The present study was performed to investigate the validity of a wireless earbud-type inertial measurement unit (Ear-IMU) sensor used to estimate head angle during four workouts. In addition, ...relationships between head angle obtained from the Ear-IMU sensor and the angles of other joints determined with a 3D motion analysis system were investigated. The study population consisted of 20 active volunteers. The Ear-IMU sensor measured the head angle, while a 3D motion analysis system simultaneously measured the angles of the head, trunk, pelvis, hips, and knees during workouts. Comparison with the head angle measured using the 3D motion analysis system indicated that the validity of the Ear-IMU sensor was very strong or moderate in the sagittal and frontal planes. In addition, the trunk angle in the frontal plane showed a fair correlation with the head angle determined with the Ear-IMU sensor during a single-leg squat, reverse lunge, and standing hip abduction; the correlation was poor in the sagittal plane. Our results indicated that the Ear-IMU sensor can be used to directly estimate head motion and indirectly estimate trunk motion.
In the present study, tensile and springback properties of medium (3–7 wt%) Mn steels for warm stamping were investigated as functions of Mn content, austenitizing temperature (Taus), V-bending ...temperature (Tb) and time (tb). For comparison, the tensile and springback properties of 22MnB5 steel used for hot stamping were also evaluated. Whereas medium-Mn steels were air-cooled to room temperature after austenitizing at various Taus, the 22MnB5 steel was water-quenched. The 5Mn steel exhibited the highest tensile properties due to the martensitic matrix with inactive auto-tempering and negligible amount of retained austenite. The springback of medium-Mn specimens was increased by the addition of Mn at a given Tb when tb was 0 s. At the Tb of 300–500 °C, the fraction of martensitic transformation was raised by increasing the Mn content, resulting in high springback. At the Tb of 600 °C, the rise in transformation strain by the addition of Mn raised springback. When Tb was fixed to be 600 °C, the springback of medium-Mn specimens was increased by the addition of Mn due to the increases in transformation strain at the tb of 0 s and the fraction of martensitic transformation during air cooling at the tb of 2 s and over.
•5Mn steel revealed superior tensile properties to 3Mn, 7Mn and 22MnB5 steels.•Active auto-tempering and retained austenite undermined tensile properties.•Springback of medium-Mn steels was increased by the addition of Mn.•Springback depended on the fraction of martensite formed during air cooling.•Drop in bending temperature and prolongation of holding time reduced springback.
This study investigated the factors that influence core muscle endurance, i.e., the symmetry of frontal core motion during indoor walking and cycling, the symmetry of lateral core muscle endurance, ...the symmetry of the hip abductor strength, the weekly workout time and fast walking and cycling speeds, while controlling for gender. Seventy-nine healthy young adults participated in this study. In a regression analysis, the core muscle endurance time was the dependent variable. The independent variables were the symmetry of frontal core motion (measured using a wireless earbud sensor during walking and cycling), the symmetry of side plank time and of hip abductor strength, the weekly workout time and fast walking and cycling speeds. In the multiple regression analysis, weekly workout time, fast walking speed, symmetry of frontal core motion during fast cycling and symmetry of lateral side plank time predicted core muscle endurance (adjusted R2 = 0.42). Thus, clinicians and fitness personnel should consider the association of core muscle endurance with the symmetry of frontal core motion during cycling and the symmetry of side plank holding time, as well as with the weekly workout time and a fast walking speed, when designing core muscle exercise programmes.
Depression is a serious medical illness that is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Corticosterone (CORT) increases depression-like behavior, with some effects on anxiety-like behavior. ...2-Phenethylamine (PEA) is a monoamine alkaloid that acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. Here, we show that PEA exerts antidepressant effects by modulating the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB)/cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway in CORT-induced depression. To investigate the potential effects of PEA on CORT-induced depression, we first treated CORT (50 μM)-induced hippocampal neurons with 100 μM PEA for 24 h. We found that treatment with CORT altered dendritic spine architecture; however, treatment with PEA rescued dendritic spine formation via regulation of BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling. Next, we used a mouse model of CORT-induced depression. Mice were treated with CORT (20 mg/kg) for 21 days, followed by assessments of a battery of depression-like behaviors. During the final four days of CORT exposure, the mice were treated with PEA (50 mg/kg). We found that CORT injection promoted depression-like behavior and significantly decreased BDNF and TrkB expression in the hippocampus. However, treatment with PEA significantly ameliorated the behavioral and biochemical changes induced by CORT. Our findings reveal that PEA exerts antidepressant effects by modulating the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway in a mouse model of CORT-induced depression.
The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of garlic constituent diallyl trisulfide (DATS) on growth of PC-3 human prostate cancer xenograft in vivo.
DATS was given orally (6 micromoL, ...thrice weekly) to male athymic mice s.c. implanted with PC-3 cells. Tumor sections from control and DATS-treated mice were examined for apoptotic bodies by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Protein levels of apoptosis and cell cycle regulating proteins in tumor tissues of control and DATS-treated mice were determined by immunoblotting. The effect of DATS treatment on in vivo angiogenesis was determined by immunohistochemical analysis of CD31 in tumors.
Oral gavage of DATS significantly retarded growth of PC-3 xenografts in athymic mice without causing weight loss. For instance, 20 days after starting therapy, the average tumor volume in control mice was approximately 3-fold higher compared with DATS-treated mice. Tumors from DATS-treated mice exhibited a markedly higher count of apoptotic bodies compared with control tumors. Consistent with the results in cultured PC-3 cells, the DATS-mediated suppression of PC-3 xenograft growth correlated with induction of proapoptotic proteins Bax and Bak. Although DATS treatment inhibited migration of cultured PC-3 cells in association with down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 protein, formation of new blood vessels was comparable in tumors of control and DATS-treated mice as judged by CD31 immunostaining.
The present study indicates that DATS administration inhibits growth of PC-3 xenografts in vivo in association with induction of Bax and Bak.
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