Impact of mindfulness training on attentional control and anger regulation processes for psychotherapists in training

Abstract

Objectives: Little empirical literature focuses on psychotherapists' cultivation of internal states of mind necessary for controlling attention and responding empathically to the client. We explore the effects of mindfulness training on emotional and attentional measures in Spanish resident intern psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Method: One hundred and three residents were assigned to an experimental group (n = 60) that completed an 8-week mindfulness training versus a wait-list control group (n = 43). We evaluated emotional variables (sadness, anxiety, and anger, using standard instruments), state of mindfulness (using the Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale), and attentional control variables using objective measures such as a continuous performance task and the Stroop task before and after mindfulness training. Results: Our study provides data that suggest that mindfulness training significantly improves measures of trait anger and attentional control. Conclusions: Further research is needed to replicate these findings, explore the effects of mindfulness training on other aspects of emotional regulation and cognition, and evaluate the impact of these effects within clinical situations.     

Carotid web: the challenging diagnosis of an under-recognized entity

Journal of Neurology - Determining the cause of acute ischemic stroke is crucial for patient management, particularly for preventing future stroke. In recent years, carotid web (CW), a...     

A native antibody-based mobility-shift technique (NAMOS-assay) to determine the stoichiometry of multiprotein complexes

Characterization of multiprotein complexes (MPCs) is an important step toward an integrative view of protein interaction networks and prerequisite for a molecular understanding of how a certain MPC functions. Here, we present a technique utilizing monoclonal subunit-specific antibodies for an electrophoretic immunoshift assay in Blue Native-gels (NAMOS-assay), which allows the determination of the stoichiometry of MPCs. First, we use the B cell antigen receptor as a model MPC whose stoichiometry is known, confirming the HC(2)LC(2)Igalpha/beta(1) stoichiometry. Second, we demonstrate that the digitonin-extracted T cell antigen receptor (TCR) extracted from T cells has a stoichiometry of alphabetaepsilon(2)gammadeltazeta(2). We then show that the NAMOS-assay does not require purified MPCs, since it can determine the stoichiometry of an MPC in cell lysates. The NAMOS-assay is also compatible with use of epitope tags appended to the protein of interest, as e.g. the widely used HA-tag, and anti-epitope antibodies for the assay. Given its general applicability, this method has a wide potential for MPC research.     

HIV-1 prophylactic vaccine comprised of topical DermaVir prime and protein boost elicits cellular immune responses and controls pathogenic R5 SHIV162P3

Topical DNA vaccination (DermaVir) facilitates antigen presentation to naive T cells. DermaVir immunization in mice, using HIV-1 Env and Gag, elicited cellular immune responses. Boosting with HIV-1 gp120 Env and p41 Gag augmented Th1 cytokine levels. Intramuscular DNA administration was less efficient in priming antigen-specific cytokine production and memory T cells. In rhesus macaques, DermaVir immunization induced Gag- and Env-specific Th1 and Th2 cytokines and generation of memory T cells. Boosting of DermaVir-primed serum antibody levels was noted following gp140(SHIV89.6P)/p27(SIV) immunization. Rectal challenge with pathogenic R5-tropic SHIV162P3 resulted in control of plasma viremia (4/5 animals) that was reflected in jejunum, colon and mesenteric lymph nodes. An inverse correlation was found between Gag- and Env-specific central memory T cell responses on the day of challenge and plasma viremia at set point. Overall, the topical DermaVir/protein vaccination yields central memory T cell responses and facilitates control of pathogenic SHIV infection.     

A predictive model of anxiety and depression symptoms after a lower limb amputation

Background

Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) show high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. The loss of a limb is undoubtedly a devastating experience and several studies have shown that anxiety and depression symptoms are a common reaction after a lower limb amputation (LLA). However, no study has focused on the immediate emotional reactions to LLA as a personal factor based on the ICF Model.

Prostatic adenocarcinoma with mandibular metastatic lesion: case report

Metastatic lesions of primary tumors, which originate in different parts of the body, comprise almost 1 % of different types of oral cancers. These lesions can affect either bones or soft tissues in the maxillofacial region. Whenever the maxillofacial area is affected, the most common location is in the molar region of the mandible. The clinical presentation of mandibular metastasis follows a clinical pattern characterized by irradiated dental pain in the third molar region. The most frequent sign is parethesia of the area innervated by the mandibular alveolar dental nerve. Differential diagnosis and treatment of these patients can be extremely difficult because there a number of pathologic conditions with similar symptoms and because diagnostic examination can be highly confusing. The aim of this article is to present a case of prostatic adenocarcinoma where the only metastasis was found in the jaw. A literature review will be presented, hoping to contribute to the scarce information regarding this lesion, due to its low frequency and atypical expression of this type of metastasis in terms of etiology, biological behavior and treatment.     

Emerging strains of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv) in Mexico

As an emerging disease, the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus has caused substantial economic losses to the pork industry in Mexico, leading to piglet mortality rates of up to 100%. For detection, sequencing and genetic characterization of the virus, 68 samples of one‐week‐old piglets from pork farms in 17 states of Mexico were analysed. In total, 53 samples were positive by real‐time RT‐PCR, confirming the presence of the virus in 15 states. Twenty‐eight samples from 10 states were amplified by endpoint RT‐PCR, and 20 sequences of the spike gene were obtained. A phylogenetic analysis based on the spike gene demonstrated that all Mexican strains are in Group II and are classified as non‐Indel‐S emerging variants. Three strains showed amino acid insertions: PEDv/MEX/GTO/LI‐DMZC15/2015 and PEDv/MEX/QRO/LI‐DMZC45/2016 showed one amino acid insertion (⁴²⁴Y⁴²⁵ and ⁴⁴⁷D⁴⁴⁸, respectively), and PEDv/MEX/QRO/LI‐DMZC49/2019 showed one and two amino acid insertions (⁴²²C⁴²³ and ⁵³⁷SQ⁵³⁸), with the second insertion in the COE region. These results provide evidence of the prevalence of emerging, non‐Indel‐S strains of the virus are currently circulating in Mexico during 2016–2018, when three of which have amino acid insertions: PEDv/MEX/GTO/IN‐DMZC15/2015 and PEDv/MEX/QRO/IN‐DMZC45/2016 have one amino acid insertion each (⁴²⁴Y⁴²⁵ and ⁴⁴⁷D⁴⁴⁸, respectively), and PEDv/MEX/QRO/IN‐DMZC49/2019 has one (⁴²²C⁴²³) and two amino acid insertions (⁵³⁷SQ⁵³⁸), the latter being in the COE region, which could generate new antigenic variants.