The aim of this study was to identify and explain the optimum projection angle that maximises the distance achieved in a standing long jump. Five physically active males performed maximum-effort jumps over a wide range of take-off angles, and the jumps were recorded and analysed using a 2-D video analysis procedure. The total jump distance achieved was considered as the sum of three component distances (take-off, flight, and landing), and the dependence of each component distance on the take-off angle was systematically investigated. The flight distance was strongly affected by a decrease in the jumper's take-off speed with increasing take-off angle, and the take-off distance and landing distance steadily decreased with increasing take-off angle due to changes in the jumper's body configuration. The optimum take-off angle for the jumper was the angle at which the three component distances combined to produce the greatest jump distance. Although the calculated optimum take-off angles (19-27º) were lower than the jumpers' preferred take-off angles (31-39º), the loss in jump distance through using a sub-optimum take-off angle was relatively small. PsycINFO classification: 4010

Background: Many studies have revealed that mucosal healing improves the long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis. Frequent colonoscopy is difficult because of its invasiveness and cost. Therefore, in diagnosing and treating ulcerative colitis, noninvasive, low-cost methods for predicting mucosal healing using useful biomarkers are required in the clinical setting. This study aimed to evaluate whether serum amyloid A is a better serum biomarker than C-reactive protein in predicting mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis patients in clinical remission. Methods: Ulcerative colitis patients whose C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A were measured within 1 month before and after colonoscopy were included in this retrospective study, and the relationship between the C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A values and the mucosal condition was analyzed. Mucosal condition was assessed using the Mayo Endoscopic Score, with score 0 or 1 indicating mucosal healing. Results: A total of 199 colonoscopic examinations were conducted in 108 ulcerative colitis patients who underwent C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A blood tests. In clinical remission patients, serum amyloid A showed a strong correlation with mucosal inflammation compared to C-reactive protein and had excellent sensitivity and specificity rates with significant statistical significance. Conclusions: Serum amyloid A is a more useful marker compared to C-reactive protein in predicting mucosal inflammation in ulcerative colitis patients in clinical remission.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase inflammatory protein that we previously described as a robust biomarker of colorectal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical remission. However, what induces SAA expression in UC remains unclear. This study demonstrates that SAA is significantly expressed in the intestinal tract of UC mouse models when compared with C-reactive protein, another inflammatory biomarker. Moreover, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were found to promote SAA1 expression, as were Toll-like receptor ligands flagellin and lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, results suggested that the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway may be involved in the promotion of SAA1 expression by flagellin, which was inhibited by treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Therefore, the flagellin/NF-κB/SAA1 axis may represent one of the mechanisms by which 5-ASA suppresses intestinal inflammation.

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ta, and environmental factors. 1-3 Numerous extraintestinal manifestations occur in IBD, including lesions of the skin (erythema nodosum and pyoderma gangrenosum) 4 and of the joints (peripheral arthritis, sacroiliitis, and ankylosing spondylitis), 5,6 hepatobiliary complications (gallstones and primary sclerosing cholangitis), 7,8 and renal complications. 9 Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the rare renal complications associated with IBD. 10-13 IgAN is one of the most predominant forms of glomerulonephritis, ultimately leading to end-stage renal failure in a high proportion of patients (approximately 30%-40%). 14 The International Kidney Biopsy Survey on glomerular disease frequencies, which consisted of 42,603 renal biopsies spanning 4 continents, diagnosed IgAN in 22.1% of all glomerular disease