Biology subjects

Sebastiani, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Sebastiani, L..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Exploring Dance Movement Therapy as a Novel Approach to Improving Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Older Adults

A decline in cardiac autonomic control, as assessed by heart rate variability (HRV), is considered a natural component of ageing. However, physical exercise and dancing can be effective in preventing/reversing this decline. Aim of this study was to verify whether Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), which uses dance, movement, body awareness and embodied interpersonal communication to promote well-being, improves vagally-mediated HRV, which has been linked to physical and mental health, in a sample of people aged over 65. To this purpose, HRV-derived vagal and sympathetic indices, obtained by electrocardiogram signals, as well as tonic skin conductance level, which is a marker of tonic sympathetic activity, recorded during two rest sessions that preceded and followed a 8-week DMT activity, were compared through repeated measures analysis of variance. Results showed post-DMT changes in HRV-derived vagal parameters in the time, frequency and nonlinear domains. More specifically, the root mean square of the successive differences between RR intervals (RMSSD), the high frequency power (HF) and the standard deviation of the beat-to-beat changes in RR intervals (short-term HRV) (SD1) were higher in the post-than pre-DMT session. Conversely, no changes were found in HRV sympathetic indices nor in skin conductance level. The post-DMT improvement in vagally-mediated HRV in healthy old people is a new finding and we argue that this beneficial effect may be due to DMTs ability to enhance social interaction and promote well-being.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Analytical meditation improves physiological well-being in expert practitioners: a study on central and peripheral neurophysiological correlates

Meditation has been long associated with improvements in mental well-being, emotional regulation, and attentional control. Yet, the diversity of meditative techniques and participant expertise has hindered the systematic identification of their neurophysiological correlates supporting these benefits. To address this challenge, we investigated the neurophysiological signatures of concentrative and analytical meditation in 35 experienced Tibetan monk practitioners. EEG, ECG, EDA, and respiration were simultaneously recorded during Concentrative, Loving-Kindness and Emptiness meditations. Linear-mixed-models revealed significant modulations in autonomic and cortical activity across meditations. Peripheral indices indicated enhanced parasympathetic tone, decreases respiratory rate, and gradual increase in EDA - reflecting a state of relaxed-alertness with concurrent vagal engagement and sustained sympathetic arousal. EEG analyses supported this state showing elevated gamma-band power during analytical meditations. These findings suggest that advanced meditative states foster an adaptive integration of autonomic and cortical responses, supporting the emergence of relaxed-vigilance - a psychophysiological condition associated with well-being and cognitive flexibility.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

The Impact of Dance Movement Therapy on Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life in Healthy Older Adults

Undertaking physical and social activities such as dance and music have positive effects on the mental well-being, cognitive and physical abilities of older people. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a complementary practice that uses dance and movement to stimulate creativity, enabling individuals to engage in positive interpersonal connections within a group. Therapeutic approaches involving DMT have been proven to promote positive mental health outcomes in various patient groups. This study aimed to evaluate the possible efficacy of DMT on the subjective perceptions of quality of life, satisfaction with life, and personal well-being of a sample of healthy adults aged over 65. Participants (n=25; females=17) took part in an 8-week DMT cycle on a once-weekly basis. The DMT cycle was preceded and followed by a one-hour session during which participants filled out the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQoL-BRIEF), the Satisfaction With LifeScale (SWLS), and the Wellbeing Index (PWI) scale. Comparison of pre- and post-DMT scores by repeated measures ANalysis Of VAriance (rmANOVA) showed a positive effect of DMT, especially in terms of overall quality of life and social relationships. Participants in the over-70s age group who showed significantly lower scores than their younger counterparts in terms of overall quality of life, Social subscale, and PWI, exhibited analogous DMT-related changes. Our findings suggest that DMT has the potential to foster a shared positive state of mind among older individuals, thereby facilitating social interaction not only among the elderly population but also among its most senior members.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

High-Quality PacBio Genome Assembly of Populus alba L. Villafranca

This study presents the high-quality genome assemblies for Populus alba L. "Villafranca" using PacBio HiFi sequencing. The assembly span 498.95 Mb, an N50 of 18.18 Mb and largest contig of 52.03 Mb. BUSCO analysis revealed genome completeness (embryophyta_odb10) with 98.8% of the 1,614 BUSCO groups searched. The Transposable element and repetitive content accounted for [~]31.37%. The comparison of P. alba and P. trichocarpa genomes identified 9,741 structural variants (SVs) This comprehensive analysis provides valuable resources for studying poplar genome evolution, domestication, and genetic improvement, underscoring the utility of long-read sequencing for resolving complex genomic features.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

PacBio genome assembly of Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea cultivars 'Frantoio' and 'Leccino' reveal main structural differences in key genes related to salt stress

We present two high-quality genome assemblies for Olea europaea L. cultivars Frantoio and Leccino leveraging PacBio HiFi sequencing to achieve approximately 30x genome coverage for each cultivar. The assemblies span 1.18 Gbp and 1.43 Gbp with contig N50 values of 1.78 Mbp and 45.88 Mbp for Frantoio and Leccino respectively. BUSCO analysis revealed a great genome completeness ([~]97.9%), surpassing many of earlier Olea europaea assemblies and is in par with the most recent one. Repetitive content accounted for [~]67.5% in Frantoio and [~]70.8% in Leccino with long terminal repeats (LTRs) dominating. Notably, a tandem repeat family, Satellite 1, represented [~]16.9% and [~]8.6% of the Leccino and Frantoio genomes, respectively. The structural variant (SV) analysis was done with a particular focus on those associated with nine key gene families involved in salinity tolerance and identified cultivar-specific genomic differences, emphasizing the diversity within domesticated olives. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable resources for studying olive genome evolution, domestication, and genetic improvement, underscoring the utility of long-read sequencing for resolving complex genomic features.

genomics↗