Default-Mode-Like Network Activation in Awake Rodents

During wakefulness and in absence of performing tasks or sensory processing, the default-mode network (DMN), an intrinsic central nervous system (CNS) network, is in an active state. Non-human primate and human CNS imaging studies have identified the DMN in these two species. Clinical imaging studies have shown that the pattern of activity within the DMN is often modulated in various disease states (e.g., Alzheimer's, schizophrenia or chronic pain). However, whether the DMN exists in awake rodents has not been characterized. The current data provides evidence that awake rodents also possess ‘DMN-like’ functional connectivity, but only subsequent to habituation to what is initially a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment as well as physical restraint. Specifically, the habituation process spanned across four separate scanning sessions (Day 2, 4, 6 and 8). At Day 8, significant (p<0.05) functional connectivity was observed amongst structures such as the anterior cingulate (seed region), retrosplenial, parietal, and hippocampal cortices. Prior to habituation (Day 2), functional connectivity was only detected (p<0.05) amongst CNS structures known to mediate anxiety (i.e., anterior cingulate (seed region), posterior hypothalamic area, amygdala and parabracial nucleus). In relating functional connectivity between cingulate-default-mode and cingulate-anxiety structures across Days 2-8, a significant inverse relationship (r = −0.65, p = 0.0004) was observed between these two functional interactions such that increased cingulate-DMN connectivity corresponded to decreased cingulate anxiety network connectivity. This investigation demonstrates that the cingulate is an important component of both the rodent DMN-like and anxiety networks

Evaluating the effect of a digital health intervention to enhance physical activity in people with chronic kidney disease (Kidney BEAM): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial in the UK

Data sharing: Data collected during the study, including de-identified participant data, will be made available on reasonable request, and following trial steering committee approval, by contacting the corresponding author. The study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and other study forms were published previously [24. Walklin, C.G. et al. (2023) 'The effect of a novel, digital physical activity and emotional well-being intervention on health-related quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease: trial design and baseline data from a multicentre prospective, wait-list randomised controlled trial (Kidney BEAM)', BMC Nephrology, 24, p. 122. doi: .10.1186/s12882-023-03173-7]Copyright . Background: Remote digital health interventions to enhance physical activity provide a potential solution to improve the sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity, and poor health-related quality of life that are typical of chronic conditions, particularly for people with chronic kidney disease. However, there is a need for high-quality evidence to support implementation in clinical practice. The Kidney BEAM trial evaluated the clinical effect of a 12-week physical activity digital health intervention on health-related quality of life. Methods: In a single-blind, randomised controlled trial conducted at 11 centres in the UK, adult participants (aged ≥18 years) with chronic kidney disease were recruited and randomly assigned (1:1) to the Kidney BEAM physical activity digital health intervention or a waiting list control group. Randomisation was performed with a web-based system, in randomly permuted blocks of six. Outcome assessors were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the difference in the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form version 1.3 Mental Component Summary (KDQoL-SF1.3 MCS) between baseline and 12 weeks. The trial was powered to detect a clinically meaningful difference of 3 arbitrary units (AU) in KDQoL-SF1.3 MCS. Outcomes were analysed by an intention-to-treat approach using an analysis of covariance model, with baseline measures and age as covariates. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04872933. Findings: Between May 6, 2021, and Oct 30, 2022, 1102 individuals were assessed for eligibility, of whom 340 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the Kidney BEAM intervention group (n=173) or the waiting list control group (n=167). 268 participants completed the trial (112 in the Kidney BEAM group and 156 in the waiting list control group). All 340 randomly assigned participants were included in the intention-to treat population. At 12 weeks, there was a significant improvement in KDQoL-SF.13 MCS score in the Kidney BEAM group (from mean 44·6 AU [SD 10·8] at baseline to 47·0 AU [10·6] at 12 weeks) compared with the waiting list control group (from 46·1 AU [10·5] to 45·0 AU [10·1]; between-group difference of 3·1 AU [95% CI 1·8–4·4]; p<0·0001). Interpretation: The Kidney BEAM physical activity platform is an efficacious digital health intervention to improve mental health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease. These findings could facilitate the incorporation of remote digital health interventions into clinical practice and offer a potential intervention worthy of investigation in other chronic conditions.Kidney Research UK

Sleep in Elite Athletes and Nutritional Interventions to Enhance Sleep

Sleep has numerous important physiological and cognitive functions that may be particularly important to elite athletes. Recent evidence, as well as anecdotal information, suggests that athletes may experience a reduced quality and/or quantity of sleep. Sleep deprivation can have significant effects on athletic performance, especially submaximal, prolonged exercise. Compromised sleep may also influence learning, memory, cognition, pain perception, immunity and inflammation. Furthermore, changes in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrine function as a result of chronic, partial sleep deprivation may result in alterations in carbohydrate metabolism, appetite, food intake and protein synthesis. These factors can ultimately have a negative influence on an athlete’s nutritional, metabolic and endocrine status and hence potentially reduce athletic performance. Research has identified a number of neurotransmitters associated with the sleep–wake cycle. These include serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone, cholinergic, galanin, noradrenaline, and histamine. Therefore, nutritional interventions that may act on these neurotransmitters in the brain may also influence sleep. Carbohydrate, tryptophan, valerian, melatonin and other nutritional interventions have been investigated as possible sleep inducers and represent promising potential interventions. In this review, the factors influencing sleep quality and quantity in athletic populations are examined and the potential impact of nutritional interventions is considered. While there is some research investigating the effects of nutritional interventions on sleep, future research may highlight the importance of nutritional and dietary interventions to enhance sleep

Cybercrime: Concerns, challenges and opportunities

It is widely accepted that technology is an agent of change in the society. If used properly, it can increase productivity and improve our quality of life. However, the current rate of change in technology leaves room for it to be exploited and be used for things it was not meant to do. This includes criminal activities which are carried using technology on the cyberspace that can be classified as cybercrime. Cybercrime or computer crime can be defined as a criminal activity in which computers or computer networks are a tool, a target or a place of criminal activity. Cybercrime can also be defined as the leveraging of information systems and technology to commit larceny, extortion, identity theft, fraud and, in some cases, corporate espionage. In this chapter, we explore the challenges of combating cybercrime given its dynamic, pervasive and international nature. We examine in detail the technical, social and legal factors that are continually shaping the landscape of cybercrime. Further, the chapter consolidates research and practical work in the area of cybercrime, emerging perspectives, paradigms and trends. A deliberate effort is made in making sure that the role of underground economy is clearly spelled out and its contribution to cybercrime is analysed. The impact of new laws which are being quickly enacted without much thought, discussion on the regulatory framework for combating cybercrime and ethical dimension of cybercrime given its global nature are examined. This chapter is expected to stimulate constructive discussions on novel ways of mitigating and promoting research in cybercrime

Sleep Physiology, Circadian Rhythms, Waking Performance and the Development of Sleep-Wake Therapeutics

Disturbances of the sleep-wake cycle are highly prevalent and diverse. The aetiology of some sleep disorders, such as circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, is understood at the conceptual level of the circadian and homeostatic regulation of sleep and in part at a mechanistic level. Other disorders such as insomnia are more difficult to relate to sleep regulatory mechanisms or sleep physiology. To further our understanding of sleep-wake disorders and the potential of novel therapeutics, we discuss recent findings on the neurobiology of sleep regulation and circadian rhythmicity and its relation with the subjective experience of sleep and the quality of wakefulness. Sleep continuity and to some extent REM sleep emerge as determinants of subjective sleep quality and waking performance. The effects of insufficient sleep primarily concern subjective and objective sleepiness as well as vigilant attention, whereas performance on higher cognitive functions appears to be better preserved albeit at the cost of increased effort. We discuss age-related, sex and other trait-like differences in sleep physiology and sleep need and compare the effects of existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological sleep- and wake-promoting treatments. Successful non-pharmacological approaches such as sleep restriction for insomnia and light and melatonin treatment for circadian rhythm sleep disorders target processes such as sleep homeostasis or circadian rhythmicity. Most pharmacological treatments of sleep disorders target specific signalling pathways with no well-established role in either sleep homeostasis or circadian rhythmicity. Pharmacological sleep therapeutics induce changes in sleep structure and the sleep EEG which are specific to the mechanism of action of the drug. Sleep- and wake-promoting therapeutics often induce residual effects on waking performance and sleep, respectively. The need for novel therapeutic approaches continues not at least because of the societal demand to sleep and be awake out of synchrony with the natural light-dark cycle, the high prevalence of sleep-wake disturbances in mental health disorders and in neurodegeneration. Novel approaches, which will provide a more comprehensive description of sleep and allow for large-scale sleep and circadian physiology studies in the home environment, hold promise for continued improvement of therapeutics for disturbances of sleep, circadian rhythms and waking performance