BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS A SEQENCE OF ANGULAR VELOCITY AND COORDINATED MUSCLES ACTIVITY DURING BASEBALL HITTING

The purpose of this study was to analyse a sequence of rotations and coordinated muscles activities of upper body. Using kinematic and EMG data from 3 recreational university baseball players participating in this study, we computed the angular velocity of trunk, pelvis, bat and trunk-pelvis rotation angle and PMT of upper body muscles. Trunkpelvis rotation angle was 22 ° before the bat-ball contact. The pelvis, trunk, and bat showed a sequence of angular velocity beginning with the hip, followed by the trunk, and end tip of the bat. Additionally, PMT of upper body muscles generated right pectoralis major(1.03 sec.), right external oblique(1.11 sec.), left thoracloumbar fasci(1.12 sec.), left external oblique(1.13 sec.), right latissimus dorsi(1.15 sec.), left latissimus dorsi(1.16 sec.), right thoracloumbar fascia(1.16 sec.), left pectoralis major(1.25 sec.), on at a time during baseball hitting motion. PMT of upper body muscles were related to the shifting and rotating of body segment and this action can be considered the coordinated muscle activities of upper body

Equivalent Modal Damping of Short-Span Bridges Subjected to Strong Motion

In this paper four different methods are investigated for estimating the equivalent modal damping ratios of a short-span bridge under strong ground motion by considering the energy dissipation at the boundary. The Painter Street Overcrossing (PSO) is investigated because of seismic data availability. Computed responses using the response-spectrum method with the equivalent damping ratios estimates are compared with the recorded responses. The results show that the four methods provide reasonable estimation of equivalent modal damping ratios and that neglecting off-diagonal elements in the damping matrix is the most efficient and practical method. The equivalent damping ratio of the PSO was nearly 25% under an earthquake with peak ground acceleration of 0.55g, which is much higher than the conventional assumption of 5%

State Estimation Filtering using Recent Finite Measurements and Inputs for Active Suspension System with Temporary Uncertainties

In this paper, the finite memory structure(FMS) filter using most recent finite measured outputs and control inputs is applied for the state estimation filtering of automotive suspension systems to verify intrinsic robustness of FMS filter. Firstly, the single-corner model for the automotive suspension system and its state-space model are described. Secondly, FMS as well as infinite memory structure(IMS) filters are briefly introduced and represented by the summation form. Thirdly, a couple of temporary uncertainties, model uncertainty and unknown input, are discussed. Finally, extensive computer simulations are performed for both nominal system and temporarily uncertain system. It is shown that the FMS filter can be better than the IMS filter for both temporary uncertainties. In addition, the FMS filter can be shown to be comparable to the IMS filter after the effects of a couple of temporary uncertainties have completely disappeared

COMPARISON OF PROPRIOCEPTION PERCEPTION TEST BETWEEN GOLFER AND NON-GOLFER USING TILTING PLATFORM

The purpose of this study was to test proprioception perception and compare between collegiate golfers and non-golfers using tilting platform. Sixteen male and fourteen female golfers and fifteen male and thirteen non-golfers were participated. All participants were performed perception test on the tilting platform. Frequency analysis and independent t-test were performed using SPSS 24.0. Alpha set at .05. Most participants were perceived from 1° to 2° of slopes and perceived left-right (target direction) slope than forward-backward slope. Repeated practice such as walking on the uneven ground or standing on sloped ground might help to improve proprioception perception. Further research using a tilting platform will be to develop the training program

Altered Eye-Movement Patterns During Text Reading in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and internet gaming disorder (IGD), which are similar in that both involve repetitive behaviors and related with cognitive dysfunctions, frequently begin in early adolescence, which is a critical period for learning. Although the deterioration in cognitive functioning caused by these conditions may have adverse effects on information processing, such as text reading, there has been no comprehensive research on the objective indicators of altered reading patterns in these patients. Therefore, we evaluated eye-movement patterns during text reading in patients with OCD or IGD. In total, 20 patients with OCD, 28 patients with IGD and 24 healthy controls (HCs) participated in the reading task using an eye tracker. We compared the fixation durations (FDs), saccade amplitudes and eye-movement regressions of the three groups during reading. We explored relationships between the parameters reflecting altered reading patterns and those reflecting the severity of clinical symptoms. The average FDs and forward saccade amplitudes did not differ significantly among the groups. There were more eye-movement regressions in patients with OCD than in patients with IGD and HCs. No correlation was found between altered eye-movement patterns during reading and the severity of clinical symptoms in any of the patient groups. The significantly increased number of regressions (NRs) in the OCD group during reading may reflect these patients’ difficulties with inferential information processing, whereas the reading pattern in the IGD group is relatively intact. These findings suggest that patients with OCD and patients with IGD have different eye-movement patterns during reading reflecting distinct cognitive impairments in the two patient groups

Draft genome sequence of a caprolactam degrader bacterium: Pseudomonas taiwanensis strain SJ9

AbstractPseudomonas taiwanensis strain SJ9 is a caprolactam degrader, isolated from industrial wastewater in South Korea and considered to have the potential for caprolactam bioremediation. The genome of this strain is approximately 6.2 Mb (G+C content, 61.75%) with 6,010 protein-coding sequences (CDS), of which 46% are assigned to recognized functional genes. This draft genome of strain SJ9 will provide insights into the genetic basis of its caprolactam-degradation ability

Resting-state EEG activity related to impulsivity in gambling disorder

Background and aims Impulsivity is a core feature of gambling disorder (GD) and is related to the treatment response. Thus, it is of interest to determine objective neurobiological markers associated with impulsivity in GD. We explored resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in patients with GD according to the degree of impulsivity. Methods In total, 109 GD subjects were divided into three groups according to Barratt impulsiveness scale-11 (BIS-11) scores: high (HI; 25th percentile of BIS-11 scores, n = 29), middle (MI; 26th–74th percentile, n = 57), and low-impulsivity (LI) groups (75th percentile, n = 23). We used generalized estimating equations to analyze differences in EEG absolute power considering group (HI, MI, and LI), brain region (frontal, central, and posterior), and hemisphere (left, midline, and right) for each frequency band (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). Results The results indicated that GD patients in the HI group showed decreased theta absolute power, and decreased alpha and beta absolute power in the left, right, particularly midline frontocentral regions. Discussion and conclusions This study is a novel attempt to reveal impulsive features in GD by neurophysiological methods. The results suggest different EEG patterns among GD patients according to the degree of impulsivity, raising the possibility of neurophysiological objective features in GD and helping clinicians in treating GD patients with impulsive features

Dissecting Aneurysm Associated with a Double Origin of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Causing Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Two cases of the posterior fossa dissecting aneurysm associated with a double origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (DOPICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage are presented. After observing a relationship between the aneurysm and DOPICA on a three dimensional rotational angiogram (3DRA), the dissecting aneurysms were successfully obliterated by surgical trapping and endovascular internal trapping, respectively. This report warrants suspecting DOPICA of an associating anomaly predisposing to dissecting aneurysm in the vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory and highlights the role of 3DRA in pretreatment evaluation of unusual aneurysms accompanying a particular anatomical variation

Selective Delivery of a Therapeutic Gene for Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Human Neural Stem Cells

ObjectivesBased on studies of the extensive tropism of neural stem cells (NSCs) toward malignant brain tumor, we hypothesized that NSCs could also target head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and could be used as a cellular therapeutic delivery system.MethodsTo apply this strategy to the treatment of HNSCC, we used a human NSC line expressing cytosine deaminase (HB1.F3-CD), an enzyme that converts 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an anticancer agent. HB1. F3-CD in combination with 5-FC were cocultured with the HNSCC (SNU-1041) to examine the cytotoxicity on target tumor cells in vitro. For in vivo studies, an HNSCC mouse model was created by subcutaneous implantation of human HNSCC cells into athymic nude mice. HB1.F3-CD cells were injected into mice using tumoral, peritumoral, or intravenous injections, followed by systemic 5-FC administration.ResultsIn vitro, the HB1.F3-CD cells significantly inhibited the growth of an HNSCC cell line in the presence of the 5-FC. Independent of the method of injection, the HB1.F3-CD cells migrated to the HNSCC tumor, causing a significant reduction in tumor volume. In comparison to 5-FU administration, HB1.F3-CD cell injection followed by 5-FC administration reduced systemic toxicity, but achieved the same level of therapeutic efficacy.ConclusionTransplantation of human NSCs that express the suicide enzyme cytosine deaminase combined with systemic administration of the prodrug 5-FC may be an effective regimen for the treatment of HNSCC

Gender Difference in the Prodromal Symptoms of First-episode Schizophrenia

To investigate the gender difference of early symptoms appearing before the onset of the psychotic symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia, we reviewed the medical records of 63 patients (38 males, 25 females), who were hospitalized for first-episode schizophrenia. The frequency and duration of prodromal and psychotic symptoms, Clinical Global Impression scale scores, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale scores at admission, and other clinical characteristics were recorded for all patients. Overall, the most common prodromal symptoms were attenuated positive symptoms (89%), followed by mood symptoms (86%). Negative symptoms were the most common in male patients (97.4%), whereas attenuated positive symptoms were the most common in female patients (84%). Male patients demonstrated more frequent negative, cognitive, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms than female patients did and also showed a tendency of having negative symptoms for the longer period. Correlational analysis showed a significant negative correlation between the duration of negative symptoms and GAF scores at admission in male patients. Our findings suggest that different patterns of prodromal symptoms between male and female begin before the onset of the psychosis. Further prospective studies should be needed.This paper was supported by a grant (M103KV010012- 08K2201-01210) from Brain Research Center of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.Jeppesen P, 2008, PSYCHOL MED, V38, P1157, DOI 10.1017/S0033291708003449Cannon TD, 2008, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V65, P28WILLHITE RK, 2008, SCHIZOPHR RES, V104, P237LAPPIN JM, 2007, BR J PSYCHIAT S, V51, pS123Goldstein JM, 2006, HORM BEHAV, V50, P612, DOI 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.06.029Rosen JL, 2006, SCHIZOPHR RES, V85, P124, DOI 10.1016/j.schres.2006.03.034Amminger GP, 2006, SCHIZOPHR RES, V84, P67, DOI 10.1016/j.schres.2006.02.018Barbui C, 2005, J CLIN PSYCHOPHARM, V25, P521, DOI 10.1097/01.jcp.0000185423.15891.02Perkins DO, 2005, AM J PSYCHIAT, V162, P1785Svirskis T, 2005, SCHIZOPHR RES, V75, P439, DOI 10.1016/j.schres.2004.11.002Norman RMG, 2005, J NERV MENT DIS, V193, P17, DOI 10.1097/01.nmd.0000149214.17924.d9Yung AR, 2004, SCHIZOPHR RES, V67, P131, DOI 10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00192-0Lieberman JA, 2003, AM J PSYCHIAT, V160, P1396McGlashan TH, 2003, SCHIZOPHR RES, V61, P7, DOI 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00439-5Kinon BJ, 2003, PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINO, V28, P55, DOI 10.1016/S0306-4530(02)00127-0McGorry PD, 2002, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V59, P921Gourzis P, 2002, SCHIZOPHRENIA BULL, V28, P415Norman RMG, 2001, PSYCHOL MED, V31, P381Bottlender R, 2000, SCHIZOPHR RES, V44, P145Cohen RZ, 2000, CAN J PSYCHIAT, V45, P544LEUNG A, 2000, ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAN S, V401, P3GOLDSTEIN JM, 2000, WOMEN SCHIZOPHRENIA, P111Hafner H, 1999, ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND, V100, P105Pohjalainen T, 1998, MOL PSYCHIATR, V3, P256Behl C, 1997, MOL PHARMACOL, V51, P535Yung AR, 1996, AUST NZ J PSYCHIAT, V30, P587Larsen TK, 1996, SCHIZOPHRENIA BULL, V22, P241FOLNEGOVIC Z, 1994, SCHIZOPHR RES, V14, P83HAFNER H, 1993, BRIT J PSYCHIAT, V162, P80HAFNER H, 1992, SCHIZOPHR RES, V6, P209