The Cognitive Function and Taekwondo-Specific Kick Performance of Taekwondo Athletes at Different Hydration Statuses.

Purpose: Successful participation in taekwondo (TKD) requires athletes to possess quick decision-making abilities and demonstrate technical proficiency during competition. Dehydration, occurring during both training and competition, is widely recognized to have various negative effects.

Methods: This study investigated the impact of different levels of dehydration on cognitive function, as measured by the Vienna Test System, and the specific performance of kicking techniques among TKD athletes.

Concurrent Ingestion of Alkaline Water and L-Glutamine Enhanced Salivary α-Amylase Activity and Testosterone Concentration in Boxing Athletes.

Athletes often take sport supplements to reduce fatigue and immune disturbances during or after training. This study evaluated the acute effects of concurrent ingestion of alkaline water and L-glutamine on the salivary immunity and hormone responses of boxers after training. Twelve male boxing athletes were recruited in this study.

Supplementation of L-glutamine enhanced mucosal immunity and improved hormonal status of combat-sport athletes.

Background: Maintaining proper immune function and hormone status is important for athletes to avoid upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and insufficient recovery, which is detrimental to sport performance and health. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether three-week supplementation of L-glutamine could benefit the mucosal immunity and hormonal status of combat-sport athletes as well as their rates of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and subjective feelings of well-being after intensive training.

Methods: Twenty-one combat-sport athletes from the National Taiwan University of Sport were recruited in this study.

The COVID-19 vaccine did not affect the basal immune response and menstruation in female athletes.

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted the regular training and competition program of athletes. Vaccines against COVID-19 are known to be beneficial for the disease; however, the unknown side effects of vaccines and postvaccination reactions have made some athletes hesitant to get vaccinated. We investigated the changes in inflammatory responses and menstrual cycles of female athletes before and after vaccination.

Low Vitamin D Status Relates to the Poor Response of Peripheral Pulse Wave Velocity Following Acute Maximal Exercise in Healthy Young Men.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin D levels on peripheral pulse wave velocity (pPWV) following acute maximal exercise in healthy young adults. Fifty male healthy adults from National Chung Cheng University participated in the study. Participants were divided into the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) sufficiency group (n = 28, 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L) and deficiency group (n = 22, 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L).

Horticulture therapy affected the mental status, sleep quality, and salivary markers of mucosal immunity in an elderly population.

Horticultural therapy (HT) has been reported to be beneficial to mental and physical health. This study investigated the effects of HT on the psychological status and mucosal immunity of elderly individuals. Twenty-four participants aged 70-93 were recruited from residential facilities and adult day-care services.

Acute Effects of Nicotine on Physiological Responses and Sport Performance in Healthy Baseball Players.

There is interest in whether nicotine could enhance attention in sporting performance, but evidence on the acute effect of nicotine on physical response and sports performance in baseball players remains scant. This was an observational study to examine whether nicotine gum chewed before exercise could provide acute effects on physiological responses and sport performance. Accordingly, heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cotinine concentration and α-amylase activity, cognitive function, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance were measured.

Protective Effect of Piplartine against LPS-Induced Sepsis through Attenuating the MAPKs/NF-κB Signaling Pathway and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

Piplartine (or Piperlongumine) is a natural alkaloid isolated from L., which has been proposed to exhibit various biological properties such as anti-inflammatory effects; however, the effect of piplartine on sepsis has not been examined. This study was performed to examine the anti-inflammatory activities of piplartine in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo using murine J774A.

Zerumbone Suppresses the LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response and Represses Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Macrophages.

Zerumbone is a natural product isolated from the pinecone or shampoo ginger, (L.) Smith, which has a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. However, the effects of zerumbone on activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages have not been examined.

Nicotine supplementation enhances simulated game performance of archery athletes.

Background: Nicotine is beneficial to mood, arousal and cognition in humans. Due to the importance of cognitive functioning for archery athletes, we investigated the effects of nicotine supplementation on the cognitive abilities, heart rate variability (HRV), and sport performance of professional archers.

Methods: Eleven college archers were recruited and given 2 mg of nicotine supplementation (NIC group) and placebo (PLA group) in a crossover design.

Bavachin attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory response and inhibits the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages.

Background: Bavachin is a natural product isolated from Psoralea corylifolia L. that has been applied as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of bavachin on LPS-induced inflammation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation by macrophages remain unclear.

AICAR Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Migration and Invasion in Prostate Cancer Cells Through an AMPK/mTOR-Dependent Pathway.

Current clinical challenges of prostate cancer management are to restrict tumor growth and prohibit metastasis. AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carbox-amide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside), an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist, has demonstrated antitumor activities for several types of cancers. However, the activity of AICAR on the cell growth and metastasis of prostate cancer has not been extensively studied.

Effects of an Acute Bout of Light-Intensity Walking on Sleep in Older Women With Sleep Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study Objectives: This study aimed to explore the effects of a single bout of light-intensity walking on sleep in older women with mild sleep impairment.

Methods: A total of 40 women aged 55 years or older with mild sleep impairment were randomized to either a treadmill walking session for 50 minutes or a quiet-rest control. All participants completed the study (mean age: 60.

Corylin inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory response and attenuates the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia.

Background: Inflammation has been found to be associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and dementia. Attenuation of microglia-induced inflammation is a strategy that impedes the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate murine microglia cells (BV2 cells) as an experimental model to mimic the inflammatory environment in the brain.

RNA-seq transcriptome analysis of breast cancer cell lines under shikonin treatment.

Shikonin is a naphthoquinone isolated from the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, an herb used in Chinese medicine. Although several studies have indicated that shikonin exhibits antitumor activity in breast cancer, the mechanism of action remains unclear. In the present study, we performed transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq and explored the mechanism of action of shikonin in regulating the growth of different types of breast cancer cells.

Improving biodiversity assessment via unsupervised separation of biological sounds from long-duration recordings.

Investigating the dynamics of biodiversity via passive acoustic monitoring is a challenging task, owing to the difficulty of identifying different animal vocalizations. Several indices have been proposed to measure acoustic complexity and to predict biodiversity. Although these indices perform well under low-noise conditions, they may be biased when environmental and anthropogenic noises are involved.

Aloe Metabolites Prevent LPS-Induced Sepsis and Inflammatory Response by Inhibiting Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activation.

Aloe, a polyphenolic anthranoid-containing Aloe vera leaves, is a Chinese medicine and a popular dietary supplement worldwide. In in vivo situations, polyphenolic anthranoids are extensively broken down into glucuronides and sulfate metabolites by the gut and the liver. The anti-inflammatory potential of aloe metabolites has not been examined.

Corylin protects LPS-induced sepsis and attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory response.

Corylin is a main compound isolated from Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae). A variety of pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-proliferation, and anti-inflammatory properties of corylin have been reported.

Associations between sleep quality and inflammatory markers in patients with schizophrenia.

Sleep disorder is a risk factor for several systemic inflammation-related diseases and there are extensive data showing that schizophrenia is associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. This study investigated the associations between sleep quality and inflammatory markers in patients with schizophrenia, which has not been examined before. Sleep quality (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, total activity counts, wake after sleep onset, number of awakening, and average length of awakening) was measured using actigraphy in 199 schizophrenia inpatients.

The acute effects of green tea and carbohydrate coingestion on systemic inflammation and oxidative stress during sprint cycling.

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, which may be beneficial to athletes performing high-intensity exercise. This study investigated the effects of carbohydrate and green tea coingestion on sprint cycling performance and associated oxidative stress and immunoendocrine responses to exercise. In a crossover design, 9 well-trained male cyclists completed 3 sets of 8 repetitions of 100-m uphill sprint cycling while ingesting green tea and carbohydrate (TEA) (22 mg/kg body mass catechins, 6 mg/kg body mass caffeine, 230 mg/kg glucose, and 110 mg/kg fructose) or carbohydrate only (CHO) (230 mg/kg body mass glucose and 110 mg/kg body mass fructose) during each 10-min recovery period between sets.

Salivary Immuno Factors, Cortisol and Testosterone Responses in Athletes of a Competitive 5,000 m Race.

The exercise-stress model can be a model of temporary immunosuppression that occurs after severe physical and psychological stress. It also allows for the study of interactions between the endocrine and the immune systems. This study examined changes in salivary hormonal and immune factors in athletes in response to physical and psychological stress in a 5,000 m running competition.

Scratch wound closure of myoblasts and myotubes is reduced by inflammatory mediators.

Complex interactions exist between muscle repair processes and acute inflammatory responses that are initiated by exercise-induced muscle damage. The purpose of this study was to examine whether inflammatory mediators secreted by activated macrophages affect the migration of myogenic cells to the injury site. Migration was measured using a scratch wound closure assay in C2 C12 -derived myogenic cells incubated in activated macrophage-conditioned medium.

Green tea consumption after intense taekwondo training enhances salivary defense factors and antibacterial capacity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of green tea consumption on selected salivary defense proteins, antibacterial capacity and anti-oxidation activity in taekwondo (TKD) athletes, following intensive training. Twenty-two TKD athletes performed a 2-hr TKD training session. After training, participants ingested green tea (T, caffeine 6 mg/kg and catechins 22 mg/kg) or an equal volume of water (W).

Ovatodiolide inhibits the maturation of allergen-induced bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and induction of Th2 cell differentiation.

Ovatodiolide was a unique macrocyclic diterpenoid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Anisomeles indica. The present study attempted to examine the ovatodiolide effects on dendritic cell (DC) maturation and immuno-stimulatory activities. The effects of ovatodiolide on DC surface molecule expression, cytokine production, and capacity to induce T-cell differentiation were examined in ovalbumin (OVA)/thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)-stimulated DCs.

Gene expression profiling of dendritic cells in different physiological stages under Cordyceps sinensis treatment.

Cordyceps sinensis (CS) has been commonly used as herbal medicine and a health supplement in China for over two thousand years. Although previous studies have demonstrated that CS has benefits in immunoregulation and anti-inflammation, the precise mechanism by which CS affects immunomodulation is still unclear. In this study, we exploited duplicate sets of loop-design microarray experiments to examine two different batches of CS and analyze the effects of CS on dendritic cells (DCs), in different physiology stages: naïve stage and inflammatory stage.