Paralysis caused by spinal cord injury can result in the loss of motor function in patients, and the combination of VR with motor imagery (MI) and brain-computer interface (BCI) technology shows considerable potential as a rehabilitation approach. This article first provides a brief introduction to the fundamental principles of this rehabilitation method, and then reviews the common problems that exist in current related research: many experiments lack appropriate control groups, the methods of motor imagery are not standardized, and the statistical methods used for data analysis also have limitations. These issues may compromise the reliability of the findings. To address these issues, this paper theoretically designs an improved experimental protocol, refines subject grouping, establishes a standardized motor imagery guidance procedure, incorporates multi-channel signal monitoring to remove interference signals, selects a linear mixed model for data analysis, and also includes long-term follow-up to observe rehabilitation outcomes. This article analyzes how this optimization plan can mitigate the biases present in previous studies, but also discusses the practical difficulties that will still be encountered during its implementation. This improved approach may provide a useful reference for future rehabilitation research.

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Traditional fermented foods are rich in microorganisms and serve as important sources of proteases that possess different biochemical and technological characteristics. During fermentation, microbial proteases help degrade proteins for the development of flavors, modification in texture, release of nutrients, and formation of bioactive peptides. New technologies in the fields of genome sequencing, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics have paved the way for a shift from traditional culture-dependent screening to sequence- and function-guided protease discovery. Protease-producing Bacillus, Aspergillus, and Rhizopus are important in plant-based fermented foods, particularly fermented soybean foods, while animal-based fermented foods harbor diverse protease-producing microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus, Tetragenococcus, Bacillus, yeasts, and molds. However, the identification of a putative protease gene does not imply its catalytic or technological role. This review summarizes the latest advances in protease gene mining, food applications, and functional characterization, identifies key methodological challenges, and outlines future prospects for next-generation food-grade proteases using integrated multi-omics, artificial intelligence, protein engineering, high-throughput screening, and synthetic biology. Special focus is placed on validation in real food matrices, salt tolerance, and substrate specificity.

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In explosive sports, the exertion of power, which occurs within a second, is a primary determinant of skill-related fitness such as speed and agility. In order to prepare athletes for the skill used in subsequent sports, dynamic warm-up is introduced. Variation in the duration, intensity, and recovery intervals of dynamic warm-up creates uncertainty when designing the optimal protocol for enhancing explosive performance. As such, along with discussing the mechanisms, this review aims to explore the evidence-informed ranges for the three variables, interactions between the variables, and sports-specific applications based on existing literature. Current evidence suggests that the major function of dynamic warm-up is to increase core temperature and neuromuscular activation, following the RAMP model for warm-up. Intensity of warm-up serves to elicit post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), which contributes to acute performance changes. On the other hand, the magnitude of these beneficial effects is dependent on achieving a balance between potentiation and fatigue, both exerted through exercises, as inappropriate design would diminish performance improvements. Thus, when designing dynamic warm-up protocols, individualized manipulation of duration, intensity, and recovery intervals based on sports-specific demands and athletes' characteristics would greatly promote the effectiveness of warm-up.

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Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common long-term consequence of knee joint injuries, particularly those involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), meniscus and cartilage. It can develop in relatively young individuals and progressively impair joint function and quality of life. However, conventional imaging methods, particularly X-ray, have limited sensitivity to early biochemical and soft-tissue changes. This review examines current approaches to the early detection and treatment of PTOA, with particular emphasis on imaging techniques and biomarkers. X-ray and ultrasound can provide useful information about structural changes, but their ability to detect early disease is limited by their sensitivity, anatomical coverage and operator dependence. Biomarkers may provide earlier evidence of cartilage degradation, tissue remodelling and inflammation. Catabolic biomarkers such as C2C, CTX-II and COMP, anabolic biomarkers such as NTX-1, and inflammatory biomarkers including IL-6, IL-7, IL-8 and TNF have shown potential, although their clinical value remains inconsistent. Current treatments targeting inflammation and chondrocyte apoptosis may help slow disease progression, but limitations including side effects and poor drug retention remain. Future research should combine imaging with blood or synovial-fluid biomarkers, standardise diagnostic methods, establish clinically meaningful thresholds and validate multi-biomarker panels through large-scale longitudinal studies. Earlier identification of high-risk patients may allow intervention before irreversible joint damage occurs.

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