Effect of exercise training on arterial stiffness in obese and overweight children: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise training on arterial stiffness in obese and overweight children. Three databases were searched up to July 2021 for papers about exercise training and arterial stiffness in obese and overweight children. The quality of each identified study was evaluated. Effect sizes were estimated in terms of the standardized mean difference. Egger's test and sensitivity analysis were used to assess publication bias. In total, 26 studies by 19 researchers were included in the meta-analysis. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and intima-media thickness (IMT) were improved after exercise training in obese and overweight children. Subgroup analysis showed that exercise only reduced the PWV and IMT in individuals with a BMI < 30. FMD, PWV, and IMT were improved by exercise training in participants aged below 14 years, but only FMD was increased by exercise in participants aged 14 years and above. All types of training significantly improved FMD. Aerobic exercise (AE) and high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) reduced the PWV of the participants, but were less effective than resistance training (RT) and aerobic plus resistance training. Only HIIT significantly reduced the IMT.   Conclusions: Exercise training improved vascular endothelial function and vascular sclerosis in overweight and obese children, especially in those with a BMI < 30 and younger than 14 years. AE had a more favorable effect on arterial stiffness. What is Known: • Exercise training was a good way to lose weight and subsequently promoted vascular function in overweight and obese children. What is New: • Exercise training was more effective on the vascular endothelial function and vascular sclerosis in overweight and obese children with a BMI<30. • Aerobic exercise had a more favorable effect on arterial stiffness, while the improvement was not effective after resistance training and combined training mode.

Dose-response association between the daily step count and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This review aims to investigate the dose-response relationship between the daily step count and all-cause mortality. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for all articles of cohort studies investigating the association between the daily step count and all-cause mortality. Cohort research articles were included if they reported mortality with no less than 3 categories of the daily step count, and hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was reported. Dose-response association meta-analysis and subsequent sex subgroup analysis were performed. The final analysis included a total of nine studies. Compared with the low-step count population, the high-step count population had a 62% lower risk of all-cause death (HR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.27-0.49). There was a non-linear dose-response relationship between the daily step count and all-cause mortality. Compared with the least (1895 steps), the first quartile (4000 steps/day) had a 37% lower risk for all causes of death (HR = 0.63, 0.57-0.71), the second quartile (6388 steps/day) had a 60% lower risk for all causes of death (HR = 0.40, 0.32-0.49), the third quartile (9994.3 steps/day) had a 75% lower risk of all-cause death than the first quartile (HR = 0.25, 0.19-0.33).

Does exercise training improve the function of vascular smooth muscle? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

We aimed to determine the effects of exercise training on the function of vascular smooth muscle cells. PubMed and Web of Science about the effects of exercise training on vascular smooth muscle cells were searched up to August 2020. The effect sizes were estimated in terms of the standardized mean difference. The number of studies included was thirty-five overall. Exercise training had positive effects on vascular smooth muscle cells function in participants older than 40. Effect sizes for HIGH intensity and MIX were positive but small, and also when training duration was longer than 12 weeks. We concluded that vascular smooth muscle cells response can be promoted by exercise training. Vigorous aerobic exercise and mixture training modality were the best ways to promote the dilation response of vascular smooth muscle cells. Additionally, the significant improvement induced by exercise training only occurred when training lasted for longer than 12 weeks.

A human-system integration framework and its application for special vehicle interface design under typical human readiness levels.

Life cycle Human System Integration (HSI) practices are crucial for optimizing human system performance, reducing costs, and ensuring safety. To address the limited HSI practices under typical Human Readiness Levels (HRLs), our study proposes an HSI theoretical framework and applies it to the design of human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for special vehicles. A stakeholder survey evaluates effectiveness of the framework and its application. Conclusions: (1) The framework, based on the input-process-output model, covers HSI processes and their support across HRLs. (2) The case study of HMI design in HRLs 4-6 identifies key processes and their specific support, contributing to the refinement of the framework. (3) The stakeholder survey underscores the importance and effectiveness of HSI processes and their support in the case study for life cycle human factor practices, suggesting areas for improvement in structuring and operability. The study offers insights into HSI practices under typical HRLs, merging theoretical and case study perspectives.