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Genes involved in circadian regulation, such as circadian locomotor output cycles kaput [CLOCK], cryptochrome [CRY1] and period [PER], have been associated with sleep outcomes in prior animal and human research. However, it is unclear whether polymorphisms in these genes are associated with the sleep disturbances commonly experienced by adults living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe polymorphisms in selected circadian genes that are associated with sleep duration or disruption as well as the sleep-wake rhythm strength and phase timing among adults living with HIV/AIDS. A convenience sample of 289 adults with HIV/AIDS was recruited from HIV clinics and community sites in the San Francisco Bay Area. A wrist actigraph was worn for 72 h on weekdays to estimate sleep duration or total sleep time (TST), sleep disruption or percentage of wake after sleep onset (WASO) and several circadian rhythm parameters: mesor, amplitude, the ratio of mesor to amplitude (circadian quotient), and 24-h autocorrelation. Circadian phase measures included clock time for peak activity (acrophase) from actigraphy movement data, and bed time and final wake time from actigraphy and self-report. Genotyping was conducted for polymorphisms in five candidate genes involved in circadian regulation: CLOCK, CRY1, PER1, PER2 and PER3. Demographic and clinical variables were evaluated as potential covariates. Interactions between genotype and HIV variables (i.e. viral load, years since HIV diagnosis) were also evaluated. Controlling for potentially confounding variables (e.g. race, gender, CD4+ T-cell count, waist circumference, medication use, smoking and depressive symptoms), CLOCK was associated with WASO, 24-h autocorrelation and objectively-measured bed time; CRY1 was associated with circadian quotient; PER1 was associated with mesor and self-reported habitual wake time; PER2 was associated with TST, mesor, circadian quotient, 24-h autocorrelation and bed and wake times; PER3 was associated with amplitude, 24-h autocorrelation, acrophase and bed and wake times. Most of the observed associations involved a significant interaction between genotype and HIV. In this chronic illness population, polymorphisms in several circadian genes were associated with measures of sleep disruption and timing. These findings extend the evidence for an association between genetic variability in circadian regulation and sleep outcomes to include the sleep-wake patterns experienced by adults living with HIV/AIDS. These results provide direction for future intervention research related to circadian sleep-wake behavior patterns.

In this study, we propose a chronobiological method for examining inter-microbial interactions in bacterial and fungal associations in female reproductive tract. Fungal and bacterial species were isolated in 45 women of reproductive aged 19–35, with regular menstrual cycle, applying no hormonal contraceptives, without previous gynecological surgery, abortions, miscarriages with vaginal eubiosis and dysbiosis in history. Sexually transmitted diseases (HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydiosis) were excluded in all subjects. Proliferation rate, morphogenesis and phospholipase activity were examined within the 48-hour period every 4 hours, in winter time, Moon phase IV. The data obtained were assessed by using Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon test, and least squares method. All subjects were divided into the groups: group 1 — women with vaginal eubiosis, group 2 — women with vaginal dysbiosis. It was shown that in all subjects experimental parameters of C. albicans cultures showed a diurnal dynamics characterized in healthy women by circadian rhythms with a single peak of activity. However, in women with vaginal dysbiosis C. albicans was characterized by significant ultradian (around 12 hours long) rhythms with two peaks of biological activity. Concurrence and consistency in manifested physiological functions related to clinical isolates was coupled to temporal pattern of distributed biological resources in fungi depending on course of infectious process. It was found that in vaginal eubiosis exometabolites released by dominant associated microbiota did not significantly change microbiota-related amplitude-phase parameters. The data obtained evidenced that temporal pattern of parameters related to C. albicans from healthy individuals was stable and independent on bacterial metabolites. In contrast, dominant microsymbiont in vaginal dysbiosis inhibited fungi-related rhythms, which might be important in establishing lactobacillus-associated biotope colonization resistance. Effects of metabolites released by the associated microbiota typical to dysbiosis was revealed by increased mesor, amplitude, preserved biorhythm spectral pattern in examined properties as well as amplitude-phase characteristics indicating at enhanced or sustained C. albicans adaptive potential. Therefore, the amplitude-phase parameter of C. albicans physiological activity served as a marker of opposite (enhanced/weakened) effect of microsymbiont survival described in “microbial dominant-associate” pairs.

One hundred patients with ischemic heart disease and 70 healthy subjects were on unified regimen. Urine was collected with 4-h proportions during 3–5 days (72–120 h). Each portion of urine was analyzed for macro- (Na, K, P, Cl, Ca, Mg) and microelements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, V). Temporal structure (biological and hydrometeorological indices) parameters have been estimated by nonlinear least squares method for sinusoidal rhythms and dispersion analysis for nonsinusoidal rhythms. Data of weather indices were received from the hydrometeorological service of the Republic of Armenia in 2015 at 3-h intervals. Statistically significant rhythms were observed in healthy subjects in 91% cases of 593 rhythmological investigations of water-mineral homeostasis. Acrophases of water-mineral homeostasis mostly had individual nature. Healthy subjects' rhythms of water-mineral excretion were depending on rhythms of hydrometeorological indices and were characterized with significant correlative connections. Acrophases of indices of water-mineral homeostasis mostly were outstripping the acrophases of the rhythms of hydrometeorological indices. Chronostructure of water-mineral homeostasis in patients with ischemic heart disease was characterized with infradian and circadian fluctuations. In case of individuals with ischemic heart disease, statistically significant correlative connections between rhythms of water-mineral excretion and rhythms of hydrometeorological indices differ in comparison with the results of practically healthy individuals. In patients with ischemic heart disease, acrophases of biorhythms often were concurrent or delayed relative to the acrophases of the rhythms of hydrometeorological indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal value ofWithania somniferaroot powder on the circadian variations of gentamicin (GEN)-induced nephrotoxicity was explored in this study. The circadian characterstics of 24 h rhythms such as acrophase, amplitude and mesor of renal biomarkers (urea and creatinine), blood glucose, protein and cholesterol were analyzed. In GEN treated rats, elevated levels of circulatory biomarkers-glucose, protein and cholesterol (increased mesor) were observed. In contrast treatment withW. somniferasignificantly restored these levels (decreased mesor). Variations in amplitude and ‘r’ values also were observed in between the nephrotoxic rats and other experimental groups. Therefore, we conclude thatW. somniferaalter the circadian variations directly with its valuable bioactive compounds, which could pave a way for future investigation for therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Circadian rhythms influence sleep and wakefulness. Circadian activity rhythms (CAR) are altered in individuals with dementia or seasonal affective disorder. To date, studies exploring CAR and sleep in postpartum women are rare. The purpose of this report is to describe relationships between CAR, sleep disturbance, and fatigue among 72 first-time mothers during their 2nd week postpartum while their newborn remain hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU). Seventy two mothers were included in this secondary data analysis sample from three separate studies. Participants completed the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS), Numerical Rating Scale for Fatigue (NRS-F), and a sleep diary. The objective sleep data included total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and CAR determined by the circadian quotient (amplitude/mesor) averaged from at least 48-hours of wrist actigraphy monitoring. The TST of mothers who self-reported as poor sleepers was 354 minutes (SEM= 21.9), with a mean WASO of 19.5% (SEM= 2.8). The overall sleep quality measured by the GSDS was clinically, significantly disrupted (M= 5.5, SD= 1.2). The mean score for morning fatigue was 5.8 (SD= 2.0), indicating moderate fatigue severity. The CAR was .62 (SEM= .04), indicating poor synchronization. The self-reported good sleepers (GSDS < 3) had better CAR (M= .71, SEM= .02) than poor sleepers (GSDS > 3) (t [70] = 2.0, p< .05). A higher circadian equation was associated with higher TST (r= .83, p

Presents several studies about blood pressure measurement. "The Relative Utility of Home, Ambulatory and Physician-Obtained Blood Pressures in the Prediction of End-Organ Damage," by Dennis M. Abraham et al; "Evaluation of Increased Blood Pressure Values in an Emergency Department," by Maria J. Adrian et al; "Cigarette Smoking Increases the Diurnal/Nocturnal Blood Pressure Ratio in Patients With Essential Hypertension," by Diana E. Ayala et al.

• Cosinor analysis allows for the fitting of a cosine curve to data of known period and is frequently used in the analysis of circadian rhythm. • Parameters estimated by the model include time of minimum and maximum, curve amplitude and rhythm adjusted mean. • We are not aware of any published SAS procedures or macros which would facilitate these analyses. • To meet this gap, we describe a SAS macro which performs cosinor analyses and demonstrate the use of this macro with data from our research. Cosinor analysis, developed by Franz Hallberg and colleagues in the 1960s, allows for the fitting of a cosine curve to data of a known period. Cosinor analysis is frequently used in the analysis of biological rhythm data. While software exists to perform these analyses, we are not aware of any published SAS procedures or macros which would facilitate them. To meet this gap, we herein describe SAS macros which perform cosinor analyses that assume either normally or gamma distributed outcomes and fixed period. The macros can 1) produce datasets with cosinor parameters including acrophase, mesor, amplitude, nadir and test for rhythmicity 2) output datasets with fitted and observed values from the model, and 3) plot the resulting curve and underlying data. We demonstrate the use of these macros with data from our research on circadian rhythms of heart rate and sleep in critically ill patients. Cosinor analysis provides a parsimonious and intuitive set of estimates to summarize periodic data. We are hopeful that the publication of our macro will allow a wider spectrum of users to avail themselves of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Half-hourly systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring with gaps demonstrates transient elevations of unknown origin of the chronome (time structure)-adjusted mean, the MESOR, M, of BP, and of the circadian double amplitude of BP of TS, a clinically healthy-appearing engineering student who was 27 years of age at the start of the study. An assessment of large and small arterial vessel elasticity was in keeping with no detection of functional or structural alteration in her vasculature. The recovery of normality in BP endpoints at the time of this report is speculatively associated with a weight loss of 40 pounds and the formation of a friendship by correspondence. Whatever the underlying mechanisms of a long series of abnormal records may be, a ‘baseline’ can include weeklong spans of abnormality and is best replaced by comparisons with chronomic reference values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Circadian rhythms influence sleep and wakefulness. Circadian activity rhythms (CAR) are altered in individuals with dementia or seasonal affective disorder. To date, studies exploring CAR and sleep in postpartum women are rare. The purpose of this report is to describe relationships between CAR, sleep disturbance, and fatigue among 72 first-time mothers during their second week postpartum while their newborn remain hospitalized in intensive care unit. Seventy-two mothers were included in this secondary data analysis sample from three separate studies. Participants completed the general sleep disturbance scale (GSDS), numerical rating scale for fatigue, and a sleep diary. The objective sleep data included total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and CAR determined by the circadian quotient (amplitude/mesor) averaged from at least 48-h of wrist actigraphy monitoring. The TST of mothers who self-reported as poor sleepers was 354 min (SEM = 21.9), with a mean WASO of 19.5% (SEM = 2.8). The overall sleep quality measured by the GSDS was clinically, significantly disrupted (M = 5.5, SD = 1.2). The mean score for morning fatigue was 5.8 (SD = 2.0), indicating moderate fatigue severity. The CAR was 0.62 (SEM = 0.04), indicating poor synchronization. The self-reported good sleepers (GSDS < 3) had better CAR (M = 0.71, SEM = 0.02) than poor sleepers (GSDS > 3) (t[70] = 2.0, p < 0.05). A higher circadian equation was associated with higher TST (r = 0.83, p < 0.001), less WASO (r = -0.50, p < 0.001), lower self-reported sleep disturbance scores (r = -0.35, p = 0.01), and less morning fatigue (r = -0.26). Findings indicate that mothers with a hospitalized infant have both nocturnal sleep problems and disturbed circadian activity rhythms. Factors responsible for these sleep and rhythm disturbances, the adverse effects on mother's physical and mental well-being, and mother-infant relationship require further study.