An Internet Mantram Repetition Program to Promote Well-being in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 6-week internet-delivered Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) for women recently treated for breast cancer. A secondary objective explored changes in perceived stress, psycho-spiritual measures, and cytokines in the treatment group compared to a waitlist. A feasibility study (ORBIT model Phase IIa) with a randomized controlled trial pilot was conducted.

Prevalence, characteristics and measurement of somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students: a scoping review.

Introduction: Somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students are under-researched, with nothing on the topic being published in the United States in over three decades. This scoping review is the first of its kind to explore the prevalence, type and severity of somatic symptoms induced by stress, anxiety, depression and burnout amongst medical students, with the objective of describing the significance and breadth of this issue.

Methods: PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used to guide this review.

Digital Methodology for Mobile Clinical Decision Support Development in Long-Term Care.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has driven innovations in methods to sustain initiatives for the design, development, evaluation, and implementation of clinical support technology in long-term care settings while removing risk of infection for residents, family members, health care workers, researchers and technical professionals. We adapted traditional design and evaluation methodology for a mobile clinical decision support app - designated Mobile Application Information System for Integrated Evidence ("MAISIE") - to a completely digital design methodology that removes in-person contacts between the research team, developer, and nursing home staff and residents. We have successfully maintained project continuity for MAISIE app development with only minor challenges while working remotely.

Remote Usability Testing to Facilitate the Continuation of Research.

Usability testing has historically been an in-person activity where test participants and evaluation researchers are co-located. Recruiting participants into usability studies can be a challenging endeavor especially when potential participants are concerned about time commitments and social distancing. The global COVID-19 pandemic has driven the development of remote usability testing methods.

Usability Evaluation of a Smartphone Medication Reminder Application in Patients Treated With Short-term Antibiotic.

Medication adherence is poor in persons with chronic disease, especially in those with multiple chronic diseases, one of which is a psychological disorder. Social support, medication education, and external reminders have been identified as facilitators of adherence. Mobile health applications have the potential to enhance adherence; however, it is unknown if publicly available applications are user-friendly and useful.

Patient Perspectives on Short-Course Pharmacotherapy: Barriers and Facilitators to Medication Adherence.

Background: Medication nonadherence is a public health issue that contributes to poor health outcomes and health-care costs. Factors influencing long-term medication adherence are known; however, little is known about short-course medication adherence.

Objective: This study examined patient perspectives on adherence and factors that influence adherence to short-course pharmacotherapy in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Effects of a comprehensive self-management intervention on extraintestinal symptoms among patients with IBS.

Objective: Adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often report extraintestinal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances in addition to abdominal pain. Few interventions have sought to reduce these extraintestinal symptoms within the IBS population. To address this, we compared the effects of a comprehensive self-management (CSM) intervention to a control intervention (usual care) on extraintestinal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances among patients with IBS.

Adherence to Short-course Pharmacotherapy in Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), characterized by abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction, treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms. Adherence is crucial for pharmacologic management success. We examined 73 adult's objective adherence to rifaximin using the taxonomy for adherence.

Layperson's knowledge and perceptions of irritable bowel syndrome as potential barriers to care.

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the layperson's knowledge and perceptions regarding the aetiology, pathogenesis, prevalence, medical evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Diagnosis acceptance and adherence to treatment is influenced by the views of the patient's social networks. Little is known how these networks influence those with irritable bowel syndrome.

Gender and Weight Influence Quality of Life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction in the absence of structural abnormality. Diagnosis can be challenging and often leads to extensive medical tests, non-effective therapeutic modalities, and reduced quality of life (QOL). Identifying factors associated with dysfunction have the potential to enhance outcomes.

The association of catastrophizing with quality-of-life outcomes in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Catastrophizing is a cognitive process characterized by a propensity to concentrate on and magnify the value of an actual or anticipated painful stimulus and negatively assesses one's ability to cope. Catastrophizing is an important predictor of pain-related outcomes. A cornerstone symptom of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is abdominal pain or discomfort.

Data supporting the effects of lysozyme on mRNA and protein expression in a colonic epithelial scratch wound model.

Colonic epithelial health is implicated in a host of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and disorders. Lysozyme is suspected to play a role in the ability of the epithelium to recover from injury (Abey et al., in press; Gallo, 2012; Rubio, 2014) [1], [2], [3].

Lysozyme association with circulating RNA, extracellular vesicles, and chronic stress.

Background: Stress has demonstrated effects on inflammation though underlying cell-cell communication mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesize that circulating RNAs and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients with chronic stress contain signals with functional roles in cell repair.

Methods: Blood transcriptome from patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome versus controls were compared to identify signaling pathways and effectors.

Perturbations of Circulating miRNAs in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Detected Using a Multiplexed High-throughput Gene Expression Platform.

The gene expression platform assay allows for robust and highly reproducible quantification of the expression of up to 800 transcripts (mRNA or miRNAs) in a single reaction. The miRNA assay counts transcripts by directly imaging and digitally counting miRNA molecules that are labeled with color-coded fluorescent barcoded probe sets (a reporter probe and a capture probe). Barcodes are hybridized directly to mature miRNAs that have been elongated by ligating a unique oligonucleotide tag (miRtag) to the 3' end.

Effect of Illness Representations and Catastrophizing on Quality of Life in Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

There is limited understanding of the influence of psychosocial factors on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which contributes to management difficulties and ineffective long-term treatment. The goal of the current study was to assess the effect illness representations and coping had on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with IBS. Self-report data were collected from 101 adults with IBS.

Neuroimaging the brain-gut axis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Aim: To summarize and synthesize current literature on neuroimaging the brain-gut axis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods: A database search for relevant literature was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Embase in February 2015. Date filters were applied from the year 2009 and onward, and studies were limited to those written in the English language and those performed upon human subjects.

The microbiome of the oral mucosa in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a poorly understood disorder characterized by persistent symptoms, including visceral pain. Studies have demonstrated oral microbiome differences in inflammatory bowel diseases suggesting the potential of the oral microbiome in the study of non-oral conditions. In this exploratory study we examine whether differences exist in the oral microbiome of IBS participants and healthy controls, and whether the oral microbiome relates to symptom severity.

The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer: A Valid and Innovative Method to Assess Gastrointestinal Symptoms.

Abdominal pain is a chronic condition experienced by approximately 20% of individuals in the United States. The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of the Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer as a measure of abdominal pain intensity. A prospective longitudinal time-series study design was utilized.

Altered vasoactive intestinal peptides expression in irritable bowel syndrome patients and rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis.

Aim: To investigate the vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIP) expression in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis.

Methods: The VIP gene expression and protein plasma levels were measured in adult participants (45.8% male) who met Rome III criteria for IBS for longer than 6 mo and in a rat model of colitis as induced by TNBS.

Elevated circulating miR-150 and miR-342-3p in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background And Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which regulate gene expression and are thus of interest as diagnostic markers, and as clues to etiology and targets of intervention. This pilot study examined whether circulating miRNAs are differentially expressed in patients with IBS.

Methods: miRNA microarrays (NanoString) were run on the whole blood of 43 participants.