensor system provides a new method for assessing thrombin generation in plasma or whole blood samples as small as 10 microL. The assay is easy to use, thus allowing it to be performed in a point-of-care setting.

A Nonstationary Space-Time Gaussian Process Model for Partially Converged Simulations

In the context of expensive numerical experiments, a promising solution for alleviating the computational costs consists of using partially converged simulations instead of exact solutions. The gain in computational time is at the price of precision in the response. This work addresses the issue of fitting a Gaussian process model to partially converged simulation data for further use in prediction. The main challenge consists of the adequate approximation of the error due to partial convergence, which is correlated in both design variables and time directions. Here, we propose fitting a Gaussian process in the joint space of design parameters and computational time. The model is constructed by building a nonstationary covariance kernel that reflects accurately the actual structure of the error. Practical solutions are proposed for solving parameter estimation issues associated with the proposed model. The method is applied to a computational fluid dynamics test case and shows significant improvement in prediction compared to a classical kriging model.

Multiscale methods for shape constraints in deconvolution: Confidence statements for qualitative features

We derive multiscale statistics for deconvolution in order to detect qualitative features of the unknown density. An important example covered within this framework is to test for local monotonicity on all scales simultaneously. We investigate the moderately ill-posed setting, where the Fourier transform of the error density in the deconvolution model is of polynomial decay. For multiscale testing, we consider a calibration, motivated by the modulus of continuity of Brownian motion. We investigate the performance of our results from both the theoretical and simulation based point of view. A major consequence of our work is that the detection of qualitative features of a density in a deconvolution problem is a doable task, although the minimax rates for pointwise estimation are very slow.

Test Facility to Study Surface-Interaction Processes for Particle Detection in Space

The Imager for Low Energetic Neutral Atoms test facility at the University of Bern was developed to investigate, characterize, and quantify physical processes on surfaces that are used to ionize neutral atoms before their analysis in neutral particle-sensing instruments designed for space research. The facility has contributed valuable knowledge of the interaction of ions with surfaces (e.g., fraction of ions scattered from surfaces and angular scattering distribution) and employs a novel measurement principle for the determination of secondary electron emission yields as a function of energy, angle of incidence, particle species, and sample surface for low particle energies. Only because of this test facility it was possible to successfully apply surface-science processes for the new detection technique for low-energetic neutral particles with energies below about 1 keV used in space applications. All successfully flown spectrometers for the detection of low-energetic neutrals based on the particle–surface interaction process use surfaces evaluated, tested, and calibrated in this facility. Many instruments placed on different spacecraft (e.g., Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration, Chandrayaan-1, Interstellar Boundary Explorer, etc.) have successfully used this technique.

Methane emissions from floodplains in the Amazon Basin: challenges in developing a process-based model for global applications

Tropical wetlands are estimated to represent about 50% of the natural wetland methane (CH4) emissions and explain a large fraction of the observed CH4 variability on timescales ranging from glacial–interglacial cycles to the currently observed year-to-year variability. Despite their importance, however, tropical wetlands are poorly represented in global models aiming to predict global CH4 emissions. This publication documents a first step in the development of a process-based model of CH4 emissions from tropical floodplains for global applications. For this purpose, the LPX-Bern Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPX hereafter) was slightly modified to represent floodplain hydrology, vegetation and associated CH4 emissions. The extent of tropical floodplains was prescribed using output from the spatially explicit hydrology model PCR-GLOBWB. We introduced new plant functional types (PFTs) that explicitly represent floodplain vegetation. The PFT parameterizations were evaluated against available remote-sensing data sets (GLC2000 land cover and MODIS Net Primary Productivity). Simulated CH4 flux densities were evaluated against field observations and regional flux inventories. Simulated CH4 emissions at Amazon Basin scale were compared to model simulations performed in the WETCHIMP intercomparison project. We found that LPX reproduces the average magnitude of observed net CH4 flux densities for the Amazon Basin. However, the model does not reproduce the variability between sites or between years within a site. Unfortunately, site information is too limited to attest or disprove some model features. At the Amazon Basin scale, our results underline the large uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions. Sensitivity analyses gave insights into the main drivers of floodplain CH4 emission and their associated uncertainties. In particular, uncertainties in floodplain extent (i.e., difference between GLC2000 and PCR-GLOBWB output) modulate the simulated emissions by a factor of about 2. Our best estimates, using PCR-GLOBWB in combination with GLC2000, lead to simulated Amazon-integrated emissions of 44.4 ± 4.8 Tg yr−1. Additionally, the LPX emissions are highly sensitive to vegetation distribution. Two simulations with the same mean PFT cover, but different spatial distributions of grasslands within the basin, modulated emissions by about 20%. Correcting the LPX-simulated NPP using MODIS reduces the Amazon emissions by 11.3%. Finally, due to an intrinsic limitation of LPX to account for seasonality in floodplain extent, the model failed to reproduce the full dynamics in CH4 emissions but we proposed solutions to this issue. The interannual variability (IAV) of the emissions increases by 90% if the IAV in floodplain extent is accounted for, but still remains lower than in most of the WETCHIMP models. While our model includes more mechanisms specific to tropical floodplains, we were unable to reduce the uncertainty in the magnitude of wetland CH4 emissions of the Amazon Basin. Our results helped identify and prioritize directions towards more accurate estimates of tropical CH4 emissions, and they stress the need for more research to constrain floodplain CH4 emissions and their temporal variability, even before including other fundamental mechanisms such as floating macrophytes or lateral water fluxes.

Does Social Support Really Help to Eat a Low-Fat Diet? Main Effects and Gender Differences of Received Social Support within the Health Action Process Approach

BACKGROUND: Most theories of health-behavior change focus exclusively on individual self-regulation without taking social factors, such as social support, into account. This study's first aim was to systematically test the added value of received instrumental and emotional social support within the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) in the context of dietary change. In the social support literature, gender effects emerge with regard to the effectiveness of social support. Thus, a second aim was the examination of gender differences in the association of social support with dietary behavior. METHODS: Participants were 252 overweight and obese individuals. At baseline and 12 months later, participants completed questionnaires on HAPA variables; diet-specific received social support and low-fat diet. RESULTS: For the prediction of intentions 12 months later, instrumental support was more beneficial for men than for women over and above individual self-regulation. In terms of dietary behavior at T2, a moderate main effect of instrumental support emerged. Moreover, received emotional social support was beneficial for men, but not for women in terms of a low-fat diet 12 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Effects of received instrumental social support found in this study provide new evidence for the added value of integrating social support into the HAPA.

Design and Test of a 0.5 THz Dipole Antenna With Integrated Schottky Diode Detector on a High Dielectric Constant Ceramic Electromagnetic Bandgap Substrate

This paper presents the first analysis of the input impedance and radiation properties of a dipole antenna, placed on top of Fan 's three-dimensional electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure, (Applied Physics Letters, 1994) constructed using a high dielectric constant ceramic. The best position of the dipole on the EBG surface is determined following impedance and radiation pattern analyses. Based on this optimum configuration an integrated Schottky heterodyne detector was designed, manufactured and tested from 0.48 to 0.52 THz. The main antenna features were not degraded by the high dielectric constant substrate due to the use of the EBG approach. Measured radiation patterns are in good agreement with the predicted ones.

Lateralized processing of faces: The role of features, configurations and familiarity

We investigated the lateralized processing of featural and configural information in face recognition in two divided visual field studies. In Experiment 1, participants matched the identity of a cue face containing either featural (scrambled faces) or configural (blurred faces) information with an intact test face presented subsequently either in the right visual field (RVF) or in the left visual field (LVF). Unilateral presentation was controlled by monitoring eye movements. The results show an advantage of the left hemisphere (LH) over the right hemisphere (RH) for featural processing and a specialization of the RH for configural compared to featural processing. In Experiment 2, we focused on configural processing and its relationship to familiarity. Either learned or novel test faces were presented in the LVF or the RVF. Participants recognized learned faces better when presented in the LVF than in the RVF, suggesting that the RH has an advantage in the recognition of learned faces. Because the recognition of familiar faces relies strongly on configural information (Buttle & Raymond, 2003), we argue that the advantage of the RH over the LH in configural processing is a function of familiarity.