Search Results (3,391)

Background: Binge eating (BE) is frequently associated with negative emotional states, obesity, and physical inactivity. Although yoga may improve binge eating and emotional symptoms, its effects on physical fitness remain unclear. In contrast, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been demonstrated to effectively enhance physical fitness. This study compared the effects of low-volume HIIT (LV-HIIT), high-volume HIIT (HV-HIIT), and yoga on binge eating, negative emotional states, and physical fitness in female college students with binge eating. Methods: Fifty-five physically inactive female college students with binge eating (BES ≥ 18) were randomly assigned to LV-HIIT (n = 19), HV-HIIT (n = 18), or yoga (n = 18) for 8 weeks. The Binge Eating Scale (BES), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), body fat percentage, waist circumference, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were assessed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat linear mixed models, with per-protocol repeated-measures ANOVA as a supplementary analysis. Results: After 8 weeks of intervention, significant improvements over time were observed across all groups in binge eating, negative emotional states, and cardiorespiratory fitness (all p < 0.05). Waist circumference and body fat percentage did not change significantly in the ITT analysis. No significant time × group interaction effects were detected for any outcome (all p > 0.05), indicating that the improvements did not differ significantly among the LV-HIIT, HV-HIIT, and yoga groups. Conclusions: An 8-week intervention of LV-HIIT, HV-HIIT, and yoga was associated with improvements in binge eating behaviors, negative emotional states, and VO2max in inactive young women with binge eating, with no evidence of differential efficacy between interventions. LV-HIIT may be promising because of its shorter duration and higher adherence; however, this requires confirmation in larger trials. Full article

Despite increasing interest in fungal remediation systems for the treatment of persistent contaminants, the mechanisms governing fungal transformation of halogenated organic compounds remain poorly resolved. The aim of this study was to determine whether the transformation of halogenated nitrophenols is driven by isolated extracellular enzymes and cofactor-dependent oxidative activity or instead reflects coordinated system-level fungal metabolism. To address this question, we investigated the transformation of 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2C4NP) and 5-fluoro-2-nitrophenol (5F2NP) by ascomycete fungi Caldariomyces fumago (C. fumago) and Curvularia sp. under varying nutrient and cofactor conditions. Whole-culture transformation, crude supernatant activity, purified enzyme assays, intracellular detoxification responses, and genome-resolved functional annotation were integrated to evaluate the relative contributions of extracellular and intracellular processes. Transformation was strongly dependent on fungal species, substrate identity, nutrient availability, and cofactor composition. C. fumago achieved complete transformation of 2C4NP and up to 85.3% transformation of 5F2NP, whereas Curvularia sp. exhibited strict Na₃VO₄-dependent transformation of 5F2NP. Crude supernatants retained partial transformation capacity, achieving ~40–45% substrate depletion under conditions supporting whole-culture activity. Purified chloroperoxidase and laccase showed negligible independent activity and did not reproduce whole-culture transformation behavior. Lignin peroxidase activity was consistently induced during contaminant exposure and peaked during periods of maximum transformation. Cytochrome P450 inhibition did not prevent transformation. Baseline glutathione S-transferase activity was detected in both fungi, and comparative genome analysis identified conserved intracellular detoxification-associated enzyme alongside divergent extracellular oxidative enzyme repertoires. Together, these findings demonstrate that transformation of halogenated nitrophenols by fungi cannot be explained by isolated extracellular enzymes alone but is consistent with coordinated extracellular and intracellular system-level metabolism. These findings highlight an underexplored role for integrated fungal metabolic systems in bioremediation and provide a mechanistic basis for developing a scalable fungal platform for treatment of persistent halogenated contaminants. Full article

Weekend cyclists are individuals who engage in vigorous physical activity only on weekends, as opposed to those who exercise regularly during the week. Research suggests that concentrating physical training on one or two days may benefit heart health and metabolism, similar to exercising regularly. However, it remains unclear whether weekend cyclists exhibit similar adaptations in metabolic, performance, and muscle oxygenation markers. The aim of this study is to compare cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, cardiometabolic risk markers, muscle strength, and muscle oxygenation between cyclists who concentrated training on weekends and cyclists who distributed training across three or more days per week. In this study, we used an analytical, observational, non-experimental design that recruited 28 cyclists, divided into weekend cyclists (n = 14) and regular cyclists (n = 14). Body composition, blood tests, lower body strength, aerobic capacity, and muscle oxygen saturation were assessed. Results: Weekend cyclists exhibited lower VO₂max (36.7 ± 3.9 vs. 48.9 ± 6.3 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹), lower knee extension strength (3.16 ± 0.57 vs. 4.42 ± 0.83 Nm·kg⁻¹), and reduced ΔSmO₂ responses during exercise compared with regular cyclists (all p < 0.05). In addition, weekend cyclists presented higher body fat percentage (25.9 ± 3.8 vs. 17.2 ± 4.2%), greater waist circumference (90.5 ± 4.3 vs. 83.6 ± 5.1 cm), and lower HDL cholesterol levels (54.2 ± 8.4 vs. 64.1 ± 11.0 mg/dL). In conclusion, weekend cyclists have lower cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and reduced ΔSmO₂ responses during incremental exercise, along with higher levels of visceral fat and triglycerides, compared to those who train three or more days a week. The distribution and frequency of training within their workout plans were associated with differences in cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic markers. Full article

Background: Given that true exercise response variation on cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with coronary heart disease (CHD) is not known, this study addressed this gap. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing continuous aerobic exercise (CAE) to controls in adults ≥18 years of age with CHD were included. The primary outcome was exercise-associated inter-individual response differences (IIRDs) in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO_2peak in ml^.kg^−1.min⁻¹). Using the inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) model, a standard deviation of individual response difference (SD_ir) meta-analysis was conducted. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CIs) and prediction intervals (PIs) were calculated. Results: Twenty-eight RCTs representing 1383 participants (725 CAE, 658 control) were included. Statistically significant and clinically important improvements (≥1.0 mL^.kg^−1.min⁻¹) were observed for VO_2peak as a result of CAE ($\overline{X}$, 3.6, 95% CI, 2.8 to 4.4 mL^.kg^−1.min⁻¹, p < 0.001), but no statistically significant or clinically important IIRD based on the SD_ir were found ($\overline{X}$, 0.9, 95% CI, −1.5 to 2.0 mL^.kg^−1.min⁻¹; 95% PI, −2.4 to 2.7). Based on GRADE, the strength of evidence was of low certainty. Conclusions: There is low certainty evidence that CAE results in statistically significant and clinically important improvements in VO_2peak in adults with CHD, but no exercise-associated IIRD was observed once properly accounted for. Full article

Running is a widely practiced exercise modality in which central and peripheral fatigue can influence performance and pacing strategy. This study investigated the influence of cognitive–emotional factors, based on the psychobiological model of fatigue, on 5 km time trial performance using a randomized crossover design. Twenty-two recreational male runners (23.0 ± 3.05 years) completed four laboratory visits. During the first visit, participants underwent body composition assessment and an incremental test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and the velocity associated with VO₂max. In the subsequent three visits, participants performed a 5 km treadmill time trial as fast as possible under three conditions: no feedback (5k-NF), distance-only feedback (5k-Dist), and full feedback (5k-FF). No significant differences in performance were observed between conditions (5k-FF: 24.3 ± 1.8 min; 5k-NF: 24.8 ± 2.1 min; 5k-Dist: 24.7 ± 2.7 min). Regardless of the condition, ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate increased progressively throughout the trials. Other physiological variables showed similar responses across conditions. These findings indicate that manipulating feedback availability during a 5 km time trial did not significantly alter performance or physiological responses under the specific laboratory conditions examined, despite that the true absolute absence of effect should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Full article

High-frequency link inverters (HFLI) inherently suffer from voltage ringing, and the issue becomes more severe under non-unity power factor loads. Although active clamping circuits can effectively suppress the voltage ringing, they cause severe distortion in the output voltage and current waveforms under such loads. To address this problem, this paper proposes an improved modulation strategy with leakage energy feedback for active-clamped high-frequency link inverters (ACHFLI). In the proposed strategy, two secondary-side MOSFETs achieve zero-current switching (ZCS) turn-off, while the other two MOSFETs operate at low frequency throughout the entire line cycle. By feeding the leakage inductance energy back to the primary side, the voltage balance of the clamping capacitor can be better maintained under non-unity power factor loads, thereby mitigating the waveform distortion in the output voltage and current during the intervals when their polarities are opposite. A prototype with 48 V_in input, 110 V_o output, and 300 W rated power was built to verify the proposed strategy. Experimental results show that the modulation strategy alleviates the waveform distortion when the voltage and current have opposite polarities, and the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the output voltage is reduced by a maximum of 2.74%. Full article

The selective gas-phase oxidation of γ-picoline (γ-P) to isonicotinic acid (INA)—a key precursor for the anti-tuberculosis drug isoniazid—was investigated over a V–Mn oxide catalyst as a solvent-free, waste-minimizing alternative to conventional liquid-phase synthesis routes. XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of a stable manganese vanadate crystalline phase with a high concentration of terminal vanadyl groups (V=O), providing well-defined redox-active sites. Water vapour proved essential for sustainable process performance: at an optimal H₂O/substrate molar ratio of 98, γ-picoline conversion reached 94.8% with INA selectivity of 86.5%, eliminating the need for hazardous solvents or additives. NH₃-TPD and kinetic analysis revealed that water vapour acts as a competitive adsorbent at vanadium Lewis acid sites, accelerating target product desorption and suppressing deep oxidation to COx—directly reducing carbon waste. Long-term stability was assessed over 96 h of continuous operation: the 23.4% decline in specific surface area correlated with an equivalent reduction in total acidity, while pore diameter expansion from 2.07 to 3.25 nm mitigated diffusion limitations, partially compensating for deactivation. These findings establish the V–Mn oxide system as a promising green catalytic platform for upgrading petrochemical fractions into high-value pharmaceutical intermediates with reduced environmental impact. Full article

Oscillatory neural networks (ONNs) provide a neuromorphic computing framework that exploits the phase dynamics of coupled oscillators for parallel and energy-efficient pattern recognition. In this study, we design a single-layer, fully connected ONN to classify handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset. Input images were downsampled to 6 × 6 binary patterns, which were optimized using a genetic algorithm to evolve effective templates, as experiments with higher-resolution inputs showed only marginal accuracy improvements at significantly increased computational and energy costs. Coupling weights were determined using Hebbian learning, and the network dynamics were simulated using the Kuramoto model to encode information via phase relationships. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to apply genetic algorithm optimization to design the templates used by an ONN and to combine evolutionary template generation with Hebbian-based ONN training for image classification. The results show that the ONN achieves 75–76% accuracy in the full 10-class MNIST task, with outputs exhibiting stable sinusoidal behavior and resilience to moderate noise. These findings highlight the potential of ONNs as a practical, low-power alternative to conventional deep learning models, particularly for real-time edge-level applications where energy efficiency and robustness are critical. Full article

Objectives: We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the impact of COVID-19 infection on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF): (1) within-athlete (the same participants before and after infection), and (2) between-athlete (infected vs. healthy reference participants). Methods: In this systematic review (PROSPERO Registry: CRD42024540430) we included observational studies enrolling recreational or competitive athletes ≥18 years old with laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary outcome was change in relative maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max). Secondary outcomes included changes in absolute VO_2max, maximal ventilation (VE_max), and maximal heart rate (HR_max). We searched Embase, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science up to August 9th, 2025. Risk of bias was assessed with the JBI critical appraisal tool. Meta-analyses were performed with a random-effects model. Results: Twelve studies enrolling a total of 1595 participants met the eligibility criteria. COVID-19 infection was associated with lower relative VO_2max (MD = −1.83 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; 95%CI [−3.16, −0.49]; p = 0.007; I² = 54%) and absolute VO_2max (MD = −0.15 L·min⁻¹; 95%CI [−0.29, −0.01]; p = 0.03; I² = 0%). COVID-19 infection was associated with lower VE_max (MD = −7.99 L·min⁻¹; 95%CI [−12.94, −3.04]; p = 0.002; I² = 0%) but not with HR_max (MD = −0.34 bpm; 95%CI [−1.54, 0.86]; p = 0.58; I² = 0%). High heterogeneity of included studies was addressed with subgroup analyses. The risk of bias in most studies was high. The certainty of evidence was very low for each outcome. Conclusions: COVID-19 infection in athletes was associated with reduced VO_2max and VE_max. The relationships were highly dependent on the quality of the studies. CRF and athlete profile should be considered when making shared decisions regarding safe return to sport after infection. Full article

Metformin and aerobic exercise are routinely co-prescribed in the management of metabolic syndrome, yet evidence regarding their interaction on cardiorespiratory fitness and substrate oxidation adaptations remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of combined metformin and aerobic training on peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), maximal fat oxidation (MFO), submaximal substrate utilization, and perceived exertion in metformin-naïve adults with metabolic syndrome. In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 24 metformin-naïve adults with metabolic syndrome were allocated to receive either metformin (1000 mg/day; MET-EX) or a matched placebo (PLA-EX) combined with supervised aerobic training (5 sessions/week, 60% VO₂peak, 500 kcal/session) for five weeks; 22 participants (n = 11 per group) completed the protocol. VO₂peak, MFO, fat and carbohydrate oxidation, energy expenditure, and rating of perceived exertion (Borg 6–20) were assessed before and after the intervention. The absolute VO₂peak gain was modestly attenuated in MET-EX relative to PLA-EX (group × time interaction p = 0.042; +0.11 vs. +0.26 L·min⁻¹), whereas the interaction for relative VO₂peak did not reach significance (p = 0.088). In contrast, MFO increased substantially more in MET-EX than in PLA-EX (+0.13 vs. +0.04 g·min⁻¹; p = 0.001), accompanied by greater fat oxidation, energy expenditure, and perceived exertion during moderate-to-high submaximal exercise intensities. Moreover, VO₂peak improvement was negatively correlated with age exclusively in MET-EX (r = −0.87, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that metformin induces a dissociated adaptation profile during aerobic training in metabolic syndrome, characterized by enhanced lipid oxidation alongside attenuated cardiorespiratory adaptations and greater perceived effort, particularly in older individuals. Full article

Rare-earth vanadates constitute an important class of functional materials with potential applications as luminophores, in optoelectronics and catalysis. The research for this work was inspired by the incomplete literature data, including the synthesis, structure and physicochemical properties of europium(III) vanadate(V) with the general formula Eu₅VO₁₀. The primary goal of this work was to supplement the missing data about this compound and identify its potential applications. This compound was synthesized using three methods, including waste-free methods: ceramic, mechanochemical and a modified Pechini method. The obtained Eu₅VO₁₀ was characterized using XRD, DTA–TG, FTIR, UV–Vis–DRS, SEM and gas pycnometry. It was settled that Eu₅VO₁₀ crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is thermally stable up to a temperature of approximately 1310 °C, above which it decomposes in the solid phase. Estimated energy gap (E_g) values ranged from ~3.21 eV to ~3.53 eV depending on the synthesis method used, allowing Eu₅VO₁₀ to be classified as a wide-bandgap electrical semiconductor. The results also showed that the synthesis method affects the crystallite size of the synthesized compound. The development of synthesis methods and characterization of Eu₅VO₁₀ expands our understanding of rare-earth vanadates and their potential applications as functional materials. Full article

Sparse visual odometry (VO) is a core component of lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) visual navigation, yet the isolated effect of adding aligned metric depth to a minimal frame-to-frame pipeline is easily obscured in full SLAM systems. This paper presents a UAV-relevant controlled synthetic ablation of RGB-only and RGB-D geometric backends under fixed sparse frontends. ORB matching and KLT tracking are evaluated on a 32-sequence TartanAir validation split of flight-like synthetic RGB-D scenes by routing identical 2D correspondences either to Essential Matrix estimation or, with aligned depth, to PnP with RANSAC. The study reports ATE, Sim(3)-aligned ATE, translational and rotational RPE, robustness under temporal subsampling and RGB degradations, and isolated solver latency on a workstation and Raspberry Pi 4. At stride 1, RGB-D PnP reduces ATE by 61.8% for KLT and 29.1% for ORB, with translational RPE reductions of 61.6% and 41.9%. Rotational RPE reductions are stronger and persist across all tested strides, reaching 85.9% for KLT and 77.3% for ORB at stride 1. Sim(3) analysis shows that only 7–16% of PnP ATE is metric-scale drift. At coarser strides, however, KLT-PnP no longer improves ATE, showing that depth assistance depends on stable frontend tracking and valid depth-supported correspondences. The contribution is a reproducible diagnostic benchmark and failure-mode analysis for UAV-relevant depth-assisted sparse VO under oracle aligned depth, providing component-level evidence rather than full onboard deployment validation. Full article

While high-intensity interval training (HIIT) enhances physical conditioning, its specific impact on the TMG-derived mechanical properties of rowing-related muscles and sport-specific performance remains underexplored. This study investigated the effects of a 4-week rowing ergometer-based HIIT intervention on 2000-m rowing performance and muscle mechanical properties, evaluated via tensiomyography (TMG). Seventeen rowers were randomized into the HIIT group (n = 9) or the control group (CON, n = 8). Over four weeks, the HIIT group completed two weekly rowing ergometer HIIT sessions (ten 60-s all-out sprints, 30-s recovery), while the CON group continued regular training without additional HIIT. Pre- and post-intervention, participants underwent a 2000-m ergometer trial and TMG assessments across five rowing-related muscles. The HIIT group demonstrated a 3.1% reduction in 2000-m completion time, together with increases in mean power output (7.7%) and stroke rate (6.5%) (group × time interaction η²p = 0.53, 0.39, and 0.27, respectively; p < 0.05). TMG analysis showed shortened delay time (Td) and half-relaxation time (Tr) across all targeted muscles after false discovery rate correction. Contraction time (Tc) was shortened in the tibialis anterior and vastus medialis, while the erector spinae showed a nominal uncorrected change that should be interpreted cautiously. Maximal displacement (Dm) and sustain time (Ts) remained unchanged. These findings suggest that short-term rowing-specific HIIT is associated with improved 2000-m performance and TMG-derived peripheral temporal properties; however, unchanged Dm should be interpreted only as no detectable change in radial displacement under the present TMG conditions rather than definitive evidence of unchanged muscle stiffness. Because of the small sample size, unbalanced total training load between groups, and the absence of direct physiological or biomechanical measurements such as VO₂max, lactate, electromyography, and stroke biomechanics, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary. Full article

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a key indicator of overall health, yet its assessment still largely depends on structured protocols such as cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), which require specialized equipment, trained personnel, and controlled laboratory conditions that limit accessibility. Wearable sensing technologies offer a practical alternative by continuously capturing physiological and biomechanical signals during daily life. However, most wearable-based approaches remain constrained by activity-specific modeling, structured exercise protocols, or prolonged monitoring periods, limiting generalization across real-world behaviors. This work presents an activity-independent machine learning framework for estimating VO₂max from short-duration multimodal wearable signals acquired during semi-structured real-world daily activities. The proposed two-stage framework first estimates the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) as a continuous representation of activity intensity, then integrates this estimate with physiological, biomechanical, and demographic features to predict subject-level VO₂max. By decoupling physiological demand from explicit activity labels, the framework improves robustness to unseen activities while preserving physiological interpretability. Evaluation under the Leave-One-Subject-Out validation protocol demonstrates that short-duration wearable-derived signals encode meaningful information related to inter-subject differences in cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings support the feasibility of activity-independent, wearable-based fitness estimation and provide a practical foundation for scalable preventive health monitoring in everyday life. Full article

Solar-driven photocatalysis has attracted increasing interest as an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for the mineralization of pollutants. In this work, carbon-doped g-C₃N₄/V_oBiOBr composites rich in oxygen vacancy (denoted as CCN/V_oBOB) were prepared by combining calcination with a solvothermal method, using glucose as the carbon source. The obtained composites were comprehensively characterized by XRD, TEM, and XPS to investigate their crystal structure, morphology, and surface chemical states, and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated through the degradation of organic pollutants. Among the prepared samples, 3.2 wt% CCN/V_oBOB exhibited the best photocatalytic performance, reaching 98% degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and 95% degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) within 90 min, which was significantly superior to that of V_oBOB and g-C₃N₄/V_oBOB. This enhanced activity can be attributed mainly to the synergistic effects of oxygen vacancy, carbon doping, and heterojunction construction. Their combined action not only regulates the band structure of V_oBOB effectively, but also greatly inhibits the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. These results were further supported by UV-Vis DRS and transient photocurrent measurements. Radical trapping experiments indicated that superoxide radicals (O₂⁻) were the dominant active species during the reaction. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided further evidence for the above conclusions. On the basis of both experimental observations and theoretical analysis, a reasonable photocatalytic reaction mechanism was proposed. This work offers a useful strategy for designing highly efficient photocatalysts through the synergistic integration of oxygen vacancy, nonmetal doping, and heterojunction engineering, and thus promotes the application of photocatalytic technology in pollutant degradation. Full article