Timing Matters: Time of Day Impacts the Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine-A Narrative Review.

Caffeine has attracted significant attention from researchers in the sports field due to its well-documented ergogenic effects across various athletic disciplines. As research on caffeine continues to progress, there has been a growing emphasis on evaluating caffeine dosage and administration methods. However, investigations into the optimal timing of caffeine intake remain limited. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to assess the ergogenic effects of caffeine administration at different times during the morning (06:00 to 10:00) and evening (16:00 to 21:00). The review findings suggest that circadian rhythms play a substantial role in influencing sports performance, potentially contributing to a decline in morning performance. Caffeine administration has demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating this phenomenon, resulting in ergogenic effects and performance enhancement, even comparable to nighttime levels. While the specific mechanisms by which caffeine regulates circadian rhythms and influences sports performance remain unclear, this review also explores the mechanisms underlying caffeine's ergogenic effects, including the adenosine receptor blockade, increased muscle calcium release, and modulation of catecholamines. Additionally, the narrative review underscores caffeine's indirect impact on circadian rhythms by enhancing responsiveness to light-induced phase shifts. Although the precise mechanisms through which caffeine improves morning performance declines via circadian rhythm regulation necessitate further investigations, it is noteworthy that the timing of caffeine administration significantly affects its ergogenic effects during exercise. This emphasizes the importance of considering caffeine intake timing in future research endeavors to optimize its ergogenic potential and elucidate its mechanisms.

Automated Design of Fault Diagnosis CNN Network for Satellite Attitude Control Systems.

Despite the dominance of unsupervised and self-supervised anomaly detection methods in the current satellite fault diagnosis domain, supervised anomaly detection offers a superior alternative for high-sensitivity detection and lightweight deployment requirements specific to subsystems or components, such as attitude control systems (ACSs). This article addresses the issues of over-design and insufficient accuracy in the CNN network design for satellite ACS fault diagnosis by introducing the modified particle swarm optimization-advanced convolution blocks-based CNN (MPSO-ACBCNN) method. First, we present the ACBCNN, a lightweight, flexible-layer CNN architecture. This architecture leverages advanced convolution blocks (ACBs), which incorporate numerous efficient design elements to enhance feature extraction capabilities within power spectral density (PSD) graphs of various fault samples, and employs classical dense connection methods to prevent the issue of gradient vanishing. Second, we devise the MPSO-ACBCNN algorithm to optimize the ACBCNN fault diagnosis architecture for specified ACS using MPSO. In MPSO-ACBCNN, several optimizations to the canonical PSO are implemented, including the fitness design that balances the tradeoff between total parameter quantity and the training effectiveness, and methods to ensure feasible solutions, etc. Finally, numerical experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of MPSO-ACBCNN in fault diagnosis for ACS.

Early diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia by gastrointestinal ultrasound combined with lung ultrasound.

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Urolithin A Ameliorates Athletic Ability and Intestinal Microbiota in Sleep Deprivation from the Perspective of the Gut-Muscle Axis.

SCOPE: Urolithin A (UA), a gut-microbiota-derived metabolite of ellagic acid, presents various benefits to intestinal microecology. The presence of "gut-muscle axis" regulating the onset and progression of exercise-related physical frailty and sarcopenia has been recently hypothesized. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanism of gut-muscle axis by which UA enhances muscle strength and fatigue resistance of sleep-deprived (SD) mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: UA is gavaged to C57BL/6 mice (50 mg kg-1 bw) before 48-h SD. The results indicate that pretreatment of UA significantly enhances motor ability and energy metabolism. The inflammation is suppressed, and intestinal permeability is improved after prophylactic treatment with UA. The decreased level of serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is concomitant with augmentation of the intestinal tight junction proteins. 16s rRNA analysis of colonic contents reveals that UA significantly reduces the abundance of Clostridia_UCG-014 and Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and upregulates Lactobacillus and Muribaculaceae. UA probably influences on gut microbial functions via several energy metabolism pathways, such as carbon metabolism, phosphotransferase system (PTS), and ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary intervention of UA helps to create a systemic protection, a bidirectional communication connecting the gut microbiota with muscle system, able to alleviate SD-induced mobility impairment and gut dysbiosis.

Short-term resistance training combined with cheese supplementation can optimize body parameters and intestinal microbiota in healthy adults.

Background: Resistance training (RT) and protein supplementation have beneficial effects on the human body. However, it is unknown if RT's health-promoting benefits are enhanced by food-borne protein, such as cheese supplements. This study investigated at how the body composition, lipid profile, muscle strength and intestinal microbiota changed following four weeks of RT combined with cheese supplementation. Methods: Thirty-five male and untrained adults were divided into 4 groups [control group (CON), low-dose group (LG), medium-dose group (MG), and high-dose group (HG)] and underwent a 4-week RT (3 times/week) in combination with cheese supplementation. Participants received 108 g (LG), 216 g (MG), or 324 g (HG) of cheese on the day of RT, and each serving (108 g) of cheese contained 6.7 g of food-borne protein. The RT program was a whole-body program with movements such as chest presses, leg presses, seated rowing, knee extensions and triceps pushdown. The exercise consisted of 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions at 70%RM, with a 120-s break in between. Body parameters (body composition, lipid profile and muscle strength) were assessed at baseline and after the 4 weeks of the intervention. The feces sample was taken every weekend. A two-way (group × time) mixed-design ANOVA was used to examine the body parameters. Independent one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between groups in baseline characteristics and different values of each parameter. Results: HDL-C level was higher in MG than in LG. In comparison to LG, MG had lower levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body weight, body mass index, body fat mass and body fat percentage. However, there was no difference in muscle strength between in the four groups. The abundance of Actinobacteria was higher in LG and Erysipelotrichaceae was lower in MG and HG. Conclusion: The findings suggest that cheese could be a readily available food-borne protein supplement to enhance the beneficial effects of RT on health. It may improve body composition and lipid profile by altering the proportion of intestinal microbiota. During the 4-week RT intervention, 13.4 g of foodborne protein in the form of cheese 3 times per week was the ideal dosage.

Rotini-like MXene@LCE Actuator with Diverse and Programmable Actuation Based on Dual-mode Synergy.

Liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) exhibits muscle-like actuation upon order-disturbed stimulus, offering ample room for designing soft robotic systems. Multimodal LCE is demonstrated to unleash the potential to perform multitasks. However, each actuation mode is typically isolated. In contrast, coordination between different actuation modes based on an MXene-doped LCE is realized, whose actuation can be triggered either by directly heating/cooling or using near-infrared light due to the photo-thermal effect of MXene. As such, the two activation modes (heat and light) not only can work individually to offer stable actuation under different conditions but also can collaborate synergistically to generate more intelligent motions, such as achieving the brake and turn of an autonomous rolling. The principle therefore can diversify the design principles for multifunctional soft actuators and robotics.

Pharmacological Effects of Urolithin A and Its Role in Muscle Health and Performance: Current Knowledge and Prospects.

Urolithin A (UA) is a naturally occurring compound derived from the metabolism of gut microbiota, which has attracted considerable research attention due to its pharmacological effects and potential implications in muscle health and performance. Recent studies have demonstrated that Urolithin A exhibits diverse biological activities, encompassing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-aging properties. In terms of muscle health, accumulating evidence suggests that Urolithin A may promote muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth through various pathways, offering promise in mitigating muscle atrophy. Moreover, Urolithin A exhibits the potential to enhance muscle health and performance by improving mitochondrial function and regulating autophagy. Nonetheless, further comprehensive investigations are still warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Urolithin A and to assess its feasibility and safety in human subjects, thereby advancing its potential applications in the realms of muscle health and performance.

The optimal exercise parameters of Tai Chi on the effect of glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the optimal exercise parameters of Tai Chi for improving glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the reporting guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Six databases were retrieved, with retrieval dates ranging from the establishment of the databases to December 2022. Data extraction and study quality assessment were independently performed by two researchers according to the Physical Therapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The effects of different Tai Chi exercise parameters on glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM patients were analyzed by subgroup analyses and meta-regressions. RESULTS: A total of sixteen randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that Tai Chi had a significant and moderate impact on fasting blood glucose in T2DM patients, as well as a significant and large impact on glycosylated hemoglobin. Tai Chi had a significant and moderate impact on triglyceride, and a small, non-significant improvement on total cholesterol. The intervention frequency and duration of a single session were identified as predictors of the impact of Tai Chi on triglyceride. The optimal exercise parameters identified were the 24-style simplified Tai Chi, with a recommended exercise duration of 45-60 min per session, performed 5-7 times per week, and continued for at least 4-7 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Tai Chi can significantly improve the glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM patients, and the 24-style simplified Tai Chi with high exercise frequency and short duration may be the optimal exercise parameter for enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism. PROSPERO: Registration number: CRD42023395282.

Gender differences in footwear characteristics between half and full marathons in China: a cross-sectional survey.

There are concerns about the risk of injuries caused by marathons in China. Since male and female runners have different injury risks, gender differences in running shoe functionality should be further complemented. A supervised questionnaire survey of 626 marathon runners was collected. The questionnaire was categorized into four sections: (1) participant profile, (2) importance of shoe properties, (3) functional evaluation of shoe properties and (4) importance ranking of shoe properties. The Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test of cross tabulation and Chi-square test, and two-way ANOVA were used to analyze the results of this survey. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. The full marathon participants were older than the half marathon participants. There was no gender difference in the importance of shoe features to elite runners. In addition, women are more concerned about upper elasticity and have higher requirements for running shoes than men. Women were more focused on injury prevention, while men were more focused on running performance. Heel cushioning was identified by all participants as the most important running shoe feature. There were no gender differences between elite players' demand for running shoes, but significant gender differences were found between genders at other running levels.

Bipolar hemicyanine cationic probe for simultaneous sensing of ATP and GTP.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) are the most essential energy source in enormous biological processes. Various probes for ATP or GTP sensing, have been widely established, but the probe that could simultaneously monitor ATP and GTP is still rarely reported. Herein, we report a bipolar hemicyanine cationic probe for simultaneous sensing of ATP and GTP via a one-step monitoring process. This probe exhibited strong affinity to ATP and GTP through intramolecular electrostatic and π-π stacking interactions, which the binding constant on each step were determined as 6.15 × 107 M-1 and 1.57 × 106 M-1 for ATP, 3.19 × 107 M-1 and 3.81 × 106 M-1 for GTP. The sensitivity and specificity of this probe toward ATP or GTP over other twelve biological analogues (adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP), guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP), Etc.) have also been successfully demonstrated. Furthermore, due to the rapid response rate (within 10 s), we also proved that this probe could be employed as a monitor tool during the ATP or GTP-related enzymatic reaction process.

A general catalytic synthetic strategy for highly strained methylenecyclobutanes and spiromethylenecyclobutanes.

Highly strained methylenecyclobutanes (MCBs) are intriguing scaffolds in synthetic chemistry and drug discovery, but there is no such strategy that enables the synthesis of structurally diverse MCBs with defined stereochemistry. We report a general synthetic strategy for (boromethylene)cyclobutanes (BMCBs) and spiro-BMCBs by a challenging Cu-catalyzed highly chemo-, stereo-, and regioselective borylative cyclization of aliphatic alkynes. This strategy not only enables the installation of various functionalities at each site on the MCB skeleton with unambiguous stereochemistry but also introduces a versatile boromethylene unit that is readily transformable to a wide range of new functional groups; these features significantly expand the structural diversity of MCBs and are particularly valuable in drug discovery. The concise and divergent total syntheses of four cyclobutane-containing natural products were achieved from one common BMCB obtained by this strategy. The origin of the high regioselectivity in the borylcupration of alkynes and the high efficiency of the strained ring cyclization was also studied.

Effects of different exercise modalities on lipid profile in the elderly population: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia, characterized by elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), has long been recognized as a major risk factor for age-related diseases. Recent studies have shown that exercise can be effective in mitigating dyslipidemia in older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of different exercise modalities (aerobic exercise [AE], resistance exercise [RE], aerobic+resistance exercise [AE+RE], and high-intensity interval training) on lipid profile in the elderly population, in order to identify the most effective exercise modality for maintaining lipid profile health in older adults. METHODS: A comprehensive database search of PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. Eligible studies were individually assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2, and the data were analyzed and processed using RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software. RESULTS: This study identified 20 randomized controlled trials with a total of 988 subjects, of which 541 were in the exercise group and 447 in the control group. Our analysis showed that AE significantly reduced TC (P < .05), triglycerides (P < .01), and LDL-C (P < .01), while increasing HDL-C (P < .01) in the elderly population. RE significantly reduced the elevation of TC (P < .01) and LDL-C (P < .05) indices in the elderly population, while AE+RE had a significant effect on decreasing TC (P < .01) and LDL-C (P < .01) indices. CONCLUSION: Our analysis indicates that AE is the most effective exercise modality for reducing dyslipidemia in older adults, compared to RE, AE+RE, and high-intensity interval training. These findings suggest that AE should be promoted as an important lifestyle intervention to improve lipid profile health in the elderly population. However, further research is needed to investigate the optimal duration, frequency, and intensity of AE required to achieve the most beneficial effects on lipid profile health in older adults.

Notable conservation gaps for biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change adaptation on the Tibetan Plateau, China.

Incorporating biodiversity, ecosystem services (ESs) and climate change adaptation into the conservation targets of protected areas (PAs) is being acknowledged. Targeting conservation actions requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between PAs and these important regions. However, few studies have identified conservation gaps while simultaneously considering these three aspects. Here, we assessed the representativeness of the PAs network for biodiversity, ESs and climate refugia (as a proxy for climate change adaptation ability) on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Our analysis showed that these priority conservation regions were primarily located in the south and southeast of the TP, while they were impacted by intense human pressure. Most ESs and all types of species richness showed a significant positive correlation. Additionally, a positive correlation between multiple climate refugia and different types of species richness was detected. Representativeness analysis revealed notable conservation gaps for these three aspects in existing PAs, highlighting the urgency of adjusting their distribution and improving their representativeness. By integrating these conservation targets, priority regions for future conservation were further delineated. Taken together, our findings contribute to improving the efficiency of PAs and optimizing conservation planning.

Inhibition of metastatic brain cancer in Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma using caged nitric oxide albumin nanoparticles.

Medulloblastoma is a tumor of the cerebellum that metastasizes to the leptomeninges of the central nervous system (CNS), including to forebrain and to spinal cord. The inhibitory effect of polynitroxylated albumin (PNA), a caged nitroxide nanoparticle, on leptomeningeal dissemination and metastatic tumor growth was studied in a Sonic Hedgehog transgenic mouse model. PNA treated mice showed an increased lifespan with a mean survival of 95 days (n = 6, P<0.05) compared with 71 days in controls. In primary tumors, proliferation was significantly reduced and differentiation was significantly increased (P<0.001) as shown by Ki-67+ and NeuN+ immunohistochemistry, while cells in spinal cord tumors appeared unaffected. Yet, histochemical analysis of metastatic tumor in spinal cord showed that the mean total number of cells in spinal cord was significantly reduced in mice treated with PNA compared to albumin vehicle (P<0.05). Examination of various levels of the spinal cord showed that PNA treated mice had significantly reduced metastatic cell density in the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cord levels (P<0.05), while cell density in the cervical region was not significantly changed. The mechanism by which PNA may exert these effects on CNS tumors is discussed.

Differential effects of grazing intensity on carbon sequestration in arid versus humid grasslands across China.

Livestock grazing, as a primary utilization practice for grasslands, plays a crucial role in carbon cycling process and its budget. Whether the impacts of different grazing intensities on carbon sequestration vary with precipitation over a broad geographic scales across China's grasslands remains unclear. In the context of striving for carbon neutrality, we carried out a meta-analysis based on 156 peer-reviewed journal articles to synthesize the general impacts of different grazing intensities on carbon sequestration with different precipitations. Our results showed that light, moderate, and heavy grazing dramatically reduced the soil organic carbon stocks by 3.43 %, 13.68 %, and 16.77 % in arid grasslands, respectively (P < 0.05), while light and moderate grazing did not alter soil organic carbon stocks in humid grasslands (P > 0.05). Moreover, the change rates of soil organic carbon stocks were all tightly positively associated with those of soil water content under different grazing intensities (P < 0.05). Further analysis revealed strong positive relationships between mean annual precipitation with the change rates of above- and belowground biomasses, soil microbial biomass carbon, and soil organic carbon stocks under moderate grazing intensity (P < 0.05). These findings imply that carbon sequestration is relatively less tolerant to grazing disturbance in arid grasslands than humid grasslands, which may be primary due to the grazing-intensified water limitation for plant growth and soil microbial activities under low precipitation. Our study is of implication to predict carbon budget of China's grasslands and help adopt sustainable management to strive for carbon neutrality.

GEMC1 and MCIDAS interactions with SWI/SNF complexes regulate the multiciliated cell-specific transcriptional program.

Multiciliated cells (MCCs) project dozens to hundreds of motile cilia from their apical surface to promote the movement of fluids or gametes in the mammalian brain, airway or reproductive organs. Differentiation of MCCs requires the sequential action of the Geminin family transcriptional activators, GEMC1 and MCIDAS, that both interact with E2F4/5-DP1. How these factors activate transcription and the extent to which they play redundant functions remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the transcriptional targets and proximal proteomes of GEMC1 and MCIDAS are highly similar. However, we identified distinct interactions with SWI/SNF subcomplexes; GEMC1 interacts primarily with the ARID1A containing BAF complex while MCIDAS interacts primarily with BRD9 containing ncBAF complexes. Treatment with a BRD9 inhibitor impaired MCIDAS-mediated activation of several target genes and compromised the MCC differentiation program in multiple cell based models. Our data suggest that the differential engagement of distinct SWI/SNF subcomplexes by GEMC1 and MCIDAS is required for MCC-specific transcriptional regulation and mediated by their distinct C-terminal domains.

Synergistic Effect of Rhodiola rosea and Caffeine Supplementation on the Improvement of Muscle Strength and Muscular Endurance: A Pilot Study for Rats, Resistance Exercise-Untrained and -Trained Volunteers.

Multi-level studies have shown that Rhodiola rosea (RHO) and Caffeine (CAF) have the potential to be nutritional supplements to enhance physical performance in resistance exercise-untrained and -trained subjects. This study examined the synergistic effects of RHO (262.7 mg/kg for rats and 2.4 g for volunteers) and CAF (19.7 mg/kg for rats and 3 mg/kg for volunteers) supplementation on improving physical performance in rats, resistance exercise-untrained volunteers and resistance exercise-trained volunteers. Rats and volunteers were randomly grouped into placebo, CAF, RHO and CAF+RHO and administered accordingly with the nutrients during the training procedure, and pre- and post-measures were collected. We found that RHO+CAF was effective in improving forelimb grip strength (13.75%), erythropoietin (23.85%), dopamine (12.65%) and oxygen consumption rate (9.29%) in the rat model. Furthermore, the current results also indicated that the combination of RHO+CAF significantly increased the bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM) (16.59%), deep squat 1RM (15.75%), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) (14.72%) and maximum repetitions of 60% 1RM bench press (22.15%) in resistance exercise-untrained volunteers. Additionally, despite the excellent base level of the resistance exercise-trained volunteers, their deep squat 1RM and MVIC increased substantially through the synergistic effect of RHO and CAF. In conclusion, combined supplementation of RHO+CAF is more beneficial in improving the resistance exercise performance for both resistance exercise-untrained and -trained volunteers. The present results provide practical evidence that the synergies of RHO and CAF could serve as potential supplementary for individuals, especially resistance exercise-trained subjects, to ameliorate their physical performances effectively and safely.

A Meta-Analysis of the Influence on Inflammatory Factors in Type 2 Diabetes among Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients by Various Exercise Modalities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various exercise modalities on inflammatory factors in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes (MEPT2D), as lifestyle changes, such as physical activity and dietary modifications, are considered important in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. For the study methodology, Pubmed, CNKI, EBSCO, Wanfang Data, and Web of Science were selected for the search. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) tool, and statistically analyzed using the RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software, which included 18 investigations involving 853 study subjects. Meta-analysis findings indicated that aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), combined training (CT), and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) showed significant reductions in CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 levels in MEPT2D. Among them, HIIT was superior to other training modalities in reducing TNF-α levels, while CT was superior to AT, RT, and HIIT in decreasing IL-6, IL-10, and CRP in MEPT2D. Meanwhile, RT had limited effects in reducing CRP and TNF-α levels in MEPT2D. However, HIIT had no significant effect on IL-6 and IL-10 in MEPT2D. In conclusion, long-term regular AT, RT, CT, and HIIT all contributed to the reduction of inflammatory status (CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) in MEPT2D, while CT (for CRP, IL-6, and IL-10) and HIIT (for TNF-α) represent the best approaches to counteract the inflammatory response in MEPT2D.

The Effect of Resistance Training on the Rehabilitation of Elderly Patients with Sarcopenia: A Meta-Analysis.

Resistance training is considered to be an efficient treatment for age-related sarcopenia and can improve muscle strength and quality in patients. However, there are currently no recommendations on resistance training parameters to improve muscle strength and quality in elderly patients with sarcopenia. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and included 13 eligible RCTs. Resistance training significantly improved grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle index in patients with age-related sarcopenia, and kettlebell was found to be the most effective modality. However, it is noteworthy that the elastic band is also a recommended form of resistance training considering that the kettlebell intervention was tested in only one study, while the elastic band was confirmed by multiple studies. Elastic band training (Hedges's g = 0.629, 95%CI = 0.090-1.168, p < 0.05) (40-60 min per session, more than three times per week for at least 12 weeks) was the most efficient training method. Thus, resistance training can significantly improve muscle strength and muscle quality in elderly patients with sarcopenia. In addition, moderate-intensity resistance training using elastic bands may be the best training prescription for elderly patients with sarcopenia.