Search Results (9,494)

Background/Objectives: Positive body image is linked to improved mental and physical well-being, healthier lifestyles, and fewer unhealthy weight control behaviors. Cultural factors also play a role in influencing body appreciation. This study investigated the associations between body appreciation, body weight, lifestyle factors, and subjective health among bachelor’s students in Lithuania and Poland. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 1290 students from universities in both countries. The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) measured body appreciation, while participants provided self-reported data on their dietary habits, physical activity, sleep, health perceptions, and body weight and height. Linear regression models explored associations between BAS-2 scores, actual and perceived body weight, lifestyle habits, and subjective health. Results: Gender and country-based differences in body appreciation were observed. Lithuanian female students reported a higher median BAS score of 33 compared to 32 among Polish female students (p = 0.02), despite having a higher median BMI (22.3 kg/m² vs. 21.1 kg/m², p = 0.001). Positive body appreciation was linked to healthier dietary behaviors, such as higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish, and regular breakfasts. Additionally, greater physical activity and sufficient sleep were associated with higher body appreciation, while higher intake of sweets, sugary drinks, and fast food correlated with lower BAS-2 scores. Both BMI and perceived weight were negatively associated with body appreciation, particularly among females. Conclusion: Body appreciation is closely linked to body weight, healthier lifestyle, and positive health perceptions, suggesting that promoting healthier habits may improve body appreciation. Full article

The measurement of human breathing is crucial for assessing the condition of the body. It opens up possibilities for various intelligent applications, like advanced medical monitoring and sleep analysis. Conventional approaches relying on wearable devices tend to be expensive and inconvenient for users. Recent research has shown that inexpensive WiFi devices commonly available in the market can be utilized effectively for non-contact breathing monitoring. WiFi-based breathing monitoring is highly sensitive to motion during the breathing process. This sensitivity arises because current methods primarily rely on extracting breathing signals from the amplitude and phase variations of WiFi Channel State Information (CSI) during breathing. However, these variations can be masked by body movements, leading to inaccurate counting of breathing cycles. To address this issue, we propose a method for extracting breathing signals based on the trajectories of two-chain CSI ratios on the I/Q plane. This method accurately monitors breathing by tracking and identifying the inflection points of the CSI ratio samples’ trajectories on the I/Q plane throughout the breathing cycle. We propose a dispersion model to label and filter out CSI ratio samples representing significant motion interference, thereby enhancing the robustness of the breathing monitoring system. Furthermore, to obtain accurate breathing waveforms, we propose a method for fitting the trajectory curve of the CSI ratio samples. Based on the fitted curve, a breathing segment extraction algorithm is introduced, enabling precise breathing monitoring. Our experimental results demonstrate that this approach achieves minimal error and significantly enhances the accuracy of WiFi-based breathing monitoring. Full article

Physical activity (PA) programs have been found to result in improved sleep in males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but little is known about the female characteristics. The aim of this work was to assess sex differences in sleep and PA indices using an accelerometer over 7 days and 7 nights. Sleep and PA variables were measured with questionnaires and with accelerometry in twenty-four children with ASD (16 boys, 10.3 ± 2.8; 8 girls, 11.1 ± 3.9). Some significant differences were reported between girls and boys. The total time in bed and wake time after sleep onset (WASO) were significantly higher in girls compared to boys (p < 0.01), whereas sleep efficiency was significantly lower in girls (p < 0.01). The results obtained from the sleep questionnaire (CSHQ) show averages above the threshold of 41 in both groups (the threshold indicates the presence of sleep disorders or low sleep quality). The number of daily steps was significantly lower in the girls’ group (p < 0.01), and the PA volume for vigorous and strong vigorous intensities was significantly higher in the boys’ group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Our results show major alterations in girls, with a low level of PA and sleep alteration. PA is a relevant non-pharmacological approach to improve sleep quality and achieve sufficient sleep duration. However, particularly for girls with ASD, more personalized approaches to improve sleep may be needed to manage specific associated disorders. Full article

Epicardial adipose tissue is a unique visceral adipose tissue depot that plays a crucial role in myocardial metabolism. Epicardial adipose tissue is a major source of energy and free fatty acids for the adjacent myocardium. However, under pathological conditions, epicardial fat can affect the heart through the excessive and abnormal influx of lipids. The cardio-lipotoxicity of the epicardial adipose tissue is complex and involves different pathways, such as increased inflammation, the infiltration of lipid intermediates such as diacylglycerol and ceramides, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, ultimately leading to cardiomyocyte dysfunction and coronary artery ischemia. These changes can contribute to the pathogenesis of various cardio-metabolic diseases including atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and obstructive sleep apnea. Hence, the role of the cardio-lipotoxicity of epicardial fat and its clinical implications are discussed in this review. Full article

Background: The prevalence of both inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is increasing, with persistent digestive symptoms, an altered quality of life, and higher rates of anxiety, chronic fatigue, and sleep trouble than the general population. Methods: This scoping review will analyze the latest clinical practice recommendations and clinical studies on non-pharmaceutical interventions such as diet adaptations, physical activity, cognitive behavioral therapies, and medical nutrition therapies such as probiotics, soluble fibers, chitin-glucan, and micronutrients for digestive symptoms relief, quality of life improvement and nutritional deficiencies correction in IBS and IBD patients. The objective is to help healthcare practitioners and dietitians to build personalized care program for IBD and IBS patients. Results: Mediterranean diet, physical activity, cognitive behavioral therapies and medical nutrition therapies such as selected probiotics, soluble fibers, chitin glucan, peppermint oil and micronutrients are effective as adjunct therapies. Conclusions: These adjunct therapies may help to reduce persistent digestive symptoms, correct nutritional deficiencies and improve quality of life of IBS and IBD patients. Full article

The effect of caffeine on the behavior and sleep patterns of zebrafish larvae, as well as its underlying mechanisms, has been a topic of great interest. This study aimed to investigate the impact of caffeine on zebrafish larval sleep/wake behavior and the expression of key regulatory genes such as cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and adenosine (ADA) in the sleep pathway. To begin, the study determined the optimal dose and duration of caffeine exposure, with the optimal doses found to be 31.25 μM, 62.5 μM, and 120 μM. Similarly, the optimal exposure time was established as no more than 120 h, ensuring a mortality rate of less than 10%. The confirmation of these conditions was achieved through the assessment of angiogenesis and the inflammatory reaction. As a result, the treatment time point of 24 h post-fertilization (hpf) was selected to examine the effects of caffeine on zebrafish larval sleep rhythm (48 h, with a light cycle of 14:10). Furthermore, the study analyzed the expression of clock genes (bmal1a, per1b, per2, per3, cry2), adenosine receptor genes (adora1a, adora1b, adora2aa, adora2ab, adora2b), and key regulatory factors (CREB and ADA). The research confirmed that caffeine could induce sleep pattern disorders, significantly upregulate adenosine receptor genes (adora1a, adora1b, adora2a, adora2ab, adora2b) (p < 0.05), and markedly decrease the total sleep time and sleep efficiency of the larvae. Additionally, the activity of ADA significantly increased during the exposure (p < 0.001), and the tissue-specific expression of CREB was also significantly increased, as assessed by immunofluorescence. Caffeine may regulate circadian clock genes through the ADA/ADORA/CREB pathway. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the effects of caffeine on zebrafish larvae but also provide valuable insights into the potential impact of caffeine on human behavior and sleep. Full article

Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness usually accompanied by long-lasting, general pain throughout the body, often accompanied by anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep disruption. Meanwhile, doctors and scientists have not entirely discovered detailed mechanisms; patients always have an exaggerated sensation to pervasive pain without satisfied medical service. Given the lack of knowledge on its underlying mechanism, current treatments aim to provide pain and/or symptom relief. The present study aimed to clarify the role of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) signaling in a mouse fibromyalgia pain model. To develop the mouse fibromyalgia model, mice were subjected to intermittent cold stress (ICS). Our results indicated that mechanical (2.09 ± 0.09 g) and thermal hyperalgesia (4.77 ± 0.29 s), which were evaluated by von Frey and Hargraves’ tests, were induced by ICS, suggesting successful modeling. The hurting replies were then provoked by electroacupuncture (EA) but not for sham EA mice. Further, in a Western blot analysis, we found significantly decreased CB1 protein levels in the thalamus, somatosensory cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, the levels of pain-related protein kinases and transcription factor were increased. Treatment with EA reliably increased CB1 expression in various brain regions sequentially alleviated by nociceptive mediators. Furthermore, the administration of a CB1 agonist significantly attenuated fibromyalgia pain, reversed EA analgesia by the CB1 antagonist, and further reversed the chemogenetic inhibition of SSC. Our innovative findings evidence the role of CB1 signaling in the interaction of EA and fibromyalgia, suggesting its potential for clinical trials and as a treatment target. Full article

This study explores the complementary or synergistic effects of medicinal cannabis constituents, particularly terpenes, concerning their therapeutic potential, known as the entourage effect. A systematic review of the literature on cannabis “entourage effects” was conducted using the PRISMA model. Two research questions directed the review: (1) What are the physiological effects of terpenes and terpenoids found in cannabis? (2) What are the proven “entourage effects” of terpenes in cannabis? The initial approach involved an exploratory search in electronic databases using predefined keywords and Boolean phrases across PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Analysis of published studies shows no evidence of neuroprotective or anti-aggregatory effects of α-pinene and β-pinene against β-amyloid-mediated toxicity; however, modest lipid peroxidation inhibition by α-pinene, β pinene, and terpinolene may contribute to the multifaceted neuroprotection properties of these C. sativa L. prevalent monoterpenes and the triterpene friedelin. Myrcene demonstrated anti-inflammatory proprieties topically; however, in combination with CBD, it did not show significant additional differences. Exploratory evidence suggests various therapeutic benefits of terpenes, such as myrcene for relaxation; linalool as a sleep aid and to relieve exhaustion and mental stress; D-limonene as an analgesic; caryophyllene for cold tolerance and analgesia; valencene for cartilage protection; borneol for antinociceptive and anticonvulsant potential; and eucalyptol for muscle pain. While exploratory research suggests terpenes as influencers in the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, the potential for synergistic or additive enhancement of cannabinoid efficacy by terpenes remains unproven. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm any terpenes “entourage effects.” Full article

Background: Studies on night sleep and parental bedtime practices and their associations with language development in populations at risk of language delay and neonatal conditions, such as late talkers and preterm children, are scarce. Objectives: Our objective was to longitudinally examine the development of night sleep (total night sleep difficulties, settling, night waking, and co-sleeping), parental bedtime practices (total parental bedtime practices, active physical comforting, encouraging autonomy, and leaving to cry), and expressive language (word and sentence production), and their associations in low-risk preterm and full-term late talkers from 31 to 37 months of age. Methods: Parents of 38 late talkers, 19 low-risk preterm and 19 full-term children, completed the Italian versions of the Infant Sleep Questionnaire, the Parental Interactive Bedtime Behavior Scale, and the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory Words and Sentences Long Form. Results: Late talkers’ night sleep difficulties, such as settling to sleep and night waking, decreased over time, with low-risk preterm late talkers experiencing more night waking and co-sleeping than full-term peers. Parents reported that instances of active physical comforting and leaving to cry also decreased, with parents of low-risk preterm late talkers reporting higher active physical comforting scores than parents of full-term peers. Improvements in parental practices of encouraging autonomy were significantly associated with increased sentence production from 31 to 37 months. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of monitoring night sleep in preterm and full-term late talkers. They also suggest that populations vulnerable to sleep and language delays may particularly benefit from targeted interventions promoting autonomy in their bedtime routines, which, in turn, could support their language development trajectories. Full article

The classical function of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is to maintain electrolytic homeostasis and control extracellular volume and blood pressure. The MR is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and is involved in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis as well as sleep physiology, playing a role in the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep. Some patients with psychiatric disorders have very poor sleep quality, and a relationship between MR dysregulation and this disorder has been found in them. In addition, the MR is involved in the regulation of the renal peripheral clock. One of the most common comorbidities observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is poor sleep quality. Patients with CKD experience sleep disturbances, including reduced sleep duration, sleep fragmentation, and insomnia. To date, no studies have specifically investigated the relationship between MR activation and CKD-associated sleep disturbances. However, in this review, we analyzed the environment that occurs in CKD and proposed two MR-related mechanisms that may be responsible for these sleep disturbances: the circadian clock disruption and the high levels of MR agonist observed in CKD. Full article

Background/Objectives—Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder caused by the destruction of neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. Clinical diagnosis of this disease, based on monitoring motor symptoms, often leads to a delayed start of PD therapy and control, where over 60% of dopaminergic nerve cells are damaged in the brain substantia nigra. The search for simple and stable characteristics of EEG recordings is a promising direction in the development of methods for diagnosing PD and methods for diagnosing the preclinical stage of PD development. Methods—42 subjects participated in work, of which 4 female/10 male patients were included in the group of patients with non-motor disorders, belonging to the risk group for developing PD (median age: 62 years, height: 164 cm, weight: 70 kg, pulse: 70, BPsys and BPdia: 143 and 80)/(median age: 68 years, height: 170 cm, weight: 73.9 kg, pulse: 75, BPsys and BPdia: 143 and 82). The first control group of healthy participants included 6 women (median age: 33 years, height: 161 cm, weight: 66 kg, pulse: 80, BPsys and BPdia: 110 and 80)/8 men (median age: 36.3 years, height: 175 cm, weight: 69 kg, pulse: 78, BPsys and BPdia: 120 and 85). The second control group of healthy participants included 8 women (median age: 74 years, height: 164 cm, weight: 70 kg, pulse: 70, BPsys and BPdia: 145 and 82)/6 men (median age: 51 years, height: 172 cm, weight: 72.5 kg, pulse: 74, BPsys and BPdia: 142 and 80). Wavelet oscillatory pattern estimation is performed on patients’ nocturnal sleep recordings without separating them into sleep stages. Results—Amplitude characteristics of oscillatory activity in patients without motor disorders and the prodromal PD stage are significantly reduced both in terms of changes in the number of patterns and in terms of their duration. This pattern is especially pronounced for high-frequency activity, in frequency ranges close to 40 Hz. Conclusions—The success of the analysis of the electrical activity of the brain, performed over the entire duration of the night recording, makes it promising to further use during daytime monitoring the concept of oscillatory wavelet patterns in patients with non-motor disorders, belonging to the risk group for developing PD. The daytime monitoring system can become the basis for developing screening tests to detect neurodegenerative diseases as part of routine medical examinations. Full article

Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by disruptions in brain connectivity and cognitive functioning. Continuous monitoring of neural activity is essential, as it allows for the detection of subtle changes in brain connectivity patterns, which could provide early warnings of cognitive decline or symptom exacerbation, ultimately facilitating timely therapeutic interventions. This paper proposes a novel approach for detecting schizophrenia-related abnormalities using deep learning (DL) techniques applied to electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Using an openly available EEG dataset on schizophrenia, the focus is on preprocessed event-related potentials (ERPs) from key electrode sites and applied transfer entropy (TE) analysis to quantify the directional flow of information between brain regions. TE matrices were generated to capture neural connectivity patterns, which were then used as input for a hybrid DL model, combining convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) networks. The model achieved a performant accuracy of 99.94% in classifying schizophrenia-related abnormalities, demonstrating its potential for real-time mental health monitoring. The generated TE matrices revealed significant differences in connectivity between the two groups, particularly in frontal and central brain regions, which are critical for cognitive processing. These findings were further validated by correlating the results with EEG data obtained from the Muse 2 headband, emphasizing the potential for portable, non-invasive monitoring of schizophrenia in real-world settings. The final model, integrated into the NeuroPredict platform, offers a scalable solution for continuous mental health monitoring. By incorporating EEG data, heart rate, sleep patterns, and environmental metrics, NeuroPredict facilitates early detection and personalized interventions for schizophrenia patients. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sleep problems affect the quality of life (QoL) and treatment prognosis of children with epilepsy (CWE). We analyzed sleep problems and QoL in CWE but without neurodevelopmental disorders, which affect sleep and QoL. We also examined discrepancies between child self-reports and parent proxy reports in QoL assessments. Methods: Thirty-two CWE in grades 2–6 (aged 7–12 years) in regular classes who attended Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital and PL General Hospital between January 2022 and August 2023 were compared with 21 children who had attended the hospitals for acute non-neurological disorders and had recovered (control group). Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, those unable to answer questionnaires, and those taking sleeping pills were excluded. Children in both groups completed the Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen (KINDL-R); their parents completed the KINDL-R and Japanese Sleep Questionnaire for Elementary Schoolers (JSQ-ES). Results: There were no significant differences in mean (±SD) JSQ-ES total scores between the epilepsy and control groups (71.6 ± 21.4 vs. 63.2 ± 15.2, respectively; p = 0.16). In the epilepsy group, there were no significant differences in total or subscale KINDL-R scores between children with (JSQ-ES ≥ 80) and without (JSQ-ES < 80) sleep problems. Correlation coefficients between child self-reports and parent proxy reports for KINDL-R total scores were 0.171 (p = 0.348) and 0.656 (p = 0.001) for the epilepsy and control groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the total scores of children’s self-reports and parents’ proxy reports in the control (p = 0.008) group, but not in the epilepsy group (p = 0.837). Conclusions: Sleep problems may not have significant impacts on the QoL of CWE without neurodevelopmental disorders. Parents of CWE do not always correctly assess their children’s QoL, so it is important to ask both children and their parents to obtain a comprehensive picture of their QoL. Full article

Background/Objectives: The diet quality of younger individuals is decreasing globally, with alarming trends also in the Mediterranean region. The aim of this study was to assess diet quality and adequacy in relation to country-specific dietary recommendations for children and adolescents living in the Mediterranean area. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 2011 parents of the target population participating in the DELICIOUS EU-PRIMA project. Dietary data and cross-references with food-based recommendations and the application of the youth healthy eating index (YHEI) was assessed through 24 h recalls and food frequency questionnaires. Results: Adherence to recommendations on plant-based foods was low (less than ∼20%), including fruit and vegetables adequacy in all countries, legume adequacy in all countries except for Italy, and cereal adequacy in all countries except for Portugal. For animal products and dietary fats, the adequacy in relation to the national food-based dietary recommendations was slightly better (∼40% on average) in most countries, although the Eastern countries reported worse rates. Higher scores on the YHEI predicted adequacy in relation to vegetables (except Egypt), fruit (except Lebanon), cereals (except Spain), and legumes (except Spain) in most countries. Younger children (p < 0.005) reporting having 8–10 h adequate sleep duration (p < 0.001), <2 h/day screen time (p < 0.001), and a medium/high physical activity level (p < 0.001) displayed a better diet quality. Moreover, older respondents (p < 0.001) with a medium/high educational level (p = 0.001) and living with a partner (p = 0.003) reported that their children had a better diet quality. Conclusions: Plant-based food groups, including fruit, vegetables, legumes, and even (whole-grain) cereals are underrepresented in the diets of Mediterranean children and adolescents. Moreover, the adequate consumption of other important dietary components, such as milk and dairy products, is rather disregarded, leading to substantially suboptimal diets and poor adequacy in relation to dietary guidelines. Full article

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep. This study aims to classify sleep apnea using a machine learning approach and a Euler–Poincaré characteristic (EPC) model derived from electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. An ensemble K-nearest neighbors classifier and a feedforward neural network were implemented using the EPC model as inputs. ECG signals were preprocessed with a polynomial-based scheme to reduce noise, and the processed signals were transformed into a non-Gaussian physiological random field (NGPRF) for EPC model extraction from excursion sets. The classifiers were then applied to the EPC model inputs. Using the Apnea-ECG dataset, the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 98.5%, sensitivity of 94.5%, and specificity of 100%. Combining machine learning methods and geometrical features can effectively diagnose sleep apnea from single-lead ECG signals. The EPC model enhances clinical decision-making for evaluating this disease. Full article