FATIGUE AFFECTS THE FREQUENCY CONTENT OF THE GROUND REACTION FORCES, BUT NOT MAGNITUDE, IN DROP LANDING TASKS

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the lower extremity kinematics, ground reaction forces, and frequency content of the vertical ground reaction forces between two fatigue protocols in a landing task. Eight trained male participants were instructed to perform drop-jump landings before and after two randomly fatigue protocols, namely, long-term running and functional short-term fatigue protocols. We found that the functional short-term fatigue protocol would induce an increase in hip and knee flexion, which resulted in a more flexed landing posture. Furthermore, the functional short-term fatigue protocol would decrease amplitudes in lower frequencies while increasing amplitudes in higher frequencies. These results will provide a preliminary reference for the selection of fatigue protocols in laboratory tests

Growth Response and Phytoremediation Ability of Reed for Diesel Contaminant

AbstractOil spills may considerably damage sensitive coastal wetlands. In this open-air pot experiment, Reed, a dominant coastal marsh plant, was transplanted into soil contaminated with diesel at concentrations of 1 000, 5 000, 10 000, 15 000 and 20 000mg diesel kg-1 dry soil. In order to better evaluate the phytoremediation potential and restoration of Reed, the chlorophyll content, root vitality, activity of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) in plant tissue and the dissipation rate of diesel were investigated after 50 days of treatment at the levels mentioned above. The results showed that the activities of POD in root, CAT, and AAO in stem increased first, and declined at higher concentrations. Additionally, the increment of chlorophyll content and root vitality were observed, indicating that Reed was tolerant to diesel, especially when the concentrations of diesel was lower, which was also proved by the highest restoration effectiveness at the lower levels of diesel. Collectively, Reed is a potential plant which can be used for restoring the diesel-contaminated soil

Hydrodynamic performance optimization of marine propellers based on fluid-structure coupling

Fiber-reinforced composites offer the benefits of high strength, high stiffness, lightweight, superior damping performance, and great design capability when compared to metal. The rigidity characteristics of the composite laminate in different directions may be adjusted to meet the requirements of the application by using appropriate materials and arranging the lay-up sequence. As a result, the purpose of this work is to explore the influence of lay-up type on propeller performance in terms of both hydrodynamic and structural performance. A transient fluid-structure interaction (FSI) algorithm based on the finite element method (FEM) combined with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is developed and used for the analysis of composite propellers. The hydrodynamic performance of the propeller is compared to that of a metallic material. Propeller propulsion efficiency, structural deformation, equivalent stress, and damage performance of different lay-up options under three different operating situations are compared. In addition, it is presented a parametric optimization approach to get the most appropriate lay-up program for composite blades with the best hydrodynamic properties and structural performance

1-Dibenzylamino-1-de­oxy-4,5-O-isopropyl­idene-β-d-fructopyran­ose

The title compound C23H29NO5, synthesized by the Amadori rearrangement of α-d-glucose with dibenzyl­amine and the ketalization, is shown to be a β-anomer. The fructopyran­ose ring adopts a chair conformation. The two benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 68.9 (1)°. In the crystal, non–classical inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a three–dimensional network

Thermal Performance Improvement of Prefab Houses by Covering Retro-reflective Materials

AbstractOwing to the small thermal inertia of prefab houses, indoor thermal environment is poor and occupants are tormented especially under the high solar radiation. Retro-reflective materials can make it a reasonable choice to decrease radiation heat gain due to their high reflectivity for solar radiation. Comparative results show that the indoor air temperature of the prefab house by covering retro-reflectivity materials can reduce by more than 7°C, while the reduced value is close to 10°C for the peak radiant temperature and 7°C for indoor average radiant temperature. It shows retro-reflective materials have a significant effect on thermal performance improvement of prefab houses. Through the comparative study of different walls, it is found that the top, south and east walls are the better choices and that the north wall is the worst one to cover retro-reflectivity materials

Comparative Study of In-situ Test and Laboratory Test on Material Reflectivity

AbstractThis paper gives the theory algorithm of material reflectivity, and works out the in-situ material reflectivity combined with in-situ conditions, researches the influence rules of material's reflectivity under practical solar radiation intensity, and the feasibility of this simple in-situ test method is researched by the comparison of in-situ test result and laboratory test result

Prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through traditional Chinese medicine: role of the gut microbiota

Recently, despite the increasing availability of treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the incidence of RA and associated disability-adjusted life years have been on the rise globally in the late decades. At present, accumulating evidence has been advanced that RA is related to the gut microbiota, therefore, the therapeutic approaches for RA by regulating the gut microbiota are anticipated to become a new means of treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate immunity, reduce inflammation and improve quality of life in various ways. Moreover, it can treat diseases by affecting the gut microbiota, which is a good way to treat RA. In this review, we mainly explore the relationship between TCM and gut microbiota regarding the perspective of treating RA. Moreover, we comprehensively summarize the roles of gut microbiota in the onset, development, progression, and prognosis of RA. Additionally, we elucidate the mechanism of TCM prevention and treatment of RA by the role of microbiota. Finally, we provide an evidence-based rationale for further investigation of microbiota-targeted intervention by TCM