Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to treat children and adolescents with depression. Researchers determined that many individuals undergoing CBT and other therapies experienced sudden gains, meaning that they experienced a rapid and large improvement in their symptoms between sessions. The studies demonstrated that by the end of treatment, individuals who experienced sudden gains were significantly less depressed and had better long-term outcomes than individuals who did not experience sudden gains. Previous studies investigated sudden gains in individual therapy while the present study examined sudden gains in group treatment. In addition to replicating results of previous studies, the present study sought to examine the effect of sudden gains on depressive symptoms, family environment, cognitive triad, and negative life events at pre-treatment and at a one year follow-up using multivariate analysis of variance. Participants included 136 girls, aged 9 to 13, in two treatment conditions (CBT, CBT+ parent training (CBT+PT), and a Minimal Contact Control (MCC)). At pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at a one year follow-up, participants completed self-report measures of the family environment, cognitive triad, and negative life events. They also completed a semi-structured diagnostic interview designed to symptoms of depression. After beginning the study, participants’ depressive symptoms were monitored with a brief symptom interview and/or a self-report measure of depressive symptoms. Findings from the study provided further evidence that sudden gains occur during group CBT, and that the majority of sudden gains occur early in CBT. The number of sudden gains did not vary significantly by treatment condition, and similar to previous research, the presence of a parent intervention component did not appear to significantly change the relation between sudden gains and treatment outcome. One important finding was participants in the Minimal Contact Control group experienced sudden gains despite not being in treatment. Another important finding was that the participants who experienced sudden gains differed significantly from the participants who did not experience sudden gains on pre-treatment measures of family environment and the cognitive triad but no differences were found at post-treatment or at a one year follow-up. Implications of these results, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided. / text

AIM: The aim of this research was to describe how the health professionals manage sudden/abrupt deaths in the ED and to foster change in current practice by involving the clients (dead or dying clients and their families) and the health professionals. METHOD: Action research was the approach used in this four year research project, and co-researchers (nurses) from three Level I ED's in KwaZulu-Natal were actively involved in shaping and guiding the project. The participants involved in the research were health professionals, bereaved families and mortuary staff members. FINDINGS: An intervention model, the Dealing with Sudden Death Model, was developed in order to guide the therapeutic management of sudden/abrupt deaths in ED's. Along with this was the development of the family pamphlet, the Preparation Checklist and the Incident Evaluation Checklist. Following the implementation of this model the health professionals emphasized the fact that this model provided guidance and meaning to the care rendered to the dead or dying client, the bereaved families and fellow colleagues. The Dealing with Sudden Death Model had resulted in a production of knowledge and planned changes in the management of sudden/abrupt deaths in the ED's. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

No description available.

Electrical restitution has been shown to inaccurately predict the occurrence of alternans of action potential duration. A new method using the spatial gradient of alternans (SGA) is proposed to predict alternans and cardiac electrical stability. A simulated 1-D strand of tissue was used to compare indexes computed from restitution methods and the SGA method to changes in the amplitude of alternans using different electro-physiological alterations. The SGA method correlated better with changes in the amplitude of alternans than restitution methods for a decrease in the transient outward current (Ito) and conduction velocity. Restitution methods correlated better with changes in the amplitude of alternans than the SGA method when the inward rectifier potassium current (Ik1) and the delayed rectifier potassium current (Ikr) were decreased. Restitution methods and the SGA method correlated well with changes in the amplitude of alternans when the L-type calcium channel current (ICaL) was altered and when Ikr, Ik1, and the sodium/calcium exchange current (INaCa) were increased. The SGA method includes the effect of conduction in tissue and reveals other features that provide advantages in predicting stability over currently used restitution methods.

No description available.

Staigios kūdikio mirties sindromo diagnostika ir etiopatogenezė taikant šiuolaikinius metodus išlieka ribota ir net iki 0,5% mirties priežasčių nepavyksta nustatyti, atsakoma ne į visus klausimus susijusius su sindromo išsivystymu ir diagnoze. Viena iš šiuolaikinių metodų perspektyvų yra imunohistocheminių bei molekulinių metodų taikymas diagnozės patvirtinimui arba atmetimui. Minėti tyrimai yra labai svarbūs priežastinių ryšių nustatymui ir etiopatogenezės pagrindimui. Medžiagų apykaitos sutrikimai, tokie kaip glikogenozės I tipo liga – viena iš aktualiausių ir dažniausiai pasitaikančių, tačiau mažiausiai ištyrinėtų ligų. Darbo tikslas diagnozuoti glikogenozės I tipo atvejį taikant naujausias imunohistocheminių bei molekulinių tyrimų metodologijas. Tyrime naudojama naujausia parafine įlietų audinių technologija, audiniai įvertinti histologiškai, atliktos imunohistocheminės reakcijos. Iš parafine įlietų audinių išskirta DNR, kokybė įvertinta atlikus spektrofotometrinį tyrimą ir elektroforezę gelyje. Išskyrus DNR iš širdies ir kepenų buvo atlikta polimerazės grandininė reakcija naudojant tikslinius glikogenozės I tipo pradmenis. Gauti rezultatai parodė glikogeno kiekio padidėjimą kepenyse. Histologiniuose preparatuose matoma kasos, širdies miokardo, antinksčių hipertrofijos bei hiperplazijos. Imunohistocheminio tyrimo metu pastebėtas glikogeno kaupimasis kasos ląstelėse. Naudojantis gliukozės-6-fosfatazės žymenimis PGR metodu glikogenozės atvejo patvirtinti nepavyko. Iškeltos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Diagnosis and etiopathogenesis of Sudden infant death syndrome are limited even nowadays, and up to 0.5 % of death the cause remains undiagnosed, not all the questions, related to the syndrome and diagnosis are answered. One of the applicable methods and perspectives for diagnosis rejection or approval are immunohistochemistry analysis and molecular methods. A very important determination of causal links and proof of etiopathogenesis are very important and possible only after the already mentioned tests. Metabolic disorders, especially glycogenosis type I disease - one of the sorest and the most common, but least-studied cases. The aim of this study is to diagnose glycogenosis type I using the latest immunohistochemistry and molecular methods. The latest technology of paraffin embedded tissue was used in the study, tissues were evaluated histologically, immunohistochemical reaction was carried-out. DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissues, quality was measured by spectrophotometric analysis and gel electrophoresis. Using the heart and liver - DNA polymerase chain reaction was performed using targeted glycogenosis type I primers. The results showed an increase of glycogen in the liver. Pancreas, heart, adrenal hypertrophy and hyperplasia were detected in histological samples. During immunohistochemical study an accumulation of glycogen in pancreas cells was observed. Using glucose-6-phosphatase PCR markers of glycogenosis could not be confirmed. Hypotheses for further... [to full text]

Quantum entanglement is widely renounced as one of the most fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Such phenomenon exhibit non-local interaction properties which cannot be explained classically. In this thesis, we address a number of problems associated with creating, transferring and engineering of entanglement between two separate parties. The work is motivated by a desire to better understand the dynamics of entanglement between systems. In particular, the research is mainly focused on the study of the dynamics of the well known maximally entangled Bell state under different influences such as decoherence and inter-qubit coupling. We show the connection between coherence and entanglement using the system sub jected to decoherence. We also confirm the transfer of entanglement between completely isolated partite using the double Jaynes-Cummings model. Based on this result, we propose a new conservation criterion proven to be general for single excitation systems. Such conservation criterion are then compared and extended to a general N qubit systems. In addition, an attempt is made to evaluate entanglement conservation rules for the EPR- like multipartite entanglement. We also describe a new technique for solving entanglement in the top-down way ignoring physical setup.

Quantum entanglement is widely renounced as one of the most fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Such phenomenon exhibit non-local interaction properties which cannot be explained classically. In this thesis, we address a number of problems associated with creating, transferring and engineering of entanglement between two separate parties. The work is motivated by a desire to better understand the dynamics of entanglement between systems. In particular, the research is mainly focused on the study of the dynamics of the well known maximally entangled Bell state under different influences such as decoherence and inter-qubit coupling. We show the connection between coherence and entanglement using the system sub jected to decoherence. We also confirm the transfer of entanglement between completely isolated partite using the double Jaynes-Cummings model. Based on this result, we propose a new conservation criterion proven to be general for single excitation systems. Such conservation criterion are then compared and extended to a general N qubit systems. In addition, an attempt is made to evaluate entanglement conservation rules for the EPR- like multipartite entanglement. We also describe a new technique for solving entanglement in the top-down way ignoring physical setup.

Quantum entanglement is widely renounced as one of the most fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Such phenomenon exhibit non-local interaction properties which cannot be explained classically. In this thesis, we address a number of problems associated with creating, transferring and engineering of entanglement between two separate parties. The work is motivated by a desire to better understand the dynamics of entanglement between systems. In particular, the research is mainly focused on the study of the dynamics of the well known maximally entangled Bell state under different influences such as decoherence and inter-qubit coupling. We show the connection between coherence and entanglement using the system sub jected to decoherence. We also confirm the transfer of entanglement between completely isolated partite using the double Jaynes-Cummings model. Based on this result, we propose a new conservation criterion proven to be general for single excitation systems. Such conservation criterion are then compared and extended to a general N qubit systems. In addition, an attempt is made to evaluate entanglement conservation rules for the EPR- like multipartite entanglement. We also describe a new technique for solving entanglement in the top-down way ignoring physical setup.

This thesis tests the hypothesis that increased neuronal cell death in SIDS infants is related to the ability of risk factors, such as prone sleeping, to expose infants to intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (IHH). Based on the hypothesis that the NMDA system is linked to neuronal death, by way of excitotoxicity, correlations were also sought between cell death and changes in NMDA receptor (NR1) expression in brainstem nuclei controlling cardiorespiratory function. The first aim of this study was to verify that increased neuronal cell death occurs in SIDS infants. To verify a piglet model of SIDS risk factors, brainstem changes were examined in piglets exposed to IHH, and comparisons were made to changes seen in SIDS infants. The NMDA receptor was characterised in controls for both the human infant and the piglet groups. Comparisons of neuronal changes were made with SIDS infants, and piglets exposed to IHH. Non-radioactive in-situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry were performed on formalin fixed and paraffin embedded brainstem tissue to identify markers of cell death (caspase-3, active caspase-3, and TUNEL), and to examine NR1 mRNA and protein expressions. Staining was quantified using computerised image analysis software. Eight nuclei from the brainstem medulla (caudal in piglets, and mid in infants), and two nuclei from the rostral pons (infants) were studied. The first dataset included human infants aged 1-6 months with a diagnosis of SIDS (n=15) or non-SIDS (n=10). The second dataset comprised developing piglets aged 13-14 days, with controls (n=6), against those exposed to IHH for 2 (n=6) or 4 (n=5) days. Increased neuronal cell death was not verified in the SIDS infants, but abnormalities in NR1 expression were present in selected nuclei of the medulla. Piglets exposed to IHH had increased neuronal cell death and changes in NR1 in selected nuclei of the medulla. There was also a positive correlation between increased cell death and high NR1 levels. Preliminary data showed that SIDS infants who usually slept prone had some differences in NR1 compared to those who did not usually sleep prone. From these findings, it was concluded that IHH may underlie the abnormalities in NMDA receptor expression that are present in the brainstem of SIDS infants. Although IHH can induce an increase in neuronal cell death, its significance in the aetiology of SIDS is not known. In piglets, IHH induced cell death correlated with high NMDA expression in some brainstem nuclei, supporting the hypothesis that excitotoxicity may be involved in the mechanism for cell death. Moreover, this thesis presents for the first time, �preliminary pathological proof� of an association between prone sleeping and abnormal NMDA receptor expression in SIDS infants.