What does the vibration therapy add?: a quasi-experimental, pilot study on the short term effects of whole-body vibration as mode of exercise for nursing home residents aged 80+

Aims: To compare the responses of nursing home residents aged 80+ to an 8 weeks exercise program performed on a vibratory device and to the same exercise program preformed without vibration on lower limb performance, functional dependence and quality of life. Methods:Lower limb performance was evaluated using the 30 seconds Chair Sit to Stand test. Functional mobility was assessed using the timed up and go test. Postural stability was measured using a force platform. The Barthel Index was used to assess functional dependence and the EuroQol was used to evaluate Health-Related Quality of Life. 44 participants were allocated to the whole-body vibration group (n= 15), non-vibration group (n= 15) or to the control group (n= 14). Results:Significant differences were detected in favour of the whole-body vibration group in lower limb muscle performance (p= 0.001), mobility (p= 0.001), functional independence (p= 0.009) and quality of life (p <0.001) as compared to the control and non-vibration groups. Conclusions: Whole body vibration based interventions may add additional benefits to conventional exercise programs in terms of lower limb muscle performance, functional dependence and quality of life among nursing home residents over 80 years

Drones and the International Rule of Law

This essay will proceed in four parts. First, it will briefly discuss the concept of the international rule of law. Second, it will offer a short factual background on US drone strikes (to the extent that it is possible to provide factual background on a practice so shrouded in secrecy). Third, it will highlight some of the key ways in which post 9/11 US legal theories relating to the use of force challenge previously accepted concepts and seek to redefine previously well-understood terms. Fourth, it will offer brief concluding thoughts on the future of the international rule of law in light of this challenge

Role of MRI in term newborn hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: correlation with motor outcome

Abstract Objectives: To correlate the site and severity of brain lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the general movements, Hammersmith scoring and motor outcome in term new-borns with ipoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Materials and methods: in the period between April 2009 and February of 2012 we studied whit MR imaging twenty-three term neonates (14M e 9F) with diagnosis of encephalopathy according to the criteria of Sarnat and Sarnat. Brain MR scan has been performed within the first 3 postnatal weeks and scored in 5 patterns of injury based on a modified classification system of Okereafor et al. General movements as at both 1 and 3 postnatal months, Hammersmith scoring as at 1week, 1 and 3 postnatal months have been evaluated. Motor outcome was assessed as at 6 both and 12 months. Conclusion: in term infants with HIE, the site and severity of brain lesions seen on early MRI are correlated with general movements, Hammersmith scoring and motor outcome

What the Internet Age Means for Female Scholars

Is the Internet-driven transformation of legal scholarship good for the girls, or bad for the girls? Will it remove some of the handicaps that have dogged women\u27s efforts to join the ranks of scholarly superstars ? Or will it only increase the professional obstacles still faced by women in legal academia? In this short Essay, the author tries to predict some of the promises and perils that the Internet holds for women in the legal academy

Multifrequency Behaviour of Galactic and Extragalactic Novae

The outbursts of novae are among the strongest explosions in the Universe. The eruptions involve physical processes that span the whole electromagnetic spectrum, demanding multifrequency observations. The photometric and spectroscopic observations in the optical domain are combined with radio, infrared, X-ray and gamma ray observations, allowing to discover new phenomena, like the GeV gamma ray emission.Comment: Proceedings of a talk given at the conference on "XII Multifrequency Behaviour of High Energy Cosmic Sources Workshop", 2017, 12-17 June Palermo, Italy; 22 pages, 9 figures, 2 table