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Training in hypoxic environments enhances endurance, but the various influences of training protocols and supplementation for efficient performance are not yet clear. This systematic review explored the effects of different supplementations and interventions used to optimize the aerobic and anaerobic performance of cyclists. Data were collected from the following sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, WOS, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Studies that explored the effects of supplementation or intervention during cycling were selected for analysis. Five studies (67 male cyclists; mean age, 23.74–33.56 years) reported different outcomes from supplementation or intervention during the acute hypoxia of cyclists. Three studies (42 male cyclists; mean age, 25.88–36.22 years) listed the benefits of beetroot juice in preserving SpO2 (pulse oxygen saturation) and enhancing high-intensity endurance performance, effectively preventing the reduction in power output. This systematic review provided evidence that the different effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC), sildenafil, and beetroot (BR) supplementation and intervention did not present a statistically greater benefit than for normoxia groups, but BR supplementation promoted the benefits of SpO2. Future research should evaluate the duration and higher FiO2 (simulated altitude, hypoxia) levels of hypoxia in training protocols for cyclists. This is important when determining the effectiveness of supplements or interventions in hypoxic conditions and their impact on sports performance, particularly in terms of power output.

Background Rectal distension increases regulatory burden to autonomic nervous system in the brain. Purpose To determine the effect of rectal defecation on endurance performance and blood supply to the prefrontal brain and sub-navel regions of elite triathletes. Methods Thirteen elite triathletes completed a cycling time trial (80% VO2max) under defecated and non-defecated conditions, using a counterbalanced crossover design. Oxygenation and blood distribution in prefrontal brain and sub-navel regions were monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during cycling. Results Defecation moderately decreased systolic blood pressure (−4 mmHg, p

In this paper, a linearized time-invariant voltage-sensorless direct power control (DPC) with balanced and unbalanced dc-link voltage is proposed in a three-phase Vienna rectifier. To achieve voltage sensorless with unbalanced dc-link voltage, the control architecture consists of three sub-architectures, including 1) linear time-invariant direct power control; 2) virtual flux, input active power and reactive power estimators; 3) zero crossing distortion and capacitor voltage unbalance compensations under single carrier pulse-width modulation (PWM) operation. The proposed method transfers the system from linear time-varying system to linear time-invariant system by algebraic transformation, which makes the design of the controller more directly. The proposed direct power control method can reduce system cost and lower input current total harmonic distortion and does not require the use of phase-locked loop (PLL). A 2.4kW prototype is constructed and some simulation and experimental results are offered to verify the validity of the proposed method.

In this paper, a bidirectional grid-tied ZVS three-phase converter is proposed. The circuit operation principle in both the rectifier and inverter modes was analyzed. The proposed topology could achieve zero-voltage switching in the six main switches and the auxiliary switch both in the rectifier mode and inverter mode. In addition, the reverse recovery current of body diodes in the main switches was also suppressed. Furthermore, in order to realize the ZVS control scheme under the grid-tied bidirectional power flow condition and reduce the number of switchings, a modified carrier-based discontinuous PWM was proposed to fit the bidirectional switching sequence. Finally, a 3 kW prototype was constructed. Some simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed circuit topology and PWM control scheme.

Abstracts PURPOSE This study aimed to compare the effects of low-volume and high-volume sled-push resistance training on muscle strength, power, and body composition. METHODS Twenty-four college students were recruited and matched based on baseline one-repetition maximum (1-RM) into one of the three groups: 1) low volume (LV) resistance training, 2) high volume (HV) resistance training, or 3) control (CON) (n=8 per group). The LV training consisted of five single repetitions of pushing a weighted sled for 9.1 m. The HV training consisted of three sets of five repetitions of pushing a weighted sled for 9.1 m. Training consisted of three weekly workouts performed on nonconsecutive days for 6 weeks. This study utilized a pre-test and post-test design consisting of 1-RM, Wingate power test, standing long jump, vertical jump, and body composition. RESULTS After 6 weeks of training, there was a similar but significant increase in 1-RM in both training groups (pre-test: LV=226.8±14.8 kg vs. HV=217.7±19.5 kg; post-test: LV=298.5±15 kg vs. HV=286.9±16 kg, p.05). CONCLUSIONS The results suggested that low-volume resistance training was as effective as a high-volume protocol for improving muscle strength. However, the present study was unable to determine the effects on muscle power and body composition.

The physiological changes associated with aging deleteriously impact cardiovascular function and regulation and therefore increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. There is substantial evidence that changes in the autonomic nervous system and arterial stiffness play an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease during the aging process. Exercise is known to be effective in improving autonomic regulation and arterial vascular compliance, but differences in the type and intensity of exercise can have varying degrees of impact on vascular regulatory responses and autonomic function. There is still little evidence on whether there are differences in the response of exercise interventions to cardiovascular modulatory effects across the lifespan. In addition, acute interval exercise challenges can improve autonomic modulation, although the results of interval exercise on autonomic physiological parameters vary. Therefore, this narrative review focuses on evaluating the effects of acute interval exercise on blood pressure regulation and autonomic responses and also incorporates studies investigating different age groups to evaluate the effects of acute interval exercise on the autonomic nervous system. Herein we also summarize existing literature examining the acute cardiovascular responses to varied modes of interval exercise, as well as to further compare the benefits of interval exercise with other types of exercise on autonomic regulation and arterial stiffness. After reviewing the existing literature, it has been shown that with advancing age, changes in the autonomic nervous activity of interval exercise result in significant impacts on the cardiovascular system. We document that with advancing age, changes in the autonomic nerves lead to aging of the nervous system, thereby affecting the regulation of blood pressure. According to the limited literature, interval exercise is more effective in attenuating arterial stiffness than continuous exercise, but the difference in exercise benefits may depend on the training mode, intensity, duration of exercise, and the age of participants. Therefore, the benefits of interval exercise on autonomic and arterial stiffness improvement still warrant investigation, particularly the impact of age, in future research.

Arterial stiffness is a reliable independent predictor of cardiovascular events. Exercise training might enhance arterial compliance through improved metabolic health status. Different modes of exercise may have different effects on arterial stiffness. However, the interactions among different modes of exercise on endothelial senescence, the development of arterial vascular stiffness, and the associated molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. In this narrative review, we evaluate the current evidence focusing on the effects of various exercise modes on arterial stiffness and vascular health, and the known underlying physiological mechanisms are discussed as well. Here, we discuss the most recent evidence of aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and resistance exercise (RE) on arterial stiffness and endothelial senescence in physiological and cellular studies. Indeed, aerobic, HIIT, and progression RE-induced arterial compliance may reduce arterial stiffness by effectively promoting nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and reducing endothelial senescence. However, the transient increase in inflammation and sympathetic activation may contribute to the temporary elevation in arterial stiffness following whole-body high-intensity acute resistance exercise.

The DC-link capacitors in an electronic power system are the main constraint of the power density and lifespan of the power converters. Evaluating the load life of capacitors working in severely adverse circumstances plays an important role in the design stages of the next-generation power converters. In this article, an improved evaluation system for the capacitors utilized in high-power three-phase voltage source inverters is proposed. The purpose of this article is to reproduce the same encountered stresses when a DC-link capacitor is used in a high-power inverter with pulse-width modulation. Hence, an improved down-scale evaluation system for the DC-link capacitors used in high-power three-phase inverter systems under balanced and unbalanced load conditions is proposed. Moreover, AC and DC analyses in the proposed evaluation system are conducted. The equivalent circuit and transfer functions are derived to verify the proposed evaluation system. Finally, a prototype system is constructed to facilitate the theoretical results as the verification.

This paper investigated the response time, chloride selectivity, and temperature coefficients of the arrayed flexible ruthenium oxide chloride ion sensor in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions with concentrations from 10-5 M to 1 M. The response time was 7 s in 1 M NaCl solution at room temperature, showing that the sensor had the characteristics of the fast response. The selectivity coefficients of the SO42- ion, NO3- ion, CO32- ion, ClO- ion, and ClO4- ion were 0.001, 0.056, 0.004, 0.015, and 0.006, respectively. The chloride ion sensing device had the good chloride selectivity. Finally, the sensitivity was investigated with different solution temperatures from 5 °C to 50 °C. The sensitivity was increased with higher solution temperature. The temperature coefficient of the sensitivity of the chloride ion sensing device was approximately 0.681 mV/pCl °C between 5 °C and 35 °C.

Aim: Fish soup is a traditional Chinese food usually offered as a healthy supplement to elders, pregnant women and persons who just had surgery. Silver perch (Santé premium silver perch essence, SPSPE) extract contains various quality proteins, collagen, minerals, trace elements, and branch chain amino acids (BCAA) that could help individuals recover from exhaustion and control body weight. However, there are very limited studies exploring the effects of fish extracts on exercise performance and fatigue, and relevant physiological mechanisms. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic SPSPE administration on exhaustive exercise performance.Method: Male Wistar rats weighing around 250 g were divided into 4 groups: Control, 1X SPSPE (6.2 ml/kg), 2X SPSPE (12.4 ml/kg) and 5X SPSPE (31.0 ml/kg). Rats were administrated SPSPE by oral gavage feeding every day for 33 days. Their body weight were measured every week. Before and after the exhaustive swimming test, the blood was collected for circulating lactate, glucose, ammonia, hormones, and myoglobin analysis. Rats were sacrificed after performing an exhaustive swimming exercise test. The liver tissues were collected for glycogen content and H&E staining.Results: After the administration of 1X and 5X SPSPE, swimming fatigue was significantly delayed (p = 0.024). There was no difference in the hormone plasma level between the control and SPSPE groups. The induction of plasma corticosterone and TBARS by exhaustive swimming exercise could be decreased by SPSPE administration. The increased plasma myoglobin concentration from exhaustive swimming exercise was weakened by SPSPE supplementation. The higher glycogen sparing contained in liver tissue was observed in SPSPE-treated groups (p < 0.05).Conclusion: SPSPE could efficiently delay swimming fatigue through sparing of liver glycogen and attenuation of plasma TBARS, myoglobin induction by exhaustive exercise. Our findings provide a scientific-based fundamental information and better understanding for developing a fish extract-based anti-fatigue supplement.

Purpose: this study investigated the effects of the intensity of machine-based bicep curl resistance exercise on ultrafast ultrasound-derived muscle strain rate and carotid ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV), and examined the association between muscle strain rate, ufPWV, and established carotid function measures in habitual resistance-trained individuals. Methods: twenty-three young habitual resistance-trained males (age: 24 ± 1 year, body mass index = 24 ± 1 kg/m2) were recruited to participate in two bouts of acute bicep curl exercise. After one-repetition maximum determination (1RM), the participants were randomly assigned to engage in bicep curls at 40 or 80%1RM intensity (10 reps × five sets) by a crossover study design. The muscle strain rate of bicep muscle, carotid ufPWV during systole(ufPWV-sys), and diastole (ufPWV-dia) were obtained pre- and post-exercise. In addition, carotid function measures were calculated by obtained carotid diameter and central blood pressure changes. Results: compared with pre-exercise, the reduction in post-exercise muscle strain rate and its area under the curve of 80%1RM was greater than those of 40%1RM. Both ufPWV-sys and ufPWV-dia increased regardless of exercise intensity. Baseline bicep muscle strain rate correlated not only with ufPWV-sys (r = −0.71, p = 0.001), ufPWV-dia (r = −0.74, p = 0.001), but also carotid compliance (r = 0.49, p = 0.02), distensibility (r = 0.54, p = 0.01) and ß stiffness (r= −0.84, p < 0.0001). The ufPWVs also correlated with ß stiffness (r = 0.64–0.76, p = 0.01). Conclusion: muscle stiffness measured by ultrafast ultrasound elastography increases positively with resistance exercise intensity, and it appears to correlate with carotid ufPWV and established carotid function measures in habitual resistance-trained individuals.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapies are commonly used for treating early-stage breast cancer. However, whether chemotherapeutic regimens affect exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of receiving CAF and AC-T on exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Methods: Thirty-four patients with breast cancer (age: 44 ± 1 years; stage I-II) received either CAF (n = 15) or AC-T (n = 19), depending on clinical decisions. Their step-exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses were assessed before and after chemotherapy. Results: After chemotherapy, there were no differences in baseline measurements between patients receiving CAF or AC-T. The increases in resting heart rate (RHR) of those receiving AC-T was significantly greater than that of those receiving CAF. CAF and AC-T did not result in increased pulse wave velocity (PWV), yet the subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) in patients receiving AC-T was significantly lower than the baseline. Greater change in post-exercise heart rate recovery (recovery HR) after chemotherapy was observed in those who had received AC-T; the Recovery HR in AC-T patients was significantly higher during post-exercise period than that in CAF patients. Conclusions: AC-T chemotherapy increases RHR and impairs exercise tolerance after chemotherapy more than CAF. Moreover, AC-T also lowers myocardial perfusion more than CAF after chemotherapy.

Older adults with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are at high risk of sarcopenia. Protein-rich nutritional composition supplementation (PS) combined with resistance exercise training (RET) improves muscle gains and facilitates physical activity in older adults. However, whether PS augments the effects of RET on muscle mass and PA in patients with KOA remains unclear. Therefore, this study identified the effects of PS on sarcopenic indices and PA in older women with KOA subjected to an RET program. Eligible older women aged 60–85 years and diagnosed as having KOA were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG). Both groups performed RET twice a week for 12 weeks. The EG received additional PS during this period. Outcome measures included appendicular lean mass index, walking speed, physical activity, and scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index—WOMAC). All measures were tested at baseline and after intervention. With participant characteristics and baseline scores as covariates, analysis of variance was performed to identify between-group differences in changes in all outcome measures after intervention. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Compared with the CG, the EG achieved greater changes in appendicular lean mass index (adjusted mean difference (aMD) = 0.19 kg/m2, p < 0.01), physical activity (aMD = 30.0 MET-hour/week, p < 0.001), walking speed (aMD = 0.09 m/s, p < 0.05), and WOMAC global function (aMD = −8.21, p < 0.001) after intervention. In conclusion, PS exerted augmentative effects on sarcopenic indices, physical activity, and perceived global WOMAC score in older women with KOA through 12 weeks of RET.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the amphetamine effects on progesterone and estradiol production in rat granulosa cells and the underlying cellular regulatory mechanisms. Freshly dispersed rat granulosa cells were cultured with various test drugs in the presence of amphetamine, and the estradiol/progesterone production and the cytosolic cAMP level were measured. Additionally, the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured to examine the role of Ca2+ influx in the presence of amphetamine. Amphetamine in vitro inhibited both basal and porcine follicle-stimulating hormone-stimulated estradiol/progesterone release, and amphetamine significantly decreased steroidogenic enzyme activities. Adding 8-Bromo-cAMP did not recover the inhibitory effects of amphetamine on progesterone and estradiol release. H89 significantly decreased progesterone and estradiol basal release but failed to enhance a further amphetamine inhibitory effect. Amphetamine was capable of further suppressing the release of estradiol release under the presence of nifedipine. Pretreatment with the amphetamine for 2 h decreased the basal [Ca2+]i and prostaglandin F2α-stimulated increase of [Ca2+]i. Amphetamine inhibits progesterone and estradiol secretion in rat granulosa cells through a mechanism involving decreased PKA-downstream steroidogenic enzyme activity and L-type Ca2+ channels. Our current findings show that it is necessary to study the possibility of amphetamine perturbing reproduction in females.

Abstract Background This study used a short-term de-training model to mimic the physiological weight changes during the early retirement stage in Taekwondo (TKD) athletes. This study investigates whether the negative changes in body composition, blood lipid profiles, and metabolic biomarkers occur in elite collegiate TKD athletes when experiencing a two-months de-training period. Methods Fourteen collegiate Division Ι elite TKD athletes (age: 21.1 ± 0.2 years, BMI: 22.3 ± 1.1 kg/m2; 10 males and 4 females) participated in this study. The body composition, blood lipid profiles, atherogenic dyslipidemia indexes, metabolic biomarkers and baseline systemic inflammation states were measured before and after two-months de-training. Results The body weight and BMI did not change after de-training in these elite TKD athletes. The total muscle mass displayed a significant decline after de-training (−2.0%, p = 0.019), with an increase in fat mass (+24.3%, p

In this paper, Fe3O4-titanium dioxide (TiO2) composited photoelectrode was prepared by spin coating method. The effects of incorporating Fe3O4 into the TiO2 photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) were investigated in detail by atomic force microscope, solar simulator, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared with the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 2.35% of DSSC based on TiO2 pure photoelectrode, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 3.54% was obtained. The experimental results show that the Fe3O4 acted as a catalyst to provide another electron pathway for DSSC, which could lower the condition of electron recombination. Moreover, it could be found from Nyquist plot that the resistance at the interface between electrolyte and TiO2 film increased for DSSC after incorporating Fe3O4 into the TiO2 photoelectrode, which indicated that the condition of electron recombination was restrained.

Aim: The physiological realities between Taekwondo (TKD) simulation kicking training and TKD competition according to the Olympic time frame remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to establish an Olympic match-simulated kicking model and compare its effects with real TKD competition on physiological challenges and hormonal responses during serial matches in elite athletes.Method: Sixteen elite TKD athletes randomly were assigned into either a TKD match-simulated kicking group (TMSK; N = 8, age: 21.3 ± 0.2 years) or a simulated TKD competition group (STC; N = 8, age: 21.6 ± 0.5 years). Both groups performed either simulated kicking or TKD competitions in the same time-course order, and all physiological parameters and blood sampling time-points were identical between groups. The heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded during each match-simulated kicking and TKD competition session. Blood samples were obtained before competition (Pre-Comp.), after competition—in ths case meaning four consecutive matches (End-Comp.), and 24 h after the first match (Next day) for determination of biomarkers of muscle damage (myoglobin and CK), hematological profiles, and hormonal profiles (testosterone and cortisol).Results: The responses of HR, RPE, and blood lactate levels during the consecutive testing sessions showed no differences between TMSK and STC. The changes in CK and myoglobin were greater in STC (p

Background and objectives: Unhealthy, physically inactive lifestyles increase the risk of future cardiovascular events and impaired physical fitness in individuals with schizophrenia. Insufficient literature exists to provide fundamental information about appropriate exercise training modality for this population. This pilot study preliminarily investigated the effects of a 12-week moderate-intensity bench-step exercise training (BSET) program on cardiopulmonary fitness, mood state, and cognition in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with schizophrenia completed this study. The participants were allocated into either bench-step exercise-training (BSET; N = 14) or control (CTRL; N = 14) groups according to their preferences. The BSET group received a 12-week bench-step intervention, whereas the CTRL group did not participate in any training. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), 6-min walk test (6MWD), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) were assessed at baseline (PRE) and at the end of the intervention (POST) to determine mood state, endurance fitness, and attention, respectively. Results: After a 12-week BSET intervention, the 6MWD was significantly increased in the BSET (p = 0.007) but not in the CTRL (p > 0.05). The participants with BSET intervention showed a significant decrease in BDI-II at the end of the intervention (p = 0.03). However, SDMT scores were not different in both BSET and CTRL (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the 12-week intervention of moderate-intensity bench-step exercise training (frequency: 1 session/week; each session of 30 min; step cadence: 96 beats/min) might effectively enhance cardiopulmonary fitness and mood state in patients with schizophrenia. However, attention did not change after the bench-step exercise intervention.

An interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drive system with machine learning-based maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) as well as flux-weakening (FW) control was developed and is presented in this study. Since the control performance of IPMSM varies significantly due to the temperature variation and magnetic saturation, a machine learning-based MTPA control using a Petri probabilistic fuzzy neural network with an asymmetric membership function (PPFNN-AMF) was developed. First, the d-axis current command, which can achieve the MTPA control of the IPMSM, is derived. Then, the difference value of the dq-axis inductance of the IPMSM is obtained by the PPFNN-AMF and substituted into the d-axis current command of the MTPA to alleviate the saturation effect in the constant torque region. Moreover, a voltage control loop, which can limit the inverter output voltage to the maximum output voltage of the inverter at high-speed, is designed for the FW control in the constant power region. In addition, an adaptive complementary sliding mode (ACSM) speed controller is developed to improve the transient response of the speed control. Finally, some experimental results are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed high-performance control strategies.

In this paper, the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was fabricated as a double layer structure, where graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) film onto the ZnO compact layer. The photovoltaic characteristics, crystal structures, morphologies, and electrochemical impedance were investigated. According to the experimental results, the photovoltaic performance of DSSC was improved with the modification of ZnO compact layer and GO. The phenomenon can be attributed to the higher specific surface area of GO and the property of forming an energy barrier between the substrate and TiO2 film for ZnO compact layer, which can inhibit the electron-hole recombination.

A step up/down AC/DC converter with modified dual loop control is proposed. The step up/down AC/DC converter features the bridgeless characteristic which can reduce bridge-diode conduction losses. Based on the step up/down AC/DC converter, a modified dual loop control scheme is proposed to achieve input current shaping and output voltage regulation. Fewer components are needed compared with the traditional bridge and bridgeless step up/down AC/DC converters. In addition, the intermediate capacitor voltage stress can be reduced. Furthermore, the top and bottom switches still have zero-voltage turn-on function during the negative and positive half-line cycle, respectively. Hence, the thermal stresses can also be reduced and balanced. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the validity of the proposed step up/down AC/DC converter and its control scheme.

Rhodiola crenulata (R) and Cordyceps sinensis (C) are commonly used herbs that promote health in traditional Chinese medicine. These two herbs have also been shown to exhibit anti-inflammation and antioxidant functions. Regular endurance training reveals potent endurance capacity, body composition improvement, and metabolic-related biomarker benefits. However, it is not known whether the combination of Rhodiola crenulata and Cordyceps sinensis (RC) supplementation during endurance training provides additive health benefits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week endurance training plus RC supplementation on body composition, oxidative stress, and metabolic biomarkers in young sedentary adults. Methods: Fourteen young sedentary adults (8M/6F) participated in this double-blind randomized controlled study. Participants were assigned to exercise training with placebo groups (PLA, n = 7, 4M/3F; age: 21.4 ± 0.4 years) and exercise training with the RC group (RC, 20 mg/kg/day; n = 7, 4M/3F; age: 21.7 ± 0.4 years). Both groups received identical exercise training for eight weeks. The body composition, circulating oxidative stress, and blood metabolic biomarkers were measured before and after the 8-week intervention. Results: Improvement in body composition profiles were significantly greater in the RC group (body weight: p = 0.044, BMI: p = 0.003, upper extremity fat mass: p = 0.032, lower extremity muscle mass: p = 0.029, trunk fat mass: p = 0.011) compared to the PLA group after training. The blood lipid profile and systemic oxidative stress makers (thiobarbituric reactive substanceand total antioxidant capacity) did not differ between groups. Although endurance training markedly improved endurance capacity and glycemic control ability (i.e., fast blood glucose, insulin, and HOMA index), there were no differences in these variables between treatments. Conclusions: In this preliminary investigation, we demonstrated that an 8-week RC supplementation (20 mg/kg/day) faintly enhanced endurance training-induced positive adaptations in body composition in young sedentary individuals, whereas the blood lipid profile and systemic oxidative stress states were not altered after such intervention.

Background: Previous studies have consistently shown that oral supplementation of deep ocean minerals (DOM) improves vascular function in animals and enhances muscle power output in exercising humans.Purpose: To examine the effects of DOM supplementation on the cerebral hemodynamic response during physical exertion in young and middle-aged men.Design: Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover studies were conducted in young (N = 12, aged 21.2 ± 0.4 years) and middle-aged men (N = 9, aged 46.8 ± 1.4 years). The counter-balanced trials of DOM and Placebo were separated by a 2-week washout period. DOM and Placebo were orally supplemented in drinks before, during, and after cycling exercise. DOM comprises desalinated minerals and trace elements from seawater collected ~618 m below the earth's surface.Methods: Cerebral hemodynamic response (tissue hemoglobin) was measured during cycling at 75% VO2max using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).Results: Cycling time to exhaustion at 75% VO2max and the associated plasma lactate response were similar between the Placebo and DOM trials for both age groups. In contrast, DOM significantly elevated cerebral hemoglobin levels in young men and, to a greater extent, in middle-aged men compared with Placebo. An increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was observed in middle-aged men, 2 h after exhaustive cycling, but was attenuated by DOM.Conclusion: Our data suggest that minerals and trace elements from deep oceans possess great promise in developing supplements to increase the cerebral hemodynamic response against a physical challenge and during post-exercise recovery for middle-aged men.

This study examined ten-week TKD-specific training effects on aerobic capacity, body composition, hormone responses and hematological parameters in elite TKD athletes with varied initial inflammatory states.Twenty-two elite college TKD athletes were divided into two groups according to their initial neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) values: Low NLR (N = 11, 9M/2F, age: 21.6 ± 1.0 yrs; NLR: 1.3 ± 0.2) and High NLR (N = 11, 8M/3F, age: 22.0 ± 0.7 yrs, NLR: 2.5 ± 1.3), and participated in a 10-week TKD-specific training program. Aerobic capacity, body composition, hormonal responses and hematological parameters were measured at baseline and 10-weeks after TKD training.VO2max and shuttle run distance were significantly increased in both groups after training. However, the degree of improvement was greater in the Low NLR group than in the High NLR group. After 10-weeks of exercise training, the High NLR group presented markedly higher fat mass percentage and visceral fat area and significantly lowers DHEA-S to cortisol ratio (D/C ratio) than the Low NRL group. The post-training NLR was negatively correlated with the D/C ratio. Neutrophil counts and NLR were still significantly higher in the High NLR group after training.This study provides new evidence that young elite TKD athletes with slightly high baseline systemic inflammatory state appear to perturb adaptations to exercise training.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementia affecting tens of million people worldwide. The primary neuropathological hallmark in AD is amyloid plaques composed of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). Several familial mutations found in Aβ sequence result in early onset of AD. Previous studies showed that the mutations located at N-terminus of Aβ, such as the English (H6R) and Tottori (D7N) mutations, promote fibril formation and increase cytotoxicity. However, A2T mutant located at the very N-terminus of Aβ shows low-prevalence incidence of AD, whereas, another mutant A2V causes early onset of AD. To understand the molecular mechanism of the distinct effect and develop new potential therapeutic strategy, here, we examined the effect of full-length and N-terminal A2V/T variants to wild type (WT) Aβ40 by fibrillization assays and NMR studies. We found that full-length and N-terminal A2V accelerated WT fibrillization and induced large chemical shifts on the N-terminus of WT Aβ, whereas, full-length and N-terminal A2T retarded the fibrillization. We further examined the inhibition effect of various N-terminal fragments (NTFs) of A2T to WT Aβ. The A2T NTFs ranging from residue 1 to residue 7 to 10, but not 1 to 6 or shorter, are capable to retard WT Aβ fibrillization and rescue cytotoxicity. The results suggest that in the presence of full-length or specific N-terminal A2T can retard Aβ aggregation and the A2T NTFs can mitigate its toxicity. Our results provide a novel targeting site for future therapeutic development of AD.

This paper presents a bidirectional wireless power transfer system for mobile power applications. A novel 2-switch bidirectional wireless power transfer system with dual-side control is proposed for mobile power applications. Although only two switches are adopted, the energy can be transferred from the transmitter side to the receiver side and vice versa. The term bidirectional means that the power-flow is bidirectional and also that the transmitter is also a receiver and the receiver is also a transmitter. The output energy can be easily controlled by the duty ratios of the two switches. Thus, the proposed bidirectional power transfer system uses only one circuit to achieve bidirectional power transfer. Hence, the system cost and volume can be reduced so that the system is small and convenient for mobile power systems, portable and/or wearable electronic devices. A prototype system is constructed and the experimental results verify the validity of the proposed bidirectional wireless power transfer system.

Fault diagnosis (FD) and data fusion (DF) technologies implemented in the LabVIEW program were used for a ruthenium dioxide pH sensor array. The purpose of the fault diagnosis and data fusion technologies is to increase the reliability of measured data. Data fusion is a very useful statistical method used for sensor arrays in many fields. Fault diagnosis is used to avoid sensor faults and to measure errors in the electrochemical measurement system, therefore, in this study, we use fault diagnosis to remove any faulty sensors in advance, and then proceed with data fusion in the sensor array. The average, self-adaptive and coefficient of variance data fusion methods are used in this study. The pH electrode is fabricated with ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) sensing membrane using a sputtering system to deposit it onto a silicon substrate, and eight RuO2 pH electrodes are fabricated to form a sensor array for this study.

Changes in an athlete's physiological and health metabolic profiles after detraining have not been studied in elite Taekwondo (TKD) athletes. To enable a better understanding of these physiological changes to training cessation, this study examined the effects of 8-weeks detraining on the aerobic capacity, body composition, inflammatory status and health metabolic profile in elite TKD athletes. Sixteen elite TKD athletes (age: 21.0 ± 0.8 yrs, BMI: 22.4 ± 3.9 kg/m2; Mean ± SD; 11 males and 5 females) participated in this study. Physical activity level assessment using computerized physical activity logs was performed during the competitive preparation season (i.e. one-week before national competition) and at two week intervals throughout the detraining period. Participant aerobic capacity, body fat, and blood biomarkers were measured before and after detraining, and the blood biomarker analyses included leukocyte subpopulations, blood glucose, insulin, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), and cortisol. Eight-week detraining increased DHEA-S/cortisol ratio (+57.3%, p = 0.004), increased insulin/cortisol ratio (+59.9%, p = 0.004), reduced aerobic power (-2.43%, p = 0.043), increased body fat accumulation (body fat%: +21.3%, p < 0.001), decreased muscle mass (muscle mass%: -4.04%, p < 0.001), and elevated HOMA-IR (the biomarker of systemic insulin resistance; +34.2%, p = 0.006). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a systemic inflammatory index, increased by 48.2% (p = 0.005). The change in aerobic capacity was correlated with the increased fat mass (r = -0.429, p = 0.049) but not with muscle loss. An increase in the NLR was correlated to the changes in HOMA-IR (r = 0.44, p = 0.044) and aerobic capacity (r = -0.439, p = 0.045). We demonstrate that 8-week detraining suppresses physiological stress but rapidly results in declines in athletic performance and health metabolic profiles, including reduced aerobic capacity, increased body fat, muscle loss, insulin resistance development and elevated systemic inflammatory status in these young elite TKD athletes. The inflammation state was positively associated with insulin resistance development, fat mass, WHR (the index for central fat accumulation), and the decline in VO2max.

The internal impedances of different dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) models were analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectrometer (EIS) with an equivalent circuit model. The Nyquist plot was built to simulate the redox reaction of internal device at the heterojunction. It was useful to analyze the component structure and promote photovoltaic conversion efficiency of DSSC. The impedance of DSSC was investigated and the externally connected module assembly was constructed utilizing single cells on the scaled-up module. According to the experiment results, the impedance was increased with increasing cells connected in series. On the contrary, the impedance was decreased with increasing cells connected in parallel.

This paper introduces different data fusion methods which are used for an electrochemical measurement using a sensor array. In this study, we used ruthenium dioxide sensing membrane pH electrodes to form a sensor array. The sensor array was used for detecting the pH values of grape wine, generic cola drink and bottled base water. The measured pH data were used for data fusion methods to increase the reliability of the measured results, and we also compared the fusion results with other different data fusion methods.

In the present study we investigated the interactive effects of insulin and carbohydrate on glycogen replenishment in different rat hindlimb muscles. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to 5 groups, including 1) sedentary control with carbohydrate supplement (2 g glucose · kg body wt-1), 2) sedentary rats with 16 hours recovery, carbohydrate and insulin (0.5 U · kg body wt-1), 3) swimming without recovery, 4) swimming with 16 hours recovery and carbohydrate supplement, and 5) swimming with 16 hours recovery, carbohydrate and insulin. The swimming protocol consisted of two 3 h swimming sections, which were separated by a 45 min rest. The insulin and carbohydrate were administered to the rats immediately after exercise. At the end of the experiment, the soleus (S), plantaris (P), quadriceps (Q) and gastrocnemius (G) were surgically excised to evaluate glycogen utilization and replenishment. We observed that glycogen utilization was significantly lower in G and Q than S and P during swimming (p

We investigate the temperature effect on sensing characteristics and drift effect of an arrayed flexible ruthenium dioxide (RuO2)/graphene oxide (GO) chloride sensor at different solution temperatures between 10 °C and 50 °C. The average sensor sensitivities according to our experimental results were 28.2 ± 1.4 mV/pCl (10 °C), 42.5 ± 2.0 mV/pCl (20 °C), 47.1 ± 1.8 mV/pCl (30 °C), 54.1 ± 2.01 mV/pCl (40 °C) and 46.6 ± 2.1 mV/pCl (50 °C). We found the drift effects of an arrayed flexible RuO2/GO chloride sensor in a 1 M NaCl solution to be between 8.2 mV/h and 2.5 mV/h with solution temperatures from 10 °C to 50 °C.

ThepH sensing and nonideal characteristics of a ruthenium nitride (RuN) sensing membrane pH sensor were investigated. RuN thin films were deposited from a 99.9% ruthenium target on p-type silicon substrates using radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering with N2 gas. Subsequently, the nanometric structure and surface morphology of RuN thin films were determined. The sensitivity of the RuN sensing membrane pH sensor was 58.03 mV/pH, obtained from ID-VG curves with a current-voltage (I-V) measurement system in standard buffer solutions from pH 1 to pH 13 at room temperature (25 °C). Moreover, the nonideal characteristics of the RuN sensing membrane, such as temperature coefficient, drift with light influence, drift rate and hysteresis width, etc. were also investigated. Finally, the sensing characteristics of the RuN membrane were compared with titanium nitride (TiN), aluminum nitride (AlN) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) membranes.

The drug sensing properties of procaine and berberine drug sensors based on ruthenium dioxide thin film were investigated. Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) membrane prepared using a sputtering method was used as substrates for the drug sensors. The procaine and berberine drug sensors were prepared using a drug-sensitive membrane that measured the procaine and berberine concentration in a linear range from 1×10-2 M to 1×10-6 M and from 1×10-2 M to 1×10-7 M, respectively. The drift rates and hyteresis widths of these ruthenium dioxide based drug sensors were also investigated.

In this study, poly(3,3-dibenzyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine)/platinum composite films (PProDOT-Bz2/Pt) were used as counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The composite films were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass by radio frequency (RF) sputtering to deposit platinum (Pt) for 30 s. Afterwards, PProDOT-Bz2 was deposited on the Pt–FTO glass via electrochemical polymerization. The electron transfer process of DSSCs was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The DSSCs with 0.05 C/cm2 PProDOT-Bz2-Pt composite films showed an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.70 V, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 7.27 mA/cm2, and a fill factor (F.F.) of 68.74%. This corresponded to a photovoltaic conversion efficiency (η) of 3.50% under a light intensity of 100 mW/cm2.

We proposed the flexible arrayed lactate biosensor based on immobilizing l-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ( NAD + ) on nickel oxide (NiO) film, and which the average sensitivity could be enhanced by using graphene oxide (GO) and magnetic beads (MBs). By using GO and MBs, it exhibits excellent sensitivity (45.397 mV/mM) with a linearity of 0.992 in a range of 0.2 mM to 3 mM. According to the results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the electron transfer resistance of LDH- NAD + -MBs/GPTS/GO/NiO film was smaller than those of LDH-NAD+/GPTS/GO/NiO film and LDH- NAD + /GPTS/NiO film, and it presented the outstanding electron transfer ability. After that, the limit of detection, anti-interference effect and bending test were also investigated.