Spinal manipulation or mobilization for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy : a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis into the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization for Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy (LDHR). Methods: An electronic database search of titles and abstracts of articles published in English will be conducted in the following databases: PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and The Cochrane Library. The specific search strategies will be dependent on the particular database being searched and hand searches of the reference lists of the included articles will also be performed. Studies will be included if they reported an acceptable comparison group, and also reported at least one of the main clinically relevant outcome measures for LDHR. Two independent reviewers will screen the identified records, and all disagreements will be resolved. The internal and external validities of the included studies will be assessed using the PEDro scale and the External Validity Assessment Tool (EVAT) respectively. The clinical relevance and risk of bias of the studies will be determined using the 5-Criteria developed by the Cochrane Back Review Group and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool respectively. Studies will be pooled into meta-analysis where appropriate using RevMan software and the outcomes will be reported using the PRISMA guidelines. Discussion: This review will summarize the current evidence about the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization compared with other interventions in the management of individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy (LDHR). A meta-analysis will also be conducted where appropriate in this review to compare the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization with other interventions with a view to finding out which technique is better in the management of individuals with LDHR. Review Registration: This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42019131292). Keywords: Spinal manipulation; spinal mobilization; lumbar disc herniation; systematic review; meta-analysi

Leader-Member exchange and co-operative communication between group members: Replication of Lee (1997,2001) study on Malaysia respondents

This study attempts test the affects of superior-subordinate relationships on group co-operative communication. Based on the Tukey’s HSD multiple comparisons test indicates that there are significant differences in subordinates’ perceptions of cooperative communication between in-group and out-group; mid-group and out-group; and between mid-group and in-group. This study also reveals that the impact of superior-subordinate relationships were greater on cooperative communication behavior between group members in Malaysia compared to US respondents. Thus, in a relation-oriented society like Malaysia, the supervisor may be a more important factor in influencing employee behavior and attitudes at work group than organization as an impersonal entity. The consequences of these results were elaborated in details

Fiscal sustainability in the euro-zone: is there a role for euro-bonds?

This paper assesses the fiscal sustainability of ten Eurozone member countries at a national and aggregate level. It is carried out in light of the relevant literature on monetary unions and the framework of the European Monetary Union vis-à-vis the current sovereign debt crisis. The impact of Eurobonds, which are considered as a viable solution, on fiscal sustainability was empirically tested. The results indicate that only three countries appear to be structurally sustainable whereas the majority of the countries are only sustainable in the short-run and two countries are structurally unsustainable. However, the sustainability of the Eurozone is greatly improved when the Eurobonds are used

The utilization of modern and traditional medicines by rural elderly Malays in Pahang and Kelantan

An earlier NHMS (1996) reported that 2.3% of elderly population utilized traditional medicines. Some traditional medicines contained steroids. Thus, the aim of the study were to determine the health seeking behaviour of elderly Malays living in rural areas To determine the utilization of medicine both modem and traditionals during a 2 weeks recall.To determine the steroid content of traditional medicine samples. Methodology included a cross-sectional study of elderly Malays living in rural areas in Kelantan and Pahang. Results of the study showed that there were 82.3% elderly that took medications irrespective of types of medications out of 619 elderly.The trends of utilization of modern and traditional medicine among elderly Malays in Kelantan were that 59.3°/0 and 40.9% meanwhile in Pahang were 45% and 75% respectively. Thus, the study showed that the utilization of traditional medicines among elderly Malays in Kelantan and Pahang were 42%. However, the utilization of traditional medicines without age consideration was 47%) which was much higher than previous study and similar to those of France and Australia. The present study also found that some traditional medicines utilized by the elderly do contained steroids such as prednisolone and some other unknown steroids (74%)

The Training, Appointment, and Supervision of Islamic Judges in Singapore

Syariah court judges and the decisions they make clearly have an effect on the interpretation and application of Islamic law in contemporary Muslim societies, and the educational background of those who staff these courts obviously informs the way they understand, interpret, and apply the law. To date, however, little research has been done on the educational processes by which Islamic court judges are trained to think about Islamic law. Likewise, the means by which Islamic court judges are appointed and regulated has received little scholarly attention. This article offers a descriptive overview of the training, work, and professional regulation of Syariah court judges in contemporary Singapore. This material is presented in a clear format structured to highlight key aspects of how these judges are trained, accredited, and organized. In doing so, this article not only presents new empirical data on an increasingly important class of legal professionals, but it also facilitates comparative reflections on their work in relation to that of their colleagues practicing before Syariah courts in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia

How effective is central bank communication in emerging economies? An empirical analysis of the Chinese money markets responses to the People’s Bank of China’s policy communications

Central banks, in both developed and developing economies, are responding to the increased demand for transparency in monetary policy formulation and implementation. It is argued that central bank communication enhances market efficiency and calms down market volatility. This paper investigates to what extent that the People Bank of China’s (PBC) communication influences the Chinese money market. Three communication indexes were constructed and used in the empirical analysis. The findings indicate that the PBC’s communication has a significant effect on the country’s money market. Secondly, informal communication appears to be more effective than formal communication. Overall, the results suggest that policy makers and market observers could pay much more attention to the informal communications, such as speeches of the bank’s officials, than formal ones, such as the bank’s report and minutes

Minimizing the Transaction Time Difference for NOMA-Based Mobile Edge Computing

Non orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and mobile edge computing (MEC) are evolving as key enablers for fifth generation (5G) networks as this combination can provide high spectral efficiency, improved quality-of-service (QoS), and lower latency. This letter aims to minimize the transaction time difference of two NOMA paired users offloading data to MEC servers by optimizing their transmission powers and computational resources of severs using a successive convex approximation method. The equalization of transaction time for paired users reduces the wastage of both frequency and computational resources, and improves effective throughput of the system to 19% on average

Wigner's DD-matrix elements for SU(3)SU(3) - A Generating Function Approach

A generating function for the Wigner's $D$-matrix elements of $SU(3)$ is derived. From this an explicit expression for the individual matrix elements is obtained in a closed form.Comment: RevTex 3.0, 22 pages, no figure

Fighting Pandemics with Augmented Reality and Smart Sensing-based Social Distancing

In a postpandemic world, remaining vigilant and maintaining social distancing are still crucial so societies can contain the virus and the public can avoid disproportionate health impacts. Augmented reality (AR) can visually assist users in understanding the distances in social distancing. However, integrating external sensing and analysis is required for social distancing beyond the users’ local environment. We present DistAR, an android-based application for social distancing leveraging AR and smart sensing using on-device analysis of optical images and environment crowdedness from smart campus data. Our prototype is one of the first efforts to combine AR and smart sensing technologies to create a real-time social distancing application.Peer reviewe