This study identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect the body weight of chickens. Analysis of body weight showed that the Cornish breed had the highest body weight, and the Korean native chicken (Gray Brown) had the lowest body weight. TSH is composed of an α-subunit and a β-subunit, and the TSH-β gene encoding the β-subunit has been reported to be associated with obesity. In chickens, it is located on chromosome 26 and is reported to be associated with growth. The calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR) plays a role in the regulation of extracellular calcium homeostasis and is responsible for calcium absorption in the urinary tract, which affects the eggshell quality in poultry. It was shown that TSH-β was strongly correlated with weight in Cornish and Korean native (Gray Brown) chickens, particularly in those with the CC trait. However, CaSR showed no association with body weight in poultry; it was associated with calcium and the eggshell. Thus, selection for TSH-β can be used to produce individuals with more favorable traits in terms of body weight.

In this study, microstructural characteristics and constituent elements of fiberglass splint and cast are examined using a scanning electron microscope and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. As observed by the scanning electron microscope, fiberglass splint and cast had a porous structure with many bundles of fiberglass textures well assembled. Spaces between bundles of the fiberglass splint are triangular or elliptical shaped and the long-axis diameter is measured at about 1 mm. The thickness of fiber bundles covered with plaster is measured at 600 μm and the diameter of a single strand of fiberglass is up to 10 μm. The thickness of the fiberglass bundle of the fiberglass splint is measured at about 700 μm. Spaces between bundles are formed in the shape of triangles with gentle edges and long-axis diameter of up to 1.4 mm, which is larger than that of the splint. The thickness of a single strand of fiberglass of the plaster-coated cast is 11.5 μm, which is thicker than that of fiberglass of the splint. As a result of analyzing constituent elements of the fiberglass cast and the splint with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, Ca, Si, and Al components are identically detected. This result shows that the fiberglass cast has a smoother surface with hardened plaster than the fiberglass splint. The thickness of the fiberglass bundle and the thickness of a single strand of the fiberglass are also larger than those of the fiberglass splint.

Background: While the formal test has been used to provide a quantitative measurement of core stability, studies have reported inconsistent results regarding its test-retest and intraobserver reliabilities. Furthermore, the validity of the formal test has never been established. Objects: This study aimed to establish the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the formal test. Methods: Twenty-two young adults with and without core instability (23.1 ± 2.0 years) were recruited. Concurrent validity was determined by comparing the muscle thickness changes of the external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominal muscle to changes in core stability pressure during the formal test using ultrasound (US) imaging and pressure biofeedback, respectively. For the test-retest reliability, muscle thickness and pressure changes were repeatedly measured approximately 24 hours apart. Electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor trunk muscle activity during the formal test. Results: The Pearson’s correlation analysis showed an excellent correlation between transverse abdominal thickness and pressure biofeedback unit (PBU) pressure as well as internal oblique thickness and PBU pressure, ranging from r = 0.856–0.980, p < 0.05. The test-retest reliability was good, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC1,2) = 0.876 for the core stability pressure measure and ICC1,2 = 0.939 to 0.989 for the abdominal muscle thickness measure. Conclusion: Our results provide clinical evidence that the formal test is valid and reliable, when concurrently incorporated into EMG and US measurements.

Halla horse is crossbreed between Jeju and Thoroughbred horses and is used for riding, racing and meat production. Thus, molecular genetic studies are needed to establish and preserve the industrially valuable Halla horses. This study aimed to analyses the genetic diversity and population structure through 12 microsatellite (MS) markers for Halla and putatively related 3 breeds (Jeju, Mongolian and Thoroughbred horses). On average, the number of alleles, observed heterozygosity (Hobs), expected heterozygosity (Hexp), and polymorphic information content (PIC) among all horses were 10, 0.767, 0.799, and 0.771, respectively. Neighbor-joining tree and STRUCTURE analysis showed that Halla horses were between Thoroughbred and Jeju horses, tend to more influenced by Thoroughbred horses. Therefore, these results could be considered for use as the basic genetic breed relationships resource among the horse breeds (Jeju, Mongolian, and Thoroughbred horses) related to the origins of the Halla horse.