Which Is Your Diagnosis? [qual O Seu Diagnóstico?]

[No abstract available]415viiviiiKeogh, C., Torreggiani, W.C., AI-Ismail, K., Musculoskeletal case 21. Insufficiency fracture of the sacrum (2002) Can J Surg, 45 (92), p. 153Grangier, C., Garcia, J., Howarth, N.R., Role of MRI in diagnosis of insufficiency fractures of the sacrum and acetabular roof (1997) Skeletal Radiol, 26, pp. 517-524Peh, W.C., Khong, P.L., Yin, Y., Imaging of pelvic insufficiency fractures (1996) Radiographics, 16, pp. 335-348Mammone, J.F., Schweitzer, M.E., MRI of occult sacral insufficiency fractures following radiotherapy (1995) Skeletal Radiol, 24, pp. 101-104Blake, S.P., Connors, A.M., Sacral insufficiency fracture (2004) Br. J Radiol, 77, pp. 891-896Blomlie, V., Lien, H.H., Iversen, T., Radiationinduced insufficiency fractures of the sacrum: Evaluation with MR imaging (1993) Radiology, 188, pp. 241-24

Health related quality of life among Iraqi immigrants settled in Malaysia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Migrants everywhere face several demands for health and maintaining good health and quality of life could be challenging. Iraqis are the second largest refugee group that has sought refuge in the recent years, yet little is known about their health related quality of life (HRQOL). The study aims at assessing the HRQOL among Iraqis living in Malaysia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered Arabic version of Sf-36 questionnaire was distributed among 300 Iraqi migrants in Malaysia. The questionnaire taps eight concepts of physical and mental health to assess the HRQOL. Univariate analysis was performed for group analysis (t test, ANOVA) and Multiple Linear Regression was used to control for confounding effects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two hundred and fifty three participants ranging in age from 18 to 67 years (Mean = 33.6) returned the completed questionnaire. The majority was males (60.1%) and more than half of the respondents (59.5%) were married. Less than half (45.4%) and about a quarter (25.9%) reported bachelor degree and secondary school education respectively and the remaining 28.7% had either a master or a PhD degree.</p> <p>Univariate analysis showed that the HRQOL scores among male immigrants were found to be higher than those of females in physical function (80.0 vs. 73.5), general health (72.5 vs. 60.7) and bodily pain (87.9 vs. 72.5) subscales. The youngest age group had significantly higher physical function (79.32) and lower mental health scores (57.62).</p> <p>The mean score of physical component summary was higher than the mental component summary mean score (70.22 vs. 63.34).</p> <p>Stepwise multiple linear regression, revealed that gender was significantly associated with physical component summary (β = - 6.06, p = 0.007) and marital status was associated with mental component summary (β = 7.08, p = 0.003).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From the data it appears that Iraqi immigrants living in Malaysia have HRQOL scores that might be considered to indicate a relatively moderate HRQOL. The HRQOL is significantly affected by gender and marital status. Further studies are needed to explore determinants of HRQOL consequent to immigration. The findings could be worthy of further exploration.</p

Effect of Tai Chi Exercise Combined with Mental Imagery Theory in Improving Balance in a Diabetic and Elderly Population

BACKGROUND: One of the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral neuropathy, affects the sensation in the feet and can increase the chance of falling. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of Tai Chi (TC) training combined with mental imagery (MI) on improving balance in people with diabetes and an age matched control group.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventeen healthy subjects and 12 diabetic sedentary subjects ranging from 40–80 years of age were recruited. All subjects in both groups attended a Yang style of TC class using MI strategies, 2 sessions a week for 8 weeks. Each session was one hour long. Measures were taken using a balance platform test, an Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, a one leg standing test (OLS), functional reach test (FRT) and hemoglobin A1C. These measures were taken twice, pre and post-study, for both groups.RESULTS: Both groups experienced significant improvements in ABC, OLS, FRT (P\u3c0.01) after completing 8 weeks of TC exercise with no significant improvement between groups. Subjects using the balance platform test demonstrated improvement in balance in all different tasks with no significant change between groups. There was no significant change in HbA1C for the diabetic group.CONCLUSIONS: All results showed an improvement in balance in the diabetic and the control groups; however, no significant difference between the groups was observed. Since the DM group had more problems with balance impairment at baseline than the control, the diabetic group showed the most benefit from the TC exercise

Six Weeks Habituation of Simulated Barefoot Running Induces Neuromuscular Adaptations and Changes in Foot Strike Patterns in Female Runners

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week training program of simulated barefoot running (SBR) on running kinetics in habitually shod (wearing shoes) female recreational runners.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve female runners age 25.7±3.4 years gradually increased running distance in Vibram FiveFingers minimal shoes over a 6-week period. The kinetic analysis of treadmill running at 10 Km/h was performed pre- and post-intervention in shod running, non-habituated SBR, and habituated SBR conditions. Spatiotemporal parameters, ground reaction force components, and electromyography (EMG) were measured in all conditions.RESULTS: Post-intervention data indicated a significant decrease across time in the habituation SBR for EMG activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) in the pre-activation and absorptive phase of running (PCONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that changes in motor patterns in previously habitually shod runners are possible and can be accomplished within 6 weeks. Non-habituation SBR did not show a significant neuromuscular adaptation in the EMG activity of TA and GAS as manifested after 6 weeks of habituated SBR

A Single System Universe: A Cognitive Approach

Discovering the Universe requires upgrading the means that man is utilizing for this endeavor. The power of cognitive thought has long been neglected in favor of mathematical formulas. The only tool that can roam the Univers

17β-Estradiol Induced Effects on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Laxness and Neuromuscular Activation Patterns in Female Runners

Background: To investigate the effects of 17β-Estradiol across phases of menstrual cycle on the laxness of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the neuromuscular control around the knee joint in female runners. Methods: Twelve healthy female runners, who reported normal menstrual cycles for the previous 6 months were tested twice across one complete menstrual cycle for serum levels of 17β Estradiol (E), and knee joint laxity (KJL). Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles was also recorded during running on a treadmill. The changes in the EMG activity, KJL, and hormonal concentrations were recorded for each subject during the follicular and the ovulatory phases across the menstrual cycle. Results: An observed increased in KJL in response to peak E during the ovulatory phase, was associated with increased preactivity of the hamstring muscle before foot impact (p \u3c 0.001). A consistent pattern was also observed in the firing of the quadriceps muscle recruitment pattern throughout the follicular phase associated with decreased hamstring recruitment pattern during weight acceptance phase of running (p = 0.02). Additionally, low ratio of medial to lateral quadriceps recruitment was associated with a significant reduction of the quadriceps to hamstring cocontraction ratio during the follicular phase. Conclusions: Changes in KJL during the menstrual cycle in response to 17β-Estradiol fluctuations changes the neuromuscular control around the knee during running. Female runners utilize different neuromuscular control strategies during different phases of the menstrual cycle which may contribute to increase ACL injury risk

Generalized CAPTCHA with security applications

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2008.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-53).A puzzle only solvable by humans, or POSH, is a prompt or question with three important properties: it can be generated by a computer, it can be answered consistently by a human, and a human answer cannot be efficiently predicted by a computer. In fact, a POSH does not necessarily have to be verifiable by a computer at all. One application of POSHes is a scheme proposed by Canetti et al. that limits on-line dictionary attacks against password-protected local storage, without the use of any secure hardware or secret storage. We explore the area of POSHes, implement several candidate POSHes and have users solve them, to evaluate their effectiveness. Given these data, we then implement the above scheme as an extension to the Mozilla Firefox web browser, where it is used to protect user certificates and saved passwords. In the course of doing so, we also define certain aspects of the threat model for our implementation (and the scheme) more precisely.by Waseem S. Daher.M.Eng

Effect of Monophasic Pulsed Current on Heel Pain and Functional Activities Caused by Plantar Fasciitis

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a soft tissue disorder considered to be one of the most common causes of inferior heel pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of monophasic pulsed current (MPC) and MPC coupled with plantar fascia-specific stretching exercises (SE) on the treatment of PF. Material and Methods: Forty-four participants (22 women and 22 men, with a mean age of 49 years) diagnosed with PF were randomly assigned to receive MPC (n=22) or MPC coupled with plantar fascia-specific SE (n=22). Prior to and after 4 weeks of treatment, participants underwent baseline evaluation; heel pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), heel tenderness threshold was quantified using a handheld pressure algometer (PA), and functional activities level was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living subscale of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (ADL/FAAM). Results: Heel pain scores showed a significant reduction in both groups compared to baseline VAS scores (P Conclusions: This trial showed that MPC is useful in treating inferior heel symptoms caused by PF

Blended learning in undergraduate dental education: a global pilot study.

AIMS: To explore the global trends in blended learning in undergraduate dental education during the COVID pandemic and during the recovery phase by engaging with the students and faculty and evaluate the implications for dental education in the post-COVID era. METHODS: It was a pilot cross-sectional study which employed a convenience sampling technique to recruit representatives of dental faculty and undergraduate students in 80 dental institutions globally. A previously validated questionnaire consisting of a combination of closed and open-ended items was used for data collection. Responses to these online questionnaires were processed and analysed using the R statistical computing environment. RESULTS: A total of 320 dental students and 169 faculty members from 47 different dental institutions participated in the study. Video and Live Online Tutorials were considered to be the most effective method of online learning followed by online question banks by both groups. Significant differences were noted between faculty and students regarding time spent and effectiveness of online teaching and learning, respectively, both before and after the start of COVID. The results highlight the faculty need to engage more closely with the students to address their learning needs. Finally, the participants provided several recommendations regarding the future development of teaching and learning strategies as well as assessments in the post-pandemic era. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study which explores blended learning in dental education with participants from multiple institutions in different regions of the globe. Compared to the faculty, students considered online learning to be less interactive and preferred learning activities and all assessments to be delivered face-to-face. The results underscore the need to adapt teaching practices to suit the learning needs of the students