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We explore the possibility of using machine learning to estimate physical parameters directly from AGN X-ray spectra without needing computationally expensive spectral fitting. Specifically, we consider survey quality data, rather than long pointed observations, to ensure that this approach works in the regime where it is most likely to be applied. We simulate Athena WFI spectra of AGN with warm absorbers, and train simple neural networks to estimate the ionisation and column density of the absorbers. We find that this approach can give comparable accuracy to spectral fitting, without the risk of outliers caused by the fit sticking in a false minimum, and with an improvement of around three orders of magnitude in speed. We also demonstrate that using principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data prior to inputting it into the neural net can significantly increase the accuracy of the parameter estimation for negligible computational cost, while also allowing a simpler network architecture to be used., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Star formation accretion on to the super massive black holes (SMBHs) and feedback processes link the evolution of galaxies with their SMBHs. X-ray observations in the imaging and spectral regime have revealed to be an important tool to study the connection between nuclear activity and circumnuclear star formation in nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN). X-ray spectral diagnostics can lead to disentangle, which is the ionization mechanism in the central kiloparsecs of nearby AGN. In this paper, we investigate, by means of XMM-Newton observations, the nuclear X-ray emission of the changing-look AGN NGC 1566 during its quiescent state. European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) soft X-ray images show an extended arm-like morphology. A detailed analysis of the high-resolution Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) and medium resolution EPIC spectra shows that the material concentrated in the central kiloparsecs region is not in the photoionization-dominated regime while the presence of collisionally ionized plasma is needed to explain the observed spectral features. In the inner region (∼1.5 kpc), the brightness of the collisionally ionized gas is comparable to the brightness of the photoionized gas: the inner region hosts a luminous starburst whose ionized gas shows up bright in the X-rays when the AGN is in quiescence.

The standard alpha-disc model predicts an anti-correlation between the density of the inner accretion disc and the black hole mass times square of the accretion rate, as seen in higher mass ($M_{\rm BH}>10^{6} M_{\odot}$) active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this work, we test the predictions of the alpha-disc model and study the properties of the inner accretion flow for the low-mass end ($M_{\rm BH}\approx 10^{5-6}M_{\odot}$) of AGNs. We utilize a new high-density disc reflection model where the density parameter varies from $n_{\rm e}=10^{15}$ to $10^{20}$ cm$^{-3}$ and apply it to the broadband X-ray (0.3-10 keV) spectra of the low-mass AGN sample. The sources span a wide range of Eddington fractions and are consistent with being sub-Eddington or near-Eddington. The X-ray spectra reveal a soft X-ray excess below $\sim 1.5$ keV which is well modeled by high-density reflection from an ionized accretion disc of density $n_{\rm e}\sim 10^{18}$ cm$^{-3}$ on average. The results suggest a radiation pressure-dominated disc with an average of 70% fraction of the disc power transferred to the corona, consistent with that observed in higher mass AGNs. We show that the disc density higher than $10^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$ can result from the radiation pressure compression when the disc surface does not hold a strong magnetic pressure gradient. We find tentative evidence for a drop in black hole spin at low-mass regimes., 20 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present a new X-Ray Accretion Disk-wind Emulator (\textsc{xrade}) based on the 2.5D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code which provides a physically-motivated, self-consistent treatment of both absorption and emission from a disk-wind by computing the local ionization state and velocity field within the flow. \textsc{xrade} is then implemented through a process that combines X-ray tracing with supervised machine learning. We develop a novel emulation method consisting in training, validating, and testing the simulated disk-wind spectra into a purposely built artificial neural network. The trained emulator can generate a single synthetic spectrum for a particular parameter set in a fraction of a second, in contrast to the few hours required by a standard Monte Carlo radiative transfer pipeline. The emulator does not suffer from interpolation issues with multi-dimensional spaces that are typically faced by traditional X-ray fitting packages such as \textsc{xspec}. \textsc{xrade} will be suitable to a wide number of sources across the black-hole mass, ionizing luminosity, and accretion rate scales. As an example, we demonstrate the applicability of \textsc{xrade} to the physical interpretation of the X-ray spectra of the bright quasar PDS 456, which hosts the best-established accretion-disk wind observed to date. We anticipate that our emulation method will be an indispensable tool for the development of high-resolution theoretical models, with the necessary flexibility to be optimized for the next generation micro-calorimeters on board future missions, like \textit{XRISM/resolve} and \textit{Athena/X-IFU}. This tool can also be implemented across a wide variety of X-ray spectral models and beyond., 20 pages, 17 figures, MNRAS accepted for publication

Relativistic Fe K emission lines from accretion disks and from disk winds encode key information about black holes, and their accretion and feedback mechanisms. We show that these two processes can in principle produce indistinguishable line profiles, such that they cannot be disentangled spectrally. We argue that it is likely that in many cases both processes contribute to the net line profile, and their relative contributions cannot be constrained purely by Fe K spectroscopy. In almost all studies of Fe K emission to date, a single process (either disk reflection or wind Compton scattering) is assumed to dominate the total line profile. We demonstrate that fitting a single process emission model (pure reflection or pure wind) to a hybrid line profile results in large systematic biases in the estimates of key parameters, such as mass outflow rate and spin. We discuss various strategies to mitigate this effect, such as including high energy data covering the Compton hump, and the implications for future X-ray missions., Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The need for clinical approaches that address romantic relationship concerns of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been essentially overlooked. There are a growing number of recommendations in the available literature to increase the availability and evaluation of treatment approaches that are appropriate for couples that include an adult with ASD. The aim of the present study was to explore clinical outcomes of a neurodiverse couple who participated in twelve sessions of solution-focused brief therapy. Our findings indicated both partners experienced improvement in the target complaints, communication and emotional awareness. On the other hand, each partner had a different trajectory of change in relationship satisfaction over the course of treatment. Directions for future research and implications for couple therapy with adults diagnosed with ASD are discussed.

An extreme form of online dating deception, also known as “catfishing,” involves falsely representing oneself to a potential romantic partner, without the intention of meeting in person. The limite...

Accretion and ejection of matter in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are tightly connected phenomena and represent fundamental mechanisms regulating the growth of the central supermassive black hole and the evolution of the host galaxy. However, the exact physical processes involved are not yet fully understood. We present a high-resolution spectral analysis of a simultaneous \xmm\ and \nustar\ observation of the narrow line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) AGN 1H 1934-063, during which the X-ray flux dropped by a factor of $\sim6$ and subsequently recovered within 140 kiloseconds. By means of the time-resolved and flux-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, we discover a potentially variable warm absorber and a relatively stable ultra-fast outflow (UFO, $v_\mathrm{UFO}\sim-0.075\,c$) with a mild ionization state ($\log(\xi/\mathrm{erg\,cm\,s^{-1})}\sim1.6$). The detected emission lines (especially a strong and broad feature around 1\,keV) are of unknown origin and cannot be explained with emission from plasmas in photo- or collisional-ionization equilibrium. Such emission lines could be well described by a strongly blueshifted ($z\sim-0.3$) secondary reflection off the base of the equatorial outflows, which may reveal the link between the reprocessing of the inner accretion flow photons and the ejection. However, this scenario although being very promising is only tentative and will be tested with future observations., Comment: 15 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present the timing and spectral analysis of the Compton Thick Seyfert 2 active galactic nuclei NGC 1068 observed using {\it NuSTAR} and {\it XMM-Newton}. In this work for the first time we calculated the coronal temperature ($\rm{kT_{e}}$) of the source and checked for its variation between the epochs if any. The data analysed in this work comprised of (a) eight epochs of observations with {\it NuSTAR} carried out during the period December 2012 to November 2017, and, (b) six epochs of observations with {\it XMM-Newton} carried out during July 2000 to February 2015. From timing analysis of the {\it NuSTAR} observations, we found the source not to show any variations in the soft band. However, on examination of the flux at energies beyond 20 keV, during August 2014 and August 2017 the source was brighter by about 20\% and 30\% respectively compared to the mean flux of the three 2012 {\it NuSTAR} observations as in agreement with earlier results in literature. From an analysis of {\it XMM-Newton} data we found no variation in the hard band (2 $-$ 4 keV) between epochs as well as within epochs. In the soft band (0.2 $-$ 2 keV), while the source was found to be not variable within epochs, it was found to be brighter in epoch B relative to epoch A. By fitting physical models we determined $\rm{kT_{e}}$ to range between 8.46$^{+0.39}_{-0.66}$ keV and 9.13$^{+0.63}_{-0.98}$ keV. From our analysis, we conclude that we found no variation of $\rm{kT_{e}}$ in the source., Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We are carrying out a dense monitoring of the blazar OJ 287 with Swift since late 2015 as part of our project MOMO (Multiwavelength Observations and Modeling of OJ 287). This is the densest existing monitoring of OJ 287 involving X-ray and UV data. In this latest publication of a sequence, we characterize the multiwavelength variability of OJ 287 based on >4000 Swift single-wave-band data sets including archival data since 2005. A structure function analysis reveals a characteristic timescale of ~5 days in the optical-UV at epochs of low-level activity, and larger during outbursts. The discrete correlation function shows zero lag between optical and UV, with tau = 0+-1 days at the epoch of densest cadence. During outbursts (in 2016/17 and 2020) the X-rays follow the UV with near-zero lags. However, during quiescence, the delay is 7-18 days with X-rays leading or lagging, interpreted as due to a different X-ray component dominated by inverse Compton emission. Scaling relations are used to derive the characteristic length scales of broad-line region and torus in OJ 287. A remarkable, symmetric UV--optical deep fade is identified in late 2017, lasting for 2 months. We rule out occultation from the passage of a dusty cloud and a model where the secondary black hole deflects the jet between the primary and observer. We speculate about a temporary dispersion or jet swing event in the core or in a bright quasi-stationary jet feature. The deep fade reveals an additional, spatially distinct X-ray component. The epoch 2020.9-2021.1 was searched for precursor flare activity predicted by the binary black hole model of OJ 287., Results are part of a sequence of publications, previous and upcoming, from our ongoing project MOMO focussed on OJ 287. Accepted in July 2021, published December 9 in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ 923, 51, 2021)

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, there is a rapidly increasing need for treatment services among individuals diagnosed with ASD and families. Currently, the majority of the evidence-based treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, overlook the notable systemic effects of ASD and maintain a problem-focused lens. There is a growing body of research calling for strength-based, relational interventions that build on existing resources to enhance coping, efficacy, and well-being among families affected by ASD. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a widely practiced clinical approach that is increasingly being used among clinicians to address the systemic effects of developmental disabilities in the family. However, particular modifications to specific interventions may better accommodate autism-associated deficits in executive functioning (e.g., goal development and impulsivity), perspective taking, or restricted interests when using an SFBT approach. This article offers recommendations for adapting a solution-focused approach by modifying commonly used SFBT interventions to address family-driven treatment goals using a collaborative stance with families of children with ASD. A case presentation is included to demonstrate SFBT as informed by the unique challenges and inherent resources of families affected by ASD that have been identified in the extant literature.A medida que el predominio del trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) continúa aumentando, hay una necesidad cada vez mayor de servicios de tratamiento entre personas diagnosticadas con TEA y sus familias. Actualmente, la mayoría de los tratamientos factuales, como el análisis conductual aplicado, pasan por alto los efectos sistémicos destacados del TEA y mantienen una óptica centrada en los problemas. Existe una creciente recopilación de estudios de investigación que exige intervenciones relacionales basadas en las fortalezas que aprovechen los recursos existentes para mejorar las habilidades de superación de dificultades, la eficacia y el bienestar entre las familias afectadas por el TEA. La terapia breve centrada en soluciones (TBCS) es un enfoque clínico de práctica generalizada que se está utilizando cada vez más entre los profesionales clínicos para abordar los efectos sistémicos de las discapacidades del desarrollo en la familia. Sin embargo, algunas modificaciones particulares a intervenciones específicas pueden contemplar mejor los déficits asociados con el autismo en el funcionamiento ejecutivo (p. ej.: desarrollo de objetivos, impulsividad), la adopción de perspectivas o los intereses restringidos cuando se usa un método de TBCS. Este artículo ofrece recomendaciones para adaptar un enfoque centrado en soluciones mediante la modificación de intervenciones de TBCS comúnmente utilizadas para abordar los objetivos de tratamiento impulsados por la familia adoptando una postura colaborativa con las familias de los niños con TEA. Se incluye la presentación de un caso para demostrar la TBCS valiéndose de las dificultades únicas y los recursos inherentes de las familiares afectadas por el TEA que se han identificado en la bibliografía existente.随着自闭症(ASD)患者数量不断继续攀升,针对确诊的患病个人和所在家庭的治疗服务的需求也迅速增加。目前,大多数的实证为基础的治疗例如应用行为分析忽略了ASD 带来的的显著的系统效果,一直采用的聚焦问题为基础的研究视角。越来越多的研究呼吁采用以关注优势为基础的关系干预,积极利用已有资源来增强应对方法,效能,和受ASD的影响的家庭成员的幸福。聚焦问题解决的精简治疗(SFBT)是一个临床实践中广泛使用的方法,为医师越来越多地采用,它能帮助解决不断发生发展的缺陷在家庭里造成的对整个系统的影响。但是,针对特定的干预作具体的调整或许能更好地适应跟自闭症相关联的在执行功能方面的缺陷(比如目标设定发展,冲动),和换角度思考,或者使用SFBT 方法的有限的兴趣等方面的不足。本文推荐采取解决问题为中心的思路方法,修改普遍使用的SFBT干预来设法实现家庭驱使的治疗目标,对家有自闭症孩童的家庭采取的是合作性的姿态。本文介绍了一个受到ACD影响的家庭的具体案例,讲解SFBT的实际运用,他们面临的特殊挑战和家庭可利用的自身的资源在已有文献中都已经确定出来。.

The expanding practice of multi-disciplinary care to address the complex nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) suggests that there is a need for a means of coordinating care that transcends the disciplinary distinctions of relevant ASD treatment providers. As ASD services become more specialized, there is a growing need for effective care coordination with providers across the systems of care. Nursing professionals are ideally qualified to support families affected by ASD, as they provide a necessary holistic lens of health and wellbeing to obtain the appropriate treatments. Solution-focused brief therapy has been applied to a growing number of clinical settings, indicating solution-focused techniques are applicable to the various contexts associated with ASD treatments. We provide a case presentation to demonstrate a solution-focused approach to address ASD-related concerns within the family that are generalizable to coordination of care.

There is a well-established bidirectional, negative association between couple satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Yet, a family systems perspective emphasizes the role of the therapist in interrupting this recursive cycle between couple satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The current study utilized longitudinal data to explore the bidirectional associations between depressive symptoms and couple satisfaction, moderated by the therapeutic alliance over the course of therapy. The study included 108 couples participating in couple therapy at a university training clinic. Couples rated their depressive symptoms and couple satisfaction separately before the intake session and at the end of the fourth session, and they also reported their individual therapeutic alliance with the therapist at the end of the second and third sessions. Actor-partner interdependence moderation model analysis revealed several moderation effects. In general, with low therapeutic alliance, couples with higher initial symptoms (such as depressive symptoms and low couple satisfaction) reported more severe symptoms at the fourth session, compared to those who had fewer initial symptoms. The moderating effect of alliance on a couple's symptoms was found both among individuals, and between partners. Systemic clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.Hay una asociación bidireccional y negativa firmemente establecida entre la satisfacción en la pareja y los síntomas depresivos. Sin embargo, la perspectiva de sistemas familiares enfatiza el papel que desempeña el terapeuta en la interrupción de este ciclo recurrente entre la satisfacción en la pareja y los síntomas depresivos. El presente estudio utilizó datos longitudinales para analizar las asociaciones bidireccionales entre los síntomas depresivos y la satisfacción en la pareja, moderadas por la alianza terapéutica durante el transcurso de la terapia. El estudio incluyó 108 parejas que participaron en terapia de pareja en una clínica universitaria de formación. Las parejas calificaron sus síntomas depresivos y la satisfacción en la pareja por separado antes de la sesión de ingreso y al final de la cuarta sesión, y también informaron su alianza terapéutica individual con el terapeuta al final de la segunda y la tercera sesión. El análisis del modelo de moderación de la interdependencia entre el actor y la pareja reveló varios efectos de la moderación. En general, con una alianza terapéutica baja, las parejas con síntomas iniciales más altos (como síntomas depresivos y baja satisfacción en la pareja) informaron síntomas más intensos en la cuarta sesión en comparación con aquellos que tenían menos síntomas iniciales. El efecto moderador de la alianza en los síntomas de la pareja se halló tanto entre las personas como entre las parejas. Se debaten las consecuencias clínicas sistémicas y las sugerencias para futuras investigaciones.伴侣满意度和抑郁症状之间存在一种明确的双向负相关关系。然而，家庭系统的观点强调治疗师的干预作用，因为治疗师可以打破伴侣满意度和抑郁症状之间的反复循环。本研究利用纵向数据来探索抑郁症状和伴侣满意度之间的双向联系，这种相关性受到治疗过程中建立起来的治疗联盟的调节影响。这项研究包括了108对在大学培训诊所接受伴侣治疗的伴侣。在接受治疗前和第四次治疗结束这两个时间点，伴侣们分别评估了他们的抑郁症状和夫妻满意度，在第二和第三次治疗结束时，他们也报告了他们与治疗师的个人治疗联盟。主导行为者-对象相互依赖调节模型分析揭示了几种调节效应。一般来说，在治疗联盟度较低的情况下，与初始症状较少的夫妻相比，初始症状较高的夫妻（如抑郁症状和伴侣满意度较低）在第四次治疗时报告的症状更严重。无论是在个体之间，还是在伴侣之间，都发现联盟对夫妻症状的调节作用。本文讨论了系统性的临床意义和对未来研究的建议。.

Interpersonal chemistry refers to a perceived instant connection that exists when meeting a person for the first time. In this study, we inductively explored the characteristics of friendship and romantic chemistry for men and women. A social constructionist lens guided our data collection and interpretation. The sample consisted of 362 ethnically diverse individuals (men = 162, women = 200) who completed an online survey. Using textual coding methods, we identified the core themes for interpersonal chemistry as: Reciprocal candor, mutual enjoyment, attraction, similarities, personableness, love, instant connection, and indescribable factors. The similarities theme was more characteristic of friendship than romantic chemistry and the attraction and love themes were more salient to romantic chemistry. We analyzed the data separately for men and women and found that women’s responses centered more on love as characteristic of friendship chemistry and similarities as a component of romantic chemistry.

The status of divorce initiator versus non-initiator has demonstrated significant influence on individuals’ wellbeing throughout the divorce process. While these outcomes are relevant to both researchers and clinicians who focus on the influence of post-divorce outcomes, assessment of initiator status is generally conducted with a single question that varies across studies. The use of a single item to assess a complex, multifaceted construct such as divorce initiation poses a potential threat to the internal validity of the study. Further, single item assessments of divorce initiation are frequently inconsistent across studies, limiting the ability to synthesize the body of research as a whole. The Divorce Initiation Inventory (DII) is a five-item questionnaire that was constructed using terminology reflected in the extant literature. The purpose of this study is to describe the outcome of analyses for the development of the DII and to summarize the findings for initial assessment of reliability, criterion and construct validity. Clinical implications and directions for on-going research are discussed.

Couples therapists often describe infidelity as one of the most difficult clinical concerns to address. A contributing factor to this difficulty is the notable lack of research on extradyadic involvement (EDI) among diverse couples to develop an effective treatment approach. To address this gap in the extant literature, we examined racial/ethnic differences in the association between attachment style and EDI. We found that high attachment avoidance (fearful and dismissing) was identified as a risk factor for EDI among African American/Black participants, whereas an inverse relationship between fearful attachment and EDI was revealed among European/White participants in the sample. Further, high avoidance associated with fearful and dismissing attachment did not predict EDI among Latino participants. The comprehensive results of this study indicate that attachment—informed approaches must take cultural values and beliefs into consideration among couples affected by infidelity. Clinical implications for these findings are offered.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based practice approach for the treatment of individuals with autism. The systemic effects of autism suggest that family therapy would considerably enhance the treatment of individuals with autism. Marriage and family therapy (MFT) training does not routinely include exposure to autism beyond the associated diagnostic criteria. Structural Family Therapy (SFT) is a systemic model that is familiar to those trained in family therapy and appropriate for the needs of families affected by autism. Therefore, the authors have used SFT as a foundation for supervising MFT trainees working in an autism treatment setting.

Background Parents of children with an autism diagnosis frequently described the excessive costs and inordinate amount of time associated with coordinating autism – specific treatments. These ongoing sources of stress have adverse effects on parents’ personal wellbeing. Findings suggest that the systems of care aimed at improving outcomes for children with autism may, in fact, negatively affect their parents. Further research is necessary to evaluate the degree to which system – level variables affect the relationship between autism severity and parental wellbeing. Method The sample included 1711 parents of children with a current ASD diagnosis who participated in the 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health. ASD complexity was estimated as a latent variable consisting of four observed scores; ASD severity and the frequency of co - occurring medical, developmental, and emotional/behavioral conditions using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Healthcare experiences (i.e., Care Coordination, Family - Centered Care, Shared Decision – Making) were analyzed as mediators using structural equation modeling to evaluate the degree to which each variable explained the relationship between ASD complexity and parent outcomes. Results Care coordination mediated the relationship between ASD complexity and parental outcomes. Family – centered care significantly predicted parent stress and health, however, it was not a mediator of the relationship between ASD complexity and parent outcomes. Shared decision – making was a mediator of parent health, but not parent stress. Conclusions The results of this study indicate healthcare experiences significantly influence parental wellbeing and are an important consideration among parents of children with complex ASD.

This study used Kenny and Cook’s actor-partner interdependence model to examine both actor and partner effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance for male and female partners on symptom distress over four sessions of therapy. Using the couple as the unit of analysis offers a unique method for studying the role of adult attachment in the treatment of mental health symptoms. The findings provided some new perspectives on the role of attachment in treatment outcomes and provided support for previous research. The results showed that women’s anxiety and avoidance has an impact on their male partners’ symptom distress following four sessions of couple therapy. Additionally, men’s avoidance was a significant influence on their female partners’ symptom distress after four sessions of therapy. Practitioner points  Male partners participating in therapy are influenced by their female partners’ attachment on their own symptom distress, therefore men would greatly benefit from couple-related interventions to reduce individual symptom distress.  Female partners’ attachment anxiety and avoidance influenced their symptom distress, therefore individual attachment-informed interventions would support women’s reduction of symptom distress in therapy.

In the past decade, inquiry into sexual identity development has offered a greater understanding of the experiences reported by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youths over the life course (Cohler & Hammack, 2007). While previous critiques of sexual development literature have resulted in greater support for many GLBT adolescents, we argue that the increases in acceptance and support afforded many sexual-minority teens are overall contextually dependent. In addition, clinicians working with GLBT youths in various contexts may be ill-equipped to provide the needed resources for this population of youths and families (Burgess, 1999). The Kite in Flight (Parker, Bermudez, & Neustifter, 2008) model is a family therapy approach that has been examined for use with GLBT youths to address the need for more effective therapeutic approaches with this population. Specifically, this article will further explore contextual and environmental influences for use with the Kite in Flight family therapy approa...

The overall goal of this study was to examine the factor structure of the “Experiences in Close Relationships” instrument (Brennan et al. 1998; ECR) for assessing adult attachment among a clinical sample by conducting a series of exploratory factor analyses (EFA). While the measure demonstrated high reliability and strong validity among the original sample of college undergraduates (Brennan et al.), the factor structure had yet to be examined among participants involved in therapy. It is unclear if any results obtained using the ECR extrapolate to populations other than the original sample. Our findings support the factor structure of the ECR for assessment of attachment anxiety and avoidance among a more diverse, clinical population. Noteworthy differences between men and women also were found in the clinical sample. Finally, clinical implications for use with clients participating in therapy are discussed.

This case study of a college-aged Pakistani-American woman presents how cross-disciplinary collaboration was used to develop a religiously and culturally sensitive treatment approach for a Muslim client. This client, stalked by her Muslim ex-boyfriend and unwilling to disclose her experiences to her family, experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms. The therapy team invited an expert in the field of Islamic studies to assist in understanding Muslim culture and its impact on treatment. Through weekly individual therapy, the client reported improved mental health and relational functioning.

While a substantial amount of research on predictors of infidelity and treatment approaches as suggested by clinicians and researchers exists, there is a lack of literature dedicated to the couple's unique experience of infidelity. We propose that the perpetuated, dysfunctional view of infidelity may hinder a couple's ability to overcome the experience and offer a non-pathological, sociocultural approach to working with couples who have experienced infidelity. Specifically, the contextual influences affecting a particular couple's experience will be examined through the process of deconstruction. Transcripts from two sessions are provided along with questions that may be used to begin the deconstruction process.

We report, for the first time, a detailed analysis of the complicated two-dimensional (2-D) nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation spectra of the xylem and phloem of carrots. By combining chemical extraction with different 2-D pulse sequences attempts are made to assign relaxation peaks to cell components, including compartmentalized water, pectins, starch, proteins and hemicelluloses. In a separate report, we use these assignments to interpret the effects of thermal and high-pressure processing (M. E. Furfaro, N. Marigheto, G. K. Moates, K. Cross, M. L. Parker, K. W. Waldron, B. P. Hills: Appl. Magn. Reson. 35, 537–547, 2009).

The effects of thermal and high-pressure processing on the phloem and xylem tissue of carrots are investigated with a combination of optical fluorescence microscopy and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. It is shown that precooking at 60 °C or rapid pressurization to 600 MPa prevents the cell-wall separation and that the combination of these two treatments may provide a commercially viable method for tissue texture preservation.

The biogenesis of the Salmonella-containing vacuole within mammalian cells has been intensively studied over recent years. However, the ability of Salmonella to sense and adapt to the intracellular environment of different types of host cells has received much less attention. To address this issue, we report the transcriptome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 within epithelial cells and show comparisons with Salmonella gene expression inside macrophages. We report that S. Typhimurium expresses a characteristic intracellular transcriptomic signature in response to the environments it encounters within different cell types. The signature involves the upregulation of the mgtBC, pstACS and iro genes for magnesium, phosphate and iron uptake, and Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI2). Surprisingly, in addition to SPI2, the invasion-associated SPI1 pathogenicity island and the genes involved in flagellar biosynthesis were expressed inside epithelial cells at later stages of the infection, while they were constantly downregulated in macrophage-like cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the simultaneous transcription of all three Type Three Secretion Systems (T3SS) within an intracellular Salmonella population. We discovered that S. Typhimurium strain SL1344 was strongly cytotoxic to epithelial cells after 6 h of infection and hypothesize that the time-dependent changes in Salmonella gene expression within epithelial cells reflects the bacterial response to host cells that have been injured by the infection process.

The concept of B-esterase buffering against anti-cholinesterase (ChE) insecticide toxicity has been extensively researched in mammalian species. Presumably due to relatively low levels of anti-ChE detoxifying enzyme activity in birds, however, avian species are often more susceptible to the toxic effects of these compounds. We quantified B-esterase buffering of organophosphate (diazinon and methyl parathion) and carbamate (aldicarb and oxamyl) toxicity in nestling European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). The differential toxicities were studied using mortality, behavioral observation, and inhibitor affinity data. The toxicities of diazinon, methyl parathion, and oxamyl were affected by the removal of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) using the specific inhibitor tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide (iso-OMPA). When BChE was absent, aldicarb toxicity was not affected. Theoretically, compounds affected by BChE removal would have a higher affinity for BChE or carboxylesterase (CaE) than acetylcholinesterase (AChE). However, this was only the case for diazoxon, which had a 1,000-fold higher affinity for plasma BChE and CaE than AChE. Methyl paraoxon and aldicarb had a higher affinity for plasma AChE than for BChE or CaE. Oxamyl had similar IC50 values for all three enzymes studied. The generation of IC50 curves for each inhibitor revealed the presence of nonsensitive forms of CaE in both the plasma and brain. Based on the results of this research, there appears to be no strict correlation between mortality data and inhibitor affinities for each esterase that alone can explain the differential toxicities of these compounds.