Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common injuries in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it is important to investigate the actual nature of the injury because it can impair a player's performance after returning to the game. Although the moment of injury has been investigated, the details of the movements and circumstances leading to injury in basketball games are unknown. This study aimed to clarify the actions leading to ACL injuries and to investigate their characteristics, based on YouTube video analyses of the NBA players.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: This study aimed to investigate the association between hip extensor muscle weakness and performance of activities of daily living (ADL) including stair ambulation, sit-to-stand (STS), and walking in patients with early-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods: Community-dwelling older individuals (age ≥ 65 years and Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1-2) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The ability to perform stair ambulation, STS, and walking was measured using the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure.
Abstract: The behavior of radiocesium in wild animal meats upon cooking was investigated. The ratio of the concentration change (processing factor, Pf), remaining ratio (food processing retention factor, Fr), and removal ratio of radiocesium in the meats by grilling, boiling, and steaming were determined. Differences in cooking methods, rather than differences in meat parts or animal species, clearly influenced the Pf, Fr, and removal ratios.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo clarify the behavior of radioactive cesium (Cs) in buckwheat grains during milling and cooking processes, parameters such as processing factor (Pf) and food processing retention factor (Fr) were evaluated in two lots of buckwheat grains, R1 and R2, with different concentrations of radioactive Cs. Three milling fractions, the husk, bran, and flour fractions, were obtained using a mill and electric sieve. The radioactive Cs (Cs + Cs) concentrations in husk and bran were higher than that in grain, whereas the concentration in flour was lower than that in grain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn 2009, the enrichment broth TA10 was released for simultaneous recovery of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7. This medium was compared with other Salmonella enrichment broths [lactose (LAC) broth, buffered peptone water (BPW), and universal pre-enrichment (UP) broth] for the recovery of heat- and freeze-injured Salmonella spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the distribution of cesium-134 ((134)Cs) and cesium-137 ((137)Cs) during polishing and cooking of rice to obtain their processing factors (Pf) and food processing retention factors (Fr) to make the information available for an adequate understanding of radioactive Cs dynamics. Polishing brown rice resulted in a decreased radioactive Cs concentration of the polished rice, but the bran and germ (outer layers) exhibited higher concentrations than brown rice. The Pf values for 100% polished rice and outer layers ranged from 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe levels of food allergens in gamma-irradiated soybean (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 20, and 30 kGy) were investigated by immunoblotting and ELISA, using allergen-specific antibodies and patient serum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the fate of radioactive cesium ((134)Cs plus (137)Cs) during the production of tofu, natto, and nimame (boiled soybean) from a contaminated Japanese soybean cultivar harvested in FY2011. Tofu, natto, and nimame were made from soybean grains containing radioactive cesium (240 to 340 Bq/kg [dry weight]), and the radioactive cesium in the processed soybean foods and in by-product fractions such as okara, broth, and waste water was measured with a germanium semiconductor detector. The processing factor is the ratio of radioactive cesium concentration of a product before and after processing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFusarium proliferatum is a plant pathogenic fungus associated with crops such as asparagus and corn, and it possesses the ability to produce a range of mycotoxins, including fumonisins. In Asia, rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple cereal and is occasionally colonized by this fungus without obvious physiological changes. F.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Salmonella pre-enrichment broth [lactose (LAC) broth], buffered peptone water, and universal pre-enrichment (UP) broth were compared with TA10 broth, developed in our laboratory, for recovery of heat- and freeze-injured Salmonella (55 degrees C for 2-20 min and -20 degrees C for 2 months, respectively) from beef. Beef samples were contaminated with single Salmonella serovars, and contamination levels of 0.44 to <0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was designed to compare the effectiveness of acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) in reducing several Escherichia coli strains isolated from different retail meat and fresh produce. Forty nonpathogenic E. coli strains were isolated and used in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of low-dose irradiation (0.75 and 1.5 kGy) in combination with acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) on the reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on mung bean seeds was examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSalmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are foodborne pathogens capable of causing serious gastrointestinal illness. We previously described simultaneous detection of these pathogens by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 44 types of spiked food samples, including meat, produce, fish, and dairy products, targeting genes specific for each pathogen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of a suitable sanitizer can reduce the risk of produce-related foodborne illnesses. We evaluated the effectiveness of several sanitizers to reduce inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7 on the surface of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiform).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEfficacy of washing with distilled water, chlorine solution, and acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) solution on populations of microorganisms on spinach leaves was evaluated. Washing with chlorine (100 mg/L) and ASC (sodium chlorite, 15 mg/L; citric acid, 200 mg/L) resulted in significant population reduction (1.1-1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effects of the disinfectants NaClO and calcinated calcium on the food-borne pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. attached to shredded cabbage leaves were examined. After these bacteria were attached to shredded leaves for 1 h, the leaves were treated with NaClO and/or calcinated calcium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConventional culture methods were compared to a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 from enrichment cultures of various types of artificially inoculated and naturally contaminated foods. The multiplex PCR assay was evaluated in 44 types of spiked food samples, including meat, produce, fish, and dairy products targeting genes specific for each pathogen for simultaneous detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe risk of food poisoning and growth of spoilage bacteria in Awa-Uirou, a sticky rice cake containing sweet red bean paste, was evaluated. Toxin-producing bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus are the main causes of food poisoning linked to this kind of food. The water activity in this product is in the range suitable for growth of S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of a 960-bp fragment of the Campylobacter gyrB gene with either DdeI or XspI restriction enzymes generated unique digestion patterns for 12 different Campylobacter species. In addition, PCR assays using species-specific primer sets targeting gyrB were specific for the respective Campylobacter species. Therefore, PCR-RFLP analysis and species-specific PCR assays based on the gyrB gene provide valuable tools for rapid and unambiguous identification of the majority of Campylobacter species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo-dimensional electrophoresis with immobilized pH gradient (IPG) followed by acetic acid/urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE) was developed for the detection of low-molecular weight food allergens. Wheat proteins were used to test the applicability of AU-PAGE for the analysis of food allergens. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) for first dimension was performed with IPG pH 3-10.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEfficacy of prewashing with acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) for the sanitation of lightly fermented Chinese cabbage was evaluated. The population of the natural microflora on the cabbage leaves was reduced about 2.0 log CFU/g just after washing with ASC, a significant reduction compared with the control distilled water wash (P < or = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA multiplex PCR method was developed for simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat samples. DNA detection sensitivity for this method was 10(3) CFU/ml for each pathogen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEfficacy of acidified sodium chlorite for reducing the population of Escherichia coli O157:H7 pathogens on Chinese cabbage leaves was evaluated. Washing leaves with distilled water could reduce the population of E. coli O157:H7 by approximately 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe redox reaction between quinone and viable microorganisms produces active oxygen species. In this study, the production rates of active oxygen species were determined by a luminol chemiluminescent assay, and the luminescence intensity was found to be proportional to the viable cell number. The high sensitivity of the luminol chemiluminescent assay was achieved with Mo-ethylenediaminetetraacetate complex and menadione or coenzyme Q1.
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