mind practice

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of mindfulness and self-compassion skills on the experienced stress and work satisfaction of emergency department (ED) and intermediate care unit employees. METHODS: All ED and intermediate care unit employees in the study hospital were invited to participate in an introductory lecture about mindfulness, compassion, and the intervention in January 2020. After the lecture, it was possible to enroll in training...

BACKGROUND: Physical exercise participation among female students is significantly compromised throughout the academic periods of college or university due to scholastic demands and also by less parental and community encouragements. Thus, physical inactivity in female college students leads to less musculoskeletal efficiency and work performance. OBJECTIVE: Customized yogic module may be considered to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic power, pulmonary capacity and musculoskeletal efficiency for the improvement of systemic body functions among female college students...

Indigenous peoples in Canada are disproportionately exposed to environmental contaminants and may face elevated health risks related to their unique cultural, spiritual, and economic relationships with the land, including the use of traditional food systems. However, to date, institutionalized approaches to assess risks to human and ecological health from contaminants have not been well developed or implemented with Indigenous community contexts in mind. There is regulatory interest in developing new approach methods for risk assessment, and thus an opportunity to increase their relevance to Indigenous communities in which they will be ultimately applied...

BACKGROUND: Chronic cancer-related pain (CRP) can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Mindfulness is hypothesized to mitigate chronic CRP by regulating both physical and emotional resistance to pain. In recent years, there has been interest in the use of virtual reality (VR) to deliver mindfulness meditation. VR provides an immersive and engaging environment, which may enhance one's focused attention to present-moment experiences, potentially making mindfulness less effortful and more efficacious for individuals with chronic pain...

Over the past century, genetics and genomics ("genomics") have contributed significantly to knowledge of human biology and disease. Genomics has also bolstered inaccurate and harmful arguments about "essential" differences between socially defined groups. These purported differences have reinforced class hierarchies and justified the mistreatment of groups such as Black, Indigenous, and other people of color and people with disabilities. With this history in mind, we explore how genomics is used to reinforce scientifically unsound understandings of the relationship between two fundamental aspects of the human experience: sex and gender...

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are prone to bias at multiple stages of model development, with potential for exacerbating health disparities. However, bias in imaging AI is a complex topic that encompasses multiple coexisting definitions. Bias may refer to unequal preference to a person or group owing to preexisting attitudes or beliefs, either intentional or unintentional. However, cognitive bias refers to systematic deviation from objective judgment due to reliance on heuristics, and statistical bias refers to differences between true and expected values, commonly manifesting as systematic error in model prediction (ie, a model with output unrepresentative of real-world conditions)...

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of depressive disorders in old age is high, many older people succeed in staying healthy despite age-related stressors. The individual resilience or mental power of resistance can explain these differences. OBJECTIVE: It is shown how resilience factors or strategies of healthy aging can be used for the primary prevention of depressive disorders in old age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The article summarizes the practically relevant age-specific aspects of resilience obtained through a narrative literature search and evaluates the relevant state of knowledge, also with respect to the consecutive development of primary preventive measures to avoid depressive disorders...

This perspective article contends that media multitasking has significant implications on cognitive control processes, particularly in how information is processed and utilized. Contrary to viewing media multitasking as inherently negative, the article argues that it contributes to the evolving nature of cognitive processing, without necessarily improving or degrading it. The discussion draws on theoretical frameworks from contemporary cognitive neuroscience to contextualize these arguments. The article provides a nuanced perspective on media multitasking, acknowledging its enduring presence and exploring its influence on cognitive processes, while also proposing strategies for educators to navigate its implications in educational settings...

In the midst of global armed conflicts, notably the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, there is an urgent need for innovative public health strategies in peacebuilding. The devastating impact of wars, including mortality, injury, disease, and the diversion of healthcare resources, necessitates effective and durable interventions. This perspective aligns with WHO recommendations and examines the role of evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and Yoga in public health to mitigate collective stress and prevent collective violence and war...

BACKGROUND: Climate change and mental health outcomes are two of the most pressing global crises. Despite the increasing global mental health burden, climate-related mental health outcomes research is nascent and isolated, with substantial gaps across regions and disciplines. Connecting Climate Minds is a global initiative connecting researchers, experts, and people with lived experience of adverse mental health outcomes to identify regional research needs and create a community to support improved climate-related mental health outcomes...

BACKGROUND: The Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) was launched in the UK in 2016. ReSPECT is designed to facilitate meaningful discussions between healthcare professionals, patients, and their relatives about preferences for treatment in future emergencies; however, no study has investigated patients' and relatives' experiences of ReSPECT in the community. OBJECTIVES: To explore how patients and relatives in community settings experience the ReSPECT process and engage with the completed form...

Introduction: Undergoing complex diagnostic investigation of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans is associated with high levels of distress, fear, and anxiety in oncological patients. This study evaluated the effects of a single 20-min session of an innovative mindfulness-based swinging technique (MBST) intervention on emotional distress in cancer patients scheduled for PET-CT scans. Material and Methods: Adult cancer patients undergoing PET-CT scans ( n = 57) were assigned to the intervention group ( n = 27) or the control group ( n = 30)...

Introduction: Hypopressive exercise (HE) can be viewed as a mind-body activity, characterized by the integration of breath control and stretching postures. Proponents of HE claim that this type of training can offer potential therapeutic or health benefits. To date, there is no existing comprehensive published overview on HE. This scoping review aims to map and summarize the current literature reporting data on HE and identify key knowledge gaps and future research directions. Methods: This review considered studies that report on the immediate, short-, or long-term practice of HE regardless of condition, sex, age, and/or level of practice or physical condition...

Research into the effects of raspberry on blood pressure and lipid profiles is inconclusive. This meta-analysis was aimed to determine whether raspberry has beneficial effects in clinical practice and to what extent these effects are associated with blood pressure and lipid profiles. A systematic literature search up to September 2023 was completed in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify eligible RCTs. Heterogeneity tests of the selected trials were performed using the I 2 statistic. Random effects models were evaluated based on the heterogeneity tests, and pooled data were determined as weighted mean differences with a 95% confidence interval...

BACKGROUND: Black men have among the lowest life expectancy in the United States. Alarmingly, these men are underrepresented in health promotion efforts. There are well-documented barriers to recruiting and retaining Black men in health promotion efforts, such as exclusionary research practices - many researchers may be hesitant to reach Black men in culturally unique spaces, such as barbershops. Despite these practices, qualitative research among Black men unanimously find that Black men are interested in health promotion efforts...

PURPOSE: To assess the positive effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the structural and functional outcomes of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). METHODS: This study included 60 patients with CSCR who were randomly allocated to one of two groups: MBSR or control (which did not practice MBSR). These groups were then evaluated in terms of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) at months 1, 3, and 6...

BACKGROUND: Traditional epidemiological evidence suggests various associations exist between alcohol and mental/cognitive health outcomes. However, whether these reflect causal relationships remains unclear. Mendelian randomization (MR) - a kind of instrumental variable analysis using genetic variants to proxy for an exposure of interest - has the potential to improve causal inference from observational data. SUMMARY: In the first part of this review, the challenges of causal inference in the field are discussed, and a theoretical and practical introduction to the technique of MR is given...

INTRODUCTION: It remains unclear why 17% of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated in Danish hospitals are readmitted within 30 days. Hospital discharge is multifaceted. However, the preparation process and nurses' efforts may be essential in ensuring a successful discharge. AIM: To explore the process of preparing discharge for patients with COPD in a hospital setting. METHOD: Using constructivist grounded theory, we observed 11 nurses' work at two pulmonary medical wards using participant observation...

Multiple metrics are used when assessing and validating the performance of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models. In the case of binary classification, balanced accuracy is a metric to assess the global performance of such models. In contrast to accuracy, balanced accuracy does not depend on the respective prevalence of the two categories in the test set that is used to validate a QSAR classifier. As such, balanced accuracy is used to overcome the effect of imbalanced test sets on the model's perceived accuracy...

INTRODUCTION: Trauma continues to be noted in studies as a risk factor for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Successful therapeutic interventions that support the reduction of numbing episodes associated with MS may include diet, stress reduction techniques, and biofield therapy. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case report highlights the successful reduction of numbing episodes, stress, and fatigue in an individual 38-year-old Caucasian female patient using nutrition and body-mind-spirit practices...