Does premature birth affect Brazilian parents' practices related to infant positioning? / A prematuridade afeta as práticas maternas brasileiras relacionadas ao posicionamento de lactentes?

Abstract Objective: To verify whether the time spent in prone, supine, or seated positions differed between term and preterm infants; and to determine whether a single verbal guidance session for parents changed the time spent in different positions, and, consequently, the motor development scores, after one month in preterm infants. Methods: Sixty-one infants from a full-term and preterm group from Brazil were included. Motor development was assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the parents registered the time spent in each position on a 24-hour schedule. A month after verbal guidance, a second assessment was performed only on the preterm infants. Results: The positioning times awake determined for the full-term and preterm parents were similar. Preterm infants spent more time in the prone sleeping position (2.1 vs. 0.8 h; p=0.037) than full-term infants. The AIMS percentile scores did not differ significantly between the groups. For preterm infants, the time spent in all positions did not change during the second assessment (n=18). Conclusions: The fact that some parents position their infants in the prone posture during sleeping periods reinforce the importance of parental education approaches for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention during the first months of life. The verbal guidance provided to parents of preterm infants did not influence the AIMS percentile and time spent in various positions but increased preterm parents' confidence in placing their infants in a prone position to play.

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar se o tempo nas posições prono, supino ou sentado difere entre lactentes a termo e pré-termo; bem como determinar se uma única sessão de orientação verbal aos pais alterou o tempo despendido nas diferentes posições e, consequentemente, o escore de desenvolvimento motor, após um mês em lactentes pré-termo. Métodos: Foram incluídos 61 lactentes brasileiros nos grupos a termo e pré-termo. O desenvolvimento motor foi avaliado pela Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), e os pais registraram o tempo despendido em cada posição em uma linha do tempo de 24 horas. Um mês após a orientação verbal, uma segunda avaliação foi realizada apenas nos lactentes pré-termo. Resultados: O tempo de posicionamento acordado determinado pelos pais de lactentes a termo e pré-termo foi semelhante. Os lactentes pré-termo passaram mais tempo dormindo na posição prona (2,2 vs. 0,8 h; p=0,037) do que os lactentes a termo. Os escores de percentil AIMS não diferiram significativamente entre os grupos. Para lactentes pré-termo, o tempo despendido em todas as posições não se modificou durante a segunda avaliação (n=18). Conclusões: O fato de alguns pais posicionarem os lactentes em decúbito ventral durante os períodos de sono reforça a importância das abordagens educativas parentais para a prevenção da síndrome da morte súbita do lactente (SMSL) durante os primeiros meses de vida. A orientação verbal fornecida aos pais de prematuros não influenciou o percentil da AIMS e o tempo de permanência em várias posições, mas aumentou a confiança dos pais de lactentes prematuros em utilizar a posição prona para brincar.

Fatores associados a qualidade do sono ruim em universitários de enfermagem de uma universidade privada cearense / Factors associated with poor sleep quality in nursing students from a private university in Ceará

Sleep is essential for the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals. Its poor quality/quantity may lead to functional impairment in the performance of social activities and interpersonal relationships. In this context, studies have identified poor sleep quality in university students, especially those in healthcare. Despite the literature pointing out that nursing students do not sleep well, factors related to employment or daily commuting are not unanimous. Thus, the objective of the study is to evaluate the sleep quality of nursing students and its association with socioeconomic characteristics, life habits, academic, and extracurricular activities. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with quantitative analysis, carried out with 124 Nursing students from a private Higher Education Institution in Ceará. A questionnaire was used with socioeconomic variables, life-style habits, academic and extracurricular activities, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. The results of this study showed a predominance of poor sleep quality for 73 (59%) students and the presence of sleeping disorders for 38 (31%) of the participants. The variables associated with this result were the daily intercity commute (to-and-fro) to attend an undergraduate class or to have a concomitant job. Meanwhile, the other academic, extracurricular, and lifestyle variables did not have a statistically significant association with sleep quality. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt actions aimed at good sleep hygiene, for better use of the available time for sleep, better academic performance, and quality of life.

O sono é essencial para o bem-estar físico, psíquico e social dos indivíduos. Sua qualidade/quantidade ruim poderá levar a prejuízo funcional no desempenho dos papéis sociais e nas relações interpessoais. Nesse contexto, estudos comprovam uma qualidade do sono ruim em universitários, especialmente os da área da saúde. Apesar da literatura apontar que universitários de enfermagem são maus dormidores, fatores relacionados como vínculo empregatício ou deslocamento intermunicipal diário não são unânimes. Assim, o objetivo do estudo é avaliar a qualidade do sono de estudantes de enfermagem e sua associação com características socioeconômicas, hábitos de vida, atividades acadêmicas e extracurriculares. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo, com análise quantitativa, realizado com 124 estudantes de Enfermagem de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior privada cearense. Empregou-se questionário com variáveis socioeconômicas, hábitos de vida, atividades acadêmicas e extracurriculares, e o Índice da Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh. Foi realizada análise estatística descritiva e inferencial. Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram predominância de qualidade do sono ruim para 73 (59%) estudantes e presença de distúrbios do sono para 38 (31%) dos participantes. As variáveis associadas a esse resultado foram o deslocamento intermunicipal diário (movimento pendular) para cursar a graduação ou possuir vínculo empregatício concomitante. Enquanto, as demais variáveis acadêmicas, extracurriculares e de hábitos de vida não tiveram associação estatisticamente significante com a qualidade do sono. Logo, é necessária a adoção de ações visando a boa higiene do sono, para melhor aproveitamento do período disponível para o sono, melhor desempenho acadêmico e qualidade de vida

Anxiolytic-like activity of Aloysia virgatavar. platyphylla leaves extract in mice / Actividad ansiolítica del extracto de hojas de Aloysia virgatavar. platyphylla en ratones

Background: Medicinal plants are part of traditional medicine and should be considered a therapeutic alternative for mental diseases. Several plants belonging to the Verbenaceae family have proved useful in treating general anxiety disorders, the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Objective: This research aimed to verify the extract's safety, the effect on general behavior, and the effect on sleeping time, as well as to evaluate the anxiolytic-like effect of the methanol extract of Aloysia virgata var. platyphylla (Avp), in mice. Methodology: The toxicity test was done according to the OECD guide (mice groups n=5), and general behavior was observed during the assay. Sleeping time was assessed using the pentobarbital-induced hypnosis method (n=8). Male Swiss albino mice (n=6) were treated with 50 to 400 mg/kg of Avp extract and diazepam as a control. The anxiolytic-like effect was tested through the hole board and elevated plus-maze test. Results: The Avp extract has no side effects in tested doses, and no central nervous system depressant activity was noted. A. virgatavar. platyphyllaincreased exploration (number and time) in the hole board. In the elevated plus-maze, increased number and time into open arms were evidenced compared to the control group. Conclusion: With all these results, we concluded that the Avp extract is safe and has a potential anxiolytic-like activity in the animal model used

Antecedentes: Las plantas medicinales forman parte de la medicina tradicional y deben ser consideradas una alternativa terapéutica para las enfermedades mentales. Varias plantas pertenecientes a la familia Verbenaceae han demostrado su utilidad en el tratamiento de los trastornos de ansiedad, uno de los trastornos psiquiátricos más prevalentes. Objetivo: Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo verificar la seguridad del extracto, el efecto sobre el comportamiento general y el efecto sobre el tiempo de sueño, así como evaluar el efecto tipo ansiolítico del extracto metanólico de Aloysia virgata var. platyphylla(Avp), en ratones. Metodología: La prueba de toxicidad se realizó de acuerdo con la guía de la OCDE (grupos de ratones n=5), y se observó el comportamiento general durante el ensayo. El tiempo de sueño se evaluó mediante el método de hipnosis inducida por pentobarbital (n=8). Se trataron ratones albinos suizos macho (n=6) con 50 a 400 mg/kg de extracto de Avp y diazepam como control. El efecto ansiolítico se probó a través de la placa perforada y prueba del laberinto en cruz elevado. Resultados: El extracto de Avp no tiene efectos secundarios en las dosis probadas y no se observó actividad depresora del sistema nervioso central. A. virgata var. platyphylla aumentó la exploración (número y tiempo) en el tablero de agujeros. En el laberinto en cruz elevado, se evidenció un mayor número y tiempo en los brazos abiertos en comparación con el grupo de control. Conclusión: Con todos estos resultados, concluimos que el extracto de Avp es seguro y tiene una potencial actividad ansiolítica en el modelo animal utilizado

Impact of Fasting during Ramadan on Daily Habits, Diet and Body Weight of individuals with diabetes: A sample of Saudi Arabia

@#Introduction: Many changes occur in Muslims’ lives during Ramadan that affect body weight, diet and calorie intake. This study investigated the impacts of fasting during Ramadan on the daily habits, diet, and weight of people with diabetes in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cohort study analyzed 104 Saudi individuals with diabetes (42 and 62 patients with type I and type II diabetes, respectively) aged ≥ 20 years who fasted a minimum of 15 days during Ramadan. The patients were seen twice per study period (before and during Ramadan). The patients’ demographic data was obtained, their average daily food intake was assessed, and anthropometric parameters were measured. Results: During Ramadan, 52% of patients with type I DM and 66% of patients with type II DM did not perform any physical activity compared to 37% and 42%, respectively, pre-Ramadan. A high percentage of patients slept during the daytime. A paired-sample T test analysis showed that during Ramadan, the calorie intake and carbohydrate intake increased significantly in patients with type II diabetes (p = 0.03). Protein intake remained unchanged, whereas fat consumption increased in patients with both types of diabetes (p = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). In addition, there was a decrease in anthropometric parameters (statistically significant in patients with type II diabetes, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Ramadan fasting changed the dietary and daily habits of patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia and had beneficial effects on weight, mainly in patients with type II DM.

Fatores associados a qualidade do sono ruim em universitários de enfermagem de uma universidade privada cearense / Factors associated with poor sleep quality in nursing students from a private university in Ceará

O sono é essencial para o bem-estar físico, psíquico e social dos indivíduos. Sua qualidade/quantidade ruim poderá levar a prejuízo funcional no desempenho dos papéis sociais e nas relações interpessoais. Nesse contexto, estudos comprovam uma qualidade do sono ruim em universitários, especialmente os da área da saúde. Apesar da literatura apontar que universitários de enfermagem são maus dormidores, fatores relacionados como vínculo empregatício ou deslocamento intermunicipal diário não são unânimes. Assim, o objetivo do estudo é avaliar a qualidade do sono de estudantes de enfermagem e sua associação com características socioeconômicas, hábitos de vida, atividades acadêmicas e extracurriculares. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo, com análise quantitativa, realizado com 124 estudantes de Enfermagem de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior privada cearense. Empregou-se questionário com variáveis socioeconômicas, hábitos de vida, atividades acadêmicas e extracurriculares, e o Índice da Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh. Foi realizada análise estatística descritiva e inferencial. Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram predominância de qualidade do sono ruim para 73 (59%) estudantes e presença de distúrbios do sono para 38 (31%) dos participantes. As variáveis associadas a esse resultado foram o deslocamento intermunicipal diário (movimento pendular) para cursar a graduação ou possuir vínculo empregatício concomitante. Enquanto, as demais variáveis acadêmicas, extracurriculares e de hábitos de vida não tiveram associação estatisticamente significante com a qualidade do sono. Logo, é necessária a adoção de ações visando a boa higiene do sono, para melhor aproveitamento do período disponível para o sono, melhor desempenho acadêmico e qualidade de vida.

Sleep is essential for the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals. Its poor quality/quantity may lead to functional impairment in the performance of social activities and interpersonal relationships. In this context, studies have identified poor sleep quality in university students, especially those in healthcare. Despite the literature pointing out that nursing students do not sleep well, factors related to employment or daily commuting are not unanimous. Thus, the objective of the study is to evaluate the sleep quality of nursing students and its association with socioeconomic characteristics, life habits, academic, and extracurricular activities. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with quantitative analysis, carried out with 124 Nursing students from a private Higher Education Institution in Ceará. A questionnaire was used with socioeconomic variables, life-style habits, academic and extracurricular activities, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. The results of this study showed a predominance of poor sleep quality for 73 (59%) students and the presence of sleeping disorders for 38 (31%) of the participants. The variables associated with this result were the daily intercity commute (to-and-fro) to attend an undergraduate class or to have a concomitant job. Meanwhile, the other academic, extracurricular, and lifestyle variables did not have a statistically significant association with sleep quality. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt actions aimed at good sleep hygiene, for better use of the available time for sleep, better academic performance, and quality of life.

Caracterización clínica, sociodemográfica y determinación del impacto en la calidad de vida de pacientes con dermatitis atópica de la ciudad de Medellín y su área metropolitana / Clinical and sociodemographic features and quality of life in patients with atopic dermatitis who attended dermatology teaching clinics in Medellín, Antioquia and its metropolitan area

Resumen | Introducción. La dermatitis atópica es una enfermedad cutánea crónica e intermitente muy frecuente, con un impacto clínico evidente en la calidad de vida de los pacientes. No hay estudios locales que describan las características generales de esta condición en nuestra población. Objetivo. Evaluar las características sociodemográficas, clínicas y de calidad de vida en pacientes con dermatitis atópica residentes en Medellín y su área metropolitana. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio transversal descriptivo de pacientes que consultaron en algunos centros de referencia de la ciudad de Medellín, a quienes se les hizo una encuesta sobre variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Además, se evaluó la seriedad clínica de la enfermedad y su impacto en la calidad de vida. Resultados. Se incluyeron 113 pacientes, de los cuales 36,3 % manifestó tener algún trastorno del sueño, 38,1 % reportó déficit de atención y 44,2 % informó haber sufrido asma en la infancia. Se registró un puntaje promedio de 6,9 en el índice EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index) y de 32,4 en el SCORAD (Scoring Atopic Dermatitis), es decir, el compromiso clínico era de leve a moderado. Con el cuestionario Skindex-29, se encontraron promedios de 37,7, 25,09 y 16,9 para los dominios sintomático, emocional y funcional, respectivamente, con un promedio total de 24,78. En el cuestionario EuroQol 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), el componente más importante fue la presencia de dolor o malestar (17,6 %) y de ansiedad o depresión (12,1 %). Conclusión. Los resultados obtenidos confirmaron que la población analizada con dermatitis atópica presentaba características similares a las reportadas en otras partes del mundo, con un impacto neuropsiquiátrico y emocional en aspectos como el sueño.

Abstract | Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a cutaneous, inflammatory, chronic disease, very frequent in the world and it imposes a high clinical and quality of life impact in patients. To date there are no local studies describing the general features in our population. Objective: To evaluate the socio demographic, clinical and life quality features in patients with atopic dermatitis from Medellín city and its metropolitan area. Materials and methods: cross sectional, descriptive study, that included patients who attended some teaching dermatological clinics. Data collection included sociodemographic and clinical features in addition to clinical issues and quality of life measurements. Results: A total of 13 patients were included. 36,3% manifested a sleeping disturbance, 38,1% attention deficit; 44,2% reported asthma in the childhood. EASI and SCORAD scores were 6,9 and 32,4, respectively, which indicates a mild-moderate compromise. Regarding quality of Life, Skindex-29 showed average scores for the symptomatic, emotional and functional dominions of 37,7, 25,09 and 16,9, respectively, and a total score of 24,78. In EQ-5D scores, the most altered component was the presence of pain or discomfort (17,6%) and the presence of anxiety or depression (12,1%), which enhances the symptomatic and emotional impact of the disease. Conclusion: These results confirm that patients with atopic dermatitis present similar features to those reported in other studies from different countries, highlighting the burden of the disease in adults and its impact in neuropsychiatric and emotional domains.

The ecology of herd immunity

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 is currently the subject of thousands of articles on the various aspects of its epidemiology. One recurrent theme is the phenomenon of herd immunity or herd effect. In this article, I present a short history of the concept, the arguments around its nomenclature, and the ecologist's view of the herd effect, using the case history of the sleeping sickness control in Africa.

Trastornos del sueño en un escolar posterior al aislamiento social por la COVID-19 / Sleeping disorders in a school boy after social isolation due to the COVID-19

Se describe caso clínico de un escolar de 6 años y 3 meses de edad, quien a partir del aislamiento social por la COVID-19 presentó pesadillas asociadas a irritabilidad, desinterés por las clases y necesidad de la presencia de los padres a la hora de dormir. Se efectuó evaluación y se descartaron clínicamente enfermedades orgánicas, así como trastornos mentales. Se realizaron recomendaciones psicológicas y se indicó la terapia floral de Bach. El paciente tuvo una evolución favorable.

The case report of a 6 year and three months school boy is described; he had nightmares associated with irritability, lack of interest for the classes and necessity of his parents presence at bed time, due to social isolation for the COVID 19. An evaluation was carried out and organic diseases were clinically ruled out, as well as mental disorders. Psychological recommendations were carried out and Bach's floral therapy was indicated. The patient had a favorable clinical course.

Synthetic ligustrazine based cyclohexanone and oxime analogs as Anti-Trypanosoma and Anti-Leishmanial agentes

In the present study a series of 34 synthetic ligustrazine-containing α, ß-Unsaturated carbonyl-based compounds and oximes, recognized as anticancer compounds were assessed against protozoa of the Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. Ligustrazine, chemically known as tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), was selected as the core moiety for the synthesis of α, ß-Unsaturated carbonyl-based compounds and these compounds were selected as precursors for the synthesis of new oximes. Some derivates, including 5f and 6i, showed multiple activities against all tested strains. In particular compounds 5f and 8o are the most potent and they are, therefore, potential candidates for trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis

"Hipnóticos" na metrópole: africanos no Hospital Colonial de Lisboa nas primeiras décadas do século XX / "Hypnotics" in the metropolis: Africans in the Colonial Hospital of Lisbon during the early twentieth century

Resumo No início do século XX, alguns médicos portugueses foram à África estudar a chamada doença do sono. Entre eles estava Ayres Kopke, membro da primeira missão médica à África Ocidental Portuguesa. De regresso a Lisboa, o professor da Escola de Medicina Tropical continuou suas pesquisas, inclusive por meio da observação de doentes trazidos para a metrópole. Desde 1903, as repartições de saúde nas colônias estavam incumbidas de enviar doentes com determinadas patologias exóticas para o Hospital Colonial de Lisboa. Com base em documentos desse hospital, incluindo fotografias dos doentes, então chamados de hipnóticos, o artigo aborda a importância das experiências com humanos na metrópole para o avanço da medicina tropical durante o colonialismo.

Abstract At the start of the twentieth century, some Portuguese physicians traveled to Africa to study sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). One was Ayres Kopke, a member of the first medical mission to Portuguese West Africa and professor at the School of Tropical Medicine. After returning to Lisbon, Kopke continued his research, which included observation of patients brought to the metropolis. Starting in 1903, health departments in the colonies were responsible for sending patients with certain exotic diseases to the Colonial Hospital of Lisbon. Based on documents from this hospital including photographs of patients (who at that time were called "hypnotics"), this article discusses the importance of human experiments in Lisbon for advances in tropical medicine during the colonial period.

Sleeping Duration, Bedtime and BMI and Their Rapport on Academic Performance among Adolescents

Aims: To evaluate the associations between bedtime initiations, sleeping sufficiency and objective academic performance in a large sample of second secondary students.Methods: Thestudy sample consisted of 900 adolescents; 450boysand 450 girls in the second secondary class at Hail city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Participants filled a questioner about their socioeconomic factors as bedtime, sleeping duration, mental games practicing, and physical activity.Weight and heightwere measured to assess body mass index (kg/m2). Data extracted from the questioner used to study the contribution of the concomitant factors on academic achievement.Results: The mean weight was 73.57±8.34kg IQR (44-126) while the mean height was (170.38±6.45) cm IQR (141-192). The mean BMI was 33.57±14.79(IQR 21.0–38.8). The overall prevalence of childhood obesity was 460 (49.6%; 95% CI: 55.3–66.8%) while the prevalence of overweight was 85 (9.04%; 95%CI: 7.3 –11.4%). The mean ministry academic score for the second secondary class was 70±9.99 IQR (44-99) while the school academic score was 88.07±7.44 IQR (60-99).51.6% of the students went to bed between 10-12 pm and only 17.6% slept between 8 and 10 hours.Conclusion: We can summarize, the independent variables as bedtime, sleeping duration, and obesity ameliorate academic achievement in a counteractive way; high BMI above 35 and prolonged sleeping duration more than 10 hours significantly curb the total academic score, whereas, healthy bedtime of 8-10 pm concomitantly augment the academic achievement

A study on nomophobia and its correlation with sleeping difficulty and anxiety among medical students in a medical college, Telangana

Background: Social media and digital communication have become a part of life. Many things were made easy through online connectivity. The mobile phones not only connects people at anytime, anywhere and with anybody, but also movable and portable. Mobile phones when used extensively may cause a number of physical and psychological problems. Nomophobia (NO-MObile phone-PHOBIA) is one of the psychological problems related to exclusive use of mobile phone. It is the fear/anxiety of being away from mobile phone contact. The objectives are to study grading of nomophobia and to find out any correlation exits between nomophobia and sleeping difficulty and anxiety among medical students. Methods: A cross sectional study is conducted for duration of 6 months among medical students using semi-structured questionnaire. Nomophobia questionnaire (NMP-Q) is used to assess nomophobia, Athens insomnia scale is used to assess sleeping difficulty and general anxiety disorder- 7 Item scale is used to assess general anxiety. Results: The study showed that out of 364 students, 62 (17%) have mild, 234 (64.3%) have moderate and 68 (18.7%) have severe nomophobia. There is a weak positive correlation between nomophobia and sleeping difficult and anxiety. Conclusions: There problem of nomophobia is alarming; there is a need to reduce nomophobia, and to evolve effective strategies to enhance human interaction

Number Of Hours Of Sleep With Changes In Blood Pressure Amongst Medical Students In Western Maharashtra

Introduction: Sleep has become one of the most ignored factors today. More sleep or less sleep does not matter it is just compensated the next day. Importance of regular and timely sleep amongst the students and their correlation with blood pressure is necessary to be found out so that the students can be made aware of and can be provided treatment to prevent further complications. Method: Demographic profile was noted it includes name, age, gender, professional year of MBBS and residence. History of sleeping was noted and other factors which influences sleeping pattern (i.e, alcohol, smoking, an association of dreams with sleep, midnight awakenings with sleep, caffeine intake before bed and average stress levels) through a well-structured questionnaire. Blood pressures of all eligible students were recorded 3 times in a week at the same time by the principal investigator with the same instrument according to the JNC 7 classi-fication for hypertension. Results: Amongst all the medical students, 6% had systolic hypertension and 22.50% had diastolic hypertension. Comparing blood pressures according to sleeping patterns, amongst cases (less than 5 hours of sleep) 20.8% had systolic hypertension and 56.30% had diastolic hypertension. Whereas in controls (more than 5 hours of sleep) 1.40% had systolic hypertension and 11.90% had diastolic hypertension. Factors such as alcohol con-sumption, smoking, caffeine consumption before sleep, dreams, midnight awakenings and stress were found to be as-sociated with sleeping patterns and the results were found to be extremely significant (p<0.0001) statistically. Conclu-sion:Sleep duration of less than 5 hours was noted in 24% of the total population. The subjects with lesser number of sleeping hours had increased levels of blood pressure and a higher prevalence of hypertension. The average systolic blood pressure in subjects with less than 5 hours of sleep (cases) showed 48.50% pre-hypertensives and 20.80% hy-pertensives whereas in case of average diastolic blood pressure 18.50% were prehypertensive and 56.30% were hyper-tensive.

Assessment of General effects and gastrointestinal prokinetic activity of Baccharis crispa in mice

Baccharis crispa is commonly known to be used in the treatment of several digestive disorders and the primarypurpose of this study was to detect its acute toxicity. Its influence on general behavior, sleeping time and intestinaltransit activity in mice were followed as a mean of initial validation for popular use. The gastrointestinal effectwas determined by testing the influence of B. crispa (Bc) on both intestinal motility (in vivo) and spontaneouscontractile response of isolated ileum (in vitro). Oral administration of Bc showed low toxicity and induced asignificant shortening of sleeping time in mice. After in vitro evaluation on isolated ileum, doses of 5.10−4; 10−4and 5.10−3 mg/mL of Bc potentiated the contractile response to acetylcholine. The intestinal propulsive activityincreased with oral doses of 1, 5 and 50 mg/kg of Bc. After in vitro and in vivo gastrointestinal evaluations ofBc extract, it was clear that an efficient prokinetic activity and a significant increase in spontaneous contractioninduced by acetylcholine in isolated mouse ileum occurred. These results partially support and justify thetraditional use of B. crispa to treat gastrointestinal disorders.

Bedroom design orientation and sleep electroencephalography signals

Background: Orientation is a significant factor in architectural design that may affect well-being. Body direction does not change during sleeping, and sleeping is sensitive and affected by environmental factors. Aims: This neuroarchitecture study aimed to assess the effects of bed orientation on sleep quality to enhance bedroom design. Materials and Methods: To do so, the effects of earth's electromagnetic field (EMF) on sleep electroencephalography (EEG) signals were evaluated using signal processing techniques. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 21 healthy volunteer participants slept for two consecutive naps, at two rooms with identical interior design and different bed orientations, toward and against earth's EMF in a sleep clinic. Statistical Analysis: In this experiment, discrete wavelet transform extracted five subfrequencies of EEG data as delta, theta, alpha, beta1, and beta2. In addition, the energy signals were computed by measurement of wave frequencies. The mean total sleep time was 1.63 h in North–South (N-S) earth's EMF orientation and 1.38 h in the other direction. Results: t-test results showed significant changes in delta, theta, and alpha frequencies in terms of bed orientation. There was a significant result in the alpha energy ratio over the whole signal energy. Furthermore, there were increases in the average energy of delta, theta, and alpha bands in N-S versus East–West (E-W) bed directions. Conclusions: This study indicated that sleep in N-S direction could be more beneficial than E-W and the sleep EEG signals can be sensitive to earth's EMF. The results show the importance of considering orientation in bedroom design and its benefits on inhabitants' well-being.

1H-NMR based metabolomic study of sedative and hypnotic effect of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in rats / 中草药

Objective: 1H-NMR based metabolomic approach has been employed to study the intervention effects of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) on p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia using a rat model. Methods 1H-NMR analysis was used to identify the various compounds of ZSS, and the quantitative data were further processed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonality PLS-DA to find potential biomarkers. In addition, MetPA analysis was used for pathway analysis. Results:Multivariate analysis revealed that 11 perturbed endogenous metabolites in the serum could be reversed by ZSS at dosage of 15 g/kg and 30 g/kg, and MetPA analysis revealed that the anti-hypnotic effect of ZSS was probably related with regulation of glutamate and glutamite metabolism, taurine and taurine metabolism, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamate metabolism, glyoxylic acid, and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. ZSS at dosage of 15 g/kg and 30 g/kg both can significant callback 11 potential biomarkers. Conclusion: These metabolic changes indicated that ZSS facilitated recovery from insomnia by regulating the amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism, which provides the basis for elucidating therapeutic mechanisms underlying the efficiency of ZSS for insomnia treatment.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of restless legs syndrome / 中华全科医师杂志

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is defined as a sleep-wake disorder, with the key feature being an urge to move, which can be classified as two types as primary RLS and secondary RLS. Iron deficiency is a key role of RLS, low levels of serum ferritin is noted in RLS lab tests. Pathophysiology of RLS is complex, genetic variants, anatomical network vulnerability, neurotransmission abnormalities and abnormal dopaminergic neurotransmission may all contribute to its pathogenesis. The mild RLS can choose non-drug therapy, but most of the patients need drug therapy especially the severe cases. The aboved aspects are discussed in this review based on recent literatures.

Study on sleep quality status and its relationship with cardiovascular disease in rural elderly in Ning’er county, Yunnan province / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To analyze the sleep quality status and its relationship with cardiovascular disease in rural elderly in Yunnan Province. Methods Multistage stratified random sampling method was used to select 1629 residents aged 60 years and over from Ning Er County in Yunnan province. Each participant received questionnaire survey and physical examination. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between sleep quality status and cardiovascular disease. Results Among the study population, the overall Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was 7.48±3.89,and was 6.67±3.69 for males and 8.07±3.92 for females. The prevalence of sleep disorder, hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke were 56.78%, 52.85%, 8.16% and 8.66%, respectively. Females had higher prevalence of sleep disorder than males (62.81% and 48.55%，P<0.001). The elderly with lower annual average family per capital income and bad access to medical services had higher prevalence of sleep disorder than their counterparts (P<0.001).The elderly with sleep disorder was more likely to suffer from hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke (P<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of sleep disorder is high in rural elderly in Yunnan Province. Improving sleep quality among the elderly can prevent and control cardiovascular diseases to a certain degree.

A Domestic Diagnosis System for Early Restless Legs Syndrome Based on Deep Learning / 中国医疗器械杂志

Restless legs syndrome,as a common sleep disorder,has nowadays long been diagnosed by self-rating scale and polysomnography.In this paper,a domestic diagnosis system for early restless legs syndrome based on deep learning is proposed,which is suitable for early patients with unstable symptoms in routine diagnosis.The hardware system is installed in the bed.And the non-contact sleeping dynamic signal acquisition is realized based on the acceleration sensors.The software system uses deep learning to classify and recognize the signals.A Fully Connected Feedforward Network based on Keras framework is constructed to recognize seven kinds of activities during sleeping.The accuracy of comprehensive classification is 97.83%.Based on former results,the periodic limb movement index and awakening index were evaluated to make the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome.

Intenção das mães em colocar o bebê para dormir em decúbito dorsal: um estudo de base populacional / Identifying mothers' intention to place infant in supine sleep position: a population-based study

Resumo Este estudo teve por objetivo conhecer a opinião das mães e identificar os fatores associados à intenção de colocar o bebê para dormir em decúbito dorsal em Rio Grande, RS. Foi aplicado questionário padronizado a todas as mães que tiveram filho nas duas únicas maternidades, entre 01/01 a 31/12/2010, e que residiam neste município. Utilizou-se teste do qui-quadrado para comparar proporções e regressão de Poisson, com ajuste robusto da variância na análise multivariável. A medida de efeito utilizada foi razão de prevalências (RP). Dentre as 2.395 (97,2% do total) mães entrevistadas, 20,5% (IC95%: 18,4%-21,6%) manifestaram intenção de colocar o bebê para dormir de barriga para cima. Esta intenção variou de 11% (IC95%: 8,1-13,7), entre mães com três ou mais filhos, a 35% (IC95% 31,1-40,2), entre aquelas com 12 anos ou mais de escolaridade. Após analise ajustada, mães de menor idade, de maior escolaridade e renda familiar, que realizaram pré-natal na rede privada, ou que tiveram três ou mais filhos, apresentaram RP significativamente maior para colocar o bebê para dormir de barriga para cima, em relação às demais. Campanhas de incentivo a esta prática devem priorizar mães de pior nível socioeconômico, de maior idade e que realizam pré-natal em unidades básicas de saúde.

Abstract This study aimed to identify mother's opinion on infant sleep position and the factors associated with the intention to place the infant in the supine position in the municipality of Rio Grande, Southern Brazil. A standardized questionnaire was applied to all mothers residing in this municipality who gave birth to a child in the only two local maternity wards from January 1 to December 31, 2010. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions, along with a Poisson regression with robust adjustment in the multivariate analysis. The effect measure used was prevalence ratio (PR). Of the 2,395 mothers interviewed (972% of the total), 20.5% (95%CI: 18.4%-21.6%) intended to place the newborn to sleep in the supine position. This prevalence varied from 11% (95%CI: 8.1-13.7) for mothers with three or more children to 35% (CI95%: 31.1-40.2) among those with 12 or more years of schooling. After adjusted analysis, younger mothers with higher education and household income who performed prenatal care in the private system or who have had three or more children had significantly higher PR to place the baby to sleep in the supine position compared to others. Campaigns encouraging this practice should focus primarily on older mothers of lower socioeconomic level and performing prenatal care in PHC facilities.