182 research outputs found
Effect of two different exercises on balance, pain and ankle motor function in male college students with chronic ankle instability
Strength and proprioceptive exercise are known to be representative exercise
methods used in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and they are
effective in restoring ankle stability and body balance, which gets reduced by
repetitive ankle sprains. But, there is a lack of data comparing the effects of
strengthening or proprioceptive exercise rehabilitation program for CAI patients.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a 4-week exercise
program on ankle range of motion (ROM), static/dynamic balance, and drop landing
in college students with CAI. The subjects of this study were 21 male college
students who had the Cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT) questionnaire
scores of 24 or less, and they were divided into three groups; the non-treated
group (NTG), the traditional strength exercise group (SEG) and the proprioceptive
exercise group (PEG). The exercise rehabilitation program was applied 3 times a
week for 4 weeks. To examine the difference between groups, CAIT, visual analogue
scale (VAS), body composition, ankle ROM, one-leg standing with eyes closed and
Y-balance test (YBT) as well as center of pressure (COP) 95% confidence ellipse
area during drop landing were measured before and after the exercise
intervention. CAIT scores and static balance were significantly increased in the
PEG compared to the NTG and the SEG, and ankle dorsiflexion ROM and Y-balance
were significantly increased in the SEG and the PEG compared to the NTG. In
addition, pain, ankle inversion ROM, and COP 95% confidence ellipse area were
significantly reduced in the SEG and the PEG compared to the NTG. The
proprioceptive exercise program is thought to be effective therapeutic approach
on improving the symptoms of CAI patients
Spinal cord compression by B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma in a patient seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus: a case report
INTRODUCTION: Although non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the most common and frequently fatal of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome-defining illnesses, survival has improved significantly since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy. Patients with spinal cord compression resulting from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma present with clinically acute or rapidly progressive neurologic deficits. The purpose of this case report is to present a case of a patient seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus with spinal cord compression due to B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old Asian man, who was seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus, presented with progressive neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance images of his thoracic spine showed an epidural mass from T2 to T4, resulting in severe cord compression. Emergent surgical decompression and biopsy were performed, followed by palliative radiation therapy. The pathologic findings showed that the specimen was compatible with B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Palliative radiation therapy was performed; however, leptomeningeal seeding and pulmonary embolism led to his death. CONCLUSIONS: When a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus presents with a rapidly progressive spinal tumor accompanying paraplegia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma should be considered, and surgical decompression should be weighed with respect to the patient’s general condition and the subtype/prognosis of the lymphoma
Tissue expression and antibacterial activity of host defense peptides in chicken
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the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract
Background
Host defence peptides are a diverse group of small, cationic peptides and are important elements of the first line of defense against pathogens in animals. Expression and functional analysis of host defense peptides has been evaluated in chicken but there are no direct, comprehensive comparisons with all gene family and individual genes.
Results
We examined the expression patterns of all known cathelicidins, β-defensins and NK-lysin in multiple selected tissues from chickens. CATH1 through 3 were predominantly expressed in the bone marrow, whereas CATHB1 was predominant in bursa of Fabricius. The tissue specific pattern of β-defensins generally fell into two groups. β-defensin1-7 expression was predominantly in bone marrow, whereas β-defensin8-10 and β-defensin13 were highly expressed in liver. NK-lysin expression was highest in spleen. We synthesized peptide products of these gene families and analysed their antibacterial efficacy. Most of the host defense peptides showed antibacterial activity against E.coli with dose-dependent efficacy. β-defensin4 and CATH3 displayed the strongest antibacterial activity among all tested chicken HDPs. Microscopic analyses revealed the killing of bacterium by disrupting membranes with peptide treatment.
Conclusions
These results demonstrate dose-dependent antimicrobial effects of chicken HDPs mediated by membrane damage and demonstrate the differential tissue expression pattern of bioactive HDPs in chicken and the relative antimicrobial potency of the peptides they encode
Atomic arrangement of van der Waals heterostructures using X-ray scattering and crystal truncation rod analysis
Vanadium diselenide (VSe2) has intriguing physical properties such as
unexpected ferromagnetism at the two-dimensional limit. However, the
experimental results for room temperature ferromagnetism are still
controversial and depend on the detailed crystal structure and stoichiometry.
Here we introduce crystal truncation rod (CTR) analysis to investigate the
atomic arrangement of bilayer VSe2 and bilayer graphene (BLG) hetero-structures
grown on a 6H-SiC(0001) substrate. Using non-destructive CTR analysis, we were
able to obtain electron density profiles and detailed crystal structure of the
VSe2/BLG heterostructures. Specifically, the out-of-plane lattice parameters of
each VSe2 layer were modulated by the interface compared to that of the bulk
VSe2 1T phase. The atomic arrangement of the VSe2/BLG heterostructure provides
deeper understanding and insight for elucidating the magnetic properties of the
van der Waals heterostructure.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Electrical conductivity enhancement of epitaxially grown TiN thin films
Titanium nitride (TiN) presents superior electrical conductivity with
mechanical and chemical stability and compatibility with the semiconductor
fabrication process. Here, we fabricated epitaxial and polycrystalline TiN
(111) thin films on MgO (111), sapphire (001), and mica substrates at 640oC and
room temperature by using a DC sputtering, respectively. The epitaxial films
show less amount of surface oxidation than the polycrystalline ones grown at
room temperature. The epitaxial films show drastically reduced resistivity (~30
micro-ohm-cm), much smaller than the polycrystalline films.
Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements show a nearly monotonic
temperature slope down to low temperature. These results demonstrate that high
temperature growth of TiN thin films leads to significant enhancement of
electrical conductivity, promising for durable and scalable electrode
applications.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure
Visuospatial memory impairment as a potential neurocognitive marker to predict tau pathology in Alzheimers continuum
Background
Given that tau accumulation, not amyloid-β (Aβ) burden, is more closely connected with cognitive impairment in Alzheimers disease (AD), a detailed understanding of the tau-related characteristics of cognitive function is critical in both clinical and research settings. We investigated the association between phosphorylated tau (p-Tau) level and cognitive impairment across the AD continuum and the mediating role of medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy. We also developed a prediction model for abnormal tau accumulation.
Methods
We included participants from the Gwangju Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementia Cohort in Korea, who completed cerebrospinal fluid analysis and clinical evaluation, and corresponded to one of three groups according to the biomarkers of A and T profiles based on the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimers Association research framework. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between p-Tau and cognition and to develop prediction models. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to examine the discrimination ability of the models.
Results
Among 185 participants, 93 were classified as A-T-, 23 as A+T-, and 69 as A+T+. There was an association between decreased visuospatial delayed memory performance and p-Tau level (B = − 0.754, β = − 0.363, p < 0.001), independent of other relevant variables (e.g., Aβ). MTL neurodegeneration was found to mediate the association between the two. Prediction models with visuospatial delayed memory alone (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.872) and visuospatial delayed memory and entorhinal thickness (AUC = 0.921) for abnormal tau accumulation were suggested and they were validated in an independent sample (AUC = 0.879 and 0.891, respectively).
Conclusion
It is crucial to identify sensitive cognitive measures that capture subtle cognitive impairment associated with underlying pathological changes. Preliminary findings from the current study might suggest that abnormal tau accumulation underlies episodic memory impairment, particularly visuospatial modality, in the AD continuum. Suggested models are potentially useful in predicting tau pathology, and might be utilized practically in the field.This study was supported by KBRI basic research program through Korea Brain Research Institute funded by Ministry of Science and
ICT (21-BR-03-05), the Original Technology Research Program for Brain Science of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded
by the Korean government, MSIT (NRF-2014M3C7A1046041 and NRF-2016M3C7A1905469), the Brain Convergence Research Pro‑
gram of the NRF funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (NRF2020M3E5D2A01084721) and a Basic Science Research Program
through the NRF of Korea (NRF-2020R1F1A1052932
PHF7 Modulates BRDT Stability and Histone-to-Protamine Exchange during Spermiogenesis
Chang Rok Kim, Taichi Noda, Hyunkyung Kim, Gibeom Kim, Seongwan Park, Yongwoo Na, Seiya Oura, Keisuke Shimada, Injin Bang, Jun-Yeong Ahn, Yong Ryoul Kim, Se Kyu Oh, Hee-Jung Choi, Jong-Seo Kim, Inkyung Jung, Ho Lee, Yuki Okada, Masahito Ikawa, Sung Hee Baek, PHF7 Modulates BRDT Stability and Histone-to-Protamine Exchange during Spermiogenesis, Cell Reports, Volume 32, Issue 4, 2020, 107950, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107950
Correlation between Geometrically induced oxygen octahedral tilts and multiferroic behaviors in BiFeO3 films
The equilibrium position of atoms in a unit cell is directly connected to crystal functionalities, e.g., ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and piezoelectricity. The artificial tuning of the energy landscape can involve repositioning atoms as well as manipulating the functionalities of perovskites (ABO3), which are good model systems to test this legacy. Mechanical energy from external sources accommodating various clamping substrates is utilized to perturb the energy state of perovskite materials fabricated on the substrates and consequently change their functionalities; however, this approach yields undesired complex behaviors of perovskite crystals, such as lattice distortion, displacement of B atoms, and/or tilting of oxygen octahedra. Owing to complimentary collaborations between experimental and theoretical studies, the effects of both lattice distortion and displacement of B atoms are well understood so far, which leaves us a simple question: Can we exclusively control the positions of oxygen atoms in perovskites for functionality manipulation? Here the artificial manipulation of oxygen octahedral tilt angles within multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films using strong oxygen octahedral coupling with bottom SrRuO3 layers is reported, which opens up new possibilities of oxygen octahedral engineering
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