Search Results (951)

Despite its increasing use in veterinary rehabilitation, practical constraints—such as skin preparation and single-use electrodes—limit the wider adoption of surface electromyography (sEMG). Having conventional pre-gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes as reference, we made a pioneering comparison of the performance of reusable soft polymeric dry electrodes for recording paraspinal muscle activity in dogs during treadmill walking. Twelve clinically healthy Dachshunds from both genders were evaluated under two conditions, namely: (i) dry electrodes on untrimmed hair; and (ii) pre-gelled electrodes after trichotomy. Signals were acquired from the longissimus dorsi muscle at 1 kHz, processed with standardized filtering and rectification, and analyzed in both time and frequency domains. Dry electrodes yielded higher amplitude and Root Mean Square (RMS) values, but slightly lower power spectral density metrics when compared to pre-gelled electrodes. Nevertheless, frequency-domain results were broadly comparable between configurations. Dry electrodes reduce the preparation time, avoid hair clipping, and allow reusability without major signal degradation. While pre-gelled electrodes may still offer marginally superior stability during movement, our results suggest that soft polymeric dry electrodes present a feasible, less invasive, and more sustainable alternative for canine sEMG. These findings support further validation of dry electrodes in clinical populations, particularly for neuromuscular assessment in intervertebral disk disease. Full article

While synthetic biology has traditionally focused on creating biological systems often through genetic engineering, emerging technologies, for example, implantable pacemakers with integrated piezo-electric and tribo-electric materials are beginning to enlarge the classical domain into what we call symbiotic synthetic biology. These devices are permanently attached to a body, although non-living or genetically unaltered, and closely mimic biological behavior by harvesting biomechanical energy and providing functions, such as autonomous heart pacing. They form active interfaces with human tissues and operate as hybrid systems, similar to synthetic organs. In this context, the present paper first presents a short summary of previous in vivo studies on piezo-electric composites in relation to their deployment as battery-less pacemakers. This is then followed by a summary of a recent theoretical work using a damped harmonic resonance model, which is being extended to mimic the functioning of such devices. We then extend the theoretical study further to include new solutions and obtain a sum rule for the power output per cycle in such systems. In closing, we present our quantitative understanding to explore the modulation of the quantum vacuum energy (Casimir effect) by periodic body movements to power pacemakers. Taken together, the present work provides the scientific foundation of the next generation bio-integrated intelligent implementation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dance, particularly hip-hop, offers a dynamic means of fostering physical activity (PA) and encouraging movement in health-related initiatives among children and youth in educational environments. Hip-hop offers benefits across motor, physical, social, and mental domains. Given the importance of PA in early development, and the preschool period as a sensitive phase for acquiring motor skills, this study aimed to examine the effects of the “Grow+” hip-hop program on motor competence (MC), perceived motor coordination (PMCoor), and PA levels in preschoolers. Methods: A quasi-experimental within-subjects design was used, including 37 children aged 3 to 4 (M = 4.29 ± 0.58). The intervention included two 4-week hip-hop periods, separated by a 4-week break. Four assessments were conducted using the MCA battery (MC), PA’s pictorial scales, and questionnaires completed by caregivers and educators (PMCoor). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Spearman correlations. Results: MC and PA levels showed a nonsignificant but positive trend across the study. Significant improvements in MC were observed during intervention periods, while no significant changes occurred during the break. Educators’ perceptions of PMCoor remained unchanged, despite improvements in MC. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the “Grow+” hip-hop program contributed meaningfully to improvements in MC and PA levels among children in early childhood. These findings accentuate the potential efficacy of structured rhythmic movement interventions in promoting motor development throughout early childhood, thereby supporting their integration into early childhood education curricula. Full article

Background: Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by autonomic failure, parkinsonism, and cerebellar ataxia. While its non-motor symptoms are well-documented, personality features in MSA remain underexplored. This study characterizes the personality traits of non-demented patients with MSA and explores their association with clinical variables. Methods: Twenty-six patients with MSA were assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Dementia was excluded by Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were conducted to examine clinical, demographic, and MMPI-2-RF variables. Results: Patients commonly showed elevated scores in somatic domains: Somatic Complaints (39%), Malaise (58%), and Neurological Complaints (85%), as well as in internalizing emotional traits: Low Positive Emotions (39%), Introversion (46%), Suicidal Ideation (46%), and Hopelessness (54%). Externalizing behavioral traits were absent, with only 4–8% of patients showing elevations in aggression or behavioral dysfunction. Strong correlations were found between somatic and emotional traits (r = 0.656, p < 0.001), and between Neurological Complaints and disease duration (r = 0.662, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This exploratory study reveals a distinct personality pattern in MSA, characterized by marked suicidal ideation, emotional vulnerability with internalizing coping, and absence of externalizing behaviors. These features highlight the need for suicide risk screening, interventions to alleviate psychological suffering, and tailored multidisciplinary care. Larger, longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary results and clarify whether these traits reflect premorbid personality, early disease manifestations, or secondary responses, as well as their prognostic and clinical relevance. Full article

In recent years, the science of sustainability has evolved in alignment with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to achieve a more just and sustainable world across various domains, including the environment, economy, society, and health and well-being. The International Olympic Committee has also established sustainability guidelines related to Olympic sports and athletes’ mental health. Additionally, the sustainability of sports training has already been explored, and the psychology of sustainability has generated a significant body of literature. This cultural and scientific movement has led to the emergence of the concept of psychological sustainability in elite sport, which can be defined as athletes’ capacity to maintain mental well-being, cognitive functioning, emotional resilience, and adaptive performance over time, particularly in response to environmental, social, training, and competitive stressors. This article revisits the existing literature to explore the connections between sustainability and elite sport psychology, resulting in the development of a model of psychological sustainability in sports training. This model aims to balance training procedures in a way that enhances athletic performance while safeguarding athletes’ mental health. Within this framework, an approach to psychological preparation for the Olympic Games is discussed, taking into account its various preparatory phases. Full article

Indoor environmental quality in offices, comprising thermal, acoustic, lighting, and air quality domains, is known to influence human comfort, yet the relative importance of their sub-factors—particularly in severe cold regions—remains unclear. This study addresses this gap by integrating objective (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation, CRITIC) and subjective (Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP) weighting methods, supported by field measurements and questionnaire surveys in open-plan offices in three provinces in northeastern China. Cluster analysis categorized acoustic sub-factors into outdoor traffic, outdoor entertainment, people conversation, burst sound, and people movement. Results show that temperature is the dominant thermal comfort driver (39.7% CRITIC; 45.5% AHP), exceeding air velocity and humidity, which had nearly equal influence. Indoor sound exerted greater impact than outdoor sound, with people conversation ranked highest among indoor noise sources, and burst sound and movement showing similar but slightly lower weights. Natural light outweighed artificial light in importance (54.2% CRITIC; 61.0% AHP), while air freshness and pollution were nearly equally influential. Compared to CRITIC, AHP produced more dispersed weights, reflecting subjective bias toward pronounced differences. These findings provide a quantitative basis for prioritizing environmental design interventions—such as controlling indoor conversational noise, optimizing natural lighting, and stabilizing temperature—to enhance comfort in offices in severe cold regions. Full article

Binarizing continuous metaheuristics to solve challenging NP-hard binary optimization problems is a fundamental step in adapting continuous algorithms for discrete domains. Binary optimization problems, such as the Set Covering Problem and the 0–1 Knapsack Problem, demand tailored approaches to efficiently explore and exploit the solution space. The process of binarization often introduces complexities, as it requires balancing the transformation of continuous populations into binary solutions while preserving the algorithm’s capability to navigate the search space effectively. In this context, we explore the performance of the Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA), a continuous metaheuristic, applied to these two benchmark problems. To address the binary nature of the problems, a two-step binarization process is implemented, utilizing combinations of transfer functions with binarization rules. This framework enables the RSA to generate binary solutions while leveraging its inherent strengths in exploration and exploitation. Comparative experiments are conducted with Particle Swarm Optimization and the Grey Wolf Optimizer to benchmark the RSA’s performance under similar conditions. These experiments analyze critical factors such as fitness values, convergence behavior, and exploration–exploitation dynamics, providing insights into the effectiveness of different binarization approaches. The results demonstrate that the RSA achieves competitive performance across both problems, highlighting its flexibility and adaptability, which are attributed to its diverse movement equations. Notably, the Z4 transfer function consistently enhances performance for all algorithms, even when paired with less effective binarization rules. This indicates the potential of Z4 as a robust transfer function for binary optimization. The findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate binarization strategies to maximize the performance of continuous metaheuristics in binary domains, paving the way for further advancements in hybrid optimization methodologies. Full article

The Ataxin-2-like (ATXN2L) protein is required to survive embryonic development, as documented in mice with the constitutive absence of the ATXN2L Lsm, LsmAD, and PAM2 domains due to knock-out (KO) of exons 5–8 with a frameshift. Its less abundant paralog, Ataxin-2 (ATXN2), has an extended N-terminus, where a polyglutamine domain is prone to expansions, mediating vulnerability to the polygenic adult motor neuron disease ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or causing the monogenic neurodegenerative processes of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 (SCA2), depending on larger mutation sizes. Here, we elucidated the physiological function of ATXN2L by deleting the LsmAD and PAM2 motifs via loxP-mediated KO of exons 10–17 with a frameshift. Crossing heterozygous floxed mice with constitutive Cre-deleter animals confirmed embryonic lethality among offspring. Crossing with CamK2a-CreERT2 mice and injecting tamoxifen for conditional deletion achieved chimeric ATXN2L absence in CamK2a-positive frontal cortex neurons and reduced spontaneous horizontal movement. Global proteome profiling of frontal cortex homogenate showed ATXN2L levels decreased to 75% and dysregulations enriched in the alternative splicing pathway. Nuclear proteins with Sm domains are critical to performing splicing; therefore, our data suggest that the Like-Sm (Lsm, LsmAD) domains in ATXN2L serve a role in splice regulation, despite their perinuclear location. Full article

Although concern for animal welfare may have been linked to humans since the domestication of livestock, the term itself first appeared in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. The emergence of the concept of animal welfare occurred in a society undergoing a clear transition from patriarchal to emancipatory values based on the concept of freedom. However, coinciding with the recognition of animals as sentient beings in the EU and the emergence of concepts such as a “Life Worth Living”, the Five Freedoms were complemented. In fact, the values of a knowledge society—through autonomy, justice, and equality—create the conditions for a society more connected to its emotions. This entire movement culminated in an updated and complementary definition called “the Five Domains,” in which the mental states of animals and their emotions are essential. However, in the meantime, the market is dominated by several animal welfare certification schemes that focus on inputs (what humans provide) rather than outcomes (animal-based indicators), reflecting an anthropocentric perspective that does not consider the actual experiences of animals from farm to farm. In a knowledge society, where emotions are so important, this approach will be considered unacceptable someday. Full article

Background/Objectives: Engaging in regular physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behaviors benefits youth health, especially for those with disabilities. However, two-thirds of European children remain insufficiently active. In schools, Active Breaks, brief 5–15 min PA sessions led by teachers during or between lessons, offer a feasible strategy to increase movement. This study investigated teachers’ perceptions of ABs by comparing implementers and non-implementers, examining facilitators and barriers to implementation, and exploring their potential to support the inclusion of students with disabilities. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among primary and secondary school teachers in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), all of whom had completed a 6 h training course on the implementation of ABs. Data were collected using an ad hoc questionnaire consisting of four sections: sociodemographic data, an adapted Attitudes Toward Physical Activity scale, ABs’ practicality/sustainability, and inclusiveness. Results: Overall, 65% of teachers reported implementing ABs, with higher adoption in primary (69.5%) than secondary schools (58.6%). Implementers reported more positive perceptions and attitudes across individual, classroom, and school-support domains (p < 0.05). In addition, primary teachers consistently scored higher than their secondary counterparts, particularly in terms of class characteristics and benefit perceptions (p < 0.001). Most teachers, especially in primary schools (84.2%), reported no difficulties, although one-third of secondary teachers reported challenges. Exploratory factor analysis on barrier items identified two dimensions (practical/logistical feasibility; institutional/procedural difficulties), but internal consistency was low. Teachers mainly reported using motor activities, with sessions lasting 5–10 min, typically scheduled mid-morning. Inclusion analysis revealed that 60% of teachers had students with disabilities in their classes. While most students participated without adjustments, 25% required occasional or consistent modifications. Conclusions: ABs are a practical and inclusive strategy to reduce SBs in schools. However, not all teachers are currently able to implement them, due to varying contextual constraints, levels of support, and perceived barriers. Primary school settings appear more conducive to their integration, whereas secondary schools may require more tailored support. Fostering teacher confidence, peer collaboration, and inclusive planning can enhance both the implementation and long-term sustainability of educational initiatives. Full article

The advancement of sports science has heightened demands for precise monitoring of athletes’ technical movements, physiological status, and performance. Optical fiber sensing (OFS) technology, with its unique advantages including high sensitivity, immunity to electromagnetic interference, capability for distributed sensing, and strong biocompatibility, demonstrates significant application potential in sports science. This review systematically examines the technical principles, innovative breakthroughs, and practical application cases of optical fiber sensors in various domains: monitoring key human physiological parameters such as respiration, heart rate, and body temperature; capturing motion and analyzing movement covering muscle activity, joint angles, and gait; integrating within smart sports equipment and protective gear; and monitoring sports apparatus and environments. The value of OFS technology is further analyzed in areas including sports biomechanics analysis, training load monitoring, injury prevention, and rehabilitation optimization. Concurrently, current technical bottlenecks such as the need for enhanced sensitivity, advancements in flexible packaging technologies, cost control, system integration, and miniaturization are discussed. Future development trends involving the integration of OFS with artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and new materials are explored, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for sports medicine and training optimization. Full article

As metal resource extraction increases, heavy metal ion pollution in the saturated zone intensifies. Hence, research on the migration of heavy metal ions in aquifers and the efficacy of protective measures is essential to inform pollution prevention and control engineering. This study focuses on the slag pond and its surrounding area of a smelting plant. Utilizing field hydrological surveys and experiments, and data from previous studies, we employed FEFLOW7.0 simulation software to model the groundwater system of the boulder aquifer in this region. The model divides the domain based on natural topography: the eastern river serves as a constant-head boundary, while other areas are set as specified-flux boundaries. The impermeable layer at the bottom is treated as a no-flow boundary, with a maximum simulation period of 2500 days. The simulation examines the natural movement of zinc ions and how the construction of the wall impacts their migration, as well as the wall’s effectiveness in preventing seepage. Findings indicate that the movement of zinc ions is significantly influenced by the reaction coefficient. When the reaction coefficient exceeds 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹, zinc ions decrease rapidly in the area. After the construction of the cutoff wall, the maximum migration distance of zinc ions within 2500 days decreased from 220 m to 77 m, demonstrating its effectiveness in controlling zinc transport in groundwater. Full article

The optically pumped magnetometer, OPM-MEG, has the potential to replace the traditional low-temperature superconducting quantum interference device, SQUID-MEG. Event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) can be used to examine the temporal- and frequency-domain characteristics of a signal. In this paper, a finger-tapping movement paradigm based on auditory cues is adopted, and OPM-MEG is used to measure the functional signals of the brain. The event-related spectral perturbation values of the right and left hands of right-handed people were calculated and compared. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the event-related spectral perturbations between the right and left hands of right-handed people. In summary, OPM-MEG has the ability to measure the event-related spectral perturbations of the brain during finger movements and verify the asymmetry of motor skills. Full article

The evolution of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) has laid the foundation for more immersive and dynamic forms of communication between humans and machines. Building on this trajectory, this work introduces a significant advancement in the domain of Human–Robot Manipulation (HRM), particularly in the remote operation of humanoid robots in complex scenarios. We propose the Advanced Manipulation Assistant System (AMAS), a novel manipulation method designed to be low cost, low latency, and highly efficient, enabling real-time, precise control of humanoid robots from a distance. This method addresses critical challenges in current teleoperation systems, such as delayed response, expensive hardware requirements, and inefficient data transmission. By leveraging lightweight communication protocols, optimized sensor integration, and intelligent motion mapping, our system ensures minimal lag and accurate reproduction of human movements in the robot counterpart. In addition to these advantages, AMAS integrates multimodal feedback combining visual and haptic cues to enhance situational awareness, close the control loop, and further stabilize teleoperation. This transition from traditional HCI paradigms to advanced HRM reflects a broader shift toward more embodied forms of interaction, where human intent is seamlessly translated into robotic action. The implications are far-reaching, spanning applications in remote caregiving, hazardous environment exploration, and collaborative robotics. AMAS represents a step forward in making humanoid robot manipulation more accessible, scalable, and practical for real-world deployment. Full article

Background: Time perception (TP) is increasingly recognized as a key cognitive domain in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), yet existing studies are scarce, heterogeneous, and methodologically limited. Objective: To synthesize empirical evidence on TP in pediatric CP, distinguishing perceptual timing deficits from motor-based impairments and outlining putative cognitive mechanisms. Methods: Following PRISMA where appropriate, we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, and PubMed Central for studies on TP in individuals with CP under 18 years. Four studies met inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was appraised with STROBE, AXIS, and RoB 2. Results: Available evidence suggests that TP difficulties in CP are not solely due to motor dysfunction but also reflect broader cognitive–perceptual challenges. Studies using low-motor-demand tasks sometimes report intact TP, whereas tasks requiring overt movement often confound perceptual timing with execution demands. Intervention findings are mixed: time-related supports show promising but inconsistent effects on everyday time processing, while motor-focused timing training demonstrates limited impact on TP itself. However, conclusions are constrained by the small number of studies and variability in samples, tasks, and outcomes. Conclusions: TP should be considered a distinct, clinically relevant construct in pediatric CP. Future work should employ motor-minimal paradigms, report standardized CP classifications, and adopt longitudinal designs to isolate TP deficits and guide targeted interventions. Clarifying TP profiles may improve cognitive characterization and rehabilitation planning in CP. Full article