In patients with prior Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), long lasting functional cardiac limitations were described as compared with normal subjects. Emotions-triggered Takotsubo syndrome (E-TTS) has more favorable outcomes than TTS preceded by a physical trigger or by no identifiable fac-tors. The aim of the present study was to assess long-term cardiac functional limitations in a co-hort of asymptomatic E-TTS patients. We enrolled n=39 asymptomatic patients with a diagnosis of E-TTS. Cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) were performed at 30 [12-40] months median fol-low-up from the acute event. A cohort of n=39 individuals matched for age, sex, body mass index and comorbidities served as control. Despite recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction, patients with prior E-TTS had lower peak VO2 and percentage of predicted peak VO2 (17.8 ± 3.6 vs 22.5 ± 6.5; P < 0.001 and 75.2 ± 14.1 % vs 100.6 ± 17.1%, P <0.001), VO2 at anaerobic threshold (AT) (11.1 [10.1-12.9] vs 14.4 [12.5-18.7]; P <0.001), peak O2 pulse (9.7 ± 2.5 vs 13.1 ± 3.5; P <0.001) and higher VE/VCO2 slope (30.4 ± 3.7 vs 27.2 ± 3.5; P <0.001) compared with matched controls. We found no statistically significant differences in heart rate reserve (HRR), respiratory equivalent ratio (RER), mean blood pressure and peak PetCO2 between patients and controls. Despite its favorable out-come, patients with E-TTS in our population were found to have subclinical long-term functional cardiac limitations as compared with a control cohort.

This study explored differences in student-athletes’ symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress pre- to post-COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO reported a 25% increase in depression and anxiety rates worldwide with young people disproportionately affected. Student-athletes face many stressors related to their sporting and academic feats but what is not known is how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their experiences of mental illness. A multiple cohort cross-sectional study design was employed, and data collected using physical and online surveys. Participants (M age = 19.98 years, SD = 1.50) were recruited from UK universities (N = 807; 427 pre-pandemic cohort, 380 post-pandemic cohort). Results revealed statistically significant differences in mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores between cohorts. Scores for the post-pandemic cohort were significantly higher than pre-pandemic, suggesting a worsening of symptom severity. Distributions of student-athletes across categories of symptom severity also worsened for depressive and anxiety symptoms post-pandemic and were skewed towards more severe categories. Symptoms of de-pression, anxiety, and stress were a concern pre-pandemic. Rates are higher in the post-pandemic cohort, suggesting a worsening of symptoms. This data adds to evidence on student-athletes’ symptoms of mental illness by exploring a UK sample and comparing scores pre- and post-pandemic.

Abstract: Understanding the reliability and sensitivity of jump testing is essential to determine the neuromuscular progress of athletes and make informed decisions. This study aimed to assess the reliability and sensitivity of countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) tests metrics in female volleyball players. Sixteen semi-professional female volleyball players participated in the study. Intrasession and intersession reliability of CMJ and DJ metrics were evaluated using a randomized cross-over design. Dual force platform was used to collect data, and several dependent variables were calculated using forward dynamics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV) and minimum difference (MD) were calculated. The third attempt presented the highest values for both test, and changes in jump strategy in DJ. CMJ is consistent across sessions, while DJ also shows intersession differences (p<0.05) in 11 out of 15 variables. Most CMJ variables exhibit excellent reliability while DJ variables have lower reliability and higher variability. Concentric and eccentric impulses for DJ showed excellent reliability. Most CMJ variables showed excellent reliability and variability, DJ had lower reliability, higher variability, and lower sensitivity. These findings provide valuable information when assessing athletes' performance and highlight the reliability, sensitivity, and variability in jump performance for CMJ and DJ tests.

(1) Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a prognostic factor regarding long time morbidity and mortality. To assess CRF the well-known gold standard is cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), which is a time consuming and expensive test. Therefore, alternative methods for routine evaluation of CRF are needed for the general population as well as for specific patient groups such as children and young adults with congenital heart disease. The Stair Climbing Test (SCT) is a simple and resource saving test reported in the current literature. This test is used in various settings to assess different health associated risk factors including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular resilience, therapy effectiveness or pre- and postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between sports psychological capital, coach leadership behavior, and satisfaction among middle school students in the 2023 sports college entrance examination in Chongqing. Methods: Using the structural questionnaire design, this paper carries out a questionnaire survey on the candidates who come to participate in the volleyball specialty college entrance examination in Chongqing, the corresponding database was established and the data were statistically processed by spss21.0 and amos18.0. Results: 1) there was a significant positive correlation between sports psychological capital, coach leadership behavior and examinees satisfaction; 2) sports psychological capital and coach leadership behavior had a certain influence on five dimensions of examinees' personal treatment, personal performance, team integration, team interaction and support from relatives and friends; 3) The sense of self-efficacy in sports psychological capital and coach's leading behavior are the most important to examinees' satisfaction; 4) Both coaches' leadership behavior and sports psychological capital can directly affect examinees' satisfaction, but sports psychological capital is the most important. It can not only directly affect examinees' satisfaction, but also act as an intermediary between coaches' leadership behavior and examinees' satisfaction. Conclusion: Sports College Entrance Examination Students can improve training satisfaction and sports performance by strengthening sports psychological capital training and perceiving coach's leadership behavior; In the leadership behavior of coaches, we should emphasize training and appropriately weaken authoritative teaching, while the training of sense of hope and toughness should be highlighted in sports psychological capital.

Weight loss solutions are on the rise, and there is growing interest in natural alternatives to the pharmaceuticals in the market, which are not devoid of relevant side effects. To this end, the objective of the current study is to assess the effects of a botanical-based blend comprised of lemon verbena and hibiscus extracts in weight management, body fat, appetite, lipid, and glucose profiles, in an overweight population, for 90 days. As a result, the volunteers presented significant weight loss in absence of diet, which coincided with decreased body fat. Body fat was assessed by anthropometry, electrical bioimpedance and DEXA scan. Cholesterol levels were also significantly decreased. Satiety assessment revealed that the product contributed to increased feeling of fullness and satisfaction after a meal, compared to the placebo group, which could contribute to the weight loss observed. Blood glucose and blood pressure levels remained unchanged, which was expected as the volunteers were normoglycemic and their blood pressure was in the healthy range. In conclusion, daily supplementation of a botanical-based blend contributes to weight loss in overweight individuals, in absence of diet, while not affecting other parameters that are in the healthy range. This product could be a candidate alternative or add-on to other weight loss products, as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate feasibility and safety of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and assess thoroughly any potential adverse events. Methods: We conducted a safety and feasibility study including 16 ICU patients on ECMO support who were admitted to the cardiac surgery ICU from January 2022 to December 2023. Patients underwent a 45-minute NMES session, still on ECMO support, that included a warm up phase of 5 minutes, a main phase of 35 minutes and a recovery phase of 5 minutes. NMES was implemented on vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, gastrocnemius and peroneus longus muscle of both lower extremities. Two stimulators delivered biphasic, symmetric impulses of 75 Hz, with 400 μsec pulse duration, 5 sec on (1,6 sec ramp up and 0,8 sec ramp down) and 21 sec off. The intensity levels aimed to cause visible contractions and be well tolerated. Primary outcomes of the study were feasibility and safety, evaluated by whether the NMES sessions were successfully achieved, and by any adverse events and complications. Secondary outcomes included indices of rhabdomyolysis from biochemical blood test, 24 hours after the application of NMES. Results: All patients successfully completed their 45-minute NMES session, without presenting hemodynamic deterioration, adverse events or signs of rhabdomyolysis. The majority of patients achieved type 4 and 5 quality of muscle contraction. Conclusions: NMES is a safe and feasible exercise methodology in patients supported with ECMO.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a widely practiced lifesaving skill. Conventional CPR is based on manual chest compressions and delivering mouth-to-mouth breaths. There has been advancement in biomedical technology over the last few decades which has led to the introduction of new techniques and devices in CPR as well. In light of these advancements, we propose SMEAR (Standard, Mechanical, ECMO Assisted, Augmented virtual and Remote) classification system to provide structured overview from traditional to novel methods and devices. The standard or Manual CPR, widely practiced by the general public during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, combines active chest compressions with or without mouth breathing. However, to enhance CPR’s efficacy, various mechanical devices have been developed, encompassing Active Chest Compression, Passive Decompression, and those integrated with Automated External Defibrillators. Feedback sensor-equipped devices, include the Metronome, Accelerometer, Barometer, and Triaxial Field Induction. Mechanical devices, classified by their compression mechanisms, can be isolated – like the Piston-driven, Load-distributing, and Active Compression-Decompression (ACD) – or combined, as in ACD-ITV (Impedance Threshold Device), ACD-IAC (Interposed Abdominal Compression), and ACD-ITV-EECP (Enhanced External Counter Pulsation). Beyond mechanics, Extracorporeal CPR offers veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in refractory cardiac arrest and can improve outcomes. Augmented Virtual Reality usage in training and provision of CPR is at the early stages. It has the potential of expanded usage in training public to provide high-quality CPR. A provider can be remotely guided step by step via telephone or smartphone applications, ensuring continuous support until professional assistance arrives.

Despite significant prevention efforts, the numbers of physically inactive individuals, chronic illnesses, exhaustion syndromes and sick leaves are increasing. A still unresolved problem with exercise promotion is the low participation of sedentary persons. This collective term covers heterogeneous subgroups. Their engagement with movement campaigns and resistance to change are influenced by numerous factors. Our aim was to analyse survey data on health, performance, lifestyle habits and the approachability to physical activity campaigns obtained from the Germany-wide ActIv survey. From 2,888 study participants aged 50-60 years, 668 persons were categorised into the subgroups "never-athletes", "sports-dropouts", "always-athletes" and "sports-beginners". Large and significant group differences were found for BMI, assessment of quality of life, health and fitness, risk factors and health problems. 42.5% of "never-athletes" and 32.5% of "sports-dropouts" did not state any barriers to sport. There are substantial disparities between the non-athlete groups in terms of their motivation to exercise. In contrast, there are comparatively minor differences in motivation between "sports-dropouts" and "sports-beginners", whose health and fitness are the primary motivators for sport. Our analyses suggest that (i) negative health and performance trends cannot be compensated by appeals for voluntary participation in exercise programmes and (ii) powerful incentive systems are required.

Several factors, such as internal algorithm, sensor technology, and obsolescence might skew outcomes when comparing different gas analysers measurements during CPET. Besides aerosol borne infectious disease are a source of contamination during cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET). Thus, the main aim of this study was to determine the agreement degree between the Quark RMR and the Jaeger Oxycon Pro, using an antibacterial filter with the latter. Forty-two participants (19-54 years old) performed two non-consecutive maximal graded exercise tests on a cycle-ergometer on two counterbalance and different days using the Oxycon Pro and the Quark RMR in a randomized order. Differences between devices were tested using a generalized linear model adjusted by Bonferroni, and correlation and agreement was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R), intraclass coefficient correlation (ICC), Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots. No significant differences were found between devices in any of metabolic or ventilatory parameters for cardiorespiratory fitness assessment (VO_2max: 3131.3±882.1 vs. 3189.8±894.8, p=0.071, VCO_2max: 3436.3±936.0 vs. 3550.3±1043.2, p=0.071, for Quark RMR and Oxycon Pro, respectively). However, Bland-Altman plots showed a trivial tendency towards Oxycon Pro overestimation relative to Quark RMR as air flow volume increases. Both devices showed strong correlation and high level of agreement during maximal and submaximal exercise intensities (Pearson’s R: 0.974 & 0.977; ICC: 0.985 & 0.987; Lin’s CCC: 0.971 & 0.974, for VO₂ and VCO₂, respectively). Therefore, providing consistency to CPET data comparison between both devices, and insight into whether the use of these metabolic carts could be interchangeable or combined when a single device cannot be used for CPET assessment.

We aimed to delineate cardiopulmonary interactions in acute bronchiolitis and to evaluate the capacity of a combined cardiopulmonary ultrasonography to predict the need for respiratory support. This was a prospective observational single-center study that includes infants < 12 month of age admitted to a hospital due to acute bronchiolitis. All the included patients under-went clinical, laboratory and cardiopulmonary ultrasonographic evaluation at the same time point within 24 hours of hospital admission. The existence of significant correlation between car-diac and respiratory parameters was the primary outcome. The association of different cardio-pulmonary variables with the need of respiratory support higher than O2, the length of stay hos-pitalization, the PICU stay, and the duration of respiratory support were a secondary outcome. We enrolled 112 infants (median age 1 (0.5-3) months; 62% males) hospitalized with acute bron-chiolitis. Increased values of the pulmonary variables (BROSJOD score, pCO2 and LUS) showed moderate correlations with NT-proBNP and all echocardiographic parameters indicative of pulmonary hypertension and myocardial dysfunction. Up to 36 (32%) infants required respira-tory support during the hospitalization. This group presented with higher lung ultrasound score (p<0.001), and increased values of Tei index (p<0.001) and pulmonary artery pressures (p<0.001). All the analyzed respiratory and cardiac variables showed moderate to strong correlations with the LOS hospitalization and the time of respiratory support. Lung ultrasound and echocardiog-raphy showed a moderate to strong predictive accuracy for the need of respiratory support in the ROC analysis, with AUC varying from 0.74 to 0.87. Conclusion: Those cases of bronchiolitis with a worse pulmonary status presented with a more impaired cardiac status. Cardiopulmonary ul-trasonography could be a good strategy to easily identify high-risk population for a complicated acute bronchiolitis hospitalization.

This narrative review examines the crucial role of physical activity in managing long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, and cognitive impairments following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, EBSCO (EDS), and Google Scholar, selecting peer-reviewed articles from December 2019 focusing on long-term COVID physical activity interventions. The review highlights that tailored exercise programs, adjusted to individual health status and abilities, significantly alleviate symptoms and enhance psychological well-being. Key findings emphasize the importance of personalized exercise prescriptions due to the variability in patient responses and the need for a multidisciplinary approach in developing and monitoring interventions. Despite promising outcomes, the review identifies research gaps, including the need for long-term studies, randomized controlled trials, and deeper mechanistic insights. It suggests that standardized reporting, templates like CERT, and integrating digital health tools are essential for optimizing interventions. Overall, the review advocates including personalized physical activity programs in standard care for long COVID to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

This general review assesses the impact of physical exercise on oxidative and nitrosative stress and the counteractive role of antioxidants, drawing from a systematic literature search up to March 2024 in databases like PubMed and Web of Science. The review highlights studies on the effect of exercise on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and antioxidant responses in both human and animal models based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Due to the variety of exercise types and participants' characteristics, a narrative synthesis approach was adopted. The findings indicate that moderate exercise boosts antioxidant defenses, known as hormesis, whereas excessive physical activity may increase oxidative and nitrosative damage. The review also explores the complex effects of antioxidant supplementation, revealing that while natural dietary antioxidants support health, high-dose supplements could potentially hinder positive adaptations to exercise. Recommendations for athletes and the general active population highlight the importance of balancing exercise and dietary intake to optimize health benefits. The review concludes with a call for more detailed research on tailored exercise and nutrition plans to dissect these intricate relationships further.

Background: Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and ultrasound (US) have become popular for estimating body fat percentage (BF%) due to their low cost and clinical convenience. However, agreement of these devices with gold standard method still require investigation. The aim was to analyze the agreement between a gold standard %BF assessment method with BIA and US devices. Methods: Twenty-three men (age 30.1 ± 7.7 years, 82.5 ± 14.9 kg, 1.77 ± 0.05 m) underwent Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), BIA (tetrapolar) and US (three-site method) %BF assessment. Pearson and concordance correlations were analyzed. T-test compared means between methods, and Bland Altman plots analyzed agreement and proportional bias. Alpha was set at &lt; .05. Results: Pearson coefficients between BIA and US with DXA were high (BIA = 0.94; US = 0.89; both p &lt; .001). Concordance coefficient was high for BIA (0.80) and moderate for US (0.49). BF% measured by BIA (24.5 ± 7.5) and US (19.4 ± 7.0) were on average 4.4% and 9.6% lower than DXA (29.0 + 8.5%), respectively (p &lt; .001). Lower and upper agreement limits between DXA and BIA were -1.45 and 10.31, while between DXA and US were 2.01 and 17.14, respectively. There was a tendency of both BIA (p = .09) and US (p = .057) to present proportional bias and underestimate BF%. Conclusions: Despite the correlation, the mean difference between the methods were significant, and the agreement limits are very wide. This indicate that BIA and US, as measured in this study, have limited potential to accurately measure %BF compared to DXA, especially in individuals with higher body fat.

(1) Background: Since microplastics in the aquatic environment are difficult to prevent and can cause adverse physiological and biochemical reactions to various organisms, we aimed to analyze the effectiveness of an eco-friendly removal method using aquatic plants with high ornamental value and excellent water purification ability. (2) Methods: Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps were planted in tap water contaminated with microplastics to analyze the removal rate and root adsorption of microplastics. (3) Results: The amount of microplastics in the planting boxes of Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps was significantly reduced, and the adsorption of microplastics on the roots was confirmed. (4) Conclusions: It was found that the removal of microplastics in water by aquatic plants is effective and that microplastic pollution does not significantly affect plant growth. However, the removal of microplastics by adsorption on plant roots may be affected by various environmental factors, so it is necessary to consider various limitations.

Fructose consumption has been growing exponentially and, concomitant with this, the increase in the incidence of obesity and associated complications has followed the same behavior. Studies indicate that fructose may be a carbohydrate with greater obesogenic potential than other sugars. In this context, the liver seems to be a key organ for understanding the deleterious health effects promoted by fructose consumption. Fructose promotes complications in glucose metabolism, accumulation of triacylglycerol in the hepatocytes and alterations in the lipid profile, which, associated with an inflammatory response and alterations in the redox state, will imply a systemic picture of insulin resistance. However, physical exercise has been indicated for the treatment of several chronic diseases. In this review, we show how each exercise protocol (aerobic, strength or a combination of both) promote improvements in the obesogenic state created by fructose consumption as an improvement in the serum and liver lipid profile (HDL increase and decrease TG and LDL levels) and a reduction of markers of inflammation caused by an excess of fructose. Therefore, it is concluded that the practice of aerobic physical exercise, strength or a combination of both is essential for attenuating the complications developed by the consumption of fructose.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if tests used to assess core stability could be used to determine success in physiological tests applied to assess dynamic balance and agility for a young active population. Methods: Pearson's r correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the core stability tests and the dynamic balance and agility tests. Evaluation of the tests was established using Cronbach's coefficient of variance as part of intra-rater reliability tests. An analysis of 18 active college aged students was conducted (males: n= 13, females: n= 5). The mean ± SD age for males was 19.2 years ± 3.22 years and for females was 19.4 years ± 1.14 years. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between tests that assess core stability and tests conducted to assess dynamic balance in active young adults. With the exception of the abdominal flexion test, no significant relationship exists between the remaining core stability tests and agility T-Test. Core stability is not a determinant of balance and agility.

Succinate is proposed to be a mediator of muscle exercise-induced adaptations. We studied metabolic health and changes of muscle mass in 6-month-old male mice after 12 weeks of feeding regular diet (RD, 13.4 kcal% fat, 66.8 kcal% carbohydrate, 29.8 kcal% protein), high fat diet (HFD, 60 kcal% fat, 20 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) and ketogenic diet (KD, 80 kcal% fat, &lt;1 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) with or without 2% succinate supplements (SUS) in drinking water (n=8-12 per group). Functional overloading of the plantaris muscle (PL) was induced in a group of mice by denervation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles at week 6 of feeding different diets. HFD induced the greatest (p &lt; 0.001) increase in body and fat mass. HFD and KD lead to significant (p &lt; 0.01) impairment in glucose tolerance compared to RD. SUS blunted (p &lt; 0.01) initial surge in energy intake when mice were switched from RD to HFD, but did not influence any measures of metabolic health after 12 weeks of the study. Functional overloading lead to ~25% increase in PL mass which was not affected by diet or SUS. In conclusion, SUS does not have a long-term effect on metabolic health or muscle mass.

The work aims to develop an electromagnetic shielding measurement methodology and design an electromagnetic shielding effectiveness test setup for thin sheet material testing. In brief, multiple shielding effectiveness standards are described and analyzed in the thin sheet material testing framework. Two types of the developed shielding effectiveness test probe in high and low-frequency ranges are validated comprehensively. Extensive descriptions and data of developed testing methodology are also reported.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of manual therapy and exercise versus synchronized telerehabilitation with self-manual therapy and exercise in treating Subacromial Pain Syndrome (SAPS). Sixty individuals diagnosed with SPS, aged 18-50 years, were randomly assigned to home exercise (HE), manual therapy (MT), and telerehabilitation (TR) groups. Treatment protocols were administered over 8 weeks and included specific exercises and therapy interventions. Out-come measures included Visual Pain Scale (VAS), shoulder range of motion (ROM) via gonio-metric measurements, Quick Disability Arm-Shoulder-Hand Problems Survey (Q-DASH), and patient satisfaction. Results revealed that both MT and TR groups exhibited reduced pain, in-creased ROM, lower Q-DASH scores, and higher patient satisfaction compared to the HE group. However, no significant differences were found between MT and TR groups in pain levels, ROM, Q-DASH scores, or patient satisfaction. The study concludes that both telerehabilitation and manual therapy effectively alleviate pain and are well-received by patients with SPS. Addition-ally, manual therapy demonstrates superiority in enhancing functional levels compared to exer-cise-based interventions. (Registration: NCT05200130)

A testable hypothesis with quantitative predictions is put forward, proposing that strong acids produced on land are a major cause of increasing atmospheric pCO2. Our modelling analysis of reactions by dissolved inorganic carbon shows that increasing atmospheric CO2 could be caused thermodynamically by falling land surface pH values. This hypothesis challenges the imbalance assumed between the global uptake of CO2 by photosynthesis and emissions of CO2 from all sources, including the combustion of fossil fuels. Strong acids generated by oxygen from reduced nitrogen and sulphur emits CO2 almost stoichiometrically from dissolved bicarbonate in the pH range of most global soils from pH 6.5 to above 8. Each general decrease of aqueous pH value of 0.01 units from acidification of surface water potentially increases the pCO2 in the atmosphere by about 7 ppmv. Contrary to prevailing assumptions that CO2 emissions from combusting fossil fuels can remain in the atmosphere for more than a millennium, such emissions may be partly nullified by global greening from enhanced rates of photosynthesis as well as oceanic absorption. The surface pH value of the ocean has been shown to decrease as atmospheric pCO2 rises. Therefore, our qualitative estimates of increasing atmospheric CO2 driven by irreversible acidification on land are critical and need broad scale validation. To the extent that significant acidification of the land is occurring, through export of alkaline produce, the use of artificial nitrogen fertilisation and possible other causes, the prevailing methods of reducing CO2 emissions will fail. However, these acidifying processes on land have not been considered by previous biogeochemical reviews. Despite counter measures, including carbon capture and geological storage, the increasing Keeling curve for pCO2 may continue to rise because zero carbon policies do not address such a major cause. This hypothesis can be tested by in situ experiments in neutral soils and water, designed to compare CO2 emissions under the acidifying conditions described in this article with those when corrective counter measures are applied.

The intelligent morphing wing structure has the characteristics of flexibility, large deformation and adaptive change, which are different from those of the conventional wing. The motion law of the variable-camber leading edge is analysed by the numerical simulation method based on kinematics theory to solve the problem of verifying the motion function and structural strength of the variable camber wing. The driving deformation and aerodynamic load simulation of the variable camber leading edge are realised by designing a follow-up load test apparatus. Based on the numerical simulation of the mechanical boundary, the motion trajectory of the upper and lower wing loading points was predicted, and a multi-point cooperative control system was developed. Multi-sensor iteration was used to ensure the loading accuracy of the test control. The test results show that the average error of the deflection angle is 4.59% in the variable camber leading edge motion test. In the variable camber leading edge strength test, the average error of applied load magnitude and direction is 0.54% and 0.24%, respectively.

Background We intend to examine whether the COVID-19 outbreak influences medical decision-making (MDM) among Non-COVID patients. Method We recruit 287 patients who admit to ER department due to cardiovascular complaints. Anxiety level was measured using three questionnaires (GAD-7, Beck Inventory, and the cardiac anxiety questionnaire). A fourth survey was designed to assess MDM considerations. Results 64% of patients were male (median age 54). Almost half of the patients were found to have moderate to severe levels of anxiety.79.3% of patients reported that the outbreak influenced their MDM. 44.5% of patients sought medical care 2-3 from the onset of symptoms. Coronary artery disease was found in only 26 patients (9.1%). Almost half of the patients stated that they would have gone earlier if not for the current pandemic. Conclusion Non-COVID patients seeking medical care had a high anxiety level that directly affected decision-making and put them at unnecessary risk.

Many lifestyle and occupational habits negatively impact on physical and mental health, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases. While larger institutions fulfill occupational health requirements to ensure their employees’ wellbeing at work, smaller business workers and entrepreneurs may neglect initial signs of stress or physical decline, putting themselves at increased risk. Early detection of compromised cardiopulmonary health or fitness has the potential to flag up indications for early interventions and reduce the risk of disease onset and progression. This case study highlights the usefulness of respiratory muscle training (RMT) in improving pulmonary and cardiovascular parameters as an early countermeasure to cardiopulmonary decline. We suggest RMT as an easily accessible, cost- and time effective opportunity to support a healthy lifestyle.

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) is characterized by capillary leak, pulmonary edema (PE) and shock that leads to death in up to 40% of patients. Treatment is supportive, including mechanical ventilation (MV) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Hemodynamic monitoring is critical to titrate therapy and to decide ECMO support. Transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) provides hemodynamic and PE data that has not been systematically used to understand HCPS pathophysiology. We identified 11 HCPS patients monitored with TPTD; 5 on MV, 3 on ECMO. We analyzed 133 measurements to describe the hemodynamic pattern and its association to PE. The main findings were reduced stroke volume, global ejection fraction (GEF) and preload parameters associated to increased extravascular lung water and pulmonary vascular permeability compatible with hypovolemia, myocardial dysfunction and increased permeability PE. Lung water correlated positively with heart rate (HR, r=0.20) and negatively with mean arterial pressure (r=-0.27) and GEF (r=-0.36), suggesting that PE is linked to hemodynamic impairment. Pulmonary vascular permeability correlated positively with HR (r=0.31) and negatively with cardiac index (r=-0.49), end-diastolic volume (r=-0.48) and GEF (r=-0.40), suggesting that capillary leak contributes to hypovolemia and systolic dysfunction. In conclusion, TPTD data suggests that in HCPS patients, increased permeability leads to PE, hypovolemia and circulatory impairment.

Elevated serum uric acid (sUA) is associated with risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we examined the prognostic significance of sUA and exercise capacity in 411 Japanese adults (age, ≥65; mean, 81 years) hospitalized for worsening CVD. Mean sUA was significantly higher in the 23% of patients on an sUA-lowering agent than in those not. When the patients were stratified by sUA into three groups (7.0 mg/dL), the high sUA group had significantly worse peak VO2 and composite endpoint (rehospitalization due to worsening CVD and all-cause mortality) compared with low and moderate sUA groups (P < 0.001). When the patients were stratified by sUA into five groups (sUA 10.0 mg/dL), the incidence of the composite endpoint was significantly higher in the highest sUA group compared with that in the reference group, but only in women. Univariate Cox regression analysis, but not a multivariate analysis, indicated that sUA was significantly associated with the composite endpoint. Although sUA and exercise capacity may have some degree of prognostic significance in older patients with CVD, this significance may differ between men and women.

Tack is one of the most important factors affecting the operability of prepregs, but it is still very difficult to obtain the change of prepreg tack with time at different temperatures. In this paper, a newly designed T-peel device is used to test the tack decay rate of prepregs at different temperatures. The obtained decay rate deviates less than 8.9% from the manufacturer's data. The maximum deviation of the ratio of tack decay speeds calculated by the Arrhenius equation from the experiments is not higher than -9.7%. It is proved that the present method can obtain the decay rate of tack of prepregs at different temperatures. This method is also applicable to the other two types of prepregs. The article proposes the handling life unit, an operational life measurement unit for prepregs, and establishes that the relationship between tack and remaining shelf life reduces prepreg management costs.

Background: Since the onset of widespread COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, there have been concerns about serious cardiovascular adverse events, including myocarditis, myocardial infarction, and venous thromboembolisms, all of which can lead to cardiopulmonary arrest. This study aimed to estimate excess cardiopulmonary arrest mortality in King County, WA, and investigate any association with COVID-19 vaccination rates. Methods: Data was obtained from the annual King County, WA, EMS reports, the U.S. Census Bureau, and The Tennessean COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker. An exploratory data analysis was performed. Excess deaths were calculated using the 2015-2020 cardiopulmonary arrest mortality trend line. The relationship between excess cardiopulmonary arrest mortality and vaccination rates was analyzed using polynomial regression analysis. A quadratic regression model was used to generate expected population growth trends. The excess mortality model for King County was used to calculate yearly estimates for excess cardiopulmonary arrest fatalities in the USA. Results: Approximately 98% of the King County population received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 2023. Our analysis revealed a 25.7% increase in total cardiopulmonary arrests and a 25.4% increase in cardiopulmonary arrest mortality from 2020 to 2023 in King County, WA. Excess cardiopulmonary arrest deaths were estimated to have increased by 1,236% from 2020 to 2023, rising from 11 excess deaths (95% CI: -12, 34) in 2020 to 147 excess deaths (95% CI: 123, 170) in 2023. A quadratic increase in excess cardiopulmonary arrest mortality was observed with higher COVID-19 vaccination rates. The general population of King County sharply declined by 0.94% (21,300) in 2021, deviating from the expected population size. Applying our model from these data to the entire United States yielded 49,240 excess fatal cardiopulmonary arrests from 2021-2023. Conclusions: We identified a very strong ecological and temporal association between excess cardiopulmonary arrest mortality and the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which resulted in high vaccination rates. The biological plausibility of death from acute cardiac and pulmonary causes after COVID-19 vaccination has been previously demonstrated and is concerning given these real-world observations. Urgent further research is needed to determine if similar trends are observed in other regions with attention to risk mitigation for incident events and improved survival with resuscitation.

Emphasizing the importance of acoustic attenuation in maintaining compliance with stringent noise regulations and enhancing workplace safety, the analysis covers the theoretical and practical aspects of sound attenuation in a turboengine testing stand. This paper presents a preliminary analysis and also an evaluation of a procedure for projecting a noise attenuator for industrial application and especially for turboengine test stands. While primarily focusing on the static acoustic behavior of the attenuator, considerations were also made regarding flow dynamics, Mach number-dependent attenuation, pressure drop, and self-generated noise aspects to provide a comprehensive perspective in selecting the optimal design configuration. The study investigates different calculation methods for assessment of the noise reduction for linear and staggered baffles, applied on a scaled reduced model of attenuator. Thus, the critical parameters and projecting requirements necessary for effective noise reduction in high-performance turboengine testing environments will be evaluated in a down-scaled model. Key factors examined include the selection of design parameters and configurations from various options. Advanced computational methods, like analytic and finite element analysis (FEM) are utilized to predict the acoustic performance and identify potential design optimizations. Experimental validation is performed to corroborate the simulation results, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the attenuator. The findings indicate that a well-designed sound attenuator module can significantly reduce noise levels without compromising the operational performance of the turboengine inside a test cell.

This study investigated the accuracy and precision of a commercially available PNT solution that uses DGNSS-SBAS technology. Time and position data were sampled at a frequency of 20Hz during both short and long trajectory of a simulated controlled dry-land slalom, as well as during a real-world on-water slalom exercise. The primary objective was to assess the positional accuracy, availability, integrity, and service continuity of the PNT solution while evaluating its ability to differentiate between trajectories. Additionally, the simulated results were compared with an on-water real-world slalom test to validate the findings. The results of the controlled dry-land slalom test indicate that the PNT solution provided accurate measurements with an overall mean±SD Hrms of 0.20±0.02m. The integrity measures, HDOD and PDOP were found to be ideal to excellent, with values of 0.68±0.03, and 1.36±0.07, respectively. The PNT solution utilised an average of 20±1 satellites from the constellation, resulting in an accuracy of

The demonstration of compliance of rolling stock against disturbance limits for railway signaling, and in particular track circuits, is subject to a large deal of variability, caused by the diverse values of the electrical parameters of the railway line and resulting transfer functions, as well as operating conditions of rolling stock during tests. Instrumental uncertainty is evaluated with a Type B approach and shown to be much less than the experimental variability. Repeated test runs in acceleration, coasting, cruising, braking conditions are considered, deriving both max-hold (spread) and sample dispersion curves compared to the respective mean values (Type A approach to the evaluation of uncertainty). The major source of variability affecting a significant portion of the spectrum is caused by the superposed oscillations of the onboard LC filter, for which different choices of the transformation window duration are discussed. The test runs and the acquired data covered overall 1 day of tests along about 300 km of the Italian 3 kV DC railway network.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

This study extends the CGAN-based MODIS cloud vertical-profile (64×64-scene, about 70km width×15km height) retrieval technique developed by Leinonen et al. (2019) [1] to construct seamless 3D cloud fields for the MODIS granules [2]. Firstly, the accuracy and spatial continuity of the Leinonen et al. [1] retrievals are statistically evaluated. Then, according to the characteristics of the retrieval error, a spatially overlapping-scene ensemble generation method and a bi-directional Ensemble Binning Probability Fusion (CGAN-BEBPF) technique are developed, which improves the CGAN retrieval accuracy and support to construct seamless 3D clouds. The CGAN-BEBPF technique involves three steps: cloud masking, intensity scaling, and optimal value selection. It ensures adequate coverage of the low reflectivity areas while preserving the high reflectivity cloud cores. The technique is applied to retrieve the 3D cloud fields of Typhoon Chaba and a multi-cell convective system. The cloud structures of the CGAN-BEBPF results are highly consistent with the ground-based radar observations. It can retrieve weak clouds at the top levels of convective storms and hurricanes that were missed by ground-based radars and fill the gaps of the ground-based radar lower-level PPI scan. Overall, CGAN-BEBPF can be automated to retrieve the rich informative 3D structures of typhoons and severe convective systems over the oceans along the MODIS swath, which certainly presents great value for improving maritime and near-shore typhoons and convection prediction and other cloud-sensitive applications.

This narrative review critically evaluates the multidimensional impacts of team sports on student wellness through the Wellness Wheel framework, encompassing physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, occupational, and environmental well-being. Methodologically, the review synthesizes empirical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses from the last 20 years, extracted from databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, to construct a comprehensive understanding of how team sports contribute to holistic student development. Our findings highlight team sports as a vital component of educational and wellness programs, significantly enhancing not just physical health but also emotional stability, cognitive performance, social skills, spiritual enrichment, and environmental awareness. The review underscores the necessity of integrating team sports into educational curricula to promote a balanced and comprehensive approach to student well-being. It also identifies existing gaps in literature, particularly the need for further research on enhancing inclusivity and accessibility in team sports, ensuring that all students can benefit from their wide-ranging impacts. This study advocates for strategic initiatives to incorporate team sports in educational settings, emphasizing their essential role in cultivating a well-rounded, healthy, and inclusive student body.

Introduction: This study explored the structural relationship between peer relations, exercise participation satisfaction, exercise commitment, and adherence to intention to exercise among Korean sports club participants. The objective was to offer insights that can enhance intentions for continuous exercise participation. Methods: To fulfill this objective, data were gathered using snowball sampling from teenagers at middle schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi, South Korea, who either currently participate in school sports clubs or have participated in the past. A total of 261 responses were analyzed using frequency, technical statistics, and confirmatory factor, reliability, correlation, and structural equation model analyses. Results: Through these analyses, this study found that peer relationships, exercise participation satisfaction, and exercise commitment were significant as both direct and indirect influences on exercise adherence intentions. Discussion: Intervention strategies should focus on fostering the positive emotions that stem from peer relationships.

Addressing the significant challenge in high-speed cotton dibbling operations in Xinjiang—specifically, the duck bill’s ("Duck bill" is a type of duck-billed bunch planting mechanism or component). shortened opening duration leading to seed throwing and floating—a new crawler-type delayed hole-forming mechanism has been designed. This mechanism extends the duck bill horizontally, thereby prolonging its opening time, enabling cotton sowing speeds of up to 6 km/h. Following agronomic principles for cotton planting, the overall layout of the crawler-type hole-forming mechanism, the structural parameters of the key components and the trajectory of the hole-forming are determined. We use the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and multi-body dynamics coupling method to simulate and analyze the motion process of the device. The fixed the tilt angle of the duck bill α(A), the depth of the duck bill hole-forming into the soil h(B), and the angle of rotation of the moving duck bill β(C) were taken as the experimental factors, with the longitudinal length of cotton seed hole (Y1) and the hole-forming depth of cotton seed hole (Y2) as the response values. The parameter range of each factor and the preliminary influence on the response value were determined through pre-experiments and single-factor simulation test. Based on RecurDyn-EDEM coupling, a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination simulation test was carried out. The results show that the order of the primary and secondary factors affecting the Y1 of the time-lapse hole-forming device was: A > C > B. The order of primary and secondary factors affecting the Y2 of the delayed hole forming device was: B > C > A. When the A was 2.4 °, the B was 42.4 mm, and the C was 30.5 °, the performance of the hole-forming was the best, and the Y1 was 26.4 mm, and the Y2 was 25.0 mm. The bench verification test results show that under the optimized combination of operating parameters, the average Y1 was 29.1 mm, and the average Y2 was 23.2 mm. Compared with the results of the previous coupled simulation model, the average relative errors of the two are 7.23 % and 4.36 %, respectively, indicating the accuracy and effectiveness of the established DEM simulation model and virtual test analysis. The hole-forming area and the opening time of the duck bill after the stable operation of the machine were recorded and measured. The calculated hole dislocation rate Hc was 4.33 %, which did not exceed the national standard requirement of 6 %. The qualified rate of hole distance Hx was 94.33 %, which was much higher than the national standard requirement of 80 %. The average opening time of the duck bill at a speed of 6 km/h is 0.45 s, which is much longer than the time required for cotton seeds to fall from the duck bill 0.11 s. It meets the requirements of high-speed cotton planting in China and facilitating advancements in future high-speed planter technology.

Conditional Independence (CI) testing is fundamental in statistical analysis. For example, CI testing helps validate causal graphs or longitudinal data analysis with repeated measures in causal inference. CI testing is difficult, especially when testing involves categorical variables conditioned on a mixture of continuous and categorical variables. Current parametric and non-parametric testing methods designed for continuous variables and can quickly fall short in the categorical case. This paper presents a computational approach for CI testing for categorical data types, which we call computational conditional independence (CCI) testing. The test procedure is based on permutation and combines machine learning prediction algorithms and Monte Carlo Cross-Validation. We evaluated the approach through simulation studies and assessed the performance against alternative methods; the generalized covariance measure (GCM) test, the kernel conditional independence (KCI) test, and testing with multinomial regression. We find that the computational approach to testing has utility over the alternative methods, and we can achieve better control over type-I-error rates. We hope this work can expand the toolkit for CI testing for practitioners and researchers.

Proteins play a pivotal role in supporting athletes by promoting muscle hypertrophy and minimizing protein catabolism during exercise. They stimulate muscle protein synthesis, aiding in the repair of exercise-induced muscle damage and serving as an energy source, particularly for post-exercise glycogen replenishment. In individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), for whom protein intake is limited to essential phenylalanine (Phe), supplementation with Phe-free amino acids or glycomacropeptides is necessary. Tailored for macronutrient and micronutrient content, these protein substitutes fulfill most protein requirements, but lack Phe, unlike dietary sources of protein. Protein requirements for athletes with PKU exceed general recommendations due to limited availability in supplements and potential catabolism mitigation. Various factors influence tolerated dietary Phe in PKU, including protein substitute quantity, distribution, pharmacological treatment, age, growth rate, pregnancy, catabolic states, and physical activity. While general protein requirements for PKU surpass those of the general population, adherence to supplement regimens is crucial for athletes and patients with PKU. Strategically timed protein substitutes enhance muscle protein synthesis, body composition, and sports performance within safety limits. Individualized intake is essential for optimal outcomes, as proteins have a multifaceted role in optimizing athletic performance and addressing challenges in PKU.

Background: This study explored the effects of a virtual reality exercise program on overweight middle-aged women. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included women 4065 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/m2 or more living in D city. The virtual reality environment was set up by attaching an IoT sensor to an indoor bicycle and linking it with a smartphone, enabling exercise in an immersive virtual reality through a head-mounted display. Results: In the virtual reality exercise group, the BMI was significantly decreased after the 8-week intervention compared with the baseline value (F=100.806, p<.001). The depression scores were significantly different among the three groups, with the intervention effect being more significant in the virtual reality exercise group than in the indoor bicycle exercise and con-trol groups (F=3.462, p<.001). Furthermore, the levels of exercise fun (F=12.373, p<.001) and exer-cise immersion (F=14.629, p<.001) were significantly higher in the virtual reality exercise group than in the indoor bicycle exercise and control groups. Conclusions: The virtual reality exercise program positively affected the BMI and the levels of depression, exercise fun, and exercise im-mersion in overweight middle-aged women. It is an effective home exercise program for obesity management in this population.

Identifying punch types as part of punch kinematic analysis is a key component for both coaches and players, providing critical insights into the variety and effectiveness of punches, which are essential for refining overall performance. Existing research indicates that punch type classification typically relies on data from either wearables or video data. Both approaches have their merits and demerits but require a significant amount of labeled data for modeling the classification algorithm. In this work, we propose a novel approach that significantly reduces the labeling effort by one-sixth by leveraging video data to enhance the training information of sensor data. This enriched training phase enables more accurate punch classification with reduced labeled data. Subsequently, the real-time punch identification and classification use only the wearable data. On a real dataset, with 15% of the labeling efforts, our approach achieved an accuracy rate of 91.41% for rear hand punch recognition and 91.91% for lead hand punch recognition, along with 92.33% and 94.56% for punch classification, respectively. Through the development of our Smart Boxer system, we aim to revolutionize punch analytics in boxing, providing comprehensive insights while enhancing the overall training and competitive experience for athletes and enriching fan engagement with the sport.

Evidence suggests that COVID-19 infection can cause lasting health consequences. Multidiscipli-nary rehabilitation services have been recommended to reduce the sequalae. However, the effec-tiveness of physical exercise interventions remains insufficiently documented. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a specific and well tolerated protocol-based, intervention to reduce muscle weakness in older adults impacted by COVID-19. Forty six older adults random-ized into Intervention and Control Groups. Isometric and isokinetic strength assessments were conducted for selected muscle groups using JBA Staniak® torquemeter and Biodex System 3 dy-namometer. Functional abilities were evaluated with the Time Up and Go test and Chair Stand Tests. Men in intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in static conditions for knee flexors (KF), trunk extensors (TE) and trunk flexors (TF) and in dynamic conditions for knee extensors (KE). Women in intervention group showed significant improvement in static condition for EF, KF, TE and TF and in dynamic for a KE and for a KF. The interaction GROUP x TESTING SESSION was significant for Chair test (s) and Chair test (n). Our results demonstrate the effec-tiveness of a well-tolerated, protocol-based approach that can be used to diminish long lasting functional deficits in post-covid survivors.

Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometers (LPAS), which provide photoacoustic spectra for detecting food frauds or adulteration, and fluorescence-based systems for recognition of contamination by heavy metal ions in water are two important families of sensors for health and environmental purposes. Both sensor families require one or more low-frequency Lock-In Amplifiers (LIAs) to extract the signal of interest from background noise. In the cited applications, the required LIA frequency is quite low (up to 1kHz), and this leads to a simplification of the hardware with consequent good results in portability, economy, reduced size, weight and low-cost characteristics. The present system, called ENEA DSP Box Due, is based on a very inexpensive microcontroller proto-board and can replace four commercial LIAs, resulting in significant savings in both cost and space. Furthermore, it incorporates a dual-channel oscilloscope and a sinusoidal function generator. This article outlines the architecture of the ENEA DSP Box Due, its electrical characterization and its applications within a project concerning laser techniques for food and water safety.

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) strongly linked to a nearly five-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are a significant cohort in which these assessments have particular relevance to the increased cardiovascular risk inherent in the condition. This study aimed to explore the subtle correlation between the Ewing test, Sudoscan-cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy score, and cardiovascular risk calculated using SCORE 2 Diabetes in individuals with T2DM. The cohort consisted of 211 patients diagnosed with T2DM with overweight or obesity without established ASCVD, aged between 40 to 69 years. The prevalence of CAN in our group was 67.2%. In the study group, according SCORE2-Diabetes, four patients (1.9%) were classified with moderate cardiovascular risk, thirty-five (16.6%) with high risk, and one hundred seventy-two (81.5%) with very high cardiovascular risk. On multiple linear regression, the SCORE2-Diabetes algorithm remained significantly associated with Sudoscan CAN-score and Sudoscan Nephro-score and Ewing test score. Testing for the diagnosis of CAN in very high-risk patients should be performed because approximately 70% of them associate CAN. Increased cardiovascular risk is associated with sudomotor damage and that Sudoscan is an effective and non-invasive measure of identifying such risk.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) improves event-free survival in patients with severe aortic stenosis, but patients’ exercise capacity remains poor after the procedure. Therefore, we sought to compare the effects of supervised centre-based exercise training program and unsupervised exercise routine on exercise capacity and vascular function in patients after TAVI. Patients were randomised to either centre-based exercise training (12-24 sessions of combined aerobic and low-weight resistance training twice weekly for 8-12 weeks) or unsupervised home-based exercise routine (initial appraisal with detailed recommendations and monthly follow-up). Exercise capacity (cardiopulmonary testing) and vascular function (ultrasonographic measurement of flow-mediated vasodilation [FMD] and arterial stiffness) were assessed at baseline and after the study period. We included 23 patients (mean age 81 years, 61% women), with higher-than-expected drop-out rates (41%) because of the coronavirus-19 pandemic outbreak. Exercise capacity improved over time, irrespective of intervention group: 0.09 ml/min/kg increase in peak oxygen uptake (95%CI [0.01-0.16]; p=0.02), 8.2 Watts increase in workload (95%CI [0.6-15.8]; p=0.034), and 47 seconds increase in cumulative exercise time (95% CI [5.0-89.6]; p=0.029). A between-group difference in change over time (treatment effect) was detected only for FMD (4.49%; 95% CI [2.35; 6.63], p &lt; 0.001), but not for other outcome variables. Both supervised and unsupervised exercise training improve exercise capacity and vascular function in patients after TAVI, with supervised exercise training possibly yielding larger improvements in vascular function, as determined by FMD.

Issues of fairness and consistency in Taekwondo poomsae evaluation have emerged owing to the lack of an objective evaluation method. This study proposes a three-dimensional (3D) convolutional neural network (CNN)-based action recognition model for the objective evaluation of Taekwondo poomsae. The model exhibits robust recognition performance regardless of variation in perspective by reducing the discrepancies between training and test images. The model uses 3D skeletons of the poomsae unit action collected using a full-body motion-capture suit to generate synthesized two-dimensional (2D) skeletons from the desired perspective. This approach aids in obtaining 2D skeletons from diverse perspectives as part of the training dataset and ensures consistent recognition performance regardless of the viewpoint. The model was trained using 2D skeletons projected from diverse viewpoints, and its performance was evaluated using various test datasets, including projected 2D skeletons and RGB images captured from various viewpoints. Comparison of the performance of the proposed model with that of previously reported action recognition models demonstrated the superiority of the model, underscoring its effectiveness in recognizing and classifying Taekwondo poomsae actions.

Background: In recent years, the assessment and guidance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality using noninvasive and invasive monitoring techniques have been increasingly recommended. In this study, we introduce a new physiological monitoring system that simultaneously measures arterial pressure (AP), venous pressure (VP), and cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2) during CPR. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at a single center (Kagoshima City Hospital). Adult out-of-hospital patients aged ≥18 years with an intravenous femoral arterial line, venous line, and SctO2 monitor were included. We measured femoral arterial pressure (FAP) and femoral venous pressure (FVP) invasively if catheters were immediately inserted into the femoral artery and vein for potential candidates who require interventions such as extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation but did not receive such interventions as a result. Results: We observed several representative cases that provided the following insights: We presented several cases, including two patients with significant increases in FVP and low SctO2 values, and in both cases, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was not achieved. In contrast, we also presented two cases in which CPR resulted in higher FAP compared to FVP and an upward trend in SctO2 values was observed, and both instances achieved ROSC. Conclusion: We presented a simultaneous physiological monitoring system that can monitor AP, VP, and SctO2 during CPR. Further case accumulations will be necessary to assess the variations in hemodynamic status during CPR and the association between each hemodynamic status and outcomes after cardiac arrest.

Background: The hypothesis is that a hypoxic-hyperoxic preconditioning (HHP) is associated with a protective effect on myocardial function by reducing endothelial damage and a beneficial effect on postoperative outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: Patients (n=120) were randomly assigned to an HHP and a control group. A safe inhaled oxygen fraction for the hypoxic preconditioning phase (10-14% oxygen for 10 minutes) was determined by measuring the anaerobic threshold. At hyperoxic phase, 75-80% oxygen fraction was used during 30 minutes. Results: The cumulative frequency of postoperative complications was 14 (23.3%) in the HHP vs 23 (41.1%), p=0.041. The nitrate decreased after surgery by up to 20% in the HHP group and up to 38% in the control group. Endothelin-1 and nitric oxide metabolites were stable in HHP but remained low more than 24 h in control group. The endothelial damage markers appeared to be predictors of postoperative complications. Conclusion: The HHP with individual parameters based on the anaerobic threshold is a safe procedure, it can reduce the frequency of postoperative complications. The endothelial damage markers appeared to be predictors of postoperative complications.

Background: Health management is gaining importance as a business resource to enhance employee well-being. The rise of remote work during COVID-19 impacted lifestyle habits. This study explores the impact of tele-exercise intervention on remote workers' lifestyle habits, aiming to improve health and productivity. Methods: This study divided into remote (G1) and face-to-face (G2) groups. Over three months, G1 followed a 30-minute weekly exercise program. Measurements and questionnaires were collected at three time points covering areas like presenteeism, weight, sleep, stress, job satisfaction, and happiness. Data underwent Two-way repeated measures ANOVA, Autocorrelation, Correlation Analysis, and Correspondence Analysis to assess differences and relationships between G1 and G2. Results: ANOVA showed that a significant difference was observed in Daily Stress (DS) between G1 and G2, with G1 exhibiting higher DS. Autocorrelation Analyses showed for G1 that strong relationships each of BMI, Presenteeism (PST), Daily Stress (DS), Stress Relief (SR), Sleep Quality (SQ), Purpose of Work (PW), and Satisfaction of Life (SL) in the time frame. Correlation Analysis showed for G1 that the pairs of PRS and SQ, and DS and SL had strong positive relationships, and the pairs of BMI and PRS, and BMI and SQ had strong negative relationships. Autocorrelation Analyses showed for G2 that strong relationships each of SR, Stress due to Remote Work (SRW), ST, SQ, and PW in the time frame. Correspondence Analysis showed that that G1 was encompassed in a job and life satisfaction area, and G2 was encompassed in a sleep and stress for weight control area.

Sweat rate and electrolyte losses have a large inter-individual variability, a personalized approach to hydration can overcome this issue to meet an individual’s needs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of personalized hydration strategy (PHS) on fluid balance and intermittent exercise performance. Twelve participants conducted 11 laboratory visits including a VO2max test and two 5-day trial arms under normothermic (NOR) or hyperthermic (HYP) environmental conditions. Each arm began with 3-day of familiarization exercise following by two random exercise trials with a either PHS or control (CON). Then, participants crossed-over to the second arm for: NOR+PHS, NOR+CON, HYP+PHS, and HYP+CON. The PHS was prescribed according to participants’ fluid and sweat sodium losses. CON drank ad-libitum of commercially-available electrolyte solution. Exercise trials consisted of two phases: 1) 45min constant workload; 2) high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIT) until exhaustion. PHS had a significantly greater fluid intake compared to CON. HYP+CON produced the lowest sweat sodium concentration. HYP+PHS had a lower thirst perception and a longer HIIT compared to HYP+CON. Thus, PHS reinforces fluid intake and successfully optimizes hydration status, regardless of environmental conditions. PHS may be or is an important factor to preventing negative physiological consequences during high-intensity exercise in the heat.

Cardiopulmonary complications remain the major cause of mortality despite newer therapies and improvements in lifespan of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Inflammation has been identified as a major risk modifier in the pathogenesis of SCD associated cardiopulmonary complications in recent mechanistic and observational studies. In this review, we discuss recent cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiopulmonary complications in SCD and summarize the most recent evidence from clinical and laboratory studies. We emphasize the role of inflammation in the onset and progression of these complications to better understand the underlying pathobiological processes. We also discuss future basic and translational research in addressing questions about the complex role of inflammation in the development of SCD cardiopulmonary complications, which may lead to promising therapies and reduce morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population.

The purpose of the present study was to examine if 14 days of supplementation with a pine bark extract leading up to and following an exercise test would increase performance and reduce biomarkers associated with muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress. The study used a double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over design. Participants ingested either 800mg pine bark extract or placebo for 14 days prior to the first exercise trial and for 2 days post-exercise. On the exercise day, participants submitted a pre-exercise blood sample, then completed a VO₂ peak test until volitional failure. A post-blood sample was collected 1 hour after completion of exercise. Participants returned at 24 & 48 hours after the exercise testing for measures of muscle pain in the lower body using an algometer. Participants then had a 7-day washout period before beginning to crossing over to the alternate treatment. Analysis via ordinal regression demonstrated a significant difference in oxidative stress in the pine bark extract group compared to placebo (ChiSq = 2.63; p = 0.05). The pine bark extract was effective at affording protection from oxidative stress post exercise. Further work should be undertaken to evaluate the findings with other exercise modes or in participants with known metabolic syndrome.

Background: This study aims to compare the impact of early and late post-discharge cardiopulmonary rehabilitation on the outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. Methods: The retrospective, cohort study used a sub-database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) that contains information of all patients had ICU admission between 2000 and 2012. Early group was defined if patients had received cardiopulmonary rehabilitation within 30 days after ICU discharge, and late group was define as if patients had received cardiopulmonary rehabilitation between 30 days and one year after ICU discharge. The end points were mortality and re-admission during the 3-year follow-up. Results: Among 2136 patients received cardiopulmonary rehabilitation after ICU discharge, 994 was classified early group and other 1142 patients were classified as late group. Overall, early group had a lower mortality rate (6.64% vs 10.86%, p = 0.0006), and a lower ICU readmission rate (47.8% vs 57.97%, p < 0.0001) than late group after 3-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that early group had significantly lower mortality (p=0.0009) and readmission rate (p<0.0001) than late group. In multivariate analysis, the risk of ICU readmission was found to be independently associated with late group (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13-1.47). Conclusions: Early post-discharge cardiopulmonary rehabilitation among ICU survivors has the long-term survival benefit and significantly decreases the readmission rate.

Cardiopulmonary lesions, which manifest from various types of diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and peripheral arterial disease, pose a public health problem. Vascular remodeling, which refers to alternations to the structure of the vessel is an important pathophysiological feature of these diseases. The Inhibitor of DNA-binding/Differentiation-3 (ID3), which is part of the ID family of transcriptional regulators, has been demonstrated to contribute to an essential role in the vasculature and therefore may influence the alterations of these lesions. This review will cover the existing understanding of how ID3 may contribute to cardiopulmonary lesion perturbations via involvement in vascular remodeling. Furthermore, based on the accumulative quantity of reports that indicate oxidative stress plays a essential function in the pathophysiology of vascular remodeling, we will also consider the impact of exposure to estrogenic endocrine disruptors (EEDs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol A (BPA) on ID3 & cardiopulmonary disease. Improved understanding of how ID3 pathways contributes to these molecular mechanisms in the lesion will prospectively deliver beneficial information in the mediation of vascular remodeling associated with ID3 & EED exposure, which may play an essential role in cardiopulmonary disease prevalence.

The interface of a structural system in the soil is usually unsaturated. A decrease in the shear strength of the soil-structure interface can degrade the structure, especially under humid conditions. Studying the shear characteristics of the silt-concrete interface using a shear apparatus. Suction-controlled ring shear tests were carried out on the silt-concrete interface for three interface roughness values. The influence of the matric suction (s) and interface roughness (R) on the shear strength index of the silt-concrete interface was analyzed. The test results showed that high values of s and R improved the shear strength of the interface, but the result was affected by the net normal stress (NNS). High values of NNS and R improved the strain-hardening characteristics. NNS, s, and R significantly affected the interface shear shrinkage. The internal friction angle of the saturated interface was smaller than that of saturated silt, whereas the opposite occurred in the unsaturated state. The cohesion and internal friction angle of the interface rose with an increase in R, and they were larger than that of silt. A shear strength model of the silt and interface was established.

State-of-the-art augmented-reality (AR) glasses record their position and orientation in space, enabling measurements and analyses of clinical gait-and-balance tests. This study’s objective was to evaluate concurrent validity and test-retest reliability for common clinical gait-and-balance tests in people with Parkinson’s disease: the Five Times Sit-To-Stand (FTSTS) and Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) tests. Position and orientation data was collected in 22 participants with Parkinson's disease using HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2 AR glasses, from which test-completion durations and durations of distinct sub-parts (e.g., sit-to-stand, turning) were derived and compared to reference systems and over test repetitions. Regarding concurrent validity, for both tests an excellent between-systems agreement was found for position and orientation time series and test-completion durations. Between-systems agreement for FTSTS (sub-)durations were all excellent, while TUG turning sub-durations were excellent (turn 1) and moderate (turn 2). Regarding test-retest reliability, the within-system test-retest variation in test-completion times and sub-durations was always much greater than the between-systems variation, implying that these (sub-)durations may be derived interchangeably from AR and reference-system data. In conclusion, AR data are of sufficient quality to evaluate gait and balance in people with Parkinson's disease, with valid quantification of test-completion durations and sub-durations of distinct FTSTS and TUG sub-parts.

This study uses a mass-spring-damping system to simulate the repeated strain of liquefaction cyclic triaxial tests. The two results are compared in this paper to understand the feasibility of the mass-spring-damping system developed in this paper and the feasibility of future research on this related topic and development potential. The main factors affecting this mode's repeated strain are the spring coefficient k and the external force Q0. The spring coefficient has an inverse relationship but does not increase in multiples. The external force has a direct proportional relationship but does not increase the result- a non-multiple increase. When the pore water pressure of the liquefied cyclic triaxial test specimen rises, it will cause the specimen to liquefy, decreasing effective stress, shear modulus G, and damping ratio D, causing an increase in strain. The shear modulus and damping ratio are related to the spring coefficients k and c. Both are variables that change with time. This article takes an original thin-tube specimen at point A in the Yunlin area in Taiwan as a testing example. Through Mathematica software, it can be obtained that the mass m=1kg, the spring coefficient k=244e-0.1t kgf/cm, and the damping coefficient c=0.739e-0.257t kgf-s/cm and external force Q0=10.1sin2πt kg; Finally, this study selected the original thin-tube specimens from four locations in the Yunlin area, and simulated the repeated strain amount of the cyclic triaxial test specimens through a spring-damping system. The results show that the spring-damping system is feasible for simulated cyclic triaxial tests because the model is simple and the parameters are easy to understand and obtain, which also shows the extensibility of this model. Preliminary results of the research show that this model can further simulate the repeated strain obtained by cyclic triaxial tests without considering the increased trend in pore water pressure and the decrease in effective stress during cyclic loading.

As time continues to advance, the need for robust security threat mitigation has become increasingly vital in software. However, ensuring early effective security threat mitigation requires optimal test data and consistent test case design. It is a constant struggle to maximize test coverage through test data optimization. We conducted explanatory research to maximize test coverage of security requirements as modeled in Structured Misuse Case Description (SMCD) i.e., structured specification of misuse case, so as to improve consistency in optimal test data generation. We specified constraints upon Mal activity in Object Constraint Language (OCL) in order to minimize human dependency and improve consistency in optimal test data generation. It was evident through results that MC/DC generated optimal test data of security threats through SMCD in comparison to the Decision Coverage method thus resulting in designing a significantly lower number of test cases and yet maximizing test coverage of security threats. MC/DC generated test data with n+1, while Decision Coverage generated test data with〖 2〗^n, we, therefore, conclude that MC/DC maximizes test coverage through optimal test data from SMCD in comparison to Decision Coverage.

(1) Background: This study aims to investigate differences in the perspectives of exercise intensity for resistance exercise of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and adults living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Asian countries. Also, it verifies the appropriateness of the conventional indicators for resistance exercise intensity in an Asian context; (2) Methods: 121 certified HCPs and 107 adults with SCI participated in a survey conducted in Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Thai languages. The survey asked what principles are important for prescribing resistance exercise, and if ‘moderate’ and ‘vigorous’ were appropriate terms for indicating an intensity level. Perspective differences were examined between both groups and, further, between countries from a psychosocial perspective; (3) Results: Of the HCPs, 92% perceived that resistance exercise intensity was far more important than frequency, time or type of exercise while frequency (61%) followed by intensity (58%) was perceived as important by respondents with SCI. Only Japanese respondents with SCI agreed with HCP’s perception of intensity. Both HCPs and respondents with SCI showed unfavorable responses on the usage of ‘moderate’ and ‘vigorous’ for describing resistance exercise intensity, especially Japanese HCP and respondents with SCI from Indonesia; (4) Conclusion: Our findings suggest that non-HCPs must improve their perceptions of exercise intensity. Findings also suggest the need for more explicit and user-friendly terms or expressions indicating the level of intensity in a local (Asian) context.

Excessive oxidative stress and exercise-induced fatigue reduce physical performance and can lead to dysfunction in antioxidant systems within muscular and hepatic tissues. Integrating natural substances with exercise may mitigate fatigue via anti-oxidant effects. This study aims to compare and evaluate the effects of exercise and supplementation with Sundarbans honey vs energy drinks on the strength, anxiety physiological profiles, and hepatic antioxidant capacity in mice undergoing extraneous exercise and fatigue. Forty-eight four-week-old Swiss albino mice were randomly assigned to one of eight groups: (1) Control, (2) Speed™ (Sp), (3) Royal Tiger™ (RT), (4) Sundarbans Honey (SH), (5) Exercise (Ex), (6) Exercise + Sundarbans Honey (Ex+SH), (7) Exercise + Speed™ (Ex+Sp), and (8) Exercise + Royal Tiger™ (Ex+RT). Supplements were administered via oral gavage: Sp (2.5 ml/kg BW), RT (2.5 ml/kg BW), and SH (1 g/kg BW), four times a week for 60 days. Mice in the Ex, Ex+SH, Ex+Sp, and Ex+RT groups underwent daily swimming and running. The strength, fatigue, anxiety levels, lipid profiles, and antioxidant biomarkers were evaluated post-treatment. The SH, Ex, and Ex+SH groups exhibited significantly enhanced physical performance (p

Abstract: Nordic exercises aim to improve physical abilities and prevent injuries; However, it is not clear in what type of sports modalities to use it, so this study arises from the interest of ana-lyzing its effect in different sports modalities. Objective: To analyze Nordic exercises effects on the lower limbs, and their relationship with the explosive and absolute strength inherent to demands of different sports modalities (football, athletics, basketball, sport climbing, cycling and taekwondo). Method: quasi-experimental research, identifying 122 athletes (18±3 years old) from: football (n=24), athletics/speed (n=20), sport climbing (n=20), basketball (n=24), taekwondo (n=14) and cycling (n=20); classified into a control group CG (n=57) and an experimental group EG (n=65). Results: dominant absolute strength of the initial (12.4±0.51) and final (14.5±0.98) EG, in greater proportion in basketball (P= < 0.05); explosive strength of the initial (42.4±1.2) and final (45.8±1.5) EG, with a significant difference in all modalities between before and after (p≤0.05), except in cy-cling and taekwondo; no major changes were found in the GC. Conclusion: Nordic exercises are recommended as part of training to improve levels of explosive strength with emphasis on the modalities of football, basketball, athletics/speed and sport climbing, being applicable to increase absolute strength in basketball.

Then the purposes of this study were to compare and correlate the aerobic threshold (TH_aer) and anaerobic threshold (TH_anaer) measured during a new single judo specific incremental test and Treadmill Test for aerobic demand evaluation. Eight well-trained male competitive judo players (24.3±7.9 years; height of 169.3±6.7cm; fat mass of 12.7±3.9%) performed a maximal incremental specific test for judo mimicking the UchiKomi drills and on treadmill in different days. There was difference between specific and general TH_aer (P=0.0006) as well as weak correlation for TH_aer (r=0.32; R²=0.1; P=0.2) and TH_anaer (rs=-0.31; R²=0.1; P=0.12). When correlation was applied with normalized data (percentage of peak load) we observed moderate correlation for TH_aer (r=0.76; R²=0.58; P=0.027), but the same was not observed for TH_anaer. We conclude that there is a need of TH_aer and TH_anaer evaluation through a specific test for Judo.

Objective: To explore the inter-rater reliability of the Measurement Of adherence Via Exercise Demonstration (MOVED) adherence tool. Design: Reliability study of a patient adherence measurement tool.Setting: Simulated physiotherapist-patient consultations. Participants: Sixteen experienced physiotherapists rated patient adherence to exercise. Interventions: N/A Main Outcome Measure: Inter-rater reliability of MOVED.Methods: The MOVED tool consists of two parts. Part one asks patients to self-report their adherence to exercise dose (including number of completed sessions, sets and repetitions in the last seven days). Part two asks patients to demonstrate each exercise. Component scores are totalled to give an overall level of patient adherence to each exercise.Participants were provided with a copy of five physiotherapist-prescribed exercises. Participants were then shown five corresponding video vignettes of simulated physiotherapist-patient consultations where patients were asked to self-report exercise frequency, sets and repetitions and demonstrate each exercise within the context of a consultation. Participants were asked to rate the level of patient adherence to each of the five exercises using the MOVED tool. Inter-rater reliability of MOVED scores was assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and 95% Confidence Intervals. Results: The ICC of part one (self-report) was .90 (95%CI .74-.98), part two (demonstration) was .98 (95%CI .94-.99) and total score was .96 (95%CI .88-.99), demonstrating excellent inter-rater reliability. Conclusion: The MOVED tool, which can highlight whether patients are adhering to exercise technique as well as exercise dose, may provide clinicians and researchers with a more robust measure of exercise adherence when compared with other measures currently available.

The COVID-19 pandemic over the past years has shown a great need for rapid, low-cost and on-site detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this paper, an aptamer-based colloidal gold nanoparticle lateral flow test strip was well developed to realize the visual detection of wild type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) and multiple variants. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a low detection limit of SARS-CoV-2 S protein of 0.68 nM was acquired, and the actual detection recovery was 83.3% to 108.8% for real world samples. This suggests a potential tool for the prompt detection of SARS-CoV-2 with good sensitivity and accuracy, and a new method for the development of alternative antibody test strips for the detection of other viral targets.

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has gradually come to be regarded as an effective therapy, but the hospital mortality rate after ECPR is still high and unpredictable. The present study tested whether age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) can be used as an objective selection criterion to ensure the most efficient utilization of medical resources. Methods: Adult patients (age ³ 18 years) receiving ECPR at our institution between 2006 and 2015 were included. Data regarding ECPR events and ACCI characteristics were collected immediately after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) setup. Adverse events during hospitalization were also prospectively collected. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge. The second endpoint was short-term (2-year) follow-up outcome. Results: A total of 461 patients included in the study were grouped into low ACCI (ACCI 0–3) (240, 52.1%) and high ACCI (ACCI 4–13) (221, 47.9%) groups. The median ACCI was 2 (IQR: 1–3) and 5 (IQR: 4–7) for the low and high ACCI groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-to-ECMO duration was comparable between the groups (42.1 ± 25.6 and 41.3 ± 20.7 min in the low and high ACCI groups, respectively; P = 0.754). Regarding hospital survival rate, 256 patients (55.5%) died on ECMO support. A total of 205 patients (44.5%) were successfully weaned off ECMO, but only 138 patients (29.9%) survived to hospital discharge (32.1% and 27.6% in low and high ACCI group, P = 0.291). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed CPR-to-ECMO duration and CPR cause of septic shock as significant risk factors for hospital survival after ECPR (P = 0.043 and 0.014, respectively), whereas age and ACCI were not (P = 0.334 and 0.164, respectively). The 2-year survival rate after hospital discharge for the 138 hospital survivors was 96% and 74% in the low and high ACCI groups, respectively (P = 0.002.)Conclusions: High ACCI before ECPR does not predict poor outcome of hospital survival. Therefore, ECPR should not be rejected solely due to high ACCI. However, high ACCI in hospital survivors is associated with a higher 2-year mortality rate than low ACCI, and patients with high ACCI should be closely followed up.

The textile sector is responsible for a number of environmental impacts. Due to the in-creasing quantities of textiles, their share is rising and a trend reversal from a linear to a circular textile chain is needed. This article presents the background, methodological approach and results of a participatory textile development model. In the commercial B2B sector, three textile prototypes were developed together with users and trialled over several months in three application areas. Textile development took into account the requirements of fibre regeneration in the product design and focused on innova-tive chemical recycling solutions. The three sustainably aligned textiles were subject-ed to spectroscopic and textile-technological tests. Screening life cycle assessments an-alysed their environmental profile and compared it with reference textiles that are used as standard. Overall, it is clear that the three textiles can match conventional ref-erence textiles in terms of quality and have considerable environmental benefits com-pared to the reference textiles. The user survey did identify concerns about a high arti-ficial fibre content, although a general rejection of recycled fibres was not observed. The results show that a transformation is possible, but must start with the fibre com-position; recycling, on the other hand, is of minor importance.

Asymptotic theories for fractional cointegrations have been extensively studied in the context of time series data, with numerous empirical studies and tests developed. However, most of the previously developed testing procedures for fractional cointegration were primarily designed for time series data. This paper proposes a generalized residual-based test for fractionally cointegrated panels with fixed effects. The test development is based on bivariate panel series with the regressor assumed to be fixed across cross-sectional units. The proposed test procedure accommodates any integration order between [0,1], and it is asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis. Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the test exhibits better size and power compared to a similar residual-based test across varying sample sizes.

Background: Low-level physical activity (PA) among Chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) is associated with various biopsychosocial factors. This research aimed to study the predictors of PA behavior among cLBP patients. Methods: In the present study 300 eligible patients with cLBP who referred to comprehensive health service centers in the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS) in Tehran, Iran were random selected.To diagnose the predictors of PA behavior, all the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) constructs were examined as risk factors to see if they influence on the probability of PA behavior occurrence and were interpreted through odds ratio (OR). SPSS version 19 was used to analyze the data. Results: Totally 280 cLBP patients with mean age of 57.07 ±13.09 years old participated in the study. This study showed that motivation to comply significant predictor the cLBP patients for subjective norm OR (%95CI): 2.095(0.116-2.792), p-value<0.001), intention was significant predictor for perform the PA behavior OR (%95CI): 1.431(0.138-1.538), p-value <0.001), behavior beliefs could predictor for attitude OR (%95CI): 1.276(0.106-1.355), p-value= 0.002). attitude, normative beliefs, subjective norm ,and evaluation outcome behavior could predictors the cLBP patients for intention to perform the PA behavior OR (%95CI): 1.188(0.032-1.312), p-value<0.001)., OR (%95CI): 1.158(0.076-2.208), p-value=0.003) ., OR (%95CI): 1.104(0.076-1.128), p-value<0.001) ., OR (%95CI): 0.814(0.301-1.440), p-value=0.007). Conclusions: This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm). This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm). This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm).

Introduction: Biliary Atresia (BA) is a common cause of neonatal cholestatic jaundice which, if recognized and treated early, can be life-saving for the infant. If the liver biopsy suggests the presence of BA, exploratory laparotomy is then carried out to confirm the diagnosis, along with the Kasai procedure to provide drainage to the bile secreted by the liver. The purpose of this study is to get a deep dive into all the various imaging modalities that can diagnose BA more effectively and with absolute certitude, thus helping prevent several children from a grave prognosis.Methodology: For the collection of the data, a search was done by two individuals using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases for all relevant literature. Each qualifying paper was evaluated independently by two reviewers. Each article was analyzed for the number of patients, their age, procedure modality, complexity of ethology, and incidence of the pre-decided complications. The statistical software packages RevMan (Review Manager, version 5.3), SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20), Google Sheets, and Excel in Stata 14 were used to perform the statistical analyses. The data was obtained and entered into analytic software.Results: A total of 39 studies with 3,679 subjects were selected for the study, out of which 7 studies showed sensitivity above or equal to 95%, and an astounding 14 studies showed specificity above 95%. The value of True Positive (TP) was 1280, that of True Negative (TN) was 1817, that of False Positive (FP) was 239, and that of False Negative (FN) was 343. With a confidence interval of 95%, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values were calculated. The sensitivity of Ultrasonography for Biliary Atresia is 0.79, with a CI of 95% in a range of 0.77 to 0.81. The specificity of Ultrasonography for Biliary Atresia is 0.88, with a CI of 95% in a range of 0.87 to 0.90. Conclusion: Even though several radiological techniques at present help to detect BA, USG of the abdomen proves to be an effective diagnostic and a modest screening test for the detection of BA.

This investigation aimed to explore the impact of acute and regular physical exercise on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in individuals with obesity. Using the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) approach, the inclusion criteria were defined as follows: i) population - individuals with overweight or obesity of any age or gender; ii) intervention - acute or chronic interventions involving aerobic or anaerobic methodologies; iii) comparator - for acute effect studies, pre- and post-evaluations served as comparators, while interventions included at least one experimental group or the inclusion of a control group; iv) outcome - BDNF variability concerning the applied methodology; v) study design - restricted to experimental studies exclusively. Conducted in August 2022, the searches were carried out on PubMed, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Science. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS) tool. Out of 98 potentially relevant articles, 16 met the eligibility criteria, encompassing 23 trials. Substantial heterogeneity was observed for both acute (I2 = 80.4%) and long-term effects (I2 = 88.7%). Additionally, RoBANS analysis indicated a low risk of bias for the included studies. The study's findings revealed a significant increase in the concentration of circulating BDNF in individuals with obesity compared to the control group following acute exercise. However, such an effect was not evident in the context of long-term physical exercise, with a small effect size (ES = 0.49) recorded in the latter scenario. The observed significant increase in BDNF levels post-acute exercise suggests a potential acute response mechanism contributing to the intricate interplay between exercise and neurotrophic factors in this population. Nevertheless, the absence of a similar effect in the context of long-term physical exercise implies a potential adaptation or ceiling effect. These findings underscore the importance of considering both the duration and nature of exercise interventions when exploring the neurobiological responses associated with obesity and exercise. The study provides valuable insights for future research and clinical implications in understanding the nuanced relationship between exercise, neurotrophic factors, and obesity.

This study delves into the intricate interplay of economic growth components, specifically focusing on Consumption and investment in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022. Employing vector error correction models and cointegration techniques, we analyze the short- and long-term dynamics within the relationship of Consumption, investment, and economic growth. Granger causality analysis is also used to discern these pivotal variables' causal connections. Our empirical analysis reveals a persistent long-term cointegration relationship among the variables, underscoring the enduring nature of their interdependency. Furthermore, our findings highlight Consumption and investment's statistically significant positive impact on economic growth. Notably, the short-term analysis unveils a stable model characterized by an annual adjustment to equilibrium of 100%.Moreover, the Granger causality study demonstrates unidirectional causal linkages between Consumption, investment, and economic growth. These findings hold substantial implications for policy formulation in Saudi Arabia. Policymakers must grasp the ramifications of burgeoning prosperity and evolving private consumption patterns on future environmental outcomes. Achieving sustainable long-term results necessitates equal emphasis on bolstering private Consumption and fostering other facets of economic growth.

Background: Exercise is an accepted intervention to improve the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer patients. Exercise programs have been developed and all have shown satisfactory results in improving QoL. There is a lack of research comparing different prescription modalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of physical exercise (in-person, home-based, prescription) on QoL in breast cancer patients actively undergoing treatment; Methods Quasi-experimental study with randomized assignment to three groups (in-person: guided and supervised in-person exercise program; home-based exercise: guided and supervised exercise program with streaming monitoring; recommendation: exercise recommendation). Quality of life was measured using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Baseline and 24-week analysis. Results: The total sample analyzed was n=80. QoL improved significantly at 24 weeks in the face-to-face and home-based exercise groups, but not in the advice group. Exercise in all modalities improved fatigue, nausea, vomiting, appetite, and constipation. QoL at 24 weeks depended on active chemotherapy, tumor type, and assigned exercise group (r2 = 0.503; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: QoL in breast cancer patients undergoing active treatment improves after a 24-week exercise program, especially in face-to-face and home-based exercise. Home-based exercise, streaming-based recommendation is a viable option for exercise recommendation.

Shoulder tendinopathies produce pain and reduce functionality. The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to analyze the effects of Percutaneous electrolysis (PE), Percutaneous peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) and eccentric exercise (EE), on pain (NPRS), strength, electromyographic activity, ultrasound characteristics of the tendon (echogenicity, thickness and hypervascularization) and functionality (DASH and SPADI) on individuals with supraspinatus tendinopathy. Participants (n=50) were divided into two groups, they received 4 treatment sessions, one per week, of PE and PNS (n=25) or 10 treatment sessions of TENS and US (n=25). Both groups performed EE program consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions of each of the 3 exercises, twice a day, during the 4 weeks. Follow-up was carried out at 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the start of the intervention. There are statistically significant differences in the analysis between groups (p&lt;0.001) in the post-treatment and follow-up measurements favorable to the PE+PNS+EE treatment on pain (NPRS), strength, supraspinatus electromyographic amplitude, ultrasound characteristics of the tendon (echogenicity, thickness and hypervascularization) and DASH and SPADI questionnaires. The combined treatment PE, PNS and EE is an effective option in the clinical management of tendinopathies, with positive results in the short and long term on the variables studied.

nutrition, macro and micronutrients, bone health, exercise, exogenous and endogenous microRNA, epigenetics

Based on the 2014-2015 China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) and using the propensity score matching method, we studied the causal relationship between physical exercise and prosocial behavior of junior middle school students in China. Ordinary least squares regression and propensity score matching estimation results showed that participation in physical exercise significantly increases students’ prosocial behavior by more than 0.2 standard points. The results of this study were tested and found to be robust.

Abstract: This article provides a brief review of the ontogeny of chondrocytes and the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), and details how physical exercise improves the health of osteoarthritic joints and enhances the potential of mesenchymal stem cells for successful transplantation therapy. In response to exercise chondrocytes increase their production of glycosaminoglycans, bone morphogenic proteins and antiinflammatory cytokines and decrease their production of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix degrading metalloproteinases. These changes are associated with improvements in cartilage organization and reductions in cartilage degeneration. Studies in humans indicate that exercise increases peripheral blood recruitment of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and upregulates BM-MSC expression of osteogenic and chondrogenic genes, osteogenic micro-RNAs, and osteogenic growth factors. Rodent experiments are uniform in demonstrating that exercise enhances the osteogenic potential of BM-MSC while diminishing their adipogenic potential, and that exercise done after stem cell implantation may benefit stem cell transplant viability. Physical exercise also exerts a beneficial effect on the skeletal system by decreasing immune cell production of osteoclastogenic cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (INF)-γ while increasing their production anti-osteoclastogenic cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. In conclusion, physical exercise done both by stem cell donors and recipients may improve the outcome of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation.

The aim of this study was to analyze the level of specific back-health-related physical activity and exercise knowledge. This is a cross-sectional study. A representative sample of 1500 students were recruited with a confidence level of 95% and an accepted standard error of ±2.53%. Individuals were aged between 13 and 18 years old (mean age= 15.18; SD = ±1.446). Self-reported questionnaires were used to record back-health-related physical activity and exercise knowledge concerning back care in adolescents. The level of specific knowledge of back health education related to physical activity and exercise in adolescents was low (X = 2.05, SD = ±2.264). Only 10.9% of the students passed the specific knowledge test, achieving a grade equal or superior to 5. The boys average score was higher (X = 2.17, SD = ±2.312) than the girls (X = 1.94, SD = ±2.212) with statistically significant differences (p = .048). The level of specific knowledge increased with age (F = 11.531; p &lt; .001). High school students have a low level of specific knowledge. Physical Education teachers should apply the conceptual content properly. Knowledge is the first step towards changing behavioral habits. Back care education in the school curriculum is recommended.

Athletes are exposed to high-intensity loads to promote athletic performance, however without appropriate evaluation for its effects. This study investigates the effects of four types of exhaustion exercises on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Poincaré features as markers of central fatigue; Creatine Kinase (CK) and blood lactate concentrations ([LA-]b) as biomarkers of peripheral fatigue. To achieve this purpose, ten healthy volunteers were exposed to exhaustive exercise using isotonic-, isometric-, aerobic-, and anaerobic-fatigue protocols. HRV Poincaré features, standard deviation of instantaneous beat-to-beat R-R interval variability (SD1) and standard deviation of continuous long-term R-R interval variability (SD2) variables were collected. Central fatigue was tested through the sympathetic stress index (SS) and the sympathetic and parasympathetic index (SS/SD1). Blood samples were collected at the beginning and at the end of the exercises to determine CK and [LA-]b. The SD1 decreased in each exercise protocol, while the SS and SS/SD1 increased. [LA-]b and CK increased at the end of each protocol and correlated with SD1 and SS/SD1. HRV, CK, and [LA^-]_b are acute markers to detect, both central and peripheral fatigue; sensitive to the type, duration, and intensity of exercise, being HRV a novel noninvasive marker, simple and useful for sports coaches and athletes.

In 2011 over 1.7 million people were hospitalized because of a fragility fracture, and direct costs associated with osteoporosis treatment exceeded 70 billion dollars in the United States. Failure to reach and maintain optimal peak bone mass during adulthood is a critical factor in determining fragility fracture risk later in life. Physical activity is a widely accessible, low cost, and highly modifiable contributor to bone health. Here, we will review the evidence linking exercise and physical activity to bone health in women. Bone structure and quality will be discussed, especially in the context of clinical diagnosis of osteoporosis. We will review the mechanisms governing bone metabolism in the context of physical activity and exercise. Questions such as, when during life is exercise most effective, and what specific types of exercises improve bone health, will be addressed. Finally, we will discuss some emerging areas of research on this topic, and will summarize areas of need and opportunity.

Background: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) has a high lethality. About two-thirds of the severe cases may be rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). However, about half of the patients supported by ECMO suffer major complications. High volume hemofiltration (HVHF) is a depurative extracorporeal support that provides homeostatic balance allowing hemodynamic stabilization in some critically ill patients. Methods: We implemented HVHF prior to ECMO consideration in the last five severe HCPS patients requiring mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs admitted to our intensive care unit. Patients were considered HVHF-responders if ECMO was avoided and nonresponders if ECMO support was needed. Results: The first two patients required ECMO, while the last three did not. Patients had a maximum serum lactate of 8.4 [4.3-14] mMol/L and a lowest cardiac index of 1.76 [1.45-2.9] L/min/m2. Nonresponders were connected later to HVHF, displayed progressive tachycardia and decreasing stroke volume. The opposite was true for HVHF-responders who also received targeted-HVHF compounded by aggressive hyperoncotic albumin, sodium bicarbonate and calcium supplementation plus ultrafiltration to avoid fluid overload. All patients survived, but one of the ECMO patients suffered a vascular complication. Conclusion: HVHF may contribute to support severe HCPS patients avoiding the need for ECMO in some of them. Early connection and targeted-HVHF may increase the chance of success.

In 2020 the world experienced the threat of the COVID-19 epidemic, as seniors and chronic disease patients typically try to reduce their exercise and social activities to avoid increasing the risk of infection, which could lead to increased loneliness and even many diseases. This research combining golf croquet games with AIoT companion robots constructs a home-based intelligent exercise system thus uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), deduces users’ intention to use this system based on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and adds the needs of love and belonging, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization in Maslow’s needs theory to conduct system needs analysis. The analysis results show that participants have a high level of acceptance of this system, believing that it is easy to learn and operate, can increase interaction with others, also found that this system can improve self-confirmation, satisfying the third for knowledge, feeling happy, and self-actualization needs are easier to fulfill. In the future, we shall collect and record the seniors in the process of use, so as to find out their health problems as soon as possible, expand their daily life through this exercise, and achieve the goal of happy living and health care.

Physical exercise is the greatest stress on the cardiovascular system, not only in humans but also in all vertebrates. Consequently, the cardiovascular response cannot be thought of as having only one "anthropocentric" interpretation. The modulation of cardiac output (Q) in response to exercise in the five major groups of vertebrates exhibits considerable variability. Moreover, the response of the heart rate (HR) and the stroke volume (SV), the fundamental factors that cause the rise in Q, is also highly variable. The difference in the range of HR is difficult to determine in many vertebrates, both at rest and at maximal effort. Additionally, the increase in SV varies among vertebrates. For example, while rainbow trout and leopards increase their SV by increasing end diastolic volume (EDV), humans do so at the expense of both increasing EDV and reducing end systolic volume (ESV). The variation in arterial pressure that arises during exercise varies notably among vertebrates, such as amphibians, whose blood pressure values do not increase as significantly as in mammals. Such differences in cardiovascular response among vertebrates may be linked to their habitat or living environment. This review aims to analyze the cardiovascular response of vertebrates to physical exercise as the most common stressor.

The Geopyörä breakage test uses two counter-rotating wheels to nip and crush rock specimens with a tightly controlled gap between rollers. The force applied and energy consumed during breakage are measured with instrumentation. In contrast to drop weigh test (DWT) methods, the breakage energy is a response to the rock compressive strength and degree of compression, not a controlled test input, such as the kinetic input energy of a falling weight. This paper presents the detailed measures conducted to evaluate the accuracy and precision of energy measurements across various ore types using the Geopyörä device. While force measurement was assessed just for its precision. The outputs are compared directly to the DWT measures of fragmentation at the same energy and fitted A and b parameters. The test reproducibility was evaluated using a Round-Robin methodology, testing several samples in multiple laboratories. The results confirmed that the new test has sufficient accuracy to match DWT results and excellent precision to assure reproducibility.

We develop a primality test for Mersenne numbers and investigate the primality of the sequence of Catalan-Mersenne numbers. We use induction as a proof to show that the 5th Catalan-Mersenne number is a prime number, thus demonstrating the infinitude of Mersenne primes.

The BH 25 railway bridge, located in Indonesia, consists of three spans: 9.5 m (span-1 girder type), 21.9 m (span-2 truss type), and 9.6 m (span-3 girder type). Despite the initial plan for camber, it was not achieved, leading to the installation of temporary support on span-2. To assess the level of damage and determine the necessary steps, static and dynamic tests were conducted using a CC206 locomotive. The maximum deflection was recorded at -4.60 mm for span-1, -11.30 mm for span-2, and -3.42 mm for span-3. The dominant frequency in the vertical direction of span-2 was found to be 14.65 Hz. Due to the inability to achieve the planned camber and the subsequent removal of temporary support, external prestressing will be implemented, resulting in a camber of 11.82 mm. This change in prestressing also affects the dominant frequency of span-2, which becomes 17.07 Hz.

Oil and Gas companies, both national and international, along with government regulators, share a common goal of efficiently managing their valuable assets. These assets refer to the Reserves of oil and Gas located underground. Typically, production and Reserves Engineers play a crucial role in managing these reserves through the implementation of well testing techniques. Thus far, the gold standard in this field has been to ensure the optimal management and utilization of these resources. In the context of well testing, the separator has traditionally been considered the gold standard. However, despite regulatory mandates for frequency of well testing (Such as the general requirements of every 30days in the Nigeria south East zone sector), There is a lack of specific regulations regarding the expected flow measurement uncertainties. This gap in the regulations leaves room for improvement in establishing guidelines for accurate flow measurements. This paper aim to Review the various test separator employed, examine the implications of the 30days testing interval under real - world conditions, and critically assess the achievable measurements uncertainties in the field. Additionally, it will provide a candid analysis that sheds light on the expected uncertainties associated with flow measurements. The introduction of the multiphase meters in the past two decades hold the potential for significant advancements in Reservoirs management performance. However, the authors suspect that this potential has not been universally realized. This paper aim to address this issue by examining the extent to which the benefits of multiphase meters have been effectively utilized in reservoir management. By doing so, it seeks to shed light on any existing gaps and propose recommendation for maximizing the impact of multiphase metres in the field. In addition to the aforementioned objectives, this paper will also address and explore the following key aspects:Identification and review of both the strength and weaknesses associated with test separators. By thoroughly examining these attributes, we can gain valuable insight into their effectiveness and potential areas for improvement. Exploration of alternative application of test separator and their impact on well testing efficiency. Real -World comparison will be provided to highlight the advantages and challenges associated with these alternative uses, offering a comprehensive understanding of their implications. Evaluation of the contribution that multiphase flows meters (MPFMs) can bring to the testing scenario and overall performance. By assessing the capabilities and potential benefits of MPFMs, we aim to provide a comprehensive picture of their role in enhancing testing procedures. Examination of the flow measurement uncertainties that can be expected from a test separator and their potential impact on reservoirs management performance. By understanding and quantifying these uncertainties, we can gain insight into how they may affect decision -making and optimization strategies in managing our materials assets effectively. Delving into the question of reconciling multiphase flow meter (MPFMs) with test separators. This analysis aims to inject a sense of realism into the world of managing our major material assets by explaining the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating and aligning these two measurement technologies. By addressing these crucial aspects, this paper strives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in managing our material assets, ultimately driving towards more informed decision-making and improved performance.

Background: Open AI developed ChatGPT, a language model based on the GPT architecture, designed for text-based communication. Trained on diverse internet texts, ChatGPT generates contextually appropriate responses using machine learning. It understands input through analysis and context interpretation, generating coherent and contextually relevant responses. Interaction is possible through messaging platforms. Materials and Methods: In November 2023, we utilized ChatGPT 3.5, the default version at that time, to answer questions from the Italian National Residency Program Admission Tests (SSMs) of 2021, 2022, and 2023. The questions cover clinical, diagnostic, analytical, therapeutic, and epidemiological scenarios, sometimes accompanied by images. The study compared ChatGPT's answers to the official corrections on the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) website. The scoring method used for evaluation was 1 point for correct answers, 0 points for unanswered questions, and -0.25 points for incorrect answers, reflecting the SSM test scoring system. Results: In summary, ChatGPT was tested with a total of 420 questions, 140 for each test. It achieved an overall accuracy of 80.48%, providing correct answers for 338 questions and incorrect answers for 82 questions. When faced with questions containing both text and images, it answered 55% correctly and 45% incorrectly. The model's performance varied over time, with an 82.14% accuracy rate in 2021 and 2022 (115 correct out of 140) and a 77.14% accuracy rate in 2023 (108 correct out of 140). Applying thisscoring method to the SSM test, ChatGPT would have scored 105 points in 2021 and 2022, and 100 points in 2023. Conclusions: ChatGPT has exhibited above-average performance in the last three SSM tests, highlighting its robust capability to interpret clinical scenarios and offer precise diagnostic and therapeutic guidance. Despite this, some limitations persist, notably the software's inability to interpret non-textual information.

The presence of anti SARS-CoV2-RBD antibody (Anti-RBD) prevents severe COVID-19. We aimed to determine the accuracy of a point-of-care Anti-RBD test implemented in person living with HIV (PLWH), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We enrolled 182 non-comorbid subjects and 335 persons with comorbid (PLWH, SLE, CKD) to test anti-RBD assay compared to surrogate viral neutralization (SVNT) as the reference test. We performed linear correlation analysis between anti-RBD vs SVNT and a ROC analyses to ascertain anti-RBD cut-off at 30%, 60%, and 90% inhibition of SVNT to calculate accuracy. Correlations of anti-RBD to SVNT among all groups were excellent with R= 0.7903, R=0.7843, R=0.8153 among non-comorbid, SLE and CKD groups, respectively, with significantly higher correlation among the PLWH group (R=0.8877; p-value=0.0072) compared to non-comorbid group. The accuracy of the anti-RBD test among PLWH and CKD group was similar with the non-comorbid but showed lower sensitivity in the SLE group (p=0.000014). The specificity of the test remained high in all groups. In conclusion, the Anti-RBD test had excellent correlation to SVNT. The persistently high specificity in all groups suggests that this test can be reliably utilized to detect presence of low neutralization capacity, prompting additional vaccination.

Background: Diet is a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). There are few studies on women´s diet and glucose tolerance test (GTT) results. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between previous diet and the number of abnormal values on the diagnostic GTT in women with GDM. We hypothesized there would be an inverse relation between antioxidant micronutrient consumption and the number of abnormal GTT values. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 60 women diagnosed with GDM (2-hours, 75g-GTT). Shortly after diagnosis, participants answered a validated food frequency questionnaire to assess food consumption in the last 6 months. Mann-Whitney´s test was used to compare the dietary intake of participants with one (group 1) versus two-three (group 2) abnormal GTT values. Results: Participant characteristics were similar. There were no significant differences between groups in median intake of total calories, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Participants in group 1 had significantly higher intakes of fiber (11.9 vs. 11.0 g/day p= 0.049), vitamin D (40.6 vs. 40.4 mcg/day p= 0.049) and vitamin C (180.0 vs. 151.0 mg/day p= 0.008) than those in group 2. Conclusion: Results suggest a possible association between consumption of fiber and some antioxidant micronutrients and GDM severity at the time of diagnosis.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for about 10 to 15% of all diagnosed hematologic malignancies and about 1-2% of all cancer cases. Approximately 80-90% of MM patients develop bone disease and the changes rarely regress. It is only possible to stop or slow their progression. A major role in bone destruction in MM is attributed to the Wnt signaling pathway, and its action can be modified by various types of interventions including training and diet. Therefore, the aim of this project was to evaluate the effects of a Nordic Walking (NW) training cycle and intermittent fasting (IF) on the levels of selected bone turnover markers associated with the Wnt pathway in patients with MM. Results from 35 patients divided into training (NW and IF NW) and non-training (IF and control) groups were included in the analysis. A 6-week training cycle involving 60-minute workouts 3 times a week was conducted. Body mass and composition and the levels of: vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus, beta2-microglobulin and albumin were examined before and after completion of training cycle. Markers of bone turnover were also determined: sclerostin (SOST), Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1), osteoprotegrin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN) and Tartrate-resistant acid phos-phatase 5b (TRACP 5b). There was no negative effect of IF or combined training and fasting on the nutritional status of the patients (the level of albumines was unchanged). Both training groups showed an increase in serum concentrations of the active metabolite of vitamin D (IF NW and NW: p=0.001 and p=0.022, re-spectively). The change in the concentration of this vitamin negatively correlated with the con-centration of TRACP 5b (r=-0.413, p=0.014). Evaluating the concentrations of markers related to bone turnover, a reduction in the concentrations of SOST (time: p=0.026, time vs. group: p=0.033) and TRACP 5b (time: p

Adipose tissue has acquired considerable importance due to its role in maintaining body homeostasis. Beyond storing energy, adipose tissue is essential in numerous processes of energy metabolism, food intake, endocrine and immunological functions as well as neromodulatory functions by secreting hormones that participate in the regulation of homeostasis and being responsive to soluble proteins secreted by other tissues. An imbalance of these functions will generate structural and functional changes in the adipose tissue, favouring the secretion of deleterious adipocytokines that benefit a pro-inflammatory state, allowing the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is a disease that has increased rapidly in recent decades and is caused by environmental, hormonal, and genetic factors, which probably work in combination. Environmental factors that contribute to the increase in obesity include decreased physical activity, associated with increased screen time, increased accessibility and consumption of foods rich in fats and sugars. Weight loss should be recommended for all obese patients and overweight patients with comorbidities. For many patients who need to lose weight for medical reasons, the initial goal is to lose 5-10% of their body weight in the first 6 months. A common theme worldwide has been the development of professional guidelines for the control and treatment of obesity and in Chile, the Chilean Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery led the process of adopting the adult obesity clinical practice guideline, which establishes changes in the approach to managing obesity as a chronic disease, with an emphasis on multifactorial lifestyle interventions that include dietary changes, increased physical activity, and behavioural modifications. Pharmacotherapy, medical devices, and bariatric surgery are other options for patients who need additional interventions, so the objective of this review is to know the pathophysiological mechanisms of obesity from its origin to the current treatments available for treatment.

Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) is an exercise oncology program that transitioned from in-person to online delivery during COVID-19. The purpose of this work was to understand participants’ experiences in both delivery modes. Specifically, survivors' exercise facilitators and barriers, delivery mode preference, and experience with program elements targeting behaviour change were gathered. A retrospective cohort design using explanatory sequential mixed methods was used. 57 participants completed a survey, and 19 subsequent, optional interviews were conducted. Most participants indicated preferring in-person programs (58%), followed by online (32%), and no preference (10%). There were significantly fewer barriers (i.e., commute time) (p<0.01), but also fewer facilitators (i.e., social support) (p<0.01), to exercising online. Four themes were generated from the qualitative data surrounding participant experiences in both delivery modes. Key differences in barriers and facilitators highlighted a more convenient experience online relative to a more socially supportive environment in-person. For future work that includes solely online, focusing on building social support and a sense of community will be critical to optimizing program benefits. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, results of this research will remain relevant as we aim to increase the reach of online exercise oncology programming to more underserved populations of individuals living with cancer.

The ketogenic diet and walking exercise training activity are two key public health lifestyle factors. The potential of combined lifestyle factors interventions focused on getting to compliance in forced exercise. A balanced ketogenic diet and regular exercise activity is a key modifiable factor to the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Influence health across the lifespan and reduction of the risk of premature death through several biological mechanisms. Community older group’s lifestyle factors interventions contribute identity in their natural living environment. While the older health benefits of walking exercise training strategies are commonly to study, combined ketogenic diet and walking exercise interventions have induced greater benefits in community older groups.

This study introduces and demonstrates a comprehensive, accurate, unbiased approach to robust quantitative comparison of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) appropriate for establishing substantial equivalence (or lack thereof) between tobacco products. The approach is demonstrated across a family of thirteen pen- and pod-style ENDS products. Methods employed consist of formulating a robust emissions surface regression model, quantifying the empirical accuracy of the model as applied to each product, evaluating relationships between product design characteristics and maximum emissions characteristics, and presenting results in formats useful to researchers, regulators, and consumers. Results provide a response surface to characterize emissions (total particulate matter and constituents thereof) from each ENDS appropriate for use in a computer model and for conducting quantitative exposure comparisons between products. Results demonstrate that emissions vary as a function of puff duration, flow rate, E-Liquid composition, and device operating power. Further, results indicate that regulating design characteristics of ENDS devices and consumables may not achieve desired public health outcomes; it is more effective to regulate maximum permissible emissions directly. Three emissions outcome measures (yield per puff, mass concentration and constituent mass ratio) are recommended for adoption as standard quantities for reporting by manufacturers and research laboratories. The approach provides a means of (a) quantifying and comparing maximal emissions from ENDS products spanning their entire operating envelope, (b) comparative evaluation of ENDS devices and consumable design characteristics, and (c) establishing comparative equivalence of maximal emissions from ENDS. A consumer-oriented product emissions dashboard is proposed for comparative evaluation of ENDS exposure potential. Maximum achievable power dissipated in the coil of ENDS is identified as a potentially effective regulatory parameter.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of two lengths of Nordic walking (NW) training interventions combined with time restricted eating (TRE) on improving body composition parameters, lipid profile, and levels of selected adipokines in women with disrupted body mass. Overweight and obese women (n=55, age: 21-85) were recruited. Four groups were selected: 6 weeks (SG6, n=13) and 12 weeks intervention (SG12, n=13); and two control groups: CON6 (n=13); and CON12 (n=13). The training sessions took place 3 times a week (60 minutes each) and were conducted outdoor under the supervision of professional coach. The training intensity was determined individually. The extended NW program combined with TRE induced a significant weight reduction in SG12 by 1.96 kg (p=0.010) and fat tissue by 1.64 kg (p=0.05). The proposed interventions did not affect LBM, TBW [kg], VFA and lipid profile. The LDL/HDL ratio changed with small size effect. Leptin concentration differed between groups (p=0.006), but not over time. For resistin, the differentiating factor was time (p=0.019, with lower results observed after the intervention). The change in leptin concentration was negatively correlated with its baseline concentration. Extended to 12 weeks, this intervention allows for an improvement in body composition. Neither 6 nor 12 weeks of training and fasting affected the lipoprotein profile.

Speckle Plethysmography (SPG) and Photoplethysmography (PPG) are different biophotonics technologies that allow for measurement of hemodynamics. As the difference between SPG and PPG under low perfusion conditions is not fully understood, a Cold Pressor Test (CPT) was used to modulate blood pressure and peripheral circulation. A custom-built setup simultaneously derived SPG and PPG from the same video streams at two wavelengths (639 nm and 850 nm). SPG and PPG were measured at right index finger location before and during CPT using finger Arterial Pressure (fiAP) as reference. The effect of CPT on Alternating Component amplitude (AC) and Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) of dual-wavelength SPG and PPG signals was analysed across participants. Furthermore, waveform differences between SPG, PPG, and fiAP based on frequency harmonic ratios, were analysed for each subject (n=10). Both PPG and SPG at 850 nm show a significant reduction during CPT for both AC and SNR. However, SPG showed significantly higher and more stable SNR than PPG in both study phases. Harmonic ratios were found substantially higher in SPG than PPG. Therefore, in low perfusion conditions, SPG seems to offer a more robust pulse wave monitoring with higher harmonic ratios than PPG.

Nowadays, some coffee production centers are still classification manually, so it requires a very long time, a lot of labor, and expensive operational costs. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to design and performance of the coffee bean classifier that can accelerate the process of classification beans. The classifier used consists of three main parts, namely the frame, driving force, and sieves. Research parameters include classifier work capacity, power, specific energy, classification distribution and effectiveness, and efficiency. The results showed that the best operating conditions of the coffee bean classifier was found at a rotational speed of 91.07 rpm and a 16° sieves angle with a classifier working capacity of 38.27 kg/h, the distribution of the seeds retained in the first sieve was 56.77 %, the second sieves was 28.12%, and the third sieves was 15.11%. The efficiency of using a classifier was found at a rotating speed of 91.07 rpm and a sieves angle of 16°. This classifier was simple in design, easy to operate, and can sort coffee beans into three classification, namely small, medium, and large.

In this paper, Lie symmetry and Painlevé Techniques are applied to the SIRD (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered and Dead) model. A demonstration of the integrability of the model is provided to present an exact solution. The study revealed that nonlinear system passes Painlevé test and does not possesses complex chaotic behaviour. However, the system fails to pass the Painlevé test while constraints reach values equivalent to the corresponding complex chaotic behaviour. The two-dimensional Lie symmetry algebra and the commutator table of the infinitesimal generators are obtained. Lie symmetry analysis serves to linearize the nonlinear system and find the corresponding invariant solution.

Irisin, a skeletal muscle-secreted myokine, produced in response to physical exercise, has protective functions in both the central and the peripheral nervous systems, including the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factors and modification of telomere length. Such beneficial effects may inhibit or delay the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review is based on the hypothesis that irisin produced by physical exercise helps control AD progression. Herein, we describe the physiology of irisin and its potential role in delaying or preventing AD. Although current and ongoing studies on irisin show promising results, further research is required to clarify its potential as a meaningful therapeutic target for treating human diseases.

Abstract: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the major microbial metabolites produced in the gut through the fermentation of non-digestible fibers. SCFAs act through free fatty acid receptor 2 and 3 (FFAR2 and 3), which are known to be expressed on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-secreting L-cells. This pathway is suggested to protect the intestinal mucosa. We aimed to investigate how lack of fiber affects the production of SCFAs and the vulnerability of the co-lon. Additionally, the involvement of FFAR2 and 3 in GLP-1 secretion and intestinal protection. SCFA concentrations in luminal contents from chow- or fiber-free diet-fed mice were analysed by LC‒MS. SCFAs were applied to isolated perfused colons from FFAR2/3 double KO and WT mice, and the secretion of GLP-1 was measured. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis was induced in chow- or fiber-free diet-fed mice as well as in FFAR2/3 KO and WT mice. The removal of die-tary fiber significantly decreased total colonic SCFA concentrations, with specific decreases in acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFAs significantly increased colonic GLP-1 secretion but not in FFAR2/3 KO mice. In the DSS model, the removal of dietary fiber increased the severity and delayed recovery. Colitis severity was independent of FFAR2 and FFAR3 signaling.

Thermal stresses belong to the leading factors that influence low-temperature cracking behavior of asphalt pavements. During winter, when temperature drops to significantly low values, tensile thermal stresses develop as a result of pavement contraction. Creep test methods can be suitable for the assessment of low-temperature properties of asphalt mixtures. To evaluate the influence of creep test methods on the obtained low-temperature properties of asphalt mixtures, three point bending and uniaxial tensile creep tests were applied and the master curves of stiffness modulus were analyzed. On the basis of creep test results, rheological parameters describing elastic and viscous properties of the asphalt mixtures were determined. Thermal stresses were calculated and compared to tensile strength of the material to obtain the failure temperature of the analyzed asphalt mixtures. It was noted that lower strain values of creep curves were obtained for the Tensile Creep Test (TCT) than for the Bending Beam Creep Test (BBCT), especially at lower temperatures. Results of thermal stress calculations indicated that higher reliability was obtained for the viscoelastic Monismith method based on the TCT results than for the simple quasi-elastic solution of Hills and Brien. The highest agreement with the TSRST results was also obtained for the Monismith method based on the TCT results. No clear relationships were noted between the predicted failure temperature and different methods of thermal stress calculations.