Search Results (551)

Background and Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequent complications during pregnancy, with a high and variable incidence. LBP has been associated with physical inactivity, but it has not been evaluated exclusively in physically active (PA) pregnant women. This study aimed T to estimate the incidence of LBP in PA pregnant women and describe its clinical, functional, emotional, and occupational impact. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort of 147 women with PA pregnancies was recruited between gestational weeks 11 and 13⁺⁶. Most (92.5%) hold a university degree. All received standardized informational intervention based on international recommendations on PA during pregnancy and LBP prevention. Data were collected through an in-person interview in the first trimester and a postpartum follow-up phone interview. PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, short version), and LBP intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: LBP occurred in 64.6% of participants, despite maintaining regular PA. Pain intensity was higher in standing position (VAS = 4.9) and lower in lateral decubitus (VAS = 2.7). More than half (55.8%) did not seek medical consultation. LBP was associated with functional limitations (work, sleep, walking), emotional distress (52.6%), and work leave (30.5%; mean 9.4 weeks). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, standing occupational position showed a borderline association with LBP (OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.00–4.55; p = 0.047), while a history of LBP in a previous pregnancy showed a statistically significant association (OR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.12–7.48; p = 0.029). Higher PA levels during pregnancy were associated with slightly lower odds of LBP (OR = 0.91 per 500 MET·min/week; 95% CI: 0.83–0.99; p = 0.032), although the magnitude of this association was small. Conclusions: LBP showed a high incidence even among PA and highly educated pregnant women. More than half of the women did not seek medical consultation, suggesting potential under-recognition of LBP. Standing occupational position and a previous pregnancy-related LBP were identified as independent risk factors associated with LBP in the multivariable model. Higher PA levels were inversely associated with LBP. Full article

Alkaline water electrolysis is a widely researched method for hydrogen generation due to its low cost, scalability and its advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. Enhancing the efficiency of electrolysis systems relies mainly on the development of high-performance ion-conductive membranes. The incorporation of ceramic fillers into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes as a composite material has shown considerable promise in enhancing the performance of electrolyzers. In this work, novel composite separator membranes for use in alkaline electrolyzers were developed from aqueous PVA solutions and physically crosslinked through a freeze–thawing process. To enhance the membrane properties, two types of ceramic fillers—titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂)—were incorporated into the starting crosslinking solution. The thermal stability of these membranes was studied by a Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) technique where we can conclude that addition of TiO₂ and ZrO₂ significantly influences the thermal properties of PVA membranes. These metal oxides enhance thermal stability, as shown by the shift in exothermic peaks toward higher temperatures and alterations in the degradation mechanism, evidenced by changes in the intensity and number of DSC peaks. The effect is concentration-dependent for TiO₂, where higher contents produce more pronounced yet increasingly complex thermal behavior. Compared with commercial membrane (Zirfon Perl), these types of membranes exhibit better electrochemical performance at ambient temperature and pressure; however, the process of preparation is simpler, reducing the cost of the hydrogen production process. The polarization curves (U-I curves) indicated a decrease in voltage with the addition of an ionic activator based on cobalt and molybdenum. Conductivity measurements performed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy utilizing a two-probe method revealed that PVA membranes with TiO₂ exhibit ionic conductivity comparable to that of the commercial membrane. Compared to the commercial membrane, these types of membranes demonstrated similar mechanical properties and improved electrochemical performance at ambient temperature and pressure, along with a simplified production process and lower cost of hydrogen production. Full article

Background/Objectives: Loss of muscle strength and mass is common in patients with chronic lung disease (CLD) and contributes to functional decline. Resistance training and adequate protein intake improve muscle function in healthy adults, but data for this patient population are limited. Methods: In this prospective, non-randomized controlled study, 16 patients with CLD (51–85 years) participated in three six-week intervention phases: phase 1—usual diet, phase 2—daily protein intake according to recommendations (1.2–1.5 g/kg bodyweight), and phase 3—additional protein supplementation immediately after training. Combined strength and endurance training was performed throughout the entire intervention period. The main outcome was maximum strength and body fat, while secondary outcomes included physical capacity, weight, activity, and quality of life (QoL). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models to evaluate interaction effects between time points and phases with an intention-to-treat analysis. Results: In the patients’ usual diets, daily protein intake was below the recommended levels; during the intervention, protein intake increased significantly but did not reach the recommended target range. Maximum strength was increased marginally significantly by 4.6 kg during the intervention time without an interaction effect. Body fat reduction was significantly modeled using the interaction effect, whereas body weight remained unchanged. These enhancements are remarkable given that the training intensity was very low (less than once weekly), and protein consumption was below recommended levels. Conclusions: Targeted resistance training, combined with increased protein intake, led to measurable improvements in strength and body composition. These findings demonstrate that low-effort interventions can be implemented in real-life settings, providing a practical strategy to improve strength (a significant prognostic indicator) and increase protein consumption among this vulnerable population. Full article

Words matter in science, particularly when they define technologies with distinct biological mechanisms. High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) is often conflated with High-Power Laser Therapy or High-Level Laser Therapy (HPLT/HLLT), despite these terms referring to laser systems with fundamentally different physical properties and therapeutic effects. While many therapeutic lasers can elicit photochemical and photothermal effects, only devices delivering high-peak, short-duration pulses at very low duty cycles are able to generate acoustic pressure waves, which are characteristic of true HILT systems. These photoacoustic effects uniquely activate mechanotransduction pathways involved in cellular differentiation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and long-term tissue regeneration. This review highlights the widespread misclassification in the laser therapy literature, where devices lacking genuine photoacoustic capabilities are often incorrectly described as HILT. Such semantic ambiguity not only undermines biological specificity, but also inflates clinical claims, misleading practitioners, and obscures the comparative interpretation of clinical studies. Within the laser science community, it is widely recognized that average power alone is insufficient to characterize a therapeutic mechanism of laser therapies, as it does not provide insight into ability to generate pressure waves. To resolve these issues, we propose a mechanism-based classification that clearly distinguishes photochemical, photothermal, and photoacoustic effects. We further provide a quantitative comparison showing that systems delivering the same total energy produce peak parameters that differ by orders of magnitude depending on duty-cycle architecture, reinforcing the need for mechanism-based classification. We also advocate for greater rigor in reporting technical parameters such as peak power, pulse duration, and duty cycle. By ensuring proper terminology and transparent reporting, this framework will advance scientific rigor, facilitate accurate comparisons across studies, and improve the clinical application of regenerative medicine therapies. Full article

Background: Obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) remains highly prevalent worldwide. Although physical activity (PA) interventions have shown potential benefits, evidence on the optimal type, intensity, and duration of exercise for overweight or obese pregnant women remains limited. Methods: Electronic searches of EBSCOhost, Embase, PubMed and Web of Science were performed through August 2025 to identify randomized controlled trials comparing PA interventions versus usual prenatal care in overweight or obese pregnant women. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using Cochrane ROB domains. Continuous outcomes were pooled using inverse-variance meta-analytic methods and heterogeneity was quantified by I². Results: Ten randomized trials (twelve intervention arms) comprising 1150 participants met the inclusion criteria. In the domain of blinding of participants and personnel, three studies (30%) were judged as low risk, while seven (70%) were unclear. PA interventions varied in modality (aerobic, resistance, endurance, walking), setting (clinic, community, home/mHealth), and the intervention period ranges from 10 to 34 weeks. Most interventions (80%) employed moderate intensity, and 30% combined aerobic and resistance training. Results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled mean GWG was 9.93 ± 5.48 kg in the treatment group and 10.65 ± 5.70 kg in the control group. Overall, PA interventions produced a modest but statistically significant reduction in GWG compared with controls, with negligible between-study heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Conclusions: Tailored, moderate-intensity PA may have the potential to modestly reduce GWG. Although 30% included trials employed combined aerobic and resistance training, current evidence is insufficient to establish whether combined modalities are more effective than aerobic-only or resistance-only interventions. However, the current evidence is limited by small trial sizes, methodological variability and geographic concentration in higher-income settings. Larger, rigorously designed RCTs, including evaluations of digital delivery platforms and carefully supervised higher-intensity protocols, are needed to refine exercise prescriptions and inform clinical guidelines. Full article

Urban waterfront spaces are key venues for residents’ physical activity, and their spatial environment significantly impacts usage efficiency. Existing studies predominantly employ linear models and focus on single waterfront types, making it difficult to reveal differences across various types and the nonlinear mechanisms of influencing factors. To address this, this study investigates three types of waterfront spaces in Shenzhen—riverfront, lakeshore, and seafront spaces—integrating multi-source data and machine learning techniques to systematically analyze the differential impacts of the same elements on physical activity. The results indicate: (1) In terms of transportation accessibility, public transport is the most important factor for riverfront and lakeshore spaces, while road network accessibility is most critical for seafront spaces. (2) Regarding natural landscapes, the dominant factors are normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for riverfront spaces, green view index for lakeshore spaces, and distance to the shoreline for seafront spaces. (3) For facility services, the core factors are building density (riverfront), number of sports facilities (lakeshore), and number of leisure facilities (seafront). (4) The study further reveals nonlinear relationships and threshold effects of multiple elements. For instance, a turning point in physical activity intensity occurs when the distance to a subway station reaches 2–2.5 km. The green view index shows a threshold of 30% in the overall model, while dual-threshold phenomena are observed in the lakeshore and seafront models. (5) Synergistic effects between elements vary by waterfront type: in riverfront and seafront spaces, activity is more vibrant when areas are close to subway stations and have a low sky view index, whereas the opposite pattern is observed in lakeshore spaces. A combination of a high green view index and greater distance to the shoreline promotes activity in lakeshore spaces, while a high green view index combined with proximity to the shoreline has the most significant promotional effect in riverfront and seafront spaces. This study provides a scientific basis for health-oriented, precise planning and design of urban waterfront spaces. Full article

Background/Objectives: Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) induces various physiological and metabolic adaptations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a seven-day IHH exposure on nutritional status, body composition, gut microbiota, movement intensity, and energy expenditure in 10 workers. Methods: A pre–post comparative design was employed, with measurements taken at the beginning and end of the exposure period. Nutritional status, body composition, and phase angle (PhA) were assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Gut microbiota composition was analyzed through fecal DNA extraction and qPCR for specific bacterial families. Movement intensity and energy expenditure were monitored using accelerometry. An initial statistical analysis was performed, which included paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: A significant increase in PhA (mean difference: 0.40; p = 0.0053 for t-test, p = 0.0136 for Wilcoxon) and a significant decrease in BMI (mean difference: −0.38; p = 0.0311 for t-test, p = 0.0546 for Wilcoxon). Conclusions: While the original paper reported no significant changes in nutritional status or body composition, our re-analysis suggests a significant change in BMI. The original paper also reported significant changes in specific gut bacterial families (butyrate-producing bacteria, p = 0.037; Lactobacillus species, p = 0.006). Physical activity levels remained consistently low. Full article

This study aims to identify optimal parameters for the clinical implementation of magnetic fields in therapeutic contexts, with a particular focus on in vitro magneto-mechanical actuation in biological systems. This approach relies on the transduction of magnetic energy into mechanical stress at low frequencies (<<100 Hz). Accordingly, the investigation centers on evaluating the magnetic field gradients responsible for initiating the motion of intracellular magnetic nanoparticles and the resulting mechanical forces acting upon them. To achieve this, a novel, custom-built, and highly adaptable three-dimensional turntable system was designed, calibrated, and implemented. This apparatus allows the generation of magnetic fields with precisely tunable amplitude and frequency, enabling controlled activation of magneto-mechanical mechanisms. In vitro experiments using this device facilitated the exposure of cancer cells to well-characterized magnetic fields, thereby inducing mechanical stimulation in the presence of nanoparticles distributed within intracellular or extracellular environments. Quantitative measurements of magnetic field intensities were performed, providing estimations of the forces exerted by magnetic nanoparticles with diverse physical characteristics (phase, size, and shape) under varying magnetic field gradients. Full article

Background/Objectives: Migraine (MIG) is a neurologic, acute or chronic, disabling pathology that significantly reduces quality of life in millions of people worldwide. Among modifiable factors that influence the onset and management of MIG, nutritional and physical activity habits are crucial elements of a non-pharmacological treatment aiming at improving the anti-inflammatory condition. Methods: This review analyses the evidence available, using the last 10 years of published papers (searching in MEDLINE/PubMed), on the use of specific dietetic plans, the identification of potential nutritional triggers, the role of some supplements, the effects of regular PA, and weight management, in people with MIG. Results: Associations have been reported between the use of ketogenic, low-glycemic, and anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, the identification of potential nutritional triggers, and supplementation with some elements such as any vitamins, PUFAs, and CoQ10, in addition to regular mixed PA, and the duration, frequency, and intensity of MIG attacks. Conclusions: Despite some RCTs showing promising results, an actual lifestyle-based protocol does not yet exist due to methodological limitations. However, current evidence supports the development of a “lifestyle” approach to MIG management, although further research is needed to establish definitive and standardized clinical recommendations. Full article

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, immune-mediated conditions that significantly affect quality of life (QoL). The disease can cause extraintestinal manifestations, the most common of which is musculoskeletal involvement, which can lead to reduced physical activity (PA) and further impair QoL. In this narrative review, the literature was studied regarding the effects of PA types and patient education in IBD. There is growing evidence that regular PA and an active lifestyle have a positive impact on patients’ QoL, reduce symptoms, and contribute to maintaining remission. Aerobic and resistance training programs, when properly dosed, have been shown to be safe, improve physical condition, and have an impact on psychological well-being, while not increasing disease activity. On the other hand, there is no consensus on the safety of high-intensity training, so individualized, gradual training programs are recommended. The lack of PA and low levels of PA among IBD patients are partly due to fatigue, fear of symptoms, and joint pain, which may be caused by a lack of adequate education. A multidisciplinary approach and the involvement of physiotherapists are often lacking. Available data show that structured, patient-centered education programs and personalized exercise therapies can help increase PA and improve QoL. Overall, regular PA should be an important therapeutic adjunct to IBD treatment, but further research is needed to investigate training programs of appropriate intensity and frequency that can be used safely, and we also recommend assessing the need for patient education. Full article

Background: The intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) is a low-power laser technique that has been studied since the 1970s, and it is associated with the substantial capability to modulate various physiological processes. Indeed, ILIB involves the irradiation of blood with low-intensity light, typically within the red or near-infrared spectrum, to trigger a cascade of photochemical and photobiological events. Objective: This study aimed to analyze previous findings regarding ILIB effects on physical performance. Methods: This study is a narrative review of the literature, addressing the effects of ILIB on multiple organ systems and its impact on physical performance. Results: The most found effects include antioxidant activation, inhibition of inflammatory processes, increased blood fluidity, and improved hemorheological properties. The ILIB affects blood rheological properties based on vasodilatation and decreasing aggregation of thrombocytes. Other effects include improved deformability of erythrocytes, which results in a better supply of oxygen and a decrease in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Since ILIB is a photobiomodulation procedure, other applications can be considered, such as ergogenic intervention. In this context, ILIB may favor performance in aerobic exercises and contribute to practices involving anaerobic metabolism by facilitating phosphocreatine resynthesis and ATP restoration. Conclusions: Multiple findings seek to support the potential benefits of ILIB on metabolic and cardiovascular responses associated with exercise training, providing potential improvements in athletic performance. Full article

Obesity prevention interventions in children often produce small or null effects. However, ignoring heterogeneous responses may widen pre-existing inequalities. This secondary analysis explored baseline predictors of differential effects on BMI z-score, Fat mass (%), stress, and sleep outcomes in obesity-susceptible, healthy-weight children (n = 543). A modified LASSO regression was applied to baseline characteristics, including physical activity and socio-demographics. Few predictors were retained. For BMI z-score, weekly chores and parental divorce were the strongest predictors: children who did chores had a slightly larger increase in BMI z-score in the intervention group compared with controls (MD = 0.15, 95% CI: −0.03, 0.33), while children with divorced parents showed a smaller increase (MD = −0.19, 95% CI: −0.69, 0.31). These results align with evidence that low-intensity activity has limited impact on obesity outcomes and that children with compounded vulnerability may respond differently to tailored interventions. Even when overall effects are small, machine learning approaches can identify potential predictors of heterogeneous intervention effects, supporting the design of future targeted interventions aimed at reducing inequalities. Full article

Background: While physical activity has been shown to enhance cognitive function, little is known about whether stretching, a low-intensity, accessible form of exercise, can elicit similar benefits, particularly over time. The study adopted a self-control (within-subject) design. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the time-dependent effects of self-stretching on cognitive performance in healthy adults. Methods: Thirty healthy participants performed a self-stretching protocol targeting the neck and shoulder muscles. Cognitive performance was assessed in terms of attention (Stroop test), working memory (N-back test), and short-term memory (digit span-based memory test) at baseline, and at 10, 20, and 30 min post-intervention. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyze changes in cognitive performance. One-way ANOVA was conducted on baseline data to confirm the homogeneity across the three measurement groups. Results: One-way ANOVAs confirmed no significant baseline differences among the three groups in any cognitive measure (p > 0.05). Stroop test results showed a significant reduction in reaction time at 10 (p = 0.01) and 20 min (p = 0.02) post-stretching, indicating an improvement in information processing speed. The effect size (Hedges’ g) for this improvement was very large (−1.01) at 10 min and large (−0.87) at 20 min. However, no significant improvements were observed in Stroop accuracy scores, memory performance, or N-back task results at any time point. Conclusions: Self-stretching produced short-term improvements only in reaction time during attention tasks, while no changes were observed in memory or working memory accuracy. These findings suggest that stretching may offer brief, task-specific benefits related to processing speed rather than broad cognitive enhancement. Full article

To address the challenges of climate change mitigation and operational flexibility in active distribution networks (ADNs) amid high renewable energy penetration, this paper proposes a low-carbon economic dispatch framework integrating demand-side carbon regulation and cyber–physical system (CPS)-enabled shared energy storage. First, a consumer-side emission penalty mechanism is developed by fusing a carbon emission flow (CEF) model with price elasticity coefficients. This mechanism embeds carbon costs into end-user electricity pricing, guiding users to adjust consumption patterns (e.g., reducing usage during high-carbon-intensity periods) and shifting partial carbon responsibility to the demand side. Second, a CPS-based shared energy storage mechanism is constructed, featuring a three-layer architecture (physical layer, control decision layer, security layer) that aggregates distributed energy storage (DES) resources into a unified, schedulable pool. A cooperative, game-based profit-sharing strategy using Shapley values is adopted to allocate benefits based on each DES participant’s marginal contribution, ensuring fairness and motivating resource pooling. Finally, a unified mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) optimization model is formulated for ADNs, co-optimizing locational marginal prices, DES state-of-charge trajectories, and demand curtailment to minimize operational costs and carbon emissions simultaneously. Simulations on a modified IEEE 33-bus system demonstrate that the proposed framework reduces carbon emissions by 4.5–4.7% and renewable energy curtailment by 71.1–71.3% compared to traditional dispatch methods, while lowering system operational costs by 6.6–6.8%. The results confirm its effectiveness in enhancing ADN’s low-carbon performance, renewable energy integration, and economic efficiency. Full article

In recent years, agricultural production activities have been advancing towards mechanization and intelligence to bridge the growing gap between the high labor intensity and time sensitivity of harvesting operations and the limited labor resources. As the component that directly interacts with target crops, the end-effector is a crucial part of agricultural harvesting robots. This paper first reviews their materials, number of fingers, actuation methods, and detachment techniques. Analysis reveals that three-fingered end-effectors, known for their stability and ease of control, are the most prevalent. Soft materials have gained significant attention due to their flexibility and low-damage characteristics, while the emergence of variable stiffness technology holds promise for addressing their issues of poor stability and fragility. The introduction of bionics and composite concepts offers potential for enhancing the performance of end-effectors. Subsequently, starting from an analysis of the biomechanical properties of fruits and vegetables, the relationship between mechanical damage and the intrinsic parameters of produce is elucidated. On the other hand, practical and efficient finite element analysis has been applied to various stages of end-effector research, such as structural design and grasping force estimation. Given the importance of compliance control, this paper explores the current research status of various control methods. It emphasizes that while hybrid force–position control often suffers from frequent controller switching, which directly affects real-time performance, active admittance control and impedance control directly convert external forces or torques into the robot’s reference position and velocity, resulting in more stable and flexible external control. To enable a unified comparison of end-effector performance, this review proposes a progressive comparison framework centered on control philosophy, comprising the ontological characteristic layer, physical interaction layer, feedback optimization layer, and task layer. Additionally, in response to the current lack of scientific rigor and systematization in performance evaluation systems for end-effectors, performance evaluation criteria (harvest success rate, harvest time, and damage rate) are defined to standardize the characterization of end-effector performance. Finally, this paper summarizes the challenges faced in the development of end-effectors and analyzes their causes. It highlights how emerging technologies, such as digital twin technology, can improve the control accuracy and flexibility of end-effectors. Full article