In a recent development of a fully digital spectrometer for time differential perturbed angular correlations a true constant fraction trigger (CFT) algorithm was implemented that, however, allowed ...for integer delays, i.e. integer multiples of the sampling interval, only. With a sampling rate of 1GS/s and BaF2 scintillators this turned out to be insufficient. Here, we present an extension of the algorithm to fractional delays implemented in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Furthermore, we derive a criterion for the delay for optimum timing based on the steepest slope of the CFT signal. Experimental data are given for LaBr3(Ce) scintillators and 511keV–511keV prompt coincidences that corroborate the theoretical result.
Aggressive and disruptive behavior in inpatient settings poses a serious challenge for clinical staff and fellow patients. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify different aspects of aggressive ...and disruptive behavior in the context of an aberrant self-esteem or clinically manifested depression as potentially influencing factors. We collected self-reported data from 282 psychiatric patients ICD-10 diagnoses for alcohol dependency, schizophrenia or major depressive disorder (MDD) and compared it to healthy norm groups. As expected, all three patient groups scored higher in the aggression questionnaires than the norm group. Specifically, patients with MDD exhibited significantly higher externally directed aggression, reactive aggression, and irritability compared to controls. Patients with schizophrenia displayed higher irritability, while all three groups showed distinctly higher self-aggressiveness than healthy persons. We found a lower inhibition of aggression in alcohol dependent subjects compared to both the patient groups and the norm sample. Yet, the higher the self-esteem among alcohol dependent and MDD patients, the lower were their aggression scores; similarly, a lower self-esteem among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia resulted in heighten self-aggressiveness. Thus, our data suggests that therapeutic interventions for strengthening self-esteem in patients with a diagnosis of MDD, alcohol dependency or schizophrenia could reduce certain aspects of aggressive behavior. Therefore, it seems conceivable that strengthening self-esteem in psychiatric patients could contribute to the prevention of violence in clinical practice.
Purpose
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most frequent form of malignant diseases in women worldwide and over 150,000 women die from it every year. More than 70 percent of all ovarian cancer patients ...are diagnosed at a late-stage disease with poor prognosis necessitating the development of sufficient screening biomarkers. MicroRNAs displayed promising potential as early diagnostics in various malignant diseases including ovarian cancer. The presented study aimed at identifying single microRNAs and microRNA combinations detecting ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo.
Methods
Intracellular, extracellular and urinary microRNA expression levels of twelve microRNAs (let-7a, let-7d, miR-10a, miR-15a, miR-15b, miR-19b, miR-20a, miR-21, miR-100, miR-125b, miR-155, miR-222) were quantified performing quantitative real-time-PCR. Therefore, the three ovarian cancer cell lines SK-OV-3, OAW-42, EFO-27 as well as urine samples of ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls were analyzed.
Results
MiR-15a, miR-20a and miR-222 showed expression level alterations extracellularly, whereas miR-125b did intracellularly across the analyzed cell lines. MicroRNA expression alterations in single cell lines suggest subtype specificity in both compartments. Hypoxia and acidosis showed scarce effects on single miRNA expression levels only. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate the feasibility to clearly detect the 12 miRNAs in urine samples. In urine, miR-15a was upregulated whereas let-7a was down-regulated in ovarian cancer patients.
Conclusion
Intracellular, extracellular and urinary microRNA expression alterations emphasize their great potential as biomarkers in liquid biopsies. Especially, miR-15a and let-7a qualify for possible circulating biomarkers in liquid biopsies of ovarian cancer patients.
Introduction
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression and contribute to the development of cancer. They have been shown to be stable in tissue samples and may be promising ...diagnostic biomarkers for endometrial cancer.
Material and methods
A retrospective cohort study of women diagnosed with endometrial cancer between January 2017 and December 2017 was performed at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Archived formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded samples were obtained from patients with endometrial cancer and healthy women. MicroRNA was isolated and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect expression levels of miRNAs.
Results
A total of 76 women were included: 36 endometrial cancer patients, 40 healthy controls. A distinct panel of miR‐200a, miR‐200b, miR‐200c, miR‐205, and miR‐182 showed an area under the curve of 0.958, sensitivity 92%, specificity 89%, positive predictive value of 89% (95% CI 82%–94%) and negative predictive value of 91% (95% CI 85%–96%) in diagnosing endometrial cancer. High miR‐182 expression levels were significantly related to high‐grade endometrioid tumors compared with low‐grade tumors.
Conclusions
We demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy of miRNA for detecting endometrial cancer. In addition, miRNA contributed to an improvement in distinguishing between high‐grade and low‐grade endometrioid tumors.
Objective According to the stress-toxicity hypothesis of depression, hippocampal volumes may diminish as the disease progresses. We sought to examine the changes in hippocampal and amygdala volumes ...at baseline and at 3 years after an acute depressive episode, and the impact of reduced hippocampal volumes on the outcome. Methods In a prospective, longitudinal study, we examined the hippocampus and amygdala of 30 inpatients with major depression from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and 30 healthy participants from the community (control group) using high-resolution magnetic resonance images at baseline and after 3 years. Psychopathology was assessed at baseline, weekly during the inpatient phase and then after 1, 2 and 3 years. Results During the 3-year follow-up period, neither hippocampal nor amygdala volumes changed significantly among patients or participants in the control group. However, in the subgroup of patients who took antidepressants over the full 3 years, the left hippocampal volumes increased significantly. Patients with small hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes had a worse clinical outcome compared with patients with large hippocampal volumes and previous depressive episodes. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that a relatively small hippocampal volume may be a vulnerability factor for a bad treatment response in major depression. Subtle changes in hippocampal volumes may be detectable during continuous antidepressant therapy. Such changes may be the result of neuroplastic processes.
Abstract This study tested whether patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders would differ in three dimensions of psychopathology (language, affectivity and ...motor behavior) as assessed by the Bern Psychopathology Scale (BPS) in a cohort of 58 patients with MDD and 146 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The overall estimation of severity of each of the three dimensions was rated on a seven-point Likert scale from severely inhibited to severely disinhibited. Here, more than half of the patients endorsed ratings that showed normal or mildly (dis-)inhibited behavior. At group level more pronounced negative ratings of affect were seen in MDD. Group comparisons of the severity ratings on language or motor behavior yielded no differences between schizophrenia spectrum disorders and MDD. At the individuals’ levels, extreme ratings in the language and motor dimensions were more frequent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and in the affectivity dimension more frequent in MDD. Shared psychopathological features could be seen across diagnoses , supporting a dimensional approach to psychopathology in endogenous psychoses. However, the groups differ in the severity of affect ratings as well as in the distribution of language, affectivity and motor ratings with more variance among the group of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in breast and gynecological cancer might contribute to improve early detection of female malignancies.
Specification of miRNA types in serum and urine as ...minimally-invasive biomarkers for breast (BC), endometrial (EC) and ovarian cancer (OC).
In a discovery phase, serum and urine samples from 17 BC, five EC and five OC patients vs. ten healthy controls (CTRL) were analyzed with Agilent human miRNA microarray chip. Selected miRNA types were further investigated by RT-qPCR in serum (31 BC, 13 EC, 15 OC patients, 32 CTRL) and urine (25 BC, 10 EC, 10 OC patients, 30 CTRL) applying two-sample t-tests.
Several miRNA biomarker candidates exhibited diagnostic features due to distinctive expression levels (serum: 26; urine: 22). Among these, miR-518b, -4719 and -6757-3p were found specifically deregulated in BC serum. Four, non-entity-specific, novel biomarker candidates with unknown functional roles were identified in urine (miR-3973; -4426; -5089-5p and -6841). RT-qPCR identified miR-484/-23a (all p⩽ 0.001) in serum as potential diagnostic markers for EC and OC while miR-23a may also serve as an endogenous control in BC diagnosis.
Promising miRNAs as liquid biopsy-based tools in the detection of BC, EC and OC qualified for external validation in larger cohorts.
The influence of guideline recommendations and other factors on the utilization of psychosocial interventions in people with severe mental illness was examined.
Data from a cross-sectional study of ...397 people with severe mental illness were analysed descriptively.
Patients are less likely to receive therapies with a strong recommendation compared to other levels of recommendation. Various other factors are diffusely associated with utilization rates, but no ubiquitous predictors could be identified across all therapies.
Current practice in the use of psychosocial interventions does not follow guideline recommendation strength. Interventions with strong recommendations are probably not available across services. Consequently, routine practice is not able to follow guideline recommendations according to their strength. Other consistent predictors could not be identified.
Migration rates increase globally and require an adaption of national mental health services to the needs of persons with migration background. Therefore, we aimed to identify differences between ...persons with and without migratory background regarding (1) treatment satisfaction, (2) needed and received mental healthcare and (3) utilization of mental healthcare.In the context of a cross-sectional multicenter study, inpatients and day hospital patients of psychiatric settings in Southern Germany with severe affective and non-affective psychoses were included. Patients' satisfaction with and their use of mental healthcare services were assessed by VSSS-54 and CSSRI-EU; patients' needs were measured via CAN-EU.In total, 387 participants (migratory background: n = 72; 19%) provided sufficient responses for analyses. Migrant patients were more satisfied with the overall treatment in the past year compared to non-migrant patients. No differences between both groups were identified in met and unmet treatment needs and use of supply services (psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, and psychosocial treatment).Despite a comparable degree of met and unmet treatment needs and mental health service use among migrants and non-migrants, patients with migration background showed higher overall treatment satisfaction compared to non-migrants. The role of sociocultural and migrant-related factors may explain our findings.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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