by Matthew Kostek  and Siyu Liu

Received: 28 March 2023;  Published: 19 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2303192

Human skeletal muscle exhibits remarkable plasticity, being responsive to chemical, mechanical, metabolic, and inflammatory stress. When the homeostatic disturbance is below a threshold of significant damage, the muscle responds by modifying metabolic activity, cell size/shape, and structure, thereby normalizing cellular function. If the disturbance causes significant damage, skeletal muscle, along with a precisely choreographed response from the immune system, can regenerate. Very few pathological conditions inhib [...]

by Jordan Ensz  and Changiz Mohiyeddini

Received: 06 March 2023;  Published: 19 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2303038

Burnout is a chronic state of exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Medical training has been shown to leave many medical students vulnerable to burnout, which can negatively impact their health and patient care. While resilience has been associated with lower burnout, the mechanisms through which resilience reduces burnout are not well established. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether difficulties with emotion regulation mediate the relationship between resilience and burnout among medical students. [...]

by Tobyn Bell  , Jane Montague  , James Elander  , Matthew Pugh  and Paul Gilbert

Received: 01 July 2023;  Published: 19 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2303037

Chairwork is a central component in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). Despite its importance, there has been no prior research on the relational factors underpinning the application of chairwork in CFT. There is also a general paucity of research on the role of the therapeutic relationship in chairwork across modalities. This paper analyses data from interviews with 21 clients following a CFT chairwork intervention to ascertain how relational factors influenced their experience of this method. An Interpretative Phe [...]

by Kenneth J. McLeod

Received: 24 April 2023;  Published: 18 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2303249

Chronically low blood pressure in older adults is associated with significantly increased long-term risks of dementia and all-cause mortality risk. Yet low blood pressure is generally not treated until an individual begins to experience the acute symptoms arising from very low cerebral perfusion. However, these acute symptoms, such as dizziness, balance difficulty, syncope, increased fall occurrence, vision impairment, and nausea, begin to occur only at very low blood pressure levels, such that mean arterial pressu [...]

by Ann Lee  and Shaokoon Cheng

Received: 26 March 2023;  Published: 18 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2303029

In the context of decarbonization efforts, heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) offer an attractive solution over conventional electric resistance type hot water systems due to their 2-3 times higher efficiency. However, the high manufacturing costs and taxes associated with using hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant make HPWHs expensive. As a means to tackle this issue, this paper explores the use of propane (R290) as a refrigerant in HPWHs. The study involves an experimental comparison of R290 and R134a, with refrigera [...]

by Mimi Mun Yee Tse  , Shamay Sheung Mei Ng  , Vivian Lou  , Raymond SK Lo  , Daphne Sze Ki Cheung  , Paul H Lee  , Shuk Kwan Tang  , Siu Hang Leung  and Percy Poo-See Tse

Received: 02 August 2023;  Published: 15 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303183

The COVID-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. It significantly impacted the older adults in Hong Kong, with most of the community centers and elderly centers being closed down under various restrictive measures. Thus, community-based health promotion activities were temporarily paused, which decreased older adults’ health-promoting behaviors and motivation to stay active. This research aimed to improve the quality of life and the health of older adults with chronic pain through the pain management program [...]

by Divakar Dahiya  and Poonam Singh NIGAM

Received: 19 July 2023;  Published: 14 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2303017

Usually, everyday meals constitute materials and ingredients for food preparation derived from different agricultural sources. Although most customers are aware of the benefits of a balanced diet, they mainly focus on a diet based on the daily requirements of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in their meals. However, the vital aspect of the including dietary fibers in diets is overlooked, which is equally important as is the daily requirement of calories and protein intake for maintaining the muscle mass. Some societ [...]

by Mahdi Yousefi  , Scott Donne  , Shabnam Bahremand  and Mohammad Yousefi

Received: 10 April 2023;  Published: 13 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2303028

The thermal cracking of methane (TMC) is a significant reaction occurring above 850°C, which proceeds in two stages: non-isothermally and isothermally. However, most existing studies have focused on obtaining reaction rates under isothermal conditions [1], limiting their applicability to practical industrial reactor conditions. This novel research aims to determine the overall thermal decomposition rate of methane to hydrogen and carbon in adiabatic conditions, covering the range of unstable industrial reactor temp [...]

by Ciro Comparetto  and Franco Borruto

Received: 31 August 2023;  Published: 13 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2303248

In the United States (US), menopause occurs at an average age of 52. Menopausal symptoms tend to be maximal during the few years before and the year after menopause (during perimenopause), except for symptomatic vulvovaginal atrophy, which may worsen over time. Up to 20% of bone density loss occurs during the first 5 years after menopause, followed by an age-related bone loss rate similar to that in men. Menopause should be considered confirmed if an age-appropriate woman who is not pregnant has not had a menstrual [...]

by Zakkoyya H. Lewis  , Ryan N. Harrison  , Brian D. Clocksin  , Alexandra T. Auslander  and Lara Killick

Received: 05 July 2023;  Published: 12 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2303016

Within the US, people are experiencing longer life expectancy, yet these extended lifespans have not necessarily translated into years living in good health. Musculoskeletal degenerative diseases are particularly prevalent amongst older adults. Research shows that regular resistance exercise carries preventive health benefits to combat these conditions. This study evaluated the impact of an innovative hand-held device (OYO) on the physical function of older adults compared to a traditional chair fitness program (CF [...]