THE EFFECT OF STEP-HEIGHT ON THE KNEE ANGLES AND IN-SHOE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTIONS DURING STEP-AEROBICS

INTRODUCTION A recent trend in indoor exercise is step-aerobics. This form of aerobic exercise involves the rhythmic stepping up to and down from a fixed platform to the beat of the accompanying "pop" music. In the past, substantial research has been done on the kinematics of the climbing of actual architectural stairs (Andriacchi et al., 1980; McFayden and Winter, 1988; Laubenthal et al., 1972) but no studies, to date, have been done to explore the kinematics of this new fitness phenomenon. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to study the biomechanics of step aerobics. Specifically, the effect of the step-height on the knee angles and in-shoe pressure distributions of subjects performing step aerobics was evaluated. It was hoped that the results of this study could be used to help determine any possible biomechanical health concerns of participation in step aerobics

Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins: Implications in Neurological Diseases

Heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) are a complex and functionally diverse family of RNA binding proteins with multifarious roles. They are involved, directly or indirectly, in alternative splicing, transcriptional and translational regulation, stress granule formation, cell cycle regulation, and axonal transport. It is unsurprising, given their heavy involvement in maintaining functional integrity of the cell, that their dysfunction has neurological implications. However, compared to their more established roles in cancer, the evidence of hnRNP implication in neurological diseases is still in its infancy. This review aims to consolidate the evidences for hnRNP involvement in neurological diseases, with a focus on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), multiple sclerosis (MS), congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), and fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Understanding more about hnRNP involvement in neurological diseases can further elucidate the pathomechanisms involved in these diseases and perhaps guide future therapeutic advances

Electrochemical oxidation of water on synthetic boron-doped diamond thin film anodes

Electrolysis in aqueous 1 M HClO4 and 1 M H2SO4 solutions has been carried out under galvanostatic conditions using boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD). Analyses of the oxidation products have shown that in 1 M HClO4 the main reaction is oxygen evolution, while in H2SO4 the main reaction is the formation of H2S2O8. In both electrolytes small amounts of O3 and H2O2 are formed. Finally, a simplified mechanism involving hydroxyl radicals formed by water discharge has been proposed for water oxidation on boron-doped diamond anode

Comprehensive Review on the Dynamic and Seismic Behavior of Flat-Bottom Cylindrical Silos Filled With Granular Material

The seismic design of industrial flat-bottom ground-supported silos filled with granular material still presents several challenges to be addressed. They are related to the main aspects which differentiate silo structures containing granular material from other civil structural typologies: 1) the relatively low silo structure mass as compared to the ensiled content mass; 2) the granular nature of the ensiled material. Indeed, the internal actions in the structural members are governed by the complex dynamic interactions along the interfaces between granular content and silo wall or base, or even the internal interaction between particles. More in detail, even though the scientific interest in such complex interactions dates back to the middle of the 19th century, several issues are still unclear such as the dependency of the fundamental dynamic properties (period of vibration and damping ratio) on the characteristics of the dynamic excitation (intensity, frequency content, duration) or the amount of ensiled material mass activated during a seismic excitation and provoking extra pressures on the wall (effective mass). Therefore, most of current seismic code provisions for silos are grounded on rather approximate and simplified assumptions leading to often over-conservative evaluations. The present paper intends to provide a comprehensive summary of the mainly acknowledged experimental and theoretical advances in the dynamic and seismic behavior of silos, supporting the potential researcher in the field to understand the real differences between the code assumptions and recommendations and the actual conditions, as well as illustrating the open issues to be still further investigated

Demokratie auf dem Rückzug? Zur Konfrontation zwischen amerikanischem Präsidenten und Kongress über einen Truppenabzug aus dem Irak

Im US-Präsidentschaftswahlkampf 2008 ist der Irakkrieg eines der wichtigsten Themen. Die Amerikaner sind allmählich kriegsmüde und die Mehrheit befürwortet einen Truppenrückzug aus dem Irak. Das brachten bereits der Ausgang der Kongresswahlen im Jahr 2006 sowie regelmäßige Meinungsumfragen zum Ausdruck. Es ist nun anzunehmen, dass in der ältesten Demokratie der Welt Volkes Wille direkten Einfluss auf die Politik haben müsste. Doch dies ist nur bedingt der Fall. Besonders Präsident George W. Bush hat wiederholt klargestellt, dass die Stimmung in der Bevölkerung für ihn in der Irakfrage nicht maßgebend sei. Für ihn zähle vielmehr, wie die Generäle vor Ort die aktuelle Sicherheitslage und die Fortschritte einschätzen. Dagegen versucht der seit Ende 2006 von Demokraten dominierte Kongress immer wieder, Rückzugspläne mit festen Fristen zu etablieren. Bislang ist sein Erfolg jedoch bescheiden. Vor allem die fehlende Unterstützung der Republikaner im Kongress und die Blockadepolitik des Präsidenten waren dafür verantwortlich. Hinter der Konfrontation steht eine tiefergehende Auseinandersetzung über die Kompetenzverteilung zwischen Präsident und Kongress bei Kriegsentscheidungen, die in der US-Verfassung in einer Grauzone bleibt. Stephanie Sohnius verknüpft vor diesem verfassungsrechtlichen Hintergrund die Aufarbeitung der aktuell wichtigsten USaußenpolitischen Debatte mit der Frage, ob sich die Demokratie in den USA in der Ära des „Krieges gegen den Terrorismus“ (weiterhin) auf dem Rückzug befindet

Hidden Overburden of Female-Headed Households in Guar Bean Production: Zimbabwean Experience

The study was done on a guar bean-growing project in Makachi area, Zimbabwe. The study objectives were to determine ownership of resources, time spent on production and access to information by male-headed and female-headed households. Data collection and analysis were based on the FAO Gender Analysis Framework. Results showed that male-headed households had more ownership of resources and spent less time on production; access to information was equal; female-headed households allocated a greater proportion of their land to guar bean production and matched their male counterparts in the mean yield. While inter-household exchanges helped female-headed households access draft power and farming equipment, obligations associated with these exchanges were found to be a source of overburden to female-headed households

White matter DNA methylation profiling reveals deregulation of HIP1, LMAN2, MOBP, and other loci in multiple system atrophy

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal late-onset neurodegenerative disease. Although presenting with distinct pathological hallmarks, which in MSA consist of glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) containing fbrillar α-synuclein in oligodendrocytes, both MSA and Parkinson’s disease are α-synucleinopathies. Pathologically, MSA can be categorized into striatonigral degeneration (SND), olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) or mixed subtypes. Despite extensive research, the regional vulnerability of the brain to MSA pathology remains poorly understood. Genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors have been proposed to explain which brain regions are afected by MSA, and to what extent. Here, we explored for the frst time epigenetic changes in post-mortem brain tissue from MSA cases. We conducted a case–control study, and profled DNA methylation in white mater from three brain regions characterized by severe-to-mild GCIs burden in the MSA mixed subtype (cerebellum, frontal lobe and occipital lobe). Our genome-wide approach using Illumina MethylationEPIC arrays and a powerful cross-region analysis identifed 157 CpG sites and 79 genomic regions where DNA methylation was signifcantly altered in the MSA mixed-subtype cases. HIP1, LMAN2 and MOBP were amongst the most diferentially methylated loci. We replicated these fndings in an independent cohort and further demonstrated that DNA methylation profles were perturbed in MSA mixed subtype, and also to variable degrees in the other pathological subtypes (OPCA and SND). Finally, our comethylation network analysis revealed several molecular signatures (modules) signifcantly associated with MSA (disease status and pathological subtypes), and with neurodegeneration in the cerebellum. Importantly, the co-methylation module having the strongest association with MSA included a CpG in SNCA, the gene encoding α-synuclein. Altogether, our results provide the frst evidence for DNA methylation changes contributing to the molecular processes altered in MSA, some of which are shared with other neurodegenerative diseases, and highlight potential novel routes for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions