• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.14-19
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• 2022

Background: Plank exercise (PE) is an effective exercise to enhance lower back stability by strengthening the core and lower limb muscles. However, in patients with a shortened hamstring muscle (HAM), PE may cause abnormal movement of the pelvis and lower back due to HAM hyperactivity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of PE on the core muscles and HAM in subjects with a shortened HAM. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subjects were divided into a normal length of HAM group (NHG; 9 subjects) and a shortened length of HAM group (SHG; 14 subjects). The activities of the erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and HAM muscles were measured using surface electromyography. Results: The results showed that RA, EO, and ES muscle activities were higher in the NHG than in the SHG; however, no significant differences were detected. Conclusion: HAM activity was significantly higher in the SHG than in the NHG. In subjects with a shortened HAM, PE may hyperactivate the HAM, adversely affecting the pelvis and lower back.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.195-207
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• 2016

Because the high latitude region in the North Pacific is characterized by high primary production in the surface water enriched with nutrients, it is important to understand the variation of surface water productivity and associated nutrient variability in terms of global carbon cycle. Surface water productivity change or its related nutrient utilization rate during the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG; ca. 2.73 Ma) has been reported, but little is known about such circumstances under gradual climate cooling since the NHG. Bulk nitrogen isotope (${\delta}^{15}N_{bulk}$) of sedimentary organic matter has been used for the reconstruction of nutrient utilization rate in the surface water. However, sedimentary organic matter experiences diagenesis incessantly during sinking through the water column and after burial within the sediments. Thus, in this study we examine the degree of nitrate utilization rate during the early Pleistocene (2.4-1.25 Ma) since the NHG, using the diatom-bound nitrogen isotope (${\delta}^{15}N_{db}$), which is known to be little influenced by diagenesis, from Site U1343 in the Bering slope area. ${\delta}^{15}N_{db}$ values range from ~0.5 to 5.5‰, which is lower than ${\delta}^{15}N_{bulk}$ values, but they vary with larger amplitude. Variation patterns between ${\delta}^{15}N_{db}$ values and biogenic opal concentration are generally consistent, which indicates that the nitrate utilization rate is closely related to opal productivity change in the surface water. A positive correlation between opal productivity and nitrate utilization rate was observed, which is different from the other high latitude regions in the North Pacific. The main reason for this contrasting relationship is that the primary production in the surface water at Site U1343 is influenced mostly by the degree of sea ice formation. Still, although concerns about diagenetic alteration have been avoided by using ${\delta}^{15}N_{db}$, the effects of the preservation state of biogenic opal and the species-dependent isotopic fractionation on ${\delta}^{15}N_{db}$ should be assessed in the future studies.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a handrail (presence and position) on treadmill gait and balance in stroke patients during gait training. Methods: 39 patients with stroke (male 31, female 8) participated in this study. The training groups were classified into a no-handrail group (NHG), front handrail group (FHG), and bilateral handrail group (BHG). Each group comprised 13 subjects. The subjects were trained to walk in a straight path 30 minutes per day for 8 weeks. The Good Balance System was used to measure static balance and dynamic balance. To measure walking ability, timed up and go (TUG) was also assessed. Results: The NHG showed no significant differences in static balance, dynamic balance, and TUG. The FHG was significantly different in their medial-lateral speed of static balance, dynamic balance, and TUG. The BHG was significantly different in their static balance, dynamic balance, and TUG. Conclusion: These findings consider the effects of holding handrails concomitantly with changes in postural stability. We conclude that for training stroke patients, treadmill walking while holding handrails improves balance and gait more than treadmill walking without holding handrails. The resulting changes in muscle activity patterns may facilitate the transfer to a gait pattern. The results of this study suggest methods for training treadmill walking in stroke patients.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.419-427
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to obtain (co) variance components and genetic parameter estimates for post-weaning body measurements such as body length (BL), height at withers (HW), and chest girth (HG) recorded at six (SBL, SHW, and SHG), nine (NBL, NHW, and NHG) and twelve (YBL, YHW, and YHG) months of age along with yearling weight (YW) in Nellore sheep maintained at livestock research station, Palamaner, Andhra Pradesh, India and also the association among body measurements with YW was studied. Methods: Data on 2,076 Nellore sheep (descended from 75 sires and 522 dams) recorded between 2007 and 2016 (10 years) were utilized in the study. Lambing year, sex of lamb, season of lambing and parity of dam were included in the model as fixed effects and ewe weight was kept as a covariate. Analyses were conducted with six animal models with different combinations of direct and maternal genetic effects using restricted maximum likelihood procedure. Best model for each trait was determined based on Akaike's information criterion. Results: Moderate estimates of direct heritability were obtained for the studied traits viz., BL (0.02 to 0.24), HW (0.31 to 0.49), and CG (0.08 to 0.35) and their corresponding maternal heritability estimates were in the range of 0.00 to 0.07 (BL), 0.13 to 0.17 (HW), and 0.07 to 0.13 (CG), respectively. Positive direct genetic and phenotypic correlations among the traits and they ranged from 0.07 (YBL-YW) to 0.99 (SBL-SHG, SHG-YW, and NBL-YBL) and 0.01 (SBL-YBL) to 0.99 (NBL-NHG), respectively. Further, the genetic correlations among all the body measurements and YW were positive and ranged from 0.07 (YW and YBL) to 0.99 (YW and SHG). Conclusion: There was a strong association of chest girth at six months with YW. Further, it is indicated that moderate improvement of post-weaning body measurements in Nellore sheep would be possible through selection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1507-1512
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• 2016

Background: Risk of developing breast cancer increases with short breastfeeding and the use of hormones. The prognosis of breast cancer is better if the tumours are hormone receptor positive. Since breast feeding affects estrogen and progesterone receptors, we wanted to investigate how such reproductive factors as breastfeeding and the use of hormones interact with known prognostic markers and specific tumour characteristics in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 women treated for breast cancer from a larger cohort completed a questionnaire on breastfeeding, number and age at births and use of hormones. A logistic regression analysis was made to search for connections between known prognostic markers on the one hand (type of cancer, grade, tumor size, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, lymphovascular invasion and DNA-ploidy) and reproductive data, breastfeeding, and hormone use on the other. Results and Conclusions: Hormone use, but not breastfeeding, was significantly associated, also on multivariate analysis, with the prognostic variable lymphovascular invasion, connected to a worse prognosis. No other hormone use or breast feeding correlations with prognostic variables were found.