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: 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.

This study aims to analyze the expressive characteristics and aesthetic meanings of the uncanny in digital fashion, exploring its potential as a significant aesthetic device within contemporary fashion discourse. Drawing on theoretical frameworks by Freud, Heidegger, and Lacan, the study examines how digital fashion imagery disrupts conventional aesthetic norms through uncanny visual expressions that evoke psychological tension and perceptual ambiguity. A combined methodology of comprehensive literature review and systematic empirical case analysis was employed. A total of 96 digital fashion examples were collected from platforms including Google, YouTube, Showstudio and Instagram between January 2020 and March 2025. Selection criteria specifically targeted images exhibiting morphological variability, sensory instability, and ontological uncertainty, which are the three core expressive characteristics identified through both theoretical insights and empirical analysis. The results confirmed the consistent presence of these expressive characteristics in digital fashion works and further illuminated their aesthetic implications: digital fashion reconfigures the sensory framework, blurs ontological boundaries, and expands aesthetic experience by challenging viewers’ perceptual and cognitive expectations. In conclusion, this study deepens understanding of digital fashion aesthetics by systematically examining the uncanny within digital contexts and highlights the potential of digital fashion to expand aesthetic boundaries and possibilities for expressions based on sensory experiences.

Despite its historical association with oppression, fear, and marginalized femininity, modern reinterpretations of the figure of the witch position it as a symbolic entity combining historical context and literary imagination. This study analyzes contemporary fashion designs that incorporate witch imagery, focusing on the designs' representational methods and aesthetic characteristics. It includes a literature review examining evolving perceptions of witches across different eras as well as visual and formal analyses of post-2010 fashion collections, using image and text materials from Showstudio.com and other online sources. In various realms of visual culture–including art, film and drama, advertising, product design, and halloween costumes–the image of the witch is no longer confined to traditional iconography. Instead, it is continuously reimagined, taking on expanded and multifaceted meanings that attest to its unique and evolving nature. This study identifies two primary expressive types: direct iconographic appropriation, employing traditional motifs such as pointed hats, black cloaks, and pentacles; and metaphorical suggestion, using dark tones, deconstructed silhouettes, and layered styling to imply the witch's essence. The analyses also highlight three aesthetic characteristics: empowered sensuality, expressed through sheer fabrics and dramatic makeup; supernatural mysticism, combining natural and occult symbols; and uncanny playfulness, which subverts traditional motifs through fantasy and humor. Ultimately, the witch in contemporary fashion serves as both a stylistic code and a visual signifier of cultural narrative and identity. This reimagining has contributed to the development of new aesthetic systems in fashion and broadened the visual culture and design innovation discourse.

본 연구는 우즈베키스탄 자동차 산업 발전에 있어 리버스 엔지니어링 의 역할을 탐구하며, 특히 노나카와 타케우치의 지식 창출 모델(SECI Model)과의 통합에 중점을 두고 있다. 우즈베키스탄이 경쟁력 있는 국내 산업을 구축하고자 노력함에 따라, 리버스 엔지니어링은 해외 기술의 습 득, 적용, 그리고 국산화를 가능하게 했다. 본 연구는 정성적 사례 연구 접근법을 활용하여 기업 보고서, 정책 문서, 학술 문헌을 바탕으로 1996 년부터 2024년까지의 발전 상황을 분석한다. 연구 결과에 따르면 리버스 엔지니어링은 지식 이전과 혁신을 지원해 왔지만, 제한된 R&D 역량, 수 입 부품 의존도, 그리고 취약한 지식재산권 보호 등의 과제가 여전히 남 아 있다. 이러한 장벽을 극복하기 위해 본 연구는 전략적 정책, 국내 혁 신에 대한 투자 확대, 그리고 AI 기반 설계 프로세스 도입을 권고한다.

이 논문은 한국교회의 괄목할 성장에 기여한 역사적, 정치적, 인류학적 요소들을 연구한다. 연구자는 한국교회 성장을 용이하게 한 몇몇 핵심 요소들과 더불어 하나님의 완벽한 타이밍의 역사가 결정적이라고 주장한 다. 역사적으로, 이 논문은 가톨릭교회의 초기 순교와 북한 그리스도인들의 공헌들에 진 빚을 강조한다. 성경의 한국어 번역과 네비우스 방법의 영향 역시 역설한다. 정치적으로, 이 논문은 정치적 불확실성과 독립과 민주화 운동들에 교회의 참여가 어떻게 성장을 촉진했는가를 연구한다. 인류학적 으로, 이 논문은 어떻게 그리스도교가 한국인들이 느끼는 필요들, 특히 사회적 불평등들과 종교적 진공상태들을 충족시켰는지 초점을 맞춘다. 이 논문은 최근의 한국감리교회의 감소세를 강조하며 물질적인 복의 지나친 강조와 일상생활로부터 신앙의 분리 등을 지속적 교회 성장의 장애물들로 언급함으로써 결론을 맺는다. 연구자는 지속적인 한국교회의 성장을 위한 방향들로 영적인 복의 새로운 강조와 깊숙한 공동체 참여와 믿음과 삶의 전체적 통합(성속일여) 등을 제안한다.

이 연구는 한국, 베트남, 인도의 궤적을 비교 분석하여 우즈베키스탄 전자 산업의 기술 축적 전략을 수립한다. 한국의 국가 주도 모델, 베트남 의 FDI 주도 조립 성장, 인도의 하이브리드 전략에 초점을 맞춘 이 연구 는 우즈베키스탄에 이전 가능한 교훈을 파악한다. 혼합 방법 접근 방식 (정책 분석 및 국가 간 사례 연구)을 채택한다. 이 연구는 이러한 모델이 FDI 제한, 저가치 수출, 인력 기술 격차와 같은 과제를 어떻게 해결하는 지 살펴본다. 주요 연구 결과에 따르면 한국의 성공은 장기적인 국가-산 업 협력과 STEM 교육 개혁에 달려 있었고, 베트남은 FDI 친화적 정책 을 우선시했지만 저가치 조립에 국한되어 있다. 인도의 PLI 제도는 보조 금이 국내 R&D를 육성하는 동시에 글로벌 제조업체를 유치할 수 있는 방법을 보여준다. STEM 커리큘럼을 산업 요구 사항(예: 한국 기업과의 파트너십)에 맞추고 지역 무역 협정을 강화함으로써 우즈베키스탄은 자 원 의존에서 중앙아시아 전자 허브로 전환할 수 있다. 이 연구는 정책 입안자에게 기술적 도약과 글로벌 경쟁력을 가속화하기 위한 체계적이고 맥락에 맞는 프레임워크를 제공한다.

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, whitening, and anti-wrinkle effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and NMN-containing serum. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of NMN, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage model was used. The results demonstrated that NMN exhibited no cytotoxicity at concentration up to 1%. Additionally, 1% NMN significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production induced by LPS and suppressed the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), both of which are key inflammatory enzymes. Furthermore, to assess the whitening and anti-wrinkle effects of NMN, tyrosinase inhibition, elastase inhibition, and collagenase inhibition assays were conducted. The results showed that 1% NMN inhibited tyrosinase activity by 10.85%, elastase activity by 18.69%, and collagenase activity by 91.94%. These research results suggest that although NMN has a relatively limited whitening effect, it has significant potential as an anti-inflammatory and wrinkle-improving agent, suggesting its potential as a cosmetic material.

The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data necessary for establishing a system for analyzing the dimensions and body types of men aged 30–59. The subjects were 1,247 adult males selected based on data from the 8th Korean anthropometric survey; the direct and calculated values constituted 36 items; and descriptive statistics analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis were conducted. the descriptive statistics analysis revealed that the weight difference between individuals was high, while the height difference was low. Overall, the differences between individuals were high in waist-related items and low in lower limb circumference-related items. It was found that knee height and hip side length increased in subjects aged in their late 30s and decreased in those aged in their early 50s, while lower leg circumference decreased with age from the late 30s onward. The factor analysis identified four dimensions: “horizontal size of lower body,” “vertical size of lower body,” “hip length,” and “ankle size.” on the basis of the cluster analysis, they were classified into the following types: “tall body shape with long waist and hips, bent legs and hips, thick legs and ankles,” “slim body shape with short legs and short hips,” and “slim body shape with short legs and thin ankles.” A follow-up study is required to analyze changes in body shape over time based on annual measurements. We believe that this study will furnish basic data for establishing a measurement system for men’s clothing.

Background: With the increase of seated work, interest in forward head posture (FHP) has grown. Prolonged computer tasks with FHP have been considered a factor that increases the stiffness and tone of the upper trapezius (UT) muscle. Traditionally, many studies have measured the craniovertebral angle (CVA) in standing positions to assess FHP, making it difficult to determine whether the CVA measured in a habitual working posture correlates with the stiffness and tone of the UT muscle in office workers. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the relationship among CVA, UT muscle stiffness, and tone in both habitual working and standing postures among asymptomatic office workers. Methods: Forty asymptomatic office workers participated in the study. CVA was measured in both habitual working and standing postures. Stiffness and tone of the UT muscle were assessed after a 10-minute computer task. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationship between CVA and stiffness and tone of the UT muscle. Results: No significant correlations were found between CVA in standing posture and the stiffness and tone of the UT muscle. However, moderate negative correlations were observed between CVA measured in the habitual working posture and both the stiffness (dominant: r = –0.490, non-dominant r = –0.465) and tone (dominant: r = –0.501, non-dominant r = –0.446) of the UT muscle. Conclusion: This study highlights that decreased CVA in habitual working posture is associated with increased stiffness and tone of the UT muscle in asymptomatic office workers. Therefore, measuring CVA in the habitual working posture should be considered when evaluating stiffness and tone of the UT muscle.

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common health problem among female caregivers. In Korea, 70.4% of caregivers experience LBP after caregiving. The prevalence of LBP was higher in female caregivers of patients who required physical assistance with transfer than in those caring for patients who did not require physical assistance. Lifting movements, such as patient transfer and positioning, are associated with lumbopelvic stability (LPS) and knee muscle strength. However, no studies have investigated the differences in LPS and knee muscle strength between female caregivers with and without CLBP. Objects: This study was conducted to investigate the differences of the LPS, knee extension strength (KES) and knee flexion strength (KFS) between female caregivers with and without CLBP. Methods: Thirty-one female caregivers participated in this study. Participants were divided into two groups: (1) caregivers without CLBP (n = 13) and (2) caregivers with CLBP (n = 18). LPS, KES, and KFS levels were measured. An independent t-test was used to compare the LPS, KES, and KFS between caregivers with and without CLBP. The statistical significance was set at α of 0.05. Results: The LPS and KES scores were significantly lower in caregivers with CLBP than those without. In contrast, the KFS did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: This study observed associations of both LPS and KES with CLBP among female caregivers.