Analysis of Stair Climbing to Find an Optimum Knee Angle in Order to Reduce the Chances of Leg Muscle Fatigue and Injuries

Stair climbing is one of the unique exercises which is frequently used and helps in maintaining the leg muscles active and healthy. However, if the height of the stair is not optimum, it may cause serious injuries due to increased or decreased knee angle that may damage the human leg muscles such as quadriceps and hamstring involved in its proper function. A stair climbing leg model PASCO ME-7001 was designed to find an optimum knee angle for reducing the maximum chances of leg muscle fatigue and injuries by using the force sensors. Resultant forces applied on leg muscles i.e. hamstring and quadriceps at 4 different average angles: 40º, 57º, 68º, and 76º for four different stair heights: 3", 5", 7", and 9" respectively were studied graphically during ascending stairs. Also, the energy consumption of quadriceps is calculated for the desired 4 average angles. The optimum knee angle maybe 57-68 degrees at 5"-7" stair height for both flexion and extension of the leg during stair climbing.

Distribution and Current Population Status of Freshwater Turtles of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Freshwater turtles have served as an important food resource in many Asian countries. However, several countries of our region have made few attempts for conservation and management of this resource. The present study of distribution and current population status of freshwater turtles was conducted in Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan (D. I. Khan) Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province during the years 2013-2015. Eight species of freshwater turtles viz. Lissemys punctata andersonii (Webb, 1980a), Nilssonia gangeticus (Cuvier, 1825), Nilssonia hurum (Gray, 1831), Chitra indica (Gray, 1831), Pangshura tectum (Gray, 1863), Pangshura smithii (Gray, 1863), Hardella thurjii (Gray, 1831) and Geoclemys hamiltonii (Gray, 1831) were recorded. In the present study, seven species of freshwater turtles were recorded from Charsadda district, Lissemys punctata and Nilssonia gangeticus were common. Chitra indica, Nilssonia hurum and Pangshura smithii were less common; Pangshura tectum and Hardella thurjii were rare. Geoclemys hamiltonii was not recorded from district Charsadda. According to the present data, (2013-2015) N. gangeticus was recorded as 29.76 %, L. punctata as 29.25%, N. hurum as 11.31%, C. indica as 10.01%, P. smithii as 9.87%, P. tectum 6.70% and H. thurjii as 3.10%. In the district of Peshawar, seven species were recorded, Lissemys punctata and Nilssonia gangeticus were common, Nilssonia hurum, Pangshura smithii and Chitra indica were less common, while Pangshura tectum and Hardella thurjii were recorded as rare. Geoclemys hamiltonii was not recorded from this district. According to the present data (2013-2015), L. punctata was recorded as 35.03%, N. gangeticus as 24.07%, N. hurum as 14.87%, P. smithii as 12.52%, C. indica as 09.00%, P. tectum 2.35% and H. thurjii as 2.15%. Seven species were recorded in the Nowshera District. Nilssonia gangeticus and Nilssonia hurum were common; While Lissemys punctata, Pangshura tectum and Pangshura smithii were recorded as less common. Hardella thurjii and Chitra indica were rare. Geoclemys hamiltonii was not recorded in Nowshera district. According to the present data (2013-2015), N. hurum was recorded as 25.39%, N. gangeticus as 22.70%, L. punctata as 17.02%, P. tectum as 13.62%, P. smithii as 12.48%, H. thurjii as 6.10% and C. indica as 02.70%. Only four species were recorded from Mardan Distrct. Lissemys punctata and Nilssonia gangeticus were common, Pangshura smithii was less common, while Pangshura tectum was recorded as rare. Geoclemys hamiltonii, Chitra indica, Nilssonia hurum and Hardella thurjii were not recorded from Mardan District during present study (2013-2015). L. punctata was found abundant among the recorded species and that was 48.66% followed by N. gangeticus (36.90%). P. smithii and P. tectum were recorded as 10.16% and 4.28%, respectively. In the district of Dera Ismail Khan (D. I. Khan), all the eight species of freshwater turtles were recorded, Nilssonia gangeticus was common. The status of Nilssonia hurum, Chitra indica and Lissemys punctata were recorded as less common, while Pangshura smithii, Geoclemys hamiltonii and Hardella thurjii were in intermediate levels. Pangshura tectum was recorded as rare. According to the present data (2013-2015), all the eight species of freshwater turtles of Pakistan were present in Dera Ismail Khan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And Geoclemys hamiltonii was only recorded from this district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nilssonia gangeticus was found as 35.31%, Nilssonia hurum, 15.34%; Chitra indica, 14.18%; and Lissemys punctata as 12.01%. While Pangshura smithii, Geoclemys hamiltonii, Hardella thurjii and Pangshura tectum were recorded as 8.25%, 7.38%, 5.64% and 1.88%, respectively.