Redox control in arsenic accumulation with organic matter derived from a varved lacustrine deposit in the Jurassic accretionary complexes.

Oxidation states and distribution of arsenic (As) in annually laminated (varved) lacustrine deposits were analyzed with a seasonal resolution. This deposit was formed in the mid-Holocene landslide-dammed paleolake in the upper reaches of the Ane River, central Japan and the paleolake watershed consists of the Jurassic accretionary complexes (Mino-Tamba belt) including sedimentary and igneous rocks. In the outcrop, centimeter-to-decimeter-scale silty clay layers alternating with laminated layers are well developed.

Ankle-hip joint trade-off in normal gait: Exploring the kinematic influence of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot.

Background: In human gait, leg progression into the swing phase involves two primary strategies: ankle plantar flexion and hip flexion. These strategies are believed to exhibit a trade-off relationship; however, it is unclear whether this relationship holds for normal gait and the role of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) in shaping these strategies.

Research Questions: Does a trade-off relationship exist between ankle plantar flexion and hip flexion strategies during normal gait in young healthy adults? Do the kinematics of MLA during gait influence the strategies during leg progression into the swing phase?

Methods: Data from 36 young healthy adults were analyzed.

Effect of altered sagittal-plane knee kinematics on loading during the early stance phase of gait.

Background: Individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) show various dynamic sagittal-plane changes during the early stance phase of gait. However, the effect of these kinematic alterations on knee load during the early stance remains poorly understood.

Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of altered sagittal- plane knee kinematics on knee load during the early stance.

Falls among community-dwelling elderly people of Hokkaido, Japan.

Background: Although the circumstances surrounding falls among community-dwelling elderly people have been described by numerous studies, there are few that have reported falls in the northern regions of Japan, such as Hokkaido, that experience a severe winter with heavy snow. As a preliminary study, we surveyed the circumstances of falls among community-dwelling elderly people in Hokkaido with a self-administered questionnaire.

Methods: Residents living in private homes throughout Hokkaido were randomly contacted by telephone and those aged over 65 years were recruited for this study.

Kinematics of the compensatory step by the trailing leg following an unexpected forward slip while walking.

In this study, we described the joint angle changes of the trailing leg during the compensatory step used to recover balance following a forward slip while walking. Fifteen healthy young males walked on a walkway which incorporated a movable platform to simulate a forward slip while walking. In 12 out of the 15 subjects, the trailing leg was rapidly lowered during the swing phase and was placed on the ground behind the slipping foot following the onset of the slip.

Pharmacognostical studies of cistanchis herba (III) phylogenetic relationship of the cistanche plants based on plastid rps2 gene and rpl16-rpl14 intergenic spacer sequences.

The phylogenetic relationship of Cistanche deserticola, C. salsa and C. tubulosa was analyzed by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the plastid rps2 gene and the intergenic spacer region between rpl16 and rpl14.