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Near‐infrared organic photodetectors (NIR‐OPDs) play important roles in medical monitoring, bio‐imaging and night vision, etc. Among them, bulk heterojunction (BHJ)‐based photodiode type NIR‐OPDs exhibit extraordinary characteristics in photoresponse and photosensitivity. However, their dark current density (Jd) often increases severely as the bias voltage increases, which seriously reduces detection sensitivity for NIR light. Here, a novel structure of dual external electron injection barrier layers (DEBLs) composed of "m‐MTDATA/DPEPO:HAT‐CN" is proposed to overcome this challenge. For DEBLs, a barrier is established with high injection barrier and long effective injection barrier width to prevent external electrons injection under bias voltage for suppressing Jd (4.22 × 10−8 A cm−2 better than 1.47 × 10−5 A cm−2 of the traditional device at −2 V). More importantly, photo‐generated carriers have almost no loss through DEBLs. Therefore, high and stable detectivity (D*) over 1013 Jones are realized under 850 nm from 0 V to nearly −1 V and even far over 1012 Jones at −2 V. More strikingly, the structure of DEBLs is proven to be effective and universal in NIR‐OPDs and the device based on it successfully realize the real‐time heart rate monitoring of various human states, which exhibits great potential in human health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are increasingly important in the medical diagnosis of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. However, research has shown that DNNs are highly vulnerable to adversarial examples, which can be created by carefully crafted perturbations. This vulnerability can lead to potential medical accidents. This poses new challenges for the application of DNNs in the medical diagnosis of ECG signals. This paper proposes a novel network Channel Activation Suppression with Lipschitz Constraints Net (CASLCNet), which employs the Channel-wise Activation Suppressing (CAS) strategy to dynamically adjust the contribution of different channels to the class prediction and uses the 1-Lipschitz's ℓ∞ distance network as a robust classifier to reduce the impact of adversarial perturbations on the model itself in order to increase the adversarial robustness of the model. The experimental results demonstrate that CASLCNet achieves A C C r o b u s t scores of 91.03% and 83.01% when subjected to PGD attacks on the MIT-BIH and CPSC2018 datasets, respectively, which proves that the proposed method in this paper enhances the model's adversarial robustness while maintaining a high accuracy rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a digital morphological filtering method based on a novel structuring element (SE) formulated using fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) and cross-convolution of window functions. The highlighting feature of this newly formulated filter is its flexibility in adding an adaptive nature to classical morphological filtering. Until now, every method listed in the literature makes a convenient assumption that noises corrupting ECG signal are Gaussian and model the filter around this assumption. Addressing this shortcoming, the first-of-its-kind filter adopts the α -stable distribution model (of which Gaussian distribution is a special case) of noise to better replicate the real-time noises interfering with ECG signals. The designed filter can suppress the noise and adapt to the changes in ECG signal morphology for better reconstruction. The proposed filter is tested on MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database. The simulation results show improved performance in several quantitative metrics, demonstrating the superiority of our suggested method over the currently used state-of-the-art techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the definition and causes of neonatal bradycardias. Methods: This retrospective study included 135 term‐born newborns referred for 24‐hour Holter monitoring due to bradycardia. Bradycardia was defined as either a heart rate below 80 beats per minute (standard definition) or a heart rate below our recently published age‐specific reference values for neonatal heart rate. Results: The mean (SD) age was 6.1 (1.3) days. With standard definition, 107 newborns (79%) had bradycardia, whereas only 20 (15%) had a minimum heart rate lower than the age‐specific reference. Younger newborns had lower heart rates. Each day increased the minimum, mean and maximum heart rate by 1.8 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.6), 4.2 (95% CI: 3.0, 5.3) and 2.1 beats per minute (95% CI: 0.3, 3.8), respectively. Male sex and maternal levothyroxine medication were negatively associated with the mean and maximum heart rate. None of the newborns had a cardiac cause for low heart rate. Conclusion: Among term newborns with bradycardias, younger age, male sex and maternal levothyroxine medication were associated with a lower heart rate on Holter monitoring. Given the age‐related increase in heart rate, the 80 beats per minute limit as a universal threshold for abnormal heart rate in newborns appears inappropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a boxing exergame for 20 min, with or without BFR, across two sessions. Perceived enjoyment levels were assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Heart rate was monitored, and energy expenditure (EE) during exercise was calculated. A mixed model analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to evaluate differences in EE and enjoyment between exergame conditions (with and without BFR) as well as the interaction effects of these protocols with gender. Although not statistically significant, perceived enjoyment decreased with BFR inclusion for both genders. No significant differences were observed between men and women for both protocols. Regarding EE, there was no significant difference between the two groups (with and without BFR). However, a significant main effect of gender was found, with men exhibiting higher EE values in both protocols compared to women. In conclusion, exergames incorporating BFR impact perceptual responses, particularly perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, significant gender differences in EE were found, with men displaying higher values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new approach for wide angle monitoring of vital signs in smart home applications. The person is tracked using an indoor radar. Upon detecting the person to be static, the radar automatically focuses its beam on that location, and subsequently breathing and heart rates are extracted from the reflected signals using continuous wavelet transform ( C W T ) analysis. In this way, leveraging the radar's on-chip processor enables real-time monitoring of vital signs across varying angles. In our experiment, we employ a commercial multi-input multi-output (MIMO) millimeter-wave FMCW radar to monitor vital signs within a range of 1.15 to 2.3 m and an angular span of − 44.8 to + 44.8 deg. In the Bland–Altman plot, the measured results indicate the average difference of − 1.5 and 0.06 beats per minute (BPM) relative to the reference for heart rate and breathing rate, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, the real-time monitoring of residents' sports health service system has become a key demand. As a common optical sensing technology, light sensor has the advantages of high sensitivity and real-time performance. Therefore, this paper discusses the application potential of real-time monitoring of Internet of Things based on light sensor in residents' physical health service system, and evaluates its effectiveness and feasibility in monitoring users' movement, physical signs and environmental information. A real-time monitoring system of Internet of Things based on light sensor is designed and integrated into the residents' sports health service system. Multiple optical sensor modules are used to collect real-time user movement, physical signs and environmental information. By analyzing and processing sensor data, the performance of the system in real-time monitoring of user movement, physical signs and environmental information was evaluated. Experiments show that the real-time monitoring system based on light sensor can effectively monitor the user's movement, physical signs and environmental information in real time. The system has a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy, and can accurately identify the user's type of exercise, heart rate changes, and environmental parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an innovative non-contact heart rate monitoring method based on Wi-Fi Channel State Information (CSI). This approach integrates both amplitude and phase information of the CSI signal through rotational projection, aiming to optimize the accuracy of heart rate estimation in home environments. We develop a frequency domain subcarrier selection algorithm based on Heartbeat to subcomponent ratio (HSR) and design a complete set of signal filtering and subcarrier selection processes to further enhance the accuracy of heart rate estimation. Heart rate estimation is conducted by combining the peak frequencies of multiple subcarriers. Extensive experimental validations demonstrate that our method exhibits exceptional performance under various environmental conditions. The experimental results show that our subcarrier selection method for heart rate estimation achieves an average accuracy of 96.8%, with a median error of only 0.8 bpm, representing an approximately 20% performance improvement over existing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of microwave Doppler radar in non-contact vital sign detection is significant; however, prevailing radar-based heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring technologies often necessitate data lengths surpassing 10 s, leading to increased detection latency and inaccurate HRV estimates. To address this problem, this paper introduces a novel network integrating a frequency representation module and a residual in residual module for the precise estimation and tracking of HR from concise time series, followed by HRV monitoring. The network adeptly transforms radar signals from the time domain to the frequency domain, yielding high-resolution spectrum representation within specified frequency intervals. This significantly reduces latency and improves HRV estimation accuracy by using data that are only 4 s in length. This study uses simulation data, Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave radar-measured data, and Continuous-Wave radar data to validate the model. Experimental results show that despite the shortened data length, the average heart rate measurement accuracy of the algorithm remains above 95% with no loss of estimation accuracy. This study contributes an efficient heart rate variability estimation algorithm to the domain of non-contact vital sign detection, offering significant practical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive use of social media has raised concerns about its potential detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Others have demonstrated a relationship between social media use and anxiety, depression, and psychosocial stress. In light of these studies, we examined physiological indicators of stress (heart rate to measure autonomic nervous system activation and cortisol to assess activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) associated with social media use and investigated possible moderating influences of sex, age, and psychological parameters. We collected physiological data from 59 subjects ranging in age from 13 to 55 across two cell phone treatments: social media use and a pre-selected YouTube playlist. Heart rate was measured using arm-band heart rate monitors before and during cell phone treatments, and saliva was collected for later cortisol analysis (by enzyme immunoassay) before and after each of the two cell phone treatments. To disentangle the effects of cell phone treatment from order of treatment, we used a crossover design in which participants were randomized to treatment order. Our study uncovered a significant period effect suggesting that both heart rate and cortisol decreased over the duration of our experiment, irrespective of the type of cell phone activity or the order of treatments. There was no indication that age, sex, habits of social media use, or psychometric parameters moderated the physiological response to cell phone activities. Our data suggest that 20-minute bouts of social media use or YouTube viewing do not elicit a physiological stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the embodied ways in which learners monitor their cognition while learning about exponential functions in an immersive virtual reality (VR) based game, Pandemic by Prisms of Reality. Traditionally, metacognitive monitoring has been assessed through behavioural traces and verbalised instances. When learning in VR, learners are fully immersed in the learning environment, actively manipulating it based on affordances designed to support learning, offering insights into the relationship between physical interaction and metacognition. The study collected multimodal data from 15 participants, including think‐aloud audio, bird's‐eye view video recordings and physiological data. Metacognitive monitoring was analysed through qualitative coding of the think‐aloud protocol, while movement was measured via optical flow analysis and cognitive load was assessed through heart rate variability analysis. The results revealed embodied metacognition by aligning the data to identify learners' physical states alongside their verbalised metacognition. The findings demonstrated a temporal interplay among cognitive load, metacognitive monitoring, and motion during VR‐based learning. Specifically, cognitive load, indicated by the low‐ and high‐frequency heart rate variability index, predicted instances of metacognitive monitoring, and monitoring predicted learners' motion while interacting with the VR environment. This study further provides future directions in understanding self‐regulated learning processes during VR learning by utilizing multimodal data to inform real‐time adaptive personalised support within these environments. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Immersive virtual reality (VR) environments have the potential to offer personalised support based on users' individual needs and characteristics.Self‐regulated learning (SRL) involves learners monitoring their progress and strategically regulating their learning when needed.Multimodal data captured during VR learning, such as birds‐eye‐view video, screen recordings, physiological changes and verbalisations, can provide insights into learners' SRL processes and support needs.What this paper adds Provides insights into the embodied aspects of learners' metacognitive monitoring during learning in an immersive VR environment.Demonstrates how SRL processes can be captured via the collection and analysis of multimodal data, including think‐aloud audio, bird's‐eye view video recordings and physiological data, to capture metacognitive monitoring and movement during VR‐based learning.Contributes to the understanding of the interplay between cognitive load, metacognitive monitoring, and motion in immersive VR learning.Implications for practice and/or policy Researchers and practitioners can use the causal relationships identified in this study to identify instances of SRL in an immersive VR setting.Educational technology developers can consider the integration of online measures, such as cognitive load and physiological arousal, into adaptive VR environments to enable real‐time personalised support for learners based on their self‐regulatory needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-injection locking scheme has the potential to narrow the linewidth of lasers in a compact setup. Here, we report a narrow linewidth laser source near 1 μm by the self-injection locking scheme using a Fabry–Pérot (FP) hollow resonator with a high-quality factor (Q > 108). The measured fundamental linewidth of the laser is 41 Hz, and a coarse tuning range over 5.5 nm is achieved by changing the driving current of the laser source. Meanwhile, a fine-tuning range of 373 MHz is achieved without mode hops by changing the voltage applied to the PZT on the resonator. More importantly, benefiting from the low thermal refractive noise and low thermal expansion of the FP hollow resonator, the beat-note linewidth and the frequency Allan deviation are measured to be 510.3 Hz in and 10−11 (1 s of averaging time), respectively, by using a fully stabilized frequency comb as a reference. Such a high-performance laser is fully integrated with a palm-sized package (52.3 ml) for field-deployable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent photoconductive behavior caused by traps in the active materials usually weakens the sensitivity and stability of photodetectors. Herein, tellurium (Te) microwire and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites were developed as functional flexible substrates to improve the near-infrared (NIR) photoresponse performance of MoS2:Er-based devices with the metal–semiconductor–metal structure. The flexible photodetector exhibits a rise/fall time of ∼2.9–3.1 ms, a responsivity of ∼0.28 mA W−1, and a detectivity of ∼1.41 × 1010 Jones under 808 nm irradiation. The enhanced mechanism can be attributed to the charge transfer between Te microwires and MoS2:Er films, which suppresses the dark current of the device and optimizes the generation process of electron–hole pairs under light illumination. Meanwhile, the flexibility of the device allows it to be employed in human heart rate monitoring. This work offers a simple and essential strategy for constructing integrated flexible NIR photodetectors with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Awareness during anesthesia is a major anesthetic concern. Depth of anesthesia is commonly assessed in clinical practice by the patient’s clinical signs and symptoms such as blood pressure, heart rate variability, and body movement. At present, many studies have focused on qCON monitoring for sedative depth, but only a few studies have focused on qNOX monitoring for analgesic depth. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relative efficacy of qCON and qNOX versus commonly used vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate in monitoring the anesthetic depth and analgesia. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients of either sex and of ASA Physical status I & II, scheduled for urogenital surgeries, were selected and randomly placed into two groups. Group A was monitored by conventional clinical technique and Group B was monitored by qCON and qNOX indices. The primary outcome was the total dose of propofol and fentanyl required to maintain the depth of anesthesia and analgesia. The secondary outcomes were propofol and fentanyl adjustment frequency, infusion duration, and quality of recovery from anesthesia. Results: Results showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in mean dose of both propofol (P=0.000) and fentanyl (P=0.006), adjustment frequency of both propofol (P=0.000) and fentanyl (P=0.010), time required to voluntary eye-opening (P=0.000) and extubation time (P=0.000) and visual analog scale score (P=0.000). There was no statistically significant difference found in infusion duration (P=0.317) and Ramsay Sedation Score (P=0.709) between the groups. Conclusion: Using the qCON and qNOX indices, an anesthesiologist can monitor the depth of anesthesia and analgesia more effectively and can adjust the anesthetic or analgesic drug dosing in a better possible way with lesser requirement of drugs than with conventional clinical monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed the publication of many research articles regarding the contactless measurement and monitoring of heart rate signals deduced from facial video recordings. The techniques presented in these articles, such as examining the changes in the heart rate of an infant, provide a noninvasive assessment in many cases where the direct placement of any hardware equipment is undesirable. However, performing accurate measurements in cases that include noise motion artifacts still presents an obstacle to overcome. In this research article, a two-stage method for noise reduction in facial video recording is proposed. The first stage of the system consists of dividing each (30) seconds of the acquired signal into (60) partitions and then shifting each partition to the mean level before recombining them to form the estimated heart rate signal. The second stage utilizes the wavelet transform for denoising the signal obtained from the first stage. The denoised signal is compared to a reference signal acquired from a pulse oximeter, resulting in the mean bias error (0.13), root mean square error (3.41) and correlation coefficient (0.97). The proposed algorithm is applied to (33) individuals being subjected to a normal webcam for acquiring their video recording, which can easily be performed at homes, hospitals, or any other environment. Finally, it is worth noting that this noninvasive remote technique is useful for acquiring the heart signal while preserving social distancing, which is a desirable feature in the current period of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is crucial in assessing patient decisions. However, portable ECG devices capable of acquiring a complete 12-lead ECG are scarce. For the first time, a deep learning-based method is proposed to reconstruct the 12-lead ECG from Frank leads (VX, VY, and VZ) or EASI leads (VES, VAS, and VAI). The innovative ECG reconstruction network called M2Eformer is composed of a 2D-ECGblock and a ProbDecoder module. The 2D-ECGblock module adaptively segments EASI leads into multi-periods based on frequency energy, transforming the 1D time series into a 2D tensor representing within-cycle and between-cycle variations. The ProbDecoder module aims to extract Probsparse self-attention and achieve one-step output for the target leads. Experimental results from comparing recorded and reconstructed 12-lead ECG using Frank leads indicate that M2Eformer outperforms traditional ECG reconstruction methods on a public database. In this study, a self-constructed database (10 healthy individuals + 15 patients) was utilized for the clinical diagnostic validation of ECG reconstructed from EASI leads. Subsequently, both the ECG reconstructed using EASI and the recorded 12-lead ECG were subjected to a double-blind diagnostic experiment conducted by three cardiologists. The overall diagnostic consensus among three cardiology experts, reaching a rate of 96%, indicates the significant utility of EASI-reconstructed 12-lead ECG in facilitating the diagnosis of cardiac conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near‐infrared (NIR) phosphor‐converted (pc) light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are gaining popularity as smart NIR spectroscopy light sources. However, the low wall‐plug efficiency (WPE) of NIR pc‐LEDs has limited their applications due to the comprehensive properties of external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) and thermal stability for NIR phosphors. In this study, a simple strategy is presented to achieve high‐performance NIR phosphors by breaking the d–d parity forbidden transitions of Cr3+ in the garnet host by introducing asymmetric vibrations via lattice distortions. The achieved EQE is as high as 44% at room temperature and maintains >98% of the initial EQE at 150 °C, demonstrating excellent thermal stability. Notably, these NIR phosphors enable unprecedented NIR pc‐LEDs with a record WPE of 26% driven at 100 mA. Consequently, the application of NIR pc‐LEDs is expanded to new areas such as real‐time heart rate monitoring and fingerprint recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined the feasibility of Project Mentor, a mentoring program based on self-determination theory (SDT) for youth classified as overweight or obese. Methods: In Study 1, youth (N = 23) ranging from 12-18 years of age were randomly assigned to a mentoring intervention or wait-list control condition. Study 2 served as a replication sample and consisted of N = 38 youth who participated in the mentoring program. As part of a process evaluation, attendance and exercise heart rate were monitored to assess whether participants exercised at a moderate-to-vigorous level as intended. Mentees also rated whether mentors created a need-supportive environment. For outcome evaluation, basic need satisfaction, behavioral regulation, fitness, and body composition were assessed at pre, post, and follow-up. Results: Across both studies, participants attended over 80% of the exercise sessions and exercised at a moderate to vigorous intensity level. Mentees also perceived that mentors created a need-supportive environment. Post-test and follow-up basic need scores were higher than baseline values and autonomous motivation increased for mentoring program participants. Effect sizes were generally moderate to large in magnitude based on partial eta-squared and Cohen d. Aerobic fitness (i.e., Vo2peak) showed a moderate to large increase at post-test that was partially maintained at follow-up. Body composition changes were nonsignificant and small in magnitude. Participants in the wait-list control reported showed small changes or decreases across SDT related constructs, fitness, and body composition across both studies. Conclusions: Results across both studies support the feasibility of a mentoring program focused on CARE (competence, autonomy, relatedness, and enjoyment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly evolving landscape of continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring systems, there is a heightened demand for non-invasive sensors capable of measuring ECGs and detecting heart rate variability (HRV) in diverse populations, ranging from cardiovascular patients to sports enthusiasts. Challenges like device accuracy, patient privacy, signal noise, and long-term safety impede the use of wearable devices in clinical practice. This scoping review aims to assess the performance and safety of novel multi-channel, sensor-based biopotential wearable devices in adults. A comprehensive search strategy was employed on four databases, resulting in 143 records and the inclusion of 12 relevant studies. Most studies focused on healthy adult subjects (n = 6), with some examining controlled groups with atrial fibrillation (AF) (n = 3), long QT syndrome (n = 1), and sleep apnea (n = 1). The investigated bio-sensor devices included chest-worn belts (n = 2), wrist bands (n = 2), adhesive chest strips (n = 2), and wearable textile smart clothes (n = 4). The primary objective of the included studies was to evaluate device performance in terms of accuracy, signal quality, comparability, and visual assessment of ECGs. Safety findings, reported in five articles, indicated no major side effects for long-term/continuous monitoring, with only minor instances of skin irritation. Looking forward, there are ample opportunities to enhance and test these technologies across various physical activity intensities and clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by a variety of enteroviruses, and occurs in large outbreaks in which a small proportion of children deteriorate rapidly with cardiopulmonary failure. Determining which children are likely to deteriorate is difficult and health systems may become overloaded during outbreaks as many children require hospitalization for monitoring. Heart rate variability (HRV) may help distinguish those with more severe diseases but requires simple scalable methods to collect ECG data. We carried out a prospective observational study to examine the feasibility of using wearable devices to measure HRV in 142 children admitted with HFMD at a children's hospital in Vietnam. ECG data were collected in all children. HRV indices calculated were lower in those with enterovirus A71 associated HFMD compared to those with other viral pathogens. HRV analysis collected from wearable devices is feasible in a low and middle income country (LMIC) and may help classify disease severity in HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of radar technology for non-contact measurement of vital parameters is increasingly being examined in scientific studies. Based on a systematic literature search in the PubMed, German National Library, Austrian Library Network (Union Catalog), Swiss National Library and Common Library Network databases, the accuracy of heart rate and/or respiratory rate measurements by means of radar technology was analyzed. In 37% of the included studies on the measurement of the respiratory rate and in 48% of those on the measurement of the heart rate, the maximum deviation was 5%. For a tolerated deviation of 10%, the corresponding percentages were 85% and 87%, respectively. However, the quantitative comparability of the results available in the current literature is very limited due to a variety of variables. The elimination of the problem of confounding variables and the continuation of the tendency to focus on the algorithm applied will continue to constitute a central topic of radar-based vital parameter measurement. Promising fields of application of research can be found in particular in areas that require non-contact measurements. This includes infection events, emergency medicine, disaster situations and major catastrophic incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological development has boosted the use of multi-sensor devices to monitor athletes' performance, but the location and connectivity between devices have been shown to affect data reliability. This preliminary study aimed to determine whether the placement of a multi-sensor device (WIMU PROTM) could affect the heart rate signal reception (GARMINTM chest strap) and, therefore, data accuracy. Thirty-two physical education students (20 men and 12 women) performed 20 min of exercise in a cycle ergometer based on the warm-up of the Function Threshold Power 20 test in laboratory conditions, carrying two WIMU PROTM devices (Back: inter-scapula; Bicycle: bicycle's handlebar—20 cm from the chest) and two GARMINTM chest straps. A one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping test found full agreement between the two situations (inter-scapula vs. bicycle's handlebar). Excellent intra-class correlation values were obtained during the warm-up (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001), the time trial test (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001) and the cool-down (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001). The Bland–Altman plots confirmed the total agreement with a bias value of 0.00 ± 0.1 bpm. The interscapular back placement of the WIMU PROTM device does not affect heart rate measurement accuracy with a GARMINTM chest strap during cycling exercise in laboratory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring key physiological metrics, including heart rate and heart rate variability, has been shown to be of value in exercise science, disease management, and overall health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diurnal variation of physiological responses and physical performances using digital biomarkers as a precise measurement tool during a walking football match (WFM) in higher-weight men. Nineteen males (mean age: 42.53 ± 12.18 years; BMI: 33.31 ± 4.31 kg·m−2) were engaged in a WFM at two different times of the day. Comprehensive evaluations of physiological parameters (e.g., cardiac autonomic function, lactate, glycemia, and oxygen saturation), along with physical performance, were assessed before, during, and after the match. Overall, there was a significant interaction (time of day x WFM) for mean blood pressure (MBP) (p = 0.007) and glycemia (p = 0.039). Glycemia decreased exclusively in the evening after WFM (p = 0.001), while mean blood pressure did not significantly change. Rating of perceived exertion was significantly higher in the evening than in the morning (p = 0.04), while the heart rate recovery after 1 min (HRR60s) of the match was lower in the evening than in the morning (p = 0.048). Overall, walking football practice seems to be safe, whatever the time of day. Furthermore, HRR60, glycemia, and (MBP) values were lower in the evening compared to the morning, suggesting that evening exercise practice could be safer for individuals with higher weight. The utilization of digital biomarkers for monitoring health status during WFM has been shown to be efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combination devices to monitor heart rate/rhythms and physical activity are becoming increasingly popular in research and clinical settings. The Zio XT Patch (iRhythm Technologies, San Francisco, CA, USA) is US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for monitoring heart rhythms, but the validity of its accelerometer for assessing physical activity is unknown. Objective: To validate the accelerometer in the Zio XT Patch for measuring physical activity against the widely-used ActiGraph GT3X. Methods: The Zio XT and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT (Actigraph, Pensacola, FL, USA) were worn simultaneously in two separately-funded ancillary studies to Visit 6 of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (2016–2017). Zio XT was worn on the chest and ActiGraph was worn on the hip. Raw accelerometer data were summarized using mean absolute deviation (MAD) for six different epoch lengths (1-min, 5-min, 10-min, 30-min, 1-h, and 2-h). Participants who had ≥3 days of at least 10 h of valid data between 7 a.m–11 p.m were included. Agreement of epoch-level MAD between the two devices was evaluated using correlation and mean squared error (MSE). Results: Among 257 participants (average age: 78.5 ± 4.7 years; 59.1% female), there were strong correlations between MAD values from Zio XT and ActiGraph (average r: 1-min: 0.66, 5-min: 0.90, 10-min: 0.93, 30-min: 0.93, 1-h: 0.89, 2-h: 0.82), with relatively low error values (Average MSE × 106: 1-min: 349.37 g, 5-min: 86.25 g, 10-min: 56.80 g, 30-min: 45.46 g, 1-h: 52.56 g, 2-h: 54.58 g). Conclusions: These findings suggest that Zio XT accelerometry is valid for measuring duration, frequency, and intensity of physical activity within time epochs of 5-min to 2-h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The physiological examination of boxing has been limited to systemic response in amateur athletes. The demands of professional boxing have been overlooked, despite the different competition format. We sought to determine the physiological demands placed on skeletal muscle in professional boxing. Methods: Ten male professional boxers (age 26 ± 5 years, height 177 ± 4 cm, weight 71 ± 6 kg) were recruited for this observational study. On different days, the athletes completed 6 × 3 min rounds of pad, bag or spar-based training with 1 min recovery between each round. Prior to each session, participants put on a heart rate monitor and near-infrared spectroscopy attached to the belly of the rectus femoris muscle to record heart rate and muscle oxygenation. Results: There were significantly less punches thrown in sparring compared to other training modalities (p < 0.001). Skeletal muscle oxygenation across training modalities consisted of a delay, fast desaturation and steady state. Across rounds there was a significant increase in time delay for desaturation (p = 0.016), rate of fast desaturation (p < 0.001) and duration of fast desaturation (p = 0.019). There was a significant difference in sparring for the heart rate where skeletal muscle oxygenation changes occurred compared to pads or bag sessions (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings highlight differences in the skeletal muscle response to the different training modalities. Practitioners need to be aware of the muscular demands of each session to allow optimal adaptation across a training camp. Training needs to allow the skeletal muscle to achieve a new oxygenation steady state rapidly to promote efficient performance across rounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgery is a common first-line treatment for many types of disease, including cancer. Mortality rates after general elective surgery have seen significant decreases whilst postoperative complications remain a frequent occurrence. Preoperative assessment tools are used to support patient risk stratification but do not always provide a precise and accessible assessment. Wearable sensors (WS) provide an accessible alternative that offers continuous monitoring in a non-clinical setting. They have shown consistent uptake across the perioperative period but there has been no review of WS as a preoperative assessment tool. This paper reviews the developments in WS research that have application to the preoperative period. Accelerometers were consistently employed as sensors in research and were frequently combined with photoplethysmography or electrocardiography sensors. Pre-processing methods were discussed and missing data was a common theme; this was dealt with in several ways, commonly by employing an extraction threshold or using imputation techniques. Research rarely processed raw data; commercial devices that employ internal proprietary algorithms with pre-calculated heart rate and step count were most commonly employed limiting further feature extraction. A range of machine learning models were used to predict outcomes including support vector machines, random forests and regression models. No individual model clearly outperformed others. Deep learning proved successful for predicting exercise testing outcomes but only within large sample-size studies. This review outlines the challenges of WS and provides recommendations for future research to develop WS as a viable preoperative assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart rate is a key vital sign that can be used to understand an individual's health condition. Recently, remote sensing techniques, especially acoustic-based sensing, have received increasing attention for their ability to non-invasively detect heart rate via commercial mobile devices such as smartphones and smart speakers. However, due to signal interference, existing methods have primarily focused on monitoring a single user and required a large separation between them when monitoring multiple people. These limitations hinder many common use cases such as couples sharing the same bed or two or more people located in close proximity. In this paper, we present an approach that can minimize interference and thereby enable simultaneous heart rate monitoring of multiple individuals in close proximity using a commonly available smart speaker prototype. Our user study, conducted under various real-life scenarios, demonstrates the system's accuracy in sensing two users' heart rates when they are seated next to each other with a median error of 0.66 beats per minute (bpm). Moreover, the system can successfully monitor up to four people in close proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body's glucose concentration is influenced by carbohydrate intake, insulin-induced carbohydrate reduction, and hepatic glycogen breakdown induced by stress hormones. This study investigated the potential of employing glucose fluctuations as a measure of stress by examining the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) data and glucose levels during sleep in healthy subjects. In this cross-sectional study, a chest-worn electrocardiogram (ECG) and continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM) were respectively used to monitor the heart rate intervals and glucose fluctuations of five subjects (two males, three females) during sleep. A time-series correlation analysis was performed on the HRV data extracted from heart rate intervals and the corresponding glucose fluctuation data. The time-series analysis of ECG and CGM data collected from subjects during sleep (n = 25 nights) revealed a moderate negative correlation between glucose levels and HRV, with a cross-correlation coefficient of r = −0.453. Similar to HRV, changes in stress levels can be detected by observing glucose fluctuations, particularly during sleep when the impact of food intake can be eliminated. Our findings highlight a significant correlation between glucose levels and HRV, indicating that glucose fluctuations can be used as an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity in an exploratory study. • Glucose levels were analyzed to assess their correlation with heart rate variability (HRV). • A cross-sectional study using continuous glucose monitoring and chest-worn electrocardiogram devices to collect data during sleep. • Glucose fluctuations can serve as an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Two of the fundamental pillars of animal welfare are stress-free management and treatment. The extensive farming of cattle involves minimal human contact. However, regular veterinary treatments and vaccinations require restraining cattle with headlocks in crates in order to ensure the safety of workers. Since these animals are usually kept in herds and mainly graze freely, this procedure is a high-stress situation for them. Animals can vocalize a number of sounds as part of their behavior. For example, dams have a special nasal vocalization toward their calves with a calming effect. We hypothesized that, by removing noises, selecting the most representative part, and creating a repeated sound, this kind of nasal vocalization would have a calming effect on cattle restrained in headlocks. Our results show that the played processed nasal vocalization of a mother cow reduced the stress experienced by cattle during the test. Sound analysis is an important field of research for improving precision livestock farming systems. If the information carried by livestock sounds is interpreted correctly, it could be used to improve management and welfare assessment in this field. Therefore, we hypothesized that the nasal vocalization of a mother cow could have a calming effect on conspecifics. The nasal vocalization in our study was recorded from a mother cow (not part of the test herd) while it was licking its day-old calf. The raw sound was analyzed, cleaned from noises, and the most representative vocalization was lengthened to two minutes. Thirty cows having calves were randomly selected from eighty Hungarian grey cattle cows. Two test days were selected, one week apart; the weather circumstances in both days were similar. The herd was collected in a paddock, and the test site (a restraining crate with a headlock) was 21 m away from them. The cows from the herd were gently moved to the restraining crate, and, after the installation of the headlock, Polar® heart rate monitors were fixed on the animals. The recording of the RR intervals was carried out for two minutes. On day one of the test, the processed nasal sound was played to every second cow during the heart rate monitoring. When the sound ended, the heart rate monitor was removed. On test day two, the sound and no sound treatments were switched among the participating cows. At the end of the measurement, the headlock was opened, letting the animals out voluntarily, and a flight test was performed along a 5 m distance. The time needed to pass the 5 m length was measured with a stopwatch and divided by the distance. The RR intervals were analyzed with the Kubios HRV Standard (ver. 3.5.0) software. The following data were recorded for the entire measurement: average and maximum heart rate; SD1 and SD2; pNN50; VLF, LF, and HF. The quasi-periodic signal detected in the sound analyses can hardly be heard, even when it is enhanced to the maximum. This can be considered a vibration probably caused by the basis of articulation, such as a vibration of the tongue, for example. The SD2/SD1 ratio (0.97 vs. 1.07 for the animals having no sound and sound played, respectively, p = 0.0110) and the flight speed (0.92 vs. 1.08 s/m for the animals having no sound and sound played, respectively, p = 0.0409) indicate that the sound treatment had a calming effect on the restrained cows. The day of the test did not influence any of the measured parameters; therefore, no effect of the routine was observed. The yes–no sequence of the sound treatment significantly reduced the pNN50 and flight speed values, suggesting a somewhat more positive association with the headlock and the effectiveness of the processed nasal sound. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that, by means of sound analyses, not only information about individuals and the herd can be gathered but that, with proper processing, the sound obtained can be used to improve animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the safety and effectiveness of consecutively administered ropinirole and apomorphine (both dopamine 2‐like receptor agonists) for emesis induction in dogs. Design: Prospective, crossover study design. Setting: Institutional animal research facility. Animals: Six healthy male purpose‐bred Beagle dogs. Interventions: Each dog received 4 treatments: (1) apomorphine infusion (21 μg/kg) over 30 minutes + ropinirole eye drops (3.75 mg/m2); (2) ropinirole infusion (108 μg/m2) over 30 minutes + apomorphine SC (100 μg/kg); (3) apomorphine SC (100 μg/kg) + ropinirole eye drops (7.5 mg/m2) after 30 minutes; and (4) ropinirole eye drops (7.5 mg/m2) + apomorphine SC (100 μg/kg) after 30 minutes. Infusions were administered via a catheter instrumented in the cephalic vein. Eye drops and SC injections were administered as described in the product inserts. Blood samples were taken for ropinirole and apomorphine concentration analysis before dosing and periodically following administrations. The washout period between the treatments was 5–7 days. Measurements and Main Results: Number of vomits and clinical signs were recorded. Alertness and heart rate were monitored in conjunction with blood sampling. The average number of vomits varied between 4.3 and 8.8 (range 1–16) following treatments. Signs of nausea, vomiting, and lethargy were seen in all individuals without significant differences between treatments. Moderate to marked, transient increase in heart rates was detected in all treatments. Infrequent noted side effects included ocular hyperemia, blepharospasms, and muscle tremors. Prior treatment with apomorphine significantly decreased the absorption of ropinirole eye drops. Conclusions: The safety and efficacy profiles of this experimental study support that ropinirole and apomorphine could be administered consecutively in cases where the treatment using 1 substance has resulted in an incomplete evacuation of the stomach contents, and the attending veterinarian considers the use of a different agent to have benefits that outweigh the risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing 24-hour services is an inevitable part of the health care system. Shift work and smoking are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease among nurses. This study aimed to investigate the effects of smoking and shift work on physiological parameters and blood factors among nurses. The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted among 300 nurses in Tehran's specialized and sub-specialized hospital in Tehran. To collect the data, the demographic questionnaire was used. A digital Blood Pressure Monitor and heart rate monitor were used to measure physiological parameters. Blood factors were collected from the results of medical records (Blood CBC). Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS-20 software. The combined effects of shift work and smoking showed that for people who are smokers and work in shifts, systolic blood pressure and BMI have a significant difference with day workers. Mean diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in shift workers and smokers were slightly higher than those of working day and non-smokers. At the same time, statistical analysis did not show a significant relationship between the parameters (p> 0.05). The results also showed that the concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides in shift workers and smokers was significantly different from day workers and non-smokers (p <0.05). Due to the importance of nurses' health as the main foundation of the health system, it is necessary to carry out intervention programs as well as more detailed studies and research on the effects of shift work and smoking on physiological parameters and blood parameters with lifestyle control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure both optimal health and performances, monitoring physiological and psychological states is of main importance for athletes. It is well known that monitoring heart rate variability and using validated questionnaires is useful for monitoring both the health and training status of athletes of different sports. Motorsports such as rally require high levels of physical and mental preparation thus information about psychophysiological status of rally athletes is fundamental. The aim of this study was to assess the autonomic regulation, stress, recovery conditions of one driver and one co-driver competing at the Italian National Rally Championship during their competition period. Heart rate variability parameters, acute recovery and stress states were assessed the day before, during the two days of race and the day following the races. Results showed that driver and co-driver had a sharp decrease of mean RR intervals, root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats, and standard deviation of the N-N interval during race days, while the stress index showed the inverse trend, and this behaviour was clearly visible in the Poincaré plots and power spectrum density graphs. The acute recovery and stress states questionnaire showed significant differences in recovery and stress scoring for the driver but not for the co-driver, although the trends were similar. This study describes the psychophysiological demands of a rally competition period suggesting that a daily evaluation of heart rate variability, recovery, stress states is useful for monitoring health status in rally athletes and could be implemented to make decision about training and recovery strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance flexible photodetectors are urgently demanded for application in many emerging domains including flexible, wearable, portable, and stretchable optoelectronics. In this work, a highly efficient flexible photodetector made of a Ti3C2Tx MXene/pyramidal thin Si heterostructure is successfully fabricated. Thanks to the remarkable light trapping effect as confirmed by numerical modeling based on finite‐element method, the as‐constructed detector demonstrates excellent photoresponse performance in a broadband wavelength spectrum. The optimal responsivity, specific detectivity, and response speed reach ≈530 mA W−1, ≈1.21 × 1012 Jones and 30/14 µs, respectively, at zero bias under near‐infrared light illumination. Specifically, the responsivity is greatly enhanced by ≈2.65 times, as compared with a planar counterpart. In addition, the light detector can maintain its outstanding photoresponse properties upon 1000 cycles of bending test or at diverse bending radii of curvature, owing to its prominent mechanical flexibility and robust bending endurance. Finally, the capability of monitoring the heart rate of a person in a wideband wavelength spectrum and at various bending radii of curvature is presented. The above results imply the huge potential of the flexible light detector for use in some applications such as wearable health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to discuss the load intensity monitoring in the training process of sitting volleyball, to help coaches understand the training status of athletes, and to provide a scientific basis for the follow-up training plan. Through big data technology, the physiological changes of athletes can be more accurately grasped. This includes classification and summary of exercise load intensity and experimental study of the relationship between heart rate and rating perceived exertion (RPE). Through monitoring the training process of a provincial women's sitting volleyball team, it is found that there is a significant positive correlation between athletes' RPE and average heart rate. This result shows that by monitoring the change in heart rate and RPE of athletes, athletes' training state and physical condition can be more accurately understood. The results reveal that through the use of big data technology and monitoring experiments, it is found that heart rate and RPE are effective monitoring indicators, which can scientifically reflect the load intensity during sitting volleyball training. The conclusions provide coaches with a more scientific basis for making training plans and useful references for sports involving people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation engages in a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid science. Draft Consensus on Science With Treatment Recommendations are posted online throughout the year, and this annual summary provides more concise versions of the final Consensus on Science With Treatment Recommendations from all task forces for the year. Topics addressed by systematic reviews this year include resuscitation of cardiac arrest from drowning, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adults and children, calcium during cardiac arrest, double sequential defibrillation, neuroprognostication after cardiac arrest for adults and children, maintaining normal temperature after preterm birth, heart rate monitoring methods for diagnostics in neonates, detection of exhaled carbon dioxide in neonates, family presence during resuscitation of adults, and a stepwise approach to resuscitation skills training. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the quality of the evidence, using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence-to-Decision Framework Highlights sections. In addition, the task forces list priority knowledge gaps for further research. Additional topics are addressed with scoping reviews and evidence updates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is debate whether nurses are active enough stemming from differences in measurement tools, clinical contexts, and nursing tasks. A descriptive case study concerning the use of device-based measures in combination with direct observation is presented to examine the effect of the nursing context and the discrepancies between different measurement tools for identifying nurses' on-shift activity levels. Methods: Data were collected across seven shifts in medical and surgical wards. Nurses' activity was assessed using accelerometry and heart rate monitoring, in addition to direct observation. Data graphs were plotted for each shift and measurement device, with direct observations used to contextualise the data and identify discrepancies. Results: Higher activity levels were recorded on-shift through heart rate monitoring (87%) compared to accelerometry (27%). This pattern was also observed specifically on early, late, and medical ward shifts. Data discrepancies between the two devices stemmed from the shift and (or) ward type, highlighting the importance of understanding the context of nursing duties when assessing nurses' activity levels. Conclusions: It is also vital that researchers, policymakers, and practitioners consider how they will measure nurses' occupational physical activity, which consequently will influence outcomes, and therefore, decisions around the need (or not) for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is debate whether nurses are active enough stemming from differences in measurement tools, clinical contexts, and nursing tasks. A descriptive case study concerning the use of device-based measures in combination with direct observation is presented to examine the effect of the nursing context and the discrepancies between different measurement tools for identifying nurses' on-shift activity levels. Methods: Data were collected across seven shifts in medical and surgical wards. Nurses' activity was assessed using accelerometry and heart rate monitoring, in addition to direct observation. Data graphs were plotted for each shift and measurement device, with direct observations used to contextualise the data and identify discrepancies. Results: Higher activity levels were recorded on-shift through heart rate monitoring (87%) compared to accelerometry (27%). This pattern was also observed specifically on early, late, and medical ward shifts. Data discrepancies between the two devices stemmed from the shift and (or) ward type, highlighting the importance of understanding the context of nursing duties when assessing nurses' activity levels. Conclusions: It is also vital that researchers, policymakers, and practitioners consider how they will measure nurses' occupational physical activity, which consequently will influence outcomes, and therefore, decisions around the need (or not) for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the best methods for assessing a baby's health is foetal electrocardiography (FECG). Previously restricted to more widespread global disorders such as common ischemia, it is new way to investigating foetal heart rate irregularities. Current prenatal monitoring practices ignore critical FECG waveform elements that are the foundation of both pediatric, adult cardiac assessment, and instead of focusing solely on the foetal heart rate. In this paper we proposed Double Multiply-and-Accumulate (MAC) approach used for package operators into a single DSP block of commercial FPGAs, theoretically doubling the calculation speed for FECG monitoring. For a variety of technical reasons, they were using the Space-Time Block Code (STBC) monitoring mode of operation. To strengthen the security of FECG monitoring, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) method may be used with the double MAC operators using STBC based FECG monitoring that has been developed. The solution was then assessed using state-of-the-art the Space-Time Block Code (STBC) based FECG techniques, and its validity was confirmed using Verilog simulation and FPGA synthesis. The calculation throughput of an STBC-based FECG monitoring system was found to be doubled using the Double MAC approach. Our implementation result demonstrates that keys are necessary for 128-bit AES encoding and decoding operations via VHDL-coded transformations. It is now more vital than ever to do a feasibility analysis of any hardware design due to the increase in the number of ways presented for minimizing noise. The efficiency increased (92%), and the delay was decreased to 19.35 ns by employing this double MAC architecture. The simulation results demonstrate that transformations for coding on an FPGA are implemented using the Xilinx VIVADO tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a continuous roll-to-roll electrochemical coating system for producing silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl)-coated yarns, and their application in e-textile electrodes for biosignal monitoring. Ag/AgCl is one of the most preferred electrode materials as an interface between the conductive backbone of an electrode and skin. E-textile Ag/AgCl-coated multi-filament nylon yarns offer stable, flexible, and breathable alternatives to standard rigid or flexible film-based Ag/AgCl electrodes. The developed system allows for highly controlled process parameters to achieve stable and uniform AgCl film deposition on Ag-coated nylon yarns. The electrical, electrochemical properties, and morphology of the coated yarns were characterized. Dry electrodes were fabricated and could measure electrocardiogram (ECG) signals with comparable performance to standard gel electrodes. Ag/AgCl e-textile electrodes demonstrated high stability, with low average polarization potential (1.22 mV/min) compared with Ag-coated electrodes (3.79 mV/min), low impedance (below 2 MΩ, 0.1–150 Hz), and are excellent candidates for heart rate detection and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at a high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A reduced chronotropic response (CR), which produces exercise intolerance, is known to be a contributing factor to CVD and mortality. Studies have shown that patients with RA have a reduced CR. However, knowledge of CR-related factors in patients with RA is limited. This study aimed to explore CR-related factors, including CVD risk factors, inflammatory markers, and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2PEAK). Methods: A total of 106 RA patients underwent a treadmill test, heart rate monitoring, and various assessments, including serological CVD risk factors, inflammatory markers, and VO2PEAK. Results: A total of 34% of participants demonstrated a reduced CR (≤80%). Body mass index, HOMA, hsCRP, and fibrinogen were inversely related to CR, while HDL, QUICKi, VO2PEAK, and RER exhibited a positive association. HDL and VO2PEAK emerged as independent CR-related factors in regression analysis. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that reduced CR in RA is associated with several CVD risk factors, inflammatory markers, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Future studies should investigate the effects of controlling these associated variables on CR in patients with RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot weather conditions can have negative impacts on the thermal comfort and physical activity of vulnerable groups such as children. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of warm weather on 5-year-old children's thermal comfort and physical activity in a preschool yard in Gothenburg, Sweden. In situ measurements were conducted for 1–1.5 h in the early afternoon on 8 days in May, June, and August of 2022. The thermal comfort and physical activity was estimated with GPS-tracks, heart rate monitors, and step counts and compared to observed weather conditions. Results show that physical activity decreases under warmer weather conditions, depicted by a decrease in distance moved, step counts, and highest registered pulse. Moreover, on warm days, the children avoid sunlit areas. For 50% or more of the time spent in sunlit areas, the children are exposed to cautious levels of heat. In shaded areas, on the other hand, the children are less exposed, with five out of 8 days having 50% or more of the time at neutral levels. The study demonstrates the importance of access to shaded areas in preschool yards where children can continue their active play while simultaneously maintaining a safe thermal status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]