Vitality Index Research Articles

Effect of Animal Stocking Density and Habitat Enrichment on Survival and Vitality of Wild Green Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas, Maintained in the Laboratory.

The wide geographic distribution, large size and ease of capture has led to decapod crustaceans being used extensively in laboratory experiments. Recently in the United Kingdom decapod crustaceans were listed as sentient beings, resulting in their inclusion in animal care protocols. Ironically, little is known about how captive conditions affect the survival and general condition of wild decapod crustaceans. We used the green shore crab, Carcinus maenas, to investigate the effects of stocking density and shelter on survival and vitality indices during a 6 month period in the laboratory. Neither stocking density nor the presence of shelter affected survival. Stocking density also had no effect on the vitality indices (limb loss, claw strength, BRIX, righting time, leg flare and retraction). The presence of shelter did affect the number of limbs lost and the leg retraction response, but had no effect on the other vitality indices. All vitality indices changed, and mortality increased over time, independent of treatment: this became most apparent after 8 to 11 weeks storage in the laboratory. This decline in condition may have been due to repeated handling of the crabs, rather than the stocking conditions. In support of this, untracked, non-handled (control) individuals sustained a 4% mortality rate compared with 67% mortality in experimental crabs during the 6 month period. Although simple experimental monitoring of crabs with biweekly vitality tests only produced transient short-term stress events, the repeated handling over time apparently led to a cumulative stress and a deterioration in animal health. Bringing wild crustaceans into the laboratory and holding them, even with modest experimental manipulation, may result in high mortality rates. Researchers and animal care committees need to be aware that wild captive invertebrates will respond very differently to laboratory-bred vertebrates, and plan experiments accordingly.

The joint action effects of bioprotective agents on life table indices of Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Using nature-based substances (diatomaceous earth) and entomopathogenic fungi as grain bioprotective factors in a mixed mode is imperative to manage stored product pests in terms of preserving food safety. Trogoderma granariumEverts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) biological traits and life table indices of parent and progeny were assessed after exposure toBeauveria bassiana(strain DE) (Hypocreales) dry conidia (LD50 = 295.3 mg conidia kg-1 grain), low lethal dose (mg dust kg-1 grain) of diatomaceous earth formulations including Sayan® (LD25 = 4439.5), and Celite® 610 (LD25 = 992) and their binary mixtures. According to the lethal dose ratio test (LD50), the insecticidal activity of Celite® 610 has 4.47 times more than Sayan®. Nearly all binary mixes exhibited synergistic effects, excluding the last dose of the fungus (LD90), which additively interacted. However, totalpre-adults (days), adults' longevity, and reproductive performance of the beetle were decreased drastically, particularly in a combination of LD50B. bassiana + LD25Celite®610. Besides, the vital progeny population's indices, such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R0), and gross reproduction rate (GRR), all were decreased similarly. The lowest r (-0.0004 day −1) and R0 (0.968 offspring per individual) were found in the B. bassiana mixture with a low-lethal dose of Celite® 610. The male-biased sex ratio was notably established after adults' exposure to binary mixtures. Our results demonstrated that both parent and offspring generation of T. granarium incur fitness costs through exposure tobioprotectivesubstancesand especially their mixed modes, resulting in effective suppressing of the adult populations.

On the Landscape Activity Measure Coupling Ecological Index and Public Vitality Index of UGI: The Case Study of Zhongshan, China

In the context of high-quality urban development and the increasingly important role of urban green infrastructure (UGI) in public life, landscape activity (LA) has gradually become a dominant indicator for improving UGI quality and efficiency, as well as optimizing its environmental friendliness and meeting the recreational needs of the public. Relevant studies have shown that the ecological index (EI) and the public vitality index (PVI) can characterize LA from the perspectives of greening quality and public activities, respectively, and their simultaneous analysis can provide professional judgment and quantitative technical approaches for the LA analysis of UGI. At the same time, with the support of remote sensing, big data, GIS, and other spatial information data, the LA model coupling EI and PVI of UGI needs to be developed. First, this article established a research framework for UGI landscape activity, and by combining environmental remote sensing and location-based services (LBS) technology, a technical LA measurement strategy suitable for the coupled analysis of EI and PVI was formed. Then, based on the MATLAB platform and the entropy-weighted TOPSIS model, this research developed a fusion analysis algorithm of EI and PVI to establish the LA model, taking the central urban area of Zhongshan as a case study. Finally, four-quadrant classification and quantitative grading of LA were developed based on the ArcGIS platform. Empirical research showed that the UGI area of the study area was about 176.43 km2, and 160 UGI units were identified. The minimum LA value is 0.06, and the maximum is 0.85. The LA of UGI in the study area can be divided into three grades: low (0–0.24), medium (0.24–0.46), and high (0.46–0.85). Among them, the top 5% of UGI units mainly correspond to urban parks and waterfront greenways, and the bottom 5% mainly correspond to islands and farmland. The quantitative distribution of UGI in the four quadrants of LA in the study area is relatively balanced: among them, the number of high-quality developing types is the largest, accounting for 29.4%, and that of high-quality mature types is the least, accounting for 20.0%. This article forms a concise model and technical process for the LA of UGI, which can be used for its quantitative analysis and evaluation. It is expected that the research result will be significant for the high-quality construction of UGI and the sustainable development of the urban landscape in terms of research and exploration.

Comparative Study on Liquefaction Behavior of Calcareous Sand and Siliceous Sand Under Simple Shear Loading

ABSTRACT In this paper, a comparative study was conducted on the undrained monotonic and cyclic behavior of calcareous sand and siliceous sand using a series of simple shear tests. To more effectively draw the comparison, the same grain-size distribution was employed for calcareous sand and siliceous sand to study any underlying liquefaction behavior divergence arising from their respective distinctive particle characteristics. The results suggested that calcareous sand exhibited higher peak strengths, stability and liquefaction resistance than siliceous sand. Furthermore, the peak strength from monotonic shear tests could serve as a vital index to assess the liquefaction resistance of the sand.

The data-driven research on bond strength between fly ash-based geopolymer concrete and reinforcing bars

Bond strength between fly ash-based concrete (FGPC) and rebars is a vital index for ensuring the reliability and safety of reinforced concrete members. Thus, prediction and analysis of ultimate bond strength between FGPC and rebars are performed based on machine learning data-driven methods in this paper. A latest database including 137 samples from the published papers in the last decade is established. Four machine learning algorithms that include Lasso regression, Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) are adopt for the construction of prediction models, and model evaluations are carried out by using four metrics (R2, RMSE, MAPE and MRE). The comparison between machine learning models and empirical models based on experiments is finished. Besides that, the feature importance is analyzed based on RF and XGB models. The results show that the machine learning models have a better prediction performance than the empirical models, where the RF and XGB models are optimal estimators with R2 of over 0.84 on testing set. Lasso and SVR models possess stronger generalization ability than RF and XGB models. The relatively important influence factors are compressive strength of FGPC (fc), reactivity modulus of precursors (RM), the ratio of cover thickness to diameter of rebar (c/d) and the ratio of anchorage length to diameter of rebar (l/d). Increasing slag content, fc, RM, and c/d are beneficial to enhancement of bond strength. The recommended values of fc, RM, c/d and l/d are 50 MPa, 0.7, 4.5 and 5.0 respectively.

The associations between body composition and vital capacity index of medical students in Shenyang of China: a cross-sectional survey

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the associations between body composition and vital capacity index (VCI) among medical students of Shenyang, China.Study designThe design of this study is a cross-sectional study.MethodsParticipants were 2063 individuals (17–25 years) from a medical college in Shenyang, who participated in this survey from April to May 2017. Height, weight, fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), protein mass (PM), total body water (TBW), mineral mass (MM), vital capacity were measured, then BMI and VCI were calculated. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of body composition on VCI of participants in different genders. In addition, subgroup analysis was carried out according to BMI levels.ResultsMale students showed significantly higher height, weight, BMI, FFM, PM, TBW, MM, VC, and VCI, but lower FM in comparison with female students. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that in both sexes FM was negatively correlated with VCI which represents pulmonary function (r < 0; P < 0.001). After dividing the whole participants by BMI, further correlation analysis showed FM was positively correlated with VCI only for male subgroups with BMI < 18.5 (r > 0; P = 0.050).ConclusionOverall, FM is highly negatively correlated with the VCI of Chinese medical students of both genders. However, there was a positive correlation between FM and VCI among low-weight male students.

Revealing the Inner-relevance of College Students' Physical Fitness by Association Analysis and Neural Network.

The physical activity and health status of the students in China are not optimistic, there is a general lack of exercise volume and exercise intensity. Normal college students shoulder the future of China's education. Promoting their physical health is the basic requirement for cultivating teachers in the new era; Methods:Testing and recording 1123 male, 3266 female college students' physical fitness indicators in a normal college, the relationship between these indicators was mined by correlation analysis and Apriori, and the intelligent prediction models was constructed according to the mined knowledge; Results: There was no correlation between male 1000m running and vital capacity (P > 0.05), but it was correlated with vital capacity weight index (P < 0.05); Most indicators of women showed varying degrees of correlation. There are many association rules between female 50m sprint and standing long jump, sit-ups, and BMI. The introduction of vital capacity weight index slightly improved the accuracy of the 1000m run prediction model; The prediction model of female 50m sprint with standing long jump, sit-ups and BMI as inputs not only keeps the accuracy in a reasonable range, but also reduces the complexity and parameters; ConclusionsFor male students, the ostensibly paradoxical relationships between vital capacity and a 1000 meter run and between vital capacity and pull up were actually due to body shape; Body shape, lower limb explosive power, and core strength play key roles for female college students' speed quality; BMI, standing long jump and one minute sit-up can be used to predict the 50m sprint performance of general female college students.

Walking speed at the acute and subacute stroke stage: A descriptive meta-analysis.

Gait disorders are one of the leading patient complaints at the sub-acute stroke stage (SSS) and a main determinant of disability. Walking speed (WS) is a major vital and functional index, and the Ten-Meter Walk Test is considered the gold standard after stroke. Based on a systematic review of the literature, studies published between January 2000 and November 2021 were selected when WS was reported (ten-meter walk test for short distance and/or 6-min walking distance for long distance) within 6 months following a first ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke (SSS) in adults prior to receiving specific walking rehabilitation. Following PRISMA guidelines, a meta-analysis was conducted on two kinds of WS: the principal criterion focused on short-distance WS (ten-meter walking test) and the secondary criteria focused on long-distance WS (6-min test) and meta-regressions to study the association of WS with balance, cognitive disorders and autonomy. Nine studies comprising a total of 939 data on post-stroke patients were selected. The weighted average age was 61 years [95% IC [55-67] and males represented 62% ± 2.7 of patients [57-67]. Average short-distance WS was 0.36 ± 0.06 m.s−1 [95% CI (0.23–0.49)]. Average long-distance WS was 0.46 ± 0.1 m.s−1 [95% CI (0.26–0.66)]. The funnel plot revealed asymmetry of publication bias and high heterogeneity of the nine studies (I2 index 98.7% and Q-test p < 0.0001). Meta-regressions of secondary endpoints could not be performed due to a lack of study data. At the SSS, WS would be lower than data in general population published in literature, but above all, lower than the WS required for safe daily autonomy and community ambulation after stroke. WS must be a priority objective of stroke rehabilitation to increase walking function but also for survival, autonomy, social participation and health-related quality of life.

Онтогенетическая и виталитетная структура ценопопуляций Globularia bisnagarica L. в Среднем и Нижнем Поволжье

The article presents the results of studying the ontogenetic and vitality structure of 13 cenopopulations of Globularia bisnagarica from the Middle and Lower Volga region. The assessment of the ontogenetic structure was carried out by constructing and analyzing the ontogenetic spectra of each of the studied cenopopulations, as well as the basic ontogenetic spectrum, followed by determining the type of cenopopulations according to the “delta-omega” criterion. On the basis of morphometric parameters, the vitality indices of individuals and cenopopulations were determined, followed by the identification of vitality types and the calculation of the dimensional plasticity index. It has been established that the ontogenetic spectra of the majority of cenopopulations are complete, asymmetric, with peaks in several age groups. The basic ontogenetic spectrum is bimodal, asymmetrical, with a maximum on virginal and mature generative individuals. The majority of G. bisnagarica cenopopulations are young, being dominated by individuals of the pregenerative state. The Srg cenopopulation growing on the territory of the Samara region consisted mainly of individuals of the post-generative state. Four cenopopulations (Pch, Grm, Lhv, Bkm) turned out to be transitional, since they are dominated by generative individuals. According to the assessment of the vitality state, individuals of the middle class of vitality predominated in all the studied cenopopulations. At the same time, most of the studied cenopopulations are defined as prosperous. Likewise, only two cenopopulations: Grm and Lhv from the Ulyanovsk region were characterized as depressed. Thus, taking into account the features above, the general condition of the three cenopopulations: Srg, Grm and Lhv is assessed as unsatisfactory, which makes them the most vulnerable in the event of the impact of adverse environmental factors or an increase in anthropogenic pressure on their habitats.

Transmission Angle Analysis of a Type of Parallel Manipulators

In most research works, the conditioning index is used to analyze the kinematic performance of a type of parallel manipulators whose traveling plate has only translation in the workspace, and each limb is made up of three joints and two moving links. However, it is difficult to determine the reasonable limit value of the conditioning index as the design criterion. Therefore, this paper defines two types of transmission angles to evaluate the kinematic performance of parallel manipulators, with which the direct and indirect singularities can be identified in a straightforward manner. Taking both the Diamond and Delta parallel manipulators as examples, the relationships are investigated between the angles and the condition number of the Jacobian, which is a vital performance index for parallel manipulators throughout the workspace. Then, simulation studies are conducted to prove the effectiveness of two kinds of transmission angles for the Diamond and Delta robots. It indicates that the defined angles are well characterized compared with the condition number of the Jacobian matrix in evaluating the kinematic performance of the parallel manipulators and determining the workspace.

Indexing coordination of ecosystem and urban economic vitality in coastal cities: An observation in yangtze river delta

Advanced geographic technologies provide an opportunity to understand the urban forest landscape and guide the governance of the urban ecosystem. However, only few studies stressed the importance of data techniques in understanding urban sustainability, especially urban forest landscape. Therefore, this study makes an analysis of urban forest resources in a city of Yangtze River Delta with the help of multi-source data techniques and further data analysis of different forest landscape pattern indices in the study area with the help of SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions). The following conclusions are drawn: 1) According to the visual analysis, the spatial distribution of forest patches in the study area has a great difference. 2) All the seven landscape pattern indices are positively correlated with the distribution density of POI (Point of Interest), which represents the urban economic vitality. The correlation coefficients are NP (R2 = 0.3063), PD (R2 = 0.0079), ED (R2 = 0.3955), AREA (R2 = 0.5408), CONTIG (R2 = 0.0323), PAFRAC (R2 = 0.3662) and AI (R2 = 0.2014), respectively. This indicates that the higher the economic vitality is, the more fragmented and complex the urban forest patches are. 3) According to the geographically weighted regression model, the goodness of fit between the spatial distribution density of POI and NP, PD, ED, and AI reaches 0.804, 0.771, 0.634, and 0.619, respectively, and the explanatory power of the model is more than twice that of the corresponding linear regression model. The data illustrates that the correlation between economic vitality and urban forest landscape pattern indices has significant spatial heterogeneity.

Impact response prediction and optimization of SC walls using machine learning algorithms

The dynamic impact response of steel-plate composite (SC) walls is a vital index to assess their safety. By optimizing the design parameters within the requirements of relevant specifications, the impact-induced deformation can be reduced to ensure the protection of personnel and equipment inside the structures. To process the complicated nonlinear relationship between the wall deformation and design parameters rapidly and accurately, prediction models were constructed through such machine learning algorithms as support vector regression (SVR), artificial neural network (ANN), and gaussian process regression (GPR) in this study. Then these models were further validated by the existing test results. It shows that the root mean square error (RMSE), R-Squared (R2), and the time to complete one calculation of the GPR model are 2.74, 0.9591, and 0.58 ms respectively, which has obvious advantages in terms of accuracy, stability, and efficiency among the three machine learning models. Based on the well-trained GPR model, the design of a certain SC wall in an AP1000 nuclear power plant was optimized via the genetic algorithm, with the maximum deformation and the cost of SC walls as the optimization targets. The case study shows that the optimal solution set can reduce the maximum deformation by 10.1 % while keeping the total cost constant, or reduce the total cost by 18.8 % while keeping the maximum deformation constant.

Enriching periphyton with phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms improves the growth and concentration of phosphorus and micronutrients of rice plant in calcareous paddy soil

Periphyton is usually present in most flooded land, especially in paddy fields, and plays an important role in the cycle of nutrients. However, the effects of using the periphyton enriched with its phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) on increasing the bioavailability of nutrients, especially phosphorus (P) and microelements and their absorption by rice plant have received little attention. In the research, the effect of natural periphytons and the natural periphytons enriched with PSM on the germination and vital index of rice seed and the bioavailability of P and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) to rice plants in a calcareous soil fertilized with P fertilizer was investigated. Natural periphytons increased the germination index of rice seeds by an average of 42% and PSM-enriched periphytons by an average of 94%. The natural periphytons also reduced the survival of rice seedlings by about 10% on average, but the PSM-enriched periphytons increased this index by about 1%. On average, natural periphytons, due to increasing soil pH and competition with rice plant for nutrients, reduced soil available P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn by 15, 18.6, 39.8, 29.7 and 16.2%, respectively, compared to control. However, at the late stage of rice growth the PSM-enriched periphytons increased soil available P by 44%, soil available Fe by 14.6%, soil available Zn by 30.1%, soil available Cu by 25.7%, and soil available Mn by 13.4%, compared to natural periphytons, by releasing accumulated fertilizer P and micronutrients in decomposed periphytons, and thereby increased the rice growth and the concentration of these nutrients in rice grains. It can be concluded that the presence of periphytons in paddy fields, if they are used together with PSM, can be considered as an effective strategy to manage the cycle of P (P fertilizers) and micronutrients in calcareous paddy soils.

The functional state of students depending on the ethno-territorial factor

Background and Study Aim. Integration processes in education provide for increased mobility of students from different countries. The related change in environmental parameters, cultural and social standards require additional tension in the work of regulatory mechanisms. This can lead to exhaustion of the body's reserve capabilities, disruption of adaptation and loss of health. The purpose of the work is to investigate the ethno-territorial variability of the functional state and adaptation potential of foreign students studying at Ukrainian universities.&#x0D; Material and Methods. Students of the medical university (n = 488, age 18–25) who came to study in Ukraine from different countries took part in the study. Data were obtained from cross-sectional surveys from 2014 to 2019. Anthropometric measures included body length (LT), body mass (MT). Functional status was assessed by Robinson, Rufier, vital capacity and strength indices. Adaptation capabilities and the level of physical condition of students were also determined. Experimental data were processed using the SPSS program.&#x0D; Results. It was established that the vast majority of students had Robinson index values: low and below average (students from Poland, Bulgaria, Jordan, Egypt); below average level (students from Ukraine, Malaysia and Tunisia); medium (students from India and China). Students from Poland, Jordan and Egypt are characterized by the lowest vital capacity index (52.7 – 54.9 ml·kg-1). Among the residents of India and China there were the most students with above average and high levels of vital capacity index. Most of the students (with the exception of students from Malaysia and Egypt) had a power index at the level of average and above average. The Ruffier index for students was: weak level – students from Poland, Bulgaria, Egypt and Jordan; satisfactory level – students of Tunisia, Ukraine, India and Malaysia; moderate level – students from China. The majority (40–44%) of the examined contingent from Poland, Bulgaria and Jordan was in a pre-diagnostic state. There were14–27% of such students among students from Egypt, China, India and Tunisia. There were about 10% of such students among Ukrainian students. From 6% to 11% of all foreign students were in a pre-morbid state. This condition is characterized by a decrease in the functional reserves of the circulatory system. Among Ukrainian students, there were 2.04% of such students. From 2.44% to 7.69% of foreign students had asthenization of regulatory systems; such a state was not observed among Ukrainian students.&#x0D; Conclusions. The obtained results of the study expand the data on the peculiarities of the physiological state of students of foreign countries and their adaptation capabilities. It is important that students with strained adaptation mechanisms or an unsatisfactory level of adaptation are able to reveal high functional capabilities with individualized physical exercises. An unsatisfactory state of functional systems can stimulate students to increase the body's adaptive resources. This contributes to increasing the level of motor activity and improving physical education courses with training according to an individualized educational program.

Species-specific responses of Antarctic terrestrial microalgae to salinity stress. Comparative study in Klebsormidium sp. and Stigeoclonium sp.

We studied the changes in PSII photochemical processes in the cells of Antarctic algae Klebsormidium sp. and Stigeoclonium sp. exposed to salinity stress (0 – 3M NaCl) for 3 h. Salinity stress induced a decrease in the potential (FV/FM) and effective quantum yield of PSII electron transport (FPSII). Salinity stress induced a decrease in vitality index (Rfd, relative decrease of chlorophyll fluorescence). Analyses of the polyphasic fast chlorophyll fluorescence transients (OJIP) showed that with the increase in salt concentration, the chlorophyll fluorescence signals recorded at the phases J, I, and P declined, and the transient flattened with increaseing NaCl concentration reaching close to zero ChlF values at salt concentration of 3 M NaCl after 180 min. exposition. Klebsormidium sp. was found more salinity stress resistant than Stigeoclonium sp.

Microarray Profile of Circular RNAs Identifies hsa_circ_0001583 as A New Circular RNA Biomarker for Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study.

Objective Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer, which is currently the leading cause of cancer death. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in cancer, however, circRNAs serving as vital index in BC for guiding treatment have not yet been identified. The aim of our study is to explore a novel kind of potential biomarker for BC. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, the samples used for assays were two groups of breast tumor tissue obtained from four BC patients, including four pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent nontumor samples. The circRNA expression profiles were detected via microarray and validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results The differentially expressed circRNAs in tested samples were screened and analyzed by using human circRNA microarray. After analysis, considering a fold gene expression change of ≥2.0 and P<0.05, results suggested that 256 circRNAs were significantly up-regulated and 277 circRNAs were significantly down-regulated. Besides, the results of the real-time quantitative PCR assay showed that the expression of hsa_circ_0001583 was significantly up-regulated in BC groups (P<0.05) by real-time quantitative PCR. Therefore, we thought hsa_circ_0001583 might serve as a novel kind of biomarker for BC. ConclusionHsa_circ_0001583 showed significant up-regulation in BC patients with paired adjacent tissues. Many cancer immune pathways were related to has_circ_0001583, including autoimmune thyroid disease, chemokine and T-cell receptor signaling pathways.

Viscosity-sensitive mitochondrial fluorescent probes and their bio-applications

As a vital index of the mitochondrial micro-environment, mitochondrial micro-viscosity plays a fundamental role in cell life activities. Normal mitochondrial viscosity is a necessary condition for the maintenance of normal life activities of mitochondria. Abnormal mitochondrial viscosity can lead to a series of mitochondria-related diseases. Therefore, it is essential to observe mitochondrial viscosity for physiological and pathological processes. Given the conventional viscosity measurement methods (viscometer, etc.) cannot monitor the changes in mitochondrial viscosity, the fluorescence method supplemented with the fluorescent probe is widely used to observe the changes in mitochondrial viscosity. In view of the booming development in this area, this review describes the applications of viscosity-responsive mitochondrial fluorescent probes in biological samples from the cellular and tissue levels. We hope that this review will deepen our understanding of mitochondrial viscosity and related fields, and promote the development of viscosity-sensitive mitochondrial probes and other organelle fluorescence probes.

Street Landscape Planning and Design Guided by Artificial Intelligence Interactive Experience.

As an important part of the city, urban streets have always played an active role in carrying public needs and optimizing public living spaces. They are also important to open public spaces in the city. In addition, with technology integration and life, the interactive experience of artificial intelligence (AI) in Street View is gradually increasing. A streetscape planning and design method based on AI interactive experience is proposed. CSiXRevit 2022 software builds street simulation models for better street planning and design. Street digital imaging technology is used to analyze the original streetscape. Landscape features are integrated with the street model. Based on intelligent technology, urban landscape design is studied, and AI interactive experience is analyzed. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and AI technology evaluate the effect of landscape design. Firstly, AHP is used to construct the evaluation index system of the rural landscape design effect, and the index weight is determined. Back propagation neural network (BPNN) is used to construct an evaluation model of landscape design effect. Three indexes of target, project, and indicator layer are used to evaluate the effect of rural landscape design. The results show that (1) the variety and richness of streetscapes in the survey area should be increased. Interactive buildings should be placed on the street. (2) The comprehensive evaluation score of the street landscape is 0.60, and the design effect is excellent. The comprehensive evaluation values of the three project layers are 0.65, 0.48, and 0.67, respectively. The data show that the carrying capacity index of the study area is the best, and the vitality index is the weakest. Therefore, when designing the street landscape, the economic development has been strengthened by attracting investment, introducing large-scale exhibition shops, increasing street income, strengthening the construction of street public facilities, and paying attention to the public street experience. This work can provide references for related streetscape designs.

Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer's Disease: Successful Pilot Project.

Background:Effective therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease are needed. However, previous clinical trials have pre-determined a single treatment modality, such as a drug candidate or therapeutic procedure, which may be unrelated to the primary drivers of the neurodegenerative process. Therefore, increasing data set size to include the potential contributors to cognitive decline for each patient, and addressing the identified potential contributors, may represent a more effective strategy.Objective:To determine whether a precision medicine approach to Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment is effective enough in a proof-of-concept trial to warrant a larger, randomized, controlled clinical trial.Methods:Twenty-five patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores of 19 or higher, were evaluated for markers of inflammation, chronic infection, dysbiosis, insulin resistance, protein glycation, vascular disease, nocturnal hypoxemia, hormone insufficiency or dysregulation, nutrient deficiency, toxin or toxicant exposure, and other biochemical parameters associated with cognitive decline. Brain magnetic resonance imaging with volumetrics was performed at baseline and study conclusion. Patients were treated for nine months with a personalized, precision medicine protocol, and cognition was assessed at t = 0, 3, 6, and 9 months.Results:All outcome measures revealed improvement: statistically significant improvement in MoCA scores, CNS Vital Signs Neurocognitive Index, and Alzheimer’s Questionnaire Change score were documented. No serious adverse events were recorded. MRI volumetrics also improved.Conclusion:Based on the cognitive improvements observed in this study, a larger, randomized, controlled trial of the precision medicine therapeutic approach described herein is warranted.

The Impact of Mini-Basketball Training Sessions on the 6-7-Year-Old Boys' Physical Fitness and Physical Development

The aim of the research is to investigate the level of physical fitness and physical development of 6-7-year-old boys before and after the implementation of the authors' program of mini-basketball training sessions at the stage of initial training. The research involved 32 6-7-year-old boys, who were divided into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups of 16 each. Physical fitness of boys was assessed by the following tests: 3x10 m shuttle run with running around stuffed balls, 4x9 m shuttle run, running to numbered stuffed balls, assessment of the sense of time, standing long jump, standing high jump, 10 m run, angle body from a sitting position, Romberg test. Physical development of boys was assessed by indicators of height, body weight, wrist dynamometry, vital capacity of the lungs, heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, the Robinson, Rufier, Kettle, vital and strength indices were calculated. At the end of the experiment the EG boys revealed significantly better indicators of coordination skills, static balance, sense of time, speed and strength qualities in comparison with the CG boys. There was also a positive effect of the authors' program on the physical development of boys: the Robinson and Rufier indices improved significantly in the EG. It was established that authors' program of mini-basketball training sessions, which is built according to the age peculiarities of 6-7-year-old boys, creates the most favourable conditions for the development of physical qualities in boys, their harmonious physical development, improvement of body function and revealing cognitive abilities.