Comparative Effects of Monascin and Monascinol Produced by SWM-008 on Pro-Inflammatory Factors and Histopathological Alterations in Liver and Kidney Tissues in a Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide-Induced Rat Model.

Monascinol (Msol), an analog of monascin (MS) produced by , possesses potential anti-inflammatory properties. This study compares the effects of SWM-008 fermented red mold rice, which contains the functional components MS and Msol, on liver and kidney damage related to diabetic complications in rats. An animal model of liver and kidney injury was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at 65 mg/kg body weight combined with nicotinamide (NA) at 150 mg/kg body weight.

Relationship Between Athletes' History of Stressors and Sport Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

A history of stressors in athletes represents psychosocial factors that may lead to sport injury. However, empirical studies have provided varying results for the relationship between stress history and sport injury. We examined prior literature on the stress history - sport injury relationship within a systematic review and, by meta-analysis, we offered a pooled estimate of the strength of this relationship.

Toxicological evaluation of the red mold rice extract, ANKASCIN 568-R: 13-week chronic toxicity, and genotoxicity studies.

ANKASCIN 568-R is an extract derived from red mold rice (RMR) fermented using NTU 568. RMR fermented using NTU 568 prevents cardiovascular diseases and decreases blood lipid levels. This study evaluates the safety of ANKASCIN 568-R, since it has not determined yet.

Interactive Effects on Motor Performance of Mindfulness, Performance Under Pressure, Self-Talk, and Motor Task Characteristics.

High mindfulness individuals have been found to perform better on motor tasks under various conditions, but it is unknown whether mindfulness and performance relate when performing under pressure or using different types of self-talk with different motor tasks. In this study, 46 male participants (age = 21.4, = 1.

Monascin and Ankaflavin of Prevent Alcoholic Liver Disease through Regulating AMPK-Mediated Lipid Metabolism and Enhancing Both Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidative Systems.

Alcohol metabolism causes an excessive accumulation of liver lipids and inflammation, resulting in liver damage. The yellow pigments monascin (MS) and ankaflavin (AK) of -fermented rice were proven to regulate ethanol-induced damage in HepG2 cells, but the complete anti-inflammatory and anti-fatty liver mechanisms in the animal model are still unclear. This study explored the roles of MS and AK in improving alcoholic liver injury.

EMP2 induces cytostasis and apoptosis via the TGFβ/SMAD/SP1 axis and recruitment of P2RX7 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: Urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) is a common malignant disease, and its high recurrence rates impose a heavy clinical burden. The objective of this study was to identify signaling pathways downstream of epithelial membrane protein 2 (EMP2), which induces cytostasis and apoptosis in UBUC.

Methods: A series of in vitro and in vivo assays using different UBUC-derived cell lines and mouse xenograft models were performed, respectively.

Socio-Ecological Predictors of Frequent Bike Share Trips: Do Purposes Matter?

Using bike share could increase physical activity and improve health. This study used the social-ecological model to identify predictors of frequent bike share trips for different purposes. Participants residing in the U.

Motivation, Segmented Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status in Adolescents: A Path Analysis.

: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships linking motivational variables with BMI percentile (BMI%) via segmented physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in adolescents using path analysis. : Secondary data analysis was performed using participants from the Family, Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study. A non-probability panel balanced to the US population on sex, Census division, household income and size, and race/ethnicity were screened for eligibility.

Stress of life events and anxiety as mediators of the association between insomnia and triglycerides in college students.

This study examined interrelationships among insomnia, stress, anxiety, and metabolic risk factors. : A total of 124 college students were included in the analysis (age = 21 ± 1 years). Insomnia, stress of life events, and anxiety were assessed using self-reported questionnaires.

A Pilot Study of Hip Corrective Taping Using Kinesio Tape for Pain and Lower Extremity Joint Kinematics in Basketball Players with Patellofemoral Pain.

Purpose: This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of hip corrective taping to improve self-reported knee pain and lower extremity joint kinematics in basketball players with patellofemoral pain.

Patients And Methods: A single group pre-test and post-test design. Collegiate basketball players with patellofemoral pain were recruited.

Fear of falling avoidance behavior affects the inter-relationship between vision impairment and diminished mobility in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Age-related decline in vision may contribute to the development of fear of falling (FOF) behavior and reduced mobility, which are related to increased fall risk in older adults.

Purpose: To investigate the inter-relationship between vision impairment, physical mobility performance, and FOF behavior in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: A total of 400 participants from community centers (267 females; age = 74.

Estimation of the Number of Passengers in a Bus Using Deep Learning.

For the development of intelligent transportation systems, if real-time information on the number of people on buses can be obtained, it will not only help transport operators to schedule buses but also improve the convenience for passengers to schedule their travel times accordingly. This study proposes a method for estimating the number of passengers on a bus. The method is based on deep learning to estimate passenger occupancy in different scenarios.

Seeking Positive Strengths in Buffering Athletes' Life Stress-Burnout Relationship: The Moderating Roles of Athletic Mental Energy.

In search of positive strengths that bolster athletes' reaction to stress, the purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of athletic mental energy on the athletes' life stress-burnout relationship. This study recruited two samples (Study 1 = 230; Study 2 = 159) and administered the College Student-Athlete's Life Stress Scale (CSALSS; Lu et al., 2012), Athletic Mental Energy Scale (AMES; Lu et al.

Measuring Athletic Mental Energy (AME): Instrument Development and Validation.

Although considerable research indicates that mental energy is an important factor in many domains, including athletic performance (Cook and Davis, 2006), athletic mental energy (AME) has never been conceptualized and measured. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conceptualize and develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess AME. In Study 1, a focus group interview established the initial framework of AME.

Collegiate baseball players with more optimal functional movement patterns demonstrate better athletic performance in speed and agility.

Sports injuries are common among baseball players and may result in abnormal movement patterns, increased risks of future injury, and unsatisfactory performance. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) has been developed to detect abnormal functional movement patterns and can be used for predicting risks of sports injury. However, whether FMS™ scores are associated with athletic performance remains unclear.

Prediction of life stress on athletes' burnout: the dual role of perceived stress.

Although many studies adopted Smith's (1986) cognitive-affective model of athletic burnout in examining stress-burnout relationship, very few studies examined the mediating/moderating role of perceived stress on the stress-burnout relationship. We sampled 195 college student-athletes and assessed their life stress, perceived stress, and burnout. Correlation analyses found all study variables correlated.

Examining the stress-burnout relationship: the mediating role of negative thoughts.

Background: Using Smith's (1986) cognitive-affective model of athletic burnout as a guiding framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among athletes' stress in life, negative thoughts, and the mediating role of negative thoughts on the stress-burnout relationship.

Methods: A total of 300 college student-athletes (males = 174; females = 126,  = 20.43 y, = 1.

Relapse insomnia increases greater risk of anxiety and depression: evidence from a population-based 4-year cohort study.

Objective: We investigated the longitudinal impacts of insomnia on the subsequent developments of anxiety and depression during a four-year follow-up. We further categorized individuals with insomnia into different insomnia subgroups to examine whether the risk of anxiety and depression varies by subtype.

Methods: Participants were identified from National Health Insurance enrollees in Taiwan during 2002-2009.

Novel histone deacetylase inhibitor AR-42 exhibits antitumor activity in pancreatic cancer cells by affecting multiple biochemical pathways.

Objective: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer with a 5-year survival rate of ~5%. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) participate in many cellular processes, including carcinogenesis, and pharmacological inhibition of HDACs has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy. In this study, we explored antitumor activity of the novel HDAC inhibitor AR-42 in pancreatic cancer.

OSU-A9 inhibits pancreatic cancer cell lines by modulating p38-JAK-STAT3 signaling.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy that is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Since there is a dire need for novel and effective therapies to improve the poor survival rates of advanced pancreatic cancer patients, we analyzed the antitumor effects of OSU-A9, an indole-3-carbinol derivative, on pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. OSU-A9 exhibited a stronger antitumor effect than gemcitabine on two pancreatic cancer cell lines, including gemcitabine-resistant PANC-1 cells.

VPS36-Mediated plasma membrane protein turnover is critical for Arabidopsis root gravitropism.

The gravitropic response is an evolutionary adaptation for plants to cope with the altered gravitational field. It involves reestablishing the distribution of the phytohormone auxin by differential degradation of auxin influx and efflux carriers. This process includes the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery to recognize ubiquitinated proteins and deliver them to vacuoles for degradation, as evidenced by vps36-1 mutants.