Pre-competition habits and injuries in Taekwondo athletes

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, there has been heightened interest in injury rates sustained by martial arts athletes, and more specifically, Taekwondo athletes. Despite this interest, there is a paucity of research on pre-competition habits and training of these athletes. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess training characteristics, competition preparation habits, and injury profiles of Taekwondo athletes. METHODS: A retrospective survey of Canadian male and female Taekwondo athletes competing in a national tournament was conducted. Competitors at a Canadian national level tournament were given a comprehensive survey prior to competition. Items on training characteristics, diet, and injuries sustained during training and competition were included. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 athletes. RESULTS: A response rate of 46.7% was achieved. Of those that responded, 54% dieted prior to competition, and 36% dieted and exercised pre-competition. Sixty-four percent of the athletes practised between 4–6 times per week, with 54% practicing 2 hours per session. Lower limb injuries were the most common (46.5%), followed by upper extremity (18%), back (10%), and head (3.6%). The majority of injuries consisted of sprains/strains (45%), followed by contusions, fractures, and concussions. More injuries occurred during training, including 59% of first injuries. CONCLUSION: More research needs to be conducted to further illustrate the need for appropriate regulations on weight cycling and injury prevention

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Deacetylasperulosidic Acid Ameliorates Pruritus, Immune Imbalance, and Skin Barrier Dysfunction in 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis NC/Nga Mice

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD), a disease characterized by severe pruritus, immune imbalance, and skin barrier dysfunction, is rapidly increasing worldwide. Deacetylasperulosidic acid (DAA) has anti-atopic activity in the three main cell types associated with AD: keratinocytes, mast cells, and eosinophils. Our study investigated the anti-atopic activity of DAA in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced NC/Nga mice. DAA alleviated the symptoms of AD, including infiltration of inflammatory cells (mast cells and eosinophils), epidermal thickness, ear thickness, and scratching behavior. Furthermore, DAA reduced serum IgE, histamine, and IgG1/IgG2a ratio and modulated the levels of AD-related cytokines and chemokines, namely interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, macrophage-derived chemokine, and regulated on activation the normal T cell expressed and secreted in the serum. DAA restored immune balance by regulating gene expression and secretion of Th1-, Th2-, Th9-, Th17-, and Th22-mediated inflammatory factors in the dorsal skin and splenocytes and restored skin barrier function by increasing the expression of the pro-filaggrin gene and barrier-related proteins filaggrin, involucrin, and loricrin. These results suggest DAA as a potential therapeutic agent that can alleviate the symptoms of AD by reducing pruritus, modulating immune imbalance, and restoring skin barrier function

A traditional herbal formula composed of ‘white’ herbs down regulates tyrosinase-related proteins in B16F10 melanoma cells

68-72The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory postulates the pharmacological targets of white-coloured herbs include skin. To explore the therapeutic implications of this theory in skin disorders, especially for excess pigmentation, a series of anti-melanogenic evaluations were performed using a selected herbal formulation, WASAP-H. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS) analysis was performed to determine the major components of WASAP-H. Effects of WASAP-H on tyrosinase activity, melanin content, and the expression of melanogenic proteins such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 was evaluated in B16F10 melanoma cells. WASAP-H decoction significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity and reduced melanin contents in B16F10 melanoma cells. The key enzymes for melanin synthesis such as tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 were significantly down regulated by WASAP-H in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggested that the anti-melanogenic activity of WASAP-H was directly linked to the inhibition of tyrosinase activity and the down regulation of melanogenic enzymes. The scientific translation of traditional knowledge in this study will provide a platform for the modernization of traditional herbal medicines and the development of evidence-based herbal medicinal products

치조 파열 환자에 있어서 이차성 골이식술 후의 치조정 높이 변화에 관한 임상적 연구 : 예비적 연구

목적 : 치조파열 환자에 있어서 이차 치조골 이식술을 시행한 후 그 결과를 알아보고자 방사선학적 분석을 통하여 평가하였다. 본 연구의 목적은 수술전 골결손부 인접치아의 치조정 높이와 수술후 골결손부 인접치아의 치조정 높이를 근심측과 원심측에서 각각 측정함으로써 치조정의 높이가 과연 통계적으로 유의성 있게 증가하는지와 치조골 이식술의 성공률이 치조열의 너비와 상관관계가 있는지의 여부를 알아보는 것이다. 환자 및 방법 : 1991년부터 1999년까지 서울대학교병원 구강악안면외과에서 자가장골 채취 후 분쇄피질망사골 형태 또는 block 피질망상골 형태로 이식한 편측성 치조열을 가진 환자 중 최소한 6개월이 경과한 환자 56명을 연구대상으로 하였고 두 술자에 의해 시술되었다. 수술전 골결손부 인접치아의 치조정의 높이와 치조열의 너비 및 수술후 이식한 골의 높이와 절흔의 양은 치과용 파노라마 방사선 사진을 이용하여 측정하였고, 치조열의 너비는 모델이나 환자의 골결손부 근심치아의 근원심 폭경을 이용하여 환산하였다. 그리고 이식한 골의 높이와 절흔의 양을 1995년 Long이 제시한 방법으로 측정하여 술전의 측정치와 비교하였다. 결과 : 치조열의 너비는 평균 6.9mm(1.9mm-12.1mm) 였다. 근심에서의 치아는 골이식 당시 중절치가 52개(92.9%), 측절치가 4개(7.1%)였고, 49명의 환자에서 완전맹출을, 6명의 환자에서 부분맹출(측절치 2개, 중절치 4개)을 보였다. 원심측에서의 치아는 골이식 당시 측절치가 25개(44.6%), 견치가 29개(51.8%), 소구치가 2개(3.6%)였고, 완전 맹출이 32.1%, 부분 맹출이 57.2%, 미맹출이 10.7%로서 완전히 맹출하기 전에 골이식한 경우가 67.9%였다. 모든 환자에 있어서 bony bridge가 나타났고, 절흔이 인접치 아래로 연장되지 않았으며, 치조골 이식술 후 oronasal fistula를 보인 환자는 한 명도 없었으므로 성공률은 100%였다. 술후 근심측에서의 치조정의 높이는 근심측 치아 치근길이의 79%(평균), 원심측에서의 치조정의 높이는 원심측 치아 치근길이의 87%(평균)로서 통계적으로 유의성 있게 증가하였다. 결론: 이차 치조골 이식술을 시행한 후 치조정의 높이는 골결손부 근심측과 원심측에서 모두 유의성있게 증가하였고, 근심측에서보다 원심측에서 통계학적으로 더 유의성 있게 증가하였다. 치조열의 너비와 절흔의 양, 치조정의 높이 및 치조골이식 성공률과는 유의성 있는 관련성이 없었다.본 연구는 1999년도 서울대학교병원 임상 공동 연구비 보조로 이루어졌음