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Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is a proton-activated channel that is expressed ubiquitously throughout the central nervous system and in various types of immune cells. Its role in spinal cord injury (SCI) is controversial; inhibition of ASIC1a has been reported to improve SCI pathology in vivo, but conversely, gene ablation increased kainite-mediated excitotoxic cell death in vitro. Here, we re-examined the role of ASIC1a in a mouse model of SCI. First, we observed functional outcomes up to 42 days post-operation (DPO) in SCI mice with a selective genetic ablation of ASIC1a. Mice lacking ASIC1a had significantly worsened locomotor ability and increased lesion size compared with mice possessing the ASIC1a gene. Next, we explored pharmacological antagonism of this ion channel by administering the potent ASIC1a inhibitor, Hi1a. Consistent with a role for ASIC1a to attenuate excitotoxicity, accelerated neuronal cell loss was found at the lesion site in SCI mice treated with Hi1a, but there were no differences in locomotor recovery. Moreover, ASIC1a inhibition did not cause significant alterations to neutrophil migration, microglial density, or blood–spinal cord barrier integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a spinal cord injury (SCI), secondary damage mechanisms are triggered that cause inflammation and cell death. A key component of this secondary damage is a reduction in local blood flow that initiates a well-characterised ischemic cascade. Downstream hypoxia and acidosis activate acid sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) to trigger cell death. We recently showed that administration of a potent venom-derived inhibitor of ASIC1a, Hi1a, leads to tissue sparing and improved functional recovery when delivered up to 8 h after ischemic stroke. Here, we use whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in a spinal cord slice preparation to assess the effect of acute ASIC1a inhibition, via a single dose of Hi1a, on intrinsic membrane properties and excitatory synaptic transmission long-term after a spinal cord hemisection injury. We focus on a population of interneurons (INs) in the deep dorsal horn (DDH) that play a key role in relaying sensory information to downstream motoneurons. DDH INs in mice treated with Hi1a 1 h after a spinal cord hemisection showed no change in active or passive intrinsic membrane properties measured 4 weeks after SCI. DDH INs, however, exhibit significant changes in the kinetics of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents after a single dose of Hi1a, when compared to naive animals (unlike SCI mice). Our data suggest that acute ASIC1a inhibition exerts selective effects on excitatory synaptic transmission in DDH INs after SCI via specific ligand-gated receptor channels, and has no effect on other voltage-activated channels long-term after SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are all familiar with the expression, the 'importance of a good night's sleep', and work in the field of circadian biology and sleep over the last 30 years has shown this to be true. Under normal conditions, our sleep and circadian rhythms are synchronised and prepare the body for the varied demands of the 24-hour rotation of the earth on its axis. This synchronisation (entrainment) of our sleep and circadian rhythms to the daily light/dark cycle depends upon our eyes. Eye healthcare providers are often consulted about screen use and its impact on ocular health, as well as the potential effects on sleep and circadian rhythms of viewing electronic devices at night. It is important to remember that the eye is not only an organ of vision, but also provides us with our sense of time, utilising specialised cells within the retina called photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). Exposing the pRGCs to light at the wrong time of the day may cause disruption of normal circadian rhythms and sleep. In this review, we give a brief overview of sleep as part of an individual's circadian biology with special emphasis on the role of the eye. We discuss the impact of blue light and medications on sleep and review the evidence for toxicity of short-wavelength light on the retina. We emphasise the importance of sleep for good ocular health, briefly discuss the impact of ocular disease on sleep and note the optimal timing of corticosteroids and prostaglandins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dietary recommendations (DR) in the USA may be inadequate at improving diets in racial/ethnic minority communities and may require redesign of the systems driving their development over the long term. Meanwhile, cultural adaptation of evidence-based DR may be an important strategy for mitigating nutrition disparities, but less is known about the adaptability of these recommendations to meet the needs of diverse groups. We examined the content and origin of major DRs - aspects that provide context on their potential universality across populations and evaluated their potential for cultural adaptation.Design: Case studies of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MD), the EAT-Lancet diet (EAT) and the NOVA classification system.Setting: United States.Participants: Racial/ethnic minority populations.Results: Current DR differ in their origin/evolution but are similar in their reductionist emphasis on physical health. DASH has been successfully adapted for some cultures but may be challenged by the need for intensive resources; MD may be more beneficial if applied as part of a broader set of food procurement/preparation practices than as just diet alone; EAT-Lancet adaptation may not honor existing country-specific practices that are already beneficial to human and environmental health (e.g. traditional/plant-based diets); evidence for cultural adaptation is limited with NOVA, but classification of levels of food processing has potential for widespread application.Conclusions: For DR to equitably support diverse populations, they must move beyond a Eurocentric or 'general population' framing, be more inclusive of cultural differences and honour social practices to improve diet and reduce disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores synergies between surrealism and posthumanism, including ways of knowing the world in ways that simultaneously value and decenter the human, and inspire much-needed creative thinking about reworlding the planet. These are playful ways of knowing that embrace chance, accept paradox, and question conventional understandings of time. Such ideas are explored through the example of an arts-based research project at a community farm in Lancashire, United Kingdom. The project’s “surrealist sensibility” resulted not only in encouraging participants’ creativity but also in opening them up to encounters with the more-than-human and providing acknowledgment of how connected we really are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During military deployment, soldiers can become part of a system of people and experiences in their assigned military unit that may rival the importance of relationships and experiences within their natural families at home. Following deployment, returning soldiers may face the challenges of managing membership in two complex and powerful family systems, each with its own unique priorities, rules of engagement, and demands for the soldier’s attention and participation that may not always be compatible. Achieving a mutual understanding of the system of close relationships formed around military deployment and incorporating this new “unit family” system into a couple’s marital relationship and natural family system becomes a task that is important and, possibly, essential to successful family reintegration after deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to half of clients in psychotherapy do not return after their initial session, and clients in family therapy are more likely than those in individual therapy to terminate after the first session. Recent research has identified six therapist-related conditions in the family therapy session that have influenced client decisions to continue after the first session. This article reports the findings of a review of the professional literature aimed at operationalizing the six therapist-related conditions by identifying specific family therapist actions that can be deliberately applied during initial family therapy sessions to increase the chances that client families will return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional identity is characterized by the integration of individuals' professional and personal selves. The authors used a multiple regression design to examine counselor professional ethical identity development, with specific attention to moral and intellectual development. Student counselors ( N = 59) completed the Modified Subject-Object Interview (Monson & Hamilton, ), Defining Issues Test-2 (Rest, Narvaez, Bebeau, & Thoma, ), and Learning Environment Preferences scale (Moore, ). Moral development was the most significant predictor of professional ethical identity development. Preparatory and research strategies to enhance professional ethical identity formation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African Americans are disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS, but little is known about the risky sexual behaviors of older African Americans. This cross-sectional, comparative, and descriptive study investigated the self-reported sexual behaviors of sexually active older African Americans. The nonrandom sample (N = 78) included single African American men (59%) and women (41%), 50-74 years of age. Participants were recruited from various community sites, and data were collected with a standard sexual history questionnaire. Participants reported practicing risky behaviors such having unprotected oral, anal, and vaginal sex (96.5%), and having multiple sex partners (37.2%). There were several significant gender differences such as males using condoms more for vaginal sexual activity, and they discussed using a condom more than females. Faced with an aging population and a growing incidence of HIV/AIDS, older adults need to know the types of sexual behaviors that put them at risk and skills to reduce risky behaviors. Age/gender-appropriate interventions for HIV prevention are needed for older African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creativity plays a critical role in today’s society by aiding an individual’s response to the mounting complications of modern life and assisting in the maintenance of mental health. Though counselors seek to promote similar developments in their clients, they often do so without the benefit of any particular training in theories of creativity or creativity-enhancing techniques. This article examines literature in the fields of creativity, counseling, and education to highlight the essential nature of creative processes in counseling and psychotherapy, ultimately presenting a rationale for the incorporation of creativity in counselor education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article concerns a study that examines the attitudes of parents, who have had babies in neonatal care, to sharing their babies’ routinely collected health data for research purposes. A participatory methodology was applied to the design of the study; a group of eleven parents who had all previously had babies in neonatal care were involved in designing a large-scale questionnaire survey. The article addresses the rationale for taking this approach, highlighting how it differs from the more common models of patient and public involvement. It presents the five themes that emerged from parents’ discussion in the course of engaging in the questionnaire design: legitimation, expertise, experiential knowledge, a different epistemology, power and control. How these shaped the design of the survey is employed in this article as a means of providing a commentary on the participatory research process itself. The article concludes by reflecting on whether participatory research can achieve its aims of promoting social justice when used for instrumental purposes such as the refinement of a data collection tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hostile and unsafe learning environments persist for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. Professional school counselors are uniquely positioned to spearhead systemic initiatives to create safe and supportive schools that combat such oppression; however, current counselor education strategies may fail to adequately prepare school counseling trainees for this role. Cognitive developmental theory offers a pedagogical framework to assist counselor educators in conceptualizing school counseling trainees’ meaning-making positions and scaffolding matched interventions to enhance preparation toward LGBTQ affirmative counseling. A theoretical overview is provided, including the relationship of advanced cognitive development to school counselor competence, as well as samples of didactic, experiential, and reflection strategies counselor educators may employ to promote cognitive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Summary: This article critically examines the problematic status of ideology (and discourse) with regard to social work, and, in relation, questions any contested elevation of sociological theories which suggest we now live in a ‘post-hegemonic’ age. Three types of ideology relating to social work are explored, and it is proposed that such case examples (among others) have, and continue to, maintain a significant influence within state social work. Examples include the role of science, neo-liberalism and professionalism. Each is examined through the work of Althusser, Gramsci and Foucault to underline their significance.• Findings: Within social work there is evidence to support aspects of the social or political fragmentary trends stressed by advocates of a post-hegemony thesis. However, here it is argued instead that reliance upon hegemony has actually increased rather than disappeared as social work has become less structured, more uncertain and increasingly dependent upon unpredictable markets of social care.• Applications: Critical yet careful analysis of the relationship between ideology and social work can help us to increase understanding of social work practice and education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hurricane Katrina has profoundly altered the lives of New Orleans residents as they continue for years following the storm to attempt to rebuild their community and their lives. Natural disaster literature has historically focused on the impacts on individuals and correlating variables. Significant literature gaps exist regarding family systems and disaster and analysis of the relationship of social class to recovery. Further, social class has traditionally been examined solely as it relates to socioeconomic status. This qualitative investigation situated in an emancipatory paradigm investigated the relationship between social class and family changes for seven families recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Participants self-identified as members of marginalized social classes. Cross-case themes emerging as significant in the process of familial recovery included Relationship to Community, Interpersonal Relationships, Constructions of Class, and Growing and Changing. Study conclusions revealed significant shifts in family identities evolving around participant geographic connectivity to kinship networks, perceptions of social class status, and levels of cohesion between individual and relational domains within a family. Implications for professionals in the fields of disaster preparedness and recovery are outlined, with emphasis on the connection between practice and study findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper looks at the use of poetry as a social research method and describes the underlying philosophy as well as the practical processes involved in carrying out such an approach. It draws on an ESRC-funded research project which took place at a Sure Start programme in an impoverished town in North West England. Sure Start was a New Labour initiative working with families with young children in disadvantaged areas. The research used poetry as one of several means of working with the community in order to look at the effectiveness of the local programme and to explore people's experiences of parenting in poverty. The paper discusses some of the poems produced during this project and questions the extent to which an arts-based approach to social inquiry can challenge dominant ideologies of oppressed people and provide an alternative discourse. This is particularly important in social work education in terms of addressing pre-conceptions that students may have about those marginalised groups that they are likely to be working with in their future practice as social workers. It concludes that poetic texts can provide insight into the lives of others, and can generate important discussion in the process of their interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over recent years in the UK there has been growing interest in the potential for routinely collected NHS (National Health Service) patient data to be used for secondary purposes, facilitated by the potential of increasingly sophisticated electronic databases. This article is based on a critically reflective literature review which analyses the key debates pertaining to this issue. The work arose in the context of a programme of research concerning routine patient data use in neonatal care. The article includes analysis of commentary (opinion and ethical inquiry) as well as empirically derived claims. It aims to deconstruct the knowledge assumptions on which relevant research studies have been based or are proposed and it also incorporates ontological position and moral argument. Results are presented according to three predominant debates: the prevailing claim that all health research benefits civic society; the varieties of informed consent and choices open to patients regarding secondary uses of their data; and the ‘rights and responsibilities’ of patients when it comes to their data being used for research purposes. It examines the relevance of these themes specifically to the neonatal context and the implications for our own research, concluding that employing an alternative ethical model to the traditional professional one might be useful in order to provide a further perspective on the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This preliminary study examined the similarities and differences between online and face-to-face counseling with regard to general mental health, working alliance, and social presence. Participants included 50 current counseling clients (37 face-to-face, 13 online) who all were recruited through online mediums. Results indicated that online counseling clients perceived a significantly stronger working alliance on the total Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form as well as the Goal subscale than did those who received face-to-face only counseling. No significant differences existed between the groups on general mental health or social presence. These results suggest that a more controlled study with a larger sample might find that a strong working alliance can be developed through online counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students unfamiliar with their counseling program's professional performance assessment policies may consider such policies pejorative. Moreover, student beliefs about the primacy of ethical service to clients may be confounded when faculty members are reluctant or fail to formally address concerns about deficient professional performance of students. The authors propose a framework intended to promote openness and transparency in professional performance assessment and believe this framework is critical to students' accurate perceptions of the assessment process, their trust in faculty members, and their future investment in safeguarding public welfare and the ethical integrity of the counseling profession through gatekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Race and culture continue to be conceptualized within a polarized, Black-White dichotomy in U.S. education, rendering the Latino population a silenced minority. Partnerships, when developed with intentionality and critical consciousness, provide a vehicle for inviting the participation of all families. This article offers school counselors a template for developing inclusive partnerships involving Mexican immigrant families. Suggestions for future research are shared in hopes of further illuminating the complexities and benefits of effectively engaging immigrant families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-injury is an increasing phenomenon among young adult women. This qualitative study explored the counseling experiences of 10 young adult women with a history of self-injurious behavior. It examined the nature of the client-counselor relationship and how self-injury was treated. It also accessed the participants' thoughts and feelings about their experiences in counseling. Implications for training and treatment are set out, as are recommendations for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of student violence in America's schools has changed over the past two decades. Research suggests that there are two distinct kinds or "subtypes" of aggression in youth-reactive aggression and proactive aggression. Reactive aggression is characterized as a "hot-blooded," automatic, defensive response to immediate and often misperceived threat. Proactive aggression, on the other hand, is described as highly organized, "'cold-blooded," and premeditated rather than automatic. According to responses from a national survey of school administrators, the frequency of proactive aggression has doubled among middle and high school students and nearly tripled at the elementary school level in the past 20 years. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to report findings of an inquiry into the impact of increasing proactive aggression in schools as experienced by principals and assistant principals nationwide, and (b) to present the views of "front line" school leaders with regard to the impact, causes and potential solutions to the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers how the arts, creativity and imagination can be employed in feminist sociological inquiry in order to capture the complex nature of human lives and to authentically represent research findings. This dual concern is reflected in the article's title which comes from Amanda Kemp's work. Here she describes her one-woman show as using performance 'both as a way of knowing and as a way of showing'. The arts offer a way for researchers and research participants to examine their lived experience, to reflect creatively upon this, and to know themselves more deeply. The arts can also guide an enriched writing of research and vivify the dissemination of results, stirring the audience's imagination with the outcome, in line with feminist research's principal aim, of effecting change on a variety of levels. The article reflects upon a participatory, arts-based research project carried out at a Sure Start programme in North West England. Here, the arts were employed throughout the research process: visual art, poetry and short-film making offered innovative and emotive methods of collecting data and of encouraging self-reflection in research participants; drama was used as a means of disseminating the results of the research to a wide and varied audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethical standards for counselor training require remediation of students with professional performance deficiencies. However, standards fail to specify the type or extent of remediation necessary to safeguard students' legal rights or justify dismissal if remediation is unsuccessful. Critical assessment of remedial practices in counselor preparation has occurred primarily in the courts when the constitutionality of specific practices was challenged. Prompted by a recent court challenge and its implications for curricular and policy change (C. R. McAdams, V. A. Foster, & T. J. Ward, 2007), this article examines court-tested methods of student remediation and presents them as a guide for developing just and fair student remediation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselor educators today are faced with a difficult dilemma. They are mandated to dismiss students they judged to be unfit and irremediable, yet they risk legal action whenever executing a student dismissal decision. Their duty to protect the public must be weighed against the liabilities of costly litigation to institutions, programs, and themselves. This article describes 1 counselor education program's decision to dismiss a student and endure a lengthy, although unsuccessful, lawsuit and jury trial in federal court. The strengths and weaknesses of the program's remediation and dismissal protocol are examined as they emerged under court scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines how arts can be employed in participatory social research on poor working class women in Merseyside, England. The results of the Sure Start program, a research conducted by the Economic and Social Research Council, claims to have a greater access to a variety of health, social and educational services. It also aims to reduce inequalities and end child poverty in the whole area. Moreover, it also celebrates the capabilities, talents and creativity of the poor working-class women and understands that women are not helpless and hopeless victims of poverty. It also proved to be an emotional project in the subject matter of the project, relationships cultivated, self-discovery of participants and the perception of the findings.

The considerable number of essential skills identified in the literature creates a challenge for family therapist instructors and supervisors who must develop a coherent curriculum for clinical training and supervision. This study used a modified Delphi method to obtain a consensus from experienced structural family therapists concerning the most essential skills needed by novice structural family the rapists. The therapists concluded that relational skills are of primary importance to establish a therapeutic relationship that would facilitate the structural interventions. A critical component of the relational factor was the ability of the novice therapist to provide a vision of hope to clients and establish expectancy for change. The study provides an added dimension to understanding the essential training needs of novice structural family the rapists from the practitioner's perspective and brings research in essential skills for novice therapists closer to actual clinical practice. Implications for further research and clinical training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home-based counseling is an incredibly demanding intervention, yet little is known about the counselors providing this important service. This study sought to profile ego development, conceptual complexity, and supervision satisfaction for 120 home-based counselors. Counselors scored at moderate levels on measures of both ego development and conceptual level. Most counselors (74.2%) reported dissatisfaction with supervision because they are "undersupervised." Implications for using a cognitive developmental framework for training and supervising home-based counselors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report on interviews with counselors who had faced the crisis of client suicide about accessibility and utility of resources for coping and recovery. All identified resources were rated as potentially useful, but their utility was sometimes impaired by limited access. Recommendations for promoting recovery from client suicide are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies are needed that assist both current practitioners and counselors-in-training in working safely and effectively with potentially aggressive young people and their families. To emphasize with at-risk client families the seriousness of violence, all or part of an initial or early counseling session with an at-risk family should be devoted exclusively to prescribed risk assessment and crisis planning processes. This safety session is intended to reduce the risk of client violence by opening a forthright dialogue regarding the risk of violent behavior, specifying appropriate behavior and setting limits and consequences for noncompliance. The specific framework for a safety session and a case study illustrating its application are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systemic perspective applied to school-based problems examines the interaction patterns between the home and school; the ecological view examines the contextual variables that affect child development. This article presents a home-school collaborative-consultation model for family counselors that combines a systems-ecological approach with solution-focused, problem-solving strategies in order to facilitate home-school problem-solving meetings. School personnel often perceive the child as the source of the problem, which limits the scope of their interventions and ignores the potentially positive effect of involving families in the problem-solving process. A need exists for mediators who think systemically and can facilitate productive relationships between families and schools. A case study illustrating the application of this model is presented and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty-eight counselor education students responded to the Defining Issues Test (J. Rest, 1986) and the White Racial Identity Attitude Scale (J. E. Helms & R. T. Carter, 1990) to determine relationships among multicultural training and moral and racial identity development. Results of this exploratory study indicate that multicultural training can be helpful in changing modes of information processing related to racial attitudes but does not seem to promote the cognitive complexity needed for moral development. The discussion includes a recommendation for students to discuss ethical dilemmas and participate in active problem solving specific to multicultural issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the results of a national survey of 1000 randomly selected professional counselors regarding the frequency and impact of client suicide. Respondents who had and who had not encountered client suicide were consistently divided among a variety' of specialties and settings reported. Of the 376 respondents, 23% had experienced the suicide of a client who was under their care. Within that group, 21 (24%)were student counselors at the time of the suicide and 11 of the 19 items on the survey yielded mean responses indicating a moderate to moderately high impact of the client suicide, with symptoms comparable to those of clinical groups during the weeks .following the event. Counselors reported having intrusive and avoidant thoughts about the crisis that were higher than those of either psychologists or psychiatrists. Counselors' ages were negatively related to the intensity of their reactions to clients' suicides. The severity and persistence of stress symptoms was greater for the counselors who were students at the time of the client suicide than for those who were already in professional practice. The study indicates that the effects of client suicide have potentially negative and serious consequences for student and professional counselors alike. Specific training pt client suicide should be a routine component of the counselor educational process to effectively prepare students for this and similar clinical crises' and to encourage similar responses in professional practice settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of client suicide on student counselors has potentially severe and long-term consequences. This article presents recommendations for addressing the needs of students and discusses implications for counselor education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential counselors are occasionally expected to be in contact with clients at risk for violent behavior. Client violence poses the obvious risk of physical harm, and there is evidence to suggest that it may have a potentially harmful psychological impact as well. As a result of the potential variability within training programs in didactic and clinical instruction, residential counselors may be neither adequately informed about the nature of violent behavior nor prepared for the potential effects of client violence. The purpose of this article is threefold: (a) To call attention to the potential crisis of client violence for counselors, (b) to propose a conceptual framework for counselor preparation and practice regarding client violence, and (e) to make recommendations for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between moral development and treatment foster parent attitudes. The Defining Issues Test and the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory were administered to 103 treatment foster parents. Additional variables of gender, age, race, marital status, and education were also considered. Significant correlations indicated that treatment foster parents with higher levels of moral reasoning were more likely to report more appropriate and nurturing parenting attitudes on the parenting inventory. Significant relationships with gender, race, age, and education are reported. Implications for utilizing a cognitive developmental framework for selecting, training, and supervising foster parents and perhaps other child and youth caregivers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study of three groups of unmarried females (ages 12-14, 17-19, and 23-25) electing to have an abortion in the first trimester of their first pregnancy. Administration of Washington University Sentence Completion Test, the Rest Defining Issues Test, and a moral judgement interview; Developmental differences between youngest group and two older groups; Cognitive stages; Method; Instrumentation and scoring; Results; Discussion and implications.

The article presents an analysis on how structural family therapy has adapted to client families and professional demands of the twenty-first century. An explanation of Salvadore Minuchin's structural family therapy approach is offered. Also mentioned is the Minuchin Center for the Family, a training and consultation resource regarding structural family therapy.

To investigate hypothalamic atrophy and its clinical correlates in multiple system atrophy (MSA) in-vivo. MSA is characterized by autonomic dysfunction and parkinsonian/cerebellar manifestations. The hypothalamus regulates autonomic and homeostatic functions and is also involved in memory and learning processes. 11 MSA, 18 Parkinson's Disease (PD) and 18 Healthy Controls (HC) were included in this study. A validated and automated hypothalamic segmentation tool was applied to 3D-T1-weighted images acquired on a 3T MRI scanner. MSA hypothalamic volumes were compared to those of PD and HC. Furthermore, the association between hypothalamic volumes and scores of autonomic, depressive, sleep and cognitive manifestations were investigated. Posterior hypothalamus volume was reduced in MSA compared to controls (t = 2.105, p = 0.041) and PD (t = 2.055, p = 0.046). Total hypothalamus showed a trend towards a reduction in MSA vs controls (t = 1.676, p = 0.101). Reduced posterior hypothalamus volume correlated with worse MoCA scores in the parkinsonian (MSA + PD) group and in each group separately, but not with autonomic, sleep, or depression scores. In-vivo structural hypothalamic involvement may be present in MSA. Reduced posterior hypothalamus volume, which includes the mammillary bodies and lateral hypothalamus, is associated with worse cognitive functioning. Larger studies on hypothalamic involvement in MSA and its clinical correlates are needed. • MSA is characterized by autonomic dysfunction and parkinsonian/cerebellar symptoms. • The hypothalamus role in MSA has been investigated pathologically, yet not in vivo. • We performed a structural MRI study investigating hypothalamic subregional volumes. • A reduction in posterior hypothalamus volume was found in MSA compared to PD and HC. • Posterior hypothalamus volume was associated with MoCA scores in MSA and PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of a study that examined why families choose to return to family therapy after their first family therapy session. The 87 families that were referred to a university family counseling center for assistance with their children's behavioral problems at school completed an author-developed survey in which they rated the influence of various therapist-related and family-related factors on their decision to return for a second session. Factor analysis of the survey data revealed that the families' positive experience of the therapist during the first session had the strongest influence on their continuation decision. The findings suggest that family therapists are not helpless victims to client attrition after the first session, but rather, have the strongest potential for influencing client decisions to come back. Specific family therapist actions for maximizing family continuation after the first session are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 mitigation strategies have had an untold effect on food retail stores and restaurants. Early evidence from New York City (NYC) indicated that these strategies, among decreased travel from China and increased fears of viral transmission and xenophobia, were leading to mass closures of businesses in Manhattan's Chinatown. The constantly evolving COVID −19 crisis has caused research design and methodology to fundamentally shift, requiring adaptable strategies to address emerging and existing public health problems such as food security that may result from closures of food outlets. Objective: We describe innovative approaches used to evaluate changes to the food retail environment amidst the constraints of the pandemic in an urban center heavily burdened by COVID-19. Included are challenges faced, lessons learned and future opportunities. Methods: First, we identified six diverse neighborhoods in NYC: two lower-resourced, two higher-resourced, and two Chinese ethnic enclaves. We then developed a census of food outlets in these six neighborhoods using state and local licensing databases. To ascertain the status (open vs. closed) of outlets pre-pandemic, we employed a manual web-scraping technique. We used a similar method to determine the status of outlets during the pandemic. Two independent online sources were required to confirm the status of outlets. If two sources could not confirm the status, we conducted phone call checks and/or in-person visits. Results: The final baseline database included 2585 food outlets across six neighborhoods. Ascertaining the status of food outlets was more difficult in lower-resourced neighborhoods and Chinese ethnic enclaves compared to higher-resourced areas. Higher-resourced neighborhoods required fewer phone call and in-person checks for both restaurants and food retailers than other neighborhoods. Conclusions: Our multi-step data collection approach maximized safety and efficiency while minimizing cost and resources. Challenges in remote data collection varied by neighborhood and may reflect the different resources or social capital of the communities; understanding neighborhood-specific constraints prior to data collection may streamline the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on the food retail environment—an important determinant of health—has not been conducted. Our objective was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on closures of restaurants, food retail stores, and fresh produce vendors in New York City (NYC). We conducted a cross-sectional study following the peak of COVID-19 in six neighborhoods in NYC. Two Chinese ethnic neighborhoods and four higher/lower resourced comparison neighborhoods were selected a priori based on 14 sociodemographic indicators. The primary outcome was indefinite/temporary closures or absence of food businesses. Of 2720 food businesses identified, produce vendors and restaurants were more likely to close than food retail stores. A higher proportion of food businesses closed in Chinese ethnic neighborhoods vs. comparison neighborhoods. COVID-19 impacted food businesses in six NYC neighborhoods examined in this period, with the greatest effect observed for Chinese ethnic neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive study examined 160 former students' perceptions of one assessment tradition in counselor education: the doctoral oral examination. The findings suggest that oral examinations continue to have substantive value for students, but changes are needed to ensure their future objectivity, transparency, and regard for students' rights as consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the mechanisms at play as new family counselors are learning to apply a systems approach. A qualitative case study was used to investigate the experiences of nine family counseling interns over two semesters of internship through the lens of constructive developmental theory. The findings extend our understanding by providing students' accounts of the ways by which disequilibrium preceded development when accommodation was stimulated, and the outcomes when assimilation occurred. It also generated data about positive emotional response to clients that is new and intriguing and which may impact developmental growth. Implications for counselor education that incorporate developmental considerations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Educating business students for ethical professional practice is a growing concern for both the corporate world and business education. Highly publicised scandals have pushed public trust in business to an all-time low, resulting in losses of customers and high employee turnover. Corporate and business education leaders have begun to press for more effective models for promoting ethical development in business education. This study examined the effectiveness of one such model, Deliberate Psychological Education (DPE), in promoting greater cognitive moral reasoning in undergraduate business students. Its significant, positive findings hold promise for the promotion of more ethical business professionals through preparatory classroom intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship among substance abuse counselors' education, experience, recovery status, and cognitive development (conceptual complexity and moral reasoning levels) was examined in a simultaneous multiple regression. Significant relationships were found between counselors' level of conceptual complexity and moral reasoning and their education. Implications for counselor training are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on a theoretically grounded counselor preparation curriculum that was designed to enhance the moral reasoning and cognitive complexity of students as well as teach them the basic skills and theories of counselor education. The curriculum for the counselor training was rooted in a teaching–learning framework that included conditions for facilitating cognitive–developmental growth and skill and theoretical training components. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the developmental effects of the counselor training program as measured in 2 domains of cognitive development: conceptual level and level of moral reasoning. The participants were assessed at 3 different times: prior to entering the counseling program, 1-year into the program, and the month marking the completion of their 2nd year in the program. The Paragraph Completion Method (PCM) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) were used as estimates of cognitive–developmental level. Analysis of the results revealed a significant gain for the group on the PCM between the 2nd and 3rd assessments and a positive but nonsignificant trend for the DIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of ethical problems and corruption in American law enforcement is well documented. Current law enforcement training lacks a significant focus on ethics training and is in need of modifications which would include a greater emphasis on ethics education. This study drew on cognitive development theory, applied specifically to the domains of moral and conceptual development, to create and implement an educational programme for police officer trainees and college students studying criminal justice. The Deliberate Psychological Education model provided the framework for this educational program designed to promote development of moral reasoning and conceptual complexity among the participants. Significant gains were achieved for participants in the Deliberate Psychological Education intervention when compared with a control group in which the participants received the ethics training in a more traditional lecture format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]