Pilot Study of Videos to Deliver Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy for Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) has been shown to provide a strategy for adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) to self-manage their symptoms. There is a need for the use of an MBAT intervention that can be delivered in any setting for adults with MS. The purpose of this pilot feasibility study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of an MBAT intervention delivered via videoconference. METHODS: We developed an MBAT intervention to be delivered by videoconference to adults with MS recruited from an academic center registry. We also conducted phone interviews to collect acceptability data. RESULTS: Most of the participants (n = 5) were very positive about the MBAT video sessions and stated content as clear and easy to follow and understand. The time and delivering method were acceptable. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness-based art therapy sessions delivered through videoconference are acceptable and feasible for adults with MS.

Classification of Processing Damage in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seeds by Multispectral Image Analysis.

The pericarp of monogerm sugar beet seed is rubbed off during processing in order to produce uniformly sized seeds ready for pelleting. This process can lead to mechanical damage, which may cause quality deterioration of the processed seeds. Identification of the mechanical damage and classification of the severity of the injury is important and currently time consuming, as visual inspections by trained analysts are used. This study aimed to find alternative seed quality assessment methods by evaluating a machine vision technique for the classification of five damage types in monogerm sugar beet seeds. Multispectral imaging (MSI) was employed using the VideometerLab3 instrument and instrument software. Statistical analysis of MSI-derived data produced a model, which had an average of 82% accuracy in classification of 200 seeds in the five damage classes. The first class contained seeds with the potential to produce good seedlings and the model was designed to put more limitations on seeds to be classified in this group. The classification accuracy of class one to five was 59, 100, 77, 77 and 89%, respectively. Based on the results we conclude that MSI-based classification of mechanical damage in sugar beet seeds is a potential tool for future seed quality assessment.

The Effect of Swaddling on Pain, Vital Signs, and Crying Duration during Heel Lance in Newborns.

To determine the effect of swaddling on pain, vital signs, and crying duration during heel lance in the newborn. This was a randomized controlled study of 74 (control: 37, experiment: 37) newborns born between December 2013 and February 2014 at the Ministry of Health Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital. An information form, observation form, and Neonatal Infant Pain Scale were used as data collection tools. Data from the pain scores, peak heart rates, oxygen saturation, total crying time, and duration of the procedure were collected using a video camera. Newborns in the control group underwent routine heel lance, whereas newborns in the experimental group underwent routine heel lance while being swaddled by the researcher. The newborns' pain scores, peak heart rates, oxygen saturation values, and crying durations were evaluated using video recordings made before, during, and 1, 2, and 3 minutes after the procedure. Pain was assessed by a nurse and the researcher. No statistically significant difference was found in the characteristics of the two groups (p > .05). The mean pain scores of swaddled newborns during and after the procedure were lower than the nonswaddled newborns (p < .05). In addition, crying duration of swaddled newborns was found to be shorter than the nonswaddled newborns (p < .05). The average preprocedure peak heart rates of swaddled newborns were higher (p < .05); however, the difference was not significant during and after the procedure (p > .05). Although there was no significant difference in oxygen saturation values before and during the procedure (p > .05), oxygen saturation values of swaddled newborns were higher afterward (p < .05). For this study sample, swaddling was an effective nonpharmacologic method to help reduce pain and crying in an effort to soothe newborns. Although pharmacologic pain management is the gold standard, swaddling can be recommended as a complementary therapy for newborns during painful procedures. Swaddling is a quick and simple nonpharmacologic method that can be used by nurses to help reduce heel stick pain in newborns.

Infant Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Testing, Swallowing Interventions, and Future Acute Respiratory Illness.

OBJECTIVES: Tube feedings are commonly prescribed to infants with swallowing abnormalities detected by videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), but there are no studies demonstrating efficacy of these interventions to reduce risk of acute respiratory illness (ARI). We sought to measure the association between swallowing interventions and future ARI, among VFSS-tested infants. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of all infants (<12 months) tested with VFSS at a children's hospital between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2012. Hospital ARI encounters (emergency, observation, or inpatient status) in a 22-hospital integrated health care delivery system, between the first VFSS and age 3 years, were measured. VFSS results were grouped by normal, intermediate, and oropharyngeal aspiration (OPA), with OPA further subdivided by silent versus cough and thin versus thick liquid OPA. Cox regression modeled the association between swallowing interventions (thickened or nasal tube feedings) and ARI, accounting for changes in swallowing and interventions over time. RESULTS: 576 infants were tested with a VFSS in their first year of life, receiving a total of 1051 VFSSs in their first 3 years of life. More than 60% of infants received a measured feeding intervention. With the exception of infants with silent OPA who received thickened feedings, neither thickening nor nasal tube feedings, compared with no intervention, were associated with a decreased risk of subsequent ARI. CONCLUSIONS: Swallowing interventions and repeated testing are common among VFSS-tested infants. However, the importance of diagnosing and intervening on VFSS-detected swallowing abnormalities for the majority of tested infants remains unclear.

Brief Video-Module Administered Mindfulness Program for Physicians: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a video-module-based mindfulness pilot program intended to reduce stress, improve well-being, and develop mindfulness skills in physicians in a community hospital setting. Preliminary findings are presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a single-sample, pre-post study design, we administered an eight-week mindfulness training offered as part of a wellness initiative for medical staff in a suburban community hospital. Participants enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants engaged in three 90-min in-person trainings, weekly online video-module trainings, and weekly teleconference coaching calls. Video-module trainings were available at all times, to be accessed at the participants׳ convenience. Journals and a guided meditation audio library were also provided. Physician stress, well-being (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and sense of personal accomplishment), and mindfulness skills (observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment) were evaluated at baseline, end-of-program, and eight weeks post-intervention using well-validated instruments. RESULTS: A total of 23 physicians enrolled and 19 completed the program. Compared to baseline, statistically significant decreases in stress, personal accomplishment, and emotional exhaustion were observed at end-of-program and eight weeks post-intervention (all P < .05). Significant increases in all mindfulness skills were observed at end-of-program; these increases persisted for describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment at eight weeks post-intervention (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that a flexible, video-module-based mindfulness program can decrease stress, increase well-being, and develop lasting mindfulness skills in physicians.

Parental perspectives of an adolescent/young adult stem cell transplant and a music video intervention.

BACKGROUND: Parents experience high levels of distress during their child's stem cell transplant that can decrease the ability to support their child and effectively communicate with healthcare providers. Because parents are a primary source of support, their perspectives are very important when evaluating supportive care interventions for their adolescents/young adults. OBJECTIVES: This study examined parents' perspective of their adolescents or young adults' (AYAs') experience with stem cell transplantation (SCT) and involvement in a therapeutic music video (TMV) intervention. METHODS: This was a phenomenological study using parents' interviews. The sample included 7 parents of 6 adolescents/young adults ranging in age from 13 to 21 years hospitalized for SCT for an oncology-related condition. Parents' interviews were conducted 100 days after transplantation. Sessions were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed more than 350 significant statements from 7 parents. Seven theme categories emerged: (1) humbling, humiliating, horrible: parents' perspectives on the cancer experiences and SCT; (2) gratitude for the benefits of TMV intervention; (3) enhanced communication; (4) connectedness; (5) watching my AYA change and grow; (6) process of parent gaining insight; and (7) and an ironic recognition of both the sad and beautiful: parents' response to the TMV intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' narratives suggest that the TMV intervention is a way to buffer the challenges related to SCT, and a larger study is warranted. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These preliminary data offer clinicians insight into parent perceptions about the cancer experience, specifically SCT for their AYA child, and can be used to inform and shape clinical care. Findings reinforce the importance of offering AYAs opportunities to experience independence and mastery and engage in meaningful communication during transplant.

Bilateral hippocampal stimulation for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy: impact on seizures and memory.

The effect of continuous electrical stimulation of the hippocampus bilaterally on seizures and memory was assessed in two subjects with seizures from both mesial temporal lobes who were not candidates for resective epilepsy surgery. A double blind, randomized, controlled, cross-over trial design was utilized. Two electrodes with four contacts each were implanted along the axis of the hippocampus bilaterally. Simultaneous stimulation of all electrodes contacts was either on or off during each 3-month interval. Seizure frequency decreased by 33% in the two patients during stimulation and remained lower by 25% for the 3 months after stimulation was turned off before returning to baseline (p < 0.01). No consistent change in objective or subjective measures of memory occurred. No other adverse effects occurred. Seizure frequency is reduced both during and for a period after bilateral hippocampal stimulation, but the overall impact in this study is not as robust as has been previously reported.

The use of scoring rubrics to determine clinical performance in the operating suite.

UNLABELLED: This research evolved out of the need to examine the validity and inter-rater reliability of a set of performance-based scoring rubrics designed to measure competencies within the operating suite. METHOD: Both holistic and analytical rubrics were developed aligned to the ACORN Standard [Australian College of Operating Room Nurses Standard NR4, 2004. ACORN Competency Standards for Perioperative Nurses: Standard NR4: The Instrument Nurse in the Perioperative Environment. Australian College of Operating Room Nurses Ltd, Adelaide] and underpinned by the Dreyfus model (1981). Three video clips that captured varying performance of nurses performing as instrument nurses in the operating suite were recorded and used as prompts by expert raters, who judged the performance using the rubrics. RESULTS: The study found that the holistic rubrics led to more consistent judgments than the analytical rubrics, yet the latter provided more diagnostic information for intervention purposes. Despite less consistency, the Analytical Observation Form had sufficient construct validity to satisfy the requirements of criterion referencing as determined by the Item Separation Index (Rasch, 1960), including high internal consistency and greater inter-rater reliability when average ratings were used. CONCLUSION: The study was an empirical investigation of the use of concomitant Analytical and Holistic Rubrics to determine various levels of performance in the operating suite including inter-rater reliability. The methodology chosen was theoretically sound and sufficiently flexible to be used to develop other competencies within the operating suite.

Curcumin protects against electrobehavioral progression of seizures in the iron-induced experimental model of epileptogenesis.

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether dietary intake of curcumin can inhibit the onset and progression of seizures and their associated pathophysiology in experimental FeCl(3)-induced epileptogenesis. Curcumin was considered for this study because it can cross the blood-brain barrier and bind redox-active metal ions. It is also well known for its antioxidative, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, seizures were induced by intracortical injection of FeCl(3) into young rats. Synchronized video/EEG recordings were obtained to diagnose the progression of seizures. Short-term treatment with a curcumin-supplemented diet (1500 pp mw/w) significantly inhibited the onset of grade III and IV seizures in rats with iron-induced epilepsy. The lower dose of curcumin (500 ppm) was not effective in inhibiting grade III seizures, but retarded the onset and progression of generalized seizures. The seizure-suppressing potential of curcumin is explained by the observed biochemical, behavioral, and ultrastructural results. Our results indicate that curcumin significantly prevents generalization of electroclinical seizure activity as well as the pathogenesis associated with iron-induced epileptogenesis.

Patient training in cancer pain management using integrated print and video materials: a multisite randomized controlled trial.

Standard guidelines for cancer pain treatment routinely recommend training patients to reduce barriers to pain relief, use medications appropriately, and communicate their pain-related needs. Methods are needed to reduce professional time required while achieving sustained intervention effectiveness. In a multisite, randomized controlled trial, this study tested a pain training method versus a nutrition control. At six oncology clinics, physicians (N=22) and nurses (N=23) enrolled patients (N=93) who were over 18 years of age, with cancer diagnoses, pain, and a life expectancy of at least 6 months. Pain training and control interventions were matched for materials and method. Patients watched a video followed by about 20 min of manual-standardized training with an oncology nurse focused on reviewing the printed material and adapted to individual concerns of patients. A follow-up phone call after 72 h addressed individualized treatment content and pain communication. Assessments at baseline, one, three, and 6 months included barriers, the Brief Pain Inventory, opioid use, and physician and nurse ratings of their patients' pain. Trained versus control patients reported reduced barriers to pain relief (P<.001), lower usual pain (P=.03), and greater opioid use (P<.001). No pain training patients reported severe pain (>6 on a 0-10 scale) at 1-month outcomes (P=.03). Physician and nurse ratings were closer to patients' ratings of pain for trained versus nutrition groups (P=.04 and <.001, respectively). Training efficacy was not modified by patient characteristics. Using video and print materials, with brief individualized training, effectively improved pain management over time for cancer patients of varying diagnostic and demographic groups.

Video as a strategy to evaluate and assist clinical teachers with student assessment.

The assessment of the clinical competence of nursing students requires expertise in nursing as well as skills in student assessment. The development of these student assessment skills is dependent on the preparation of the clinical teacher. The results of this pilot study indicate that video can be one successful tool in evaluating the assessment skills of clinical teachers. Video also may be useful as a staff development tool by providing a nonthreatening way for clinical teachers to familiarize themselves with clinical assessment. In turn, this will have benefits for universities and students by ensuring consistency of clinical assessment by clinical teachers.

Reduction of dominant or submissive behaviors as models for antimanic or antidepressant drug testing: technical considerations.

Technical variants of mania and depression models that were based on dominant-submissive relationships (DSR) have been analyzed and compared in the present paper. In these paradigms, one animal of a pair developed the behavioral trait of dominance while the other submissiveness in a food competition test after repeated interactions in a specially designed apparatus. Data collection methods and timelines have been compared in variants of the DSR-based models. In addition, different selection criteria to assign dominant or submissive status to animals and two different scoring systems were evaluated. The importance of the selection criteria for DSR stability has been emphasized. Our data showed that (1) only animals selected with the strict criteria form clear dominant and submissive relationships that hold throughout the study period, (2) submissive animals were influenced by fluoxetine and dominant animals were influenced by sodium valproate similarly in pairs scored by human observer and by a video-tracking system. These studies indicate that the model variant using stringent selection criteria and automatic scoring was the most reliable for use in depression-related studies.

Treating disturbances in the relationship between mothers with bulimic eating disorders and their infants: a randomized, controlled trial of video feedback.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal eating disorders interfere with parenting, adversely affecting mother-infant interaction and infant outcome. This trial tested whether video-feedback treatment specifically targeting mother-child interaction would be superior to counseling in improving mother-child interaction, especially mealtime conflict, and infant weight and autonomy. METHOD: The participants were 80 mothers with bulimia nervosa or similar eating disorder who were attending routine baby clinics and whose infants were 4-6 months old. They were randomly assigned to video-feedback interactional treatment or supportive counseling. Both groups also received guided cognitive behavior self-help for their eating disorder. Each group received 13 sessions. The primary outcome measure was mealtime conflict; secondary outcome measures were infant weight, aspects of mother-infant interaction, and infant autonomy. RESULTS: Seventy-seven mothers were followed up when their infants were 13 months old. The video-feedback group exhibited significantly less mealtime conflict than the control subjects. Nine of 38 (23.7%) in the video-feedback group showed episodes of marked or severe conflict, compared with 21 of 39 (53.8%) control subjects (odds ratio=0.27, 95% confidence interval=0.10 to 0.73). Video feedback produced significant improvements in several other interaction measures and greater infant autonomy. Both groups maintained good infant weight, with no differences between groups. Maternal eating psychopathology was reduced across both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Video-feedback treatment focusing on mother-infant interaction produced improvements in interaction and infant autonomy, and both groups maintained adequate infant weight. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first controlled trial to show key improvements in interaction between mothers with postnatal psychiatric disorders and their infants.

Auditory event-related potentials (P300) in the identification of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

The feasibility and conceivable value of postictal event-related potential (ERP) recordings were studied in patients with nonepileptic seizures (NES) admitted for long-term video/EEG monitoring. Ten patients with NES underwent preictal (on hospital admission) and postictal (< or =6 hours after seizure) ERP recordings of an auditory oddball paradigm. Additionally, 10 temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with partial seizures and secondary generalization underwent preictal, postictal (< 6 hours after seizures), and interictal (7-48 hours after seizure) ERP recordings. We recently reported that ERPs recorded in TLE patients with partial epilepsy undergo a temporary change postictally, while returning to their preictal state during interictal recordings. In the current study intraclass correlations, transformed into z scores, are used to determine test-retest validity of repeated ERP recordings. An independent sample t test with z scores for the comparison of preictal and postictal recordings showed that ERP activation differed between NES and TLE patients (P=0.009). More specifically, ERP recordings in the preictal and postictal states were similar in NES patients, but dissimilar in TLE patients. On the other hand, this dissimilarity in ERPs disappeared when comparing z scores for the preictal and postictal recordings in NES patients with z scores for the preictal and interictal recordings in TLE patients. This further supports the notion that identical waveforms during preictal and postictal recordings in NES patients reflect nonepileptic seizure activity. The current findings suggest that postictal ERP recordings are useful in the diagnosis of NES and differentiate TLE from NES.

Video analysis of head blows leading to concussion in competition Taekwondo.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: To analyse the situational and contextual factors surrounding concussions and head blows in Taekwondo. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Prospective design. Direct observation, subject interview and videotape recording used. A total of 2328 competitors participated in the 2001 tournament, South Korea. All matches were recorded on videotape. All recipients of head blows were interviewed by athletic therapists and the researcher immediately after the match. The videotapes of concussions and head blows were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 1009 head blows including concussions were analysed. Head blows and concussions were most evident when the attacker was situated in a closed stance and received a single roundhouse kick. The most frequent anatomical site of the head impact was the temporal region. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of head blows and concussions is high in Taekwondo. Development of blocking skills, safety education, rigorous enforcement of the competition rules and improvement of head-gear are recommended.

Lights! Camera! Action!: video projects in the classroom.

We report on two classroom video projects intended to promote active student involvement in their classroom experience during a year-long medical-surgical nursing course. We implemented two types of projects, Nursing Grand Rounds and FPBTV. The projects are templates that can be applied to any nursing specialty and can be implemented without the use of video technology. During the course of several years, both projects have proven effective in encouraging students to promote pattern recognition of characteristic features of common illnesses, to develop teamwork strategies, and to practice their presentation skills in a safe environment among their peers. The projects appealed to students because they increased retention of information and immersed students in the experience of becoming experts about an illness or a family of medications. These projects have enabled students to become engaged and invested in their own learning in the classroom.

Appraisals and impression management opportunities: person and situation influences on cardiovascular reactivity.

This study examined how threat and coping appraisals and impression management opportunities influenced cardiovascular reactivity within a self-presentation context. Participants were videotaped performing a speech that they believed might be evaluated. Participants' physiological responses were recorded 1 week later while: (a) watching their speech, indicating which portions they wished to re-shoot before it was evaluated,;(b) simply watching their speech; or (c) watching an architectural videotape and indicating which portions should be reshot, and also watching their own speech, but without evaluation concerns. Cardiovascular reactivity was influenced by the presence or absence of the impression management opportunity, but more variance in reactivity was explained when participants' threat and coping appraisals were also taken into account. The specific cardiovascular responses pertinent to goal-relevant action within each condition were the only responses related to appraisals. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both the situation and the state of the individual in that situation when attempting to understand social psychological influences on physiological reactivity.

Videoendoscopic biofeedback: a simple method to improve the efficacy of swallowing rehabilitation of patients after head and neck surgery.

The value of flexible videoendoscopy as a biofeedback tool in conservative swallowing rehabilitation of patients suffering from aspiration after head and neck surgery was examined. For this purpose, the outcomes of conventional swallowing therapy and of swallowing therapy with support of videoendoscopic biofeedback were compared. In the first 40 days of swallowing therapy, videoendoscopic biofeedback significantly increased the chance of therapeutic success, shortening the period of functional rehabilitation in comparison to conventional swallowing therapy. Limitations of this visual biofeedback procedure are poor cognitive skills of the patient, rejection of the procedure by the patient and local factors that make the positioning of the endoscope difficult.