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Yosuke Yamada,1,2 Daichi Yamashita,2,3 Shinji Yamamoto,2,3 Tomoyuki Matsui,4 Kazuya Seo,4 Yoshikazu Azuma,4 Yoshikazu Kida,5 Toru Morihara,5 Misaka Kimura1 1Laboratory of Sports and Health Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan; 2Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; 3Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; 4Department of Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan; 5Department of Orthopedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between pitching ball velocity and segmental (trunk, upper arm, forearm, upper leg, and lower leg) and whole-body muscle volume (MV) in high school baseball pitchers. Forty-seven male high school pitchers (40 right-handers and seven left-handers; age, 16.2 ± 0.7 years; stature, 173.6 ± 4.9 cm; mass, 65.0 ± 6.8 kg, years of baseball experience, 7.5 ± 1.8 years; maximum pitching ball velocity, 119.0 ± 9.0 km/hour) participated in the study. Segmental and whole-body MV were measured using segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis. Maximum ball velocity was measured with a sports radar gun. The MV of the dominant arm was significantly larger than the MV of the non-dominant arm (P < 0.001). There was no difference in MV between the dominant and non-dominant legs. Whole-body MV was significantly correlated with ball velocity (r = 0.412, P < 0.01). Trunk MV was not correlated with ball velocity, but the MV for both lower legs, and the dominant upper leg, upper arm, and forearm were significantly correlated with ball velocity (P < 0.05). The results were not affected by age or years of baseball experience. Whole-body and segmental MV are associated with ball velocity in high school baseball pitchers. However, the contribution of the muscle mass on pitching ball velocity is limited, thus other fundamental factors (ie, pitching skill) are also important. Keywords: pitching, ball velocity, muscle volume, body composition, trunk, upper and lower extremities

Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetics implies a causal role for innate immune genes, TREM2 and CD33, products that oppose each other in the downstream Syk tyrosine kinase pathway, activating microglial phagocytosis of amyloid (Aβ). We report effects of low (Curc-lo) and high (Curc-hi) doses of curcumin on neuroinflammation in APPsw transgenic mice. Results showed that Curc-lo decreased CD33 and increased TREM2 expression (predicted to decrease AD risk) and also increased TyroBP, which controls a neuroinflammatory gene network implicated in AD as well as phagocytosis markers CD68 and Arg1. Curc-lo coordinately restored tightly correlated relationships between these genes' expression levels, and decreased expression of genes characteristic of toxic pro-inflammatory M1 microglia (CD11b, iNOS, COX-2, IL1β). In contrast, very high dose curcumin did not show these effects, failed to clear amyloid plaques, and dysregulated gene expression relationships. Curc-lo stimulated microglial migration to and phagocytosis of amyloid plaques both in vivo and in ex vivo assays of sections of human AD brain and of mouse brain. Curcumin also reduced levels of miR-155, a micro-RNA reported to drive a neurodegenerative microglial phenotype. In conditions without amyloid (human microglial cells in vitro, aged wild-type mice), Curc-lo similarly decreased CD33 and increased TREM2. Like curcumin, anti-Aβ antibody (also reported to engage the Syk pathway, increase CD68, and decrease amyloid burden in human and mouse brain) increased TREM2 in APPsw mice and decreased amyloid in human AD sections ex vivo. We conclude that curcumin is an immunomodulatory treatment capable of emulating anti-Aβ vaccine in stimulating phagocytic clearance of amyloid by reducing CD33 and increasing TREM2 and TyroBP, while restoring neuroinflammatory networks implicated in neurodegenerative diseases.

The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between angle of the lead leg and ball velocity during throwing motion of female professional baseball players. Ball velocity and throwing motion were measured. The correlation between the ball velocity and each angle, the amount of change from FC to the maximum value were examined. A positive correlation was observed between ankle plantar flexion angle and ball velocity in the 14-49% section, and a negative correlation was observed with the amount of change in knee flexion. The hip flexion angle was positively correlated with the ball velocity in almost all sections and the hip adduction angle was 75% or later. In male players with high pitching ability, the knee flexion angle is maintained after FC. On the contrary, in female players who can throw fast ball, the amount of change in knee flexion was reduced by holding the ankle joint in the plantar flexion position after FC and suppressing the forward tilt of the lower leg. It is considered that female players who can throw the ball faster support the lead leg with larger hip flexion and adduction angle after the ball is released. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runners often run to improve their health, but many incur injuries as a result. This study investigated the causes of running injuries in an amateur running team and the relationships between injuries and training practices. Forty-seven runners on an amateur running team (age range: 30-83 years ; average age: 56.3 years ; team composition: 35 males, 10 females, 2 unknown) filled out 11 questionnaires about their running careers, marathon results, training drills (interval training, cross-country, running at race pace, and slow long-distance training), history and location of running injuries, etc. Thirty-eight of the 47 runners reported 58 running injuries, which were located in the knee (27.7%), leg (25.9%), foot (18.5%), and other areas. Runners who could complete a marathon in 4 hours reported significantly more injuries than slower participants (p<0.05). There was no difference in injury rates between runners who ran less than 200km/month and those who ran further. Only 20 injuries occurred in runners who ran more than 50km/month than usual training distance. But in 50 of the 58 injuries, the training regimen prior to injury was harder than before three months. The reason why runners on the team reported more injuries than unaffiliated joggers was probably that the team members performed more strenuous drills, not that they ran longer distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response is a defense system for dealing with the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER lumen. Recent reports have shown that ER stress is involved in the pathology of some neurodegenerative diseases and cerebral ischemia. In a screen for compounds that induce the ER-mediated chaperone BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein)/GRP78 (78 kDa glucose-regulated protein), we identified BiP inducer X (BIX). BIX preferentially induced BiP with slight inductions of GRP94 (94 kDa glucose-regulated protein), calreticulin, and C/EBP homologous protein. The induction of BiP mRNA by BIX was mediated by activation of ER stress response elements upstream of the BiP gene, through the ATF6 (activating transcription factor 6) pathway. Pretreatment of neuroblastoma cells with BIX reduced cell death induced by ER stress. Intracerebroventricular pretreatment with BIX reduced the area of infarction due to focal cerebral ischemia in mice. In the penumbra of BIX-treated mice, ER stress-induced apoptosis was suppressed, leading to a reduction in the number of apoptotic cells. Considering these results together, it appears that BIX induces BiP to prevent neuronal death by ER stress, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic agent for cerebral diseases caused by ER stress.Cell Death and Differentiation (2008) 15, 364–375; doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402276; published online 30 November 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the case of a 77-year-old women who was presented with annular erythema persisting for 20 days at the injection site of an unadjuvanted vaccine against 2009 influenza A (H1N1). The patient had a medical history of suspected systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on continuing eruption at age 37-year old. Studies showed that influenza vaccine can trigger generation of various autoantibodies in healthy adults an in patients with SLE.

Abstract Background The number of dementia patients has increased worldwide, with an estimated 13.7 million dementia patients in the Asia Pacific region alone. This number is expected to increase to 64.6 million by the year 2050. Discussion As a result of advances in research, there several pharmacological therapies available for the treatment of dementia patients. However, current treatments do not suppress the disease process and cannot prevent dementia, and it will be some time before these goals are realized. In the meantime, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an important aspect in the treatment of dementia patients to improve their quality of life throughout the long course of the disease. Considering the individuality of dementia patients, applicability of laughter and humor therapy is discussed. Even though there are many things that need to be elucidated regarding the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of laughter and humor, both may be good CAM for dementia patients if they are applied carefully and properly. Summary In this debate article, the physiological basis and actual application of laughter and humor in the treatment of dementia patients are presented for discussion on the applicability to dementia patients.

The chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) gene acts as a cellular survival factor in response to several environmental and psychosocial stresses. The expression level of CHI3L1 was increased in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions of patients with schizophrenia. Genetic variants of the CHI3L1 gene have been significantly associated with schizophrenia in two distinct ethnic groups, the Chinese and Irish populations. The aims of this study are to confirm the association between the CHI3L1 gene and schizophrenia in a Japanese population using the largest sample size to date (1463 cases and 1795 controls) and perform a meta-analysis of the combined samples (3005 cases, 3825 controls and 601 trios). We found significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 4/rs4950928 (p=0.009), which is located in the promoter region of the CHI3L1 gene, and haplotypes including this SNP and schizophrenia (the most significant global p<0.001). As the meta-analysis of the combined samples showed significant heterogeneity among studies of SNP3/rs10399805 (p=0.026) and SNP4 (p<0.001), we performed meta-analyses separately in the Japanese (2033 cases and 2365 controls) and Chinese populations (412 cases, 464 controls and 601 trios), the major groups analyzed in association studies of the CHI3L1 gene. The meta-analysis in Japanese populations showed stronger evidence for the association of schizophrenia with SNP4 (p=0.003), while the meta-analysis in Chinese populations showed an association with a different variant (SNP3) (p=0.003). We conclude that the genetic variants in the CHI3L1 gene have ethnic heterogeneity and confer a susceptibility to schizophrenia in Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are poorly understood, although many genes are known to be involved in this pathology. To gain insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms, it is essential to identify the relationships between individual AD genes. Previous work has shown that the splice variant E of KLC1 (KLC1&#95;vE) promotes AD, and that the CELF1 gene, which encodes an RNA-binding protein involved in splicing regulation, is at a risk locus for AD. Here, we identified a functional link between CELF1 and KLC1 in AD pathogenesis. Transcriptomic data from human samples from different ethnic groups revealed that CELF1 mRNA levels are low in AD brains, and the splicing pattern of KLC1 is strongly correlated with CELF1 expression levels. Specifically, KLC1&#95;vE is negatively correlated with CELF1. Depletion and overexpression experiments in cultured cells demonstrated that the CELF1 protein down-regulates KLC1&#95;vE. In a cross-linking and immunoprecipitation sequencing (CLIP-seq) database, CELF1 directly binds to KLC1 RNA, following which it likely modulates terminal exon usage, hence KLC1&#95;vE formation. These findings reveal a new pathogenic pathway where a risk allele of CELF1 is associated with reduced CELF1 expression, which up-regulates KLC1&#95;vE to promote AD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to devise a tilt sensation measurement method to evaluate ankle proprioception and to examine its reliability. It was also used to determine the relationship among tilt sensation abilities, physical development, and lower limb injuries in junior athletes. In this study, a step platform created tilt angles. Participants with eye masks answered "yes" or "no" to sensing a tilt, evaluated over nine or seven trials. Experiment 1 involved 22 university students (20.6 ± 0.9 years). The minimum angle at which a tilt could be sensed while standing on both feet was determined, and measurements were taken again to examine reliability. Experiment 2 involved 40 junior athletes (12.3 ± 2.0 years), where the minimum angle for tilt sensation was obtained, and medical checks were conducted to assess injuries in the knee, lower leg, and foot. Reliability studies showed a moderately significant correlation between the first and second sessions ( r = 0.504, p = 0.017), suggesting the reliability of the experimental method. The proportion capable of sensing a tilt of 1.1° and 1.6° was significantly higher in junior high school students than in elementary school students (1.1°; χ 2 = 8.839, p = 0.003. 1.6°; χ 2 = 4.038, p = 0.044). The group unable to sense a tilt of 1.6° and 2.1° had a significantly higher positive rate of knee injuries compared to the sensed group among junior high school students (1.6°; χ 2 = 4.622, p = 0.032. 2.1°; χ 2 = 4.622, p = 0.032). Our findings suggested that a reduced tilt sensation ability was associated with knee injuries in junior high school students. Utilizing our devised tilt sensation assessment could play a crucial role in preventing and detecting early injuries in junior high school students.

Kyushu Shinkansen and conventional railway lines run parallel in the areas 5 km north of Kumamoto Station (northern area) and 12 km south of the station (southern area). Following the operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line in 2011, the adjacent conventional railway line in the north was elevated, a new station was operated in the south, and large earthquakes struck the Kumamoto area from March to April 2016. Sleep disturbances were compared before and after the interventions and earthquakes based on noise source (Shinkansen and conventional railways), area (northern and southern), and house type (detached and apartment) through socio-acoustic surveys from 2011 to 2017. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly less sleep disturbances in detached houses in the north after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably due to more frequent closures of bedroom windows in northern detached houses following the earthquakes. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly more sleep disturbances in apartments in the south after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably because the Shinkansen slowed down immediately after the earthquakes and returned to normal speed during the survey, suddenly increasing the noise exposure. There was no significant difference in the other six cases investigated. Overall, the interventions may not have caused significant differences in sleep disturbances. This article expands on the congress paper by Morihara et al. presented in the "Community Response to Noise" session at the 52nd International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering in Makuhari, Japan, organized by the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering.

Postural assessment is one of the indicators of health status in older adults. Since the number of older adults is on the rise, it is essential to assess simpler methods and automated ones in the future. Therefore, we focused on a visual method (imaging method). The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of agreement between the imaging method and the palpation and visual methods (clinical method). In addition, the influence of differences in the information content of the sagittal plane images on the assessment was also investigated. In this experiment, 28 sagittal photographs of older adults whose posture had already been assessed using the clinical method were used. Furthermore, based on these photographs, 28 gray and silhouette images (G and S images) were generated, respectively. The G and S images were assessed by 28 physical therapists (PTs) using the imaging method. The assessment was based on the Kendall classification, with one of four categories selected for each image: ideal, kyphosis lordosis, sway back, and flat back. Cross-tabulation matrices of the assessments using the clinical method and imaging method were created. In this table, four categories and two categories of ideal and non-ideal (KL, SB, and FB) were created. The agreement was evaluated using the prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). In addition, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to confirm the reliability. When comparing the clinical and imaging methods in the four posture categories, the PABAK values were -0.14 and -0.29 for the S and G images, respectively. In the case of the two categories, the PABAK values were 0.57 and 0.5 for the S and G images, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 86% and 57% for the S images and 76% and 71% for the G images, respectively. The four categories show that the imaging method is difficult to assess regardless of the image processing. However, in the case of the two categories, the same assessment of the clinical method applied to the imaging method for both the S and G images. Therefore, no differences in image processing were observed, suggesting that PTs can identify posture using the visual method.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association between very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (VLOSLP), a schizophrenia spectrum disorder with an onset of ≥60 years, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using biomarkers., Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study., Setting: Neuropsychology clinic of Osaka University Hospital in Japan., Participants: Thirty-three participants were classified into three groups: eight AD biomarker-negative VLOSLP (VLOSLP-AD), nine AD biomarker-positive VLOSLP (VLOSLP+AD), and sixteen amnestic mild cognitive impairment due to AD without psychosis (aMCI-P+AD) participants., Measurements: Phosphorylated tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and 18 F-Florbetapir positron emission tomography results were used as AD biomarkers. Several scales (e.g. the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) Logical Memory (LM) I and II, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)-plus) were conducted to assess clinical characteristics., Results: Those in both VLOSLP-AD and +AD groups scored higher than those in aMCI-P+AD in WMS-R LM I. On the other hand, VLOSLP+AD participants scored in between the other two groups in the WMS-R LM II, with only VLOSLP-AD participants scoring significantly higher than aMCI-P+AD participants. There were no significant differences in sex distribution and MMSE scores among the three groups or in the subtype of psychotic symptoms between VLOSLP-AD and +AD participants. Four VLOSLP-AD and five VLOSLP+AD participants harbored partition delusions. Delusion of theft was shown in two VLOSLP-AD patients and five VLOSLP+AD patients., Conclusion: Some VLOSLP patients had AD pathology. Clinical characteristics were different between AD biomarker-positive and AD biomarker-negative VLOSLP, which may be helpful for detecting AD pathology in VLOSLP patients.