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This is an article in the field of metallurgical engineering. Aiming at the limitation of low reactivity of barite and few chemical processing methods, a new soda ash conversion method is proposed. Firstly, the effect of barite reaction particle size, temperature, and sodium carbonate concentration on the production rate of barium carbonate by the hydrochloric acid hydrolysis method is explored. The results show that the sodium carbonate concentration has the greatest impact on the reaction conversion rate. At limited experimental conditions, when sodium carbonate is used when the concentration reaches 28.57%, the highest formation rate of barium carbonate reaches 90.05%. Secondly, in the subsequent reaction, ammonium chloride is selected to re-convert the barite conversion product to prepare ammonium carbonate. The barium carbonate produced by this method has a higher yield and purity. The new process breaks through the traditional misconception that barium sulfate does not react with soda ash. The process is simple and feasible, and ammonia and carbon dioxide can be recycled and reused, making the entire process a large cycle process, in line with the concept of green environmental protection, and recrystallization. The preparation of barium carbonate from stone provides a new production process.

Abstract Background Mobility limitations (e.g., using wheelchair) have been closely linked to diminished functional independence and quality of life in older adults. The regulation of mobility is pertaining to multiple neurophysiologic and sociodemographic factors. We here aimed to characterize the relationships of these factors to the risk of restricted mobility in older adults. Methods In this longitudinal study, 668 older adults with intact mobility at baseline completed the baseline assessments of clinical characteristics, cognitive function, sleep quality, activities of daily living (ADL), walking performance, beat-to-beat blood pressure, and structural MRI of the brain. Then 506 of them (mean age = 70.7 ± 7.5 years) responded to the follow-up interview on the mobility limitation (as defined by if using wheelchair, cane, or walkers, or being disabled and lying on the bed) after 18 ± 3.5 months. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between the baseline characteristics and the follow-up mobility restriction. Results At baseline, compared to intact-mobility group (n = 475), restricted-mobility group (n = 31) were older, with lower score of ADL and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), greater score of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), poorer cardio- and cerebral vascular function, and slower walking speeds (ps

Abstract. Considerable research has shown the benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the alleviation of pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Still, a large variance in study protocols and observations across publications exists. We here thus completed a systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively and quantitatively characterize the effects of tDCS on KOA-related pain. A search strategy based on the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) principle was used to obtain the publications in 7 databases. Studies exploring the effects of tDCS on KOA-related pain were screened, and eligible studies were included. Ten studies of 518 participants using Visual Analogue Scale or Numeric Rating Scale to assess pain were included in the systematic review, and 9 of them were included in meta-analysis. The quality of these studies was good. Compared to control, tDCS induced significant short-term improvements in KOA-related pain with medium heterogeneity (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.91, 95% confidence interval [−1.24, −0.58], P < 0.001, I2 = 61%). Subgroup analyses showed that both home-based (SMD = −1.32, 95% CI [−1.65, −0.99], P < 0.001, I2 = 0%) and laboratory-based intervention (SMD = −0.66, 95% CI [−0.99, −0.33], P < 0.001, I2 = 40%) with at least 5 sessions per week (SMD = −1.02, 95% CI [−1.41, −0.64], P < 0.001, I2 = 65%) and/or with a total number of at least 10 sessions (SMD = −1.12, 95% CI [−1.51, −0.74], P < 0.001, I2 = 59%) can induce maximum benefits for the alleviation of KOA-related pain. The results here showed that tDCS is of great promise to alleviate KOA-related pain. Still, future studies with more rigorous design are needed to confirm the observations from this work, which can ultimately help the determination of appropriate intervention protocol that can maximize such benefits.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of bone destruction in patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, examine distribution patterns of bone lesions, and assess differences between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, 15 studies involving 839 patients were analyzed. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate prevalence and odds ratios. Study quality was assessed using ROBINS-I. Results: The overall prevalence of bone destruction was 18% (95% CI: 10-27%). HIV-negative patients showed significantly higher odds of bone destruction (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.37%). Bone lesions were widely distributed, with osseous involvement (45.7-71.4%) more prevalent than articular (7.1-66.7%). The skull, ribs, and lumbar vertebrae were commonly affected. Conclusion: Bone destruction is a significant complication in TM infection, particularly in HIV-negative patients. The diverse anatomical distribution emphasizes the need for comprehensive skeletal assessment in suspected cases.

Abstract BackgroundGait speed is a valuable biomarker for mobility and overall health assessment. Existing methods to measure gait speed require expensive equipment or personnel assistance, limiting their use in unsupervised, daily-life conditions. The availability of smartphones equipped with a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) presents a viable and convenient method for measuring gait speed outside of laboratory and clinical settings. Previous works have used the inverted pendulum model to estimate gait speed using a non–smartphone-based IMU attached to the trunk. However, it is unclear whether and how this approach can estimate gait speed using the IMU embedded in a smartphone while being carried in a pants pocket during walking, especially under various walking conditions. ObjectiveThis study aimed to validate and test the reliability of a smartphone IMU–based gait speed measurement placed in the user’s front pants pocket in both healthy young and older adults while walking quietly (ie, normal walking) and walking while conducting a cognitive task (ie, dual-task walking). MethodsA custom-developed smartphone application (app) was used to record gait data from 12 young adults and 12 older adults during normal and dual-task walking. The validity and reliability of gait speed and step length estimations from the smartphone were compared with the gold standard GAITRite mat. A coefficient-based adjustment based upon a coefficient relative to the original estimation of step length was applied to improve the accuracy of gait speed estimation. The magnitude of error (ie, bias and limits of agreement) between the gait data from the smartphone and the GAITRite mat was calculated for each stride. The Passing-Bablok orthogonal regression model was used to provide agreement (ie, slopes and intercepts) between the smartphone and the GAITRite mat. ResultsThe gait speed measured by the smartphone was valid when compared to the GAITRite mat. The original limits of agreement were 0.50 m/s (an ideal value of 0 m/s), and the orthogonal regression analysis indicated a slope of 1.68 (an ideal value of 1) and an intercept of −0.70 (an ideal value of 0). After adjustment, the accuracy of the smartphone-derived gait speed estimation improved, with limits of agreement reduced to 0.34 m/s. The adjusted slope improved to 1.00, with an intercept of 0.03. The test-retest reliability of smartphone-derived gait speed was good to excellent within supervised laboratory settings and unsupervised home conditions. The adjustment coefficients were applicable to a wide range of step lengths and gait speeds. ConclusionsThe inverted pendulum approach is a valid and reliable method for estimating gait speed from a smartphone IMU placed in the pockets of younger and older adults. Adjusting step length by a coefficient derived from the original estimation of step length successfully removed bias and improved the accuracy of gait speed estimation. This novel method has potential applications in various settings and populations, though fine-tuning may be necessary for specific data sets.

Abstract Background The regulation of gait is critical to many activities of everyday life. When walking, somatosensory information obtained from mechanoreceptors throughout body is delivered to numerous supraspinal networks and used to execute the appropriate motion to meet ever-changing environmental and task demands. Aging and age-related conditions oftentimes alter the supraspinal sensorimotor control of walking, including the responsiveness of the cortical brain regions to the sensorimotor inputs obtained from the peripheral nervous system, resulting in diminished mobility in the older adult population. It is thus important to explicitly characterize such supraspinal sensorimotor elements of walking, providing knowledge informing novel rehabilitative targets. The past efforts majorly relied upon mental imagery or virtual reality to study the supraspinal control of walking. Recent efforts have been made to develop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible devices simulating specific somatosensory and/or motor aspects of walking. However, there exists large variance in the design and functionality of these devices, and as such inconsistent functional MRI (fMRI) observations. Methods We have therefore completed a systematic review to summarize current achievements in the development of these MRI-compatible devices and synthesize available imaging results emanating from studies that have utilized these devices. Results The device design, study protocol and neuroimaging observations of 26 studies using 13 types of devices were extracted. Three of these devices can provide somatosensory stimuli, eight motor stimuli, and two both types of stimuli. Our review demonstrated that using these devices, fMRI data of brain activation can be successfully obtained when participants remain motionless and experience sensorimotor stimulation during fMRI acquisition. The activation in multiple cortical (e.g., primary sensorimotor cortex) and subcortical (e.g., cerebellum) regions has been each linked to these types of walking-related sensorimotor stimuli. Conclusion The observations of these publications suggest the promise of implementing these devices to characterize the supraspinal sensorimotor control of walking. Still, the evidence level of these neuroimaging observations was still low due to small sample size and varied study protocols, which thus needs to be confirmed via studies with more rigorous design.

Background/Objectives: The athletic performance in badminton players largely depends on the capability of dynamic postural control to quickly restore balance when performing high-paced movements (e.g., frequent single-leg jumps). Our aim was to examine the effects of a novel intervention that combines balance training on an unstable surface and plyometric training on the performance of restoring balance after jumping, as well as related postural control in elite badminton players. Methods: Sixteen elite male badminton players were randomly allocated to either a combined balance and plyometric training group (CT, n = 8) or a plyometric training group (PT, n = 8). The CT group participated in a six-week training program, which included three training sessions per week. Each session comprised 40 min of plyometric exercises and 20 min of balance training. The PT group underwent plyometric training using the identical protocol as that of the CT group. All participants underwent identical technical training in badminton throughout the duration of the study. At baseline and immediately after the intervention, participants completed a single-leg jumping test. The capacity to restore balance was evaluated using the time to stabilization (TTS) after landing; and the related center of pressure (COP) fluctuations were also recorded. The effect of intervention was examined by two-way repeated-measures of ANOVA. Results: The primary two-way repeated-measures ANOVA models showed no significant interactions between group and time on either the time to stability in the dominant leg (D-TTS) or the time to stability in the non-dominant leg (N-TTS) (p > 0.70). Significant main effects of time, group, and their interactions on dominant legs of the anterior-posterior displacement difference (D-COPAP) (time: p = 0.001; group: p = 0.001; interaction: p = 0.014), non-dominant legs of the anterior-posterior displacement difference (N-COPAP) (time: p

BackgroundPhysical exertion during exercise often leads to increased oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, significantly affecting physical performance. Current strategies to mitigate these effects are limited by their effectiveness and potential side effects. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has gained attention for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have suggested that H2 supplementation contributes to antioxidant potential and anti-fatigue during exercise, but the variance in the observations and study protocols is presented across those studies.ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively characterize the effects of H₂ supplementation on physical performance (i.e., endurance, muscular strength, and explosive power), providing knowledge that can inform strategies using H2 for enhancing physical performance.MethodsWe conducted a literature search of six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Sport-Discus, Embase, and PsycINFO) according to the PRISMA guidelines. The data were extracted from the included studies and converted into the standardized mean difference (SMD). After that, we performed random-effects meta-analyses and used the I2 statistic to evaluate heterogeneity. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of the evidence obtained from this meta-analysis.ResultsIn total, 27 publications consisting of 597 participants were included. The search finally included aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, muscular strength, lower limb explosive power, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate (BLA), and average heart rate (HRavg) in the effect size (ES) synthesis. The ES of H2 on aerobic endurance, including V̇O2max (SMD = 0.09, p = 0.394; I2 = 0%) and aerobic endurance exercise (SMD = 0.04, p = 0.687; I2 = 0%), were not significant and trivial; the ES of H2 on 30 s maximal anaerobic endurance (SMD = 0.19, p = 0.239; I2 = 0%) was not significant and trivial; the ES of H2 on muscular strength (SMD = 0.19, p = 0.265; I2 = 0%) was not significant and trivial; but the ES of H2 on lower limb explosive power (SMD = 0.30, p = 0.018; I2 = 0%) was significant and small. In addition, H2 reduces RPE (SMD = −0.37, p = 0.009; I2 = 58.0%) and BLA (SMD = −0.37, p = 0.001; I2 = 22.0%) during exercise, but not HRavg (SMD = −0.27, p = 0.094; I2 = 0%).ConclusionThese findings suggest that H2 supplementation is favorable in healthy adults to improve lower limb explosive power, alleviate fatigue, and boost BLA clearance, but may not be effectively improving aerobic and anaerobic endurance and muscular strength. Future studies with more rigorous designs are thus needed to examine and confirm the effects of H2 on these important functionalities in humans.Systematic review registrationhttp://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO.

PurposeThis study examined the effects of 8-week complex training (CT) with blood flow restriction (BFR) on power output and bar velocity.MethodsTwenty-six healthy male university athletes (age: 19.40 ± 0.88 years) completed three sessions of CT with BFR (CT_BFRT, n = 13) or CT-only (i.e., control) (n = 13) per week (i.e., 24 sessions in total). Before and immediately after intervention, participants completed power measurement as assessed by one-repetition maximum (1RM) squat, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and mean power (MP), peak power (PP), mean bar velocity (Bar-MV), and peak bar velocity (Bar-PV) during the half-squat jump.ResultsTwo-way ANOVA models showed significant main effect of time (p < 0.001) but not group (p > 0.89) or interaction (p > 0.37) between group and time on 1RM of the squat, SJ, or CMJ; however, significant interactions were observed in MP (p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 1.39), PP (p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 1.14), Bar-MV (p = 0.049, Cohen’s d = 1.26), and Bar-PV (p = 0.01, Cohen’s d = 1.56). The post hoc analyses revealed that MP, PP, Bar-MV, and Bar-PV after CT with BFRT were significantly greater compared to all the other three conditions (i.e., pre-CT_BFRT, pre- and post-CT-only).ConclusionCT with BFR may induce significantly greater improvements in power output and bar velocity during half-squat jump and induce comparable improvements in 1RM of the squat, SJ, and CMJ of males as compared to CT only, suggesting this novel CT with BFR would be a promising strategy to enhance power performance in healthy male university athletes.

ObjectiveExercise-induced oxidative stress affects multiple neurophysiological processes, diminishing the exercise performance. Hydrogen (H2) can selectively reduce excessive free radicals, but studies observed its “dual effects” on exercise-induced oxidative stress, that is, increasing or decreasing the oxidative stress. Therefore, we here conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the influence of H2 on exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy adults.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of publications across five databases. The following keywords were used for search strategy: [“hydrogen”[Mesh] or “molecular hydrogen” or “hydrogen rich water” or “hydrogen-rich water” or “hydrogen rich saline”] and [“Oxidative Stress”[Mesh] or “Antioxidative Stress” or “Oxidative Damage” or “Oxidative Injury” or “Oxidative Cleavage”] and [“randomized controlled trial”[Mesh] or “randomized” or “RCT”]. We included trials reporting the effects of H2 on exercise-induced oxidative stress and potential antioxidant capacity post-exercise in healthy adults. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted to explore how various elements of the intervention design affected those outcomes.ResultsSix studies, encompassing seven experiments with a total of 76 participants, were included in our analysis. Among these studies, hydrogen-rich water, hydrogen bathing, and hydrogen-rich gas were three forms used in H2 administration. The H2 was applied in different timing, including before, during, or after exercise only, both before and after exercise, and repeatedly over days. Single-dose, multi-dose within 1 day and/or multiple-dose over days were implemented. It was observed that compared to placebo, the effects of H2 on oxidative stress (diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites, d-ROMs) was not significant (SMD = −0.01, 95%CI-0.42 to 0.39, p = 0.94). However, H2 induced greater improvement in antioxidant potential capacity (Biological Antioxidant Potential, BAP) (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.54, p = 0.03) as compared to placebo. Subgroup analyses revealed that H2 supplementation showed greater improvement (SMD = 0.52, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.87, p = 0.02) in the antioxidant potential capacity of intermittent exercises than continuous exercise.ConclusionH2 supplementation can help enhance antioxidant potential capacity in healthy adults, especially in intermittent exercise, but not directly diminish the levels of exercise-induced oxidative stress. Future studies with more rigorous design are needed to examine and confirm these findings.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=364123, Identifier CRD42022364123.

BackgroundTaichi is beneficial for functional mobility and balance in older adults. However, such benefits of Taichi when comparing to conventional exercise (CE) are not well understood due to large variance in study protocols and observations.MethodsWe reviewed publications in five databases. Eligible studies that examined the effects of Taichi on the outcomes of functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults as compared to CE were included. Subgroup analyses compared the effects of different types of CE (e.g., single and multiple-type exercise) and different intervention designs (e.g., Taichi types) on those outcomes (Registration number: CRD42022331956).ResultsTwelve studies consisting of 2,901 participants were included. Generally, compared to CE, Taichi induced greater improvements in the performance of Timed-Up-and-Go (SMD = −0.18, [−0.33 to −0.03], p = 0.040, I2 = 59.57%), 50-foot walking (MD = −1.84 s, [−2.62 to −1.07], p

ObjectsThis study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of fronto-parietal θ HD-tACS on a dual task of working memory-postural control.MethodsIn this within-subject cross-over pilot study, we assessed the effects of 20 min of 6 Hz-tACS targeting both the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in 20 healthy adults (age: 21.6 ± 1.3 years). During each session, single- and dual-task behavioral tests (working memory single-task, static tandem standing, and a dual-task of working memory-postural control) and closed-eye resting-state EEG were assessed before and immediately after stimulation.ResultsWithin the tACS group, we found a 5.3% significant decrease in working memory response time under the dual-task following tACS (t = −3.157, p = 0.005, Cohen’s d = 0.742); phase synchronization analysis revealed a significant increase in the phase locking value (PLV) of θ band between F3 and P3 after tACS (p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 0.637). Correlation analyses revealed a significant correlation between increased rs-EEG θ power in the F3 and P3 channels and faster reaction time (r = −0.515, p = 0.02; r = −0.483, p = 0.031, respectively) in the dual-task working memory task after tACS. However, no differences were observed on either upright postural control performance or rs-EEG results (p-values

Abstract Background In older adults, the extent to which performing a cognitive task when standing diminishes postural control is predictive of future falls and cognitive decline. The neurophysiology of such “dual-tasking” and its effect on postural control (i.e., dual-task cost) in older adults are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to use electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the effects of dual-tasking when standing on brain activity in older adults. We hypothesized that compared to single-task “quiet” standing, dual-task standing would decrease alpha power, which has been linked to decreased motor inhibition, as well as increase the ratio of theta to beta power, which has been linked to increased attentional control. Methods Thirty older adults without overt disease completed four separate visits. Postural sway together with EEG (32-channels) were recorded during trials of standing with and without a concurrent verbalized serial subtraction dual-task. Postural control was measured by average sway area, velocity, and path length. EEG metrics included absolute alpha-, theta-, and beta-band powers as well as theta/beta power ratio, within six demarcated regions-of-interest: the left and right anterior, central, and posterior regions of the brain. Results Most EEG metrics demonstrated moderate-to-high between-day test–retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients > 0.70). Compared with quiet standing, dual-tasking decreased alpha-band power particularly in the central regions bilaterally (p = 0.002) and increased theta/beta power ratio in the anterior regions bilaterally (p

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve motor control performance under fatigue. However, the influences of tDCS on factors contributing to motor control (e.g., cortical−muscular functional coupling, CMFC) are unclear. This double-blinded and randomized study examined the effects of high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) on muscular activities of dorsiflexors and plantarflexors and CMFC when performing ankle dorsi–plantarflexion under fatigue. Twenty-four male adults were randomly assigned to receive five sessions of 20-min HD-tDCS targeting primary motor cortex (M1) or sham stimulation. Three days before and 1 day after the intervention, participants completed ankle dorsi–plantarflexion under fatigue induced by prolonged running exercise. During the task, electroencephalography (EEG) of M1 (e.g., C1, Cz) and surface electromyography (sEMG) of several muscles (e.g., tibialis anterior [TA]) were recorded synchronously. The corticomuscular coherence (CMC), root mean square (RMS) of sEMG, blood lactate, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) of ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors were obtained. Before stimulation, greater beta- and gamma-band CMC between M1 and TA were significantly associated with greater RMS of TA (r = 0.460–0.619, p = 0.001–0.024). The beta- and gamma-band CMC of C1-TA and Cz-TA, and RMS of TA and MVC torque of dorsiflexors were significantly higher after HD-tDCS than those at pre-intervention in the HD-tDCS group and post-intervention in the control group (p = 0.002–0.046). However, the HD-tDCS-induced changes in CMC and muscle activities were not significantly associated (r = 0.050–0.128, p = 0.693–0.878). HD-tDCS applied over M1 can enhance the muscular activities of ankle dorsiflexion under fatigue and related CMFC.

Steel-fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite bars (SFCBs) can enhance the controllability of damage in concrete structures; thus, studying the interfacial bonding between them is fundamental and a prerequisite for achieving deformation coordination and collaboration. However, research on the interfacial bonding performance between SFCBs and concrete remains inadequate. This study conducted central pullout tests on SFCB-concrete specimens with different concrete strengths (C30, C50, and C70), bar diameters (12, 16 and 20 mm), and hoop reinforcement constraints, analyzing variations in failure modes, bond-slip curves, bond strength, etc. Additionally, finite element simulations were performed using ABAQUS software to further validate the bonding mechanism of SFCB-concrete. The results showed that the failure mode of the specimens was related to the confinement effect on the bars. Insufficient concrete cover and lack of hoop restraint led to splitting failure, whereas pullout failure occurred otherwise. For the specimens with pullout failure, the interfacial damage between the SFCB and concrete was mainly caused by the surface fibers wear of the bar and the shear of the concrete lugs, which indicated that the bond of the SFCB-concrete interface consisted mainly of mechanical interlocking forces. In addition, the variation of concrete strength as well as bar diameter did not affect the bond-slip relationship of SFCB-concrete. However, the bond strength of SFCB-concrete increased with the increase of concrete strength. For example, compared with C30 concrete, when the concrete strength was increased to C70, the bond strength of the specimens under the same conditions was increased to 50–101.6%. In contrast, the bond strength of the specimens decreased by 13.29–28.71% when the bar diameter was increased from 12 to 14 mm. These discoveries serve as valuable references for the implementation of sustainable SFCB-reinforced concrete structures.

The four-meter gait speed (4MGS) is a recommended physical performance test in older adults but is challenging to implement clinically. We developed a smartphone application (App) with a four-meter ribbon for remote 4MGS testing at home. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of this smartphone App-based assessment of the home 4MGS. We assessed the validity of the smartphone App by comparing it against a gold standard video assessment of the 4MGS conducted by study staff visiting community-dwelling older adults and against the stopwatch-based measurement. Moreover, we assessed the test–retest reliability in two supervised sessions and three additional sessions performed by the participants independently, without staff supervision. The 4MGS measured by the smartphone App was highly correlated with video-based 4MGS (r = 0.94), with minimal differences (mean = 0.07 m/s, ± 1.96 SD = 0.12) across a range of gait speeds. The test–retest reliability for the smartphone App 4MGS was high (ICC values: 0.75 to 0.93). The home 4MGS in older adults can be measured accurately and reliably using a smartphone in the pants pocket and a four-meter strip of ribbon. Leveraging existing technology carried by a significant portion of the older adult population could overcome barriers in busy clinical settings for this well-established objective mobility test.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine the effects of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and foot core exercise (FCE) on the sensorimotor function of the foot (i.e., toe flexor strength and passive ankle kinesthesia) and static balance. Methods In this double-blinded and randomized study, 30 participants were randomly assigned into two groups: tDCS combined with FCE and sham combined with FCE (i.e., control group). The participants received 2 mA stimulation for 20 min concurrently with FCE over 4 weeks (i.e., three sessions per week). After the first two groups completed the intervention, a reference group (FCE-only group) was included to further explore the placebo effects of sham by comparing it with the control group. Foot muscle strength, passive ankle kinesthesia, and static balance were assessed at baseline and after the intervention. Results Compared with the control group and baseline, tDCS combined with FCE could increase toe flexor strength (p

The use of corals, seawater, and sea-sand to prepare concrete can effectively solve the problem of raw material transportation in constructing remote sea islands and reefs. Corals have the disadvantages of high porosity, high water absorption, and low crushing strength, which adversely affect the performance of concrete. In this study, corals were modified by a superfine cement paste, and the modified coral aggregate seawater sea-sand concrete was prepared by replacing gravel aggregates proportionally with modified coral aggregates. The cubic compressive, splitting tensile, flexural, and axial compressive properties of modified coral aggregate seawater sea-sand concrete with five aggregate replacement ratios were studied. The results showed that the coral aggregate was divided into two parts after the concrete failed. The higher the replacement ratio of the aggregates, the smoother the splitting failure surface of the concrete. The modification measures could not significantly improve the compressive and tensile strengths of coral aggregate concrete, and the increasing rate was less than 10%. The compressive strength of concrete using modified coral aggregates was approximately 30% lower than that of concrete using gravel. Based on the experimental results, a prediction model, which can simulate the compressive stress-strain relationship of coral aggregate concrete under different replacement ratios, was proposed.

BackgroundRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been increasingly used as a treatment modality for chronic insomnia disorder (CID). However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of rTMS is limited.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate rTMS-induced alterations in resting-state functional connectivity and to find potential connectivity biomarkers for predicting and tracking clinical outcomes after rTMS.MethodsThirty-seven patients with CID received a 10-session low frequency rTMS treatment applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Before and after treatment, the patients underwent resting-state electroencephalography recordings and a sleep quality assessment using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).ResultsAfter treatment, rTMS significantly increased the connectivity of 34 connectomes in the lower alpha frequency band (8–10 Hz). Additionally, alterations in functional connectivity between the left insula and the left inferior eye junction, as well as between the left insula and medial prefrontal cortex, were associated with a decrease in PSQI score. Further, the correlation between the functional connectivity and PSQI persisted 1 month after the completion of rTMS as evidenced by subsequent electroencephalography (EEG) recordings and the PSQI assessment.ConclusionBased on these results, we established a link between alterations in functional connectivity and clinical outcomes of rTMS, which suggested that EEG-derived functional connectivity changes were associated with clinical improvement of rTMS in treating CID. These findings provide preliminary evidence that rTMS may improve insomnia symptoms by modifying functional connectivity, which can be used to inform prospective clinical trials and potentially for treatment optimization.

ObjectivesMagnetic susceptibility changes in brain MRI of Wilson’s disease (WD) patients have been described in subcortical nuclei especially the basal ganglia. The objectives of this study were to investigate its relationship with other microstructural and functional alterations of the subcortical nuclei and the diagnostic utility of these MRI-related metrics.MethodsA total of 22 WD patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 3.0T multimodal MRI scanning. Susceptibility, volume, diffusion microstructural indices and whole-brain functional connectivity of the putamen (PU), globus pallidus (GP), caudate nucleus (CN), and thalamus (TH) were analyzed. Receiver operating curve (ROC) was applied to evaluate the diagnostic value of the imaging data. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the connection between susceptibility change and microstructure and functional impairment of WD and screen for neuroimaging biomarkers of disease severity.ResultsWilson’s disease patients demonstrated increased susceptibility in the PU, GP, and TH, and widespread atrophy and microstructural impairments in the PU, GP, CN, and TH. Functional connectivity decreased within the basal ganglia and increased between the PU and cortex. The ROC model showed higher diagnostic value of isotropic volume fraction (ISOVF, in the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging model) compared with susceptibility. Severity of neurological symptoms was correlated with volume and ISOVF. Susceptibility was positively correlated with ISOVF in GP.ConclusionMicrostructural impairment of the basal ganglia is related to excessive metal accumulation in WD. Brain atrophy and microstructural impairments are useful neuroimaging biomarkers for the neurological impairment of WD.

BackgroundOlder adults oftentimes suffer from the conditions in multiple physiologic systems, interfering with their daily function and thus contributing to physical frailty. The contributions of such multisystem conditions to physical frailty have not been well characterized.MethodsIn this study, 442 (mean age = 71.4 ± 8.1 years, 235 women) participants completed the assessment of frailty syndromes, including unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, slowness, low activity, and weakness, and were categorized into frail (≥3 conditions), pre-frail (1 or 2 conditions), and robust (no condition) status. Multisystem conditions including cardiovascular diseases, vascular function, hypertension, diabetes, sleep disorders, sarcopenia, cognitive impairment, and chronic pain were assessed. Structural equation modeling examined the interrelationships between these conditions and their associations with frailty syndromes.ResultsFifty (11.3%) participants were frail, 212 (48.0%) were pre-frail, and 180 (40.7%) were robust. We observed that worse vascular function was directly associated with higher risk of slowness [standardized coefficient (SC) = −0.419, p < 0.001], weakness (SC = −0.367, p < 0.001), and exhaustion (SC = −0.347, p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was associated with both slowness (SC = 0.132, p = 0.011) and weakness (SC = 0.217, p = 0.001). Chronic pain, poor sleep quality, and cognitive impairment were associated with exhaustion (SC = 0.263, p < 0.001; SC = 0.143, p = 0.016; SC = 0.178, p = 0.004, respectively). The multinomial logistic regression showed that greater number of these conditions were associated with increased probability of being frail (odds ratio>1.23, p < 0.032).ConclusionThese findings in this pilot study provide novel insights into how multisystem conditions are associated with each other and with frailty in older adults. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to explore how the changes in these health conditions alter frailty status.

BackgroundFatigue is oftentimes induced by high-intensity exercise potentially via the exceeded amount of reactive oxygen species, leading to diminished functions (e.g., aerobic capacity) and increased risk of injuries. Studies indicate that molecular hydrogen (H2), with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may be a promising strategy to alleviate fatigue and improve aerobic capacity. However, such effects have not been comprehensively characterized.ObjectiveTo systematically assess the effects of in taking H2 on fatigue and aerobic capacity in healthy adults.MethodsThe search was conducted in August 2022 in five databases. Studies with randomized controlled or crossover designs that investigated the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), and endurance performance were selected. The data (mean ± standard deviation and sample size) were extracted from the included studies and were converted into the standardized mean difference (SMD). Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. Subgroup analysis was used to analyze potential sources of heterogeneity due to intervention period, training status, and type of exercise.ResultsSeventeen publications (19 studies) consisting of 402 participants were included. The pooled effect sizes of H2 on RPE (SMDpooled = −0.38, 95%CI −0.65 to −0.11, p = 0.006, I2 = 33.6%, p = 0.149) and blood lactate (SMDpooled = −0.42, 95% CI −0.72 to −0.12, p = 0.006, I2 = 35.6%, p = 0.114) were small yet significant with low heterogeneity. The pooled effect sizes of H2 on VO2max and VO2peak (SMDpooled = 0.09, 95% CI −0.10 to 0.29, p = 0.333, I2 = 0%, p = 0.998) and endurance performance (SMDpooled = 0.01, 95% CI −0.23 to 0.25, p = 0.946, I2 = 0%, p > 0.999) were not significant and trivial without heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis revealed that the effects of H2 on fatigue were impacted significantly by the training status (i.e., untrained and trained), period of H2 implementation, and exercise types (i.e., continuous and intermittent exercises).ConclusionsThis meta-analysis provides moderate evidence that H2 supplementation alleviates fatigue but does not enhance aerobic capacity in healthy adults.Systematic review registrationwww.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42022351559.

Abstract Objective Physical training (PT, e.g., Tai Chi and strength training) has been demonstrated to improve balance control and prevent falls. Recently, exergame intervention (EI) has emerged to prevent falls by enhancing both physical and cognitive functions in older adults. Therefore, we aim to quantitatively assess and compare the effects of PT and EI on the performance of balance control and fall prevention in healthy older adults via meta-analysis. Methods A search strategy based on the PICOS principle was used to find the publication in the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE. The quality and risk of bias in the studies were independently assessed by two researchers. Results Twenty studies consisting of 845 participants were included. Results suggested that as compared to PT, EI induced greater improvement in postural control (sway path length, SMD = − 0.66, 95% CI − 0.91 to − 0.41, P

BackgroundCognitive impairment disrupts postural control, particularly when standing while performing an unrelated cognitive task (i.e., dual-tasking). The temporal dynamics of standing postural sway are “complex,” and such complexity may reflect the capacity of the postural control system to adapt to task demands. We aimed to characterize the impact of cognitive impairment on such sway complexity in older adults.MethodsForty-nine older adult males (Alzheimer’s disease (AD): n = 21; mild cognitive impairment (MCI): n = 13; cognitively-intact: n = 15) completed two 60-s standing trials in each of single-task and visual-search dual-task conditions. In the dual-task condition, participants were instructed to count the frequency of a designated letter in a block of letters projected on screen. The sway complexity of center-of-pressure fluctuations in anterior–posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) direction was quantified using multiscale entropy. The dual-task cost to complexity was obtained by calculating the percent change of complexity from single- to dual-task condition.ResultsRepeated-measures ANOVAs revealed significant main effects of group (F > 4.8, p

Abstract Background It has been widely accepted that oral health status is related to oral health literacy. The need to measure oral health literacy has led to the development of measurement instruments. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive instrument for adults and to examine its reliability and validity in China. Methods A three-step design process was used. First, a literature review and expert panel discussion were used to draw up a 37-item pool covering oral health knowledge, belief, practice, skill, and functional oral health literacy. The Delphi method was used to delete and modify questions in the item pool. The draft instrument was evaluated by nine experts and the consensus among them was calculated using the content validity index. The scale was then used to conduct a psychometric study among 370 participants from community health centers in Beijing. Construct validity, discriminant validity and concurrent validity were examined. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and test–retest methods were used to assess reliability. Results The final scale included 30 items across four dimensions. The item–level content validity index was 0.90. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four fixed factors, and the result of the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett’s tests was 0.752, with the model explaining 35.21% of the total variance. The four dimensions were associated with oral health knowledge, perceptions of oral health issues, oral health practice and skills, and functional oral health literacy. The mean score of the lowest 27% was significantly lower than the highest 27% (P

BackgroundTemporal interference (TI) stimulation is a novel technique that enables the non-invasive modulation of deep brain regions. However, the implementation of this technology in humans has not been well-characterized or examined, including its safety and feasibility.ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the feasibility, safety, and blinding of using TI on human participants in this pilot study.Materials and methodsIn a randomized, single-blinded, and sham-controlled pilot study, healthy young participants were randomly divided into four groups [TI and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting the right frontoparietal region, TI-sham, and tACS-sham]. Each participant was asked to complete N-back (N = 1 to 3) tasks before, during, and after one session of stimulation to assess their working memory (WM). The side effects and blinding efficacy were carefully assessed. The accuracy, reaction time (RT), and inverse efficiency score (IES, reaction time/accuracy) of the N-back tasks were measured.ResultsNo severe side effects were reported. Only mild-to-moderate side effects were observed in those who received TI, which was similar to those observed in participants receiving tACS. The blinding efficacy was excellent, and there was no correlation between the severity of the reported side effects and the predicted type of stimulation that the participants received. WM appeared to be only marginally improved by TI compared to tACS-sham, and this improvement was only observed under high-load cognitive tasks. WM seemed to have improved a little in the TI-sham group. However, it was not observed significant differences between TI and TI-sham or TI and tACS in all N-back tests.ConclusionOur pilot study suggests that TI is a promising technique that can be safely implemented in human participants. Studies are warranted to confirm the findings of this study and to further examine the effects of TI-sham stimulation as well as the effects of TI on deeper brain regions.

Complex training (CT) is a combination training method that alternates between performing high-load resistance training (RT) and plyometric training within one single session. The study aimed to examine the effects of CT on lower-limb strength and power of elite female modern pentathlon athletes under the new modern pentathlon format and competition rules. Ten female participants (age: 23.55 ± 2.22 years, weight: 60.59 ± 3.87 kg, height: 169.44 ± 4.57 cm, and training experience: 6.90 ± 2.08 years) of the national modern pentathlon team completed 8 weeks of RT as followed by 8 weeks of CT, with 2 weeks of break. Then, the participants conducted 8 weeks of CT, which included RT combined with plyometric training (e.g., drop jump and continuous jump). All stages of training were designed by the linear strength training period theories, requiring participants to train twice for the first 4 weeks and three times for the second 4 weeks. The one-repetition maximum (1RM) of squat, isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), counter-movement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), pre-stretch augmentation percentage (PSAP), and reaction strength index (RSI) were assessed before and after both RT and CT training. One-way repeated-measure ANOVA models revealed that the 1RM of squat was significantly improved (p

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling gait disorder common in advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The gait performance of PD-FOG patients is closely linked with visual processing. Here, we aimed to investigate the structural and functional change of visual network in PD-FOG patients. Seventy-eight PD patients (25 with FOG, 53 without FOG) and 29 healthy controls (HCs) were included. All the participants underwent structural 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting state functional MRI scan. Our results demonstrated a significant decrease of right superior occipital gyrus gray matter density in PD-FOG relative to non-FOG (NFOG) patients and healthy controls (PD-FOG vs. PD-NFOG: 0.33 ± 0.04 vs. 0.37 ± 0.05, p = 0.005; PD-FOG vs. HC: 0.37 ± 0.05 vs. 0.39 ± 0.06, p = 0.002). Functional MRI revealed a significant decrease of connectivity between right superior occipital gyrus and right paracentral lobule in PD-FOG compared to PD-NFOG (p = 0.045). In addition, the connectivity strength was positively correlated with gray matter density of right superior occipital gyrus (r = 0.471, p = 0.027) and negatively associated with freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ) score (r = -0.562, p = 0.004). Our study suggests that the structural and functional impairment of visual-motor network might underlie the neural mechanism of FOG in PD.

Objective: In this study, we examined the effects of pre-exercise H2 gas inhalation on physical fatigue (PF) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during and after high-intensity cycling exercise.Methods: Twenty-four young men completed four study visits. On the first two visits, the maximum workload (Wmax) of cycling exercise of each participant was determined. On each of the other two visits, participants inhaled 20 min of either H2 gas or placebo gas after a baseline test of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of thigh. Then participants performed cycling exercise under their maximum workload. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR) and the PFC activation by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was measured throughout cycling exercise. The MVIC was measured again after the cycling.Results: It was observed that compared to control, after inhaling H2 gas, participants had significantly lower RPE at each workload phase (p < 0.032) and lower HR at 50% Wmax, 75% Wmax, and 100% Wmax during cycling exercise (p < 0.037); the PFC activation was also significantly increased at 75 and 100% Wmax (p < 0.011). Moreover, the H2-induced changes in PF were significantly associated with that in PFC activation, that is, those who had higher PFC activation had lower RPE at 75% Wmax (p = 0.010) and lower HR at 100% Wmax (p = 0.016), respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that pre-exercise inhalation of H2 gas can alleviate PF, potentially by maintaining high PFC activation during high-intensity exercise in healthy young adults.

ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of combined balance and plyometric training on knee function and proprioception of elite badminton athletes.MethodsSixteen elite male badminton players (age: 20.5 ± 1.1 years, height: 177.8 ± 5.1 cm, weight: 68.1 ± 7.2 kg, and training experience: 11.4 ± 1.4 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to a combined balance and plyometric training (CT) (n = 8) and plyometric (PT) group (n = 8). The CT group performed balance combined with plyometric training three times a week over 6 weeks (40 min of plyometrics and 20 min of balance training); while the PT group undertook only plyometric training for the same period (3–4 sets × 8–12 reps for each exercise). Both groups had the same technical training of badminton.ResultsThe knee function and proprioception were assessed at baseline and after the intervention by measuring the performance of single-legged hop tests (LSIO, LSIT, LSIC, LSIS), standing postural sway (COPAP, COPML), and LSI of dominant leg and non-dominant leg. The results showed that as compared to PT, CT induced significantly greater improvements in LSIT and LSIS (p < 0.001) and significant greater percent increase in NAP (p = 0.011). The changes in LSIO, LSIC, DAP, NAP, LSIAP, DML, NML, and LSIML induced by CT did not differ from that induced by PT (p > 0.213).ConclusionIn elite badminton players, intervention using CT holds great promise to augment the benefits for knee function compared to the intervention using PT only, and at the same time, with at least comparable benefits for proprioception. Future studies are needed to examine and confirm the results of this study.

Objective: This study examined the effects of 12-week complex training (CT) programs on professional firefighters’ occupational activities, strength, and power.Methods: Thirty men professional firefighters were randomly assigned to the CT group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). The CT group performed complex training and the control group completed resistance training (RT) twice a week over 12 weeks. The occupational activities, strength, and power were assessed at baseline and immediately after the intervention by measuring the performance of 100 m load-bearing run (100 m LR), 60 m shoulder ladder run (60 m SLR), 5 m × 20 m shuttle run (5 m × 20 m SR), 4th-floor climbing rope (4th-floor CR), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJas), seated medicine-ball throw (SMT), one-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP), and one-repetition maximum back squat (1RM BS).Results: The results showed that compared to RT, CT induced significantly greater improvements in 60 m SLR (p = 0.007), 4th-floor CR (p = 0.020), CMJas (p = 0.001), and SMT (p < 0.001).Conclusion: These findings suggest that CT is a novel intervention with great promise of improving professional firefighters’ occupational activities, strength, and power.

IntroductionAccurately predicting the competitive performance of elite athletes is an essential prerequisite for formulating competitive strategies. Women’s all-around speed skating event consists of four individual subevents, and the competition system is complex and challenging to make accurate predictions on their performance.ObjectiveThe present study aims to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of machine learning algorithms for predicting the performance of women’s all-around speed skating event and provide effective training and competition strategies.MethodsThe data, consisting of 16 seasons of world-class women’s all-around speed skating competition results, used in the present study came from the International Skating Union (ISU). According to the competition rules, distinct features are filtered using lasso regression, and a 5,000 m race model and a medal model are built using a fivefold cross-validation method.ResultsThe results showed that the support vector machine model was the most stable among the 5,000 m race and the medal models, with the highest AUC (0.86, 0.81, respectively). Furthermore, 3,000 m points are the main characteristic factors that decide whether an athlete can qualify for the final. The 11th lap of the 5,000 m, the second lap of the 500 m, and the fourth lap of the 1,500 m are the main characteristic factors that affect the athlete’s ability to win medals.ConclusionCompared with logistic regression, random forest, K-nearest neighbor, naive Bayes, neural network, support vector machine is a more viable algorithm to establish the performance prediction model of women’s all-around speed skating event; excellent performance in the 3,000 m event can facilitate athletes to advance to the final, and athletes with outstanding performance in the 500 m event are more likely competitive for medals.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of 4 weeks of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) and foot core exercise (FCE) on foot sensorimotor function (i.e., toe flexor strength and passive ankle kinesthesia) and postural control.Methods: In total, 36 participants were randomly assigned into three groups as follows: HD-tDCS, FCE, and the control group. A total of 12 training sessions were performed over 4 weeks (i.e., three sessions per week) in the laboratory. The HD-tDCS group received 20-min HD-tDCS with a current density of 2 mA, and the FCE group completed short foot exercise, towel curls, toe spread and squeeze, and balance board training. Participants in the control group just maintained the activities what they usually did and did not receive any interventions. Foot muscle strength, passive ankle kinesthesia, and postural control were assessed at baseline and post-intervention.Results: HD-tDCS induced a greater decrease in the percentage changes in the passive kinesthesia thresholds of ankle inversion (p < 0.001) and eversion (p = 0.013) than the control group. Compared with the control group, a significant increase in the percentage change in the metatarsophalangeal joint flexor strength was found in the HD-tDCS group (p = 0.008) and the FCE group (p = 0.027), and a significant increase in the percentage change in toe flexor strength was observed in the FCE group (p = 0.015). Moreover, FCE induced a greater reduction in the percent changes in the medial–lateral average center of gravity sway velocity in one-leg standing with eyes open (p = 0.033) and the anteroposterior average center of gravity sway velocity in one-leg standing with eyes closed (p < 0.001) than control.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 4 weeks of HD-tDCS and FCE induced distinct benefits on foot sensorimotor function and the standing postural control performance in healthy young adults. HD-tDCS could improve the metatarsophalangeal joint flexor strength and the passive kinesthesia thresholds of ankle inversion and eversion. Meanwhile, FCE could also enhance foot muscle strength and enhance postural control performance in one-leg standing.

PurposePrevious studies have linked gait variability to resting-state functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the default network (DN) in the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a novel transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paradigm designed to simultaneously facilitate the excitability of the DAN and suppress the excitability of the DN (i.e., DAN+/DN-tDCS) on gait variability and other gait characteristics in young healthy adults.MethodsIn this double-blinded randomized and sham-controlled study, 48 healthy adults aged 22 ± 2 years received one 20-min session of DAN+/DN-tDCS (n = 24) or no stimulation (the Sham group, n = 24). Immediately before and after stimulation, participants completed a gait assessment under three conditions: walking at self-selected speed (i.e., normal walking), walking as fast as possible (i.e., fast walking), and walking while counting backward (i.e., dual-task walking). Primary outcomes included gait stride time variability and gait stride length variability in normal walking conditions. Secondary outcomes include gait stride time and length variability in fast and dual-task conditions, and other gait metrics derived from the three walking conditions.ResultsCompared to the Sham group, DAN+/DN-tDCS reduced stride length variability in normal and fast walking conditions, double-limb support time variability in fast and dual-task walking conditions, and step width variability in fast walking conditions. In contrast, DAN+/DN-tDCS did not alter average gait speed or the average value of any other gait metrics as compared to the sham group.ConclusionIn healthy young adults, a single exposure to tDCS designed to simultaneously modulate DAN and DN excitability reduced gait variability, yet did not alter gait speed or other average gait metrics, when tested just after stimulation. These results suggest that gait variability may be uniquely regulated by these spatially-distinct yet functionally-connected cortical networks. These results warrant additional research on the short- and longer-term effects of this type of network-based tDCS on the cortical control of walking in younger and older populations.

Abstract Machine translation of chemical nomenclature has considerable application prospect in chemical text data processing between languages. However, rule based machine translation tools have to face significant complication in rule sets building, especially in translation of chemical names between English and Chinese, which are the two most used languages of chemical nomenclature in the world. We applied two types of neural networks in the task of chemical nomenclature translation between English and Chinese, and made a comparison with an existing rule based machine translation tool. The result shows that deep learning based approaches have a great chance to precede rule based translation tools in machine translation of chemical nomenclature between English and Chinese.

BackgroundRecently, considerable research has been conducted to study the effects of traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) on cognitive function in older adults with MCI. We completed a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of TCEs on cognitive function in this population.MethodsA search strategy based on the PICOS principle was used to find the literatures in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, SPORT-Discus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid. The quality and risk of bias in the studies were independently assessed by two researchers.ResultsNine trials with 1,290 participants were included. The effect size of TCEs on global cognitive function was small (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI 0.15–0.44, p < 0.001) when compared to the active control and was moderate (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI 0.21–0.94, p = 0.002) compared to the inactive control; statistically significant effects were also found for short-term memory (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI 0.05–0.39, p = 0.013), long-term memory (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI 0.20–0.86, p = 0.002), shifting (SMD = −0.39, 95% CI −0.54 to −0.25, p < 0.001), language ability (SMD = 0.32, 95% CI 0.13–0.51, p = 0.001), visuospatial perception (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.46, p < 0.001).ConclusionThis meta-analysis provides clinicians with moderate evidence to recommend that TCEs hold potential to enhance both global cognitive function and multiple domains of cognitive function, which, however, needs to be confirmed and further examined in futures studies. The results of this work provide critical knowledge for the design of future studies implementing TCEs as well as its clinical practice. Future RCTs with rigorous designs are needed to help obtain more definitive conclusions on the effects of TCEs on cognitive function in older adults with MCI.

ObjectiveThe studies showed the benefits of virtual reality training (VRT) for functional mobility and balance in older adults. However, a large variance in the study design and results is presented. We, thus, completed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively examine the effects of VRT on functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults.MethodsWe systematically reviewed the publications in five databases. Studies that examine the effects of VRT on the measures of functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults were screened and included if eligible. Subgroup analyses were completed to explore the effects of different metrics of the intervention design (e.g., session time) on those outcomes related to functional mobility and balance.ResultsFifteen studies of 704 participants were included. The quality of these studies was good. Compared to traditional physical therapy (TPT), VRT induced greater improvement in TUG (MD = −0.31 s, 95% CI = −0.57 to −0.05, p = 0.02, I2 = 6.34%) and one-leg stance with open eyes (OLS-O) (MD = 7.28 s, 95% CI = 4.36 to 10.20, p = 0.00, I2 = 36.22%). Subgroup analyses revealed that immersive VRT with more than 800 min of total intervention time over 8 weeks and at least 120 min per week and/or designed by the two motor-learning principles was optimal for functional mobility and balance.ConclusionVirtual reality training can significantly improve functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults compared to TPT, and the findings provided critical knowledge of the optimized design of VRT that can inform future studies with more rigorous designs.Systematic Review Registration[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42021297085].

BackgroundThe pathophysiology of depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is not fully understood. Studies based upon functional MRI (fMRI) showed the alterations in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations in multiple brain regions pertaining to depression in PD. However, large variance was observed across previous studies. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the results in previous publications and completed an independent regions-of-interests (ROIs)-based analysis using our own data to validate the results of the meta-analysis.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify fMRI studies in PD patients with depression. Using signed differential mapping (SDM) method, we performed a voxel-based meta-analysis. Then, a validation study by using multiscale entropy (MSE) in 28 PD patients with depression and 25 PD patients without depression was conducted. The fMRI scan was completed in anti-depression-medication-off state. The ROIs of the MSE analysis were the regions identified by the meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 126 PD patients with depression and 153 PD patients without depression were included in meta-analysis. It was observed that the resting-state activities within the posterior cingulate gyrus, supplementary motor area (SMA), and cerebellum were altered in depressed patients. Then, in the validation study, these regions were used as ROIs. PD patients with depression had significantly lower MSE of the BOLD fluctuations in these regions (posterior cingulate gyrus: F = 0.856, p = 0.049; SMA: F = 0.914, p = 0.039; cerebellum: F = 0.227, p = 0.043).ConclusionOur study revealed that the altered BOLD activity in cingulate, SMA, and cerebellum of the brain were pertaining to depression in PD.

BackgroundThe blood pressure (BP) is regulated by multiple neurophysiologic elements over multiple temporal scales. The multiscale dynamics of continuous beat-to-beat BP series, which can be characterized by “BP complexity”, may, thus, capture the subtle changes of those elements, and be associated with the level of functional status in older adults. We aimed to characterize the relationships between BP complexity and several important functions in older adults and to understand the underlying factors contributing to BP complexity.MethodA total of 400 older adults completed a series of clinical and functional assessments, a finger BP assessment of at least 10 min, and blood sample and vessel function tests. Their hypertensive characteristics, cognitive function, mobility, functional independence, blood composition, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function were assessed. The complexity of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP series was measured using multiscale entropy.ResultsWe observed that lower SBP and DBP complexity was significantly associated with poorer functional independence (β > 0.17, p < 0.005), cognitive function (β > 0.45, p = 0.01), and diminished mobility (β < −0.57, p < 0.003). Greater arterial stiffness (β < −0.48, p = 0.02), decreased endothelial function (β > 0.42, p < 0.03), and excessed level of blood lipids (p < 0.03) were the main contributors to BP complexity.ConclusionBlood pressure complexity is closely associated with the level of multiple functional statuses and cardiovascular health in older adults with and without hypertension, providing novel insights into the physiology underlying BP regulation. The findings suggest that this BP complexity metric would serve as a novel marker to help characterize and manage the functionalities in older adults.

Physiologic signals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrate irregular behaviors due to the interaction of multiple control processes operating over different time scales. The complexity of this behavior can be quantified using multi-scale entropy (MSE). High physiologic complexity denotes health, and a loss of complexity can predict adverse outcomes. Since postoperative delirium is particularly hard to predict, we investigated whether the complexity of preoperative and intraoperative frontal EEG signals could predict postoperative delirium and its endophenotype, inattention. To calculate MSE, the sample entropy of EEG recordings was computed at different time scales, then plotted against scale; complexity is the total area under the curve. MSE of frontal EEG recordings was computed in 50 patients ≥ age 60 before and during surgery. Average MSE was higher intra-operatively than pre-operatively (p = 0.0003). However, intraoperative EEG MSE was lower than preoperative MSE at smaller scales, but higher at larger scales (interaction p < 0.001), creating a crossover point where, by definition, preoperative, and intraoperative MSE curves met. Overall, EEG complexity was not associated with delirium or attention. In 42/50 patients with single crossover points, the scale at which the intraoperative and preoperative entropy curves crossed showed an inverse relationship with delirium-severity score change (Spearman ρ = −0.31, p = 0.054). Thus, average EEG complexity increases intra-operatively in older adults, but is scale dependent. The scale at which preoperative and intraoperative complexity is equal (i.e., the crossover point) may predict delirium. Future studies should assess whether the crossover point represents changes in neural control mechanisms that predispose patients to postoperative delirium.

The timely and accurate mapping of the spatial distribution of grasslands is crucial for maintaining grassland habitats and ensuring the sustainable utilization of resources. We used Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Sentinel-2 data for mountain grassland extraction in Yunnan, China. The differences in the normalized vegetation index in the time-series data of different ground objects were compared. February to March, during grassland senescence, was the optimum phenological stage for grassland extraction. The spectral, textural of Sentinel-2, and topographic features of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) were used for the classification. The features were optimized using the recursive feature elimination (RFE) feature importance selection algorithm. The overall accuracy of the random forest (RF) classification algorithm was 91.2%, the producer’s accuracy of grassland was 96.7%, and the user’s accuracy of grassland was 89.4%, exceeding that of the cart classification (Cart), support vector machine (SVM), and minimum distance classification (MDC). The SWIR1 and elevation were the most important features. The results show that Yunnan has abundant grassland resources, accounting for 18.99% of the land area; most grasslands are located in the northwest at altitudes above 3200 m and in the Yuanjiang River regions. This study provides a new approach for feature optimization and grassland extraction in mountainous areas, as well as essential data for the further investigation, evaluation, protection, and utilization of grassland resources.

Background: Older adults with hypertension often had diminished walking performance. The underlying mechanism through which hypertension affects walking performance, however, has not been fully understood. We here measured the complexity of the continuous systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure fluctuation, grade of white matter lesions (WMLs), and cognitive function and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the interrelationships between hypertension, BP complexity, WMLs, cognitive function, and walking speed in single- and dual-task conditions.Methods: A total of 152 older adults with age > 60 years (90 hypertensive and 62 normotensive participants) completed one MRI scan of brain structure, a finger BP assessment of at least 10 min, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function, and 10-meter walking tests in single (i.e., normal walking) and dual tasks (i.e., walking while performing a serial subtraction of three from a random three-digit number). The grade of WMLs was assessed using the total score of Fazekas scale; the complexity of SBP and DBP was measured using multiscale entropy (MSE), and the walking performance was assessed by walking speed in single- and dual-task conditions.Results: As compared to normotensives, hypertensive older adults had significantly slower walking speed, lower complexity of SBP and DBP, greater grade of WMLs, and poorer cognitive function (p < 0.03). Those with lower BP complexity (β > 0.31, p < 0.003), greater WML grade (β < −0.39, p < 0.0002), and/or poorer cognitive function (β < −0.39, p < 0.0001) had slower walking speed in single- and/or dual-task conditions. The SEM model demonstrated significant total effects of hypertension on walking speed, and such effects were mediated by BP complexity only, or BP complexity, WML grade, and cognitive function together.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the cross-sectional association between the complexity of continuous beat-to-beat BP fluctuation, WML grade, cognitive function, and walking speed in hypertensive and normotensive older adults, revealing a potential mechanism that hypertension may affect walking performance in older adults through diminished BP complexity, increased WML grade, and decreased cognitive function, and BP complexity is an important factor for such effects. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm the findings in this study.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to examine the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with physical training on the excitability of the motor cortex, physical performance, and motor learning.Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases for relevant research published from inception to August 2020. Eligible studies included those that used a randomized controlled design and reported the effects of tDCS combined with physical training to improve motor-evoked potential (MEP), dynamic posture stability index (DPSI), reaction time, and error rate on participants without nervous system diseases. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.Results: Twenty-four of an initial yield of 768 studies met the eligibility criteria. The risk of bias was considered low. Results showed that anodal tDCS combined with physical training can significantly increase MEP amplitude, decrease DPSI, increase muscle strength, and decrease reaction time and error rate in motor learning tasks. Moreover, the gain effect is significantly greater than sham tDCS combined with physical training.Conclusion: tDCS combined with physical training can effectively improve the excitability of the motor cortex, physical performance, and motor learning. The reported results encourage further research to understand further the synergistic effects of tDCS combined with physical training.

Background: White matter lesions (WMLs) are highly prevalent in older adults, and hypertension is one of the main contributors to WMLs. The blood pressure (BP) is regulated by complex underlying mechanisms over multiple time scales, thus the continuous beat-to-beat BP fluctuation is complex. The association between WMLs and hypertension may be manifested as diminished complexity of BP fluctuations. The aim of this pilot study is to explore the relationships between hypertension, BP complexity, and WMLs in older adults.Method: Fifty-three older adults with clinically diagnosed hypertension and 47 age-matched older adults without hypertension completed one MRI scan and one BP recording of 10–15 min when sitting quietly. Their cerebral WMLs were assessed by two neurologists using the Fazekas scale based on brain structural MRI of each of their own. Greater score reflected higher WML grade. The complexity of continuous systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP series was quantified using multiscale entropy (MSE). Lower MSE reflected lower complexity.Results: Compared to the non-hypertensive group, hypertensives had significantly greater Fazekas scores (F > 5.3, p < 0.02) and lower SBP and DBP complexity (F > 8.6, p < 0.004). Both within each group (β < −0.42, p < 0.01) and across groups (β < −0.47, p < 0.003), those with lower BP complexity had higher Fazekas score. Moreover, complexity of both SBP and DBP mediated the influence of hypertension on WMLs (indirect effects > 0.25, 95% confidence intervals = 0.06 – 0.50).Conclusion: These results suggest that diminished BP complexity is associated with WMLs and may mediate the influence of hypertension on WMLs. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal relationship between BP complexity and WMLs.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) aims to hone motor skills and improve the quality of life. However, the non-repeatability of experimental results and the inconsistency of research conclusions have become a common phenomenon, which may be due to the imprecision of the experimental protocol, great variability of the participant characteristics within the group, and the irregularities of quantitative indicators. The aim of this study systematically summarised and analysed the effect of a-tDCS on lower extremity sensorimotor control under different experimental conditions. This narrative review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines until June 2022 in Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The findings of the present study demonstrated that a-tDCS can effectively improve the capabilities of lower extremity sensorimotor control, particularly in gait speed and time-on-task. Thus, a-tDCS can be used as an effective ergogenic technology to facilitate physical performance. In-depth and rigorous experimental protocol with larger sample sizes and combining brain imaging technology to explore the mechanism have a profound impact on the development of tDCS.

Objective: This study aims to review existing literature regarding the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the physical performances of the foot and ankle of healthy adults and discuss the underlying neurophysiological mechanism through which cortical activities influence the neuromechanical management of the physical performances of the foot and ankle.Methods: This systematic review has followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. A systematic search was performed on PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science. Studies were included according to the Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Setting inclusion strategy. The risk of bias was assessed through the Cochrane Collaboration tool, and the quality of each study was evaluated through the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.Results: The electronic search resulted in 145 studies. Only eight studies were included after screening. The studies performed well in terms of allocation, blinding effectiveness, and selective reporting. Besides, the PEDro scores of all the studies were over six, which indicated that the included studies have high quality. Seven studies reported that tDCS induced remarkable improvements in the physical performances of the foot and ankle, including foot sole vibratory and tactile threshold, toe pinch force, ankle choice reaction time, accuracy index of ankle tracking, and ankle range of motion, compared with sham.Conclusion: The results in these studies demonstrate that tDCS is promising to help improve the physical performances of the foot and ankle. The possible underlying mechanisms are that tDCS can ultimately influence the neural circuitry responsible for the neuromechanical regulation of the foot and ankle and then improve their physical performances. However, the number of studies included was limited and their sample sizes were small; therefore, more researches are highly needed to confirm the findings of the current studies and explore the underlying neuromechanical effects of tDCS.

Background: Recently, considerable research has been conducted to study the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on balance control in older adults. We completed a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of tDCS on balance control in this population.Methods: A search strategy based on the PICOS principle was used to find the literatures in the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, Web of Science. The quality and risk of bias in the studies were independently assessed by two researchers.Results: Ten studies were included in the systematic review. A meta-analysis was completed on six of these ten, with a total of 280 participants. As compared to sham (i.e., control), tDCS induced significant improvement with low heterogeneity in balance control in older adults. Specifically, tDCS induced large effects on the performance of the timed-up-and-go test, the Berg balance scale, and standing postural sway (e.g., sway area) and gait (e.g., walking speed) in dual task conditions (standardized mean differences (SMDs) = −0.99~3.41 95% confidence limits (CL): −1.52~4.50, p < 0.006, I2 < 52%). Moderate-to-large effects of tDCS were also observed in the standing posture on a static or movable platform (SMDs = 0.37~1.12 95%CL: −0.09~1.62, p < 0.03, I2 < 62%).Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that tDCS holds promise to promote balance in older adults. These results warrant future studies of larger sample size and rigorous study design and results report, as well as specific research to establish the relationship between the parameter of tDCS and the extent of tDCS-induced improvement in balance control in older adults.