Requirement of Activation for Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Although _in vitro_ models of human hepatitis B virus replication are established, so far none could approximate infection efficiency as expected from _in vivo_ observations. Susceptibility for HBV infections has only been reported for primary hepatocytes of human, chimpanzee or Tupaia belangeri and the cell line HepaRG. Here we show that the insusceptible human hepatoma cell line HepG2 can be infected, when the virus was beforehand activated by passage over whole duck liver cell cultures. That suggests an activation step to be performed by specialized liver cells

Requirement of Activation for Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Although _in vitro_ models of human hepatitis B virus replication are established, so far none could approximate infection efficiency as expected from _in vivo_ observations. Susceptibility for HBV infections has only been reported for primary hepatocytes of human, chimpanzee or Tupaia belangeri and the cell line HepaRG. Here we show that the insusceptible human hepatoma cell line HepG2 can be infected, when the virus was beforehand activated by passage over whole duck liver cell cultures. That suggests an activation step to be performed by specialized liver cells

Evaluating the Relationship between Supervisor Self-Efficacy and Competence and the Supervisory Relationship: A Mediation Model

The practice of supervision has several implications for the future of mental health. Despite these implications and a recent movement towards competency-based supervision, little research has been done on the construct of competency in supervision. This may be partially related to a lack of consensus as to what defines competency in supervision. Nevertheless, within the supervisory relationship, a supervisee’s perception that the supervisor is competent plays a role in the quality of the supervisory relationship. Additionally, it is hypothesized that a supervisor’s self-efficacy serves as a precursor for competency, indicating that a supervisor’s self-efficacy may influence their competence, and thereby influence the quality of the supervisory relationship. Given the lack of research regarding a supervisor’s self-efficacy, supervisor competence, and the supervisory relationship, this study examined the relationship between supervisor self-efficacy, supervisor competence, and the supervisory relationship. The results suggested that there was not a statistically significant correlation between supervisor self-efficacy and the supervisory relationship. This study also examined the correlation between supervisor competence and the supervisory relationship, finding a strong, statistically significant correlation between both variables. Finally, it was hypothesized that a supervisor’s competence would significantly mediate the relationship between a supervisor’s self-efficacy and the supervisory relationship. The results indicated that there was no interaction between self-efficacy and the supervisory relationship when supervisor competence served as a mediator

Neural Memory Decoding with EEG Data and Representation Learning

We describe a method for the neural decoding of memory from EEG data. Using this method, a concept being recalled can be identified from an EEG trace with an average top-1 accuracy of about 78.4% (chance 4%). The method employs deep representation learning with supervised contrastive loss to map an EEG recording of brain activity to a low-dimensional space. Because representation learning is used, concepts can be identified even if they do not appear in the training data set. However, reference EEG data must exist for each such concept. We also show an application of the method to the problem of information retrieval. In neural information retrieval, EEG data is captured while a user recalls the contents of a document, and a list of links to predicted documents is produced.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figure

Low-Dose Radiotherapy of Painful Heel Spur/Plantar Fasciitis as an Example of Treatment Effects in Benign Diseases

Degenerative changes in the plantar fascia may cause the so‐called “painful heel” with typical projections of tenderness. This condition is often associated with a plantar heel spur. Radiotherapy with low doses (LD‐EBRT) has been well known for its anti‐inflammatory potential. In the recent years, several microbiological mechanisms were elucidated to explain immunomodulation by LD‐EBRT. Furthermore, a randomized study proved the clinical efficacy of this therapy in plantar fasciitis. Two other trials defined a fractionation schedule of 6 × 0.5 Gy twice weekly as the new standard therapy. Taken together, LD‐EBRT is an effective and safe therapeutic option for patients over 30 years of age and after exclusion of pregnancy. In case of an insufficient response, a second course can be offered to the patient. There are still open questions concerning target volume definition and fractionation of LD‐EBRT. Furthermore, studies randomizing LD‐EBRT with other conservative therapeutic approaches are missing

Effects of COVID-19 at Lake Carl Blackwell

COVID-19 had a major impact on many facets of life including the recreation habits of the public. Outdoor recreation was considered to be a safer alternative to indoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lake Carl Black is a park managed by Oklahoma State University that provides a recreational area for residents and visitors of Stillwater, Oklahoma. This study analyzed the number of general recreation passes and camping permits purchased the year before the pandemic and the years during the pandemic (January 2019 – May 2022) using an ANOVA test to determine if there was a significant difference in attendance and use. The amount of boating, personal watercraft, and equestrian, passes and permits purchased were also measured to how the pandemic had affected recreation participation at Lake Carl Blackwell

What are doctors’ views of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and has this changed since 1970 until the present, 2009?

There are notable differences between the dominant Western medical model of health and the model of CAM, and looking at these differences may provide a greater understanding around doctors’ views towards CAM and its place in the wider health system. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a systematic literature review into how doctors view complementary and alternative medicine, and to see if this has changed since the 1970s through to 2009. A systematic review of the literature was conducted, mainly using online original research Journal articles from medical databases. The internet was the main tool used in locating data, and literature was included or excluded based on relevance. This was evaluated on the relevance of time period, such as 1970, subject, such as chiropractic, or theme, such as attitudes of doctors to CAM. Literature from the 1970s was scarce on this research question, but this review noted a significant increase in literature on this topic since the 1990s, identifying this research area as a relatively new field of study, with much potential for further exploration into beliefs and attitudes of doctors towards CAM. Scientific research papers that were published highlighted a strong emphasis towards doctors’ requirement for further scientific research on the efficacy of CAM. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were the preferred method of testing; however this review also discusses appropriate methodology to test both CAM and doctors’ views and beliefs. The difference between the Western medical model and the CAM model highlights the differences between both concepts; from which this author provides a possible interpretation of doctors’ indifferent views towards CAM using the psychological theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957). This theory suggests that a person cannot hold two conflicting beliefs simultaneously, without the presence of cognitive ‘dissonance.’ “The existence of dissonance, being psychologically uncomfortable, will motivate the person to try to reduce the dissonance and achieve consonance” (Festinger, 3: 1957). This systematic review then provides a discussion around how this could explain doctors’ views towards CAM. . This then leads to the question of whether ‘successful integration of Western medicine and CAM is therefore possible’? The systematic review concludes with the highlighting of important issues in regard to the study design and methodology on effectively testing CAM, and on effectively testing doctors’ beliefs: also, the issues around integration and further scientific literature on CAM in a bid to potentially reduce the ‘moderate tone of answering’ that is reported in the literature in regard to doctors’ views towards CAM