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We describe an integrative psychotherapy for first responders to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, including those who continue to be psychologically impacted by these events, most of whom meet criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder. Three core techniques used in this treatment are described: (a) an emphasis on meaning making, particularly regarding the traumatic event; (b) focus on the most affect-laden components of the traumatic exposure; and (c) identifying and challenging the implicit strategies used by individuals to avoid discussion of components of their traumatic memories and the attendant negative affect. For each intervention, a theoretical rationale and the presumed mechanism of operation are presented. We discuss the clinical and research implications of this intervention.

Various wireless technologies were field-tested in a six-story laboratory building to identify wireless technologies that can scale for future DR applications through very low node density power consumption, and unit cost. Data analysis included analysis of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), packet loss, and link quality at varying power levels and node densities. The narrowband technologies performed well, penetrating the floors of the building with little loss and exhibiting better range than the wideband technology. 900 MHz provided full coverage at 1 watt and substantially complete coverage at 500 mW at the test site. 900 MHz was able to provide full coverage at 100 mW with only one additional relay transmitter, and was the highest-performing technology in the study. 2.4 GHz could not provide full coverage with only a single transmitter at the highest power level tested (63 mW). However, substantially complete coverage was provided at 2.4 GHz at 63 mW with the addition of one repeater node.

Although theoretical insights suggest that empathic accuracy should emerge to play a role in adolescents' romantic relationships, the nature of any such role remains unknown. The current study examined whether empathic accuracy: (1) was developmentally based, (2) differed across gender, and (3) was associated with adolescents' satisfaction with their romantic relationships. Participants were 204 male-female couples who ranged between 14 and 21 years of age and had been dating between 4 weeks and 5 years. On average, both male and female adolescents showed high levels of empathic accuracy that were positively associated with their own and their partners' relationship satisfaction. However, the direction of the associations that emerged, and gender differences in them, depended in part on the type of information being perceived. For instance, while both males' and females' accuracy for discomfort and conflict were positively associated with partners' satisfaction, males'--but not females'--accuracy for connection was negatively associated with their satisfaction, and females'--but not males'--accuracy for persuasion was positively associated with partners' satisfaction. Empathic accuracy was not significantly associated with age or relationship length. Taken together, these results reveal that a complete picture of empathic accuracy requires research on perceptions of various types of information. (Contains 5 tables.)

More than 20 years have elapsed since the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), Pentagon and at Shanksville, PA. Many persons continue to suffer a variety of physical and mental health conditions following their exposures to a mixture of incompletely characterized toxicants and psychological stressors at the terrorist attack sites. Primary care and specialized clinicians should ask patients who may have been present at any of the 9/11 sites about their 9/11 exposures, especially patients with cancer, respiratory symptoms, chronic rhinosinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, psychiatric symptoms, and substance use disorders. Clinicians, especially those in the NY metropolitan area, should know how to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with conditions that could be associated with exposure to the 9/11 attacks and its aftermath. As such, this issue of Archives contains a series of updates to clinical best practices relevant to medical conditions whose treatment is covered by the WTC Health Program. This first paper in the 14-part series describes the purpose of this series, defines the WTC Health Program and its beneficiaries, and explains how relevant Clinical Practice Guidelines were identified. This paper also reminds readers that because physical and mental health conditions are often intertwined, a coordinated approach to care usually works best and referral to health centers affiliated with the WTC Health Program may be necessary, since all such Centers offer multidisciplinary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nearly 20 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, multiple studies have documented the adverse mental consequences among World Trade Center (WTC) rescue, recovery, and clean‐up workers. However, scarce research has examined mental health stigma and barriers to care in WTC‐exposed individuals, and no known study has examined whether rates of endorsement may differ between police and "nontraditional" responders, the latter comprising a heterogeneous group of workers and volunteers. Objective: To identify the prevalence and correlates of mental health stigma and barriers to care in WTC responders. Methods: Mental health stigma and barriers to care and their correlates were examined in 6,777 police and 6,272 nontraditional WTC responders. Results: Nontraditional responders endorsed more stigma or barriers to care concerns than police responders. Within a subsample who screened positive for a psychiatric disorder, police were more likely than nontraditional responders to endorse "concerns that negative job consequences might result" (17.9% vs. 9.1%), while nontraditional responders were more likely to endorse "I don't know where to go to find counseling services" (18.4% vs.6.6%). Within this subsample, mental health service need and more severe WTC‐related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were associated with increased likelihood of endorsing stigma or barriers; pre‐9/11 psychiatric history and non‐Hispanic Black race/ethnicity were associated with lower likelihood of endorsing stigma or barriers. Conclusions: Results of this study underscore the burden of mental health stigma and barriers to care in WTC responders, and highlight the need for targeted interventions to address these concerns and promote mental healthcare utilization in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have designed and demonstrated a quantum cascade laser (QCL) based standoff system that utilizes an uncooled mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector with lock-in signal processing for chemical identification at a distance of 12.5 meters in indoor ambient light conditions. In the system, a tunable quad-QCL operating (1 MHz) in quasi-continuous wave mode between 8.45 and 10.03 μm (∼1182 to 1000 cm−1) serves as the active mid-infrared source for remotely interrogating mineral, powder, and thin film oil samples including powder mixtures (6, 12.5, 25, and 50%) of crystalline quartz (SiO2) in KBr. Light as reflected from a given sample is collected using a 10-inch (25.4 cm) Dall Kirkham telescope and coupled with ZnSe optics to an uncooled MCT detector. The mixture dependence of the highly transparent KBr and strongly absorbing quartz was found to fit a modified version of the Schatz reflectance model for compacted powder mixtures. All reflectance spectra reported are relative to an Au-coated diffuse reflector. A NIST traceable polystyrene standard reflector was also used to determine the QCL wavelength tuning range and calibration. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]