• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1952-1966
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• 1994

The body segment parameters of twelve young male Korean were measured to compare with the results of foreign cadaver studies. A human body was assumed to have fourteen body segments. The mass of each segment was measured with a water immersion test and the mass center of a segment was determined on the balance platform by changing postures. In the case of Korean, because of the difference in body proportion, the mass center of whole-body is located further from the distal end of head(Korean : 44.9% vs. Caucasian : 41.2%), and the mass center of each segment also located in different proportional locations. The existing regression equations, which can estimate segment mass based upon the anthropometric dimensions, estimates segment mass (the mass of shank) for Korean with 13% error. Therefore, it is not recommended to estimate the mass, and the moment of inertia of body segment of Korean based on the existing equations. However, the density information of body constituents was similar enough to apply it to Korean density. It was validated by the comparison between the results of the direct immersion method and 3-dimensional volume reconstruction of segment form the cross sectional images of CT-scan. The average body density measured form twelve subjects was $1.035{\;}kg/m^3$ and showed deceasing trendency.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.202-210
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• 2023

Background: The elderly population is increasing rapidly worldwide. Muscle mass, usual walking speed (UWS), knee extension strength (KES), hand grip strength (HGS), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and depression is used for sarcopenia diagnosis. All four of these factors (KES, HGS, PEF, and depression) correlated with UWS and also to muscle mass. But, many studies have suggested that no correlation exists between muscle mass and UWS. Objects: This study aimed: 1) to investigate whether muscle mass reduction affected UWS, as mediated by KES, HGS, PEF and depression, and 2) to explored whether significant changes in these mediators varied by the body segment in which muscle mass evaluated in elderly female aged 65-80 years. Methods: A total of 100 female aged 65-80 years were surveyed. Muscle mass was measured by body segment (upper and lower segment), and KES, HGS, PEF, depression, and UWS were also assessed. Median analyses were progressed in IBM SPSS software (ver. 23.0, IBM Co.) using a downloaded INDIRECT macro. Results: The direct effect of the KES and PEF were significant, and the indirect effect of KES and PEF were not significant. Thus, KES and PEF served as full mediators of the effect of muscle mass on UWS. Regardless of bodily region, KES and PEF combined with muscle mass were significant mediators of UWS, with similar indirect effect sizes. Conclusion: KES and PEF are the only mediators regardless of body part. Therefore, mediating the KES and PEF may prevent sarcopenia progression in elderly female. Also, sarcopenia can be readily assessed by evaluating either the upper or lower body; it is not necessary to measure total muscle mass.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2017

Purpose: This study investigated the coordination and contribution of body segments during functioning. Methods: The relevant literature related to body segments and function were reviewed. Results: Efficient control of function is considered with regard to a participant's ability to perform a sequence of movements in body segments, which progresses from the head to the arm, trunk, pelvis, and leg segments. Each segment performs a specific role, which environment explorer using visual information for the head, reaching and grasping for the arms, a stabilizer for the trunk, and the distribution of COM in the pelvis and leg. Conclusion: During any of the movements, the momentum generated by the proximal segments is transferred to the adjacent distal segments in an appropriate sequence. In assessing function for clinical intervention strategies, the segment coordination, segment sequence, transfer of the center of body mass, asymmetrical ratio, muscle activity, and compensatory strategies should be considered.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2023

Research on walking assistance exoskeletons that provide optimized torque to individuals has been conducted steadily, and these studies aim to help users feel stable when walking and get help that suits their intentions. Because exoskeleton auxiliary efficiency evaluation is based on metabolic cost savings, experiments on real people are needed to evaluate continuously evolving control algorithms. However, experiments with real people always require risks and high costs. Therefore, in this study, we intend to actively utilize human musculoskeletal simulation. First, to improve the accuracy of musculoskeletal models, we propose a body segment mass distribution algorithm using body composition analysis data that reflects body characteristics. Secondly, the efficiency of most exoskeleton torque control algorithms is evaluated as the reduction rate of Metabolic Cost. In this study, we assume that the torque minimizing the Metabolic Cost is the optimal torque and propose a method for obtaining the torque.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-61
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• 2005

Stance is defined as any state in which the total mass of the body is supported by the feet. In order to maintain stance, the sum of gravito-inertial forces acting on the body must be registered by equal and opposite forces at the region of contact between the organism and the support surface. Balance is controlled by applying forces to the surface of support so as to maintain the body's center of mass vertically above the feet. for a muIti-segment organism, there can be a variety of ways in which balance can be controlled, since movements of different body segments can have similar effects on the control of balance. In general, the organism tends to have a body configuration that is aligned with gravito-inertial force when there are no external forces acting on it. If any segments of the body are not aligned with gravito-inertial force vector, a torque on that segment would tend to move the body's center of mass. The maintenance of postural stability is accomplished in humans by a complex neural control system. This requires organizing integrating and acting upon visual, vestibular, and somatosensory input, providing orientation information to the postural control system. The information necessary to control and coordinate movement is provided by the visual sense of eye position with respect to the surrounding surface layout, the vestibular sense of head orientation in the gravito-inertial space, and the somatic sense of body segment position relative to one another and to the support surface. In this study, perception and action capability was examined from various points of view. The underlying assumption of the study was that the change of postural configuration could be effected by organism, environment and task goal.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.233-249
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to employing MRI in the estimation of the biomechanical body segment parameters of Korean adults. for this purpose MRI study on 19 Korean living subjects were used to measurement. All the parameters that was concerned were inertial characteristics of human body mass of each segment, center of mass of them and the length of radius of gyration of them. The cross sectional images and saggital images of every 1cm interval were got using the 0.5 Tesla MRI from the top of head to the bottom of foot, whole body. And then, by tracing the images of the film and scanning them, got the area which the several tissues occupied in the image of slice. By summing the area of slice of each segment which were calculating and by multipling the density of the tissues, got the mass of segment and other inertial characteristics. The ratios of radius of gyration in both transverse axis and longitudinal axis though the segmental mass and segment length are as follow: male A : head($0.229\pm0.0029$), neck($0.256\pm0.0095$), thorax($0.374\pm0.0059$) abdomen($0.245\pm0.0020$), pelvis($0.368\pm0.0106$), thigh($0.288\pm0.0030$) shank($0.280\pm0.0043$), foot($0.277\pm0.0195$), upperarm($0.311\pm0.0074$) forearm($0.286\pm0.0051$), hand($0.253\pm0.0095$) female A : head($0.214\pm0.0032$), neck($0.254\pm0.0112$), thorax($0.295\pm0.0061$) abdomen($0.289\pm0.0021$), pelvis($0.329\pm0.0108$), thigh($0.288\pm0.0036$) shank($0.280\pm0.0047$), foot($0.243\pm0.0206$), upperarm($0.279\pm0.0083$) forearm($0.286\pm0.0048$), hand($0.229\pm0.0097$) male B : head($0.532\pm0.0006$), neck($0.533\pm0.0006$), thorax($0.658\pm0.0008$) abdomen($1.350\pm0.0022$), pelvis($0.875\pm0.0002$), thigh($0.213\pm0.0001$) shank($0.160\pm0.0001$), foot($0.152\pm0.0002$), upperarm($0.136\pm0.0002$) forearm($0.202\pm0.0002$), hand($0.273\pm0.0006$) female B : head($0.198\pm0.0002$), neck($0.335\pm0.0011$), thorax($0.238\pm0.0001$) abdomen($0.888\pm0.0001$), pelvis($1.318\pm0.0117$), thigh($0.095\pm0.0001$) shank($0.075\pm0.0001$), foot($0.181\pm0.0006$), upperarm($0.0.062\pm0.0001$) forearm($0.083\pm0.0001$), hand($0.105\pm0.0007$).

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the biomechanical variables of Fouette turns for expert and beginner ballet dancers and to determine the difference in the variables between the two groups. sixteen female ballet dancers participated in this study. They were divided into an expert group(age, $25.38{\pm}1.92$ years; height, $168.38{\pm}4.66$ cm; mass, $49.63{\pm}4.41$ kg) and a beginner group(age, $20.88{\pm}1.13$ years; height, $161.63{\pm}7.42$ cm; mass, $48.88{\pm}3.64$ kg) depending on their ballet experience. Descriptive data were expressed as mean ${\pm}$ standard deviation (SD) for all variables including the duration, displacement of the center of the body, velocity of the center of the body, angle of the body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, ground reaction force, lower extremity torque, muscle activity, body weight, age, and body mass. An independence t-test was conducted to determine how the following variables differed between the beginners and experts: duration, displacement of the center of the body, velocity of the center of the body, angle of the body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, ground reaction force, lower extremity torque, and muscle activity. All comparisons were made at the p<0.05 significance level. The results show that the experts scored high on the biomechanical variables, although all the variables were not significant. Significant differences were found in the angle of body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, lower extremity torque, and muscle activity(p<0.05). The findings of this study demonstrate that the experts have the required skill to make an improved Fouette turn. The findings may also help ballet dancers to learn and understand the Fouette turn.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the core muscle strength enhancement of the elderly on 8 weeks training using the core exercise equipment for the elderly on the ability to control the whole-body center of mass in posture stabilization. Method: 16 females (10 exercise group, 6 control group) participated in this study. Exercise group took part in the core strength training program for 8 weeks with total of 16 repetitions (2 repetitions per week) using a training device. External perturbation during standing as pulling force applied at the pelvic level in the anterior direction was provided to the subject. In a UCM model, the controller selects within the space of elemental variables a subspace (a manifold, UCM) corresponding to a value of a performance variable that needs to be stabilized. In the present study, we were interested in how movements of the individual segment center of mass (elemental variables) affect the whole-body center of mass (the performance variable) during balance control. Results: At the variance of task-irrelevant space, there was significant $test^*$ group interactions ($F_{1,16}=7.482$, p<.05). However, there were no significant main effect of the test ($F_{1,16}=.899$, p>.05) and group ($F_{1,16}=1.039$, p>.05). At the variance of task-relevant space, there was significant $test^*$ group interactions ($F_{1,16}=7.382$, p<.05). However, there were no significant main effect of the test ($F_{1,16}=.754$, p>.05) and group ($F_{1,16}=1.106$, p>.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the 8 weeks training through the core training equipment for the elderly showed a significant decrease in the $Vcm_{TIR}$ and $Vcm_{TR}$. This result indicates that the core strength training affects the trunk stiffness control strategy to maintain balance in the standing position by minimizing total variability of individual segment CMs.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare pregnant women's gait parameters and mechanical energies caused by changes in hormone levels and anatomical features such as body mass, body-mass distribution, joint laxity, and musculo-tendinous strength from pregnancy to postpartum. Ten subjects (height: $161{\pm}6.5cm$, mass: $62.7{\pm}10.4\;kg$, $66.4{\pm}9.3\;kg$, $68.4{\pm}7.7\;kg$, $57.2{\pm}7.7\;kg$) participated in the four times experiments (the first, middle, last term and after birth) and walked ten trials at a self-selected pace without shoes. The gait motions were captured with Qualisys system and gait parameters were calculated with Visual-3D. Pregnant women's gait velocities were decreased during the pregnancy periods, but increased after birth. Stride width and cycle time were increased during pregnancy, but decreased after birth. Thigh energy (77.4%) was greater than shank energy (19.06%) or feet (3.54%) about total energy of the lower limbs. Their feet (Left R2=0.881, Right R2=0.852) and shank (Left R2=0.318, Right R2=0.226) energies were significantly increased (positive correlation), but double limb stance time (DLST, R2=0.679) and body total energy (R2=0.138) were decreased (negative correlation) for their velocities. These differences suggest that thigh segment may be a dominant segment among lower limbs, and have something to do with gait velocities. Further studies should investigate joint power and joint work to find energy dissipation or absorption from pregnancy period to postpartum.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.143-160
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• 1998

PURPOSE This studied the biomechanical body segment parameters of Korean adults with reference to Sasang Constitutional Medicine(SCM). We anlyzed the characteristics of Sasang constitution through Body Measurement, Immersion Method, and Reaction Board Method. SUBJECT Subjects were 72 persons. There were made 49 and Female 23. Mean age was . And There were Taeumin 30, Soyangin 17, and Soeumin 25. METHOD The items of Body Measurement were 51. Limbs were measured right side. Volume was gained with Immersion Method and Weight was calculated with the density equation for limbs from Drills and Contini. Center of Mass was gained with Reaction Board Method. RESULT 1. In Body Measurement there were the significant differences with each constitution of man's circumference. 2. In Volume there were the significant differences between Taeumin and Soeumin in mand. And the volume rate of head and neck, hand, and foot was the lowest in Taeumin, but the highest in Soeumin. 3. In center of mass Soyangin was higher than others.