ANALYSIS OF THE MOTION PLANES OF THE ‘FUNCTIONAL DOUBLE-PENDULUM’ POINTS IN GOLF

The purpose of this study was to investigate the swing characteristics of the skilled and less skilled golfers by comparing the properties of the functional swing plane (FSP) and motion planes (MPs) formed by the clubhead and key functional double-pendulum points. Twenty-seven male golfers were recruited: skilled (n = 15; handicap ? 3) and less skilled (n = 12; 12-18 handicap). The slopes and direction angles of the FSP and MPs were quantified. The skilled group was characterized by steeper MPs than the less skilled (p < 0.05). The skilled group also revealed more closed (or less open) FSP and MPs than the less skilled with an exception: the left shoulder plane. The skilled group aligned the left hand plane with the FSP closely, whereas the less skilled group aligned the left shoulder plane with the FSP

EFFECTS OF FOOT PLACEMENT ON RESULTANT JOINT MOMENTS OF LOWER EXTREMITY JOINTS DURING SQUAT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of foot placement (stance width and foot angle) on normalized sagittal- and frontal-plane resultant joint moments (NRJM) of the lower extremity joints during the squat. Forty-two participants were recruited: male (n = 21) and female (n = 21). Three-dimensional motion analysis and inverse dynamics analysis were conducted. There was a significant interaction between the stance width and foot angle on the NRJM in the sagittal plane, whereas there were significant main effects of the stance width, foot angle, and gender on the NRJM in the frontal plane

ANALYSIS OF THE TRUNK/SHOULDER COMPLEX MOTION DURING THE GOLF DRIVES USING A 5-SEGMENT TRUNK/SHOULDER MODEL

The purpose of this study was to quantify detailed trunk/shoulder complex motions during the golf drives using a new 5-segment trunk/shoulder model (pelvis, abdomen, thorax, and right/left shoulder girdles) and to describe the patterns of the relative motions of the trunk/shoulder segments. Fifteen male golfers were divided into two groups: skilled (n=8, 3-handicap or better) and less skilled (n=7, 13- to 18-handicap). The ranges of the orientation angles of the segments during the downswing were computed. In addition to the dominant rotation of the thorax, substantial frontal plane motions of the trunk segments (abdomen and thorax) and transverse plane motions of the shoulder girdles were observed. Only the frontal plane motion of the left shoulder girdle (elevation/depression) was identified as the factor which differentiated the groups

GAIT ANALYSIS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM USING TEMPORAL-SPATIAL AND FOOT PRESSURE VARIABLES

The purpose of this study was to investigate gait patterns of children with autism using temporal-spatial and foot pressure variables. A total of 30 children participated; 15 autistic children and 15 age matched controls. Group differences were tested using an independent t-test performed by SPSS. The cadence and step/extremity ratio was significantly lower for the experimental group than the control group. The step width was wider; while cycle time, double support time, stance time was longer for the experimental group. The active pressure area and maximum pressure in the hind foot were lower for the experimental group. There were reduced gait velocities and reduced pressure areas in the hind foot and mid foot

THE EFFECTS OF WHEELCHAIR CAMBER AND HANDRIM SIZE IN WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL MOVEMENT

Improving the wheelchair design can be an important determinant of high performance in the wheelchair basketball. Researchers have focused on increasing the efficiency of the wheelchair, looking at the factors such as the seat position, handrim size, and wheel camber. Most handrim and wheel chamber studies, however, have focused only on the propulsive phase. Quick turn as well as fast propulsion is essential to the success in a wheelchair basketball game and the energy efficiency becomes particularly important in a prolonged wheelchair use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wheelchair camber and handrim size on the linear propulsion, turn velocity, and efficiency

Performances of serum creatinine, C-reactive protein and white blood cell to predict urinary tract infection in febrile children younger than 24 months of age

Purpose Differentiation of urinary tract infection (UTI) from viral infection is a critical challenge in febrile children in emergency departments (EDs). This study aimed to assess the predicting performances of creatinine, C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) for predicting UTI in the children. Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively enrolled cohort of febrile children who presented to our children’s hospital ED from August 2016 through February 2018. We included previously healthy, febrile (≥ 38。C) children younger than 24 months whose urine cultures were obtained. Accuracy of creatinine, CRP, and WBC were assessed by optimal cutoffs, which were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results Among the total 33,013 children to the ED, 7,847 (23.8%) febrile children were registered to the fever registry. Finally, 506 children were included, and UTI was diagnosed in 127 (25.1%). The areas under the curve of creatinine, CRP, and WBC to predict UTI were 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.46), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.66-0.77), and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.60-0.72), respectively. The cutoffs were 0.26 mg/dL for creatinine, 2.3 mg/dL for CRP, and 14.4 × 103 cells/μL for WBC. Creatinine showed worse performance than the other variables. The application of creatinine added to the other variables led to an increase only in the sensitivity, but at the expense of a lower specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Conclusion Serum creatinine showed a poor performance in predicting UTI in the febrile young children. Since a single biomarker can neither rule in nor rule out UTI in the children, the prediction of UTI can be achieved by the interpretation of both clinical and laboratory findings

THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INURY PREVENTION PROGRAM: A META-ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a neuromuscular protocol on the prevention of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury by performing meta-analysis. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies, and eventually, only seven randomized controlled trials or prospective cohort studies were included in the analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed that an age under 18, soccer rather than handball, pre- and in-season training rather than either pre or in-season training, and the plyometrics and strengthening components rather than balancing were significant. Metaanalysis showed that pre- and in-season neuromuscular training with an emphasis on plyometrics and strengthening exercises was effective at preventing ACL injury in female athletes, especially in those under 18 years of age

Cordycepin induces apoptosis by caveolin-1-mediated JNK regulation of Foxo3a in human lung adenocarcinoma

Forkhead transcription factor (Foxo3a) is a downstream effector of JNK-induced tumor suppression. However, it is not clear whether the caveolin-1 (CAV1)-mediated JNK/Foxo3a pathway is involved in cancer cell apoptosis. We found that cordycepin upregulates CAV1 expression, which was accompanied by JNK phosphorylation (p-JNK) and subsequent Foxo3a translocation into the nucleus, resulting in the upregulation of Bax protein expression. Furthermore, we found that CAV1 overexpression upregulated p-JNK, whereas CAV1 siRNA downregulated p-JNK. Additionally, SP600125, a specific JNK inhibitor, significantly increased Foxo3a phosphorylation, which downregulated Foxo3a translocation into the nucleus, indicating that CAV1 mediates JNK regulation of Foxo3a. Foxo3a siRNA downregulated Bax protein and attenuated A549 apoptosis, indicating that the CAV1-mediated JNK/Foxo3a pathway induces the apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells. Cordycepin significantly decreased tumor volume in nude mice. Taken together, these results indicate that cordycepin promotes CAV1 upregulation to enhance JNK/Foxo3a signaling pathway activation, inducing apoptosis in lung cancer cells, and support its potential as a therapeutic agent for lung cancer