• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2021

Background: This study was to investigate the effects of active stretching and stability exercise on piriformis muscle thickness and low back pain of male patients with chronic low back pain. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Methods: 45 male patients participated in this study. All subjects were randomly assigned. Subjects divided into 15 who underwent contract relaxation (CR) of the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) to their hip joints, 15 who underwent a combination of isotonic (CI) of the PNF, and the rest 15 who underwent the two techniques (CR+CI). Real-time diagnostic ultrasound was used to measure thickness of the piriformis muscles. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure degrees of low back pain. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the average values. The SPSS 24.0 was used as the statistical program, and the significance level was set at .05. Results: The CR and the CR+CI groups had more decreased thickness of piriformis muscle when compared to the CI group. The CR+CI group had more decreased pain when compared to the CR and the CI groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that combination of stretching and stability exercise was effective on male patients with chronic low back pain showing limited hip medial rotation.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. Methods: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultrasonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. Results: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdominis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p<0.05). No significant difference in the muscle thickness of both muscles was observed between the groups with the exception of the right abdominis (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of transverse abdominis in core muscles.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.415-424
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to compare changes in abdominal muscle thickness in different standing postures with a handheld load between subjects with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: Twenty subjects with CLBP and 20 controls participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging was used to assess the changes in the thickness of the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles. Muscle thickness in three different standing postures (standing at rest, standing with loads, standing with lifting loads) was compared with the muscle thickness at rest in the supine position and was expressed as a percentage of change in the thickness of the muscle. Results: While standing with loads, the change in IO muscle thickness in the CLBP patients increased more significantly than in the pain-free controls (p < 0.05). The standing with lifting loads posture showed a significant increase in the change in thickness of the TrA compared with the standing with loads posture (p < 0.05). In addition, the standing with lifting loads posture showed a significant decrease in the change in the thickness of the EO when compared with the standing with loads posture (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The automatic activity of the IO muscle in subjects with CLBP increased more than that of the pain-free controls in the standing with loads posture. These findings suggest that IO muscle function may be altered in those with CLBP while standing with loads. Additionally, TrA the activation level was found to be associated with increased postural demand caused by an elevated center of mass.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1897-1900
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate the bending process for manufacturing of sound pipe by 3 dimension bending machine. The arbitrarily-bended pipe is widely used in a heat exchanger system. The pipe should be formed precisely for assembling of heat changer. And, spring back effect and variation of the pipe thickness should be controlled effectively. We described the change of spring back amount and thickness variation of the pipe according to the change of bending radius and bending angle by FEM analysis. The analysis is adopted the elasic-plastic analysis and contact analysis on MARC software.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.37-43
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• 2020

Progressive drawing processing is one of the manufacturing processes used to mass-produce a variety of products on the industrial site. In this study, the goal is to achieve a uniform product thickness of at least 1.3mm by reducing the wall thickness of the coupler parts used in automotive air conditioning systems to within 15% using A5052-H32 materials. The progressive die was designed using Blank's law of volume invariance. Due to the characteristics of the drawing process, the material thickness in the punch R part decreases and the thickness in the die R part increases. When designing the progressive die of the coupler part, an ironing method, a push back method, and a stand-alone die pad method were applied to each process to design a mold in consideration of the drawing rate and to artificially adjust the thickness change. The suitability of the method used in die design was investigated by measuring the thickness change of forming parts for each process. In the final part, it was confirmed that the thickness measurement values of the five regions of a radial line were implemented as 1.34-1.36 mm.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2015

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare changes in the thickness of the gluteus medius muscle fiber between chronic low back pain(clbp) with gluteus medius weakness and healthy subject. METHODS: Ultrasound imaging was used to measure in the thickness of each fiber of the gluteus medius muscle based on maximal muscle contraction during abduction motion of the hip joint in a healthy group (11 subjects) and a chronic CLBP group (21 subjects). An independent t-test was performed to analyze the difference of thickness in each fiber of the gluteus medius muscle and the rate of changes in the fibers in the two groups. RESULTS: The fiber thickness changes in the gluteus medius muscle were significantly lower for the posterior fiber in the CLBP group compared to the healthy group (p<0.01). The changes in rate of difference of thickness the posterior part of the gluteus medius muscle was significantly lower in the CLBP group than in the healthy group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study CLBP patients with weakness of the gluteus medius muscle that lower for the posterior fiber's difference of thickness and rate of change in the CLBP group compared to the healthy group. Indicate that rehabilitation of CLBP patients with weakness of the gluteus medius muscle should consider the functions of posterior fiber of the gluteus medius muscle.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.305-309
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• 2009

The effect of light scattering layers (400 nm, TiO$_2$ particle) of 4 $\mu$m thickness on the dye-sensitized solar cell has been investigated with a 12 $\mu$m thickness of photo-anode (20 nm, TiO$_2$ particle). Two different structures of scattering layers (separated and back) were applied to investigate the light transmitting behaviors and solar cell properties. The light transmittance and cell efficiency significantly improved with inserting scattering layers. The back scattering layer structure had more effective transmitting behavior, but separated scattering layer (center: 2 $\mu$m, back: 2 $\mu$m) structure (9.83% of efficiency) showing higher efficiency (0.6%), short circuit current density (0.26 mA/cm$^2$) and fill factor (0.02). The inserting separating two scattering layers improved the light harvesting, and relatively thin back scattering layer (2 $\mu$m of thickness) minimized interruption of ion diffusion in liquid electrolyte.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) causes morphological changes in muscles, reduces muscle strength, endurance and flexibility, negatively affects lumbar stability, and limits functional activity. Plank exercise strengthens core muscles, activates abdominal muscles, and improves intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize the trunk in patients with CLBP. Objects: We investigated the effect of plank exercise on abdominal muscle thickness and disability in patients with CLBP. Methods: We classified 33 subjects into 2 groups: An experimental (n1=17) and a control group (n2=16). Patients in the experimental group participated in plank exercise and those in the control group participated in stretching exercise. Patients in both groups attended 20-minute exercise sessions thrice a week for 4 weeks. Abdominal muscle thickness in each subject was evaluated ultrasonographically, and disabilities were assessed using the Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results: Four weeks later, abdominal muscle thickness showed a significant increase over baseline values in both groups (p<.05). Patients in the experimental group reported a more significant increase in the thickness of the external oblique muscle than that in the control group (p<.05). ODI scores in the experimental group were significantly lower after intervention than before intervention (p<.05). Conclusion: Plank exercise increases the thickness of the external oblique muscle and reduces disability secondary to mild CLBP. Therefore, plank exercise is needed to improve lumbar stability and functional activity in patients with mild CLBP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.117-130
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• 2000

The purpose of this thesis is to offer basic data for clothing design which is intended to apply appropriate shape and capacity to clothes. The following are the analyzed results of an investigation which was conducted to characterize the upper half of the female body of 193 women whose ages are 18 to 25, taking part in this investigation. According to the results of analyzing young women's bust, I came to find a large individual difference of the wide varying factor numbers at the items of the side feature, the body stance, and the dart quantity. For the analysis of the female's upper body, 11 factors are used. The are as follows: Factor 1. width of the bust Factor 2. height of the bust and length of the arm Factor 3. side thickness of the bust and the upside type Factor 4. length of the bust on the front Factor 5. length of the bust on the back Factor 6. salient ratio of the breast Factor 7. width of the neck. the armhole, and measurement of the droop Factor 8. length of the shoulder Factor 9. flat ratio of the bust Factor 10. inclination of the shoulder factor 11. form of the back The shape of young women's upper bodies can be divided into four groups. The character ization of each group are as follows : Group 1 . 28.5% of the women who take part in this investigation belong to Group 1 These women have the shortest body, with a longer length of the front than the back and more thickness on the front than the back. Group 2. 21.1% of the women who take part in this investigation belong to this group. They show a longer length of the back and more thickness of the back than the front. In addition, this group is bent forward. Group 3. This group is the mast common type, showing the shortest and thickest character. 37.8% of the women who take part in this investigation have this bust character Group 4. 12.4% of the women belong to Group 4. They possess the highest and fattest character, skewing smaller necks, armholes, and waists than the other groups. This group also shows the drooping shoulders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2016

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify differences in the thickness of the transverse abdominis (TrA) and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) between those with (LBP) and without low back pain (non-LBP). The standardized methods of contraction for the TrA and PFM were used to perform the abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and pelvic floor muscle contraction (PFC), respectively. METHODS: This study included 27 young men and women, who were verbally instructed regarding the maneuvers (LBP, n=14; non-LBP, n=13). For all subjects, TrA and PFM thickness were evaluated by ultrasonography during ADIM and PFC. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that TrA thickness increased during ADIM and PFC to a greater degree in the non-LBP group than in the LBP group (p < 0.01). PFM thickness increased more during PFC in the non-LBP group than in the LBP group (p < 0.05). Both groups showed greater increases in TrA thickness during ADIM than during PFC (p < 0.01), and greater increases in PFM thickness during PFC than during ADIM (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that receiving verbal instructions on how to use each muscle for a specific maneuver was more beneficial than other verbal instruction. Further studies are needed determine how our results may be applied beneficially in research on this topic.