Publications by authors named "Monica Kelly"

Article Synopsis
  • Placebo effects are often seen in clinical trials for benzodiazepine receptor agonists, leading to recommendations for discontinuation of these medications in older adults and the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) instead.
  • This study aims to compare the effects of a masked tapering process combined with enhanced CBTI against standard CBTI with an unmasked taper in helping older adults discontinue benzodiazepine receptor agonists.
  • The primary outcome measured is the percentage of participants successfully discontinuing their medication after 6 months, with additional assessments of insomnia severity and short-term discontinuation rates.
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This review examined the effect of acute heat mitigation strategies on physiological strain and exercise performance in females exercising in the heat. Three databases were searched for original research with an acute heat mitigation (intervention) and control strategy in active females and reporting core temperature, heart rate and/or aerobic exercise performance/capacity with ≥ 24°C wet bulb globe temperature. Hedges' effect sizes were calculated to evaluate outcomes.

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Objective: Poor sleep is associated with increased inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of chronic diseases and mortality. However, the effects of behavioral sleep interventions on the upstream inflammatory system are unknown among family care partners (CP). The present study explored the role of a behavioral sleep intervention program on inflammatory gene expression.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study is a cross-sectional cohort design aimed at understanding how sleep-related issues affect the daytime functioning and quality of life of veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI).
  • It involved 38 male veterans who were assessed for various sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, and overall sleep quality, along with their daytime fatigue, depression, and quality of life.
  • Findings revealed that insomnia and poor sleep quality negatively impacted the veterans' functioning, while the severity of sleep-disordered breathing did not show significant relationships, indicating a need for more research on insomnia treatments for this population.
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Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia disorder in adults. Compared to young adults, older adults have increased risk for the development of conditions associated with chronic pain, which may impact the efficacy of CBT-I in improving insomnia symptoms in older adults. This study evaluated the effect of participant-rated pain on sleep-related outcomes of a supervised, non-clinician administered CBT-I program in older adult patients with chronic insomnia disorder.

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Insomnia and pain disorders are among the most common conditions affecting United States adults and veterans, and their comorbidity can cause detrimental effects to quality of life among other factors. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and related behavioural therapies are recommended treatments for insomnia, but chronic pain may hinder treatment benefit. Prior research has not addressed how pain impacts the effects of behavioural insomnia treatment in United States women veterans.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ancient DNA helps researchers study genetic and evolutionary history, revealing detailed profiles of ancient individuals’ lives.
  • The study introduces a new computational method to detect aneuploidies—abnormal chromosome numbers—in ancient genomes, even in cases of low DNA sequencing coverage.
  • This method was applied to ancient remains from Britain, identifying instances of different genetic conditions such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome, and enhancing our understanding of the social perceptions of individuals with unique biological traits in the past.
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The aim of this audit was to quantify female representation in research on heat adaptation. Using a standardized audit tool, the PubMed database was searched for heat adaptation literature from inception to February 2023. Studies were included if they investigated heat adaptation among female and male adults (≥18-50 years) who were free from noncommunicable diseases, with heat adaptation the primary or secondary outcome of interest.

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Insufficient sleep is a growing global problem, with poor sleep associated with many negative health and performance outcomes. Previous reviews investigating the effect of diet on sleep have highlighted the amino acid tryptophan as a promising sleep-promoting nutrient, with the richest food source of tryptophan, ⍺-lactalbumin, requiring further investigation. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to review the existing evidence of association between ⍺-lactalbumin and sleep.

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In the second century CE the Roman Empire had increasing contact with Sarmatians, nomadic Iranian speakers occupying an area stretching from the Pontic-Caspian steppe to the Carpathian mountains, both in the Caucasus and in the Danubian borders of the empire. In 175 CE, following their defeat in the Marcomannic Wars, emperor Marcus Aurelius drafted Sarmatian cavalry into Roman legions and deployed 5,500 Sarmatian soldiers to Britain, as recorded by contemporary historian Cassius Dio. Little is known about where the Sarmatian cavalry were stationed, and no individuals connected with this historically attested event have been identified to date, leaving its impact on Britain largely unknown.

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Study Objectives: This study sought to examine the relationship between actigraphy and the Consensus Sleep Diary to contribute information on their concurrent validity in a sample of career firefighters.

Methods: Sixty firefighters were recruited from a large, urban fire department in the southwest United States that utilizes a fire-based emergency medical services system and a 5/6 shift schedule. A total of 329 differences were recorded during participants' 6-day between-shift recovery period.

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Objective: Insomnia is known to exacerbate pain symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to compare the secondary effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) against a novel treatment for insomnia called acceptance and behavioral changes for insomnia (ABC-I) among individuals with comorbid pain. Differences in the potential mechanisms through which these treatments impact pain were also examined.

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This narrative review evaluated the evidence for buffering agents (sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate and beta-alanine), with specific consideration of three discrete scenarios: female athletes, extreme environments and combined buffering agents. Studies were screened according to exclusion and inclusion criteria and were analysed on three levels: (1) moderating variables (supplement dose and timing, and exercise test duration and intensity), (2) design factors (e.g.

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Objectives: Insomnia may contribute to fewer value-consistent choices and less engagement in meaningful life activities. We sought to identify values commonly expressed by women veterans engaged in a trial testing psychological treatment of insomnia disorder.

Methods: Seventy-four women veterans (mean age = 48.

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Objective: This randomized comparative effectiveness trial evaluated a novel insomnia treatment using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) among women veterans. Participants received either the acceptance and the behavioral changes to treat insomnia (ABC-I) or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). The primary objectives were to determine whether ABC-I was noninferior to CBT-I in improving sleep and to test whether ABC-I resulted in higher treatment completion and adherence versus CBT-I.

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Background: Fluid loss during prolonged exercise in hot conditions poses thermoregulatory and cardiovascular challenges for athletes that can lead to impaired performance. Pre-exercise hyperhydration using nutritional aids is a strategy that may prevent or delay the adverse effects of dehydration and attenuate the impact of heat stress on exercise performance.

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the current literature to determine the effect of pre-exercise hyperhydration on performance, key physiological responses and gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Extinct lineages of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the plague, have been identified in several individuals from Eurasia between 5000 and 2500 years before present (BP). One of these, termed the 'LNBA lineage' (Late Neolithic and Bronze Age), has been suggested to have spread into Europe with human groups expanding from the Eurasian steppe. Here, we show that the LNBA plague was spread to Europe's northwestern periphery by sequencing three Yersinia pestis genomes from Britain, all dating to ~4000 cal BP.

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Background: Heat adaptation regimes are used to prepare athletes for exercise in hot conditions to limit a decrement in exercise performance. However, the heat adaptation literature mostly focuses on males, and consequently, current heat adaptation guidelines may not be optimal for females when accounting for the biological and phenotypical differences between sexes.

Objectives: We aimed to examine: (1) the effects of heat adaptation on physiological adaptations in females; (2) the impact of heat adaptation on performance test outcomes in the heat; and (3) the impact of various moderators, including duration (minutes and/or days), total heat dose (°Cmin), exercise intensity (kcalmin), total energy expended (kcal), frequency of heat exposures and training status on the physiological adaptations in the heat.

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Study Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease impacting the central nervous system. A hallmark symptom of MS is fatigue, which impairs daytime function and quality of life (QOL). Sleep disorders and disturbances are common in persons with MS and exacerbate fatigue.

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Objectives: We established a program of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) telemedicine that is safe and acceptable. Since December 2019, a multi-disciplinary team has been planning this quality improvement project.

Methods: We performed a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of using telemedicine and tele-ultrasound to enable prompt MFM consultations for patients in remote locations.

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Study Objectives: To assess the association of insomnia symptoms and psychiatric symptoms in patients with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D).

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, veterans with SCI/D (n = 72; mean = 59.85 ± 10.

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Purpose: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a common sleep disorder in veterans; however, limited research exists in women veterans. We sought to estimate patterns of care in terms of evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment among women veterans with factors associated with elevated SDB risk.

Methods: Within one VA healthcare system, women identified through electronic health record data as having one or more factors (e.

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Context: Night-shift work causes circadian misalignment, predicts the development of metabolic diseases, and complicates the interpretation of hormone measurements.

Objective: To investigate endogenous circadian rhythms, dissociated from behavioral and environmental confounds, in adrenal and gonadal steroids after simulated shift work.

Methods: Fourteen healthy adults (ages 25.

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Objective: This study compared the benefits of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia for sleep, mental health symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of women veterans with and without probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbid with insomnia disorder.

Methods: Seventy-three women veterans (30 with probable PTSD) received a manual-based 5-week cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia treatment as part of a behavioral sleep intervention study. Measures were completed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

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