THREE TECHNIQUES OF SKI JUMP TAKE-OFF MODELED BY CHANGES OF JOINT ANGLE

INTRODUCTION: In ski jumping, take-off action is the most important factor for ascent force. Jumpers should aim for optimum movements of the joints, because reaction force is the result of the integrated kinetic parameters of each joint or segment. In our recent studies, three techniques of take-off action were classified by manner of joint power generation. However, such kinetic parameters are difficult to explain in coaching situations. It would be more useful for coaching to represent the three techniques of take-off action by joint angle rather than joint power. The purpose of this study is to establish visual models of ski jump take-off action of world class jumpers based on changes of joint angle which would be especially useful in coaching. METHOD: The take-off actions were analyzed from videos taken at Hakuba Intercontinental Cup summer competition at 1997. Camera speed was 240 frames per second. The data from the videos were collected by computer. An inverse kinematics solution was applied to analysis. Jump performance of four jumpers, who received first prize in the team competition of Nagano Olympic games, was analyzed. RESULTS: The maximum value of angular velocity in the thigh was observed at close to the take-off platform edge in all jumpers. Peak angular velocity in the thigh was larger than in the trunk segment. The action at the hip joint represented the characteristics of jumping techniques rather than the action at the knee joint. The technique was classified by three manners of angular velocity. The three types of jump action were represented simply as visual models. In the technique of Type-A, motion was observed with regular order in each joint. The angular velocity of the trunk stayed at 2 rad/sec until the thigh’s angular velocity’s appearance. Type-A can be defined simply as an action moving from hip to knee joint. In technique Type-B, the angular velocity in the thigh was 4 rad/sec, higher than in the trunk at the initial jump action, and after some delay, the value in the trunk raised up from a negative value. Action Type-B can be defined simply as moving from knee to hip joint. In the last technique, Type-C, both the trunk and thigh angular velocities increased synchronously. Both hip and knee joints were extended at the same time. Type-C can be defined simply as the technique of synchronous movement at the knee and hip joint. These motions classified by changes of joint angle were shown by three visual models from Type-A to C. CONCLUSION: Three types of jump action could be represented simply by joint angle as visual models. There are advantages and risks involving jump hieght and the amount of body area subjected to aerodynamic drag force associated with each technique

Is epigenome editing non-inheritable? Implications for ethics and the regulation of human applications

科学の最新動向を基に、エピゲノム編集の倫理・規制を議論. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-11-03.Potential inheritable effects and ethical considerations of epigenome editing. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-11-03.Epigenome editing offers ethical advantages with non-inheritable gene expression control. However, concerns arise regarding potential transgenerational effects in humans. Ethical and regulatory evaluation is crucial, considering recent advancements and enhanced understanding of transgenerational epigenetics in both mammals and humans

Spontaneous glomerular deposition of immunoglobulins for ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) induces spontaneous nephropathy in diabetogenic rats

We first discovered autoantibodies to ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus^1^. The antibodies were positive for 64.5% of the patients with diabetes and were positive in 83.3% in the early stage of clinical diabetic nephropathy. In addition, in genetically diabetogenic OLETF (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty) rats^2^, one of the characteristics of which strain is spontaneous nephropathy resembling those of human type 2 diabetes, and in control LETO rats^2^, immunization with rabbit lung ACE developed glomerulopathy similar to that seen in diabetics^3^. Also, in normal New Zealand white rabbits, immunization with the rabbit lung ACE induced glomerular changes similar to those seen in diabetic nephropathy^3^. In this study, renal tissues identical to those examined in research of diabetic nephropathy by PAS staining and electron microscope in preceding study^3^, were examined by immunostaining methods, only to prove that the diabetic glomerular changes may occur by immunization with ACE, not by non-specific responses to ACE, in non-diabetogenic rats and rabbits

Candida albicans keratitis modified by steroid application

The paper reports on Candida albicans ocular infection modified by steroid eye drops. A 74-year-old male complained of conjunctival injection and pain in his right eye three months after pterygium and cataract surgery. After treatment with antibiotics and steroid eye drops for three days, he was referred to our hospital. Clear localized corneal endothelial plaque with injection of ciliary body was observed. No erosion of the corneal epithelium, or infiltration of stromal edema was observed, suggesting that the pathological organism derived from the intracameral region. Because ocular infection was suspected, steroid eye drops were stopped, which led immediately to typical infectious keratitis in the pathological region, with epithelial erosion, fluffy abscess, stromal infiltration, and edema. For diagnostic purposes, the plaque was surgically removed with forceps and the anterior chamber was irrigated with antibiotics. The smear and culture examination from the plaque revealed C. albicans surrounded by neutrophils. However, aqueous fluid and fibrous tissue after gonio procedure contained no mycotic organisms. Topical fluconazole, micafungin, and pimaricin with oral itraconazole (150 mg/day) were effective. Special attention is needed when prescribing steroid eye drops to treat corneal disease especially postoperatively. Diagnosing infectious keratitis is sometimes difficult because of modification by some factors, such as postoperative conditions, scarring, and drug-induced masking. Here, we report on mycotic keratitis modified by postoperative steroid administration

Neurosecretory protein GL stimulates food intake, de novo lipogenesis, and onset of obesity.

Mechanisms underlying the central regulation of food intake and fat accumulation are not fully understood. We found that neurosecretory protein GL (NPGL), a newly-identified neuropeptide, increased food intake and white adipose tissue (WAT) in rats. NPGL-precursor gene overexpression in the hypothalamus caused increases in food intake, WAT, body mass, and circulating insulin when fed a high calorie diet. Intracerebroventricular administration of NPGL induced de novo lipogenesis in WAT, increased insulin, and it selectively induced carbohydrate intake. Neutralizing antibody administration decreased the size of lipid droplets in WAT. Npgl mRNA expression was upregulated by fasting and low insulin levels. Additionally, NPGL-producing cells were responsive to insulin. These results point to NPGL as a novel neuronal regulator that drives food intake and fat deposition through de novo lipogenesis and acts to maintain steady-state fat level in concert with insulin. Dysregulation of NPGL may be a root cause of obesity

Driver gene KRAS aggravates cancer-associated stroke outcomes

The incidence of cancer-associated stroke has increased with the prolonged survival times of cancer patients. Recent genetic studies have led to progress in cancer therapeutics, but relationships between oncogenic mutations and stroke remain elusive. Here, we focused on the driver gene KRAS, which is the predominant RAS isoform mutated in multiple cancer types, in cancer associated stroke study. KRASG13D/− and parental human colorectal carcinoma HCT116 cells were inoculated into mice that were then subjected to a photochemically-induced thrombosis model to establish ischemic stroke. We found that cancer inoculation exacerbated neurological deficits after stroke. Moreover, mice inoculated with KRASG13D/− cells showed worse neurological deficits after stroke compared with mice inoculated with parental cells. Stroke promoted tumor growth, and the KRASG13D/− allele enhanced this growth. Brain RNA sequencing analysis and serum ELISA showed that chemokines and cytokines mediating pro-inflammatory responses were upregulated in mice inoculated with KRASG13D/− cells compared with those inoculated with parental cells. STAT3 phosphorylation was promoted following ischemic stroke in the KRASG13D/− group compared with in the parental group, and STAT3 inhibition significantly ameliorated stroke outcomes by mitigating microglia/macrophage polarization. Finally, we compared the prognosis and mortality of colorectal cancer patients with or without stroke onset between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2020 using a hospital-based cancer registry and found that colorectal cancer patients with stroke onset within 3 months after cancer diagnosis had a worse prognosis. Our work suggests an interplay between KRAS and ischemic stroke that may offer insight into future treatments for cancer-associated stroke.Yan Haomin, Sasaki Tsutomu, Gon Yasufumi, et al. Driver gene KRAS aggravates cancer-associated stroke outcomes. Thrombosis Research 233, 55 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2023.11.015