• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the effects of action observational training to improve the gait function for patients with stroke. Methods: The participants were divided into two groups: right hemiplegia group (n=12) and left hemiplegia group (n=12). All groups received conventional therapy for five sessions for 30 minutes, each for three weeks. Left and right hemiplegia group practiced additional action observational training for five sessions for 20 minutes each for three weeks. They participated in three weeks of action observational training coupled with immediate physical practice (intervention), followed by a final assessment. The duration of each action observation video sequence was 10 minutes, followed immediately by practice of the observed motor skill (10 minutes). The gait velocity, cadence, swing time, step length, and BOS (base of support) were examined using the GAITRite system. Results: The results of this study showed significant improvement in the gait function. The outcomes of the gait abilities from gait velocity, cadence, swing time, step length of the affected side, and BOS (base of support) were improved significantly in the right hemiplegia group (p<0.05). In the left hemiplegia group, there was no significant improvement in the gait velocity, cadence, and BOS except for the swing time and step length of the affected side. The left and right group comparisons between the groups were not significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Action observation training improves the gait function. These results suggest that action observational training is feasible and suitable for stroke patients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aimed to identify whether resistance exercise using elastic bands for six weeks can improve muscle strength, muscle tone, balance, and gait in patients with stroke. Methods : In total, 35 patients with stroke were randomly divided into three groups: resistance exercise using elastic band training combined with less affected side training group, more affected side training group, and both sides training group. Muscle strength, muscle tone, balance, and gait were assessed using a hand-held dynamometer, the modified Ashworth scale, the Berg Balance scale (BBS), and wireless 3-axis accelerometer, before and after training. Results : All three groups showed a significant increase in muscle strength of the lower extremity after training, and there was a significant difference among the groups. There was no change in muscle tone in all three groups. BBS scores increased significantly in all three groups after training, but these scores were not significantly different. The gait speed increased significantly in all three groups after the training, but the difference was not significant. The cadence increased significantly in Group 2 after training; however, there was no significant difference between Groups 1 and 3. There were no significant differences between the groups before and after the training. Step length increased significantly in Groups 2 and 3 after the training, but it was not significantly different in Group 1. After training, Groups 2 and 3 were significantly greater than Group 1 in the change in step length. Conclusion : The results show that resistance exercise using elastic bands can improve strength, balance, and gait in patients with chronic stroke. Especially, more affected side training was more effective in improving muscle strength than less affected side training. More affected side and both sides training are thought to be more effective than less affected side training to improve step length.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of arm training in standing position on balance and walking ability in chronic stroke patients. METHODS: Sixteen chronic stroke patients were allocated equally and randomly to an experimental group (n=8) or a control group (n=8). All participants received 60 minutes of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, the experimental group additionally received an arm training in standing position for 30 minutes, while the control group additionally performed a treadmill training for 30 minutes. These 30-minute training sessions were held three times per week for six weeks. Upper extremity function was assessed using Fugle-Meyer motor assessment function upper extremity (FMA-UE), balance was assessed using Berg balance scale (BBS), and walking ability (gait speed, cadence, step length, and double limb support period) was assessed using the GAITRite system. RESULTS: Improvement on all outcome measures was identified from pre-to-post intervention for both groups (p<.05). Post-intervention, there was a significant between-group difference on BBS, gait speed, cadence, step length, and double limp support period (p<.05). The experimental group exhibited greater improvement in the BBS (p=.01; z=-2.48), gait speed (p=.01; z=-3.26), cadence (p=.02; z=-2.31), step length (p=.01; z=-3.36), and double limb support period (p=.03; z=-2.84) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that arm training in standing position may be beneficial for improving balance and walking ability of patients with chronic stroke.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the effect of emphasized initial contact by using a wearable air-pressure insole to provide auditory-feedback with variations of maximum peak pressure (MPP) of the affected side on spatiotemporal gait parameters and gait symmetry of stroke patients Design: A cross-sectional study Methods: Eighteen stroke patients participated in this study. All subjects walked five trials using an air-pressure insole that provides auditory feedback with different thresholds set on the insole. First, subjects walked without any auditory feedback. Then, the MPP threshold on the affected side was set from 70% and increase threshold by 10% after each trial until 100%. They walked three times or more on the gait analyzer for each trial, and the average values were measured. Before starting the experiment, subjects measured body weight, initial gait abilities and affected side MPP without auditory feedback. Results: Temporal and spatial variables were significantly increased in trials with auditory feedback from air-pressure insole except for non-paralyzed single support time and spatial gait symmetry compared to trials without auditory feedback(p<0.05). Among the four different thresholds, the walking speed, unaffected side single support time, affected and unaffected side stride, and affected side step length were greatest at 80% threshold of maximum peak, while affected single support time, temporal gait symmetry, and unaffected step length were greatest at the maximum peak of 100% threshold. Conclusions: These results indicate that auditory feedback gait using air-pressure insoles can be an effective way to improve walking speed, single support time, step length, stride, and temporal gait symmetry in stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Background: The Microsoft Kinect which is a low-cost gaming device has been studied as a promise clinical gait analysis tool having satisfactory reliability and validity. However, its accuracy is only guaranteed when it is properly positioned in front of a subject. Objects: The purpose of this study was to identify the error when the Kinect was positioned at a $45^{\circ}$ angle to the longitudinal walking plane compare with those when the Kinect was positioned in front of a subject. Methods: Sixteen healthy adults performed two testing sessions consisting of walking toward and $45^{\circ}$ obliquely the Kinect. Spatiotemporal outcome measures related to stride length, stride time, step length, step time and walking speed were examined. To assess the error between Kinect and 3D motion analysis systems, mean absolute errors (MAE) were determined and compared. Results: MAE of stride length, stride time, step time and walking speed when the Kinect set in front of subjects were investigated as .36, .04, .20 and .32 respectively. MAE of those when the Kinect placed obliquely were investigated as .67, .09, .37, and .58 respectively. There were significant differences in spatiotemporal outcomes between the two conditions. Conclusion: Based on our study experience, positioning the Kinect directly in front of the person walking towards it provides the optimal spatiotemporal data. Therefore, we concluded that the Kinect should be placed carefully and adequately in clinical settings.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of neck pattern of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Fourteen participants with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to vestibular rehabilitation and then divided into two groups: the neck pattern group or treadmill group. Each group underwent 20 sessions (20 minutes/day, five days/week, for four weeks). Patients were assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS) and gait parameters (gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period) using a GAITRite system. Results: Vestibular rehabilitation for the neck pattern group and the treadmill group showed significant intragroup improvement on the BBS and in terms of gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period (p < 0.05). Vestibular rehabilitation was more effective for the neck pattern group than for the treadmill group in terms of the BBS (p = 0.00; 95% CI, 1.49-5.94), gait speed (p = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.05-0.16), cadence (p = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.54-4.99), and step length (p = 0.00, 95% CI, 1.55-4.62). Conclusion: This study used the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke. The results showed significant improvement in the patients' balance and walking ability. Therefore, the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular stimulation may be more effective than treadmill training to improve balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of foam roller (FR) stretching, kinesiotaping (KT), and dynamic stretching (DS) on gait parameters after inducing muscle fatigue in the ankle joint. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The subjects were thirty healthy young adults between the ages of 20 and 31 years at Baekseok University who voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to either the FR group, KT group, or the DS group after inducing muscle fatigue of the ankle joint. Fatigue induction of the ankle joint muscles was performed by alternating a heel up and down exercise with the standing posture on the ground. The speed was maintained at 40 beats/minute using a metronome. Subsequently, the respective intervention was applied to each group. Gait parameters were measured before and after ankle muscle fatigue induction, and after intervention using the GAITRite system. One-way ANOVA was used to compare gait parameters among groups, while repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare gait parameters within each intervention group. Results: The FR group increased significantly in velocity, step length, and stride length except for cadence after intervention compared to after ankle muscle fatigue induction (p<0.01). Furthermore, the KT group showed significant increases in velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length after intervention, especially in cadence group (p<0.05). All intervention groups showed significant increases in stride length after intervention, especially the DS group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Therefore, we suggest that KT, FR, and DS can be an effective intervention on gait parameters when the ankle joint is unstable and injured.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of leg length discrepancy (LLD) on the human body during gait and standing posture. Methods: The study group comprised of 17 adult participants with LLDs of <1 cm. LLDs were artificially induced to 0, 1, 2, and 3 cm. The proportion of weight distribution, shift of the mean center of pressure, and Cobb's angle were measured in the standing position. Kinematic variables such as walking and striding width and time, and the proportion of stance phase for single- and double-limb gait were measured as well. The participants were required to either stand or walk on a treadmill (Zebris FDM) with a pressure plate, and the Cobb's angle measurements were obtained from radiographs. Results: A discrepancy of 3 cm in leg length resulted in a statistically significant shift of the center of pressure in the standing position. Moreover, the Cobb angle increased as the discrepancy became larger. The step length and width of the longer (left) leg during gait statistically significantly increased when the discrepancy was 2 cm. In addition, step time was statistically significant when the discrepancy between the longer (right) and shorter (left) legs was more than 2 cm. The proportion of single-limb stance phase was statistically significant as the discrepancy became larger, especially when the discrepancy was >2 cm for the longer (right) leg and 1 cm for the shorter (right) leg. Conclusion: The study showed that LLD influenced deformations of the human body and walking.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.263-268
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• 2011

ZnO hexagonal rods grown in aqueous solution can be changed into a tubular shape by two-step aging in the course of the growing process. In the first step, hexagonal ZnO rods is grown by aging at $90^{\circ}C$ under a highly supersaturated aqueous solution giving rise to a fast precipitation rate. Meanwhile, during the second step aging at $60^{\circ}C$ in the same aqueous solution, the hexagonal polar face (001) having higher surface energy than (010) side planes dissolves to minimize surface energy. Hence the flat (001) face changes to a craterlike face and the hexagonal rod length of ZnO decreases at an initial-stage of this step aging. The formation of the (101) wedge-type faces is ascribed to the resultant of competitive reactions between the dissolution of polar face minimizing the surface energy which is a dominant reaction at the initial stage and the precipitation reaction dissipating supersaturation. At a later stage of the second-step the reaction rates of these two processes in the aqueous solution become similar and the overall reaction is terminated.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.240-247
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• 2006

Piezoelectric sensor-based health monitoring technique using a two-step support vector machine (SYM) classifier is discussed for damage identification of a railroad track. An active sensing system composed of two PZT patches was investigated in conjunction with both impedance and guided wave propagation methods to detect two kinds of damage of the railroad track (one is a hole damage of 0.5cm in diameter at web section and the other is a transverse cut damage of 7.5cm in length and 0.5cm in depth at head section). Two damage-sensitive features were extracted one by one from each method; a) feature I: root mean square deviations (RMSD) of impedance signatures and b) feature II: wavelet coefficients for $A_0$ mode of guided waves. By defining damage indices from those damage-sensitive features, a two-dimensional damage feature (2-D DF) space was made. In order to minimize a false-positive indication of the current active sensing system, a two-step SYM classifier was applied to the 2-D DF space. As a result, optimal separable hyper-planes were successfully established by the two-step SYM classifier: Damage detection was accomplished by the first step-SYM, and damage classification was also carried out by the second step-SYM. Finally, the applicability of the proposed two-step SYM classifier has been verified by thirty test patterns.