Morning Session Research Articles

The viability of an ecologically valid chronic sleep restriction and circadian timing protocol: An examination of sample attrition, compliance, and effectiveness at impacting sleepiness and mood.

Chronic sleep restriction (SR) increases sleepiness, negatively impacts mood, and impairs a variety of cognitive performance measures. The vast majority of work establishing these effects are tightly controlled in-lab experimental studies. Examining commonly-experienced levels of SR in naturalistic settings is more difficult and generally involves observational methods, rather than active manipulations of sleep. The same is true for analyzing behavioral and cognitive outcomes at circadian unfavorable times. The current study tested the ability of an at-home protocol to manipulate sleep schedules (i.e., impose SR), as well as create a mismatch between a subject’s circadian preference and time of testing. Viability of the protocol was assessed via completion, compliance with the SR, and success at manipulating sleepiness and mood. An online survey was completed by 3630 individuals to assess initial eligibility, 256 agreed via email response to participate in the 3-week study, 221 showed for the initial in-person session, and 184 completed the protocol (175 with complete data). The protocol consisted of 1 week at-home SR (5-6 hours in bed/night), 1 week wash-out, and 1 week well-rested (WR: 8-9 hours in bed/night). Sleep was monitored with actigraphy, diary, and call-ins. Risk management strategies were implemented for subject safety. At the end of each experimental week, subjects reported sleepiness and mood ratings. Protocol completion was 83%, with lower depression scores, higher anxiety scores, and morning session assignment predicting completion. Compliance with the sleep schedule was also very good. Subjects spent approximately 2 hours less time in bed/night and obtained an average of 1.5 hours less nightly sleep during SR, relative to WR, with 82% of subjects obtaining at least 60 minutes less average nightly sleep. Sleepiness and mood were impacted as expected by SR. These findings show the viability of studying experimental chronic sleep restriction outside the laboratory, assuming appropriate safety precautions are taken, thus allowing investigators to significantly increase ecological validity over strictly controlled in-lab studies.

Effects of selected asana practices on flexibility and balance among school level taekwondo athlete

To achieve the purpose of this study, a school level taekwondo Athlete were selected from Premier Vidya Vikash School, Coimbatore. The selected (N= 30) thirty subjects were randomly divided into two equal groups (n-15), experimental group named as asana programme and control group. The pre-test was conducted on selected physiological variables (flexibility and balance), for all the groups. The readings were carefully regarded in the respective unit as pre-test score. After pre-test experimental group was treated with sit and reach test and stork balance test programme and the control group was not treated with any special programme. They kept as a control group. The subject was tested on criterion measures on flexibility – Sit and Reach Test and balance- Stroke balance the readings were carefully recorded in their respective units as pre-test score. The experimental groups underwent the respective training schedule one half hour per day in the morning session for a period of six weeks. After completion of 6 weeks of training, all the two groups were tested again on flexibility and balance the scores were recorded in their respected units as post-test scores. The pre and post test scores were taken for appropriate statistical analysis. In order to find out the significant changes if any paired ‘t’ ratio was be applied 0.05 level of confidence. The present study experimented effects of selected asana practices on flexibility and balance among school level taekwondo athlete. The result of this study indicated that there was is a change in flexibility and balance due to the proper planning, preparation, and execution of the training package given to the athlete

Memory effects of sleep, emotional valence, arousal and novelty in children.

Effectiveness of memory consolidation is determined by multiple factors, including sleep after learning, emotional valence, arousal and novelty. Few studies investigated how the effect of sleep compares with (and interacts with) these other factors, of which virtually none are in children. The present study did so by repeated assessment of declarative memory in 386 children (45% boys) aged 9-11years through an online word-pair task. Children were randomly assigned to either a morning or evening learning session of 30 unrelated word-pairs with positive, neutral or negative valenced cues and neutral targets. After immediately assessing baseline recognition, delayed recognition was recorded either 12 or 24h later, resulting in four different assessment schedules. One week later, the procedure was repeated with exactly the same word-pairs to evaluate whether effects differed for relearning versus original novel learning. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to evaluate how the probability of correct recognition was affected by sleep, valence, arousal, novelty and their interactions. Both immediate and delayed recognition were worse for pairs with negatively valenced or less arousing cue words. Relearning improved immediate and delayed word-pair recognition. In contrast to these effects, sleep did not affect recognition, nor did sleep moderate the effects of arousal, valence and novelty. The findings suggest a robust inclination of children to specifically forget the pairing of words to negatively valenced cue words. In agreement with a recent meta-analysis, children seem to depend less on sleep for the consolidation of information than has been reported for adults, irrespective of the emotional valence, arousal and novelty of word-pairs.

Impact of a competition with two consecutive matches in a day on physical performance in young tennis players.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of playing 2 tennis matches on the same day on physical performance in young tennis players. Twelve well-trained young tennis players took part in a simulated tennis competition consisting of 2 tennis matches on the same day (morning and afternoon sessions). Before and the day after the competition, physical performance was measured using a battery of countermovement jumps; a 10 m sprint; the 5-0-5 agility test; hip, grip and shoulder maximal isometric strength; shoulder range of motion; and a serve velocity test. Postcompetition results showed reduced performance in 10 m (-3.3%, effect size (ES) = small), dominant and nondominant 5-0-5 agility test (-4.6%, ES = moderate; -4.2%, ES = moderate, respectively), bilateral (-5.2%, ES = small), and unilateral countermovement jumps (dominant leg: -7.2%, ES = small; non-dominant leg: -9.1%, ES = small). Both dominant and nondominant shoulder external rotation range of motion increased (12.2%, ES = moderate; 5.6%, ES = small), whereas internal rotation decreased (-4.2%, ES = small; -3.3%, ES = small) in the postcompetition tests, together with the dominant shoulder external rotation (-10.7%, ES = moderate) and internal rotation (-9.3%, ES = small) strength. Physical impairments occurred in neuromuscular performance variables involving lower (e.g., jumping, sprinting, and change of direction) and upper (e.g., isometric strength and range of motion) limbs the day after playing a competition with 2 consecutive matches on the same day. These alterations in neuromuscular and sport-specific performance need to be taken into consideration when planning tournament schedules for young tennis players, as well as preparing match and recovery strategies.

Acute and delayed responses of steroidal hormones, blood lactate and biomarkers of muscle damage after a resistance training session: time-of-day effects.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of time-of-days (TOD) on some biochemical and hormonal responses after resistance training sessions. Ten trained subjects (22±2 years) performed, in randomized order, three resistance-training-sessions at 7 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Each training-session included six upper and lower body resistance exercises with 3×10 repetitions. Blood lactate (Lac), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) were collected at rest, 3 min and 48 h after each-session. At rest, steroidal hormones were higher in the morning compared to the evening (P<0.01), whereas, no significant TOD effect on Lac, CK or LDH was observed. 3min after training, whatever the TOD, Lac, CK and T increased significantly (P<0.001). However, a significant decrease in C and a significant increase of T/C ratio were registered only after morning training. 3 min and even 48 h after training, the diurnal variations (i.e., morning to evening) of CK and C have been altered with higher early evening values of CK and lower one of C; whereas, T, Lac and LDH conserved their resting diurnal variation. Additionally, 48 h after the morning session, CK and T/C ratio remained elevated compared to the baseline levels. In conclusion, resistance exercises soliciting both lower and upper limbs seems to alter the diurnal variation of CK and C, to enhance the morning anabolism/catabolism status and to produce more favorable environment for muscular adaptation up to 48 h post-training.

Soccer-related performance in eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players: effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day.

This study aimed to examine the combined effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day on female soccer players' performances in the five-jump test (5JT), the repeated shuttle-sprint ability test (RSSA), and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRT1). Eleven eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players volunteered to participate. Each subject individually participated in three testing periods: one in the early follicular phase (menses), one in the late follicular phase, and another in the luteal phase. In each period, two test sessions were conducted: one at 07:30 and another at 17:30. The testing routines included the 5JT, the RSSA, and the YYIRT1. None of the measured variables were altered due to menstrual cycle phase (all P>0.05). Mean time during RSSA was significantly lower in the afternoon session compared to the morning session (8.48±0.27 s and 8.77±0.34 s, respectively, P<0.001), while 5JT performance was significantly higher in the afternoon compared to the morning (9.08±0.58 m and 8.60±0.56 m, respectively, P<0.001). Soccer-specific endurance as well as jumping and repeated sprinting ability of Tunisian female high-level soccer players are not affected due to menstrual cycle phase neither in the morning nor in the afternoon.

Fractionated Concurrent Exercise throughout the Day Does Not Promote Acute Blood Pressure Benefits in Hypertensive Middle-aged Women.

Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects about 30% of the world’s population, and the physical exercise plays an important role on its non-pharmacological treatment. Anywise, the dose–response of physical exercise fractionation throughout the day demands more investigation, allowing new exercise prescription possibilities. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the acute blood pressure (BP) kinetics after 1 h of exercises and the BP reactivity after different concurrent exercise (CE) sessions and its fractioning of hypertensive middle-aged women. In this way, 11 hypertensive women voluntarily underwent three experimental sessions and one control day [control session (CS)]. In the morning session (MS) and night session (NS), the exercise was fully realized in the morning and evening, respectively. For the fractionized session (FS), 50% of the volume was applied in the morning and the remaining 50% during the evening. The MS provided the greatest moments (p ≤ 0.05) of post-exercise hypotension (PEH) for systolic BP (SBP) and highest reduction of BP reactivity for SBP (~44%) and diastolic BP (DBP) (~59%) compared to CS (p ≤ 0.05). The findings of the present study have shown that MS is effective for PEH to SBP, as well as it promotes high quality of attenuation for BP reactivity, greater than the other sessions.

Ophthalmology Cystinosis Forum Morning Session

This 1-day meeting was held at the Austria Trend Savoyen Hotel, Vienna, Austria. The morning session consisted of a series of presentations by experts in the field of cystinosis. Prof Katharina Hohenfellner gave an overview of nephropathic cystinosis (NC) and provided her own experience of a multidisciplinary patient follow-up. Dr Alexey Tsygin provided his long-term experience of treatment with cysteamine and highlighted the importance of treating early and the role of cysteamine in treating and preventing long-term complications of cystinosis. Dr Roser Torra presented the findings of the T-CiS.bcn project, which aimed to develop a transition plan from paediatric to adult care through a multidisciplinary team. Dr Rachel Bishop provided an overview of the ocular manifestations of cystinosis followed by a presentation on the most recent data with gel-like Cystadrops® from Dr Hong Liang. The key themes from the morning sessions were: With the development of specific treatment for cystinosis, the disease paradigm has shifted from a paediatric illness where patients suffer end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by 10 years of age to a longerterm multisystemic illness with extra-renal complications Earlier treatment of NC with cysteamine can delay both the renal and extra-renal manifestations of the disease There are difficulties in transitioning from paediatric to adult care and this can lead to reduced treatment adherence; a multidisciplinary team may help to smooth the transition

Naturally Ventilated Colonial School Classrooms in Malaysia are Conducive to Learning Environment

The study is intended to evaluate the comfort level of learning environment in three naturally ventilated colonial schools in Malaysia through the voice of students aged between 13 and 17. This study focuses on the influence of the colonial school classrooms physical environment towards the students’ comfort and behaviour. The research has two objectives: To evaluate post-occupancy comfort level and behavior in the naturally ventilated colonial schools and to suggest design elements that could improve the comfort level of a school classroom. Observations and investigations were conducted in three colonial schools; Victoria Institution, Methodist Girls Secondary School and Maxwell Secondary School in the morning session, between 7:45a.m. and 1:00p.m.. Survey questionnaires were distributed to one classroom of each school and simultaneously, an inventory of each classroom physical environment was recorded. It was found that the observed classroom differs slightly in the window-to-wall ratio, window size and occupancy density, which have an impact on the indoor environment and the students’ comfort and behaviour. From the survey results, among the three schools, the students in the Methodist Girls Secondary School are mostly comfortable throughout the morning session. In conclusion, several design elements, which can be adopted from the architecture of the colonial period, that make them conducive to learning environment are window-to-wall ratio, window sizes and occupancy density.

Factors associated with milk processing characteristics predicted by mid-infrared spectroscopy in a large database of dairy cows

Despite milk processing characteristics being important quality traits, little is known about the factors underlying their variability, due primarily to the resources required to measure these characteristics in a sufficiently large population. Cow milk coagulation properties (rennet coagulation time, curd-firming time, curd firmness 30 and 60 min after rennet addition), heat coagulation time, casein micelle size, and pH were generated from available mid-infrared spectroscopy prediction models. The prediction models were applied to 136,807 spectra collected from 9,824 Irish dairy cows from research and commercial herds. Sources of variation were investigated using linear mixed models that included the fixed effects of calendar month of test; milking time in the day; linear regressions on the proportion of Friesian, Jersey, Montbéliarde, Norwegian Red, and "other" breeds in the cow; coefficients of heterosis and of recombination loss; parity; stage of lactation; and the 2-way interaction parity × stage of lactation. Within- and across-parity cow effects, contemporary group, and a residual term were also included as random effects in the model. Supplementary analyses considered the inclusion of either test-day milk yield or milk protein concentration as fixed-effects covariates in the multiple regression models. Milk coagulation properties were most favorable (i.e., short rennet coagulation time and strong curd firmness) for cheese manufacturing in early lactation, concurrent with the lowest values of both pH and casein micelle size. Milk coagulation properties and pH deteriorated in mid lactation but improved toward the end of lactation. In direct contrast, heat coagulation time was more favorable in mid lactation and less suitable (i.e., shorter) for high temperature treatments in both early and late lactation. Relative to multiparous cows, primiparous cows, on average, yielded milk with shorter rennet coagulation time and longer heat coagulation time. Milk from the evening milking session had shorter rennet coagulation time and greater curd firmness, as well as lower heat coagulation time and lower pH compared with milk from the morning session. Jersey cows, on average, yielded milk more suitable for cheese production rather than for milk powder production. When protein concentration was included in the model, the improvement of milk coagulation properties toward the end of lactation was no longer apparent. Results from the present study may aid in decision-making for milk manufacturing, especially in countries characterized by a seasonal supply of fresh milk.

Two-dose seasonal influenza vaccine coverage and timeliness among children aged 6 months through 3 years: An evidence from the 2010–11 to the 2014–15 seasons in Zhejiang province, east China

ABSTRACTObjective: To evaluate the coverage and timeliness of seasonal influenza vaccine vaccination (SIV) among children aged 6 months to 3 years from the 2010–11 through the 2014–15 seasons. Methods: Children registered in Zhejiang Provincial Immunization Information System (ZJIIS) and needed 2 seasonal influenza vaccine doses in a given season from 2010–11 to 2014–15 were enrolled. Socio-economic information and SIV records of target children were extracted from ZJIIS on 1 January 2016. Any (≥1 dose) and full (2 doses) vaccination coverage by December 1 and March 31 as well as interval between 2 doses were calculated. Trends of coverage over time and determinants on fully vaccination coverage and interval between 2 doses were assessed. Results: Full SIV overage by Mar 31 increased from the 2010–11 to the 2014–15 seasons (2.60% vs 2.92%). Less than 1% of children received 2 doses by December 1. The interval between 2 doses among fully vaccinated children decreased over time (2010–11: 68.32 days; 2014–15: 49.51 days; p < 0.05). Age, socio-economic development level of resident areas were inversely associated with full vaccination coverage and resident children had a significantly higher full vaccination coverage. Younger age, resident children, receiving vaccination from higher service frequency clinics and clinics with morning and afternoon sessions were positive determinants of a shorter interval between 2 doses. Conclusion: Majority of children aged 6 months to 3 years remained at risk of incomplete and delayed SIV. The importance of the 2-dose SIV recommendation needs to be emphasized and effective interventions needs to be implemented to improve the completeness and the timeliness of SIV.

An Experience in Recreational Diabetic Day in a Non-governmental Organisation, T1Diams, in Mauritius

T1Diams, non-profit organisation in the island of Mauritius, has been working on the implementation of therapeutic and educational activities for its members. They regularly organise a recreational diabetic day ('Enjoy life' or 'T1Diams en balade'). Aim: To give an overview of a typical diabetic recreational day. <i>Methods:</i> The author participated in several of these activities organised by the organisation in 2014 and 2015. Results: 22 patients came for that event. 11 (&ge; 12 years old) attended the day. The morning session was dedicated to diabetic therapeutic education and was carried out by two diabetes nurses. The afternoon session there were physical activities for those &gt;12 years old and low intense activities for the other group. The menu for the lunch was elaborated by a nutritionist. Blood glucose levels were regularly monitored. The patients did their insulin injections. <i>Conclusion:</i> This recreational diabetic day gives an opportunity for parents to be reassured that their diabetic children can be autonomous. The day was carried out in a professional way so as to empower the patients. These activities should be organised regularly during a year.

Intensive EMDR to Treat Patients With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series

There is mounting evidence suggesting that by increasing the frequency of treatment sessions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment outcomes significantly improve. As part of an ongoing research project, this study examined the safety and effectiveness of intensive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in a group of seven (four female) patients suffering from complex PTSD and multiple comorbidities resulting from childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or work and combat-related trauma. Treatment was not preceded by a preparation phase and consisted of 2 × 4 consecutive days of EMDR therapy administered in morning and afternoon sessions of 90 minutes each, interspersed with intensive physical activity and psychoeducation. Outcome measures were the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and the PTSD Symptom Scale Self-report questionnaire (PSS-SR). During treatment, neither personal adverse events nor dropout occurred. CAPS scores decreased significantly from pre- to posttreatment, and four of the seven patients lost their PTSD diagnosis as established with the CAPS. The results were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) on the CAPS and PSS-SR were large: 3.2, 1.7 (prepost) and 2.3, 2.1 (prefollow-up), respectively. The results of this case series suggest that an intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. The application of massed, consecutive days of treatments using EMDR therapy for patients suffering from PTSD, particularly those with multiple comorbidities, merits more clinical and research attention.

Mimicking rashes: Use of moulage technique in undergraduate assessment at the aga khan university, Karachi

The use of simulated patients in student assessment is supported by the Best Evidence Medical Education and U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and it provides a safe and effective alternative to real patients in many situations. To assess the validity and feasibility of moulage technique-where a cosmetically constructed rash is used on simulated patients-two dermatologic rashes were developed using moulage simulation on standardized patients at Aga Khan University Hospital for 3rd year medical summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Checklists for cases that focused on history taking of a skin rash were developed. These also included a description and identification of lesions, differential diagnosis, and basic management. Cases were first reviewed and approved by the Educational Committee and a dermatologist content expert. Stations were piloted to assess validity and feasibility. Simple nontoxic materials were used to develop the rash by faculty familiar with moulage simulation. Sixty-four students were assessed on a Herpes Zoster case and 32 students on a Herpes Simplex case in morning and afternoon sessions. The total mean score obtained at all OSCE stations was 64.82 ± 10.22. Mean scores on the morning and afternoon dermatology stations were 62.72 ± 9.74 and 69.03 ± 9.98, respectively. Face validity for both stations was established through input of content experts. The internal reliability as measured by Cronbach's alpha between the checklist items on the morning and afternoon stations was acceptable at 0.60 (20 items) and 0.65 (18 items), respectively. The use of moulage technique to develop dermatologic lesions on simulated patients may be utilized for student assessment.

Feeding, foraging, and feather pecking behaviours in precision-fed and skip-a-day-fed broiler breeder pullets

Broiler breeder chickens are feed-restricted to control growth and maximize chick production. Feed restriction creates welfare concerns as conventional skip-a-day feeding can increase activity levels and oral stereotypies during the rearing period. A precision feeding system has been developed to provide small meals to individual birds multiple times throughout a day when their BW is less than a target BW.Objectives of the current study were to investigate whether precision feeding affected: 1) restlessness in broiler breeder pullets, by comparing the prevalence of standing and walking to a flock fed every other day and 2) foraging frustration, by comparing foraging and stereotypic oral behaviours in precision-fed and skip-a-day-fed broiler breeders. Using a randomized complete block design, precision feeding and skip-a-day pens were each represented in 6 blocks (N=6) with 45 Ross 308 pullets per pen. Skip-a-day-fed pullets were fed at 10:30 am on alternating mornings. Live behaviour observations of pullets (15min per pen, 12 focal pullets) were conducted during morning (08:00–09:55) and afternoon (13:45–15:40) sessions once per week, from 10 to 21 weeks of age. Behaviours observed during instantaneous 1min scan sampling included: stand/walk, forage, sit, feather peck, dust-bathe, peck at wing-tag, pecking of the drinker, feeder, or pen wall, and ‘other’ behaviours. Means were reported as different when P<0.05. Feeder and pen wall pecking did not differ between treatments. Skip-a-day-fed pullets performed more stand/walk (6.15±0.05 vs. 5.69±0.05; F1,10=43.97; P<0.0001), forage (3.29±0.05 vs. 3.04±0.04; F1,10=15.37; P=0.0029), and feather peck (0.16±0.01 vs. 0.03±0.01; F1,10=58.31; P<0.0001) behaviours compared with precision-fed pullets, respectively. Precision-fed pullets performed more sitting (0.23±0.01 vs. 0.15±0.01; F1,10=20.15; P=0.0012) and drinker pecking (2.60±0.01 vs. 0.15±0.01; F1,10=39.11; P<0.0001) behaviours compared with skip-a-day-fed pullets, respectively. Feather pecking and foraging were not consistently inversely related, suggesting feather pecking in broiler breeders may have additional causal factors beyond re-directed foraging. An increase in drinker pecking suggests feeding motivation is still present in precision-fed flocks. In conclusion, compared with skip-a-day feeding, precision feeding appears to decrease, but not eliminate, feeding motivation in feed-restricted broiler breeder pullets.

Diurnal Variations in Neural Activity of Healthy Human Brain Decoded with Resting-State Blood Oxygen Level Dependent fMRI.

It remains an ongoing investigation about how the neural activity alters with the diurnal rhythms in human brain. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) reflects spontaneous activities and/or the endogenous neurophysiological process of the human brain. In the present study, we applied the ReHo (regional homogeneity) and ALFF (amplitude of low frequency fluctuation) based on RS-fMRI to explore the regional differences in the spontaneous cerebral activities throughout the entire brain between the morning and evening sessions within a 24-h time cycle. Wide spread brain areas were found to exhibit diurnal variations, which may be attributed to the internal molecular systems regulated by clock genes, and the environmental factors including light-dark cycle, daily activities and homeostatic sleep drive. Notably, the diurnal variation of default mode network (DMN) suggests that there is an adaptation or compensation response within the subregions of DMN, implying a balance or a decoupling of regulation between these regions.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sugestões do ITESC à Conferência de Aparecida, a partir da leitura do Documento de Participação

Resumo: Sugestões colhidas de uma Jornada Extraordinária de Estudo doDocumento de Participação, que envolveu professores e alunos e percorreu oseguinte processo:a) na parte da manhã, com participação de professores e todos os alunos:quatro grupos de estudo (1. cristologia e antropologia; 2. eclesiologia; 3.pastoral social; 4. missiologia); plenário e debate;b) na parte da tarde, com professores e alguns alunos: coleta de idéias-chave(sobre método, conteúdo e proposição; seqüencia);c) escolha de grupo articulador e redator;d) posterior aprovação pelo Corpo Docente e pelo Corpo Discente do ITESC.As Sugestões são dadas em três pontos: 1) sobre o método do Documento; 2)sobre o conteúdo do Documento; 3) sobre as proposições do Documento.Abstract: Suggestions proposed by the Faculty and the students of theTheological School ITESC have been gathered at the general meeting heldfor the purpose of an overall evaluation of the Document of Participation.Teachers and students were engaged in an intensive brainstorm of ideas raisedin a common effort in assembling the data relevant to some particular questionsor problems. The morning session was attended by both teachers and students,divided up into four groups, each with a specific objective: 1st Christology andAnthropology, 2nd Ecclesiology, 3rd Pastoral Activity, 4th Missionary Work. Aplenary session and debate concluded the workshop. In the afternoon, teachersand student representatives collected the main ideas concerning method ofthe document, content and proposition, and the scope for further investigation.Afterwards, a team of redactors was selected for the final draft, which will behanded in for approval by the members of the Faculty and the organization ofstudents.

Patterns of domestic exposure to carbon monoxide and particulate matter in households using biomass fuel in Janakpur, Nepal

Household Air Pollution (HAP) from biomass cooking fuels is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-income settings worldwide. In Nepal the use of open stoves with solid biomass fuels is the primary method of domestic cooking. To assess patterns of domestic air pollution we performed continuous measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate Matter (PM2.5) in 12 biomass fuel households in Janakpur, Nepal. We measured kitchen PM2.5 and CO concentrations at one-minute intervals for an approximately 48-h period using the TSI DustTrak II 8530/SidePak AM510 (TSI Inc, St. Paul MN, USA) or EL-USB-CO data logger (Lascar Electronics, Erie PA, USA) respectively. We also obtained information regarding fuel, stove and kitchen characteristics and cooking activity patterns. Household cooking was performed in two daily sessions (median total duration 4 h) with diurnal variability in pollutant concentrations reflecting morning and evening cooking sessions and peak concentrations associated with fire-lighting. We observed a strong linear relationship between PM2.5 measurements obtained by co-located photometric and gravimetric monitoring devices, providing local calibration factors of 4.9 (DustTrak) and 2.7 (SidePak). Overall 48-h average CO and PM2.5 concentrations were 5.4 (SD 4.3) ppm (12 households) and 417.6 (SD 686.4) μg/m3 (8 households), respectively, with higher average concentrations associated with cooking and heating activities. Overall average PM2.5 concentrations and peak 1-h CO concentrations exceeded WHO Indoor Air Quality Guidelines. Average hourly PM2.5 and CO concentrations were moderately correlated (r = 0.52), suggesting that CO has limited utility as a proxy measure for PM2.5 exposure assessment in this setting. Domestic indoor air quality levels associated with biomass fuel combustion in this region exceed WHO Indoor Air Quality standards and are in the hazardous range for human health.

The neurophysiological effects ofsingle-dose theophylline in patients withchronic stroke: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-overstudy.

Reducing inhibitory neurotransmission with pharmacological agents is a potential approach for augmenting plasticity after stroke. Previous work in healthy subjects showed diminished intracortical inhibition after administration of theophylline. We assessed the effect of single-dose theophylline on intracortical and interhemispheric inhibition in patients with chronic stroke, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Eighteen subjects were randomly administered 300 mg of extended-release theophylline or placebo. Immediately and 5 hours following administration, transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to assess bihemispheric resting motor threshold, short-interval intracortical inhibition, long-interval intracortical inhibition, and interhemispheric inhibition. Adverse effects on cardiovascular, neurological, and motor performance outcomes were also surveilled. Change between morning and afternoon sessions were compared across conditions. One week later, patients underwent the same assessments after crossing over to the opposite experimental condition. Subjects and investigators were blinded to the experimental condition during data acquisition and analysis. For both hemispheres, changes in intracortical or interhemispheric neurophysiology were comparable under theophylline and placebo conditions. Theophylline induced no adverse neurological, cardiovascular, or motor performance effects. For both conditions and hemipsheres, the baseline level of inhibition inversely correlated with its change between sessions: less baseline inhibition (i.e. disinhibition) was associated with a strengthening in inhibition over the day, and vice versa. A single dose of theophylline is well-tolerated by patients with chronic stroke, but does not alter cortical excitability. The inverse relationship between baseline inhibition and its change suggests the existence of a homeostatic process. The lack of effect on cortical inhibition may be related to an insufficiently long exposure to theophylline, or to differential responsiveness of disinhibited neural circuitry in patients with stroke.