Tailored nutritional interventions: A precision approach to managing gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a risk to maternal-fetal health due to uncertain diagnostic criteria and treatment options. Luo's study demonstrated the efficacy of customized nutritional therapies in controlling GDM. Tailored strategies led to significant body weight loss, improved glucolipid metabolism, and fewer prenatal and newborn problems. This holistic approach, which emphasizes the notion of 'chrononutrition', takes into account optimal meal timing that is in sync with circadian rhythms, as well as enhanced sleep hygiene. Implementing tailored dietary therapy, managing meal timing, and ensuring appropriate sleep may improve results for women with GDM, opening up a possible avenue for multi-center trials.

Unravelling the Triad of Lung Cancer, Drug Resistance, and Metabolic Pathways.

Lung cancer, characterized by its heterogeneity, presents a significant challenge in therapeutic management, primarily due to the development of resistance to conventional drugs. This resistance is often compounded by the tumor's ability to reprogram its metabolic pathways, a survival strategy that enables cancer cells to thrive in adverse conditions. This review article explores the complex link between drug resistance and metabolic reprogramming in lung cancer, offering a detailed analysis of the molecular mechanisms and treatment strategies. It emphasizes the interplay between drug resistance and changes in metabolic pathways, crucial for developing effective lung cancer therapies. This review examines the impact of current treatments on metabolic pathways and the significance of considering metabolic factors to combat drug resistance. It highlights the different challenges and metabolic alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer, underlining the need for subtype-specific treatments. Key signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MAPK, and AMPK, have been discussed for their roles in promoting drug resistance and metabolic changes, alongside the complex regulatory networks involved. This review article evaluates emerging treatments targeting metabolism, such as metabolic inhibitors, dietary management, and combination therapies, assessing their potential and challenges. It concludes with insights into the role of precision medicine and metabolic biomarkers in crafting personalized lung cancer treatments, advocating for metabolic targeting as a promising approach to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome drug resistance. This review underscores ongoing advancements and hurdles in integrating metabolic considerations into lung cancer therapy strategies.

Emerging perspectives on RNA virus-mediated infections: from pathogenesis to therapeutic interventions.

RNA viruses continue to pose significant threats to global public health, necessitating a profound understanding of their pathogenic mechanisms and the development of effective therapeutic interventions. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of emerging perspectives on RNA virus-mediated infections, spanning from the intricate intricacies of viral pathogenesis to the forefront of innovative therapeutic strategies. A critical exploration of antiviral drugs sets the stage, highlighting the diverse classes of compounds that target various stages of the viral life cycle, underscoring the ongoing efforts to combat viral infections. Central to this discussion is the exploration of RNA-based therapeutics, with a spotlight on messenger RNA (mRNA)-based approaches that have revolutionized the landscape of antiviral interventions. Furthermore, the manuscript delves into the intricate world of delivery systems, exploring inno-vative technologies designed to enhance the efficiency and safety of mRNA vaccines. By analyzing the challenges and advancements in delivery mechanisms, this review offers a roadmap for future research and development in this critical area. Beyond conventional infectious diseases, the document explores the expanding applications of mRNA vaccines, including their promising roles in cancer immunotherapy and personalized medicine approaches. This manuscript serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers alike, offering a nuanced perspective on RNA virus pathogenesis and the cutting-edge therapeutic interventions. By synthesizing the latest advancements and challenges, this review contributes significantly to the ongoing discourse in the field, driving the development of novel strategies to combat RNA virus-mediated infections effectively.

Liver dysfunction during COVID-19 pandemic: Contributing role of associated factors in disease progression and severity.

In December 2019, a new strain of coronavirus was discovered in China, and the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic in March 2020. The majority of people with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) exhibit no or only mild symptoms such as fever, cough, anosmia, and headache. Meanwhile, approximately 15% develop a severe lung infection over the course of 10 d, resulting in respiratory failure, which can lead to multi-organ failure, coagulopathy, and death. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it appears that there has been consideration that pre-existing chronic liver disease may predispose to deprived consequences in conjunction with COVID-19. Furthermore, extensive liver damage has been linked to immune dysfunction and coagulopathy, which leads to a more severe COVID-19 outcome. Besides that, people with COVID-19 frequently have abnormal liver function, with more significant elevations in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in patients with severe COVID-19 compared to those with mild/moderate disease. This review focuses on the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the liver, as well as the use of liver chemistry as a prognostic tool during COVID-19. We also evaluate the findings for viral infection of hepatocytes, and look into the potential mechanisms behind SARS-CoV-2-related liver damage.

Active exploration of faces in police lineups increases discrimination accuracy.

Eyewitness identifications play a key role in the justice system, but eyewitnesses can make errors, often with profound consequences. We used findings from basic science and innovative technologies to develop and test whether a novel interactive lineup procedure, wherein witnesses can rotate and dynamically view the lineup faces from different angles, improves witness discrimination accuracy compared with a widely used procedure in laboratories and police forces around the world-the static frontal-pose photo lineup. No novel procedure has previously been shown to improve witness discrimination accuracy. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 220) identified culprits from sequentially presented interactive lineups or static frontal-pose photo lineups. In Experiment 2, participants (N = 8,507) identified culprits from interactive lineups that were either presented sequentially, simultaneously wherein the faces could be moved independently, or simultaneously wherein the faces moved jointly into the same angle. Sequential interactive lineups enhanced witness discrimination accuracy compared with static photo lineups, and simultaneous interactive lineups enhanced witness discrimination accuracy compared with sequential interactive lineups. These finding were true both when participants viewed suspects who were of the same or different ethnicity/race as themselves. Our findings exemplify how basic science can be used to address the important applied policy issue on how best to conduct a police lineup and reduce eyewitness errors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Neurocognitive Changes in Sickle Cell Disease: A Comprehensive Review.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a type of hemoglobinopathy characterized by abnormal hemoglobin molecules, which includes numerous acute and chronic complications. Ischemic stroke, silent cerebral infarction, headache, and neurocognitive impairment are the most common neurological complications associated with SCD. Summary: Acute anemia because of SCD can cause cognitive impairments because of cerebral hypoxia. Cognitive abnormalities in SCD manifest in various aspects such as working memory, verbal learning, executive functions, and attention. These neurocognitive impairments have been associated with poor functional results, such as transitioning from juvenile to adult care, adherence to medications, and unemployment. Key message: In this review, we focus on neurocognitive aspects of SCD patients based on different imaging techniques, psychological batteries, associated neuromarkers, and interventions for managing of cognitive deficiencies..

Physical Activity and Nutritional Influence on Immune Function: An Important Strategy to Improve Immunity and Health Status.

Physical activity (PA) and nutrition are the essential components of a healthy lifestyle, as they can influence energy balance, promote functional ability of various systems and improve immunity. Infections and their associated symptoms are the common and frequent challenges to human health that are causing severe economic and social consequences around the world. During aging, human immune system undergoes dramatic aging-related changes/dysfunctions known as immunosenescence. Clinically, immunosenescence refers to the gradual deterioration of immune system that increases exposure to infections, and reduces vaccine efficacy. Such phenomenon is linked to impaired immune responses that lead to dysfunction of multiple organs, while lack of physical activity, progressive loss of muscle mass, and concomitant decline in muscle strength facilitate immunosenescence and inflammation. In the present review, we have discussed the role of nutrition and PA, which can boost the immune system alone and synergistically. Evidence suggests that long-term PA is beneficial in improving immune system and preventing various infections. We have further discussed several nutritional strategies for improving the immune system. Unfortunately, the available evidence shows conflicting results. In terms of interaction with food intake, PA does not tend to increase energy intake during a short time course. However, overcoming nutritional deficiencies appears to be the most practical recommendation. Through the balanced nutritious diet intake one can fulfill the bodily requirement of optimal nutrition that significantly impacts the immune system. Supplementation of a single nutrient as food is generally not advisable. Rather incorporating various fruits and vegetables, whole grains, proteins and probiotics may ensure adequate nutrient intake. Therefore, multi-nutrient supplements may benefit people having deficiency in spite of sufficient diet. Along with PA, supplementation of probiotics, bovine colostrum, plant-derived products and functional foods may provide additional benefits in improving the immune system.

Animal Welfare Attitudes: Effects of Gender and Diet in University Samples from 22 Countries.

Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans (n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in AWA than omnivores. Women scored significantly higher on AWA than men. Furthermore, gender differences in AWA increased as gender inequality decreased.

Circadian rhythmicity of heart rate variability and its impact on cardiac autonomic modulation in asthma.

The commonly observed nocturnal attack of asthma is accompanied by circadian variations in airway inflammation and other physiological variables. It is also documented to present with a significantly higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events that are associated with lower heart rate variability (HRV) and depressed sympathetic and enhanced parasympathetic modulations. However, available literature is scarce with regard to the impact of alteration in circadian rhythmicity of long-term HRV and its day-night variation in asthmatic patients. Thus, 72-h continuous recording of RR interval and oxygen saturation was done to study the circadian variability of HRV (in terms of time and frequency domain indices) and also to assess the pattern of alterations in sympathetic and parasympathetic tones at different times of the day in asthmatic patients (n = 32) and healthy control subjects (n = 31). Repeated-measure analysis of variance and independent-samples t-test revealed significantly increased parasympathetic tone [in terms of increased square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD), percentage of number of pairs of adjacent RR interval differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50), standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), and high frequency (HF)] with reduced sympathetic activity [decreased low frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio] at early morning hours (between 04:00 and 10:00 h) in the asthma patients in contrast to the healthy subjects who had opposite response. Also, significant phase delay (p<0.05) of all the HRV indices and SpO2, was evident by cosinor analysis. Therefore, disturbed circadian rhythm of HRV indices and early morning increased parasympathetic tone points toward the possible pathophysiological basis of exacerbated asthmatic symptoms at late night/early morning hours and susceptibility of future cardiovascular pathologies. This also necessitates the assessment of HRV rhythm while dealing with the therapeutic management of asthma patients.

Association of mid sleep time and social jetlag with psychosocial behaviour of Indian population during COVID-19 lockdown.

Background: India, being the third worst affected country from COVID-19 pandemic at the time of study, faced complete lockdown to minimize community transmission that confined people to social isolation for extended durations. Design and Methods: Therefore, we conducted an online questionnaire-based survey for the Indian population after 37 days of complete lockdown to assess the integrative effects of such home restriction and social isolation on mid-sleep time, social jetlag, and their associated psychosocial behavior. From the reports of sleep onset and waking-up times before and during lockdown as obtained from a total of 1511 respondents of ≥18 years, midsleep time (MST) and social jetlag (SJL) were calculated. Participants also rated their psychosocial behavior related variables on a Likert scale. Results: Significantly delayed MST was noted during the lockdown. The majority showed reduced social jetlag; however, younger people and female subjects exhibited more SJL with delay in MST. Also, delayed MST and elevated SJL problems were more clearly demonstrated in people exhibiting more disturbances in sleep quality and daily routine, lower general mood status, irregular feeding habits (snacking frequency), worsened personal relationship, quality of life, and increased daydreaming events. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining a regular daily routine with respect to sleep-wake patterns and eating habits to minimize the impact of such a crisis situation on sleep behavior, social jetlag, and associated psychosocial wellbeing.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on sleep-wake schedule and associated lifestyle related behavior: A national survey.

Background: Lockdowns to prevent the community transmission of COVID-19 pandemic has confined the people at home and imposed social restrictions, which is expected to cause alterations in circadian driven sleep-wake schedule and its associated lifestyle behaviors. Design and Methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess the impact of lockdown on the sleepwake pattern, meal timings and digital media exposure time on the Indian population during lockdown. Responses of 1511 participants (age ≥18 years) were analyzed to assess the effect of gender and age on these parameters before and during lockdown. Results: The sleep onset-wakeup times and meals' time was significantly delayed during lockdown, which was more pronounced in younger subjects. However, young individuals reported increased sleep duration at this time. Increased digital media duration was evident in all age groups, mainly in males. However, females reported more delay in sleep onset-waking time and first meal timing with longer sleep duration during lockdown. Conclusions: Discord with social and natural cues due to complete lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic leads to a state of social jetlag with delayed sleep-wake, meal timings and excessive digital media exposure among Indians, which has differential impact on males and females as well as across different age groups. These findings have applied implications in sleep health and related behavior during longer social isolation conditions such as current COVID-19 or similar situations and may help to prepare better for any such future events.

Neuro-Cognitive Profile of Morning and Evening Chronotypes at Different Times of Day.

BACKGROUND: Chronotype is the circadian time preference for sleep-wake timings. However, its impact on cognitive performance is least explored. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the effect of chronotype (morning "M" vs. evening "E") on cognitive measures as a function of time of the day. In addition, the correlation between electroencephalogram (EEG) waves and subjective/objective cognitive measures were investigated. METHOD: Cognitive status of 28 adult male subjects (15 "M" and 13 "E") was assessed objectively through event-related potential (ERP) by administering visual odd ball paradigm test and subjectively through Montreal Cognitive Assessment questionnaire. In addition, 20 to 30 min of resting EEG was recorded. Recordings were done from 8 to 10 am and from 4 to 6 pm on a single day. Power spectral analysis of EEG for alpha and beta waves at PZ and FZ cortical sites was done after subjecting selected epochs to fast Fourier transformation. Also, latency and amplitude of P300 potential from event-related potential record were measured. Appropriate statistical tests were applied for analysis. RESULTS: Higher alpha and beta power was observed in "E" at PZ in the evening. "M" showed increased P300 latency and amplitude during evening session for frequent and rare stimuli and vice versa in "E."' Significant negative correlation was seen between latency of rare stimuli and alpha and beta power at FZ site during evening in "E" chronotype only. CONCLUSION: Result indicates better attention and alertness during evening hours in evening chronotypes and vice versa in morning chronotypes. The findings could be implemented to schedule the mental performance/cognitive load according to individual chronotype.

Short-duration judgment in young Indian subjects under 30 h constant wakefulness.

The present study aimed to investigate probability of a possible endogenous circadian rhythm in human cognitive attribute to estimate short intervals. Apparently healthy young males and females were selected for our study. Eight subjects prospectively produced the short-time intervals 10 s and 60 s at 2 hourly intervals in 30 h constant routine (CR) study conducted in spring (CR-1). The study was repeated again in autumn (CR-2) in the remaining eight subjects. The established circadian markers, namely serum cortisol, salivary melatonin levels and tympanic temperature were also measured either in CR-1 or CR-2. Oral temperature was measured simultaneously. Circadian rhythms were validated in serum cortisol, salivary melatonin, oral, and tympanic temperatures. Circadian rhythm in 60 s estimates was observed in a few subjects and in all males at group level in CR-1. The cognitive attribute to perceive short intervals vary as function of season. The results provide evidence in support of interaction among the interval, circadian and circannual timing systems in human.