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Exploring Rebound Exercise for Adults with Neurological Disorders
No full textNeurological disorders, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, often lead to reduced balance, mobility and physical activity. Although the World Health Organisation recommends regular exercise, individuals with neurological disorders face unique challenges in meeting these guidelines. Despite the increasing research on exercise interventions, there remains a significant gap in understanding the feasibility and effectiveness of low-impact, cost-effective exercises for adults with neurological disorders. Rebound exercise offers a promising yet understudied option for this population. This research addresses this gap by exploring whether rebound exercise can increase physical activity and improve health outcomes in the studied population. The thesis involved a systematic review (study one) consisting of five studies, with three eligible for meta-analysis. The outcomes assessed were balance and mobility. This was followed by a feasibility study (study two) involving 53 community-dwelling adults with neurological disorders who engaged in rebound exercise for 30 minutes over 12 weeks. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment, retention, adverse events, and participant feedback. Secondary outcomes included balance, mobility, physical activity levels, quality of life, and blood pressure, which were assessed at baseline, at six and 12 weeks. Study three involved semi-structured interviews that explored participants' perceptions. The systematic review revealed improved mobility (-0.53[-0.94,-0.11],p=0.01) but not balance in hospitalised adults with neurological disorders and identified limited research on community-dwelling adults. The feasibility study showed high recruitment (70.6%) and retention (98.1%) rates, no adverse events, and significant improvements in blood pressure (p<0.001), balance (p<0.001), walking speed (p<0.001), physical activity levels (p=0.000), and quality of life (p<0.001) after 12 weeks. Participants reported the exercise as enjoyable, safe, and effective. This research demonstrates the safety and feasibility of rebound exercise for individuals with neurological disorders in supervised community settings. The alignment between participants' subjective experiences and the quantitative outcomes highlights its potential to improve physical and physiological functions
Nurturing with nature: the efficacy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi microbe for cocoa sector environmental management
No full textDespite the proven effectiveness of fertility-promoting microbes such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to minimize the adverse effects of environmental deterioration and climate change, there is limited understanding on its efficacy to improve cocoa resilience. Cocoa mortality (70%) caused by climate change induced drought within two years of transplanting to the field is a major constrain to farmers’ productivity. This study assessed the effect of AMF and Potassium (K) nutrition on the biochemical characteristics of cocoa and its field survival from 2019 to 2022. A split-plot factorial design was used. The treatments were cocoa varieties (CRG8914 × PA150 [V1], AMAZ15-15 × EQX78 [V2], PA150 × CRG 0314 [V3]), potassium (0 g, 2 g, 4 g plant−1), AMF (AMF, Non-AMF) and watering regimes (water-stressed and supplementary irrigation). Soil samples (0–20 cm) from cocoa rhizosphere were examined for native AMF spores and structures using the Wet Sieving and Decantation methodology and Sucrose Centrifugation. The AMF inoculum was prepared using the trap-culture technique. Under drought conditions, V1, V2 and V3 without K had leaf chlorophyll of 19.4 μmol/m2, 20.5 μmol/m2, 19.9 μmol/m2 respectively, but with 2 g KxAMF, chlorophyll increased to 21.6 μmol/m2, 26.4 μmol/m2, 26.8 μmol/m2 respectively. Phosphorus uptake and relative water content had similar pattern. Rhizophagus irregularis was morphologically identified as the AMF in soils under the cocoa trees. Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines predicted leaf chlorophyll and phosphorus uptake as the key factor influencing cocoa survival and resilience. Considering the threat of drought caused by climate change on cocoa production in West Africa, the results have implications for farmers livelihood, cocoa survival and the sustainability of cocoa soils
Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Practices in Coastal Marinas: A Comparative Study of Monaco and Ibiza
No full textAuthentic Assessment Design for Hospitality Studies: An Investigative Case Study Approach
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The Glasgow Coma Scale: an international standard for education and practice with adults
No full textNeuroscience Nursing Course Evaluation at the Graduate School of Nursing, St. Luke's International University: Results from 2016-2024
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