• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2005

This study aimed at examining the maximal isometric contraction caused by voluntary exercise and at comparing its aspects of decrease and restoration in their different repeated application, as to the quadriceps muscles of thigh in the subjects composed of patients with spastic hemiplegia and normal adults. Using isokinetic exercise analyser(Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Biodex System 3PRO, U.S.A.), experiment was conducted as to the normal group composed of fifteen adults and the patient group composed of fifteen patients with spastic hemiplegia. As to each group, MVIC(maximal voluntary isometric contraction) of the quadriceps muscle of thigh caused by voluntary exercise and the aspects of decrease and restoration of the isometric contraction were examined with the method to induce isometric exercise, and their SDI(strength decrement index) and SRI(strength recovery index) were also calculated. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. As for decrease of maximal isometric contraction, both groups showed slow decrease in voluntary exercise, but the normal group showed rapid decrease later phase. 2. As for SDI, no significant differences could be observed in comparison between groups. 3. As for restoration of maximal isometric contraction, both groups showed slow restoration in voluntary exercise, but the normal group showed rapid restoration early phase. 4. As for SRI, comparison between groups showed significant differences in voluntary exercise. These results lead us to the conclusions that spastic muscle is characterized by slow decrease and restoration of MVIC in comparison with normal muscle in voluntary exercise.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2015

Objective : This study aimed to understand how increased heart rates at the time of drop landing during a step test would affect biomechanical variables of the lower extremity limbs. Background : Ballet performers do more than 200 landings in a daily training. This training raises the heart rate and the fatigability of the lower extremity limbs. Ballet performance high heart rate can trigger lower extremity limb injury. Method : We instructed eight female ballet dancers with no instability in their ankle joints(mean ${\pm}$ SD: age, $20.7{\pm}0.7yr$; body mass index, $19.5{\pm}1.2kg/m^2$, career duration, $8.7{\pm}2.0yr$) to perform the drop landing under the following conditions: rest, 60% heart rate reserve (HRR) and 80% HRR. Results : First, the study confirmed that the increased heart rates of the female ballet dancers did not affect the working ranges of the knee joints during drop landing but only increased angular speeds, which was considered a negative shock-absorption strategy. Second, 80% HRR, which was increased through the step tests, led to severe fatigue among the female ballet dancers, which made them unable to perform a lower extremity limb-neutral position. Hence, their drop landing was unstable, with increased introversion and extroversion moments. Third, we observed that the increasing 80% HRR failed to help the dancers effectively control ground reaction forces but improved the muscular activities of the rectus femoris and vastus medialis oblique muscles. Fourth, the increasing heart rates were positively related to the muscular activities of the vastus medialis oblique and rectus femoris muscles, and the extroversion and introversion moments. Conclusion/Application : Our results prove that increased HRR during a step test negatively affects the biomechanical variables of the lower extremity limbs at the time of drop landing.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.498-508
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to develop an aesthetic and functional bicycle wear for new senior women in their 50s and 60s. Based on the results of the survey, we developed bicycle wear that is friendly to bicycling posture and reflects the preference of new senior women. The results are as followed: First, emphasis is placed on the simple and functional design of the experimental wear consisting of jacket and pants. Jacket is different from the color scheme with the armhole princess line in order for the waistline to look slim. Pants are designed to hold the leg muscles tightly in order to help reduce the muscle fatigue on the bicycle ride. Second, cutting lines and coloring materials are used for the wearer to look slim and the safety of the wearer is planned to secure by inserting the reflective material along the cutting lines on the bicycle ride. Third, the pattern of the experimental wear is designed in consideration of the riding motion of the bicycle. Jacket is designed to have back length longer than front length as compared to the bicycle wears available on the market. Sewing lines in the armpit are designed to be eliminated in order to move the arms smoothly on the ride. Pants are designed to minimize the seam line in consideration of the movement of muscles and ligaments and the experimental wear is produced by combining the material with the functions of cool comfort and stretch.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2018

Background: Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) represents a subgroup of painful orofacial disorders involving pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region, fatigue of the cranio-cervico-facial muscles (especially masticatory muscles), limitation of mandible movement, and the presence of a clicking sound in the TMJ. TMD is associated with multiple factors and systemic diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of TMD in Nepalese subjects for the first time. Methods: A total of 500 medical and dental students (127 men and 373 women) participated in this study from May 2016 to September 2016. The Fonseca questionnaire was used as a tool to evaluate the prevalence of TMD, and Fonseca's Anamnestic Index (FAI) was used to classify the severity of TMD. Results: The majority of the participants with TMD had a history of head trauma, psychological stress, and dental treatment or dental problems. The prevalence of TMD in Nepalese students was mild to moderate. Conclusions: The prevalence of TMD in Nepalese subjects was mild to moderate. The majority of the study subjects had eyesight problems, history of head trauma, psychological stress, and drinking alcohol and had received dental treatments.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2009

Repetitive movement, inadequate working posture, overuse of force, physical contact with sharp edge, vibration and temperature were well known risk factors of WMSDs (Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders). Many researchers have investigated the relationship between inadequate working postures and incidences of WMSDs of the upper extremities, whereas relatively few researchers have tried to evaluate workload associated with the lower-body postures. The effects of lower-limb postures including various knee flexion angles on the subjective discomfort, heart rate and EMG of lower-limb muscles were investigated in this study. Thirty graduate students were asked to maintain thirteen different body postures, and heart rate and EMG data of five muscle groups (electro spine, biceps femoris, vastus medialis, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) from each posture were collected during fifteen minutes sustaining tasks. All participants were also asked to report their discomfort ratings of body parts. Results showed that high subjective discomfort ratings and heart rates were reported at the postures of knee angles of $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$, whereas low discomfort ratings were founded at the postures of chair heights with 20cm, 40cm, and sitting with crossed legged. The change of median frequency for each muscle group during fifteen minutes tasks was investigated for each body posture to evaluate the relationship between muscle fatigue and body posture. It was found that the trends of changes of median frequency were different based on muscle group as well as lower-limb body posture from this study.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 2001

Fatigue is the decline in force produced as a result of prolonged muscle activity. Localized muscle fatigue can be identified by a shift toward low in the frequency components of the EMG signal, typically represented by a fall in the median frequency. Previous studies show that a shortened muscle develops a higher fatigue than elongated muscles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the time-related change of median frequency and torque during maximal isometric back extension exercises at different exercise angles ($0^{\circ}$, $12^{\circ}$, $36^{\circ}$, $72^{\circ}$). Twenty healthy subjects (mean age = $24.35{\pm}2.70$) were evaluated in this study. Median frequency was extracted from the EMG signals by fast Fourier transform (FFT). Initial median frequency and the slope of median frequency change over time were computed from linear regression analysis. Pearson's product moment correlation was used to quantify the relationship between slope of median frequency and torque. The results were as follows: 1) Significant differences in y-intercepts of torque regression equation with respect to exercise angle were shown. However, there were no differences in the slopes of the median frequency and torque, and y intercept of the median frequency among exercise angles. 2) There was no significant correlation between slope of median frequency and torque. 3) But there was moderate correlation between median frequency and torque at each exercise angle. In conclusion, the exercise angle during maximal isometric back extension exercise is not a direct effect on slope of median frequency and torque. But results showed that median frequency and torque shift were highly correlated in all subjects.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.109-128
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• 2003

This study tested whether repeated measurement of median frequency (MDF)-related variables could express the muscle power changes during a 12-week DeLome strengthening program, by using consecutive overlapping FFT (Fast Fourier transformation) and integrated EMG (IEMG) from surface EMG data for isometric and isotonic exercise. To evaluate the effect of training, the following were recorded every 3 weeks for the elbow flexors and knee extensors of 5 healthy male volunteers: MVC, lRM, limb circumference, and surface EMG during isometric MVC or isotonic contraction at 10RM load. From the EMG data, IEMG and variables from a regression analysis between MDF and time were obtained. MVC, lRM, IEMG, and initial MDF increased linearly over the training period. The fatigue index and slope of the regression line increased temporarily until the 6th week and decreased thereafter. From these results, there appeared to be enhanced neural recruitment of fast twitch fibers in the first 6 weeks and continued enhancement in the recruitment and hypertrophy of fast twitch fibers, which led to increased fatigue resistance, over the last 6 weeks. Accordingly, the MDF and IEMG analysis technique could demonstrate the effect of the program detected significant changes in both isometric and isotonic contractions. EMG analysis methods can be used to estimate the electrophysiological and histological changes in skeletal muscles during a strengthening program.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2012

In this study, the active exercise load control system was developed that monitors patient's muscular condition based on EMG signals and controls the load by biofeedback in real-time. In order to select appropriate muscular parameter for the system, the pre-exercise test was performed to obtain EMG signals from healthy 12 males. Subsequently, the main exercise test was performed to evaluate the active exercise load control system based on IEMG: a selected muscular parameter, on healthy 10 males without musculoskeletal disorder. The accuracy and availability of developed system were confirmed through observing changes between exercise load and IEMG. A correlation was analyzed between the fatigue of muscles and RPE indicating the individual subjective fatigue. As a result, the active exercise load control system that was suggested in this study could be useful to control the initial load-balancing and the amount of exercise appropriate for individual in rehabilitation exercise therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a combination of isotonic (CI) technique on the balance, muscle fatigue and muscle activities of the quadriceps muscle in the paretic leg of hemiplegic patients. Method: All the subjects received a combined isotonic technique of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) for about 30 minutes 3 times per week for 6 weeks. The root mean square (RMS) and mid frequency (MF) were recorded by surface electromyography (EMG)(EMG/EP system, OXFORD Medelec, UK) during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC). The balance ability was measured by a balance system (BIODEX, USA). Result: The RMS of the quadriceps muscle at post-treatment was significantly increased compared to that at pretreatment (p<0.05). Yet there was no significant difference among the three muscles. There were no significant difference in the MF of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris between pre- and post-treatment, but the MF of the vastus medialis was significantly decreased (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the vastus medialis and lateralis between pre- and post-treatment (p<0.05). Moreover, the overall stability index at post-treatment was significantly decreased compared to that at pre-treatment (p<0.05). But there was no significant difference between the anterior/posterior and medial/lateral stability indexes. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that a CI technique of PNF had an effect to improve the balance and muscle activity in hemiplegic patients.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 2020

Background: Prolonged sitting at work can lead to adverse health outcomes. The health risk of office workers is an increasing concern for the society and industry, with prolonged sitting work becoming more prevalent. Objective: This study aimed to explore the variation in muscle activities during prolonged sitting work and found out when and how to take a break to mitigate the risk of muscle symptoms. Methods: A preliminary survey was conducted to find out the prevalence of muscle discomfort in sedentary work. Firstly, a 2-h sedentary computer work was designed based on the preliminary study to investigate the variation in muscle activities. Twenty-four participants took part in the electromyography (EMG) measurement study. The EMG variations in the trapezius muscle and latissimus dorsi were investigated. Then the intervention time was determined based on the EMG measurement study. Secondly, 48 participants were divided into six groups to compare the effectiveness of every break type (passive break, active break of changing their posture, and stand and stretch their body with 5 or 10 mins). Finally, data consisting of EMG amplitudes and spectra and subjective assessment of discomfort were analyzed. Results: In the EMG experiment, results from the joint analysis of the spectral and amplitude method showed muscle fatigue after about 40 mins of sedentary work. In the intervention experiment, the results showed that standing and stretching for 5 mins was the most effective break type, and this type of break could keep the muscles' state at a recovery level for about 30-45 mins. Conclusions: This study offers the possibility of being applied to office workers and provides preliminary data support and theoretical exploration for a follow-up early muscle fatigue detection system.