RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANTERIOR TIBIAL TRANSLATION AND ISOMETRIC STRENGTH IN FEMALE ATHLETES

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the isometric strength of the muscles around the knee and hip is associated with anterior tibial translation. Forty-four female high school basketball players participated in this study. Anterior tibial translation was measured with a Kneelax 3 arthrometer. The isometric strengths of knee flexion, knee extension, and hip abduction were determined with a hand-held dynamometer. In the case of both the legs, significant correlations were found between the anterior tibial translation, knee extension strength, and hamstring/quadriceps strength (H/Q) ratio. No significant correlations were found between the anterior tibial translation and the knee flexion and hip abduction strengths. Muscle imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstring muscles may lead to greater anterior tibial translation

Single-molecular real-time deep sequencing reveals the dynamics of multi-drug resistant haplotypes and structural variations in the hepatitis C virus genome

While direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) have dramatically progressed, patients still suffer from treatment failures. For the radical eradication of HCV, a deeper understanding of multiple resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) at the single-clone level is essential. To understand HCV quasispecies and their dynamics during DAA treatment, we applied single-molecule real-time (SMRT) deep sequencing on sera from 12 patients with genotype-1b HCV infections with DAA treatment failures, both pre- and post-treatment. We identified >3.2 kbp sequences between NS3 and NS5A genes of 187, 539 clones in total, classifying into haplotype codes based on the linkage of seven RAS loci. The number of haplotype codes during the treatment, per sample, significantly decreased from 14.67 ± 9.12 to 6.58 ± 7.1, while the number of nonsynonymous codons on the seven RAS loci, per clone, significantly increased from 1.50 ± 0.92 to 3.64 ± 0.75. In five cases, the minority multi-drug resistant haplotypes at pre-treatment were identical to the major haplotypes at relapse. Moreover, various structural variations (SVs) were detected and their dynamics analysed. These results suggest that SMRT deep sequencing is useful for detecting minority haplotypes and SVs, and to evaluate the dynamics of viral genomes at the single-clone level

Professional dietary coaching within a group chat using a smartphone application for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: To test the effectiveness of professional dietary coaching via group chat using a smartphone application (app) for weight loss.Methods: This study was a 12-week, assessor-blind, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled randomized trial that included a 4-week follow-up period (trial registration, UMIN000025340). Data were collected between October 2016 and May 2017 and were analyzed between July 2017 and January 2018. Participants were 112 overweight, obese, or abdominally obese Japanese adults, aged 20 to 64 years, with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor. Participants were randomized to the coaching group (n=75) or control group (n=37), with a ratio of 2:1. The coaching group received a commercial weight loss program characterizing dietary coaching by a certified nutrition professional via group chat delivered on a smartphone app. Participants posted photos of every meal into the group chat, and the certified professional gave immediate direct feedback and encouragement. The primary outcome was an 8-week weight change. Secondary outcomes included 8-week changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. The frequency of meal photo uploads was recorded as a measure of adherence.Results: Of the 112 randomized participants, 93 (83.0%) and 81 (72.3%) completed 8-week and 12-week visits, respectively. Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated significantly larger 8-week weight loss in the coaching group (−1.4 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.0, −0.8 kg) than that in the control group (−0.1 kg; 95% CI: −0.6, 0.4 kg). Significantly larger improvements in triglyceride and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels were also obtained in the coaching group. These benefits, except for the triglyceride level, were maintained until week 12. The frequent upload of meal photos was associated with a larger 8-week weight loss in a dose–response fashion (P-value for trend <0.001).Conclusion: This smartphone-delivered commercial weight loss program characterized as dietary coaching via group chat resulted in modest but significant weight loss. Facilitating participants’ active involvement in the program is necessary to achieve greater health benefits

A Novel Reagent for the Synthesis of Branched-chain Functionalized Sugars. Dichloromethyllithium

A few novel branched-chain functionalized sugars, which have important functions such as hydroxyl, hydro, chloro, or azido at quaternary carbon were prepared in good yield via the same intermediary spiro chloroepoxide derivative by use of dichloromethyllithium

Kinetic analysis of poplar wood properties by thermal modification in conventional oven

The kinetics of several poplar (Populus alba L.) wood properties during thermal modification conducted in conventional oven with air recirculation were analysed and modelled in this paper. A wide range of properties was assessed, such as: equilibrium moisture content, sorption diagram, shrinkage coefficients, specific shrinkage coefficients, mass loss, modulus of elasticity, strength and colour. The tests were executed at different temperatures ranging from 90°C to 180°C and with different durations. The time-temperature equivalency was checked and property modifications over time analysed through master curves in order to obtain a general model connecting together properties, treatment temperature and duration. Different activation energies arising from each property evolution with treatment temperature and duration are provided showing that every modification could occur with different kinetics

A Computational Approach To Predict Warp Of Sawn Lumber Due To Residual Growth Stress In A Log

A tree generates a complicated stress distribution inside the stem during its formation, which is called 'residual growth stress (RGS)'. The RGS often induces warp in a sawn lumber such as bow, crook, and other deformation, which causes severe losses of materials and benefits in the sawmill industry. Generally, warp becomes more serious in the lumber 'without pith' than in the lumber 'with pith'. In Japan, 50% of conifer plantations are ready to produce large-diameter logs of which diameter is more than 30 cm. The use of those logs inevitably leads to the production of the lumber 'without the pith', so we are concerned about the problems due to lumber warp in future sawmill industry using largediameter logs. Based on those practical background, this study presents a computational procedure to predict warp of the squared lumber, such as a beam, a bearer, and so forth, when those lumbers are sawn from the log and/or the thick plank. Using the derived procedure, 2-D patterns of the RGSs in the sawn lumbers and their changes during sawing processes are simulated. Simulated results will be experimentally verified by measuring the warp of the sawn lumber, as well as by measuring the RGS distributions in a log

Efficacy and safety of olaparib, olaparib plus bevacizumab and niraparib maintenance treatment in Japanese patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer

Objective: To investigate whether maintenance treatment could be safely and effectively performed with olaparib, olaparib plus bevacizumab and niraparib in platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer at multiple institutions in Japan. Methods: We investigated progression-free survival and adverse events in 117 patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer treated with maintenance therapy. Results: The median progression-free survival of 117 patients was 20.1 months. Patients with germline BRCA pathogenic variants had a significantly better prognosis than the other groups (P Conclusion: Maintenance treatment was performed effectively and safely. Renal function deterioration is likely to occur during maintenance treatment, and careful administration is important in platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer

〈Original Papers〉Diurnal and seasonal variation of air temperature profile in the mountain forest at Sugadaira, central Japan

Air temperature profiles were observed for a year with micro-climate observation in and around the mixed mountain forest. The shading effects of tree crown, depending on the solar elevation angle and abscission of broad leaf species, controlled the diurnal and seasonal variation of radiation budget and temperature gradients in the forest. Vertical mixing of air in the forest was infrequent even the wind speed over the forest was high. Sasa albo-marginata served as another important daytime heat source at the forest floor in snow-free season. In the forest, weak but clear diurnal wind variation was observed on fair summer days indicating prevailing of daytime up-slope winds and nocturnal gravity currents. After leaf abscission, the nocturnal temperature inversion prevailed in and out of the forest. The importance of the local winds blowing through the forest and their effect on the data from the station in an open space are discussed with regard to the long-term assessment of mountain meteorological and forest phonological data