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BACKGROUND: It is important for clinicians and researchers to perform dynamic postural control evaluation for predicting musculoskeletal conditions, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship (1) between the eccentric strength of the knee extensors and star excursion balance test (SEBT), and (2) between the knee proprioception and SEBT. METHODS: Forty healthy young adults participated in this study. The eccentric peak torque (EPT) of the knee extensors, joint position sense, and force sense were measured. The participants also performed SEBT. Pearson’s product-moment correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between the variables and SEBT. RESULTS: The posteromedial direction of the SEBT was positively and strongly correlated with EPT (r= 0.74, P< 0.01). The anterior and posterolateral directions were positively and moderately correlated with EPT (r= 0.46, P< 0.01, and r= 0.69, P< 0.01, respectively.). However, knee proprioception was not correlated with all the directions of SEBT (P> 0.05). According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, EPT of the knee extensors significantly predicted SEBT reach distances. CONCLUSION: The eccentric strength of the knee extensors seems to be an essential factor in dynamic postural control. However, the knee proprioception did not show a significant correlation with SEBT.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic balance is an essential factor for efficient pitching by baseball pitchers. OBJECTIVE: To compare distances reached and lower-extremity muscle activity during the star excursion balance test (SEBT) in baseball pitchers and healthy young adults. METHODS: Nineteen baseball pitchers (BPG) and 20 healthy adults (HAG) were recruited. Surface EMG was used to measure the activity of vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), tibialis anterior, and lateral gastrocnemius. RESULTS: The BPG exhibited greater dynamic balance than in the HAG (p< 0.05) in the posteromedial (PM) and posterolateral (PL) directions. For the PM and PL directions, significantly greater muscle activity of VM and VL was found in the BPG than in the HAG (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: SEBT performance is characterized by high-level VM and VL muscle activities. Neuromuscular control of knee extensors, such as the VM and VL of pitchers, might affect the dynamic balance measured by the SEBT.

The purpose of this study was the effect of icing on the muscle activity of Hamstring muscles during Nordic Hamstring Exercise after applying the icing. Twenty-eight healthy men participated in this study. Subjects were assigned to experiment and control groups. Nordic Hamstring Exercise was practiced to the experiment and the control groups without applying the icing. The control group rested for 20 minutes with no intervention, while the experiment group was applied 20 minutes of icing. Then Nordic Hamstring Exercise was performed again to compare the differences in muscle activity between the two groups. No significant differences in muscle activity were observed in the control group. However, In the experimental group, significant differences in muscle activity were found pre and post icing. There were also significant differences between the two groups. In conclusion, icing is considered to have a positive effect on promoting hamstring muscle activity.

BACKGROUND: Tibial rotation accompanying sagittal movement contains the phenomenon of screw-home movement (SHM) of the knee, which plays an important role in knee stability during extension. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the change of SHM in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Thirty-one sex-matched patients with knee OA and 31 normal subjects were recruited. The total tibial rotation was obtained during knee sagittal movement (extension and flexion) using an inertial measurement unit. The acquired angle of tibial rotation was divided into eight periods. The total tibial rotation and the variation of each period were compared between the OA and control groups. The difference in tibial rotation according to Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade was compared. RESULTS: The total tibial rotation of the OA group decreased compared with the control group during knee extension and flexion (P< 0.001). Variations of tibial rotation were significantly different between groups in all periods (P< 0.001) except for knee extension at 70∘ to 45∘ (P= 0.081). There was no significant difference in tibial rotations among the KA grades of OA patients. CONCLUSION: We found a reduction in the total tibial rotation and loss of the SHM in the unloaded OA knee. It could be predicted that reduced SHM appeared early in knee OA.

Caffeine is considered a widely consumed natural and legal psychoactive stimulant with several effects on the body. The present study attempted to investigate the effects of caffeine consumed before and after a physical exercise on cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory functions in healthy adults. 36 healthy adult males were recruited and randomly allocated to one of the three (3) groups: group I (exercise without caffeine consumption), group II (caffeine beverage intake before exercise), and group III (caffeine beverage intake immediately after exercise). The heart rate (HR), QTc interval, blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), oxygen consumption (VO₂), and carbon dioxide emission (VCO₂) were measured at 0, 5, 10, and 15 min after the exercise. We observed a significant difference in all measured outcomes during the different recovery times in all the groups ( p < 0.05 ). HR, RR, SBP, VO2, and VCO2 gradually decreased with time, DBP contrarily increased with time, and the QTc showed an irregular pattern. We can affirm that ingestion of caffeine before and after moderate aerobic exercise slows down the parasympathetic stimulation, heart rate recovery, and the recovery of HR and QTc with no major effects on BP, RR, VO₂, and VCO₂ in healthy adult men.

This study investigates whether Augmented Reality (AR)-based interventions can be as effective as physical therapists (PT) regarding balance, positioning sensation, and flexibility. A sample of 39 regular people who voluntarily participated in this study were randomly distributed into two groups. Then AR was applied in the experimental group and PT was applied in the control group. Variables were measured by Tetrax (static balance), Y-balance test (dynamic balance), CSMI (proprioception), and sit and reach test (flexibility). All measurements were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test. The exercise program of this study improved the stability index (ST) of the static balance in both groups after the intervention, and there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) at normal eye close (NC) and Pillow with eye close (PC) positions. Moreover, regarding the case of dynamic balance, there were significant differences in AR and PT groups to reach in all directions (p < 0.05). In the case of positioning sensation, there was no significant difference in both groups (p > 0.05), and there was a significant difference in flexibility (p < 0.05). When comparing the two groups, there was no significant difference in all categories (p > 0.05). As a result, AR can be considered an effective form of therapy and can be selected according to individual conditions.

BACKGROUND: The screw-home mechanism (SHM) plays an important role in the stability of the knee. Accordingly, the analysis of tibial rotation patterns can be used to elucidate the effect of SHM-related factors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the magnitude of the angle and the pattern of SHM between passive and active movements. METHODS: We studied twenty healthy males, of which the angle of knee flexion-extension and tibial longitudinal rotation (TLR) during active and passive movements were measured using the inertial measurement unit. Student’s t-tests were used to compare the magnitude of TLR. The waveform similarity was quantified using a coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC). RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the TLR between the active and passive movements (p< 0.05). The knee flexion-extension waveform similarity was excellent (CMC = 0.956). However, the waveform similarity of TLR was weak (CMC = 0.629). CONCLUSION: The SHM increased abruptly during the last 20∘ of the active (extension) movement compared with passive extension. The SHM occurred mainly owing to the geometry and shape of the articular surfaces of the knee joint. In addition, muscle contraction was considered to be an important factor in the articulation movement.

BACKGROUND: Trunk stability has been identified as an important prerequisite of functional movement. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of core muscle contraction training on abdominal muscle thickness, balance, and gait ability in stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty patients with stroke were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. All groups received conventional therapeutic exercise program for six weeks. The experimental groups additionally trained trunk stability exercise with abdominal hollowing or bracing maneuvers within training time. Primary outcome measures were evaluated abdominal muscle thickness using the sonography. Secondary outcome measures were evaluated by the Functional Reach Test (FRT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10-meter walk test (10MWT), and Timed Up and Go test (TUG). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the effect of trunk stability training for the experimental groups on the abdominal muscles thickness change was observed (p

Background/Objectives: Heat treatment of physical agent modalities (hot pack, paraffin bath, infrared lamp) was widely used in the treatment of the Raynaud's phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate effective heat treatment of physical agent modalities for hand hypothermia. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Forty-two subjects were classified into hypothermia group (21 adults) and control group (21 healthy adults). The heat treatment was applied on the subjects after exposing central part of their hands in a laboratory at 23 to 25 °C for 10 minutes before applying the heat treatment, and measured temperature of central part of their hands through Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging before and after treatment. The heat treatment included hot pack, paraffin bath, infrared lamp, and each heat treatment were applied for 20 minutes. Findings: Significant difference appeared in three factors of each group when skin temperature was compared before and after the heat treatment application. The hot pack and paraffin bath showed significant difference when temperature of the experiment group and control group were compared temperature difference before and after the application. When each factor was compared in the experiment group by temperature difference before and after the heat treatment application, between the hot pack and infrared lamp were showed significant difference. According to the result of this study, each heat treatment can be considered to have effect in increasing the skin temperature for both groups. The hot pack treatment applied to people with hypothermia is considered to show better effects when treating hypothermia. Application/Improvements: heat treatment is considered to be an appropriate physical therapy for people with hypothermia.

Many researchers and practitioners have studied the recipe recommendation, and that problem is not only to find the tasty dishes based on the individual’s preference, but also to generate new ones. In the digital age, understanding and utilizing text data is one of the most important part in the knowledge discovery. In this paper, we proposed how to use text analysis in the recipe recommendation problem and provided the insights to design new recipes.