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A systematic review was conducted on the efficacy of interventions to improve physical activity. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were scanned for eligible studies published from 1978 to August 2021, resulting in a total of 52 relevant studies for review. The Downs and Black checklist was used as a quality assessment ool for a risk of bias assessment. The 52 studies were then broadly categorised into three major approach types: informational, behavioural and/or social, as well as direct. Within each major approach, studies were further sub-categorised into more specific intervention types before being assessed for their efficacy and applicability. Overall, the intervention types that seemed to be the most efficacious in increasing physical activity levels were those that involved home-based information provision, community-wide campaigns, incentivised change, individually adapted health behaviour programs, family-based social support interventions and the provision of self-monitoring tools. However, the results must be interpreted holistically, as many of the successful interventions included more than one approach type and success is likely contingent on effectively addressing several concurrent facets. The systematic review is registered on PROSPERO. Registration number: 282752.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a preventable threat to livelihood and longevity in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and insufficient physical activity (PA) is a primary cause of NCDs. A PRISMA-based systematic review of measurement methodologies used to assess PA was conducted. 564 studies published between 1978 and 2020 were reviewed. The majority of the PA measurement employed subjective methodologies and were observational and cross-sectional, with disproportionately fewer studies conducted in economically-challenged member nations, except for Brunei. PA research in Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar constituted 0.4–1.1% while Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia contributed 12–37% of all PA research within ASEAN. A decision matrix can be used to determine the measurement methodology of choice to assess PA. Joint research across ASEAN using a common assessment or measurement template that is co-curated by ASEAN researchers that incorporates multi-level and whole-of-society criteria in terms of PA enablers is a recommendation. This could be co-led by more experienced and better-resourced countries so as to produce a unified and universal ‘report card’ for PA measurement within ASEAN.

Previous studies have used sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the increase in tissue sodium concentration that occurs during a stroke by using various animal models of brain ischemia. However, most of these studies have involved rats, cats, or nonhuman primates. Although studies involving mice are relatively scant, mice have become the principal animal model for studying many human diseases, particularly in the field of genetics. Accordingly, this study employed sodium MRI to monitor changes in the intensity of sodium signals in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. The experiments were conducted using a 7-T MRI system, and a commercial double-tuned sodium/proton transmit-receive surface coil was used to capture the sodium and proton signal images. Sodium MRI was performed using a fast low-angle shot pulse sequence. The mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion to induce focal brain ischemia 48 h before the MRI scans were performed. The signal intensity of the sodium image was determined for a region of interest (ROI) in the ischemic area, and an ROI contralateral to this area. The average signal intensity in the sodium images of the mouse brains exhibited a 2.51-fold increase and a standard deviation was 0.93. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using a 7-T MRI system to perform sodium MRI of a mouse model of ischemic stroke. The sodium signal intensity of the mouse brain revealed a substantial increase in sodium levels in the ischemic area compared with that in the contralateral brain hemisphere.

Consumption of fructose has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome, whereas the cardiomyopathic changes and cardiac apoptosis of dietary high-fructose intake have not yet been clarified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of high-fructose on cardiac apoptotic and survival pathways. Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (CON), which received a standard chow diet, and a fructose-induced metabolic syndrome group (FIMS), which received a 50% fructose-content diet for 13 weeks. Histopathological analysis, TUNEL assays and Western blotting were performed on the excised hearts from both groups. The blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triglyceride and cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the FIMS group, compared with the CON group. The abnormal myocardial architecture, enlarged interstitial space and increased cardiac TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells were observed in the FIMS group. The TNF-α, TNF receptor 1, Fas ligand, Fas receptor, FADD, and activated caspase-3 and 8 protein levels (Fas pathway) and the Bax, Bak, Bax/Bcl-2, Bak/Bcl-xL, cytosolic cytochrome c, and activated caspase-3 and nine protein levels (mitochondria pathway) were increased in the FIMS group compared with those in the CON group. The IGFI, IGFI-R, p-PI3K, p-Akt, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein levels (survival pathway) were all significantly decreased in the FIMS group compared with those in the CON group. High-fructose intake elevated blood pressure and glucose levels; moreover, high-fructose diet activated cardiac Fas-dependent and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways and suppressed the survival pathway, which might provide one possible mechanism for developing heart failure in patients with metabolic syndrome.

The purpose of this study is to use sodium magnetic resonance imaging (sodium MRI) to observe the variations in sodium signal intensity in mice brains after ischemic stroke, and to estimate the tissue sodium concentration of the ischemia area in mice brain. Experiments were performed using a 7T MRI system. Before the MRI scan (48 hours), the mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to induce focal brain ischemia. The average signal intensity in the sodium images of mice brains showed a 2.2-fold increase. The average estimated values of the ischemia area and contralateral area in the mice brains were 106.5 mM and 49.9 mM, respectively. This study demonstrates the feasibility of sodium MRI in mice brain of ischemic stroke at 7T MRI. The signal intensity of sodium on the mice brain shows a significant increase in the ischemia area compared to the contralateral brain hemisphere. The estimated values of the sodium concentration exhibited a significant correlation with the biochemical values of the sodium concentrations.

SDF-1/CXCR4 signalling plays an important role in neuronal cell migration and brain development. However, the impact of CXCR4 deficiency in the postnatal mouse brain is still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the importance of CXCR4 on cerebellar development and motor behaviour by conditional inactivation of Cxcr4 in the central nervous system. We found CXCR4 plays a key role in cerebellar development. Its loss leads to defects in Purkinje cell dentritogenesis and axonal projection in vivo but not in cell culture. Transcriptome analysis revealed the most significantly affected pathways in the Cxcr4 deficient developing cerebellum are involved in extra cellular matrix receptor interactions and focal adhesion. Consistent with functional impairment of the cerebellum, Cxcr4 knockout mice have poor coordination and balance performance in skilled motor tests. Together, these results suggest ectopic the migration of granule cells impairs development of Purkinje cells, causes gross cerebellar anatomical disruption and leads to behavioural motor defects in Cxcr4 null mice.

This study investigated the efficiency of heavy metal separation and recovery in electrostatic precipitator (ESP) ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) when carbon dioxide is used as the pre-extraction agent. The experiments were conducted at 120°C with pH values of 3–6 and liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios varying from 10:1 to 40:1. The results indicate that an increase in the L/S ratio enhances the separation and recovery efficiency of heavy metals in the MSWI ash. The separation efficiency of Cd, Cr, and Zn increased significantly with the increased L/S ratio. The pH level was the prominent factor affecting the extraction of heavy metals from ESP ash: at pH 3–4, maximum amounts of Cd and Cr were extracted. However, due to the increased release of ions with increased CO3 2−, Zn was relatively soluble at high pH values. In cases with an L/S ratio of 40:1 and pH 3, the Cd, Cr, and Cu extraction amounts were 86.4%, 71.2%, and 34.9%, respectively. Pb and its compounds remained in a stable state und...

With good hemostatic ability, the end-firing continuous-wave diode laser at 980 nm was used to enucleate the prostate (DiLEP) for the treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). The study compared the patients’ demographics and surgical outcomes between DiLEP and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Patients with significant BPO and a total prostatic weight of 40 g or more who had undergone DiLEP (n = 74) or TURP (n = 52) during the same period at our hospital were enrolled for analysis. DiLEP was performed by a single surgeon (Yang), and TURP by three surgeons (Yang, Hsieh and Chang). The 4-U incision technique was developed for DiLEP. The diode laser ensured bloodless incision followed by blunt dissection using the resectoscope and laser fiber as an 'index finger' to enucleate the prostate. To prevent unexpected deep thermal damage, the power of the laser was set at 80 W and the laser beam was directed towards the bladder neck and not towards the prostatic capsule. Demographic data and perioperative parameters were comparable between the two groups, except that DiLEP resulted in a significantly lower drop in hemoglobin level (0.9 ± 1.0 vs. 1.6 ± 2.4 g/dl, p = 0.03), shorter catheterization time (41.2 ± 19.9 vs. 67.7 ± 33.3 h, p = 0.01), and shorter postoperative stay (2.9 ± 1.9 vs. 4.1 ± 6.2 days, p = 00.01). Delayed postoperative sloughing of necrotic tissue was not observed in the DiLEP group. Improvements in voiding parameters were comparable between the groups, and were sustained during a follow-up of up to 1 year. DiLEP provided better hemostasis than TURP as evidenced by less blood loss. The role of DiLEP treating BPO requires further investigation.