Correlation between head posture and proprioceptive function in the cervical region.

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to investigate correlation between head posture and proprioceptive function in the cervical region. [Subjects and Methods] Seventy-two subjects (35 males and 37 females) participated in this study. For measurement of head posture, the craniovertebral angle was calculated based on the angle between a horizontal line passing through C7 and a line extending from the tragus of the ear to C7.

Factors Affecting Korean Registered Nurses' Intention to Implement Smoking Cessation Intervention.

Objectives: Nurses have been identified as an instrumental partner in tobacco reduction. This study aimed to examine factors affecting Korean nurses' intention to implement smoking cessation intervention in Busan, Korea.

Methods: The participants were a total of 215 Korean registered nurses.

Effects of increased standing balance on pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between standing balance increased through muscle-strengthening exercises and pain in knee osteoarthritis patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty knee osteoarthritis patients were equally divided into a strengthening exercise group and an unstable exercise group. Before and after the six-week experiment, the visual analogue scale was measured, and bilateral one-leg standing tests were performed.

The effect of low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) on cutaneous wound healing and pain relief in rats.

[Purpose] This study examined the impact of low-intensity laser therapy on wound healing and pain control using a rat cutaneous wound model. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (between 220-240 g, 7 weeks) were used in this study. The rats were anesthetized and a circular fragment of skin was removed from the dorsal region of the back by a punch with an 8-mm diameter.

The relationship between distribution of body fat mass and carotid artery intima-media thickness in Korean older adults.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the amount and distribution of body fat and the carotid intima-media thickness to explore whether coronary artery disease risk may be mediated through effects on the amount of fat mass in older adults. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 200 elderly females was participated. The percentage of body fat mass was measured by the bioelectrical impedance analysis method, and the carotid intima-media thickness was measured by B-mode ultrasound.

Analysis of muscle activations in lower extremities muscles at various angles of ankle flexion using wedges during static squat exercise.

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate changes in activation of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles during one-legged squats performed at various angles of ankle flexion. With the use of wedges, the muscles were activated at different angles of ankle flexion angles to establish the appropriate posture necessary for muscle strengthening and rehabilitation. [Subjects and Methods] Healthy adults aged 20-40 years were recruited from Good Morning Hospital in Ulsan City.

Effect of exercise on the expression of nerve growth factor in the spinal cord of rats with induced osteoarthritis.

[Purpose] We examined the impact of exercise on the expression pattern of nerve growth factor in the spinal cord of rats with induced osteoarthritis of the knee joint. [Subjects and Methods] To produce monosodium iodoacetate-induced arthritis, rats were administered 3 mg/50 µL monosodium iodoacetate through the interarticular space of the right knee. The animals were randomly divided into four groups: rats sacrificed 3 weeks after 0.

The effect of regular Taekwondo exercise on Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Stroop test in undergraduate student.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Taekwondo exercise on Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the Stroop test in undergraduate students.

Methods: Fourteen male subjects participated in this study. They were separated into a Control group (N = 7) and an Exercise group (N = 7).

Effects of craniocervical flexion exercise on upper-limb postural stability during a goal-directed pointing task.

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of craniocervical flexion exercise on upper-limb postural stability by measuring upper-limb postural tremor during a goal-directed pointing task. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned to the exercise or control group. The exercise group performed craniocervical flexion exercise four days per week for five weeks.

The intra- and inter-rater reliabilities of lower extremity muscle strength assessment of healthy adults using a hand held dynamometer.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and inter-rater reliabilities of lower extremity muscle strength assessment of healthy adults using hand held dynamometer. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 55 students (19 males and 36 females) in Y University in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea participated in this study. Lower extremity muscle strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer (Commander Muscle Tester, JTech, USA).

Comparison of neck and upper-limb muscle activities between able-bodied and paraplegic individuals during wheelchair propulsion on the ground.

[Purpose] This study compared the muscle activities of the neck and upper-limb muscles between able-bodied individuals and persons with paraplegia during wheelchair propulsion on the ground. [Subjects and Methods] The muscle activities of the neck and upper-limb muscles of 8 normal individuals and 8 individuals with paraplegia were analyzed during wheelchair propulsion. The activities of the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, anterior/posterior deltoids, triceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis, and sternocleidomastoid muscles were assessed.

Artemisia asiatica Nakai Attenuates the Expression of Proinflammatory Mediators in Stimulated Macrophages Through Modulation of Nuclear Factor-κB and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways.

The present study aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanism of action of Artemisia asiatica Nakai (A. asiatica Nakai) extract in activated murine macrophages. A.

The effect of forward head posture on muscle activity during neck protraction and retraction.

[Purpose] The present study was performed to investigate whether forward head posture (FHP) affects muscle activity. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty subjects attending Y university in Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea. They were divided into two groups according to craniovertebral angle: a control group (n=10) and a FHP group (n=10).

Changes in the activity of the muscles surrounding the neck according to the angles of movement of the neck in adults in their 20s.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine changes in the muscle activity around the neck according to the neck movement angle during neck flexion and extension. [Subjects and Methods] Activities of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM), splenius capitis and splenius cervicis muscles, upper trapezius muscle, and middle trapezius muscle during flexion and extension were assessed in 24 college students. [Results] SCM muscle activation significantly increased at every angle during flexion and extension.

Analysis of variation in length of stay (LOS) after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to understand factors present at baseline that affect outcome and healthcare utilization post-stroke. We investigated the association between the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score and functional outcome (length of stay) after hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Data from the Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey for 6 years, from 2005 to 2010, were used.

Effect of different training mode on Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Purpose: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of different training modes on IL-6 and CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: The subjects consisted of 16 middle-aged women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), all of whom had no other complications. The 16 subjects were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: the circuit training group (CTG, n = 8) and aerobic training group (ATG, n = 8).

Kinematic analysis of the lower cervical spine in the protracted and retracted neck flexion positions.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to analyze lower cervical spine kinematics in protracted and retracted neck flexion positions in healthy people. [Subjects and Methods] The craniovertebral angle (CVA) and intervertebral body angles of the lower cervical spine of 10 healthy individuals were analyzed using fluoroscopy in a neutral sitting with the head in the neutral (N), protracted (Pro), and retracted (Ret) positions and with the neck in full flexion with the head in the neutral (N-fx), protracted (Pro-fx), and retracted (Ret-fx) positions. [Results] There were significant differences in the CVA and intervertebral body angle at the C3-4 level, and the Ret position showed the highest values followed by the N and Pro positions.

The effect of a skilled reaching task on hippocampal plasticity after intracerebral hemorrhage in adult rats.

[Purpose] The primary objective of this study was to assess the effects of a skilled reaching task on cognition, as indexed by the pattern of GAP-43 expression in the hippocampus, following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in rats (when the hippocampus plays a critical role in spatial memory and learning). [Subjects and Methods] The model of ICH used in the present study involved intrastriatal injection of collagenase. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 12 weeks) were randomly assigned to either a control (n = 30; CON) or skilled reaching training group (n = 30; SRT).

[Prognostic factors in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine chemotherapy: clinical characteristics of long-term survivors].

Background/aims: Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy has been used as a standard treatment in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. However, the clinical outcomes of this regimen are still unsatisfactory in prolonging survival. We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics of patients with advanced pancreatic cancers who received gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and showed long-term survival.

Cardiac Damage Biomarkers Following a Triathlon in Elite and Non-elite Triathletes.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate cardiac damage biomarkers after a triathlon race in elite and non-elite athlete groups. Fifteen healthy men participated in the study. Based on performance, they were divided into elite athlete group (EG: n=7) and non-elite athlete group (NEG: n=8).

A Three-dimensional Gait Analysis of People with Flat Arched Feet on an Ascending Slope.

[Purpose] The purpose of the study was to discover why people who have flat feet show a higher risk of damage to the musculoskeletal system than those who have normal feet. Furthermore, we examined the kinematic differences in the lower extremity between flat feet and normal feet in individuals on an ascending slope using three-dimensional gait analysis. [Subjects] This study was conducted on 30 adults having normal feet (N = 15) and flat feet (N = 15), all of whom were 21 to 30 years old.

Effect of hip abduction exercise with manual pelvic fixation on recruitment of deep trunk muscles.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether side-lying hip abduction exercise while applying manual pelvic fixation is more effective than hip abduction without manual pelvic fixation for promoting deep trunk muscle activity.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study comparing deep trunk muscle activation between hip abduction exercise without and with manual pelvic fixation in ten participants. Muscle activation was measured using fine-wire and surface electromyography.

The effects of mirror therapy on the gait of subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the effect of mirror therapy on the gait of patients with subacute stroke.

Design: Randomized controlled experimental study.

Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation hospital.

The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy in female nursing students with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized trial.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is highly prevalent in young women under stressful conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been known to be effective in treating IBS.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of CBT in female nursing students with IBS.