EFFECTS OF RUNNING HABITS ON MORPHOLOGY AND PLANTAR FLEXION TORQUE OF MEDIAL GASTROCNEMIUS-ACHILLES TENDON UNIT

This study aims to explore the effects of running habits on the morphology of gMTU (medial gastrocnemius-Achilles tendon unit) and plantar flexion torque, to reveal the adaptive changes of different running habits. Male habitual distance runners with forefoot strike pattern (FFS, n=10), male habitual distance runners with rearfoot strike pattern (RFS, n=10), and male non-runners (NR, n=10) were recruited. The Mindray M7 Super ultrasonography system was used to measure the morphological characteristics of the gMTU. A dynamometer was utilized to determine the plantar flexion torque. One-way ANOVA and Nonparametric Test were used for analysis. The significance level was set as 0.05. Significant differences between groups were detected on muscle fascicle length (FL) (p \u3c 0.05), Normalized FL (p \u3c 0.05), and pennation angle (PA) (p \u3c 0.01), while no significant difference was observed in other parameters. Specifically, the FL and Normalized FL were greater in FFS than NR (p \u3c 0.05), while the PA was smaller in FFS than NR (p \u3c 0.05). These results suggest that long-term running with FFS pattern could induce a greater contraction velocity and a more efficient force transmitting of the medial gastrocnemius (MG)

Effects of different habitual foot strike patterns on in vivo kinematics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint during shod running—a statistical parametric mapping study

Existing studies on the biomechanical characteristics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTPJ) during shod running are limited to sagittal plane assessment and rely on skin marker motion capture, which can be affected by shoes wrapping around the 1st MTPJ and may lead to inaccurate results. This study aims to investigate the in vivo effects of different habitual foot strike patterns (FSP) on the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) values of the 1st MTPJ under shod condition by utilizing a dual-fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS). Long-distance male runners with habitual forefoot strike (FFS group, n = 15) and rearfoot strike (RFS group, n = 15) patterns were recruited. All participants underwent foot computed tomography (CT) scan to generate 3D models of their foot. The 6DOF kinematics of the 1st MTPJ were collected using a DFIS at 100 Hz when participants performed their habitual FSP under shod conditions. Independent t-tests and one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (1-d SPM) were employed to analyze the differences between the FFS and RFS groups’ 1st MTPJ 6DOF kinematic values during the stance phase. FFS exhibited greater superior translation (3.5–4.9 mm, p = 0.07) during 51%–82% of the stance and higher extension angle (8.4°–10.1°, p = 0.031) during 65%–75% of the stance in the 1st MTPJ than RFS. Meanwhile, FFS exhibited greater maximum superior translation (+3.2 mm, p = 0.022), maximum valgus angle (+6.1°, p = 0.048) and varus–valgus range of motion (ROM) (+6.5°, p = 0.005) in the 1st MTPJ during stance. The greater extension angle of the 1st MTPJ in the late stance suggested that running with FFS may enhance the propulsive effect. However, the higher maximum valgus angle and the ROM of varus–valgus in FFS may potentially lead to the development of hallux valgus

The Effects of Habitual Foot Strike Patterns on the Morphology and Mechanical Function of the Medial Gastrocnemius–Achilles Tendon Unit

As a crucial and vulnerable component of the lower extremities, the medial gastrocnemius–Achilles tendon unit (gMTU) plays a significant role in sport performance and injury prevention during long-distance running. However, how habitual foot strike patterns influence the morphology of the gMTU remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of two main foot strike patterns on the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the gMTU. Long-distance male runners with habitual forefoot (FFS group, n = 10) and rearfoot strike patterns (RFS group, n = 10) and male non-runners (NR group, n = 10) were recruited. A Terason uSmart 3300 ultrasonography system was used to image the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and Achilles tendon, Image J software to analyze the morphology, and a dynamometer to determine plantar flexion torque during maximal voluntary isometric contractions. The participants first performed a 5-minute warm up; then, the morphological measurements of MG and AT were recorded in a static condition; finally, the MVICs test was conducted to investigate the mechanical function of the gMTU. One-way ANOVA and nonparametric tests were used for data analysis. The significance level was set at a p value of p p Conclusion: Long-term running with a forefoot strike pattern could significantly affect the FL and PA of the MG. A forefoot strike pattern could lead to a longer FL and a smaller PA, indicating an FFS pattern could protect the MG from strain under repetitive high loads

Analysis of the influence of corrugated steel thickness on the damage characteristics and explosion resistance of corrugated steel-concrete composite structure

A three-dimensional refined numerical simulation model of corrugated steel-concrete slab composite structure under contact explosion load was established by using FEM-SPH coupling method to explore the anti-explosion performance of corrugated steel reinforced concrete slabs with different thicknesses. The influence of corrugated steel thickness on the dynamic damage evolution characteristics, anti-explosion performance and shock wave propagation mechanism of composite structure was investigated. The results show that the maximum error between the simulation results and the experimental results of the crater diameter of the concrete slab and the mid-span displacement of the corrugated steel in the corrugated steel-concrete slab composite structure is 1.6 % and 2.3 %, respectively, which verifies the effectiveness of the simulation method. The mid-span displacement, peak stress and acceleration at the center point of corrugated steel in corrugated steel-concrete composite structure decrease with the increase of corrugated steel thickness, while the energy absorption value increases with the increase of corrugated steel thickness. The mid-span displacement of 12 mm thick corrugated steel is 83.4 % lower than that of 3 mm thick corrugated steel. The failure mode of the composite structure under the same explosive equivalent is mainly manifested as the crater and penetration failure of the concrete slab, and the damage range gradually decreases with the increase of the thickness of the corrugated steel. The failure volume of concrete slab in the composite structure decreases with the increase of corrugated steel thickness, while the energy absorption value of the composite structure increases with the increase of corrugated steel thickness. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the application of corrugated steel-concrete slab composite structure in the field of structural anti-explosion protection

Low Temperature Processed Fully Printed Efficient Planar Structure Carbon Electrode Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules

Scalable deposition processes at low temperature are urgently needed for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as they can decrease the energy payback time of PSCs technology. In this work, a processing protocol is presented for highly efficient and stable planar n–i–p structure PSCs with carbon as the top electrode (carbon-PSCs) fully printed at fairly low temperature by using cheap materials under ambient conditions, thus meeting the requirements for scalable production on an industrial level. High-quality perovskite layers are achieved by using a combinatorial engineering concept, including solvent engineering, additive engineering, and processing engineering. The optimized carbon-PSCs with all layers including electron transport layer, perovskite, hole transport layer, and carbon electrode which are printed under ambient conditions show efficiencies exceeding 18% with enhanced stability, retaining 100% of their initial efficiency after 5000 h in a humid atmosphere. Finally, large-area perovskite modules are successfully obtained and outstanding performance is shown with an efficiency of 15.3% by optimizing the femtosecond laser parameters for the P2 line patterning. These results represent important progress toward fully printed planar carbon electrode perovskite devices as a promising approach for the scaling up and worldwide application of PSCs

Fully Solution Processed Pure α‐Phase Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells for Scalable Production in Ambient Condition

Manufacturing commercially viable perovskite solar cells still requires appropriate low‐temperature and scalable deposition processes to be developed. While α‐phase FAPbI3 has higher thermal stability and broader absorption than MAPbI3, there still is no report of a pure α‐phase FAPbI3 perovskite film obtained by a scalable printing method. Moreover, spontaneous conversion of the α‐phase to non‐perovskite δ‐phase under ambient conditions poses a serious challenge for practical applications. Herein, a scalable and fully solution based printing method for the fabrication of pure α‐phase FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells is reported. Through adding N‐methyl pyrrolidone and methylammonium chloride to the dimethylformamide based precursor solution to control the crystallization, and vacuum or air‐flow assisted film drying, pure α‐FAPbI3 phase is obtained by doctor blading. The resulting α‐FAPbI3 film is highly stable, with no δ‐FAPbI3 phase being formed even after keeping it in an ambient atmosphere over a period of 200 days without encapsulation. In addition, a fully solution processed PSC with a PCE of 16.1% is processed by the vacuum assisted method, and 17.8% by the air‐flow assisted method. Replacing silver with a printed carbon electrode provides a stable PCE up to 15% for the vacuum assisted and 16.4% for the air‐flow assisted method, which is the highest performance of FAPbI3 solar cells to date. Compared with MAPbI3, the fully printed FAPbI3 perovskite devices exhibit a remarkable thermal stability in humid atmospheres which makes them a promising candidate for scalable production and commercialization

Additional file 3 of Exosome-mediated miR-144-3p promotes ferroptosis to inhibit osteosarcoma proliferation, migration, and invasion through regulating ZEB1

Additional file 3: Supplementary Figure 3. The whole uncropped images of the original WB of xCT

Additional file 1 of Exosome-mediated miR-144-3p promotes ferroptosis to inhibit osteosarcoma proliferation, migration, and invasion through regulating ZEB1

Additional file 1: Supplementary Figure 1. The whole uncropped images of the original WB of GPX4