Voluntary wheel running ameliorated the deleterious effects of high-fat diet on glucose metabolism,gut microbiota and microbial-associated metabolites

Exercise training is critical for the early prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes mellitus.However,the mechanism with gut microbiota and fecal metabolites underlying the effects of voluntary wheel running on high-fat diet induced abnormal glucose metabolism has not been fully elaborated.C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups according to diets(fed with normal chow diet or high-fat diet)and running paradigm(housed in static cage or with voluntary running wheel).An integrative 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolites profiling was synchronously performed to characterize the effects of voluntary wheel running on gut microbiota and metabolites.It showed that voluntary wheel running prevented the detrimental effects of high-fat feeding on glucose metabolism 16S rDNA sequencing showed remarkable changes in Rikenella and Marvinbryantia genera.Metabolic profiling indicated multiple altered metabolites,which were enriched in secondary bile acid biosynthesis signaling.In conclusion,our study indicated that voluntary wheel running significantly improved glucose metabolism and counteracted the deleterious effects of high-fat feeding on body weight and glucose intolerance.We further found that voluntary wheel running could integratively program gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolites changes,and may regulate muricholic acid metabolism and secondary bile acid biosynthesis in high-fat fed mice.

Enhancement of motor functional recovery in thoracic spinal cord injury: voluntary wheel running versus forced treadmill exercise

Spinal cord injury necessitates effective rehabilitation strategies, with exercise therapies showing promise in promoting recovery. This study investigated the impact of rehabilitation exercise on functional recovery and morphological changes following thoracic contusive spinal cord injury. After a 7-day recovery period after spinal cord injury, mice were assigned to either a trained group(10 weeks of voluntary running wheel or forced treadmill exercise) or an untrained group. Bi-weekly assessments revealed that the exercise-trained group, particularly the voluntary wheel exercise subgroup, displayed significantly improved locomotor recovery, more plasticity of dopaminergic and serotonin modulation compared with the untrained group. Additionally, exercise interventions led to gait pattern restoration and enhanced transcranial magnetic motor-evoked potentials. Despite consistent injury areas across groups, exercise training promoted terminal innervation of descending axons. In summary, voluntary wheel exercise shows promise for enhancing outcomes after thoracic contusive spinal cord injury, emphasizing the role of exercise modality in promoting recovery and morphological changes in spinal cord injuries. Our findings will influence future strategies for rehabilitation exercises, restoring functional movement after spinal cord injury.

The Black Protests in Poland: An Example of an Anti-pastoral Revolution

Michel Foucault in Security, Territory, Population: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1977-1978 argues, that there has never been such a thing as an anti-pastoral revolution in Western societies. Yes, we have had revolutions against the disciplinary apparatus and legal devices of power (schools, hospitals, prisons) and we have had examples of revolutions against the economic foundations of social inequality, but there has never been a genuine revolution against pastoral power as a power relating to the conduct of individuals (but also entire social groups) and their disposition to “voluntary submission” to the will of external authorities. In my paper, I would like to reflect on this thesis, and taking it quite seriously, to look for examples of such revolutions. One of them is a women’s strike in Poland during the power of the conservative government of “Law and Justice”. Mainly referring to the texts of Silvia Federici and Paul Preciado, I will want to reflect on contemporary practices of reclaiming the body in contemporary capitalism. I will defend the thesis that regaining control over sexuality and reproduction means changing the material conditions of life and modern reproductive technologies.

Incentivization and the moral problem of involuntary consent in medical research

The legal and moral permissibility of clinical research entails that researchers must secure the voluntary,informed consent of prospective research participants before enrolling them in studies.In seeking the consent of potential participants,researchers are also allowed to incentivise the recruitment process because many studies would fail to meet enrollment goals without a financial incentive for participation.Some philosophers and bioethicists contend that the use of incentives to secure consent from research subjects is problematic because it constitutes undue inducement and a coercive offer.Some proponents of this view are Ruth Macklin(1981,1989)and Joan McGregor(2005).Macklin claims that it is ethically inappropriate to pay research subjects.The payment is likely to coerce the research subject,thereby violating the ethical requirement on the voluntariness of research participation.Also,such offers can prompt subjects to lie,deceive or conceal information that,if known,would disqualify them as participants.For McGregor,incentives could be undue and coercive because they make offerees better off relative to their baseline as well as constrain them to accept the offer of incentives as the only eligible choice or option.I argue that coercive offers are distinct from undue inducement.Coercive offers are essentially morally objectionable because by making people accept an offer through threats for the sake of some interests or ends,the offeror vitiates the offeree’s capacity to make informed,voluntary,and rational decisions and choices.I further claim that the quantity of an incentive does not render an inducement undue.I contend that the only condition under which incentives are regarded as an undue inducement and as such vitiates an agent’s voluntary consent is if they are offered through deceptive or manipulative means.

石家庄地区无偿献血者HTLV-Ⅰ/Ⅱ检测情况分析

目的分析石家庄地区无偿献血者中人类嗜T淋巴细胞白血病病毒(HTLV)检测结果,为本地区临床用血安全提供科学依据。方法采用ELISA法(双抗原夹心)对河北省血液中心2016年9～12月采集的献血者标本进行HTLV-Ⅰ/Ⅱ抗体筛查,初筛反应性标本再进行双孔复试。复试阳性标本送卫生部临床检验中心做相关附加试验。结果石家庄地区41 000人份献血者标本中初筛阳性标本25例,经RT-PCR和蛋白印迹法(western blot,WB)确证阳性1例。该试剂假阳性率为0.06%。对献血者进行追溯,确认该献血者为无症状固定献血者,已有4次合格献血经历。结论石家庄地区无偿献血者属于HTLV-Ⅰ/Ⅱ感染的非流行区或低发区。采用ELISA法进行HTLV-Ⅰ/Ⅱ抗体筛查,其结果假阳性率低,适用于大规模血液筛查和血清流行病学调查。

Fat cell-secreted adiponectin mediates physical exercise-induced hippocampal neurogenesis: an alternative anti-depressive treatment?

Psychological depression is drawing accumulating attention nowadays, due to the skyrocketing incidence worldwide and the enormous burdens it incurs. Physical exercise has been long recog- nized for its therapeutic effects on depressive disorders, although knowledge of the underlying mechanisms remains limited. Suppressed hippocampal neurogenesis in adult brains has been regarded, at least partly, contributive to depression, whereas physical exercise that restores neuro- genesis accordingly exerts the anti-depressive action. Several recent publications have suggested the potential role of adiponectin, a protein hormone secreted by peripheral mature adipocytes, in mediating physical exercise-triggered enhancement of hippocampal neurogenesis and alleviation of depression. Here, we briefly review these novel findings and discuss the possibility of counter- acting depression by modulating adiponectin signaling in the hippocampus with interventions including physical exercise and administration of pharmacological agents.

Adaptability of anticipatory postural adjustments associated with voluntary movement

The control of balance is crucial for efficiently performing most of our daily motor tasks, such as those involving goal-directed arm movements or whole body displacement. The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, it is to recall how balance can be maintained despite the different sources of postural perturbation arising during voluntary movement. The importance of the so-called "anticipatory postural adjustments"(APA), taken as a "line of defence" against the destabilizing effect induced by a predicted perturbation, is emphasized. Secondly, it is to report the results of recent studies that questioned the adaptability of APA to various constraints imposed on the postural system. The postural constraints envisaged here are classified into biomechanical(postural stability, superimposition of motor tasks),(neuro) physiological(fatigue), temporal(time pressure) and psychological(fear of falling, emotion). Overall, the results of these studies point out the capacity of the central nervous system(CNS) to adapt the spatio-temporal features of APA to each of theseconstraints. However, it seems that, depending on the constraint, the "priority" of the CNS was focused on postural stability maintenance, on body protection and/or on maintenance of focal movement performance.

Voluntary running delays primary degeneration in rat retinas after partial optic nerve transection

Running is believed to be beneficial for human health. Many studies have focused on the neuroprotective effects of voluntary running on animal models. There were both primary and secondary degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases, including glaucoma. However, whether running can delay primary or secondary degeneration or both of them was not clear. Partial optic nerve transection model is a valuable glaucoma model for studying both primary and secondary degeneration because it can separate primary(mainly in the superior retina) from secondary(mainly in the inferior retina) degeneration. Therefore, we compared the survival of retinal ganglion cells between Sprague-Dawley rat runners and non-runners both in the superior and inferior retinas. Excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis are involved in the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. So we also used western immunoblotting to compare the expression of some proteins involved in apoptosis(phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinases, p-JNKs), oxidative stress(manganese superoxide dismutase, MnSOD) and excitotoxicity(glutamine synthetase) between runners and non-runners after partial optic nerve transection. Results showed that voluntary running delayed the death of retinal ganglion cells vulnerable to primary degeneration but not those to secondary degeneration. In addition, voluntary running decreased the expression of glutamine synthetase, but not the expression of p-JNKs and MnSOD in the superior retina after partial optic nerve transection. These results illustrated that primary degeneration of retinal ganglion cells might be mainly related with excitotoxicity rather than oxidative stress; and the voluntary running could down-regulate excitotoxicity to delay the primary degeneration of retinal ganglion cells after partial optic nerve transection.

Aquaporin 4 deficiency eliminates the beneficial effects of voluntary exercise in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).Our previous study showed that the protein aquaporin 4(AQP4),which is specifically expressed on the paravascular processes of astrocytes,is necessary for glymphatic clearance of extracellular amyloid beta(Aβ)from the brain,which can delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.However,it is not known whether AQP4-regulated glymphatic clearance of extracellular Aβis involved in beneficial effects of exercise in AD patients.Our results showed that after 2 months of voluntary wheel exercise,APP/PS1 mice that were 3 months old at the start of the intervention exhibited a decrease in Aβburden,glial activation,perivascular AQP4 mislocalization,impaired glymphatic transport,synapse protein loss,and learning and memory defects compared with mice not subjected to the exercise intervention.In contrast,APP/PS1 mice that were 7 months old at the start of the intervention exhibited impaired AQP4 polarity and reduced glymphatic clearance of extracellular Aβ,and the above-mentioned impairments were not alleviated after the 2-month exercise intervention.Compared with age-matched APP/PS1 mice,AQP4 knockout APP/PS1 mice had more serious defects in glymphatic function,Aβplaque deposition,and cognitive impairment,which could not be alleviated after the exercise intervention.These findings suggest that AQP4-dependent glymphatic transport is the neurobiological basis for the beneficial effects of voluntary exercises that protect against the onset of AD.

Identification of Behavior of Voluntary Traceability and Analysis of Its Determinants: A Case Study of Hog Slaughtering and Processing Firms in Zhejiang Province,China

In recent years, the Chinese government has highlighted the importance of adopting hog safety/quality traceability, and a growing amount of research continues to entice firms to adopt traceability systems. In this study, a survey was conducted on a sample of pig slaughtering and processing firms in Zhejiang, China through personal interviews and emails. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of firm behavior on the implementation of voluntary traceability systems with more stringent standards and controls than those of the mandatory system in China. The results revealed that motivation based on product quality improvement, capital ability and role perception （business type） had significantly positive relationships with a firm＇s voluntary traceability. Other incentives, such as operation improvement, recall risk reduction, reduced occurrence of safety issues, and technical strength were not found to be supportive in our study. This study provides an opportunity to better understand the determinants of firm behavior on voluntary traceability, particularly in light of the fact that some Chinese firms are facing the threat of criminal action for the use of illegal additives and the abuse of Clenbuterol. Policy recommendations on encouraging the implementation of pork safety voluntary traceability by hog slaughtering and processing firms are also discussed.

Preoperative maximal voluntary ventilation,hemoglobin,albumin,lymphocytes and platelets predict postoperative survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND Preoperative pulmonary function plays an important role in selecting surgical candidates and assessing postoperative complications.Reduced pulmonary function is associated with poor survival in several cancers,but the prognostic value of preoperative pulmonary function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is unclear.Nutritional and systemic inflammation parameters are vital to cancer survival,and the combination of these parameters improves the prognostic value.The hemoglobin,albumin,lymphocytes and platelets(HALP)score is a novel prognostic indicator to reflect the nutritional and inflammation status,but the clinical effects of the HALP score combined with maximal voluntary ventilation(MVV),an important parameter of pulmonary function,have not been well studied in ESCC.AIM To investigate the prognostic value of MVV and HALP score for assessing postoperative survival of ESCC patients.METHODS Data form 834 ESCC patients who underwent radical esophagectomy with R0 resection were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Preoperative MVV and HALP data were retrieved from medical archives.The HALP score was calculated by the formula:Hemoglobin(g/L)×albumin(g/L)×lymphocytes(/L)/platelets(/L).The optimal cut-off values of MVV and HALP score were calculated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to draw the survival curves for the variables tested.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the independent prognostic factors for overall survival.RESULTS MVV was significantly associated with gender(P<0.001),age at diagnosis(P<0.001),smoking history(P<0.001),drinking history(P<0.001),tumor length(P=0.013),tumor location(P=0.037)and treatment type(P=0.001).The HALP score was notably associated with gender(P<0.001),age at diagnosis(P=0.035),tumor length(P<0.001)and invasion depth(P=0.001).Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that low MVV and low HALP score were associated with worse overall survival(all P<0.001).Multivariate analysis showed that low MVV and the HALP score were both independent risk factors for overall survival(all P<0.001).The combination of MVV and HALP score improved the prediction performance for overall survival than tumor-node-metastasis.Also,low combination of MVV and HALP score was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival(P<0.001).CONCLUSION MVV,HALP score and their combination are simple and promising clinical markers to predict overall survival of ESCC patients.

Research,Extension,and Good Farming Practices Improve Water Quality and Productivity

Agriculture in southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho known collectively as the Treasure Valley has depended on furrow irrigation using heavy inputs of water and nitrogen （N） fertilizer. Crop rotations include onion, corn, wheat, sugar beet, potato, bean, and other crops. By 1986 groundwater had become contaminated with nitrate and residues of the herbicide chlorthal-dimethyl （DCPA）; an official groundwater management area was established by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality along with an action plan and well monitoring network. The action plan allowed for a trial period to see whether voluntary changes would improve trends. Researchers, producers, and agencies cooperated to develop production options that had the possibility of being both environmentally protective and cost effective. Options were tested to improve irrigation practices, increase N fertilizer use efficiency on several rotation crops, and find a cost effective replacement for DCPA. Research demonstrated the opportunity for increased productivity through both irrigation scheduling and the adoption of drip and sprinkler systems. Fertilizer research demonstrated that smaller, more frequent N applications were more efficient than a single large application. Effective, lower cost herbicides replaced DCPA. Research results were effectively delivered through many means and voluntarily adopted. Both groundwater nitrate and DCPA residues are declining. Productivity has increased.

Predictors of residual force enhancement in voluntary contractions of elbow flexors

Background:The steady-state increase in muscle force generating potential following a lengthening contraction is called residual force enhancement(RFE).In this study,we aimed to test for differences in torque,electromyographic activity(EMG),and the associated neuromuscular efficiency(NME)between isometric voluntary contractions of elbow flexors preceded and not preceded by a lengthening contraction.The dependence of such differences on(i)stretch amplitude,(ii)the region of the force-length(FxL)relationship where contraction occurs,and(iii)the individual's ability to produce(negative)work during the stretch was investigated.Methods:Sixteen healthy adults participated in the study.Elbow flexor torque,angle,and biceps brachii EMG for purely isometric contractions(reference contractions)and for isometric contractions preceded by active stretches of 20°and 40°were measured at the ascending,plateau,and descending regions of subject-specific FxL curves.All contractions were performed in an isokinetic dynamometer.Two-factor(stretch×FxL region)repeated measures analysis of variance ANOVAs was used to analyze the effect of active stretch on EMG,torque,and NME across conditions.The relationships between mechanical work during stretch-calculated as the torque-angular displacement integral-and the changes in EMG,torque,and NME were analyzed using Pearson correlation.Results:In general,torque,EMG,and NME following active stretches differed from the values observed for the purely isometric reference contractions.While although the detailed effects of active stretch on torque and EMG differed between regions of the FxL relationship,NME increased by about 19%for all muscle lengths.Up to 30%of the interindividual variability in torque generating potential change in response to active stretching was accounted for by differences in(negative)work capacity between subjects.Conclusion:Our results suggest that(i)RFE contributes to"flatten"the elbow flexor torque-angle relationship,favoring torque production at lengths where the purely isometric torques are reduced substantially,and(ii)RFE contributes to a reduction in energy cost of torque production during isometric contractions for the entire operating range.

Organ donation in China:the major progress and the continuing problem

China has banned harvesting organs from executed prisoners since January 1st, 2015, making voluntary donation the only legitimate venue for organ transplant. It is a critical move to settle all the controversies about China＇s organ transplant process by making a loud and strong statement worldwide that the Chinese government respects human rights and is streamlining its organ transplant process to conform with internationally accepted standards on organ transplantation. This regulation removes one major obstacle of organ transplant in China; however, China still faces the other maior obstacle of critical organ shortage.

Repeat HIV Testing and Incident Rates among Individuals Attending Voluntary Counseling and Testing Clinics in Wuxi, China： A Retrospective Study

Objective We aimed to elucidate the rates of repeat HIV testing and incident HIV diagnosis, and baseline CD4^＋ T cell count among individuals attending HIV voluntary counseling and testing （VCT） clinics in Wuxi, China. Methods A repeat HIV testing within 12 months was recorded if individuals had their first test with negative results, during 2013-2014 and retested within 12 months. An incident HIV diagnosis was recorded if individuals had their first test with negative results, during 2013-2015 and had a subsequent positive result at any point by the end of 2015. Data on HIV testing and diagnosis among individuals attending 32 VCT clinics from 2013 to 2015 and HIV diagnosis from other clinical services in Wuxi, China, were retrieved. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze factors associated with repeat HIV testing. Cox regression was used to evaluate factors associated with incident HIV diagnosis. Results From 2013 to 2014, 11,504 individuals tested HIV negative at their first recorded test, with 655 （5.7%） retesting within 12 months. Higher repeat HIV testing within 12 months was associated with male gender [adjusted odds ratio （a OR） = 1.7, 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.4-2.2], risk behaviors [commercial heterosexual behaviors （a OR = 1.4, CI： 1.1-1.6）, male-male sexual behaviors （a OR = 3.7, CI： 2.7-4.9）], injection drug use （a OR = 9.9, CI： 6.5-15.1）, and having taken HIV tests previously （a OR = 2.0, CI： 1.6-2.4）. From 2013 to 2015, 1,088 individuals tested negative on HIV test at their visit and at ≥ 2 subsequent tests; of them 30 had incident HIV diagnosis. The overall rate of incident HIV diagnosis among all VCT individuals was 1.6 （95% CI： 1.1-2.1） per 100 person-years. Incident HIV diagnosis was associated with male gender [adjusted hazard ratio （a HR） = 8.5, 95% CI： 1.9-38.1], attending hospital-based VCT clinics （a HR = 7.8, 95% CI： 1.1-58.3）, and male-male sexual behavior （a HR = 8.4, 95% CI： 1.5-46.7）. Individuals diagnosed at VCT clinics had higher CD4＋ T cell count compared with those diagnosed at other clinical services （median 407 vs. 326 copies/mm3, P = 0.003）. Conclusion VCT individuals in Wuxi, China, had a low repeat HIV testing rate and high HIV incidence. VCT-clinic-based interventions aimed at increasing repeat HIV testing are needed to detect more cases at an earlier stage, especially among individuals at high risk for HIV infection such as men who have sex with men.

自由意志中的主动与自愿关系研究——对海曼新观点适用性的辨析

在自由意志的相关研究中总会涉及主动(Active)、被动(Passive)以及自愿(Voluntary)与非自愿(Involuntary)等概念,牛津大学海曼教授在总结哲学史上从笛卡尔、霍布斯到詹姆斯、罗素以来的关于意志(Will)和意愿(Volition)的理论后,指出前人都错误地把"主动"(Active)等同于"自愿"(Voluntary),而把"被动"(Passive)等同于"非自愿"(Involuntary),没能把主动与自愿区分开来,从而混淆了主动与自愿,并以存在"自愿的被动"(voluntary passivity)和"非自愿的主动"(involuntary ac-tivity)为论据进行论证。本文尝试对海曼的关键性论据的适当性以及他区分主动和自愿所赖以成立的前提及可能面临的困难进行分析,并在此基础上对海曼所说的主动与自愿混淆重新进行解释,以使研究得以深化。

卒中对行走时头部自主水平运动过程中头部、胸廓和骨盆的协调性及稳定性的影响

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate and compare the coordinatio n and stabilization of axial segments during walking with and without horizontal voluntary head turns, in healthy (n=5) and hemiparetic (n=10) subjects. Methods : Subjects were instructed to turn the head as fast and as soon as possible in t he direction indicated by an illuminated arrow signal(right, left or none) that was triggered at initial contact of the right (healthy) or paretic (hemiparetic) foot. Head, thorax,and pelvis motions were obtained from a 9-segment model usi ng retro-reflective markers and a Vicon-512 system with 6 high-resolution cam eras. Coordination of axial segments in the horizontal plane was characterized u sing cyclographs and cross-correlat- ion analyses. Stabilization of the segments was quantified using root mean squ are (RMS) values of the segment’s normalized acceleration profile. Results: The healthy subjects showed a direction-dependent modulation of axial segment coor dination, with head turns toward and away from the stance limb favoring and hind ering, respectively, the contrarotational pattern of the thorax with respect to the pelvis during locomotion. Meanwhile, pelvis motions remained unaltered.This direction-specific modulation pattern was disrupted in the hemiparetic subjects , both in the spatial and temporal domains.Moreover, larger RMS values for head and thorax segments were observed in the hemiparetic groups, both with and witho ut the superimposition of voluntary head motions. Conclusions:The findings sugge st that: (1) head rotations during walking modify axial segment coordination in a direction-specific manner, (2) the pelvic rotations associated with locomotio n remained unaffected by head rotations and (3) stroke alters this coordination behavior, which may contribute to balance dysfunctions during locomotion.

Chinese Association of Automation

The Chinese Association of Automation(CAA)was founded on November 27,1961.It islegally registered in the Ministry of Civil Affairs as a non-profit national academic society organized on a voluntary basis of any individual or enterprise comrnitted to R&D,education and application in the automation field in China.As the organizational member of China Association for Science&Technology(CAST),it serves as an important social force for the development of automation technology.Website:http://www.caa.org.

Rationale and design of the cardiorespiratory fitness and hospitalization events in armed forces study in Eastern Taiwan

AIM To investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and hospitalization events in a cohort of large voluntary arm forces in Taiwan. METHODS The cardiorespiratory fitness and hospitalization events in armed forces(CHIEF) is a retrospective cohort consisting of more than 4000 professional military members aged 18-50 years in Eastern Taiwan. All participants received history taking, physical examination, chest radiography, 12-lead electrocardiography, blood tests for cell counts and fasting glucose, lipid profiles, uric acid, renal function and liver function in the Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital during 2014. In addition, participants were required to undergo two indoor resistant exercise tests including 2-min push-up and 2-min sit-up, both scored by infrared sensing, and one outdoor endurance 3000-m none weight-bearing running test, the main indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness in the Military Physical Training and Testing Center in Eastern Taiwan in 2014. RESULTS Hospitalization events for cardiovascular disease, acute kidney injury, rhabdomyolysis, severe infectious disease, acute psychiatric illness, diabetes, orthopedic surgery and mortality will be identified in the National Insurance Research Database for 10 years. CONCLUSION CHIEF will be among the largest Eastern Asian armed forces cohort, in which physical status was strictly evaluated to follow up the hospitalization events for severe illness.