Individual characteristics and environmental factors influencing preschoolers' emotional eating.

Emotional eating, which refers to eating in response to emotional states, is prevalent in early childhood. Executive function (EF) and sleep problems are related to preschoolers' self-regulatory abilities during the day and night and have been reported to be associated with their emotional eating. These associations can be stronger in emotionally stressful situations, such as controlling feeding practices. This study explored the role of preschoolers' EF and sleep problems as child characteristics, as well as maternal feeding practices as environmental factors influencing emotional eating during the preschool period. Participants included 363 Korean mothers with preschoolers aged 3- to 5-years old (190 boys, 173 girls). Mothers reported on their own feeding practices, and preschoolers' EF, sleep problems, and emotional eating. Results indicated that preschoolers' EF was negatively associated with emotional over- and undereating, and this association was stronger when mothers applied more pressure to eat. Maternal monitoring had a similar effect, with emotional overeating exerting a greater impact with low levels of maternal monitoring. Finally, maternal pressure to eat moderated the influence of preschoolers' sleep problems on emotional overeating, with higher pressure to eat predicting a stronger relationship between sleep problems and emotional overeating. These findings suggest that maternal feeding practices, which are relatively modifiable, should be considered an important element in intervention programs aimed at preventing emotional eating in preschool children.

Effects of an Early Exercise Program with Cryotherapy on Range of Motion, Pain, Swelling, and Gait in Patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of cryotherapy on range of motion, pain, swelling, and gait in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. Methods: Forty-three patients who underwent TKA (total knee arthroplasty) and met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 22) groups underwent cryotherapy and non-cryotherapy treatments, respectively, six times a week for two weeks, and once each before and after exercise for 3 min. Both groups followed a similar initial rehabilitation exercise program using a continuous passive motion device. Results: The results showed a significant difference in knee flexion range of motion, pain, edema, and 10 MWT comparisons from pre- to post-test (p < 0.001). The above values were also significantly different in the comparison between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Therefore, this study confirmed that an initial rehabilitation exercise program accompanied by cryotherapy could be an effective intervention method for range of motion, pain, edema, and walking in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

Corydalis ternata Nakai Alleviates Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease by Reducing ß-Amyloid and Neuroinflammation.

Recently, natural herbs have gained increasing attention owing to their comparatively low toxicity levels and the abundance of historical medical documentation regarding their use. Nevertheless, owing to a lack of knowledge regarding these herbs and their compounds, attempts to find those that could be beneficial for treating diseases have often been ad hoc; thus, there is now a growing demand for an in silico method to identify beneficial herbs. In this study, we present a computational approach for identifying natural herbs specifically effective in treating cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) sufferers, which analyzes the similarities between herbal compounds and known drugs targeting AD-related proteins. Our in silico method suggests that Corydalis ternata can improve cognitive decline in AD sufferers. Behavioral tests with an AD mouse model for the confirmation of the in silico prediction reveals that C. ternata significantly alleviated the cognitive decline (memory and motor functions) caused by neurodegeneration. Further pathology analyses reveal that C. ternata decreases the level of Aß plaques, reduces neuroinflammation, and promotes autophagy flux, and thus C. ternata can be clinically effective for preventing mild cognitive impairment during the early stages of AD. These findings highlight the potential utility of our in silico method and the potential clinical application of the identified natural herb in treating and preventing AD.

Cardiovascular hardware simulator and artificial aorta-generated central blood pressure waveform database according to various vascular ages for cardiovascular health monitoring applications.

This study presents a database of central blood pressure waveforms according to cardiovascular health conditions, to supplement the lack of clinical data in cardiovascular health research, constructed by a cardiovascular simulator. Blood pressure (BP) is the most frequently measured biomarker, and in addition to systolic and diastolic pressure, its waveform represents the various conditions of cardiovascular health. A BP waveform is formed by overlapping the forward and reflected waves, which are affected by the pulse wave velocity (PWV). The increase in vascular stiffness with aging increases PWV, and the PWV-age distribution curve is called vascular age. For cardiovascular health research, extensive data of central BP waveform is essential, but the clinical data published so far are insufficient and imbalanced in quantity and quality. This study reproduces the central BP waveform using a cardiovascular hardware simulator and artificial aortas, which mimic the physiological structure and properties of the human. The simulator can adjust cardiovascular health conditions to the same level as humans, such as heart rate of 40-100 BPM, stroke volume of 40-100 mL, and peripheral resistance of 12 steps. Also, 6 artificial aortas with vascular ages in the 20-70 were fabricated to reproduce the increase in vascular stiffness due to aging. Vascular age calculated from measured stiffness of artificial aorta and central BP waveform showed an error of less than 3 years from the clinical value. Through this, a total of 636 waveforms were created to construct a central BP waveform database according to controlled various cardiovascular health conditions.

Fermented mixed grain ameliorates chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior and memory deficit.

Fermented mixed grain (FG) has beneficial anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of FG on gut inflammation, brain dysfunction, and anxiety/depression-like behavior induced by unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) in mice. Mice were administered mixed grain or FG for 3 weeks and were then exposed to UCMS for 4 weeks. FG administration ameliorated stress-induced anxiety/despair-like behavior. FG administration also prevented UCMS-induced memory impairment. Additionally, the mRNA levels of 5-HTR1A and IL-6 were restored to normal levels in the brains of FG-administered mice. FG administration also inhibited intestinal damage in stressed mice compared with that in the UCMS (without FG) group. These results suggest that FG can alleviate stress-induced intestinal damage, brain dysfunction, and cognitive impairment.