Taping can relieve chronic ankle instability among basketball players / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of taping on the kinematic characteristics of the ankle joint during forward and lateral jumps by male basketball players with chronic ankle instability (CAI).Methods:A Vicon 3D motion capture system and a Kistler 3D ergometer were used to collect data describing the landing data with or without taping from forward and lateral jumps of 29 male basketball players with CAI. The landing data included the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion angles, valgus and inversion angles and external and internal rotation angles. Dorsiflexion or plantarflexion angular velocity was also recorded along with valgus or inversion angular velocity and external or internal rotation angular velocity 200ms, 150ms, 100ms and 50ms before and after touchdown. The data obtained were modeled using three-dimensional motion analysis software, and then analyzed.Results:Taping reduced the ankle plantarflexion in landing from a forward jump by 3.27° 50ms before landing and by 2.70° at touchdown. The ankle inversion angle was reduced 2.13° 50ms before touchdown, while the angle of external rotation decreased by 2.59° 200ms before touchdown and 2.17° 150ms before. Moreover, the angle of external rotation 100ms after landing was reduced by a significant 1.59° compared with that without taping. In lateral jumps taping reduced the average ankle plantarflexion angle by 1.94° 50ms before landing and 3.23° at touchdown compared with no taping. Ankle inversion was reduced significantly by 2.86° 50ms before landing and by 2.87° at touchdown. External rotation was a significant 0.93° less 200ms before landing and 2.36° smaller 150ms before touchdown. In the forward jump landing, taping reduced the average angular velocity of ankle dorsiflexion on landing by a significant 58.5°/s and by 28.39°/s 100ms later. In the lateral jump landings the average ankle dorsiflexion velocity decreased by significant 20.5°/s with taping, but the valgus velocity increased by 49.7°/s compared with no taping. However, 50ms after touchdown the speed of external rotation with taping was 30.3°/s slower than without taping.Conclusions:Ankle taping can modify ankle rotation angles and angular velocities during landing from jumps. This is particularly helpful for basketball players with CAI.

Effect of fixed-time artificial insemination on corpus luteum gene expression at the day 16 and 25 pregnancy of gilt.

Utilization of female livestock can be optimized by application of Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination (FTAI), which plays an important role in large-scale livestock production. However, molecular mechanism of FTAI affecting reproductive performance remains unclear. To investigate the effects of FTAI on corpus luteum in 16 and 25 days of pregnancy gilts, 12 pregnancy gilts were selected from Altrenogest + PMSG + GnRH (APG) group and control group. The number of left and right CL in APG group were significantly higher than control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, result showed the number of differentially expressed genes between 16APG group and 16 C group was obviously larger than that between 25APG and 25 C group (2394 vs. 1476). Up regulated genes in APG were mainly associated with cytokine production and secretion, cell communication and transport (day 16) and angiogenesis, cell cycle and cell-cell signaling (day 25). The expression of differentially expressed genes (RPL10, CYP17A1, DCN, IL18, LDLR and PRLR) in luteal tissue were verified by real-time PCR. In summary, APG program significantly improve reproductive efficiency of gilts through up regulation of cytokine production/secretion, cell communication and transport in Day 16 pregnancy and angiogenesis, cell cycle and cell-cell signaling at Day 25 pregnancy in porcine.

MicroRNAs are potential regulators of the timed artificial insemination effect in gilt endometrium.

To determine effects of timed artificial insemination (TAI) hormonal treatments on reproductive performance of gilts/sows and explore molecular mechanisms, gilts (TAI: 90; Control:149; Total: 239) and sows (TAI: 370; Control: 492) were utilized. Results indicated the estrus/farrowing rate and number of piglets born alive and weaned in the TAI group were greater than in the control group for both gilts and sows. To explore the molecular mechanism for TAI hormonal effects, the small RNA of the gilt endometrium at 16 and 25 of gestation were sampled and sequenced to determine potential functions of microRNA (MiRNA); 358 known and 142 novel MiRNAs were detected. With comparison of TAI and control groups, there were 54 differentially abundant MiRNAs, and functional analysis results indicated "binding," "protein/ion binding," and "immune response" were mostly enriched. In addition, representative MiRNAs were selected based on criteria including being regulated on both day 16 and 25 of gestation (ssc-miR-10a-5p, ssc-miR-345-5p, ssc-miR-370) along with reproduction-related target genes (ssc-miR-424-5p, ssc-miR-142-5p). Furthermore, target genes of selected MiRNAs were screened, and functional enrichment of those genes also indicated that the "binding" and "immune response" were mainly enriched. Results from the present study confirmed TAI-hormonal treatments improved estrous/farrowing rate and number of piglets born alive/weaned of gilts/sows and that hormonal treatment regimens leading to behavioral estrus at timed artificial insemination in gilts results in microRNA patterns in the endometrium that are more supportive of pregnancy. Results contribute valuable information for future studies of effects of TAI hormonal treatments on pig reproductive performance.