Habitual Patterns Research Articles

Diurnal variations of resting-state fMRI data: A graph-based analysis

Circadian rhythms (lasting approximately 24 h) control and entrain various physiological processes, ranging from neural activity and hormone secretion to sleep cycles and eating habits. Several studies have shown that time of day (TOD) is associated with human cognition and brain functions. In this study, utilizing a chronotype-based paradigm, we applied a graph theory approach on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data to compare whole-brain functional network topology between morning and evening sessions and between morning-type (MT) and evening-type (ET) participants. Sixty-two individuals (31 MT and 31 ET) underwent two fMRI sessions, approximately 1 hour (morning) and 10 h (evening) after their wake-up time, according to their declared habitual sleep-wake pattern on a regular working day. In the global analysis, the findings revealed the effect of TOD on functional connectivity (FC) patterns, including increased small-worldness, assortativity, and synchronization across the day. However, we identified no significant differences based on chronotype categories. The study of the modular structure of the brain at mesoscale showed that functional networks tended to be more integrated with one another in the evening session than in the morning session. Local/regional changes were affected by both factors (i.e., TOD and chronotype), mostly in areas associated with somatomotor, attention, frontoparietal, and default networks. Furthermore, connectivity and hub analyses revealed that the somatomotor, ventral attention, and visual networks covered the most highly connected areas in the morning and evening sessions: the latter two were more active in the morning sessions, and the first was identified as being more active in the evening. Finally, we performed a correlation analysis to determine whether global and nodal measures were associated with subjective assessments across participants. Collectively, these findings contribute to an increased understanding of diurnal fluctuations in resting brain activity and highlight the role of TOD in future studies on brain function and the design of fMRI experiments.

Addressing the Habitual Practice Issue: The Role of Unlearning in Promoting Evidence-Based Practice and Lifelong Learning

Context Habits play a large role in health care professionals' behaviors. Although habitual practice patterns limit cognitive overload, routinized approaches can compromise the provision of quality and contemporary patient care. To address the issue of habit, unlearning has been suggested across health care fields but remains a relatively new concept in athletic training. Objectives This commentary aims to (1) describe the concept of unlearning, including barriers to and facilitators of this process, (2) discuss the steps in the unlearning process via a published unlearning framework, (3) highlight the role of unlearning on improving evidence-based practice and lifelong learning among clinicians, and (4) apply a context-specific example to the unlearning framework to highlight the role of unlearning on improving patient care. Background Although evidence-based practice can result in improved quality of care, literature suggests that routine uptake and incorporation of evidence into patient care is limited. The reason for this gap is likely multifactorial, but may, in part, be related to the need for unlearning. Synthesis Rapid changes in health care delivery require medical professionals to adapt their practice behaviors to maintain competence over time. Unlearning facilitates behavior change because it involves an intentional act of moving away from knowledge and skills that are no longer effective. As such, unlearning may also improve evidence-based practice efforts. Recommendation(s) To abide by changing recommendations, clinicians must unlearn outdated behaviors first before replacing them with evidence-based techniques. As new knowledge is acquired, it is important to reflect on its applicability to one's practice setting and identify what, if any, outdated practices the new knowledge could replace. Conclusion(s) Self-reflection is essential for successful unlearning to occur. Identifying the overall effectiveness of various practice behaviors and acting on areas of improvement can help ensure the care provided to patients is evidence-based while simultaneously optimizing patient outcomes.

Cerebral hemodynamic response to caffeine: effect of dietary caffeine consumption.

Caffeine has a significant effect on cerebrovascular systems, and the dual action of caffeine on both neural and vascular responses leads to concerns for the interpretation of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI. However, potential differences in the brain response to caffeine with regard to consumption habits have not been fully elucidated, as BOLD responses may vary with the dietary caffeine consumption history. The main aim of this study was to characterize the acute effect of caffeine on cerebral hemodynamic responses in participants with different patterns of caffeine consumption habits. Fifteen non-habitual and 11 habitual volunteers were included in this study. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) to the breath-hold challenge were measured before and after 200 mg caffeine administration. The non-habitual individuals exhibited a pattern of progressive reduction in CBF with time. The CVR was diminished in the caffeinated condition (P < 0.05). In the habitual group, the pattern of CBF decrease was smaller and homogeneous across the brain, and reached steady state rapidly. The CVR was not affected in the presence of caffeine (P > 0.05). Our results demonstrated that the cerebral hemodynamic response to caffeine was subject to the habitual consumption patterns of the participants. The compromised CVR following caffeine administration in the non-habitual group may partially explain the suppressed BOLD response to a visual stimulation in low-caffeine-level users.

Unravelling individual mobility temporal patterns using longitudinal smart card data

The increasing availability of longitudinal individual human mobility traces enables the disaggregate analysis of temporal properties of mobility patterns. The objective of this study is to identify distinctive market segments in terms of habitual temporal travel patterns of public transport users. First, travel patterns are clustered using a K-means approach followed by grouping the resulting patterns into a small number of profiles using a hierarchical clustering method. Second, we construct user-week vectors that are then clustered using a Gaussian Mixture Model approach.We apply our clustering analysis to the multi-modal public transport system of Stockholm County, Sweden, using data from more than 3 million smart card-holders. Our clustering analysis resulted in 10 day-of-the-week patterns with their composition varying across the county. In addition, we identify the following hour-by-hour weekly profiles:’Weekly commuters', ‘Lower peaks',’Late travellers', ‘Early birds' and ’Flat curve’. The behavior represented by ’Weekday commuters' and ‘Lower peaks' is most persistent over weeks. We demonstrate how a better understanding of user travel patterns offers policy makers, service planners and providers with enhanced opportunities to understand and cater for diverse market segments, for example by means of tailored fare products.

There are plenty more (sustainable) fish in the sea: A discrete choice experiment on discarded species in Italy

Overfishing is a widespread environmental issue that needs to be resolved to secure sustainable fishing practices over time. An additional and much less-discussed threat to sustainable fishing is represented by discards, that is, the accidentally caught species that are thrown back into the sea given their low market relevance. Fishermen often decide to discard some species mainly depending on their low market value. Therefore, supply-side regulations can only be partially effective in taking care of discarding practices given that they are mainly due to demand-side issues. One possible solution could involve the purchase of discarded species, provided that consumers are willing to change their habitual consumption patterns. In this paper, a discrete choice experiment is conducted to investigate whether consumers would be willing to pay for discarded species. The data are analyzed using a mixed logit model and a latent-class logit model. The results indicate that consumers tend to prefer the most commercialized species, although their interest in discarded species increases when they receive specific information on ecolabels and discarding. Our outcomes also underline that consumers could be divided into specific groups according to their preferences, which could be useful for enhancing discarded species' consumption effectively.

Physical Activity Surveillance in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Investigation.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects over 2,500 children in Ireland. Insulin replacement is the mainstay of treatment for T1D, and physical activity (PA) is an important, modifiable lifestyle factor for sustaining health. Surveillance of PA for both research and clinical purposes in paediatric T1D has been limited. This study deployed both quantitative (accelerometry) and qualitative (self-report) measures to assess habitual PA patterns in children with T1D. Twenty-one participants (9 females, 12 males) between 10 and 17 years (mean 13.7 ± 1.94 years) were recruited from an Outpatients Paediatric Diabetes Clinic. Total steps, standing time (minutes (mins)) and sitting time (mins) were recorded using the activPAL 3 microactivity monitor. Clinical parameters (HbA1c, insulin regimen, and weight centiles) were measured. A self-report diary was used to measure perceived activity levels. The findings of this study show that participant children with T1D are not achieving the required steps per day to sustain physical health (recommended minimum 11,500). Females (mean = 7,306 steps ± 5,468) achieved significantly less (p = 0.001) steps per day compared to males (10,806 steps ± 5,904). No significant differences were found between genders for sitting time or standing time. Overweight or obesity was identified in 44% of female participants and 15% of male participants. Mean HbA1c for both females 8.25% (67 mmol/mol) and males 7.97% (64 mmol/mol) was above the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) recommended <7.0% (53 mmol/mol) for children. Further research is warranted to investigate PA promotion strategies in populations of children with paediatric T1D.

Differences in Peak Impact Accelerations Among Foot Strike Patterns in Recreational Runners.

IntroductionRunning-related injuries (RRIs) occur from a combination of training load errors and aberrant biomechanics. Impact loading, measured by peak acceleration, is an important measure of running biomechanics that is related to RRI. Foot strike patterns may moderate the magnitude of impact load in runners. The effect of foot strike pattern on peak acceleration has been measured using tibia-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs), but not commercially available insole-embedded IMUs. The aim of this study was to compare the peak acceleration signal associated with rearfoot (RFS), midfoot (MFS), and forefoot (FFS) strike patterns when measured with an insole-embedded IMU.Materials and MethodsHealthy runners ran on a treadmill for 1 min at three different speeds with their habitual foot strike pattern. An insole-embedded IMU was placed inside standardized neutral cushioned shoes to measure the peak resultant, vertical, and anteroposterior accelerations at impact. The Foot strike pattern was determined by two experienced observers and evaluated using high-speed video. Linear effect mixed-effect models were used to quantify the relationship between foot strike pattern and peak resultant, vertical, and anteroposterior acceleration.ResultsA total of 81% of the 187 participants exhibited an RFS pattern. An RFS pattern was associated with a higher peak resultant (0.29 SDs; p = 0.029) and vertical (1.19 SD; p < 0.001) acceleration when compared with an FFS running pattern, when controlling for speed and limb, respectively. However, an MFS was associated with the highest peak accelerations in the resultant direction (0.91 SD vs. FFS; p = 0.002 and 0.17 SD vs. RFS; p = 0.091). An FFS pattern was associated with the lowest peak accelerations in both the resultant and vertical directions. An RFS was also associated with a significantly greater peak acceleration in the anteroposterior direction (0.28 SD; p = 0.033) than an FFS pattern, while there was no difference between MFS and FFS patterns.ConclusionOur findings indicate that runners should be grouped by RFS, MFS, and FFS when comparing peak acceleration, rather than the common practice of grouping MFS and FFS together as non-RFS runners. Future studies should aim to determine the risk of RRI associated with peak accelerations from an insole-embedded IMU to understand whether the small observed differences in this study are clinically meaningful.

Impact of habitual sedentary patterns on popliteal artery endothelial-dependent vasodilation in healthy adults.

Introduction:Acute, laboratory-based bouts of prolonged sitting attenuate lower-limb arterial endothelial-dependent vasodilation. However, the impact of habitual sedentary patterns on popliteal artery endothelial health is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that greater habitual total sedentary time, more time spent in prolonged sedentary bouts, and fewer sedentary breaks would be associated with worse popliteal flow-mediated dilation (FMD) responses.Methods:This cross-sectional study used 98 healthy participants (19–77 years, 53 females) that wore an activPAL monitor on the thigh for 6.4 ± 0.8 days to objectively measure sedentary activity and completed a popliteal ultrasound assessment to determine FMD. Both relative (%baseline diameter) and absolute (mm) FMD were calculated. Using bivariate correlation and multiple regression analyses, we examined if there were relationships between sedentary outcomes and FMD while statistically controlling for any potential confounders.Results:In the multiple regression model, age (p = 0.006, β = −0.030, 95% CI = −0.051, −0.009) and total time in sedentary bouts > 1 hour (p = 0.031, β = −0.005, 95% CI = −0.009, −0.001) were independent predictors of relative FMD. Age (β = −0.002, 95% CI = −0.003, −0.001), mean blood flow (β = 0.013, 95% CI = 0.002, 0.024), moderate-intensity physical activity (β = 155.9E−5, 95% CI = 22.4E−5, 289.4E−5), sedentary breaks (β = 0.036, 95% CI = 0.007, 0.066), and total time spent in sedentary bouts > 1 hour (β = −25.02E−5, 95% CI = −47.67E−5, −2.378E−5) were predictors of absolute FMD (all, p < 0.047). All independent outcomes remained significant after partially controlling for all other predictor variables (all, p < 0.031).Conclusions:Habitual prolonged sedentary bouts and sedentary breaks, but not total sedentary time, were predictors of popliteal endothelial-dependent vasodilatory function. The patterns by which sedentary time is accumulated may be more important than the total sedentary time on lower-limb arterial health.

The Effects of Parental Intervention on Sleep Patterns and Electronic Media Exposure in Young Adolescents.

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention aimed at the promotion of healthy sleep patterns and controlled exposure to electronic media (EM) in young adolescents. Participants: The sample included 70 dyads of parents (68 mothers and 2 fathers) and adolescents. Intervention and control groups each consisted of 35 young adolescents with a mean age of 10.7 (0.9) years old. Methods: Three waves of data collection included baseline, post-intervention, and 3 month follow-up. In each wave, adolescents reported habitual electronic media exposure and sleep patterns for a week and wore an actigraph for five nights. Parents in the intervention group participated in a six-session interactive workshop, while parents in the control group received equivalent written information by mail. Results: The intervention led to earlier bedtimes (p < 0.001), increased sleep efficiency (p < 0.01), increased sleep duration (p < 0.001) and reduced video games exposure (p < 0.01). Benefits were maintained at the follow-up. Conclusion: Interventions tailored for parents can create lasting positive changes in sleep patterns and EM exposure in young adolescents.

Impact of a Thought Process Coaching Offering on Habitual Patterns of Thinking and Behavior: A Preliminary Report.

Individual's thought processes shape reactions to life circumstances, impacting motivation, well-being, and work performance. We examined the ability of a novel assessment and short-term coaching tool (Px-12) to favorably change thought processes. We used a convenience sample from 2013 to 2015 of 119 employees who completed the Px-12 before and after receiving personalized coaching to assess the effects of coaching on changes in thought process scores. Significant favorable changes were observed in all 10 thought process scores. coaching produced significantly greater favorable changes than the thought processes for which coaching was not provided. There was no significant effect of time between coaching and follow-up assessment on attenuation of the observed improvements. While preliminary, these findings indicate that improving intrinsic thought processes may be a useful addition to health promotion and well-being offerings.

Associations between Dietary Patterns and Sleep Problems in Adolescent Girls: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Adolescence may be accompanied by abnormalities in menstrual cycles that result in a higher incidence of sleep problems and related psychological disorders. Dietary factors can intensify or improve sleep problems. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep problems and habitual dietary patterns among Iranian adolescent girls. Methods: This study was conducted in cities of Mashhad and Sabzevar, northeastern Iran. A total of 752 adolescent girls aged 12-18 years were recruited from several schools by using a random cluster sampling method. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain the dietary intakes of the girls. Validated Iranian versions of the questionnaires were used to assess insomnia and daytime sleepiness prevalences. Results: Three major dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis (PCA), including healthy, western, and traditional dietary patterns. No significant associations were found between the quartiles of healthy (OR: 1; 95% CI 0.62-1.59, P trend = 0.75), western (OR: 1.3; 95% CI 0.8-2.10, Ptrend = 0.16) or traditional (OR: 0.62; 95% CI 0.69-1.82, Ptrend = 0.64) dietary patterns and sleep insomnia. In addition, there were no significant relationships between the quartiles of healthy (OR: 0.85; 95% CI 0.54-1.69, P trend = 0.84), western (OR: 0.81; 95% CI 0.49-1.32, Ptrend = 0.55) or traditional (OR: 1.07; 95% CI 0.66-1.74, Ptrend = 0.9) dietary patterns and daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: No significant association was observed between dietary patterns and insomnia or daytime sleepiness among adolescent girl participants.

How Do the Habitual Sleep Patterns of Elite Female Basketball and Soccer Athletes Compare With the General Population?

To compare the habitual sleep of female basketball and soccer athletes to age- and sex-matched controls and to characterize the sleep of basketball and soccer athletes at different competition locations and on the days surrounding competition. Using an observational case-control design, 41 female participants were recruited to participate, consisting of 11 basketball athletes (mean [SD]: age = 24.1 [4.9]y), 10 soccer athletes (24.8 [6.4]y), and 20 nonathletic controls (24.2 [2.8]y). Sleep was monitored using actigraphy for four 7-day periods throughout the preseason and subsequent competition season. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the effect of group and competition situation (eg,Home or Away) on sleep. During habitual conditions, basketball athletes had longer sleep durations (7.4 [1.5]h) than soccer athletes (7.0 [1.2]h, P < .001) and controls (7.3 [1.2]h, P = .002). During competition, basketball and soccer athletes had longer sleep durations following home (7.7 [1.7] and 7.2 ± 1.3h) compared with away games (6.8 [1.8] and 7.0 [1.3]h). In addition, basketballers went to bed earlier (23:49 [01:25]) and woke earlier (07:22 [01:59]) following away games compared with soccer athletes (00:10 [01:45] and 08:13 [01:45]). Basketballers had longer habitual sleep durations compared with soccer athletes and nonathletic controls. During competition, basketballers had earlier bed and wake times compared with soccer athletes following away games, highlighting the need for individualized sleep strategies.

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) - Parent Group Training for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study on Perspectives of Parents.

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is considered to be an empirically supported parent-mediated treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but research on parental experiences is lacking. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of parents of young children with ASD who participated in a 14-week PRT with parent group training (PRT-PG). Semi-structured interviews (n = 12) were carried out, based on Grounded Theory principles. Results indicated that facilitators and barriers were related to timing and expectations, training setting and characteristics, and participant characteristics. Perceived effects were related to improved child’s social-communication skills and well-being, parental insights into their child’s needs and own habitual patterns in communication and behavior, and positive changes in family cohesion. The findings indicate that in general parents value PRT-PG as feasible and effective. Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10803-021-05397-8.

Alterations of host-gut microbiome interactions in multiple sclerosis.

SummaryBackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) has a complex genetic, immune and metabolic pathophysiology. Recent studies implicated the gut microbiome in MS pathogenesis. However, interactions between the microbiome and host immune system, metabolism and diet have not been studied over time in this disorder.MethodsWe performed a six-month longitudinal multi-omics study of 49 participants (24 untreated relapse remitting MS patients and 25 age, sex, race matched healthy control individuals. Gut microbiome composition and function were characterized using 16S and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Flow cytometry was used to characterize blood immune cell populations and cytokine profiles. Circulating metabolites were profiled by untargeted UPLC-MS. A four-day food diary was recorded to capture the habitual dietary pattern of study participants.FindingsTogether with changes in blood immune cells, metagenomic analysis identified a number of gut microbiota decreased in MS patients compared to healthy controls, and microbiota positively or negatively correlated with degree of disability in MS patients. MS patients demonstrated perturbations of their blood metabolome, such as linoleate metabolic pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, chalcone, dihydrochalcone, 4-nitrocatechol and methionine. Global correlations between multi-omics demonstrated a disrupted immune-microbiome relationship and a positive blood metabolome-microbiome correlation in MS. Specific feature association analysis identified a potential correlation network linking meat servings with decreased gut microbe B. thetaiotaomicron, increased Th17 cell and greater abundance of meat-associated blood metabolites. The microbiome and metabolome profiles remained stable over six months in MS and control individuals.InterpretationOur study identified multi-system alterations in gut microbiota, immune and blood metabolome of MS patients at global and individual feature level. Multi-OMICS data integration deciphered a potential important biological network that links meat intakes with increased meat-associated blood metabolite, decreased polysaccharides digesting bacteria, and increased circulating proinflammatory marker.FundingThis work was supported by the Washington University in St. Louis Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, funded, in part, by Grant Number # UL1 TR000448 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (Zhou Y, Piccio, L, Lovett-Racke A and Tarr PI); R01 NS10263304 (Zhou Y, Piccio L); the Leon and Harriet Felman Fund for Human MS Research (Piccio L and Cross AH). Cantoni C. was supported by the National MS Society Career Transition Fellowship (TA-180531003) and by donations from Whitelaw Terry, Jr. / Valerie Terry Fund. Ghezzi L. was supported by the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society research fellowship (FISM 2018/B/1) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Post-Doctoral Fellowship (FG-190734474). Anne Cross was supported by The Manny & Rosalyn Rosenthal-Dr. John L. Trotter MS Center Chair in Neuroimmunology of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Who’s Afraid of Terror News? The Interplay between News Consumption Patterns, Personal Experiences and Fear of Terrorism

ABSTRACT A positive correlation between exposure to terrorism news reports and fear of terrorism has been documented, but less is known about factors moderating this relationship. Our focus is mostly on identifying relevant moderators. We argue that individuals’ habitual patterns in news consumption (frequency, type of outlet, genre) and personal experiences (prior victimization, living in a diverse neighborhood, residing in an urban area) are relevant in this regard. In a between-subjects experiment (2 groups: exposure to terror threat story vs. control story) in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden (N = 786) we exposed participants to a news story on terror threat. Effects on fear of terrorism were especially strong for citizens that often consume soft, popular and commercial forms of news and live in urban areas.

Ultra-processed food and incident type 2 diabetes: studying the underlying consumption patterns to unravel the health effects of this heterogeneous food category in the prospective Lifelines cohort

BackgroundThe overall consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) has previously been associated with type 2 diabetes. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity of this food category, in terms of their nutritional composition and product type, it remains unclear whether previous results apply to all underlying consumption patterns of UPF.MethodsOf 70,421 participants (35–70 years, 58.6% women) from the Lifelines cohort study, dietary intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. UPF was identified according to the NOVA classification. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to derive UPF consumption patterns. The associations of UPF and adherence to UPF consumption patterns with incidence of type 2 diabetes were studied with logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, diet quality, energy intake, alcohol intake, physical activity, TV watching time, smoking status, and educational level.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 41 months, a 10% increment in UPF consumption was associated with a 25% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (1128 cases; OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.16, 1.34]). PCA revealed four habitual UPF consumption patterns. A pattern high in cold savory snacks (OR 1.16 [95% CI 1.09, 1.22]) and a pattern high in warm savory snacks (OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.08, 1.21]) were associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes; a pattern high in traditional Dutch cuisine was not associated with type 2 diabetes incidence (OR 1.05 [95% CI 0.97, 1.14]), while a pattern high in sweet snacks and pastries was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes incidence (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.76, 0.89]).ConclusionsThe heterogeneity of UPF as a general food category is reflected by the discrepancy in associations between four distinct UPF consumption patterns and incident type 2 diabetes. For better public health prevention, research is encouraged to further clarify how different UPF consumption patterns are related to type 2 diabetes.

Are Peripheral Biomarkers Determinants of Eating Styles in Childhood and Adolescence Obesity? A Cross-Sectional Study.

Disturbances in eating behaviors have been widely related to obesity. However, little is known about the role of obesity-related biomarkers in shaping habitual patterns of eating behaviors (i.e., eating styles) in childhood. The objective of the present study was to explore the relationships between several biomarkers crucially involved in obesity (ghrelin, insulin resistance, and leptin/adiponectin ratio) and eating styles in children and adolescents with obesity. Seventy participants aged between 8 and 16 (56.2% men) fulfilled the Spanish version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children to measure external, emotional, and restrained eating styles. In addition, concentrations of ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, and glucose were obtained through a blood test. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for age and sex were computed for each eating style. Results indicated that individuals with higher ghrelin concentration levels showed lower scores in restrained eating (β = −0.61, p < 0.001). The total model explained 32% of the variance of the restrained pattern. No other relationships between obesity-related biomarkers and eating behaviors were found. This study highlights that one of the obesity-risk factors, namely lower plasma ghrelin levels, is substantially involved in a well-known maladaptive eating style, restraint eating, in childhood obesity.

Ecological Validity of Prolonged Sitting Studies: How Well Do They Represent Real-Life Sedentary Patterns? A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Acute prolonged sitting studies have been frequently implemented to determine the physiological effect of sedentary time on vascular and metabolic health. The length of these laboratory-based prolonged sitting studies ranges from 1.5 to 6 h, with most being 3 h in duration. Whether or not these sitting durations reflect true habitual prolonged sitting patterns is unclear. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the habitual sedentary patterns of a heterogeneous sample to inform the design of future acute laboratory-based sitting studies. Participants (n = 121; 48 females) wore an activPAL inclinometer on their thigh 24 h·d−1 for 6.5 ± 0.7 d. A customized LabVIEW program determined daily averages of waking hours spent standing versus sitting and/or laying. The number of prolonged sedentary bouts (e.g., number of sedentary bouts &gt;30 min) and the frequency of sedentary breaks (per waking hour) were also calculated. Overall, participants engaged in 9.4 ± 1.9 h·d−1 of sedentary time. Participants frequently engaged in sedentary bouts between 0.5 and 1.0 h (3.5 ± 1.1 bouts per day) and between 1 and 2 h (1.7 ± 0.8 bouts per day) in duration. By contrast, they rarely engaged in bouts &gt;2 h without interruption (i.e., once every ~5 d). Very few participants engaged in any prolonged sedentary bouts between 3 and 4 h (n = 25; 21%) or &gt;4 h (n = 6, 5%). Participants averaged 2.9 ± 0.7 sedentary breaks per hour (i.e., every ~21 min), with the majority (n = 83, 69%) breaking up their sitting time every 17–30 min (i.e., 2–3.5 breaks per hour). To maximize the ecological validity, our preliminary findings indicate that acute models of prolonged sitting should be 1–2 h in length and strategies to break up prolonged sitting implemented every 20–30 min. The results from this pilot study may be used to inform large epidemiological studies to characterize prolonged sitting patterns in a variety of populations to assist in translating findings from the laboratory to the habitual setting.

Dance as a complementary pedagogic tool in architectural education

Architectural education is complex as it requires the development of both objective and subjective knowledge. While explicit knowledge that meets the trends in universities to create value by preparing students for industry, are easier to include in a curriculum, implicit knowledge based on personal experience that facilitates flexibility and creativity is more challenging. An example in the training of future architects is highlighted by the tendency to rely heavily on the visual sense in relation to buildings, which tends to objectify them, thereby ignoring their experiential components. The move towards digital applications in design further alienates the designers from this experiential aspect, as the technology leads to disembodiment and hence the sensitivity to subjective aspects of design. Design of space is influenced subconsciously by habitual patterns of behaviour embedded culturally and autobiographically in body memory. Dance as a complementary pedagogic tool can develop understanding of self and the body, bringing such habitual patterns into awareness. In addition to creating awareness, dance offers the tools to explore alternatives, creating a new meaning and relationship to space thus aiding the design skills of students. A curriculum that includes the subjective and autobiographical aspects of the student reflects the educational theory of Currere proposed by William Pinar and a pedagogic approach that reflects the theories of Georgio Agamben’s “rhythm” and Alfred Whitehead’s “cycles in learning”.

Habitual Feeding Patterns Impact Polystyrene Microplastic Abundance and Potential Toxicity in Edible Benthic Mollusks

Habitual Feeding Patterns Impact Polystyrene Microplastic Abundance and Potential Toxicity in Edible Benthic Mollusks