JMIR Research Protocols

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a psychosomatic disorder characterized by persistent fatigue, primarily involving physical and mental exhaustion, with greater emphasis on the latter. This leads to a deterioration in concentration and memory. These symptoms affect cognitive functions, including attention and memory, to varying degrees. Previous research has shown that Tai Chi can help reduce fatigue in individuals with CFS. However, the relationship between alleviating CFS-related fatigue through Tai Chi and its impact on cognitive functions remains unclear. The effects of Tai Chi on cognitive functions in individuals with CFS have not been clinically validated, and its efficacy and safety have yet to be examined through large-scale randomized controlled trials. Therefore, this protocol outlines a pilot randomized, parallel, single-blind clinical trial designed to evaluate the impact of Tai Chi therapy on fatigue and cognitive functions in individuals with CFS, using both subjective and objective assessments.

For young people who have experienced homelessness, relative housing stability alone is insufficient to achieve socioeconomic inclusion. There is little peer-reviewed research investigating interventions targeting socioeconomic inclusion outcomes for youth who have experienced homelessness. Our previous community-engaged work signaled that identity capital (purpose, control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem) may mediate socioeconomic inclusion outcomes for youth exiting homelessness. This 12-month pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) explores whether portable rent subsidies and an intervention targeting identity capital hold promise as a way to facilitate socioeconomic inclusion for youth exiting homelessness and living in market rent housing in Ontario, Canada.

Inherited bleeding disorders involve prolonged bleeding due to clotting protein deficiencies, with hemophilia A and B being the most common types. The severity of bleeding in people with hemophilia depends on the deficient factor level. Treatment includes coagulation factor concentrates, nonreplacement preparations, gene therapies, and physiotherapy, whereby bleeding is prevented, symptoms are reduced, and the quality of life is improved. Closed kinetic chain exercises improve joint stability and neuromuscular control by stabilizing the proximal base, making them favored in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Proprioceptive exercise training improves the sensorimotor system’s adaptability and injury prevention through tailored programs involving progressively complex movements and surfaces.

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), clinical and research investments for oncology screening, diagnosis, and therapy are exceedingly modest, compared to those in higher-income regions. Diseases that are difficult to prevent or treat, such as primary brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, are especially challenging in low-resource settings.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach that applies principles of learning and motivation to assess, design, implement, and evaluate social and environmental modifications to produce meaningful changes in human behavior. It has been widely used in various settings, particularly in the treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. Recently, compassion has emerged as a topic of growing scientific interest within ABA. To improve socially relevant behaviors, it is essential to explore how behavior analysts can provide maximum support to clients and promote significant changes through compassionate care. Although compassion skills have been studied by ABA researchers, the literature still presents gaps in understanding how these skills can be effectively integrated into ABA practice.

Probation officers and other professionals who work with youth in the legal system often experience high chronic workplace stress, which can contribute over time to elevations in anxiety, depression, and workplace burnout. Emotion dysregulation appears to function as a common mechanism underlying these elevations, and growing evidence suggests it can be improved with mindfulness meditation. Implemented successfully, app-based meditation programs could provide professionals with real-time tools for mitigating the effects of chronic workplace stress.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and adults aged 40-60 years with specific health conditions are at particularly elevated risk for developing CVD. Physical activity (PA) is a key cardioprotective behavior and many interventions exist to promote PA in this group. Effective promotion requires accurate assessment of PA behavior; as PA is often estimated by averaging across multiple days, a threat to accurate assessment is measurement reactivity, or an atypical increase in PA behavior at the start of measurement periods that may bias conclusions. Evidence for PA measurement reactivity is equivocal, though concern has resulted in recommendations to add or drop PA measurement days from inclusion, which may introduce undue burden on participants. At present, the extent of PA measurement reactivity and the behaviors most likely to be affected (eg, steps vs minutes of exercise) among those at risk for CVD are unclear, as are participant characteristics such as gender and study expectations (eg, intervention vs observation only) that may contribute to differences in these patterns.

There is an ongoing syndemic of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). We have increasingly effective and diverse measures of prevention, including various types of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention and doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) for STI prevention. As options expand, we need to understand how to use a combination of these strategies and other supports for MSM to best curb the syndemic.

Firefighters are at an increased risk of cancer and other health conditions compared with the general population. However, the specific exposures and mechanisms contributing to these risks are not fully understood. This information is critical to formulate and test protective interventions.

Suicidal ideation is increasing among university students. Despite growing demand for services, university counseling centers (UCCs) face limited resources to meet the complex needs of students who are suicidal.

Virtual rehabilitation, or telerehabilitation (TR), has exponentially evolved in the last few years, gaining particular momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to a new reality of strict restrictions of physical contact necessitating the shift from in-person health services to tele-health visits, TR has seen widespread adoption. In this context, ensuring ethical and equitable TR services is crucial for establishing sustainable TR models for psychology and neuropsychology into health care systems. This requires complete and consistent guidance for clinicians and patients involved.

There has been an unprecedented effort to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 virus and examine its molecular evolution. This has been facilitated by the availability of publicly accessible databases, such as the GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data) and GenBank, which collectively hold millions of SARS-CoV-2 sequence records. Genomic epidemiology, however, seeks to go beyond phylogenetic (the study of evolutionary relationships among biological entities) analysis by linking genetic information to patient characteristics and disease outcomes, enabling a comprehensive understanding of transmission dynamics and disease impact. While these repositories include fields reflecting patient-related metadata for a given sequence, the inclusion of these demographic and clinical details is scarce. The current understanding of patient-related metadata in published sequencing studies and its quality remains unexplored.