Brain-computer interface relieves chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) includes negative sensations that remain a major chronic problem for cancer survivors. Previous research demonstrated that neurofeedback (a closed-loop brain-computer interface [BCI]) was effective at treating CIPN versus a waitlist control (WLC). The authors' a priori hypothesis was that BCI would be superior to placebo feedback (placebo control [PLC]) and to WLC in alleviating CIPN and that changes in brain activity would predict symptom report.

Psychopharmacology attitudes, beliefs, and practices among systemic family therapists and supervisors.

Many aspects of systemic family therapist (SFT) training and competence play a vital role in effective treatment and professional satisfaction. One area that has been significantly overlooked by many SFTs is the role of psychotropic medication (PM) in conjunction with talk therapy for optimal mental health outcomes. This study explores the current status of PM in SFT training and clinical practice.

"Lovesick": Mental Health and Romantic Relationships among College Students.

This research investigated the interpersonal impact of self-reported mental health diagnoses and/or perceptions on undergraduate students' current or most recent romantic relationship. Analysis of data from a 43-item online questionnaire completed by 267 undergraduates revealed that 68.3% of women and 52.

National Practices Regarding Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects.

Background: AACN published a clarifying document in 2015 to guide Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs' DNP Scholarly Projects. This publication provided specific and general guidance; however, areas of inconsistent interpretation remained. The variability of best practices for DNP projects sparked the idea for a national survey to explore how projects are being carried out and to determine if the varied approaches align with AACN's 2015 recommendations.

Does empowerment enhance nurses' organizational commitment?

Aim: We examined whether psychological empowerment was significantly associated with the organizational commitment of licensed practical nurses.

Background: Healthcare organizations face unprecedented staffing challenges. This study provides insight into potential ways to ameliorate these issues.

Receiving Medical Care for Chronic Migraines: A Phenomenological Study.

Objectives: Treating chronic migraine (CM) effectively is one of the greatest challenges a primary care provider (PCP) may encounter. Many patients with CM report dissatisfaction and minimal gains from treatment, despite using the best medical interventions available. For this study, patients with CM and their partners provided insight into how PCPs could improve CM treatment.

"It's splendid once you grow into it:" Client experiences of relational teletherapy in the era of COVID-19.

The novel Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and subsequent social distancing practices have altered the way we move through the world and access physical and mental healthcare. While researchers and clinicians have begun to explore the impact of telehealth delivery on psychotherapy and treatment outcomes, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals in teletherapy, specifically those engaging in teletherapy with a romantic partner or family member. Using a thematic analysis of open-ended online survey questions, we explored the experiences of 25 individuals who engaged in couple or family teletherapy after social distancing began.

Multisensory Sensitivity is Related to Deep-Tissue but Not Cutaneous Pain Sensitivity in Healthy Individuals.

Purpose: Some individuals with chronic pain find daily life sensations (eg, noise, light, or touch) aversive. This amplification of multisensory sensations has been associated with centrally mediated plasticity; for example, greater multisensory sensitivity (MSS) occurs in patients with fibromyalgia than rheumatoid arthritis. However, whether MSS preferentially relates to pain measures which reflect central influences (eg, dynamic quantitative sensory testing (QST) or referred pain), or whether the MSS-pain relationship requires priming from chronic pain, is unknown.

DrpB (YedR) Is a Nonessential Cell Division Protein in Escherichia coli.

We report that the small membrane protein DrpB (formerly YedR) is involved in cell division. We discovered DrpB in a screen for multicopy suppressors of a Δ mutation that prevents divisome assembly when cells are plated on low ionic strength medium, such as lysogeny broth without NaCl. Characterization of DrpB revealed that (i) translation initiates at an ATG annotated as codon 22 rather than the GTG annotated as codon 1, (ii) DrpB localizes to the septal ring when cells are grown in medium of low ionic strength but localization is greatly reduced in medium of high ionic strength, (iii) overproduction of DrpB in a Δ mutant background improves recruitment of the septal peptidoglycan synthase FtsI, implying multicopy suppression works by rescuing septal ring assembly, (iv) a Δ mutant divides quite normally, but a Δ Δ double mutant has a strong division and viability defect, albeit only in medium of high ionic strength, and (v) DrpB homologs are found in and a few closely related enteric bacteria, but not outside this group.

A Modified MCT-Based Ketogenic Diet Increases Plasma β-Hydroxybutyrate but Has Less Effect on Fatigue and Quality of Life in People with Multiple Sclerosis Compared to a Modified Paleolithic Diet: A Waitlist-Controlled, Randomized Pilot Study.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of a modified MCT-based ketogenic diet and its impact on plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and MS outcomes compared to a modified Paleolithic diet and usual diet in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Fifteen individuals with MS were randomized to 3 groups: 1) modified Paleolithic diet (Paleo;  = 6); 2) medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based ketogenic diet that included coconut as a fat source (Keto;  = 5); or 3) usual diet (Control;  = 4). Participants had blood drawn every 4 weeks to monitor nutritional ketosis.

Organizational Trust, Psychological Empowerment, and Organizational Commitment Among Licensed Practical Nurses.

In this study, we examine the influence of organizational trust on organizational commitment among licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Guided by prior research and theory, we also consider whether psychological empowerment mediates the influence of organizational trust on organizational commitment. To accomplish these tasks, we examine data from our survey of all registered LPNs in a Midwestern US state on their levels of organizational trust, psychological empowerment, and organizational commitment.

Athletic Trainers' Influence on National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes' Basic Psychological Needs During Sport Injury Rehabilitation.

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) have indicated a desire to better understand the motivations of athletes during rehabilitation. Self-determination theory offers an ideal lens for conceptualizing the antecedents, mediators, and consequences of motivated behavior.

Objective: To explore athletes' perceptions of ATs' influence on their basic psychological needs as well as their motivation during sport injury rehabilitation.

Exploratory Study of Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) Real-Time Z-Score Feedback in the Treatment of Pain in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.

Acute pain from mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing radiation therapy (RT) is common, and may not respond well to narcotics. We used low resolution electromagnetic tomography z-score neurofeedback (LFBz) to investigate whether patients could modify brain wave activity associated with acute pain and whether this would reduce the experience of pain. HNC patients scheduled for RT had baseline pre-pain onset measures (EEG and numeric rating scale) collected before RT and then at pain onset before using analgesics, after each LFBz session and at the end of RT.

A Mechanistic Computational Model Reveals That Plasticity of CD4 T Cell Differentiation Is a Function of Cytokine Composition and Dosage.

CD4 T cells provide cell-mediated immunity in response to various antigens. During an immune response, naïve CD4 T cells differentiate into specialized effector T helper (Th1, Th2, and Th17) cells and induced regulatory (iTreg) cells based on a cytokine milieu. In recent studies, complex phenotypes resembling more than one classical T cell lineage have been experimentally observed.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Reduces Resting Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Randomized and Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Pilot Study.

Background: Individuals receiving radiation for head and neck cancer (HNC) often develop painful oral mucositis that impairs function, possibly leading to feeding tubes, hospitalization, and treatment delays. Although pharmacologic medications provide some relief, many report inadequate analgesia and adverse effects. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a safe, nonpharmacologic intervention; it decreases pain and analgesics and improves function, yet no studies examined TENS for HNC.

Interpersonal Conflict and Organizational Commitment Among Licensed Practical Nurses.

The shortage of nursing professionals in the United States is unquestionable. This shortage, which is predicted to continue into the foreseeable future, is a particularly salient problem within the nursing profession. This is especially true for long-term care facility administrators who not only are faced with the challenge of increasing numbers of aging residents but also regularly struggle with turnover among more cost-effective nursing staff, such as licensed practical nurses (LPNs).

The Long-Term Impact of Neurofeedback on Symptom Burden and Interference in Patients With Chronic Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy: Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of cancer treatment and may adversely affect quality of life (QOL) for years.

Objectives: We explored the long-term effects of electroencephalographic neurofeedback (NFB) as a treatment for CIPN and other aspects of QOL.

Methods: Seventy-one cancer survivors (mean age 62.

A Multimodal, Nonpharmacologic Intervention Improves Mood and Cognitive Function in People with Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine whether participation in a 12-month multimodal intervention would improve mood and cognitive function in adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: In this one-arm, open-label feasibility trial, participants were prescribed a home-based multimodal intervention, including (1) a modified Paleolithic diet; (2) an exercise program (stretching and strengthening of the trunk and lower limb muscles); (3) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (EStim) of trunk and lower limb muscles; and (4) stress management (meditation and self-massage). Individuals completed measures of mood (Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories) and cognitive (Cognitive Stability Index, Cognitive Screening Test, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System) and executive function (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the start of the intervention.

Randomized controlled trial of neurofeedback on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A pilot study.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a significant problem for cancer patients, and there are limited treatment options for this often debilitating condition. Neuromodulatory interventions could be a novel modality for patients trying to manage CIPN symptoms; however, they are not yet the standard of care. This study examined whether electroencephalogram (EEG) neurofeedback (NFB) could alleviate CIPN symptoms in survivors.

Advances and challenges in logical modeling of cell cycle regulation: perspective for multi-scale, integrative yeast cell models.

The eukaryotic cell cycle is robustly designed, with interacting molecules organized within a definite topology that ensures temporal precision of its phase transitions. Its underlying dynamics are regulated by molecular switches, for which remarkable insights have been provided by genetic and molecular biology efforts. In a number of cases, this information has been made predictive, through computational models.

The Microbiome, Gut-Brain-Axis, and Implications for Brain Health.

As Antonio Damasio highlighted back in 1994, Descartes' division of mind and body slowed the full realization of the connectedness of the brain and the body by centuries. The simple fact that homeostasis in the brain was fully interconnected with the body has eluded researchers and clinicians even after the connection was well established. Recent studies reporting the central role in dysfunction of mental systems as a result of inflammation in the gut and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was yet one more reminder that the entire system is connected and interdependent.

Assessing change in diet and biological affinity between the 4th and 3rd millennia cal BCE in the Portuguese Estremadura: a preliminary dental comparison of Feteira II and Bolores.

Although the social and political changes accompanying the transition from the Neolithic through Copper Age, between the 4th and 3rd millennia cal BCE, in southwestern Iberia are reasonably well understood, much less is known about whether population movements and dietary changes accompanied these transformations. To address this question, human dental remains from the Middle through Late Neolithic site of Feteira II (3600-2900 cal BCE) and the Late Neolithic site of Bolores (2800-2600 cal BCE) in the Portuguese Estremadura were used to examine diet (microwear) and affinity (dental non-metrics). Microwear features were not found to be significantly different between Feteira II and Bolores, suggesting that the emergence of social complexity during this period did not result in large-scale changes in subsistence practices during the period of use at these sites.