Mobile Phone Interventions for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT: Interventions for adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) are increasingly using mobile phones but may not effectively report evidence. OBJECTIVE: To assess strategies, findings, and quality of evidence on using mobile phones to improve ASRH by using the mHealth Evidence Reporting and Assessment (mERA) checklist recently published by the World Health Organization mHealth Technical Evidence Review Group. DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches of 8 databases for peer-reviewed studies published January 2000 through August 2014. STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies targeted adolescents ages 10 to 24 and provided results from mobile phone interventions designed to improve ASRH. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were evaluated according to the mERA checklist, covering essential mHealth criteria and methodological reporting criteria. RESULTS: Thirty-five articles met inclusion criteria. Studies reported on 28 programs operating at multiple levels of the health care system in 7 countries. Most programs (82%) used text messages. An average of 41% of essential mHealth criteria were met (range 14%-79%). An average of 82% of methodological reporting criteria were met (range 52%-100%). Evidence suggests that inclusion of text messaging in health promotion campaigns, sexually transmitted infection screening and follow-up, and medication adherence may lead to improved ASRH. LIMITATIONS: Only 3 articles reported evidence from lower- or middle-income countries, so it is difficult to draw conclusions for these settings. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence on mobile phone interventions for ASRH published in peer-reviewed journals reflects a high degree of quality in methods and reporting. In contrast, current reporting on essential mHealth criteria is insufficient for understanding, replicating, and scaling up mHealth interventions

Oxygen–ozone therapy in the rehabilitation field: state of the art on mechanisms of action, safety and effectiveness in patients with musculoskeletal disorders

In recent years, the interest in oxygen–ozone (O2O3) therapy application has considerably increased in the field of rehabilitation. Despite its widespread use in common clinical practice, the biochemical effects of O2O3 are still far from being understood, although its chemical properties seem to play a pivotal role in exerting its positive effects on different pathological conditions. Indeed, the effectiveness of O2O3 therapy might be partly due to the moderate oxidative stress produced by O3 interactions with biological components. O2O3 therapy is widely used as an adjuvant therapeutic option in several pathological conditions characterized by chronic inflammatory processes and immune over‐activation, and most musculoskeletal disorders share these pathophysiological processes. The present comprehensive review depicts the state‐of‐the‐art on the mechanisms of action, safety and effectiveness of O2O3 therapy in the complex scenario of the management of musculoskeletal disorders. Taken together, our findings suggest that O2O3 therapy seems to reduce pain and improve functioning in patients affected by low back pain and knee osteoarthritis, as reported by several studies in the literature. However, to date, further studies are warranted to clearly investigate the therapeutic effects of this promising therapy on other musculoskeletal disorders in the field of rehabilitation

The analog signal processing board for the HEAT telescopes

Abstract The aim of the Pierre Auger Observatory is to measure with high statistics the flux, the arrival directions and the mass composition of cosmic rays at the highest energies. Since 2009, the Auger Collaboration has added three new High Elevation Auger Telescopes (HEAT) along with a new 25 km 2 infill array in the field of view of the new telescopes. These enhancements have lowered the energy threshold of the Observatory by about an order of magnitude. In combination with the existing telescopes in Coihueco the vertical field of view is extended to about 60°, allowing the measurement of nearby air showers arising from primaries with energies as low as 2×10 17 eV. In this paper we describe the new front-end analog board developed to process the signals generated by the photomultipliers of the HEAT telescopes. Eighty analog boards have been produced, fully characterized and tested. The main characteristics of the electronic circuits and the circuit parameters are illustrated

Efficacy of hyaluronate injections in rotator cuff disorders: a level-I meta-analysis

Background: Rotator cuff disease is the most common cause of shoulder pain and weakness. Conservative treatment is the first choice of shoulder pain management. Viscosupplementation of hyaluronic acid (HA) seems to be effective for management of tendon disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the scientific evidence reported in literature according to HA shoulder injection in rotator cuff disorders treatment. Methods: An English-language systematic literature search was performed by two independent researchers; data sources included the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Google scholar web, Ovid database, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and the Cochrane Library. We performed a broad research for relevant study up to February 2017. Articles were included if they reported data on clinical and functional outcomes in patients who had undergone HA injection for management of rotator cuff pathology compared to placebo, corticosteroid injection and/or physical therapies. Methodological quality was assessed with the PEDro rating scale. The outcomes were improvement of symptoms (assessed by VAS scale) and shoulder function (assessed through DASH and ASES Score). Results: 5 RCTs studies (990 patients) were pooled in the Meta-analysis. The PEDro rating scale ranged from 2 to 8. Two studies compared HA injection with corticosteroid injections, patients were injected once a week for three weeks. Four studies compared HA injection with placebo injection, of which two used 3 weekly injections and two used 5 weekly injections. Significant difference was found in pain reduction between HA and placebo group at 26 weeks follow-up (MD= -0.51, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.07), p=0.02. Conclusion: HA injections might be a valuable safe alternative to other conservative methods for the treatment of rotator cuff disorders. Nowadays, few and low quality randomized controlled trials have been published. Therefore, to reach an overall conclusion about the effect of HA injection in rotator cuff we need more high quality studies. Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Study design: Meta-analys

Integration of focal vibration and intra-articular oxygen–ozone therapy in rehabilitation of painful knee osteoarthritis

Objective: To examine the pain-reducing effects of intra-articular oxygen–ozone (O2O3) injections and mechanical focal vibration (mFV) versus O2O3 injections alone in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Patients with chronic pain (>6 weeks) due to knee osteoarthritis (II–III on the Kellgren–Lawrence scale) were consecutively enrolled and divided into two groups: O2O3 (n = 25) and O2O3-mFV (n = 24). The visual analog scale (VAS), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Medical Research Council (MRC) Manual Muscle Testing scale were administered at baseline (before treatment), after 3 weeks of treatment, and 1 month after the end of treatment. Patients received three once-weekly intra-articular injections of O2O3 into the knee (20 mL O3, 20 μg/mL). The O2O3-mFV group also underwent nine sessions of mFV (three sessions per week). Results: The VAS score, KOOS, and MRC score were significantly better in the O2O3-mFV than O2O3 group. The within-group analysis showed that all scores improved over time compared with baseline and were maintained even 1 month after treatment. No adverse events occurred. Conclusion: An integrated rehabilitation protocol involving O2O3 injections and mFV for 3 weeks reduces pain, increases autonomy in daily life activities, and strengthens the quadriceps femoris

Modificaciones histológicas foliares causadas por organismos fúngicos en tres especies de Myrtaceae.

Histological changes in leaves caused by fungi in three species of Myrtaceae. The family Myrtaceae is one of the largest in Argentina. In the province of Tucumán, eleven native species inhabit, three of them, Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth) O. Berg, Eugenia uniflora L. and Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand have medicinal, alimentary and forestry importance. Information about fungal species and histological foliar changes produced by them is limited. So the objective of this research is to identify the species of fungi present in leaves of these three tree species; and evaluate the anatomical changes caused by the presence of them. Conventional techniques and stains were used. Twelve fungal species were identified in the three arboreal hosts studied. Ten species were cited for the first time for Argentina. Puccinia psidii and Alternaria sp. were found more frequently. The most affected leaf tissues were the palisade and spongy parenchyma. The most significant lesion was that one observed in the leaf of E. uniflora, it was produced by Microsphaerospis arundinis. Fungal identified species increases the knowledge of the diversity of fungi associated with leaves in native tree species from province of Tucuman.La familia Myrtaceae es una de las más numerosas en Argentina. En la provincia de Tucumán habitan 11 especies nativas, de las cuales Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth) O. Berg, Eugenia uniflora L. y Myrcianthes pungens (O.Berg) D. Legrand presentan importancia medicinal, alimenticia y forestal. La información sobre las especies fúngicas y las modificaciones histológicas foliares que ellos producen es escasa. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de la presente investigación fue identificar las especies de hongos en hojas de las tres especies arbóreas y describir las modificaciones anatómicas causadas por la presencia de los mismos. Se trabajó con material fresco al que se aplicó técnicas y tinciones convencionales para su estudio. Se identificaron 12 especies fúngicas, 10 de ellas se citan por primera vez para la Argentina, en los tres hospedantes arbóreos estudiados. Puccinia psidii y Alternaria sp. se encontraron con mayor frecuencia. Los tejidos foliares más afectados fueron el parénquima esponjoso y el parénquima en empalizada. La lesión más significativa en la lámina foliar se observó en E. uniflora, producida por Microsphaerospis arundinis. Las especies fúngicas identificadas amplían el conocimiento de la diversidad de hongos asociados a hojas en especies arbóreas nativas de la provincia de Tucumán

Postural analysis using rasterstereography and inertial measurement units in volleyball players: different roles as indicators of injury predisposition

Background and Objectives: Acute and chronic injuries are frequent in volleyball. Biomechanics of sport-specific tasks can influence the risk of injury, which is also related to specific court positions. We investigated posture at raster-stereography, balance, and dynamic tasks using inertial motion units to find differences between roles, which can be predictive of a higher risk of injury. Materials and Methods: We cross-sectionally evaluated amateur volleyball athletes. Participants were divided into roles as outside hitters, setters, middle blockers, and opposite hitters. We excluded the “libero” position from our analysis. Results: Sixteen players were included in the analysis. A statistically significant difference was found in left lower limb stiffness among the outside hitter and setter groups. Conclusions: Differences in stiffness might be related to the different training and the different abilities among the two groups. Raster-stereography is extending its indications and should be implemented for non-invasive postural analysis. The use of inertial motion units provides objective measurements of variables that could go unrecognized within a clinical evaluation; its use should be considered in injury preventive programs