ABSTRACT
The proliferation of clandestine homes for elderly people is encouraged by the underfunding of the establishment of such centres by central or local public administration authorities and the small number of places available at already existing centres or the poor conditions that are provided. The elderly represents a vulnerable category, most of the people who live in such centres have a precarious financial or family situation or various chronic diseases that require constant medical care. Through this study, we want to analyse the causes and possible legislative solutions that can lead to the improvement of the lives of these people.
ABSTRACT
Electronic waste (E-wastes) includes obsolete electrical or electronic devices. With the expansion of telecommunications from the COVID-19 pandemic and the advancement of technology, it is expected that by 2025 the weight of this waste will increase to 4.3 billion tons per year. In addition to precious metals, E-waste contains hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium, barium, and lithium. Therefore, managing how to recycle them through healthy environmental processes is essential. In this paper, the removal of the CD-ROM cover with the help of the proposed device of Marx is investigated. The Marx generator is designed and manufactured with an input voltage of 50 volts, an output voltage of about 370 volts, and a pulse power of 24.5 J. The results indicate the possibility of short-term separation of the CD-ROM coating with the help of the proposed generator. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Saadprai S, Vorapojpisut S, Montree P, Prangmanee P, Thitiratanasard N, Unhasirikul T, Wongkaew S, Puengtanom V, Silapabanleng S. Joint Range of Motion Measurement Software with Line Chatbot (JROM Chatbot). JEPonline 2022;25(3):39-52. The assessment of range of motion (ROM) is important information that medical personnel and sport scientists use to evaluate physical status and prescribe exercise training program for sedentary and athletic individuals. During the Covid-19 pandemic of which social distancing is considered necessary, medical personnel and exercise physiologists are still interested in monitoring the results of their treatment plans and the correctness of exercise postures of patients. Hence, JROM Chatbot was developed to support medical personnel to monitor their patients' physical status via an online system. Validity and reliability of JROM Chatbot were tested and compared with a goniometer. The subjects consisted of 21 healthy male and female participants with an age range of 18 to 30 years with normal conditions of body mass index, body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio, and knee range of motion without injuries of the lower extremities, musculoskeletal system, and nervous system in the past 1 year. The subjects performed maximum knee flexion and extension as reference posture, and 2 raters measured knee ROM with a goniometer and JROM Chatbot. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to calculate the instrument's Validity Correlation, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was used to find reliability between the raters and within the raters. The validity correlation of the JROM Chatbot was compared with the goniometer at the high level (r in knee flexion = 0.959, knee extension = 0.982). The results showed that the Intra-Rater Reliability of the knee ROM measurement with the goniometer was at the very high level (ICC3,2 in knee flexion = 0.990, knee extension = 0.990), and the knee ROM measurement with the JROM Chatbot was at a very high level as well (ICC3,2 in knee flexion = 0.998, knee extension = 0.997). In addition, the test results showed when measuring knee ROMs with goniometer, the Inter-Rater Reliability was at the very high level (ICC3,2 in knee flexion = 0.937, knee extension = 0.990), and when measuring knee ROM with the JROM Chatbot, it was also at the very high level (ICC3,2 in knee flexion = 0.961, knee extension = 0.992), which were statistically significant (P<0.01). © 2022, Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
It can be stated that during the last two years, the access and activities involvement in nature, public green areas or gardens were reduced or even suppressed by the crisis caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. However, in many countries' gardens were used in global public health crisis as a refuge to find peace of mind, pleasure, respite or relief. Therapeutic horticulture activities as gardening and people-plant interaction can offer them a meaningful time-spending outside. Several research studies indicates that this type of activities can increase people well-being and can reduce fatigue, attention disorder, anxiety, chronic stress or depression, and these long-term effects are frequently identified after an infection with coronavirus. The aim of present research was to analyse the influence of gardening activities in Quality-of-Life Issues like physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization statements. In this regard, a questionnaire has been adapted including 15 statements to which respondents had to choose an answer from two possible options (affirmative or negative answer). The experimental study was conducted based on 27 people, who were involved in gardening activities for 3 days, 10 days or 6 weeks, depending on the group to which they belonged. The results indicated that all participants 'enjoyed working outside', most of them (96.3%) identified that 'gardening is working with nature'. Even if 25 people stated that 'the green area is a good place to meet people', not everyone enjoyed working in group, because 63.0% of the said that they 'enjoyed working alone'. Regarding the conducted gardening activities during the three study trials, most of them (96.3%) 'wish to have the opportunity to attend regularly public horticultural therapy activities (gardening)'.
ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has posed new challenges for physiotherapist due to unprecedented acute care patients' surge. It contributed to minimize physical activity, especially reducing the elbow range of motion (ROM). Early rehabilitation and physiotherapy are recommended to combat the adverse effects of extended immobility. However, the increased patient-physiotherapist interaction increased risks of disease transmission. There emerges a need to minimize this interaction and disease transmission probability. This study aims to speed-up the return to regular ROM of COVID-19 patients by developing a self-assisted device for successful elbow therapy. The proposed device referred as 'self-assisted', reflects the idea of active and passive patient intervention and early rehabilitation. The device is designed and programmed to characterize the patients into three levels, depending on their ROM vulnerability: level 1 below 50 degrees, level 2 50 degrees-100 degrees and level 3 above 100 degrees. To examine the efficacy and accuracy of SAPT-COVID-19, eight volunteers with varying ages were selected, who were home-bound due to prolong COVID-19 pandemic and compromised their functional ROM. SAPT-COVID-19 substantially strengthened the elbow ROM for the volunteers and hit the maximum functional ROM over 14 -days exercise session, resulting in approximately 10 improvement in elbow ROM The degree of efficiency of active and passive exercise has also been widely examined. SAPT-COVID-19 is supposed to prevent elbow ROM deterioration and reduce hospitalization, with therapeutic and economic gain and minimized the physiotherapist-patient interactions.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mucormycosis has been reported in several Indian states with the second wave of COVID-19 from January 2021 onwards. This prospective study was conducted with the objective of defining the contribution or association of various known and many suspected factors in the incidence of this disease during the ongoing pandemic. METHOD: The study included 464 adults with mucormycosis. Basic demographic data were collected. Patient history of COVID infection, its severity, duration of treatment, and oxygen use was taken to assess the association. History of use of antibiotics, steroids, antivirals, biologicals, and other complementary treatments was sought. History of diabetes and other comorbidities was noted. Patients were investigated for mucor confirmation using a nasal swab KOH mount, nasal endoscopy with biopsy, and radiological investigations were done to assess the extent. RESULTS: Out of 464 patients, 175 were known diabetics, and 157 were treated with steroids during COVID infection. Out of 287 post-COVID patients, 125 (44%) had rhino-mucormycosis (RM), 102 (35%) had rhino-oculo-mucormycosis (ROM) and 60 (21%) had rhino-oculo-cerebral-mucormycosis (ROCM). 162 did not have a history of COVID, of which 93 (57%) had RM, 48 (30%) had ROM and 21 (13%) had ROCM. CONCLUSION: This study has showed that COVID was not the only factor contributing to mucor, rather other factors such as diabetes, steroid use etc. were also contributory. Many patients who were suffering from mucormycosis did not have a history of COVID. Advanced age, ROCM, and ICU admission were associated with increased mortality.