Sedentary Life Research Articles

Investigation of the effect of visceral adiposity index on venous clinical severity score in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common disease affecting millions worldwide. Age, obesity, female gender, sedentary life, and long-standing at work causing orthostasis have been identified as predisposing factors. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is an important indicator of abdominal obesity. Various studies in the cardiovascular field have shown that it may be more predictive than body mass index (BMI). A total of 171 consecutive patients diagnosed with low-grade (C0-C3) superficial primary CVI in our clinic, between November 2021 and December 2022, were included in this prospective study. Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) values were calculated. The patients were divided into two groups according to their VCSS values (Group 1: VCSS ≤6 and Group 2: VCSS >6). There were 110 patients in Group 1 with a median age of 42 (18-50) years. There was no difference between the groups in terms of gender, smoking, hypertension frequency, height, weight, body mass index, hemoglobin values, lymphocyte, neutrophil, mean platelet volume, urea, creatinine, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, and total cholesterol values (p > .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to reveal the predictive factors of high VCSS values in patients. As a result of the analysis, VAI (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.775; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.389-2.269; p < .001) and CRP (OR: 2.641; 95% CI: 1.431-4.875; p = .002) values were identified as independent predictors in predicting high VCSS values. This current study showed that high VAI values affect clinical complaints in patients with low-grade CVI. In line with our results, clinical recommendations can be made to reduce VAI values in low-stage CVI patients.

Standardization of Phala Varthi an Ayurvedic Rectal Suppository

Suppositories are solid dosage forms intended for insertion into body cavities or orifices, where they melt or dissolved to exert either local or systemic effect. Phalavarti is an Ayurvedic way of application of suppositories in rectal ailments as discussed in Samhitas. Phalavarthi is one of VatiKalpana, It is a simple homemade medicament which can be prepared with easily available ingredients, It can be used in various types of GIT disorders like Udavarta, Anaha, Adhmana, Arsas, Gulma, Udara, Vibanda, which are some of the very common problems faced by general population due to irregular dietary habits and sedentary life style leading to Mandagni. The impaired digestion is main cause for various types of systemic and metabolic disorders. In such conditions Vatanulomana is main line of management. Apart from above specified conditions, Phalavarthi preparations can also be used in Panchakarma ayoga conditions like Virechana, Niruha, Anuvasana and Uttara vasthi. Despite the fact that various types of Phalavarthi preparations have been mentioned in Ayurveda texts, they are not in regular use due to less attention and focus received on this subject. There fore the present scientific study has been taken up to overcome the practical difficulties in both preparation and application of Phala vartis with a scientific approach. Phalavarthi is a very unique concept which is far superior to modern concept of rectal suppositories, it can be administered to children, old persons and all those who cannot swallow drugs easily. Hence keeping this advantage in mind, an attempt has been made to prepare and administer Phalavarthi in GIT disorders following the guidelines of Acharya Charaka and also keeping in view of modern principles of preparation of suppositories.

Tackling Obesity (Sthaulya) through lifestyle awareness and dietary management

The increased modernization and industrialization has played a major role in adopting the sedentary life style and faulty diet has made man the victim of many life style disorders, one of them being obesity. According to National family health survey-5 (2019-2021), 1 out of every 4 person is obese now and the incidence is increased to 16.9% in 20-29 years of age and 32% in 30-39 years of age. Obesity is an increasing global health issue as it is the leading risk factor of various non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, coronary heart disease etc. So, the prevention and management of obesity by creating awareness for adopting healthy lifestyle and dietary habits is much needed in present era. Obesity is a result of heredity, faulty lifestyle and diet. Since factors like heredity cannot be avoided but managing lifestyle (Vihara) and diet (Ahara) play important role. Acharya Charaka has considered Sthaulya as an Santarpanjanya Vyadhi and treated with Guru and Aptarpanajanya Ahara. Ahara recommended in Sthaulya are Yava, Kulattha, Purana Shali, Shastika.

Gait Imbalances of Middle-Aged Sedentary Populations

Walking is the first locomotor movement developed by humans after reflexive movements and balancing processes. This study aimed to evaluate walking patterns of middle-aged individuals who lead a sedentary life and to compare gait parameters in terms of gender and body mass index. This study contained eighty-four voluntarily participants (30.00±6.94 years; 74.02±15.44 kg; 170.23±8.94 cm). All participants were sedentary individuals who had not undergone any lower extremity surgery, did not use any movement system medication. Height was assessed by using a wall-mounted stadiometer. Weight was assesed by using Tanita TBF-300. Gait Analysis were performed by Microgate Optogait. All tests were carried out in the same air-conditioned lab which was set to 20°C and 1890 m altitude. Gait parameters were directly provided from Microgate Optogait. The differences between women and men, fat and normal weight were determined using an analysis of variance with Independent T test. All the data were shown as mean and standard deviation. In statistical analysis, the level of significance was chosen as p&amp;lt;0.05. There was no significantly difference, when gait parameters values was compared according to gender and BMI (p&amp;gt;0.05) in all parameters. There was just significantly difference contact phase and propulsive phase according to gender and double support phase according to BMI. There was also bilaterally difference contact phase, the overweights had more imbalance and interestingly in favor of the non-dominant limb. The mean values of the gait values obtained were similarly the norm values of healthy middle-aged individuals.

Frequency and risk factors stratification of hypertension among the rural population of Bangladesh

Background and Objectives: Hypertension is one of the major risk factors of premature morbidity and mortality in our daily clinical practice. Various studies carried out in the urban settings, but there is scarcity of epidemiological data regarding hypertension among the rural people in Bangladesh. Therefore, this current study has been designed to find out the frequency and risk factors stratification of hypertension among the rural people in Jashore, Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 1812 participants above 18 years attending on national hypertensive week of 2019 in Bagherpara and Keshabpur upazila (subdistrict) health complex in Jashore, Bangladesh. 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines had been demonstrated to classify hypertension. Results: Out of the total study population, the frequency of hypertension was 20.6% (Grade 1 and Grade 2 hypertensive patients 15.8% and 4.9%, respectively), and high normal blood pressure was 9.0%. The mean age of the study population, Grade 1 hypertensive and Grade 2 hypertensive cohorts were 42 ± 16, 49 ± 15 and 51 ± 14 years, respectively, with a male and female ratio was 1:2. Progressive rise of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were noticed with increasing age. Age (P: &lt;0.001), sex (P: 0.004), occupation (P: &lt;0.001), BMI (P: &lt;0.001), family (P: &lt;0.001) and past history (P: &lt;0.001) of hypertension, sedentary life style (P: 0.004), additional salt intake (P: &lt;0.001) and smoking (P: 0.011) were significantly associated with hypertension following bivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age after 50 years (AOR = 1.866, 95% CI: 1.210-2.876), positive past history of hypertension (AOR = 3.493, 95% CI: 2.676-4.558), additional salt intake (AOR = 0.591, 95% CI: 0.453-0.770) and obesity (AOR = 3.389, 95% CI: 1.830-6.274) were significantly associated with developing hypertension. Conclusion: High frequency of hypertension was found among the rural population in Bangladesh where presence with a lot of significantly associated risk factors. The data would be helpful for the health policymakers dealing noncommunicable diseases to reach the sustainable goal and mitigate morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases in Bangladesh.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sedentary life in young adults: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT In this study, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary lifestyle of young adults were evaluated. The cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals aged 18–35 years between December 2021 and March 2022. In the study, sedentary life was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), screening time and the Brief Eating Behaviors Questionnaire. 397 people participated in the study and the mean age was 24.41 ± 4.18. Body Mass Index (BMI), time spent in front of the screen, need for psychosocial support, and Short Diet Behaviors Questionnaire (SDBQ) scores showed a significant increase during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period (respectively; p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). It has been observed that there is an increase in the time spent in front of the screen, worsening in eating behaviors, decrease in physical activity, and an increase in BMI values of young adults during pandemic.

Wells, fields and the emergence of early-to-middle Holocene villages in the Huai River region, China: Contesting regional similarities and differences on prehistoric water management with new archaeological and palaeo-environmental evidence

The history of water management is closely intertwined with evolution of social structures. In particular, the emergence of rice farming and transition to sedentary life contributed significantly to the development of water management practices, with increasing labour and economic investments to build and operate water-management infrastructures. Here we present archaeological, archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological evidence of early water management obtained from the excavations of three early-to-middle Holocene sites in the upper and middle Huai River region (UMHR), including Hanjing from Sihong County of Jiangsu Province and Xielaozhuang and Zhangwangzhuang from Luohe City and Zhumadian City of Henan Province. Our 14C dates suggest multiple episodes of regional inhabitation in the UMHR region. Our results also reveal that the wells at Xielaozhuang represent some of the earliest attempts to ensure water consumption in the village, and importantly, the rice-field-like structures at Hanjing and Zhangwangzhuang are evidence of a more systematic effort to modify and transform local landscapes for rice cultivation and related economic activities. In line with the results from published phytolith studies, we found that the early experiment of rice cultivation altered local soil and hydrological conditions at these sites. These early forms of rice fields share some similarities in micro-and-macro- morphologies and represent successful adaptations to the low-lying plains that continued to have fluctuating hydrological regimes. The construction and operation of these wells, moats and rice-field-like structures stimulated collaboration beyond individual households and groups in these early-to-middle Holocene villages in the UMHR region and thus would have had profound social and economic ramifications.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Childhood Obesity: A Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many families' eating habits and lifestyles. The main aim of this study was to investigate the association between COVID-19 and childhood obesity across the scientific literature. Literature reviews have shown that the current COVID-19 pandemic may play a major negative role in the global fight against childhood obesity. School closures, changes in routine, loss of structure, and loss of control were negatively associated with childhood obesity during the COVID-19 period. In addition, physical inactivity, irregular sleep, increased smartphone/TV screen time, and sedentary life may have played a significant negative role in social distress among children and adolescents. It has been argued that school closures during the pandemic have the potential to increase the prevalence of childhood obesity. Finally, family violence was predicted to increase during the pandemic, putting already vulnerable children at increased risk. The pandemic caused significant morbidity and mortality, straining healthcare systems, shutting down economies, and closing school districts. Pandemic future planning should involve stakeholders, including governments, schools, and families, who should make every effort to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on childhood obesity.

The predictive role of serum uric acid levels before pregnancy in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus.

With the prevalence of obesity, growing age of first pregnancy, highly processed high-calorie diet, consumption of saturated fats as well as sedentary and stressful life, the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing. We aimed to determine the predictive role of pre-pregnancy serum uric acid levels and the occurrence of GDM during pregnancy. This study was a descriptive-analytical study that was performed retrospectively through case-control. The Subjects of this study were women over 18 years of age who were 24-28 weeks pregnant. All subjects of this study were evaluated for GDM based on the ADA guideline and were divided into case and control groups. All data relating to the period of 6 months before pregnancy of the study participants including blood uric acid level, blood pressure, etc. were collected and analyzed. In this study, 454 normal individuals without GDM and 478 others with GDM were examined. The mean serum uric acid showed to be 4.47 ± 1.33 mg/dl in patients with GDM but 3.7 ± 1.25 mg/dl in patients without GDM (p value = 0.001). The results of the regression test showed that the incidence of GDM in people with blood uric acid levels of 4.1-5, 5.1-6, and more than 6 mg/dl is 2.46, 3.42, and 4.9 times higher in people with uric acid levels less than 3 mg/dl, respectively. The present study identified that serum uric acid levels in the period of 6 months before pregnancy can be used as an independent predictor marker for future GDM.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Two Rock Scallops (Bivalvia: Spondylidae) Indicate Extensive Gene Rearrangements and Adaptive Evolution Compared with Pectinidae.

Different from the diverse family Pectinidae, the Spondylidae is a small group with a single genus that shares the sedentary life habit of cementing themselves to the substrate. However, little information related to the genetic diversity of Spondylidae has been reported. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of Spondylus versicolor and S. spinosus were sequenced and compared with those of pectinids. The mtDNA of S. versicolor and S. spinosus show similar patterns with respect to genome size, AT content, AT skew, GC skew, and codon usage, and their mitogenomic sizes are longer than most pectinid species. The mtDNA of S. spinosus is 27,566 bp in length, encoding 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes, while an additional tRNA-Met was found in the mtDNA of S. versicolor, which is 28,600 bp in length. The monophylies of Spondylidae and Pectinidae were well supported, but the internal relationships within Pectinidae remain unresolved due to the paraphyly of the genus Mimachlamy and the controversial position of the tribe Aequipectinini. The gene orders of S. versicolor and S. spinosus are almost identical but differ greatly from species of the Pectinidae, indicating extensive gene rearrangements compared with Pectinidae. Positive selection analysis revealed evidence of adaptive evolution in the branch of Spondylidae. The present study could provide important information with which to understand the evolutionary progress of the diverse and economically significant marine bivalve Pectinoidea.

Adhesive Capsulitis of the Ankle (Frozen Ankle): An Infrequent Syndrome.

Adhesive capsulitis, characterized by progressive fibrosis, causes a gradual, painful loss of both active and passive articular motion, leading to the final contracture of the joint capsule. The condition commonly referred to as "frozen ankle" (FA), which Goldman was the first to use, relates to the ankle joint and is challenging to both diagnose and treat. Data acquired from people who suffer from this type of damage in other joints such as the shoulder, hip, and wrist also exists. Despite the fact that a well-defined model for the medical management of FA does not exist, a wide spectrum of local treatments, both surgical and non-surgical, exist. This review gives an overview of the current scientific position of the frozen ankle in terms of evolutionary factors, etiology, the different mechanisms of action involved, current treatment options, and other possible interventions based on recent discoveries of pathophysiological mechanisms. The application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, stretching exercises, and corticosteroid injections combined with physical therapy modalities that enhance pain management, range of motion, and functional capacity is highly advisable for the treatment of adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as "frozen joints". Furthermore, the addition of interventions both impacting and analyzing chronic hypoxia, low-grade inflammation, and sedentary life is proposed.

Mad Max and the Western

ABSTRACT The Mad Max films were among the most successful exports of the Australian New Wave and had an enormous impact on shaping what the cinematic post-apocalyptic landscape looks like around the world. In line with Tom O'Regan's argument about Australian cinema's dialogue with Hollywood cinema, I argue that a productive way of looking at how the films create meaning is in the way they position themselves in relation to a genre that looks back in time rather than into future: the Western. Using as analytical frame the works of two key theorists of the Western, Will Wright and Richard Slotkin, I want to show that the films individually and collectively invert certain structural elements and developments of the genre. The first film subverts ideas of regenerative violence, questioning the justification and social value of self-defense and vigilantism. The second film echoes classical Western tropes regarding mobility and sedentary life, individual and community, savagery and civilization, garden and desert, which the third film further explores. In this way the films contribute to a dialogical identity of Australian cinematic identity in relation to the dominant Hollywood cinema as a critical interrogation of its national(ist) mythologies.

METABOLİK SENDROM

Metabolic syndrome is a common health problem, is an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Metabolic syndrome is a type of disorder that occurs as a result of the coexistence of insulin resistance and obesity-like findings, hipertriglisemi, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, stress, low HDL, hyperglycemia, inflammation, adipocyte-derived aldosterone-releasing factors, sleep apnea, etc. The same criteria and symptoms are valid for the disease in animals, and similar definitions are made for animals. In recent years, interest in metabolic syndrome, its causes and consequences has increased in veterinary medicine as well as in human medicine. In the formation of the disease, with the development of industry and technology, besides genetic factors urbanization, sedentary life, fast and high-calorie food consumption and many environmental factors such as smoking and alcohol use play role. In addition to this, many situations are shown in animals such as breed, neutralism, relationship with the owner, ration content, loss of hunter, catcher, etc. characteristics by assimilating to today's conditions. Many internationally recognized institutions such as the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATPIII, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Turkish Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism have made definitions for metabolic syndrome. In this article, metabolic syndrome, which has a significant impact on human and animal life, is examined in general terms.

Ayurvedic management of Urdhwaga Amlapitta (Dyspepsia): A Case Report

Due to various factors in progressive civilization of present day speedy environmental changes, adaptation of new food materials, change in method of cooking, atmospheric Pollution, encroachment of various chemical agents in newer lifestyle, occupational hazards have precipitated the trend of emerging diseases. Along with those tremendous stress and anxiety have significantly aggravated the diseases like Amlapitta, a GI tract disorder. It is associated with the causative factors like faulty dietary habits, sedentary life style &amp; stress, Preserved foods, curd, excessive alcohol, caffeine, spicy, fast, junk foods &amp; lack of exercise etc. A single clinical case trial with pre-test, follow-up, and post assessment was done on drug Narayan Ghrita, mentioned in Bhaisajya Ratnavali Amlapitta Chikitsa Adhikara was advised twice daily, before food for 15 days along with life style modifications like Ahara, Vihara, Achara was advised. By the present study it can be concluded that Narayan Ghrita and life style modifications helps in controlling and is effective remedy for Urdhwaga Amlapitta.

Ethnogeographic Features of Tuberculosis Incidence in the South Aral Sea Region

The objective: to conduct comparative analysis of tuberculosis incidence of among ethnic groups living in the South Aral Sea region and to establish whether belonging to the Karakalpak ethnic group presents a risk factor of developing tuberculosis.Subjects and Methods. Tuberculosis incidence over 5 years (2016-2020) among people of Uzbek and Karakalpak ethnicities living in the Republic of Karakalpakstan was compared and retrospectively analyzed.Results. In 2016-2020, tuberculosis incidence among people of the Karakalpak ethnicity (whose ancestors were nomadic and seminomadic people) made 147,08 per 100,000 population on the average (2016 - 178,8; 2017 - 174,8; 2018 - 139,4; 2019 - 136,9; 2020 - 108,1 per 100,000 population), among people of the Uzbek ethnicity (whose ancestors lived sedentary lives), tuberculosis incidence made 85,3 per 100,000 population on the average (2016 - 92,4; 2017 - 89,5; 2018 - 139,4; 2019 - 136,9; 2020 - 60,9 per 100,000 population). A statistically significant difference was demonstrated in tuberculosis incidence among people of the Karakalpak and Uzbek ethnic groups.

Effect of Fasting Ramadan on Different Laboratory Parameters on Type 2 Diabetic Mellitus Patients

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases in nearly all countries, and continues to increase in numbers and significance, as changing lifestyles lead to reduced physical activity, and increased obesity. It has been estimated that by the year 2030, there will be 8.6 million adult with diabetes in Egypt, making it the country with the tenth largest population of diabetic in the world. Diabetes is associated with reduced life expectancy, significant morbidity due to micro and macro vascular complications and diminished quality of life. Objective To study the impact of Ramadan fasting on metabolic parameters and anthropometry in type 2 DM in Egypt. Patients and Methods This study was conducted on 80 type 2 diabetic patients who were intending to fast Ramadan. During Ramadan (2014) the average fasting hours were 15 h. Patients were recruited from the internal medicine outpatient clinic at Ain Shams University hospitals and from the nutrition institute. 6 Patients were under insulin treatment (Biphasic human insulin) &amp; 74 patients were under oral hypoglycemic treatment {52 on combination treatment sulfonylurea + metformin &amp; 9 on metformin only &amp;13 of them were on sulfonylurea only}. Results We found that there was a statistically significant increase as regard lipid profile (serum triglycerides, serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol) in after Ramadan measurement. Also CVD risk parameters have untimely increased after Ramadan this parameters including (10 years risk (Framingham score) systolic and diastolic blood pressure). In addition (Creatinine, HOMA IR and fasting insulin) showed increased level in after Ramadan measurement which indicate deterioration of blood glucose parameters. There was no statistical significant changes seen as regard anthropometric measures (BMI, WHR) in pre Ramadan and after Ramadan measurement. Also there was no statistical significant changes regarding fasting, 2 hours plasma glucose, A1c levels between pre-Ramadan fasting &amp; after-Ramadan. In addition CRP and ACR showed no significant changes as regard measurement between before and after Ramadan. Conclusion Ramadan fasting appears to have significant effect on lipid profiles that could adversely impact cardiovascular outcome. These effects are mostly due to quality and quantity of food intake during Ramadan and the negative impact of sedentary life style. In addition the number of fasting days and period of daily fasting could affect glycemic control and renal function tests. Bad dietary habits, lack of exercise and irregular drug intake during Ramadan has a negative impact on glycemic control.

Effect of Sedentary Lifestyle on the Oral Health in a Group of Iranian Children

Background: Sedentary life style may affect dental health, growth, and general well-being of children, requiring the participation of health care providers. The aim of the present study was to assess the relation between oral health (dental plaque index) and sedentary lifestyle pattern in children.&#x0D; Methods: In this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study, 219 children aged 8 to 12 from the schools of Shahrekord city were selected by cluster random sampling in 2021–2022. After obtaining informed consent, parents filled a questionnaire about their child lifestyle pattern. Children chew disclosing agent and then Plaque index was recorded by examination according to tooth coloring pattern. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation coefficient, K-square in SPSS 22 software. The level of significance was considered less than 0.05.&#x0D; Results: The mean dental plaque index was 1.37±0.53 in the total population of Shahrekord children (1.23±0.49 in girls and 1.54±0.55 in boys). Children spend most of their time studying and watching television and spend less time on calls and listening to music. There was no significant relationship between the mean score of overall sedentary entertainment and plaque index (p-value=0.092). However, there was a direct and significant relation between watching television and computer games with dental plaque index (p-value˂0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Increasing sedentary entertainment in children, such as watching television or playing computer games, may affect children’s oral health. Therefore, it is important for dentists to consider children’s lifestyle as an influencing factor in oral health.

ANALYSIS OF NURSING CARE WITH WALKING SPORTS INTERVENTION TO REDUCE SENDENTARY BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH OBESITY IN RT 03 RW 09 GROGOL, LIMO, DEPOK

Introduction: Overweight and obesity is a problem of excess nutrition that is increasingly common in children around the world. Overweight and obesity in children is the result of calorie (energy) intake that exceeds the number of calories expended or burned through metabolic processes in the body. Lifestyle changes that lead to westernization and sedentary life styles are often found in big cities in Indonesia. Simple physical activities that can overcome obesity in children include walking. Walking is a way to increase physical activity that is simple, easy, and can be done by anyone at any time. This writing aims to determine the effectiveness of walking interventions for reducing body mass index in school-age children.&#x0D; Method: This type of research is qualitative with a case study approach. The population in this study were obese children. Number of subjects 2. Subject criteria: obese children aged 6 to 10 years with a threshold &gt; 2 SD based on measurements of Body Mass Index, have body characteristics: round face, double shoulders, both inner thighs are pressed against each other and rub together, distended stomach , and a relatively short neck. This research was conducted for one month. Walking exercise is done 3 times in 1 week and is done for approximately 40 minutes.&#x0D; Results: In resume patients, there was a weight loss of 1 kg with a decrease in BMI of 0.4 SD. So it can be concluded that the walking intervention had an effect on reducing body mass index in school-age children.&#x0D; Conclusion: Community nurses are expected to be able to apply walking as a management method for overcoming weight and obesity in school-age children.

The effect of smartphone addiction on vessel wall thickness, which is a predictor of atherosclerosis.

The increasing global popularity of smartphone usage has increased concerns about the negative effects of smartphone addiction, such as lack of sleep, sedentary life, bad eating habits, anxiety, stress, and depression, especially among the young population. These problems caused by smartphone addiction are also well-known risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, according to our observation, there is no research in the literature that directly shows the relationship between smartphone addiction and subclinical atherosclerosis. In this study, carotid intima-media thickness, an important surrogate marker in demonstrating subclinical atherosclerosis, was used to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction and subclinical atherosclerosis. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 high school students aged between 13 and 22 years. A smartphone addiction questionnaire consisting of 33 questions was applied to measure smartphone addiction. Along with the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients, factors such as eating habits, sleep patterns, and activity levels were also questioned. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was measured by an experienced sonographer according to the published and accepted methods. When we set the threshold for smartphone addiction at over 66 points, we discovered that the group with smartphone addiction had considerably thicker carotid intima-media (0.68 ± 0.2 versus 0.45 ± 0.1; p < 0.001). In addition, logistics regression analysis had shown that smartphone addiction level independently affects the carotid intima-media thickness (odds ratio:1.111; %95 GA:1.057-1.168, p < 0.001). Smartphone addiction may help prediction of subclinical atherosclerosis via carotid intima-media thickness among teenagers.

High mortality of beetle migrants along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway

Abstract Migration is costly in terms of increased energy expenditure and exposure to risks encountered en route. These factors can lead to a higher mortality among migrants compared with more sedentary life history stages. Insect migrants are incredibly numerous, but as they are less conspicuous than vertebrate migrants and as migration often occurs at high altitude and over a broad front, it can be difficult to study migration‐related mortality. A major source of information on migration‐related mortality comes from cadavers found on the strandline following unsuccessful sea crossings. Here, we analyse strandline mortality following a 100 km crossing of open ocean along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway from the Middle East mainland to the island of Cyprus by tens of millions of insects. All strandline recordings were of two species of beetles, the seven‐spot ladybird Coccinella septempunctata and the carabid beetle Calosoma olivieri, whereas only nine individuals of C. septempunctata were caught successfully arriving with the rest of the insect assemblage over the ocean. Major strandings were associated with easterly winds, suggesting origins from the Middle East mainland, with the individuals documented as extremely weak and unable to fly or dead. Our results suggest that beetles are weaker migrants than other members of the migratory insect assemblage, with the sea crossing too far for the great majority to fly, leading to high mortality. The impact of this high mortality on the marine ecosystems is discussed.