Background: Rounded Shoulder Posture (RSP) and Forward Head Posture (FHP) often result from prolonged digital device use, leading to muscle imbalance, pain, and functional limits. Growing demand for postural correction highlights the need for effective exercise approaches. Objectives: This study compared strengthening, self-stretching, and mixed exercises on acromion height, craniovertebral angle, and muscle tone in adults with FHP and RSP. Design: Randomized controlled pretest-post test trial over four weeks. Methods: Thirty university students (acromion height ≥2.5 cm, craniovertebral angle ≤53°) were randomly assigned to strengthening (n=6), self-stretching (n=9), or mixed exercise (n=9) groups. Participants exercised three times weekly for four weeks. Pre- and post-tests measured acromion height, craniovertebral angle, and muscle tone of the pectoralis major, upper trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid using MyotonPro®. Data were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed ranks, Kruskal-Wallis, and repeated measures ANOVA (P<.05). Results: All groups significantly improved acromion height and craniovertebral angle (P<.05) without intergroup differences. Significant tone change appeared only in the upper trapezius (P<.05), with the mixed group showing the largest improvement. Conclusion: All exercises improved posture in adults with FHP and RSP. Mixed exercise yielded the greatest reduction in upper trapezius tone, suggesting a multimodal approach may be most effective.

This study evaluated the effects of a high-concentration soy pulp (HSP) diet on pig production performance and carcass traits under commercial farming conditions. Data were collected from a pig farm in Jeju, Korea, between 2019 and 2024. From 2019 to 2021, pigs were fed a control diet containing 2.3% soy pulp, and from 2022 to 2024, the proportion of soy pulp was increased by 254% (HSP, 21.9%). We evaluated production performance indicators including shipment date, feed cost per kilogram of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, carcass yield, and proportion of high-grade carcasses. The feed cost per kilogram remained constant under both diet conditions; however, pigs fed an HSP diet reached market weight significantly earlier than those on the control diet and the feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, and proportion of high-grade carcasses were significantly improved. The carcass yield percentage was non-significantly higher for pigs fed the HSP diet than for those fed the control diet. These findings suggest that providing HSP feed to grow–finish pigs enhance growth performance, improves carcass quality, and shortens the production period, indirectly reducing feed costs. Further studies should explore the long-term economic impacts and potential interactions of HSP with gut health and nutrient digestibility.

Bone-related diseases (e.g., osteoporosis) represent a significant health challenge, prompting research for effective therapeutic agents, particularly from natural sources. The edible mushroom, Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii has attracted interest due to its wide range of biological activities. Cytotoxicity assays revealed no significant toxicity of the M. aitchisonii water extract (MAWE) up to 50 μg/mL. MAWE significantly promoted dose-dependent osteoblast differentiation with ALP activity and mineralization increase by 109.17 % and 23 %, respectively, compared with the differentiation-only group. Moreover, MAWE significantly upregulated osteoblast-related gene expressions, including that of type I collagen (COL1A), osterix (Osx), and osteopontin (OPN). Furthermore, MAWE treatment significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation. This effect was further confirmed by demonstrating that the AMPK inhibitor compound C suppressed AMPK phosphorylation, and subsequent MAWE treatment restored it. In summary, these results demonstrate that MAWE possesses potent osteoblast differentiation-promoting efficacy, primarily through AMPK signaling pathway activation.