Enhancing Insight in Patients With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Case Study on Avatar Therapy Using Virtual Reality.

Treatment efficacy for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with poor insight is low. Insight refers to a patient's ability to recognize that their obsessions are irrational and that their compulsions are futile attempts to reduce anxiety. This case study presents the first application of virtual reality-assisted avatar therapy for OCD (VRT-OCD) in a patient with contamination OCD and ambivalent insight.

[Rapid Assessment of Future Pandemic Effects in Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: Can Ongoing Population-Representative Cohorts Contribute?].

To provide an overview of ongoing cohorts including severely mentally ill patients to study collateral effects of pandemics.Systematic literature search.None of the ongoing German health cohorts includes people with severe mental illness (SMI).

Microbiological and decomposition analysis of mass mink burial sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Denmark buried approximately four million culled, farmed mink in mass graves treated with slaked lime due to widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections. After six months, environmental concerns prompted the exhumation of these cadavers. Our analysis encompassed visual inspections, soil pH measurements, and gas emission assessments of the grave environment.

Digital nature: Unveiling the impact and safety of FlowVR group intervention for depression in a feasibility trial.

Objective: This study addresses the limitations of existing interventions for depression, such as a deficit-oriented focus, overlooking the utilization of positive elements such as nature, and neglecting the incorporation of group effects. The present feasibility study examines FlowVR, a resource-oriented, nature-inspired virtual reality (VR)-based group therapy. Previously tested individually in a pilot study for non-clinical participants, FlowVR has demonstrated positive effects on depressive symptoms.

Emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants from farmed mink to humans and back during the epidemic in Denmark, June-November 2020.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) not only caused the COVID-19 pandemic but also had a major impact on farmed mink production in several European countries. In Denmark, the entire population of farmed mink (over 15 million animals) was culled in late 2020. During the period of June to November 2020, mink on 290 farms (out of about 1100 in the country) were shown to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Nano-optical theory of planar x-ray waveguides.

X-ray waveguides are routinely used at synchrotron light sources in imaging setups and as a platform for experiments with quantum emitters, providing nanometer-sized confinement - even x-ray optics on a chip has been showcased. X-ray waveguides are weakly guiding and experience significant material absorption, such that the established waveguide theory is not immediately applicable. Here, a general self-contained nano-optical theory of planar waveguides is derived, which is appropriate for hard x-ray energies.

Intranasal Inoculation with Classical Swine Fever Virus Provided a More Consistent Experimental Disease Model Compared to Oral Inoculation.

The severity of disease resulting from classical swine fever virus (CSFV) infection is determined by several factors, including virus strain and host factors. The different outcomes of experimental studies in pigs with the same strain of CSFV emphasize the need to elucidate the influence of individual factors within experimental protocols. In this study, we investigated the outcome of disease after oral and intranasal inoculation with a moderately virulent CSFV strain in young pigs.

A Deep Sequencing Strategy for Investigation of Virus Variants within African Swine Fever Virus-Infected Pigs.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of African swine fever, an economically important disease of pigs, often with a high case fatality rate. ASFV has demonstrated low genetic diversity among isolates collected within Eurasia. To explore the influence of viral variants on clinical outcomes and infection dynamics in pigs experimentally infected with ASFV, we have designed a deep sequencing strategy.

Effects of maternal modafinil treatment on fetal development and neonatal growth parameters - a multicenter case series of the European Network of Teratology Information Services (ENTIS).

Objective: In recent years, safety concerns about modafinil exposure during pregnancy have emerged. In particular, increased risks for major congenital anomalies (MCA) and impaired fetal growth were reported, although study results were conflicting. Our investigation aims to examine previously reported safety signals.

Increased Presence of Circulating Cell-Free, Fragmented, Host DNA in Pigs Infected with Virulent African Swine Fever Virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes severe hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boar, often with high case fatality rates. The virus replicates in the circulating cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage and within lymphoid tissues. The infection leads to high fever and a variety of clinical signs.

Antiepileptic treatment with levetiracetam during the first trimester and pregnancy outcome: An observational study.

Objective: Levetiracetam is increasingly used in pregnant women with epilepsy. Although teratogenic effects have not been observed so far, data on the risks of spontaneous abortion and major birth defects are still limited, especially for the frequently used dual therapy of levetiracetam and lamotrigine. Our primary aim was to analyze rates of major birth defects and spontaneous abortion after maternal levetiracetam treatment.

Detection of African Swine Fever Virus and Blood Meals of Porcine Origin in Hematophagous Insects Collected Adjacent to a High-Biosecurity Pig Farm in Lithuania; A Smoking Gun?

A seasonal trend of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in domestic pig farms has been observed in affected regions of Eastern Europe. Most outbreaks have been observed during the warmer summer months, coinciding with the seasonal activity pattern of blood-feeding insects. These insects may offer a route for introduction of the ASF virus (ASFV) into domestic pig herds.

Mixed results for exposure and response prevention therapy in mixed reality for patients with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Introduction: Technology-supported exposure and response prevention (ERP) for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as tested in clinical research, holds promise but also has limitations. The present study aims to overcome these limitations by using mixed reality for ERP (MERP). The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and acceptance of MERP and to identify possible obstacles.

Efficacy of exposure and response prevention therapy in mixed reality for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Many patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not receive cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention (first line treatment for OCD), for example, due to patients' fear of the exposure and reservations of the therapists. Technology-supported exposure (e.g.

Uptake and Survival of African Swine Fever Virus in Mealworm () and Black Soldier Fly ( Larvae.

Insect production offers a sustainable source of nutrients for livestock. This comes with a risk for transmission of pathogens from the insects into the livestock sector, including viruses causing serious diseases, such as African swine fever virus (ASFV), classical swine fever virus and foot-and-mouth disease virus. ASFV is known to survive for a long time within animal meat and byproducts.

Experimental Infection of Pigs with Recent European Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Viruses.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), belonging to the genus , can cause serious disease in pigs of all ages, especially in suckling pigs. Differences in virulence have been observed between various strains of this virus. In this study, four pigs were inoculated with PEDV from Germany (intestine/intestinal content collected from pigs in 2016) and four pigs with PEDV from Italy (intestine/intestinal material collected from pigs in 2016).

Behavioral factors predict all-cause mortality in female coronary patients and healthy controls over 26 years - a prospective secondary analysis of the Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study.

Objective: The prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is related to its severity and cardiovascular risk factors in both sexes. In women, social isolation, marital stress, sedentary lifestyle and depression predicted CAD progression and outcome within 3 to 5 years. We hypothesised that these behavioral factors would still be associated with all-cause mortality in female patients after 26 years.

Influence of African Swine Fever Virus on Host Gene Transcription within Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Infected Pigs.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) has become a global threat to the pig production industry and has caused enormous economic losses in many countries in recent years. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from pigs infected with ASFV not only express ASFV genes (almost 200 in number) but have altered patterns of host gene expression as well. Both up- and down-regulation of host cell gene expression can be followed using RNAseq on poly(A)+ mRNAs harvested from the PBMCs of pigs collected at different times post-infection.

Fast algorithms for nonlinear and constrained phase retrieval in near-field X-ray holography based on Tikhonov regularization.

Based on phase retrieval, lensless coherent imaging and in particular holography offers quantitative phase and amplitude images. This is of particular importance for spectral ranges where suitable lenses are challenging, such as for hard x-rays. Here, we propose a phase retrieval approach for inline x-ray holography based on Tikhonov regularization applied to the full nonlinear forward model of image formation.

Exposure and Response Prevention in Virtual Reality for Patients with Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: a Case Series.

Exposure therapy in virtual reality is successful in treating anxiety disorders. Studies on exposure and response prevention in virtual reality (VERP) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are rare, and it is unclear whether distress associated with other emotions than anxiety (e.g.

Identification of African Swine Fever Virus Transcription within Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Acutely Infected Pigs.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) has become widespread in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, thereby causing extensive economic losses. The viral genome includes nearly 200 genes, but their expression within infected pigs has not been well characterized previously. In this study, four pigs were infected with a genotype II strain (ASFV POL/2015/Podlaskie); blood samples were collected before inoculation and at both 3 and 6 days later.

Infection, recovery and re-infection of farmed mink with SARS-CoV-2.

Mink, on a farm with about 15,000 animals, became infected with SARS-CoV-2. Over 75% of tested animals were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in throat swabs and 100% of tested animals were seropositive. The virus responsible had a deletion of nucleotides encoding residues H69 and V70 within the spike protein gene as well as the A22920T mutation, resulting in the Y453F substitution within this protein, seen previously in mink.