Neurocognitive performance of badminton players at different competitive levels in visuospatial attention tasks.

Visuospatial attention (VSA) is a cognitive function that enables athletes, particularly those engaged in open-skill sports, to allocate attentional resources efficiently to the appropriate target and in the appropriate direction. Studies have indicated that expert players exhibit superior cognitive performance to that of novices. However, no study has investigated differences in VSA performance among elite, expert, and intermediate badminton players or the potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such differences. Accordingly, the present study explored neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters during VSA tasks among badminton players of varying competitive levels. The study included 54 participants and divided them into three groups according to their competition records: elite (n = 18), expert (n = 18), and intermediate (n = 18). Their neuropsychological performance and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) during the Posner cueing paradigm were collected. Although the three groups did not differ in their accuracy rates, ERP N2 amplitudes, or N2 or P3 latencies, the elite and expert groups exhibited notably faster reaction times and more pronounced P3 amplitudes than did the intermediate group during the cognitive task. However, we did not observe these between-group differences when we controlled for the covariate training years. Additionally, the elite and expert groups exhibited comparable neurocognitive performance. These findings indicate that badminton players' competitive levels influence their VSA. However, the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performance could stabilize after a certain level of badminton competence is reached. Year of training could also be a major factor influencing badminton players' neurocognitive performance in VSA tasks.

A self-regulating antimicrobial model based on the ion-exchange stimuli.

In this study, a novel intelligent antimicrobial model was constructed based on the antibiotic properties of nano-silver and the ion-exchange response of dehydrated alginate (Alg) gel. Through the process of reducing reaction, hydrogel formation and dehydration, the model composed of Alg and nano-silver was fabricated. The distinguished feature of this model lies in its antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility. In this model, the releasing level of nano-silver is determined by the outside-in swelling of Alg composites, which is further self-regulated by the volume of wound exudates. The results showed that the released nano-silver was intelligently maintained within a constant concentration range, so that it could be further designed to exhibit antimicrobial activity without cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the murine wound infection model conducted with these composites resulted in a significant decrease of bacteria number. The self-regulating swelling feature based on the ion-exchange response of Alg along with the controlled release of nano-silver made this composite a promising intelligent model for antimicrobial wound dressing applications.

Distinct effects of long-term Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise interventions on motor and neurocognitive performance in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by movement disorders and probable cognitive impairment. Exercise plays an important role in PD management, and recent studies have reported improvement in motor symptoms and cognitive function following aerobic and Tai Chi Chuan exercise. AIM: To explore the different effects of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise on the clinical motor status and neurocognitive performance of patients with early-stage PD. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Parkinson's Disease Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and National Cheng Kung University Hospital. POPULATION: Patients with idiopathic PD. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with PD were recruited and divided into three groups: aerobic exercise (AE, N.=14), Tai Chi Chuan exercise (TE, N.=16), and control (CG, N.=13). Before and after a 12-week intervention period, we used unified Parkinson's disease rating scale Part III (UPDRS-III) scores and neuropsychological (e.g., accuracy rates [ARs] and reaction times [RTs]) and neurophysiological (e.g., event-related potential [ERP] N2 and P3 latencies and amplitudes) parameters to respectively assess the patients' clinical motor symptoms and neurocognitive performance when performing a working memory (WM) task. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, UPDRS-III scores were significantly lower in the AE and TE groups after the intervention period, whereas those for the CG group were higher. In terms of the neurocognitive parameters, when performing the WM task after the intervention period, the AE group exhibited significantly faster RTs and larger ERP P3 amplitudes, the TE group exhibited an improvement only in ERP P3 amplitude, and the CG group exhibited a significantly reduced ERP P3 amplitude. However, neither the TE nor the AE group exhibited improved ARs and ERP N2 performance. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supported the distinct effectiveness of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise for improving motor symptoms and providing neurocognitive benefits in PD patients. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: These results have important implications regarding the use of these exercise interventions for managing PD, particularly in the early stages.

Optimization study of small-scale solar membrane distillation desalination systems (s-SMDDS).

Membrane distillation (MD), which can utilize low-grade thermal energy, has been extensively studied for desalination. By incorporating solar thermal energy, the solar membrane distillation desalination system (SMDDS) is a potential technology for resolving energy and water resource problems. Small-scale SMDDS (s-SMDDS) is an attractive and viable option for the production of fresh water for small communities in remote arid areas. The minimum cost design and operation of s-SMDDS are determined by a systematic method, which involves a pseudo-steady-state approach for equipment sizing and dynamic optimization using overall system mathematical models. Two s-SMDDS employing an air gap membrane distillation module with membrane areas of 11.5 m(2) and 23 m(2) are analyzed. The lowest water production costs are $5.92/m(3) and $5.16/m(3) for water production rates of 500 kg/day and 1000 kg/day, respectively. For these two optimal cases, the performance ratios are 0.85 and 0.91; the recovery ratios are 4.07% and 4.57%. The effect of membrane characteristics on the production cost is investigated. For the commercial membrane employed in this study, the increase of the membrane mass transfer coefficient up to two times is beneficial for cost reduction.

A nano-silver composite based on the ion-exchange response for the intelligent antibacterial applications.

As a kind of antimicrobial agent, nano-silver composites have attracted a great deal of interest in biomedical applications. However, the typical loadings of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in such composites could result in dose-related cytotoxicity. In this study, a nano-silver composite leading to antimicrobial activity without cytotoxicity was fabricated by loading AgNPs into a dried alginate hydrogel. The biological performance of this composite mainly depended on the release of AgNPs, which needed to be triggered by the ion-exchange response and was further influenced by the loadings of AgNPs in the composite. The antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus demonstrated that the released silver no less than 678 ppb in the medium caused a reduction of 7log10CFU/mL (100%) bacteria. Significantly, the dose (~1.10×10(3) ppb) of released silver was not toxic and allowed attachment, and growth of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells. These results supported that the composite was compatible with in vitro mammalian cells yet exhibited antimicrobial activity by carefully designing the loadings of AgNPs within the alginate. Thus, it indicated that the performance of this composite might permit management of bacterial infection in wound beds without impairment of wound healing.