Effect of Sleep on Vigilance, Short-Term Memory, and Learning in College Students

Despite years of research supporting a link between sleep and cognitive functioning, little research has focused on the effect of sleep on cognitive factors in the college population. According to the trace reactivation hypothesis, sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and learning. Cognitivism further indicates that the processing of information is limited when sleep is restricted. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of sleep on vigilance, short-term memory, and learning; an additional goal was to test whether these variables influence grade point average (GPA). Sleep and GPA data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Vigilance was measured using the Digit Vigilance Test (DVT). Short-term memory and learning were measured using subtests of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, 2nd Edition (WRAML 2). Data were collected from 20 undergraduate students to detect an effect size of .90 with a power of at least .80, one tailed p \u3c .05. Test assumptions were satisfied prior to analysis using SPSS. Independent samples t tests were used to compare the difference between adequate and inadequate sleep on measures of vigilance, short-term memory, and learning. Results indicated that inadequate sleep had a significant effect on short-term memory and learning but not on vigilance. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that sleep, vigilance, short-term memory, and learning were not significant predictors of GPA. The small sample size may have limited the study conclusion. This study may help students, educators, and school administrators to improve academic performance as well as develop effective learning strategies

Effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions in young people with mental health conditions : a rapid review

Objective: To describe the latest evidence of effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions for young people with mental health conditions. Methods: Searching five databases from 2009 onwards, we included studies of any design investigating two-way communication interventions for the treatment of young people (mean age 12–25) with a chronic mental health disorder. The data were synthesised using narrative summary. Results: Six studies met the inclusion criteria, covering a range of mental health conditions (depression, psychosis, OCD). Interventions included an online chat room (n = 2), videoconferencing (n = 3) and telephone (n = 1). Where studies compared two groups, equivalence or a statistically significant improvement in symptoms was observed compared to control. Views of patients and clinicians included impact on the patient-clinician interaction. Clinicians did not feel it hindered their diagnostic ability. Conclusion: Networked communication technologies show promise in the treatment of young people with mental health problems but the current available evidence remains limited and the evidence base has not advanced much since the previous inception of this review in 2011. Practice implications: Although the available research is generally positive, robust evidence relating to the provision of care for young persons via these technologies is lacking and healthcare providers should be mindful of this

Modeling and simulation of nanofluid transport via elastic sheets

The field of nanofluidics research has spanned over the past decade with a variety of promising applications. We investigate the ``laminar boundary layer flow’’ of a Newtonian nanofluid past a moving extendable/contractable horizontal plate with surface velocity and thermal slip effects. The passively controlled nanofluid model (PCM) is considered. Such models are physically more realistic as compared to the “actively controlled models” (ACM). Using Lie symmetry group method, the governing equations are reduced by a set of highly coupled nonlinear ODE’s with thermo-solutal coupled boundary conditions. The reduced equations are solved numerically by a generalized collocation method. The influences of the emerging parameters on the local skin friction factor and the local Nusselt number are depicted numerically. The skin friction is decreased as the thermo-phoresis and buoyancy ratio parameters are decreased. The heat transfer rates reduce with thermophoresis and buoyancy ratio parameters. Velocity slip also leads to a rise in wall temperature gradient. This study is relevant to near-wall flows in nanofluid fuel cells, nano-materials processing et

Anti-hypertrophic effect of Na+/H+ exchanger-1 inhibition is mediated by reduced cathepsin B

Previous studies have established the role of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE1) and cathepsin B (Cat B) in the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (CH). Both NHE1 and Cat B are activated under acidic conditions suggesting that their activities might be interrelated. The inhibition of NHE1 has been demonstrated to reduce cardiac hypertrophy but the mechanism that contributes to the anti-hypertrophic effect of NHE1 inhibition still remains unclear. H9c2 cardiomyoblasts were stimulated with Angiotensin (Ang) II in the presence and absence of N-[2-methyl-4,5-bis(methylsulphonyl)-benzoyl]-guanidine, hydrochloride (EMD, EMD 87580), an NHE1 inhibitor or CA-074Me, a Cat B inhibitor, and various cardiac hypertrophic parameters, namely cell surface area, protein content and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA were analyzed. EMD significantly suppressed markers of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited Ang II stimulated Cat B protein and gene expression. Cat B is located within the acidic environment of lysosomes. Cat B proteases are released into the cytoplasm upon disintegration of the lysosomes. EMD or CA-074Me prevented the dispersal of the lysosomes induced by Ang II and reduced the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I, a marker of autophagy. Moreover, Cat B protein expression and MMP-9 activity in the extracellular space were significantly attenuated in the presence of EMD or CA-074Me. Our study demonstrates a novel mechanism for attenuation of the hypertrophic phenotype by NHE1 inhibition that is mediated by a regression in Cat B. The inhibition of Cat B via EMD or CA-074Me attenuates the autosomal-lysosomal pathway and MMP-9 activation

Anti-hypertrophic effect of Na+/H+ exchanger-1 inhibition is mediated by reduced cathepsin B

Previous studies have established the role of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE1) and cathepsin B (Cat B) in the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (CH). Both NHE1 and Cat B are activated under acidic conditions suggesting that their activities might be interrelated. The inhibition of NHE1 has been demonstrated to reduce cardiac hypertrophy but the mechanism that contributes to the anti-hypertrophic effect of NHE1 inhibition still remains unclear. H9c2 cardiomyoblasts were stimulated with Angiotensin (Ang) II in the presence and absence of N-[2-methyl-4,5-bis(methylsulphonyl)-benzoyl]-guanidine, hydrochloride (EMD, EMD 87580), an NHE1 inhibitor or CA-074Me, a Cat B inhibitor, and various cardiac hypertrophic parameters, namely cell surface area, protein content and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA were analyzed. EMD significantly suppressed markers of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited Ang II stimulated Cat B protein and gene expression. Cat B is located within the acidic environment of lysosomes. Cat B proteases are released into the cytoplasm upon disintegration of the lysosomes. EMD or CA-074Me prevented the dispersal of the lysosomes induced by Ang II and reduced the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I, a marker of autophagy. Moreover, Cat B protein expression and MMP-9 activity in the extracellular space were significantly attenuated in the presence of EMD or CA-074Me. Our study demonstrates a novel mechanism for attenuation of the hypertrophic phenotype by NHE1 inhibition that is mediated by a regression in Cat B. The inhibition of Cat B via EMD or CA-074Me attenuates the autosomal-lysosomal pathway and MMP-9 activation

Fortification of Yogurt with Red Dragon Fruit’s (Hylocereus Polyrhizus) Peel Powder: Effects on Comprehensive Quality Attributes and Sensory Properties

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality features, antioxidant capabilities, microbiological and sensory aspects of yogurt fortified with 2%, 5%, and 7% red dragon (RD) peel powder. The yogurt was formulated using the classical technology adapted to laboratory conditions. The results of the physicochemical properties showed significant differences in pH (4.73–4.36), acidity (0.18–0.16 g lactic acid/100 g), and ascorbic acid (1.17-1.34 mg/100 g) among different yogurt formulations (P<0.05). In addition, RD peel powder fortification showed increasing trends in crude fiber (1.53-3.34 g/100 g), ash (5.19-5.29 g/100 g), and moisture (76.70-80.19 g/100 g) content, respectively; while the reversed trend was observed for fat (3.48-2.36 g/100 g), and crude protein (4.49-4.07 g/100 g) contents, respectively. Furthermore, gradual progression of RD peel powder in fortified yogurt manifested an improvement of the overall antioxidant activity (1.30-1.57 µmol TE/mL). The analyses of the sensory properties demonstrated that yogurt with RD peel powder in proportions of 2% received the highest hedonic score for consumer approval. Moreover, no coliform was reported in any of the control and fortified yogurts. Therefore, it could be concluded that RD peel powder can be employed as a functional food constituent in yogurt with improved quality attributes and sensory properties compared to plain yogurt

Evaluation of current algorithms for segmentation of scar tissue from late Gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance of the left atrium: an open-access grand challenge

Background: Late Gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can be used to visualise regions of fibrosis and scarring in the left atrium (LA) myocardium. This can be important for treatment stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and for assessment of treatment after radio frequency catheter ablation (RFCA). In this paper we present a standardised evaluation benchmarking framework for algorithms segmenting fibrosis and scar from LGE CMR images. The algorithms reported are the response to an open challenge that was put to the medical imaging community through an ISBI (IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging) workshop. Methods: The image database consisted of 60 multicenter, multivendor LGE CMR image datasets from patients with AF, with 30 images taken before and 30 after RFCA for the treatment of AF. A reference standard for scar and fibrosis was established by merging manual segmentations from three observers. Furthermore, scar was also quantified using 2, 3 and 4 standard deviations (SD) and full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) methods. Seven institutions responded to the challenge: Imperial College (IC), Mevis Fraunhofer (MV), Sunnybrook Health Sciences (SY), Harvard/Boston University (HB), Yale School of Medicine (YL), King’s College London (KCL) and Utah CARMA (UTA, UTB). There were 8 different algorithms evaluated in this study. Results: Some algorithms were able to perform significantly better than SD and FWHM methods in both pre- and post-ablation imaging. Segmentation in pre-ablation images was challenging and good correlation with the reference standard was found in post-ablation images. Overlap scores (out of 100) with the reference standard were as follows: Pre: IC = 37, MV = 22, SY = 17, YL = 48, KCL = 30, UTA = 42, UTB = 45; Post: IC = 76, MV = 85, SY = 73, HB = 76, YL = 84, KCL = 78, UTA = 78, UTB = 72. Conclusions: The study concludes that currently no algorithm is deemed clearly better than others. There is scope for further algorithmic developments in LA fibrosis and scar quantification from LGE CMR images. Benchmarking of future scar segmentation algorithms is thus important. The proposed benchmarking framework is made available as open-source and new participants can evaluate their algorithms via a web-based interface

Adolescent transport and unintentional injuries: a systematic analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10–24 years during the past three decades. Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 Study, we analysed mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to transport and unintentional injuries for adolescents in 204 countries. Burden is reported in absolute numbers and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population by sex, age group (10–14, 15–19, and 20–24 years), and sociodemographic index (SDI) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We report percentage changes in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019. Findings: In 2019, 369 061 deaths (of which 214 337 [58%] were transport related) and 31·1 million DALYs (of which 16·2 million [52%] were transport related) among adolescents aged 10–24 years were caused by transport and unintentional injuries combined. If compared with other causes, transport and unintentional injuries combined accounted for 25% of deaths and 14% of DALYs in 2019, and showed little improvement from 1990 when such injuries accounted for 26% of adolescent deaths and 17% of adolescent DALYs. Throughout adolescence, transport and unintentional injury fatality rates increased by age group. The unintentional injury burden was higher among males than females for all injury types, except for injuries related to fire, heat, and hot substances, or to adverse effects of medical treatment. From 1990 to 2019, global mortality rates declined by 34·4% (from 17·5 to 11·5 per 100 000) for transport injuries, and by 47·7% (from 15·9 to 8·3 per 100 000) for unintentional injuries. However, in low-SDI nations the absolute number of deaths increased (by 80·5% to 42 774 for transport injuries and by 39·4% to 31 961 for unintentional injuries). In the high-SDI quintile in 2010–19, the rate per 100 000 of transport injury DALYs was reduced by 16·7%, from 838 in 2010 to 699 in 2019. This was a substantially slower pace of reduction compared with the 48·5% reduction between 1990 and 2010, from 1626 per 100 000 in 1990 to 838 per 100 000 in 2010. Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of unintentional injury DALYs per 100 000 also remained largely unchanged in high-SDI countries (555 in 2010 vs 554 in 2019; 0·2% reduction). The number and rate of adolescent deaths and DALYs owing to environmental heat and cold exposure increased for the high-SDI quintile during 2010–19. Interpretation: As other causes of mortality are addressed, inadequate progress in reducing transport and unintentional injury mortality as a proportion of adolescent deaths becomes apparent. The relative shift in the burden of injury from high-SDI countries to low and low–middle-SDI countries necessitates focused action, including global donor, government, and industry investment in injury prevention. The persisting burden of DALYs related to transport and unintentional injuries indicates a need to prioritise innovative measures for the primary prevention of adolescent injury. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019 : A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC