• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the duration of maintained calf muscle flexibility gained in young adults with calf muscle tightness, as measured by increases in ankle active and passive dorsiflexion range of motion (DFROM) after three stretching interventions. Twenty subjects (5 men and 15 women) with calf muscle tightness received the following three stretching interventions in one leg (assigned at random): static stretching (SS), eccentric training on stable surface (ETS), and eccentric training on unstable surfaces (ETU). The subjects received all three interventions to the same leg, applied in a random order. Each intervention had a break of at least 24 h in-between, in order to minimize any carryover effect. Each intervention used two types of stretching: with the calf muscle stretched and both knees straight, and with the knee slightly bent in order to maximize the activation of the soleus muscle. All three interventions were performed for 200 seconds. We measured the duration of maintained calf muscle flexibility through active and passive ankle DFROM before intervention, immediately after intervention (time 0), and then 3, 6, 9, 15, and 30 min after intervention. We found a difference in the duration of maintained calf muscle flexibility between the three interventions. In the ETS and ETU interventions, a significant improvement in calf muscle flexibility, both ankle active and passive dorsiflexion ranges of motion (ADFROM and PDFROM), was maintained for 30 min. In the SS intervention, however, ADFROM before 9 min and PDFROM before 6 min were statistically different from the baseline. Our results suggest that ETS and ETU may be more effective than SS for maintaining calf muscle flexibility in young adults.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2020

Background: To prevent or reduce the risk of strain injury, various approaches, including stretching techniques are currently being used. The effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and static stretching on flexibility has been demonstrated; however, it is not clear which one is superior. Objects: This study aimed to evaluate the differences between the effects of PNF and static stretching performed at various intensities on muscle flexibility. Methods: The maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the hamstrings using the PNF stretching technique was performed in the P100 group, while 70% of the MVIC was performed in the P70 group. The MVIC value obtained during the PNF stretching in both groups was used as a reference for setting the intensity of static stretching. Static stretching was performed at 130% (S130), 100% (S100), and 70% of the MVIC (S70). The active knee extension (AKE) values, defined as the knee flexion angle were measured before stretching (baseline), immediately after stretching (post), and at 3 minutes, 6 minutes, and 15 minutes. Results: PNF stretching produce a greater improvement in flexibility compared with static stretching. Specifically, the ΔAKE was significantly higher in the S100 and S70 groups than in the P100 group at Post. In the comparison of ΔAKE over time in each group, the ΔAKE at Post showed a significant decrease compared to the value at Baseline in the S130 group; however, no significant difference was observed at 6 minutes while a significant increase was noted at 15 minutes. Conclusion: This study found that PNF stretching is more effective than static stretching with respect to increasing and maintaining the flexibility of muscles. In addition, the increase in flexibility at maximal intensity was similar to that observed at submaximal intensity during both PNF and static stretching.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the benefits of thoracic manipulation and the trunk stability exercises on spine trunk flexibility and the pain index of chronic low back pain patients. METHODS: The study included 44 patients suffering from chronic low back pain. The participants were divided into two groups: the first group was assigned for trunk stability exercises (TSE), and the second group was randomly assigned TSE and thoracic manipulation at the same time (TSE+TM). Both groups carried out each assigned treatment thrice a week for 8 weeks. The study outcome was based on assessment of spine trunk flexibility and the pain index. Spine trunk flexibility was measured by spine flexion and extension through a range of motion and thoracic cage circumference. The pain index was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: Spine flexion and extension range of motion showed a significant difference within each group and between the groups before and after the treatment. The measurement of the thoracic cage circumference also showed a notable difference within each group and between the groups before and after the treatment. There was no change in the pain index. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that thoracic manipulation with the trunk stability exercises is an efficient treatment for improving the spine trunk flexibility and soothing pain for chronic low back pain patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.281-287
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• 2001

Traditional job shop scheduling is supposed that machine has a fixed processing job type. But actually the machine has a highly utilization or long processing time is occurred delay. Therefore product system is difficult to respond quickly to the change of products or loads or machine failure etc. Here we use flexible job shop which is supposed that a machine has several jobs by tool change. The heuristic for the flexible job shop scheduling has to solve two problems. One is a routing problem which is determine a machine to process job. The other is sequencing problem which is determine processing sequence. The approach to solve two problems arc a hierarchical approach which is determined routing and then schedule, and a concurrence approach which is solved concurrently two problems by considering routing when it is scheduled. In this study, we simulate for flexibility efficiency fo flexible job shop scheduling with machine failure using hierarchical approach.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.41-48
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• 1993

Prime advantage of flexible manufacturing systems(FMS) is a flexibility. Flexibility is expected to prolong the service life of a manufacturing facility and enable it to respond quickly and economically to dynamic market change. The FMS loading decision is concerned with the allocation of operations and tools to machines subject to technological and capacity constraints of the system. Modern FMS loading problem has the multiple objectives such as processing cost, time and work load balance. We propose multi-objectives which could be used to formulate the loading/routeing problem and sequencing decision which should be adopted for each part type in order to maximize the machine flexibility by Hamming distance matrix based on Incidance matrix. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the proposed model.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.233-250
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• 2014

In this paper, a three dimensional soil-structure interaction (SSI) is numerically simulated using finite element method in order to analyse the foundation moments in annular raft of tall slender chimney structures incorporating the effect of openings in the structure and the effect of soil flexibility, when the structure-soil system is subjected to El Centro (1940) ground motion in time domain. The transient dynamic analysis is carried out using LS-DYNA software. The linear ground response analysis program ProShake has been adopted for obtaining the ground level excitation for different soil conditions, given the rock level excitation. The radial and tangential bending moments of annular raft foundation obtained from this SSI analysis have been compared with those obtained from conventional method according to the Indian standard code of practice, IS 11089:1984. It is observed that tangential and radial moments increase with the increase in flexibility of soil. The analysis results show that the natural frequency of chimney decreases with increase in supporting soil flexibility. Structural responses increase when the openings in the structure are also considered. The purpose of this paper is to propose the need for an accurate evaluation of the soilstructure interaction forces which govern the structural response.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.745-752
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• 2007

In this study, the effects of flexible bodies in vehicle suspension components were investigated to enhance the accuracy of multibody dynamic simulation results. Front and rear suspension components were investigated. Subframes, a stabilizer bar, a tie rod, a front lower control arm, a front knuckle, and front struts were selected. Reverse engineering techniques were used to construct a virtual vehicle model. Hard points and inertia data of the components were measured with surface scanning equipment. The mechanical characteristics of bushings and dampers were obtained from experiments. Reaction forces calculated from the multibody dynamics simulations were compared with test results at the ball joint of the lower control arm in both time-history and range-pair counting plots. Simulation results showed that the flexibility of the strut component had considerable influence on the lateral reaction force. Among the suspension components, the flexibility of the sub-frame, steering knuckle and upper strut resulted in better correlations with test results while the other flexible bodies could be neglected.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of nerve mobilization, static stretching, and hold-relax on the flexibility of hamstring muscles and their surface electromyographic (EMG) responses to passive stretches in poststroke hemiparesis. This study was a randomized cross-over trial. Fourteen subjects received three treatment sessions in random order with each consisting of ten repetitions. The treatment sessions included nerve mobilization, static stretching, and hold-relax. The treatment sessions were held at least 24 hours apart to minimize any carryover effect. The outcome was measured by the distance between the greater trochanter and lateral malleolus and hamstring EMG activity during passive knee extension stretching. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant changes in hamstring flexibility and EMG activity in main effect of time pre, post and followup (p<.05). However, no significant differences occurred among the three stretching techniques. No technique was consistently found to be superior. The three stretching techniques in this study make it difficult to determine the most effective technique. Therefore, clinicians use nerve mobilization of effective stretching techniques with other stretching techniques.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.17-25
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• 2008

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a weekly circuit-group exercise program on functional performance, flexibility of the trunk and lower extremities, and balance in individuals with chronic stroke who are living in a community. Thirteen community-living individuals (eleven males and two females) with chronic stroke participated in this study. The group exercise program was set up as a weekly circuit application with four stations aiming to strengthen the muscles, increase endurance, improve flexibility, and enhance functional capacity. The average duration of a session was an hour, and the sessions were conducted once a week for six months for a total of 24 sessions. Assessments for functional performance, flexibility of the trunk and lower extremities and balance were conducted four times: before treatment, after one month of treatment, after four months of treatment, and after six months of treatment. There were significant improvements in functional performance and flexibility of the trunk and lower extremities in the given time frame. No significant improvement was observed in balance ability. The findings suggest that a weekly circuit-group exercise program has some benefits in terms of managing the physical symptoms of individuals with mobility problems after stroke. Therefore, this program can be adapted and employed as a community-based rehabilitation program for such patients. Further studies with various community-based treatments will be conducted to validate these findings.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.78-86
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• 2011

The world is suffered from severe environmental problems such as climate change and global warming due to radical industrialization after the Industrial Revolution. With advancement of science and information technologies, national borders have become meaningless. In this global trend, movable exhibition shall be supposed to pursue "Local in Global." Thus, movable exhibition should get involved in an effort to find a cultural identity in the globalization and to better our position among the various cultures. As an alternative, movable exhibition can be established by combining biomimicry, which is biomimicry of life by imitating biological system, with Flexibility of movable space. By providing a hint to environmental problems and cultural uncertainty, this alternative will generate an advanced exhibition trend that is more environmental-friendly and more efficient. As a cumulative concept created by the nature for 3.8 billion years, biomimicry has evolved a lot more than the modern science. By catching this point, "A study on flexibility of movable exhibition through biomimicry notion" is providing a revolutionary paradigm stepping beyond the current exhibition trend, which pursues coexistence of human beings and the nature and, at the same time, introduces our culture.