Immersive Imagination in Urban Oases of Mindfulness: The VR-SenseCity Toolbox for Sensible, Emotional and Measurable Experiences in Future Smart Cities

Quality of life, health and well-being, as well as the creative potential originating from positive experiences and interaction with our environment and interaction are pivotal human factors underlying a rich and productive social context. Respect and careful treatment of users, i.e., the citizen who will populate, co-create and co-operate in the scenarios, mandate overarching topics for developing user centered designschematas. Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have recently offered tools to anticipate the affordances of future scenarios. In the serious game VR-SenseCity (Paletta et al., 2017) we created tools for the imagination of affective and sensory experiences, in particular, referring to visual affordances that enable induction of imaginated sensory experiences in real urban environments. We investigated the potential for the motivation of elderly people, in particular, persons with dementia, to encounter their daily environment in positive attitude, with pleasant and aware sensory experiences, the purpose to improve their cognitive reserve (Stern, 2009). The functionalities were developed in cooperation with a Co-creation group of four elderly persons providing substantial critical and constructive feedback for the development of the toolbox

Associations between total, free and bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D forms with adiponectin and irisin in maternal-neonatal pairs at birth from Greece

Background: Apart from the well-established skeletal effects, vitamin D has been explored as a secretagogue influencing various adipokines, including adiponectin and irisin. Recent evidence suggests that specific forms of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OHD), such as free and bioavailable 25(OH)D, may provide more accurate measurements of vitamin D status. The relationship between vitamin D status and serum irisin and adiponectin concentrations remains largely unexplored, particularly during pregnancy. Methods: We analyzed data from 67 healthy maternal-neonatal pairs from Northern Greece at birth. Biochemical and hormonal tests were conducted on each maternal-neonatal pair. The vitamin D forms were estimated using validated mathematical models. Subsequently, regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the vitamin D forms and adipokine levels. Results: Bioavailable maternal 25(OH)D was inversely associated with neonatal irisin concentrations [β=-73.46 (-140.573 to -6.341), p=0.034]. No other associations were observed between maternal vitamin D status and neonatal adipokine concentrations. Conclusion: In conclusion, maternal bioavailable vitamin D concentrations are inversely associated with neonatal serum irisin concentrations, warranting further studies to evaluate the underlying mechanisms for this finding

Interleukin-6 Gene Expression Changes after a 4-Week Intake of a Multispecies Probiotic in Major Depressive Disorder-Preliminary Results of the PROVIT Study

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent disease, in which one third of sufferers do not respond to antidepressants. Probiotics have the potential to be well-tolerated and cost-effcient treatment options. However, the molecular pathways of their effects are not fully elucidated yet. Based on previous literature, we assume that probiotics can positively influence inflammatory mechanisms. We aimed at analyzing the effects of probiotics on gene expression of inflammation genes as part of the randomized, placebo-controlled, multispecies probiotics PROVIT study in Graz, Austria. Fasting blood of 61 inpatients with MDD was collected before and after four weeks of probiotic intake or placebo. We analyzed the effects on gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In IL-6 we found no significant main effects for group (F(1,44) = 1.33, p = ns) nor time (F(1,44) = 0.00, p = ns), but interaction was significant (F(1,44) = 5.67, p < 0.05). The intervention group showed decreasing IL-6 gene expression levels while the placebo group showed increasing gene expression levels of IL-6. Probiotics could be a useful additional treatment in MDD, due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Results of the current study are promising, but further studies are required to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic interventions in depressed individuals

Magyar Geofizika 1988

Introduction Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric disease which can take most different and unpredictable courses. It is accompanied by unspecific brainstructural changes and cognitive decline. The neurobiological underpinnings of these processes are still unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs), which involve all metabolites of tryptophan towards the kynurenine (KYN) branch, are involved in the etiology as well as in the course of BD. They are proposed to be mediators of immune-inflammation and neurodegeneration. In this study we measured the levels of KYN and its main catabolites consisting of the neurotoxic hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), the more neuroprotective kynurenic acid (KYNA) and anthranilic acid (AA) and evaluated the ratios between end-products and substrates as proxies for the specific enzymatic activity (3-HK/KYN, KYNA/KYN, AA/KYN) as well as 3-HK/KYNA as a proxy for neurotoxic vs. neuroprotective end-product relation in individuals with BD compared to healthy controls (HC). Methods We took peripheral TRYCAT blood levels of 143 euthymic to mild depressive BD patients and 101 HC. For statistical analyses MANCOVA's controlled for age, sex, body mass index, cardiovascular disease and smoking were performed. Results The levels of KYNA (F=5,579; p<.05) were reduced in BD compared to HC. The enzymatic activity of the kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KMO) reflected by the 3-HK/KYN ratio was increased in BD individuals compared to HC (F=5,394; p<.05). Additionally the ratio of 3-HK/KYNA was increased in individuals with BD compared to healthy controls (F=11,357; p<.01). Discussion In conclusion our findings subserve the concept of KYN -pathway alterations in the pathophysiology of BD. We present evidence of increased breakdown towards the neurotoxic branch in KYN metabolism even in a euthymic to mild depressive state in BD. From literature we know that depression and mania are accompanied by inflammatory states which should be capable to produce an even greater imbalance due to activation of key enzymes in the neurotoxic direction of KYN -conversion. These processes could finally be involved in the development of unspecific brain structural changes and cognitive deficits which are prevalent in BD. Further research should focus on state dependent changes in TRYCATs and its relation to cognition, brain structure and staging parameters

Abstracts from the 8th International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications

This work was supported by a restricted research grant of Bayer AG

Composition of GPRS/UMTS traffic : snapshots from a live network

Abstract. This paper focuses on the traffic composition in a real GPRS/UMTS network. We present results from two datasets covering two one-week measurement periods, in December 2004 and November 2005. We show how users and traffic split between access technologies (GPRS and UMTS) and services, and present an analysis of the per-user activity at the PDP-context level. The results reported here provide an up-to-date view of the traffic and user activity in an operational 3G network. It should help those researchers interested in reproducing synthetic network scenarios to gain a better understanding about the traffic environment in a real network. Moreover, we discuss several technicalities found in performing such measurements, which should be helpful to those researchers active in 3G monitoring.

Wind turbines as a metamaterial-like urban layer: an experimental investigation using a dense seismic array and complementary sensing technologies

International audienceThe deflection and the control of the effects of the complex urban seismic wavefield on the built environment is a major challenge in earthquake engineering. The interactions between the soil and the structures and between the structures strongly modify the lateral variability of ground motion seen in connection to earthquake damage. Here we investigate the idea that flexural and compressional resonances of tall turbines in a wind farm strongly influence the propagation of the seismic wavefield. A large-scale geophysical experiment demonstrates that surface waves are strongly damped in several distinct frequency bands when interacting at the resonances of a set of wind turbines. The ground-anchored arrangement of these turbines produces unusual amplitude and phase patterns in the observed seismic wavefield, in the intensity ratio between stations inside and outside the wind farm and in surface wave polarization while there is no metamaterial-like complete extinction of the wavefield. This demonstration is done by setting up a dense grid of 400 geophones and another set of radial broadband stations outside the wind farm to study the properties of the seismic wavefield propagating through the wind farm. Additional geophysical equipment (e.g., an optical fiber, rotational and barometric sensors) was used to provide essential explanatory and complementary measurements. A numerical model of the turbine also confirms the mechanical resonances that are responsible for the strong coupling between the wind turbines and the seismic wavefield observed in certain frequency ranges of engineering interest

Associations of Free, Bioavailable, and Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D with Neonatal Birth Anthropometry and Calcium Homeostasis in Mother-Child Pairs in a Sunny Mediterranean Region.

Sufficient vitamin D status is crucial for successful pregnancy and fetal development. The assessment of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations is commonly used to evaluate vitamin D status. Additionally, bioavailable 25(OH)D, encompassing both free and albumin-bound fractions, is considered significant for pregnancy-related outcomes. However, limited research has been conducted on the correlation between free and bioavailable 25(OH)D concentrations and neonatal parameters.Our objective was to examine the interrelated biodynamics of maternal and neonatal total, free, and bioavailable 25(OH)D in maternal-neonatal dyads at birth, and their associations with homeostasis and neonatal birth anthropometry.We analyzed a cohort of 70 full-term mother-child pairs. At birth, we evaluated maternal and neonatal concentrations of total, free, and bioavailable 25(OH)D, as well as calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations. Additionally, we assessed neonatal anthropometric profiles, including birth weight, head circumference, chest circumference, and abdomen circumference.We found positive associationsbetween all neonatal measures of vitamin D status [total - free 25(OH)D: beta coefficient (β) 6.10 (95% CI, 4.92,7.28)], total-bioavailable 25(OH)D: 6.48 (95% CI, 4.92,8.04)]. Maternal forms exhibited a similar patternof association, except for the bioavailable maternal form. In multivariate analysis, both total and free maternal 25(OH)D concentrations were correlated with all neonatal forms [neonatal total 25(OH)D: 1.29 (95% CI, 1.12,1.46) for maternal total 25(OH)D, 10.89 (8.16,13.63) for maternal free 25(OH)D], [neonatal free 25(OH)D: 0.15 for maternal total 25(OH)D, 1.28 (95% CI, 0.89,1.68) for maternal free 25(OH)D], and [0.13 (95% CI, 0.10, 0.16), 1.06 (95% CI, 0.68,1.43) for maternal free 25(OH)D], respectively, with the exclusion of the bioavailable maternal form.We observed no significant interactions within or between groups regarding maternal and neonatal vitamin D parameters and maternal calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations, except for a borderline association between neonatal bioavailable 25(OH)D and albumin-adjusted neonatal calcium concentrations. Additionally, we found no significant association between maternal-neonatal vitamin D forms and neonatal birth anthropometry.Our study indicates that bioavailable maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D have no significant effects on vitamin D equilibrium, calcium homeostasis, and neonatal anthropometry at birth. However, we observed a remarkable biodynamic interaction between maternal and neonatal total and free 25(OH)D concentrations at the maternal-neonatal interface, with no associations observed with other calciotropic or anthropometric outcomes

The impact of probiotic supplements on cognitive parameters in euthymic individuals with bipolar disorder:a pilot study

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive dysfunction is prevalent in depressive as well as manic episodes in individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD). Even more, after symptom remission, many individuals with BD experience persisting cognitive impairment also in euthymic periods, leading to high illness burden and low quality of life. According to a recent research in animals and healthy humans, microbiota may influence cognitive processes via the brain-gut axis. A strategy to examine the role of the microbiota in different diseases is the intake of supplements that modulate the gut microbiome. The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the impact of probiotic supplements on cognitive parameters in a cohort of euthymic individuals with BD, receiving daily probiotic treatment over a time period of 3 months.METHODS: A total of 20 euthymic individuals with BD received probiotic supplement over a time period of 3 months and completed a cognitive test battery at 3 time points (t1 at time of inclusion, t2 after one month and t3 after 3 months of probiotic intake).RESULTS: We found a significant improvement of performance concerning attention and psychomotor processing speed measured with the Digit Symbol Test after one (t2) as well as after 3 months (t3) of treatment (F = 8.60; η2 = 0.49, p &lt; 0.01). Furthermore, executive function measured with the TMT-B, increased significantly over 3 months (F = 3.68; η2 = 0.29, p &lt; 0.05).CONCLUSION: The results confirm the hypotheses that probiotic supplement might help stable individuals with BD to improve the cognitive function, which in turn might lead to better psychosocial, occupational, work and financial functioning. Nevertheless, the idea of this potential new treatment is challenging because of the variety of the human's gut microbiota.</p