Effects of shock wave therapy on pain in patients with lateral epicondylitis

Repetitive work or sports activities can cause lateral epicondylitis, causing pain, edema and consequent functional reduction. Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that consists of using shockwavesin musculoskeletal areas in order to reduce pain and promote soft tissue healing. Identify the effects of shockwave therapy in patients with lateral epicondylitis. Through a systematic review of the literature, randomized clinical trials published among 2002 and 2012, according to the highest score on the PEDro score. The search involved the PEDro and PubMed databases. Six randomized clinical trials with a PEDro score between 7 and 9/10 were selected. In all studies, shockwave therapy was compared to placebo. In 2 studies there was pain reduction, but the other 4 studies showed no significant difference. Shockwave therapy is a relatively new and non-invasive therapeutic procedure, however, it does not provide superior results compared to classic physical therapies in the selected studies.

Marker-3D Measurement Versus Traditional Radiograph Measurement in the Treatment of Tibiofibular Fracture Using Taylor Spatial Frame

Background: The Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) has been widely used for tibiofibular fractures. However, traditional radiograph measurement method is complicated and the reduction accuracy is not high enough for correcting residual deformities. We proposed the marker-3D measurement method to solve these problems. This study aimed to compare the reduction accuracy of the traditional radiograph measurement method and the marker-3D measurement method in tibiofibular fracture treated with TSF.Methods: From January 2016 to June 2019, A retrospective analysis was performed based on the patients with tibiofibular fracture treated with TSF in our department. 41 patients were qualified for this study, including 21 patients in the marker-3D measurement group (experimental group) and 20 patients in the traditional radiograph measurement group (control group). In the experimental group, CT scan was performed for 3D reconstruction with 6 markers installed on the TSF, to determine the adjusting plan. In the control group, the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs were performed for the deformity parameters. X-rays were taken to measure the residual deformities after correction.Results: All patients reached functional reduction. The residual displacement deformity (RDD) in AP radiograph was 0.5 (0, 1.72) mm in experimental group and 1.74 (0.43, 3.67) mm in control group. The residual angle deformity (RAD) in AP radiograph was 0 (0, 1.25) ° in experimental group and 1.25 (0.62, 1.95) °in control group. As to the Lateral radiograph, the RDD was 0 (0, 1.22) mm in experimental group and 2.02 (0, 3.74) mm in control group. The RAD was 0 (0, 0) ° in experimental group and 1.42 (0, 1.93) ° in control group. Significant differences in all above comparisons were found between the groups (AP radiograph RDD: P = 0.024, RAD: P = 0.020; Lateral radiograph RDD: P = 0.016, RAD: P = 0.004). Conclusions: Both groups achieved satisfactory fracture reduction. However, the residual deformities in the experimental group were significantly smaller. This study proved that the marker-3D measurement method could further improve the reduction accuracy.

Physics’ Contribution to Causation

Most philosophers of physics are eliminativists about causation. Following Bertrand Russell’s lead, they think that causation is a folk concept that cannot be rationally reconstructed within a worldview informed by contemporary physics. Against this thesis, I argue that physics contributes to shaping the concept of causation, in two ways. (1) Special Relativity is a physical theory that expresses causal constraints. (2) The physical concept of a conserved quantity can be used in the functional reduction of the notion of causation. The empirical part of this reduction makes the hypothesis that the transference of an amount of a conserved quantity is a necessary and sufficient condition for causation. This hypothesis is defended against several objections from physics: that amounts of energy do not possess the appropriate identity conditions required for being able to be transmitted, that there is no universal principle of the conservation of energy in General Relativity, and that there are at least two types of physical systems in which causation does not involve any transference: entangled systems in quantum mechanics and the Aharonov–Bohm effect. In order to show that physics provides means to elaborate the concept of causation it is important to avoid certain misunderstandings. In particular, the claim that there is causation in a physical world does not mean that causation is an additional ingredient of the “furniture” of the world, over and above the ingredients identified by physics.

Taxonomic loss and functional reduction over time in the ichthyofauna of the Taquaruçu Reservoir, lower Paranapanema River, Southern Brazil

We evaluated the fish composition and ecological attributes of the ichthyofauna collected in a limnological zone of the Taquaruçu Reservoir, lower Paranapanema River. Information about the fish community was updated when compared to the previous study (2006). Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed differences in species composition between periods and community weighted means (CWMs) exhibited changes in functional composition over time. Four functional indices were used in the principal coordinate analysis (PcoA) to measure changes in the functional space of species, whereas functional β-diversity inspected differences in the traits composition between the periods. 1,203 individuals were sampled of 43 species, being 16 non-native and 14 new records. Compared to 2006, 27 species were absent, most of them native to Loricariidae and Anostomidae, while Curimatidae and Pimelodidae decreased in abundance. Functional indexes showed a reduction in functional diversity, whereas new species records exhibited functional redundancy. It might have occurred a simplification of the fish community over time, excluding the migratory and specialists species such as the herbivores and detritivores. Accordingly, we concluded that the ichthyofauna of the Taquaruçu Reservoir might have been undergoing a process towards biotic homogenization.

Treatment of Complex Mandibular Body Fractures and Functional Reimplantation of the Maxillary Alveolar Fragment

Introduction. This report aims at demonstrating the treatment of complex mandibular fracture functional reimplantation of the maxillary alveolar fragment (FRAF), denoting the possibility and feasibility of this reduction with an excellent prognosis. Case Report. Patient E.M.S, 25 years old, male, leucoderma, referred to the Emergency Room of our institute. He reported being a victim of physical aggression, occlusal alteration, limitation of mouth opening, sensibility loss in the mentalis region, right infraorbital, and denied visual alteration. On physical examination, during the inspection and palpation, the crackling was observed in the right mandibular region and apical displacement of the maxillary alveolar process, corresponding to elements 13, 14, and 15. Conclusion. The rigid fixation of the complex jaw fracture and alveolar maxilla process, through functional reduction, indicated satisfactory applicability, and favorable prognosis.

Partial fusion in long-term bilingualism: The case of vernacular Kildin Saami

Objectives: Distinguishing between language mixing and language fusion is a non-trivial task, particularly in situations of long-standing bilingualism. The main goal of this paper is thus to propose and test a methodology for discerning language fusion from conventionalized mixing. In addition, we examine the hypothesis that the fusion of unbound elements evolves from alternational mixing. Design: The paper addresses the goals through a distributional analysis of a vernacular variety of Kildin Saami, a seriously endangered East Saamic (Uralic) language spoken on the Kola Peninsula in Northwest Russia, as a partially fused lect due to contact with Russian. Data and Analysis: A one-hour recording of an informal group conversation with three native speakers, comprising some 10,000 word tokens, was transcribed and annotated for Russian-origin items. For comparison, other available speech samples, documenting the earlier stages of the language development, as well as the few existing grammatical descriptions and dictionaries were referred to. Findings: The paper develops and showcases three diagnostic criteria indicative of language fusion: (a) regularization of the donor language items’ usage patterns in the mixed variety; (b) functional reduction, or functional extension, of the donor language element, and/or of its inherited native equivalent; (c) the introduction of new constructions involving the donor language grammatical elements by way of loan translation. Finally, we report multiple parallels existing between the distribution of Russian-origin items in vernacular Kildin Saami and alternational mixing. Originality: This paper is the first to propose and systematically test diagnostic criteria indicative of language fusion in a situation of long-term bilingualism. Significance: The proposed criteria may reliably be employed as indicators of fusion in future studies of contact varieties with little, or undocumented, linguistic histories. Furthermore, in contrast to the mainstream assumption, this study also provides evidence for the claim that alternational mixing can be a starting point for the emergence of a fused lect.

Fracturas de tobillo en ancianos y personas de edad muy avanzada. [Ankle fractures in elderly and old people]

Introducción: La Organización Mundial de la Salud define como persona anciana a toda aquella de entre 75 y 90 años y los que sobrepasan esta edad se denominan personas de edad muy avanzada. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los resultados posoperatorios de las fracturas de tobillo tratadas con técnicas MIPO, y de reducción abierta y fijación interna (RAFI), en las que se logró una reducción funcional y biológica en pacientes >75 años.Materiales y Métodos: Entre 2013 y 2017, se evaluó a 13 pacientes >75 años con fractura inestable de tobillo. Seis fueron operados con técnica MIPO y siete, con RAFI. Todos fueronevaluados a los 90 días y a los 18 meses de la cirugía mediante el puntaje de la AOFAS.Resultados: La edad promedio era de 79.7 años (rango 75-95). El puntaje global de la AOFAS fue 97 a los 90 días y 96 a los 18 meses. No se observaron pérdidas de reducción ni vicios de ejes.Conclusión: Nuestro estudio indica que la reducción biológica y funcional en pacientes >75 años es el tratamiento ideal para las fracturas de tobillo. AbstractIntroduction: The World Health Organization defines elderly person as anyone who is between 75 and 90 years of age and those who surpass this age are called old people. The objective of this study was to analyze postoperative results of ankle fractures treated with MIPO and ORIF techniques, achieving a functional and biological reduction in patients older than 75 years.Methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 13 patients beyond the age of 75 with unstable ankle fractures were evaluated. Six were treated with MIPO technique and 7 with ORIF. All patients were evaluated at 90 days and at 18 month postoperatively using the AOFAS score.Results: Mean age was 79.7 years (range 75-95). Overall postoperative AOFAS score was 97 at day 90 and 96 at 18 months. No losses of reduction or shaft defects were observed.Conclusion: Our study indicates that biological and functional reduction in patients older than 75 years is the ideal treatment for ankle fractures.

Principles of plastid reductive evolution illuminated by nonphotosynthetic chrysophytes

The division of life into producers and consumers is blurred by evolution. For example, eukaryotic phototrophs can lose the capacity to photosynthesize, although they may retain vestigial plastids that perform other essential cellular functions. Chrysophyte algae have undergone a particularly large number of photosynthesis losses. Here, we present a plastid genome sequence from a nonphotosynthetic chrysophyte, “Spumella” sp. NIES-1846, and show that it has retained a nearly identical set of plastid-encoded functions as apicomplexan parasites. Our transcriptomic analysis of 12 different photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic chrysophyte lineages reveals remarkable convergence in the functions of these nonphotosynthetic plastids, along with informative lineage-specific retentions and losses. At one extreme,Cornospumella fuschlensisretains many photosynthesis-associated proteins, although it appears to have lost the reductive pentose phosphate pathway and most plastid amino acid metabolism pathways. At the other extreme,Paraphysomonaslacks plastid-targeted proteins associated with gene expression and all metabolic pathways that require plastid-encoded partners, indicating a complete loss of plastid DNA in this genus. Intriguingly, some of the nucleus-encoded proteins that once functioned in the expression of theParaphysomonasplastid genome have been retained. These proteins were likely to have been dual targeted to the plastid and mitochondria of the chrysophyte ancestor, and are uniquely targeted to the mitochondria inParaphysomonas. Our comparative analyses provide insights into the process of functional reduction in nonphotosynthetic plastids.