• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of upper trapezius muscle stretching in more tensed position (MTP) and less tensed position (LTP) on the change of range of motion (ROM) for neck rotation, and the ROM for conjunct neck motions at end-range of neck rotation toward the painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain. Eighteen patients with unilateral neck pain were recruited for the study's MTP group, and 18 age-, weight- and gender-matched patients with unilateral neck pain were recruited for LTP group. The ROM changes in active neck primary and conjunct motions were measured using a cervical ROM inclinometer in the sitting position. Our results showed that both upper trapezius stretching method in MTP and LTP were significantly effective in increasing the ROM of neck rotation toward painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain. However, a significantly greater increase in the ROM for neck rotation and a further decrease in conjunct neck extension during neck rotation toward the painful side were shown in MTP group, compared to LTP group. The upper trapezius stretching in MTP is useful in increasing the ROM of neck rotation and decreasing the range of conjunct neck extension during neck rotation toward the painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.102-110
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• 2006

To improve trunk stability, various exercise protocols were introduced into the clinical field. Trunk and lumbar stability exercises on unstable surfaces are especially recommended to improve lumbar stability. The purpose of this study was to compare abdominal oblique muscle activity during leg raising in hook-lying position among 3 different type of surface conditions (on floor (F), vestibular board (VB), and foam roll (FR)). Sixteen able-bodied volunteers, who had no medical history of lower extremity or lumbar spine disease, were recruited for this study. Surface electromyography (EMG) activity was recorded from the internal and external oblique muscles of both sides. The normalized EMG activity was compared using a one-way repeated ANOVA. The results showed that the EMG activities of the internal oblique and external oblique of the lifted leg side during straight leg raising significantly increased under the FR condition when compared to the F condition. There was no significant difference of the EMG activity in abdominal oblique muscles between the VB and the FR conditions. The EMG activity of the internal oblique of supported leg side during the straight leg raising was significantly greater under the FR condition than the VB and F conditions (p<.05). The composition ratio of EMG activity of internal oblique muscles during straight leg raising was significantly increased under the FR condition. Therefore, straight leg raising exercise on foam roll in hook lying position could be beneficial to improve trunk and lumbar stability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.11-19
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• 2013

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a painful condition that arises from exercise-induced muscle damage after unaccustomed physical activities. Various therapeutic interventions have been applied to reduce the intensity and duration of DOMS-related symptoms. Recently, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) intervention has been introduced as an alternative noninvasive treatment for DOMS. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment was conducted to examine the effects of PEMF therapy on DOMS in elbow flexors at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the experimental DOMS induction. Thirty healthy volunteers ($23{\pm}2.4$ yrs, $175{\pm}5.7$ cm, and $74{\pm}7.8$ kg) participated in this study. Each was randomly assigned to a PEMF or placebo group. On the first day, DOMS was induced in the elbow flexors by repeated isokinetic motions at low ($60^{\circ}/s$) and fast ($120^{\circ}/s$) speeds in all subjects. Thereafter, the PEMF group received 15-min daily treatment with a PEMF device. The placebo group received sham treatment of the same duration. Overall, PEMF application was more effective than the sham treatment in reducing the physiological symptoms associated with the DOMS including perceived soreness, median frequency, and electromechanical delay of the surface electromyography. In addition, median frequency and isokinetic peak torque of the PEMF group recovered to the pre-DOMS induction level earlier than the placebo group. In conclusion, this study suggests that PEMF can be applied as a new recovery strategy in reducing DOMS symptoms. Further experiments are required to examine the effect of the PEMF treatment on different types of exercise conditions and to determine the optimal treatment dosage and duration in a real clinical setting.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.60-68
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to assess the intra-rater test-retest reliability of tibial external rotation angle measurement using a smartphone-based photographic goniometer, DrGoniometer (DrG) compared to a three-dimensional motion analysis system (Vicon). The current study showed an interchangeable method using DrG to measure the tibial external rotation angle in standing knee flexion at $90^{\circ}$. Twelve healthy subjects participated in this study. A rest session was conducted 30 minutes later for within-day reliability and five days later for between-day intra-rater test-retest reliability. To assess the validity of the measurement using DrG, we used a three dimensional motion analysis system as a gold standard to measure the angle of tibial external rotation. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the standard error of measurement (SEM) values were used to determine the within- and between- day intra-rater test-retest reliability of using DrG and a three dimensional motion analysis system. To assess validity, Pearson correlation coefficients were used for two measurement techniques. The measurement for tibial external rotation had high intra-rater test-retest reliability of within-day (ICC=.88) and between-day (ICC=.83) reliability using DrG and of within-day (ICC=.93) and between-day (ICC=.77) reliability using a three-dimentional motion analysis system. Tibial external rotation angle measurement using DrG was highly correlated with those of the three-dimensional motion analysis system (r=.86). These results represented that the tibial external rotation angle measurement using DrG showed acceptable reliability and validity compared with the use of three-dimensional motion analysis system.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.139-155
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• 2012

This study aimed to glean lessons for desirable early childhood physical education programs by contouring the current paradigms on body or physical activities in the area of early education for young children. It also aimed to analyze their postures while participating in daily activities. The research method for analysis of children's postures while doing daily activities was OWAS(Ovako Working Posture Analysing System) which has been extensively used in ergonomics. Components of data analysis have been redesigned on the basis of information gathered from OWAS with the help of ergonomic experts. The results showed different percentages of children's movements according to activities such as whole class meeting, small group activity and outdoor activity. Small group and outdoor activities can be considered the most desirable physical activities not only for cognitive and social development but also for physical development. And it is recommended to reconstruct the quality and nature of whole class meetings in order to coordinate the physical nature of young children.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1001-1007
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• 2014

We surveyed the wearing characteristics of hip protectors. The problems of existing hip protectors were identified and the directions for improvement were presented. The evaluation of wearing characteristics was conducted on the 100 elderly women (60 to 85 years) with 5 types of hip protector. The questionnaire was composed of history and characteristics on falling, hip protector acceptance, preference, use characteristics and improvement requirements. The result of wearing characteristic evaluation indicated that 52% of the subject experienced falling in winter. Incidents resulting from falling occurred: outdoors (74.5%), bathroom (10.9%), and kitchen (5.5%). Body parts to be protected were in several areas: 35.6% for lumbar, 26.9% for hip joint, and 15% for hip bone. Participants prefer a belt B type design at a rate of 56.9% because it provided a sense of stability by clinging to the body and upholding the waist. Belt B type was the most appropriate in terms of fit, allowance, mobility, and design except pad thickness. To reduce the risk of hip fracture, hip protector needs to be designed in consideration of user's type of fall and body shape. The pattern and size of a hip protector has to be improved in regards to the amount of discomfort. An objective evaluation is needed for the ergonomic design of a hip protector based on and analysis of 3D body image of the elderly and the shock-absorbing quality of pad.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.38C no.10
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• pp.896-902
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• 2013

Crosstalk has been regarded as one of inherent problems in a factor disturbing optimal viewing experiences. For this reason, display developers address the crosstalk issues. However, due to various display characteristics and viewing environments it is hard to estimate the crosstalk generated in real space. This paper proposes an interactive multi-view display simulator based on augmented reality for developing mobile autostereoscopic displays. This display simulator can be used for the developers to estimate the crosstalk and find optimal viewing zone intuitively. Typical parameters for mobile phone use are applied for the estimation. The proposed simulator provides visualized crosstalk in real space for them to determine better viewing zone interactively. The proposed system is expected to help establish ergonomic guidelines for mobile multi-view autostereoscopic display developers, designers, and viewers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.307-314
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms relating to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and investigate the risk factors among researchers at university laboratories. Methods: 209 researchers were included in this study, drawn from 27 laboratories at three universities in Korea. Checklists for MSD symptoms and risk factor assessment were utilized. Results: The symptoms checklist showed reliable results with Cohen's Kappa 0.33-0.56, percent agreement 81.0-96.8%, and correlation coefficient 0.41-0.63. The overall prevalence of MSD symptoms was 68.9%, while the prevalence in specific parts of body were as follows: shoulders (47.6%), lower back (46.9%), neck (46.9%), knees (25.4%), wrists (20.1%), elbows (13.6%). The symptom prevalence among women was higher than among men (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.37-5.18). Daily exposure time was observed to be a significant risk factor for developing MSD symptoms (OR 2.14-6.07). Conclusions: This study suggested that repetitive pipetting and static work posture are the most significant risk factors for MSD symptoms among laboratory researchers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.339-347
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• 2011

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate of various material of pillows by using biomechanical variables such as the cervical stability, head pressure distribution, and muscle activity. Method: Eight subjects participated in the experiment. Three different materials such as polyester sponge, memory foam and the buckwheat shell used for Korean traditional pillow were tested. Electro-goniometer, six channels of electromyography(EMG), ten channels of the head pressure sensors were used to measure the biomechanical responses. Surface electrodes were attached to the right/left semispinals capitis(RSC, LSC), the right/left sternocleidomastoid(RSM, LSM), the right/left upper trapezius(RUT, LUT). The cervical stability was evaluated by the angle deviated from the standing neck position. The head pressure distribution was evaluated by the pressure per unit area recorded on the sensors and the intensity of peak pressure. Electromyography(EMG) data were analyzed by using root mean square(RMS) and mean power frequency(MPF). Results: The buckwheat shell material showed a higher stability in the cervical spine then the other pillows during spine position. In terms of head pressure distribution, the memory form indicated the lowest pressure at supine position, buckwheat shell material indicated the lowest pressure during lying down to side, and polyester cushion recorded the highest pressure at all postures. Conclusion: The buckwheat shell material has a biomechanical advantage to maintain a healthy neck angle and reduce the pressure on the head, which means the buckwheat shell is a potential material for ergonomic pillow design. The pillow with memory form showed second best biomechanical performance in this study. Application: The shape of the buckwheat shell pillow and the characteristics of materials can be used to design the pillow preventing neck pain and cervical disk problems.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2016

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relation between key strike forces and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). Moreover, this study presents a key strike force measurement method to be used in a workplace setting. The correlation between key strike force characteristics and MSS was previously studied, but the measurement methods used either a single-key switch or force platforms applied under the keyboard. Most of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting. The uniqueness of measurement methods in the current study is their ability to measure forces applied to a specific key in a workplace setting and to provide more information about specific key strike forces during typing. Methods: Twenty-four healthy computer workers were recruited for the study. The demographic questionnaire, and self-reported questionnaires for psychosocial status (General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work) and for detecting MSS were filled up, which later helped in dividing the participants into two groups (12 participants with pain and 12 without pain). Participants typed a predetermined text that utilized the instrumented keys multiple times. The dynamic forces applied to the keys were recorded and collected, using four thin and flexible force sensors attached to the preselected keys according to their location. Results: The results demonstrated that participants with high levels of MSS, specifically in the back and neck, in the last year exerted significantly higher key strike forces than those with lower levels of symptoms (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The key strike force exerted while typing on a keyboard may be a risk factor for MSS, and should therefore be considered in ergonomic evaluations and interventional programs.