How many bits of information can be transferred between residues in a protein and how fast?

Time resolved Raman and infrared spectroscopy experiments show the basic features of information transfer between residues in proteins. Here, we present the theoretical basis of information transfer using a simple elastic net model and recently developed entropy transfer concept in proteins. Mutual information between two residues is a measure of communication in proteins which shows the maximum amount of information that may be transferred between two residues. However, it does not explain the actual amount of transfer nor the transfer rate of information between residues. For this, dynamic equations of the system are needed. We used the Schreiber theory of information transfer and the Gaussian network Model of proteins, together with the solution of the Langevin equation, to quantify allosteric information transfer. Results of the model are in perfect agreement with ultraviolet resonance Raman measurements. Analysis of the allosteric protein Human NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase shows that a multitude of paths contribute collectively to information transfer. While the peak values of information transferred are small relative to information content of residues, considering the estimated transfer rates, which are in the order of megabits per second, sustained transfer during the activity time-span of proteins may be significant.

Validity and Acceptability of Wearable Devices for Monitoring Step-Count and Activity Minutes Among People With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple wearable devices that purport to measure physical activity are widely available to consumers. While they may support increases in physical activity among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) by providing feedback on their performance, there is little information about the validity and acceptability of these devices. Providing devices that are perceived as inaccurate and difficult to use may have negative consequences for people with MS, rather than supporting participation in physical activity. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the validity and acceptability of commercially available devices for monitoring step-count and activity time among people with MS. Nineteen ambulatory adults with MS [mean (SD) age 52.1 (11.9) years] participated in the study. Step-count was assessed using five commercially available devices (Fitbit Alta, Fitbit Zip, Garmin Vivofit 4, Yamax Digi Walker SW200, and Letscom monitor) and an activPAL3μ while completing nine everyday activities. Step-count was also manually counted. Time in light activity, moderate-to-vigorous activity, and total activity were measured during activities using an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer. Of the 19 participants who completed the validity study, fifteen of these people also wore the five commercially available devices for three consecutive days each, and participated in a semi-structured interview regarding their perception of the acceptability of the monitors. Mean percentage error for step-count ranged from 12.1% for the Yamax SW200 to −112.3% for the Letscom. Mean step-count as manually determined differed to mean step-count measured by the Fitbit Alta (p = 0.002), Garmin vivofit 4 (p < 0.001), Letscom (p < 0.001) and the research standard device, the activPAL3μ (p < 0.001). However, 95% limits of agreement were smallest for the activPAL3μ and largest for the Fitbit Alta. Median percentage error for activity minutes was 52.9% for the Letscom and 100% for the Garmin Vivofit 4 and Fitbit Alta compared to minutes in total activity. Three inductive themes were generated from participant accounts: Interaction with device; The way the device looks and feels; Functionality. In conclusion, commercially available devices demonstrated poor criterion validity when measuring step-count and activity time in people with MS. This negatively affected the acceptability of devices, with perceived inaccuracies causing distrust and frustration. Additional considerations when designing devices for people with MS include an appropriately sized and lit display and ease of attaching and charging devices.

Resilience and Challenges of Working Mothers during COVID-19

The pandemic has brought on much hardships and highlighted the many inequities in our lives, including the increasing workload for working mothers. Compared to pre-pandemic, maternal research has found mothers to have increases in anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Given the added stressors of the pandemic, this paper aims to highlight some evidence-based strategies that mothers can use to support their mental health during the pandemic and beyond. These mental health strategies include (1) Self-compassion and mindfulness (2) Physical self-care (sleep and physical activity time); (3) Connecting time (maintaining social connections and shared responsibilities); and (4) Playtime (having fun!).

Is a Left-to-Right >2.2°C Difference a Valid Measurement to Predict Diabetic Foot Ulceration in People with Diabetes and a History of Diabetic Foot Ulceration?

Monitoring foot skin temperatures at home have been shown to be effective at preventing the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers. In this study, the construct validity of using >2.2°C difference between contralateral areas on the foot as a warning sign of imminent ulceration is explored. Thirty participants with diabetes at high risk of ulceration (loss of protective sensation and previous ulceration and/or amputation) monitored their foot temperatures at six sites, four times a day for six days using a handheld infrared thermometer. Walking activity, time of day, and environmental temperature were also monitored and correlated with foot temperatures. We found that contralateral mean skin temperature difference was 0.78°C at baseline. At single sites, left-to-right temperature differences exceeding the threshold were found in 9.6% of measurements ( n = 365), which reduced to 0.4% when individually corrected and confirmed the next day. No correlation was found between contralateral temperature differences and activity, time of day, and environmental temperature. We conclude that using a >2.2°C difference is invalid as a single measurement in people at high risk of ulceration, but the construct validity is appropriate if both individual corrections and next day confirmation are applied.

Effectiveness of the “Planning Health in School” Programme on Children’s Nutritional Status

Effective interventions for guiding children to change behaviours are needed to tackle obesity. We evaluated the effectiveness of the ‘Planning Health in School’ programme (PHS-pro) on children’s nutritional status. A non-randomised control group pretest-posttest trial was conducted at elementary schools of a sub-urban municipality in Porto’s metropolitan area (Portugal). A total of 504 children of grade-6, aged 10–14, were assigned in two groups: children of one school as the intervention group (IG), and three schools as the control group (CG). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, waist circumference (WC), BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and lifestyle behaviours (self-reported questionnaire) were assessed at baseline and after PHS-pro. IG children grew significantly taller more than CG ones (p < 0.001). WC had reduced significantly in IG (−0.4 cm) whereas in the CG had increased (+0.3 cm; p = 0.015), and WHtR of IG showed a significant reduction (p = 0.002) compared with CG. After PHS-pro, IG children consumed significantly fewer soft drinks (p = 0.043) and ate more fruit and vegetables daily than CG. Physical activity time increased significantly in IG (p = 0.022), while CG maintained the same activity level. The PHS-pro did improve anthropometric outcomes effectively leading to better nutritional status and appears to be promising in reducing overweight and obesity.

Who Has Active Lifestyles? Personality and Activity Diversity in Adulthood

Broad and even participation across daily activities (“activity diversity”) has been found to be associated with better health. Less is known about who has greater activity diversity. We examined whether personality traits are associated with activity diversity in two independent samples of adults. Data came from the Midlife in the United States Study II and Refresher (n=2623, Mage=54yrs) and Daily Experiences and Well-being in Late Life Study (n=308, Mage=74yrs) who responded to daily activity questions. We constructed activity diversity scores in each sample using Shannon’s entropy. We focused on three personality traits — conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism — often associated with health. Higher extraversion was associated with greater activity diversity, replicated across the two samples. The associations were independent of conscientiousness and neuroticism (both were not significant), total activity time/frequency, age, gender, race, education, and self-rated health. Results suggest that future activity interventions may need to target those with lower extraversion.

Behavioral and Demographic Predictors of Exercise During A COVID-19 Lockdown in Three Ghanaian Cities

Background: This study assessed behavioral and demographic correlates of exercise during a COVID-19 lockdown in three cities. A cross-sectional design was employed. An online survey was used to collect data from residents of three Ghanaian cities, namely Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale.Methods: A total of 621 residents participated in the study. Most of the participants had tertiary educational qualifications and were aged 18 to 54 years. A binary logistic regression was used to present findings.Results: The results indicate that unemployed participants were about 13 times more likely to exercise than those who were employed. Individuals aged 25 to 30 years were about 0.7 times less likely to exercise compared with those aged 18 to 24 years. Participants with one or more chronic diseases were about 19 times more likely to exercise compared with those without a chronic condition. Residents who reported a reduction in moderate physical activity time of between 30 to 60 minutes were less likely to exercise compared with those who did not.Conclusion: The study concludes that the behavioral and demographic correlates of exercise during the lockdown are age, chronic disease status, employment, physical activity time lost, smoking, and domestic violence experience.

Promoting Sustainable Mobility: Impact of an Urban Biking Programme on University Students

The use of bicycles is an active and sustainable mode of transport par excellence. It is a way of increasing people’s physical activity time and should therefore be promoted in educational contexts. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an urban bicycle programme in a sample of 164 university students (n = 164), 88 women and 76 men, using a standardised instrument with pre and post measures after a theoretical–practical intervention. The sample was divided into an intervention group (n = 122) with 69 women and 53 men; and a control group (n = 42) with 19 women and 23 men. The instrument considered conceptual and attitudinal aspects. The results showed that participants in the intervention group obtained statistically significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in the measurement. No significant improvements were observed in the control group (p = 0.35), which means that the urban intervention programme is an effective method for increasing bicycling knowledge and attitudes in the university students who participated in the experience.

Comparison Of Chest And Wrist Based Actigraphy In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Introduction Activity trackers for clinical trials and remote monitoring are appealing as they provide objective data outside of the clinic setting. Algorithms determine physical activity intensity and count steps. Multiple studies show physical inactivity in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). There are no studies comparing different activity trackers worn on different parts of the body in PAH. We had patients with PAH simultaneously wear two different accelerometers, compared measures between the two devices, and correlated the measures with standard clinical metrics in PAH. Methods This was a single-center, prospective observational study. Daily physical activity and daily total steps were measured using Actigraph GT9X Link and MC10 Biostamp nPoint for 5-10 days. Actigraph was worn on the non-dominant hand and the MC10 Biostamp nPoint was worn on the chest and leg with disposable adhesives. Results Twenty-two participants wore both accelerometers &gt;12 hours/day for an average 7.8 days. The average activity time measured by Actigraph was significantly higher than that measured by MC10 (251 +/- 25 minutes vs 113 +/- 18 minutes, p = 0.0001). Actigraph’s algorithm reported more time in light activity than moderate (190 +/- 62 minutes vs 60 +/- 56 minutes, p = 0.0001). REVEAL 2.0 scores correlated highly with activity time measured using either device. Invasively measured hemodynamics within 7 days did not correlate with activity time or daily steps. Conclusion Different activity trackers yield discordant results in PAH patients. Further studies are needed in determining the best device, optimal wear time, and different thresholds for activities in chronic diseases.

Macroscopic Real-Time Timetable Rescheduling Approach for High-Speed Railway under Complete Blockages Using a Three-Stage Algorithm

The rescheduling of train timetables under a complete blockage is a challenging process, which is more difficult when timetables contain lots of trains. In this paper, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is formulated to solve the problem, following the rescheduling strategy that blocked trains wait inside the stations during the disruption. When the exact end time of the disruption is known, trains at stations downstream of the blocked station can depart early. The model aims at minimizing the total delay time and the total number of delayed trains under the constraints of station capacities, activity time, overtaking rules, and rescheduling strategies. Because there are too many variables and constraints of the MILP model to be solved, a three-stage algorithm is designed to speed up the solution. Experiments are carried out on the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway line from Chibibei to Guangzhounan. The original timetable contains 162 trains, including 29 cross-line trains and 133 local trains. The simulation results show that our model can handle the optimization task of the timetable rescheduling problem very well. Compared with the one-stage algorithm, the three-stage algorithm is proved to greatly improve the solving speed of the model. All instances can get a better optimized disposition timetable within 450 to 600 s, which is acceptable for practical use.