OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in professional dancers on physical fitness, musculoskeletal complaints and psychological distress. METHODS: Thirty-six professional dancers were recruited and compared with control subjects (mean age 20.1, range 17-27). Height, …

Background: Functional Capacity (FC) is a multidimensional construct within the activity domain of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework (ICF). Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are assessments of work-related FC. The extent to which these work-related …

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare coaches' and players' perceptions of training dose for a full competitive season. METHODS: Session Rating of Perceived Exertion (session-RPE), duration and training load (session-RPE * duration) of 33 professional soccer players (height …

In contrast to western countries, foot complaints are rare in Africa. This is remarkable, as many African adults walk many hours each day, often barefoot or with worn-out shoes. The reason why Africans can withstand such loading without developing foot complaints might be related to the way the foot …

A new gravitation wave observatory is being built in Japan. This facility is a big Michelson interferometer where the mirrors and sensors will be made cryogenic down to 4 K. The problem is that: the heat cannot be transported out of the mirror by its surroundings because the whole system is in an ultra-high …

Background: Physical inactivity and overweight are two known risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Former exercise intervention studies showed that physical activity influences sex hormone levels, known to be related to postmenopausal breast cancer, mainly when concordant loss of body weight …

In this article we investigate the change in wetting behavior of inkjet printed materials on either hydrophilic or hydrophobic plasma treated patterns, to determine the minimum obtainable track width using selective patterned μPlasma printing. For Hexamethyl-Disiloxane (HMDSO)/N2 plasma, a decrease in …

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of quantitative muscle ultrasound (QMUS) to visualize oral muscles and to establish normative data for muscle thickness and echo intensity of submental and tongue muscles in healthy children and young adults. The data were compared with those of …

BACKGROUND: Metatarsal pads are frequently prescribed for patients with metatarsalgia to reduce pain under the distal metatarsal heads. Several studies showed reduced pain and reduced plantar pressure just distal to the metatarsal pad. However, only part of the pain reduction could be explained by the …

BACKGROUND: Although many patients with foot complaints receive customized insoles, the choice for an insole design can vary largely among foot experts. To investigate the variety of insole designs used in daily practice, the insole design and its effect on plantar pressure distribution were investigated …