Background: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a prevalent condition among Taekwondo athletes, often associated with pain, psychological factors, and impaired physical performance. However, few studies have investigated the relationship among ankle muscle strength, pain, kinesiophobia, and physical performance in Taekwondo athletes with CAI. Objects: This study aimed to examine the relationship between ankle muscle strength, pain, kinesiophobia, and physical performance in Taekwondo athletes with CAI. Methods: Forty Taekwondo athletes with CAI participated in the study. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and kinesiophobia was measured with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11). Physical performance was evaluated using the single-leg vertical jump (SLVJ) and single-leg hop for distance. The strength of the ankle muscles is measured using a Smart KEMA strength sensor. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to determine relationships among variables. Results: SLVJ showed a significant negative correlation with VAS (r = –0.506, p < 0.01) and a positive correlation with strength of the ankle inversion with dorsiflexion (IDF) (r = 0.356, p < 0.05). VAS was negatively correlated with strength of the ankle eversion with plantarflexion (r = –0.365, p < 0.05), IDF (r = –0.371, p < 0.05) and inversion with plantarflexion (r = –0.370, p < 0.05). No significant correlations were found between TSK-11 and physical performance, pain, or ankle muscle strength outcomes. Conclusion: Pain intensity and ankle muscle strength in specific ankle positions are associated with SLVJ in Taekwondo athletes with CAI. These findings suggest that the intensity of pain and the strength of the ankle evertor and invertor at specific ankle joint positions should be considered when evaluating Taekwondo athletes with CAI. Furthermore, managing pain and implementing strengthening exercises for the ankle evertor and invertor can be recommended to improve SLVJ.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent chronic condition that affects approximately 80% of individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Major problems include pain, dysfunction, reduced quality of life, balance ability, and muscle tone. Objects: This study examined the effects of multidirectional knee-strengthening exercises using elastic bands on knee pain, functional disability, quality of life, balance ability, and rectus femoris (RF) muscle tone in elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Forty-eight patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis participated in the study. The participants were assigned randomly to either the experimental group (n = 24) or the control group (n = 24). Both groups performed knee-strengthening exercises, but the experimental group incorporated elastic bands into their exercises. All interventions were conducted 3 times a week for 30 minutes per session over 4 weeks. The effects were assessed before and after the intervention using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Korean version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (K-WOMAC), Euro Quality of Life 5 Dimension (EQ-5D), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and RF muscle tone. Between-group differences before and after the intervention were analyzed using the independent t-test, and withingroup differences were examined using the paired t-test for pre-post intervention comparisons of the dependent variables. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in the NRS, K-WOMAC function, KWOMAC total score, EQ-5D, BBS, and RF muscle tone after the intervention (p < 0.05). In addition, the experimental group showed significant improvements in the NRS, K-WOMAC, BBS, and RF muscle tone compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Multidirectional knee-strengthening exercises using elastic bands can be an effective intervention to improve knee pain, functional disability, balance ability, and RF muscle tone in elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a widely used eccentric strengthening exercise that reduces the risk of hamstring and anterior cruciate ligament injuries. During NHE, the ankles are fixed in a kneeling position, while the upper body falls forward as the knee extends, maximizing hamstring activation. However, compensatory movements, such as an increased hip joint angle, make optimal execution difficult. Assisted NHE (ANHE) using an elastic band facilitates controlled movement, maintains high hamstring activation, and allows intensity adjustments. Despite their benefits, research on exercise postures based on different elastic band application regions remains limited. Objects: This study aimed to compare trunk and hip extensors activation, the gluteus maximus vs. erector spinae (GM/ES) ratio, and subjective difficulty during NHE, chest-assisted NHE (C-ANHE), and pelvic-assisted NHE (P-ANHE). Methods: Twenty-two healthy males performed each exercise, starting from a kneeling position with the knee joint at 90° and extending 15° with isometric contraction. The muscle activations of the ES, GM, and the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) were measured using surface electromyography. The GM/ES ratio was calculated, and the Borg rating of perceived exertion (Borg RPE) (6–20) scale was examined. Results: ES (F = 141.38, p < 0.001), GM (F = 184.14, p < 0.001), and BFlh (F = 164.85, p < 0.001) activation differed significantly among the exercises. All muscles showed higher muscle activity during P-ANHE than during C-ANHE (p < 0.017). The GM/ES ratio was lower than 1 for all exercises but significantly higher in P-ANHE (0.66 ± 0.15) than in C-ANHE (0.57 ± 0.18) (p < 0.017). The Borg RPE score differed significantly among exercises (p < 0.001) and was higher in P-ANHE (15.10 ± 1.77) than in C-ANHE (11.86 ± 1.91) (p < 0.017). Conclusion: P-ANHE increased GM activation to a greater extent than C-ANHE, with moderate subjective difficulty. It is recommended as an ANHE variant for targeting the GM while considering ES activation.

Background: With rapid advances in digital technology, tablet PC use among university students has increased significantly. While convenient, prolonged use often causes neck and shoulder discomfort due to poor posture, such as forward head posture and rounded shoulders. Although students commonly use tablets for writing, there is limited research on head movements during these tasks. Objects: To compare frontal plane head movements and tablet tilt angles between college students with and without neck pain during tablet PC use. Methods: Participants were divided into two groups based on neck pain presence (neck pain group and no pain group). Each participant sat at a table, adjusted the tablet stand angle independently, and placed the tablet accordingly. Participants wore earphones and dictated English sentences to ensure focused handwriting and the evaluator recorded all process. These video recordings of handwriting sessions were analyzed for frontal plane head movements using Kinovea software. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to reveal the group differences in tablet tilt angle, total head movement (THM), horizontal head movement (HHM), and vertical head movement (VHM). Results: There were no significant differences between the neck pain and no neck pain groups in tablet tilt angle or HHM (p > 0.05). In contrast, the neck pain group exhibited significantly greater THM (p < 0.001) and VHM (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate no significant relationship between neck pain and tablet tilt angle or HHM, but a significant association with increased VHM and THM. These findings provide basic knowledge for understanding movement patterns in individuals with neck pain.

Background: Decreased respiratory muscle strength in patients with stroke may cause breathing difficulties, and cardiopulmonary function and exercise capacity may decline, which may reduce balance and gait ability. Objects: This study aimed to determine the influence of improved respiratory muscle strength on the recovery of balance and gait ability at discharge in patients with stroke. Methods: This prospective observational study involved 21 patients clinically diagnosed with stroke. Multiple regression models with a forward selection procedure were used to investigate whether the improvement of respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure [MIP] and maximal expiratory pressure) can contribute to the recovery of balance (Trunk Impairment Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Brunel Balance Assessment, and five times sit-to-stand) and gait (10-meter walk test, timed up and go, and 6-minute walk test [6MWT]) ability. Results: In the forward selection regression analysis, MIP was an influencing factor, accounting for 36.2% of the variance in the 6MWT. Conclusion: This result suggests that an improvement in MIP influences the increase in distance in the 6MWT. Therefore, it is important to evaluate respiratory muscle strength. Inspiratory muscle strengthening can recommended improving endurance and functional walking ability in patients with stroke.

Background: Electrophototherapeutic resources are widely used in the treatment of shoulder injuries, despite some contradictory results. Objects: This scoping review aims to evaluate the existing electrophysical resources associated or not with physical exercise (EX), propose a dosage and to evaluate the methodological quality, for managing pain, range, and muscle strength in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). Methods: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), non-RCTs (NRCTs) and systematic reviews of electrophototherapeutic interventions in people with SIS were included, with no restrictions on age, sex, year or language. The outcomes were pain intensity, range of motion, and muscle strength. The databases searched were PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, LILACS, PEDro, Google Scholar, Open Grey, LIVIVO, CAPES Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations, and citation search. The search was carried out on January 26, 2023 and updated on March 5, 2024. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed individually using the Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomized trials (RoB 2) and for non-randomized trials (ROBINS-I) and the AMSTAR-2 tools for systematic review studies. Results: Twenty studies were included (14 RCTs, one NRCT, and 5 review studies). The electrophototherapeutic resources used were photobiomodulation, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), laser associated with light-emitting diode, Multiwave Locked System laser, extracorporeal shockwaves (ESWs), low-frequency electrical current stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound and radiotherapy. Ten clinical studies applied EX in their intervention, in addition to electrophototherapeutic resources. Conclusion: Photobiomodulation, HILT and ESWs have been shown to be effective in treating SIS, however, there was great heterogeneity in the quality of the studies included, with some risks of bias. The additional effects of electrophototherapeutic resources to EX for patients at different stages of SIS are still uncertain, and the dosimetric parameters were presented in tables in the text.

A new aphid species record for South Korea, Greenidea (Trichosiphum) prunicola, is reported based on the collection of apterous viviparous females from Castanopsis sieboldii in Tongyeong-si in 2024. This discovery increases the number of known Greenidea species in South Korea to four. Detailed morphological descriptions, measurements, host plants, and distribution data for G. (T.) prunicola are provided. The species is characterized by its glossy reddish-brown body, a body length of 1.70–2.60 mm, a siphunculus that is 0.32–0.37 times the body length, and long, primarily bifurcated dorsal setae. Previous host records include Prunus spp., and its known distribution now includes South Korea, China, and India. A key to the four species of the genus Greenidea now known to be present in South Korea is also provided.

Ainsliaea acerifolia, a perennial herbaceous plant endemic to forested regions of the Korean Peninsula, has drawn attention for its bioactive properties and potential as a functional food and medicinal resource. Despite its ecological and economic value, little is known about its spatial distribution or habitat preferences under changing climatic conditions. This study aims to quantify the current and future habitat suitability of A. acerifolia in southeastern Korea—including Gyeongsangnam-do, Busan, and Ulsan—using the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) species distribution model. A total of 217 presence records were compiled from both GBIF data and field surveys, and seven key environmental variables were selected through multicollinearity screening. Model performance was robust (mean AUC = 0.845), and key predictors included topographic roughness (TRI), precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), and mean diurnal range (Bio2). Under current climate conditions, 31.5% of the study area was identified as suitable habitat (≥0.222), with only 4.7% categorized as core habitat (≥0.6). Future projections under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios indicated substantial habitat contraction, particularly in coastal and lowland areas, with refugial zones likely to persist in mid-elevation inland mountains (500–900 m). These findings suggest that A. acerifolia is highly sensitive to climatic variability and emphasizes the urgent need for conservation strategies focused on climate-resilient refugia and ecological corridors. The study provides a spatial framework for species conservation planning under future climate uncertainty.

Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), is a major threat to Pinus thunbergii forests in South Korea. Although climatic conditions are known to affect the spread of PWD, the specific influences of temperature and geography on nematode density and tree mortality remain unclear. This study assessed monthly PWN density and black pine mortality across three regions—two coastal (Geoje and Sacheon) and one inland (Jinju)—from 2021 to 2023. Nematode density and tree mortality consistently peaked in autumn across all regions. A strong positive correlation was observed between nematode density and tree mortality (r = 0.7468, p < 0.01), while temperature showed no significant correlation with either variable. These results indicate that PWD severity is more closely tied to nematode activity than to temperature alone, and that regional and seasonal variability must be considered in disease assessment. The findings highlight the need for region-specific monitoring and management strategies that prioritize high-risk periods, particularly autumn, when nematode activity and disease expression are most pronounced. This research provides essential data to support adaptive PWD control programs under changing climatic conditions.