Leqin Chen

Background: Gait analysis is a crucial tool for evaluating human motor function, with its applications expanding across clinical and health-monitoring domains. The growth of the aging global population and an increasing emphasis on sports health have positioned gait abnormalities as significant biomarkers for assessing fall risk and neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease. Compared with conventional optical systems, inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide a high-precision, cost-effective, and portable alternative, thereby facilitating the practical capture of gait data in real-world contexts. Objective: This review aims to deliver a comprehensive guide for selecting the most suitable IMU-based gait analysis methodologies, tailored to various application scenarios. Unlike existing reviews, which primarily focus on specific algorithms or populations, this study uniquely synthesizes current IMU-based methods from a sensor-placement perspective. Furthermore, we propose a practical decision framework to guide researchers and clinicians in selecting the optimal sensor locations and algorithms tailored to specific application scenarios and computational constraints. Method: A systematic search was conducted across the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science databases from January 2019 to December 2025 using relevant English and Chinese keywords related to IMUs and gait analysis. To ensure methodological completeness in this mature field, foundational studies published before 2019 were additionally included through targeted supplementary retrieval. The retrieved studies underwent a systematic review. Results and conclusions: This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of IMU-based gait analysis methods across various sensor placements on the body (e.g., foot, leg, chest). The findings reveal substantial differences in algorithm complexity, accuracy, and suitability across distinct populations and scenarios. This study establishes an evidence-based framework for identifying optimal gait analysis solutions to address diverse application needs.

Objective: Postprandial glycemic excursions represent a critical determinant of metabolic health in individuals with overweight or obesity. Previous studies have demonstrated that moderate-to-vigorous exercise lasting at least 5 min, initiated 30 min after breakfast, significantly attenuates postprandial glycemic responses and reduces peak glucose levels. However, whether this effect remains consistent across various grain powder based meals is still unclear. This study therefore examined the exercise diet interaction to determine whether 5 min of moderate-to-vigorous exercise performed 30 min after breakfast could elicit a distinct glucose lowering effect depending on the dietary composition. Methods: This study adopted a within subject, fixed sequence, repeated measures intervention design. A total of 43 adults with overweight or obesity were enrolled and completed a 15 day dietary and exercise intervention trial. Throughout the experimental period, participants consumed a test breakfast daily consisting of a designated grain powder served with one boiled egg; meanwhile, their remaining dietary intake was not controlled, and they were instructed to maintain their habitual lifestyles. The five grain powders—tartary buckwheat flour, millet flour, oat flour, yam flour and soy milk powder were commercially available products (Joyoung brand) procured by the research team. On the third day of each 3 day breakfast intervention phase, participants performed 5 min of moderate-to-vigorous exercise 30 min after breakfast consumption. The exercise routine comprised jumping jacks, lateral squats, shadow punches, under leg claps, and lateral shuffles. Each movement was executed for four 8 count phrases synchronized with Tabata style music. Demonstration videos of the exercise routine were recorded by the research staff, who also provided instruction and supervised the exercise sessions. Statistical analyses, including non-parametric tests and generalized estimating equations generalized estimating equations (GEE), were performed using SPSS software, and data visualization was conducted using GraphPad Prism. Results: This study analyzed the main effects of grain powder type and exercise, as well as their interaction, on 2-h postprandial glycemic (2-h PBG) responses using a GEE model. Model effect tests indicated that the type of grain powder significantly influenced postprandial glycemic parameters, including the incremental area under the curve (iAUC; Wald χ ² = 64.997, p < 0.001), peak glucose increment (Wald χ ² = 45.989, p < 0.001), and glycemic variability (GV) (Wald χ ² = 86.352, p < 0.001). Neither the main effect of exercise nor the powder–exercise interaction was statistically significant (all p > 0.05). Soy milk powder elicited the lowest iAUC (51.494 ± 6.335, 95% CI: 39.078–63.911), which was significantly lower than those following the consumption of oat powder (107.421 ± 10.591, 95% CI: 86.662–128.179), millet powder (95.319 ± 10.078, 95% CI: 75.567–115.071), and tartary buckwheat powder (93.542 ± 8.031, 95% CI: 77.801–109.283; all p < 0.01). Additionally, soy milk powder resulted in the lowest peak glucose increment (1.194 ± 0.101, 95% CI: 0.997–1.391) and GV (0.068 ± 0.004, 95% CI: 0.060–0.076). By contrast, yam powder yielded a significantly lower overall glucose area under the curve (AUC; 746.773 ± 13.669, 95% CI: 719.982–773.563) compared with tartary buckwheat powder, millet powder, and oat powders (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the present study context, the type of grain powder was identified as the primary factor influencing postprandial glycemia in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas neither the short bout of moderate-to-vigorous exercise nor the exercise–powder interaction achieved statistical significance. Soy milk powder elicited the lowest iAUC, peak glucose increment, and GV, a favorable glycemic profile largely attributable to its low carbohydrate and high protein composition. These findings suggest that incorporating high protein, low glycemic index options such as soy milk powder into breakfast may favorably modulate acute postprandial glycemic responses.

Background: University students’ emotional regulation abilities are crucial to their mental health. Existing research suggests that urban and rural backgrounds may be associated with emotional regulation among freshmen; however, the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Drawing on resource conservation theory and the bio-psycho-social model, this study examines whether psychological and social fitness exert statistical indirect effects on the relationship between urban–rural differences and emotional regulation. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to conduct a questionnaire survey of 6,718 first-year students at a comprehensive university. The measurement instruments included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Emotion Regulation Difficulty Scale, and the Health Adaptation Scale. Control variables included gender, age, single-parent family status, and experience as a left-behind child. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to conduct a multiple mediation analysis, and the Bootstrap method was used to test statistical indirect effects, with a focus on the statistical indirect effects of psychological and social fitness. As this study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample drawn from a single university, the statistical indirect effects revealed reflect only statistical associations between variables and do not allow for inferences of causal relationships. Results: Rural freshmen exhibited significantly greater difficulties in emotional regulation than their urban counterparts, and both psychological and social fitness were significantly lower. Physical fitness was also significantly lower among rural freshmen. Physical, psychological, and social fitness all exhibited significant statistical indirect effects on the urban–rural differences and the three emotional regulation indicators. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that psychological adaptability had the strongest statistical indirect association with difficulties in emotional regulation; social fitness had relatively stronger statistical indirect associations with cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression; physical fitness showed statistically significant but comparatively smaller indirect effects. The results remained robust after controlling for single-parent family status and experience as a left-behind child. The effect sizes of urban–rural differences across variables ranged from 0.05 to 0.24, falling within the small-effect range; statistical significance should not be equated with practical significance, and urban–rural background itself has limited explanatory power for differences in emotional regulation. Conclusion: Within the scope of this study, the association between urban–rural disparities and emotional regulation can be explained by the statistical indirect effects of physical, psychological, and social fitness, which serve as the three primary statistical indirect effect pathways. The study indicates that the association between urban–rural differences and emotional regulation is statistically mediated by individuals’ physical, psychological, and social competence resources, providing preliminary exploratory targets for mental health interventions in higher education institutions. However, given the cross-sectional nature of the study, these conclusions require further validation through longitudinal research.

As the “second genome” of the human body, the intestinal microbiota plays a key role in preventing the onset and progression of obesity, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory diseases by modulating immune function, maintaining metabolic homeostasis, and reinforcing mucosal barrier integrity. This review systematically investigates the biological and physiological mechanisms underlying the interaction between exercise and the gut microbiota in disease prevention. Existing evidence suggests that exercise, as a non-pharmacological intervention, can prevent and manage obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases by reshaping the composition and function of the gut microbiota, suppressing oxidative stress, reducing inflammatory markers, and maintaining intestinal mucosal barrier homeostasis. Current evidence has begun to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota mediates disease prevention and progression under varying exercise intensities, modalities, and durations. However, the structural and functional changes of the gut microbiota induced by different exercise doses remain insufficiently characterized, limiting the ability to establish clear exercise-dose relationships for disease prevention. This article systematically reviews the fundamental characteristics of the gut microbiota and the physiological mechanisms underlying exercise intervention in disease prevention through the microbiota, with a focus on exploring the interaction network among the microbiota, exercise, and disease states. Although exercise-induced regulation of the gut microbiota and its metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan metabolites, and bile acids, has demonstrated adaptive and regulatory advantages in disease prevention, the specific effects of exercise-driven changes in the microbiota on various diseases still require extensive experimental validation. In the future, greater attention should be given to the differential effects of varying exercise doses on individual gut microbiota profiles, as well as the long-term impact of exercise-modulated gut microbiota on disease outcomes. On this basis, novel therapeutic strategies should be proposed to promote the enrichment of exercise-responsive microbial populations and harness the protective potential of the gut microbiota for disease prevention.

Background: Over the past few decades, China has experienced significant demographic and epidemiological changes. The sharp decline in fertility and mortality rates has accelerated population aging, contributing to an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases. The nutritional condition during early life is associated with the onset of chronic illnesses later in adulthood. However, it remains unclear whether this association also increases the risk of multimorbidity in later adulthood.Objectives: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the association between early-life famine exposure and the subsequent development of 14 chronic diseases, as well as multimorbidity, and whether there exists a discrepancy in gender, residence, and famine severity.Methods: Data are from the 2018 Wave 4 CHARLS database, a national survey covering 19,816 participants aged 45 years or older. Drawing from our past research on famine in China, we incorporated 3,867 participants, categorizing them into three groups based on their birth years. Considering that climate conditions and population density can influence the intensity of famine, we characterize its severity by establishing a threshold of 50% excess death rate. The 14 chronic diseases assessed by CHARLS were used as the main outcome indicator, with multimorbidity as a secondary outcome indicator. We conducted a stepwise logistic regression analysis to investigate the impact of exposure to famine in early life affects the development of chronic diseases in adulthood, presenting the findings as ORs and 95% CIs. Additionally, we assess multiple moderating factors such as gender, residence, and famine severity to evaluate the outcomes.Results: Of the 3,867 participants included, the prevalence of each chronic disease ranged from 1.1% (Psychiatric disease) to 10.7% (Hypertension). Overall, 27.0% of participants reported being affected by at least one chronic disease, while 9.6% indicated they had suffered from two or more chronic conditions. Early-life exposure to famine makes it more likely to develop diabetes in later adulthood OR (95% CI) of 1.85 (1.26 to2.72), stroke OR (95% CI) of 1.96 (1.17 to 3.29), kidney disease OR (95% CI) of 1.91 (1.07 to 3.40), and multimorbidity OR (95% CI) of 1.39 (1.08 to 1.80), compared to those who did not face such conditions. The moderating effects analysis revealed that less severe famine exposure during toddlerhood was associated with an increased risk of multimorbidity in adulthood OR (95% CI) of 1.43 (1.01 to 2.03). Males exposed to famine during toddlerhood had a higher risk of multimorbidity in adulthood OR (95% CI) of 2.26 (1.29 to 3.98). Compared to the unexposed group, rural residents who experienced famine exposure in their early life are at a higher risk of developing multimorbidity by about 1.5 times in adulthood.Conclusion: Experiencing famine in early childhood increases susceptibility to developing chronic diseases in later adulthood, with the risk of diabetes, stroke, and kidney disease nearly doubling. The association of multimorbidity in later adulthood varies according to the severity of the famine, gender, and residential area.

Objective The purpose of this study is to explore the physical literacy characteristics and influencing factors of 8-12 year old children and adolescents from the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups in China, providing new ideas and perspectives for the construction of a physical literacy assessment system for different altitudes children and adolescents, and providing scientific reference for the formulation and implementation of relevant policies. Methods A cluster sampling method was adopted in Lhasa City of Xizang Autonomous Region and Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province. 450 children and adolescents aged 8-12 years were selected from each area as the research subjects. The second edition of the Canadian Physical Literacy Assessment System is used to test the physical literacy level of Han and Tibetan children aged 8-12. Independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were used for difference testing, Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between different dimensions and physical literacy level, as well as the relationship between each dimension. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore the interaction effects. Result 1) The total physical literacy score of Han and Tibetan children and adolescents aged 8-12 is only 53.82 ± 6.90, with primary and developmental levels accounting for 97.31%. The overall level of physical literacy is relatively low; The physical literacy scores of Tibetan and Han children and adolescents are similar, and there is no difference. However, in terms of Physical Competnce, Tibetan girls have a higher level of Physical Competnce than Han girls (p=0.030). In terms of daily behavior, Tibetan children and adolescents are significantly better than Han children and adolescents (p=0.010 for boys and p=0.002 for girls); In terms of knowledge and understanding, Han children and adolescents are significantly higher than Tibetan children and adolescents (p<. 001 for males and p<. 001 for females). 2) There are gender and age differences in the physical literacy level of children and adolescents aged 8-12 (p<0.001 * *); There is an interactive effect between gender and age on the level of physical literacy, but the effect value is relatively small. 3) There is a correlation between each dimension and the total score of physical literacy, with daily behavior having the highest correlation with the total score of physical literacy (r=0.662, p<0.001). Conclusion: The overall physical literacy level of Han Tibetan children and adolescents aged 8-12 is not high, and there are regional, gender, and age differences. It is urgent to develop a scientific and effective evaluation system for the physical literacy of different altitudes adolescents as soon as possible, taking into account the educational background, physical and mental characteristics of adolescents, and the current physical activity situation in China.

It is highly attractive to develop a photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing platform based on a non-noble-metal nano array architecture. In this paper, a PEC hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) biosensor based on Ni/WS₂/WC heterostructures was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal synthesis method and melamine carbonization process. The morphology, structural and composition and light absorption properties of the Ni/WS₂/WC catalyst were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–visible spectrophotometer. The average size of the Ni/WS₂/WC nanosheets was about 200 nm. Additionally, the electrochemical properties toward H₂O₂ were studied using an electrochemical workstation. Benefiting from the Ni and C atoms, the optimized Ni/WS₂/WC catalyst showed superior H₂O₂ sensing performance and a large photocurrent response. It was found that the detection sensitivity of the Ni/WS₂/WC catalyst was 25.7 μA/cm²/mM, and the detection limit was 0.3 mmol/L in the linear range of 1−10 mM. Simultaneously, the synthesized Ni/WS₂/WC electrode displayed excellent electrocatalytic properties in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with a relatively small overpotential of 126 mV at 10 mA/cm² in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. This novel Ni/WS₂/WC electrode may provide new insights into preparing other efficient hybrid photoelectrodes for PEC applications.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students’ health-related physical activity and physical literacy aroused widespread concern. This study evaluated the relationship among physical literacy (PL), sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); we further explored whether LAP and SB mediated the association between PL and MVPA. Methods: This study was based on a cross-sectional survey of Chinese college students. The Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument Scale (PPLI-SC) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were used to investigate the PL, MVPA, LPA, and SB. Results: There were 2996 valid questionnaires with 829 boys and 2167 girls. The MVPA, LPA, and PL of boys were significantly higher than girls, while the SB values were significantly lower in girls (p < 0.01). The correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the two indexes except for SB and LPA. Path analysis shows that PL directly, significantly, and positively affects MVPA. PL reduces SB (β = −0.085, p < 0.001) and increases LPA (β = 0.097, p < 0.001). The total mediation effect accounted for 14.014%, and the mediation effects of SB and LPA accounted for 4.417% and 9.597%, respectively. Conclusions: LPA and SB partially mediated the relation between PL and MVPA. SB and LPA partially explain the impact of PL on MVPA. The findings suggest that managing SB and improving LPA could play a significant indirect role in increasing the positive effect of PL on MVPA and that increasing the opportunities for LPA increased the MVPA for Chinese college students.