Background: If the weakness of the knee muscles persists and there is pain at the same time, lumbar mobilization can be used. Objectives: This study investigated the immediate effect of lumbar joint mobilization on postural sway and knee pain in elite volleyball players. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twelve male elite volleyball players were recruited for this study. Lumbar joint mobilization was performed in all study subjects. Evaluation items were static and dynamic balance and knee pain change. All evaluations were made immediately after the intervention. Results: C90 area, trace length, and STD Y deviation in the open static balance were significantly decreased after intervention (P<.05). C90 area, trace length, Velocity, STD X deviation, and STD Y deviation in static balance with closed eyes decreased significantly after intervention (P<.05). In dynamic balance, the left and right side. COPs were significantly increased. Pain significantly decreased after intervention (P<.05). Conclusion: This study found that lumbar joint mobilization is an effective method for improving postural sway and knee pain in elite volleyball players.

Background: Low back pain is a very common musculoskeletal disorder. Since low back pain can indicate physical and psychological problems, reducing the pain level of low back pain can be the primary goal of rehabilitation. Objectives: This study was performed to explain the personalized treatment protocol of Maitland orthopedic physiotherapy based on the brick wall concept for low back pain patients with hypomobility. Design: Randomized controlled study. Methods: A total of 14 chronic low back pain patients were divided into two groups. The experimental group received orthopedic manual physical therapy intervention. The control group received traditional physical therapy intervention. After the 3 days intervention, the joint range of motion and pain of the low back were measured. Results: The low back flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation joint range of motion was significantly increased in the experimental group than in the control group (P<.05). Low back pain was significantly reduced in the experimental group than in the control group (P<.05). Conclusion: It was confirmed that Maitland orthopedic physical therapy was an effective method as an intervention method to improve the joint range of motion and pain of chronic low back pain patients.

The acoustic emission (AE) is proposed as a feasible method for the real-time monitoring of the structural damage evolution in concrete materials that are typically used in the storage of nuclear wastes. However, the characteristics of AE signals emitted from concrete structures subjected to various environmental conditions are poorly identified. Therefore, this study examines the AE characteristics of the concrete structures during uniaxial compression, where the storage temperature and immersion conditions of the concrete specimens varied from 15℃ to 75℃ and from completely dry to water-immersion, respectively. Compared with the dry specimens, the water-immersed specimens exhibited significantly reduced uniaxial compressive strengths by approximately 26%, total AE energy by approximately 90%, and max RA value by approximately 70%. As the treatment temperature increased, the strength and AE parameters, such as AE count, AE energy, and RA value, of the dry specimens increased; however, the temperature effect was only minimal for the immersed specimens. This study suggests that the AE technique can capture the mechanical damage evolution of concrete materials, but their AE characteristics can vary with respect to the storage conditions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of cane-based fruiting position on fruit quality at harvest in a golden-flesh kiwifruit variety, ‘Sweet Gold’ (Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis). The vines were grown on a pergola-trained system, under a protected plastic film house in Jeju, Korea. The cane-based fruiting positions were classified into six sectors with three sectors acropetally from the trunk to the apex of the leader, and two sectors acropetally from the leader to the apex of the cane. Fruits positioned in sectors far away from the trunk (sectors three and six) tended to be heavier, whereas fruits in sectors close to the trunk (sectors one and four) exhibited higher dry matter, soluble solid contents, and flesh coloration. The highest firmness was obtained at the fruits positioned far from the trunk and leader (sector six). Titratable acidity was slightly impacted. The highest starch content was obtained from the fruits of sector six far from the trunk and leader, whereas the highest soluble sugar content was from sector one proximal to the trunk and leader. Results indicate appreciable variations in fruit quality parameters at harvest, among fruits at different fruiting positions within vines. However, these variations were inconsistent over the years, and there were no distinct correlations among these fruit quality parameters.

The successful implementation of green supply chain management(GSCM) practices requires a level of cooperation that can be difficult to conduct. Despite this challenge, limited scholarly attention has been paid to exploring how the implementation of GSCM practices can be effectively facilitated and enhanced through accumulated social capital with suppliers. Based on social capital theory, this study postulates that supplier network characteristics derived from social capital with key suppliers can be critical antecedents of GSCM, which in turn enhances the firm’s environmental performance. To test hypotheses, data were collected from 330 firms in 15 countries, and structural equation modeling was employed. Results show that GSCM improves environmental performance, and structural and cognitive social capitals of the supplier network act as antecedents and lead to GSCM implementation.

In recent years, ESG activities (Environment, Social and Governance) have been paid more and more attention by enterprises and their stakeholders in various countries. China is the largest developing country in the world. The ESG performance of Chinese listed enterprises helps to understand the shortcomings of their sustainable development ability and further enhance the firm value. Moreover, the interaction effect between green innovation investment and ESG activities is of great significance for enterprises to balance the resource allocation between the two factors in the future. Taking listed Chinese manufacturing companies from 2011 to 2020 as an example, this study investigates the influence of ESG activities on financial performance and non-financial performance, and tests the moderating role of green innovation. Our results show that: (1) ESG performance has a negative impact on financial performance; (2) ESG performance has a positive impact on non-financial performance; (3) Green innovation can positively adjust the negative impact of environmental activities on financial performance. However, it will enhance the negative impact of governance activities on financial performance. The interaction effect between green innovation and social activities on corporate financial performance is a substitution effect; (4) With the improvement of green innovation level, the positive impact of ESG overall performance and environmental performance on corporate reputation will also be suppressed.

The aim of this study was to investigate dry matter productivity and nitrate nitrogen content in the growth stages of barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta) cultivated for feed, which was treated with different nitrogen fertilization levels. An early variety of barnyard millet (cv. Shirohie) was used for the test, and the different treatments with nitrogen fertilizer were as follows: 50% (N-40 kg/ha, T1), 100% (N-80 kg/ha, reference amount, T2), 150% (N-120 kg/ha, T3), 200% (N- 160 kg/ha, T4), 250% (N-200 kg/ha, T5), and 300% (N-240 kg/ha, T6). Sowing was done on May 13, 2021 and plants were harvested for four stage; vegetative stage, elongation stage, heading stage, and milk stage. The length of the millet increased significantly as the amount of nitrogen fertilization increased during the harvest period (p<0.05), but the difference was insignificant during the milk stage (p>0.05). Moreover, barnyard millet dry matter yield increased significantly as the levels of nitrogen fertilization increased (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in dry matter yield among nitrogen fertilization levels during the heading stage (p>0.05). Chlorophyll also was significantly higher in T5 (250%) at all harvesting times, whereas nitrate nitrogen content was highest at the vegetative stage, gradually decreased as growth progressed, and lowest at the milk stage. Finally, as the nitrogen fertilization levels increased, the nitrate nitrogen content was significantly higher in all treatment groups (p<0.05). Therefore, our results suggest that the most appropriate nitrogen fertilizer levels is between 150%–200%, considering the dry matter yield, feed ingredients and nitrate nitrogen content in barnyard millet for feed.

For the smooth implementation and success of smart city projects, it is necessary to recognize that there is a difference in the perception of value judgments or strategic goals among major stakeholders in the planning process. And it is necessary to aim the values and goals of smart cities through reconciliation of these differences. The two major stakeholders in the smart city development project are citizens group and government officials group. Government officials are in charge of establishing and implementing policies for smart city projects, and their value judgments and perceptions influence the policy direction. In these respects, government officials can be an important stakeholder group. Citizens are a group that includes ordinary residents and business owners who live in smart cities and are the ultimate users of infrastructure and facilities. This study investigated the importance perceptions of citizens and government officials, who are the major stakeholders, about the core values and strategic goals that the smart city project aims. Responses were collected using a structured questionnaire to which the AHP methodology was applied. And the priority of perceptions for constituent items was compared for each stakeholder group. Through the comparative analysis results, it was empirically confirmed that there is a difference in the values and goals pursued by the smart city project between stakeholder groups. As an empirical study on the stakeholders of the smart city project, this study is meaningful in contributing to the theoretical development in that it suggests that the conceptual structural model of the smart city strategy system presented in previous studies can be applied in practice.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is known as an important biomarker for fetal abnormality during first trimester and has a pivotal role in follicle development and corpus luteum formation. And also, it is being revealed that an expression of PAPP-A in various cells and tissues such as cancer and lesion area. PAPP-A is the major IGF binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) protease. Cleavage of IGFBP-4 results in loss of binding affinity for IGF, causing increased IGF bioavailability for proliferation, survival, and migration. Additionally, PAPP-A can be used as a promising therapeutic target for healthy longevity. Despite growing interest, almost nothing is known about how PAPP-A expression is regulated in any tissue. This review will focus on what is currently known about the zinc metalloproteinase, PAPP-A, and its role in cells and tissues. PAPP-A is expressed in proliferating cells such as fetus in uterus, granulosa cells in follicle, dermis in wound, cancer cells, and Sertoli cells in testis. They have common characteristics of proliferation faster than normal cells with stimulating IGFs action and inhibiting IGFBPs. The PAPP-A functions and expression studies in livestock have not yet been conducted much. Further studies are needed to use PAPP-A as a marker for healthy longevity in animal science.