Comparison of lower limb muscle activation according to horizontal whole-body vibration frequency and knee angle

Whole-body vibration refers to an exercise that stimulates the muscles, using a vibration with an amplitude and power, however, there are few studies that have dealt with fundamental questions such as optimal frequency or body position. This study aims to compare lower limb activation, according to horizontal whole-body vibration frequency and knee flexion angle, in healthy adults. Using 18 healthy adults aged 21–30, this study measured and analysed the activities of the vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius (GCM) muscles, for different horizontal whole-body vibration frequencies (0 Hz, 2 Hz, and 4 Hz) and knee flexion angles (0°, 30°, and 60°), using surface electromyography (sEMG). There was a statistically significant increase in lower limb muscle activation according to horizontal whole-body vibration frequency and knee flexion angle: comparing muscle activation with frequency, the muscle activation of VL, BF, TA, and GCM increased with increase in frequency (p<0.05). The muscle activation of VL and TA increased with increase in knee flexion angle (p<0.05). In this study, it was observed that for whole-body vibration provided in a horizontal direction, larger the frequency and higher the knee flexion angle, greater the lower limb activation

Clinical and Radiographic Features of Adult-onset Ankylosing Spondylitis in Korean Patients: Comparisons between Males and Females

The objective of this study was to investigate clinical and radiographic features and gender differences in Korean patients with adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis. Multicenter cross-sectional studies were conducted in the rheumatology clinics of 13 Korean tertiary referral hospitals. All patients had a confirmed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis according to the modified New York criteria. Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic features were evaluated and disease activities were assessed using the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index. Five hundred and five patients were recruited. The male to female ratio was 6.1:1. Average age at symptom onset was 25.4±8.9 yr and average disease duration was 9.6±6.8 yr. Males manifested symptoms at a significantly earlier age. HLA-B27 was more frequently positive in males. Hips were more commonly affected in males, and knees in females. When spinal mobility was measured using tragus-to-wall distance and the modified Schober's test, females had significantly better results. Radiographic spinal changes, including bamboo spine and syndesmophytes, were more common in males after adjustment of confounding factors. In conclusion, we observed significant gender differences in radiographic spinal involvement as well as other clinical manifestations among Korea patients with adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis. These findings may influence the timing of the diagnosis and the choice of treatment

Dynamics of Multiple Trafficking Behaviors of Individual Synaptic Vesicles Revealed by Quantum-Dot Based Presynaptic Probe

Although quantum dots (QDs) have provided invaluable information regarding the diffusive behaviors of postsynaptic receptors, their application in presynaptic terminals has been rather limited. In addition, the diffraction-limited nature of the presynaptic bouton has hampered detailed analyses of the behaviors of synaptic vesicles (SVs) at synapses. Here, we created a quantum-dot based presynaptic probe and characterized the dynamic behaviors of individual SVs. As previously reported, the SVs exhibited multiple exchanges between neighboring boutons. Actin disruption induced a dramatic decrease in the diffusive behaviors of SVs at synapses while microtubule disruption only reduced extrasynaptic mobility. Glycine-induced synaptic potentiation produced significant increases in synaptic and inter-boutonal trafficking of SVs, which were NMDA receptor- and actin-dependent while NMDA-induced synaptic depression decreased the mobility of the SVs at synapses. Together, our results show that sPH-AP-QD revealed previously unobserved trafficking properties of SVs around synapses, and the dynamic modulation of SV mobility could regulate presynaptic efficacy during synaptic activity

Prediction of major depressive disorder following beta-blocker therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases

Incident depression has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), which might be associated with beta-blocker therapy. Because early detection and intervention can alleviate the severity of depression, we aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model predicting the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD). A model based on L1 regularized logistic regression was trained against the South Korean nationwide administrative claims database to identify risk factors for the incident MDD after beta-blocker therapy in patients with CVD. We identified 50,397 patients initiating beta-blockers for CVD, with 774 patients developing MDD within 365 days after initiating beta-blocker therapy. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.74 was achieved. A history of non-selective beta-blockers and factors related to anxiety disorder, sleeping problems, and other chronic diseases were the most strong predictors. AUCs of 0.62–0.71 were achieved in the external validation conducted on six independent electronic health records and claims databases in the USA and South Korea. In conclusion, an ML model that identifies patients at high-risk for incident MDD was developed. Application of ML to identify susceptible patients for adverse events of treatment may serve as an important approach for personalized medicine

Solution-Processed All-Solid-State Electrochromic Devices Based on SnO2/NiO doped with Tin

We investigated the photochromic (PC) and electrochromic (EC) properties of tin-doped nickel oxide (NiO) thin films for solution-processable all-solid-state EC devices. The PC effect is shown to be enhanced by the addition of Sn into the precursor NiO solution. We fabricated an EC device with six layers&mdash;ITO/TiO2 (counter electrode)/SnO2 (ion-conducting layer)/SiO2 (barrier)/NiO doped with tin (EC layer)/ITO&mdash;by a hybrid fabrication process (sputtering for ITO and TiO2, sol&ndash;gel spin coating for SnO2 and NiO). The EC effect was also observed to be improved with the Sn-doped NiO layer. It was demonstrated that UV/O3 treatment is one of the critical processes that determine the EC performance of the hydroxide ion-based device. UV/O3 treatment generates hydroxide ions, induces phase separation from a single mixture of SnO2 and silicone oil, and improves the surface morphology of the films, thereby boosting the performance of EC devices. EC performance can be enhanced further by optimizing the thickness of TiO2 and SiO2 layers. Specifically, the SiO2 barrier blocks the transport of charges, bringing in an increase in anodic coloration. We achieved the transmittance modulation of 38.3% and the coloration efficiency of 39.7 cm2/C. We also evaluated the heat resistance of the all-solid-state EC device and found that the transmittance modulation was decreased by 36% from its initial value at 100 &deg;C. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a large-area EC device can be fabricated using slot-die coating without much compromise on EC performance

Shank2 deletion in parvalbumin neurons leads to moderate hyperactivity, enhanced self-grooming and suppressed seizure susceptibility in mice

Shank2 is an abundant postsynaptic scaffolding protein implicated in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Deletion of Shank2 in mice has been shown to induce social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and hyperactivity, but the identity of the cell types that contribute to these phenotypes has remained unclear. Here, we report a conditional mouse line with a Shank2 deletion restricted to parvalbumin (PV)-positive neurons (Pv-Cre;Shank2fl/fl mice). These mice display moderate hyperactivity in both novel and familiar environments and enhanced self-grooming in novel, but not familiar, environments. In contrast, they showed normal levels of social interaction, anxiety-like behavior, and learning and memory. Basal brain rhythms in Pv-Cre;Shank2fl/fl mice, measured by electroencephalography, were normal, but susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures was decreased. These results suggest that Shank2 deletion in PV-positive neurons leads to hyperactivity, enhanced self-grooming and suppressed brain excitation. © 2018 Lee, Lee, Kim, Kim, Lee, Park, Yang, Kim and Ki

Synthesis of potent chemical inhibitors of dynamin GTPase

Dynamin is a key regulatory protein in clathrin mediated endocytosis. Compared to genetic or immunological tools, small chemical dynamin inhibitors such as dynasore have the potential to study the dynamic nature of endocytic events in cells. Dynasore inhibits dynamin GTPase activity and transferrin uptake at IC(50) similar to 15 mu M but use in some biological applications requires more potent inhibitor than dynasore. Here, we chemically modified the side chains of dynasore and found that two derivatives, DD-6 and DD-11 more potently inhibited transferrin uptake (IC(50): 4.00 mu M for DD-6, 2.63 mu M for DD-11) and dynamin GTPase activity (IC(50:) 5.1 mu M for DD-6, 3.6 mu M for DD-11) than dynasore. The effect was reversible and they were washed more rapidly out than dynasore. TIRF microscopy showed that they stabilize the clathrin coats on the membrane. Our results indicated that new dynasore derivatives are more potent inhibitor of dynamin, displaying promise as leads for the development of more effective analogues for broader biological applications. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Odell LR, 2009, CHEMMEDCHEM, V4, P1182, DOI 10.1002/cmdc.200900054Hill TA, 2009, J MED CHEM, V52, P3762, DOI 10.1021/jm900036mMiyauchi K, 2009, CELL, V137, P433, DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2009.02.046de Beco S, 2009, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V106, P7010, DOI 10.1073/pnas.0811253106Lu WB, 2009, J BIOL CHEM, V284, P1930, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M803691200Otsuka A, 2009, BIOCHEM BIOPH RES CO, V378, P478, DOI 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.11.066Kirchhausen T, 2008, METHOD ENZYMOL, V438, P77, DOI 10.1016/S0076-6879(07)38006-3Quan A, 2007, MOL PHARMACOL, V72, P1425, DOI 10.1124/mol.107.034207Newton AJ, 2006, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V103, P17955, DOI 10.1073/pnas.0606212103Macia E, 2006, DEV CELL, V10, P839, DOI 10.1016/j.devcel.2006.04.002Roux A, 2006, NATURE, V441, P528, DOI 10.1038/nature04718Hill T, 2005, J MED CHEM, V48, P7781, DOI 10.1021/jm040208lCao H, 2005, NAT CELL BIOL, V7, P483, DOI 10.1038/ncb1246Abazeed ME, 2005, J BIOL CHEM, V280, P4442, DOI 10.1071/jbc.M412553200Hill TA, 2004, BIOORG MED CHEM LETT, V14, P3275, DOI 10.1016/j.bmcl.2004.03.096Nichols B, 2003, J CELL SCI, V116, P4707, DOI 10.1242/jcs.00840Nabi IR, 2003, J CELL BIOL, V161, P673, DOI 10.1083/jcb.200302028Hill E, 2001, J CELL BIOL, V152, P309DAMKE H, 1994, J CELL BIOL, V127, P915

Robust imaging approach for precise prediction of postoperative lung function in lung cancer patients prior to curative operation

Abstract Background To create a combined variable integrating both ventilation and perfusion as measured by preoperative dual‐energy computed tomography (DECT), compare the results with predicted postoperative (PPO) lung function as estimated using conventional methods, and assess agreement with actual postoperative lung function. Methods A total of 33 patients with lung cancer who underwent curative surgery after DECT and perfusion scan were selected. Ventilation and perfusion values were generated from DECT data. In the “combined variable method,” these two variables and clinical variables were linearly regressed to estimate PPO lung function. Six PPO lung function parameters (segment counting, perfusion scan, volume analysis, ventilation map, perfusion map, and combined variable) were compared with actual postoperative lung function using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results The segment counting method produced the highest ICC for forced vital capacity (FVC) at 0.93 (p < 0.05), while the segment counting and perfusion map methods produced the highest ICC for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1; both 0.89, p < 0.05). The highest ICC value when using the combined variable method was for FEV1/FVC (0.75, p < 0.05) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLco; 0.80, p < 0.05) when using the perfusion map method. Overall, the perfusion map and ventilation map provided the best performance, followed by volume analysis, segment counting, perfusion scan, and the combined variable. Conclusions Use of DECT image processing to predict postoperative lung function produced better agreement with actual postoperative lung function than conventional methods. The combined variable method produced ICC values of 0.8 or greater for FVC and FEV1

NGL-3 in the regulation of brain development, Akt/GSK3b signaling, long-term depression, and locomotive and cognitive behaviors

Netrin-G ligand-3 (NGL-3) is a postsynaptic adhesion molecule known to directly interact with the excitatory postsynaptic scaffolding protein postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and trans-synaptically with leukocyte common antigen-related (LAR) family receptor tyrosine phosphatases to regulate presynaptic differentiation. Although NGL-3 has been implicated in the regulation of excitatory synapse development by in vitro studies, whether it regulates synapse development or function, or any other features of brain development and function, is not known. Here, we report that mice lacking NGL-3 (Ngl3-/- mice) show markedly suppressed normal brain development and postnatal survival and growth. A change of the genetic background of mice from pure to hybrid minimized these developmental effects but modestly suppressed N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic transmission in the hippocampus without affecting synapse development, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor (AMPAR)-mediated basal transmission, and presynaptic release. Intriguingly, long-term depression (LTD) was near-completely abolished in Ngl3-/- mice, and the Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) signaling pathway, known to suppress LTD, was abnormally enhanced. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of Akt, but not activation of NMDARs, normalized the suppressed LTD in Ngl3-/- mice, suggesting that Akt hyperactivity suppresses LTD. Ngl3-/- mice displayed several behavioral abnormalities, including hyperactivity, anxiolytic-like behavior, impaired spatial memory, and enhanced seizure susceptibility. Among them, the hyperactivity was rapidly improved by pharmacological NMDAR activation. These results suggest that NGL-3 regulates brain development, Akt/GSK3β signaling, LTD, and locomotive and cognitive behaviors. © 2019 Lee et al