Publications by authors named "Horka V"

Background: Minimalistic footwear provides adequate toe space, tripod function, improving foot function, muscle activation and stability during walking similarly to barefoot walking. Due to the increasing popularity of this specific footwear, there is a lack of research focusing on general users of minimalistic footwear.

Research Question: Does annual walking in minimalistic footwear affect gait biomechanics?

Methods: Cross-sectional study involving twenty participants in a minimalistic footwear group with both experience (MFE) and no experience (NMFE).

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The aim of this study was to monitor changes in the components of the metabolic syndrome defined by Adult Treatment Panel III and the risk of adipose tissue. The study population consisted of 45 patients (30 women, 15 men) who underwent one bariatric procedure - partial jejuno-ileal derivation (n=17), sleeve resection (n=14) or laparoscopic gastric - plication (n=14). Components of metabolic syndrome such as waist circumference, morning glycemia/antihypertension, TAG, HDL cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)/antihypertension were monitored in probands.

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Background: Regular walking in different types of footwear may increase the mediolateral shear force, knee adduction moment, or vertical ground-reaction forces that could increase the risk of early development of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Purpose: To compare kinematic and kinetic parameters that could affect the development of knee OA in 3 footwear conditions.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

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Obesity is a serious metabolic disease that significantly increases cardiovascular risks and other health complications. Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients suffering from obesity that increases the health risks and is associated with cardiac, respiratory and other diseases.  Bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS) leads to significant changes in body composition.

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Obesity is a significant problem worldwide. Several serious diseases that decrease patient quality of life and increase mortality (high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes etc.) are associated with obesity.

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Far too little attention has been paid to health effects of air pollution and physical (in)activity on musculoskeletal health. The purpose of the Healthy aging in industrial environment study (4HAIE) is to investigate the potential impact of physical activity in highly polluted air on musculoskeletal health. A total of 1500 active runners and inactive controls aged 18-65 will be recruited.

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The distribution of pollutants in two urban scale models (point emission source and street canyon with extensive transport) was investigated by means of CO(2) laser photoacoustic spectroscopy in the region of the atmospheric window (9-10 mum). The experimental results of physical modeling are in a good agreement with the numerical calculations performed in the frame of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling. Methanol, ethanol, and ozone (examples of light pollutants), as well as sulfur hexafluoride and 1,2 dichlorethane (examples of heavy pollutants), were selected on the basis of their high resolution spectra acquired by Fourier transform and laser diode spectroscopy.

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The paper describes results obtained with a new type of GaSb based semiconductor distributed feedback multiple quantum well lasers operating in continuous wave mode well above room temperature. The lasers show good tunability both by current and temperature from 0 to +60 degrees C and current from threshold up to 120 mA. They all operate in high power (1-3 mW) single mode regime and can be tuned in the methane and ammonia overtone absorption spectral range over up to 12 cm(-1) and can be used for the detection of these and other gases.

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A new technique for high resolution photoacoustic detection based on application of laser diodes has been developed. This method was tested and compared using identical photoacoustic instrumentation (cell and microphone) to study gas absorption in three different spectral regions, namely: the infrared range near 2100 cm(-1), CO and OCS fundamental band absorption; the ranges near 4200 and 4350 cm(-1), CH4, NH3 and N2O overtone and combination band absorption; the near infrared range near 6500 cm(-1), CO, CO2 and NH3 overtone absorption. Several types of diode laser operating at room temperature or at liquid nitrogen temperature were compared.

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