A systematic review investigating the efficacy of laterally wedged insoles for medial knee osteoarthritis

A conservative management strategy for knee osteoarthritis is the lateral wedge insole (LWI). The theoretical basis for this intervention is to correct tibiofemoral malalignment, thereby reducing pain and optimising function. This systematic review evaluates the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of LWI for the treatment for knee osteoarthritis. A systematic review was performed, searching published (MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) and unpublished literature from their inception to August 2012. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included that compared the use of LWI with a neutral insole or control intervention for people with medial compartment osteoarthritis. Risk of bias and clinical relevance were assessed, and outcomes were analysed through meta-analysis. From a total of 3,105 citations, 10 studies adhered to the a priori eligibility criteria. These included 1,095 people; 535 participants were allocated to receive LWI insoles compared to 509 in control groups. Eight per cent of papers were of high quality with low risk of bias. There was no statistically significant difference between LWI and neutral insoles for pain, function, analgesic requirement, compliance or complications (p ≥ 0.07). Those who received LWI demonstrated lower non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug requirements (

Fat-Reduced cream cheeses

Cream cheese is a fresh acid coagulated cheese product with soft and spreadable texture, which is acidified by mesophilic lactic acid starter culture. Variants of some of the soft, fresh cheese (e.g., Quark, Cottage cheese, Fromage frais, Bakers cheese, Queso Blanco, and Neufchatel) are also produced from acidification of milk to pH 4.6 which causes the casein to coagulate at their isoelectric point (Fox, Guinee, Cogan, & Mcsweeney, 2017). Regular cream cheese contains a higher percentage of fat, minimum of 33% in the US and 30% in Canada compared to other types of cheese (Phadungath, 2005). Due to high-fat content in cream cheese and the increased consumer awareness of the health risks associated with high dietary fat, the demand for low-fat foods, including cheese, has grown substantially. Although fat reduction may provide consumers with healthier products, the changes in sensory and textural characteristics of low-fat cream cheese, compared to its full-fat counterpart, may influence the consumer’s response

Links between terrestrial primary production and bacterial production and respiration in lakes in a climate gradient in subarctic Sweden

Abstract in UndeterminedWe compared terrestrial net primary production (NPP) and terrestrial export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with lake water heterotrophic bacterial activity in 12 headwater lake catchments along an altitude gradient in subarctic Sweden. Modelled NPP declined strongly with altitude and annual air temperature decreases along the altitude gradient (6C between the warmest and the coldest catchment). Estimated terrestrial DOC export to the lakes was closely correlated to NPP. Heterotrophic bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR) were mainly based on terrestrial organic carbon and strongly correlated with the terrestrial DOC export. Excess respiration over PP of the pelagic system was similar to net emission of CO2 in the lakes. BR and CO2 emission made up considerably higher shares of the terrestrial DOC input in warm lakes than in cold lakes, implying that respiration and the degree of net heterotrophy in the lakes were dependant not only on terrestrial export of DOC, but also on characteristics in the lakes which changed along the gradient and affected the bacterial metabolization of allochthonous DOC. The study showed close links between terrestrial primary production, terrestrial DOC export and bacterial activity in lakes and how these relationships were dependant on air temperature. Increases in air temperature in high latitude unproductive systems might have considerable consequences for lake water productivity and release of CO2 to the atmosphere, which are ultimately determined by terrestrial primary production