Background: Breathing is the essential step of Pilates exercise and can be used to activate core muscles. Although the effects of breathing exercise on pain, breathing muscles, and cervical posture have been extensively studied, little is known about the impact of Pilates breathing on spinal posture and alignment.
Purpose: To determine the effect of 3D-Pilates breathing exercise on spinal curvature and alignment of healthy adults during corrected to normal alignment.
Design: One group pre-post test design Methods: Eighteen participants were given a 3D-pilates breathing exercise twice a week (20 minutes per session) for three weeks and warmed up for 10 minutes before each exercise session. To examine spinal curvature and alignment of each subject, this study used radiation free rasterstereography (Formetric Ⅲ, Germany). Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were performed to determine the difference between pre and post exercise.
Results: There were statistically significant differences in height (p<.001), kyphosis angle (p<.05), trunk imbalance (p<.05), kyphotic apex (p<.01), cervical fleche (p<.05), pelvic tilt (p<.01), and lateral deviation (p<.05) between before and after 3D Pilates breathing exercise. However, there was no significant difference in lordosis angle.
Conclusions: The study results indicated that three week 3D-pilates breathing exercise program could be presented as an effective rehabilitation method for improving spinal curvature and alignment.
Background: Vibration exercise after ankle surgery improves proprioception and ankle muscle strength through vibration stimulation. Objective: To examine the effects of vibration exercise on the ankle stability. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial (single blind) Methods: Twenty soccer players were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The Vibration exercise program was conducted 12 weeks and 3 times a week. Ankle joint proprioceptive sensory test and Isokinetic muscle strength test were performed using Biodex system pro Ⅲ to measure plantar flexion / dorsiflexion and eversion / inversion motion. Results: The result of isokinetic test of ankle joint is showed significant improvement in all measurement items, such as leg flexion, lateral flexion, external and internal muscle forces, compared to previous ones by performing vibration movements for 12 weeks. However, in the comparison group, plantar flexor (30°), eversion muscle (120°), inversion (30°) of limb muscle strength were significantly improvedcompared with the previous phase; was no significant difference in dorsi-flexion. There was no significant difference between groups in all the items. Conclusions: In this study, we analyzed the effects of rehabilitation exercise on soccer players who had reconstructed with an ankle joint ligament injury through vibration exercise device. As a result, we could propose an effective exercise method to improve the ability, and confirmed the applicability as an appropriate exercise program to prevent ankle injuries and help quick return.
Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) causes neurological symptoms by compression of the dura mater and nerve roots. Due to the changed in proprioception inputs that can result in abnormal postural pattern, delayed reaction time, and changed in deep tendon reflex.
Objective: To investigate the effects of lumbar stabilization exercises on motor neuron excitability and neurological symptoms in patients with LDH.
Design: Randomized Controlled Trial (single blind)
Methods: Thirty patients with LDH were recruited; they were randomly divided into the balance center stabilization resistance exercise group (n=15) and the Nordic walking group (n=15). Each group underwent their corresponding 20- minute intervention once a day, four times a week, for four weeks. Participants’ motor neuron excitability and low back pain were assessed before and after the four-week intervention.
Results: There were significant differences in all variables within each group (p<.05). There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the changes of upper motor neuron excitability and pain (p<.05), but not in the changes of lower motor neuron excitability and Korean Oswestry Disability Index.
Conclusion: Lumbar stabilization exercises utilizing concurrent contraction of deep and superficial muscles improved low back function in patients with LDH by lowering upper motor neuron excitability than compared to exercises actively moving the limbs. Lumbar stabilization exercises without pain have a positive impact on improving motor neuron excitability.
Background: A number of researchers have attempted to improve the balance of stroke patients, however there is still a question as to whether taping is effective in increasing balance.
Objective: To determine the effect of paretic and non-paretic side taping on the balance ability in patients with stroke.
Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial
Methods: This randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial with a repeated measures study included 45 subjects who were randomly assigned to paretic side taping groups (n=15), non-paretic side taping groups (n=15), and trunk exercise groups (n=15). Trunk exercise and paretic side taping groups had taping on the paralyzed erector spinae, while the non-paretic side taping group had taping on the non-paralyzed erector spinae. Trunk exercises were performed for 30 minutes to promote core muscles. The balance ability measured the center of pressure movement (paretic side, non-paretic side,forward, backward, limit of stability) in the sitting position. All measurements were evaluated using BioRescue.
Results: All three groups showed significant increase in all variables after 4 weeks. The paretic and non-paretic side taping groups had a significant increase in all variables after 30 min of attachment. However, there was no significant difference among the three groups.
Conclusions: Paralysis and non-paralysis taping improved the balance ability of patients with stroke in an immediate effect of 30 min. However, after 4 weeks of intervention, taping with trunk exercise did not differ from single trunk exercise. In future studies, various analyses need to be conducted through more diverse evaluations.
Background : Methods of wearing a baby carrier have suggested; however, there have been no studies suggesting ideal ways.
Objective : To investigate muscular fatigue and balance of the waist during baby carrier are worn on the front, the side, and the back of the body.
Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial (single blind)
Methods : The subjects of this study were 20 healthy men and women in their 20s, who underwent tests of muscular fatigue and balance of the waist bones based on types of wearing baby carrier. Electromyogram (EMG) patches were attached to the L2 and the L4 for testing muscular fatigue, while a device for measuring proprioceptive senses was used to assess balance ability. The measurements were performed before wearing the baby carrier and after 30 minutes of normal walking. The methods of wearing the baby carrier included wearing on the front, the side, and the back of the body.
Results : The time taken to adjust the balance was shorter than other types of wearing during the baby carrier were worn on the side, and the ratio of lumbar flexion and relaxation was shown insignificant. Conclusions : These results suggested that wearing the carriers on the side was most effective on reducing fatigue and enhancing balance ability of the waist.
Background: Aging reduces cognitive abilities, including visual memory (VM) and visual discrimination (VD). Since common cortical networks subserve eye movement and attention, voluntary eye movement may improve visual attention. Visual selective attention was major role for memory, and visual memory and visual attention are intimately related.
Objective: To identify the improvement in VD and VM, after implementing the eye movement program consisting of saccadic eye movement (SEM) and pursuit eye movement (PEM) in the institutionalized healthy elderly. Design: Randomized controlled trial.
Methods: The study involved a sample of 36 participants, and the mean age was 79.03 years (range 76~84 years). They were randomly allocated to the experimental group (n=16) and control group (n=20). Participants in the experimental group performed SEM 5 times per week for 4 weeks: twice daily at the same time in the morning and afternoon. The program was carried out for 3 minutes, and it consisted of SEM and PEM. The target’s moving frequency was set at 0.5 Hz. VM and VD at the baseline and post-intervention were measured using Motor-Free Visual Perception test-4 (MFVPT-4).
Results: VM significantly improved in the experimental group (p < .01), and significant differences were observed compared to the control group (p < .01). There was no significant change in VD.
Conclusion: The eye movement program consisting of SEM and PEM increased VM more than VD. Therefore, eye movement program was feasible interventions for improving VM in institutionalized elderly persons.
Background: Although previous researches have developed interventions for neck problems, headache, and temporomandibular disorder in patients with forward head posture (FHP), changes in masticatory muscle tone or stiffness as FHP worsening have not been investigated.
Objective: To examine changes in masticatory muscle tone and stiffness through craniovertebral angle (CVA). Design: Cross sectional study
Methods: The subjects were 21 healthy males with normal head posture. Three CVA were established for posture measurement in which the bilateral anterior temporal and masseter muscles were measured during the subjects maintained a series of postures.
Results: The Right masseter muscle significantly increased in stiffness with advancing FHP (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the muscle tone or stiffness of any other masticatory muscles, and no significant differences were found in bilateral masticatory muscle tone or stiffness in each measurement posture.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the increased stiffness of the right masseter muscle as the FHP worsened requires consideration in physical therapy assessment and intervention.
Background: Functional ankle instability (FAI) indicating a decrease in muscle strength, proprioception, neuromuscular control, balance and postural control function.
Objective: To investigate the effect of jumping exercise on the supporting surface on the ankle muscle thickness, proprioceptive sensation, and balance in adults with FAI.
Design: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Methods: Twenty young people with FAI were randomly assigned to the unstable supporting surface jump group (N=10) and the stable supporting surface jump group (N=10). The intervention was conducted three times a week for eight weeks, and for 30 minutes per session. Trampoline was used as an unstable support surface and the stable support surface was carried out on a regular floor. The thickness of the tibialis anterior muscle and medial gastrocnemius muscle was measured by ultrasonography, and the proprioception of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion was measured using an electrogoniometer. The dynamic balance was also measured with a balance meter.
Results: The the muscle thickness of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was significantly higher in the stable supporting surface jump group than in the unstable supporting surface jump group (p<.05). Furthermore, the plantar flexion proprioception and dynamic balance were significantly improved in the unstable supporting surface jump group than in the stable supporting surface jump group in the intergroup comparison (p<.05).
Conclusions: The conclusion has been reached in this study that the jumping exercise on the unstable supporting surface could be a more effective in improving FAI than the regular surface.
Background: Most of the previous researches on the abnormality of breathing pattern have focused on the silence of functional movements owing to such abnormality, however, have not been clearly identified the relationship between the abnormal breathing pattern on one hand and kinesiophobia and flexion relaxation phenomenon (FRP) on the other hand.
Objective: To compare patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and healthy person in the abnormality of breathing pattern, kinesiophobia, and FRP during flexion and extension of the trunk.
Design: Case-control study.
Methods: The research subjects consisted of a group of 15 healthy adults and another group of 15 patients with CLBP. Capnography was used to measure the endtidal CO2 (EtCO2) and respiratory quotient (RQ). The muscle activity of multifidus and erector spinae of the subjects was measured during flexion and extension of the trunk to identify their FRP. The Nijmegen Questionnaire (NQ) and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) were utilized to measure their breathing patterns and kinesiophobia, respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test was conducted in order to analyze the normal distribution of the measured data. Their general characteristics were identified by the descriptive statistics and the independent t-test was performed to identify the differences between the two groups in terms of abnormality of breathing pattern, kinesiophobia, and FRP. The level of significance was set at α=.05.
Results: The patients with CLBP had significantly less EtCO2 and shorter breathing hold time (BHT) than normal healthy person (p<.05). The patient with CLBP also had significantly greater kinesiophobia than healthy person (p<.05), and had less FRP than the healthy person (p<.01).
Conclusions: These results suggest that the CLBP had greater abnormality of breathing pattern and kinesiophobia with less FRP than healthy person.
A cold roll-bonding process is applied to fabricate an AA6061/AA5052/AA6061 three-layer clad sheet. Two AA6061 and one AA5052 sheets of 2 mm thickness, 40 mm width, and 300 mm length are stacked, with the AA5052 sheet located in the center. After surface treatment such as degreasing and wire brushing, sample is reduced to a thickness of 1.5 mm by multi-pass cold rolling. The rolling is performed at ambient temperature without lubricant using a 2-high mill with a roll diameter of 400 mm at rolling speed of 6.0 m/sec. The roll bonded AA6061/AA5052/AA6061 complex sheet is then hardened by natural aging(T4) and artificial aging(T6) treatments. The microstructures of the as-roll bonded and age-hardened Al complex sheets are revealed by optical microscopy; the mechanical properties are investigated by tensile testing and hardness testing. After rolling, the roll-bonded AA6061/AA5052/AA6061 sheets show a typical deformation structure in which grains are elongated in the rolling direction. However, after T4 and T6 aging treatment, there is a recrystallization structure consisting of coarse equiaxed grains in both AA5052 and AA6061 sheets. The as roll-bonded specimen shows a sandwich structure in which an AA5052 sheet is inserted into two AA6061 sheets with higher hardness. However, after T4 and T6 aging treatment, there is a different sandwich structure in which the hardness of the upper and lower layers of the AA6061 sheets is higher than that of the center of the AA5052 sheet. The strength values of the T4 and T6 age-treated specimens are found to increase by 1.3 and 1.4 times, respectively, compared to that value of the starting material.
In the present study, vanadium oxide(V2O5) films for electrochromic(EC) application are fabricated using sol-gel spin coating method. In order to optimize the EC performance of the V2O5 films, we adjust the amounts of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) added to the solution at 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%. Due to the effect of added PVP on the V2O5 films, the obtained films show increases of film thickness and crystallinity. Compared to other samples, optimum weight percent(10 wt%) of PVP led to superior EC performance with transmittance modulation(45.43 %), responding speeds(6.0 s at colored state and 6.2 s at bleached state), and coloration efficiency(29.8 cm2/C). This performance improvement can be mainly attributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity due to the increased crystallinity and thickness of the V2O5 films. Therefore, V2O5 films fabricated with optimized amount of PVP can be a promising EC material for high-performance EC devices.
Ice accumulation on Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced(ACSR) cable during winter is an important matter in terms of safety, economy, and efficient power supply. In this work, the ice adhesion strengths of ACSR cable oxidized during different periods(7 years oxidized and 15 years oxidized) are evaluated. At first, a plate type dry oxidation standard specimen, whose surface characteristics are similar to those of ACSR cable, is prepared. Dry oxidation standard specimens are heat-treated at 500 °C for 20, 60, and 120 minutes in order to obtain different degrees of oxidation. After the dry oxidation, surface properties are analyzed using contact angle analyzer, atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometer, and gloss meter. The ice adhesion strengths are measured using an ice pull-off tester. Correlations between the surface properties and the ice adhesion strength are obtained through a regression analysis indicating a Boltzmann equation. It is revealed that the ice adhesion strength of 15- year oxidized ACSR cable is approximately 8 times higher than that of ACSR-bare.
A flexible piezoelectric energy harvester(f-PEH) that converts tiny mechanical and vibrational energy resources into electric signals without any restraints is drawing attention as a self-powered source to operate flexible electronic systems. In particular, the nanocomposites-based f-PEHs fabricated by a simple and low-cost spin-coating method show a mechanically stable and high output performance compared to only piezoelectric polymers or perovskite thin films. Here, the non-piezoelectric polymer matrix of the nanocomposite-based f-PEH is replaced by a P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric polymer to improve the output performance generated from the f-PEH. The piezoelectric hybrid nanocomposite is produced by distributing the perovskite PZT nanoparticles inside the piezoelectric elastomer; subsequently, the piezoelectric hybrid material is spin-coated onto a thin metal substrate to achieve a nanocomposite-based f-PEH. A fabricated energy device after a two-step poling process shows a maximum output voltage of 9.4 V and a current of 160 nA under repeated mechanical bending. Finite element analysis(FEA) simulation results support the experimental results.
The recent development of information and communication technologies brings new changes to automobile traffic systems. The most typical example is the advancement of dedicated short range communication(DSRC). DSRC mainly consists of an intelligent transportation system(ITS), an electronic toll collection system(ETCS) and an advanced traveler information system(ATIS). These wireless communications often cause unnecessary electromagnetic waves, and these electromagnetic waves, in turn, cause frequent system malfunction. To solve this problem, an absorber of electromagnetic waves is suggested. In this research, various materials, such as powdered metal and iron oxides, are used to test the possibility for an effective absorption of the unnecessary electromagnetic waves. The various metal powders are made into a thin sheet form by compositing through processing. The electromagnetic characteristics(complex permittivity, complex permeability) of the fabricated sheet are measured. As a result, we achieve –6.5 dB at 940 MHz(77.6 % absorption rate) with a 1.0 mm-thickness electromagnet wave absorber, and –9.5 dB at 940 MHz(88.8 % absorption rate) with a 2.0 mm-thickness absorber.
BaSiO3:RE3+ (RE = Sm or Eu) phosphor powders with different concentrations of activator ions are synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. The effects of the concentration of activator ions on the structural, photoluminescent, and morphological properties of the barium silicate phosphors are investigated. X-ray diffraction data reveals that the crystal structure of all the phosphors, regardless of the type and the concentration of the activator ions, is an orthorhombic system with a main (111) diffraction peak. The grain particles agglomerate together to form larger clusters with increasing concentrations of activator ions. The emission spectra of the Sm3+-doped BaSiO3 phosphors under excitation at 406 nm consist of an intense orange band at 604 nm and three weak bands centered at 567, 651, and 711 nm, respectively. As the concentration of Sm3+ increases from 1 to 5 mol%, the intensities of all the emission bands gradually increase, reach maxima at 5 mol% of Sm3+ ions, and then decrease significantly with further increases in the Sm3+ concentration due to the concentration quenching phenomenon. For the Eu3+-doped BaSiO3 phosphors, a strong red emission band at 621 nm and several weak bands are observed. The optimal orange and red light emissions of the BaSiO3 phosphors are obtained when the concentrations of Sm3+ and Eu3+ ions are 5 mol% and 15 mol%, respectively.
This study deals with the microstructure and tensile properties of 600 MPa-grade seismic reinforced steel bars fabricated by a pilot plant. The steel bar specimens are composed of a fully ferrite-pearlite structure because they were air-cooled after hot-rolling. The volume fraction and interlamellar spacing of the pearlite and the ferrite grain size decrease from the center region to the surface region because the surface region is more rapidly cooled than the center region. The A steel bar specimenwith a relatively high carbon content generally has a higher pearlite volume fraction and interlamellar spacing of pearlite and a finer ferrite grain size because increasing the carbon content promotes the formation of pearlite. As a result, the A steel bar specimen has a higher hardness than the B steel bar in all the regions. The hardness shows a tendency to decrease from the center region to the surface region due to the decreased pearlite volume fraction. On the other hand, the tensile-to-yield strength ratio and the tensile strength of the A steel bar specimen are higher than those of the B steel bar with a relatively low carbon content because a higher pearlite volume fraction enhances work hardening. In addition, the B steel bar specimen has higher uniform and total elongations because a lower pearlite volume fraction facilitates plastic deformation caused by dislocation slip.
Structural and mechanical effects of the dynamical precipitation in two copper-base alloys have been investigated over a wide range of deformation temperatures. Basing upon the information gained during the experiment, also some general conclusion may be formulated. A one concerns the nature of dynamic precipitation(DP). Under this term it is commonly understood decomposition of a supersaturated solid solution during plastic straining. The process may, however, proceed in two different ways. It may be a homogeneous one from the point of view of distribution and morphological aspect of particles or it may lead to substantial difference in shape, size and particles distribution. The effect is controlled by the mode of deformation. Hence it seems to be reasonable to distinguish DP during homogeneous deformation from that which takes place in heterogeneously deformed alloy. In the first case the process can be analyzed solely in terms of particle-dislocation-particle interrelation. Much more complex problem we are facing in heterogeneously deforming alloy. Deformation bands and specific arrangement of dislocations in form of pile-ups at grain boundaries generate additional driving force and additional nucleation sites for precipitation. Along with heterogeneous precipitation, there is a homogeneous precipitation in areas between bands of coarse slip which also deform but at much smaller rate. This form of decomposition is responsible for a specially high hardening rate during high temperature straining and for thermally stable product of the decomposition of alloy.
이 연구는 토픽 모델링의 LDA(Latent Dirichlet Allocation) 기법을 적용해 언론에 보도된 테러리즘 관련 뉴스 기사의 주요 토픽(topic)을 분석하였다. 이를 위해 지난 2014년 6월부터 2019년 5월 중, 미디어에 보도된 뉴스 중에서 테러리즘을 소재로 다룬 36,436건을 대상으로 토픽 을 추출하고, 주요 흐름을 시기별(모술탈환 이전, 모술탈환 과정, 모술탈 환 이후)로 구분하여 분석하였다. 이 연구에서 모술탈환 작전을 주요 분 석 시점으로 정한 것은 국제 테러리즘의 확산과 파급력이라는 측면에서 중요한 키워드가 ISIS(이슬람국가)이고, ISIS 세력의 확장, 축소, 다변화 등과 관련된 주요 사건이 모술탈환 작전이라고 여겼기 때문이다. 연구 방법적으로는 테러리즘과 관련한 방대한 양의 기사 내용을 정량 적으로 분석할 수 있고, 내용적으로는 주요 토픽을 파악함으로써 테러리 즘 기사의 이슈와 정책 이슈와의 관련성을 논의할 수 있는 토픽 모델링 분석을 실시하였다. 이상의 결과는 테러리즘에 대한 주제를 단어 중심으 로 범주화함으로써 관련 연구의 분석 기준을 마련할 수 있으며, 정책적 으로는 관련 이슈에 대한 언론 보도 토픽의 경향성을 파악함으로써 국제 테러리즘 발생에 대한 이해를 기반으로 정책 수립의 방향성을 제시할 수 있을 것이다. 이 연구는 선행연구에서 주요하게 다루지 않았던 테러리즘의 양상과 관련된 뉴스 기사의 주제적 특징을 객관적으로 도출함으로써, 시기별로 중심 주제가 어떻게 변화되고 있는지를 분석하였으며, 이를 통해 우리 사회에서 바라보고 있는 테러리즘 실태와 동향을 살펴보고자 하였다. 이 를 토대로 테러리즘 관련 언론보도의 주요 토픽과 테러리즘 관련 언론보 도 기사에서 모술작전 전후 시기별로 주요 토픽은 어떠한 변화 추이를 보이고 있는지에 대한 함의점을 도출할 수 있었다.
In this study, indoor radon concentrations were measured in 56 multiple-use facilities located in Gwangju area from December 2017 to December 2018. The average indoor radon concentration in underground space was 51.70 Bq/m3, and that of the 1st floor was 38.73 Bq/m3, indicating that the indoor radon concentration of underground space was higher than that of the 1st floor. The indoor radon concentration was investigated according to the presence or absence of underground space. The concentration of radon on the 1st floor with underground space was 37.25 Bq/m3, and the concentration of radon on the ground floor without underground space was 47.94 Bq/m3. In the absence of underground space, indoor radon concentration was high. The indoor radon concentration of buildings over 30 years old was 87.26 Bq/m3, indicating a significantly higher indoor radon concentration compared to those of buildings less than 30 years old. The indoor radon concentration was investigated according to the operation of a ventilator. The indoor radon concentration of space without an operating ventilator was 52.17 Bq/m3, and that of space with a ventilator in operation for more than 8 hours per day was 36.31 Bq/m3. This result shows that the indoor radon concentration in the space with an operating ventilator is lower than the space where the ventilator is not in operation. The indoor radon concentration in the space with an operating ventilation system was lower than that on the same floor of the same building, and the indoor radon concentration of enclosed space was about 4.4 times higher than that of open space in the same building. In addition, the indoor radon concentration was measured according to the spatial features. The concentration of indoor radon of enclosed space was 64.76 Bq/m3, which is higher than those of an open space and an active space.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the odor reduction in swine farms by the application of probiotics. A total of five farms were selected from the preliminary survey based on the management scale, odor gas concentration level, and production efficiency. The application of probiotics consisted of feeding swine high concentrations of probiotics, addition of odor-reducing agents in the slurry pit, and the spraying of swine houses. The concentration of probiotics given per pig per day was above 107 cfu/g. The odor was measured before and after probiotics application for 77 days in the swine farms. With the exception of E farm, the odor concentration decreased in four farms with probiotics application. Ammonia and amine concentrations were reduced by 48.24% and 45.37% on average, respectively. The main causes of odor were hydrogen sulfide, p-cresol, and butyric acid. The total odor activity value was the lowest in D farm, followed by B, A, E, and C farms, respectively in increasing order. In the case of C farm, hydrogen sulfide accounted for 92% of the total odor activity value. In order to verify the reliability and effectiveness of probiotics at the farm site, appropriate application and monitoring should be performed continuously on the basis of the product quality evaluation system.