Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is seeking manuscripts related to research studies that assess skeletal muscle and vascular function across healthy aging and disease.

Healthy aging and disease are known to cause deleterious alterations to skeletal muscle and vascular function. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying these adaptations are not clear. Therefore, the goal of this Special Issue is to collect meaningful research manuscripts that uncover the mechanisms related to manifestations of healthy aging and disease in skeletal muscle and the vascular system. We encourage authors to undertake an integrative approach in their submissions to this Special Issue that incorporate mechanistic ties between several physiological control systems. All types of skeletal muscle and vascular research related to healthy aging and disease will be considered for this Special Issue, including but not limited to micro-vascular function, macro-vascular function, endothelial function, blood pressure regulation, arterial stiffening, skeletal muscle function, skeletal muscle performance, skeletal muscle mitochondrial function, brain function, cognitive function, and methodological development (e.g., the novel application of equipment and testing protocols).

Dr. Song-Young Park
Dr. Elizabeth Pekas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

vascular function
endothelial function
micro-vascular
macro-vascular
blood pressure regulation
arterial stiffening
skeletal muscle function
skeletal muscle mitochondria
healthy aging
vascular disease

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

12 pages, 351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing a Scale Using Item Response Theory of the Self-Resilience in Taekwondo Players

by Hyun-Bin Kim, Jung-Hun Nam, Dong-Hwa Chung and Eun-Hyung Cho

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010728 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1058

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the ego-resiliency of Taekwondo athletes and to develop a scale measuring such skills. We collected preliminary data using an open-ended online survey targeting Taekwondo athletes from nine countries (South Korea, China, Malaysia, United States, Spain, France, Brazil, United Kingdom, and Taiwan) who participated in international competitions between 2019 and 2020. We extracted participants’ ego-resiliency from 48 survey responses, guided by expert meetings and a thorough literature review. We verified our Taekwondo ego-resiliency scale’s construct validity using 741 survey responses. We utilized V coefficients, parallel analysis, an exploratory structural equation model, maximum likelihood, confirmatory factor analysis, and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis for data analysis. We identified four core ego-resiliency types: “empathy,” “coach support,” “care,” and “parent support/effort”. Our final measure, which demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity, comprises 18 items spanning 4 factors, with each item rated on a 3-point Likert scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skeletal Muscle and Vascular Function across Healthy Aging and Disease)

14 pages, 2907 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Reality and Exercise Training Enhance Brain, Cognitive, and Physical Health in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

by Ja-Gyeong Yang, Ngeemasara Thapa, Hye-Jin Park, Seongryu Bae, Kyung Won Park, Jong-Hwan Park and Hyuntae Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13300; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013300 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2882

Abstract

We investigated the effectiveness of virtual-reality-based cognitive training (VRCT) and exercise on the brain, cognitive, physical and activity of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: This study included 99 participants (70.8 ± 5.4) with MCI in the VRCT, exercise, and control groups. The VRCT consisted of a series of games targeting different brain functions such as executive function, memory, and attention. Twenty-four sessions of VRCT (three days/week) were performed, and each session was 100 min long. Exercise intervention consisted of aerobic and resistance trainings performed in 24 sessions for 60 min (2 times/week for 12 weeks). Global cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) of the neural oscillatory activity in different frequency bands was performed. Physical function was measured using handgrip strength (HGS) and gait speed. Results: After the intervention period, VRCT significantly improved the MMSE scores (p < 0.05), and the exercise group had significantly improved HGS and MMSE scores (p < 0.05) compared to baseline. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of resting-state EEG showed a decreased theta/beta power ratio (TBR) (p < 0.05) in the central region of the brain in the exercise group compared to the control group. Although not statistically significant, the VRCT group also showed a decreased TBR compared to the control group. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test showed a significant decrease in theta band power in the VRCT group compared to the exercise group and a decrease in delta/alpha ratio in the exercise group compared to the VRCT group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that VRCT and exercise training enhances brain, cognitive, and physical health in older adults with MCI. Further studies with a larger population sample to identify the effect of VRCT in combination with exercise training are required to yield peak benefits for patients with MCI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skeletal Muscle and Vascular Function across Healthy Aging and Disease)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Skeletal Muscle and Vascular Function across Healthy Aging and Disease

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (2 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI