Skeletal Muscle Health and Cognitive Function: A Narrative Review

Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function with advancing age. It involves both complex genetic and modifiable risk factors, such as lack of exercise, malnutrition and reduced neurological drive. Cognitive decline refers to diminished or impaired mental and/or intellectual functioning. Contracting skeletal muscle is a major source of neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which regulate synapses in the brain. Furthermore, skeletal muscle activity has important immune and redox effects that modify brain function and reduce muscle catabolism. The identification of common risk factors and underlying mechanisms for sarcopenia and cognition may allow the development of targeted interventions that slow or reverse sarcopenia and also certain forms of cognitive decline. However, the links between cognition and skeletal muscle have not been elucidated fully. This review provides a critical appraisal of the literature on the relationship between skeletal muscle health and cognition. The literature suggests that sarcopenia and cognitive decline share pathophysiological pathways. Ageing plays a role in both skeletal muscle deterioration and cognitive decline. Furthermore, lifestyle risk factors, such as physical inactivity, poor diet and smoking, are common to both disorders, so their potential role in the muscle–brain relationship warrants investigation.     

Intergenerational Metabolomic Analysis of Mothers with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Their Offspring

Shared metabolomic patterns at delivery have been suggested to underlie the mother-to-child transmission of adverse metabolic health. This study aimed to investigate whether mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offspring show similar metabolomic patterns several years postpartum. Targeted metabolomics (including 137 metabolites) was performed in plasma samples obtained during an oral glucose tolerance test from 48 mothers with GDM and their offspring at a cross-sectional study visit 8 years after delivery. Partial Pearson’s correlations between the area under the curve (AUC) of maternal and offspring metabolites were calculated, yielding so-called Gaussian graphical models. Spearman’s correlations were applied to investigate correlations of body mass index (BMI), Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI-M), dietary intake, and physical activity between generations, and correlations of metabolite AUCs with lifestyle variables. This study revealed that BMI, ISI-M, and the AUC of six metabolites (carnitine, taurine, proline, SM(-OH) C14:1, creatinine, and PC ae C34:3) were significantly correlated between mothers and offspring several years postpartum. Intergenerational metabolite correlations were independent of shared BMI, ISI-M, age, sex, and all other metabolites. Furthermore, creatinine was correlated with physical activity in mothers. This study suggests that there is long-term metabolic programming in the offspring of mothers with GDM and informs us about targets that could be addressed by future intervention studies.     

Religion and spirituality: Linkages to physical health.

Evidence is presented that bears on 9 hypotheses about the link between religion or spirituality and mortality, morbidity, disability, or recovery from illness. In healthy participants, there is a strong, consistent, prospective, and often graded reduction in risk of mortality in church/service attenders. This reduction is approximately 25% after adjustment for confounders. Religion or spirituality protects against cardiovascular disease, largely mediated by the healthy lifestyle it encourages. Evidence fails to support a link between depth of religiousness and physical health. In patients, there are consistent failures to support the hypotheses that religion or spirituality slows the progression of cancer or improves recovery from acute illness but some evidence that religion or spirituality impedes recovery from acute illness. The authors conclude that church/service attendance protects healthy people against death. More methodologically sound studies are needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

师德修养与教师幸福的关系探析

师德是教师获得幸福的必要条件,是教师幸福的基础。教师幸福是师德修养深层次的体现,是师德修养的深化。关于师德修养和教师幸福的关系,在教育界一直被讨论。通过对师德修养和教师幸福内涵进行分析,进而探讨其两者的关系,从而对两者有更加深刻的理解,对于提升师德修养,增强教师的幸福感,进而对当前教育教学改革产生一定理论意义和实践价值。     

探析设计如何创造文化附加值

其实设计的附加值源于人们生活方式的改变,我们不再满足吃饱足,我们要求自我的个性、生活的多样性。设计中的文化附加值通过改变观念创造价值。设计改变着我们,改变着生活,从它诞生的那一天起。     

生活形态下的智能家居产品设计研究

目的构建生活形态的家居智能产品设计与研究的方法。方法根据社会学、用户行为学、心理学的特点,遵循可持续发展的理念,分析家庭的生活形态与家居智能产品发展及设计趋势之间的关系,搭建产品设计与生活形态和智能化之间的桥梁,理清互联网时代智能化的要求,构想未来生活形态向着"数位生活"、"物联生活"以及"智慧生活"改变的理论,从而引出智能家居产品设计与用户生活形态发展的方向。结论通过对家居产品的智能化来探讨家庭成员生活形态对产品设计的影响,以及小米智能家居产品的案例分析,并分析生活形态对家居产品的空间布局的影响,总结出家居产品—智能化—生活形态三者之间的关系,为家居产品的智能化设计提供参考,提升设计效能。     

浅谈平面结构形式在现代服装设计中的表现

近年来许多服装设计师开始大量借用中式服装中披挂,直线裁剪,抽褶等设计手法;本文通过分析平面结构服装的特点,对二维平面服装与西方立体服装进行对比,从审美和实用这两个角度,阐述平面结构式服装的特点。列举其设计形式的多变性和功能的舒适性在服装设计中的表现,指出平面结构形式对现代服装设计的影响与作用。     

从职业培训看新生代农民工城市融入的障碍与对策

2010年中央一号文件对农民工问题非常重视,特别提出要解决好新生代农民工的问题。从职业培训角度分析了新生代农民工城市融入的瓶颈问题,并给出了应对策略。     

Participatory system dynamics modelling for housing,energy and wellbeing interactions

The built environment is a key target of decarbonization policies. However, such policies often have a narrow objective and narrow focus, resulting in ‘policy-resistance’ and unintended consequences. The literature attributes these unintended consequences to a narrow financial focus, adverse incentives, and inadequate handling of knowledge, skills, communication and feedback gaps, but it provides little advice on how these complex interactions can be captured. This paper illustrates the development and application of an integrated approach to address these complex interactions with regard to housing performance, energy, communal spaces and wellbeing. In particular, it explores the dynamics created by these relationships with simulation modelling in participatory settings, and with a diverse group of stakeholders. The simulation results suggest that monitoring is key to improve the performance of the housing stock besides energy efficiency; and investments in communal spaces positively affect the adoption of energy-efficiency measures and the wellbeing of residents. The evaluation results for participatory workshops show this approach was found useful by the stakeholders for supporting more integrated decision-making about housing. In future research, this approach can be implemented for policy problems in specific contexts.     

Development of an injury prevention model for playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in orchestra musicians based on predisposing risk factors

IntroductionPlaying an instrument could lead to various disorders and several musicians report problems during their career. As there is no existing one, the aim of this study was to build a comprehensive model of injury prevention and risk factors in musicians by combining literature with interviews of musicians and experts.MethodsThe initial model has been based on literature. This model identified nine categories of risk factors. Then, interviews were conducted with 15 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra musicians and 9 experts in musicians’ health to develop the final version.ResultsEighty percent of the RLPO instrumentalists experienced at least once PRMDs in their career. Postural and workload issues were mentioned most frequently. Experts agreed broadly with the initial model and added interesting items that should be taken into account in assessing musicians’ health.DiscussionThis theoretical framework provides perspectives in terms of assessment, treatment and prevention in musicians, whether they are currently suffering from PRMDs or not.