ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6396-1146
Current Organisations
University of South Australia
,
University of Hong Kong, Department of Physiology
,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-01-2005
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.APMR.2011.05.003
Abstract: To examine the effect of adding aerobic exercise to conventional physiotherapy treatment for patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) in reducing pain and disability. Randomized controlled trial. A physiotherapy outpatient setting in Hong Kong. Patients with chronic LBP (N=46) were recruited and randomly assigned to either a control (n=22) or an intervention (n=24) group. An 8-week intervention both groups received conventional physiotherapy with additional in idually tailored aerobic exercise prescribed only to the intervention group. Visual analog pain scale, Aberdeen Low Back Pain Disability Scale, and physical fitness measurements were taken at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 months from the commencement of the intervention. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed to examine between-group differences. Both groups demonstrated a significant reduction in pain (P<.001) and an improvement in disability (P<.001) at 8 weeks and 12 months however, no differences were observed between groups. There was no significant difference in LBP relapse at 12 months between the 2 groups (χ(2)=2.30, P=.13). The addition of aerobic training to conventional physiotherapy treatment did not enhance either short- or long-term improvement of pain and disability in patients with chronic LBP.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JSAMS.2016.11.022
Abstract: To investigate injury incidence and the influence of physical fitness parameters on the risk of severe injuries in players on rugby sevens university teams. Prospective cohort study. Rugby players from three universities (N=104 90M:14F 20.6±1.9years) were recruited before the beginning of the season. Players underwent pre-season assessments of power, strength, speed, agility, endurance, stability, and flexibility. Throughout the season, rugby-related injury and exposure data were collected. Potential predictor variables were analyzed using Cox proportional regression model to identify risk factors associated with severe injuries (time loss>28days). Thirty-one injuries occurred during the rugby season. The match and training injury incidence rates were 59.3 injuries and 3.3 injuries per 1000 player-hours, respectively. Lower limb injuries were most common and most severe. The ankle joint was the most prevalent site of injury, and ligamentous injury was most common (48.4%). Nine severe injuries were sustained resulting in an average time loss of 51.3±14.6days. Female (hazard ratio [HR]=8.35 95% confidence intervals [CI]=2.01-34.8), slower (HR=3.51 95% CI=1.17-10.5), and less agile (HR=2.22 95% CI=1.26-3.92) players as well as those with hip flexors tightness (HR=1.12 95% CI=1.00-1.25) were at significantly greater risk for sustaining severe injuries. Limited studies are available on risk factors associated with amateur rugby players in the Sevens version. The development of gender-specific injury prevention measures that emphasize speed and agility training, and improve hip flexor extensibility may be important to reduce the risk of severe injuries.
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.1139/Y09-058
Abstract: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe muscle-wasting disease caused by the absence of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Experiments on the mdx mouse, a model of DMD, have shown that mdx muscles are particularly susceptible to stretch-induced damage. In this review, we discuss evidence showing that a series of stretched contractions of mdx muscle fibres causes a prolonged increase in resting intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ). The rise in [Ca 2+ ] i is caused by Ca 2+ entry through a class of stretch-activated channels (SAC NSC ) for which one candidate gene is TRPC1. We review the evidence for activation of SAC NSC in muscle by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suggest that stretch-induced ROS production is part of the pathway that triggers increased channel activity. When the TRPC1 gene was transfected into C2 myoblasts, expression occurred throughout the cell. Only when the TRPC1 gene was coexpressed with caveolin-3 did the TRPC1 protein express in the membrane. When TRPC1 was expressed in the membrane, it could be activated by ROS to produce Ca 2+ entry and this entry was inhibited by PP2, an inhibitor of src kinase. These results suggest that stretched contractions activate ROS production, which activates src kinase. Activity of this kinase causes opening of SAC NSC and allows Ca 2+ entry. This pathway appears to be a significant cause of muscle damage in DMD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2000
DOI: 10.1016/S0003-6870(00)00008-9
Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the self-perceived exertion level and an objective measurement of muscle fatigue on violin players before and after a training session. Fourteen professional violin players volunteered in this study. Surveillance study was used to investigate the demographic characteristics, instrument playing background, playing habits variables and factors associated with playing-related musculoskeletal complaints (PRMCs). The subjective rating of the training-induced exertion was evaluated by the Borg scale ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to record the fatigue level of the upper trapezius muscles before and after a training session. Medium frequency (MF) of the EMG signals was used to document the fatigue rate of this muscle. Descriptive statistics revealed a 79% prevalence rate of PRMCs with neck and shoulder region accounting for 57.1% of the areas reported. On the self-perceived exertion level associated with the training session, results indicated a significant increase in fatigue level (p = 0.003) after the training session. Regression analysis and paired s les t-tests revealed no significant difference in the slopes of MF on both sides of trapezius muscle, before and after the training sessions. The disparity in the subjective perception with the objective findings indicated that the violinists' self-perceived exertion arises from multiple sources. The high prevalence of PRMCs in this profession warrants further ergonomic investigation of possible work-related risk factors.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 27-01-2009
Abstract: Hamstring injuries are common in sprinters. Identifying preseason risk factors is essential to target injury-prone athletes and develop injury preventive measures. To investigate the incidence of hamstring muscle injury in sprinters over an athletic season and to explore the preseason predictor of this injury. Prospective cohort study. 44 sprinters from the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association and intercollegiate athletic teams were recruited. Preseason assessment of hamstring flexibility, concentric and eccentric isokinetic peak torque and peak torque angle were obtained at the beginning of an athletic season. The athletes were followed over 12 months and were asked to report all injuries resulting from training and competition. Eight athletes sustained hamstring injuries over the season. The injury rate was 0.87 per 1000 h of exposure. The incidence of injuries was higher at the beginning of the season, with 58.3% injuries occurring in the first 100 h of exposure. Cox regression analysis revealed that athletes with a decrease in the hamstring : quadriceps peak torque ratio of less than 0.60 at an angular velocity of 180 degrees/s have a 17-fold increased risk of hamstring injury. Performing preseason hamstring : quadriceps peak torque ratio assessments may be useful to identify sprinters susceptible to hamstring injury.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.GHIR.2010.03.005
Abstract: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an important growth factor for embryonic development, postnatal growth, tissue repair and maintenance of homeostasis. IGF-I functions and regulations are complex and tissue-specific. IGF-I mediates growth hormone signaling to target tissues during growth, but many IGF-I variants have been discovered, resulting in complex models to describe IGF-I function and regulation. Mechano-growth factor (MGF) is an alternative splicing variant of IGF-I and serves as a local tissue repair factor that responds to changes in physiological conditions or environmental stimuli. MGF expression is significantly increased in muscle, bone and tendon following damage resulting from mechanical stimuli and in the brain and heart following ischemia. MGF has been shown to activate satellite cells in muscle resulting in hypertrophy or regeneration, and functions as a neuroprotectant in brain ischemia. Both expression and processing of this IGF-I variant are tissue specific, but the functional mechanism is poorly understood. MGF and its short derivative have been examined as a potential therapy for muscular dystrophy and cerebral hypoxia-ischemia using experimental animals. Although the unique mode of action of MGF has been identified, the details remain elusive. Here we review the expression and regulation of MGF and the function of this IGF-I isoform in tissue protection.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1136/BMJSEM-2018-000450
Abstract: The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3rd edition (SCAT3), a test for assessing athletes for concussion, into the Chinese context. Translation and adaptation were performed in several stages, which included forward translation by two independent teams, translation merging, backward translation, reviews by both native Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking multidisciplinary expert panels (n=49) for semantic and conceptual equivalence and reviews by pitch-side physiotherapists (n=18) as end-users of the SCAT3 and rugby players (n=11) for face validity. The Serial 3 s subtraction test was used as a substitute for the Months Backward Test (MBT) for measures of concentration in the Standardized Assessment of Concussion subscale. English-speaking and Chinese-speaking rugby players (n=52) were recruited to perform these tests to assess the level of difficulty, time for completion and accuracy. Inter-rater and test–retest reliability were assessed in 33 and 38 healthy young in iduals, respectively. Despite the longer mean completion time (p .05) for the Serial 3 s test, no significant difference was found in the percentage accuracy between MBT and the Serial 3 s test. No significant difference was found in either the percentage accuracy or completion time between English-speaking and Cantonese-speaking rugby players. All subscales in the Chinese SCAT3 had excellent levels of inter-rater reliability for all items (ICC 2,1 range: 0.96–0.99) but a low to moderate test–retest reliability (ICC 3,2 range: 0.32–0.65). The mean completion time of the Chinese SCAT3 was 10.6±1.1 min. Chinese SCAT3 is a valid instrument for pitch-side assessment of concussed Chinese-speaking athletes.
Publisher: Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Date: 03-2008
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the changes in the mechanical properties of quadriceps muscle following a sub-maximal concentric-eccentric stepping exercise protocol. Twenty-four untrained healthy subjects aged 21.9 +/- 0.55 years were asked to perform a 10-minute stepping exercise where the dominant leg worked eccentrically and the non-dominant leg worked concentrically at a rate of 15 cycles/min. The quadriceps isokinetic peak torque and the corresponding peak torque angle at angular velocity of 60 degrees /sec, and muscle soreness were determined at baseline, immediately after, day 1 and day 2 after the exercise protocol. Repeated measures of ANOVA showed no change in the peak torque after the eccentric exercise and concentric exercise (p > 0.05). There was a significant shift in the peak torque angle to longer muscle lengths in the eccentrically-exercised leg immediately (65.6 +/- 2.21 degrees ) and on the following two days after exercise (day 1: 68.3 +/- 2.71 degrees day 2: 67.4 +/- 2.51 degrees ) when compared with baseline (61.4 +/- 1.55 degrees , p < 0.05). These features were not observed in the concentrically-exercised leg. Eccentric exercise produced a higher level of soreness than concentric exercise at day 1 and 2 after the protocol. Submaximal eccentric exercise could bring about changes in the muscle properties resulting in a shift in the angle-torque relationship to longer muscle length without significant force deficit.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1999
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 28-11-2020
DOI: 10.1136/BJSPORTS-2019-101205
Abstract: Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Exercise therapy is widely recommended to treat persistent non-specific low back pain. While evidence suggests exercise is, on average, moderately effective, there remains uncertainty about which in iduals might benefit the most from exercise. In parallel with a Cochrane review update, we requested in idual participant data (IPD) from high-quality randomised clinical trials of adults with our two primary outcomes of interest, pain and functional limitations, and calculated global recovery. We compiled a master data set including baseline participant characteristics, exercise and comparison characteristics, and outcomes at short-term, moderate-term and long-term follow-up. We conducted descriptive analyses and one-stage IPD meta-analysis using multilevel mixed-effects regression of the overall treatment effect and prespecified potential treatment effect modifiers. We received IPD for 27 trials (3514 participants). For studies included in this analysis, compared with no treatment/usual care, exercise therapy on average reduced pain (mean effect/100 (95% CI) -10.7 (-14.1 to -7.4)), a result compatible with a clinically important 20% smallest worthwhile effect. Exercise therapy reduced functional limitations with a clinically important 23% improvement (mean effect/100 (95% CI) -10.2 (-13.2 to -7.3)) at short-term follow-up. Not having heavy physical demands at work and medication use for low back pain were potential treatment effect modifiers-these were associated with superior exercise outcomes relative to non-exercise comparisons. Lower body mass index was also associated with better outcomes in exercise compared with no treatment/usual care. This study was limited by inconsistent availability and measurement of participant characteristics. This study provides potentially useful information to help treat patients and design future studies of exercise interventions that are better matched to specific subgroups. PROTOCOL PUBLICATION: 0.1186/2046-4053-1-64.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2004
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-10-2003
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JSAMS.2014.01.002
Abstract: Suspension exercise has been advocated as an effective means to improve core stability among healthy in iduals and those with musculoskeletal complaints. However, the activity of core muscles during suspension exercises has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the level of activation of core muscles during suspension exercises within young and healthy adults. The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of core muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique/transversus abdominis, and superficial lumbar multifidus) during four suspension workouts (hip abduction in plank, hamstring curl, chest press, and 45° row) was investigated. Muscle activity during a 5-s hold period of the workouts was measured by sEMG and normalized to the in idual's maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Different levels of muscle activation were observed during the hip abduction in plank, hamstring curl, and chest press. Hip abduction in plank generated the highest activation of most abdominal muscles. The 45° row exercise generated the lowest muscle activation. Among the four workouts investigated, the hip abduction in plank with suspension was found to have the strongest potential strengthening effect on core muscles. Also, suspension training was found to generate relatively high levels of core muscle activation when compared with that among previous studies of core exercises on stable and unstable support surfaces.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-2001
Abstract: Objectives —To assess the available evidence for preventive strategies for lower limb soft tissue injuries caused by running. Methods —An electronic database search was conducted using The Cochrane Musculoskeletal Injuries Group Specialised Register, The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, Embase, Sport Discus, Heracles, Atlantes, Biosis, Cinahl, Scisearch, Current Contents, Index To Theses and Dissertation Abstracts. Any randomised or quasi-randomised trials evaluating interventions to prevent running injuries to lower limb soft tissue were included. The eligibility of trials for inclusion and the quality of the trials were independently assessed by two reviewers. Results —Exposure to a high training load (duration, frequency, or running distance) increases the risk of injury, and thus modification of the training schedule can reduce the incidence of injury. The effectiveness of stretching exercises and of insoles in the prevention of lower extremity soft tissue injuries caused by running is not known. Wearing a knee brace with a patellar support ring may be effective in the prevention of anterior knee pain caused by running. Conclusions —This review provides evidence for the effectiveness of the modification of training schedules in reducing lower limb soft tissue running injuries. More studies are required to quantify the optimal training loads and to confirm that knee braces can prevent knee pain. It is important to note that the studies included in this review had few female participants therefore the results may not be generalisable.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-02-2016
DOI: 10.1113/JP271705
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2002
DOI: 10.1113/JPHYSIOL.2001.013839
Abstract: Single fibres were dissected from mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles and subjected to a protocol of eccentric stretches consisting of ten tetani each with a 40 % stretch. Ten minutes later the fibres showed a reduced force, a shift in the peak of the force-length relation and a steepening of the force-frequency relation. Addition of the fluorescent dye sulforhodamine B to the extracellular space enabled the T-tubular system to be visualized. In unstimulated fibres and fibres subjected to 10 isometric tetani, the T-tubules were clearly delineated. Sulforhodamine B diffused out of the T-tubules with a half-time of 18 +/- 1 s. Following the eccentric protocol, vacuoles connected to the T-tubules were detected in six out of seven fibres. Sulforhodamine B diffused out of the vacuoles of eccentrically damaged fibres extremely slowly with a half-time of 6.3 +/- 2.4 min and diffused out of the T-tubules with a half-time of 39 +/- 4 s. Vacuole production was eliminated by application of 1 mM ouabain to the muscle during the eccentric protocol. On removal of the ouabain, vacuoles appeared over a period of 1 h and were more numerous and more widely distributed than in the absence of ouabain. We propose that T-tubules are liable to rupture during eccentric contraction probably because of the relative movement associated with the inhomogeneity of sarcomere lengths. Such rupture raises intracellular sodium and when the sodium is pumped from the cell by the sodium pump, the volume load of Na(+) and water exceeds the capacity of the T-tubules and causes vacuole production. The damage to the T-tubules may underlie a number of the functional changes that occur in eccentrically damaged muscle fibres.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1996
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2005
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-08-2011
DOI: 10.1002/MUS.22060
Abstract: TRPC1 and TRPC3 proteins are widely expressed in skeletal muscles in forming calcium-permeable channels. Herein we characterize the expression pattern of TRPC transcripts during skeletal myogenesis in C2C12 myoblasts. We used polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting to detect expression levels, immunohistochemistry for subcellular localization, and co-immunoprecipitation techniques to assess interaction. TRPC1 localizes to the cytoplasm and is enriched in the perinuclear region in undifferentiated myoblasts. Expression of TRPC1 increases significantly during myogenesis and resides mainly in differentiated myocytes and myotubes. TRPC3 is absent in undifferentiated myoblasts, is dramatically upregulated in differentiated culture, and is preferentially expressed in myotubes. Physical interaction of TRPC1-TRPC3 was observed, suggesting the possible existence of heteromers. Expression of TRPC1 and TRPC3 is tightly regulated during myogensis. Evidence of TRPC1-TRPC3 interaction was first demonstrated in a muscle cell line. The functional consequences of this interaction remain to be established.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 26-07-2018
Publisher: The Company of Biologists
Date: 07-2008
DOI: 10.1242/JCS.032003
Abstract: Transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1), a widely expressed calcium (Ca2+)-permeable channel, is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Ca2+ influx through stretch-activated channels, possibly formed by TRPC1, induces muscle-cell damage in the mdx mouse, an animal model of DMD. In this study, we showed that TRPC1, caveolin-3 and Src-kinase protein levels are increased in mdx muscle compared with wild type. TRPC1 and caveolin-3 colocalised and co-immunoprecipitated. Direct binding of TRPC1-CFP to caveolin-3–YFP was confirmed in C2 myoblasts by fluorescence energy resonance transfer (FRET). Caveolin-3–YFP targeted TRPC1-CFP to the plasma membrane. Hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased Src activity and enhanced Ca2+ influx, but only in C2 myoblasts co-expressing TRPC1 and caveolin-3. In mdx muscle, Tiron, a ROS scavenger, and PP2, a Src inhibitor, reduced stretch-induced Ca2+ entry and increased force recovery. Because ROS production is increased in mdx/DMD, these results suggest that a ROS-Src-TRPC1/caveolin-3 pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of mdx/DMD.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-06-2006
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1681.2006.04394.X
Abstract: 1. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, degenerative muscle disease caused by a genetic mutation that leads to the complete absence of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin in muscle fibres. 2. The present review provides an overview of some of the physiological pathways that may contribute to muscle damage and degeneration in DMD, based primarily on experimental findings in the mdx mouse, an animal model of this disease. 3. A rise in intracellular calcium is widely thought to be an important initiating event in the dystrophic pathogenesis. The pathway(s) leading to increased intracellular calcium in dystrophin deficient muscle is uncertain, but recent work from our laboratory provides evidence that stretch-activated channels are an important source of the calcium influx. Other possible routes of calcium entry are also discussed. 4. The consequences of elevated cytosolic calcium may include activation of proteases, such as calpain, and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause protein and membrane damage. 5. Another possible cause of damage in dystrophic muscle involves inflammatory pathways, such as those mediated by neutrophils, macrophages and associated cytokines. There is recent evidence that increased ROS may be important in both the activation of and the damage caused by this inflammatory pathway in mdx muscle.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-12-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 1997
DOI: 10.1016/S0004-9514(14)60413-X
Abstract: This study was undertaken to assess the difference between the response to the slump test in 40 asymptomatic and 20 symptomatic female subjects with cervical pain after whiplash injury. Areas and alterations of pain responses during the test, and ranges of movement of knee extension, were analysed. The results demonstrated that the addition of knee extension and left ankle dorsiflexion during the slump test produced a significant increase in the intensity of comparable cervical symptoms in the whiplash group. The whiplash group also showed a greater limitation in knee extension range of movement during the test than did the control group. These differences suggest that pathological changes of the neural system itself or adjacent tissues, affecting the mechanics of the neural system, may be a contributing factor to these patients' cervical symptoms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Location: Hong Kong
No related grants have been discovered for Ella Yeung.