PREFACE

Preface Comprehension of the health-disease relationship and its consequences require that health professionals should continuously update their knowledge. Incorporation of procedures involving technologies in healthcare is highly desirable to increase scientific evidence about the effectiveness and practice of therapeutics. The use of these technologies should also be related to health promotion and quality of life improvement. Exchanging and sharing of scientific information to facilitate critical evaluation of techniques used clinically is essential. Some interventions available in healthcare are often not widely used. Although the Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM) practices are known to be ancient, some of them had only recently increased their acceptability as clinical procedures in many countries from the publication of the “Strategic Plan for Traditional Medicine 2002-2005” (published by the World Health Organization in 2002). Several interventions of the TCM are included among the Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines (TCAM). A shared point of the TCAM is the emphasis on friendly conduct in the development of the therapeutic relationship, and the integration of human beings with their environment and society. Following this concept, it is possible to suggest that the use of oscillating/vibratory platform that produces mechanical vibration, and can generate whole body vibration exercise (WBVE), as an additional complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). WBVE would be an alternative remedy to improve clinical and functional aspects, and to enhance physical capability. However, it is still timidly used by some health professionals. It is necessary to take caution in the exposition of a person, healthy or not, trained or not, to WBVE. Well-defined criteria must be followed, guided by prescription of insurance parameters in order to result in desirable physiological/clinical effects. Biomechanical parameters of the mechanical vibration must be considered, such as (i) frequency, (ii) peak-to-peak displacement, (iii) exposure time, (iv) rest time, and (v) position of the individual on the base of the platform must be well established. The holistic view of the processes involved in health-disease relationship, health promotion and quality of life improvement, are closely related. This raises guided approaches in TCAM and WBVE applied in various special populations seeking health promotion and improvement of physical fitness. Putting together all these considerations, “The First International Congress on Mechanical Vibrations and on Integrative and Complementary Practices”, held in 2016, at Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was an opportunity to meet the professionals who work with the implementation of these TCAM interventions, and with the investigations on these techniques. Considering all challenges associated with the organization of an International Congress, we decided to organize an international forum for debate about the proposed theme, and to publish the findings of the Congress in a special issue of the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. This process will, hopefully, encourage further research, basic and applied, in the area, and thus enhance the scientific evidence, and the dissemination of knowledge about the benefits, and the care necessary for proper and safer use of TCAM. Mario Bernardo-Filho, PhD Guest Editor

Benefits of Whole-Body Vibration with an Oscillating Platform for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of whole-body vibration on people with multiple sclerosis (MS). PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus databases were systematically searched for studies on the use of whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise in people with MS. These searches were supplemented with material identified in the references and in the authors' personal files. A qualitative analysis was performed to summarize the findings. Five studies with a total of seventy-one subjects were identified. All of these studies had small numbers of subjects (3–25), and two of the studies had no control groups. Some investigations have shown significant improvements of the muscle strength, of the functional mobility, and of the timed get up and go test in patients with MS. The number of publications found in the databanks searched is small, and in general, they have limitations in the design of protocols with a weakness to the interpretation of the findings. However, the analysis of the findings in these studies permits to conclude that some papers indicate that WBV exercises could benefit patients with MS. In addition, we suggest further larger scale investigations with controlled parameters and well-designed protocols into the effects of WBV exercises in people with MS

Whole-Body Vibration Exercise as an Intervention to Improve Musculoskeletal Performance

The exposure of individuals to mechanical vibrations produced in vibrating platform can generate whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise. This modality of exercise represents a less tiring alternative to sport, which could benefit mechanical human behavior and prevent sports injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. The specificity of the human body, articulated and connected segments, requires to take into account the biomechanical parameters in protocols involving WBV exercise. Moreover, work time, rest time between the bouts in each session number of sessions, extension of the intervention, and week periodicity must be also well established. Responses to WBV exercise are observed at musculoskeletal, neurological, endocrinological and vascular levels. With respect to the musculoskeletal level, it is verified increase of muscle strength, endurance and power, improvement of the balance, increase of bone mineral density and the decrease of risk of falls. There are several tools to evaluate the responses of the body to WBV exercise. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the relevance of the WBV exercise as an intervention of the physical therapy for the better human optimization

An experimental model to study the effects of a senna extract on the blood constituent labeling and biodistribution of a radiopharmaceutical in rats

ABSTRACT Cassia angustifolia Vahl (senna) is a natural product that contains sennosides, which are active components that affect the intestinal tract and induce diarrhea. Authors have shown that senna produces DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) lesions in Escherichia coli cultures and can act as an antifungal agent. Natural drugs can alter the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m (99mTc) and can affect the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals. In this work, we have evaluated the influence of a senna extract on the radiolabeling of blood constituents and on the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in Wistar rats. Twelve animals were treated with senna extract for 7 days. Blood samples were withdrawn from the animals and the radiolabeling procedure was carried out. The senna extract did not modify the radiolabeling of the blood constituents. A biodistributional assay was performed by administering Na99mTcO4 and determining its activity in different organs and in blood. The senna extract altered the biodistribution of Na99mTcO4 in the thyroid, liver, pancreas, lungs and blood. These results are associated with properties of the chemical substances present in the aqueous senna extract. Although these assays were performed in animals, our findings suggest that caution should be exercised when nuclear medicine examinations using Na99mTcO4 are conducted in patients who are using senna extract

Integrative Neuromuscular Training in Young Athletes, Injury Prevention, and Performance Optimization: A Systematic Review

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the current evidence by assessing the effectiveness of integrative neuromuscular training programs in injury prevention and sports performance in young athletes. Different data sources were analyzed up to January 2018. Eligible studiescontainedinformationonpopulation(youngathletes), intervention (neuromusculartraining), comparator (control group or another exercise intervention), outcomes (injury prevention or sport performance), and study design (randomized trials or prospective studies). The trials were restricted basedonthelanguage(English)andforpublicationdate(after1January2007). Fourteenrandomized controlled trials were included: Seven included dynamic stability-related outcomes. Three assessed the coordination performing fundamental movements and sport-specific skills, while other five studies analyzed muscle strength and two assessed plyometric tests. Agility was evaluated in three studiesandspeedtestswerealsoconsideredbyfourstudies. Finally,fatigueresistanceinthreestudies and injury risk in four were assessed. This review provides evidence that integrative neuromuscular training programs can enhance performance and injury prevention in young athletes, taken into account that adherence to the training program is adequate. Collectively, well-designed, randomized studies are necessary to collaborate with the present findings

Waste-to-energy technology for the brazilian context: a review article

Waste-to-Energy Technologies (WtE) have been widely used in European countries, in Japan, in some US cities, and have been growing in China. Currently, in Brazil, there are no WtE power plants in operation, but there are studies on the feasibility of this technology. The Systematic Bibliographic Review (SBR) presented in this mini-review article appears as a result of a process of prospecting documents in the following databases: Science Direct, Web of Science and Scopus. The purpose was to map the articles of the last five years on the applications of WtE technologies in Brazil. From the selection of articles relevant to the research, these documents were registered and cataloged, as well as their qualitative and quantitative analyses. During the systematization process, it was possible to raise hypotheses about which professionals have been working the most on this topic, the journals in which these researches are being published and the keywords most addressed for these case studies. In addition, it was possible to identify the characteristics of the publications related to the theme, the central axes of analysis of the studies and the primary techniques studied for the Brazilian reality. It was also considered part of the results of the present work, the systematization of the main definitions of WtE, the presentation of the main WtE technologies operations, and the exposition of the benefits and impacts of each of these technologies

Effect of an extract of Centella asiatica on the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate (Na^99mTcO₄) and on the fixation of radioactivity on blood constituents

This study evaluates the effects of an acute treatment with a Centella asiatica (CA) extract on the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical Na99mTcO4 and on the fixation of technetium-99m on blood constituents. Wistar rats were treated with CA extract and, 1 hour after, Na99mTcO4 was administered; organs/tissues were withdrawn and weighted. The radioactivity was counted to calculate the percentage of activity per gram (%ATI/g). Also, blood samples were withdrawn, plasma (P), blood cells (BC), insoluble fraction (IF) and soluble fractions of P and BC were isolated and the radioactivity was counted to calculate the percentage of activity (%ATI). Data indicated that the acute treatment with CA extract changed significantly (p99mTcO4 and the fixation of the technetium-99m on blood constituents in an acute treatment

Continuous positive airway pressure and body position alter lung clearance of the radiopharmaceutical 99mtechnetium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA)

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the pulmonary clearance rate of 99mtechnetium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) through the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in different postures. It was a quasi-experimental study involving 36 healthy individuals with normal spirometry. 99mTc-DTPA, as aerosol, was nebulized for 3 min with the individual in a sitting position. The pulmonary clearance rate was assessed through pulmonary scintigraphy under spontaneous breathing and under 20 and 10 cmH2O CPAP in the sitting and supine positions. The clearance rate was expressed as the half-time (T1/2), that is, the time for the activity to decrease to 50% of the peak value. 20 cmH2O CPAP produced significant reduction of the T1/2 of 99mTc-DTPA in the supine position (P = 0.009) and in the sitting position (P = 0.005). However, 10 cmH2O CPAP did not alter the T1/2 of DTPA in both positions. The postural variation from supine to the sitting position with 10 cmH2O CPAP (P = 0.01) and 20 cmH2O (P = 0.02) also reduced the T1/2 of 99mTc-DTPA. High levels of positive pressure in normal lungs resulted in faster 99mTc-DTPA clearance. Moreover, the sitting position further increased the clearance rate of the 99mTc radioaerosol imaging in the two pressure levels studied.Key words: Continuous positive airway pressure, 99mTc-DTPA, scintigraphy, posture