The aim of this systematic review of reviews is to identify mobile text-messaging interventions designed for health improvement and behavior change and to derive recommendations for practice. We have ...compiled and reviewed existing systematic research reviews and meta-analyses to organize and summarize the text-messaging intervention evidence base, identify best-practice recommendations based on findings from multiple reviews, and explore implications for future research. Our review found that the majority of published text-messaging interventions were effective when addressing diabetes self-management, weight loss, physical activity, smoking cessation, and medication adherence for antiretroviral therapy. However, we found limited evidence across the population of studies and reviews to inform recommended intervention characteristics. Although strong evidence supports the value of integrating text-messaging interventions into public health practice, additional research is needed to establish longer-term intervention effects, identify recommended intervention characteristics, and explore issues of cost-effectiveness.
Millions of mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur every year in the United States, with many people subject to multiple head injuries that can lead to chronic behavioral dysfunction. We ...previously reported that mild TBI induced using closed head injuries (CHI) repeated at 24h intervals produced more acute neuron death and glial reactivity than a single CHI, and increasing the length of time between injuries to 48h reduced the cumulative acute effects of repeated CHI. To determine whether repeated CHI is associated with behavioral dysfunction or persistent cellular damage, mice receiving either five CHI at 24h intervals, five CHI at 48h intervals, or five sham injuries at 24h intervals were evaluated across a 10 week period after injury. Animals with repeated CHI exhibited motor coordination and memory deficits, but not gait abnormalities when compared to sham animals. At 10wks post-injury, no notable neuron loss or glial reactivity was observed in the cortex, hippocampus, or corpus callosum. Argyrophilic axons were found in the pyramidal tract of some injured animals, but neither silver stain accumulation nor inflammatory responses in the injury groups were statistically different from the sham group in this region. However, argyrophilic axons, microgliosis and astrogliosis were significantly increased within the optic tract of injured animals. Repeated mild CHI also resulted in microgliosis and a loss of neurofilament protein 200 in the optic nerve. Lengthening the inter-injury interval from 24h to 48h did not effectively reduce these behavioral or cellular responses. These results suggest that repeated mild CHI results in persistent behavioral dysfunction and chronic pathological changes within the visual system, neither of which was significantly attenuated by lengthening the inter-injury interval from 24h to 48h.
To assess whether cognitive behavioural (CB) approaches improve disability, pain, quality of life and/or work disability for patients with low back pain (LBP) of any duration and of any age.
Nine ...databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to November 2014. Two independent reviewers rated trial quality and extracted trial data. Standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for individual trials. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model for two contrasts: CB versus no treatment (including wait-list and usual care (WL/UC)), and CB versus other guideline-based active treatment (GAT).
The review included 23 studies with a total of 3359 participants. Of these, the majority studied patients with persistent LBP (>6 weeks; n=20). At long term follow-up, the pooled SMD for the WL/UC comparison was -0.19 (-0.38, 0.01) for disability, and -0.23 (-0.43, -0.04) for pain, in favour of CB. For the GAT comparison, at long term the pooled SMD was -0.83 (-1.46, -0.19) for disability and -0.48 (-0.93, -0.04) for pain, in favour of CB. While trials varied considerably in methodological quality, and in intervention factors such as provider, mode of delivery, dose, duration, and pragmatism, there were several examples of lower intensity, low cost interventions that were effective.
CB interventions yield long-term improvements in pain, disability and quality of life in comparison to no treatment and other guideline-based active treatments for patients with LBP of any duration and of any age.
PROSPERO protocol registration number: CRD42014010536.
RNA-binding proteins play fundamental roles in the regulation of molecular processes critical to cellular and organismal homeostasis. Recent studies have identified the RNA-binding protein Ataxin-2 ...as a genetic determinant or risk factor for various diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia type II (SCA2) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), amongst others. Here, we first discuss the increasingly wide-ranging molecular functions of Ataxin-2, from the regulation of RNA stability and translation to the repression of deleterious accumulation of the RNA-DNA hybrid-harbouring R-loop structures. We also highlight the broader physiological roles of Ataxin-2 such as in the regulation of cellular metabolism and circadian rhythms. Finally, we discuss insight from clinically focused studies to shed light on the impact of molecular and physiological roles of Ataxin-2 in various human diseases. We anticipate that deciphering the fundamental functions of Ataxin-2 will uncover unique approaches to help cure or control debilitating and lethal human diseases.
International clinical practice guidelines for low back pain (LBP) contain consistent recommendations including universal provision of information and advice to remain active, discouraging routine ...referral for imaging, and limited prescription of opioids. This systematic review describes usual care provided by first-contact physicians to patients with LBP. Studies that reported the assessments and care provided to people with LBP in family practice and emergency departments (EDs) from January 2000 to May 2019 were identified by searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Study quality was assessed with reference to representativeness of samples, potential misclassification of patients, potential misclassification of outcomes, inconsistent data and precision of the estimate, and the findings of high-quality studies were prioritized in the data synthesis. We included 26 studies that reported data from almost 195,000 patients: 18 from family practice, and 8 from EDs. Less than 20% of patients with LBP received evidence-based information and advice from their family practitioner. Around 1 in 4 patients with LBP received referral for imaging in family practice and 1 in 3 in EDs. Up to 30% of patients with LBP were prescribed opioids in family practice and up to 60% in EDs. Large numbers of patients who saw a physician for LBP received care that is inconsistent with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Usual care included overuse of imaging and opioid prescription and underuse of advice and information. Suboptimal care may contribute to the massive burden of the condition worldwide.
Objective. The primary purposes of this study were to determine the extent to which multitasking affects the speed and accuracy with which Doctor of Pharmacy students identify prescription errors and ...whether there is a relationship between students’ self-perception of their multitasking ability and their actual ability.
Methods. One hundred twenty-one second-year pharmacy students enrolled in the required course Introduction to Dosage Forms spent one week in an experimental (multitasking) condition and one week in a control (undistracted) condition. Subjects were given 10 minutes to check 10 prescriptions and record any identified filling errors. A cellular phone was placed in each room. Subjects in the experimental (multitasking) condition answered a call from a researcher posing as a talkative customer during the prescription-checking task while subjects in the control condition were not interrupted by a cell phone call during the task. Subjects’ completion times and accuracy were recorded.
Results. When subjects were multitasking, they took significantly longer to complete the prescription-checking task than when they were not multitasking. Furthermore, when subjects were multitasking, they scored significantly lower on the prescription-checking task than when they were not multitasking. Finally, students’ self-perceptions of their multitasking abilities were not related to the speed with which they completed the prescription-checking task nor to their accuracy.
Conclusion. Multitasking negatively affects speed and accuracy of prescription verification in student pharmacists. Our procedure can be used as an in-class activity to demonstrate the limits of attention and to shape how future pharmacists practice.
Phase Separation as a Melting Pot for DNA Repeats Hall, Amanda C.; Ostrowski, Lauren A.; Mekhail, Karim
Trends in genetics,
August 2019, 2019-08-00, 20190801, Letnik:
35, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Genome expression and stability are dependent on biological processes that control repetitive DNA sequences and nuclear compartmentalization. The phase separation of macromolecules has recently ...emerged as a major player in the control of biological pathways. Here, we summarize recent studies that collectively reveal intersections between phase separation, repetitive DNA elements, and nuclear compartments. These intersections modulate fundamental processes, including gene expression, DNA repair, and cellular lifespan, in the context of health and diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.
The function and stability of rDNA repeats is intimately linked to the phase separation of various nucleolar factors.By creating Cajal bodies or chromosome end shields, phase separation modulates the length of telomeres and their crosstalk with the DNA damage response.Intersections between phase-separated nuclear compartments and factors encoded by mobile genetic elements impact genome stability and cellular lifespan.Aberrant phase transition of factors linked to diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration, intersects with repetitive DNA loci and their nuclear compartments.
The working alliance, or collaborative bond, between client and psychotherapist has been found to be related to outcome in psychotherapy.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the ...working alliance is related to outcome in physical rehabilitation settings.
A sensitive search of 6 databases identified a total of 1,600 titles.
Prospective studies of patients undergoing physical rehabilitation were selected for this systematic review.
For each included study, descriptive data regarding participants, interventions, and measures of alliance and outcome-as well as correlation data for alliance and outcomes-were extracted.
Thirteen studies including patients with brain injury, musculoskeletal conditions, cardiac conditions, or multiple pathologies were retrieved. Various outcomes were measured, including pain, disability, quality of life, depression, adherence, and satisfaction with treatment. The alliance was most commonly measured with the Working Alliance Inventory, which was rated by both patient and therapist during the third or fourth treatment session. The results indicate that the alliance is positively associated with: (1) treatment adherence in patients with brain injury and patients with multiple pathologies seeking physical therapy, (2) depressive symptoms in patients with cardiac conditions and those with brain injury, (3) treatment satisfaction in patients with musculoskeletal conditions, and (4) physical function in geriatric patients and those with chronic low back pain.
Among homogenous studies, there were insufficient reported data to allow pooling of results.
From this review, the alliance between therapist and patient appears to have a positive effect on treatment outcome in physical rehabilitation settings; however, more research is needed to determine the strength of this association.
Previous research indicates that students' classroom laptop use distracts their peers and negatively affects the learning of their neighbors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ...types of activities that laptop users undertake (i.e., on-task note-taking versus off-task Web browsing) differentially affect their neighbors' learning. Sixty-two participants listened to a lecture in a classroom setting while seated either in front of, to the left of, to the right of, or behind a laptop-using confederate who switched from taking notes on their computer to browsing the internet at specified points during the lecture. Participants performed better on post-lecture quiz questions that asked about material covered while the confederate was on task than those that asked about material covered while the confederate was off task. This effect was comparable regardless of where participants sat in relation to the confederate. Our results support previous evidence that students' laptop use distracts neighboring students and expands on prior literature by further demonstrating that the types of activities that laptop users engage in during lecture matters for all neighboring students’ comprehension of material.
•Students' classroom laptop use negatively affects their neighbors' learning.•We examined whether this effect depends on whether laptop users are on or off task.•Off task laptop use was more detrimental to neighbors' learning than on task use.•This was true regardless of where neighbors sat relative to the laptop user.•Results support technology bans or incentives to reduce classroom technology use.
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