The application of whole-body vibration in physiotherapy – A narrative review

Whole-body vibration (WBV) training is a very popular kind of practice in sport, fitness and physiotherapy. This work reviews the current knowledge regarding the use and effectiveness of WBV in the physiotherapy. The discrepancies between different authors’ results are probably due to divergence in WBV training protocols. The paperwork clearly showed that despite its ultimate effects, exercises on a vibration platform are safe, feasible, and well tolerated by patients with different disorders. This narrative review should help physiotherapists verify therapy programs regarding patients’ exposure to WBV

Tracing potential soil contamination in the historical Solvay soda ash plant area, Jaworzno, Southern Poland

This study of soil conditions was carried out on 30 meadow soil (podzol) samples from the vicinity of the soda ash heap in Jaworzno, supplemented by analyses of 18 samples of waste deposited on the heap. In all samples, the total content of macroelements (Ca and Na) and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn) as well as pH were analysed. The element concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The materials examined were neutral to ultra-alkaline. Total accumulations (mg kg(−1)) of chemical elements in the soil vary from 130.24 to 14076.67 for Ca, 41.40–926.23 for Na, 0.03–3.34 for Cd, 0.94–103.62 for Cr, 0.94–35.89 for Ni, 3.51–76.47 for Pb and 12.05–279.13 for Zn, whereas quantities of the same elements in the waste samples vary from 171705.13 to 360487.94 for Ca, 517.64–3152.82 for Na, 0.2–9.89 for Cd, 1.16–20.40 for Cr, 1.08–9.79 for Ni, 0.1–146.05 for Pb and 10.26–552.35 for Zn. The vertical distribution of the metals was determined in each soil profile. Despite enrichment of heavy metals in the uppermost horizon on the top of the heap, the results lead to the conclusion that the relation of historical production of soda ash in Jaworzno to current contamination of the local soil environment is insignificant

International longitudinal registry of patients with atrial fibrillation and treated with rivaroxaban: RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting (RIVER)

Background Real-world data on non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are essential in determining whether evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials translate into meaningful clinical benefits for patients in everyday practice. RIVER (RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting) is an ongoing international, prospective registry of patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and at least one investigator-determined risk factor for stroke who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment for the prevention of thromboembolic stroke. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of the RIVER registry and baseline characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed NVAF who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment. Methods and results Between January 2014 and June 2017, RIVER investigators recruited 5072 patients at 309 centres in 17 countries. The aim was to enroll consecutive patients at sites where rivaroxaban was already routinely prescribed for stroke prevention. Each patient is being followed up prospectively for a minimum of 2-years. The registry will capture data on the rate and nature of all thromboembolic events (stroke / systemic embolism), bleeding complications, all-cause mortality and other major cardiovascular events as they occur. Data quality is assured through a combination of remote electronic monitoring and onsite monitoring (including source data verification in 10% of cases). Patients were mostly enrolled by cardiologists (n = 3776, 74.6%), by internal medicine specialists 14.2% (n = 718) and by primary care/general practice physicians 8.2% (n = 417). The mean (SD) age of the population was 69.5 (11.0) years, 44.3% were women. Mean (SD) CHADS2 score was 1.9 (1.2) and CHA2DS2-VASc scores was 3.2 (1.6). Almost all patients (98.5%) were prescribed with once daily dose of rivaroxaban, most commonly 20 mg (76.5%) and 15 mg (20.0%) as their initial treatment; 17.9% of patients received concomitant antiplatelet therapy. Most patients enrolled in RIVER met the recommended threshold for AC therapy (86.6% for 2012 ESC Guidelines, and 79.8% of patients according to 2016 ESC Guidelines). Conclusions The RIVER prospective registry will expand our knowledge of how rivaroxaban is prescribed in everyday practice and whether evidence from clinical trials can be translated to the broader cross-section of patients in the real world

Bioelectrical activity of the pelvic floor muscles after 6-week biofeedback training in nulliparous continent women

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-week sEMG-biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training program on pelvic floor muscle activity in young continent women. Methods: Pelvic floor muscle activity was recorded using a vaginal probe during five experimental trials. Biofeedback training was continued for 6 weeks, 3 times a week. Muscle strenghtening and endurance exercises were performed alternately. SEMG (surface electromyography) measurements were recorded on four different occasions: before training started, after the third week of training, after the sixth week of training, and one month after training ended. Results: A 6-week sEMG-biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training program significantly decreased the resting activity of the pelvic floor muscles in supine lying and standing. The ability to relax the pelvic floor muscles after a sustained 60-second contraction improved significantly after the 6-week training in both positions. SEMG-biofeedback training program did not seem to affect the activity of the pelvic floor muscles or muscle fatigue during voluntary pelvic floor muscle contractions. Conclusions: SEMG-biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training might be recommended for physiotherapists to improve the effectiveness of their relaxation techniques

Unexpected formation of [Ru(η5−C5H5)(PH{CH2N(CH2CH2)2O}2)(PPh3)2]BF4[Ru(\eta^5-C_5H_5)(PH\{ CH_2N(CH_2CH_2)_2O\} _2)(PPh_3)_2]BF_4 : the first "piano-stool" ruthenium complex bearing a secondary aminomethylphosphane ligand

In this paper we report the reaction of $[Ru(\eta^5-C_5H_5)Cl(PPh_3)_2]$ with $P\{CH_2N(CH_2CH_2)_2O\}_3$ in the presence of $NaBF_4$, in which, apart from the $Cl^{-}$ substitution, an unexpected P–C bond cleavage in the tertiary phosphane is observed. It results in the formation of $[Ru(\eta^5-C_5H_5)(PH\{ CH_2N(CH_2CH_2)_2O\} _2)(PPh_3)_2]BF_4$ (1) – the first “piano-stool” ruthenium complex with a secondary aminomethylphosphane ligand

Detecting photoelectrons from spontaneously formed excitons

Excitons, quasiparticles of electrons and holes bound by Coulombic attraction, are created transiently by light and play an important role in optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photosynthesis. They are also predicted to form spontaneously in a small-gap semiconductor or a semimetal, leading to a Bose?Einstein condensate at low temperature, but there has not been any direct evidence of this effect so far. Here we detect the photoemission signal from spontaneously formed excitons in a debated excitonic insulator candidate, Ta2NiSe5. Our symmetry-selective angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals a characteristic excitonic feature above the transition temperature, which provides detailed properties of excitons, such as the anisotropic Bohr radius. The present result provides evidence for so-called preformed excitons and guarantees the excitonic insulator nature of Ta2NiSe5 at low temperature. ? 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.11Nsciescopu