Posture flexibility and grip strength in horse riders

Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their competition level (using affiliated test levels). Leg length, grip strength and spinal posture were measured and recorded by a physiotherapist. Standing and sitting posture and trunk flexibility were measured with 3-D motion capture technology. Right-left differences were explored in relation to years riding and rider competitive experience. Significant anatomical asymmetry was found for the difference in standing acromion process height for a competition level (-0.07±1.50 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.02±1.31 cm Novice; 0.43±1.27 cm Elementary+; p=0.048) and for sitting iliac crest height for years riding (-0.23±1.36 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.01±1.50 cm Novice; 0.86±0.41 cm Elementary+;p=0.021). For functional asymmetry, a significant interaction was found for lateral bending ROM for years riding x competition level (p=0.047). The demands on dressage riders competing at higher levels may predispose these riders to a higher risk of developing asymmetry and potentially chronic back pain rather than improving their symmetry

Mechanism of synaptic vesicle retrieval in epilepsy

Excessive release of neurotransmitter is a characteristic of epileptogenic cells. A number of lines of evidence implicate defects in the synaptic vesicle cycle as a cause of this excessive release. Synaptic vesicles are retrieved by more than one route in central nerve terminals. During mild stimulation the dominant synaptic vesicle retrieval pathway is classical clathrin mediated endocytosis. During elevated neuronal activity retrieval of synaptic vesicle membrane by bulk endocytosis is the predominant retrieval method. As it is triggered by strong stimulation, bulk endocytosis may be of importance in retrieval during epilepsy, however little is currently known about this pathway. In order to investigate the role of bulk endocytosis, we sought to establish a cell culture model of epilepsy, to develop an assay to distinguish retrieval by bulk endocytosis, and to use these tools to look at the molecular players controlling this form of endocytosis. Characterisation of bulk endocytosis through the development of tailored assay systems has revealed that bulk endocytosis is a fast event that is triggered during strong stimulation. Bulk endocytosis provides the nerve terminal with an appropriate mechanism to meet the demands of synaptic vesicle retrieval during periods of intense synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Inhibition of a dephosphorylation specific dynamin I-syndapin I interaction by competitive peptides inhibits activity dependent bulk endocytosis, implicating this interaction in a role in this method of synaptic vesicle retrieval. Having characterised the strength of stimulation needed to activate bulk endocytosis, and the speed at which it occurs, we also investigated the effects of known anti-epileptogenic drugs on bulk endocytosis in our central nerve terminal model system

Cerebrospinal fluid extracellular vesicle enrichment for protein biomarker discovery in neurological disease; multiple sclerosis

The discovery of disease biomarkers, along with the use of “liquid biopsies” as a minimally invasive source of biomarkers, continues to be of great interest. In inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the most obvious biofluid source. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are also present in CSF and are thought to be potential “biomarker treasure chests”. However, isolating these CSF-derived EVs remains challenging. This small-scale pilot study developed and tested a protocol to enrich for CSF-EVs, both in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) CSF and controls. These were subsequently compared, using an aptamer based proteomics array, SOMAscan™. EVs were enriched from RRMS patient (n = 4) and non-demyelinating control (idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) (n = 3)) CSF using precipitation and mini size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). EV-enriched fractions were selected using pre-defined EV characteristics, including increased levels of tetraspanins. EVs and paired CSF were analysed by SOMAscan™, providing relative abundance data for 1128 proteins. CSF-EVs were characterised, revealing exosome-like features: rich in tetraspanins CD9 and CD81, size ~100 nm, and exosome-like morphology by TEM. Sufficient quantities of, SOMAscan™ compatible, EV material was obtained from 5 ml CSF for proteomics analysis. Overall, 348 and 580 proteins were identified in CSF-EVs and CSF, respectively, of which 50 were found to be significantly (t-test) and exclusively enriched in RRMS CSF-EVs. Selected proteins, Plasma kallikrein and Apolipoprotein-E4, were further validated by western blot and appeared increased in CSF-EVs compared to CSF. Functional enrichment analysis of the 50 enriched proteins revealed strong associations with biological processes relating to MS pathology and also extracellular regions, consistent with EV enrichment. This pilot study demonstrates practicality for EV enrichment in CSF derived from patients with MS and controls, allowing detailed analysis of protein profiles that may offer opportunities to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic approaches in CNS inflammatory disease

Climate risks and their implications for commercial property valuations

We outline a framework that captures the channels through which physical climate risks could affect cash flows and pricing of income-producing real estate. This facilitates detailed consideration of how the future performance of real estate investments could be affected by such risks. This is a literature-based investigation that draws on work commissioned by UNEP-FI (Clayton et al. 2021a; 2021b). It extends this work to consider in more detail the channels through which climate risks may impact property performance and the implications for the valuation community. Recent empirical studies have identified more instances where pricing is reflecting both current and anticipated climate risks. Market valuations cannot properly incorporate climate risk without clear evidence that it is priced by market participants, but valuers can advise clients on the potential for future impacts. While inferences can be made from studies of residential real estate, more research on commercial real estate pricing and climate risk is required to assist valuers and their clients, as well as other stakeholders in the real estate market. Differences between a Market Value and an Investment Value context are considered, and how valuers could and should account for climate risk in each setting is discussed with reference to existing professional standards and guidance. The article synthesises a wide range of literature to produce a framework for the channels by which real estate values could be influenced by climate risk

Resolution of a common RNA sequencing ambiguity by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

One of the more common ambiguities which arise when using reverse transcriptase and dideoxynucleotide-chain termination to sequence RNA is a radioactive band of cDNA that extends over all four lanes on a sequencing gel. The adjacent sequences both above and below the band are not affected. Assuming then, that these ambiguities are caused by the termination of the DNA polymerase activity of reverse transcriptase for reasons other than the insertion of a dideoxynucleotide in the growing cDNA chain, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase should be able to continue to add deoxynucleotides to these products after the sequencing reaction is complete. It does, clearing the improperly terminated cDNA from these pileup sites, revealing the correct sequence. This technique can also be used to identify the template RNA's 5'-terminal base, although far more units of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase are required.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26058/1/0000132.pd

The stiffess of unsaturated railway formations

The rational design of a substructure to support a rail track requires an estimation of the stiffness value of the formation on which it is to be built. Stiffness values derived from back-analyses of deformations of the ground beneath the track have been found by the authors to be much higher than those predicted from laboratory element testing on saturated specimens. This may be because of differences in compaction between field and laboratory, or because suctions created by lack of saturation play a key role in controlling stiffness, and therefore the performance of the track when in use. To test the latter hypothesis a laboratory study has been carried out on material representative of that found in South African railway formations. This was tested at constant dry density and various water contents, with matric suctions determined using different established techniques, and very-small-strain stiffness levels obtained from resonant column testing. A suction stress characteristic curve was developed to identify the contribution of suction to the overall effective stress for this material. The results show that suction can indeed be an important contributing factor to the magnitude of stiffness. For material tested at constant dry density, the stiffness initially increases with reducing compaction water content, and therefore with increasing suction. It subsequently reduces back towards the saturated value as the compaction water content approaches zero, even though the matric suction continues to increase. The relative increase in very-small-strain stiffness due to suction depends, to a large extent, on the net normal stress during the stiffness measurement. The effect of matric suction is proportionately greatest at the low net normal stress levels that apply for shallow infrastructures such as rail formations. Also, the operational stiffness depends not only on the current water content (and therefore suction), but also on the water content at which the material has been compacted.The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s ‘Rail Research UK’ programmehttp://pif.sagepub.comhb2016Civil Engineerin

A Psychophysiological Examination of the Mutability of Type D Personality in a Therapeutic Trial

Identifying the associations between health and personality has been a focus for psychophysiological research. Type D personality is associated with predisposition to physical and psychological ill-health. This statistician-blind parallel-group controlled trial (intervention group vs. waiting list control group) examined the impact of Havening Techniques on the Type D constituents of negative affect (NA) and social inhibition (SI). One hundred twenty-five adult (18+ years) participants in the United Kingdom (72 females, 53 males) completed the Type D Scale-14 (DS14) measure of Type D personality at baseline (T1), 24-hours (T2), and at 1-month (T3). Forty participants in the treatment group received additional stress biomarker assessment of heart rate, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol. Type D caseness remained stable in the waiting list participants (n = 57). In the treatment group (n = 68); NA, SI, and total scores decreased from T1 to T2 (p < .001, p < .001, and p < .001, respectively), and from T2 to T3 (p = .004, p < .001, and p < .001, respectively), significantly transmuting to non-caseness (p < .001 for T1 to T2; p = .025 for T2 to T3). Between T1 and T2, decreases in cortisol (p < .001), diastolic blood pressure (p < .001), and systolic blood pressure (p < .001) were demonstrated. Heart rate fell nonsignificantly between T1 and T2 (p = .063), but significantly from T1 to T3 (p = .048). The findings of this study indicate the potential mutability of the psychophysiological illness-prone characteristics of Type D personality

Quantitative monitoring of activity-dependent bulk endocytosis of synaptic vesicle membrane by fluorescent dextran imaging

Activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE) is the dominant synaptic vesicle (SV) retrieval mode in central nerve terminals during periods of intense neuronal activity. Despite this fact there are very few real time assays that report the activity of this critical SV retrieval mode. In this paper we report a simple and quantitative assay of ADBE using uptake of large flourescent dextrans as fluid phase markers. We show that almost all dextran uptake occurs in nerve terminals, using co-localisation with the fluorescent probe FM1-43. We also demonstrate that accumulated dextran cannot be unloaded by neuronal stimulation, indicating its specific loading into bulk endosomes and not SVs. Quantification of dextran uptake was achieved by using thresholding analysis to count the number of loaded nerve terminals, since monitoring the average fluorescence intensity of these nerve terminals did not accurately report the extent of ADBE. Using this analysis we showed that dextran uptake occurs very soon after stimulation and that it does not persist when stimulation terminates. Thus we have devised a simple and quantitative method to monitor ADBE in living neurones, which will be ideal for real time screening of small molecule inhibitors of this key SV retrieval mode