Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Fatigue, Different Types of Physical Activity, Postural Changes, and Sleep Quality in University Students-Part II Analyses from a Cross-Sectional Study.

Fatigue can be a useful tool to understand the effects of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior on musculoskeletal health in university students. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine gender differences in the relationships between fatigue and specific types and levels of PA, posture, sleep quality (SQ), and non-specific low back pain (NS-LBP) in young adult university students aged 18-25 years. A total of 180 students completed all required tests.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Physical Activity, Postural Characteristics and Non-Specific Low Back Pain in Young Adults.

University students are a particularly vulnerable population, as they spend increasing amounts of time sitting, which poses a major threat to their musculoskeletal health and posture. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gender differences in the relationships between physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior, spinal curvatures and mobility, the endurance and balance of the trunk muscles, and the possible presence of non-specific low back pain (NS-LBP) in young adults aged 18-25 years. A total of 139 students completed all required tests.

The Flexion Relaxation Phenomenon in Patients with Radiculopathy and Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Although the measurements of the lumbar spine and pelvic flexion have shown that subjects with radiculopathy exhibited greater decreases of motion when compared with subjects with low back pain, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the changes in flexion relaxation ratio in patients with radiculopathy. The aims of this study were to investigate the flexion relaxation ratio and flexion of the lumbar spine and pelvis in subjects with low back pain (LBP) and LBP with radiculopathy (LBPR) in comparison with healthy subjects (CG-control group). A total of 146 participants were divided in three groups: LBP patients (54 males; 21 females); LBPR patients (26 males; 11 females); and CG subjects (16 males; 18 females).

Relationship between Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior, Spinal Curvatures, Endurance and Balance of the Trunk Muscles-Extended Physical Health Analysis in Young Adults.

Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with poor well-being in young people with adverse effects extending into adulthood. To date, there are many studies investigating the relationship between physical activity (PA) and posture, but there are no data on the relationship between the type and intensity of PA and sedentary behavior, their association with thoracic and lumbar spine angles, and with endurance and balance of the trunk muscles, especially in healthy young adults aged 18-25 years. Moreover, there are no data on the relationship between PA and sedentary behavior and musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary health, as well as quality of life (QoL) and sleep that would provide a more comprehensive picture of physical health status.

The effectiveness of unilateral isokinetic resistance training on cross-education is independent of contraction velocity: a case of female dorsiflexors and plantar flexors.

The large body of published literature has shown that the effects of strength training can transfer from trained to untrained homologous limb muscles after unilateral training. These effects on strength have been shown to be very specific to the type and speed of training contraction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week unilateral slow and fast velocity isokinetic concentric training, to compare the effects, and thus investigate whether these effects are speed-specific.

Linear Regression vs. Deep Learning: A Simple Yet Effective Baseline for Human Body Measurement.

We propose a linear regression model for the estimation of human body measurements. The input to the model only consists of the information that a person can self-estimate, such as height and weight. We evaluate our model against the state-of-the-art approaches for body measurement from point clouds and images, demonstrate the comparable performance with the best methods, and even outperform several deep learning models on public datasets.

Biomechanical Differences in the Sprint Start Between Faster and Slower High-Level Sprinters.

The purpose of this study was to examine the kinematic and kinetic differences of the sprint start and first two steps between faster and slower high-level sprinters. Twelve male sprinters were dichotomized according to personal best 60- and 100-m times. Each participant performed five starts under constant conditions.

Kinematic, Dynamic and EMG Analysis of Drop Jumps in Female Elite Triple Jump Athletes.

The purpose of the study was a biodynamic analysis of the kinematic, dynamic and EMG parameters of two types of drop jumps (heights of 25 cm and 45 cm). The sample of measured subjects included four female elite triple jump athletes, with their best results varying from 13.33 to 15.

Effect of glenohumeral forward flexion on upper limb myoelectric activity during simulated mills manipulation; relations to peripheral nerve biomechanics.

Background: It is generally accepted that muscles may activate via the common nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) in response to painful stimuli associated with tensile or compressive forces on peripheral nerves. Following the basic assumption that the radial nerve may be stressed around the elbow during the execution of the Mills manipulation, two positions considered to have different mechanical effects on the radial nerve and the brachial plexus were tested in order to i) explore whether muscles are activated in certain patterns with concomitant changes in nerve tension, ii) establish whether muscle responses can be modified with mechanical unloading of the brachial plexus.

Methods: Muscle responses were quantified bilaterally in eight subjects (N = 16) during Mills Manipulation (MM) pre-manipulative positioning and a Varied position that putatively produces less mechanical tension in the brachial plexus.

Reg3G gene expression in regenerating skeletal muscle and corresponding nerve.

Introduction: The Reg genes play a major role in the regeneration of various tissues; however, no reports have been published regarding expression of the Reg3G gene in skeletal muscle. In this study we investigated the expression of the Reg3G gene in regeneration of rat skeletal muscle and injured nerves.

Methods: We used 3 experimental models of muscle and nerve injury.

MRI features of the psoas major muscle in patients with low back pain.

Purpose: The purpose was to investigate the changes of the psoas major muscles (PM) cross-sectional area (CSA) and fat infiltration in the PM and to investigate the association between the morphology of the PM and expression of the degenerative changes of lumbar spine in patients with low back pain (LBP).

Methods: T2-weighted scans for measurements of the CSA and analysis of fat infiltration were performed on 42 patients and 49 controls using a 1.5 Tesla MR system.

Effect of cervical spine position on upper limb myoelectric activity during pre-manipulative stretch for Mills manipulation: a new model, relations to peripheral nerve biomechanics and specificity of Mills manipulation.

Objectives: (A) Describe a new method of investigation of the possible muscular effects of the commonly practiced Mills manipulation for lateral elbow pain (epicondylalgia), (B) ascertain if myoelectric activity is influenced during the pre-manipulative stretch for Mills manipulation, (C) establish whether muscle responses are influenced by ipsilateral lateral flexion of the cervical spine which reduces mechanical tension in the peripheral nerves of the upper limb.

Sample: Eight asymptomatic subjects were tested bilaterally (N=16).

Methods: Myoelectric measurements - EMG signals were recorded with a 16 channel pocket EMG patient unit and processed off-line.

Clinical and medicolegal characteristics of neck injuries.

The predominance in performing surgery of major spine injuries by neurosurgeons usually has the consequence of treating all types of spine injuries by neurosurgeons - neurotraumatologists. In the neurosurgical wards of Clinical Hospital Rijeka, we take care of the majority of these patients, following both the major, as well as minor--whiplash injuries of the neck. This article is an overview of the patients admitted in the one year period (October 1st 2009-October 1st 2010) where 1077 cases of neck injuries were analyzed.

The effects of long-term experimental diabetes mellitus type I on skeletal muscle regeneration capacity.

Muscle fibers are dynamic structures capable of altering their phenotype under various pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of long-lasting diabetes mellitus on the process of muscle regeneration in the skeletal muscle. Wistar rats were made diabetic by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ).

Anthropometric parameters as predictors for iliopsoas muscle strength in healthy girls and in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

In this study iliopsoas muscle strength was measured by portable dynamometer and it was explored to what extent independent predictors (age, body weight, body height and body mass index) affect iliopsoas strength in healthy subjects and in subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The study population was consisted of 183 girls (90 healthy girls and 93 girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis). Student t test analysis showed no differences in maximal voluntary isometric contraction between healthy girls and girls with scoliosis.

Kinematic measurement of the lumbar spine and pelvis in the normal population.

Spinal and pelvis motion has been studied by a variety of different methods, the majority of which have a number of limitations. The present study investigated motion characteristics of the lumbar spine and pelvis using a three-dimensional optoelectronic system. The aim of our study was to determine kinematic parameters of spine and pelvis during trunk flexion, extension and lateral bending in normal, healthy subjects.