Search Results (116)

Background/Objectives: The importance of resistance training for functional recovery in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients has been emphasized. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to analyze its effects on pain, muscle strength, and function in patients with TKA. Methods: The following databases were used: PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. Randomized controlled trials that administered resistance training to patients undergoing TKA and measured pain, strength, and function were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges’ g and are presented as Standardized Mean Differences (SMDs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the effect size based on the type and duration of the intervention. Results: The study selection process resulted in the inclusion of seven studies comprising a total of 439 participants. The bias assessment found that three studies had a low risk of bias and four had some concerns. Resistance training was effective in improving pain (SMD: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.11; 1.57, I²: 89.6%), muscle strength (SMD: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.29; 1.77, I²: 83.1%), self-reported function (SMD: 1.58, 95% CI: 0.15; 3.01, I²: 93.1%), and performance-based function (SMD: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.38; 1.11, I²: 68.9%). Subgroup analysis revealed significant differences in pain, strength, and performance-based function by comparison group, performance-based function by intervention duration, and self-reported function by intervention type. Conclusions: Resistance training improves pain, muscle strength, and function in TKA patients. Additionally, resistance training appears particularly effective when implemented as a standalone intervention or for durations under 12 weeks. These findings suggest that the design of resistance training protocols should be considered in clinical practice. Full article

The recent economic turmoil and the increasing volatility of bitcoins have necessitated the need for exploring safe-haven assets for bitcoins. In this quest, the present study aims to investigate the safe haven for bitcoins by examining the dynamic relationship between bitcoins, gold, foreign exchange, and stablecoins. This is achieved by calculating hedge ratios and portfolio weight ratios for various asset classes, by employing adaptive-based techniques such as generalized orthogonal generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity, corrected dynamic conditional correlation, corrected asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation, and asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation under various market and time-varying conditions. The empirical estimate reveals that all the selected asset classes are effective risk diversifiers for bitcoins. However, among all the asset classes, as per the hedge and portfolio weight ratio, Japanese yen, stablecoin for Japanese yen and Great Britain Pound, and Crypto Holding Frank Token (lowest-cost hedging strategies) are the most effective risk diversifiers when compared with bitcoins. Moreover, while considering external economic shocks, the empirical estimate posits that stablecoins are more stable risk diversifiers compared to the asset class they represent. Furthermore, in terms of the bivariate portfolio analysis formed with bitcoin, this study concludes that the weight of bitcoin is more stable when combined with gold, tether gold, Euro, Great Britain Pound, Swiss franc, and Japanese Yen. Thus, these assets are attractive for long-term investment strategies. This study provides investors and policymakers with significant insight into understanding safe-haven assets for bitcoin’s volatility and constructing a flexible portfolio that is dependent on the investment timeline and the prevailing market conditions. Full article

Amidst global economic fluctuations and escalating geopolitical risks, gold futures, as a pivotal safe-haven asset, demonstrate price dynamics that directly impact investor decision-making and risk mitigation effectiveness. Traditional forecasting models face significant limitations in capturing long-term trends, addressing abrupt volatility, and mitigating multi-source noise within complex market environments characterized by nonlinear interactions and extreme events. Current research predominantly focuses on single-model approaches (e.g., ARIMA or standalone neural networks), inadequately addressing the synergistic effects of multimodal market signals (e.g., cross-market index linkages, exchange rate fluctuations, and policy shifts) and lacking the systematic validation of model robustness under extreme events. Furthermore, feature selection often relies on empirical assumptions, failing to uncover non-explicit correlations between market factors and gold futures prices. A review of the global literature reveals three critical gaps: (1) the insufficient integration of temporal dependency and global attention mechanisms, leading to imbalanced predictions of long-term trends and short-term volatility; (2) the neglect of dynamic coupling effects among cross-market risk factors, such as energy ETF-metal market spillovers; and (3) the absence of hybrid architectures tailored for high-frequency noise environments, limiting predictive utility for decision support. This study proposes a three-stage LSTM–Transformer–XGBoost fusion framework. Firstly, XGBoost-based feature importance ranking identifies six key drivers from thirty-six candidate indicators: the NASDAQ Index, S&P 500 closing price, silver futures, USD/CNY exchange rate, China’s 1-year Treasury yield, and Guotai Zhongzheng Coal ETF. Second, a dual-channel deep learning architecture integrates LSTM for long-term temporal memory and Transformer with multi-head self-attention to decode implicit relationships in unstructured signals (e.g., market sentiment and climate policies). Third, rolling-window forecasting is conducted using daily gold futures prices from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (2015–2025). Key innovations include the following: (1) a bidirectional LSTM–Transformer interaction architecture employing cross-attention mechanisms to dynamically couple global market context with local temporal features, surpassing traditional linear combinations; (2) a Dynamic Hierarchical Partition Framework (DHPF) that stratifies data into four dimensions (price trends, volatility, external correlations, and event shocks) to address multi-driver complexity; (3) a dual-loop adaptive mechanism enabling endogenous parameter updates and exogenous environmental perception to minimize prediction error volatility. This research proposes innovative cross-modal fusion frameworks for gold futures forecasting, providing financial institutions with robust quantitative tools to enhance asset allocation optimization and strengthen risk hedging strategies. It also provides an interpretable hybrid framework for derivative pricing intelligence. Future applications could leverage high-frequency data sharing and cross-market risk contagion models to enhance China’s influence in global gold pricing governance. Full article

In vitro hedging; combined with the fed-batch liquid media process is an innovative system that generates multiple sterile plants without the use of exogenous cytokinin. This combined process was demonstrated with Cannabis sativa (‘Cherry1’, ‘BaOx’, ‘T1’, ‘Peach’) grown in vessels of three different physical states—stationary agar (A); stationary Oasis^® infused with liquid (OILs); and agitated Oasis^® infused with liquid (OILa). Vessels were pre-selected as control or supplemented; where supplement vessels received 15 mL DKW liquid media each cycle harvest. The number of shoot tips harvested; shoot length; and dry shoot mass from repeated cutting cycles was recorded. In a single harvest; ‘BaOx’ and ‘Cherry 1’ produced one shoot per plant from the original 15 planted on all treatments. ‘Peach’ and ‘T1’ produced less shoots on average; but the most in OIL treatments. All shoots harvested were longer in OIL compared to A; regardless of genotype. Over multiple cycles; ‘Peach’ and ‘T1’ were unable to reliably produce shoots on a repeated schedule and were, therefore, eliminated from the experiment. By cycle 3; maximum number of plants were produced; regardless of supplementation (‘Cherry 1’; 30; ‘BaOx’; 22). Shoot length was above 10 mm (planting standard) for both genotypes until after the third cycle (10 weeks) where number and quality decreased (nodes and internodes easily discerned). By the end of the experiment; the only shoots that remained productive for over 16 weeks and multiple repeated harvest cycles were those in OIL treatments with supplements. Full article

Blue and supplemental far-red light were observed to affect in vitro shoot growth with Cannabis sativa (‘BaOx’ and ‘Cherry 1’) in RV750 vessels. A modified “hedging” and fed-batch system for multiple harvests using Oasis^® foam and 120 mL DKW medium was used. Fifteen nodal and/or apical tips were planted and placed into PAR light treatments providing various red to blue ratios (polychromatic white 9:1 RB and dichromatic 2–15: 1 RB, with and without 5% far-red light). Treatments had similar light intensities (190–240 µmol · m⁻² · s⁻¹ PPFD) for a 16 h photoperiod. Shoot tips were harvested in vitro on five successive two-week cycles, with 15 mL of DKW media supplemented to each vessel following harvest. Shoot numbers, length, and fresh and dry mass were recorded at each cycle harvest. Five randomly selected shoot tips per vessel were rooted ex vitro on greenhouse mist bench for 16 days. Over multiple cycles, 5% far-red increased shoot numbers and length in both genotypes tested, regardless of polychromatic or dichromatic source. Shoots harvested per vessel increased from 15 to 28 in three cycles (6 weeks), but increased from 15 to 18 without far-red treatment. Shoot length in far-red-treated plants increased from 19 to 25 mm during cycles 1–3. Plants without far-red treatment were approximately 15 mm during the first three cycles. By cycle 5, both far-red- and non-far-red-treated plants decreased to 10 mm. Dry mass was greatest in cycle 1 for both genotypes (‘Cherry 1’ was 6 mg and ‘BaOx’ was 7 mg) under the highest amount of blue light, but 2 mg under the lowest amount of blue light. Dry mass decreased by 50% in cycle 3, to 4 mg, where it remained for the duration of the experiment. Sixty eight percent of shoots rooted ex vitro on the mist bench, regardless of any prior in vitro treatment. Full article

Concentrating on different types of persuasion strategies used by medical experts and political figures, the present study aims to examine persuasion strategies in medical vs. political discourse. Four corpora of speeches and interviews of four different groups of politicians and health professionals related to COVID-19 were selected. Two corpora belonged to Iranian figures, and two corpora represented Western figures. Then, using a framework which encompasses textual and interpersonal markers, the persuasive properties of the four corpora were investigated. The results indicated that logical markers emerge as the most frequent elements in textual subcategories of the persuasive metadiscourse observed in all four corpora. Moreover, in the case of the interpersonal subcategories, it was found that although hedges have a key role in the persuasive qualities of the texts, certainty markers appear to be largely absent within this corpus, which could suggest that the speakers are reluctant to take a stance while discussing a divisive and new issue such as COVID-19. The results provide insights into how the public’s understanding of the situation can be shaped and shifted in times of crisis, using persuasive devices by public figures. Full article

Endurance exercise, especially under heat stress, temporarily compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier in healthy individuals. Consequently, there is growing interest in developing effective dietary strategies to alleviate exercise-induced gastrointestinal symptoms and gut damage. This meta-analysis investigated the effects of dietary supplements on mitigating these challenges. The search was performed in November 2024 following PRISMA guidelines, and 26 peer-reviewed studies were included across three meta-analyses: (1) gastrointestinal symptoms, (2) circulating intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (i-FABP), and (3) exercise performance. The moderating effect of variables was assessed via sub-group analysis and meta-regression. Overall, there was no pooled effect of supplement interventions on gastrointestinal symptoms (Hedges’ g = 0.42, 95% CI −0.17: 1.02, p = 0.15), and probiotics had a moderate significant effect for gastrointestinal symptoms (Hedges’ g = −0.62, 95% CI −1.01; 1.01, p = 0.05). There was a significant increase in i-FABP concentrations pre- to post exercise ($∆$ 106%; Hedges’ g = 1.01, 95% CI 0.63; 1.38, p = 0.01). There were no pooled or sub-group differences for exercise performance for any supplements (p = 0.53). Moderate-to-large heterogeneity was observed across studies (I² ≥ 58.6%), and candidate moderators (exercise duration, modality, and environmental temperature) had no significant effect on any outcomes (p > 0.05). A significant increase in circulating i-FABP during exercise was observed. However, when examining the effects of different supplement categories, although significance was observed for a select few supplements, the changes in i-FABP, gastrointestinal symptoms, and exercise performance were outside of clinical relevance. Although probiotics showed a moderate significant effect for gastrointestinal symptoms, the conflicting findings across studies may have been due to inadequate control of confounding variables across studies. Further research is required to assess the alternative dietary supplements’ effects on gastrointestinal health and exercise performance, particularly under varied environmental conditions, where more rigorous control for cofounding factors is implemented. Full article

Olive (Olea europaea L.) trees produce many more flowers than fruit. In an “on” year, an adult olive tree may produce as many as 500,000 flowers, but 98% of them will drop soon after bloom as unfertilized flowers or juvenile fruit. This waste of resources that could be better invested in fruit reaching maturation requires an explanation. Several, not mutually exclusive, hypotheses explaining the possible significance of heavy flowering followed by massive and premature flower and fruit abscission are analyzed and compared based on previously published works and recent observations on olive reproductive biology. The results suggest that olive trees selectively abort fruits to enhance the quality of the seeds in the surviving fruits. Additionally, a considerable proportion of flowers appears to contribute to the male fitness of the plant by increasing pollen export. Conversely, the hypotheses attributing to resource limitation, pollination deficits, pollinator attraction, or extra flowers functioning as an ovary reserve, must be rejected for explaining the ultimate functions of massive flower production. Implications for olive orchard management are discussed. Full article

Objectives: This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the available body of published peer-reviewed studies on the effects of exergaming (EXG) compared to the control group (CG) on morphological variables, biochemical parameters, and blood pressure in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted until September 2024 using five databases: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, and Web of Science. PRISMA, TESTEX, RoB 2, and GRADE tools assessed the methodological quality and certainty of evidence. Hedge’s g effect sizes (ES) for morphological, biochemical, and blood pressure variables were calculated for meta-analyses. Using a random effects model, potential sources of heterogeneity were selected, including subgroup analyses (age) and single training factor analysis (program duration, training frequency). The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42024626992). Results: Out of 72 records, 6 randomized controlled trials with 191 children and adolescents with overweight/obesity were included. Nine meta-analyses were performed, showing significant decreases in body mass index (p = 0.04), waist circumference (p = 0.03), and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.007). However, no significant improvements were observed in diastolic blood pressure, body fat percentage, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose. Subgroup analyses showed significant decreases in total cholesterol (<15 years, ES = 0.56; p = 0.006), HDL-cholesterol (<15 years, ES = 0.51; p = 0.01), LDL-cholesterol (<15 years, ES = 0.63; p = 0.01), and triglycerides (<15 years, ES = 0.82; p = 0.000). In training duration, only significant decreases in total cholesterol (ES = 0.69; p = 0.02) were presented in favor of <12 weeks vs. ≥12 weeks. While in training frequency only significant decreases in triglycerides (ES = 0.70; p = 0.03) were reported in favor of ≥3 sessions per week vs. <3 sessions per week. Conclusions: EXG significantly decreases body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity. Full article

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) can be understood as a set of traits or abilities that may have an impact on academic, professional, or mental health. The aim of this protocol was to establish methodological guidelines for a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of acute and chronic physical exercise on EI from birth to 21 years (late adolescence). Methods: This protocol followed PRISMA-P guidelines and will be modified in PROSPERO after peer review. The review will include experimental randomized and non-randomized control studies involving physical exercise interventions. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO will be utilized for study selection following the publication of the protocol. The risk of bias will be assessed using the ROBINS-I tool, ROB-2, and the GRADE approach will evaluate the certainty of evidence. Random effect meta-analyses will analyse the effect of physical exercise compared with control groups, using effect sizes measures (Hedges’ g), with a 95% confidence interval and prediction interval, for each EI outcome (perception, facilitation, understanding, regulation, and management of emotions). Potential moderators, such as exercise intensity, duration, and sociocultural factors, will be analysed. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I² statistic, and sensitivity analyses will be performed to ensure result robustness. Subgroup analyses may be conducted based on age groups and specific EI dimensions. Conclusions: Publication bias will be assessed using Egger’s test and the trim-and-fill method. The future results aim to provide a foundation for analysing the impact of physical exercise on EI development, potentially guiding future interventions in health, educational, and related fields. Full article

This research explores the efficacy of rebalancing strategies in a diversified portfolio constructed exclusively with exchange-traded funds (ETFs). We selected five ETF types: short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, U.S. equities, global commodities, U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs), and a multi-strategy hedge fund. Using a 10-year historical period, we applied a unique simulation model to generate random portfolios with varying asset weights and rebalancing tolerance bands, assessing the impact of rebalancing premiums on portfolio performance. Our study reveals a significant positive correlation (r = 0.6492, p < 0.001) between rebalancing-weighted returns and the Sharpe ratio, indicating that effective rebalancing enhances risk-adjusted returns. Support vector regression (SVR) analysis shows that rebalancing premiums have diverse effects. Specifically, equities and commodities benefit from rebalancing with improved risk-adjusted returns, while bonds and REITs demonstrate a negative relationship, suggesting that rebalancing might be less effective or even detrimental for these assets. Our findings also indicate that negative portfolio rebalancing returns combined with positive rebalancing-weighted returns yield the highest average Sharpe ratio of 0.4328, highlighting a distinct and reciprocal relationship between rebalancing effects at the asset and portfolio levels. This research highlights that while rebalancing can enhance portfolio performance, its effectiveness varies by asset class and market conditions. Full article

The global development and enhancement of electricity financial markets aim to mitigate price risk in the electricity spot market. Power producers utilize financial derivatives for both hedging and speculation, necessitating careful selection of portfolio strategies. Current research on investment strategies for power financial derivatives primarily emphasizes risk management, resulting in a lack of a comprehensive investment framework. This study analyzes six short-term electricity futures contracts: base day, base week, base weekend, peak day, peak week, and peak weekend. A multi-agent deep reinforcement learning algorithm, Dual-Q MADDPG, is employed to learn from interactions with both the spot and futures market environments, considering the hedging and speculative behaviors of power producers. Upon completion of model training, the algorithm enables power producers to derive optimal portfolio strategies. Numerical experiments conducted in the Nordic electricity spot and futures markets indicate that the proposed Dual-Q MADDPG algorithm effectively reduces price risk in the spot market while generating substantial speculative returns. This study contributes to lowering barriers for power generators in the power finance market, thereby facilitating the widespread adoption of financial instruments, which enhances market liquidity and stability. Full article

Urbanization degrades natural habitats and creates new urban ecosystems like domestic gardens. The plant composition of these gardens varies with socio-economic factors and urban planning levels. However, the diversity and impact of introduced species are often poorly assessed, causing potential ecological imbalances (disruptions in the natural functioning and stability of ecosystems), particularly in Lubumbashi (DR Congo). The objective was to analyze the spatial structure, plant diversity, propagation strategies, and ecological functions of domestic gardens. Three distinct neighborhoods were selected: a planned, unplanned, and residential neighborhood. Twenty avenues (with five plots per avenue) were chosen to represent the diversity within each neighborhood, and stratified random sampling of plots was conducted to analyze gardening practices. Gardens were classified into types, and their vegetation was evaluated based on species origin and ecological impact. The analysis of domestic gardens in Lubumbashi reveals significant variations across different neighborhood types. Residential neighborhoods exhibit larger average garden sizes (315.1 m²), higher species richness (22 species), and larger plot sizes (1032 m²) compared to unplanned and planned neighborhoods, where garden areas and species richness are notably lower. Rectangular gardens dominate in unplanned areas, while planned neighborhoods feature more intentional landscaping elements, such as flowerbeds and hedges. The use of gardens for food production is prominent in planned areas (40.7%), whereas residential neighborhoods prioritize ornamentation (51.4%). The study identified 232 taxa across 68 families, with a predominance of exotic species (80%) in all neighborhoods, particularly in unplanned areas (82.25%). The data revealed that Mangifera indica and Persea americana are abundant in all neighborhoods, illustrating their adaptability to different urban contexts. Herbaceous species are most common, followed by woody plants, with vines being sparse. Species dispersal is primarily driven by human activities (anthropochory), accounting for over 85% in all neighborhoods. These findings highlight the strong human influence on the composition and structure of domestic gardens in Lubumbashi, emphasizing the dominance of exotic species and the importance of anthropogenic factors in shaping urban green spaces. Urban policies should incorporate strategies to minimize the negative impacts of exotic species on native flora. Full article

The efficient operation of multi-reservoirs is highly beneficial for securing supply for prevailing demand and ecological flow. This study proposes a monthly hedging rule-based aggregation–decomposition model for optimizing a parallel reservoir system. The proposed model, which is an aggregated hedging rule for ecological flow (AHRE), uses external optimization to determine the total release of the reservoir system based on improved hedging rules—the optimization model aims to minimize water demand and ecological flow deficits. Additionally, inner optimization distributes the release to individual reservoirs to maintain equal reservoir storage rates. To verify the effectiveness of the AHRE, a standard operation policy and transformed hedging rules were selected for comparison. Three parallel reservoirs in the Naesung Stream Basin in South Korea were selected as a study area. The results of this study demonstrate that the AHRE is better than the other two methods in terms of supplying water in line with demand and ecological flow. In addition, the AHRE showed relatively stable operation results with small water-level fluctuations, owing to the application of improved hedging rules and a decomposition method. The results indicate that the AHRE has the capacity to improve downstream river ecosystems while maintaining human water use and provide a superior response to uncertain droughts. Full article

Lepidium meyenii Walp (LmW) or Maca, including its bioactive components such as macamides, among others, has demonstrated antioxidant effects. However, the effect size (ES) of LmW on oxidative stress has not been qualitatively described and calculated. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review and qualitatively describe the studies published up to 2023 that supplemented LmW to control cellular oxidative stress; the secondary objective was to calculate the ES of the different interventions. The search was designed following the PRISMA^® guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and performed in the Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and MEDLINE until 2023. The selection of studies included randomized controlled trials, with tests and post-tests, both in vitro and in vivo in animals and humans. The methodological quality and risk of bias were evaluated with the CAMARADES tool. The main variables were reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde. The analysis was conducted with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) through Hedges’ g test (95% CI). Eleven studies were included in the systematic review and eight in the meta-analysis. They revealed a small effect for reduced glutathione (SMD = 0.89), a large effect for glutathione peroxidase (SMD = 0.96), a moderate effect for superoxide dismutase (SMD = 0.68), and a moderate effect for malondialdehyde (SMD = −0.53). According to the results, the phytochemical compounds of LmW effectively controlled cellular oxidative stress, mainly macamides. It was also determined that a higher dose of LmW generated a greater antioxidant effect. However, information concerning humans is scarce. Full article