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Abstract Mild sleep deprivation is widespread in many societies worldwide. Electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis provides information on spatial and temporal characteristics of resting brain network, serving as an indicator of neurophysiological activities at rest. This study seeks to investigate potential neural markers in EEG following mild sleep deprivation of a single night using EEG microstate analysis. Six-minute resting EEG was conducted on thirty healthy adults within 6 hours of waking in the morning and after at least 18 h of sleep deprivation. Translated and validated Malay language Karolinska Sleepiness Scale was used to assess the participants’ degree of sleepiness. Microstate characteristics analysis was conducted on the final 24 subjects based on four standard microstate maps. Microstate C shows a significant increase in mean duration, coverage and occurrence, while microstate D has significantly higher occurrence after sleep deprivation. This study demonstrates notable changes in resting state EEG microstates following mild sleep deprivation. Present findings deepen our understanding of the brain's spatiotemporal dynamics under this condition and suggest the potential utility of neural markers in this domain as components of composite markers for sleep deprivation.

Objective: To assess the anti-seizure efficacy and safety of a C10-enriched medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diet (KD) compared with the classic KD in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. Methods: This 16-week, open-label, randomized, controlled, crossover pilot study was conducted at Severance Children's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea, between August 2022 and September 2023. Fifteen pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy were enrolled and received classic KD and C10-enriched KD for 8 weeks each. The study compared seizure reduction rate, tolerability, and safety of the two diets. Results: Fifteen patients were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the type of KD initiated. Ten patients completed the trial. Initial treatment with the C10-enriched KD resulted in seizure reduction in all five patients, with two becoming seizure-free. Initial treatment with classic KD was effective in two out of five patients. Upon crossover, those initially on C10-enriched KD maintained their seizure reduction, while patients initially on the classic KD showed additional seizure reduction when switched to C10-enriched KD. Adverse effects included transient hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, hypercalciuria, and gastrointestinal symptoms, all of which were manageable. Discussion: The C10-enriched KD demonstrated comparable efficacy and tolerability to the classic KD, offering a promising option for patients with refractory epilepsy who do not respond adequately to the classic KD alone. This study, the first to directly compare a C10-enriched KD with a classic KD, highlights the potential synergistic effects of decanoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper examines the necessity of implementing "common prosperity" in mainland China, as emphasized by Xi Jinping during the 20th Congress of CCP on October 16, 2022. The issue of provincial income divergence remains a challenge to China's sustainable growth. The new concept of "common prosperity" stresses the requirement of reducing income inequality for the balance of growth and stability in the next development phase of China. This study analyzes regional income inequality and convergence using the club convergence approach. This method offers more precise indications of economic symmetry than traditional unit root tests, enabling clearer policy implications. The empirical analysis reveals that while full cross-provincial variance convergence is unsustainable, the 31 cities and provinces can be grouped based on club variance convergence of the per capita GDP. The past and current public policies could have an impact on the imbalanced convergence, such as "the richer got more" from the fiscal transfers, the hukou system, and the educational and tax justice among cities and provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild sleep deprivation is widespread in many societies worldwide. Electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis provides information on spatial and temporal characteristics of resting brain network, serving as an indicator of neurophysiological activities at rest. This study seeks to investigate potential neural markers in EEG following mild sleep deprivation of a single night using EEG microstate analysis. Six-minute resting EEG was conducted on thirty healthy adults within 6 hours of waking in the morning and after at least 18 h of sleep deprivation. Translated and validated Malay language Karolinska Sleepiness Scale was used to assess the participants' degree of sleepiness. Microstate characteristics analysis was conducted on the final 24 subjects based on four standard microstate maps. Microstate C shows a significant increase in mean duration, coverage and occurrence, while microstate D has significantly higher occurrence after sleep deprivation. This study demonstrates notable changes in resting state EEG microstates following mild sleep deprivation. Present findings deepen our understanding of the brain's spatiotemporal dynamics under this condition and suggest the potential utility of neural markers in this domain as components of composite markers for sleep deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adoption of immersive technology in simulation-based nursing education has grown significantly, offering a solution to resource limitations and enabling safe access to clinical environments. Despite its advantages, there are still diverse reports regarding the effectiveness of immersive technology. It is crucial to verify the effectiveness of immersive technology in nursing education to inform future educational programs. Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify the contents of immersive technology–based education for undergraduate nursing students and evaluate the effectiveness of immersive technology compared to traditional teaching methods. Methods: A literature search was performed using 4 databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science; the latest search was completed on January 19, 2023. The inclusion criteria were as follows: participants were undergraduate nursing students; studies were published in Korean or English; designs included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or nonrandomized studies; and interventions involved virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, or extended reality. Quality assessment was conducted using Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool version 2 for RCTs and the Risk-of-Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. The main outcomes of the included studies were classified according to the New World Kirkpatrick Model (NWKM), ranging from level 1 (reaction) to level 4 (results). Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software, and subgroup analysis was conducted due to heterogeneity of the results of the meta-analysis. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was adopted for assessing certainty and synthesizing results of the relevant literature. Results: A total of 23 studies were included, with participant numbers ranging from 33 to 289. Of these, 19 (82.6%) studies adopted VR to simulate various nursing scenarios, including disaster training, resuscitation, health assessments, and home health care; 4 (17.4%) studies used AR technologies; and 15 (65.2%) studies involved virtual patients in their scenarios. Based on the NWKM, the main outcome variables were classified as level 1 (usability and satisfaction), level 2 (knowledge, motivation, confidence, performance, attitude, and self-efficacy), and level 3 (clinical reasoning); level 4 outcomes were not found in the selected studies. Results of the subgroup analysis showed that immersive technology–based nursing education is more effective than traditional education in knowledge attainment (standard mean difference [SMD]=0.59, 95% CI 0.28-0.90, P <.001, I2=49%). Additionally, there were significant difference differences between the experimental and control group in confidence (SMD=0.70, 95% CI 0.05-1.35, P =.03, I2=82%) and self-efficacy (SMD=0.86, 95% CI 0.42-1.30, P <.001, I2=63%). Conclusions: These findings support the effectiveness of immersive technology–based education for undergraduate nursing students, despite heterogeneity in methods and interventions. We suggest that long-term cohort studies be conducted to evaluate the effects of immersive technology–based nursing education on NWKM level 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]