A Comparison of Sleep Duration Accuracy Between Questionnaire and Accelerometer in Middle Childhood.

Purpose Healthy sleep is vital to children's well-being, and assessing sleep efficiently and accurately can help understand children's lifestyles. Due to the difficulty in objectively measuring sleep duration using wearable sensors in large-scale surveys of children, self-administered questionnaires are often used in Japan; however, their accuracy is uncertain. We evaluated and compared the accuracy of questionnaire-based sleep times to those of wearable sensors. Methods This observational study was conducted between November 2019 and January 2020. A self-administered questionnaire on lifestyle habits and ActiGraph GT3X+ (ActiGraph, Inc., Pensacola, USA) accelerometer data were collected from 40 fourth-grade elementary school students in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. We analyzed measurements for 256 days out of 280 days (40 persons × 7 days) after excluding days when the rate of wearing the accelerometer was < 90%. Results The median sleep duration per accelerometry was 453 minutes, and the median time in bed was 519 minutes. Questionnaire-based time in bed was 11 minutes longer, with relatively high inter-individual variability. The difference in bedtime was 26 minutes earlier, and wake-up time was 12 minutes earlier for the questionnaire. The average sleep efficiency was 87.4%, and one-third of the children had sleep efficiency < 85%. Conclusion The difference in sleep duration by questionnaire compared to accelerometry was approximately 10 minutes, suggesting the questionnaire may determine sleep duration with accuracy.

Autistic and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Traits Are Associated with Suboptimal Performance among Japanese University Students.

INTRODUCTION: Recent estimates suggest that there is a substantial number of Japanese students with developmental disabilities. This study aimed to examine potential associations between autistic, autistic subcomponents, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits with student performance (as measured by presenteeism) and class attendance among Japanese university students. METHODS: Participants comprised 721 students from different regions of Japan who completed a self-administered internet survey. Autistic and ADHD traits were measured using an abridged version of the autism spectrum quotient (AQ-Short) and adult ADHD self-report scale (ASRS). Presenteeism, which is an indicator of student performance, was assessed using the modified World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. Class attendance during the past year was self-reported by participants. RESULTS: Students with high levels of autistic traits and high levels of ADHD traits were significantly more likely to report poor student performance (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.90-4.96; and OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.32-3.42, respectively). Regarding autistic trait subcomponents, students with high levels of preference for routine (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.38-4.13) and high levels of difficulties with social skills (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.03-3.18) were also significantly more likely to report poor student performance. There were borderline significant associations between traits of attention-switching difficulties and poor student performance (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.00-3.15). Regarding ADHD trait subcomponents, students with high levels of inattention (OR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.32-6.26) were also significantly more likely to report poor student performance. Students with both high levels of autistic traits and high levels of ADHD traits were more likely to report poor student performance than those with high levels of only one trait type. There were, however, no statistically significant associations between these traits and low class attendance risk. CONCLUSIONS: Sickness presenteeism was significantly associated with high levels of both autistic traits and ADHD traits among Japanese university students.

Anti-allergic and Profilaggrin (ProFLG)-mRNA expression modulatory effects of sacran.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin disorder characterized by filaggrin (FLG) defect. We evaluated sacran's effects on dust-mite extracts (DME)-induced AD-like disease and also its effect on profilaggrin (proFLG) in a murine model of 2,4-dinitroflurobenze (DNFB)-induced contact hypersensitivity. In the murine AD-like disease model, allergic NC/Nga mice (N=60) were randomly divided into five treatment groups of 12 animals each: 0.2% and 1%sacran; 0.1% Tacrolimus; Vaseline and buffer-treated controls. Blood samples were drawn and serum levels of representative Th-1, Th-2 and also Th-17 (IL-17A) cytokines were assayed by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA). In the contact hypersensitivity model, diseased NC/Nga mice (N=20) were divided into four groups of five mice each [0.05%sacran, 0.05% chondroitin sulfate (CS), 0.5% prednisolone (PD), non-treated control group] and were treated for 14days. Skin biopsies were performed for the measurement of proFLG-mRNA by real-time PCR. Sacran solutions and 0.1%Tacrolimus reduced disease severity, suppressed histological changes and decreased the serum Th-1 (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2) and Th-2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) cytokines in allergic mice (vs. controls). Additionally, a marked increase of proFLG-mRNA expression was observed in 0.05%sacran group (vs. control 0.05% CS and 0.5% PD groups). Thus, Sacran might be useful as a natural skin barrier enhancer and anti-allergic agent.

Goishi tea consumption inhibits airway hyperresponsiveness in BALB/c mice.

BACKGROUND: Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is one of the important traits that characterize bronchial asthma. Goishi tea is a post-heating fermented tea that has been reported to have higher free radical scavenging activity. In this study, we evaluated the prophylactic effects of Goishi tea on AHR in BALB/c mice. RESULTS: The number of inflammatory cells in BAL fluid was considerably reduced in Goishi tea/Der f and Gallic acid/Der f groups as compared with Tap water/Der f group. Regarding inflammatory cells in BAL, a significant reduction of eosinophils and neutrophils was observed in Goishi tea-treated mice (p < 0.01), as well as in the Gallic acid/Der f group (p < 0.05), as compared with Tap water/Der f group. In asthmatic mice (Tap water/Der f group), the intensity of airway resistance increased simultaneously with the increase in acetylcholine concentration in a dose-dependant way. AHR was significantly inhibited in Goishi tea/Der f and Gallic acid/Der f (p < 0.01) groups as compared with the Tap water/Der f group. Regarding serum specific-IgG1, significantly lower levels of this antibody were observed in Goishi tea/Der f and Gallic acid/Der f groups as compared with the Tap water/Der f group (p < 0.05). In addition, adiponectin level was significantly higher in the Goishi tea group as compared with the Tap water treated mice (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Goishi tea consumption exerted an inhibitory effect on eosinophilic and neutrophilic infiltration in the lung, attenuated the increase in airway resistance and increased the production of adiponectin; thus reducing Der f induced allergic inflammatory process in mice.