Does platelet-rich plasma improve patellar tendinopathy symptoms?

IT'S UNCLEAR. High-quality data have not consistently established the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to improve symptomatic recovery in patellar tendinopathy, compared to placebo (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, based on 3 small randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). The 3 small RCTs included only 111 patients, total. One found no evidence of significant improvement with PRP compared to controls. The other 2 studies showed mixed results, with different outcome measures favoring different treatment groups and heterogeneous results depending on follow-up duration.

Practical Considerations for and Outcomes of Interfacility ECMO Transfer of Patients With COVID-19 During a Pandemic: Mayo Clinic Experience.

Interfacility transport of a critically ill patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may be necessary for a higher level of care or initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). During the COVID-19 pandemic, ECMO has been used for patients with severe ARDS with successful results. Transporting a patient after ECMO cannulation by the receiving facility brings forth logistic challenges, including availability of adequate personal protective equipment for the transport team and hospital capacity management issues. We report our designated ECMO transport team's experience of 5 patients with COVID-19-associated severe ARDS after cannulation at the referring facility. Focusing on transport-associated logistics, creation of checklists, and collaboration with emergency medical services partners is necessary for safe and good outcomes for patients while maintaining team safety.

Prevalence and correlates of resistance training skill competence in adolescents.

The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and correlates of adolescents' resistance training (RT) skill competence. Participants were 548 adolescents (14.1 ± 0.5 years) from 16 schools in New South Wales, Australia. RT skills were assessed using the Resistance Training Skills Battery. Demographics, BMI, muscular fitness, perceived strength, RT self-efficacy, and motivation for RT were also assessed. The proportion demonstrating "competence" and "near competence" in each of the six RT skills were calculated and sex differences explored. Associations between the combined RT skill score and potential correlates were examined using multi-level linear mixed models. Overall, the prevalence of competence was low (range = 3.3% to 27.9%). Females outperformed males on the squat, lunge and overhead press, whereas males performed better on the push-up (p < .05). Significant associations were seen for a number of correlates, which largely differed by sex. Muscular fitness was moderately and positively associated with RT skills among both males (ß = 0.34, 95%CIs = 0.23 to 0.46) and females (ß = 0.36, 95%CIs = 0.23 to 0.48). Our findings support a link between RT skills and muscular fitness. Other associations were statistically significant but small in magnitude, and should therefore be interpreted cautiously.

Arsenic removal using a polymeric/inorganic hybrid sorbent.

A fixed-bed sorption process can be very effective in removing trace concentrations of arsenic from contaminated groundwater provided: the sorbent is very selective toward both As(III) and As(V) species; the influent and treated water do not warrant any additional pre- or post- treatment; pH and composition of the raw water with respect to other electrolytes remain unchanged besides arsenic removal, and the sorbent is durable with excellent attrition resistance properties. In addition, the sorbent should be amenable to efficient regeneration for multiple reuse. This study reports the results of an extensive investigation pertaining to arsenic removal properties of a polymeric/inorganic hybrid sorbent. Each hybrid sorbent particle is essentially a spherical macroporous cation exchanger bead within which agglomerates of nanoscale hydrated Fe oxide (HFO) particles have been uniformly and irreversibly dispersed using a simple chemical-thermal treatment. The new sorbent, referred to as hybrid ion exchanger or HIX, combines excellent mechanical and hydraulic properties of spherical polymeric beads with selective As(III) and As(V) sorption properties of HFO nanoparticles at circum-neutral pH. Comparison of the results of fixed-bed column runs between the new sorbent and the polymeric anion exchanger confirmed that both As(V) and As(III) were removed very selectively with HIX. Equally important, no pH adjustment, pre- or post-treatment was warranted. Besides the absence of arsenic, the treated water composition was identical to that of influent water. HIX was amenable to efficient in situ regeneration with caustic soda and could subsequently be brought into service following a short rinse with carbon dioxide sparged water. During fixed-bed column runs, intraparticle diffusion was identified as the primary rate-limiting step for both As(III) and As(V) sorption. Repeated use of the same HIX particles during various laboratory investigations provided strong evidence that the new sorbent possesses excellent attrition resistance properties and retains its arsenic removal capacity over cycles.