A systematic scoping review of study methodology for randomized controlled trials investigating probiotics in athletic and physically active populations

Background:The purported ergogenic and health effects of probiotics have been a topic of great intrigue among researchers,practitioners,and the lay public alike.There has also been an increased research focus within the realm of sports science and exercise medicine on the athletic gut microbiota.However,compared to other ergogenic aids and dietary supplements,probiotics present unique study challenges.The objectives of this systematic scoping review were to identify and characterize study methodologies of randomized controlled trials investigating supplementation with probiotics in athletes and physically active individuals.Methods:Four databases(MEDLINE,CINAHL,Cochrane CENTRAL,and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)were searched for randomized controlled studies involving healthy athletes or physically active individuals.An intervention with probiotics and inclusion of a control and/or placebo group were essential.Only peer-reviewed articles in English were considered,and there were no date restrictions.Results were extracted and presented in tabular form to detail study protocols,characteristics,and outcomes.Bias in randomized controlled trials was determined with the RoB 2.0 tool.Results:A total of 45 studies were included in the review,with 35 using a parallel group design and 10 using a cross-over design.Approximately half the studies used a single probiotic and the other half a multi-strain preparation.The probiotic dose ranged from 2×10^(8)to 1×10^(11)colony forming units daily,and the length of intervention was between 7 and 150 days.Fewer than half the studies directly assessed gastrointestinal symptoms,gut permeability,or the gut microbiota.The sex ratio of participants was heavily weighted toward males,and only 3 studies exclusively investigated females.Low-level adverse events were reported in only 2 studies,although the methodology of reporting varied widely.The risk of bias was generally low,although details on randomization were lacking in some studies.Conclusion:There is a substantial body of research on the effects of prob iotic supplementation in healthy athletes and physically active individuals.Considerable heterogeneity in probiotic selection and dosage as well as outcome measures has made clinical and mechanistic interpretation challenging for both health care practitioners and researchers.Attention to issues of randomization of participants,treatments and interventions,selection of outcomes,demographics,and reporting of adverse events will facilitate more trustworthy interpretation of probiotic study results and inform evidence-based guidelines.

Effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement,psychosocial functioning,and physical fitness:A multi-country cluster randomized controlled trial

Purpose:To examine the effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement,psychosocial functioning,and physical fitness in children aged 7-8 years.Methods:Twenty schools in 5 different European countries(2 second-grade classrooms per school)participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial(Sport at School trial).Participants were assigned to either a control group,which continued with their habitual physical education lessons,or to an intervention group,which replaced these lessons with a 1-year karate intervention(Karate Mind and Movement program).A total of 721 children(344 girls and 377 boys,7.4±0.5 years old,mean±SD)completed the study,of which 333 and 388 were assigned to the control group and intervention group,respectively.Outcomes included academic performance(average grade),psychosocial functioning(Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for parents),and different markers of physical fitness(cardiorespiratory fitness,balance,and flexibility).Results:The intervention provided small but significant benefits compared to the control group for academic achievement(d=0.16;p=0.003),conduct problems(d=-0.28;p=0.003),cardiorespiratory fitness(d=0.36;p<0.001),and balance(d=0.24;p=0.015).There was a trend towards significant benefits for flexibility(d=0.24;p=0.056).No significant benefits were observed for other variables,including psychosocial difficulties,emotional symptoms,hyperactivity/inattention,peer problems,or prosocial behaviour(all p>0.05).Conclusion:A 1-year school-based karate intervention was effective in improving academic achievement,conduct problems,and physical fitness in primary school children.The results support the inclusion of karate during physical education lessons.

Epidemiology of Mpox Outbreaks and Implications for Surveillance in Imo State, Nigeria

Mpox disease is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days while symptoms and signs may persist for 2 to 5 weeks. Although, the clinical features are usually less severe when compared to the deadly smallpox, the disease can be fatal with case fatality rate between 1% and 10%. In Imo State, Nigeria, there has been a changing epidemiology of the disease in the last 6 years and the frequency and geographic distribution of cases have progressively increased. This study aims to conduct a review of the disease epidemiology between 2017 and 2023 and implications for surveillance in Imo State. Surveillance data from the Surveillance Outbreak Response and Management System (SORMAS) was extracted between January 2017 and December 2023 across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Imo State. A line list of 231 suspected cases was downloaded into an excel template and analyzed using SPSS® version 20 software. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and associations were tested using Fischer’s exact at 0.05 level of significance. Of the 231 suspected cases, 57.1% (132) were males, 42.9% (99) were females and the modal age group was between the ages of 0 - 4 (32.5%). Eight (8) LGAs (districts) accounted for 71% (n = 164) of all the suspected cases. 21.2% (49) were confirmed positive, 27 males (55.1%) and 22 females (44.9%) (p > 0.05). Modal age group was 20 - 24 (22.4%, n = 11), 18% (9) were children under 14 years, p > 0.05. Case fatality rate was 8% (n = 4). There was no significant association between mortality and age group. Five (5) LGAs accounted for about 60% (29) of all confirmed cases. These LGAs contribute only 20% to the total population in the State. Only 5.6% and 4% of suspected and confirmed cases, respectively, had knowledge of contact with an infectious source. The study described the epidemiology of Mpox outbreaks between 2017 and 2023 and the findings have significant implications on detection and outbreak response activities.

废轮胎热解油(TPO)冷再生沥青混合料路用性能及机理研究

废轮胎热解油(Tire Pyrolysis Oil,TPO)是废旧轮胎热解的副产物。TPO的化学成分与常用沥青再生剂芳香烃类油的化学成分相似,使得TPO能够用作废旧沥青混合料(Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement,RAP)的再生剂,并能恢复RAP的技术性能。采用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪对再生沥青胶结料的化学结构进行了研究,揭示了TPO冷再生沥青混合料的再生机理。采用马歇尔设计方法明确了TPO冷再生沥青混合料的材料组成。研究了TPO的掺量、预活化时间和环氧树脂掺量对再生沥青混合料路用性能的影响规律。研究结果表明:TPO可以软化老化沥青、降低其黏度、重新平衡RAP表面的老化沥青的化学成分和恢复老化沥青的技术性能,但仅用TPO再生的再生沥青混合料的力学性能较差,掺入低剂量的环氧树脂在沥青混合料内部起到了结构补强的作用,极大地提高了TPO再生沥青混合料的各项性能。

Is hamstrings-to-quadriceps torque ratio useful for predicting anterior cruciate ligament and hamstring injuries?A systematic and critical review

Background:For the past 30 years,the hamstring(H)-to-quadriceps(Q)(H:Q)torque ratio has been considered an important index of muscle strength imbalance around the knee joint.The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the value of H:Q torque ratio as an independent risk factor for hamstring and anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)injuries.Methods:Database searches were performed to identify all relevant articles in PubMed,MEDLINE,Cochrane Library,and Scopus.Prospective studies evaluating the conventional(concentric H:Q),functional(eccentric H:concentric Q),and mixed(eccentric H at 300/s:concentric Q at2400/s)H:Q ratios as risk factors for occurrence of hamstring muscle strain or ACL injury were considered.Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool.Results:Eighteen included studies reported 585 hamstrings injuries in 2945 participants,and 5 studies documented 128 ACL injuries in 2772participants.Best evidence synthesis analysis indicated that there is very limited evidence that H:Q strength ratio is an independent risk factor for hamstring and ACL injury,and this was not different between various ratio types.Methodological limitations and limited evidence for ACL injuries and some ratio types might have influenced these results.Conclusion:The H:Q ratio has limited value for the prediction of ACL and hamstring injuries.Monitoring strength imbalances along with other modifiable factors during the entire competitive season may provide a better understanding of the association between H:Q ratio and injury.

Research on Freezing of Gait Recognition Method Based on Variational Mode Decomposition

Freezing of Gait(FOG)is the most common and disabling gait disorder in patients with Parkinson’s Disease(PD),which seriously affects the life quality and social function of patients.This paper proposes a FOG recognition method based on the Variational Mode Decomposition(VMD).Firstly,VMD instead of the traditional time-frequency analysis method to complete adaptive decomposition to the FOG signal.Secondly,to improve the accuracy and speed of the recognition algorithm,use the CART model as the base classifier and perform the feature dimension reduction.Then use the RUSBoost ensemble algorithm to solve the problem of unbalanced sample size and considerable limitations of a single classifier.Finally,the hyperparam-eters of the ensemble classifier are optimized by Bayesian optimization,and the experiment proves that the RUSBoost algorithm can complete the gait recognition task well.Compared with the Adaboost,Tomeklinks-Adaboost and ROS-Adaboost ensemble algorithms,the RUSBoost ensemble algorithm can complete the FOG recognition task more efficiently.When the maximum number of splits is 1023,and the number of base classifiers is 100,the performance of the RUSBoost ensemble algorithm can reach the best.The accuracy of the time recognition algorithm was 87.8%,the sensitivity was 89.7%,and the specificity was 87.5%.

A Study of Prospective Barriers,Benefits and Measures for Building Information Modeling(BIM)Adoption in Nepalese AEC Industry

The construction industry needs modern construction methodology and technology to improve sustainability and production performance.Building Information Modelling(BIM)technology supports improving the quality of products by reducing design and construction defects,risks to the health and safety of workers,and reduce overall project cost and delivery time.The BIM has capabilities,but it is still undiscovered and unable to exploit the full scale of its benefits in the Architectural Engineering and Construction(AEC)industry.There is a trend to adopt the BIM level 1,which is limited to 2D and only in a few cases 3D models uses in the design and construction of residential and commercial buildings,particularly in Nepal.Hence,this paper focuses on providing insight into the BIM benefits and identifies the potential barriers while adopting BIM Level 3 in Nepal.This was accomplished by developing a 4DBIM model of a multi-story residential building in Nepal and conducting the industry survey via focus group with the AEC professionals based on the developed 4DBIM model.A comprehensive literature review was conducted and presented the findings of the BIM benefits and barriers while adopting BIM.The study found that commercial and governmental projects can immediately be adopted BIM technology.It is concluded that the unavailability of skilled BIM users and the lack of proper policies for BIM adoption are key barriers in Nepal.Hence,the new policy is required to achieve and exploit the full scale of the BIM benefits and improve the project delivery in terms of quality,cost and time including the health and safety of workers and the sustainability of the AEC industry.

Navigating Eutrophication in Aquatic Environments: Understanding Impacts and Unveiling Solutions for Effective Wastewater Management

Eutrophication is the term used to describe the presence of natural and artificial nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems.The water quality in various bodies of water such as ponds,lakes,rivers,etc.is deteriorating as a result of an abundance of plant nutrients in these water sources.Over-enrichment of aquatic ecosystems with nutrients is a major hazard to the well-being of aquatic ecosystems worldwide.In addition,the circulations have lowered the requirements for home and agricultural consumption of water.The main origins of these plant nutrients within aquatic ecosystems stem from the discharges of industries engaged in activities like livestock farming,agriculture,fertilizer production,manufacturing of textiles,and clothing production.Therefore,a variety of methods and approaches have already been developed as safety measures to avoid the negative consequences of water tainted with those undesired minerals.Eutrophication presents many obstacles,but with the right public awareness campaign and global scientific efforts,its negative impacts may be lessened.This research seeks to pinpoint the primary origins of plant nutrients within the aquatic ecosystem and explore potential triggers for eutrophication.Additionally,it proposes innovative regulatory methods and offers suggestions for sustainable wastewater management practices.

Experimental Study on Entropy Features in Machining Vibrations of A Thin-Walled Tubular Workpiece

In machining processes,chatter vibrations are always regarded as one of the major limitations for production quality and efficiency.Accurate and timely monitoring of chatter is helpful to maintain stable machining operations.At present,most chatter monitoring methods are based on the energy level at specified chatter frequencies or frequency bands.However,the spectral features of chatter could change during machining operations due to complexity and time-varying dynamics of the physical machining process.The purpose of this paper is to investigate the time-varying chatter features in turning of thin-walled tubular workpieces from the perspective of entropy.The airborne acoustics was selected as the source of information for machining condition monitoring.First,corresponding to the distinguishing surface topographies relevant to machining conditions,the features of the sound signal emitted during turning of the thin-walled cylindrical workpieces were extracted using the spectral analysis and wavelet packet transform,respectively.It was shown that the dominant vibration frequency as well as the energy distribution could shift with the transition of the machining status.After that,two relative entropy indicators based on the spectrum and the wavelet packet energy were constructed to identify chattering events in turning of the thin-walled tubes.The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed indicators could accurately reflect the transition of machining conditions with high sensitivity and robustness in comparison with the traditional FFT-based methods.The achievement of this study lays the foundations of the online chatter monitoring and control technique for turning of the thin-walled tubular workpieces.

踏跳瞬间足后部骨骼的三维有限元分析

目的建立足部三维有限元模型,对足后部骨骼在踏跳中的应力分布进行分析。方法应用CT扫描和CAD/CAM软件处理,建立足后部骨骼三维模型。通过对背跃式跳高踏跳的足底压力测量和逆向肌肉力量计算,确定载荷约束条件,并进行有限元计算。结果获得了踏跳瞬间,跟骨、距骨、舟骨等易损伤部位的生物力学响应和应力分布,发现跟骨后距关节,距骨背面均为应力集中处。结论本研究建立的模型可用于足后部骨骼生物力学研究,为踏跳中的运动损伤力学机理提供数据。

寒地城市居住区天然光获得量数值分析：动态模型

为研究寒地城市住区布局形式对天然光获得量的影响,以寒地表城市多层住区为研究对象,选取了三种典型平面布局形式,采用了基于地域气候数据的新型模拟技术对建筑南立面中心各层窗口位置的垂直照度值(月平均和典型日)进行了计算,在此基础上动态分析和评价了各种布局形式的天然光获得量情况。结果表明,动态模型相对于静态更为贴合实际的气象变化状况。不同的建筑布局和时间段对天然光的利用存在较大的影响,应该在城市规划和建筑设计的最初阶段给予充分的关注。

不同风载下桁架式海上风力机地震动力学响应

为研究风载荷对地震发生时桁架式海上风力机动力学响应的影响,以NREL 5 MW海上风力机为研究对象,建立桁架式风力机有限元模型,采用p-y曲线描述柔性海底土壤与桩基间的相互作用。基于SMOOTH湍流风谱模型求解风载荷,并计算正常运行、停机及紧急停机工况下风力机支撑结构的瞬态动力学响应。结果表明:风载荷对风力机支撑结构影响十分显著,且不同运行工况的支撑结构响应特性有较大差异。地震的发生会导致局部剪应力及应变能波动频率和幅值激增,采用紧急停机的方式可有效削弱风-地震联合作用对风力机叶片及支撑结构的影响。地震发生后的60 s,支撑结构局部剪应力峰值下降7.7%,平均值下降87.5%,集中于风力机塔架与桁架结构衔接处的应变能峰值下降14.6%。

含La2O3奥氏体不锈钢堆焊合金层晶粒细化机制及对其耐腐蚀、磨损性能的影响

目的通过在超低碳Cr19Ni10不锈钢堆焊合金中加入稀土氧化物La2O3,细化其微观组织,获得力学性能、耐腐蚀性能和耐磨性能等综合性能优良的堆焊合金层。方法采用添加La2O3的超低碳Cr19Ni10不锈钢焊条制备了四种不锈钢堆焊合金。采用X射线荧光光谱、红外碳硫分析仪和X射线衍射分析仪,对堆焊合金层的元素组成和相组成进行了测定。采用金相显微镜和晶粒度统计软件,对堆焊合金层的微观组织形貌进行观察,并对晶粒度进行了统计分析。采用显微维氏硬度计和纳米压痕仪对堆焊合金层的硬度和杨氏模量进行了测定。采用电化学工作站和CSM摩擦磨损试验机对堆焊合金层的耐腐蚀性能和耐磨性能进行了评价,并且采用白光共聚焦显微镜对磨损后的磨痕形貌和尺寸进行了观察和测定。采用二维晶格错配度理论,对La2O3/γ-Fe界面间的晶格错配关系进行了计算。结果在堆焊合金层中加入La2O3,随着La2O3加入量的增加,堆焊合金层奥氏体晶粒细化越明显。当La2O3的添加量由0%增加至1.5%时,奥氏体晶粒平均面积由400μm2减少为210μm2。堆焊合金层加入La2O3,可以明显提高其力学性能、耐腐蚀性能和耐磨损性能。当La2O3的添加量由0%增加至1.0%时,堆焊合金层的微观硬度由180HV增加到225HV,宏观硬度由125HBS增加到150HBS,杨氏模量由186 GPa左右增加到217 GPa,腐蚀电位由-0.4 V增加到-0.25 V,磨痕深度由50μm减小到10μm。La2O3(001)面和γ-Fe(110)面的二维晶格错配度为8.7%(<12%),说明La2O3可以作为γ-Fe的中等有效异质形核基底,从而细化了堆焊合金层中的奥氏体晶粒。结论La2O3可以有效地细化奥氏体晶粒,改善堆焊合金层的力学性能,提高其耐腐蚀和耐磨损性能。但是,La2O3加入量存在一个最佳值,当La2O3的加入量为1.0%时,堆焊合金层的综合性能最好。

极限环境载荷诱导风力机结构振动影响分析

风力机桩基、塔架及连接部件构成的支撑结构属顶部承担较大质量的力学结构,地震对其造成的影响远大于常规建筑。针对上述问题,基于NREL开发计算平台,联合TurbSim、AeroDyn、FAST及Seismic,对变风载荷、变地震载荷(波形、强度)下的风力机动力学响应进行研究。发现:地震横波对风力机结构响应造成剧烈影响,纵波相对于横波影响较小;风力机在水平方向的结构响应比竖向更剧烈,垂直方向的结构响应在结构分析时可忽略不计。叶片的结构响应主要由风载荷造成;因风载荷在来流方向的作用导致塔顶流向位移和塔架侧向弯矩受风载荷和地震载荷同时影响,塔顶侧向位移和塔架流向弯矩受地震载荷作用更显著。

多土层桩-土耦合效应对静止状态下近海超大型风力机地震动力学响应及屈曲的影响分析

以近海DTU 10MW超大型风力机为研究对象,选用东海实测海床土壤参数构建桩周土水平抗力-桩基形变(p-y)曲线,并基于非线性弹簧单元建立纯砂土、纯黏土及多土层桩-土耦合效应模型,选取实测地震位移数据作为地震载荷,采用有限元方法对比研究了3种桩-土耦合效应下风力机动力学响应特性。结果表明:多土层桩-土耦合效应下塔顶位移、塔顶前后位移及侧向位移峰值及其波动的剧烈程度小于纯砂土,但大于纯黏土,采用纯砂土或纯黏土构建桩-土耦合效应模型将导致预估响应结果不准确;不同桩-土耦合效应下,塔架一阶模态均被地震载荷诱发;地震作用时纯砂土桩-土耦合效应下塔架屈曲因子最小,多土层次之,纯黏土最大;塔架最大剪应力峰值位于塔架支撑结构处,地震作用时塔架下端易发生局部屈曲,结构设计时应重点关注此处。

基于三维地震作用下桩-土耦合效应近海超大型风力机动力学响应研究

近海风力机的大型化更易受地震侵袭,地震能量通过土基传递至结构,以准确的桩-土耦合效应模型考虑三维地震诱导的动力学响应十分必要。为此,以超大型DTU 10 MW单桩式近海风力机为研究对象,基于p-y、t-z及q-z曲线和非线性弹簧建立桩-土耦合效应模型,选取实测地震位移数据为地震作用于风力机,采用有限元方法对不同桩-土耦合效应模型的单桩式风力机动力学响应进行研究。结果表明:采用集中质量点模拟叶片等上部结构的简化模型与风力机整机结构动力学特性差异较小,垂向桩-土耦合效应加剧了前四阶模态相对位移且改变三阶及四阶模态振型,垂向桩-土耦合效应使得塔架固有频率远离共振频率,安全裕度更大;桩周土摩阻力和三维地震作用下桩-土耦合效应加剧塔顶加速度响应波动及峰值,峰值分别增加49%及124%,标准差分别增大2%和52%,且流、横及垂向塔顶加速度响应也剧增,横向增幅最大,分别增大209%和318%;若仅以p-y曲线及p-y、q-z曲线构建桩-土耦合效应模型,将导致对地震作用下风力机动力学响应的评估不足;支撑结构最大等效应力在考虑垂向地震作用下的桩-土耦合效应后大幅降低,最大降幅为566%;三维地震作用下桩-土耦合效应加剧桩基及其各高度处位移响应。

China's Urbanization in 1949–2015: Processes and Driving Forces

The pace and scale of China's contemporary urbanization are stunning. This paper reviews process and the underlying driving forces of China's urbanization between 1949–2015. Contemporary China's urbanization has experienced four stages, and each has had different driving forces: 1) economic re-construction and industrialization-led urbanization(1949–1977); 2) economic reform and market-led urbanization(1978–1995); 3) economic globalization and the global-local urbanization(1996–2010); and 4) the land-economyled urbanization(2010–). These urbanization processes and driving forces will undoubtedly provide scientific reference and have significant implications for developing countries, especially African countries, to formulate their urbanization public policies.

Mechanism of Cracking Resistance of Hardfacing Specimens of Steel 5CrNiMo Improved by Rare Earth Oxide

The cracking morphology of the hardfacing specimens taken from steel 5CrNiMo was observed. Meanwhile, the residual stress fields were measured and simulated. Based on experiment mentioned above, the improved structure and modified inclusion in hardfacing metal with rare earth （RE） oxide were analyzed. The results show that, the hardfacing crack is initiated from the coarse dendritic crystal grain boundary, inclusions and coarse austenite grain boundary in the HAZ and propagated by the residual stress existing in the center of the hardfacing metal and HAZ. The primary columnar grain structure can be refined by adding RE oxide in the coating of the electrode. The inclusion in the hardfacing metal can be modified as well. Meanwhile, if the martensite transformation temperature is decreased, the largest value of the residual tensile stress in the dangerous region can be reduced.

A Bayesian Network Approach for Offshore Risk Analysis Through Linguistic Variables

This paper presents a new approach for offshore risk analysis that is capable of dealing with linguistic probabilities in Bayesian networks （ BNs）. In this paper, linguistic probabilities are used to describe occurrence likelihood of hazardous events that may cause possible accidents in offshore operations. In order to use fuzzy information, an f-weighted valuation function is proposed to transform linguistic judgements into crisp probability distributions which can be easily put into a BN to model causal relationships among risk factors. The use of linguistic variables makes it easier for human experts to express their knowledge, and the transformation of linguistic judgements into crisp probabilities can significantly save the cost of computation, modifying and maintaining a BN model. The flexibility of the method allows for multiple forms of information to be used to quantify model relationships, including formally assessed expert opinion when quantitative data are lacking, or when only qualitative or vague statements can be made. The model is a modular representation of uncertain knowledge caused due to randomness, vagueness and ignorance. This makes the risk analysis of offshore engineering systems more functional and easier in many assessment contexts. Specifically, the proposed f-weighted valuation function takes into account not only the dominating values, but also the a-level values that are ignored by conventional valuation methods. A case study of the collision risk between a Floating Production, Storage and Off-loading （FPSO） unit and the anthorised vessels due to human elements during operation is used to illustrate the application of the proposed model.

Formal safety assessment and application of the navigation simulators for preventing human error in ship operations

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has encouraged its member countries to introduce Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) for ship operations since the end of the last century. FSA can be used through certain formal assessing steps to generate effective recommendations and cautions to control marine risks and improve the safety of ships. On the basis of the brief introduction of FSA, this paper describes the ideas of applying FSA to the prevention of human error in ship operations. It especially discusses the investigation and analysis of the information and data using navigation simulators and puts forward some suggestions for the introduction and development of the FSA research work for safer ship operations.