Differential effects of physical activity and sleep duration on cognitive function in young adults

Purpose: Although exercise and sleep duration habits are associated with cognitive function, their beneficial effects on cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine the effect of sleep duration and daily physical activity on cognitive function, elucidating the neural mechanisms using near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS).Methods: A total of 23 healthy young adults(age 22.0 ± 2.2 years) participated in this study. Exercise amount was assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer. We evaluated total sleep time(TST) and sleep efficiency by actigraphy. Cognitive function was tested using the N-back task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST), and the Continuous Performance Test—Identical Pairs(CPT-IP), and the cortical oxygenated hemoglobin levels during a word fluency task were measured with NIRS.Results: Exercise amount was significantly correlated with reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(r = —0.602, p = 0.002; r = —0.446, p = 0.033,respectively), whereas TST was significantly correlated with % corrects on the 2-back task(r = 0.486, p = 0.019). Multiple regression analysis,including exercise amount, TST, and sleep efficiency, revealed that exercise amount was the most significant factor for reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(b = —0.634, p = 0.002; b = —0.454, p = 0.031, respectively), and TST was the most significant factor for % corrects on the 2-back task(b = 0.542, p = 0.014). The parameter measured by WCST and CPT-IP was not significantly correlated with TST or exercise amount. Exercise amount, but not TST, was significantly correlated with the mean area under the NIRS curve in the prefrontal area(r = 0.492, p = 0.017).Conclusion: Exercise amount and TST had differential effects on working memory and cortical activation in the prefrontal area. Daily physical activity and appropriate sleep duration may play an important role in working memory.

An understanding of mitochondria and its role in targeting nanocarriers for diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Nanotechnology has changed the entire paradigm of drug targeting and has shown tremendous potential in the area of cancer therapy due to its specificity. In cancer, several targets have been explored which could be utilized for the better treatment of disease. Mitochondria, the so-called powerhouse of cell, portrays significant role in the survival and death of cells, and has emerged as potential target for cancer therapy. Direct targeting and nanotechnology based approaches can be tailor-made to target mitochondria and thus improve the survival rate of patients suffering from cancer. With this backdrop, in present review, we have reemphasized the role of mitochondria in cancer progression and inhibition, highlighting the different targets that can be explored for targeting of disease. Moreover, we have also summarized different nanoparticulate systems that have been used for treatment of cancer via mitochondrial targeting.

Enhanced Public Health Surveillance for the Sixth Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival Conducted by the Okinawa Prefectural Government, Japan

Objective: The Okinawa prefectural government conducted enhanced surveillance for the Sixth Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival, with participation of more than 5300 visitors from abroad, many of whom were Okinawan or of Okinawan descent, for early detection of Zika virus disease and other potential public health threat outbreaks. Method: Enhanced surveillance conducted from 12 October through 13 November involved four surveillance systems, (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance system ((N)SASSy), Prescription Surveillance (PS), and Official Syndromic Surveillance (OSS), each of them operates routinely, in addition to case-based and sentinel surveillance under the Infectious Diseases Control Law as Official National Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (ONSID). This enhanced surveillance was conducted for analysis and evaluation, with intensive information sharing among concerned parties. Result: We performed the enhanced surveillance for 33 days from 12 October through 13 November. Information from enhanced surveillance was analyzed and evaluated, and eventually summarized as a daily report. There has been one rubella case at an elementary school in Okinawa City on 20 October and a measles case at an elementary school in Uruma City on 2 November. Those two cases were registered into (N)SASSy on a timely basis. The public health center investigated them quickly, and the measles case was denied later because symptoms did not satisfy with case definition. Discussion: We regard enhanced surveillance as useful to confirm events that might demand a public health response. Moreover, the related including public health centers or medical institutions confirmed the situation as valuable for the administrative structure. However, because almost all (nursery) schools or pharmacies are closed during successive holidays, outbreaks that occur on such days cannot be recognized on a timely basis. More sensitive surveillance for such days, with better preparations for ambulance transfer and at emergency departments in hospitals remains as a challenge for future work.

Enhanced Surveillance for National (Handicapped) Sports Games in Wakayama, Japan 2015

Introduction: We undertook enhanced surveillance of the 2015 Kinokuni Wakayama National Sports Games (70th National Sports Games) and the Kinokuni Wakayama Handicapped Sports Games (15th National Handicapped Sports Games) held in Wakayama prefecture in 2015, for which this paper presented operational details and an evaluation. Methods: Enhanced surveillance conducted involved (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance system ((N)SASSy), Prescription Surveillance, and Ambulance Transfer Surveillance from 30 August through 9 November. We evaluated those surveillances on all days including weekends, integrated the results as a daily report, and published it on the web. Results: We found no cluster or cases requiring more tracing and investigation except for suspected cases of rubella in (N)SASSy. Moreover, no moderate aberration was found for two consecutive days for the same area and symptom. Conclusion: Our experience with this enhanced surveillance presents important lessons for countermeasures by local governments for mass gatherings or politically important events.