scholarly journals Relaxation Response in Stressed Volunteers: Psychometric Tests and Neurotrophin Changes in Biological Fluids

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Zappella ◽  
Filippo Biamonte ◽  
Bijorn Omar Balzamino ◽  
Rocco Manieri ◽  
Magdalena Cortes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Short Form ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Relaxation Response ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Ocular Surface Disease Index ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Potential Use

Background: To evaluate the beneficial effects of relaxation response (RR) training in adult stressed subjects by evaluating the psychometric response recorded at relaxation session. Cortisol as well as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediators were quantified in both saliva and tears, and their levels were related to each other and to the psychometric response.Methods: Stressed subjects (n = 23; 10M/13F; age range 21–53 years old) were voluntarily enrolled in the study. RR training sessions were carried out for 2 months, 1 day per week, at the same time (3–5 p.m.). Two different psychological questionnaires, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) and the Beck Depression Inventory - Short Form (BDI-SF) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) tests, were administered before each session. Saliva and tears were sampled for cortisol (EIA), NGF (ELISA), and BDNF (ELISA) quantifications. Questionnaires' data were analyzed and compared to biochemical ones.Results: All subjects reported beneficial effects from training. RR significantly reduced the psychological stress indexes (p = 0.039 for PSS-10 and p = 0.001 for BDI-SF). Specifically, RR training lowered the perception of Perceived Helplessness (items 1, 3, 10; p < 0.05) in PSS-10 and increased the Perceived Self-Efficacy (p < 0.05). OSDI score was in the normal range (0–25). Biochemically, a decrease in cortisol, a trend to a decrease in NGF, and an increase in BDNF levels were observed in saliva samples after RR treatment. Furthermore, a trend to a decrease in NGF and an increase in BDNF were quantified in tear samples. A correlation between PSS-10 total score and saliva NGF variation (%) as well as between BDI-SF total score and BDNF tear levels were also observed.Conclusion: RR training appeared useful to lowering psychological, mental, and physical stress, as supported by both psychological total and single scores. The finding on biochemical levels of BDNF in saliva and tears are sustained by previous studies while those of NGF require further investigation. Overall, these data on a small population highlight the potential use of RR training and potential neurotrophic changes in biological fluids, in stressed volunteers.

scholarly journals Islamic Religious Coping, Partner Support and Parenting Stress On Mothers Who Accompany Their Children Study From Home in a Covid-19 Pandemic Situation

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61
Author(s):  
Rahma Kusuma Fitri ◽  
Fuad Nashori
Keyword(s):  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Religious Coping ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Partner Support ◽  
Negative Contribution ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Regression Test ◽  
Age Range

One of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education and family sector is that children are required to study from home (SFH) or online. This condition makes the burden of a mother's responsibility increase because she has to be both a mother and a teacher for her children, where these demands cause mothers to experience parenting stress. This study aims to determine how big the contribution of Islamic religious coping variables and partner support to parenting stress. This study used quantitative research methods with a three-variable correlation research design. The research respondents were 319 mothers in Indonesia with an age range between 26 and 51 years old. The measuring instrument used is Islamic religious coping short-form (IRCS) Raiya (2008), Receipt of Spousal Support Scale (RSSS) from Dorio (2010), and the Parenting Stress Scale (PSS) from Berry and Jones (1995). The research data were analyzed using the SPSS 26 statistical analysis program with multiple linear regression test techniques to answer the research hypothesis. The results showed that there was a significant negative contribution of Islamic religious coping and partner support to parenting stress for mothers who accompanied SFH children in the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Vestibular Function and Motion Sickness Susceptibility: Videonystagmographic Evidence From Oculomotor and Caloric Tests

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-198
Author(s):  
Cynthia G. Fowler ◽  
Margaret Dallapiazza ◽  
Kathleen Talbot Hadsell
Keyword(s):  
Phase Velocity ◽  
Motion Sickness ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Vestibular Function ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Slow Phase Velocity ◽  
Caloric Tests

Purpose Motion sickness (MS) is a common condition that affects millions of individuals. Although the condition is common and can be debilitating, little research has focused on the vestibular function associated with susceptibility to MS. One causal theory of MS is an asymmetry of vestibular function within or between ears. The purposes of this study, therefore, were (a) to determine if the vestibular system (oculomotor and caloric tests) in videonystagmography (VNG) is associated with susceptibility to MS and (b) to determine if these tests support the theory of an asymmetry between ears associated with MS susceptibility. Method VNG was used to measure oculomotor and caloric responses. Fifty young adults were recruited; 50 completed the oculomotor tests, and 31 completed the four caloric irrigations. MS susceptibility was evaluated with the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire–Short Form; in this study, percent susceptibility ranged from 0% to 100% in the participants. Participants were divided into three susceptibility groups (Low, Mid, and High). Repeated-measures analyses of variance and pairwise comparisons determined significance among the groups on the VNG test results. Results Oculomotor test results revealed no significant differences among the MS susceptibility groups. Caloric stimuli elicited responses that were correlated positively with susceptibility to MS. Slow-phase velocity was slowest in the Low MS group compared to the Mid and High groups. There was no significant asymmetry between ears in any of the groups. Conclusions MS susceptibility was significantly and positively correlated with caloric slow-phase velocity. Although asymmetries between ears are purported to be associated with MS, asymmetries were not evident. Susceptibility to MS may contribute to interindividual variability of caloric responses within the normal range.

Thymol Chemistry: A Medicinal Toolbox

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 454-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyoti ◽  
Divya Dheer ◽  
Davinder Singh ◽  
Gulshan Kumar ◽  
Manvika Karnatak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Food Preservative ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Trachyspermum Ammi ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Potential Use

Background: Thymol is a natural phenolic monoterpenoid widely used in pharmaceutical and food preservative applications. Thymol isomeric with carvacrol, extracted primarily from Thymus species (Trachyspermum ammi) and other plants sources such as Baccharisgrise bachii and Centipeda minima, has ethnopharmacological characteristics. <p></p> Methods: This review was prepared by analyzing articles published on thymol moiety in last decade and selected from Science Direct, Scopus, Pub Med, Web of Science and SciFinder. The selected articles are classified and gives brief introduction about thymol and its isolation, illustrates its natural as well as synthetic sources, and also therapeutic benefits of thymol worldwide <p></p> Results: Thymol has been covering different endeavors such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiarrhoeal, anthelmintic, analgesic, digestive, abortifacient, antihypertensive, spermicidal, depigmenting, antileishmanial, anticholinesterase, insecticidal and many others. This phenolic compound is among the essential scaffolds for medicinal chemists to synthesize more bio-active molecules by further derivatization of the thymol moiety. <p></p> Conclusion: Thymol is an interesting scaffold due to its different activities and derivatization of thymol is proved to enhance its biological activities. However, more robust, randomised, controlled clinical trials would be desirable with well-characterised thymol preparations to corroborate its beneficial effects in diseased patients. Moreover, in view of the potential use of thymol and thymol-rich essential oils in the treatment of human infections, comprehensive studies on chronic and acute toxicity and also teratogenicity are to be recommended.

scholarly journals Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA): A New Possible Adjuvant Treatment in COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Annalisa Noce ◽  
Maria Albanese ◽  
Giulia Marrone ◽  
Manuela Di Lauro ◽  
Anna Pietroboni Zaitseva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adjuvant Treatment ◽  
Pulmonary Involvement ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Pharmacological Treatments ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide ◽  
Potential Use

The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than 100,000,000 cases of coronavirus infection in the world in just a year, of which there were 2 million deaths. Its clinical picture is characterized by pulmonary involvement that culminates, in the most severe cases, in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, COVID-19 affects other organs and systems, including cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Currently, unique-drug therapy is not supported by international guidelines. In this context, it is important to resort to adjuvant therapies in combination with traditional pharmacological treatments. Among natural bioactive compounds, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) seems to have potentially beneficial effects. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an ongoing clinical trial with ultramicronized (um)-PEA as an add-on therapy in the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In support of this hypothesis, in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and pain-relieving effects of PEA, especially in its um form. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential use of um-PEA as an adjuvant treatment in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

scholarly journals An evaluation of the factor structure of the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS) and the creation of the SAWS-15 as a short measure for personal wisdom

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Trilas M. Leeman ◽  
Bob G. Knight ◽  
Erich C. Fein ◽  
Sonya Winterbotham ◽  
Jeffrey Dean Webster
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Personal Wisdom ◽  
Age Range

ABSTRACT Objectives: Although wisdom is a desirable life span developmental goal, researchers have often lacked brief and reliable construct measures. We examined whether an abbreviated set of items could be empirically derived from the popular 40-item five-factor Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS). Design: Survey data from 709 respondents were randomly split into two and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Setting: The survey was conducted online in Australia. Participants: The total sample consisted of 709 participants (M age = 35.67 years; age range = 15–92 years) of whom 22% were male, and 78% female. Measurement: The study analyzed the 40-item SAWS. Results: Sample 1 showed the traditional five-factor structure for the 40-item SAWS did not fit the data. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on Sample 2 offered an alternative model based on a 15-item, five-factor solution with the latent variables Reminiscence/Reflection, Humor, Emotional Regulation, Experience, and Openness. This model, which replicates the factor structure of the original 40-item SAWS with a short form of 15 items, was then confirmed on Sample 1 using a CFA that produced acceptable fit and measurement invariance across age groups. Conclusions: We suggest the abbreviated SAWS-15 can be useful as a measure of individual differences in wisdom, and we highlight areas for future research.

scholarly journals Use of biomarkers to assess fruit and vegetable intake

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayne V. Woodside ◽  
John Draper ◽  
Amanda Lloyd ◽  
Michelle C. McKinley
Keyword(s):  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Dietary Assessment ◽  
Plasma Vitamin ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
New Biomarkers ◽  
Serum Carotenoids ◽  
Potential Use

A high intake of fruit and vegetables (FV) has been associated with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, including CVD. The aim of this review is to describe the potential use of biomarkers to assess FV intake. Traditional methods of assessing FV intake have limitations, and this is likely to impact on observed associations with disease outcomes and markers of disease risk. Nutritional biomarkers may offer a more objective and reliable method of assessing dietary FV intake. Some single blood biomarkers, such as plasma vitamin C and serum carotenoids, are well established as indicators of FV intake. Combining potential biomarkers of intake may more accurately predict overall FV intake within intervention studies than the use of any single biomarker. Another promising approach is metabolomic analysis of biological fluids using untargeted approaches to identify potential new biomarkers of FV intake. Using biomarkers to measure FV intake may improve the accuracy of dietary assessment.

scholarly journals Utilização de escalas psicométricas na avaliação dos possíveis efeitos terapêuticos do Reiki

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Ricardo Monezi ◽  
Pedro Mourão Roxo da Motta ◽  
Nelson Filice de Barros
Keyword(s):  
Short Form ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Functional Independence Measure ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
World Health ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Face Scale ◽  
Health Organization

Introdução: O Reiki figura atualmente como uma das técnicas integrativas e complementares de maior uso e interesse no mundo. Sua utilização crescente vem chamando a atenção da ciência, que busca investigar seus possíveis efeitos a fim de verificar e disponibilizar aos seus usuários informações a respeito de sua eficácia e segurança. Entre os recursos utilizados nestas avaliações estão cada vez mais presentes as escalas psicométricas, que buscam mensurar aspectos subjetivos da natureza do ser humano, como níveis de ansiedade, depressão, stress e qualidade de vida. Objetivo: Descrever as principais escalas psicométricas utilizadas em ensaios clínicos que investigaram os possíveis efeitos do Reiki, analisando seu papel diagnóstico nestes estudos. Método: A partir dos descritores “Reiki” e “Scales”, foi realizada revisão e análise de artigos publicados, nos últimos 10 anos, nas bases de dados PubMed, Scielo e Bireme, que utilizaram-se de escalas psicométricas na avaliação dos possíveis efeitos do Reiki. Resultados: 18 estudos utilizaram-se de escalas psicométricas, como o Functional Independence Measure, aplicado a pacientes em reabilitação de AVE, o Wong-Baker Smiley Face Scale, utilizado para mensurar níveis de bem estar e dor, o Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form, para mensuração de depressão em idosos, além de instrumentos de avaliação de ansiedade, depressão, stress, desesperança, qualidade de vida e de sono, como Hospital Anxiety and Stress Scale, StateTrait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, World Health Organization for Quality of life, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Illness Symptoms Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale e o Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index. Conclusões: Não existe um consenso na literatura a respeito da escala psicométrica que seja mais apropriada a cada variável, devido às suas respectivas especificidades e níveis de sensibilidade. Atualmente, onde se discute o estabelecimento de um padrão ouro para pesquisas que abordem as práticas integrativas também são polêmicas as discussões a respeito do emprego correto destas ferramentas.

scholarly journals The Nursing Stress Scale-Spanish Version: An Update to Its Psychometric Properties and Validation of a Short-form Version in Acute Care Hospital Settings

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8456
Author(s):  
Ana María Porcel-Gálvez ◽  
Sergio Barrientos-Trigo ◽  
Sara Bermúdez-García ◽  
Elena Fernández-García ◽  
Mercedes Bueno-Ferrán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Licensed Practical Nurses ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Nursing Stress ◽  
Practical Nurses ◽  
Good Internal Consistency

Stressful working conditions are correlated with a negative impact on the well-being of nurses, job satisfaction, quality of patient care and the health of the staff. The Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess occupational stressors among nurses. This study updates the psychometric properties of the “NSS-Spanish version” and validates a short-form version. A cross-sectional design was carried out for this study. A reliability analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis and an exploratory factor analysis were undertaken. Items were systematically identified for reduction using statistical and theoretical analysis. Correlation testing and criterion validity confirmed scale equivalence. A total of 2195 Registered Nurses and 1914 Licensed Practical Nurses were enrolled. The original 34-item scale obtained a good internal consistency but an unsatisfactory confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. The short-form Nursing Stress Scale (11-items) obtained a good internal consistency for Registered Nurses (α = 0.83) and for Licensed Practical Nurses (α = 0.79). Both Nursing Stress Scales obtained a strong correlation for Registered Nurses (rho = 0.904) and for Licensed Practical Nurses (rho = 0.888). The 11-item version of the Nursing Stress Scale is a valid and reliable scale to assess stress perception among Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses. Its short-form nature improves the psychometric properties and the feasibility of the tool.

scholarly journals Coffee Microbiota and Its Potential Use in Sustainable Crop Management. A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Duong ◽  
Pierre Marraccini ◽  
Jean-Luc Maeght ◽  
Philippe Vaast ◽  
Michel Lebrun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Coffee Plant ◽  
Coffee Production ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Potential Use

Intensive coffee production is accompanied by several environmental issues, including soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and pollution due to the wide use of agrochemical inputs and wastes generated by processing. In addition, climate change is expected to decrease the suitability of cultivated areas while potentially increasing the distribution and impact of pests and diseases. In this context, the coffee microbiota has been increasingly studied over the past decades in order to improve the sustainability of the coffee production. Therefore, coffee associated microorganisms have been isolated and characterized in order to highlight their useful characteristics and study their potential use as sustainable alternatives to agrochemical inputs. Indeed, several microorganisms (including bacteria and fungi) are able to display plant growth-promoting capacities and/or biocontrol abilities toward coffee pests and diseases. Despite that numerous studies emphasized the potential of coffee-associated microorganisms under controlled environments, the present review highlights the lack of confirmation of such beneficial effects under field conditions. Nowadays, next-generation sequencing technologies allow to study coffee associated microorganisms with a metabarcoding/metagenomic approach. This strategy, which does not require cultivating microorganisms, now provides a deeper insight in the coffee-associated microbial communities and their implication not only in the coffee plant fitness but also in the quality of the final product. The present review aims at (i) providing an extensive description of coffee microbiota diversity both at the farming and processing levels, (ii) identifying the “coffee core microbiota,” (iii) making an overview of microbiota ability to promote coffee plant growth and to control its pests and diseases, and (iv) highlighting the microbiota potential to improve coffee quality and waste management sustainability.

scholarly journals Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale and Preliminary Testing of Short-Form Versions: A Calibration and Validation Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell T. Baker ◽  
Damon Burton ◽  
Michael A. Pickering ◽  
Amanda Start
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Fit Indices ◽  
Dimensional Solution ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Outcome Instrument ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Age Range

Context The Disablement in the Physically Active (DPA) scale is a patient-reported outcome instrument recommended for use in clinical practice and research. Analysis of the scale has indicated a need for further psychometric testing. Objective To assess the model fit of the original DPA scale using a larger and more diverse sample and explore the potential for a short-form (SF) version. Design Observational study. Setting Twenty-four clinical settings. Patients or Other Participants Responses were randomly split into 2 samples: sample 1 (n = 690: 353 males, 330 females, and 7 not reported; mean age = 23.1 ± 9.3 years, age range = 11–75 years) and sample 2 (n = 690: 351 males, 337 females, and 2 not reported; mean age = 22.9 ± 9.3 years, age range = 8–74 years). Participants were physically active individuals who were healthy or experiencing acute, subacute, or persistent musculoskeletal injury. Main Outcome Measure(s) Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the factor structure of the original DPA scale. Exploratory factor, internal consistency, covariance modeling, correlational, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess potential DPA scale SFs. Results The subdimensions of the disablement construct were highly correlated (≥0.89). The fit indices for the DPA scale approached recommended levels, but the first-order correlational values and second-order path coefficients provided evidence for multicollinearity, suggesting that clear distinctions between the disablement subdimensions cannot be made. An 8-item, 2-dimensional solution and a 10-item, 3-dimensional solution were extracted to produce SF versions. The DPA SF-8 was highly correlated (r = 0.94, P ≤ .001, R2 = 0.88) with the DPA scale, and the fit indices exceeded all of the strictest recommendations. The DPA SF-10 was highly correlated (r = 0.97, P ≤ .001, R2 = 0.94) with the DPA scale, and its fit indices values also exceeded the strictest recommendations. Conclusions The DPA SF-8 and SF-10 are psychometrically sound alternatives to the DPA scale.

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