Effects of low-intensity home-based exercise on cognition in older persons with mild cognitive impairment: a direct comparison of aerobic versus resistance exercises using a randomized controlled trial design.

Background: It has been reported that both aerobic exercise and resistance exercise can improve cognitive function in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but it is unclear which type of exercise has a higher impact on cognitive function. Additionally, low-intensity exercise is considered safe for the elderly and can be done at home. This study aimed to compare the effects of 3-month low-intensity home-based exercises, aerobic versus resistance exercises, on cognitive function in people with MCI.

The speed-gene study: methods, study design and preliminary results.

The Speed-Gene study aims to identify genetic variants influencing athletic performance and human locomotion using motion capture technology. Currently, 60 female participants have completed the testing protocol, and the overall aim is to recruit 283 moderately trained, healthy Southeast Asian individuals (18-45 y, BMI < 30). Participants will undergo biomechanical analysis and genetic testing.

Muscle Activation and Ground Reaction Force between Single-Leg Drop Landing and Jump Landing among Young Females during Weight-Acceptance Phase.

Single-leg drop landing (SLDL) and jump landing (SLJL) are frequently used as assessment tools for identifying potential high-risk movement patterns; thus, understanding differences in neuromuscular responses between these types of landings is essential. This study aimed to compare lower extremity neuromuscular responses between the SLDL and SLJL. Thirteen female participants performed an SLDL and SLJL from a 30-cm box height.

Dietary Supplementation with 20-Hydroxyecdysone Ameliorates Hepatic Steatosis and Reduces White Adipose Tissue Mass in Ovariectomized Rats Fed a High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is defined as hepatic steatosis in combination with overweight, diabetes, or other metabolic risk factors. MAFLD affects a significant number of the global population and imposes substantial clinical and economic burdens. With no approved pharmacotherapy, current treatment options are limited to diet and exercise.

Morphological alteration of the pancreatic islet in ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat high-fructose diet.

Diabetes and its complications are major causes of mortality worldwide. Type 2 diabetes coexists with insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, which are aggravated by overconsumption and estrogen-deprived conditions. However, the morphology of pancreatic islets in a combined condition of excessive caloric intake and estrogen deficiency has never been described.

Classification of Limb and Mobility Impairments in Persons With Stroke Using the STREAM.

Background And Purpose: Classification of functional impairment in persons with stroke can influence treatment planning but this information is missing in the Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM) Scale. This study aimed to establish the classification of limb mobility impairments and item difficulty of the STREAM.

Methods: Rasch analysis was conducted on the STREAM scores to examine the person and item reliability, the item difficulty, and level of impairments.

Hydration Status, Fluid Intake, Sweat Rate, and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Recreational Tropical Native Runners.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate hydration status, fluid intake, sweat rate, and sweat sodium concentration in recreational tropical native runners.

Methods: A total of 102 males and 64 females participated in this study. Participants ran at their self-selected pace for 30-100 min.

The effect of the type of foam pad used in the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (mCTSIB) on the accuracy in identifying older adults with fall history.

Background: The type of foam pad used in the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (mCTSIB) influences the accuracy with which elderly fallers are identified. Two types of foam are commonly used in practice: Airex and Neurocom foam.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy with which elderly fallers can be identified when the Airex foam and Neurocom foam are used in the mCTSIB.

Selection of the Better Dual-Timed Up and Go Cognitive Task to Be Used in Patients With Stroke Characterized by Subtraction Operation Difficulties.

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) with serial subtraction is commonly used to assess cognitive-dual task performance during walking for fall prediction. Some stroke patients cannot perform number subtraction and it is unclear which cognitive task can be used to substitute for the subtraction task in the TUG test. The aim of this study was to determine the type of cognitive task that produced the highest decrease on both motor and cognitive performances during TUG-dual in stroke patients.

20-Hydroxyecdysone ameliorates metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction in high-fat-high-fructose-fed ovariectomized rats.

Background: Ecdysteroids are polyhydroxylated steroids present in invertebrates and plants. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E) is the most common and the main biologically active compound of ecdysteroids. Previous studies have demonstrated anabolic and metabolic effects of 20E in mammals.

Comparison of measurement properties of three shortened versions of the balance evaluation system test (BESTest) in people with subacute stroke.

Objectives: To examine the reliability, validity and responsiveness of 3 different short versions of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest: S--BESTest, Brief-BESTest and Mini-BESTest) in patients with subacute stroke.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Participants: Patients with subacute stroke.

Rosmarinic acid improves hypertension and skeletal muscle glucose transport in angiotensin II-treated rats.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural pure compound from herbs belonging to the Lamiaceae family, such as rosemary, sage, basil, and mint. The antioxidant, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory, and vasodilatory effects of RA have been revealed. Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a potent agent that generates hypertension and oxidative stress.

Estrogen and voluntary exercise attenuate cardiometabolic syndrome and hepatic steatosis in ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat high-fructose diet.

The prevalence of cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) is increased in women after menopause. While hormone replacement therapy has been prescribed to relieve several components of CMS in postmenopausal women, some aspects of cardiometabolic dysfunction cannot be completely restored. The present study examined the effectiveness of estrogen replacement alone and in combination with exercise by voluntary wheel running (VWR) for alleviating the risks of CMS, insulin-mediated skeletal muscle glucose transport, and hepatic fat accumulation in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat high-fructose diet (OHFFD).

Role of cardiac mast cells in exercise training-mediated cardiac remodeling in angiotensin II-infused ovariectomized rats.

Aims: Regular exercise is recommended in postmenopausal women to prevent the development of heart disease, but mechanism underlying the protection is not completely understood. Many studies have suggested that exercise training notably mediated whole body immune and inflammatory functions. Whether exercise training prevents cardiac dysfunction after deprivation of female sex hormones by inhibiting cardiac immune activation is therefore interesting.

Voluntary exercise opposes insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport during liquid fructose ingestion in rats.

We have recently reported that male rats given liquid fructose ingestion exhibit features of cardiometabolic abnormalities including non-obese insulin resistance with impaired insulin signaling transduction in skeletal muscle (Rattanavichit Y et al. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 311: R1200-R1212, 2016). While exercise can attenuate obesity-related risks of cardiometabolic syndrome, the effectiveness and potential mechanism by which exercise modulates non-obese insulin resistance have not been fully studied.

Exercise Protects Against Defective Insulin Signaling and Insulin Resistance of Glucose Transport in Skeletal Muscle of Angiotensin II-Infused Rat.

The present study investigated the impact of voluntary exercise on insulin-stimulated glucose transport and the protein expression and phosphorylation status of the signaling molecules known to be involved in the glucose transport process in the soleus muscle as well as other cardiometabolic risks in a rat model with insulin resistance syndrome induced by chronic angiotensin II (ANGII) infusion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sedentary or voluntary wheel running (VWR) groups. Following a 6-week period, rats in each group were subdivided and subcutaneously administered either normal saline or ANGII at 100 ng/kg/min for 14 days.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease impairs expression of the type II inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease worldwide. It may result in several types of liver problems, including impaired liver regeneration (LR), but the mechanism for this is unknown. Because LR depends on calcium signaling, we examined the effects of NAFLD on expression of the type II inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (ITPR2), the principle calcium release channel in hepatocytes.

20-Hydroxyecdysone attenuates cardiac remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Ecdysteroids, a group of steroid hormones found in insects and many plants, have been shown to prevent various changes in mammalian tissues after female sex hormone deprivation.

Purpose: To examine whether an ecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE), exhibits regulatory or protective roles in the cardiovascular system.

Study Design/method: Blood pressure and cardiac function were evaluated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) during and after daily treatment with 20-HE for six weeks.

Hepatic FGF21 mediates sex differences in high-fat high-fructose diet-induced fatty liver.

The role of gender in the progression of fatty liver due to chronic high-fat high-fructose diet (HFFD) has not been studied. The present investigation assessed whether HFFD induced hepatic perturbations differently between the sexes and examined the potential mechanisms. Male, female, and ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a control diet or HFFD for 12 wk.

Angiotensin II induces differential insulin action in rat skeletal muscle.

Angiotensin II (ANGII) is reportedly involved in the development of skeletal muscle insulin resistance. The present investigation evaluated the effects of two ANGII doses on the phenotypic characteristics of insulin resistance syndrome and insulin action and signaling in rat skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with either saline (SHAM) or ANGII at a commonly used pressor dose (100 ng/kg/min; ANGII-100) or a higher pressor dose (500 ng/kg/min; ANGII-500) via osmotic minipumps for 14 days.

Sex differences in the metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport following high fructose ingestion.

The role of high fructose ingestion (HFI) in the development of conditions mimicking human metabolic syndrome has mostly been demonstrated in male animals; however, the extent of HFI-induced metabolic alterations in females remains unclear. The present study investigated whether HFI-induced metabolic perturbations differ between sexes and whether HFI aggravates the metabolic disturbances under ovarian hormone deprivation. Male, female, and ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were given either water or liquid fructose (10% wt/vol) for 6 wk.

Responsiveness of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) in People With Subacute Stroke.

Background: The reliability and convergent validity of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) in people with subacute stroke have been established, but its responsiveness to rehabilitation has not been examined.

Objective: The study objective was to compare the responsiveness of the BESTest with those of other clinical balance tools in people with subacute stroke.

Design: This was a prospective cohort study.

The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) Demonstrates Higher Accuracy in Identifying Older Adult Participants With History of Falls Than Do the BESTest, Berg Balance Scale, or Timed Up and Go Test.

Background And Purpose: Balance deficits a significant predictor of falls in older adults. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) are tools that may predict the likelihood of a fall, but their capabilities and accuracies have not been adequately addressed. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the capabilities of the BESTest and Mini-BESTest for identifying older adult with history of falls and comparing the participants with history of falls identification accuracy of the BESTest, Mini-BESTest, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) for identifying participants with a history of falls.

Interaction of age and foam types used in Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB).

Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) is a simplified method for investigating the organization of multiple sensory inputs in postural control. The accuracy of the test is based partly on the foam types. Several types of foam are available, but the validity of these foams on CTSIB and the interaction of age and foam types have not been addressed.

Substrate utilization during and after high intensity exercise in healthy lean and obese men.

Objective: To compare lipid and carbohydrate use during and after a high-intensity endurance exercise bout between lean and obese subjects.

Material And Method: Lean and obese healthy male subjects with energetic physical activity and stable body weight were recruited to participate in the present study. The respiratory exchange ratio (RER), lipid and carbohydrate oxidation, and lipid and carbohydrate energy expenditure during resting condition, high-intensity exercise and 180 min after exercise were determined by indirect calorimetry

Results: Ten lean and ten obese healthy male subjects, aged 26+/-4 years, completed a 300-kcal high-intensity exercise session.