Excessive Increments Research Articles

Stability analysis of deep foundation pit with a double-row cast-in-place piles and diagonal steel lattice braces under sloped excavation conditions

Existing deep foundation pit support structures are commonly composed of external earth-retaining structures, internal horizontal bracings, and vertical columns. A closed bracing system, often formed by a horizontal support through a bracket board, frequently impedes vertical excavation and soil removal operations in the foundation pit, and the processes of assembly and dismantling are complex and time-consuming. This study presents a combined support system and construction method consisting of cast-in-place piles and diagonal steel lattice braces. For sloped excavation, diagonal braces were constructed by slotting through the reserved soil, allowing the use of a single layer of support within the excavation depth. This approach significantly optimizes the construction process, reducing both project duration and overall cost. The field monitoring results indicated that the support method effectively controlled the lateral displacement of the pile bodies. Field monitoring results demonstrated that the proposed support system effectively controlled the lateral displacement of the pile bodies. The adoption of a support-first, excavation-second approach significantly controlled the settlement of the ground surface around the foundation pit, thereby preventing excessive increments in the axial force of the supports due to the large longitudinal depth excavation. The calculation results of the three-dimensional finite element model for foundation pit excavation and support indicate that the proposed support method results in a decreasing ratio of the maximum lateral deformation depth of the pile body, denoted as δh-m, to the excavation depth He as the excavation depth increases. This implied that the displacement of the pile body was strictly controlled. When the depth of the foundation pit excavation exceeded 10 m, the maximum lateral deformation occurred below 10 m along the pile shaft. The diagonal steel lattice braces transferred the load to the top of the cast-in-place piles at the bottom of the pit, where the stress concentration occurred. During construction, special attention must be paid to the strength of the connection between the pile top and the connecting beams.

Synthesis and characterization of zinc-titanium oxide nanoparticles blended methylcellulose derived from Albizia tree as an antibacterial natural polymer composite

This paper seeks to synthesize antibacterial green polymeric composites utilizing extracted cellulose, a natural polymer sourced from biomass. The cellulose was obtained from local agricultural waste. Subsequently, the polymeric composites were synthesized, incorporating blends of nano zinc oxide and nano titanium dioxide in varying proportions. All synthesized samples undergo comprehensive characterization and examination through a range of tests encompassing structural and thermal testes. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the samples was assessed using the disc diffusion method, enabling the identification of the most effective formulations. The ultimate selection of the optimal composite was based on the collective outcomes of all tests, facilitating its potential utilization across diverse applications. In conclusion, the Albizia tree demonstrates a notable potential for efficient cellulose extraction, making it a viable candidate for such purposes. The cellulose extracted from Albizia tree holds the capability to yield methylcellulose. The bacterial activity assessment of Nano materials highlighted a distinct efficacy in the case of the 75% Nano TiO2 and 25% Nano ZnO mixture. However, it is worth noting that an excessive increment in Nano ZnO content exhibited adverse effects. Thorough thermal analyses verified the thermal stability of methylcellulose.

Hydroclimatic trend analysis and projection in Africa tropical urban regions: Cases of Lusaka, Zambia and Kigali, Rwanda

The global climate has significantly changed primarily due to human-induced activities. The incidences of droughts and extreme floods followed by destruction have been appearing across the globe along with extensive effects on economic and public health sectors, including the human lives losses whereby, Africa is among the greatly affected regions. Several studies aver that weather-related extremes are likely to increase due to the rising impacts. This article aims to emerge the effects of a warning climate on temperature and precipitation patterns in African tropical regions for pre-emptive adaptation practices. It was conducted using nonparametric Mann-Kendall's test and Sen's slope estimator coupled with the downscaled global climate models (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 GCMs). The study shows that the annual precipitation in Lusaka keeps decreasing though the rainfall season showed an increasing possibility. The projection under ssp245 showed a slight rainfall decrement but increased by the mid-century under ssp585. Besides, the rainfall in Kigali, presents an excess increment resulting in increased extreme events. The projection showed up to 40% annual rainfall increment by the end-century under ssp585. However, both the regions present a slight trend increment in maximum and minimum temperature. Henceforth, the results of this study may prove useful in climate change mitigation and adaptation practices on rainfed agriculture, hydroelectricity, water supply systems, and resilient hydraulic infrastructure provision in the region.

Molecular and Cationic Engineering of Fe-Based Layered Double Hydroxides for Water Oxidation

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of anionic clays with a layered structure, that can be exfoliated giving place in 2D materials. Recently, these materials are attracting increasing attention from the point of view of their electrochemical performance towards energy storage and conversion applications. [1] In the field of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction, Fe-based LDHs stand out as one of the best oxygen evolution reactions (OER) electrocatalysts in alkaline conditions. In the attempt to improve the electrochemical performance of Fe-LDHs-based electrodes, the effect of the microstructure, exfoliation, metal composition, crystallinity, doping, defect engineering and so on has been reported to increase the knowledge of electrochemical behavior and obtained better performances.[2] Beyond these well-studied parameters, interlayer space, Fe-clustering and covalent functionalization have been not explored, being the last two synthetic challenges within the field of LDHs.On the one hand, to explore the influence of interlayer space in the behaviour of Fe–LDHs as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst, we develop a family of NiFe-LDHs with the same metal composition, morphology, and dimensions and different alkyl sulfate to reach extreme ranges of basal spacing (from 8 to 32 Å). Increasing the basal space of the LDH results in a higher electrochemical surface area and a reduction of the resistance related to the chemisorption of oxygen leading to better kinetic behaviour. Indeed, the Tafel slope for the NiFe–LDHs with the highest basal space studied is similar to that obtained for benchmark exfoliated NiFe nanosheets and shows better stability as a consequence of the tridimensional robustness of the hybrid material. However, an excessive increment of the interlayer space compromises the onset potential.[3]On the other hand, to shed light on the influence of Fe-clustering on this topic, firstly, we have selected MgFe-based LDHs phases as model systems to decipher whether the Fe-clustering exert an effect on the OER performance. By optimization of a hydrothermal method based on triethanolamine different Fe-clustering degree has been achieved, and thanks to the diamagnetic behaviour of Mg, a simple magnetic characterisation allows us to identify the Fe-clustering degree. Nevertheless, both samples behave identically in terms of OER performance when glassy carbon electrodes are used. Surprisingly, when the samples are tested on the most employed electrode, nickel foam, striking differences arise. Specifically, the sample exhibiting the lower Fe-clustering behaves as a better electrocatalyst with a reduction of the overpotential values of more than 50 mV to reach 100 mA/cm2, as a consequence of a favoured surface transformation of MgFe-LDHs phases into more reactive oxyhydroxide NiFe-based ones during the electrochemical tests.[4]Last but not least, the covalent functionalization of LDHs has been explored to enhance their processability and stability as an electrocatalyst, for this, we develop for the first time the covalent functionalization of Fe-LDHs beyond silane-based molecules due to the reversible character of this bond in alkaline media. By a modified hydrothermal method from Kuroda et al.,[5] the covalent functionalization of NiFe-LDHs with tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) was performed. The NiFe@Tris LDH were fully characterized using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, magnetic measurement, XAS in order to identify the structural differences with a bare-LDH. At the same time, the stability of the covalent functionalization in basic media was proved. Interestingly, the Tris molecule anchored to LDHs increases the electrocatalytic stability in absence of binder material. Thus, after 40 hours of the OER, the overpotential increase is 37% lower in the NiFe@Tris than in the NiFe-Cl@bare. To check the origin of this overpotential decrease, ICP analysis of electrolytes pre-treated with acid after the stability test was performed. A reduction of 27% and 17% of Ni and Fe respectively is observed in the electrolyte for functionalized samples. Consequently, it is demonstrated that, regardless of the decomposition process (detachment or dissolution), the NiFe-LDH functionalized with the tripodal ligand Tris presents greater stability.[6]Overall, we demonstrated as molecular and cation engineering of LDHs can be used to enhance the electrochemical activity and increase the stability for their use as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Local wear resistance of Inconel 625 coatings processed by different thermal techniques: A comparative study

Ni-base superalloys, like Inconel 625, are extensively used in several applications due to their good performance at high temperature and their corrosion resistance. The high costs of these alloys promote their usage as coatings deposited onto cheaper materials. This practice improves the component performance without an excessive increment in price. Cold Spray (CS) deposition is a relatively new technology that could be considered as a real solid-state coating processing method. Consequently, no oxides are formed during CS deposition and the coatings do not lose their potential oxidation resistance. However, mechanical and tribological behaviour of CS materials is highly dependent on the processing parameters and powder feedstock properties. For these reasons, the aim of this work is to evaluate the mechanical properties and the local wear behaviour of high-pressure CS Inconel 625 coatings deposited under different spraying conditions by using different particle size distributions of powders. Nanoindentation tests were carried out on the coatings with a diamond Berkovich tip which determined the elastic modulus and hardness. Additionally, microscratch tests were also conducted to compute the local wear rate through the estimation of the removed volume. The cross profile of the residual grooves was recorded using the same tip as the one used to make scratch tests. These measurements were checked by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis. The values obtained by both techniques were similar in the validation tests. The local wear rates were correlated with the mechanical properties and the scratch micromechanisms which were analysed in the scanning electron microscope. Finally, the results obtained were compared with those corresponding to coatings processed by more traditional methods.

Predicting Therapeutic Efficacy of Pharmacological Treatments in Children with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: A Mini-Review.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is common in children, with an excessive increment in heart rate when moving from the supine to upright position. It has significant negative impacts on the daily life of pediatric patients. The pathogenesis of POTS includes peripheral vascular dysfunction, central hypovolemia, abnormal autonomic function, a high-adrenergic state, impaired skeletal-muscle pump function, the abnormal release of vasoactive factors, and autoimmune abnormalities. Therefore, the empirical use of pharmacological treatments has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the diversity of its mechanisms. A crucial aspect of managing POTS is the selection of appropriate treatment targeting the specific pathogenesis. This review summarizes the commonly used pharmacological interventions, with a focus on their predictive indicators for treatment response. Factors such as heart rate variability, plasma biomarkers, and cardiac-function parameters are discussed as potential predictors of therapeutic efficacy, enabling the implementation of individualized treatment to improve therapeutic effectiveness. This review consolidates the current knowledge on POTS, encompassing its clinical characteristics, epidemiological patterns, underlying pathogenic mechanisms, and predictive indicators for treatment response. Further research is warranted to enhance the understanding of POTS and facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic approaches for this challenging syndrome.

Semianalytical Solution for Thermal Consolidation of Viscoelastic Marine Clay with the Fractional Order Derivative

The deformation property of marine clay under a heat source has received considerable attention in the geotechnical literature. In this paper, a three‐parameter fractional order derivative model is introduced into the thermo‐hydro‐mechanical coupling governing equations with thermal filtration and thermo‐osmosis to simulate viscoelastic characteristics of marine clay. The excess pore pressure, temperature increment, and displacement of marine clay are derived by using the Laplace transform method, and the semianalytical solution for the one‐dimensional thermal consolidation in the time domain is derived by using a numerical inversion of the inverse Laplace transform. The influence of the order of the fractional derivative, material parameters, and phenomenological coefficient on thermal consolidation is investigated based on the present solutions. It is shown that the influence of the fractional derivative parameter on the excess pore pressure and displacement of marine clay depends on the properties of soil mass, and the temperature increment has an obvious effect on the thermal filtration and thermo‐osmosis process.

The impacts of restoration and reconstruction of a heritage building on life cycle energy consumption and related carbon dioxide emissions

Today, about 35% of global energy consumption and related carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the construction sector. This paper evaluates and compares the life cycle energy consumption (LCEC) and carbon dioxide emissions (LCCE) of a heritage building (BT1) constructed in 1875, a new building (BT2) constructed with modern constructional elements with similar plans of the heritage building and the heritage building after the restoration and refurbishment (BT3) by using real data from the construction site of a real project in Gaziantep, Turkey. It is calculated that, the operational phase was dominant over the buildings lifespan and BT1 has the highest operational energy consumption. LCEC and LCCE of the BT1, BT2 and BT3 are calculated to be 102.63, 70.13, 78.07 GJ/m2, and 14.18, 9.75 and 10.06 tons of CO2 per m2 (tCO2/m2), respectively. With current techniques and methodologies the refurbishment and restoration of the heritage building increases the embodied energy (EE) by 56.6%. Selection of appropriate construction materials for refurbishment of heritage buildings is an important procedure that prevents excessive increment of EE and related emissions. Sustainable structural restoration of heritage buildings should be performed by using appropriate methodologies observing the conservation principles of history, energy and environment.

The Fiscal Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Rural School Districts: The Case of Iowa

Tax increment financing (TIF)—an economic (re)development tool originally designed for urban cities—has been available to rural communities for decades. This is the first study to focus solely on TIF in rural school districts, to examine TIF effects on school districts’ property tax base and rates, and to conduct event-study estimations of TIF effects. The study finds that TIF has mostly positive effects on rural school districts’ property tax base and mixed effects on property tax rates, and that TIF-induced increases in tax base come primarily from residential property and slightly from commercial property. The study’s findings assert the importance of returned excess increment if rural school districts in Iowa and many other states are to benefit from TIF.

Drinking Water Quality Scenario at Kallam’s Green City, Ameenabad, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh

Groundwater is the basic and prime component to be considered, as it is directly linked with the developmental activities of any area in the whole world. In the current scenario the availability of groundwater for future generation is biggest problematic question to be asked by every nation. In the actual scenario its availability is minimum and the dependency on groundwater is maximum to meet all the requirements of water demand and this situation has been continuing years long due to excessive and abnormal increments in the growth of population [6] and it becomes more worse especially in the developing countries as well as in the urban areas [8], at one side the population is increasing and at the same time the availability of natural resources like soil, clean air and portable water keep on polluting due to the natural activities like floods, droughts etc apart from manmade activities in order to improving living standards. Water in the aquifers of earth crust depends on the soil porosity, pore size and the geological conditions [10] with respect to the holding capacity of water, even though groundwater is the source to consider as one of the rechargeable resource but it is completely depends on the measures to adopt for recharging such as recharging pits and the average rainfall of that particular area. In this study all the parameters of IS drinking water quality standards 10500 – 2012 are examined for the collected groundwater samples of three cycles and the average values of three cycles were considered as final results. The results were compared to find out the existed water quality scenario at the study area.

Deformation characteristics of tunnel bottom after construction under geological conditions of long-term deformation

Mountainous areas cover more than 70% of Korea. With the rapid increase in tunnel construction, tunnel-collapse incidents and excessive deformation are occurring more frequently. In addition, longer tunnel structures are being constructed, and geologically weaker ground conditions are increasingly being encountered during the construction process. Tunnels constructed under weak ground conditions exhibit long-term deformation behavior that leads to tunnel instability. This study analyzes the behavior of the bottom region of tunnels under geological conditions of long-term deformation. Long-term deformation causes various types of damage, such as cracks and ridges in the packing part of tunnels, as well as cracks and upheavals in the pavement of tunnels. We observed rapid tunnel over-displacement due to the squeezing of a fault rupture zone after the inflow of a large amount of groundwater. Excessive increments in the support member strength resulted in damage to the support and tunnel bottom. In addition, upward infiltration pressure on the tunnel road was found to cause severe pavement damage. Furthermore, smectite (a highly expandable mineral), chlorite, illite, and hematite, were also observed. Soil samples and rock samples containing clay minerals were found to have greater expansibility than general soil samples. Considering these findings, countermeasures against the deformation of tunnel bottoms are required.

Anonymity and Privacy Security Scheme on Location Based Services

Anonymity and privacy are two security services frequently confused when schemes are designed. On the one hand, privacy refers to transform information in order to keep it from all but those who are authorized to have it. On the other hand, anonymity refers to a condition in which the information receiver does not know the sender’s identity. From the Location Based Service (LBS) point of view, anonymity and privacy are security services very important to preserve, as sensitive data travel in a service request, for example the identity of participants and their location. Most of the related work focuses on protecting only one aspect of the LBS user letting secure only one aspect. in this paper we present a security scheme that consists on a set of cryptographic protocols which consider cryptographic primitives along with fake location information, in order to provide both identity anonymity and location privacy. The importance of this work relies on the fact that the proposed scheme remains transparent to the LBS provider. Moreover, the results obtained show that this approach focused on removing the trust from the LBS provider, did not represent an excessive increment on the cost and usage of the channel that makes our scheme a suitable and interesting improvement over previous works.

Tribological Enhancement Features of Various Nanoparticles as Engine Lubricant Additives: An Experimental Study

This study presents tribological enhancement properties of 40–80 nm copper (II) oxide (CuO, nanopowder, ~ 50 nm, 99.9% trace metal basis), copper iron oxide (CuFe2O4, nanopowder < 100 nm, 98.5% trace metal basis), and copper zinc iron oxide (CuZnFe2O4, nanopowder < 100 nm, 99.5% trace metal basis) nanoparticles incorporated (0.1 wt%) in SAE 5W-40 engine lubricant (base oil). Friction and wear evaluations were performed on the sample discs (62–65 HRC, 100 Cr6 steel) using pin-on-disc tribotester. The samples were immersed in the base oil and the nano-oil (oil with each nanoparticle) ambients one after another. Stribeck parameter was analyzed to determine the effects of oil bath temperature and pin-sliding speed on friction and wear within different lubrication regimes. Due to excess increment in an average coefficient of friction (ACOF) above the nanoparticle concentration of 0.1 wt%, the aforementioned amount was used for all experiments. The physical structure of the nanoparticles was examined via scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses were conducted to observe the topography of the worn surfaces. Thermogravimetry (TG)–differential scanning calorimetry measurements were also carried out in order to determine the nanoparticle accumulation on the worn surfaces (thermal stability) and to have an idea about probable surface chemical decomposition. A maximum reduction of 50.8% in ACOF was observed for 5W-40 + CuZnFe2O4 suspension under the temperature of 40 °C and sliding speed of 1 m/s. Furthermore, minimum surface roughness was also determined for the sample processed in 5W-40 + CuZnFe2O4 under the temperature of 70 °C and sliding speed of 0.5 m/s.

New Perspectives in Iron Chelation Therapy for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Iron chelation has been introduced as a new therapeutic concept for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with features of iron overload. At difference with iron chelators used in systemic diseases, effective chelators for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases must cross the blood–brain barrier. Given the promissory but still inconclusive results obtained in clinical trials of iron chelation therapy, it is reasonable to postulate that new compounds with properties that extend beyond chelation should significantly improve these results. Desirable properties of a new generation of chelators include mitochondrial destination, the center of iron-reactive oxygen species interaction, and the ability to quench free radicals produced by the Fenton reaction. In addition, these chelators should have moderate iron binding affinity, sufficient to chelate excessive increments of the labile iron pool, estimated in the micromolar range, but not high enough to disrupt physiological iron homeostasis. Moreover, candidate chelators should have selectivity for the targeted neuronal type, to lessen unwanted secondary effects during long-term treatment. Here, on the basis of a number of clinical trials, we discuss critically the current situation of iron chelation therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with an iron accumulation component. The list includes Parkinson’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, Huntington disease and Alzheimer’s disease. We also review the upsurge of new multifunctional iron chelators that in the future may replace the conventional types as therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Compensation structure of family business groups

We examine executive compensation structures with a focus on family business groups in Korea. Our results show that Korean family business groups provide 60% more total compensation to CEOs who are family members than to professional CEOs. This excessive increment is not based on performance-contingent payments, but on fixed payments. Our propensity score matching and difference-in-differences analyses robustly support these results. Further, we find that operation of internal capital markets, CEO talents, CEO stock ownership, and family board membership do not explain the excessive compensation of family CEOs in family business groups. The evidence indicates rent extraction through executive compensation in family business groups.

Is Tax Increment Financing a Fiscal Bane or Boon?

Among urban planners, tax increment financing (TIF) is a popular economic development financing tool. Critics, however, claim that TIF is a fiscal bane, reducing property value for affected jurisdictions, especially school districts. TIF regulations in Iowa—on annual base values, returned excess increments, and protected debt service levy—provide the opportunity to test this argument. Using eighteen years of TIF district-level data, this study finds that TIF was most likely a fiscal boon for school districts. Given this finding, the study also provides several implications for TIF use and economic development planners in Iowa and elsewhere.

Excessive Increment in E-Waste System and its Prohibition through Green Computing

Excessive Increment in E-Waste System and its Prohibition through Green Computing

The role of MRI in pediatric obstructive hydrocephalus: An update

Hydrocephalus can be defined as ventriculomegaly secondary to excessive increment of cerebrospinal fluid in ventricular system. The diagnosis of hydrocephalus is not a challenge presently, but the exact definition of this entity and its etiology is often difficult. Early detection of the etiology of hydrocephalus is vital for accurate and early treatment. In childhood, obstructive hydro- cephalus is the most common type of hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the radiological method providing the maximal clinicallyuseful data neededforreachingthe precise diagnosis andinitiating the correct treatment.In thisreview, wediscuss the role of MRI in the evaluation of pediatric obstructive hydrocephalus patients based on new techniques and recent literature.

Cardiovascular Reflexes Activity and Their Interaction during Exercise.

Cardiac output and arterial blood pressure increase during dynamic exercise notwithstanding the exercise-induced vasodilation due to functional sympatholysis. These cardiovascular adjustments are regulated in part by neural reflexes which operate to guarantee adequate oxygen supply and by-products washout of the exercising muscles. Moreover, they maintain adequate perfusion of the vital organs and prevent excessive increments in blood pressure. In this review, we briefly summarize neural reflexes operating during dynamic exercise with particular emphasis on their interaction.

Effects of Physical Exercise on Cardiovascular Diseases: Biochemical, Cellular, and Organ Effects.

It is well recognised that regular exercise is cardioprotective. On the other hand, sedentariety is an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, several clues suggest that exercise capacity is a strong predictor of risk of death from any cause in both healthy subjects and in those with cardiovascular diseases. However, the exact mechanisms through which regular physical activity confers cardiovascular protection are not yet well understood. Exercise probably acts at multiple levels. One possibility is that regular exercise modifies genes expression, thereby changing the production of bioactive molecules such as proteins and enzymes; another potential site of action is on the mechanisms of cardiovascular regulation during effort, which are improved after periods of training; finally, exercise can affect endothelial and platelet functions, thus reducing the risks of atherosclerosis and consequently the risk of infarction and stroke. This special issue focuses on potential beneficial mechanisms by which exercise operates to confer protection against cardiovascular diseases. The interesting paper by S. Heber and I. Volf reviews the effects of inactivity and training on platelet functions. In their literature review, they conclude that regular physical activity diminishes or prevents platelet activation in response to acute exercise and that habitual physical activity also positively modulates platelet functions. They also conclude that these effects support the well-recognised relation between exercise and the risk for cardiovascular events, as a physically active lifestyle dramatically reduces cardiovascular mortality. In another intriguing review, C.-Y. Hsu et al. focus on the important topic of the effects of exercise training on autonomic function in chronic heart failure (CHF). Exercise intolerance is one of the major and disturbing symptoms in these patients. Increased sympathetic tone and decreased parasympathetic activity have been often reported in CHF and these phenomena are associated with a poor survival. Data from this review indicate that participation in exercise training programs induces beneficial effects on autonomic function in CHF patients. They also point out that further research could examine additional aspects of the effects of exercise training in this population, such as the impact on the responses to exercise training in different levels of CHF severity, the possibility that a threshold intensity may be needed to affect cardiac autonomic function, and the type of exercise that should be recommended to achieve the highest positive effects on sympathovagal balance. In a third review by A. Crisafulli et al., the complex issue of cardiovascular reflexes during exercise is addressed. During exercise, the neural mechanisms controlling the cardiovascular apparatus regulate cardiac output and arteriolar tone in order to counteract the exercise-induced vasodilation due to functional sympatholysis in the working muscle. These cardiovascular adjustments guarantee adequate perfusion to vital organs (the brain and the heart) and to the working muscles as well as adequate washout of exercise-induced by-products. Moreover, these mechanisms prevent excessive increments in blood pressure. In this review, authors summarise neural reflexes operating during dynamic exercise, particularly their interaction. They point out that cardiovascular regulation during exercise is achieved through the contemporary integration and interaction of input arising from motor cortex (central command), skeletal muscle receptors (exercise pressor reflex), and arterial baroreceptors. They also conclude that further research is warranted to better understand how these reflexes interact during effort. The last interesting review by R. B. Batacan Jr. et al. is about the effects of light intensity activity on cardiovascular risk factors. These authors claim that there is little support for the role of light intensity activity to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors and that further studies are needed to establish the value of light intensity physical activity in reducing cardiovascular risk factors. Finally, the research paper by N. G. Rocha et al. aims at evaluating the acute effects of exercise on endothelial functions in early metabolic syndrome. They find that these subjects, despite being free of symptoms, present with an early impairment of endothelial function. Moreover, they put forward the hypothesis that the analysis of some biomarkers changes could be potentially useful to develop preventive measures before the onset of overt metabolic syndrome. Collectively, these manuscripts confirm that sedentariety is harmful for the cardiovascular system. Moreover, exercise not only exerts positive effect on cardiovascular functions and reduces the risks of cardiovascular diseases (primary prevention), but could also revert cardiovascular disease and play a preventive role in the progression of pathological conditions (secondary/tertiary prevention).