Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation Techniques on Psychological, Physiological, and Biochemical Stress Indicators

Various relaxation techniques could benefit from merging with virtual reality (VR) technologies, as these technologies are easily applicable, involving, and user-friendly. To date, it is unclear which relaxation technique using biofeedback combined with VR technology is the most effective. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of brief VR-based biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques including electroencephalographic biofeedback, mindfulness-based biofeedback, galvanic skin response biofeedback, and respiratory biofeedback. Forty-three healthy volunteers (age 34.7 ± 7.2 years), comprising 28 (65%) women and 15 (35%) men, were enrolled in the study. All the participants were exposed to four distinct relaxation sessions according to a computer-generated random sequence. The efficacy of relaxation methods was evaluated by examining psychological, physiological, and biochemical stress indicators. All VR-based relaxation techniques reduced salivary steroid hormone (i.e., cortisol, cortisone, and total glucocorticoid) levels and increased galvanic skin response values. Similarly, all interventions led to a significantly reduced subjectively perceived psychological strain level. Three out of the four interventions (i.e., electroencephalographic, respiratory, and galvanic skin response-based biofeedback relaxation sessions) resulted in a decreased self-reported fatigue level. We suggest that newly developed VR-based relaxations techniques are potential tools for stress reduction and might be particularly suitable for individuals who are not capable of adhering to a strict and time-consuming stress management intervention schedule.

Evaluation of Various Stress Management Strategies among Chennai People - A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Feeling stressed is a part of everyone's life. A feeling of emotional or physical tension is known as stress. Relaxation strategies play an important role in overcoming stress. Objective: To evaluate the different stress patterns, their perceived stress and effects of different stress management strategies. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted through a convenience sampling method. The participants were administered with a self developed questionnaire consisting of 11 questions. The responses were collected using google forms. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis and chi square test was used to analyse the data. Results: The present study reported that the majority of respondents were stressed due to academic and personal reasons and among the various stress relaxation methods, respondents felt that music and yoga relieved them from stress. Conclusion: The study concluded an innovative finding that music and yogic exercises when adopted provided a decent stress management strategy that suits the respondents.

Is there evidence behind pre- or perioperative cognitive training in gynaecological patients on the prevention of perioperative cognitive dysfunction? A review

Purpose Perioperative cognitive dysfunction can be observed in all age groups of patients. Sometimes, this is more stressful to the patient than the actual surgical wound. Enhanced recovery after surgery pathways screen for patients at risk and lead to early post-surgical intervention. To prevent cognitive dysfunction, a prehabilitation approach might be useful. Methods This systematic literature review provides an overview on the current knowledge on prehabilitation for cognitive dysfunction for gynaecological patients by searching the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) in February 2020 to identify publications regarding presurgical cognitive training with three different search terms. Results 501 articles were identified and after screening for eligibility five were left for further analysis. Generally, cognitive function is split into several cognitive aspects like anxiety or memory, speed, attention, flexibility or problem-solving functions. Each of these aspects can/need to be trained to show an improvement after general anaesthesia. Training possibilities range from relaxation methods via music, one-on-one personal training sessions to electronically supported training units. Conclusion Prehabilitation of the cognitive function can be split in different cognitive domains. Each of these domains seem to be influenced by training. The training itself can be based on applications or known relaxation methods or even old-fashioned board games. The evidence is, however, still low and there is a need for further studies.

Modified iterative method with red-black ordering for image composition using poisson equation

Image composition involves the process of embedding a selected region of the source image to the target image to produce a new desirable image seamlessly. This paper presents an image composition procedure based on numerical differentiation using the laplacian operator to obtain the solution of the poisson equation. The proposed method employs the red-black strategy to speed up the computation by using two acceleration parameters. The method is known as modified two-parameter over-relaxation (MTOR) and is an extension of the existing relaxation methods. The MTOR was extensively studied in solving various linear equations, but its usefulness in image processing was never explored. Several examples were tested to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method in solving the poisson equation for image composition. The results showed that the proposed MTOR performed faster than the existing methods.

Efficient Neural Network Verification via Layer-based Semidefinite Relaxations and Linear Cuts

We introduce an efficient and tight layer-based semidefinite relaxation for verifying local robustness of neural networks. The improved tightness is the result of the combination between semidefinite relaxations and linear cuts. We obtain a computationally efficient method by decomposing the semidefinite formulation into layerwise constraints. By leveraging on chordal graph decompositions, we show that the formulation here presented is provably tighter than current approaches. Experiments on a set of benchmark networks show that the approach here proposed enables the verification of more instances compared to other relaxation methods. The results also demonstrate that the SDP relaxation here proposed is one order of magnitude faster than previous SDP methods.

The Effect of Autogenic Relaxation on Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension case is increasing from year to years. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) data in 2015 showed around 1.13 billion people in the world have hypertension, meaning 1 in 3 people in the world are diagnosed with hypertension. Hypertension is often referred to as a "silent killer", because many people with hypertension do not feel any signs and symptoms, and then after some years they experience complications. One way to control blood pressure in hypertensive patients is to use non-pharmacological therapy interventions. One of them is to use autogenic relaxation methods. Autogenic relaxation is a method that comes from self and body awareness by controlling muscle and liver tension for the improvement of high blood pressure caused mainly by stress. Autogenic relaxation will help the body to carry commands through autosuggestion to relax so that it can control blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. The purpose of this study is to describe the influence of autogenic relaxation to decrease the blood pressure of hypertensive patients. This study uses the literature review method. The result of this study shows that several literatures on autogenic relaxation proved that this intervention is very effective for hypertensive patients and can be used as a complementary intervention in hypertensive patients.

PCPATCH

Effective relaxation methods are necessary for good multigrid convergence. For many equations, standard Jacobi and Gauß–Seidel are inadequate, and more sophisticated space decompositions are required; examples include problems with semidefinite terms or saddle point structure. In this article, we present a unifying software abstraction, PCPATCH, for the topological construction of space decompositions for multigrid relaxation methods. Space decompositions are specified by collecting topological entities in a mesh (such as all vertices or faces) and applying a construction rule (such as taking all degrees of freedom in the cells around each entity). The software is implemented in PETSc and facilitates the elegant expression of a wide range of schemes merely by varying solver options at runtime. In turn, this allows for the very rapid development of fast solvers for difficult problems.

Effect of Different Relaxation Methods on Pregnancy and Childbirth: a Systematic Review

Introduction: Relaxation is a set of neuromuscular exercises that helps the mothers to go through pregnancy and different stages of labor with minimal complications. Various studies have been performed on the effect of different relaxation methods on problems and disorders in pregnancy and childbirth. The aim of this study was to systematically review the studies on the effects of various methods of relaxation in pregnancy and childbirth in Iran and the world. The IRCT Clinical Trial Registration Center and Keywords for Relaxation, Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Maternity were searched from 2000 to 2020. Finally, 40 trials including 21 Persian articles and 19 Latin articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. There were 21 studies on relaxation during pregnancy and 19 studies on labor and postpartum. Studies have shown that the number of studies performed in the field of passive rest (in pregnancy-childbirth) was limited, but in the field of active rest and the simultaneous use of several types of rest (in pregnancy-childbirth) was numerous. Conclusion: The results showed that the use of progressive active muscle relaxation alone, due to its ease and comprehensibility can be used as a practical method in reducing problems and disorders during pregnancy and childbirth. therefore, the simultaneous use of several types of relaxation (active-inactive) due to the increase of positive effects of relaxation can be used in the next step.

Solubility, Permeability, Anti-Inflammatory Action and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Properties of Several Mechanochemically Obtained Pharmaceutical Solid Dispersions of Nimesulide

Nimesulide (NIM, N-(4-nitro-2-phenoxyphenyl)methanesulfonamide) is a relatively new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic drug. It is practically insoluble in water (<0.02 mg/mL). This very poor aqueous solubility of the drug may lead to low bioavailability. The objective of the present study was to investigate the possibility of improving the solubility and the bioavailability of NIM via complexation with polysaccharide arabinogalactan (AG), disodium salt of glycyrrhizic acid (Na2GA), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and MgCO3. Solid dispersions (SD) have been prepared using a mechanochemical technique. The physical properties of nimesulide SD in solid state were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies. The characteristics of the water solutions which form from the obtained solid dispersions were analyzed by reverse phase and gel permeation HPLC. It was shown that solubility increases for all complexes under investigation. These phenomena are obliged by complexation with auxiliary substances, which was shown by 1H-NMR relaxation methods. The parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) was used for predicting passive intestinal absorption. Results showed that mechanochemically obtained complexes with polysaccharide AG, Na2GA, and HP-β-CD enhanced permeation of NIM across an artificial membrane compared to that of the pure NIM. The complexes were examined for anti-inflammatory activity on a model of histamine edema. The substances were administered per os to CD-1 mice. As a result, it was found that all investigated complexes dose-dependently reduce the degree of inflammation. The best results were obtained for the complexes of NIM with Na2GA and HP-β-CD. In noted case the inflammation can be diminished up to 2-fold at equal doses of NIM.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of people

Background: We conducted this survey to determine the impact of covid-19 on the mental health of people during the pandemic and period of lockdown. We evaluated certain factors such as sleep changes, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, inability to concentrate, smoking and alcohol consumption changes.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. We conducted an online questionnaire and circulated it via various social media platforms to record and evaluate responses of people. SPSS 16 version software and Microsoft excel sheet were used.Results: According to the results, people suffered from negative symptoms such as stress, fear, changes in smoking habits, changes in alcohol consumption, mood swings, inability to concentrate, sleep disturbances. Most people also started new coping mechanisms to help their psychological symptoms.Conclusions: An association between mental health and the outbreak of a pandemic was noticed. People experiencing these should get help and practice relaxation methods to prevent progression of their symptoms.