Adaptive control for uncrewed aerial vehicles based on communication information optimization in complex environments.

The utilization of drone technology thrives in diverse domains, including aviation, military operations, and logistics. The pervasive adoption of this technology aims to enhance efficiency while mitigating hazards and expenditures. In complex contexts, the governing parameters of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) require real-time adjustments for flight safety and efficacy. To improve the attitude estimation accuracy, this article introduces a ATT-Bi-LSTM framework for optimizing UAVs through adaptive parameter control, which integrates the state information gleaned from communication signals. The ATT-Bi-LSTM achieves data feature extraction by means of a two-layer Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BI-LSTM) at its inception to enhance the feature. Subsequently, it harnesses the attention mechanism to amplify the LSTM network's output, thereby enabling the optimal control of UAV positioning. During the empirical phase, we employ optical system data for the comparative validation of the model. The outcomes underscore the commendable performance of the proposed framework in this study, particularly with regard to the three pivotal position indicators: yaw, pitch, and roll. In the comparison of indicators such as RMSR and MAE, the proposed model has the lowest error, which provides algorithm support and important reference for future UAV optimization control research.

Quality of life in ovarian cancer patients treated with bevacizumab: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Bevacizumab is widely used in ovarian cancer due to its ability to extend survival. The addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy may increase the toxicities that affect quality of life (QOL). To investigate the impact of bevacizumab on QOL during the increased survival, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov. for RCTs comparing the QOL of bevacizumab plus chemotherapy (BEV-CT) versus chemotherapy (CT) in ovarian cancer. The primary outcome was the difference in change in QOL from baseline to follow-up between groups. RESULTS: Four RCTs involving 3454 patients were included in this meta-analysis. There was no difference in change in QOL between patients treated with BEV-CT and CT at the end of follow-up (pooled SMD= -00.05; 95%CI = -00.34 to 0.23; P = 0.71). Subgroup analyses showed similar results in the frontline and recurrent setting of ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first meta-analysis investigating QOL in ovarian cancer patients treated with bevacizumab. The extended survival associated with bevacizumab is not accompanied by a significant deterioration in QOL. Combined with the efficacy and safety outcomes, these results further support the clinical benefit of bevacizumab for ovarian cancer.

Promising Natural Medicines for the Treatment of High-Altitude Illness.

Li Li, Lin Lin, Bo Wen, Peng-cheng Zhao, Da-sheng Liu, Guo-ming Pang, Zi-rong Wang, Yong Tan, and Cheng Lu. Promising natural medicines for the treatment of high-altitude illness. High Alt Med Biol. 24:175-185, 2023.-High-altitude illness (HAI) is a dangerous disease characterized by oxidative stress, inflammatory damage and hemodynamic changes in the body that can lead to severe damage to the lungs, heart, and brain. Natural medicines are widely known for their multiple active ingredients and pharmacological effects, which may be important in the treatment of HAI. In this review, we outline the specific types of HAI and the underlying pathological mechanisms and summarize the currently documented natural medicines applied in the treatment of acute mountain sickness and high-altitude cerebral edema, high-altitude pulmonary edema, chronic mountain sickness, and high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. Their sources, types, and medicinal sites are summarized, and their active ingredients, pharmacological effects, related mechanisms, and potential toxicity are discussed. In conclusion, natural medicines, as an acceptable complementary and alternative strategy with fewer side effects and more long-term application, can provide a reference for developing more natural antialtitude sickness medicines in the future and have good application prospects in HAI treatment.

Degradation of ammonia nitrogen by an economic combined hydrodynamic cavitation method.

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) was a kind of advanced oxidation mode. There were defects in the common HC devices, such as high energy consumption, low efficiency, and easy plugging. In order to effectively utilize HC, it was urgent to research new HC devices and used them together with other traditional water treatment methods. Ozone was widely used as a water treatment agent that does not produce harmful by-products. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) was efficient and cheap, but too much chlorine will be harmful to water. The combination of ozone and NaClO with the HC device of propeller orifice plate can improve the dissolution and utilization rate of ozone in wastewater, reduce the use of NaClO, and avoid the generation of residual chlorine. The degradation rate reached 99.9% when the mole ratio γ of NaClO to ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) was 1.5 and the residual chlorine was near zero. As for the degradation rate of NH3-N or COD of actual river water and real wastewater after biological treatment, the ideal mole ratio γ was also 1.5 and the ideal O3 flow rates were 1.0 L/min. The combined method has been preliminarily applied to actual water treatment and was expected to be used in more and more scenarios.

S-Scheme and Schottky Junction Synchronous Regulation Boost Hierarchical CdS@Nb2O5/Nb2CTx (MXene) Heterojunction for Photocatalytic H2 Production.

Photocatalytic water cracking hydrogen (H2) production is a promising clean energy production technology. Therefore, a ternary CdS@Nb2O5/Nb2CTx (MXene) heterojunction with hierarchical structure was designed to promote photocatalytic H2 evolution. When Na2S/Na2SO3 and lactic acid were used as sacrificial agents, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) rates of the optimized photocatalyst were 1501.7 and 2715.8 µmol g-1 h-1, with 12.4% and 26.1% apparent quantum efficiencies (AQE) at 420 nm, respectively. Its HER performance was 10.9-fold higher than that of pure CdS and remained 87% activity after five rounds of cycle tests. Such an enhancement stems from the excellent light absorption properties, tight interfacial contact, fast charge transfer channel, and sufficient active sites. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that S-scheme and Schottky junction synchronous regulation boost hierarchical CdS@Nb2O5/Nb2CTx for photocatalytic H2 production. This work creates possibilities for manufacturing Nb-based MXene photocatalysts for converting solar energy and other applications.

Left total pneumonectomy performed after alectinib treatment for anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive lung adenocarcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement generates an oncogenic ALK tyrosine kinase that activates numerous downstream signaling pathways, leading to increased cell proliferation and survival. About 5% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are being diagnosed with tumor harboring ALK-positive. ALK rearrangement is an important molecular target for the treatment of NSCLC, and alectinib is a potent and highly selective second-generation ALK inhibitor. Alectinib as a neoadjuvant therapy has been reported in previous studies. However, cases of patients undergoing left total pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant therapy are rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: In this report, a 52-year-old Asian woman's chest computed tomography (CT) showed mass shadows in the left lung. Echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-ALK (EML4-ALK) fusion variant was detected by next-generation sequencing. We administered the targeted drug alectinib at 600 mg twice daily for two and a half months. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT examination showed that the left lung mass and lymph nodes were significantly reduced. The tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage was reduced from cT4N2M0, IIIb to ycT2aN0M0, IB. Then she underwent thoracoscopic transthoracotomy of the left total lung. Oral alectinib therapy was continued after surgery, and the follow-up duration was one year. CONCLUSIONS: This case indicates that alectinib is feasible and has a good safety profile as a neoadjuvant therapy for ALK-positive NSCLC. But further research is needed to determine how long the treatment should last for patients to get the most benefit. There is also the problem of pulmonary fibrosis in the process of alectinib neoadjuvant therapy, which needs to be solved urgently.

Partitionable High-Efficiency Multilayer Diffractive Optical Neural Network.

A partitionable adaptive multilayer diffractive optical neural network is constructed to address setup issues in multilayer diffractive optical neural network systems and the difficulty of flexibly changing the number of layers and input data size. When the diffractive devices are partitioned properly, a multilayer diffractive optical neural network can be constructed quickly and flexibly without readjusting the optical path, and the number of optical devices, which increases linearly with the number of network layers, can be avoided while preventing the energy loss during propagation where the beam energy decays exponentially with the number of layers. This architecture can be extended to construct distinct optical neural networks for different diffraction devices in various spectral bands. The accuracy values of 89.1% and 81.0% are experimentally evaluated for MNIST database and MNIST fashion database and show that the classification performance of the proposed optical neural network reaches state-of-the-art levels.

Correlation analysis of epicardial adipose tissue and ventricular myocardial strain in Chinese amateur marathoners using cardiac magnetic resonance.

BACKGROUND: The volume of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, only a few studies have examined its effect on the myocardial function of endurance in athletes. The association between the EAT and the variation of myocardial function is still unclear in amateur marathoners. Consequently, by using some sedentary individuals as the control, this study aims to evaluate the correlation between the EAT volume and the myocardial strain in the left and right ventricles of Chinese amateur marathoners by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS: A total of 30 amateur marathoners were included as the exercise group and 20 sedentary people as a control group. All participants received the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to measure the left and right ventricular end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume and volume index, stroke volume and index, cardiac output index, ejection fraction and myocardial mass, the EAT volume, global radial, circumferential, and longi-tudinal strains, and the strain rates of left and right ventricular myocardium. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the EAT volume (EATV) index between the exercise group and the control group (26.82±11.76ml/m2 vs 37.82±17.15ml/m2, P = 0.01). Results from the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that BMI (standardized ß = 0.458; P < 0.001) had an independent positive correlation with the EATV index. The EATV index was negatively correlated with the left ventricular global radial strain (GRS) (r = -0.505; P = 0.004) in the exercise group, while it is negatively correlated with right ventricular GRS (r = -0.492; P = 0.027) and positively correlated with global longitudinal strain (GLS) (r = 0.601; P = 0.005) in the control group. In the exercise group, the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the EATV index (standardized ß = -0.429; P = 0.021) was an independent determinant of the left ventricular GRS, and being a male (standardized ß = 0.396; P = 0.029) was an independent determinant of the right ventricular GLS. CONCLUSION: The EATV index is independently correlated with the left ventricular GRS in the amateur Chinese marathoners, also, the amateur marathon reduces the EATV index and increases the left ventricular myocardial mass, which consequently reduces the adverse effects on myocardial function.

Effects of high-altitude hypoxic environment on colonic inflammation, intestinal barrier and gut microbiota in three-way crossbred commercial pigs.

In recent years, the three-way crossbred commercial pigs are extensively cultured in Tibet. However, there have been few studies about the effect of high-altitude hypoxic environment on intestinal health of them. Therefore, we selected Tibetan pigs (TP) and the three-way crossbred commercial pigs (CP-H) living in the Tibet (3,500-3,700 m in altitude) as a positive control group and treatment group, respectively. The three-way crossbred commercial pigs (CP-L) living at altitudes 800-1,000 m sea level were selected as a negative control group. The colonic chyme, colonic mucosa, colonic tissue and serum samples were collected for the detection of gut microbiota and intestinal inflammation. The results showed that high-altitude hypoxic environment promoted the occurrence of colonic inflammation, disrupted the colonic barrier to some extent. And Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining revealed that mild inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in colon of CP-H. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the microbial community composition of CP-H was changed compared with CP-L. Gut bacterial communities formed distinctly different clusters in principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) space, and Chao 1 index of CP-H was also decreased. At the genus level, Terrisporobacter showed greater enrichment in the CP-H than lower-altitude pigs. Colstridium-sensu-stricto-1 showed lower enrichment in the CP-H than lower-altitude pigs. However, the concentration of valeric acid in colonic chyme of CP-H was higher than CP-L and TP. Correlation analysis indicated that Terrisporobacter was positively associated with the relative mRNA expression level of IL-1ß and the content of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and was negatively correlated with the relative mRNA expression level of IL-10. The Streptococcus was positively associated with the concentrations of valerate. In summary, high-altitude hypoxic environment changed compositions of gut microbiota, promoted the occurrence of colonic inflammation, and disrupted intestinal barrier of the three-way crossbred commercial pigs.

Arabidopsis SYP121 acts as an ROP2 effector in the regulation of root hair tip growth.

Tip growth is an extreme form of polarized cell expansion that occurs in all eukaryotic kingdoms to generate highly elongated tubular cells with specialized functions, including fungal hyphae, animal neurons, plant pollen tubes, and root hairs (RHs). RHs are tubular structures that protrude from the root epidermis to facilitate water and nutrient uptake, microbial interactions, and plant anchorage. RH tip growth requires polarized vesicle targeting and active exocytosis at apical growth sites. However, how apical exocytosis is spatially and temporally controlled during tip growth remains elusive. Here, we report that the Qa-Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) SYP121 acts as an effector of Rho of Plants 2 (ROP2), mediating the regulation of RH tip growth. We show that active ROP2 promotes SYP121 targeting to the apical plasma membrane. Moreover, ROP2 directly interacts with SYP121 and promotes the interaction between SYP121 and the R-SNARE VAMP722 to form a SNARE complex, probably by facilitating the release of the Sec1/Munc18 protein SEC11, which suppresses the function of SYP121. Thus, the ROP2-SYP121 pathway facilitates exocytic trafficking during RH tip growth. Our study uncovers a direct link between an ROP GTPase and vesicular trafficking and a new mechanism for the control of apical exocytosis, whereby ROP GTPase signaling spatially regulates SNARE complex assembly and the polar distribution of a Q-SNARE.

Insights into glucosinolate accumulation and metabolic pathways in Isatis indigotica Fort.

BACKGROUND: Glucosinolates (GSLs) play important roles in defending against exogenous damage and regulating physiological activities in plants. However, GSL accumulation patterns and molecular regulation mechanisms are largely unknown in Isatis indigotica Fort. RESULTS: Ten GSLs were identified in I. indigotica, and the dominant GSLs were epiprogoitrin (EPI) and indole-3-methyl GSL (I3M), followed by progoitrin (PRO) and gluconapin (GNA). The total GSL content was highest (over 20 µmol/g) in reproductive organs, lowest (less than 1.0 µmol/g) in mature organs, and medium in fresh leaves (2.6 µmol/g) and stems (1.5 µmol/g). In the seed germination process, the total GSL content decreased from 27.2 µmol/g (of seeds) to 2.7 µmol/g (on the 120th day) and then increased to 4.0 µmol/g (180th day). However, the content of indole GSL increased rapidly in the first week after germination and fluctuated between 1.13 µmol/g (28th day) and 2.82 µmol/g (150th day). Under the different elicitor treatments, the total GSL content increased significantly, ranging from 2.9-fold (mechanical damage, 3 h) to 10.7-fold (MeJA, 6 h). Moreover, 132 genes were involved in GSL metabolic pathways. Among them, no homologs of AtCYP79F2 and AtMAM3 were identified, leading to a distinctive GSL profile in I. indigotica. Furthermore, most genes involved in the GSL metabolic pathway were derived from tandem duplication, followed by dispersed duplication and segmental duplication. Purifying selection was observed, although some genes underwent relaxed selection. In addition, three tandem-arrayed GSL-OH genes showed different expression patterns, suggesting possible subfunctionalization during evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Ten different GSLs with their accumulation patterns and 132 genes involved in the GSL metabolic pathway were explored, which laid a foundation for the study of GSL metabolism and regulatory mechanisms in I. indigotica.

Efficient Green Quasi-Two-Dimensional Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Mix-Interlayer.

Recently, quasi-two-dimensional (Q-2D) perovskites have received much attention due to their excellent photophysical properties. Phase compositions in Q-2D perovskites have obvious effect on the device performance. Here, efficient green perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) were fabricated by employing o-fluorophenylethylammonium bromide (o-F-PEABr) and 2-aminoethanol hydrobromide (EOABr) as the mix-interlayer ligands. Phase compositions are rationally optimized through composition and interlayer engineering. Meanwhile, non-radiative recombination is greatly suppressed by the introduction of mix-interlayer ligands. Thus, green PeLEDs with a peak photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 81.4%, a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 19 nm, a maximum current efficiency (CE) of 27.7 cd/A, and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 10.4% were realized. The results are expected to offer a feasible method to realize high-efficiency PeLEDs.

S-Adenosyl-l-Methionine Promotes Metabolism of Fungicides in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) Berries.

Fungicides are commonly used to prevent and treat grape (Vitis vinifera L.) diseases; however, they are potentially toxic to humans. Herein, we show that the application of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) accelerated the metabolism of various fungicides in Cabernet Sauvignon berries. The substances and enzymes involved in the metabolism of fungicides were analyzed to elucidate the effects of SAM. Results showed that SAM improved the production rate of superoxide anion, the hydrogen peroxide content, and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in azoxystrobin-treated berries. Additionally, SAM had a positive effect on the content of reduced glutathione and on the activities of glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase. Importantly, the stimulatory effect of SAM on fungicide metabolism was also observed for metalaxyl and thiophanate-methyl. These results suggest that SAM can be used to improve food safety.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis on YUCCA Gene Family in Isatis indigotica Fort. and IiYUCCA6-1 Functional Exploration.

Auxin is one of the most critical hormones in plants. YUCCA (Tryptophan aminotransferase of Arabidopsis (TAA)/YUCCA) enzymes catalyze the key rate-limiting step of the tryptophan-dependent auxin biosynthesis pathway, from IPA (Indole-3-pyruvateacid) to IAA (Indole-3-acetic acid). Here, 13 YUCCA family genes were identified from Isatis indigotica, which were divided into four categories, distributing randomly on chromosomes (2n = 14). The typical and conservative motifs, including the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding motif and flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO)-identifying sequence, existed in the gene structures. IiYUCCA genes were expressed differently in different organs (roots, stems, leaves, buds, flowers, and siliques) and developmental periods (7, 21, 60, and 150 days after germination). Taking IiYUCCA6-1 as an example, the YUCCA genes functions were discussed. The results showed that IiYUCCA6-1 was sensitive to PEG (polyethylene glycol), cold, wounding, and NaCl treatments. The over-expressed tobacco plants exhibited high auxin performances, and some early auxin response genes (NbIAA8, NbIAA16, NbGH3.1, and NbGH3.6) were upregulated with increased IAA content. In the dark, the contents of total chlorophyll and hydrogen peroxide in the transgenic lines were significantly lower than in the control group, with NbSAG12 downregulated and some delayed leaf senescence characteristics, which delayed the senescence process to a certain extent. The findings provide comprehensive insight into the phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal distributions, and expression patterns and functions of the YUCCA gene family in I. indigotica.

Effect of Acute Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: Role of Cardiovascular Fitness Level.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to determine whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulate the activation of the mirror neuron system (MNS) under table-setting tasks in non-exercise situation, to replicate the study that positive effect of acute moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS and investigate whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulates the effect of exercise on the activation of the MNS. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy college-aged participants completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) and were categorized as high, moderate, or low cardiovascular fitness. Participants then performed table-setting tasks including an action execution task (EXEC) and action observation task (OBS) prior to (PRE) and after (POST) either a rest condition (CTRL) or a cycling exercise condition (EXP). The EXP condition consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 15-min moderate-intensity exercise (65% VO2 max), and 5-min cool-down. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for Oxy-Hb and Deoxy-Hb between different cardiovascular fitness levels in the EXEC or OBS tasks in the non-exercise session. But there were significant improvements of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and pre-motor area (PMC) regions under the OBS task following the acute moderate exercise. Particularly, the improvements (Post-Pre) of Δ Oxy-Hb were mainly observed in high and low fitness individuals. There was also a significant improvement of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Deoxy-Hb) in the IPL region under the OBS task. The following analysis indicated that exercise improved Δ Deoxy-Hb in high fitness individuals. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the activation of MNS was not modulated by the cardiovascular fitness levels in the non-exercise situation. We replicated the previous study that moderate exercise improved activation of MNS; we also provided the first empirical evidence that moderate-intensity exercise positively affects the MNS activation in college students of high and low cardiovascular fitness levels.

The female urinary microbiota in relation to the reproductive tract microbiota.

Human urine is traditionally considered to be sterile, and whether the urine harbours distinct microbial communities has been a matter of debate. Potential links between female urine and reproductive tract microbial communities is currently not clear. Here, we collected urine samples from 147 Chinese women of reproductive age and explored the nature of colonization by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, and live bacteria culture. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, the intra-individual Spearman's correlation was used to explore the relationship between urine and multiple sites of the female reproductive tract. PERMANOVA was also performed to explore potential correlations between the lifestyle and various clinical factors and urinary bacterial communities. Our data demonstrated distinct bacterial communities in urine, indicative of a non-sterile environment. Streptococcus-dominated, Lactobacillus-dominated, and diverse type were the three most common urinary bacterial community types in the cohort. Detailed comparison of the urinary microbiota with multiple sites of the female reproductive tract microbiota demonstrated that the urinary microbiota were more similar to the microbiota in the cervix and uterine cavity than to those of the vagina in the same women. Our data demonstrate the potential connectivity among microbiota in the female urogenital system and provide insight and resources for exploring diseases of the urethra and genital tract.

Diminishing microbiome richness and distinction in the lower respiratory tract of lung cancer patients: A multiple comparative study design with independent validation.

OBJECTIVES: Current evidence suggests that microorganisms are associated with neoplastic diseases; however, the role of the airway microbiome in lung cancer remains unknown. To investigate the taxonomic profiles of the lower respiratory tract (LRT) microbiome in patients with lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALF samples were collected in a discovery set comprising 150 individuals, including 91 patients with lung cancer, 29 patients with nonmalignant pulmonary diseases and 30 healthy subjects, and an independent validation set including 85 participants. The samples were assessed by metagenomics analysis. Random forest regression analysis was performed to select a diagnostic panel. RESULTS: In the discovery set, richness was reduced in lung cancer patients compared with that in healthy subjects, and the microbiome of patients with nonmalignant diseases resembled that of patients with lung cancer. Interestingly, Bradyrhizobium japonicum was only found in patients with lung cancer, whereas Acidovorax was found in patients with cancer and nonmalignant pulmonary diseases. A microbiota-related diagnostic model consisting of age, pack year of smoking and eleven types of bacteria was built, and the area under the curve (AUC) for discriminating the patients with cancer was 0.882 (95%CI: 0.807-0.957) in the training set and 0.796 (95%CI: 0.673-0.920) in the independent validation set. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the LRT microbiome richness is diminished in lung cancer patients compared with that in healthy subjects and that microbiota-specific biomarkers may be useful for diagnosing patients for whom lung biopsy is not feasible.

The Positive Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: An fNIRS Study.

A growing number of studies have reported the beneficial effect of exercise on human social behavior. The mirror neuron system (MNS) plays a critical role in a variety of social behaviors from imitation to empathy. However, neuroimaging investigations into the effects of exercise on the MNS remain unexplored. To address this question, our study determined the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Specifically, 23 right-handed young individuals were asked to perform a table-setting task that included action execution and action observation before and after a 25-min exercise session on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity (65% VO2peak). The control condition was the same task performed without exercise. Cortical hemodynamic changes in the four primary brain regions of the MNS were monitored with fNIRS, using a modified probe configuration that covered all four MNS regions in the left hemisphere. We used a region of interest (ROI)-based group analysis to determine which regions were activated during action execution and action observation. Following a session of moderate-intensity exercise, we found a significant increase in activation in all four MNS regions, namely the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), premotor cortex (PMC), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and rostral inferior parietal lobule (IPL). This result indicated a positive effect of exercise on the MNS, specifically that moderate-intensity exercise could activate the MNS.

Sedentary Behavior and Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Self-Control.

This study investigated smartphone use characteristics including the purpose of smartphone use (i.e., leisure, learning, or work) and situational smartphone use (i.e., sitting, standing, or moving about) in Chinese adolescents. Moreover, it tested the moderating role of self-control in the link between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use. A total of 947 adolescents completed measures of the purpose of their smartphone use, situational smartphone use, sedentary behavior, self-control, time on smartphone, and smartphone addiction. Results showed that the majority of smartphone use was for leisure and learning, and 90.9% of adolescents reported typically sitting as they used the smartphone. Problematic smartphone use was positively correlated with sedentary behavior and negatively correlated with self-control. Moreover, the relationship between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use was moderated by self-control, in that the negative correlation was stronger for adolescents with low self-control and weaker for those with high self-control. These results contribute to the understanding of when sedentary behavior is associated with problematic smartphone use. Several limitations and implications are discussed in this study.