BACKGROUND Studies on varicose veins have focused its effects on physical function;however,whether nonsurgical treatments alter muscle oxygenation or physical function remains unclear.Moreover,the differences in such ...BACKGROUND Studies on varicose veins have focused its effects on physical function;however,whether nonsurgical treatments alter muscle oxygenation or physical function remains unclear.Moreover,the differences in such functions between individuals with varicose veins and healthy individuals remain unclear.AIM To investigate changes in physical function and the quality of life(QOL)following nonsurgical treatment of patients with varicose veins and determine the changes in their muscle oxygenation during activity.METHODS We enrolled 37 participants(those with varicose veins,n=17;healthy individuals,n=20).We performed the following measurements pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment in the varicose vein patients and healthy individuals:Calf muscle oxygenation during the two-minute step test,open eyes one-leg stance,30 s sit-to-stand test,visual analog scale(VAS)for pain,Pittsburgh sleep quality index,physical activity assessment,and QOL assessment.RESULTS Varicose veins patients and healthy individuals differ in most variables(physical function,sleep quality,and QOL).Varicose veins patients showed significant differences between pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment—results in the 30 sit-to-stand test[14.41(2.45)to 16.35(4.11),P=0.018],two-minute step test[162.29(25.98)to 170.65(23.80),P=0.037],VAS for pain[5.35(1.90)to 3.88(1.73),P=0.004],and QOL[39.34(19.98)to 26.69(17.02),P=0.005];however,no significant difference was observed for muscle oxygenation.CONCLUSION Nonsurgical treatment improved lower extremity function and QOL in varicose veins patients,bringing their condition close to that of healthy individuals.Future studies should include patients with severe varicose veins requiring surgery to confirm our findings.展开更多
Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of bicycle and arm ergometer exercises on physical and psychosocial functions in patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. Methods: A total of 39 case...Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of bicycle and arm ergometer exercises on physical and psychosocial functions in patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. Methods: A total of 39 cases (35 males, 4 females) were included in the study, with 23 participants aged between 52 and 65 using bicycle ergometers and a group of 16 people who performed arm ergometers opposite. After the demographic data were recorded, physical functions of all individuals participating in the study were evaluated with a 6-minute walk test, bioimpedance analysis, HDL, LDL, Triglyceride and Total cholesterol values, and psychosocial functions were evaluated with the Beck depression scale, modified borg scale and SF 36 questionnaires before and after the training. All participants were given bicycle or arm ergometer exercises for 6 weeks, 5 sessions per week, for a total of 30 sessions. Result: When the results were examined, it was observed that there was a statistically significant increase in walking distance of the people in the bicycle ergometer group compared to the arm ergometer group (p < 0.05). In addition, it was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the general health parameter, which is one of the sub-parameters of SF 36, in the arm ergometer group compared to the bicycle ergometer group (p Conclusion: When we look at the results of this study, it is important in terms of revealing that bicycle and arm ergometer exercises similarly improve the physical and psychosocial functions of patients who have undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. However, it has been shown that cycling exercises are much more advantageous in improving functional capacity. Summary Statement: What is already known about this topic? 1) Walking and arm exercises are good for heart diseases. What this paper adds? 2) Demonstrated that cycling and arm ergometer exercises have curative aspects for patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. The implications of this paper: 3) As a result, it has been revealed that cycling and arm ergometry techniques are good indicators in patients who have undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.展开更多
IoT devices rely on authentication mechanisms to render secure message exchange.During data transmission,scalability,data integrity,and processing time have been considered challenging aspects for a system constituted...IoT devices rely on authentication mechanisms to render secure message exchange.During data transmission,scalability,data integrity,and processing time have been considered challenging aspects for a system constituted by IoT devices.The application of physical unclonable functions(PUFs)ensures secure data transmission among the internet of things(IoT)devices in a simplified network with an efficient time-stamped agreement.This paper proposes a secure,lightweight,cost-efficient reinforcement machine learning framework(SLCR-MLF)to achieve decentralization and security,thus enabling scalability,data integrity,and optimized processing time in IoT devices.PUF has been integrated into SLCR-MLF to improve the security of the cluster head node in the IoT platform during transmission by providing the authentication service for device-to-device communication.An IoT network gathers information of interest from multiple cluster members selected by the proposed framework.In addition,the software-defined secured(SDS)technique is integrated with SLCR-MLF to improve data integrity and optimize processing time in the IoT platform.Simulation analysis shows that the proposed framework outperforms conventional methods regarding the network’s lifetime,energy,secured data retrieval rate,and performance ratio.By enabling the proposed framework,number of residual nodes is reduced to 16%,energy consumption is reduced by up to 50%,almost 30%improvement in data retrieval rate,and network lifetime is improved by up to 1000 msec.展开更多
Results of analytical studies of the physical properties of the function and number of empirical macrohardness based on the standard experimental force diagram of kinetic macroindentation by a sphere.An analytical com...Results of analytical studies of the physical properties of the function and number of empirical macrohardness based on the standard experimental force diagram of kinetic macroindentation by a sphere.An analytical comparison method and a criterion for the similarity of the physical and empirical macrohardness of a material are proposed.The physical properties of the hardness measurement process using the Calvert-Johnson method are shown.The physical reasons for the size effect when measuring macrohardness are considered.The universal physical unit and standard of macrohardness of kinetic macroindentation by a sphere is substantiated.展开更多
Background:Studies have revealed the protective effect of DL-3-n-butylphthalide(NBP)against diseases associated with ischemic hypoxia.However,the role of NBP in animals with hypobaric hypoxia has not been elucidated.T...Background:Studies have revealed the protective effect of DL-3-n-butylphthalide(NBP)against diseases associated with ischemic hypoxia.However,the role of NBP in animals with hypobaric hypoxia has not been elucidated.This study investigated the effects of NBP on rodents with acute and chronic hypobaric hypoxia.Methods:Sprague-Dwaley rats and Kunming mice administered with NBP(0,60,120,and 240 mg/kg for rats and 0,90,180,and 360 mg/kg for mice)were placed in a hypobaric hypoxia chamber at 10,000 m and the survival percentages at 30 min were determined.Then,the time and distance to exhaustion of drug-treated rodents were evaluated during treadmill running and motor-driven wheel-track treadmill experiments,conducted at 5800 m for 3 days or 20 days,to evaluate changes in physical functions.The frequency of active escapes and duration of active escapes were also determined for rats in a shuttle-box experiment,conducted at 5800 m for 6 days or 27 days,to evaluate changes in learning and memory function.ATP levels were measured in the gastrocnemius muscle and malonaldehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),and lactate were detected in sera of rats,and routine blood tests were also performed.Results:Survival analysis at 10,000 m indicated NBP could improve hypoxia tolerance ability.The time and distance to exhaustion for mice(NBP,90 mg/kg)and time to exhaustion for rats(NBP,120 and 240 mg/kg)significantly increased under conditions of acute hypoxia compared with control group.NBP treatment also significantly increased the time to exhaustion for rats when exposed to chronic hypoxia.Moreover,240 mg/kg NBP significantly increased the frequency of active escapes under conditions of acute hypoxia.Furthermore,the levels of MDA and H_(2)O_(2) decreased but those of SOD and GSH-Px in the sera of rats increased under conditions of acute and chronic hypoxia.Additionally,ATP levels in the gastrocnemius muscle significantly increased,while lactate levels in sera significantly decreased.Conclusion:NBP improved physical and learning and memory functions in rodents exposed to acute or chronic hypobaric hypoxia by increasing their anti-oxidative capacity and energy supply.展开更多
We enrolled 23 Japanese men (age: 76.0 ± 8.7) and 17 women (age: 78.3 ± 9.3) in this study. The physical function of even a person getting on a wheelchair could be tested in all subjects. Blood was collected...We enrolled 23 Japanese men (age: 76.0 ± 8.7) and 17 women (age: 78.3 ± 9.3) in this study. The physical function of even a person getting on a wheelchair could be tested in all subjects. Blood was collected by venipuncture and the serum 1, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (1, 25OHD) concentration was measured. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Japanese version (MoCA-J) was used for the cognitive function test. Physical function was measured objectively using the Timed UP and Go (TUG) and 4-m walking test (4MWS). A significant positive correlation was found between serum 1, 25OHD and MMSE or MoCA-J. It is expected that an elderly person can maintain a mean serum 1, 25OHD level of about 100 pg/mL for preventing early cognitive disorder. In the present study, a significant positive correlation was found between urinary 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD)/creatinine and MMSE or MoCA-J. Our results showed that urinary 25OHD might be a useful biomarker for predicting cognitive disorder. There was a significant negative correlation between serum 1, 25OHD and TUG or 4MWS. These findings suggest that serum 1, 25OHD levels might serve as a useful index to improve cognitive and physical functional impairment.展开更多
The number of older adults (individuals ≥65 years), particularly women, in our society is increasing and understanding the impact of exercise on muscle capacity (e.g., strength and power) and subsequently physica...The number of older adults (individuals ≥65 years), particularly women, in our society is increasing and understanding the impact of exercise on muscle capacity (e.g., strength and power) and subsequently physical function is of utmost importance to prevent disability and maintain independence. Muscle capacity declines with age and this change negatively impacts physical function in older women. Exercise, specifically resistance training, is recommended to counteract these declines; however, the synergistic relationships between exercise, muscle capacity, and physical function are poorly understood. This review will summarize the literature regarding age-related changes in the aforementioned variables and review the research on the impact of resistance training interventions on muscle capacity and physical function in older women. Recommendations for future research in this area will be discussed.展开更多
Objective: This study investigated the effects of cardiac rehabilitation exercise protocols on physical function (PF) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Study Design and Setting: This randomized controlled ...Objective: This study investigated the effects of cardiac rehabilitation exercise protocols on physical function (PF) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Study Design and Setting: This randomized controlled trial recruited 70 patients who are in stage II CHF with ejection fraction (≤40%) from a Nigerian university teaching hospital. They were randomly assigned into Exercise Group (EG: n = 35) or Control Group (CG: n = 35). Physical function, activity of daily living (ADL), distance walked in six minutes and grip strength were assessed using a validated ADL questionnaire, six minute walk test and a hand dynamometer respectively. In addition to medication, EG underwent aerobic and upper extremity resistance exercises thrice weekly for eight weeks while CG used medications only. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Alpha level was at p p > 0.05). Significant improvements were noticed at fourth week among participants’ ADL (30.0% ± 6.0%), 6MWD (321.7 ± 26.3 m) and VO<sub>2</sub> max (8.9 ± 0.4 mL/kg/min) variables within the exercise EG but no significant changes were observed in the CG (p > 0.05). Participants in EG demonstrated more significant improvements in ADL (15.0% ± 5.0%), 6MWD (406.0 ± 29.7 m) and VO<sub>2</sub> max (10.3 ± 0.5 mL/kg/min) (p p > 0.05). Conclusions: Cardiac rehabilitation exercise protocols involving self-paced walking, sit-to-stand and upper extremity dynamic strength training improved activity of daily living, walking and functional capacity in patients with stable chronic heart failure.展开更多
An improved coupling of numerical and physical models for simulating 2D wave propagation is developed in this paper. In the proposed model, an unstructured finite element model (FEM) based Boussinesq equations is ap...An improved coupling of numerical and physical models for simulating 2D wave propagation is developed in this paper. In the proposed model, an unstructured finite element model (FEM) based Boussinesq equations is applied for the numerical wave simulation, and a 2D piston-type wavemaker is used for the physical wave generation. An innovative scheme combining fourth-order Lagrange interpolation and Runge-Kutta scheme is described for solving the coupling equation. A Transfer function modulation method is presented to minimize the errors induced from the hydrodynamic invalidity of the coupling model and/or the mechanical capability of the wavemaker in area where nonlinearities or dispersion predominate. The overall performance and applicability of the coupling model has been experimentally validated by accounting for both regular and irregular waves and varying bathymetry. Experimental results show that the proposed numerical scheme and transfer function modulation method are efficient for the data transfer from the numerical model to the physical model up to a deterministic level.展开更多
In the emerging Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT),authentication problems have become an urgent issue for massive resource-constrained devices because traditional costly security mechanisms are not suitable for them...In the emerging Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT),authentication problems have become an urgent issue for massive resource-constrained devices because traditional costly security mechanisms are not suitable for them.The security protocol designed for resource-constrained systems should not only be secure but also efficient in terms of usage of energy,storage,and processing.Although recently many lightweight schemes have been proposed,to the best of our knowledge,they are unable to address the problem of privacy preservation with the resistance of Denial of Service(DoS)attacks in a practical way.In this paper,we propose a lightweight authentication protocol based on the Physically Unclonable Function(PUF)to overcome the limitations of existing schemes.The protocol provides an ingenious authentication and synchronization mechanism to solve the contradictions amount forward secrecy,DoS attacks,and resource-constrained.The performance analysis and comparison show that the proposed scheme can better improve the authentication security and efficiency for resource-constrained systems in IIoT.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> <span><span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pilates has been shown to be an effective interventi...<strong>Background:</strong> <span><span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pilates has been shown to be an effective intervention for adults with musculoskeletal conditions with only a few examples available in the li</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">terature for children. As musculoskeletal pain is a major symptom expe</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">rienced by children with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), they may benefit from practicing Pilates to improve postural alignment, strength and motor control to effectively distribute movement load and decrease adverse load through involved joints. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Method:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> This study aims to evaluate the impact of a Physiotherapy-led Pilates intervention on school aged children with HSD and the benefits of this approach on pain, physical function and quality of life when delivered in a community-based model of care. A single-case experimental design (SCED) that incorporates a multiple baseline design will be used. Children with HSD, aged from 8 to 12 years, will commence concurrently in this study. Participants will undergo multiple assessments through all phases of the study which incorporates an A-B-A withdrawal design. The initial baseline period will be randomised from 5 to 7 weeks duration, then participants will enter the intervention period for 8 weeks followed by a withdrawal period of 5 weeks. The Physiotherapy-led Pilates intervention will consist of individual, 45 minute bi-weekly sessions, performed on both mat and the Pilates Reformer with an additional home program of mat exercises performed weekly. The study hypotheses are that children will show: 1) a decrease in pain;2) an increase in their physical function as measured by muscle strength, postural control, fatigue and physical activity levels;and 3) an improvement in their Health Related Quality of Life in the domains of physical, emotional, social and school functioning. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> The findings will add specific responsiveness information to the scientific evidence for Physiotherapy-led Pilates for children with HSD.</span></span></span></span>展开更多
<b><span style="font-family:"">Objective</span></b><span style="font-family:"">: Oral diadochokinesis (ODK) has been shown to be associated with oral frailty...<b><span style="font-family:"">Objective</span></b><span style="font-family:"">: Oral diadochokinesis (ODK) has been shown to be associated with oral frailty. In this study, we investigate the relationship between physical function, swallowing function, nutritional evaluation, and each syllable of ODK. <b>Methods</b>: The subjects are 26 elderly people living in an area where <span>they can walk. ODK, tongue pressure, modified water swallowing test, EAT-10,</span> grip strength, MNA-SF, skeletal muscle index, height, weight, and BMI were evaluated. For statistical analysis based on ODK values, the subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of the number of times the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were repeated: 1) The first group with >6 repetitions exceeded six</span><span style="font-family:"">;</span><span style="font-family:""> 2) the second group with ≤5 repetitions. Both groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test (Model 1). In addition, the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were also divided among the groups and a comparison was performed (Model 2). <b>Results</b>: In Model 1, the tongue pressure value was significantly higher in the good group (p < 0.01). In Model 2, the good group showed significantly higher values for the syllables /pa/ (p < 0.01) and /ta/ (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the values for the syllable /ka/. <b>Conclusion</b>: In community-dwelling elderly people, tongue pressure was positively associated with ODK values for the syllables /pa/ and /ta/, suggesting that tongue pressure may be associated with strength of the lip and tongue tip muscles. Furthermore, it was suggested that the ODK values may even be lower than normal values in the elderly who maintain skeletal muscle mass and thus have adequate tongue pressure;therefore, these indicators may be used as a guideline to assess oral frailty.展开更多
With the exponential growth of intelligent Internet of Things(IoT)applications,Cloud-Edge(CE)paradigm is emerging as a solution that facilitates resource-efficient and timely services.However,it remains an underlying ...With the exponential growth of intelligent Internet of Things(IoT)applications,Cloud-Edge(CE)paradigm is emerging as a solution that facilitates resource-efficient and timely services.However,it remains an underlying issue that frequent end-edgecloud communication is over a public or adversarycontrolled channel.Additionally,with the presence of resource-constrained devices,it’s imperative to conduct the secure communication mechanism,while still guaranteeing efficiency.Physical unclonable functions(PUF)emerge as promising lightweight security primitives.Thus,we first construct a PUF-based security mechanism for vulnerable IoT devices.Further,a provably secure and PUF-based authentication key agreement scheme is proposed for establishing the secure channel in end-edge-cloud empowered IoT,without requiring pre-loaded master keys.The security of our scheme is rigorously proven through formal security analysis under the random oracle model,and security verification using AVISPA tool.The comprehensive security features are also elaborated.Moreover,the numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing related schemes in terms of computational and communication efficiency.展开更多
BACKGROUND Herein,we report the case of a 13-year-old boy with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy(CP)at Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS)level II,en-gaging in a 6-wk video game-based therapy(VBT)progr...BACKGROUND Herein,we report the case of a 13-year-old boy with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy(CP)at Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS)level II,en-gaging in a 6-wk video game-based therapy(VBT)program.This study aimed to offer essential insights regarding VBT’s impact on enhancing the physical function and improving the quality of life(QoL)of adolescents diagnosed with CP.This report provides a distinctive viewpoint that can inform and direct future clinical practices and research endeavors.CASE SUMMARY The boy presented with moderate mobility,balance,and overall well-being.He faced challenges with diminished lower limb strength,which affected his daily living and physical fitness capabilities.Our participant was diagnosed with spas-tic quadriplegic CP at GMFCS level II.He participated in a 6-wk program of VBT using a play station.This innovative approach incorporates warm-up exercises,interactive activities,and cool-down routines,targeting various movements,in-cluding single-leg stance,weight shifting,kicking,jumping,marching,and squatting.After VBT,the strength of the left hip extensor significantly increased from 199.3 N to 541.3 N.Distance covered as part of a 6-min walk test increased by 82 m.His Paediatric QoL Inventory score increased dramatically by 25.9%.CONCLUSION VBT is an innovative,individualized therapy that enhances physical function and QoL in CP,emphasizing its role in ambulatory patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases(SARDs)are a group of diseases with multiorgan involvement and a high prevalence of chronic pain and fatigue.Patients with SARDs and post-coronavirus disease 2019(COVID...BACKGROUND Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases(SARDs)are a group of diseases with multiorgan involvement and a high prevalence of chronic pain and fatigue.Patients with SARDs and post-coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)syndrome experience aggravation of symptoms.In this context,it is essential to establish strategies to reduce chronic pain and fatigue and improve quality of life.AIM To assess the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)for the treatment of fatigue and pain-associated post-COVID-19 syndrome in patients with SARDs.METHODS This study included nine patients with different types of SARDs.All patients had reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)test confirmed COVID-19 as well as significant,persistent fatigue and pain that began to worsen after infection.Anodal tDCS was administered in five daily sessions(2mA,20 min).Concomitantly,patients were involved in aerobic exercise program.All participants were evaluated using specific questionnaires and strength assessment by handgrip and physical function by timed-up-and-go test and sit-to-stand test at baseline(within one week before tDCS protocol),and one week after tDCS protocol.During all procedures,the patients’treatments remained unchanged.RESULTS The sample comprised eight women and one man with a mean age of 48.7±9.6 years.After the tDCS protocol,pain and fatigue significantly improved on the visual analog scale(P<0.05).The physical function also improved 9.5±2.7 vs 6.8±0.8(P=0.001)for timed-up-go-test and 10.3±3.7 vs 15.1±4.0(P=0.037)for sit-to-stand test.None of the patients experienced any adverse events.CONCLUSION The present study showed that tDCS in combination with aerobic exercise was effective in improving physical function,and reducing fatigue/pain in SARDs patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.展开更多
Background: Although current research supports the use of active video games(AVGs) in rehabilitation, the evidence has yet to be systematically reviewed or synthesized. The current project systematically reviewed lite...Background: Although current research supports the use of active video games(AVGs) in rehabilitation, the evidence has yet to be systematically reviewed or synthesized. The current project systematically reviewed literature, summarized findings, and evaluated the effectiveness of AVGs as a therapeutic tool in improving physical, psychological, and cognitive rehabilitative outcomes among older adults with chronic diseases.Methods: Seven databases(Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, Psyc INFO, Pub Med, SPORTDiscus,and Medline) were searched for studies that evaluated the effectiveness of AVG-based rehabilitation among older patients. The initial search yielded 946 articles; after evaluating against inclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 19 studies of AVG-based rehabilitation remained.Results: Most studies were quasi-experimental in design, with physical functioning the primary outcome investigated with regard to the use of AVGs in rehabilitation. Overall, 9 studies found significant improvements for all study outcomes, whereas 9 studies were mixed, with significant improvements on several study outcomes but no effects observed on other outcomes after AVG-based treatments. One study failed to find any benefits of AVG-based rehabilitation.Conclusion: Findings indicate AVGs have potential in rehabilitation for older patients, with several randomized clinical trials reporting positive effects on rehabilitative outcomes. However, existing evidence is insufficient to support the advantages of AVGs over standard therapy. Given the limited number of studies and concerns with study design quality, more research is warranted to make more definitive conclusions regarding the ability of AVGs to improve rehabilitative outcomes in older patients.展开更多
Androgens have potent anabolic effects on skeletal muscle and decline with age in parallel to losses in muscle mass and strength. This loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, is the central event in dev...Androgens have potent anabolic effects on skeletal muscle and decline with age in parallel to losses in muscle mass and strength. This loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, is the central event in development of frailty, the vulnerable health status that presages adverse outcomes and rapid functional decline in older adults. The potential role of falling androgen levels in the development of frailty and their utility as function promoting therapies in older men has therefore attracted considerable attention. This review summarizes current concepts and definitions in muscle ageing, sarcopenia and frailty, and evaluates recent developments in the study of androgens and frailty. Current evidence from observational and interventional studies strongly supports an effect of androgens on muscle mass in ageing men, but effects on muscle strength and particularly physical function have been less clear. Androgen treatment has been generally well-tolerated in studies of older men, but concerns remain over higher dose treatments and use in populations with high cardiovascular risk. The first trials of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) suggest similar effects on muscle mass and function to traditional androgen therapies in older adults. Important future directions include the use of these agents in combination with exercise training to promote functional ability across different populations of older adults, as well as more focus on the relationships between concurrent changes in hormone levels, body composition and physical function in observational studies.展开更多
Are quantum states real? This most fundamental question in quantum mechanics has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, although its realistic interpretation seems to have been rejected by various delayedchoice experim...Are quantum states real? This most fundamental question in quantum mechanics has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, although its realistic interpretation seems to have been rejected by various delayedchoice experiments. Here, to address this long-standing issue, we present a quantum twisted double-slit experiment. By exploiting the subluminal feature of twisted photons, the real nature of a photon during its time in flight is revealed for the first time. We found that photons' arrival times were inconsistent with the states obtained in measurements but agreed with the states during propagation. Our results demonstrate that wavefunctions describe the realistic existence and evolution of quantum entities rather than a pure mathematical abstraction providing a probability list of measurement outcomes. This finding clarifies the long-held misunderstanding of the role of wavefunctions and their collapse in the evolution of quantum entities.展开更多
Physically unclonable crypto primitives have potential applications for anti-counterfeiting,identification,and authentication,which are clone proof and resistant to variously physical attack.Conventional physical uncl...Physically unclonable crypto primitives have potential applications for anti-counterfeiting,identification,and authentication,which are clone proof and resistant to variously physical attack.Conventional physical unclonable function(PUF)based on Si complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS)technologies greatly suffers from entropy loss and bit instability due to noise sensitivity.Here we grow atomically thick MoS2 thin film and fabricate field-effect transistors(FETs).The inherently physical randomness of MoS2 transistors from materials growth and device fabrication process makes it appropriate for the application of PUF device.We perform electrical characterizations of MoS2 FETs,collect the data from 448 devices,and generate PUF keys by splitting drain current at specific levels to evaluate the response performance.Proper selection of splitting threshold enables to generate binary,ternary,and double binary keys.The generated PUF keys exhibit good randomness and uniqueness,providing a possibility for harvesting highly secured PUF devices with two-dimensional materials.展开更多
BACKGROUND Evidence for exercise as an efficacious strategy to improve aerobic capacity of breast cancer survivors(BCS)has come largely from intervention studies conducted in laboratory settings.There is an increasing...BACKGROUND Evidence for exercise as an efficacious strategy to improve aerobic capacity of breast cancer survivors(BCS)has come largely from intervention studies conducted in laboratory settings.There is an increasing need to translate to community-type settings,but the efficacy of those interventions using gold standard evaluation is not well-established.AIM To investigate whether similar improvement in aerobic capacity(maximal oxygen consumption[VO2])measured with gold standard testing can be achieved through a community-based setting in BCS.METHODS A peak cardiopulmonary exercise test(VO2peak),6-min walk test(6MWT),and timed up and go test(TUG)were assessed pre-and post-16 wk of progressive intensity aerobic and strength training exercise at a community center.RESULTS The sample consisted of 31 early BCS(<1 year since treatment completion)and 15 controls(CTLs).Both groups significantly improved VO2peak(+1.2 mL/kg/min;P=0.030),6MWT(+35 meters;P<0.001),and TUG(-0.44 s;P<0.01)following training.Both groups improved peak cycling power during the cardiopulmonary exercise test with BCS improving by+10 watts more than the CTLs(P=0.020).Average exercise attendance was 71%(34 of 48 possible days),but compliant days averaged only 60%of total days for aerobic,and<40%for strength in both groups.CONCLUSION Community-based exercise programs can be an effective strategy to improve aerobic capacity and physical function for early-stage BCS but potentially not to the same extent observed in laboratory-based randomized controlled trials.Further research is needed to explore barriers and facilitators of exercise engagement in community-based centers to maximize training benefits for adults with cancer.展开更多
基金Supported by Biomedical Research Institute,Pusan National University Hospital,202200420001.
文摘BACKGROUND Studies on varicose veins have focused its effects on physical function;however,whether nonsurgical treatments alter muscle oxygenation or physical function remains unclear.Moreover,the differences in such functions between individuals with varicose veins and healthy individuals remain unclear.AIM To investigate changes in physical function and the quality of life(QOL)following nonsurgical treatment of patients with varicose veins and determine the changes in their muscle oxygenation during activity.METHODS We enrolled 37 participants(those with varicose veins,n=17;healthy individuals,n=20).We performed the following measurements pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment in the varicose vein patients and healthy individuals:Calf muscle oxygenation during the two-minute step test,open eyes one-leg stance,30 s sit-to-stand test,visual analog scale(VAS)for pain,Pittsburgh sleep quality index,physical activity assessment,and QOL assessment.RESULTS Varicose veins patients and healthy individuals differ in most variables(physical function,sleep quality,and QOL).Varicose veins patients showed significant differences between pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment—results in the 30 sit-to-stand test[14.41(2.45)to 16.35(4.11),P=0.018],two-minute step test[162.29(25.98)to 170.65(23.80),P=0.037],VAS for pain[5.35(1.90)to 3.88(1.73),P=0.004],and QOL[39.34(19.98)to 26.69(17.02),P=0.005];however,no significant difference was observed for muscle oxygenation.CONCLUSION Nonsurgical treatment improved lower extremity function and QOL in varicose veins patients,bringing their condition close to that of healthy individuals.Future studies should include patients with severe varicose veins requiring surgery to confirm our findings.
文摘Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of bicycle and arm ergometer exercises on physical and psychosocial functions in patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. Methods: A total of 39 cases (35 males, 4 females) were included in the study, with 23 participants aged between 52 and 65 using bicycle ergometers and a group of 16 people who performed arm ergometers opposite. After the demographic data were recorded, physical functions of all individuals participating in the study were evaluated with a 6-minute walk test, bioimpedance analysis, HDL, LDL, Triglyceride and Total cholesterol values, and psychosocial functions were evaluated with the Beck depression scale, modified borg scale and SF 36 questionnaires before and after the training. All participants were given bicycle or arm ergometer exercises for 6 weeks, 5 sessions per week, for a total of 30 sessions. Result: When the results were examined, it was observed that there was a statistically significant increase in walking distance of the people in the bicycle ergometer group compared to the arm ergometer group (p < 0.05). In addition, it was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the general health parameter, which is one of the sub-parameters of SF 36, in the arm ergometer group compared to the bicycle ergometer group (p Conclusion: When we look at the results of this study, it is important in terms of revealing that bicycle and arm ergometer exercises similarly improve the physical and psychosocial functions of patients who have undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. However, it has been shown that cycling exercises are much more advantageous in improving functional capacity. Summary Statement: What is already known about this topic? 1) Walking and arm exercises are good for heart diseases. What this paper adds? 2) Demonstrated that cycling and arm ergometer exercises have curative aspects for patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. The implications of this paper: 3) As a result, it has been revealed that cycling and arm ergometry techniques are good indicators in patients who have undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.
文摘IoT devices rely on authentication mechanisms to render secure message exchange.During data transmission,scalability,data integrity,and processing time have been considered challenging aspects for a system constituted by IoT devices.The application of physical unclonable functions(PUFs)ensures secure data transmission among the internet of things(IoT)devices in a simplified network with an efficient time-stamped agreement.This paper proposes a secure,lightweight,cost-efficient reinforcement machine learning framework(SLCR-MLF)to achieve decentralization and security,thus enabling scalability,data integrity,and optimized processing time in IoT devices.PUF has been integrated into SLCR-MLF to improve the security of the cluster head node in the IoT platform during transmission by providing the authentication service for device-to-device communication.An IoT network gathers information of interest from multiple cluster members selected by the proposed framework.In addition,the software-defined secured(SDS)technique is integrated with SLCR-MLF to improve data integrity and optimize processing time in the IoT platform.Simulation analysis shows that the proposed framework outperforms conventional methods regarding the network’s lifetime,energy,secured data retrieval rate,and performance ratio.By enabling the proposed framework,number of residual nodes is reduced to 16%,energy consumption is reduced by up to 50%,almost 30%improvement in data retrieval rate,and network lifetime is improved by up to 1000 msec.
文摘Results of analytical studies of the physical properties of the function and number of empirical macrohardness based on the standard experimental force diagram of kinetic macroindentation by a sphere.An analytical comparison method and a criterion for the similarity of the physical and empirical macrohardness of a material are proposed.The physical properties of the hardness measurement process using the Calvert-Johnson method are shown.The physical reasons for the size effect when measuring macrohardness are considered.The universal physical unit and standard of macrohardness of kinetic macroindentation by a sphere is substantiated.
基金supported by grants from the National Science and Technology Major Project(2014ZX09J14102-05B and 2018ZX09J18109)。
文摘Background:Studies have revealed the protective effect of DL-3-n-butylphthalide(NBP)against diseases associated with ischemic hypoxia.However,the role of NBP in animals with hypobaric hypoxia has not been elucidated.This study investigated the effects of NBP on rodents with acute and chronic hypobaric hypoxia.Methods:Sprague-Dwaley rats and Kunming mice administered with NBP(0,60,120,and 240 mg/kg for rats and 0,90,180,and 360 mg/kg for mice)were placed in a hypobaric hypoxia chamber at 10,000 m and the survival percentages at 30 min were determined.Then,the time and distance to exhaustion of drug-treated rodents were evaluated during treadmill running and motor-driven wheel-track treadmill experiments,conducted at 5800 m for 3 days or 20 days,to evaluate changes in physical functions.The frequency of active escapes and duration of active escapes were also determined for rats in a shuttle-box experiment,conducted at 5800 m for 6 days or 27 days,to evaluate changes in learning and memory function.ATP levels were measured in the gastrocnemius muscle and malonaldehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),and lactate were detected in sera of rats,and routine blood tests were also performed.Results:Survival analysis at 10,000 m indicated NBP could improve hypoxia tolerance ability.The time and distance to exhaustion for mice(NBP,90 mg/kg)and time to exhaustion for rats(NBP,120 and 240 mg/kg)significantly increased under conditions of acute hypoxia compared with control group.NBP treatment also significantly increased the time to exhaustion for rats when exposed to chronic hypoxia.Moreover,240 mg/kg NBP significantly increased the frequency of active escapes under conditions of acute hypoxia.Furthermore,the levels of MDA and H_(2)O_(2) decreased but those of SOD and GSH-Px in the sera of rats increased under conditions of acute and chronic hypoxia.Additionally,ATP levels in the gastrocnemius muscle significantly increased,while lactate levels in sera significantly decreased.Conclusion:NBP improved physical and learning and memory functions in rodents exposed to acute or chronic hypobaric hypoxia by increasing their anti-oxidative capacity and energy supply.
文摘We enrolled 23 Japanese men (age: 76.0 ± 8.7) and 17 women (age: 78.3 ± 9.3) in this study. The physical function of even a person getting on a wheelchair could be tested in all subjects. Blood was collected by venipuncture and the serum 1, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (1, 25OHD) concentration was measured. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Japanese version (MoCA-J) was used for the cognitive function test. Physical function was measured objectively using the Timed UP and Go (TUG) and 4-m walking test (4MWS). A significant positive correlation was found between serum 1, 25OHD and MMSE or MoCA-J. It is expected that an elderly person can maintain a mean serum 1, 25OHD level of about 100 pg/mL for preventing early cognitive disorder. In the present study, a significant positive correlation was found between urinary 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD)/creatinine and MMSE or MoCA-J. Our results showed that urinary 25OHD might be a useful biomarker for predicting cognitive disorder. There was a significant negative correlation between serum 1, 25OHD and TUG or 4MWS. These findings suggest that serum 1, 25OHD levels might serve as a useful index to improve cognitive and physical functional impairment.
文摘The number of older adults (individuals ≥65 years), particularly women, in our society is increasing and understanding the impact of exercise on muscle capacity (e.g., strength and power) and subsequently physical function is of utmost importance to prevent disability and maintain independence. Muscle capacity declines with age and this change negatively impacts physical function in older women. Exercise, specifically resistance training, is recommended to counteract these declines; however, the synergistic relationships between exercise, muscle capacity, and physical function are poorly understood. This review will summarize the literature regarding age-related changes in the aforementioned variables and review the research on the impact of resistance training interventions on muscle capacity and physical function in older women. Recommendations for future research in this area will be discussed.
文摘Objective: This study investigated the effects of cardiac rehabilitation exercise protocols on physical function (PF) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Study Design and Setting: This randomized controlled trial recruited 70 patients who are in stage II CHF with ejection fraction (≤40%) from a Nigerian university teaching hospital. They were randomly assigned into Exercise Group (EG: n = 35) or Control Group (CG: n = 35). Physical function, activity of daily living (ADL), distance walked in six minutes and grip strength were assessed using a validated ADL questionnaire, six minute walk test and a hand dynamometer respectively. In addition to medication, EG underwent aerobic and upper extremity resistance exercises thrice weekly for eight weeks while CG used medications only. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Alpha level was at p p > 0.05). Significant improvements were noticed at fourth week among participants’ ADL (30.0% ± 6.0%), 6MWD (321.7 ± 26.3 m) and VO<sub>2</sub> max (8.9 ± 0.4 mL/kg/min) variables within the exercise EG but no significant changes were observed in the CG (p > 0.05). Participants in EG demonstrated more significant improvements in ADL (15.0% ± 5.0%), 6MWD (406.0 ± 29.7 m) and VO<sub>2</sub> max (10.3 ± 0.5 mL/kg/min) (p p > 0.05). Conclusions: Cardiac rehabilitation exercise protocols involving self-paced walking, sit-to-stand and upper extremity dynamic strength training improved activity of daily living, walking and functional capacity in patients with stable chronic heart failure.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51079023 and 51221961)the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,Grant Nos.2013CB036101 and 2011CB013703)
文摘An improved coupling of numerical and physical models for simulating 2D wave propagation is developed in this paper. In the proposed model, an unstructured finite element model (FEM) based Boussinesq equations is applied for the numerical wave simulation, and a 2D piston-type wavemaker is used for the physical wave generation. An innovative scheme combining fourth-order Lagrange interpolation and Runge-Kutta scheme is described for solving the coupling equation. A Transfer function modulation method is presented to minimize the errors induced from the hydrodynamic invalidity of the coupling model and/or the mechanical capability of the wavemaker in area where nonlinearities or dispersion predominate. The overall performance and applicability of the coupling model has been experimentally validated by accounting for both regular and irregular waves and varying bathymetry. Experimental results show that the proposed numerical scheme and transfer function modulation method are efficient for the data transfer from the numerical model to the physical model up to a deterministic level.
基金This work was supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under Grant Nos.2020M681959 and 2020TQ0291in part by the national key R&D project under Grant No.2018YFB2100401in part by the National Key Research and Development Project No.2018YFB2100400.
文摘In the emerging Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT),authentication problems have become an urgent issue for massive resource-constrained devices because traditional costly security mechanisms are not suitable for them.The security protocol designed for resource-constrained systems should not only be secure but also efficient in terms of usage of energy,storage,and processing.Although recently many lightweight schemes have been proposed,to the best of our knowledge,they are unable to address the problem of privacy preservation with the resistance of Denial of Service(DoS)attacks in a practical way.In this paper,we propose a lightweight authentication protocol based on the Physically Unclonable Function(PUF)to overcome the limitations of existing schemes.The protocol provides an ingenious authentication and synchronization mechanism to solve the contradictions amount forward secrecy,DoS attacks,and resource-constrained.The performance analysis and comparison show that the proposed scheme can better improve the authentication security and efficiency for resource-constrained systems in IIoT.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> <span><span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pilates has been shown to be an effective intervention for adults with musculoskeletal conditions with only a few examples available in the li</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">terature for children. As musculoskeletal pain is a major symptom expe</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">rienced by children with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), they may benefit from practicing Pilates to improve postural alignment, strength and motor control to effectively distribute movement load and decrease adverse load through involved joints. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Method:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> This study aims to evaluate the impact of a Physiotherapy-led Pilates intervention on school aged children with HSD and the benefits of this approach on pain, physical function and quality of life when delivered in a community-based model of care. A single-case experimental design (SCED) that incorporates a multiple baseline design will be used. Children with HSD, aged from 8 to 12 years, will commence concurrently in this study. Participants will undergo multiple assessments through all phases of the study which incorporates an A-B-A withdrawal design. The initial baseline period will be randomised from 5 to 7 weeks duration, then participants will enter the intervention period for 8 weeks followed by a withdrawal period of 5 weeks. The Physiotherapy-led Pilates intervention will consist of individual, 45 minute bi-weekly sessions, performed on both mat and the Pilates Reformer with an additional home program of mat exercises performed weekly. The study hypotheses are that children will show: 1) a decrease in pain;2) an increase in their physical function as measured by muscle strength, postural control, fatigue and physical activity levels;and 3) an improvement in their Health Related Quality of Life in the domains of physical, emotional, social and school functioning. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> The findings will add specific responsiveness information to the scientific evidence for Physiotherapy-led Pilates for children with HSD.</span></span></span></span>
文摘<b><span style="font-family:"">Objective</span></b><span style="font-family:"">: Oral diadochokinesis (ODK) has been shown to be associated with oral frailty. In this study, we investigate the relationship between physical function, swallowing function, nutritional evaluation, and each syllable of ODK. <b>Methods</b>: The subjects are 26 elderly people living in an area where <span>they can walk. ODK, tongue pressure, modified water swallowing test, EAT-10,</span> grip strength, MNA-SF, skeletal muscle index, height, weight, and BMI were evaluated. For statistical analysis based on ODK values, the subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of the number of times the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were repeated: 1) The first group with >6 repetitions exceeded six</span><span style="font-family:"">;</span><span style="font-family:""> 2) the second group with ≤5 repetitions. Both groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test (Model 1). In addition, the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were also divided among the groups and a comparison was performed (Model 2). <b>Results</b>: In Model 1, the tongue pressure value was significantly higher in the good group (p < 0.01). In Model 2, the good group showed significantly higher values for the syllables /pa/ (p < 0.01) and /ta/ (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the values for the syllable /ka/. <b>Conclusion</b>: In community-dwelling elderly people, tongue pressure was positively associated with ODK values for the syllables /pa/ and /ta/, suggesting that tongue pressure may be associated with strength of the lip and tongue tip muscles. Furthermore, it was suggested that the ODK values may even be lower than normal values in the elderly who maintain skeletal muscle mass and thus have adequate tongue pressure;therefore, these indicators may be used as a guideline to assess oral frailty.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China,“Joint Research of IoT Security System and Key Technologies Based on Quantum Key,”under project number 2020YFE0200600.
文摘With the exponential growth of intelligent Internet of Things(IoT)applications,Cloud-Edge(CE)paradigm is emerging as a solution that facilitates resource-efficient and timely services.However,it remains an underlying issue that frequent end-edgecloud communication is over a public or adversarycontrolled channel.Additionally,with the presence of resource-constrained devices,it’s imperative to conduct the secure communication mechanism,while still guaranteeing efficiency.Physical unclonable functions(PUF)emerge as promising lightweight security primitives.Thus,we first construct a PUF-based security mechanism for vulnerable IoT devices.Further,a provably secure and PUF-based authentication key agreement scheme is proposed for establishing the secure channel in end-edge-cloud empowered IoT,without requiring pre-loaded master keys.The security of our scheme is rigorously proven through formal security analysis under the random oracle model,and security verification using AVISPA tool.The comprehensive security features are also elaborated.Moreover,the numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing related schemes in terms of computational and communication efficiency.
基金the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia,No.FRGS/1/2021/SKK06/UKM/03/2.
文摘BACKGROUND Herein,we report the case of a 13-year-old boy with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy(CP)at Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS)level II,en-gaging in a 6-wk video game-based therapy(VBT)program.This study aimed to offer essential insights regarding VBT’s impact on enhancing the physical function and improving the quality of life(QoL)of adolescents diagnosed with CP.This report provides a distinctive viewpoint that can inform and direct future clinical practices and research endeavors.CASE SUMMARY The boy presented with moderate mobility,balance,and overall well-being.He faced challenges with diminished lower limb strength,which affected his daily living and physical fitness capabilities.Our participant was diagnosed with spas-tic quadriplegic CP at GMFCS level II.He participated in a 6-wk program of VBT using a play station.This innovative approach incorporates warm-up exercises,interactive activities,and cool-down routines,targeting various movements,in-cluding single-leg stance,weight shifting,kicking,jumping,marching,and squatting.After VBT,the strength of the left hip extensor significantly increased from 199.3 N to 541.3 N.Distance covered as part of a 6-min walk test increased by 82 m.His Paediatric QoL Inventory score increased dramatically by 25.9%.CONCLUSION VBT is an innovative,individualized therapy that enhances physical function and QoL in CP,emphasizing its role in ambulatory patients.
基金Supported by Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado de São Paulo(FAPESP)#2020/10691-4 to AMS,#2019/11776-6 to SKS,#2019/12155-5 to RGM,#2019/11367-9 to IBPBConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico(CNPq)#303379/2018-9 to SKSFaculdade de Medicina da USP to SKS.
文摘BACKGROUND Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases(SARDs)are a group of diseases with multiorgan involvement and a high prevalence of chronic pain and fatigue.Patients with SARDs and post-coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)syndrome experience aggravation of symptoms.In this context,it is essential to establish strategies to reduce chronic pain and fatigue and improve quality of life.AIM To assess the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)for the treatment of fatigue and pain-associated post-COVID-19 syndrome in patients with SARDs.METHODS This study included nine patients with different types of SARDs.All patients had reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)test confirmed COVID-19 as well as significant,persistent fatigue and pain that began to worsen after infection.Anodal tDCS was administered in five daily sessions(2mA,20 min).Concomitantly,patients were involved in aerobic exercise program.All participants were evaluated using specific questionnaires and strength assessment by handgrip and physical function by timed-up-and-go test and sit-to-stand test at baseline(within one week before tDCS protocol),and one week after tDCS protocol.During all procedures,the patients’treatments remained unchanged.RESULTS The sample comprised eight women and one man with a mean age of 48.7±9.6 years.After the tDCS protocol,pain and fatigue significantly improved on the visual analog scale(P<0.05).The physical function also improved 9.5±2.7 vs 6.8±0.8(P=0.001)for timed-up-go-test and 10.3±3.7 vs 15.1±4.0(P=0.037)for sit-to-stand test.None of the patients experienced any adverse events.CONCLUSION The present study showed that tDCS in combination with aerobic exercise was effective in improving physical function,and reducing fatigue/pain in SARDs patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.
文摘Background: Although current research supports the use of active video games(AVGs) in rehabilitation, the evidence has yet to be systematically reviewed or synthesized. The current project systematically reviewed literature, summarized findings, and evaluated the effectiveness of AVGs as a therapeutic tool in improving physical, psychological, and cognitive rehabilitative outcomes among older adults with chronic diseases.Methods: Seven databases(Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, Psyc INFO, Pub Med, SPORTDiscus,and Medline) were searched for studies that evaluated the effectiveness of AVG-based rehabilitation among older patients. The initial search yielded 946 articles; after evaluating against inclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 19 studies of AVG-based rehabilitation remained.Results: Most studies were quasi-experimental in design, with physical functioning the primary outcome investigated with regard to the use of AVGs in rehabilitation. Overall, 9 studies found significant improvements for all study outcomes, whereas 9 studies were mixed, with significant improvements on several study outcomes but no effects observed on other outcomes after AVG-based treatments. One study failed to find any benefits of AVG-based rehabilitation.Conclusion: Findings indicate AVGs have potential in rehabilitation for older patients, with several randomized clinical trials reporting positive effects on rehabilitative outcomes. However, existing evidence is insufficient to support the advantages of AVGs over standard therapy. Given the limited number of studies and concerns with study design quality, more research is warranted to make more definitive conclusions regarding the ability of AVGs to improve rehabilitative outcomes in older patients.
文摘Androgens have potent anabolic effects on skeletal muscle and decline with age in parallel to losses in muscle mass and strength. This loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, is the central event in development of frailty, the vulnerable health status that presages adverse outcomes and rapid functional decline in older adults. The potential role of falling androgen levels in the development of frailty and their utility as function promoting therapies in older men has therefore attracted considerable attention. This review summarizes current concepts and definitions in muscle ageing, sarcopenia and frailty, and evaluates recent developments in the study of androgens and frailty. Current evidence from observational and interventional studies strongly supports an effect of androgens on muscle mass in ageing men, but effects on muscle strength and particularly physical function have been less clear. Androgen treatment has been generally well-tolerated in studies of older men, but concerns remain over higher dose treatments and use in populations with high cardiovascular risk. The first trials of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) suggest similar effects on muscle mass and function to traditional androgen therapies in older adults. Important future directions include the use of these agents in combination with exercise training to promote functional ability across different populations of older adults, as well as more focus on the relationships between concurrent changes in hormone levels, body composition and physical function in observational studies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(61525504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11574065,11604322,61275115,61378003,61435011 and 61605194)+2 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2016M590570)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(11604322)the Key Programs of the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China(ZD201415).
文摘Are quantum states real? This most fundamental question in quantum mechanics has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, although its realistic interpretation seems to have been rejected by various delayedchoice experiments. Here, to address this long-standing issue, we present a quantum twisted double-slit experiment. By exploiting the subluminal feature of twisted photons, the real nature of a photon during its time in flight is revealed for the first time. We found that photons' arrival times were inconsistent with the states obtained in measurements but agreed with the states during propagation. Our results demonstrate that wavefunctions describe the realistic existence and evolution of quantum entities rather than a pure mathematical abstraction providing a probability list of measurement outcomes. This finding clarifies the long-held misunderstanding of the role of wavefunctions and their collapse in the evolution of quantum entities.
基金Research Grant Council of Hong Kong(PolyU 152016/17E)the Hong Kong Polytechnic University(G-SB79)J.-H.A.acknowledges the support from the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2015R1A3A2066337).
文摘Physically unclonable crypto primitives have potential applications for anti-counterfeiting,identification,and authentication,which are clone proof and resistant to variously physical attack.Conventional physical unclonable function(PUF)based on Si complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS)technologies greatly suffers from entropy loss and bit instability due to noise sensitivity.Here we grow atomically thick MoS2 thin film and fabricate field-effect transistors(FETs).The inherently physical randomness of MoS2 transistors from materials growth and device fabrication process makes it appropriate for the application of PUF device.We perform electrical characterizations of MoS2 FETs,collect the data from 448 devices,and generate PUF keys by splitting drain current at specific levels to evaluate the response performance.Proper selection of splitting threshold enables to generate binary,ternary,and double binary keys.The generated PUF keys exhibit good randomness and uniqueness,providing a possibility for harvesting highly secured PUF devices with two-dimensional materials.
文摘BACKGROUND Evidence for exercise as an efficacious strategy to improve aerobic capacity of breast cancer survivors(BCS)has come largely from intervention studies conducted in laboratory settings.There is an increasing need to translate to community-type settings,but the efficacy of those interventions using gold standard evaluation is not well-established.AIM To investigate whether similar improvement in aerobic capacity(maximal oxygen consumption[VO2])measured with gold standard testing can be achieved through a community-based setting in BCS.METHODS A peak cardiopulmonary exercise test(VO2peak),6-min walk test(6MWT),and timed up and go test(TUG)were assessed pre-and post-16 wk of progressive intensity aerobic and strength training exercise at a community center.RESULTS The sample consisted of 31 early BCS(<1 year since treatment completion)and 15 controls(CTLs).Both groups significantly improved VO2peak(+1.2 mL/kg/min;P=0.030),6MWT(+35 meters;P<0.001),and TUG(-0.44 s;P<0.01)following training.Both groups improved peak cycling power during the cardiopulmonary exercise test with BCS improving by+10 watts more than the CTLs(P=0.020).Average exercise attendance was 71%(34 of 48 possible days),but compliant days averaged only 60%of total days for aerobic,and<40%for strength in both groups.CONCLUSION Community-based exercise programs can be an effective strategy to improve aerobic capacity and physical function for early-stage BCS but potentially not to the same extent observed in laboratory-based randomized controlled trials.Further research is needed to explore barriers and facilitators of exercise engagement in community-based centers to maximize training benefits for adults with cancer.