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Over the post-Cold War era, China has been committed to intensifying its strategic partnership with Russia in an attempt to usher into the world a new order. To achieve this goal, these two states have since the end of the Cold War expanded their cooperation, including the oil and gas cooperation. The research objectives of the paper are to explore the latest development in the China–Russia oil and gas cooperation and the motivations and outcomes from a Chinese perspective. It contributes to the scholarly discussion by analyzing China's intensified energy cooperation with Russia in the greater picture of China's rise and examining it in a political economy way. This paper finds that the rapidly enhanced energy cooperation is a visible manifestation of China's quest for energy security and a greater say in the world energy market. This paper concludes that China wishes to achieve three objectives by intensifying its oil and gas cooperation with Russia: this first is related to China's sustained economic growth; the second to China's aggravated security environment since the US 'pivot to Asia'; the third to China's dream of restoring its past status as a great power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As cognitive decline and dementia‐related diseases are currently incurable, identifying modifiable and preventative factors is imperative. Thus, we aimed to investigate the associations between modifiable lifestyle factors and cognitive function in a population‐based sample of nondemented men. Methods: Data for 537 men were drawn from the ongoing, population‐based, Geelong Osteoporosis Study (GOS). The CogState Brief Battery (CBB) was utilised to determine cognitive function (overall cognitive function [OCF], psychomotor function, attention, working memory, and visual learning). Demographic and lifestyle factors (diet, smoking, physical activity [sport, work/home, and leisure time], alcohol use, and body mass index [BMI]) were self‐reported and documented across three waves of data collection. Generalised estimating equation (GEE) models were used to determine associations between the time‐updating exposures of interest and each of the cognitive domains. Results: Age was associated with OCF (η2 = 0.298), psychomotor function (η2 = 0.163), attention (η2 = 0.210), working memory (η2 = 0.215), and visual learning (η2 = 0.097). Playing sport was associated with all aspects of cognition: OCF (η2 = 0.014), psychomotor function (η2 = 0.007), attention (η2 = 0.004), working memory (η2 = 0.013), and visual learning (η2 = 0.004), and being physically active during leisure time was associated with visual learning (η2 = 0.008). Being physically active at work and home, smoking, diet quality, energy consumed per day, alcohol intake, and BMI were not associated with any of the cognitive domains. Conclusion: In this study of nondemented men, elements of a healthy lifestyle such as playing sport and being physically active during leisure time were associated with better cognition. Further studies into whether these factors, amongst others, prevent the onset and progression of dementia are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the post-Cold War era, China has committed to creating a strategic partnership with Russia. Doing so is a key part of China's foreign strategy of restoring its past glory as a great power, with this partnership as the strategic fulcrum for its "peaceful" rise at the systemic or global level. It also reflects China's desire to intensify cooperation with its largest neighbour to sustain economic growth. By formulating a strategic partnership, China wishes to re-shape the current global order and counterattack its perceived containment of its rise by the US. By intensifying cooperation, particularly around the economy and resource development, China hopes to sustain the growth that its political leaders have long considered as underlying China's "hard" power and rejuvenation. By expanding their military collaboration, China aspires to accelerate the PLA's modernization and work with Russia to contain US military unilateralism and hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's FTA strategy and its efforts in economic regionalism in the Pacific region are providing new impetus to deepening economic interdependence with its partners and domestic reform to sustain the country's economic growth. The FTAs in the Pacific region provide China and its economic partners with convenient access to their mutual markets, investment destinations and resources, expanding their economic cooperation and trade. China is increasingly able to obtain economic benefits from the regional network of FTAs while intensifying its economic and, by extension, political relations with its partners. In the face of the enormous economic benefits, China's partners, particularly those without geopolitical competition and territorial disputes with China, may view China's rise as an "opportunity" for their economic growth and accept its concept of "peaceful rise." In this sense, China's FTA strategy and the regional network of FTAs may help China reap not only economic but also geopolitical interest, accelerating its rise at the systemic (global) and subsystemic (regional) levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Cognitive impairment is associated with obesity, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis. However, no critical appraisal of the literature on the relationship between musculoskeletal deficits and cognitive impairment, focusing on the epidemiological evidence and biological mechanisms, has been published to date. Herein, we critically evaluate the literature published over the past 3 years, emphasizing interesting and important new findings, and provide an outline of future directions that will improve our understanding of the connections between the brain and the musculoskeletal system. Recent Findings: Recent literature suggests that musculoskeletal deficits and cognitive impairment share pathophysiological pathways and risk factors. Cytokines and hormones affect both the brain and the musculoskeletal system; yet, lack of unified definitions and standards makes it difficult to compare studies. Summary: Interventions designed to improve musculoskeletal health are plausible means of preventing or slowing cognitive impairment. We highlight several musculoskeletal health interventions that show potential in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor motor function or physical performance is a predictor of cognitive decline. Additionally, slow gait speed is associated with poor cognitive performance, with gait disturbances being a risk factor for dementia. Parallel declines in muscular and cognitive performance (resulting in cognitive frailty) might be driven primarily by muscle deterioration, but bidirectional pathways involving muscle–brain crosstalk through the central and peripheral nervous systems are likely to exist. Following screening, early-stage parallel declines may be manageable and modifiable through simple interventions. Gait–brain relationships in dementia and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood; therefore, the current authors critically reviewed the literature on the gait–brain relationship and the underlying mechanisms and the feasibility/accuracy of assessment tools in order to identify research gaps. The authors suggest that dual-task gait is involved in concurrent cognitive and motor activities, reflecting how the brain allocates resources when gait is challenged by an additional task and that poor performance on dual-task gait is a predictor of dementia onset. Thus, tools or protocols that allow the identification of subtle disease- or disorder-related changes in gait are highly desirable to improve diagnosis. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive, cost-effective, safe, simple, portable, and non-motion-sensitive neuroimaging technique, widely used in studies of clinical populations such as people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, depression, and other chronic neurological disorders. If fNIRS can help researchers to better understand gait disturbance, then fNIRS could form the basis of a cost-effective means of identifying people at risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. The major research gap identified in this review relates to the role of the central/peripheral nervous system when performing dual tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine associations between skeletal muscle deficits and indices of poor health. Cut-points for skeletal muscle deficits were derived using data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study and definitions from the revised European Consensus on Definition and Diagnosis and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Participants (n = 665; 323 women) aged 60–96 year had handgrip strength measured by dynamometry and appendicular lean mass by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical performance was assessed using the Timed Up and Go test. Sex-specific cut-points were equivalent to two standard deviations below the mean young reference range from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Indices of poor health included fractures, falls, and hospitalisations. Low trauma fractures since age 50 year (excluding skull, face, digits) were self-reported and confirmed using radiological reports. Falls (≥1 in the past 12 months) and hospitalisations (past month) were self-reported. Logistic regression models (age- and sex-adjusted) were used to examine associations. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were applied to determine optimal cut-points for handgrip strength, Timed Up and Go, appendicular lean mass/height2, and appendicular lean mass/body mass index that discriminated poor health outcomes. There were 48 participants (6.9%) with hospitalisations, 94 (13.4%) with fractures, and 177 (25.3%) with at least one fall (≥1). For all cut-points, low handgrip strength was consistently associated with falls. There was little evidence to support an association between low appendicular lean mass, using any cut-point, and indices of poor health. Optimal cut-offs for predicting falls (≥1) were: handgrip strength 17.5 kg for women and 33.5 kg for men; Timed Up and Go 8.6 s for women and 9.9 s for men; appendicular lean mass/height2 6.2 kg/m2 for women and 7.46 kg/m2 for men; and appendicular lean mass/body mass index 0.6 m2 for women and 0.9 m2 for men. In conclusion, muscle strength and function performed better than lean mass to indicate poor health. These findings add to the growing evidence base to inform decisions regarding the selection of skeletal muscle parameters and their optimal cut-points for identifying sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frailty, a clinical syndrome characterized by multisystem dysregulation, has been associated with high levels of oxidative stress. We investigated the association between serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and frailty in older men. This cross-sectional study included 581 men (age 60–90 years) enrolled in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Frailty comprised at least three of unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slowness, and weakness. Serum TAC was measured by quantitative colorimetric determination and expressed as uric acid equivalents (mM). Relationships between TAC (in SD units) and frailty were explored using multivariable logistic regression models. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle variables were tested as potential confounders and effect modifiers. A sensitivity analysis excluded participants (n = 145) in the upper quartile of TAC, who were likely to have hyperuricemia. Fifty (8.6%) men were frail. There was evidence that higher TAC levels were associated with increased likelihood of frailty (OR 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.99, 1.80]), and this was attenuated after adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI; OR 1.26, 95% CI [0.93,1.71]). No effect modifiers or other confounders were identified. The sensitivity analysis revealed a positive association between TAC and frailty, before and after accounting for age and BMI (adjusted OR 1.79, 95% CI [1.01, 3.17] p = .038). These results suggest a positive association between TAC levels and frailty, supporting the hypothesis that this biomarker could be useful in identifying individuals at risk of frailty. We speculate that a milieu of heightened oxidative stress in frailty may elevate the oxidative stress regulatory set point, raising antioxidant activity. This warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low handgrip strength (HGS) is a measure of poor skeletal muscle performance and a marker of ill health and frailty. Muscle quality (MQ) is a measure of muscle strength relative to muscle mass. We aimed to develop normative data for HGS and MQ, report age‐related prevalence of low HGS and MQ, and determine the relationship with age, anthropometry, and body composition for women in Australia. Methods: This cross‐sectional analysis included data from 792 women (ages 28–95 years) assessed by the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Duplicate measures of HGS were performed for each hand with a dynamometer (Jamar) and the mean of maximum values used for analyses. Dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry‐derived lean mass for the arms was used to calculate MQ as HGS/lean mass (kg/kg). Body mass index (BMI) was categorized as normal (BMI < 25.0 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (>30.0 kg/m2). Fat mass index (FMI) was calculated as whole body fat/height2 (kg/m2) and appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) as lean mass of arms and legs/height2 (kg/m2). Results: Mean (±SD) of HGS values for normal BMI, overweight, and obese groups were 25 (±7), 24 (±7), and 24 (±7) kg, P = 0.09, and for MQ, 12 (±3), 11 (±3), and 10 (±3) kg/kg, P < 0.001. Our data indicated a quadratic relationship between age and HGS or MQ. Mean HGS and MQ remained stable until the fifth age decade then declined steadily with increasing age; therefore, we used data for women (n = 283) aged 28–49 years as the young adult reference group, with mean (SD) values for HGS 28 (±6) kg and MQ 12 (±3) kg/kg. The prevalence of low (T‐score < −2) HGS and MQ for women 80 years and older was 52.2% and 39.6%, respectively. In multivariable models, age‐adjusted HGS was associated with FMI (B = −0.13, P = 0.004) and ALMI (1.03, <0.001) while age‐adjusted MQ was associated with BMI (−0.15, <0.001) but not with FMI. In a sensitivity analysis, the same pattern remained after the removal of 129 women who reported hand and/or arm pain. Conclusions: Mean HGS and MQ declined with advancing age in older women. Our data suggest that while mean HGS increased with appendicular lean mass and decreased with body fat mass, there was no association with BMI. By contrast, MQ decreased with increasing BMI, but not with increasing adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendations from the FNIH Sarcopenia Project are that appendicular lean mass (ALM, kg) adjusted for body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) be used for identifying low lean mass, with ALM/BMI cutpoints of < 0.789 m2 for men and < 0.512 m2 for women. We report normative ALM/BMI values for Australian adults, and compare the performance of cutpoints derived from reference values for this population with FNIH values for identifying low lean mass. Body composition was measured by DXA (Lunar) for 1411 men and 960 women, aged 20-93 years, from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, a population-based study in Australia. Sex-stratified means and standard deviations for DXA-derived ALM/BMI were generated for each age-decade, and cutpoints equivalent to T-scores of - 2.0 were derived using reference data for 374 men and 308 women aged 20-39 years. Mean ALM/BMI values were greater for men than women, and decreased with age in both sexes. Cutpoints for ALM/BMI corresponding to T-scores of - 2.0 were 0.827 m2 for men and 0.518 m2 for women. For individuals aged 65+ years, cross-classification of low lean mass according to FNIH criteria (ALM/BMI < 0.789 m2 men and < 0.512 m2 women) in comparison with our cutpoints for ALM/BMI showed overall agreement of 94.6% for men and 99.0% for women (κ 0.73 and 0.89, respectively). We report good agreement for low ALM indexed to BMI, particularly for women, between classifications based on recommendations from the FNIH Sarcopenia Project for identifying clinically significant weakness, with low values identified within our population distribution of ALM/BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and is responsible for a significant economic burden. Sarcopenia and cognitive dysfunction are common consequences of stroke, but there is less awareness of the concurrency of these conditions. In addition, few reviews are available to guide clinicians and researchers on how to approach sarcopenia and cognitive dysfunction as comorbidities after stroke, including how to assess and manage them and implement interventions to improve health outcomes. This review synthesises current knowledge about the relationship between post-stroke sarcopenia and cognitive dysfunction, including the physiological pathways, assessment tools, and interventions involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prevalence estimates for sarcopenia vary depending on the ascertainment criteria and thresholds applied. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia using two international definitions but employing Australian population-specific cut-points. Methods: Participants (n = 665; 323 women) aged 60–96 years old were from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured by dynamometers and appendicular lean mass (ALM) by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical performance was assessed using gait speed (GS, men only) and/or the timed up-and-go (TUG) test. Using cut-points equivalent to two standard deviations (SDs) below the mean young reference range from the same population and recommendations from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), sarcopenia was identified by low ALM/height2 (<5.30 kg for women; <6.94 kg for men) + low HGS (<16 kg women; <31 kg men); low ALM/height2 + slow TUG (>9.3 s); low ALM/height2 + slow GS (<0.8 m/s). For the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) equivalent, sarcopenia was identified as low ALM/BMI (<0.512 m2 women, <0.827 m2 men) + low HGS (<16 kg women, <31 kg men). Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were also applied to determine optimal cut-points for ALM/BMI (<0.579 m2 women, <0.913 m2 men) that discriminated poor physical performance. Prevalence estimates were standardized to the Australian population and compared to estimates using international thresholds. Results: Using population-specific cut-points and low ALM/height2 + HGS, point-estimates for sarcopenia prevalence were 0.9% for women and 2.9% for men. Using ALM/height2 + TUG, prevalence was 2.5% for women and 4.1% for men, and using ALM/height2 + GS, sarcopenia was identified for 1.6% of men. Using ALM/BMI + HGS, prevalence estimates were 5.5–10.4% for women and 11.6–18.4% for men. Conclusions: This study highlights the range of prevalence estimates that result from employing different criteria for sarcopenia. While population-specific criteria could be pertinent for some populations, a consensus is needed to identify which deficits in skeletal muscle health are important for establishing an operational definition for sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynapenia is a key contributor to physical frailty. Cognitive impairment and dementia accompany frailty, yet links between skeletal muscle and neurocognition are poorly understood. We examined the cross-sectional relationship between lower limb muscle strength and global cognitive function. Participants were 127 women aged 51–87 years, from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Peak eccentric strength of the hip-flexors and hip abductors was determined using a hand-held dynamometer, and dynapenia identified as muscle strength t-scores < −1. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and MMSE scores below the median were rated as low. Associations between dynapenia and low cognition were examined using logistic regression models. Hip-flexor dynapenia was detected in 38 (71.7%) women with low cognition and 36 (48.7%) with good cognition (p = 0.009); for hip abductor dynapenia, the pattern was similar (21 (39.6%) vs. 9 (12.2%); p < 0.001). While the observed difference for hip-flexor strength was attenuated after adjusting for age and height (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) 1.95, 95%CI 0.86–4.41), low cognition was nearly 4-fold more likely in association with hip abductor dynapenia (adjusted OR 3.76, 95%CI 1.44–9.83). No other confounders were identified. Our data suggest that low strength of the hip abductors and low cognition are associated and this could be a consequence of poor muscle function contributing to cognitive decline or vice versa. As muscle weakness is responsive to physical interventions, this warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function with advancing age. It involves both complex genetic and modifiable risk factors, such as lack of exercise, malnutrition and reduced neurological drive. Cognitive decline refers to diminished or impaired mental and/or intellectual functioning. Contracting skeletal muscle is a major source of neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which regulate synapses in the brain. Furthermore, skeletal muscle activity has important immune and redox effects that modify brain function and reduce muscle catabolism. The identification of common risk factors and underlying mechanisms for sarcopenia and cognition may allow the development of targeted interventions that slow or reverse sarcopenia and also certain forms of cognitive decline. However, the links between cognition and skeletal muscle have not been elucidated fully. This review provides a critical appraisal of the literature on the relationship between skeletal muscle health and cognition. The literature suggests that sarcopenia and cognitive decline share pathophysiological pathways. Ageing plays a role in both skeletal muscle deterioration and cognitive decline. Furthermore, lifestyle risk factors, such as physical inactivity, poor diet and smoking, are common to both disorders, so their potential role in the muscle–brain relationship warrants investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is characterised by excessive body fat and is associated with several detrimental health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There is some evidence that people who are obese have structural and functional brain alterations and cognitive deficits. It may be that these neurophysiological and behavioural consequences are underpinned by altered plasticity. This study investigated the relationship between obesity and plasticity of the motor cortex in people who were considered obese (n = 14, nine males, aged 35.4 ± 14.3 years) or healthy weight (n = 16, seven males, aged 26.3 ± 8.5 years). A brain stimulation protocol known as continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to the motor cortex to induce a brief suppression of cortical excitability. The suppression of cortical excitability was quantified using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to record and measure the amplitude of the motor evoked potential in a peripheral hand muscle. Therefore, the magnitude of suppression of the motor evoked potential by continuous theta burst stimulation was used as a measure of the capacity for plasticity of the motor cortex. Our results demonstrate that the healthy-weight group had a significant suppression of cortical excitability following continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), but there was no change in excitability for the obese group. Comparing the response to cTBS between groups demonstrated that there was an impaired plasticity response for the obese group when compared to the healthy-weight group. This might suggest that the capacity for plasticity is reduced in people who are obese. Given the importance of plasticity for human behaviour, our results add further emphasis to the potentially detrimental health effects of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]