Extensive Bilateral Patellar Tendon Ossification in a Spinal Cord Injury Patient

This is the first report of extensive bilateral patellar tendon ossification occurring over a prolonged time after a unilateral knee injury. An 84-year-old Japanese man with a spinal cord injury caused by a burst fracture of the T12 vertebra presented with a bony hard prominence on the left knee, which was injured in a traffic accident when he was 77 years old. Radiography revealed extensive ossification of the bilateral patellar tendons. We review the English literature with a focus on the localization of bilateral heterotopic ossification of the knee in patients who had a central nervous system injury

IS ACTN3 R577X GENOTYPE ASSOCIATED WITH WEIGHT-BEARING INDEX IN MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS?

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between weight-bearing index (WBI) and ACTN3 genotype in male college students. Subjects were healthy male college students aged 18 to 21 years old. The maximal static forces of knee extension (leg strength) of the subjects were measured, and WBI was calculated by dividing the leg strength by the subjects’ body weight. Genomic DNA was extracted from each subject using hair strands, and its base sequence determined genotypes in RR, RX, and XX. Welch-type ANOVA revealed that WBI in the XX type was greater than in the RR and RX types despite no significant difference in leg strength and lean body mass among genotypes. Although it is difficult to find apparent or direct evidence to explain this result, some inferences can be proposed, such as compensatory force exertion based on its muscle fibers, regulation in calcineurin via the α-actine-2 gene, or functional enhancement of myoglobin-based endurance slow muscles in XX type may increase muscular activities against gravity, making WBI greater

韓国主権免除訴訟における国際司法裁判所判決の解釈

This article examines the Seoul High Court’s November 23, 2023 decision on claims filed by former “comfort women” against Japan, analyzing how the court interpreted sovereign immunity in international law. The decision to reject Japan’s jurisdictional immunity represents a notable shift in state immunity doctrine, especially regarding serious human rights violations. The analysis explores how the Seoul High Court distinguished its reasoning from the ICJ’s Jurisdictional Immunities case by narrowly interpreting the concept of “acts committed during armed conflict” and emphasized post-ICJ domestic jurisprudence. The court’s approach highlights the tension between traditional sovereign immunity and the protection of fundamental human rights in contemporary international law. Despite theoretical challenges in the court's interpretation, this decision contributes significantly to the ongoing debate on balancing state sovereignty with human rights protection.departmental bulletin pape

Recent advances in the characterization of plant transcriptomes in response to drought, salinity, heat, and cold stress [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Despite recent advancements in plant molecular biology and biotechnology, providing food security for an increasing world population remains a challenge. Drought (water scarcity), salinity, heat, and cold stress are considered major limiting factors that affect crop production both qualitatively and quantitatively. Therefore, the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies will be needed to resolve these agricultural problems. This will require a comprehensive understanding of transcriptomic alterations that occur in plants in response to varying levels of environmental stresses, singly and in combination. Here, we briefly discuss the current status and future challenges in plant research related to understanding transcriptional changes that occur in response to drought, salinity, heat, and cold stress

The Measurement of Size Distribution of Indoor Natural Radioactive Aerosols by Imaging Plate Technique

The indoor radioactive aerosols of radon decay products are considered as a main radioactive contaminant in human environment. In this study, the particle size distribution was measured with low pressure cascade impactor and imaging plate. The temporal and spatial variations of indoor radioactive aerosols were measured at eight indoor sites of Nagoya, Japan. Effective doses were assessed using ICRP 66 and UNSCEAR 2000 approaches.journal articl

Phase structure and vortex configurations of superconductors coexisting with ferromagnetism

application/pdfjournal articl