Efficacy of six weeks infrared radiation therapy on chronic low back pain and functional disability in National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, south east, Nigeria

Background: Infrared radiation therapy is a modality widely used in Physiotherapy for the management of pain. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of six weeks infrared radiation therapy on pain intensity and functional disability index in subjects suffering from non- specific low back painMethods: The study was a pre-test post-test two group pre-experimental design. A total of fifty subjects (26 males and 24 females) of black African origin clinically diagnosed with non specific chronic low back pain that met the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study, but only 44 subjects (26 males and 18 females) completed the six weeks study. The subjects received infrared radiation therapy on the lower back region in prone lying for 30minutes, three times weekly, during the treatment period, for six weeks. Subjects' pre and post treatment pain level and functional disability scores were assessed using the lO point numerical rating pain scale and the Oswestry disability index questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the Students' t-test.Results: Findings from the study showed significant decrease in the means of the pre-test and post-test scores of the variables by 95% C.I at p < 0.05.Conclusion: Six weeks infrared radiation therapy is effective in reducing pain and improving functional disability index in chronic low back pain.Keywords: Chronic low back pain, pain intensity, functional disability, infrared radiation therap

Stabilisation of ozone in water for microbial disinfection

In current times of increasing global decontamination concerns, sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies that possess rapid and effective disinfection capabilities are necessary for public health and safety. In this study, we evaluate the potential of ozone-based technology to reveal its immense potential in disinfection applications. Ozonated water generated by an electrolytic method was utilised to quantify ozone retention as a function of mineralogical composition for microbial decontamination. The impacts of temperature and detergent concentration on ozone concentration are critically analysed, as well as ozone’s decomposition and stain removal characteristics. In addition, fabric swatches inoculated with known concentrations of environmental microbes (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus fumigatus) are washed with ozonated water to ascertain the impact of wash duration on bacterial removal efficiency. The results show significant improvement in the stability and retention potential of ozone in mineral water at low temperature and in the presence of a detergent. The experiments demonstrate first-order decomposition kinetics of ozone in aqueous formulations. The disinfection potency of ozone is also substantiated by a significant removal of microbiota on the fabric utilised (up to 7 log reduction for the bacteria analysed), thus making it effective for sterilisation applications. This also reduces the need for toxic chemicals or chemicals with toxic by-products (e.g., chlorine) for large-scale decontamination operations in various industries

Social support as a correlate of depression among people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder among PLHIV, whilst social support is important in disease prevention, health promotion, therapeutic measure especially for PLHIV. Objectives: To ascertain the different types and sources of social support and their association with depression among PLHIV in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was a correlation with 2515 PLHIV in three teaching hospitals in South-Eastern Nigeria. Data were collected between January to June, 2019 through interviews, using socio-demographic and Clinical Form and a Social Support Scale for PLHIV. SPSS-20 used for data analysis. Results: It was shown that average scores of instrumental and emotional social supports (IESS) were satisfactory and not influenced by sex (p = 0.894; p = 0.496), education (p = 0.805; p = 0.182), marital status (p = 0.076; p = 0.446) and length of antiretroviral therapy (p = 0.510; p = 0.136). People diagnosed for less than three years had more instrumental support (p = 0.05) than those diagnosed over three years. The regression score also revealed a high predictive power of IESS on depression of PLHIV. Conclusion: PLHIV have satisfactory social support, especially from family not residing in the same household and emotional social support from friends. Analyses identified knowledge gaps in the community regarding the social support received by PLHIV and their depression symptoms

Development of a high throughput and low cost model for the study of semi-dry biofilms

The persistence of microorganisms as biofilms on dry surfaces resistant to the usual terminal cleaning methods may pose an additional risk of transmission of infections. In this study, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) dry biofilm model (DBM) was adapted into a microtiter plate format (Model 1) and replicated to create a novel in vitro model that replicates conditions commonly encountered in the healthcare environment (Model 2). Biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus grown in the two models were comparable to the biofilms of the CDC DBM in terms of recovered log10 CFU well−1. Assessment of the antimicrobial tolerance of biofilms grown in the two models showed Model 2 a better model for biofilm formation. Confirmation of the biofilms’ phenotype with an extracellular matrix deficient S. aureus suggested stress tolerance through a non-matrix defined mechanism in microorganisms. This study highlights the importance of conditions maintained in bacterial growth as they affect biofilm phenotype and behaviour

Exercise and menstrual function: A review study

Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. At present there is no conclusive evidence that participation in exercise affects menstruation and is equivocal and unclear whether menstrualtion affects athletic performance. An attempt has there-fore been made in this paper to discuss the ef-fects of menstruation on exercise performance and vice versa. The paper reviewed that women experiencing pre-menstrual syndrome will not likely perform well and that menstrual irregular-ity is much higher in athletes than sedentary wo-men. The paper also reviewed that athletes reach menarche later than sedentary sisters. The re-view concluded that competing women experi-encing premenstrual syndrome might get con-trol over their menstruation through medically recommended low dose oral contraceptive. The paper recommended that athletes experiencing menstrual irregularities and disturbances should seek medical consultation and management be-fore further training

Efficacy of gaseous ozone and UVC radiation against <i>Candida auris</i> biofilms on polystyrene surfaces

The growth and attachment of highly resistant biofilms on/to polymer-based surfaces, including reusable medical devices is a significant health concern in infection control. The increasing prevalence of the multidrug-resistant yeast, Candida auris, has recently garnered immense interest as a contributor to healthcare-associated infections. In this study, we investigate the potential of disinfection processes (ozone, UVC, and ozone + UVC) to inactivate C. auris biofilms (NCPF 8971), grown on polystyrene surfaces. A bespoke decontamination chamber is used to expose the substrate for 20–60 mins, corresponding to ozone doses between 1000 and 3000 ppm.min and UVC doses between 2864 and 11,592 mJ/cm2, respectively. The performance of these 3 treatment methods against the biofilms and vegetative/planktonic cells of the organism is comparatively evaluated. While complete inactivation (&gt; 8 log10 reduction, CFU/mL) of the vegetative cells is observed within 40 mins by all methods, the biofilms proved considerably difficult to inactivate. Only 3.3 log10 reduction was achieved using ozone for 40 min, whereas 7.2 log10 reduction was obtained using UVC for 40 min. A hybrid application of ozone and UVC improved the decontamination efficacy compared to their independent applications (i.e., ozone only and UVC only). Scanning electron microscopy results yielded new insights into the inactivation mechanisms; thus providing the needed foundation for newer developments in oxidation-based processes for biofilm mitigation and control

Transfer of microorganisms from dry surface biofilms and the influence of long survival under conditions of poor nutrition and moisture on the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus

BackgroundBiofilms on dry hospital surfaces can enhance the persistence of microorganisms on dry harsh clinical surfaces and can potentially act as reservoirs of infectious agents on contaminated surfaces.AimThis study was conducted to quantify the transfer of viable Staphylococcus aureus cells from dry biofilms through touching and to investigate the impact of nutrient and moisture deprivation on virulence levels in S. aureus.MethodsDry biofilms of S. aureus ATCC 25923 and a defective biofilm-forming ability mutant, S. aureus 1132 were formed in 24 well plates under optimised conditions mimicking dry biofilm formation on clinical surfaces. Microbial cell transfer was induced through the touching of the dry biofilms, which were quantified on nutrient agar. To investigate the impact of nutrient and moisture deprivation on virulence levels, dry and standard biofilms as well as planktonic cells of S. aureus ATCC 25923 were inoculated into Galleria mellonella and their kill rates compared.Findings &amp; ConclusionResults of this study showed that viable cells from dry biofilms of S. aureus ATCC 25923 were significantly more virulent and readily transferrable from dry biofilms through a touch test, therefore representing a greater risk of infection. The biofilm-forming capability of S. aureus strains had no significant impact on their transferability with more cells transferring when biofilm surfaces were wet. These findings indicate that dry biofilms on hospital surfaces may serve as a reservoir for the dissemination of pathogenic microorganisms in hospitals, thus highlighting the importance of regular cleaning and adequate disinfection of hospital surfaces.<br/

Transfer of microorganisms from dry surface biofilms and the influence of long survival under conditions of poor nutrition and moisture on the virulence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Background: Biofilms on dry hospital surfaces can enhance the persistence of microorganisms on dry harsh clinical surfaces and can potentially act as reservoirs of infectious agents on contaminated surfaces. Aim: This study was conducted to quantify the transfer of viable Staphylococcus aureus cells from dry biofilms through touching and to investigate the impact of nutrient and moisture deprivation on virulence levels in S. aureus. Methods: Dry biofilms of S. aureus ATCC 25923 and a defective biofilm-forming ability mutant, S. aureus 1132 were formed in 24 well plates under optimised conditions mimicking dry biofilm formation on clinical surfaces. Microbial cell transfer was induced through the touching of the dry biofilms, which were quantified on nutrient agar. To investigate the impact of nutrient and moisture deprivation on virulence levels, dry and standard biofilms as well as planktonic cells of S. aureus ATCC 25923 were inoculated into Galleria mellonella and their kill rates compared. Findings &amp; Conclusion: Results of this study showed that viable cells from dry biofilms of S. aureus ATCC 25923 were significantly more virulent and readily transferrable from dry biofilms through a touch test, therefore representing a greater risk of infection. The biofilm-forming capability of S. aureus strains had no significant impact on their transferability with more cells transferring when biofilm surfaces were wet. These findings indicate that dry biofilms on hospital surfaces may serve as a reservoir for the dissemination of pathogenic microorganisms in hospitals, thus highlighting the importance of regular cleaning and adequate disinfection of hospital surfaces.<br/