Acrophobia treatment with virtual reality-assisted acceptance and commitment therapy: Two case reports

Exposure has an essential place in the treatment of acrophobia and technology may increase the success of exposure therapies in many ways. We predicted that the integration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Virtual Reality (VR) technology would be beneficial in the treatment of acrophobia and would improve clients' compliance with therapy. This report presents two examples of VR assisted ACT treatment for acrophobia. The process consists of six sessions (one initial interview and five sessions of interventions) for individual therapy. In the first two sessions, functional behavioral analysis and case formulation performed with clients and skills taught to use during exposure sessions. From the second session, VR assisted exposure interventions began to apply with ACT principles. Results showed an expressive improvement for both of the clients. Both clients could complete the virtual behavioral approach task at the end of the treatment, present decreased avoidance strategies and increased value-based behaviors. VR assisted ACT is promising, especially to facilitate exposure treatments

Comprarison of the Performances of Clustering Algorithms on High Resolution Melt Curves of Yeast Species

Studies of microorganisms in pure laboratory culture for over a century have delivered fruitful insights into microbial genetics and physiology, underpinning biotechnology, and molecular biology. Yet most bacteria cannot be or have not been cultured under laboratory conditions. Microorganisms in their natural environments live in complex, mixed, and interdependent microbial communities (e.g. in soil, feces, sewage, rivers, oceans), with key roles in the biosphere. These systems are intimately connected with the big challenges for the future of human existence: agriculture and food production, diet and health, and impact of human communities on the natural environment. Knowledge and understanding of the biodiversity of bacteria is minimal in comparison with the diversity of higher plants and animals, where perhaps 90–99% of all species are known. In stark contrast, it is estimated that less than 1% of bacterial diversity is known. Even in the human microbial ecosystem, which has perhaps been the most studied, hundreds of bacterial species prosper yet the majority have never been cultured and characterized in the laboratory and their significance to health is unknown. The invisible and often neglected bacterial component in natural ecosystems dominates their biological diversity. It often underlies the unpredictable and sometimes deleterious behavior of natural systems when perturbed by human activit

Multi fragment melting analysis system (MFMAS) for one-step identification of lactobacilli

The accurate identification of lactobacilli is essential for the effective management of industrial practices associated with lactobacilli strains, such as the production of fermented foods or probiotic supplements. For this reason, in this study, we proposed the Multi Fragment Melting Analysis System (MFMAS)-lactobacilli based on high resolution melting (HRM) analysis of multiple DNA regions that have high interspecies heterogeneity for fast and reliable identification and characterization of lactobacilli. The MFMAS-lactobacilli is a new and customized version of the MFMAS, which was developed by our research group. MFMAS-lactobacilli is a combined system that consists of i) a ready-to-use plate, which is designed for multiple HRM analysis, and ii) a data analysis software, which is used to characterize lactobacilli species via incorporating machine learning techniques. Simultaneous HRM analysis of multiple DNA fragments yields a fingerprint for each tested strain and the identification is performed by comparing the fingerprints of unknown strains with those of known lactobacilli species registered in the MFMAS. In this study, a total of 254 isolates, which were recovered from fermented foods and probiotic supplements, were subjected to MFMAS analysis, and the results were confirmed by a combination of different molecular techniques. All of the analyzed isolates were exactly differentiated and accurately identified by applying the single-step procedure of MFMAS, and it was determined that all of the tested isolates belonged to 18 different lactobacilli species. The individual analysis of each target DNA region provided identification with an accuracy range from 59% to 90% for all tested isolates. However, when each target DNA region was analyzed simultaneously, perfect discrimination and 100% accurate identification were obtained even in closely related species. As a result, it was concluded that MFMAS-lactobacilli is a multi-purpose method that can be used to differentiate, classify, and identify lactobacilli species. Hence, our proposed system could be a potential alternative to overcome the inconsistencies and difficulties of the current methods

Interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 behaviour on different substrates and denaturation of virions using ethanol: an atomic force microscopy study

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory infection virus that was first detected in Wuhan, China. The virus causes COVID-19 disease and the outbreak was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 virion was first imaged using cryo-electron microscopy by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Atomic Force Microscopy is a unique technique that can allow imaging of biomolecules under different conditions. In this work, we used Atomic Force Microscopy to characterize SARS-CoV-2 on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) and glass coverslip surfaces. We isolated SARS-CoV-2 and drop casted it on coverslip glass and tissue culture polystyrene surfaces. We analyzed height profiles, density, and aggregation behavior of the virion on glass and polystyrene surfaces. We observed the coffee ring effect on the drop casted samples and close packing of virions near the coffee rings on both surfaces with relatively higher virion distribution on the tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) substrates. We compare virion agglomeration on the two types of surfaces. Finally, we applied ethanol disinfectant to virions on the surface to visualize the effect of ethanol and image the ultrastructure of SARS-CoV-2

The relationship between coping styles, depressive symptom levels and caregiver burden in caregivers of children with disability

Engelli çocukların ailelerinin bakım verme durumuna uyumda güçlük yaşayabildikleri ve bakım yükü olarak adlandırılan bu durumun başa çıkma tutumları ile ilişkili olabileceği bildirilmiştir. Çalışmamızda engelli çocukların bakımverenlerinde başa çıkma tutumlarının bakım yükü ve depresyon düzeyleriyle ilişkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmaya 1 Mart 2018 – 1 Mayıs 2018 tarihleri arasında özel bir bakım merkezinde ayaktan takipleri devam etmekte olan engelli çocukların bakımverenlerinden oluşan 84 birey dahil edilmiştir. Katılımcılara sosyo-demografik veri formu, Zarit Bakım Yük Ölçeği (ZBYÖ), Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ), Fonksiyonel Olmayan Tutumlar Ölçeği (FOTÖ-A), Ruminatif Düşünme Biçimi Ölçeği (RDBÖ) ve Başa Çıkma Tutumlarını Değerlendirme Ölçeği (COPE) uygulanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde Pearson korelasyon analizi ve aşamalı çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Pearson Korelasyon Analizi uygulanarak saptanan sonuçlara göre RDBÖ ile BDÖ (r=0,290), FOTÖ (r=0,242) ve COPE alt ölçek puanları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde pozitif yönlü düşük korelasyon saptanırken; ZBYÖ ile BDÖ (r=0,338) ve FOTÖ (r=0,235) ölçek puanları arasında yine istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde pozitif yönlü düşük korelasyon bulunmuştur. Yapılan aşamalı çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi sonucunda ise BDÖ toplam puanı ve eğitim ayının ZBYÖ toplam puanı üzerine pozitif yönde yordayıcı etkisi olduğu, FOTÖ-A, RDBÖ ve COPE alt ölçek toplam puanlarının ise ZBYÖ puanları üzerinde anlamlı yordayıcı etkisi olmadığı görülmüştür. Bakım yükü şiddetinin genel ruminatif düşünme biçimi ile işlevsel olmayan tutumlar ve ara inançlar tarafından yordanmadığını gösteren bulgularımız dikkate alındığında; bakım yükü üzerinde bilişsel süreçlerden ziyade davranışsal başa çıkma yöntemlerinin etkili olduğu ileri sürülebilir. Bakım veren bireylerde kaçınma davranışlarını hedef alan müdahalelerin kullanılması yaşam kalitesini arttırmada etkili olabilir.Parents of children with disabilities may have difficulty in adapting to the caregiving situation and this situation, called caregiver burden, has been reported to be related to coping styles. In our study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between caregiver burden, depression levels and coping styles in caregivers of children with disability. 84 caregivers of children with disability who applied to special care center were included into the study between 1 March 2018 and 1 May 2018. Sociodemographic data form, Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS-A), Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ) and COPE Inventory were applied to the participants. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. According to Pearson Correlation Analysis, while a statistically significant positive correlation was found between RTSQ and BDI (r=0.290), DAS-A (r=0.242) and COPE subscale scores; there was also a statistically significant low positive correlation between ZBI and BDI (r=0.338) and DAS-A (r=0.235). As a result of the multiple linear regression analysis, the BDI total score and the training duration had a positive predictive effect on the total score of ZBI while the total score of the DAS-A, RTSQ, and COPE subscales did not have a significant predictive effect on ZBI. Considering our findings shows that the caregiver burden levels are not predicted by general ruminative thinking and dysfunctional attitudes and intermediate beliefs; it can be said that behavioral coping methods are more effective than cognitive processes on caregiver burden. Interventions targeting avoidance behaviors in may be more effective in improving the quality of life in caregivers