Yoga As Therapeutic Intervention with Survivors of Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review

Survivors of sexual abuse state that the experience is harrowing, involving both their body and mind. Traumas like these stimulate the stress response and can result in disjointed memories within both the body and the mind. Working with the felt sensations of the body, in conjunction with more traditional talk based therapies, may help to create clarity within these disjointed memories. This systematic review was designed to explore the research question: What makes yoga a therapeutic intervention with survivors of sexual abuse? The review was set up using peer-reviewed articles and dissertations published after 2005. The databases PsycINFO, Alt HealthWatch and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses were systematically searched using the terms; incest or rape or sexual abuse or intimate partner violence AND yoga or mindfulness or meditation or mind body therapy . Out of these searches, 10 articles and dissertations satisfied criteria for inclusion and were used in the final review. Six themes emerged from the research synthesis regarding what makes yoga a therapeutic intervention with survivors of sexual abuse; 1) establishing a sense of safety, 2) providing choice and a sense of control, 3) addressing the relationship with the body and personal boundaries, 4) yoga and mindfulness as an adjunct treatment with psychotherapy, 5) the use of present mind thinking, and 6) accessibility and self-treatment. The research suggests the importance of including the body in therapeutic work with survivors of sexual abuse. Moving forward, more research is required with survivors of sexual abuse to better understand the therapeutic needs of this population. Exploring potential risks of this form of intervention as well as the relationship between yoga practitioner and mental health provider are also important areas for further study

Yoga As Therapeutic Intervention with Survivors of Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review

Survivors of sexual abuse state that the experience is harrowing, involving both their body and mind. Traumas like these stimulate the stress response and can result in disjointed memories within both the body and the mind. Working with the felt sensations of the body, in conjunction with more traditional talk based therapies, may help to create clarity within these disjointed memories. This systematic review was designed to explore the research question: What makes yoga a therapeutic intervention with survivors of sexual abuse? The review was set up using peer-reviewed articles and dissertations published after 2005. The databases PsycINFO, Alt HealthWatch and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses were systematically searched using the terms; “incest” or “rape” or “sexual abuse” or “intimate partner violence” AND “yoga” or “mindfulness” or “meditation” or “mind body therapy”. Out of these searches, 10 articles and dissertations satisfied criteria for inclusion and were used in the final review. Six themes emerged from the research synthesis regarding what makes yoga a therapeutic intervention with survivors of sexual abuse; 1) establishing a sense of safety, 2) providing choice and a sense of control, 3) addressing the relationship with the body and personal boundaries, 4) yoga and mindfulness as an adjunct treatment with psychotherapy, 5) the use of present mind thinking, and 6) accessibility and self-treatment. The research suggests the importance of including the body in therapeutic work with survivors of sexual abuse. Moving forward, more research is required with survivors of sexual abuse to better understand the therapeutic needs of this population. Exploring potential risks of this form of intervention as well as the relationship between yoga practitioner and mental health provider are also important areas for further study

Stability of Extemporaneously Prepared Sodium Benzoate Oral Suspension

The stability of extemporaneously prepared sodium benzoate oral suspension in cherry syrup and Ora-Sweet was studied. Oral solutions of 250-mg/mL sodium benzoate were prepared in either cherry syrup or Ora-Sweet. To a beaker, 50 grams of Sodium Benzoate Powder USP was dissolved and filtered, the solution was divided equally into two parts, and each aliquot was added into two separate calibrated 100-mL amber vials. In the first vial, cherry syrup was added to make a final volume of 100 mL. In the second vial, Ora-Sweet was added to give a final volume of 100 mL. This process was repeated to prepare three solutions of each kind and all were stored at room temperature. A 250-µL sample was withdrawn immediately after preparation and again at 7, 14, 28, 60, and 90 days for each sample. At each time point, further dilution was made to an expected concentration of 0.25 mg/mL with sample diluent, and the samples were assayed in triplicate by stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography. Stability was defined as the retention of at least 90% of the initial concentration. At least 92% of the initial concentration of sodium benzoate in cherry syrup and at least 96% of the sodium benzoate in Ora-Sweet remained throughout the 90-day study period. There were no detectable changes in color and no visible microbial growth in any sample. Extemporaneously compounded suspensions of sodium benzoate in cherry syrup or Ora-Sweet were stable for at least 90 days when stored in a 4-oz amber plastic bottle at room temperature in reduced lighting

Nkx2-5 and Sarcospan genetically interact in the development of the muscular ventricular septum of the heart

The muscular ventricular septum separates the flow of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood in air-breathing vertebrates. Defects within it, termed muscular ventricular septal defects (VSDs), are common, yet less is known about how they arise than rarer heart defects. Mutations of the cardiac transcription factor NKX2-5 cause cardiac malformations, including muscular VSDs. We describe here a genetic interaction between Nkx2-5 and Sarcospan (Sspn) that affects the risk of muscular VSD in mice. Sspn encodes a protein in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Sspn knockout (Sspn(KO)) mice do not have heart defects, but Nkx2-5(+/−)/Sspn(KO) mutants have a higher incidence of muscular VSD than Nkx2-5(+/−) mice. Myofibers in the ventricular septum follow a stereotypical pattern that is disrupted around a muscular VSD. Subendocardial myofibers normally run in parallel along the left ventricular outflow tract, but in the Nkx2-5(+/−)/Sspn(KO) mutant they commonly deviate into the septum even in the absence of a muscular VSD. Thus, Nkx2-5 and Sspn act in a pathway that affects the alignment of myofibers during the development of the ventricular septum. The malalignment may be a consequence of a defect in the coalescence of trabeculae into the developing ventricular septum, which has been hypothesized to be the mechanistic basis of muscular VSDs

Perceptually regulated training does not influence the differentiated RPE response following 16-weeks of aerobic exercise in adults with spinal cord injury

This study investigated the effect of prolonged familiarisation with ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) on the peripheral (RPEP) and central (RPEC) RPE responses to moderate-vigorous exercise in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). RPEP and RPEC characterize the exertion of the working musculature and cardiorespiratory systems, respectively. Nineteen participants (41.4±11.4 years; 19.2±7.2 ml·kg-1·min-1) with chronic SCI were randomly assigned to RPE-guided (n = 11; EXP) or active control (n = 8; CON) groups. EXP performed 16-weeks of RPE-guided, supervised aerobic training for 20 mins, twice weekly, at RPE 3-6 (Category-Ratio 10 scale). CON had access to the same exercise equipment but received no specific advice on their exercise-training regime. Participants completed a graded exercise test, using an arm crank ergometer, pre- and post-training to determine peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak), with RPEP and RPEC recorded every minute throughout tests. Sixteen weeks training did not improve V̇O2peak. RPE decreased post-training at 50% (p = 0.02) and 70% V̇O2peak (p = 0.03), though there was no effect of group at either intensity (p = 0.54, 0.42 respectively). At 70% V̇O2peak RPEP was greater than RPEC (4.2±1.7 vs 3.4±1.8, p < 0.005). Training with RPE-guidance for 16-weeks had no additional effect on the differentiated RPE responses to moderate-vigorous exercise in adults with SCI

Reproducibility in high-throughput density functional theory: a comparison of AFLOW, Materials Project, and OQMD

A central challenge in high throughput density functional theory (HT-DFT) calculations is selecting a combination of input parameters and post-processing techniques that can be used across all materials classes, while also managing accuracy-cost tradeoffs. To investigate the effects of these parameter choices, we consolidate three large HT-DFT databases: Automatic-FLOW (AFLOW), the Materials Project (MP), and the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD), and compare reported properties across each pair of databases for materials calculated using the same initial crystal structure. We find that HT-DFT formation energies and volumes are generally more reproducible than band gaps and total magnetizations; for instance, a notable fraction of records disagree on whether a material is metallic (up to 7%) or magnetic (up to 15%). The variance between calculated properties is as high as 0.105 eV/atom (median relative absolute difference, or MRAD, of 6%) for formation energy, 0.65 {\AA}$^3$/atom (MRAD of 4%) for volume, 0.21 eV (MRAD of 9%) for band gap, and 0.15 $\mu_{\rm B}$/formula unit (MRAD of 8%) for total magnetization, comparable to the differences between DFT and experiment. We trace some of the larger discrepancies to choices involving pseudopotentials, the DFT+U formalism, and elemental reference states, and argue that further standardization of HT-DFT would be beneficial to reproducibility.Comment: Authors VIH and CKHB contributed equally to this wor

Phase I study of bortezomib combined with chemotherapy in children with relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): A report from the therapeutic advances in childhood leukemia (TACL) consortium

Background Outcomes remain poor for children after relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially after early marrow relapse. Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor with in vitro synergy with corticosteroids and clinical activity in human lymphoid malignancies. Procedure This is a Phase I study of escalating doses bortezomib administered days 1, 4, 8, and 11, added to 4-drug induction chemotherapy with vincristine, dexamethasone, pegylated L -asparaginase, and doxorubicin (VXLD) in children with relapsed ALL. Results Ten patients were enrolled, five in first marrow relapse, and five in second relapse. Four patients were enrolled at dose level 1 (bortezomib 1 mg/m 2 ). One patient was not evaluable for toxicity because of omitted dexamethasone doses. No dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed. Six patients were enrolled at dose level 2 (bortezomib 1.3 mg/m 2 ). One patient had dose-limiting hypophosphatemia and rhabdomyolysis after 1 dose of bortezomib, and died from a diffuse zygomyces infection on day 17. Five additional patients were enrolled with no subsequent DLTs. As planned, no further dose escalation was pursued. The regimen had predictable toxicity related to the chemotherapy drugs. Two patients had mild peripheral neuropathy (grades 1 and 2). Six of nine evaluable patients (67%) achieved a complete response (CR), and one had a bone marrow CR with persistent central nervous system leukemia. Conclusions The combination of bortezomib (1.3 mg/m 2 ) with VXLD is active with acceptable toxicity in pretreated pediatric patients with relapsed ALL. We are expanding the 1.3 mg/m 2 cohort for a phase II estimate of response. Study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00440726 ). Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;55:254–259. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77437/1/22456_ftp.pd