The Effect of Anger Management and Communication Training on Functional and Quality-of-Life Status in Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. As of yet the specific etiology of this condition remains unknown and successful treatments remain in their infancy. Although several studies have focused on the emotional components of fibromyalgia, none have specifically addressed the issues of communication and anger that appear to be important among this patient population. The objectives of this study were to design a 4-week experimental group therapy treatment based on successful cognitive behavioral components and add anger management and communication components in an attempt to increase benefits to the overall well-being of patients. Subjects were 46 fibromyalgia patients recruited from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists as well as through newspaper, radio, and advertising through flyers. Patients who were accepted into the study were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a wait-list control group, with the control group receiving the treatment in the month following the treatment group. Outcomes were assessed using a repeated measures analysis of variance with one within (time) and one-between subjects (group) factor. The five assessment measures utilized in this study were the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Version 2, the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Survey (CPSS), the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory- 2 (ST AXI-2) and a communication inventory developed specifically for this intervention. Specific outcomes measured included change on fibromyalgia-specific symptoms and physical and emotional health-related status, improvement in communication, change in anger scores, and changes in levels of self-efficacy. Analysis of patient outcome data revealed that significant results were achieved in the areas of mental health and communication variables . In addition, several notable effect sizes were also found, particularly in the areas of vitality (-.97), mental health (-.76) and pain management (-1.17). Results demonstrated that a brief, cost-effective 4-week intervention can have a beneficial impact for FMS patients in the area of psychological function. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of the existing literature on fibromyalgia treatment as well as in terms of possible limitations of the study as it was conducted

Mining Disaggregase Sequence Space to Safely Counter TDP-43, FUS, and α-Synuclein Proteotoxicity.

Hsp104 is an AAA+ protein disaggregase, which can be potentiated via diverse mutations in its autoregulatory middle domain (MD) to mitigate toxic misfolding of TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein implicated in fatal neurodegenerative disorders. Problematically, potentiated MD variants can exhibit off-target toxicity. Here, we mine disaggregase sequence space to safely enhance Hsp104 activity via single mutations in nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) or NBD2. Like MD variants, NBD variants counter TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein toxicity and exhibit elevated ATPase and disaggregase activity. Unlike MD variants, non-toxic NBD1 and NBD2 variants emerge that rescue TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein toxicity. Potentiating substitutions alter NBD1 residues that contact ATP, ATP-binding residues, or the MD. Mutating the NBD2 protomer interface can also safely ameliorate Hsp104. Thus, we disambiguate allosteric regulation of Hsp104 by several tunable structural contacts, which can be engineered to spawn enhanced therapeutic disaggregases with minimal off-target toxicity

An exploratory study into the effects of a 20 minute crushed ice application on knee joint position sense during a small knee bend.

Objectives The effect of cryotherapy on joint positioning presents conflicting debates as to whether individuals are at an increased risk of injury when returning to play or activity immediately following cryotherapy application at the knee. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 20 minute application of crushed ice at the knee immediately affects knee joint position sense during a small knee bend. Design Pre and post-intervention. Setting University movement analysis laboratory. Participants Eleven healthy male participants. Main Outcome Measures Kinematics of the knee were measured during a weight bearing functional task pre and post cryotherapy intervention using three-dimensional motion analysis (Qualisys Medical AB Gothenburg, Sweden). Tissue cooling was measured via a digital thermometer at the knee. Results Results demonstrated significant reductions in the ability to accurately replicate knee joint positioning in both sagittal (P=.035) and coronal (P=.011) planes during the descent phase of a small knee bend following cryotherapy. Conclusion In conclusion a twenty minute application of crushed ice to the knee has an adverse effect on knee joint repositioning. Team doctors, clinicians, therapists and athletes should consider these findings when deciding to return an athlete to functional weight bearing tasks immediately following ice application at the knee, due to the potential increase risk of injury

Teachers' perception of and reflection on students' metacognitive knowledge in mathematical modelling processes

In mathematical modelling, there is general agreement that metacognitive modelling skills are indispensable. Metacognitive modelling competence is often divided into a knowledge aspect and a control aspect of metacognition (Schraw, 2001). However, it is not only relevant for learners but also for teachers. Apart from appropriate reflections on the activities of learners, teachers also focus on the area of appropriate action in relation to the perceived processes. Stillman (2011) has elaborated the concept of meta-metacognition. In this context, the teacher must monitor the metacognitive processes of usually several individual learning groups (Stillman & Galbraith, 2012) and thus reflect on a meta-meta level. The teacher must reflect to what extent students are using metacognitive strategies adequately, but also about the students’ metacognitive knowledge in order to support them. Due to little empirical studies examining how teachers consider their students’ metacognitive knowledge about tasks, persons and strategies, we will examine how, and to what extent, teachers pay attention to students’ metacognitive knowledge when observing and analysing modelling processes. In this chapter, we will present three case studies

Early and persistent \u27extreme delta brush\u27 in a patient with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis

Since its original description in 2007, anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis associated with an ovarian teratoma is an increasingly recognized etiology of previously unexplained encephalopathy and encephalitis. Extreme delta brush (EDB) is a novel electroencephalogram (EEG) finding seen in many patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The presence of this pattern is associated with a more prolonged illness, although the specificity of this pattern is unclear. Additionally, the frequency and sensitivity of EDB in anti-NMDAR encephalitis and its implications for outcome have yet to be determined. We report a patient with early evidence of extreme delta brush and persistence of this pattern 17.5. weeks later with little clinical improvement. © 2014 The Authors

Early and persistent ‘extreme delta brush’ in a patient with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis

Since its original description in 2007, anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis associated with an ovarian teratoma is an increasingly recognized etiology of previously unexplained encephalopathy and encephalitis. Extreme delta brush (EDB) is a novel electroencephalogram (EEG) finding seen in many patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The presence of this pattern is associated with a more prolonged illness, although the specificity of this pattern is unclear. Additionally, the frequency and sensitivity of EDB in anti-NMDAR encephalitis and its implications for outcome have yet to be determined. We report a patient with early evidence of extreme delta brush and persistence of this pattern 17.5 weeks later with little clinical improvement

Re-analysis of archaeobotanical remains from pre- and early agricultural sites provides no evidence for a narrowing of the wild plant food spectrum during the origins of agriculture in southwest Asia

Archaeobotanical evidence from southwest Asia is often interpreted as showing that the spectrum of wild plant foods narrowed during the origins of agriculture, but it has long been acknowledged that the recognition of wild plants as foods is problematic. Here, we systematically combine compositional and contextual evidence to recognise the wild plants for which there is strong evidence of their deliberate collection as food at pre-agricultural and early agricultural sites across southwest Asia. Through sample-by-sample analysis of archaeobotanical remains, a robust link is established between the archaeological evidence and its interpretation in terms of food use, which permits a re-evaluation of the evidence for the exploitation of a broad spectrum of wild plant foods at pre-agricultural sites, and the extent to which this changed during the development of early agriculture. Our results show that relatively few of the wild taxa found at pre- and early agricultural sites can be confidently recognised as contributing to the human diet, and we found no evidence for a narrowing of the plant food spectrum during the adoption of agriculture. This has implications for how we understand the processes leading to the domestication of crops, and points towards a mutualistic relationship between people and plants as a driving force during the development of agriculture

Light aerobic exercise modulates executive function and cortical excitability

Single bouts of aerobic exercise can modulate cortical excitability and executive cognitive function, but less is known about the effect of light‐intensity exercise, an intensity of exercise more achievable for certain clinical populations. Fourteen healthy adults (aged 22 to 30) completed the following study procedures twice (≥7 days apart) before and after 30 min of either light aerobic exercise (cycling) or seated rest: neurocognitive battery (multitasking performance, inhibitory control and spatial working memory), paired‐pulse TMS measures of cortical excitability. Significant improvements in response times during multitasking performance and increases in intracortical facilitation (ICF) were seen following light aerobic exercise. Light aerobic exercise can modulate cortical excitability and some executive function tasks. Populations with deficits in multitasking ability may benefit from this intervention. Light intensity aerobic exercise, suited to populations who may be unable to exercise at higher intensities can modulate multitasking performance and cortical excitability in a facilitative direction. Consistent with previous research, however, this intensity of exercise does not appear to modulate widespread executive functions