Study on lumbar kinematics and the risk of low back disorder in female university students by using shoes of different heel heights

The study was taken up to investigate the effects of heel heights on lumbar kinematics and the risk of Low Back Disorder (LBD) in females. Nineteen female university students (24.5 ± 3.36 yrs) volunteered in the study. Lumbar kinematics was measured by using Industrial Lumbar Motion Monitor (iLMM). The volunteers were asked to walk for a distance of 50 meters in 3 different given conditions i.e bare foot (Heel 0), with flat heels (Heel 1) and with high heels (Heel 2). Heights of Heel 1 and Heel 2 were 1.5 ± 0.84 cm and 5.5 ± 1.70 cm respectively. The Lumbar kinematic parameters studied were- Average Twisting Velocity (ATV), Maximum Sagital Flexion (MSF) and Maximum Lateral Velocity (MLV). It was observed that all the above mentioned Lumbar kinematics - ATV, MSF and MLV increases with increase of heel heights, which in turn increases the risk of LBD. As a result of increase in Lumbar kinematic values with increase in heel heights, LBD risk has also increased. Mean and SD of the LBD risk with Heel 0, Heel 1 and Heel 2 were 16.79 ± 6.04%, 19.00 ± 7.38% and 22.11 ± 6.98% respectively. Lower stature with high heels showed higher risk of LBD than the higher stature with high heels.     

Effect of testosterone therapy on lumbar spine and hip mineral density in elderly men

Objective.?The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of testosterone therapy on bone mineral density in healthy elderly men who had low levels of total testosterone.

Design.?Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Participants.?Forty-eight men over 60 years old with decreased testosterone levels (≤320 ng/dL) comprised the study. Twenty-five out of 48 received intramuscular injections of testosterone enanthate every three weeks during 12 months; the remaining 23 participants formed the control group. All participants had measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) in both lumbar spine and hip before and at the end of the study as well as testosterone and 17-β estradiol levels.

Results:?Testosterone treated group exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) increment (from 1.198 ± 0.153 to 1.240 ± 0.141 g/cm²) in lumbar BMD in parallel with a significant (p < 0.001) increment (from 301 ± 32 to 471 ± 107 ng/dL) in testosterone concentrations, whereas no significant change occurred in femoral neck BMD.

Conclusions.?Testosterone therapy elicited a positive effect only in lumbar BMD in elderly men with diminished testosterone serum levels.     

Opting out while fitting in: How residents make sense of assisted living and cope with community life

This paper explores how assisted living residents construct personal understandings of congregate settings through the stories they tell. Using the narratives of Dorothy and Estelle, two 91-year-old participants, we examine how linkages between past experiences and present conditions enable residents to make sense of assisted living and cope with membership in a community comprised of diverse interests, backgrounds, and impairments. Our narrative analysis focuses on how individuals strive for continuity or new meaning in the face of chaos or disruption. Both participants characterize life in the facility in terms of prior personal and professional experiences that then inform their current behavior and feelings toward fellow residents. Although they profess to have little in common with these residents, both constitute assisted living in ways that enable them to enjoy their lives within the facility. Implications for studies using narrative analysis to examine transition into and satisfaction with congregate living are examined.     

Changes in Attitudes,Beliefs and Expectations Associated with the Transition to Parenthood

No abstract available for this article.     

Testosterone level in aging male with different glucose tolerance state and its association with osteocalcin

Objective: To investigate the relationship of testosterone and different glucose tolerance state, and its association with osteocalcin.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 1176 males aged 60–97?years who were arranged for an annual regular checkup from March to May 2012 in Chinese PLA general hospital in Beijing.

Results: Individuals categorized as having prediabetes or diabetes were more likely to have lower osteocalcin, testosterone, and SHBG levels compared to those with normal glucose tolerance (p?Conclusions: It showed that serum osteocalcin and TT were closely related with BMI, blood glucose, and TG, which supported the hypothesis that regulation of bone remodeling, energy metabolism, and reproduction are linked.     

Changes in self-efficacy and readiness for smoking cessation among women with high school or less education

The most common theory of smoking cessation postulates that readiness to quit begins with changes in attitudes that move the smoker toward behavioral change and eventual cessation. However, trends in smoking indicate that many who currently smoke are not ready to quit. Hence, strategies that both enhance readiness and focus on quitting are likely to be most effective. We hypothesize that an intervention addressed to motivating behavior change will enhance readiness to change, which will in turn increase the smokers self-efficacy regarding further change. A smoking cessation intervention that combined a self-help booklet and televised segments was developed to address these issues in a population of women smokers with high school or less education. Readiness to quit was measured prior to the intervention, immediately following the intervention, and again at six and 12 months after intervention. The results indicate that the intervention had its effects on readiness to quit, which in turn affected self-efficacy, which further enhanced readiness to quit. These findings indicate that interventions aimed at this group of smokers may need to provide achievable objectives that focus on preparing the smoker to quit as well as promote cessation.     

Carabidae assemblages in pine forests with different recreation regimes within and outside a megalopolis

Urban Ecosystems - The expansion of cities highlights the need for studies of the biodiversity on urban territories and factors affecting the structure and functioning of communities. In...     

Effects of garden management practices,by different types of gardeners,on human wellbeing and ecological and soil sustainability in Swiss cities

Urban Ecosystems - Gardens have effects on the local ecology as well as on the wellbeing of the gardener, but few studies have attempted to study gardens using both ecological and social outcome...     

Assessment of recovery in older patients hospitalized with different diagnoses and functional levels,evaluated with and without geriatric assessment

Background

The objective of the present study was to investigate 1) the role of different admission diagnoses and 2) the degree of functional loss, on the rate of recovery of older patients after acute hospitalization. Furthermore, to compare the predictive value of simple assessments that can be carried out in a hospital lacking geriatric service, with assessments including geriatric screening tests.

Methods

Prospective, observational cohort study, including 961community dwelling patients aged?≥?70 years, transferred from medical, cardiac, pulmonary and orthopedic acute hospital departments to intermediate care in nursing home. Functional assessment with Barthel index (BI) was performed at admission to the nursing home and further geriatric assessment tests was performed during the first week. Logistic regression models with and without geriatric assessment were compared concerning the patients having 1) slow recovery (nursing home stay up to 2 months before return home) or, 2) poor recovery (dead or still in nursing home at 2 months).

Results

Slow recovery was independently associated with a diagnosis of non-vertebral fracture, BI subgroups 50–79 and <50, and, in the model including geriatric assessment, also with cognitive impairment. Poor recovery was more complex, and independently associated both with BI?<?50, receiving home care before admission, higher age, admission with a non-vertebral fracture, and in the geriatric assessment model, cognitive impairment.

Conclusions

Geriatric assessment is optimal for determining the recovery potential of older patients after acute hospitalization. As some hospitals lack geriatric services and ability to perform geriatric screening tests, a simpler assessment based on admission diagnoses and ADL function (BI), gives good information regarding the possible rehabilitation time and possibility to return home.

     

Crowding density in urban environment and its effects on emotional responding of pedestrians: Using wearable device technology with sensors capturing proximity and psychophysiological emotion responses while walking in the street

ABSTRACT

We conducted a study to examine the influence of crowding in high-density urban areas on the emotional responses of people. We hypothesized that high density leads to the invasion of a personal space that is surrounding everyone’s body which in turn evokes emotional responses, especially negative emotions like stress and aggression. Subjects (n = 30) walked a predefined, crowded path in a Hong Kong commercial center which consisted of urban parts and a park. Along the way, emotional responses were measured psychophysiologically via a wearable device, capturing electrodermal activity, skin temperature, and ambient temperature, among others. Additionally, we used a movement detection sensor to measure the invasion of personal space by other pedestrians. Significant effects of personal space crossings on aversive and appetitive emotional responses are found. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Using a real case scenario in teaching social work with children and families in different practice settings

Transforming classroom knowledge into practice competency is particularly challenging in social work with children and families. It involves complex, competitive practice approaches and different service settings with procedures and norms influencing a child’s wellbeing. The paper presents the content, application, and evaluation of a module based on a case scenario which considers the limitations and achievements of social work with children and families in different settings. A mixed-method approach was applied to this review process. Students were given an evaluative questionnaire based on the theoretical framework of experiential learning whereupon they wrote reflective essays describing their learning experience. Case method contributes to the acquisition of reflective, integrative, and stimulating knowledge. The participation level contributes to the students’ satisfaction during such learning. Students have learned that families with multiple and complex needs require a holistic approach that separate systems and services cannot provide. This way of learning, with certain limitations, allows activation and an intensive learning experience for large groups of students relevant for a number of social work schools.     

Structure and composition of woody plants in urban forest remnants with different adjacent land-use and slope aspect

The plant community in the karst forest is influenced by mesoclimatic conditions, such as temperature and humidity and these conditions are in turn influenced by topographic features. Urban areas adjacent to karstic forest remnants also have the potential to influence mesoclimatic variables and may serve as a source of exotic species. We described the temperature and relative humidity of karstic forest remnants at slopes with combinations of either southeast (SE) or northwest (NW) aspect, and adjacent to either urban (URB) or secondary forest (SF). We also compared forest structure and composition on these slopes to understand the interaction between forest aspect and adjacent land use on the plant community. URB-SE slopes had highest temperature and lowest humidity among all adjacent land use-aspect combinations. Understory species in SE slopes had similar richness and diversity independently of adjacent land use, however within NW aspect, slopes adjacent to urban areas showed higher values than slopes adjacent secondary forest. Canopy trees species in slopes adjacent to secondary forest were more diverse and rich in SE than in NW, although no differences between aspects were detected within URB-adjacent slopes. Understory species composition was different among the four land use-aspect combinations. However, composition of canopy trees species was different only between aspect types. Most exotic species in the sites were associated with previous agricultural practices and not with current land use. Our results show a temporal and spatial influence of anthropogenic systems on the plant community in karstic forest remnants at a suburban area of Puerto Rico.     

Changes in Sexual Distress,Depression and Sexual Function after Clitoral Reconstruction in Women with Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Abstract

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) links health complications and psychological distress. However, there is scarce literature on how women with FGM/C respond to treatment interventions. Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess changes in depression symptomatology, sexual function, and distress following clitoral reconstructive surgery combined with a psychoeducational intervention. Methods: The reconstructive surgery consisted of recovering the remaining clitoris and placing it externally and as close to the vagina as possible. FGM/C patients (n?=?27) received psychological support and sexual counseling upon undergoing the surgical intervention and were further assessed at 6-month follow-up. Moreover, they completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised at these two time points. Patients’ sexual dysfunction was assessed according to DSM-5 criteria. Results: Statistically significant clinical changes after FGM/C were reported. Overall, patients presented reduced depression and sexual distress levels, and decreased female sexual interest/arousal disorder prevalence. Results also revealed that sexual distress improvements were more significant in Type I FGM/C patients. Conclusions: Significant improvements in sexual distress, psychopathology, and sexual function were observed in our sample following reconstructive surgery, suggesting that combined interventions are effective for treatment.     

Under the skin: Exploring 2-month-olds' thermal reactions in different social interactions with mother and stranger

Physiological adaptations to external stressors can reveal socio-cognitive health in infancy. With the use of thermal imaging and behavioural analyses, the current study examined the arousal markers accompanying infants’ interactions with a familiar and an unfamiliar person. To address the current research question, the mother and a complete stranger interacted with 2 to 3 month-old infants (N= 10, 2 boys)in three different conditions: Neutral, Play, and Compliment. Behavioral analyses showed that overall gaze was longer to the Stranger compared to the Mother independent of condition. Physiological findings showed that skin temperature was significantly higher with the stranger independent of condition. The regions of the face that passed the significance threshold included the maxillary area, the nose, and the forehead. Both behavioral and physiological findings emphasize the ability of the infant to distinguish between a familiar and an unfamiliar person. Most importantly, however thermal imaging has proven to be a promising tool in physiologically differentiating between variable social conditions in very young infants opening up a new experimental portal for identifying healthy physiological development.     

Media,migrants and human rights in the cultural history. Dialogue with Lynn Hunt

Lynn Hunt is an American historian and writer; she is Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California in Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.), and before coming to U.C.L.A., she taught at the University of Pennsylvania (1987–1998) and at the University of California, Berkeley (1974–1987). She is known for her studies in European Cultural History, and in 2007 she published the book Inventing Human Rights, where she examines the rise of the human rights in the eighteenth century.

We are specifically interested in her work because it gives us the chance to create a dialogue and disclose the moment we are living in comparing it with the cultural history and the role the media can have during a humanitarian crisis.

Therefore, we ask Lynn Hunt to explain how the exodus of migrants can be interpreted in light of the meta-narrative model, and to make clear what is and what will be the role of the cultural historians in offering us an interpretation of this historical moment. According to what the writer says in Writing History in the Global Era (2014), Hunt also deals with the importance of the relationship between means of communication, development of empathy and the emergence of human rights. For this reason, we asked the researcher, What is the role of the media today in mapping a humanitarian crisis?     

The effects of schedules of reinforcement on instruction-following in human subjects with verbal and nonverbal stimuli

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior - The experiment reported here represents a partial replication of an experiment by Newman, Buffington, and Hemmes (in press) and analyzes responding in college...     

Effects of a multimodal exercise program in pedal dexterity and balance: study with Portuguese older adults of different contexts

This study investigated the effects of a multimodal exercise program (MEP) on pedal dexterity and balance in two groups of older adult participants (65–92 years of age) from a psychiatric hospital center (HC), a residential care home (RCH), and a daily living center (DLC). The experimental group (EG) trained three times per week for 12 months, and the control group (CG) maintained their normal activities. The Mini-Mental State Examination and the Modified Baecke Questionnaire, as well as the Pedal Dexterity and the Tinetti tests, were applied to all subjects before and after the experimental protocol. Furthermore, the foot preference was controlled using the Lateral Preference Questionnaire proposed by Coren [10]. In the EG, the results from the Pedal Dexterity test showed that both males and females from the RCH and DLC improved their performances after the MEP. In the HC, the males slightly decreased their performance with both feet, contrarily to females. Both males and females from the CG decreased their pedal dexterity performance, namely, with the non-preferred foot. Concerning the Tinetti test, the EG of both males and females from the HC, the RCH (males were better than females regarding the gender factor), and the DLC improved their balance after the MEP. In the CG, no significant effects or interactions were found for any of the context groups.     

Comparing family,friends and satisfaction with school experience as predictors of SWB in children who have and have not made the transition to middle school in different countries

Transition to middle school periods is especially vulnerable stages in which children need external support to facilitate their adaptation to middle education. In this regard, this study aims at observing how the social supports “family” and “friends” influence SWB before and after the transition to middle school. This is conducted taking into account the mediating effect of satisfaction with school experience in a stage where significant changes occur in the school setting. To this end, different countries that have in common a transition to middle school period taking place between 10 and 12 years old are selected. Two structural models were conducted, one for 10-year-old children and other for 12-year-old children. Both samples included 8923 participants from 4 countries (Chile, South Korea, USA and Algeria). The mean age of participants was 11.20 years (SD = 1.12).The overall analysis of the results from the two models indicates that support agents (family and friends) are significant to SBW before and after the transition to middle school period. In concrete, friend support is more important than family support to 10 and 12-year-old children. Nevertheless, satisfaction with school experience behaves as a mediator between friend support, family support and SWB, and has the greatest effect on SWB at both ages. Finally, differences observed in the invariance analysis across different countries are discussed.