OBJECTIVE To study the activity of the human uterine cervix at the onset of labour and further characterise cervical asynchronous electromyographic (EMG) activity in the latent phase. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Clinical hospital in Ljubljana. PARTICIPANTS Forty-seven healthy nulliparous women with relatively unripe cervices requiring induction of labo...

This paper examines the acute effect of a bout of static stretches on torque fluctuation during an isometric torque-matching task that required subjects to sustain isometric contractions as steady as possible with the plantar flexor muscles at four intensities (5, 10, 15, and 20% of maximum) for 20 s. The stretching bout comprised five 60-s passive stretches, separated by 10-s rest. During the ...

Many snakes swallow large prey whole, and this process requires large displacements of the unfused tips of the mandibles and passive stretching of the soft tissues connecting them. Under these conditions, the intermandibular muscles are highly stretched but subsequently recover normal function. In the highly stretched condition we observed in snakes, sarcomere length (SL) increased 210% its res...

Context: Stretching exercise regimens are routinely prescribed to increase range of motion (ROM) and diminish injuries. Objective: To examine the effect of a 3-minute passive stretch on ankle-dorsiflexion ROM in a nonpathological population. Setting: University laboratory. Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Participants: 24 apparently healthy volunteers. Interventions: Subjects ...

Background One of the most common causes of severe physical disability in childhood is cerebral palsy (CP). Mobility is one of the most important functions to fulfill the activities of daily living. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of cold application to improve ...