Supplementary materials for Manuscript titled "Changes in thoracic erector spinae regional activation during postural adjustments and functional reaching tasks after spinal cord injury"

Supplementary material 1. Regional distribution of the erector spinae (ES) activity when matching the reaching distance of control participants to individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Supplementary material 2. The influence of increased thoraco-lumbar flexion on regional distribution of the erector spinae (ES) activity during postural tasks in control participant

Identifying Green Meetings in the Hospitality Industry

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify what constitutes green meetings in the hospitality industries with special attentions on the applications of modern technologies and marketing strategies. This professional paper will search and collect the related literature reviews and existent practices with green ideology in hospitality to clarify the myth and difficulties of being green and help the readers or potential advocates better understand green meetings and adopt them

Crossed Corticospinal Facilitation between Arm and Trunk Muscles in Humans

A voluntary contraction of muscles with one arm increases corticospinal excitability of projections to the contralateral resting arm, a phenomenon known as crossed facilitation. Although many motor tasks engage simultaneous activation of the arm and trunk, interactions between corticospinal projections targeting these segments remain largely unknown. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation over the trunk representation of the primary motor cortex we examined motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the resting erector spinae (ES) muscle when the contralateral arm remained at rest or performed 20% of isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) into index finger abduction, thumb abduction, elbow flexion and elbow extension. We found that MEP size in the ES increased during all voluntary contractions, with greater facilitation occurring during elbow flexion and index finger abduction. To further examine the origin of changes in MEP size we measured short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and cervicomedullary MEPs (CMEPs) in the ES muscle during elbow flexion and index finger abduction and when the arm remained at rest. Notably, SICI decreased and CMEPs remained unchanged in the ES during both voluntary contractions compared with rest, suggesting a cortical origin for the effects. Our findings reveal crossed facilitatory interactions between trunk extensor and proximal and distal arm muscles, particularly for elbow flexor and index finger muscles, likely involving cortical mechanisms. These interactions might reflect the different role of these muscles during functionally relevant arm and trunk movements

Social media use informing behaviours related to physical activity, diet and quality of life during COVID-19:a mixed methods study

Abstract Background This mixed methods study explored how social media use informed physical activity and diet-related behaviours, and self-perceived Quality of Life (QoL) during COVID-19, and assessed the contextual factors that drive social media use for health-related behaviour change in diverse groups. During the COVID-19 lockdown periods there were reported changes to social media use and health behaviours, and this gave an opportunity to investigate potential relationships. Methods An explanatory sequential research design of two parts was used: (1) An online survey that assessed social media use in relation to physical activity levels, diet quality and QoL (n = 786; Mage 45.1 ± 19.1 (range 16–88) years; Female =69%); (2) 20 purposive focus groups (n = 69; Mage = 52.88 ± 18.45 years, Female n = 68%) to understand the contextual factors that drive social media use for health-related behaviour change. Descriptive and thematic analysis were conducted. Results Participants in this study reported that social media facilitated the self-management of behaviours related to physical activity, diet and QoL, through access to information to inform workouts and dietary quality, and the opportunities for interaction with peers, family members and within social groups. Contextual factors including work, home and lifestyle arrangements, pre-existing health-related knowledge and behaviours, and the perceived value of social media for health influenced the relationship between social media use and self-reported outcomes. Social media influencers, peers/family members, and official organisations influenced the application of health-related information accessed via social media. Conclusions The evidence shows that participants were critical users of social media and were able to use social media to derive benefit for their health and wellbeing. Detailed guidance for those who use social media, as well as those who recommend and endorse social media content is required to maximise the potential of social media to support health behaviours. Future public health strategies and social media interventions should acknowledge diversity in contextual factors driving social media use for health behaviour change

Superior effects of modified chen-style Tai Chi versus 24-style Tai Chi on cognitive function, fitness, and balance performance in adults over 55

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Cognitive decline and balance impairment are prevalent in the aging population. Previous studies investigated the beneficial effects of 24-style Tai Chi (TC-24) on either cognitive function or balance performance of older adults. It still remains largely unknown whether modified Chen-style TC (MTC) that includes 18 complex movements is more beneficial for these age-related health outcomes, as compared to TC-24. Objective: We investigated if MTC would show greater effects than TC-24 on global cognitive function and balance-related outcomes among older adults. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial where 80 eligible adults aged over 55 were allocated into two different styles of Tai Chi (TC) arms (sixty-minute session × three times per week, 12 weeks). Outcome assessments were performed at three time periods (baseline, Week 6, and Week 12) and included the Chinese Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for overall cognitive function, One-leg Standing Test (LST) for static balance, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) for dynamic balance, chair Stand Test (CST) for leg power, and the six-meter Walk Test (6MWT) for aerobic exercise capacity. Results: Compared to TC-24 arm, MTC arm demonstrated significantly greater improvements in MoCA, LST, TUGT, CST, and 6MWT (all p \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: Both forms of TC were effective in enhancing global cognitive function, balance, and fitness. Furthermore, MTC was more effective than TC-24 in enhancing these health-related parameters in an aging population

Exercise and aerobic capacity in individuals with spinal cord injury:A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression

BACKGROUND: A low level of cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF; defined as peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) or peak power output (PPO)] is a widely reported consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) and a major risk factor associated with chronic disease. However, CRF can be modified by exercise. This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to assess whether certain SCI characteristics and/or specific exercise considerations are moderators of changes in CRF.METHODS AND FINDINGS: Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to March 2023. A primary meta-analysis was conducted including randomised controlled trials (RCTs; exercise interventions lasting &gt;2 weeks relative to control groups). A secondary meta-analysis pooled independent exercise interventions &gt;2 weeks from longitudinal pre-post and RCT studies to explore whether subgroup differences in injury characteristics and/or exercise intervention parameters explained CRF changes. Further analyses included cohort, cross-sectional, and observational study designs. Outcome measures of interest were absolute (AV̇O2peak) or relative V̇O2peak (RV̇O2peak), and/or PPO. Bias/quality was assessed via The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and the National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tools. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Random effects models were used in all meta-analyses and meta-regressions. Of 21,020 identified records, 120 studies comprising 29 RCTs, 67 pre-post studies, 11 cohort, 7 cross-sectional, and 6 observational studies were included. The primary meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in AV̇O2peak [0.16 (0.07, 0.25) L/min], RV̇O2peak [2.9 (1.8, 3.9) mL/kg/min], and PPO [9 (5, 14) W] with exercise, relative to controls (p &lt; 0.001). Ninety-six studies (117 independent exercise interventions comprising 1,331 adults with SCI) were included in the secondary, pooled meta-analysis which demonstrated significant increases in AV̇O2peak [0.22 (0.17, 0.26) L/min], RV̇O2peak [2.8 (2.2, 3.3) mL/kg/min], and PPO [11 (9, 13) W] (p &lt; 0.001) following exercise interventions. There were subgroup differences for RV̇O2peak based on exercise modality (p = 0.002) and intervention length (p = 0.01), but there were no differences for AV̇O2peak. There were subgroup differences (p ≤ 0.018) for PPO based on time since injury, neurological level of injury, exercise modality, and frequency. The meta-regression found that studies with a higher mean age of participants were associated with smaller changes in AV̇O2peak and RV̇O2peak (p &lt; 0.10). GRADE indicated a moderate level of certainty in the estimated effect for RV̇O2peak, but low levels for AV̇O2peak and PPO. This review may be limited by the small number of RCTs, which prevented a subgroup analysis within this specific study design.CONCLUSIONS: Our primary meta-analysis confirms that performing exercise &gt;2 weeks results in significant improvements to AV̇O2peak, RV̇O2peak, and PPO in individuals with SCI. The pooled meta-analysis subgroup comparisons identified that exercise interventions lasting up to 12 weeks yield the greatest change in RV̇O2peak. Upper-body aerobic exercise and resistance training also appear the most effective at improving RV̇O2peak and PPO. Furthermore, acutely injured, individuals with paraplegia, exercising for ≥3 sessions/week will likely experience the greatest change in PPO. Ageing seemingly diminishes the adaptive CRF responses to exercise training in individuals with SCI.REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42018104342.</p