Corrigendum: Exosomes as a delivery tool of exercise-induced beneficial factors for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1190095.].

A single 1,500 m freestyle at maximal speed decreases cognitive function in athletes.

Introduction: Physical exercise can improve cognitive function, and the degree of impact on cognitive function is related to exercise modality, intensity, and duration. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of competitive sports on cognitive function. The 1,500 m freestyle is the longest pool-based swimming event in the Olympic Games. This study explores the effects of 1,500 m freestyle at maximal speed on athletes' cognitive function and analyzes the potential mechanism of cognitive function reduction in freestyle at maximal speed from the perspective of hemoglobin oxygenation difference (Hbdiff). Methods: A total of 13 male university swimmers were required to take part in a 1,500 m freestyle competition, swimming at maximal speed. The relevant indicators, including cognitive function and freestyle at maximal speed, before and after the competition were tested and analyzed. Cognitive function was assessed using the Schulte grid test (SGT), the trail-making test (TMT), and the digit span test (DST). The neurobiological characteristics of cognitive function, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), response time (RT), and accuracy rate (ACC), were tested using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results: A significant decrease in scores for SGT, TMT, and digit span test-backward (DST-B) (p < 0.01). Oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentrations in the right frontopolar area (R-FPA) of brain channels 8 (p < 0.01) and 9 (CH8, 9) (p < 0.05), the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC) CH10 (p < 0.05), and the middle dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (M-DLPFC) CH18 (p < 0.01) were significantly altered, and the right area of the brain was activated. The total Oxy-Hb concentrations in the regions of interest (ROIs) of R-FPA, R-DLFPC, and M-DLFPC were changed significantly (p < 0.01). Discussion: The exhaustive performance of a 1,500 m freestyle event resulted in both physical fatigue and a decline in cognitive function. This decline may be attributed to the activation of specific regions of interest, namely the FPA, DLPFC, and M-DLPFC, within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as alterations in functional connectivity.

Study on the treatment of corn alcohol wastewater by the internal circulation anaerobic reactor.

To comprehensively assess the efficacy of employing the internal circulation (IC) anaerobic reactor for corn alcohol wastewater treatment and investigate its feasibility, this study focused on anaerobic digestion parameters, energy balance, and the composition of the prokaryotic microbial community. During the operation of the reactor, the hydraulic retention time was progressively reduced from 4.8 to 1.6 days while achieving an average organic loading rate of 12.46 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(m3·d). Moreover, the removal rate of COD exceeded 98%, and the energy balance (ΔE) reached 10.29 kJ/g fed COD. The initial manifestation of organic acidosis in the reactor was a decline in gas production, which is primarily caused by propionic acid accumulation. The subsequent analysis revealed a high diversity of prokaryotes in granular sludge, with the predominant archaea primarily involved in methane production through the acetic acid pathway. The IC anaerobic reactor shows exceptional performance in treating corn alcohol wastewater by optimizing its operating conditions. Energy balance analysis confirmed the feasibility of the process. The findings of this study may offer valuable insights for optimizing control strategies and engineering applications.

Gynostemma Pentaphyllum Increases Exercise Performance and Alters Mitochondrial Respiration and AMPK in Healthy Males.

This research aimed to determine the effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (G. pentaphyllum) on exercise performance, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mitochondrial signaling in human muscle. This randomized double-blind placebo control crossover study provided placebo or 450 mg of G. pentaphyllum dried leaf extract equivalent to 2.25 g of dry leaf per day for four weeks to 16 healthy untrained young males, separated by four weeks wash-out. Following 4-week supplementation with G. pentaphyllum, participants had significantly lower leptin and blood glucose levels and improved time trial performance over 20 km, which corresponded with a higher muscle oxygen flux compared to placebo. Muscle AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation significantly increased after 60 min exercise following G. pentaphyllum supplementation. AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation levels relative to total AMPK increased earlier following exercise with G. pentaphyllum compared to placebo. Total ACC-α was lower following G. pentaphyllum supplementation compared to placebo. While further research is warranted, G. pentaphyllum supplementation improved exercise performance in healthy untrained males, which corresponded with improved mitochondrial respiration, altered AMPK and ACC, and decreased plasma leptin and glucose levels.

Exosomes as a delivery tool of exercise-induced beneficial factors for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exercise-derived exosomes have been identified as novel players in mediating cell-to-cell communication in the beneficial effects of improving cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review aimed to systematically investigate exosomes as delivery tools for the benefits of exercise in the prevention and treatment of CVD and summarize these outcomes with an overview of their therapeutic implications. Among the 1417 articles obtained in nine database searches (PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, Ovid, Science Direct, Scopus, and Wiley), 12 articles were included based on eligibility criteria. The results indicate that exercise increases the release of exosomes, increasing exosomal markers (TSG101, CD63, and CD81) and exosome-carried miRNAs (miR-125b-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-342-5p, miR-126, miR-130a, miR-138-5p, and miR-455). These miRNAs mainly regulate the expression of MAPK, NF-kB, VEGF, and Caspase to protect the cardiovascular system. Moreover, the outcome indicators of myocardial apoptosis and myocardial infarction volume are significantly reduced following exercise-induced exosome release, and angiogenesis, microvessel density and left ventricular ejection fraction are significantly increased, as well as alleviating myocardial fibrosis following exercise-induced exosome release. Collectively, these results further confirm that exercise-derived exosomes have a beneficial role in potentially preventing and treating CVD and support the use of exercise-derived exosomes in clinical settings.

Konjac Glucomannan Counteracted the Side Effects of Excessive Exercise on Gut Microbiome, Endurance, and Strength in an Overtraining Mice Model.

Excessive exercise without adequate rest can lead to overtraining syndrome, which manifests a series of side effects, including fatigue, gut dysbiosis, and decremental sports performance. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a plant polysaccharide with numerous health-improving effects, but few studies reported its effects on the gut microbiome, endurance, and strength in an overtraining model. This study assessed the effect of KGM on gut microbiome, endurance, and strength in mice with excessive exercise. Three doses of KGM (1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 mg/mL) were administrated in drinking water to mice during 42 days of a treadmill overtraining program. The results showed that excessive exercise induced a significant microbial shift compared with the control group, while a high dose (5.00 mg/mL) of KGM maintained the microbial composition. The proportion of Sutterella in feces was significantly increased in the excessive exercise group, while the moderate dose (2.50 mg/mL) of KGM dramatically increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and SCFA production in feces. Additionally, the moderate dose and high dose of KGM counteracted the negative effects of excessive exercise on strength or/and endurance (43.14% and 39.94% increase through a moderate dose of KGM, Bonferroni corrected p < 0.05, compared with the excessive exercise group). Therefore, it suggests that KGM could prevent overtraining and improve sports performance in animal models.

Fatiguing freestyle swimming modifies miRNA profiles of circulating extracellular vesicles in athletes.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by various tissues and cells under normal physiological or pathological conditions. Exercise-induced EVs may be involved in the adaptation of exercise-induced fatigue. The 1500-m freestyle is the longest pool-based swimming event in the Olympic Games, and there is a paucity of information regarding changes in the miRNA profiles of circulating EVs after a single session of fatiguing swimming. In this study, 13 male freestyle swimmers conducted a fatiguing 1500-m freestyle swimming session at the speed of their best previously recorded swimming performance. Fasting venous blood was collected before and after the swimming session for analysis. 70 miRNAs from the circulating EVs were found to be differentially expressed after the fatiguing 1500-m freestyle swimming session, among which 45 and 25 miRNAs were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. As for the target genes of five miRNAs (miR-144-3p, miR-145-3p, miR-509-5p, miR-891b, and miR-890) with the largest expression-fold variation, their functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the target genes were involved in the regulation of long-term potentiation (LTP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), glutathione metabolism pathway, dopaminergic synapse, signal transmission, and other biological processes. In summary, these findings reveal that a single session of fatiguing swimming modifies the miRNAs profiles of the circulating EVs, especially miR-144-3p, miR-145-3p, miR-509-5p, miR-891b, and miR-890, which clarifies new mechanisms for the adaptation to a single session of fatiguing exercise from the perspective of EV-miRNAs.

The effect of dietary supplementation with blueberry, cyanidin-3-O-ß-glucoside, yoghurt and its peptides on gene expression associated with glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle obtained from a high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet induced obesity model.

Obesity is a leading global health problem contributing to various chronic diseases, including type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether blueberries, yoghurt, and their respective bioactive components, Cyanidin-3-O-ß-glucoside (C3G) and peptides alone or in combinations, alter the expression of genes related to glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles from diet-induced obese mice. In extensor digitorum longus (EDL), yoghurt up-regulated the expression of activation of 5'adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), and down-regulated the expression of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR-1). The combination of blueberries and yoghurt down-regulated the mRNA expression of AGTR-1 and Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) in the EDL. Whereas the combination of C3G and peptides down-regulated AGTR-1 and up-regulated GLUT4 mRNA expression in the EDL. In the soleus, blueberries and yoghurt alone, and their combination down-regulated AGTR-1 and up-regulated GLUT4 mRNA expression. In summary blueberries and yoghurt, regulated multiple genes associated with glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles, and therefore may play a role in the management and prevention of T2DM.

Exercise Reverses the Alterations in Gut Microbiota Upon Cold Exposure and Promotes Cold-Induced Weight Loss.

Gut microbiota has been reported to contribute to reduced diet-induced obesity upon cold exposure. Furthermore, gut microbiome fermentation determines the efficacy of exercise for diabetes prevention and enhances exercise performance. However, there have been no systematic examinations of changes in gut microbiome composition in relation to exercise performed under low-temperature conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of exercise performed under different conditions (room temperature, acute cold, intermittent cold, and sustained cold) in obese rats maintained on a high-fat diet at four time points during experimental trials (days 0, 1, 3, and 35), including observations on white fat browning, weight loss, cardiovascular effects, and changes in gut microbiota among treatment groups. We found that exercise under sustained cold conditions produced a remarkable shift in microbiota composition. Unexpectedly, exercise was found to reverse the alterations in gut microbiota alpha-diversity and the abundance of certain bacterial phyla observed in response to cold exposure (e.g., Proteobacteria decreased upon cold exposure but increased in response to exercise under cold conditions). Moreover, exercise under cold conditions (hereafter referred to "cold exercise") promoted a considerably higher level of white fat browning and greater weight loss and protected against the negative cardiovascular effects of cold exposure. Correlation analysis revealed that cold exercise-related changes in gut microbial communities were significantly correlated with white fat browning and cardiovascular phenotypes. These results could reveal novel mechanisms whereby additional health benefits attributable to both cold and exercise are mediated via altered gut microbes differently compared with either of them alone.

Identification of Urinary Biomarkers for Exercise-Induced Immunosuppression by iTRAQ Proteomics.

PURPOSE: To identify noninvasive immune biomarkers of exercise-induced immunosuppression using the iTRAQ proteomics technique. METHODS: Fifteen healthy males were recruited and subjected to a four-week incremental treadmill running training program. After each week of training, WBC counts and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were measured to monitor the immune function status. iTRAQ proteomics technology was used to identify differential proteins and their characteristics in urine. RESULTS: Our data showed that the WBC counts, CD4+ lymphocytes, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio decreased by more than 10% after four weeks of training, suggesting exercise-induced immunosuppression. A total of 1854 proteins were identified in urine during the incremental running using the iTRAQ technology. Compared with the urine before training, there were 89, 52, 77, and 148 proteins significantly upregulated and 66, 27, 68, and 114 proteins significantly downregulated after each week, respectively. Among them, four upregulated proteins, SEMG-1, PIP, PDGFRL, and NDPK, increased their abundance with the increased exercise intensity. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that these proteins are involved in stress response and immune function. CONCLUSION: Four weeks of incremental treadmill running induced immunosuppression in healthy males. By using iTRAQ proteomics, four proteins in the urine, SEMG-1, PIP, PDGFRL, and NDPK, were found to increase incrementally with the increased exercise intensity, which have the potential to be used as noninvasive immune biomarkers of exercise-induced immunosuppression.

CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Editing in the Filamentous Fungus Fusarium fujikuroi and Its Application in Strain Engineering for Gibberellic Acid Production.

The filamentous fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is well-known for its production of natural plant growth hormones: a series of gibberellic acids (GAs). Some GAs, including GA1, GA3, GA4, and GA7, are biologically active and have been widely applied in agriculture. However, the low efficiency of traditional genetic tools limits the further research toward making this fungus more efficient and able to produce tailor-made GAs. Here, we established an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing tool for F. fujikuroi. First, we compared three different nuclear localization signals (NLS) and selected an efficient NLS from histone H2B (HTBNLS) to enable the import of the Cas9 protein into the fungal nucleus. Then, different sgRNA expression strategies, both in vitro and different promoter-based in vivo strategies, were explored. The promoters of the U6 small nuclear RNA and 5S rRNA, which were identified in F. fujikuroi, had the highest editing efficiency. The 5S rRNA-promoter-driven genome editing efficiency reached up to 79.2%. What's more, multigene editing was also explored and showed good results. Finally, we used the developed genome editing tool to engineer the metabolic pathways responsible for the accumulation of a series GAs in the filamentous fungus F. fujikuroi, and successfully changed its GA product profile, from GA3 to tailor-made GA4 and GA7 mixtures. Since these mixtures are more efficient for agricultural use, especially for fruit growth, the developed strains will greatly improve industrial GA production.

Unraveling Charge State of Supported Au Single-Atoms during CO Oxidation.

Thermally stable Au single-atoms supported by monolayered CuO grown at Cu(110) have been successfully prepared. The charge transfer from the CuO support to single Au atoms is confirmed to play a key role in tuning the activity for CO oxidation. Initially, the negatively charged Au single-atom is active for CO oxidation with its adjacent lattice O atom depleted to generate an O vacancy in the CuO monolayer. Afterward, the Au single-atom is neutralized, preventing further CO reaction. The produced O vacancy can be healed by exposure to O2 at 400 K and accordingly the reaction activity is restored.

Steering Surface Reaction Dynamics with a Self-Assembly Strategy: Ullmann Coupling on Metal Surfaces.

Ullmann coupling of 4-bromobiphenyl thermally catalyzed on Ag(111), Cu(111), and Cu(100) surfaces was scrutinized by scanning tunneling microscopy as well as theoretical calculations. Detailed experimental evidence showed that initial formation of organometallic intermediates on the surface, as self-assembled structures or sparsely dispersed species, is determined by the subsequent reaction pathway. Specifically, the assembled organometallic intermediates at full coverage underwent a single-barrier process to directly convert into the final coupling products, while the sparsely dispersed intermediates at low coverage went through a double-barrier process via newly identified clover-shaped intermediates prior to formation of the final coupling products. These findings demonstrate that a self-assembly strategy can efficiently steer surface reaction pathways and dynamics.

Synthesis of {100} facet dominant anatase TiO2 nanobelts and the origin of facet-dependent photoreactivity.

Sword-like anatase TiO2 nanobelts exposed with 78% clean {100} facets were synthesized and the facet-dependent photoreactivity of anatase TiO2 was investigated. By quantitative comparison with the reference {001} facets, the {100} facets possessed about ten-times higher active sites density than that on {001} facets, resulting in higher photoreaction efficiency. After the active sites density normalization, the {100} and {001} facets exhibited distinct wavelength-dependent photocatalytic performance, attributed to the anisotropic electronic structures in TiO2 crystals.

Fabrication of highly transparent and conductive indium-tin oxide thin films with a high figure of merit via solution processing.

Deposition technology of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films is critical for high performance of optoelectronic devices. Solution-based fabrication methods can result in substantial cost reduction and enable broad applicability of the TCO thin films. Here we report a simple and highly effective solution process to fabricate indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films with high uniformity, reproducibility, and scalability. The ITO films are highly transparent (90.2%) and conductive (ρ = 7.2 × 10(-4) Ω·cm) with the highest figure of merit (1.19 × 10(-2) Ω(-1)) among all the solution-processed ITO films reported to date. The high transparency and figure of merit, low sheet resistance (30 Ω/sq), and roughness (1.14 nm) are comparable with the benchmark properties of dc sputtering and can meet the requirements for most practical applications.