Effects of a Web-Based Intervention for Stress Reduction in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Preliminary findings suggest that Web-based interventions may be effective in achieving significant stress reduction. To date, there are no findings available for primary care patients. This is the first study that investigates a Web-based intervention for stress reduction in primary care. Objective: The aim was to examine the short-term effectiveness of a fully automated Web-based coaching program regarding stress reduction in a primary care setting. Methods: The study was an unblinded cluster randomized trial with an observation period of 12 weeks. Individuals recruited by general practitioners randomized to the intervention group participated in a Web-based coaching program based on education, motivation, exercise guidance, daily text message reminders, and weekly feedback through the Internet. All components of the program were fully automated. Participants in the control group received usual care and advice from their practitioner without the Web-based coaching program. The main outcome was change in the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) over 12 weeks. Results: A total of 93 participants (40 in intervention group, 53 in control group) were recruited into the study. For 25 participants from the intervention group and 49 participants from the control group, PSQ scores at baseline and 12 weeks were available. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the PSQ score decreased by mean 8.2 (SD 12.7) in the intervention group and by mean 12.6 (SD 14.7) in the control group. There was no significant difference identified between the groups (mean difference -4.5, 95% CI -10.2 to 1.3, P=. 13). Conclusions: This trial could not show that the tested Web-based intervention was effective for reducing stress compared to usual care. The limited statistical power and the high dropout rate may have reduced the study's ability to detect significant differences between the groups. Further randomized controlled trials are needed with larger populations to investigate the long-term outcome as well as the contents of usual primary care

Effects of a Web-Based Intervention for Stress Reduction in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Preliminary findings suggest that Web-based interventions may be effective in achieving significant stress reduction. To date, there are no findings available for primary care patients. This is the first study that investigates a Web-based intervention for stress reduction in primary care. Objective: The aim was to examine the short-term effectiveness of a fully automated Web-based coaching program regarding stress reduction in a primary care setting. Methods: The study was an unblinded cluster randomized trial with an observation period of 12 weeks. Individuals recruited by general practitioners randomized to the intervention group participated in a Web-based coaching program based on education, motivation, exercise guidance, daily text message reminders, and weekly feedback through the Internet. All components of the program were fully automated. Participants in the control group received usual care and advice from their practitioner without the Web-based coaching program. The main outcome was change in the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) over 12 weeks. Results: A total of 93 participants (40 in intervention group, 53 in control group) were recruited into the study. For 25 participants from the intervention group and 49 participants from the control group, PSQ scores at baseline and 12 weeks were available. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the PSQ score decreased by mean 8.2 (SD 12.7) in the intervention group and by mean 12.6 (SD 14.7) in the control group. There was no significant difference identified between the groups (mean difference -4.5, 95% CI -10.2 to 1.3, P=. 13). Conclusions: This trial could not show that the tested Web-based intervention was effective for reducing stress compared to usual care. The limited statistical power and the high dropout rate may have reduced the study's ability to detect significant differences between the groups. Further randomized controlled trials are needed with larger populations to investigate the long-term outcome as well as the contents of usual primary care

NMR experiment factors numbers with Gauss sums

We factor the number 157573 using an NMR implementation of Gauss sums.Comment: 4 pages 5 figure

On the spin distribution in bridged anthracene-viologen molecules : an electron-nuclear double resonance study

Studies on the spin distribution in the radical state of anthracene-σ bridge viologen supermolecules with different bridge units are reported. Electronnuclear double resonance experiments (ENDOR) were performed on electrochemically reduced molecules. Proton hyperfine coupling constants at different molecular sites were obtained and are discussed in detail. The experimentally determined values are compared with quantum chemical calculations of the INDO type. The observed spin distribution depends significantly on the type of the bridging unit. The relevance of the spin distribution for electron transfer in donor-bridge-acceptor molecular complexes is discussed

Review of the BCI Competition IV

The BCI competition IV stands in the tradition of prior BCI competitions that aim to provide high quality neuroscientific data for open access to the scientific community. As experienced already in prior competitions not only scientists from the narrow field of BCI compete, but scholars with a broad variety of backgrounds and nationalities. They include high specialists as well as students. The goals of all BCI competitions have always been to challenge with respect to novel paradigms and complex data. We report on the following challenges: (1) asynchronous data, (2) synthetic, (3) multi-class continuous data, (4) session-to-session transfer, (5) directionally modulated MEG, (6) finger movements recorded by ECoG. As after past competitions, our hope is that winning entries may enhance the analysis methods of future BCIs.BMBF, 01IB001A, LOKI - Lernen zur Organisation komplexer Systeme der Informationsverarbeitung - Lernen im Kontext der SzenenanalyseBMBF, 01GQ0850, Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie - Nichtinvasive Neurotechnologie für Mensch-Maschine InteraktionEC/FP7/224631/EU/Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction/TOBIEC/FP7/216886/EU/Pattern Analysis, Statistical Modelling and Computational Learning 2/PASCAL2BMBF, 01GQ0420, Verbundprojekt: Bernstein-Zentrum für Neural Dynamics, Freiburg - CNDFBMBF, 01GQ0761, Bewegungsassoziierte Aktivierung - Dekodierung bewegungsassoziierter GehirnsignaleBMBF, 01GQ0762, Bewegungsassoziierte Aktivierung - Gehirn- und Maschinenlerne

Principles of high resolution NMR in solids

The field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) has developed at a fascinating pace during the last decade. It always has been an extremely valuable tool to the organic chemist by supplying molecular "finger print" spectra at the atomic level. Unfortunately the high resolution achievable in liquid solutions could not be obtained in solids and physicists and physical chemists had to live with unresolved lines open to a wealth of curve fitting procedures and a vast amount of speculations. High resolution NMR in solids seemed to be a paradoxon. Broad structure­ less lines are usually encountered when dealing with NMR in solids. Only with the recent advent of mUltiple pulse, magic angle, cross-polarization, two-dimen­ sional and multiple-quantum spectroscopy and other techniques during the last decade it became possible to resolve finer details of nuclear spin interactions in solids. I have felt that graduate students, researchers and others beginning to get involved with these techniques needed a book which treats the principles, theo­ retical foundations and applications of these rather sophisticated experimental techniques. Therefore I wrote a monograph on the subject in 1976. Very soon new ideas led to the developement of "two-dimensional spectroscopy" and "multiple-quantum spectroscopy", topics which were not covered in the first edition of my book. Moreover an exponential growth of literature appeared in this area of research leaving the beginner in an awkward situation of tracing back from a current article to the roots of the experiment

Fullerene: Käfige aus Kohlenstoffatomen mit faszinierenden Eigenschaften

Obwohl zwei der Modifikationen des Kohlenstoffs, nämlich Graphit und Diamant, seit langem bekannt sind, wurde die dritte Modifikation, die Fullerene, erst gegen Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts vor wenigen Jahren entdeckt. Diese Entdeckung war ein Resultat von Grundlagenforschung und interdisziplinärer Kooperation zwischen Chemie und Physik auf dem Gebiet der Cluster. Eine besondere Rolle spielten hierbei auch Vorstellungen von Astrophysikern über interstellaren Staub. Bei der Untersuchung von Kohlenstoffclustern in Molekularstrahlen beobachteten Curl, Kroto, Smalley und Mitarbeiter geschlossene Käfige aus Kohlenstoffatomen der Zusammensetzung Cn, wobei n eine ganze Zahl ist. Hierfür erhielten sie 1996 den Nobelpreis für Chemie. Das herausragendste Molekül war hierbei das C60-Fulleren, das fast die Gestalt einer Kugel besitzt und aus 60 Kohlenstoffatomen besteht. Angeregt durch die Konstruktionen der Kuppelbauten des Architekten Buckminster Fuller, der seine Kuppeln aus Sechsecken und Fünfecken zusammenzusetzen pflegt, gaben Kroto und Mitarbeiter den neuentdeckten Kohlenstoffmolekülen den Namen Buckminsterfullerene, im englischen Sprachgebrauch auch 'Buckyballs' genannt. Heute hat sich der etwas kürzere Name 'Fullerene' durchgesetzt. Einige Jahre später fanden die Astrophysiker Krätschmer, Huffman und Mitarbeiter einen Weg, diese Moleküle in großer Menge zu produzieren. Dabei war ihr Interesse gar nicht, C60 herzustellen, sondern den interstellaren Staub und die Chemie eines Roten Riesen im Labor zu simulieren. Mehr zufällig entdeckten sie im Ruß einer abgebrannten Lichtbogenelektrode einen großen Anteil an C60 (etwa zehn Prozent) und C70 (etwa ein Prozent) sowie höhere Fullerene (0,1 Prozent)