•Paddy field occupation and dry land compensation is critical.•Superior occupation and inferior compensation have been intensified.•Farmland exploitation may degenerate the ecosystems, while farmland ...reclamation may generate the environmental benefits.•A telecoupling analysis framework is used to analyze the dilemma and countermeasures of the CRCB policy.
This study evaluates the requisition–compensation balance of farmland (RCBF) policy with the telecoupling framework of "quantity-quality-productivity-ecological balance" in the middle reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations (MRYRUA) in China from 1995 to 2015. The RCBF index characterizes the quantity balance of farmland, while the quality balance is measured by examining the differences of physical elements (elevation, slope, soil texture, soil erosion, organic content, and pH value) between the requisitioned and compensatory farmland. The productivity balance is identified through the estimated grain yield, and the ecosystem services value (ESV) model is used to examine the ecological balance of the RCBF. The issues of "paddy field occupation and dry land compensation" and "superior occupation and inferior compensation" are proven to be critical in the MRYRUA, while the productivity of the requisitioned and compensatory farmland have reached a balance during the study periods. Two vicious circles and a serial of spillover effects are shown as the results of telecoupling. We suggest that more attention should be placed on land reclamation and land consolidation in order to avoid over-reliance on land exploitation. The findings have important implications for environmental protection, ecological compensation decisions, and land use sustainability.
Balance is an essential skill for dancers, it helps reduce the risk of injury, and is related to quality of performance. This systematic review aims to investigate the effects of training protocols ...on the balance of dancers when compared to control groups.
Interventional studies, published until January 2023, assessing balance in all levels of ballet, modern, and contemporary dancers were identified in the PubMed, Cochrane, Lilacs, Scielo, Embase, and SPORTDiscus databases. Publications in English, Spanish and Portuguese were considered. In two selection phases, using a standard protocol, two reviewers independently selected and extracted the data. The Downs & Black checklist was used to assess risk of bias.
Of the nine intervention studies included, most were classified as either “fair” or “poor” quality. Three-hundred and seventy-two dancers aged 9.6 ± 0.5 to 25.7 ± 3.7 years were analysed. The majority was female (94%), with the years of experience of ballet (35%) or ballet and modern (49%) training ranging from 4.6 ± 1.4 to 12.0 ± 7.5 years. Numerous training protocols of varying durations were found. However, neuromuscular training proved the most effective at improving balance.
Most of the studies are classified poor quality. Future studies should consider interventions lasting at least four weeks, two to three times a week, sessions between 30 and 60 min. More high-quality studies, randomized control trials using validated balance tests, as well as new validation studies for dance-specific balance tests are needed.
•Different training protocols were found, including physical practice and the use of accessories.•Neuromuscular-based training is an effective strategy to improve dancers' balance.•Interventions should last at least 4 weeks, with 2–3 weekly sessions between 30 to 60 min.•Most of the included studies are classified poor quality.•High-quality studies, RCT using validated balance tests, new validation studies for dance-specific balance tests are needed.
Balance testing is critical for identifying fall risk and initiating preventive strategies. However, current balance tests used with community-living older adults (CLOAs) are limited. Our purposes ...were to develop and validate a conceptually novel performance-based test to quantify balance ability in CLOAs that minimizes ceiling effects, decreases test time and demonstrates test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent validity.
Phase 1: we developed a 26-item, dichotomously-scored preliminary Performance-based Balance Scale (PBS) by (1) using an expert panel to build the scale by adapting test items from existing balance measures and organizing them by difficulty into 5 postural stability domains, (2) pilot testing, and (3) post-test revising. Phase 2: we tested the preliminary PBS (N=35; 60–91 y). Using Rasch dichotomous analysis, we created a non-fixed-item format and identified 2 items to serve as starting points for testing based on performance ability; thereby, eliminating the need to administer all items. Phase 3: we re-tested 32 of the same participants 4–8 weeks later using the non-fixed-item PBS. We confirmed the non-fixed format with Spearman's rho and a paired t-test between scores for all 26 items and scores for non-fixed-item PBS. Using Rasch analysis, we eliminated redundant items. Phase 4: we determined test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent validity.
Correlation between the 26-item and non-fixed-item scores was r=0.94 and no difference was found between the 2 scores, t (31)=−0.32 (95% CI: −0.70–0.51), P=0.75. After revising the preliminary PBS, 20 items were retained. This PBS showed excellent test-retest reliability with ICC(2,1)=0.97, high internal consistency with Cronbach's α=0.94, and good convergent validity (chenhan204@yahoo.com=0.71) with the Short Physical Performance Battery.
The PBS is a valid, 5-domain clinical balance test for CLOAs. The non-fixed test format reduces test time.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and premature death among community dwelling elderly but can be prevented through comprehensive balance rehabilitation which ideally targets the patient's ...specific needs. In this study, we evaluate the reliability and agreement of six novel clinical measures of different balance domains which applied in a patient-specific balance profile guides exercise prescription in balance rehabilitation.
The intra-rater reliability and agreement of the six measures were evaluated on the same day in six different cohorts of elderly with balance disability (n = 65-100). Further, the inter-day intra-rater and inter-rater and test-retest reliability and agreement of the measures and the balance profile were evaluated (n = 100).
The intra-day intra-rater reliability and agreement was moderate to excellent (ICC
2.1
= 0.525-0.968, with SDC% = 6.5-284.9%) but poor to good for the inter-day conditions (ICC
2.1
= 0.123-0.832, with SDC% = 6.6-229.2%). The reliability of classifying the lower domain in the balance profile was fair, with kappa = 0.56 (95%CI 0.36-0.76).
Five of the six measures may reliably be applied to measure balance disability and to guide rehabilitation.
Implications for rehabilitation
Balance disability is the primary reason for accidental falls among elderly but can be prevented through comprehensive individualized balance rehabilitation.
Specific Training According to BaLance Evaluation (STABLE) is a novel approach for designing effective balance exercises based on clinical measurements.
Five of the six measures are reliable when applied in a patient-specific balance profile to guide rehabilitation following the STABLE approach.
•Two TAD of food waste both had good performances at HRT 30 d in stable stage.•The VS destructions and methane yields of food waste in two TAD were comparable.•Two TAD recovered similar energy from ...the fed and destructed food waste.•Single stage TAD had higher energy recovery, rate and special rate of reaction for the four AD steps.•Two-stage TAD need to be adjusted its operational parameters to improve its AD efficiency.
The single-stage and two-stage thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) in lab scale continuously stirred tank reactor systems fed semi-continuously with food waste (FW) were studied to compare their performance, energy balance and reaction processes. The experimental results showed the two TADs both had good performance at a sludge retention time (SRT) of 30 d. The VS destruction (83.22 ± 1.33%) of the single-stage TAD was comparable with the two-stage TAD (82.02 ± 1.25%) during the steady period. While the average biogas yield of the two-stage TAD (0.810 ± 0.13 L/g Added VS) was higher than that of single-stage TAD (0.775 ± 0.20 L/g Added VS) and the methane content of the former (59.1 ± 1.4%) was lower than that of the latter (61.6 ± 2.1%), the methane yields of the two TADs were similar. The single stage TAD had higher energy recovery, rate and specific rate of reaction for the four AD steps than the two-stage TAD. The two-stage TAD had to adjust its operational parameters to improve its AD efficiency.
Digestion temperature affects the activity of methanogens and thus the methanogenic process in the anaerobic digestion of food waste. Therefore, controlling the digestion temperature for optimal ...activity of methanogens and renewable energy production is key to achieving sustainable applications of anaerobic digestion. This study investigated the responses of semi-continuous reactors and methanogens to progressively increasing temperature (39–50 °C). The activity of methanogens was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, and the correlation between methanogens and environmental factors (average biogas yield, digestion temperature, volatile fatty acid concentration, etc) was explored by redundancy analysis, Pearson analysis and Mantel test analysis. Results showed that the highest average biogas yield and methane concentration (14.5–43.2 % and 0.4–5.2 % points higher than others, respectively) were obtained at 47.5 °C. However, energy balance analysis showed that increasing the temperature to 47.5 °C reduced energy balance by 65.3 %, mesophilic condition (39 °C) exhibited a higher energy recovery efficiency. Increasing digestion temperature decreased microbial activity and resulted in a structural transformation from hydrogenotrophic to acetoclastic methanogens, which was closely related to the substrate composition of AD. Correlation analysis showed that acetoclastic methanogens were significantly positively correlated with temperature, soluble chemical oxygen demand, and acetate concentration, and negatively correlated with average biogas yield and methane concentration, whereas hydrogenotrophic methanogens were the opposite. This result provides a theoretical basis for the industrial application of anaerobic digestion towards more energy-efficient and sustainable development.
Display omitted
•The highest average biogas yield and CH4 concentration was obtained at 47.5 °C.•Mesophilic digestion (39 °C) had a higher energy recovery efficiency.•A transition from hydrogenotrophic to aceticlastic methanogens occurred.•Aceticlastic methanogen was significantly positively correlated with temperature.•Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were negatively correlated with temperature.
Karbala is located in central Iraq, which is bounded by latitudes (32° 50' 15" - 32° 10' 15") and longitudes (43° 09' 41"– 44° 18' 56"), the area under study covers an area of 4,987 km2. It is a part ...of unstable shelf of the sedimentary plain zone and Al-Salman zone of the stable shelf, so it is a flat area, which gradually declines from the southwest towards the northeast. The geological formations which are exposed in the study area, having a range between middle Miocene and Pleistocene – Recent deposits. Two main aquifers were distinguished in the area, confined and unconfined one. Depending on the karbala meteorological station information (rainfall, temperature and humidity) from 1980 - 2019 utilizing Thornthwait formela's, the water overflow was accounted, appearing the renewed water store for the unconfined system, equalized to 111.0 *106 m3/year whereas the calculated constant volume of water for both systems was found to be equivalent to a total of 13.84 * 109 m3 However, after calculating the difference between the total water that in-coming the area (including, income subsurface runoff, recharge, fluctuation in monitoring wells and out-coming (including, discharge of pumping wells, outflow wells drainage, spring drainage, outcome subsurface runoff), the amount of change in the storage is found to be (+32.573 * 109 m3). The amount of positive change indicates the presence of excess water which can be added to both systems. The direction of the groundwater movements for the two main systems are highly matched between them as well as its similarity with the topographic surface.
•Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP) and posturography may help to distinguish between different entities of parkinsonism.•Cervical VEMP are not significantly altered in patients ...with parkinsonian syndromes.•No correlation was found between VEMP and posturographic parameters.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) were investigated to differentiate between parkinsonian syndromes. We correlated balance and VEMP parameters to investigate the VEMP brainstem circuits as possible origin for postural instability.
We assessed clinical status, ocular and cervical VEMP (oVEMP, cVEMP) and conducted a balance assessment (posturography, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Berg Balance Scale, modified Barthel Index) in 76 subjects: 30 with Parkinson’s disease (PD), 16 with atypical parkinsonism (AP) and 30 healthy controls. VEMP were elicited by using a mini-shaker on the forehead.
Patients with PD had a prolonged oVEMP n10 in comparison to controls and prolonged p15 compared to controls and AP. Patients with AP showed reduced oVEMP amplitudes compared to PD and controls. CVEMP did not differ between groups. Postural impairment was higher in AP compared to controls and PD, particularly in the rating scales. No correlations between VEMP and posturography were found. A support vector machine classifier was able to automatically classify controls and patient subgroups with moderate to good accuracy based on oVEMP latencies and balance questionnaires.
Both oVEMP and posturography, but not cVEMP, may be differentially affected in PD and AP. We did not find evidence that impairment of the cVEMP or oVEMP pathways is directly related to postural impairment.
OVEMP and balance assessment could be implemented in the differential diagnostic work-up of parkinsonian syndromes.
Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is one of the most popular clinical tools aimed at the assessment of functional mobility and fall risk in older adults. The automation of the analysis of TUG movements is ...of great medical interest not only to speed up the test but also to maximize the information inferred from the subjects under study. In this context, this article describes a dataset collected from a cohort of 69 experimental subjects (including 30 adults over 60 years), during the execution of several repetitions of the TUG test. In particular, the dataset includes the measurements gathered with four wearables devices embedding four sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope magnetometer and barometer) located on four body locations (waist, wrist, ankle and chest). As a particularity, the dataset also includes the same measurements recorded when the young subjects repeat the test while wearing a commercial geriatric simulator, consisting of a set of weighted vests and other elements intended to replicate the limitations caused by aging. Thus, the generated dataset also enables the investigation into the potential of such tools to emulate the actual dynamics of older individuals.
In this study, the novel mobile dynamometric platform, OREKA, was utilized to perform an extensive analysis of the centre of pressure behaviour during different tilt motion exercises. This platform ...is based on a parallel manipulator mechanism and can perform rotations around both horizontal axes and a vertical translation. A group of participants took part in an experimental campaign involving the completion of a set of exercises. The aim was to evaluate the platform's potential practical application and investigate the impact of visual on-screen feedback on centre of pressure motion through multiple balance indicators. The use of the OREKA platform enables the study of the impact on a user's balance control behaviour under different rotational perturbations, depending on the availability of real-time visual feedback on a screen. Furthermore, it presented data identifying postural control variations among clinically healthy individuals. These findings are fundamental to comprehending the dynamics of body balance. Further investigation is needed to explore these initial findings and fully unlock the potential of the OREKA platform for balance assessment methodologies.
PDF
