279 research outputs found

    A typology of predictive risk factors for non-adherent medication-related behaviors among chronic non-cancer pain patients prescribed opioids: a cohort study

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    Background: There has been no previous prospective examination of the homogeneity of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) patients in risk factors for non-adherent opioid use

    Delivering Health Information via Podcast or Web: Media Effects on Psychosocial and Physiological Responses

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    This study explored differences in psychosocial and physiological variables in response to being presented with information on weight loss through either reading text on a website or listening to the same information via podcast. Participants were randomized to receive a weight loss website (n = 20) or podcast (n = 20). Participants had skin conductance levels measured and completed questionnaire items assessing demographic characteristics, user control, novelty, and knowledge. Participants in the podcast group exhibited greater levels of physiological arousal and reported the intervention to be more novel than those in the Web group; however, the Web group reported greater user control. There was no difference in knowledge between the groups. This study presents the first step in examining the role that novelty and user control may play in two different weight-loss electronic media, as well as differences in knowledge acquisition. Future research should explore adding additional media features, such as video content, to the podcasts and websites in order to optimize fully the different mediums and to examine whether user control and novelty are potential mediators of weight loss outcomes

    Agreement between definitions of pharmaceutical opioid use disorders and dependence in people taking opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (POINT): a cohort study

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    Background Classification of patients with pharmaceutical opioid use disorder and dependence varies depending on which definition is used. We compared how WHO\u27s ICD-10 and proposed ICD-11 and the American Psychiatric Association\u27s DSM-IV and DSM-5 classified individuals in a community-based sample of Australians with chronic non-cancer pain for which opioids have been prescribed. Methods We studied participants in the Pain and Opioid IN Treatment (POINT) cohort, a 2 year prospective cohort study of 1514 people prescribed pharmaceutical opioids for their chronic pain who were recruited in 2012–13 from community-based pharmacies across Australia. After giving patients the Composite International Diagnostic Interview about their opioid use, we assessed which patients would be categorised as having disorders of pharmaceutical opioid use by ICD-10, the draft ICD-11, DSM-IV, and DSM-5. We examined agreement between classification systems, and tested the unidimensionality of the syndrome with confirmatory factor analysis. Findings We included 1422 participants (median time of pain disorder 10 years [IQR 5–20]; median length of strong opioid prescription 4 years [IQR 1·5–10·0]; mean age 58 years). Similar proportions of individuals met lifetime criteria for dependence with DSM-IV (127; 8·9%), ICD-10 (121; 8·5%), and ICD-11 (141; 9·9%). Criteria in DSM-5 classified 127 (8·9%) participants with moderate or severe use disorder. There was excellent agreement between ICD-10, ICD-11 and DSM-IV dependence (κ\u3e0·90). However, there was only fair to moderate agreement between ICD-10 and DSM-IV dependence diagnoses, and DSM-5 use disorder (mild, moderate, or severe). There was only good agreement between moderate to severe use disorder in DSM-5 and the other definitions. Criteria for all definitions loaded well on a single factor; the best model fit was for the definition for dependence in the draft ICD-11, the worst was in DSM-5. Interpretation Classification of problematic pharmaceutical opioid use varies across editions of ICD and DSM. The much lower levels of agreement between DSM-5 and other definitions than between other definitions might be attributed to DSM-5 containing an increased number of criteria and treating dependence and problematic use as a continuum. The more parsimonious ICD-11 dependence definition showed excellent model fit and excellent agreement with previous classificatory systems

    Diversion of prescribed opioids by people living with chronic pain: Results from an Australian community sample

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    Introduction and Aims There has been an increase in prescription of opioids for chronic non‐cancer pain, and concern exists over possible diversion of prescription opioids to the illicit marketplace. Recent media coverage suggests that elderly patients sell their prescribed opioids for additional income. This study investigated the extent to which an Australian community sample of chronic pain patients prescribed opioids reported supplying their prescribed opioids to others. Design and Methods Participants living with chronic non‐cancer pain and prescribed opioids for their pain (n = 952) were recruited across Australia via advertisements at pharmacies. A telephone interview included questions about their pain condition and opioid medication. Results Participants had been living with pain for a mean of 14.2 years; most common conditions included chronic back/neck problems and arthritis/rheumatism. Around half (43%) were currently prescribed one opioid, and 55% had been prescribed 2-5 opioids; the most common was oxycodone. Forty‐two participants (4%) reported ever supplying prescribed opioids to another person; one participant reported receiving payment. Participants who supplied opioids to others were younger (odds ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.99) and engaged in a greater number of aberrant behaviours relating to their opioid medication (odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval 1.45-2.17), including tampering with doses, taking opioids by alternative routes, seeing doctors to obtain extra opioids and refilling prescriptions early. Discussion and Conclusion Few people with chronic non‐cancer pain divert their opioids to others. Media reports of elderly patients selling their opioids to supplement their income may be reflective of exceptional cases. Future studies may investigate the extent to which other patient groups divert prescription opioids to the illicit marketplace

    Information Processing Versus Social Cognitive Mediators of Weight Loss in a Podcast-Delivered Health Intervention

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    Podcasting is an emerging technology, and previous interventions have shown promising results using theory-based podcast for weight loss among overweight and obese individuals. This study investigated whether constructs of social cognitive theory and information processing theories (IPTs) mediate the effect of a podcast intervention on weight loss among overweight individuals. Data are from Pounds off Digitally, a study testing the efficacy of two weight loss podcast interventions (control podcast and theory-based podcast). Path models were constructed (n = 66). The IPTs—elaboration likelihood model, information control theory, and cognitive load theory—mediated the effect of a theory-based podcast on weight loss. The intervention was significantly associated with all IPTs. Information control theory and cognitive load theory were related to elaboration, and elaboration was associated with weight loss. Social cognitive theory constructs did not mediate weight loss. Future podcast interventions grounded in theory may be effective in promoting weight loss

    Aboveground carbon biomass estimate with Physics-informed deep network

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    The global carbon cycle is a key process to understand how our climate is changing. However, monitoring the dynamics is difficult because a high-resolution robust measurement of key state parameters including the aboveground carbon biomass (AGB) is required. Here, we use deep neural network to generate a wall-to-wall map of AGB within the Continental USA (CONUS) with 30-meter spatial resolution for the year 2021. We combine radar and optical hyperspectral imagery, with a physical climate parameter of SIF-based GPP. Validation results show that a masked variation of UNet has the lowest validation RMSE of 37.93 ± 1.36 Mg C/ha, as compared to 52.30 ± 0.03 Mg C/ha for random forest algorithm. Furthermore, models that learn from SIF-based GPP in addition to radar and optical imagery reduce validation RMSE by almost 10% and the standard deviation by 40%. Finally, we apply our model to measure losses in AGB from the recent 2021 Caldor wildfire in California, and validate our analysis with Sentinel-based burn index

    Effect of cannabis use in people with chronic non-cancer pain prescribed opioids: findings from a 4-year prospective cohort study

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    Background Interest in the use of cannabis and cannabinoids to treat chronic non-cancer pain is increasing, because of their potential to reduce opioid dose requirements. We aimed to investigate cannabis use in people living with chronic non-cancer pain who had been prescribed opioids, including their reasons for use and perceived effectiveness of cannabis; associations between amount of cannabis use and pain, mental health, and opioid use; the effect of cannabis use on pain severity and interference over time; and potential opioid-sparing effects of cannabis. Methods The Pain and Opioids IN Treatment study is a prospective, national, observational cohort of people with chronic non-cancer pain prescribed opioids. Participants were recruited through community pharmacies across Australia, completed baseline interviews, and were followed up with phone interviews or self-complete questionnaires yearly for 4 years. Recruitment took place from August 13, 2012, to April 8, 2014. Participants were asked about lifetime and past year chronic pain conditions, duration of chronic non-cancer pain, pain self-efficacy, whether pain was neuropathic, lifetime and past 12-month cannabis use, number of days cannabis was used in the past month, and current depression and generalised anxiety disorder. We also estimated daily oral morphine equivalent doses of opioids. We used logistic regression to investigate cross-sectional associations with frequency of cannabis use, and lagged mixed-effects models to examine temporal associations between cannabis use and outcomes. Findings 1514 participants completed the baseline interview and were included in the study from Aug 20, 2012, to April 14, 2014. Cannabis use was common, and by 4-year follow-up, 295 (24%) participants had used cannabis for pain. Interest in using cannabis for pain increased from 364 (33%) participants (at baseline) to 723 (60%) participants (at 4 years). At 4-year follow-up, compared with people with no cannabis use, we found that participants who used cannabis had a greater pain severity score (risk ratio 1·14, 95% CI 1·01-1·29, for less frequent cannabis use; and 1·17, 1·03-1·32, for daily or near-daily cannabis use), greater pain interference score (1·21, 1·09-1·35; and 1·14, 1·03-1·26), lower pain self-efficacy scores (0·97, 0·96-1·00; and 0·98, 0·96-1·00), and greater generalised anxiety disorder severity scores (1·07, 1·03-1·12; and 1·10, 1·06-1·15). We found no evidence of a temporal relationship between cannabis use and pain severity or pain interference, and no evidence that cannabis use reduced prescribed opioid use or increased rates of opioid discontinuation. Interpretation Cannabis use was common in people with chronic non-cancer pain who had been prescribed opioids, but we found no evidence that cannabis use improved patient outcomes. People who used cannabis had greater pain and lower self-efficacy in managing pain, and there was no evidence that cannabis use reduced pain severity or interference or exerted an opioid-sparing effect. As cannabis use for medicinal purposes increases globally, it is important that large well designed clinical trials, which include people with complex comorbidities, are conducted to determine the efficacy of cannabis for chronic non-cancer pain

    Pounds Off Digitally Study: A Randomized Podcasting Weight Loss Intervention

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    As obesity rates rise, new weight loss methods are needed. Little is known about the use of podcasting (audio files for a portable music player or computer) to promote weight loss, despite its growing popularity

    The Grizzly, October 23, 2008

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    Professors\u27 Performance to Jazz Up Your Friday Night • Cafe Nia Event Brings Spirit of Poetry to Homecoming • Active Minds to Spread Mental Health Awareness at UC • Safe to Use Internet to Play Doctor? • UC Popularity Growing Steadily • Stand Up: STAND Rallies Ursinus Students for Darfur • Another Night of Artistry in Philadelphia • Omega Chi Blood Drive Takes the UC Campus by Storm, Highest Turnout Yet • Alpha Paintball Company: Fun for the Whole Family • Assassins Players Still on the Lookout • Opinions: GSA Members Call for Respect; Breakaway Presents Ten Minute Play Festival, Take Two • Senior Spotlight: Lisa Clark, Senior Women\u27s Soccer Playerhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1772/thumbnail.jp
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