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Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical and electromyographic factors underlying shooting consistency among archers of different skill levels, providing insights into performance optimization and training strategies. Methods: The study analyzed 28 left-handed archers, including elite, mid-level, and novice athletes. Using an eight-camera infrared motion capture system and a wireless surface EMG system, kinematic and muscle activity data were collected for key upper limb muscles during two action phases: drawing and aiming. Coefficients of variation (CV) were calculated for both kinematic and EMG parameters, and statistical analysis was conducted to compare the groups. Results: Elite and mid-level archers exhibited significantly lower CVs in key kinematic parameters (e.g., shoulder abduction) and muscle activation consistency during the drawing phase compared to novices. Differences in muscle activation were most pronounced in the flexor muscle groups. These findings highlight the critical role of movement consistency in archery performance. Conclusion: Greater consistency in kinematic and muscle activation patterns distinguishes higher-skilled archers, particularly during the drawing phase. These results emphasize the importance of targeting movement consistency and coordination in training programs to enhance performance in precision sports like archery.

Purpose: Joint coordination is a critical factor influencing high-quality technical movements. By analyzing the changes between joints through functional data analysis, characteristic parameters can be derived. This study employs functional data analysis to explore the differences in joint coordination characteristics among archery athletes at various skill levels, offering a new perspective for coaches and athletes to analyze specific movement techniques. Methods: Twenty-eight archery athletes were selected as subjects, including eight international master athletes, twelve national first-level athletes, and eight national second-level athletes from Chinese national and province team. An infrared light spot motion capture system was utilized to gather kinematic parameters during the archery shooting process. Functional data analysis was employed to determine the upper limb joint coordination characteristic parameters of athletes at different skill levels. Results: Archery athletes at different levels exhibit three types of joint coordination characteristics between the shoulder and elbow joints during the drawing and aiming phases. The first type of joint coordination characteristic shows statistical differences across levels (P=0.03). These differences are primarily due to the following: 1) For international master athletes, the movement speeds of the shoulder and elbow joints both peak in the early phase of drawing; 2) The range of coupled motion between the shoulder and elbow joints is higher in the early phase of drawing and lower in the latter half, and consistently lower during the aiming phase; 3) The duration of the drawing phase is shorter. Conclusion: Functional data analysis effectively captures the differences in upper limb joint coordination characteristics among archery athletes at various levels. Superior athletes typically exhibit synchronous shoulder-elbow joint movements, enhanced feedforward capabilities, and a quicker rhythm of movement.

Research on fine motor skills in children has evolved considerably over the last 30 years. However, a scientometric analysis of these changes over time, along with an assessment of researchers’ networks and scientific productivity, is currently lacking. We conducted a scientometric analysis of the scientific literature on fine motor skills in preschool and school-aged children to evaluate key themes and trends over the past decades, thereby informing future research directions. We conducted a search in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1994 to 2024 utilizing pertinent keywords. The evolution of co-reference clusters and the performance of research networks across countries, institutions, and authors were analyzed using the Bibliometrix R package (v4.3.0) and CiteSpace (v6.4.R3). There has been an exponential growth in publications, showing a 7.5% annual increase from 2006 to 2021, and a positive correlation (R² = 0.89) between the publication year and output, indicating a promising trend in the field. The co-cited reference network analysis revealed 10 clusters in a well-structured network (Q = 0.835) with strong clustering reliability (S = 0.94). The primary research trends identifiedare: 1) the link between fine motor skills and academic achievement; and 2) the traits of fine motor impairment in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The latest research trends in fine motor skills for children include developing assessment tools and interventions for both typically developing children and those with neurodevelopmental disorders.These findings can inform future directions for funding agencies and research groups.

Abstract Background Hip fractures are still unsolved problems nowadays. We evaluated the functional outcomes and complications in the treatment of hip fractures (AO/OTA31A1-A3) to find potential difference and risk between intramedullary nail (IMN) and dynamic hip screw (DHS). Method We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library up to 19 June 2023 and retrieved any studies comparing IMN and DHS in treatment of Hip fractures. The main outcomes and complications were extracted from the included studies. The fixed-effect model was selected to pool the data for homogeneous studies (I2 50%). The analysis of sensitivity and subgroup was performed to explore the homogeneous studies among studies. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results 30 RCT studies were included in this meta-analysis. There were significant difference of in the items of blood loss, screening time, femoral neck shortening, non-union, and femoral fractures (p

A compressed fossil seed, described as Carpolithes sp., is found in the coal-bearing Miocene Shihti Formation from the Lifeng coal mine, Sanshia District of the New Taipei City. The fossil is generally rounded with a diameter of ca. 10 mm in lateral view. The anatomical features of the testa epidermal cells were observed using anatomical analysis. The anatomical features of the megafossil organ from the Formation are reported for the first time.

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The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates the clearance of dopamine (DA) released into the extracellular space and is an important site on which psychostimulants act to produce their effects. Here, we show that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) regulates the transport capacity and intracellular trafficking of DAT. Incubation of striatal synaptosomes or epitope-tagged human DAT (hDAT) human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells with the MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitors 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-l,4-bis(o-aminophenylmercapto) butadiene and 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one decreased DA uptake in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Kinetic studies revealed a decrease in the capacity of transport (V[submax]) but no change in K[subm]. Immunoblotting confirmed labeling of p42 and p44 MAPK in untreated striatal synaptosomes and HEK 293 cells, consistent with constitutive MAPK activation, and the inhibitors used decreased MAPK phosphorylation. Biotinylation and confocal imaging studies showed that MAPK inhibition promoted the clathrin-associated redistribution of hDAT from the plasma membrane to the cytosol. In contrast, transient transfection of hDAT-expressing cells with constitutively active MEK increased the V[submax] of DA transport without altering K[subm]. However, only a small increase in hDAT cell surface expression was seen. These data demonstrate an involvement of the MAPK cascade in regulating DAT transport capacity in striatum and that inhibition of this cascade decreases DAT cell surface expression in HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, they highlight the potential role of MAPK as a presynaptic mechanism that regulates DA signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]