Additive neurorestorative effects of exercise and docosahexaenoic acid intake in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

There is a need to develop interventions to slow or reverse the degeneration of dopamine neurons in Parkinson’s disease after diagnosis.Given that preclinical and clinical studies suggest benefits of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids,such as docosahexaenoic acid,and exercise in Parkinson’s disease,we investigated whether both could synergistically interact to induce recovery of the dopaminergic pathway.First,mice received a unilateral stereotactic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the striatum to establish an animal model of nigrostriatal denervation.Four weeks after lesion,animals were fed a docosahexaenoic acid-enriched or a control diet for the next 8 weeks.During this period,the animals had access to a running wheel,which they could use or not.Docosahexaenoic acid treatment,voluntary exercise,or the combination of both had no effect on(i)distance traveled in the open field test,(ii)the percentage of contraversive rotations in the apomorphine-induction test or(iii)the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta.However,the docosahexaenoic acid diet increased the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive terminals and induced a rise in dopamine concentrations in the lesioned striatum.Compared to docosahexaenoic acid treatment or exercise alone,the combination of docosahexaenoic acid and exercise(i)improved forelimb balance in the stepping test,(ii)decreased the striatal DOPAC/dopamine ratio and(iii)led to increased dopamine transporter levels in the lesioned striatum.The present results suggest that the combination of exercise and docosahexaenoic acid may act synergistically in the striatum of mice with a unilateral lesion of the dopaminergic system and provide support for clinical trials combining nutrition and physical exercise in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Exercise and exerkine upregulation:Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a potential non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease

Physical activity and exercise have several beneficial roles in enhancing both physiological and psychological well-being of an individual.In addition to aiding the regulation of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism,exercise can stimulate the synthesis of exerkine hormones in the circulatory system.Among several exerkines that have been investigated for their therapeutic potential,Brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)is considered the most promising candidate,especially in the management of neurodegenerative diseases.Owing to the ability of physical activity to enhance BDNF synthesis,several experimental studies conducted so far have validated this hypothesis and produced satisfactory results at the pre-clinical level.This review highlights some of the recent animal model studies that have evaluated the efficiency of exercise in enhancing BDNF synthesis and promoting neuroprotective effects.Further,this review focuses on understanding the therapeutic benefits of exercise-induced exerkine synthesis as a non-pharmacological strategy in Parkinson’s disease(PD).Regarding physical activity and exerkine induction,the neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)strategy could be considered as an alternate treatment modality for patients affected with PD.

Analysis of current status of and barriers to exercise participation among patients on maintenance hemodialysis

Objective:The objective of this study was to analyze the current status of barriers to exercise participation(EP)among patients on maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 277 outpatients undergoing MHD in 2 tertiary first-class hospitals in Beijing from February 2023 to June 2023 who were selected using convenience sampling method.The data of patients on MHD were collected using the general information questionnaire,Physical Activity Rating Scale,Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale(EBBS),and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale(ESES).The relationship between EP and barriers to EP was analyzed through univariate and multivariate linear regression models.Results:Patients on MHD had a low exercise volume score of 13.71±0.68 points and a medium EBBS score of 63.36±0.40 points.Multivariate logistic analysis showed that exercise volume was significantly related to the following four aspects,including low monthly household income per capita(odds ratio[OR]=86.741,95%confidence interval[CI][1.164-6.465],P=0.042),primary underlying disease of diabetic nephropathy(OR=45.993,95%CI[1.353-1.564],P=0.033),the belief that“fatigue in lower extremities hinders exercise”(OR=4.697,95%CI[1.127-19.585],P=0.034),and the belief that“physical exercise bringing optimistic and positive life attitude”(OR=0.074,95%CI[0.007-0.830],P=0.035).Conclusions:Since patients on MHD had low physical exercise volume,the health-care provider should pay more attention on the controllable factors that affect the EP of patients on MHD.Therefore,feasible and effective intervention measures can be formulated based on ESES in clinical nursing.

Pregnant Women with Diabetes under the Novel COVID-19 Pneumonia Epidemic Home Protection and Diet and Exercise Management

Under the epidemic situation of novel COVID-19 pneumonia, pregnant women belong to the susceptible population, and their physiological and psychological conditions are particularly worthy of attention. Diabetes patients during pregnancy may have a variety of complications, which can have a serious adverse impact on their own and fetal health. This article elaborates on home protection and diet and exercise guidance for pregnant women with diabetes in order to provide guidance for pregnant women with diabetes in a special period, and further prevent and control the pneumonia epidemic caused by novel COVID-19 infection in pregnant women.

Women’s empowerment and food consumption:Evidence from female-headed households in Tanzania

Despite the growing recognition of women’s increasing role in the household and corresponding empowerment programs in sub-Saharan Africa,intensive research on the relationship between women’s influence and household food consumption is minimal.Using the most recent(2017-2018)national household survey data from Tanzania,this study examined the influence of women’s empowerment on household food consumption.First,we compared the monthly consumption of eight food categories between female-headed households(FHHs)and male-headed households(MHHs)using both descriptive statistics and the propensity score matching(PSM)method.Furthermore,we adopted the two-stage Linear Expenditure System and Almost Ideal Demand System model(LES-AIDS)to estimate income and price elasticities for the two household types.The results show that FHHs consume bread and cereals,fish,oils and fats,vegetables,and confectionery(sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.)more than MHHs.Moreover,FHHs have a significantly higher income elasticity of demand for all food groups than MHHs.They are also more price elastic than MHHs in meat,fish,oils,fats,sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.

The Three Principles of Institutional Safeguards for Women's Participation in Legislation in China

The participation of women in legislation is an important aspect and means of safeguarding women’s rights.Feminist theory,based on criticism of both the“citizenship identity theory as rights”and the“citizenship identity theory as responsibilities,”proposes the“citizenship identity theory as subjectivity.”Observing the current practice of women’s participation in legislation in China,two institutional safeguard principles can be summarized:the“minimum proportion”and the“influence evaluation.”However,each of these principles has its inherent limitations.Therefore,it is necessary to supplement them with the principle of“subjective participation”in a reflective manner.This principle requires women to participate substantively in the legislative process as subjects,express women’s needs and demands,input women’s perspectives and experiences,and reconstruct the distribution of rights and responsibilities in the existing legislation.The three principles complement each other and work together to comprehensively constitute the institutional structure of women’s participation in legislation,thereby promoting the reproduction of corresponding action structures.

A Historical Review of the Development of Women’s Higher Education in China (1908-2020): Stages, Explanations, and Trends

The development of women’s higher education in China can be divided into four stages:emergence(1908-1948);foundation(1949-1976);accelerating development(1977-2008);and the qualitative leap(2009-2020).This work considers the principal institutional mechanisms that contributed to this development.First,flexibly planned parenthood gradually promoted gender equality and openness in society facilitated by systematic“awards,grants,and loans”initiatives to support women’s higher education economically.Second,compulsory education ensured that left-out and migrant children had access to higher education.Third,effective connectivity across different education types bridged education gaps between those with different levels of education.Fourth,China made great efforts to invite and integrate international experiences that promoted the development of women’s higher education.Looking beyond these achievements,we also discuss the future trends of women’s higher education in China.

Student’s Health Exercise Recognition Tool for E-Learning Education

Due to the recently increased requirements of e-learning systems,multiple educational institutes such as kindergarten have transformed their learning towards virtual education.Automated student health exercise is a difficult task but an important one due to the physical education needs especially in young learners.The proposed system focuses on the necessary implementation of student health exercise recognition(SHER)using a modified Quaternion-basedfilter for inertial data refining and data fusion as the pre-processing steps.Further,cleansed data has been segmented using an overlapping windowing approach followed by patterns identification in the form of static and kinematic signal patterns.Furthermore,these patterns have been utilized to extract cues for both patterned signals,which are further optimized using Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis(FLDA)technique.Finally,the physical exercise activities have been categorized using extended Kalmanfilter(EKF)-based neural networks.This system can be implemented in multiple educational establishments including intelligent training systems,virtual mentors,smart simulations,and interactive learning management methods.

Effects of Physical Exercise and Music Therapy on Cognitive Aspects in Tunisian Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Type Dementia

Aim: The objective of this research is to highlight the effectiveness of physical exercise and music therapy in older patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Patients with a mild level of AD were included in this study, divided into the therapy group (TG;N = 30, aged 68 ± 3.2 years) and the control group (CG;N=30, aged 65 ± 2.6 years). The therapy group was enrolled in an exercise-training program (walking, resistance and balance exercises) combined with musical therapy for 10 weeks (three sessions of 60 minutes per week). The Control group was instructed to follow their daily rhythm of life (e.g., rest, reading) under the same conditions. The intervention program was enrolled under the supervision of;one psychologist;a neurologist;two music therapists, and two physiotherapists, all belonging to the same hospital unit. After 10 weeks of participation in the combined program, cognitive parameters were improved in the therapy group measured with the Behavior Pathology in Alzheimer Disease (BEHAVE-AD), (p < 0.05) for activity disturbance, diurnal rhythm disturbances, anxieties and phobias, affective disturbance. The percentage range of improvements is 1.07% to 2.96%. Results: Our results demonstrate that physical exercise combined with music therapy improves cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions: Physical exercise and music therapy are beneficial combined treatments for improving life quality in older patients. This approach may be useful to help patients with a mild level of Alzheimer’s disease improve their behavioral and psychological parameters.

EEG-Related Changes to Fatigue during Intense Exercise in the Heat in Sedentary Women

Purpose: This study examined the possible causal mechanisms of fatigue during intense exercise in the heat in a group of nine sedentary women. Methods: Two strenuous cycling sessions were performed, at 100% of maximal aerobic power, either in neutral (N-Ex, air temperature: 22°C ± 0.4°C, air humidity: 53% ± 8%) or in heat conditions (H-Ex, air temperature: 35°C ± 0.3°C, air humidity: 59 ± 6). Tympanic temperature (Tty), heart rate (HR), body mass loss (BML), lactate concentration [La] and brain electrical activity (EEG: α and β waves and α/β ratio) were recorded. Results: Tty, HR and [La] increases (p ﹣1) than that during N-Ex (0.08 ± 0.02°C·min﹣1), and time to exhaustion (Time Limit at 100%) was significantly (p β waves decreased (p α/β ratio increased (p < 0.05) significantly immediately before exhaustion. Conclusion: During exercise in the heat, the high rate of core temperature rising might be a critical factor triggering faster brain changes.

Metabolic response to 6-week aerobic exercise training and dieting in previously sedentary overweight and obese pre-menopausal women:A randomized trial

Background： The aim of this study was to compare 6 weeks short-term moderate intensity aerobic exercise and dieting on serum metabolomics and cardio-metabolic risk factors in pre-menopausal women. Methods： Ninety previously inactive overweight and obese （BMI 25-35 kg/m2） women （age 41.5 ± 7.6 years） were randomized to either a 6-week Nordic walking exercise program （EX, n = 45） or dietary counseling group （DI, n = 45）. Body composition, serum glucose, insulin and lipids were measured. Serum low-molecular-weight metabolites and lipid constituents were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Measurements were done at baseline and 7 days after the last training session. Results： Six weeks aerobic exercise program yielded reductions in serum free fatty acids （-34.7%, 95% confidence interval （CI）, -50 to -18, p 〈 0.001）, glucose （-9.6%, 95%CI, -15 to -4, p 〈 0.001） and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） （-28.7%, 95%CI, -48 to -10, p = 0.005） without changes in body weight or fat mass. Diet counseling resulted in loss of body weight （1.5%, 95%CI, -2.3 to -0.7, p = 0.001） but no changes in free fatty acids, fasting glucose, or HOMA-IR were found. Conclusion： Our results indicate that small weight loss does not produce measurable health benefits, whereas short-term regular aerobic exercise can improve glucose and lipid metabolism even in the absence of weight loss in previously sedentary overweight and obese women.

Prognostic Value of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Elderly Women with Heart Failure and Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction

The prognostic role of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in elderly women with chronic heart failure (HF) has not yet been clarified. We assessed the incremental value of CPET variables for risk stratification in female HF patients with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We prospectively followed up 131 female HF outpatients aged 72 [interquartile range 62 - 77] years after a symptom limited CPET. 34% had ischemic heart disease and 14% permanent atrial fibrillation, 24% were in NYHA class III. LVEF was 50% [interquartile range 36 - 62], peak oxygen consumption was 11.3 [interquartile range 9.2 - 13.5] ml/kg/min;the slope of the regression line relating ventilation to CO2 output was 33.9 [interquartile range 30.3 - 44.9];40% of patients showed exercise oscillatory breathing during CPET. During a median follow-up of 18 months [interquartile range 8 - 54], overall 39 patients (29.7%) met the combined end-point of cardiovascular mortality or HF admission using a time-to-first event approach. Moderate to severe mitral regurgitation, slope, exercise oscillatory breathing were independently associated to cardiovascular mortality or HF admission. When CPET ventilatory variables were added to clinical and echocardiographic parameters, prediction of the combined point improved significantly (AUC 0.755 (95% CI 0.662 to 0.832) vs 0.634 (95% CI 0.536 to 0.725), p = 0.016). In conclusion, among elderly female HF patients the CPET derived parameters EOB and VE/VCO2 slope emerged as strong prognostic markers, with additive predictive value to clinical and echocardiographic parameters in patients with both reduced and preserved LVEF.

The Way Food, Diet, and Exercise Are Communicated in Women’s Health Magazine: From a Critical Perspective

Women’s Health Magazine creates a fantasy world for many women,in which they can attach themselves to the ideal beauty standards,and work towards reaching those ideals by engaging in diet and exercise.The advertisements in this magazine mostly give value to the Western ideal of white beauty,which is about the slenderness of the feminine physical body.However,the white beauty ideal makes women in different cultures such as the Turkish and Latin women to resemble this ideal by changing their darker hair colors to blonde,changing their darker eye colors to blue,and changing their curvy body types to slim;even though,their curviness represents sexual desire in their specific culture,and thus it leads these women to lose their cultural characteristics that make them more feminine(Mendible,2007,pp.3-8).In other words,the white ideal beauty causes many women in other cultures to have some kind of cultural assimilation in terms of their own beauty standards,and instead cause them to embrace an international standard of beauty that is Western,and many women such as the Turkish and Hispanic,as well as,the Korean,Chinese,and Japanese,undergo some kind of a process of cultural assimilation related to their cultural body characteristics,as a result(Yan&Bissell,2014,p.197).In other words,these women lose their indigenous body characteristics and they instead try to resemble the slender ideal body of the West with the spread of globalization,which has a major influence on that(Hoskins,2014,p.110).The aim of this paper is to show how the Women’s Health Magazine,a popular contemporary magazine,crates a discourse on food,diet,and exercise,which have a major influence in shaping and assimilating the body type of Turkish women from a critical perspective.

Role of exercise in preventing and restoring gut dysbiosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases:A review

Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD)include a spectrum of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract whose pathogenesis is yet to be elucidated.The intestinal microbiome has been studied as a causal component,with certain microbiotic alterations having been observed in subtypes of IBD.Physical exercise is a modulator of the intestinal microbiome,causing shifts in its composition that are partially corrective of those observed in IBD;furthermore,physical exercise may be beneficial in patients with certain IBD subtypes.This review studies the effects of physical exercise on the human gut microbiome while investigating pathophysiologic mechanisms that could explain physical activity’s clinical effects on patients with IBD.

Analysis of Regional Differences in Bone Mineral Density Acquisition Factors in Young Women

Purpose: Obtaining high peak bone mass (PBM) and maintaining bone mass is important for the prevention of osteoporosis. This study aimed to examine the regional differences in bone mineral density and factors associated with its acquisition from exercise. Design: The study population included 75 women of 18 - 22 years of age in East Japan and 104 women of 18 - 27 years of age in West Japan. The speed of sound (SOS) of the calcaneus was measured, and the young adult mean (%YAM) was calculated from the SOS. The subjects’ medical history, family history of osteoporosis, and exercise habits were examined using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: There were a significantly greater number of subjects with low %YAM in West Japan. The exercise history and exercise time were significantly higher in West Japan, and the exercise intensity score tended to be higher in East Japan during junior high and high school. A multiple regression analysis by region revealed that the following factors had a significant positive association with the SOS: exercise intensity at elementary school and outdoor sports at junior high school in East Japan;and exercise time at elementary school, muscle mass, and outdoor sports at junior high school in West Japan. On the other hand, exercise time in junior high school in West Japan showed a negative association with the SOS. Conclusions: Regional differences in bone mineral density existed, suggesting a trend toward lower bone mineral density in West Japan. Exercise history and time tended to be higher in West Japan, and exercise intensity scores tended to be higher in East Japan, suggesting that exercise intensity may be more important than exercise time for obtaining bone mineral density.

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.

The Effects of Exercise on People with Parkinson’s Disease—Review

Quality of life encompasses physical, psychological and social aspects of health. Apart from motor symptoms (physical aspects), Parkinson’s disease (PD) is also closely related with various non-motor symptoms (psychological and social aspects) that can undermine quality of life greatly, even in early stages of the disease. Most research studies in this field focus on analysis of motor symptoms in PD sufferers. Although benefits of physical activity for the psychosocial quality of life are well-known, they have been mostly neglected in case of the people suffering from PD. Numerous studies clearly show that training programs can ameliorate the quality of life as far as non-motor functions in PD sufferers are concerned. The only psychological aspects of the disease related to the effects of exercise that have been researched so far are depression and cognitive functions. Depression is the most common denominator of poor quality of life, while dementia often accompanies the Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown positive effects of exercise on the social life of those suffering from the disease, especially in case of group exercise. Studying psychological and social aspects of such chronic conditions as PD is of utmost importance for monitoring the patient’s adjustment to the disease, functioning with it, as well as the overall well-being and satisfaction with life. Thus far, the results have been pointing towards improvement of the quality of life. Exercise is a readily available method of treatment in case of PD, especially if applied in the early stages of the disease. In addition to reviewing the existing studies on the relation between exercise and quality of life of the patients, this paper will also focus on the way the psychological and social aspects of PD are influenced by exercise.

Influence of cultural factors on choice of childbirth place among women in Oyigbo Local Government Area,Rivers State,Nigeria

Objectives:This study aims to ascertain if cultural factors influence the childbirth place choice of women in Oyigbo.Materials and Methods:The study used a cross‑sectional study design using a self‑structured questionnaire as the instrument to collect data from 384 volunteers through simple random sampling,and these data were analyzed using frequency and percentage for descriptive statistics while Chi‑square was used for inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance.Results:The influence of cultural factors such as family traditions(χ^(2)=12.56,P=0.006),beliefs(χ^(2)=70.66,P=0.000),lack of confidence in health facilities(χ^(2)=367.83,P=0.000),and the presence of male skilled birth attendants(χ^(2)=50.85,P=0.000)were statistically significant to the choice of childbirth place,while patriarchal system(χ^(2)=2.99,P=0.393)was not statistically significant to the choices of childbirth places of women in Oyigbo.Religion had a statistically significant influence on childbirth place(χ^(2)=125.46,P=0.000).Conclusion:This study shows that religious and cultural factors have a significant influence on the childbirth place choices of women in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Inter-individual differences in the responses to aerobic exercise in Alzheimer’s disease: Findings from the FIT-AD trial

Background:Despite the strong evidence of aerobic exercise as a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease(AD)in animal models,its effects on cognition are inconsistent in human studies.A major contributor to these findings is inter-individual differences in the responses to aerobic exercise,which was well documented in the general population but not in those with AD.The purpose of this study was to examine inter-individual differences in aerobic fitness and cognitive responses to a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention in community-dwelling older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia due to AD.Methods:This study was a secondary analysis of the Effects of Aerobic Exercise for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease(FIT-AD)trial data.Aerobic fitness was measured by the shuttle walk test(SWT),the 6-min walk test(6MWT),and the maximal oxygen consumption(VO2max)test,and cognition by the AD Assessment Scale-Cognition(ADAS-Cog).Inter-individual differences were calculated as the differences in the standard deviation of 6-month change(SDR)in the SWT,6MWT,VO2max,and ADAS-Cog between the intervention and control groups.Results:Seventy-eight participants were included in this study(77.4±6.3 years old,mean±SD;15.7±2.8 years of education;41%were female).VO2max was available for 26 participants(77.7±7.1 years old;14.8±2.6 years of education;35%were female).The SDR was 37.0,121.1,1.7,and 2.3 for SWT,6MWT,VO2max,and ADAS-Cog,respectively.Conclusion:There are true inter-individual differences in aerobic fitness and cognitive responses to aerobic exercise in older adults with mild-tomoderate dementia due to AD.These inter-individual differences likely underline the inconsistent cognitive benefits in human studies.

What do we know from clinical trials on exercise and Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is the most common form of dementia in elderly with major symptoms of a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities impairment which are serious enough to interfere with daily life.While there is no treatment can prevent and revise the cognitive function impairment in AD,physical activity becomes a potential beneficia intervention for AD.Multiple evidences suggested that exercise in general plays beneficia roles in improving brain function.Most common mechanisms of exercise-induced enhancement of brain function are including alteration of neurogenesis,neuron plasticity,neuronal signaling and receptors,as well as neuronal networks.This mini review includes most recent clinical studies and focuses on the effects of physical exercise,cognitive stimulation,and combination of both physical and cognitive training on protection and rescue cognitive decline in people with AD.