Validity of an ultra-wideband local positioning system to assess specific movements in handball

The aim of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of the Kinexon local positioning system (LPS) in comparison with the Vicon motion capture system used as the reference. Five recreationally active men performed ten repetitions of linear sprints, medio-lateral side-to-side and handball-specific movements both in the centre and on the side of an indoor field. Validity was assessed for peak speed, peak acceleration and peak deceleration using standardised biases, Pearson coefficient of correlation (r), and standardised typical error of the estimate. With the exception of peak decelerations during specific movements in the centre and peak acceleration and deceleration during linear sprints on the side of the field, the standardised typical error of the estimate (TEE) values were all small to moderate (0.06–0.48), standardised bias ranged between 0.01 and 2.85 and Pearson coefficient values were all > 0.90 for all variables in all conditions. Peak acceleration and deceleration during linear sprints on the side of the field showed the largest TEEs and the greatest differences between the two systems. The ultra-wideband based (UWB) local positioning system had acceptable validity compared with Vicon to assess players’ movements in handball with the exception of high accelerations and decelerations during linear sprints on the side of the field.     

A Correspondence between Individual Differences in the Brain's Intrinsic Functional Architecture and the Content and Form of Self-Generated Thoughts

Although neural activity often reflects the processing of external inputs, intrinsic fluctuations in activity have been observed throughout the brain. These may relate to patterns of self-generated thought that can occur while not performing goal-driven tasks. To understand the relationship between self-generated mental activity and intrinsic neural fluctuations, we developed the New York Cognition Questionnaire (NYC-Q) to assess the content and form of an individual''s experiences during the acquisition of resting-state fMRI data. The data were collected as a part of the Nathan Kline Rockland Enhanced sample. We decomposed NYC-Q scores using exploratory factor analysis and found that self-reported thoughts clustered into distinct dimensions of content (future related, past related, positive, negative, and social) and form (words, images, and specificity). We used these components to perform an individual difference analysis exploring how differences in the types of self-generated thoughts relate to whole brain measures of intrinsic brain activity (fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations, regional homogeneity, and degree centrality). We found patterns of self-generated thoughts related to changes that were distributed across a wide range of cortical areas. For example, individuals who reported greater imagery exhibited greater low frequency fluctuations in a region of perigenual cingulate cortex, a region that is known to participate in the so-called default-mode network. We also found certain forms of thought were associated with other areas, such as primary visual cortex, the insula, and the cerebellum. For example, individuals who reported greater future thought exhibited less homogeneous neural fluctuations in a region of lateral occipital cortex, a result that is consistent with the claim that particular types of self-generated thought depend on processes that are decoupled from sensory processes. These data provide evidence that self-generated thought is a heterogeneous category of experience and that studying its content can be helpful in understanding brain dynamics.     

A Three-Dimensional Skeletal Reconstruction of the Stem Amniote Orobates pabsti (Diadectidae): Analyses of Body Mass,Centre of Mass Position,and Joint Mobility

Orobates pabsti, a basal diadectid from the lower Permian, is a key fossil for the understanding of early amniote evolution. Quantitative analysis of anatomical information suffers from fragmentation of fossil bones, plastic deformation due to diagenetic processes and fragile preservation within surrounding rock matrix, preventing further biomechanical investigation. Here we describe the steps taken to digitally reconstruct MNG 10181, the holotype specimen of Orobates pabsti, and subsequently use the digital reconstruction to assess body mass, position of the centre of mass in individual segments as well as the whole animal, and study joint mobility in the shoulder and hip joints. The shape of most fossil bone fragments could be recovered from micro-focus computed tomography scans. This also revealed structures that were hitherto hidden within the rock matrix. However, parts of the axial skeleton had to be modelled using relevant isolated bones from the same locality as templates. Based on the digital fossil, mass of MNG 10181 was estimated using a model of body shape that was varied within a plausible range to account for uncertainties of the dimension. In the mean estimate model the specimen had an estimated mass of circa 4 kg. Varying of the mass distribution amongst body segments further revealed that Orobates carried most of its weight on the hind limbs. Mostly unrestricted joint morphology further suggested that MNG 10181 was able to effectively generate propulsion with the pelvic limbs. The digital reconstruction is made available for future biomechanical studies.     

Detection of Aldehydes and Their Conjugated Hydroperox Ydiene Precursors in Thermally-Stressed Culinary Oils and Fats: Investigations Using High Resolution Proton Nmr Spectroscopy

High field (400 and 600 MHz) proton NMR spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the thermally-induced autoxidation of glycerol-bound polyunsaturated fatty acids present in intact culinary frying oils and fats. Heating of these materials at 180°C for periods of 30, 60 and 90 min. generated a variety of peroxidation products, notably aldehydes (alkanals, trans-2-alkenals and alka-2, 4-dienals) and their conjugated hydroperoxydiene precursors. Since such aldehydes appear to be absorbed into the systemic circulation from the gut in vivo, the toxicological significance of their production during standard frying practices is discussed.     

A Host YB-1 Ribonucleoprotein Complex Is Hijacked by Hepatitis C Virus for the Control of NS3-Dependent Particle Production

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) orchestrates the different stages of its life cycle in time and space through the sequential participation of HCV proteins and cellular machineries; hence, these represent tractable molecular host targets for HCV elimination by combination therapies. We recently identified multifunctional Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1 or YBX1) as an interacting partner of NS3/4A protein and HCV genomic RNA that negatively regulates the equilibrium between viral translation/replication and particle production. To identify novel host factors that regulate the production of infectious particles, we elucidated the YB-1 interactome in human hepatoma cells by a quantitative mass spectrometry approach. We identified 71 YB-1-associated proteins that included previously reported HCV regulators DDX3, heterogeneous nuclear RNP A1, and ILF2. Of the potential YB-1 interactors, 26 proteins significantly modulated HCV replication in a gene-silencing screening. Following extensive interaction and functional validation, we identified three YB-1 partners, C1QBP, LARP-1, and IGF2BP2, that redistribute to the surface of core-containing lipid droplets in HCV JFH-1-expressing cells, similarly to YB-1 and DDX6. Importantly, knockdown of these proteins stimulated the release and/or egress of HCV particles without affecting virus assembly, suggesting a functional YB-1 protein complex that negatively regulates virus production. Furthermore, a JFH-1 strain with the NS3 Q221L mutation, which promotes virus production, was less sensitive to this negative regulation, suggesting that this HCV-specific YB-1 protein complex modulates an NS3-dependent step in virus production. Overall, our data support a model in which HCV hijacks host cell machinery containing numerous RNA-binding proteins to control the equilibrium between viral RNA replication and NS3-dependent late steps in particle production.