The effectiveness of virtual reality training on knowledge, skills and attitudes of health care professionals and students in assessing and treating mental health disorders: a systematic review.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) training can enhance health professionals' learning. However, there are ambiguous findings on the effectiveness of VR as an educational tool in mental health. We therefore reviewed the existing literature on the effectiveness of VR training on health professionals' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in assessing and treating patients with mental health disorders.

Cannabidiol inhibits neuroinflammatory responses and circuit-associated synaptic loss following damage to a songbird vocal pre-motor cortical-like region.

The non-euphorigenic phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) has been used successfully to treat childhood-onset epilepsies. These conditions are associated with developmental delays that often include vocal learning. Zebra finch song, like language, is a complex behavior learned during a sensitive period of development.

Developmental treatments with Δ- tetrahydrocannabinol and the MAGL inhibitor JZL184 persistently alter adult cocaine conditioning in contrasting ways.

Using a songbird, zebra finches, as a developmental drug abuse model we found previously that cannabinoid agonists administered during the sensorimotor period of vocal learning (50-75 days of age) persistently alter song patterns and cocaine responsiveness in adulthood. However, these effects were not produced in adults exposed to similar treatment regimens. Currently, we have used the MAGL inhibitor, JZL184, to test whether enhanced endocannabinoid signaling may similarly alter cocaine responsiveness.

Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol Differentially Alters Cannabidiol Efficacy in Recovery of Phonology and Syntax Following Damage to a Songbird Cortical-Like Brain Region.

There are few vocal learning animals that are suitable for laboratory study, and so songbirds have unique utility for evaluating drug effects on behavior learned during a critical period of development. We previously found that purified botanically-derived cannabidiol (CBD, ≥98%) mitigates effects of partial ablation of zebra finch HVC, a pre-vocal motor cortical region. Here we expand prior work to determine ability of the euphorigenic cannabis constituent, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to modulate CBD efficacy.

CB antagonism increases excitatory synaptogenesis in a cortical spheroid model of fetal brain development.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a complex role in the development of neural circuitry during fetal brain development. The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB) controls synaptic strength at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses and thus contributes to the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling. Imbalances in the ratio of excitatory to inhibitory synapses have been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders associated with dysregulated central nervous system development including autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.

High levels of the openness trait are associated with better parental reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorders.

Aims: Mothers with substance use disorders (SUD) often show impairments in parental reflective functioning (PRF), which may have adverse effects on their capacity for sensitive caregiving. Parenting personality is also associated with caregiving. However, no studies have investigated how these individual factors may contribute to variance in PRF in mothers with SUD.

Randomized Phase II Study with Cetuximab in Combination with 5-FU and Cisplatin or Carboplatin vs. Cetuximab in Combination with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin for Treatment of Patients with Relapsed or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (CETMET Trial).

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy with cetuximab is the standard of care for relapsed or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The aim of this trial was to investigate whether cetuximab and paclitaxel/carboplatin can achieve similar progression-free survival (PFS) with standard cetuximab and 5-FU/platinum-based chemotherapy. Standard chemotherapy treatment for SCCHN is related to severe toxicity and new, less toxic regimens are needed.

Trauma in childhood and adolescence and impaired executive functions are associated with uncertain reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorder.

Aims: Impairments in reflective functioning are known to have adverse effects on the ability to display sensitive parenting as a caregiver. Several factors are associated with impairments in reflective functioning, such as impaired executive functioning and experienced trauma. We investigated how these factors contribute to an impaired reflective functioning style, such as pathological certain or uncertain reflective functioning.

Delta-9-THC exposure during zebra finch sensorimotor vocal learning increases cocaine reinforcement in adulthood.

Zebra finches are songbirds that learn vocal patterns during a sensitive period of development that approximates adolescence. Exposure of these animals to a cannabinoid agonist during their period of sensorimotor vocal learning alters song patterns produced in adulthood. Thus, songbirds have unique value in studying developmental effects of drug exposure on a naturally learned behavior.

Cannabidiol improves vocal learning-dependent recovery from, and reduces magnitude of deficits following, damage to a cortical-like brain region in a songbird pre-clinical animal model.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-euphorigenic compound derived from Cannabis, shows promise for improving recovery following cerebral ischemia and has recently been shown effective for the treatment of childhood seizures caused by Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Given evidence for activity to mitigate effects of CNS insult and dysfunction, we considered the possibility that CBD may also protect and improve functional recovery of a complex learned behavior. To test this hypothesis, we have applied a songbird, the adult male zebra finch, as a novel pre-clinical animal model.

The association between executive functioning and parental stress and psychological distress is mediated by parental reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorder.

Mothers with a substance use disorder (SUD) have been found to exhibit heightened experience of stress and deficits in executive functioning (EF) and in parental reflective functioning (PRF). Although experiences of stress, EF and PRF are important for caregiving capacities; no studies have explored associations between the phenomena in mothers with SUD. This study aimed to examine the association between EF (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) and different forms of stress (parental stress, general life stress, and psychological distress) in 43 mothers with SUD with infants.

Dosimetric Impact of MRI Distortions: A Study on Head and Neck Cancers.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) geometric distortions on head and neck radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP) for an MRI-only RTP. We also assessed the potential benefits of patient-specific shimming to reduce the magnitude of MR distortions for a 3-T scanner.

Methods And Materials: Using an in-house Matlab algorithm, shimming within entire imaging volumes and user-defined regions of interest were simulated.

Association between IL-6 production in synovial explants from rheumatoid arthritis patients and clinical and imaging response to biologic treatment: A pilot study.

Introduction: The need for biomarkers which can predict disease course and treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is evident. We explored whether clinical and imaging responses to biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment (bDMARD) were associated with the individual's mediator production in explants obtained at baseline.

Methods: RA Patients were evaluated by disease activity score 28 joint C-reactive protein (DAS 28-)), colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) and 3 Tesla RA magnetic resonance imaging scores (RAMRIS).

Adverse and adaptive childhood experiences are associated with parental reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorder.

Mothers with a substance use disorder (SUD) are at risk for maladaptive parenting practices, and have heightened likelihood of having experienced childhood adversity themselves. In addition, parental reflective functioning (PRF), a capacity underlying sensitive caregiving, is often low in mothers with SUD. This study examines the relationship between PRF and aversive (emotional, physical, sexual abuse and neglect) and adaptive (safety and competence) experiences, in different developmental phases (early childhood, latency, and adolescence) in mothers with a SUD.

MR and CT data with multiobserver delineations of organs in the pelvic area-Part of the Gold Atlas project.

Purpose: We describe a public dataset with MR and CT images of patients performed in the same position with both multiobserver and expert consensus delineations of relevant organs in the male pelvic region. The purpose was to provide means for training and validation of segmentation algorithms and methods to convert MR to CT like data, i.e.

Inhibition of histone H3K27 demethylases selectively modulates inflammatory phenotypes of natural killer cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes, important in immune surveillance and elimination of stressed, transformed, or virus-infected cells. They critically shape the inflammatory cytokine environment to orchestrate interactions of cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Some studies have reported that NK cell activation and cytokine secretion are controlled epigenetically but have yielded only limited insight into the mechanisms.

Sp1 phosphorylation by ATM downregulates BER and promotes cell elimination in response to persistent DNA damage.

ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) is a central molecule for DNA quality control. Its activation by DNA damage promotes cell-cycle delay, which facilitates DNA repair prior to replication. On the other hand, persistent DNA damage has been implicated in ATM-dependent cell death via apoptosis; however, the mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive.

Parental reflective functioning and executive functioning in mothers with substance use disorder.

Having a substance use disorder (SUD) may adversely affect caregiving capacities. Reflective functioning (RF) and executive functioning (EF) are both important capacities for sensitive parenting, and are often impaired in a SUD. Only a few studies have explored the possible association between the two phenomena.

Cannabinoids Modulate Neuronal Activity and Cancer by CB1 and CB2 Receptor-Independent Mechanisms.

Cannabinoids include the active constituents of or are molecules that mimic the structure and/or function of these -derived molecules. Cannabinoids produce many of their cellular and organ system effects by interacting with the well-characterized CB1 and CB2 receptors. However, it has become clear that not all effects of cannabinoid drugs are attributable to their interaction with CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Chronic CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonism persistently increases dendritic spine densities in brain regions important to zebra finch vocal learning and production in an antidepressant-sensitive manner.

During typical late-postnatal CNS development, net reductions in dendritic spine densities are associated with activity-dependent learning. Prior results showed agonist exposure in young animals increased spine densities in a subset of song regions while adult exposures did not, suggesting endocannabinoid signaling regulates dendritic spine dynamics important to vocal development. Here we addressed this question using the CB1 receptor-selective antagonist SR141716A (SR) to disrupt endocannabinoid signaling both during and after vocal learning.

Dysphagia - Results from multivariable predictive modelling on aspiration from a subset of the ARTSCAN trial.

Purpose: To establish predictive models for late objective aspiration and late patient-reported choking based on dose-volume parameters and baseline patient and treatment characteristics, for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing definitive radiotherapy (RT). The impact of electively treated volume on late aspiration was also investigated.

Methods And Material: This prospective cohort is a subsample of 124 survivors from the ARTSCAN study.

A national approach for automated collection of standardized and population-based radiation therapy data in Sweden.

Purpose: To develop an infrastructure for structured and automated collection of interoperable radiation therapy (RT) data into a national clinical quality registry.

Materials And Methods: The present study was initiated in 2012 with the participation of seven of the 15 hospital departments delivering RT in Sweden. A national RT nomenclature and a database for structured unified storage of RT data at each site (Medical Information Quality Archive, MIQA) have been developed.

Treatment of stage I seminoma, with one course of adjuvant carboplatin or surveillance, risk-adapted recommendations implementing patient autonomy: a report from the Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group (SWENOTECA).

Background: The purpose of the protocol was to reduce the treatment burden in clinical stage I (CSI) seminoma by offering risk-adapted treatment. The protocol aimed to prospectively validate the proposed risk factors for relapse, stromal invasion of the rete testis and tumor diameter >4 cm, and to evaluate the efficacy of one course of adjuvant carboplatin.

Patients And Methods: From 2007 to 2010, 897 patients were included in a prospective, population-based, risk-adapted treatment protocol implementing one course of adjuvant carboplatin AUC7 (n = 469) or surveillance (n = 422).

Keeping Mind in Mind: Mentalizing and Executive Functioning in Substance-Abusing Infant Mothers: Effect on Dyadic Relationship and Infant Outcome.

Although it is well documented that maternal substance abuse has a negative effect on the mother-child interaction, less is known about the pathways through which the interaction is compromised. The main objective of this research proposal is to describe an ongoing research project that focuses on associations between maternal executive function and the quality of mother-infant interaction when the mother has a history of substance abuse. We will also investigate the effects of multiple variables, including maternal relationship experiences, personality disposition, parental stress, comorbid mental illness, and addiction severity, on the dyadic interaction and child functioning.