Localized Heat Therapy Improves Mitochondrial Respiratory Capacity but Not Fatty Acid Oxidation

AIM: Mild heat stress can improve mitochondrial respiratory capacity in skeletal muscle. However, long-term heat interventions are scarce, and the effects of heat therapy need to be understood in the context of the adaptations which follow the more complex combination of stimuli from exercise training. The purpose of this work was to compare the effects of 6 weeks of localized heat therapy on human skeletal muscle mitochondria to single-leg interval training. METHODS: Thirty-five subjects were assigned to receive sham therapy, short-wave diathermy heat therapy, or single-leg interval exercise training, localized to the quadriceps muscles of the right leg. All interventions took place 3 times per week. Muscle biopsies were performed at baseline, and after 3 and 6 weeks of intervention. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity was assessed on permeabilized muscle fibers via high-resolution respirometry. RESULTS: The primary finding of this work was that heat therapy and exercise training significantly improved mitochondrial respiratory capacity by 24.8 ± 6.2% and 27.9 ± 8.7%, respectively (p < 0.05). Fatty acid oxidation and citrate synthase activity were also increased following exercise training by 29.5 ± 6.8% and 19.0 ± 7.4%, respectively (p < 0.05). However, contrary to our hypothesis, heat therapy did not increase fatty acid oxidation or citrate synthase activity. CONCLUSION: Six weeks of muscle-localized heat therapy significantly improves mitochondrial respiratory capacity, comparable to exercise training. However, unlike exercise, heat does not improve fatty acid oxidation capacity.     

Circulating Extracellular Vesicles Impair Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Differentiation Favoring Adipogenic Rather than Osteogenic Differentiation in Adolescents with Obesity

Excess body weight has been considered beneficial to bone health because of its anabolic effect on bone formation; however, this results in a poor quality bone structure. In this context, we evaluated the involvement of circulating extracellular vesicles in the impairment of the bone phenotype associated with obesity. Circulating extracellular vesicles were collected from the plasma of participants with normal weight, as well as overweight and obese participants, quantified by flow cytometry analysis and used to treat mesenchymal stromal cells and osteoblasts to assess their effect on cell differentiation and activity. Children with obesity had the highest amount of circulating extracellular vesicles compared to controls. The treatment of mesenchymal stromal cells with extracellular vesicles from obese participants led to an adipogenic differentiation in comparison to vesicles from controls. Mature osteoblasts treated with extracellular vesicles from obese participants showed a reduction in differentiation markers in comparison to controls. Children with obesity who regularly performed physical exercise had a lower circulating extracellular vesicle amount in comparison to those with a sedentary lifestyle. This pilot study demonstrates how the high amount of circulating extracellular vesicles in children with obesity affects the bone phenotype and that physical activity can partially rescue this phenotype.     

NLRP3 Inflammasome: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Target in Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder, whose pathophysiology has been linked to the neuroinflammatory process. The increased activity of the Nod-like receptor pyrin containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, an intracellular multiprotein complex, is intrinsically implicated in neuroinflammation by promoting the maturation and release of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Interestingly, individuals suffering from MDD have higher expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components and proinflammatory cytokines when compared to healthy individuals. In part, intense activation of the inflammasome may be related to autophagic impairment. Noteworthy, some conventional antidepressants induce autophagy, resulting in less activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. In addition, the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine, some bioactive compounds and physical exercise have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties via inflammasome inhibition. Therefore, it is suggested that modulation of inflammasome-driven pathways may have an antidepressant effect. Here, we review the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of MDD, highlighting that pathways related to its priming and activation are potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of MDD.     

有氧运动训练和姜黄素对Ⅱ型糖尿病大鼠肝糖原及糖代谢信号通路的影响

为探讨有氧运动训练和姜黄素对Ⅱ型糖尿病大鼠肝糖原及糖代谢信号通路的影响,将大鼠分为对照组（C组）,模型组（D组）、运动组（S组）、姜黄素组（H组）和姜黄素+运动组（S+H组）,S组和S+H组大鼠给予8周有氧运动训练,H组和S+H组大鼠给予8周姜黄素灌胃干预,测定其空腹血糖、口服葡萄糖耐量实验（OGTT）后各时点血糖、胰岛素分泌、胰岛素敏感性、肝糖原水平及肝脏葡萄糖代谢及胰岛素信号分子mRNA表达的变化。结果表明:与D组相比,S+H组大鼠OGTT实验后各时刻血糖值均降低（p<0.05）;且胰岛素水平、胰岛素敏感指数及肝糖原水平均较S组和H组高（p<0.05）;肝脏葡萄糖激酶（GK）、肝细胞葡萄糖载体蛋白-2（GLUT2）、肝脏胰岛素样生长因子1（IGF-1）、胰岛素受体底物1（IRS-1）、胰岛素受体底物2（IRS-2）相对表达量均较S组和H组高（p<0.05）,而人葡萄糖激酶调节蛋白（GKRP）则较S组和H组降低（p<0.05）,且联合干预效果优于单独干预。结论表明有氧运动和姜黄素可有效降低血糖水平,改善胰岛素抵抗,促进肝糖原合成。      

压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响

研究选取12名生理指标相对类似的试验对象,通过采用自身对照和交叉平衡的试验设计方法,针对普通膳食和以90军用干粮为例的压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响进行了分析,通过测定试验对象进食2组不同营养组成的食品进行运动或训练后、恢复体内的血糖浓度水平、血乳酸浓度、血乳酸清除率、心率变化、相关激素水平变化以及不同氧化变化情况评价普通膳食和压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响。试验结果显示,相比于普通膳食,压缩合成食品在高强度运动以及力竭运动后维持人体运动能力方面以及体能恢复方面具有明显优越性。     

蜂胶对增强小鼠力竭游泳耐力的影响

本文研究了蜂胶对力竭游泳和24h恢复后小鼠血液、肝脏中自由基代谢的影响。结果表明:蜂胶提取物可以显著延长小鼠游泳至力竭的时间(p<0.01),清除自由基,减轻力竭运动所致的氧化损伤,促进力竭运动后小鼠物质和能量代谢的恢复。实验结果提示,蜂胶提取物具有抗疲劳作用。     

上肢康复机器人等速运动控制算法的研究

等速运动康复的目标是保证人的手臂在用不断增加的力矩驱动机械臂转动时,机械臂转速始终被控制在预设值不变,且人机的肩关节轴要动态对齐。针对上述要求,通过采集机器人关节伺服电机电枢绕组中的电流值和转子的转速,确定外力矩、电机力矩和转速之间的关系,据此建立等速运动控制算法,并以人手臂肩关节的屈展角度为变量,找出机器臂肩关节轴在高度方向对齐人肩关节轴的函数关系,进而建立了考虑速度和位置双重因素下的人机肩关节轴动态对齐控制算法。通过将上述控制算法用于实物样机的控制,证明了控制算法的正确性。该研究为控制上肢等速运动康复提供了参考。     

连续支付美式分期付款期权的计算

为了研究连续支付分期付款美式期权的定价问题,以看涨期权为例,采用对冲的方法建立了此类期权定价的偏微分方程模型.模型中的方程是一个非齐次的Black-Scholes方程,其非齐次项为期权的分期付款率.根据金融意义,连续支付分期付款美式期权的定价问题是一个自由边界问题,含有最佳终止边界和最佳实施边界2条自由边界,从而把偏微分方程模型转化为相应的变分不等方程模型,然后用有限差分方法给出了此类期权价格的数值解,并分析了不同参数值的情况下最佳终止边界和最佳实施边界的位置及性质.结果表明看涨期权的最佳终止边界单调非减,而最佳实施边界则单调非增.     

A Smart Wellness Service Platform and Its Practical Implementation

Advances in the field of medical sciences and medical technology, and present-day challenges, such as an aging population, rising medical expenses, and lifestyle-related diseases, have collectively catalyzed a research ecosystem termed “smart wellness.” This article describes the establishment of a smart wellness service platform designed to empower individuals to create a sense of balance in their lives. Step-by-step details include service model, design, and architectural considerations. As a proof of concept, implementation details of a Health Improvement and Management Systems (HIMS) Hub, a Smart Wellness Service Platform deployed in six cities in South Korea, are presented. An on-site survey conducted in Busan Metropolitan City reveals the percentage of satisfied users to be 91.3%. Furthermore, data gathered from 27,236 physical evaluations of users from a Busan city center over the period of April 2013 to May 2018 reveal that males and females in their 50s and 60s account for the highest number of participants, while males in their 70s have a higher rate of participation than females in the same age group.