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For a bus transit system with peak and normal periods, we derived an approximated formulated solution, to provide a patchwork for a published paper. Based on the same numerical example of the original model, our approximated solution attains the minimum cost within 0.3% to indicate that our approximated formulated solution is a good supplementary tool to estimate the optimal solution., Author(s): Yu-Lan Wang [1]; Ming-Li Chen (corresponding author) [2]; Scott Shu-Cheng Lin [3] 1. Introduction Researchers developed models to mimic real-world phenomena, and then tried to apply their results from [...]

Background: Resistance training is often a part of the routine training regimen for competitive swimmers. However, due to the variety of resistance training methodology, the results can be inconsistent and sometimes unsatisfactory. Clear recommendations are still lacking at present. Aims: 1) Quantify the impact of resistance training on swimmers' upper limb maximum strength, front crawl performance and key technical parameters; 2) Find out the key technical parameters for improving front crawl performanceâ€"stroke rate or length; 3) Through subgroup analysis determine the best methodology of resistance training to enhance the front crawl. Methods: Systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Meta-analyses using the inverse-variance are performed to compare swimmers' upper limb maximum strength, front crawl performance and key technical parameters in resistance training and habitual aquatic training. A subgroup analysis was performed to examine whether the results were affected by the methodology of resistance training. Results: Thirteen studies (267 competitive swimmers) met the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analysis showed that resistance training significantly improved upper limbs maximum muscle strength, and 25, 50, 100, and 200 m front crawl performance in competitive swimmers. And improvements in swimming performance may simply resulted from resistance training increasing stroke rate rather than stroke length. In addition, the results of subgroup analysis showed that only concurrent resistance training (CRT) and power training (PT) ultimately improved swimming performance by increasing the maximum muscle strength of the upper limbs. Conclusion: Resistance training significantly enhances competitive swimmers' upper limb strength and front crawl performance across various distances. The improvement in performance is likely attributed to an increased stroke rate rather than stroke length. In addition, CRT and PT are particularly effective, indicating the importance of selecting the appropriate methodology of resistance training for optimal swimming performance enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the dose-response relationship between specific types of exercise for alleviating Timed up and Go (TUG) in Parkinson's disease PD. Design: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. Data sources: PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception until February 5th, 2024. Study analysis: Data analysis was conducted using R software with the MBNMA package. Effect sizes of outcome indicators were expressed as mean deviation (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CrI). The risk of bias in the network was evaluated independently by two reviewers using ROB2. Results: A total of 73 studies involving 3,354 PD patients. The text discusses dose- response relationships in improving TUG performance among PD patients across various exercise types. Notably, Aquatic (AQE), Mix Exercise (Mul_C), Sensory Exercise (SE), and Resistance Training (RT) demonstrate effective dose ranges, with AQE optimal at 1500 METs-min/week (MD: -8.359, 95% CI: -1.398 to -2.648), Mul_C at 1000 METs-min/week (MD: -4.551, 95% CI: -8.083 to -0.946), SE at 1200 METs-min/week (MD: -5.145, 95% CI: -9.643 to -0.472), and RT at 610 METs-min/week (MD: -2.187, 95% CI: -3.161 to -1.278), respectively. However, no effective doses are found for Aerobic Exercise (AE), Balance Gait Training (BGT), Dance, and Treadmill Training (TT). Mind-body exercise (MBE) shows promise with an effective range of 130 to 750 METs-min/week and an optimal dose of 750 METs-min/week (MD: -2.822, 95% CI: -4.604 to -0.996). According to the GRADE system, the included studies' overall quality of the evidence was identified moderate level. Conclusion: This study identifies specific exercise modalities and dosages that significantly enhance TUG performance in PD patients. AQE emerges as the most effective modality, with an optimal dosage of 1,500 METs-min/week. MBE shows significant benefits at lower dosages, catering to patients with varying exercise capacities. RT exhibits a nuanced "U-shaped" dose-response relationship, suggesting an optimal range balancing efficacy and the risk of overtraining. These findings advocate for tailored exercise programs in PD management, emphasizing personalized prescriptions to maximize outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased usage of selective laser sintering (SLS) for the production of end-use functional components has generated a requirement of developing new materials and process improvements to improve the applicability of this technique. This article discusses a novel process wherein carbon black was applied to the surface of TPU powder to reduce the laser reflectivity during the SLS process. The printing was carried out with a preheating temperature of 75 °C, laser energy density of 0.028 J/mm2, incorporating a 0.4 wt % addition of carbon black to the TPU powder, and controlling the powder layer thickness at 125 μm. The mixed powder, after printing, shows a reflectivity of 13.81%, accompanied by the highest average density of 1.09 g/cm3, hardness of 78 A, tensile strength of 7.9 MPa, and elongation at break was 364.9%. Compared to commercial TPU powder, which lacks the carbon black coating, the reflectance decreased by 1.78%, mechanical properties improved by 33.9%, and there was a notable reduction in the porosity of the sintered product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the correlation between mitochondrial quantity and the blastocyst development timeline as well as their respective contributions to early pregnancy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using a dataset comprising 2,633 embryos that underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) between January 2016 and December 2023. The study was divided into three subsets to address distinct aspects: the representativeness of a single trophectoderm (TE) biopsy for mitochondrial quantity (n=43), the correlation between morphokinetic features and mitochondrial quantity (n=307), and the association analysis among mitochondrial quantity, blastocyst timeline factor, and reproductive outcomes (n=2,283). Distribution assessment of mitochondrial quantity across an individual blastocyst involved the identification within multiple biopsies and spent culture media. Timeline evaluation included correlating mitochondrial quantity with time-lapse datasets. Finally, multivariate logistic regression models, incorporating potential effectors alongside mitochondrial quantity, were employed to analyze their respective contributions to early pregnancy endpoints. Results: Of distribution assessment, mitochondrial quantity exhibited an even distribution across the entire trophectoderm (Spearman's r=0.82), while no detectable mtDNAs in the corresponding spent culture media. Then the timeline correlation study revealed significant association between mitochondrial quantity and blastocyst features of both the day of expanded blastocyst formation (95% Confidence intervals, CIs: 0.27~4.89, p=0.03) and the timing of expanded blastocyst formation (tEB) (95% CIs: -0.24~-0.01, p=0.04) in the regression model, indicating a strong dependency between mitochondrial quantity and the blastocyst development timeline. For the contribution to early pregnancy, multivariate logistic regression models showed that the day of expanded blastocyst formation contributed to four endpoints persistently: positive for HCG (odd ratio, OR: 0.71, p=0.006), gestational sac (OR: 0.78, p=0.04), fetal heartbeat (OR: 0.71, p=0.004), and progression to 14 weeks (OR: 0.69, p=0.002). Contrastingly, no notable correlation was observed between the mitochondrial quantity and these endpoints. Conclusions: Strong interaction was observed between mitochondrial quantity and the blastocyst timeline, particularly the timing of expanded blastocyst formation. It suggests that the primary determinant influencing pregnancy outcomes lies in the time-dependent parameter of blastocyst rather than in the specific mitochondrial quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagnosis and early treatment of rare diseases can prevent severe disabilities and reduce social and medical costs. However, patients face a significant hardship due to the slow and challenging process for obtaining National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage for orphan drugs, as it delays access to lifesaving medications and creates financial burdens. This article outlines the process for listing in the NHI Pharmaceutical Benefits and presents two cases that illustrate the issues with the existing procedures. It concludes by proposing seven reform suggestions for the National Health Insurance Administration to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate voluntary participation of lower-, average, and higher skilled children during parkour recess and MVPA in physical education, parkour recess and regular recess. In total 147 (55 girls, 92 boys) elementary children from seven schools participated. During (i.e., generalization) and after (i.e., maintenance) a 10-lesson parkour unit was taught, five parkour recess sessions were organized. Systematic observation was used to assess children’s physical activity levels. Average skilled children participated more (74%) in parkour recess compared to higher skilled children (55%; p=.002). No differences were found for MVPA between lower-, average -and higher skilled children in any of the settings. Regardless of skill level, children voluntarily participated in parkour recess with MVPA levels 15-20% higher compared to regular recess. These findings are especially important for lower-skilled children, who are more at risk for lower participation in physical activities and adhering to physical activity guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]