Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of the different condition of leg support surface on the upper extremity and core muscle activity during the push-up exercise. Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects that were practicable push-ups were recruited in this study. Subjects were instructed the push-up exercise in the different condition of the leg support surface. Each condition of support surface was set to the high and lower, and the unstable and stable condition. Muscle activation was measured by using the surface electromyography (EMG), and recorded from the triceps brachii, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, abdominal external oblique, and erector spinea muscle. Results: In the results of experiments, there was no significant difference of muscle activation in upper extremity between the high unstable and high stable support surface. By contrast, muscle activation of the rectus abdominis and abdominal external oblique was significantly higher in the low unstable support surface, compared with those of the low stable support surface. It is well known that the core muscle was important to stabilization of trunk stability. Conclusion: This result demonstrates that the low and unstable support surface for the lower extremity was suited for training of core muscle for trunk stabilization during the push-up exercise.

Abstract:This study was performed to analyze genetic relationships of the four major cucurbitaceous crops including watermelon, melon, cucumber, and squash/pumpkin. Among 120 EST-SSR primer sets selected from the International Cucurbit Genomics Initiative (ICuGI) database, PCR was successful for 51 (49.17%) primer sets and 49 (40.8%) primer sets showed polymorphisms among eight Cucurbitaceae accessions. A total of 382 allele-specific PCR bands were produced by 49 EST-SSR primers from 24 Cucurbitaceae accessions and used for analysis of pairwise similarity and dendrogram construction. Assessment of the genetic relationships resulted in similarity indexes ranging from 0.01 to 0.85. In the dendrogram, 24 Cucurbitaceae accessions were classified into two major groups (Clade I and II) and 8 subgroups. Clade I comprised two subgroups, Clade I-1 for watermelon accessions [I-1a and I-1b-2: three wild-type watermelons (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides Mats. & Nakai), I-1b-1: six watermelon cultivars (Citrullus lanatus var. vulgaris Schrad.)] and Clade I-2 for melon and cucumber accessions [I-2a-1: 4 melon cultivars (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis Naudin.), I-2a-2: oriental melon cultivars (Cucumis melo var. conomon Makino.), and I-2b: five cucumber cultivars (Cucumis sativus L.)]. Squash and pumpkin accessions composed Clade II {II-1: two squash/ pumpkin cultivars [Cucurbita moschata (Duch. ex Lam.)/Duch. & Poir. and Cucurbita maxima Duch.] and II-2: two squash/pumpkin cultivars, Cucurbita pepo L./Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche.}. These results were in accordance with previously reported classification of Cucurbitaceae species, indicating that watermelon EST-SSRs show a high level of marker transferability and should be useful for genetic study in other cucurbit crops.

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In general, confabulation is defined as confusion of reality with past events without apparent prompting, in association with disruption of the capacity for retrieval and encoding of memory. We report on a patient who showed spontaneous confabulation associated with injury of the Papez circuit following middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. Methods:A 67-year-old female patient suffered cerebral infarct resulting from spontaneous MCA territory. After onset of the MCA infarct, she showed severe memory impairment and provoked confabulation. The Papez circuit was reconstructed for evaluation of part of it using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and tract volume were measured. Results:The right thalamocingulate tract showed a significant decrement of FA value and tract volume, and an increment of MD value by more than two standard deviations of that of normal control subjects. The tract volume in the left fornix and mammillothalamic tract decreased by more than two standard deviations of that of normal control subjects. Conclusion:Injuries of the Papez circuit were demonstrated in a patient who showed severe memory impairment and provoked confabulation following MCA infarct. We believe that analysis of the Papez circuit tract using DTT is useful in elucidating the cause of provoked confabulation in patients with MCA infarct.