مطالب

Background : Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most rampant x-linked recessive lethal genetic disease with prevalence of approximately 1 out of 3500-5000 newborn boys worldwide. DMD is mutations-induced in gene encoding dystrophin that prevent the production of the muscle isoform of dystrophin (Dp427m). Aim: This study aims to evaluate the impact of hydrotherapy on health-related quality of life and body composition changes, as well as how it affects on skeletal muscle strength in boys with DMD. Materials and Methods:  Eight boys, ranging from 6 to 12 years old with DMD were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly assigned to either a hydrotherapy group as the intervention group (Group 1; n=4) or a non-exercise group as the control group (Group 2; n=4), to receive 12 sessions of a hydrotherapy program. The patients were assessed for changes in muscle strength in the lower limbs and back, left and right quadriceps, left and right-hand grip, LBM, SMM, and general mobility and balance, before and after hydrotherapy. Results : Significant improvements in general mobility and balance were observed, along with a significant increase in muscle strength and lean body mass ( P <0.05). Conclusion : This study suggests that hydrotherapy with a precise protocol of low to moderate intensity can improve general mobility and balance, increase muscle strength in the lower limbs and back, left and right quadriceps, left and right-hand grip, and LBM in patients with DMD. The increase in strength is accompanied by increase in LBM, which not only has implications for function but also has much broader impacts on the health-related quality of life in patients.

Background : Digit ratio (2D:4D) is a marker of prenatal androgen exposure that has been associated with behavioral parameters. Individuals with low 2D:4D are more aggressive and tend to engage in more physical activity. Aim: We examined the relationship between 2D:4D and physical activity, sensation seeking and aggression in mature and immature boys. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of Mazandaran male students aged 9 to 17 years in 2019-2020. The sample was 218 healthy, cluster randomly selected boys (13.77±2.4 y/o) from three schools with no health issues. 2D:4D digit ratio, physical activity, aggression, sensation seeking were measured. Pearson correlation analyzed variable associations. Significance was considered at P ≤0.05. Results : Low 2D:4D ratio was associated with higher physical activity (r≈-0.27), sensation seeking (r≈-0.3), and aggression (r≈-0.21), during childhood and adolescence ( P <0.05). These relationships among right and left hand 2D:4D ratios with physical activity and sensation seeking remained consistent across maturity levels ( P <0.05). Only immature boys had a significant association between 2D:4D ratios and aggression (r≈-0.29, P <0.05). Physical activity was positively associated with sensation seeking (r≈0.25, P <0.05), but not aggression in mature and immature boys. Conclusion : Prenatal testosterone organizes boys' physical activity and behavioral parameters, influencing the later development of sensation-seeking and aggression and greater participation in physical activity. The study has limitations such as a small sample size and a self-report method for assessing aggression. Future research should focus on behavioral observation methods with larger sample sizes.

Background: Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can impact a person's ability to walk and move comfortably. Pronated foot posture has been suggested as a potential contributor to low back pain, and this study examines its impact on muscle activity during gait in individuals with low back pain. Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether pronated foot alters the activity timing of trunk and lower limb muscles during gait in low back pain patients. Materials and Methods: The sample of this study included 32 men with low back pain and pronated foot. Participants were divided into control (n=15, with foot pronated only) and experimental (n=17, with both low back pain and foot pronated) groups. The experimental group did resistance training with Thera-band for 12 weeks, 3 sessions per week. A wireless electromyography system with 9 pairs of bipolar surface electrodes was used to record the electromyography activity timing of back and lower limb muscles (sample rate: 2000 Hz). Two-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Results: Significant between-group differences were found at baseline onset of EMG activity timing for gastrocnemious medialis ( P <0.001), gluteus medius ( P <0.001) and erector spinae at 3rd lumbar vertebral level ( P =0.001) muscles. Results indicated significant main effects of “Time” for erector spinae at 3rd lumbar vertebral level offset ( P =0.023), significant main effects of “group” for tibialis anterior offset ( P = 0.039) and for erector spinae at 3rd lumbar vertebral level offset ( P = 0.010). Conclusion: The selected training program changed the timing of erector spinae at 3rd lumbar vertebral level in older adults with both low back pain and pronated feet during walking.

This study investigated the effects of corrective feedback (CF) and the Flipped Teaching Model (FTM) on English language learners’ overall and categorical grammar accuracy. The study was conducted at Payame-Nour University (PNU) of Mahabad, Iran. A total of 80 Iranian EFL learners participated in the study. The participants were randomly assigned into two flipped and two non-flipped groups of 20: one in each pair of groups receiving explicit and the other implicit CF. Data were collected across two time periods (pre-intervention and post-intervention). Two measures of Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) were conducted. The results revealed no significant differences in the effect of CF type in the flipped classes, and both led to the learners’ higher level of overall grammar accuracy. However, the explicit group outperformed the implicit one in the non-flipped classes. Explicit feedback in flipped and non-flipped classes led to the learners’ outperformance in acquiring specific grammatical structures, such as adjective/reduced adjective clauses, but not in others, like comparative/superlative adjectives, gerund/infinitive, word forms, word order, and apposition. These findings have implications for language educators seeking to enhance learners’ grammatical accuracy in both flipped and non-flipped classrooms, particularly in relation to the use of explicit feedback for certain types of grammatical structures.