Does a specific MR imaging protocol with a supine-lying subject replicate tarsal kinematics seen during upright standing?

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is becoming increasingly important in the study of foot biomechanics. Specific devices have been constructed to load and position the foot while the subject is lying supine in the scanner. The present study examines the efficacy of such a newly developed device in replicating tarsal kinematics seen during the more commonly studied standing loading conditions. The results showed that although knee flexion and the externally applied load were carefully controlled, subtalar and talo-navicular joint rotations while lying during MR imaging and when standing (measured opto-electrically with markers attached to intracortical pins) did not match, nor were they systematically shifted. Thus, the proposed MR protocol cannot replicate tarsal kinematics seen during upright standing. It is concluded that specific foot loading conditions have to be considered when tarsal kinematics are evaluated. Improved replication of tarsal kinematics in different postures should comprehensively consider muscle activity, a fixed hip position, and a well-defined point of load applicatio

Kunnskapsgrunnlag for norsk jordvernstrategi

Rapporten er et kunnskapsgrunnlag for revisjon av norsk jordvernstrategi og et forsterket må for jordvern. Vi beskriver utfordringer for verdens matproduksjon i lys av en mer utfordrende geopolitisk situasjon og betydning for vern av jord. Vi omtaler sammenhenger mellom bærekraft, jordvern, matsikkerhet, jordsmonnets funksjoner og økosystemtjenester. Vi gir også oversikt over arealgrunnlaget for jordbruk i Norge, arealendringer, utvikling av omdisponering, samt nye analyser av aktuell dyrkbar jord. Dette er kunnskap for bærekraftig arealforvaltning og jordvern i Norge.Kunnskapsgrunnlag for norsk jordvernstrategipublishedVersio

Motion of the rearfoot, ankle and subtalar joints and ankle moments when wearing lateral wedge insoles – results from bone anchored markers

ISSN:1757-114

Movement Coupling at the Ankle During the Stance Phase of Running

The purpose of this study was to quantify movement coupling at the ankle during the stance phase of running using bone-mounted markers. Intracortical bone pins with reflective marker triads were inserted under standard local anaesthesia into the calcaneus and the tibia of five healthy male subjects. The three-dimensional rotations were determined using a joint coordinate system approach. Movement coupling was observed in all test subjects and occurred in phases with considerable individual differences. Between the shoe and the calcaneus coupling increased after midstance which suggested that the test shoes provided more coupling for inversion than for eversion. Movement coupling between calcaneus and tibia was higher in the first phase (from heel strike to midstance) compared with the second phase (from midstance to take-off). This finding is in contrast to previous in-vitro studies but may be explained by the higher vertical loads of the present in-vivo study. Thus, movement coupling measured at the bone level changed throughout the stance phase of running and was found to be far more complex than a simple mitered joint or universal joint model

In vivo, intrinsic kinematics of the foot and ankle

ISSN:1757-114

Repeated genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanisation in a songbird across Europe

Urbanisation is currently increasing worldwide, and there is now ample evidence of phenotypic changes in wild organisms in response to this novel environment, but the extent to which this adaptation is due to genetic changes is poorly understood. Current evidence for evolution is based on localised studies, and thus lacking replicability. Here, we genotyped great tits (Parus major) from nine cities across Europe, each paired with a rural site, and provide evidence of repeated polygenic responses to urban habitats. In addition, we show that selective sweeps occurred in response to urbanisation within the same genes across multiple cities. These genetic responses were mostly associated with genes related to neural function and development, demonstrating that genetic adaptation to urbanisation occurred around the same pathways in wildlife populations across a large geographical scale.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest

Continent-wide genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanisation in a songbird across Europe

Urbanisation is increasing worldwide, and there is now ample evidence of phenotypic changes in wild organisms in response to this novel environment. Yet, the genetic changes and genomic architecture underlying these adaptations are poorly understood. Here, we genotype 192 great tits (Parus major) from nine European cities, each paired with an adjacent rural site, to address this major knowledge gap in our understanding of wildlife urban adaptation. We find that a combination of polygenic allele frequency shifts and recurrent selective sweeps are associated with the adaptation of great tits to urban environments. While haplotypes under selection are rarely shared across urban populations, selective sweeps occur within the same genes, mostly linked to neural function and development. Collectively, we show that urban adaptation in a widespread songbird occurs through unique and shared selective sweeps in a core-set of behaviour-linked genes

Interrelation of inflammation and APP in sIBM: IL-1β induces accumulation of β-amyloid in skeletal muscle

Distinct interrelationships between inflammation and β-amyloid-associated degeneration, the two major hallmarks of the skeletal muscle pathology in sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), have remained elusive. Expression of markers relevant for these pathomechanisms were analysed in biopsies of sIBM, polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), dystrophic and non-myopathic muscle as controls, and cultured human myotubes. By quantitative PCR, a higher upregulation was noted for the mRNA-expression of CXCL-9, CCL-3, CCL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-1β in sIBM muscle compared to PM, DM and controls. All inflammatory myopathies displayed overexpression of degeneration-associated markers, yet only in sIBM, expression of the mRNA of amyloid precursor protein (APP) significantly and consistently correlated with inflammation in the muscle and mRNA-levels of chemokines and IFN-γ. Only in sIBM, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that inflammatory mediators including IL-1β co-localized to β-amyloid depositions within myofibres. In human myotubes, exposure to IL-1β caused upregulation of APP with subsequent intracellular aggregation of β-amyloid. Our data suggest that, in sIBM muscle, production of high amounts of pro-inflammatory mediators specifically induces β-amyloid-associated degeneration. The observations may help to design targeted treatment strategies for chronic inflammatory disorders of the skeletal muscle

Phenotype Harmonization in the GLIDE2 Oral Health Genomics Consortium

Genetic risk factors play important roles in the etiology of oral, dental, and craniofacial diseases. Identifying the relevant risk loci and understanding their molecular biology could highlight new prevention and management avenues. Our current understanding of oral health genomics suggests that dental caries and periodontitis are polygenic diseases, and very large sample sizes and informative phenotypic measures are required to discover signals and adequately map associations across the human genome. In this article, we introduce the second wave of the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Dental Endpoints consortium (GLIDE2) and discuss relevant data analytics challenges, opportunities, and applications. In this phase, the consortium comprises a diverse, multiethnic sample of over 700,000 participants from 21 studies contributing clinical data on dental caries experience and periodontitis. We outline the methodological challenges of combining data from heterogeneous populations, as well as the data reduction problem in resolving detailed clinical examination records into tractable phenotypes, and describe a strategy that addresses this. Specifically, we propose a 3-tiered phenotyping approach aimed at leveraging both the large sample size in the consortium and the detailed clinical information available in some studies, wherein binary, severity-encompassing, and "precision," data-driven clinical traits are employed. As an illustration of the use of data-driven traits across multiple cohorts, we present an application of dental caries experience data harmonization in 8 participating studies (N = 55,143) using previously developed permanent dentition tooth surface-level dental caries pattern traits. We demonstrate that these clinical patterns are transferable across multiple cohorts, have similar relative contributions within each study, and thus are prime targets for genetic interrogation in the expanded and diverse multiethnic sample of GLIDE2. We anticipate that results from GLIDE2 will decisively advance the knowledge base of mechanisms at play in oral, dental, and craniofacial health and disease and further catalyze international collaboration and data and resource sharing in genomics research.Peer reviewe