Yuki Kusagawa is Graduate Student in Graduate School of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, which collaborated with Tadao Isaka (Professor in Faculty of SHS), Hiroaki Kanehisa (Professor in Faculty of SHS), Toshiyuki Kurihara (Associate Professor in Research Organization of Science and Technology), Sumiaki Maeo (Senior Researcher in Research Organization of Science and Technology), Takashi Sugiyama (Senior Researcher in Global Innovation Research Organization), and Aiko Imai (Graduate Student in Graduate School of SHS). The study revealed that toe flexor strength positively correlates with comfortable walking speed in older women with pronated/supinated foot, but not in older women with neutral foot.

Yuki Kusagawa, Toshiyuki Kurihara, Aiko Imai, Sumiaki Maeo, Takashi Sugiyama, Hiroaki Kanehisa & Tadao Isaka. (2020). Toe flexor strength is associated with mobility in older adults with pronated and supinated feet but not with neutral feet. J Foot Ankle Res, 13;55.

Risako Mori is a graduate student in Faculty of Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and her research manuscript was accepted and published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, in which he collaborated with Professor Satoshi Fujita, and Research Associate Takumi Yokokawa in College of Gastronomy Management of Ritsumeikan University.

Many studies suggested that vitamin D is important for the regulation of skeletal muscle mass and function. This study showed that denervation-induced muscle atrophy is associated with changes in the expression of vitamin D-related proteins in murine skeletal muscles. Our data suggest that vitamin D metabolism may be involved in skeletal muscle mass loss. These data may contribute to the future research to clarify the mechanisms of vitamin D action in skeletal muscle.

Mori, R., Yokokawa, T., & Fujita, S. (2020). Modified expression of vitamin D receptor and CYP27B1 in denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 529(3), 733-739.

Nobuaki Tottori is a postdoctoral fellow in Research Organization of Science and Technology of Ritsumeikan University and graduated from graduate school of Sport and Health Science in last March. His research manuscript was accepted and published in Physiological Reports, in which he collaborated with Professor Satoshi Fujita, Professor Tadao Isaka and Assistant Professor Tadashi Suga in Faculty of Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University. This study showed that moment arm correlated with joint torque productions during isometric and isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors in children. This finding suggests that moment arm dimension plays an important role in achieving superior torque production in this population.

Nobuaki Tottori, Tadashi Suga, Miyuki Hori, Tadao Isaka, and Satoshi Fujita. Impact of moment arm on torque production of the knee extensors in children. Physiological Reports, 8(17), e14521, 2020.