Body composition differences in older adults with and without Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Research on body composition and fat distribution in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has presented conflicting findings.

Objective: Compare body composition and anthropometric measurements in older adults with and without AD.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following Cochrane guidelines and PRISMA standards.

Impact of fitness coach behavior on exercise motivation, commitment, and enjoyment: A longitudinal study.

Fitness coaches seem to play an essential role in the field of exercise as they help prevent sedentary lifestyles and promote overall health, quality of life, and well-being. This study aimed to explore the effects of fitness coaches' behavior perceptions, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment of exercisers on their long-term fitness and health, as well as their commitment to exercise. A total of 202 individuals participated in the study that was developed over three data gathering occasions (baseline, three months and six months).

The Image of Group Fitness Instructors: An Intra- and Inter-Country Comparison Between Portugal and Romania.

Fitness instructors play an essential role in fitness services, as they require both technical and interpersonal skills. A good image of a fitness instructor can be defined as having a pleasant appearance and good presentation in terms of hygiene and/or clothing used, which is appropriate for the context and characteristics of the participants. Their image significantly influences participants' perceptions and satisfaction.

Worldwide comparison of carbon stocks and fluxes between native and non-native forests.

Climate change is one of the main challenges that human societies are currently facing. Given that forests represent major natural carbon sinks in terrestrial ecosystems, administrations worldwide are launching broad-scale programs to promote forests, including stands of non-native trees. Yet, non-native trees may have profound impacts on the functions and services of forest ecosystems, including the carbon cycle, as they may differ widely from native trees in structural and functional characteristics.

Ultrasound Versus Elastography in the Diagnosis of Hepatic Steatosis: Evaluation of Traditional Machine Learning Versus Deep Learning.

The prevalence of fatty liver disease is on the rise, posing a significant global health concern. If left untreated, it can progress into more serious liver diseases. Therefore, accurately diagnosing the condition at an early stage is essential for more effective intervention and management.

Long-Term Physical Activity Mitigates Inflammaging Progression in Older Adults Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Inflammaging and physical performance were investigated in older adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Older women ( = 18) and men ( = 7) (mean age = 73.8 ± 7.

Safety Implications of Off-Label Medication Use in Athletes: A Narrative Review.

In recent years, the off-label use of medications in sports has increased significantly, primarily driven by psychological and social factors. Athletes frequently misuse drugs without adequate medical supervision, relying on unreliable sources of information, which leads to improper usage and serious health risks. This narrative review analyzes literature from PubMed (Medline), Scopus, and Web of Science databases, focusing on studies up to December 2023, to examine the safety concerns related to off-label drug use in sports.

Implementing verifiable oncological imaging by quality assurance and optimization (i‑Violin) : Protocol for a European multicenter study.

Background: Advanced imaging techniques play a pivotal role in oncology. A large variety of computed tomography (CT) scanners, scan protocols, and acquisition techniques have led to a wide range in image quality and radiation exposure. This study aims at implementing verifiable oncological imaging by quality assurance and optimization (i-Violin) through harmonizing image quality and radiation dose across Europe.

Exploring yeast glucans for vaccine enhancement: Sustainable strategies for overcoming adjuvant challenges in a SARS-CoV-2 model.

Vaccine adjuvants are important for enhancing vaccine efficacy, and although aluminium salts (Alum) are the most used, their limited ability to induce specific immune responses has spurred the search for new adjuvants. However, many adjuvants fail during product development due to manufacturability, supply, stability, or safety concerns. This work hypothesizes that protein-free yeast glucans can be used as vaccine adjuvants due to their known immunostimulatory activity and high abundancy.

The disruption of birds' double mutualistic interactions in novel ecosystems.

Non-native trees disrupt ecological processes vital to native plant communities. We studied how forests dominated by and affect the role of birds as dual pollinators and seed dispersers in a region heavily impacted by these two non-native species. We compared bird-plant interactions in the native and in the two non-native forest types.

Renewable Photo-Cross-Linkable Polyester-Based Biomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytocompatibility Assessment.

The present work consist of the synthesis of photo-cross-linkable materials, based on unsaturated polyesters (UPs), synthesized from biobased monomers from renewable sources such as itaconic acid and 1,4-butanediol. The UPs were characterized to assess the influence of polycondensation reaction temperature and cross-linking time on their final properties. For this purpose, different UV irradiation exposure periods were tested.

Material Performance Evaluation for Customized Orthoses: Compression, Flexural, and Tensile Tests Combined with Finite Element Analysis.

Orthoses are commonly used for treating injuries to improve the quality of life of patients, with customized orthoses offering significant benefits. Additive manufacturing, especially fused deposition modelling, enhances these benefits by providing faster, more precise, and more comfortable orthoses. The present study evaluates nine polymeric materials printed in horizontal and vertical directions by assessing their performance through compressive, flexural, and tensile tests.

Effects of Swimming Exercise on Early Adolescents' Physical Conditioning and Physical Health: A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Swimming is a popular and cost-effective way to prevent sedentary behavior and improve physical conditioning and health during early adolescence. However, information on its impact and benefits on daily life activities is lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the chronic effects of swimming on physical conditioning and physical health outcomes in early adolescents.

Organic Waste from the Management of the Invasive as a Source of Nutrients for Small Horticultural Crops.

The management of invasive plants is a challenge when using traditional control methods, which are ineffective for large areas, leading to the abandonment of invaded areas and the subsequent worsening of the situation. Finding potential uses for waste resulting from invaders' management could motivate their control in the long-term, concurrently providing new bio-based resources with different applications. is an invasive plant, widely distributed worldwide, which spreads aggressively through bulbils, creating a dense ground cover.

Optimum designs for clinical trials in personalized medicine when response variance depends on treatment.

We study optimal designs for clinical trials when the value of the response and its variance depend on treatment and covariates are included in the response model. Such designs are generalizations of Neyman allocation, commonly used in personalized medicine when external factors may have differing effects on the response depending on subgroups of patients. We develop theoretical results for D-, A-, E- and D-optimal designs and construct semidefinite programming (SDP) formulations that support their numerical computation.

From Validation to Assessment of e-Health Literacy: A Study among Higher Education Students in Portugal.

Despite their familiarity with technology, higher education students often lack the critical skills needed to assess the credibility of online health information, potentially impacting their health decisions and well-being. This study aims to validate and assess the e-Health Literacy Scale among those in Portuguese higher education. In addition, this study focused on measuring their e-health literacy levels and investigating how these skills relate to different sociodemographic variables.

A Review of Recent Developments in Edible Films and Coatings-Focus on Whey-Based Materials.

Packaging for food products is particularly important to preserve product quality and shelf life. The most used materials for food packaging are plastic, glass, metal, and paper. Plastic films produced based on petroleum are widely used for packaging because they have good mechanical properties and help preserve the characteristics of food.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil salinity and ionic coupling relationship under the water-saving renovation of a typical irrigation district in arid and semi-arid areas.

Soil salinization is a global environmental problem. To investigate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soil salinity and the coupling relationship of soil salinity ions under water-saving renovation conditions, we chose Shenwu Irrigation Area, where water-saving renovation projects are being conducted comprehensively. Specifically, for our field experiments, we chose 46 soil sampling points.

Resistome in a changing environment: Hotspots and vectors of spreading with a focus on the Russian-Ukrainian War.

This work aims to shed light on the key factors contributing to the development of environmental resistance and the urgent need to address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance (AR) under the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The article provides an overview of the main mechanisms involved in AR development and dissemination globally and the challenges posed by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The work outlines various international initiatives to reduce AR, including the concept of "One Health" and the strategies established, which are the key to reducing the effects on public health.

Unraveling the Interaction between Inflammation and the Cardiometabolic Index in Older Men: A Pilot Study.

Both cardiometabolic and chronic inflammatory diseases pose a significant challenge to global public health, particularly among older adults. Here, we investigated the interplay between systemic inflammatory status and the cardiometabolic index (CMI) in older men with adequate weight or obesity. In this observational cross-sectional study, older men (71.

The Effects of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Performance and Injury in the Lower Extremities: An Umbrella Review.

Due to their potential positive outcomes, hamstring eccentric exercises are becoming increasingly popular in training regimens. Among the various exercises, the Nordic Hamstring Exercise (NHE) is the most common. Despite its popularity, there are still some doubts about its benefits and risks.