Effects of simulated domestic and international air travel on sleep,performance, and recovery for team sports

The present study examined effects of simulated air travel on physical performance. In a randomized crossover design, 10 physically active males completed a simulated 5‐h domestic flight (DOM), 24‐h simulated international travel (INT), and a control trial (CON). The mild hypoxia, seating arrangements, and activity levels typically encountered during air travel were simulated in a normobaric, hypoxic altitude room. Physical performance was assessed in the afternoon of the day before (D ? 1 PM) and in the morning (D + 1 AM) and afternoon (D + 1 PM) of the day following each trial. Mood states and physiological and perceptual responses to exercise were also examined at these time points, while sleep quantity and quality were monitored throughout each condition. Sleep quantity and quality were significantly reduced during INT compared with CON and DOM (P < 0.01). Yo‐Yo Intermittent Recovery level 1 test performance was significantly reduced at D + 1 PM following INT compared with CON and DOM (P < 0.01), where performance remained unchanged (P > 0.05). Compared with baseline, physiological and perceptual responses to exercise, and mood states were exacerbated following the INT trial (P < 0.05). Attenuated intermittent‐sprint performance following simulated international air travel may be due to sleep disruption during travel and the subsequent exacerbated physiological and perceptual markers of fatigue.     

Dissociating memory traces and scenario construction in mental time travel

There has been a persistent debate about how to define episodic memory and whether it is a uniquely human capacity. On the one hand, many animal cognition studies employ content-based criteria, such as the what-where-when criterion, and argue that nonhuman animals possess episodic memory. On the other hand, many human cognition studies emphasize the subjective experience during retrieval as an essential property of episodic memory and the distinctly human foresight it purportedly enables. We propose that both perspectives may examine distinct but complementary aspects of episodic memory by drawing a conceptual distinction between episodic memory traces and mental time travel. Episodic memory traces are sequential mnemonic representations of particular, personally experienced episodes. Mental time travel draws on these traces, but requires other components to construct scenarios and embed them into larger narratives. Various nonhuman animals may store episodic memory traces, and yet it is possible that only humans are able to construct and reflect on narratives of their lives – and flexibly compare alternative scenarios of the remote future.     

Boarding issue in a commercial flight for patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis: A case report

BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated that airborne transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) to other passengers or crew members can occur during long flights. As such, non-infectious TB patients are usually allowed to undertake air travel after taking the appropriate anti-TB drugs. However, the global guidelines for air travel for patients with TB are inconsistent and insufficiently detailed with respect to cavitary pulmonary TB(CPTB).CASE SUMMARY Here, we report a case in which a patient with multiple CPTB was permitted air travel, following negative sputum acid-fast bacilli smear tests after administration of proper anti-TB medication. The patient’s culture results were pending.CONCLUSION This case revealed that more specific guidelines regulating air travel for patients with CPTB are necessary.     

Merging self-reported with technically sensed data for tracking mobility behavior in a naturalistic intervention study. Insights from the GISMO study

Sound exposure data are central for any intervention study. In the case of utilitarian mobility, where studies cannot be conducted in controlled environments, exposure data are commonly self-reported. For short-term intervention studies, wearable devices with location sensors are increasingly employed. We aimed to combine self-reported and technically sensed mobility data, in order to provide more accurate and reliable exposure data for GISMO, a long-term intervention study. Through spatio-temporal data matching procedures, we are able to determine the amount of mobility for all modes at the best possible accuracy level. Self-reported data deviate ±10% from the corrected reference. Derived modal split statistics prove high compliance to the respective recommendations for the control group (CG) and the two intervention groups (IG-PT, IG-C). About 73.7% of total mileage was travelled by car in CG. This share was 10.3% (IG-PT) and 9.7% (IG-C), respectively, in the intervention groups. Commuting distances were comparable in CG and IG, but annual mean travel times differ between  = 8,458 min (σ = 6,427 min) for IG-PT,  = 8,444 min (σ = 5,961 min) for IG-C, and  = 5,223 min (σ = 5,463 min) for CG. Seasonal variabilities of modal split statistics were observable. However, in IG-PT and IG-C no shift toward the car occurred during winter months. Although no perfect single-method solution for acquiring exposure data in mobility-related, naturalistic intervention studies exists, we achieved substantially improved results by combining two data sources, based on spatio-temporal matching procedures.     

Travel Distance and Home Dialysis Rates in the United States

♦ Introduction: Rural residence is associated with increased peritoneal dialysis (PD) utilization. The influence of travel distance on rates of home dialysis utilization has not been examined in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine whether travel distances to the closest home and in-center hemodialysis (IHD) facilities are a barrier to home dialysis.♦ Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥ 18 years initiating dialysis between 2005 and 2011. Unadjusted PD and home hemodialysis (HHD) rates were compared by travel distances to both the closest home dialysis and closest IHD facilities. Adjusted PD and HHD utilization rates were examined using multivariable logistic regression models.♦ Results: There were 98,608 patients in the adjusted analyses. 55.5% of the dialysis facilities offered home dialysis. IHD, PD and HHD patients traveled median distances of 5.4, 3.5 and 6.6 miles respectively to their initial dialysis facilities. Unadjusted analyses showed an increase in PD rates and decrease in HHD rates with increased travel distances. Adjusted odds of PD and HHD were 1.6 and 1.2 respectively for a ten mile increase in distance to the closest home dialysis facility, while for distances to the closest IHD facility the odds ratios for both PD and HHD were 0.7 (all p < 0.01).♦ Conclusions: In metropolitan areas, PD and HHD generally increased with increased travel distance to the closest home dialysis facility and decreased with greater distance to an IHD facility. Examination of travel distances to PD and HHD facilities separately may provide further insight on specific barriers to these modalities which can serve as targets for future studies examining expansion of home dialysis utilization.     

短程小组认知行为治疗失眠伴慢性非恶性颈背痛的效果

目的 探讨短程小组认知行为治疗失眠伴慢性非恶性颈背部疼痛患者的效果.方法 选择2013年6月～2013年12月于首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院神经与精神病科诊治的,符合国际睡眠障碍分类第二版失眠的诊断标准,并伴慢性非恶性颈背部疼痛的患者39例,随机分为短程小组认知行为治疗组(干预组,20例)和单纯睡眠卫生教育组(对照组,19例).患者于治疗前,治疗结束后1、5周填写匹兹堡睡眠质量指数(PSQI)、睡眠日志、医院焦虑抑郁量表(HADS)和疼痛视觉模拟评分,比较并分析两组的结果.结果 两组治疗期间各有1例中途脱落未能完成治疗.干预组治疗结束后1周入睡时间、睡眠总时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效率、焦虑得分均较对照组改善[(39±18)比(65±28)min、(429±47)比(413±70)min、(3.8±1.6)比(3.5±1.5)分、(73±13)％比(66±12)％、(7.0±3.5)比(8.1±3.7)分],差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05);治疗结束后5周干预组入睡时间、睡眠总时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效率、焦虑得分分别较对照组相应指标改善[(35±12)比(62±27)min、(440±52)比(418±75)min、(3.9±1.8)比(3.5±1.6)分、(76±12)％比(66±12)％、(6.5±2.4)比(7.8±3.3)分],差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 短程小组认知行为治疗对失眠伴慢性颈背痛患者的失眠和伴随焦虑症状有持续的效果.