Capsiate Intake with Exercise Training Additively Reduces Fat Deposition in Mice on a High-Fat Diet,but Not without Exercise Training

While exercise training (ET) is an efficient strategy to manage obesity, it is recommended with a dietary plan to maximize the antiobesity functions owing to a compensational increase in energy intake. Capsiate is a notable bioactive compound for managing obesity owing to its capacity to increase energy expenditure. We aimed to examine whether the antiobesity effects of ET can be further enhanced by capsiate intake (CI) and determine its effects on resting energy expenditure and metabolic molecules. Mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8 per group) and fed high-fat diet. Mild-intensity treadmill ET was conducted five times/week; capsiate (10 mg/kg) was orally administered daily. After 8 weeks, resting metabolic rate and metabolic molecules were analyzed. ET with CI additively reduced the abdominal fat rate by 18% and solely upregulated beta-3-adrenoceptors in adipose tissue (p = 0.013) but did not affect the metabolic molecules in skeletal muscles. Surprisingly, CI without ET significantly increased the abdominal fat rate (p = 0.001) and reduced energy expenditure by 9%. Therefore, capsiate could be a candidate compound for maximizing the antiobesity effects of ET by upregulating beta-3-adrenoceptors in adipose tissue, but CI without ET may not be beneficial in managing obesity.     

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.     

Silver impregnation applied to striated muscle: The sarcoplasmic reticulum

The classical black reaction developed by Camillo Golgi is shown to impregnate the tubules and fenestrations of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in striated muscle. This is a double impregnation of chromate and silver, which usually fills extracellular spaces. The method is difficult insofar as long incubation times are required, and location of the successfully “stained” SR in plastic-embedded tissue blocks is unpredictable. The light microscope is absolutely necessary to find the good regions which can then be cut from the blocks in 1-μm-thick sections and examined in the electron microscope. Stereo pairs give the best results since these resolve overlap problems common to thick sections. A variety of artifacts are illustrated which can help avoid erroneous interpretations. The Golgi-“stained” SR shows this elusive network with unsurpassed contrast and should benefit the morphological studies of muscle-membrane enthusiasts.     

Immunoelectron localization of mitochondrial F1 factor in cryosections of heart muscle cells

Immunocytochemistry was used to investigate the localization of F1 ATPase in mitochondria of cryosections of adult mouse heart muscle cells. The initial aldehyde fixation was the only denaturation step for antigens. The fine structure was preserved with contrast enhancement as the sections were maintained hydrated, with the advantage that the entire procedure is completed in one working day. The reaction was highly specific, and entire mitochondria were labeled with the Protein A-gold complex. A new analytical technique, electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI), contributed to a better visualization of the localization of the F1 factor.     

Storage Stability of Antioxidant-Washed Myofibrils From Chicken White and Red Muscle

Oxidation and gel-forming ability of chicken white (breast) and red (leg) muscle myofibrillar proteins during storage at 0°C were examined. Breast myofibril gels exhibited greater shear moduli than leg myofibril gels throughout 8 days storage. Shear moduli of both breast and leg gels in the intermediate temperature zone (45–55°C) decreased during storage, but at >55°C, they either increased or remained unchanged. Lipid oxidation was inhibited by washing myofibrils with antioxidants propyl gal-late, ascorbate, and tripolyphosphate. However, these antioxidants did not affect the content of protein carbonyls, and only slightly decreased the amine content during storage. Storage affected the kinetic process of myofibril gelation independently of antioxidant treatments.     

机器人骨骼-肌肉系统工程模拟的动态分析

用振动学理论对仿人机器人骨骼-肌肉系统工程模型进行了分析，并提出了一种控制振动的方法，提高仿人机器人运动精度和缩短达到稳定的时间，同时阐述了这种方法的可行性。     

Finite element modelling of skeletal muscles coupled with fatigue

In this study, Hill's muscle theory coupled with fatigue was proposed to describe mechanical behaviours of skeletal muscles. The force developed by a fatigued muscle was described by a muscle fatigue formula which was a time function of the activation α_a and the stretch λ. The modified Hill's muscle theory was hence incorporated into a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model using the PAK finite element code. In this paper, the theoretical derivation of the 3D muscle model was firstly described. After presenting the method of establishing the finite element programme, a case example of studying the mechanical response of a frog gastrocnemius muscle was used to illustrate the applicability of the proposed methodology. The effects of the muscle fatigue on the deformation as well as the stress and strain distribution of the frog muscle subject to a cyclic activation function have been determined. An experiment capturing the real-time shape change of a frog muscle was also conducted to assess the applicability of the proposed method. A comparison between the deformed shapes of the predictive model and the frog muscles was also made. It was shown that the method is capable of providing a reasonable model for describing the mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscles.     

Role of pH and Ionic Strength on Water Relationships in Washed Minced Chicken-breast Muscle Gels

ABSTRACT The relationship between pH, ionic strength, and water balance of chicken-breast muscle gels was investigated. An increase in gel pH (pH 6.4 to 7.4) without added NaCl led to dramatic increases in water-holding capacity and water uptake (P < 0.05). Gels at 150 mM NaCl exhibited less ability to adsorb water than salt-free gels (P < 0.05 at pH 6.8 to 7.4) and had lower water-holding capacities (P < 0.05) and fold scores at and below pH 7. Varying salt concentration of the gel-bathing solutions had dramatic effect on the water uptake of the gels. The results show that strong water-absorbing gels can be produced at low ionic strengths and suggest that the negative charge of the muscle proteins is the driving force for water uptake and retention.