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ABSTRACT Objective Methods Results Conclusion Whether or not an athlete plays with sports equipment in their hands may influence handgrip strength (HGS) changes during development, but longitudinal studies have not confirmed this. This study compared one‐year HGS changes between two sports types (soccer vs. kendo) in children and adolescent athletes.One hundred sixty‐eight young athletes (86 kendo boys and 82 soccer boys) had two HGS measurements separated by 1 year. A 2 (sports) by 2 (timepoints 1 and 2) repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine whether HGS changed differently between sports.There was no evidence for a sport × time interaction in HGS (p = 0.14); however, the mean difference and 95% CI were in the direction of favoring a greater change in kendo athletes [difference of 0.6 (95% CI: −0.2, 1.5) kg]. There was a main effect of time and sport. Kendo athletes had a 4.6 (95% CI: 1.8, 7.5) kg greater HGS than soccer athletes. There was no evidence that the change in HGS between sports depended on the initial age of the athlete (p = 0.205).Using sports equipment during play may positively affect HGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Males, on average, are bigger and stronger than females. Hormonal differences during puberty are one reason given for this performance advantage. However, not all evidence supports that thesis. Our aim was to further this discussion by measuring early life changes between sexes (when hormones would be similar) in components of muscle function. Methods: Fifty‐one children (29 boys, 22 girls) completed this study. Forearm muscle size and strength were assessed three times with each time point being separated by approximately a year (2021–2023). Results: There was no sex*time interaction for handgrip strength (p = 0.637). There was, however, a time (p < 0.001) and sex (p < 0.001) effect. Strength increased each year and boys were stronger than girls (difference of 1.5 [95% 0.7, 2.3] kg). There was no sex*time interaction for ulnar muscle thickness (p = 0.714) but there was a time (p < 0.001) effect. Muscle size increased each year but there was no evidence of a sex effect (p = 0.12; difference of 0.81 [95% −0.21, 1.8] mm). A strong positive within‐participant correlation between muscle size and strength (r = 0.803 95% CI: [0.72, 0.86], p < 0.0001) was found across time. Conclusion: Muscle size and strength increased together but this increase did not differ based on sex and boys were stronger than girls. Future work is needed to determine the reason for this difference in maximal strength. Any effect was seemingly present at the initial measurement (at the age of 4 years), since muscle size and strength did not change differently between boys and girls over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to compare the current handgrip strength (HGS) of Kendo athletes with their HGS when they were in university (up to 50 years). Methods: Eighty male graduates who were Kendo club members during their university days performed anthropometric and HGS measurements, and these HGS were compared with those measured during their university days (mean age of 19.5 years old). Results: There was no evidence of a statistical difference in HGS between the current measurement and the measurement taken during university [−0.64 (−1.9, 0.67) kg, p =.336]. There was, however, evidence that the difference in HGS depended upon the current age of the individual (t = −6.43, p <.001). When probing the interaction, there were statistical differences between the ages of 24.6 and 38.2 years and between the ages of 47.4 and 69.9 years. Strength increased across time in the younger participants and decreased for those who were older. Between the ages of 38.9 and 46.1 years, there was no evidence of a statistical difference indicating a maintenance of strength. Conclusion: The HGS of Kendo club graduates, which they acquired during their formative years, continued to increase even after they graduated from university and entered their 30s. However, their HGS decreased from age 50, even though they practiced Kendo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The axial gap structure of a half‐wave rectified variable field flux motor (AG‐HVFM) has been proposed, which has a double stator structure and field winding short‐circuited by a diode. Although the AG‐HVFM can achieve a high‐efficiency drive in wide speed and torque range via variable field flux control, its structure deteriorates the average torque and torque ripple. In this paper, we sequentially design the core shape, aspect ratio, and current control method for an AG‐HVFM to improve its torque characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the potential storage and safety of drinking leftover bottled tea beverages from various manufacturers after direct drinking from bottles, we conducted a screening experiment on the growth of salivary bacteria in plastic bottles of tea. The diluted saliva samples from 10 participants were inoculated into the test bottled beverages, which resulted in bacteria, particularly former members of the genus Lactobacillus , growing in some green tea beverages with a neutral pH. In contrast, tea beverages with less bacterial growth contained Streptococcus spp., and the leftovers may be safe to store and drink again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]