Motivational factors and barriers towards initiating and maintaining strength training in women: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

Strength training (ST) or resistance training is important in the development and maintenance of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in women of all ages; however, uptake of ST amongst women is low. To improve female musculoskeletal health, it is vital that more women are encouraged to participate in ST to maintain musculoskeletal integrity. This systematic review aimed to identify motivators and barriers to women initiating and maintaining ST. Following protocol registration and systematic search, studies were included if they were primary qualitative or mixed-method studies reporting participant verbatim quotes, included adult women, and focused on motivators and barriers for ST. Searches generated 2534 articles from 3 databases, with 20 studies (N = 402 participants) meeting eligibility criteria. Participant quotes and authors’ interpretations were analysed using thematic synthesis. The most frequently observed barriers were gender-based stigmas, discouragement, and negative comments, particularly in women currently engaging in ST. Other factors associated with poor adherence included boredom, poor knowledge of ST, poor gym accessibility, lack of supervision or routine, and difficulty in balancing work and family life. Social support from friends and family, words of affirmation, and accompaniment facilitated ST, particularly in older women. Women who saw expected results such as weight loss were motivated to continue ST. Interventions aimed at increasing participation in ST amongst women should focus on the specific benefits valued by women and the dissemination of accurate information to counter misconceptions and increase knowledge. The adaptation of gym environments to make them more welcoming to women, and reduce gender-focused criticism, is especially important

Portable microfluidic chip for detection of Escherichia coli in produce and blood

Pathogenic agents can lead to severe clinical outcomes such as food poisoning, infection of open wounds, particularly in burn injuries and sepsis. Rapid detection of these pathogens can monitor these infections in a timely manner improving clinical outcomes. Conventional bacterial detection methods, such as agar plate culture or polymerase chain reaction, are time-consuming and dependent on complex and expensive instruments, which are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) settings. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop a simple, rapid method for detection of pathogens such as Escherichia coli. Here, we present an immunobased microchip technology that can rapidly detect and quantify bacterial presence in various sources including physiologically relevant buffer solution (phosphate buffered saline [PBS]), blood, milk, and spinach. The microchip showed reliable capture of E. coli in PBS with an efficiency of 71.8% ± 5% at concentrations ranging from 50 to 4,000 CFUs/mL via lipopolysaccharide binding protein. The limits of detection of the microchip for PBS, blood, milk, and spinach samples were 50, 50, 50, and 500 CFUs/mL, respectively. The presented technology can be broadly applied to other pathogens at the POC, enabling various applications including surveillance of food supply and monitoring of bacteriology in patients with burn wounds

Development of Micropatterned, Mucoadhesive, Ocular Films for the Treatment of Diabetic Keratopathy

According to the CDC report in 2017, approximately 9.4% of the US population suffers from diabetes. The ocular manifestations of diabetes include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract, and ocular surface diseases. Research shows that around 47-64% of diabetic individuals suffer from dysfunctional corneal wound healing in the eye, known as diabetic keratopathy. The presence of free oxygen radicals, advanced glycation products, and the absence of mucins in the eyes of diabetic individuals disrupt the homeostasis required for epithelial wound healing. Current treatment for corneal wound healing is mostly symptomatic and includes administration of antibiotic drops, bandage lenses, artificial tears, and punctal plugs. However, these are symptom-based treatments, and there remains a need for a cause-based approach. Rebamipide eye drops are used in dry eye disease in Japan because of its ability to improve mucin secretion and maintain tear film stability. Additionally, it has shown epithelial wound healing activity along with the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species and reduce inflammation. In this study, we have fabricated micropatterned, mucoadhesive films containing rebamipide that have a sustained release of drug from the polymer matrix. We show that these thin films containing cellulose and Eudragit polymers form clear and distinct patterns of good resolution. Micropatterned films also show good tensile strength and flexibility. Cytotoxicity studies on corneal stem cells indicate that the 48%EPO+32%FS30D formulation has the least toxicity with a good sustained release of drug in 24 hours. We also demonstrate the higher mucoadhesive properties of micropatterned films as compared to plain, unpatterned films on the ocular mucosa. Finally, we show the preliminary development of an ex-vivo lacrimation model of the retention of films on the sclera using enucleated porcine eyeballs

STEM Through Games Program for High School Students

STEM Through Games will develop and pilot an immersive media design and research program that introduces high school students to computational thinking, foundations of programming, and cross-disciplinary academic STEM research through the implementation of digital games and immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality

Detection of VRF by CBCT in Root filled and non-root filled teeth: Systematic Review, Meta-analyses and Umbrella Review

Diverse results from various systematic reviews (SRs) regarding the use of CBCT for diagnosis of VRF, necessitates the synthesis of evidence using an umbrella review (UR). An UR is considered the highest level in the hierarchy of evidence and helps clinicians in treatment planning for specific conditions. It is a review of previously published SRs or MAs, and can critically analyse each individual SR, collate evidence from them, identify consistent or contradictory findings and attempt to determine the truth

Phosphoric acid treatment enhances adaptation of glass-ionomer cement to bioceramic sealer-conditioned dentin

Background: This study evaluated the interface between fresh eugenol/bioceramic sealer-conditioned coronal dentin and high-viscous glass-ionomer cement (HVGIC), treated with various dentin conditioners (saline, 10% polyacrylic acid, and 37% phosphoric acid). Materials and Methods: Standard endodontic access preparation and instrumentation were done in 21 freshly extracted mandibular molar teeth in this in vitro study. Teeth were divided into two interventional groups (n = 9/group), based on the type of sealer (zinc oxide eugenol [ZOE]/bioceramic [BioRoot RCS] sealer) used for obturation. Samples were further subdivided based on the type of dentin-conditioning procedures performed (saline/10% polyacrylic acid/37% phosphoric acid). Post dentin conditioning, the access cavity was sealed with HVGIC. Later, material-dentin interfacial analysis and elemental analysis were done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results: The interfacial SEM images of HVGIC layered over B-RCS/ZOE sealer-conditioned dentin, treated with saline, showed predominantly adhesive debonding failures, whereas cohesive debonding was observed with polyacrylic and phosphoric acid. In the elemental analysis, the intensity of zirconium (depicting the residue of B-RCS)/zinc (depicting ZOE sealer) was very high on the dentin side treated with saline, in comparison to the dentin treated with polyacrylic and phosphoric acid. Furthermore, the intensity of elements from HVGIC was low on the dentin side of the groups with saline, whereas these elements showed maximum penetration into the dentin when treated with phosphoric acid. Conclusion: Conditioning of the endodontic access cavity using 37% phosphoric acid immediately postobturation resulted in higher penetration of HVGIC into the dentin, in comparison to the other dentin conditioners