Participation Group Research Articles

Omics-based Biomarkers for the Early Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis and Reliable Therapeutic Targets Development.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in adulthood, has great medical, social, and economic impact worldwide. Available treatments result in symptomatic relief, and most of them are indicated from the early stages of the disease. Therefore, there is an increasing body of research developing accurate and early diagnoses, as well as diseasemodifying therapies. Advancing the knowledge of AD physiopathological mechanisms, improving early diagnosis and developing effective treatments from omics-based biomarkers. Studies using omics technologies to detect early AD, were reviewed with a particular focus on the metabolites/lipids, micro-RNAs and proteins, which are identified as potential biomarkers in non-invasive samples. This review summarizes recent research on metabolomics/lipidomics, epigenomics and proteomics, applied to early AD detection. Main research lines are the study of metabolites from pathways, such as lipid, amino acid and neurotransmitter metabolisms, cholesterol biosynthesis, and Krebs and urea cycles. In addition, some microRNAs and proteins (microglobulins, interleukins), related to a common network with amyloid precursor protein and tau, have been also identified as potential biomarkers. Nevertheless, the reproducibility of results among studies is not good enough and a standard methodological approach is needed in order to obtain accurate information. The assessment of metabolomic/lipidomic, epigenomic and proteomic changes associated with AD to identify early biomarkers in non-invasive samples from well-defined participants groups will potentially allow the advancement in the early diagnosis and improvement of therapeutic interventions.

Decision tree analysis to better control treatment effects in spinal cord injury clinical research.

The aim of this study was to use decision tree modeling to identify optimal stratification groups considering both the neurological impairment and spinal column injury and to investigate the change in motor score as an example of a practical application. Inherent heterogeneity in spinal cord injury (SCI) introduces variation in natural recovery, compromising the ability to identify true treatment effects in clinical research. Optimized stratification factors to create homogeneous groups of participants would improve accurate identification of true treatment effects. The analysis cohort consisted of patients with acute traumatic SCI registered in the Vancouver Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) between 2004 and 2014. Severity of neurological injury (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale [AIS grades A-D]), level of injury (cervical, thoracic), and total motor score (TMS) were assessed using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury examination; morphological injury to the spinal column assessed using the AOSpine classification (AOSC types A-C, C most severe) and age were also included. Decision trees were used to determine the most homogeneous groupings of participants based on TMS at admission and discharge from in-hospital care. The analysis cohort included 806 participants; 79.3% were male, and the mean age was 46.7 ± 19.9 years. Distribution of severity of neurological injury at admission was AIS grade A in 40.0% of patients, grade B in 11.3%, grade C in 18.9%, and grade D in 29.9%. The level of injury was cervical in 68.7% of patients and thoracolumbar in 31.3%. An AOSC type A injury was found in 33.1% of patients, type B in 25.6%, and type C in 37.8%. Decision tree analysis identified 6 optimal stratification groups for assessing TMS: 1) AOSC type A or B, cervical injury, and age ≤ 32 years; 2) AOSC type A or B, cervical injury, and age > 32-53 years; 3) AOSC type A or B, cervical injury, and age > 53 years; 4) AOSC type A or B and thoracic injury; 5) AOSC type C and cervical injury; and 6) AOSC type C and thoracic injury. Appropriate stratification factors are fundamental to accurately identify treatment effects. Inclusion of AOSC type improves stratification, and use of the 6 stratification groups could minimize confounding effects of variable neurological recovery so that effective treatments can be identified.

Determining the impact of Benzathine penicillin G prophylaxis in children with latent rheumatic heart disease (GOAL trial): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

This trial aims to determine if secondary prophylaxis with every-4-week injectable Benzathine penicillin G (BPG) improves outcomes for children diagnosed with latent RHD. This is a randomized controlled trial in consenting children, aged 5 to 17 years in Northern Uganda, confirmed to have borderline RHD or mild definite RHD on echocardiography, according to the 2012 World Heart Federation criteria. Qualifying children will be randomized to every-4-week injectable intramuscular BPG or no medical intervention and followed for a period of 2 years. Ongoing intervention adherence and retention in the trial will be supported through the establishment of peer support groups for participants in the intervention and control arms. A blinded echocardiography adjudication panel consisting of four independent experts will determine the echocardiographic classification at enrollment and trajectory through consensus review. The primary outcome is the proportion of children in the BPG-arm who demonstrate echocardiographic progression of latent RHD compared to those in the control arm. The secondary outcome is the proportion of children in the BPG-arm who demonstrate echocardiographic regression of latent RHD compared to those in the control arm. A sample size of 916 participants will provide 90% power to detect a 50% relative risk reduction assuming a 15% progression in the control group. The planned study duration is from 2018-2021. Policy decisions on the role of echocardiographic screening for RHD have stalled because of the lack of evidence of the benefit of secondary prophylaxis. The results of our study will immediately inform the standard of care for children diagnosed with latent RHD and will shape, over 2-3 years, practical and scalable programs that could substantially decrease the burden of RHD in our lifetime. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03346525. Date Registered: November 17, 2017.

The Association between Social Support and the Change in Depressive Symptoms among Baby Boomer

본 연구는 베이비부머의 사회적 지지(배우자 관계 만족도, 자녀 관계 만족도, 사회적 관계 접촉 빈도, 참여모임 수)가 우울감 변화에 미치는 영향과 이에 대한 성별의 차이를 확인하고자 수행되었다. 이를 위해 고령화연 구패널조사(Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging: KLoSA) 5차(2014년)와 6차(2016년) 자료를 활용하여 분석을 시행하였으며, 연구대상은 베이비부머(1955년생부터 1963년생)로 5차와 6차 자료 모두에서 배우자와 자녀가 있다고 응답한 사람이다(N=1,210). 독립변수인 사회적 지지는 배우자 관계 만족도, 자녀 관계 만족도, 사회적 관 계 접촉 빈도, 참여모임 수로 측정되었으며, 종속변수는 우울감 변화이다. 시차효과모델을 적용한 회귀식을 통해 우울감 변화를 통계적으로 모형화하였으며, 통제변수의 영향과 사회적 지지의 영향, 성별의 차이에 따른 영향을 단계적으로 탐색하기 위하여 위계적 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 각각의 사회적 지지와 성별의 상호작용항을 투입하여 분석을 실시한 결과, 사회적 지지가 우울감 변화에 미치는 영향에 관한 성별의 차이는 발견되지 않았다. 배우자 관계 만족도와 자녀 관계 만족도는 우울감 변화에 대한 주효과가 발견되었지만 사회적 관계 접촉 빈도와 참여모임 수는 우울감 변화와 통계적으로 유의미한 관련성이 없는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 배우자와 자녀로부터의 지지는 베이비부머의 우울감을 낮추는 데 긍정적으로 작용하였으며, 이러한 경향성은 남성과 여성 베이비부머에게서 동일하게 나타났다. 본 연구 결과는 다양한 사회적 지지들 중 특히 부부관계와 자녀와의 관계의 질을 향상시키는 것이 베이비부머의 우울감 감소를 위해 중요하다는 것을 시사한다.This study aimed to investigate the association between social support and the change of depressive symptoms and its difference by gender among Korean Baby Boomer. We used the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) 5th (in 2014) and 6th waves (in 2016). Samples were Korean Baby Boomer (born 1955 to 1963) who have spouse and children(N = 1,210). Dependent variable was depressive symptoms and independent variables were four social support variables (spousal relationship satisfaction, parent-child relationship satisfaction, frequency of social contact, and number of participation groups). Interaction variables between social support and gender were also included in the model. Hierarchical regression analysis with the lagged dependent variable was performed. Results showed that the higher the satisfaction of spousal relationship and the satisfaction of parent-child relationship, the less the depressive symptoms increased. All interaction variables were not significant. These findings mean that the support from the spouse and the child is helpful in lowering depressive symptoms, and the associations between social support and depressive symptoms are not different by gender among Baby Boomer. It implies that interventions for enhancing family relationships, especially spousal relationship and parent-child relationship, may be useful to reduce depressive symptoms among Korean Baby Boomer.

КОНЦЕРТНИЙ ТА КОНКУРСНО-ФЕСТИВАЛЬНИЙ НАПРЯМКИ У РОБОТІ З СТУДЕНТСЬКИМИ ХОРОВИМИ КОЛЕКТИВАМИ

The problem of the integrated approach to work with student choir collectives is raised as an important component of the process of preparation of the teachers of artistic disciplines.Attention is focused on such components of choral activity as the training of choral groups for participation in various thematic concerts, annual concerts and other artistic events, competitions and festivals of choral music of various levels.There has been illustrated the significance of the concert, competition and festival and repertoire aspects in work with the student choir group on the example of the female choir of the Faculty of Arts of Volodymyr Hnatyuk TNPU which is one of the first choral ensembles of the university. There have been represented the artistic directors and conductors of the given collective.There has been observed concert and competition and festival activity of the collective, its participation in choral creative forums of city, regional levels of different levels of functioning.There have been highlighted and analyzed the main components of the repertoire of the collective as the basis of formation of vocal and choral culture of students, their acquisition of experience of practical choral and conductor’s work as the future participant or leader of the choir collective, their experience of concert and competitive activity as well.There have been presented the rubrics of the repertoire of the collective, including works of spiritual character of foreign and Ukrainian composers, classical samples of versatile works of foreign and national choral literature, choral adaptationі of Ukrainian song heritage, popular works by contemporary artists, etc. An interesting form proved to be the creation of the so-called “choral and choreographic compositions” as a performance of choral works with the active usage of the choreographic component on the example of the contemporary popular repertoire.It has been concluded that the combination of educational, concert and festival practice provides the integrity of the process of professional preparation of participants and future leaders of choir collectives. The process is facilitated by appropriate versatile repertoire material, which should include masterpieces of European and world choral music, highly artistic samples of domestic classical music, inexhaustible volumes of Ukrainian song heritage, samples of contemporary choral composition, interesting adaptations and arrangements of contemporary popular music.

Assessing volunteer satisfaction at the London Olympic Games and its impact on future volunteer behaviour

In recent years, volunteering has received strong research attention from both scholars and practitioners. For the most part, involvement in volunteer activities has been identified as an important determinant of future volunteering. Through revalidating an existing instrument, the purpose of this study was to assess the dimensions of volunteer satisfaction at the 2012 London Olympic Games and its impact on future volunteer behaviour. The findings of this study shed light on the identification of volunteer satisfaction factors in the mega sporting event setting, particularly for a unique type of volunteer (i.e. media worker) assigned to a special set of tasks. Unlike Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley’s results that revealed participation efficacy and group integration to be strong predictors of volunteer satisfaction, organizational support was the primary predictor for media centre volunteers’ re-participation intention towards future volunteering programmes.

Feasibility randomized controlled trial of a one-day CBT workshop ('DISCOVER') for 15- to 18-year-olds with anxiety and/or depression in clinic settings.

'DISCOVER' one-day cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) workshops have been developed to provide accessible, developmentally sensitive psychological support for older adolescents experiencing emotional difficulties. Previous school-based evaluations of the DISCOVER model have shown positive outcomes. The current study aimed to test the model for clinically referred adolescents, in real-world settings. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of the DISCOVER intervention, in comparison with usual care, for 15- to 18-year-olds with emotional difficulties. Participants were recruited from outpatient clinic waiting lists in UK child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Research feasibility indicators included rates of recruitment, randomization, intervention participation (group workshops and individualized follow-up telephone calls), and data collection (at baseline and 8-week follow-up). Intervention acceptability was assessed using a structured service satisfaction questionnaire and semi-structured qualitative interviews with intervention participants. Preliminary clinical outcomes were explored using adolescent-reported validated measures of depression, anxiety and well-being. n = 24 participants were randomized to intervention and usual care groups. Workshop attendance was good and high levels of treatment satisfaction were reported, although feasibility challenges emerged in recruitment and randomization. Trends were found towards potential improvements in anxiety and well-being for the intervention group, but the effect estimate for depression was imprecise; interpretability was also limited due to the small sample size. DISCOVER appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention model for clinically referred 15- to 18-year-olds with emotional difficulties. A full-scale RCT is warranted to evaluate effectiveness; protocol modifications may be necessary to ensure feasible recruitment and randomization procedures.

Prior medication adherence of participants and non participants of a randomized controlled trial to improve patient adherence in cardiovascular risk management

BackgroundPoor medication adherence is a major factor in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and contributes to increased morbidity, mortality, and costs. Interventions for improving medication adherence may have limited effects as a consequence of self selection of already highly adherent participants into clinical trials.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, existing levels of medication adherence were examined in self-decided participants and non-participants prior to inclusion in a randomized controlled study (RCT), evaluating the effect of an intervention to improve adherence. In addition, the non-participants were further divided into ‘responders’ and ‘non responders’. All individuals had manifest cardiovascular disease and completed a questionnaire with baseline characteristics, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Modified Morisky Scale® (MMS®) as part of a regular screening program. A logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between study participation willingness, adherence level and the beliefs about medication.ResultsAccording to the MMS® the adherence level was comparable in all groups. In both (non)-participants groups, 36% was classified as high adherent; 46% participants versus 44% non-participants were classified as medium adherent and 19% of the participants versus 20% of the non-participants were low adherent (p = 0.91. The necessity concern differential (NCD) from the BMQ was 3.8 for participants and 3.4 for non-participants (p = 0.32).ConclusionThis study shows that adherence to medication and beliefs about medication do not differ between participants and non-participants before consenting to participate in an RCT. The study design seems not to have led to greater adherence in the study group.

The Friends and Family Test: From card sorts to control charts

There is evidence that both quantitative and qualitative data in the National Health Service have been underexploited. Although the quantitative data derived from the Friends and Family Test are well understood and reported, the qualitative data are not so easily analysed nor is it easy to use to make quality improvements. There are methods from other domains that can be used to improve both reporting and utilisation of data. This article will discuss the logical and conceptual issues of combining the two methods, which when used together can lead to a deeper understanding of patient feedback and facilitate quality improvement without requiring advanced skills, thus making it suitable for lay staff and patient groups to use. Card Sorts and control charts, which are separately well-established techniques of analysis, were used together to analyse data from the Friends and Family Test in a general practitioner surgery in a small rural town in England with a patient population of approximately 8000. The use of the methodology showed that the two techniques used together resulted in a more powerful method, which was both easy to use and faster than traditional methods such as discourse analysis, and was easily incorporated into quality improvement discussions. This methodology is easy to use and requires little or no knowledge of statistical analysis, which makes it an ideal way for lay people, such as Patient Participation Groups or administrative staff, to monitor and act upon patient feedback, relieving general practitioners of the burden of analysing patient feedback.

The association between three AXIN2 variants and cancer risk.

Plenty of epidemiological studies have assessed the effects of AXIN2 polymorphisms on the risk of developing cancer, but the available results were somewhat inconclusive. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to investigate the relationship between three AXIN2 variants (rs2240308 C/T, rs1133683 C/T, and rs4791171 A/G) and overall cancer susceptibility. In silico tools were undertaken to investigate the correlation of AXIN2 expression with cancer risk and survival time. Furthermore, we explored the serum expression of AXIN2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 4167 cancer patients and 3515 control subjects were evaluated. The overall results demonstrated that there was no major association of these polymorphisms on cancer risk. However, stratified analysis by cancer type showed evidence that rs2240308 C/T polymorphism had a lower risk in lung cancer (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92; Pheterogeneity = 0.865) and prostate cancer (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35-0.84; Pheterogeneity = 0.088) by heterozygote comparison. Similar results were indicated in Asian descendants and population-based studies. In silico analysis showed evidence that AXIN2 expressions in lung cancer and prostate cancer were lower than that in normal counterpart. High expression of AXIN2 may have longer overall survival time than low expression group for lung cancer participants. In addition, individuals who were CC/TC carriers had a higher serum expression level than TT carriers. In conclusion, this pooled analysis suggested that AXIN2 rs2240308 C/T variant may decrease both lung and prostate cancer susceptibility, particularly in Asian descendants and population-based studies. Future large scale and well-designed research are required to validate these effects in more detail.

A vision of public participation in healthcare planning

This article summarises important considerations surrounding patient participation groups, based on interviews conducted with a range of stakeholders

Patient Participation During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Improves Comprehension, Satisfaction, and Functional Outcomes: A Simple Way to Improve Our Practices.

Background:It is estimated that 28% of patients are dissatisfied after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, in part because they do not understand the procedure well enough.Purpose:To assess the postoperative comprehension, satisfaction, and functional outcomes of 2 patient groups: 1 undergoing a standard surgical procedure (standard group) and 1 involved in their surgery (participation group).Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.Methods:Over a 4-month period, 62 patients were included: 31 in the standard group and 31 in the participation group. The preoperative information, surgical technique, anesthesia, and postoperative course were identical in both groups. Patients in the participation group were allowed to watch the arthroscopic portion of their surgery live on a video screen, and standardized information was given to these patients during the arthroscopic phase. Self-administered questionnaires were given to assess comprehension (Matava score), satisfaction (visual analog scale [VAS] for satisfaction, Net Promoter Score [NPS], and Evaluation du Vécu de l’Anesthésie LocoRégionale [EVAN-LR]), and outcomes (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] form and Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Return to Sport after Injury [ACL-RSI] scale) between groups.Results:Postoperative comprehension was significantly improved in the participation group, as the Matava score increased by a mean of 7.1 ± 5.3 points versus 2.7 ± 5.6 points in the standard group (P = .0024). The mean VAS satisfaction score immediately after surgery was 9.8 ± 0.6 in the participation group versus 8.9 ± 1.9 in the standard group (P = .0033); this difference was still present at 1 year postoperatively (9.8 ± 0.6 vs 9.1 ± 1.7, respectively; P = .0145). The NPS was 96.8% in the participation group versus 64.5% in the standard group (P = .0057) in the immediate postoperative period and 100.0% in the participation group versus 71.0% in the standard group at 1 year postoperatively (P = .0046). The mean total EVAN-LR score was 89.1 ± 6.5 in the participation group and 84.6 ± 9.9 in the standard group (P = .0416). At 1 year postoperatively, the mean IKDC score was 86.0 ± 7.5 in the participation group versus 80.0 ± 7.4 in the standard group (P = .0023). The mean ACL-RSI score was 80.9 ± 7.7 in the participation group versus 74.3 ± 8.4 in the standard group (P = .0019).Conclusion:Involving patients in their ACL reconstruction surgery improves their understanding of the procedure and their satisfaction with their care, which results in better outcomes at 1 year postoperatively.

Retention and Academic Success of First-Year Student-Athletes and Intramural Sports Participants

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the relationship of intramural sports and Division III athletic participation to retention and academic success in first-year college students. A first-year student cohort ( n = 568) was grouped into four categories: no participation, student-athlete, intramural participant, and participant in both. There was no statistically significant difference in academic success among the participant groups, F(6, 1084) = .626, p = .710. Both the student-athlete and intramural participant groups were retained at a higher rate than the no participation group, 4.65% and 10.48%, respectively. Of the 46 student-athletes who discontinued playing varsity sports, only 17 remained at the institution. This investigation supports that intramural sports and Division III varsity athletic participation does not negatively affect grade point average and credit hours earned in first-year students, while demonstrating a positive relationship with retention. The results also highlight the need for intentional intervention and research related to the disengaged student-athlete.

198 Eight years of a sustainable rheumatology patient participation group: lessons learnt in improving quality, safety and patient experience

198 Eight years of a sustainable rheumatology patient participation group: lessons learnt in improving quality, safety and patient experience

Functional neuroplasticity in response to cerebello-thalamic injury underpins the clinical presentation of tremor in multiple sclerosis

Background: Tremor is present in almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The lack of understanding of its pathophysiology is hampering progress in development of treatments. Objectives: To clarify the structural and functional brain changes associated with the clinical phenotype of upper limb tremor in people with MS. Methods: Fifteen healthy controls (46.1 ± 15.4 years), 27 MS participants without tremor (46.7 ± 11.6 years) and 42 with tremor (46.6 ± 11.5 years) were included. Tremor was quantified using the Bain score (0–10) for overall severity, handwriting and Archimedes spiral drawing. Functional magnetic resonance imaging activations were compared between participants groups during performance of a joystick task designed to isolate tremulous movement. Inflammation and atrophy of cerebello-thalamo-cortical brain structures were quantified. Results: Tremor participants were found to have atrophy of the cerebellum and thalamus, and higher ipsilateral cerebellar lesion load compared to participants without tremor (p < 0.020). We found higher ipsilateral activation in the inferior parietal lobule, the premotor cortex and supplementary motor area in MS tremor participants compared to MS participants without tremor during the joystick task. Finally, stronger activation in those areas was associated with lower tremor severity. Conclusion: Subcortical neurodegeneration and inflammation along the cerebello-thalamo-cortical and cortical functional neuroplasticity contribute to the severity of tremor in MS.

Evaluative Outcomes of Connecticut’s Batterer Intervention for High Risk Offenders

ABSTRACT Evaluations of male batterer interventions (e.g., BIPs) have produced mixed results with many finding little or no positive effects and/or suffering from methodological shortcomings. This study attempted to overcome many of these shortcomings by employing a quasi-experimental research design with a propensity-matched comparison group to test the effectiveness of Connecticut’s batterers’ program for serious male family violence offenders. Using court records, we calculated one-year recidivism effect sizes for program participants and further explored these effects while controlling for demographics, family violence risk, and criminal history. We found that the program participation group had significantly lower one-year arrest rates than the comparison group. While the effect size for any type of arrest was moderate, it remained when controlling for other variables known to influence recidivism such as age, race/ethnicity, family violence risk, and criminal history. These differences, however, applied to any type of new arrest but not specifically to family violence offenses. For family violence offenses, the program group had lower arrest rates, but these were not statistically significant. Overall, our findings show that court-mandated batterer programs can be effective in reducing general recidivism but is inconclusive with battering violence.

Vocational upper-secondary education and participation in non-formal education: a comparison of European countries

ABSTRACTThe question of whether the potential short-term advantages of vocational qualifications are offset by disadvantages in later life is an important issue for policy debates. This paper analyses how the choice of vocational or general upper-secondary education affects future prospects of participation in non-formal education (NFE). It presents a comparative analysis of European countries in different six types according to the skill specificity of the vocational education and training system, using the 2014 Labour Force Survey data. Our results confirm the trade-off between short- and long-term benefits of vocational education. In countries with higher specificity of vocational education, the difference in NFE participation between vocational and general upper-secondary education at the beginning of the work career is higher compared to countries where specificity is lower. However, the same difference also appears in countries where general upper-secondary education dominates. Unexpectedly, the differences between the two educational groups in training participation did not diminish over the life-course but increased for the 30–34 year olds. The results highlight that in countries where general upper-secondary education dominates (type 6) those with vocational education are more likely to participate in NFE than in countries where school-based systems exist (type 5). Abbreviations: NFE - non-formal education and training; VET - vocational education and training; ISCED - International Standard Classification of Education; EU LFS - the European Union Labour Force Survey

The Association Between Yoga Use, Physical Function, and Employment in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Mind-body exercises such as yoga offer patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) a symptom management strategy for improving physical and mental health. Studies have evaluated yoga to manage symptoms of RA and improve physical function; however, none has examined the relationship between yoga and work status in adults with RA. The objective was to describe differences in RA symptomatology, physical function scores, and work status between adults with RA who participate in yoga and those who do not. This cross-sectional study surveyed adults with rheumatologist-diagnosed RA regarding yoga use in the past year, symptoms, physical function, and work status. Differences between yoga and non-yoga participation groups were assessed with 2-sided t tests or Pearson χ tests. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify significant associations between yoga participation and primary outcomes. The sample included 398 adults with RA; 88% were females, 66% were white, mean age 61.8 years, mean disease duration 24.8 years; 10.6% participated in yoga. Vinyasa, Bikram, Hatha, Iyengar, and restorative yoga styles were practiced, mostly in a group setting. Yoga participants were significantly more likely to work full-time, less likely to be unable to work due to disability, and had better physical function. These findings characterize yoga practice and practitioners among adults with RA. In adults with RA, yoga participation is associated with full-time work status and better physical function than nonparticipation. This study adds additional information to the growing body of literature about adults with RA who practice yoga.

Psychological Distress Across Sport Participation Groups: The Mediating Effects of Secondary Irrational Beliefs on the Relationship Between Primary Irrational Beliefs and Symptoms of Anxiety, Anger, and Depression

It is not fully understood the extent to which cognitive mediators are involved in the transaction between the athletic environment and athlete mental health. Rational emotive behaviour therapy (RE...

The MALT1 locus and peanut avoidance in the risk for peanut allergy

The MALT1 locus and peanut avoidance in the risk for peanut allergy