Nighttime Activities Research Articles

Study on the Sleep-Improvement Effects of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni in Drosophila melanogaster and Targeted Screening to Identify Its Active Components and Mechanism.

Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (HC) is an edible plant in Asia, and it has been traditionally used for sleep-improvement. However, the bioactive components and mechanism of HC in sleep-improvement are still unclear. In this study, the sleep-improvement effect of HC hydroalcoholic extract was investigated based on a caffeine-induced insomnia model in Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster), and the ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS) and network pharmacology strategy were further combined to screen systematically the active constituents and mechanism of HC in sleep-improvement. The results suggested HC effectively regulated the number of nighttime activities and total sleep time of D. melanogaster in a dose-dependent manner and positively regulated the sleep bouts and sleep duration of D. melanogaster. The target screening suggested that quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, caffeic acid, and nicotinic acid were the main bioactive components of HC in sleep-improvements. Moreover, the core targets (Akt1, Cat, Ple, and Sod) affected by HC were verified by the expression of the mRNA of D. melanogaster. In summary, this study showed that HC could effectively regulate the sleep of D. melanogaster and further clarifies the multi-component and multi-target features of HC in sleep-improvement, which provides a new insight for the research and utilization of HC.

Design lighting KOMPOSISI TATA CAHAYA BUATAN UNTUK TAMAN KOTA

Pada umumnya di Indonesia, terutama di BSD, Tangerang, taman umum yang ada tidak dikunjungi pada malam hari oleh publik. Salah satu penyebab adalah tidak ada atau minimnya tatacahaya pada malam hari sehingga pengunjung taman tidak merasa aman dan tidak bisa beraktifitas dengan baik. Maksud dari penelitian ini adalah memberikan panduan untuk desain tata cahaya yang sesuai standard nasional atau standard internasional bagi suatu ruang publik yang secara khusus adalah salah satu area taman di BSD, Tangerang. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah membuat kerangka desain tata cahaya yang optimal yang memberikan rasa aman dan nilai cahaya yang cukup untuk aktifitas di taman pada malam hari. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah dengan menggunakan perangkat lunak Relux. Taman Kota 1 BSD mempunyai potensi untuk dibuka pada malam hari untuk masyarakat sekitar apabila mempunyai tata cahaya yang memadai dan aman.Kata Kunci: tata cahaya, taman, kerangka desain, komposisi

Access to malaria prevention and control interventions among seasonal migrant workers: A multi-region formative assessment in Ethiopia.

BackgroundMobile or seasonal migrant workers are at increased risk for acquiring malaria infections and can be the primary source of malaria reintroduction into receptive areas. The aim of this formative assessment was to describe access to malaria prevention and control interventions among seasonal migrant or mobile workers in seven regional states of Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional formative assessment was conducted using a qualitative and quantitative mixed-method design, between October 2015 and October 2016. Quantitative data were collected from organizations that employ seasonal migrant workers and were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and ArcGIS 10.8 (Geo-spatial data). Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interview from 23 key informants (7 seasonal migrant workers, and 16 experts and managers of development projects who had hired seasonal migrant workers), which were recorded, transcribed, translated, coded, and thematically analyzed.ResultsThere were 1,017,888 seasonal migrant workers employed in different developmental organizations including large-scale crop cultivating farms, sugar cane plantations, horticulture, road and house construction work, and gold mining and panning. Seasonal migrant workers’ housing facilities were poorly structured and overcrowded (30 people living per 64 square meter room) limiting the use of indoor residual spraying (IRS), and forcing seasonal migrant workers not to use long lasting insecticidal treated nets (LLINs). Seasonal migrant workers are engaged in nighttime activities when employment includes watering farmlands, harvesting sesame, and transporting sugar cane from the field to factories. Despite such high-risk living conditions, access and utilization of preventive and curative services by the seasonal workers were limited. Informal migrant worker employment systems by development organizations and inadequate technical and financial support coupled with poor supply chain management limited the planning and delivery of malaria prevention and treatment strategies targeting seasonal migrant workers.ConclusionsSeasonal migrant workers in seven regions of Ethiopia were at substantial risk of acquiring malaria. Existing malaria prevention, control and management interventions were inadequate. This will contribute to the resurgence of outbreaks of malaria in areas where transmission has been lowered. A coordinated action is needed among all stakeholders to identify the size of seasonal migrant workers and develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to address their healthcare needs.

Effects of vehicle-passing frequency on forest roads on the activity patterns of carnivores

In this study, we evaluated the effect and extent of linear human disturbance caused by vehicle traffic on forest roads on animal activity time. Our research focused on four sympatric carnivores (red fox, Vulpes vulpes; raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides; Japanese marten, Martes melampus; and Asiatic black bear, Ursus thibetanus) living in the forest region of northeastern Japan. From August to November 2019, we obtained data on the activity time for each species from nine infrared-triggered cameras installed along two types of unpaved forest roads with different vehicle frequencies (high or low) and subsequently assessed the effect of vehicle-passing frequencies on activity using kernel density estimation and chi-square test. Red foxes and raccoon dogs were nocturnal on all forest roads; however, their nighttime activities were significantly greater on the forest road with a high vehicle-passing frequency than on the road with a low vehicle-passing frequency. Japanese martens showed a nocturnal pattern on all forest roads, and there was no significant difference in the proportion of nighttime activities between the forest roads. Asiatic black bears were highly active during the daytime on forest roads with a low vehicle-passing frequency, but were highly nocturnal on forest roads with a high vehicle-passing frequency. Our results suggest that human disturbance influences the ratio of daytime to nighttime activity in carnivores; however, the extent and magnitude of this effect are limited. This finding indicates that the spatial scale of effects of human disturbance on the activity of each animal species should be assessed before habitat management programs are implemented.

Como a quarentena da COVID-19 pode afetar o sono das crianças e adolescentes?

OBJECTIVES: To describe the main aspects of altered sleep in children and adolescents in the quarantine of COVID-19. METHODS: A narrative review of the current literature on the topic was carried out, based on the most recent national/international classification. RESULTS: The literature on the subject is still scarce. The sudden changes in routines and transfers of classes to virtual models provided flexibility in school activities, impacting the circadian rhythm of children and adolescents and, consequently, sleep. As a result, the lack of a routine with pre-established schedules by parents, results in longer use of electronic devices, from games to the media. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential that pediatricians advise parents on the importance of establishing a routine of daytime and nighttime activities, which will have an impact on the quality of sleep of children and adolescents during this quarantine period.

Use of Media Zoom to Improve Thematic Learning Results About Night-Night Activities In Class 1 Students

<em>The purpose of this research is to improve student learning outcomes in thematic material about night activities. This research is a classroom action research (PTK) which is carried out in two cycles, each cycle consisting of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection stages. The subjects of this study were the first grade students of SDN Tambakreja 07 in the 2020/2021 academic year, totaling 28 students. Data collection techniques using observation and tests. Data analysis includes data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Research shows that the use of Zoom media can improve student learning outcomes on thematic material about nighttime activities in class I SDN Tambakreja 07 academic year 2020/2021 as evidenced by the percentage of completeness of learning outcomes in cycle I of 53.57% to 75% in cycle II</em>

Daily inhalation of hydrogen gas has a blood pressure-lowering effect in a rat model of hypertension

A recent clinical study demonstrated that haemodialysis with a dialysate containing hydrogen (H2) improves blood pressure control in end-stage kidney disease. Herein, we examined whether H2 has a salutary effect on hypertension in animal models. We subjected 5/6 nephrectomised rats to inhalation of either H2 (1.3% H2 + 21% O2 + 77.7% N2) or control (21% O2 + 79% N2) gas mixture for 1 h per day. H2 significantly suppressed increases in blood pressure after 5/6 nephrectomy. The anti-hypertensive effect of H2 was also confirmed in rats in a stable hypertensive state 3 weeks after nephrectomy. To examine the detailed effects of H2 on hypertension, we used an implanted telemetry system to continuously monitor blood pressure. H2 exerted an anti-hypertensive effect not only during daytime rest, but also during night-time activities. Spectral analysis of blood pressure variability revealed that H2 improved autonomic imbalance, namely by suppressing the overly active sympathetic nervous system and augmenting parasympathetic nervous system activity; these effects co-occurred with the blood pressure-lowering effect. In conclusion, 1-h daily exposure to H2 exerts an anti-hypertensive effect in an animal model of hypertension.

Afternoon School Start Times Are Associated with a Lack of Both Social Jetlag and Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents.

The delayed circadian timing of adolescents creates a conflict with early school start times (SSTs). We used wrist actimetry to compare sleep parameters and routine nighttime activities in middle school students attending either a morning (0700 to 1200 h) or an afternoon (1230 to 1730 h) school shift. On school days, students from both shifts (n = 21 for morning shift, n = 20 for afternoon shift, ages 12-14 years) had a similar sleep onset, but morning-shift students had an earlier sleep offset and a 1 h 45 min shorter sleep duration than their afternoon peers, who slept the recommended 8 to 10 h of daily sleep. Only morning-shift students had afternoon naps, but this afternoon sleep was not sufficient to overcome sleep deprivation. On weekends, sleep onsets and offsets did not differ between shifts. Because only morning-shift students woke up later and slept longer (2 h 3 min) on weekends, they were also the only ones who experienced social jetlag. Daily surveys on their nighttime (from 1800 to 0600 h) activities indicated there was no difference between shifts in the time spent on leisure or using electronic media during school days, but students from both shifts spent more time in these activities during the weekend. Our study confirms that early SST in adolescents is associated with sleep deprivation and suggests that schedules that start much later than typically considered may be needed to eliminate sleep deprivation in adolescents.

Characteristics of multicomponent, nonpharmacological interventions to reduce or avoid sleep disturbances in nursing home residents: a systematic review.

Dementia guidelines propose the use of nonpharmacological interventions for sleep disturbances for older people. Based on available reviews, it seems most likely that multicomponent interventions have the strongest potential to be effective in improving sleep. However, a detailed description of multicomponent interventions is missing. This systematic review aims to identify, describe, and summarize multicomponent, nonpharmacological interventions to reduce or avoid sleep disturbances in nursing home residents. This review followed established methodological frameworks for systematic evidence syntheses. A computerized search was conducted in December 2018, using the databases PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Two independent reviewers assessed all search results to identify eligible studies and assessed studies' methodological quality following the Cochrane Risk of Bias methodology for randomized controlled trials and the CASP Appraisal Checklist for controlled trials.Evaluation studies of any design investigating multicomponent interventions were included, except case studies. Components of included intervention programs were analyzed applying the TIDieR and CReDECI 2 criteria. A total of 2056 studies were identified through the database search; ten publications about nine interventions met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The identified interventions can be summarized assigned to the categories "daytime activities," "nighttime activities," "staff training," and "light exposure." The approaches showed similarities and differences in procedures, materials, modes of delivery, intervention provider, and intervention period. None of the studies described any intended interactions between components or considered context characteristics in intervention modeling as well as internal and external facilitators or barriers influencing delivery of intervention. We identified positive or mixed positive effects for sleep-related outcomes for the mentioned categories. The analysis of included interventions demonstrates somehow promising results, although findings are difficult to interpret as interventions were not well described, and the challenges of developing and evaluating complex interventions were not sufficiently acknowledged.

Developing Non-Negative Spatial Autoregressive Models for Better Exploring Relation Between Nighttime Light Images and Land Use Types

Exploring the relationship between nighttime light and land use is of great significance to understanding human nighttime activities and studying socioeconomic phenomena. Models have been studied to explain the relationships, but the existing studies seldom consider the spatial autocorrelation of night light data, which leads to large regression residuals and an inaccurate regression correlation between night light and land use. In this paper, two non-negative spatial autoregressive models are proposed for the spatial lag model and spatial error model, respectively, which use a spatial adjacency matrix to calculate the spatial autocorrelation effect of light in adjacent pixels on the central pixel. The application scenarios of the two models were analyzed, and the contribution of various land use types to nighttime light in different study areas are further discussed. Experiments in Berlin, Massachusetts and Shenzhen showed that the proposed methods have better correlations with the reference data compared with the non-negative least-squares method, better reflecting the luminous situation of different land use types at night. Furthermore, the proposed model and the obtained relationship between nighttime light and land use types can be utilized for other applications of nighttime light images in the population, GDP and carbon emissions for better exploring the relationship between nighttime remote sensing brightness and socioeconomic activities.

DIGITAL MONITORING OF SLEEP, MEALS, AND EXERCISE AS A PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION IN BEREAVED SPOUSES

The death of a spouse brings profound change to bereaved survivors’ lifestyle and daily routine. These changes disrupt circadian rhythms which, in turn, places individuals at high risk for depression. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week behavioral intervention that targets the timing and regularity of sleep, meals, and physical activity via digital monitoring and motivational health coaching. Participants were 60+ years of age and assessed on intervention acceptability and adherence, depression symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) and the rest-activity rhythm, (a downstream indicator of the body’s circadian rhythm (via actigraphic technology). The intervention was rated highly by participants (n=55); 88% were compliant in digital monitoring and 95% were retained. Depression symptoms declined from pre-to post-intervention; and the regularity of circadian rhythms increased. An intervention that targets the regularity of day- and nighttime activities may reduce depression in older spousally-bereaved adults.

Users’ Awareness, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Health Risks Associated with Excessive Lighting in Night Markets: Policy Implications for Sustainable Development

The introduction of artificial lighting has dramatically transformed nighttime activities, becoming a very positive but also disruptive factor that must be optimized and adapted according to the guidelines of sustainable policies. In this framework, night markets in Thailand are definitely popular destinations among locals and tourists that are found in every town and city in the whole country, being the source of livelihoods for many people. It is well-known that shops in night markets frequently use colorful light sources, emitting high levels of illumination to attract customers. Since previous research has shown environmental risks of inappropriate lighting on human health and well-being, as well as on ecosystems, excessive lighting in night markets could have adverse effects on vendors’ health if they are exposed to high illumination levels during long hours every night. This is a risk for people, but also for their attachment to their lands, traditions, culture, and way of life. This study was designed to explore whether excessive illumination of night markets has impacts on vendors’ health and well-being. The research was conducted through an empirical study in a night market in the center of Surin province (Thailand), using observations and a questionnaire survey of 205 vendors and clients (non-vendors). The results show that night markets’ vendors were more likely to suffer from eye- and sleep-related problems than non-vendors. Women were affected more than men. The results also revealed that the majority of both vendors and non-vendors tended to have awareness about excessive lighting impacts on human health, with more vendors tending to agree with the fact than non-vendors. Although night markets’ are their main source of income, the majority of vendors were more unlikely to agree about the contribution of night markets to local livelihoods and development than non-vendors. These findings have implications for the Thai Authority in setting up appropriate lighting policies and regulations for night markets. The target is not only energy savings, but also to protect the public’s health, culture, and traditional livelihoods, in a way that supports sustainable development.

Human behaviour and residual malaria transmission in Zanzibar: findings from in-depth interviews and direct observation of community events

BackgroundZanzibar has maintained malaria prevalence below 1% for the past decade, yet elimination remains elusive despite high coverage of core vector control interventions. As part of a study investigating the magnitude and drivers of residual transmission in Zanzibar, qualitative methods were utilized to better understand night time activities and sleeping patterns, individual and community-level risk perceptions, and malaria prevention practices.MethodsA total of 62 in-depth interviews were conducted with community members and local leaders across six sites on Unguja Island, Zanzibar. Twenty semi-structured community observations of night-time activities and special events were conducted to complement interview findings. Data were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analysed using a thematic approach.ResultsParticipants reported high levels of ITN use, but noted gaps in protection, particularly when outdoors or away from home. Routine household and community activities were common in evenings before bed and early mornings, while livelihood activities and special events lasted all or most of the night. Gender variation was reported, with men routinely spending more time away from home than women and children. Outdoor sleeping was reported during special events, such as weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies. Participants described having difficulty preventing mosquito bites while outdoors, travelling, or away from home, and perceived higher risk of malaria infection during these times. Travel and migration emerged as a crucial issue and participants viewed seasonal workers coming from mainland Tanzania as more likely to have a malaria infection and less likely to be connected to prevention and treatment services in Zanzibar. Some community leaders reported taking the initiative to register seasonal workers coming into their community and linking them to testing and treatment services.ConclusionsTargeting malaria interventions effectively is critical and should be informed by a clear understanding of relevant human behaviour. These findings highlight malaria prevention gaps in Zanzibar, and the importance of identifying new approaches to complement current interventions and accelerate the final phases of malaria elimination. Development and deployment of complementary interventions should consider human behaviour, including gender norms, that can influence exposure to malaria vectors and prevention practices. Expansion of community-level programmes targeting travellers and seasonal workers should also be explored.

Ancillary economic activities in a Classic Maya regal palace: A multiproxy approach

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a multiproxy approach to the ancillary activities which supported the ancient Maya royal court of the center of La Corona (750–900 CE). This approach sampled both the plaster floors and their overlaying soil matrix from areas of the palace of La Corona, resulting in a data set comprised of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry geochemical, soil‐flotation derived microartifactual, and macrobotanical data. These data complemented the architectural and artifactual record, documenting elusive aspects of the economic, ancillary functions of the Northwest Group of the La Corona regal palace. Specifically, this approach revealed that distinct portions of this architectural group were regularly used for preparing foods and craft objects, carrying products and items, discarding ash, using and/or grinding cinnabar‐based pigments, and illuminating nighttime activities. These results not only revealed activity areas in patios, but also provided evidence regarding the functions of adjacent buildings. This paper significantly contributes to our understanding of the pragmatic economic functions of ancient Maya royal courts. In addition, the presented data sets are methodologically valuable for students of archaeological activity areas.

Assessing malaria risk at night-time venues in a low-transmission setting: a time-location sampling study in Zambezi, Namibia

BackgroundIdentifying efficient and effective strategies to reach and monitor populations at greatest risk of malaria in low-transmission settings is a key challenge for malaria elimination. In Namibia’s Zambezi Region, transmission is ongoing yet its drivers remain poorly understood. A growing literature suggests that night-time social activities may lead to malaria exposure that is beyond the reach of conventional preventive interventions, such as insecticide treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying.MethodsFormative research was conducted with community members in March, 2015 in the catchment areas of six randomly selected health facilities in the western Zambezi Region to identify night-time locations where large numbers of individuals regularly congregate. Using time-location sampling, a survey was conducted between March and May, 2015 at community-identified venues (bars and evening church services) to develop representative estimates of the prevalence of parasite infection and risk factors among venue-goers.ResultsWhen compared to a contemporaneous household survey of the general population aged 15 and older (N = 1160), venue-goers (N = 480) were more likely to have spent the night away from their home recently (17.3% vs. 8.9%, P = 0.008), report recent fever (65.2% vs. 36.9%, P < 0.001), and were less likely to have sought care for fever (37.9% vs. 52.1%, P = 0.011). Venue-goers had higher, but not significantly different, rates of malaria infection (4.7% vs. 2.8%, P = 0.740). Risk factors for malaria infection among venue-goers could not be determined due to the small number of infections identified, however self-reported fever was positively associated with outdoor livelihood activities (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.9, 95% CI 1.0–3.3), not wearing protective measures at the time of the survey (AOR = 6.8, 9% CI 1.4–33.6) and having been bothered by mosquitos at the venue (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.5–4).ConclusionsPrevention measures and continued surveillance at night-time venues may be a useful complement to existing malaria elimination efforts.

Decoding middle-class protest against low-cost nocturnal tourism in Madrid

ABSTRACTNightlife scenes in central Madrid have been profoundly affected due to the expansion of tourist-oriented night-time leisure activities during the last three decades. This paper examines a range of tensions that have recently appeared in the La Latina neighbourhood due to the conflictual coexistence between the slow and locally-oriented everyday practices remaining in this territoir and the rapid colonisation of this central quarter of Madrid by neoliberal economies of the ‘Tourist City’. Particularly, we focus on some long-term, middle-class residents who reproduce exclusionary narratives against the rapid expansion of low cost tourist-oriented nightlife, while advocating a civilised and distinctive tourism. We argue this may be seen as a renaissance of a sanitised ‘middle-class culture’ created by the fascist regime in the second half of the twentieth century. Recent middle-class’ protests in Spain’s largest cities hide a new struggle about ‘who is legitimised’ and ‘who not’ to reclaim the re-appropriation of the city centre.

Nesting, sleeping, and nighttime behaviors in wild and captive great apes.

The past few decades have seen a burgeoning of scientific studies on great apes' use of nests for sleeping in the wild, as well as their nesting behavior and sleep in captivity. We review recent advances in knowledge of these topics, with the aim of promoting information exchange between people working in the field and with captive great apes. We trace developments in research into nest-building techniques in adults and immatures, factors that influence selection of general sleeping sites and specific locations, social aspects of sleep, postures, and nighttime activities. We argue that exchanges of information deriving from studies of captive and wild apes are valuable for obtaining a better understanding of sleep-related adaptations in our nearest evolutionary neighbors, and conclude by making some recommendations regarding sleeping arrangements in captivity from a welfare perspective.

조선시대 수면의 의미 — 일기류를 통해 본 수면과 밤 시간에 관한 일 고찰

조선시대 수면의 의미 — 일기류를 통해 본 수면과 밤 시간에 관한 일 고찰

DIGITAL MONITORING OF SLEEP, MEALS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION IN OLDER BEREAVED ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY ON FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT

Introduction Following the death of a spouse, many older adults have difficulty performing self-care activities. For example, they may feel no reason to wake up, eat meals, or go to bed on a regular schedule. Disruptions of these key social “time cues”, or zeitgebers, in turn decrease the stability of circadian rhythms, placing these individuals at high risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and other adverse health consequences related to poor self-care. Preserving the stability of individuals’ time cues (sleep, meals, and physical activity) after the death of a spouse may reduce depression symptoms, thereby preventing the onset of MDD and promoting a healthy adaptation to bereavement. The purpose if this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral intervention that is grounded in the circadian timing system and its impact on depression symptoms in older spousally bereaved adults. Methods We developed the Widowed Elders’ Lifestyle after Loss (WELL), a pilot randomized controlled prevention trial of digital monitoring of sleep, meals, and physical activity for older spousally-bereaved adults who were at high risk for MDD. The design of WELL builds on prior studies addressing circadian rhythms in bereaved adults for the reduction of depression symptoms. The intervention arm involved 12 weeks of behavioral self-monitoring using a tablet-based app (designed by the STS), in which older adults aged 60+ track the timing and regularity of sleep, meals, and physical activities. Participants in the intervention arm also received weekly motivational health coaching. Participants were assessed at baseline, directly after the 12-week intervention period, and then at 3, 6, and 9 months post-intervention using structured diagnostic interviews and symptom rating scales. Participants in the enhanced usual care arm who reported new depression symptoms were referred to their primary care physician, as in the intervention arm. The primary outcomes of the trial were feasibility and acceptability of intervention components. The secondary outcomes were change in depression symptoms. Actigraphic technology was used to examine the 24-hour rest-activity rhythm – a downstream indicator of the circadian clock – as a mediator of depression outcomes. Results WELL randomized 50 participants, 96.2% of eligible and 34.5% of all older adults screened. Participants in the treatment arms were similar at baseline in structured self-reports. WELL was rated highly by participants; 88% were compliant in digital monitoring and 96% were retained over follow-up. One comment speaks for many in that “WELL helped organize my life.” Depression symptom burden in the intervention arm significantly declined over follow-up, compared to enhanced usual care. There was a significant increase in the regularity of participants’ rest-activity rhythm from pre- to post-intervention. The significant increase in rhythm regularity was correlated with reductions in depression symptoms, as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. These data will be used in confirmatory clinical trial of efficacy. Conclusions A behavioral intervention that is based on the circadian timing system, using both digital monitoring and motivational health coaching, appears to be feasible and acceptable to participants. An intervention that targets the regularity of day- and nighttime activities may reduce depression in older spousally-bereaved adults. The methodological innovations of this project may advance the field of late-life depression prevention. This research was funded by Supported in part by NIH MH103467

Impacts of holiday characteristics and number of vacation days on “holiday effect” in Taipei: Implications on ozone control strategies

This study investigated the influence of holiday characteristics and numbers of vacation days on the “holiday effect” of three crucial Chinese holidays in Taipei. Surface measurements of NOx, CO, NMHC, O3, SO2, and PM10 from 13 air quality-monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) in the Taipei metropolitan area during holiday and non-holiday periods of 1994–2012 were used.All six pollutants were proven to exhibit holiday effects between Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods. However, almost all pollutants exhibited holiday effects for the two other holidays; the exceptions were O3 between Tomb Sweeping Day (TSD) and non-Tomb Sweeping Day (NTSD) periods and CO and PM10 between Mid-Autumn Day (MAD) and non-Mid-Autumn Day (NMAD) periods. Air pollutants, including NOx, CO, NMHC, SO2, and PM10, that exhibited holiday effects had consistently lower concentrations in holiday periods than in non-holiday periods, whereas O3 concentrations were higher in holiday periods than in non-holiday periods. A widespread holiday effect with consistent signs indicates a high degree of urbanization in the study area. Compared with CNY–NCNY and MAD–NMAD periods, the TSD–NTSD period had a considerably lower difference of the titration effect, lower NOx resulting in less ozone destruction, in evening traffic hours and an inconsistent holiday effect in the daytime and nighttime, leading to the lack of O3 holiday effect. Because the MAD period had more nighttime activities than the other two holiday periods did, the MAD–NMAD period lacked CO and PM10 holiday effects. The prevalently higher ratios of CO, NMHC, SO2, and PM10 relative to NOx as a proxy of mobile sources and a lower PM2.5/PM10 ratio in the MAD period than in the CNY and TSD periods indicate different pollution sources oriented from holiday activities.The air pollutants exhibited a weakening trend are all associated with a greater improvement in air quality during the non-holiday periods than the holiday periods, which implies successful air pollution control policies. Holiday effects of NOx, NMHC (p < 0.05), and CO (p < 0.10) are associated with mobile sources; the holiday effects for the three holidays tend to have a strong relation with the number of vacation days in a holiday, indicating that a large reduction of air pollution occurs when a holiday has a high number of vacation days, which probably encourages extensive behavioral changes. Moreover, the aforementioned conditions imply that air pollution control strategies are effective with time; pollution reduction for only 1–2 days may fail to improve ambient air quality. Holiday effects of pollutants emitted during long holiday periods have crucial implications in formulating ozone control strategies in Taiwan and in other countries with similar national or cultural holidays.