Schoolbag carriage represents a considerable daily occupational load for children (Negrini et al., 1999). Whittfield et al., (2001) and Puckree et al., (2004) have reported that the carriage of heavy schoolbags is a suspected aetiological factor of the daily physical stress of school pupils. Methods: One hundred and eighty-seven pupils voluntarily participated in a controlled, descriptive, epidemiological retrospective study. Subjects’ biographical, epidemiological, exercise history and lifestyle information was gathered by a self-report questionnaire (adapted from Puckree et al., 2004). Subjects’ body mass, stature and mass of their schoolbags were measured using a Detecto stadiometer scale. Digital images, electromyographical muscular activity and a posture profile assessments were captured in the frontal and sagittal planes whilst the pupils were in the loaded (carrying a schoolbag) and the unloaded phases (not carrying schoolbags). These images were analyzed using biomechanical software, Dartfish. The study being retrospective in nature recorded the prevalence of schoolbag carriage musculoskeletal pain over the last 12 months. Descriptive statistical tests such as mean, mode, frequency, percentages and inferential chi-square statistical test (set at a probability of 0.05) were employed to analyze the data. Results: The result indicated that 78.99% of the cohort experience musculoskeletal pain due to schoolbag carriage (p<0.0001). The most prevalent anatomical sites of pain were the shoulders (37.04%), neck (20.37%), lumbar (11.73%) and thorax (10.49%) (p<0.0001). The mean mass of the schoolbag carried by the cohort was 5.45kg which was approximately 11.5% of their body mass. The predisposing factors of the musculoskeletal pain were the methods employed to carry the schoolbag (single strap (20.21%) versus double straps (76.6%), altered posture due to excessive schoolbag mass together with a reduced craniovertebral angle (p<0.05). Discussion & Conclusion: The excessive schoolbag mass carried by the pupils placed strain on the immature vertebral column of these pupils thus causing postural deviations which induced musculoskeletal pain and discomfort. / Thesis (M.Sport Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

Correct muscular activation of the body segments during an overhand throw is achieved when movement originates in the larger and more proximal legs and trunk and moves sequentially to the smaller, distal segments of the shoulder and arm. This sequence permits angular velocity to transfer progressively through the throw as part of an open kinetic chain. The athlete can summate angular velocity and segmental forces only if he is able to create a separation between the body segments during the movement pattern, and this separation is thus essential to effective segmental sequencing for activation of the trunk muscles to occur separately from distal segment motion. Limited mobility of the shoulder and scapula during the kinematic sequence will limit the ability of that segment to receive and contribute to the angular velocity of its proximal neighbors and to apply its own muscle torque to the throwing implement. This may result in compensatory motion of the proximal muscle groups to meet the demands placed on the body. To establish a link between compensatory activation of the trunk muscles and mobility in the rotator cuff and to apply this relationship to the pattern of the overhand throw, activity in the latissimus dorsi and external oblique/quadratus lumborum muscles was measured using surface electromyography in 40 college-age participants during arm flexion and lateral shoulder rotation. Muscle activation was recorded both before and after mobilization of relevant throwing muscles through targeted functional exercise. Results showed no significant change but suggested a general decrease in the level of peak muscle activation after participants engaged shoulder exercises. This is indicative of a downward trend in compensatory trunk activation during the initiation of shoulder motion. An increase in overall trunk muscle activity was also observed after exercise, which may imply a simultaneous engagement of the proximal throwing muscles in response to shoulder motion.

Dwarfism is considered one of the most recognized congenital defects of animals and humans and can be hereditary or sporadic in cause and expression. There are two general morphologic categories within this vastly diverse disease. These categories are disproportionate and proportionate dwarfism and within each of these there are numerous phenotypes which have been extensively described in humans, and to a lesser extent in dogs, cattle, mice, chickens, and other domestic species. Ponies and Miniature horses largely differ from full size horses only by their stature. Ponies are often defined as those whose height is not greater than 14.2 hands; however the maximum height for Miniature horses is constitutionally defined as 8.2 hands. Dwarfism is not considered a desirable genetic trait for Miniature horses. A majority of these conformationally inferior horses showed consistent physical abnormalities typical of disproportionate dwarfisms as seen in other mammal species. A whole genome scan with the Illumina Equine SNP50 chip clearly implicated a region on ECA1 as being associated with dwarfism of horses. The region implicated on the horse chromosome 1 (Equus Caballus; ECA1) contained a candidate gene for dwarfism, aggrecan (ACAN). Mutations were found in Exons 2, 6, 11 and 15 with each mutation associated with a distinct type of dwarfism. These mutations are independently transmitted throughout the population. Absence of normal homozygotes for these mutations and absence of normal horses which were heterozygous for these mutations indicated that these alleles caused dwarfism in those genotypes. These genotypes did not explain all observed dwarves in this population.

Diabetic patients are prone to complications and need foot care education. The purposes of this study were to (1) examine the effectiveness of instruction on knowledge of foot care in diabetics, and practice of foot care in diabetics, and (2) examine the relationship between health promoting behaviors and foot care practices. The theoretical framework for this study was Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model. The sample for the study consisted of 69 individuals, ages 18 and older with diabetes mellitus (Type I or Type II).Control and experimental groups completed a demographic sheet and Pender's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile. The control group received the traditional intervention of a written handout (Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) and a packet including an emery board, moisturizing lotion, and a hand-held mirror. The experimental group received a specialized nursing intervention of one-on-one instruction along with a written handout, and a packet including an emery board, moisturizing lotion, and a handheld mirror. Both groups were informed of a $10.00 stipend obtainable and paid by the researcher, for those who completed the study. Two weeks following the office visit, both groups received by mail: a follow-up letter, post-tests on knowledge (Knowledge Questionnaire) and practice (Practice Profile), and a stamped return envelope.There was a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group in knowledge of foot care. There was no significant difference between the control group and the experimental group in practices of foot care. There was a significant, positive correlation (r=.306, p=.012) between the practices of health promoting behaviors and foot care practices. Also, educational level was positively correlated (r=.432, p=.001) with knowledge of foot care.Several studies have been done on diabetic foot care instruction but few have been done to compare different methods of instruction with foot care knowledge and practice. One-on-one education provides an opportunity for the learner to play an active role in the discussion of alternative methods of foot care while allowing for immediate feedback from the nurse educator. Packets that include a well-written instruction sheet and foot care items for patient use can be helpful when educating patients about foot care. / School of Physical Education

Muzikantų kaulų ir raumenų sistemos sutrikimus gali lemti biomechaniniai, aplinkos, psichosocialiniai ir asmeninės rizikos faktoriai, su kuriais susiduriama profesinėje aplinkoje. Šie sutrikimai tarp muzikantų yra vadinami sutrikimai, susiję su grojimu (SSG). / The disorders of the musicians’ musculoskeletal system may be determined by the biomechanical, environmental, psychosocial and personal risk factors, which are encountered in the professional environment. These disorders are called playing-related disorders (PRD) among the musicians.

[Truncated abstract] An important field of research in orthopaedic biomechanics is the elucidation and mathematical modelling of the mechanical response of cartilaginous tissues. Such research has applications in the understanding of joint function and degenerative processes, as well as in surgical planning and simulation, and engineering of tissue replacements. In the case of surgical and tissue engineering applications especially, patient-specific mechanical properties are highly desirable. Unfortunately, obtaining such information would generally involve destructive mechanical testing of patient tissue, thus rendering the tissue functionally unusable. Development of a laser scanning confocal arthroscope (LSCA) within our School will soon allow non-invasive extraction of 3D microstructural images of cartilaginous tissues in vivo. It is also envisaged that, linked to a suitably formulated constitutive formulation, such information could allow estimation of tissue mechanical response without physical biopsy. This thesis describes the development of techniques to potentially allow non-invasive patient-specific estimation of tissue mechanical response based on confocal arthroscopy data. A microstructural constitutive model is developed which is capable of directly incorporating LSCA-derived patient-specific structural information. A fibre composite type homogenisation approach is used as the basis for the model. ... The result is a series of orientation tensors describing the 3D orientation of linear features in the image stack. The developed analysis techniques are used to estimate fibre volume fraction and orientation distribution for each of the meniscal specimens. The developed constitutive model and image-derived structural parameters are finally used to estimate the reaction force history of two meniscal cartilage specimens subjected to partially confined compression. The predictions are made on the basis of the specimens? individual structural condition as assessed by confocal microscopy and involve no tuning of material parameters. Although the model does not reproduce all features of the experimental curves, as an unfitted estimate of mechanical response the prediction is quite accurate. In light of the obtained results it is judged that more general non-invasive estimation of tissue mechanical properties is possible using the developed framework. The likely limitations and potential areas of improvement are discussed.

Diss. Göteborg : University, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 150-155).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). Also issued on the Internet.