Prospective versus predictive control in timing of hitting a falling ball.

Debate exists as to whether humans use prospective or predictive control to intercept an object falling under gravity (Baurès et al. in Vis Res 47:2982-2991, 2007; Zago et al. in Vis Res 48:1532-1538, 2008).

Supplemental cellular protection by a carotenoid extends lifespan via Ins/IGF-1 signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Astaxanthin (AX), which is produced by some marine animals, is a type of carotenoid that has antioxidative properties. In this study, we initially examined the effects of AX on the aging of a model organism C. elegans that has the conserved intracellular pathways related to mammalian longevity.

Dysregulation of iron metabolism in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Dysregulation of iron metabolism has been observed in patients with neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Utilization of several importers and exporters for iron transport in brain cells helps maintain iron homeostasis. Dysregulation of iron homeostasis leads to the production of neurotoxic substances and reactive oxygen species, resulting in iron-induced oxidative stress.

Nutritional status is strongly correlated with grip strength and depression in community-living elderly Japanese.

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) in assessing nutritional, physical and psychosocial functions in community-living elderly individuals.

Design: A cross-sectional study of elderly individuals investigated in August 2007 and August-September 2008. Nutritional status was assessed using serum biomarkers, anthropometric measurements and the MNA.

SOD-1 deletions in Caenorhabditis elegans alter the localization of intracellular reactive oxygen species and show molecular compensation.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme that catalytically removes the superoxide radical (*O2-) and protects organisms from oxidative damage during normal aging. We demonstrate that not only the cytosolic *O2- level but also the mitochondrial *O2- level increases in the deletion mutants of sod-1 gene encoding Cu/Zn SOD in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

The involvement of cognitive processing in a perceptual-motor process examined with EEG time-frequency analysis.

Objective: For motor activities, visual information is crucial for organizing a movement with respect to a given situation. The present study investigates how cognitive information processing is associated with this visuomotor process.

Methods: Brain dynamics in executing two perceptual-motor tasks were examined in terms of event-related synchronization (ERS) and event-related desynchronization (ERD) of EEG.

[Epidemiological study of fractures in Japanese children and adolescents].

We reviewed our previous population-based survey regarding fractures in 55,464 Japanese children, conducted in 2001. (total : 773 fractured cases [prevalence 1.4%] , males : 527 casesc [1.

Hyperoxia exposure induced hormesis decreases mitochondrial superoxide radical levels via Ins/IGF-1 signaling pathway in a long-lived age-1 mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans.

The hormetic effect, which extends the lifespan by various stressors, has been confirmed in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). We have previously reported that oxidative stress resistance in a long-lived mutant age-1 is associated with the hormesis.

Microglia and astroglia prevent oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death: implications for aceruloplasminemia.

We partially characterized the transferrin-independent iron uptake (Tf-IU) of neuronal and glial cells in the previous report. In the present study, we further examined a mechanism of which glial cells protect neuronal cells against iron stress using neuron-microglia (N-MG) and neuron-astrocyte (N-AS) co-cultures. When each solely purified cell was treated with iron citrate, cell death occurred in N and MG.

Kinetic comparison of a side-foot soccer kick between experienced and inexperienced players.

The aim of this study was to identify critical kinetic variables that lead to increased ball velocity during a side-foot passing kick in soccer. Seven experienced male soccer players and eight inexperienced players participated in the experiment. They were instructed to perform side-foot kicks along the ground with maximum effort with an eye on the target line.

Kinetic analysis of bile acids in the feces of colorectal cancer patients by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Purpose: We used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and reviewed dynamics of bile acids every colorectal cancer occupation part as contrast with a healthy adults after enforcement by all at once analysis of bile acids in feces of a healthy adults and the colorectal cancer patients so that we clarified the details of a possibility of colorectal cancer outbreak participation of allo type bile acids.

Subjects: The fecal bile acid measurements were made in a colorectal cancer group consisting of 89 patients and a control group consisting of 103 healthy adults.

Methods: All at once analyzed bile acid in feces of a control group and colorectal cancer group by GC-MS.

A functional modulation for timing a movement: a coordinative structure in baseball hitting.

In baseball hitting, a powerful bat-swing needs to be produced by utilizing ground reaction force (GRF) and it should also be temporally coordinated relative to the flight of the pitch. The temporal organization of hitting movements associated with these task requirements was investigated by analyzing GRF during hitting slow and fast pitches. The timing of stepping with a front foot and shifting weight forward was modulated relative to the pitch's speed.