1,720,965 research outputs found
Effects of whole-body cryostimulation on spinal and shoulder range of motion in individuals with obesity
No full textIntroduction: Flexibility and mobility are essential components of physical fitness, impacting joint function and musculoskeletal health. Individuals with obesity often exhibit restricted range of motion (ROM), exacerbated by muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and altered posture. Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC), involving exposure to low temperatures, has shown promise in alleviating inflammation and improving physical performance. This study evaluates the acute and short-term effects of WBC combined with rehabilitation on spinal and shoulder ROM in individuals with obesity. Methods: This non-randomized controlled trial included 42 adults with obesity undergoing a 4-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation program consisting of nutritional intervention, psychological support, physiotherapy, and physical activity. Participants were divided into two groups: a WBC group [WG, n = 21; 12 males (BMI = 38.77 kg/m2), 9 females (BMI = 38.45 kg/m2)] receiving 10 sessions (−110°C, 2 min/session) alongside rehabilitation, and a control group [CG, n = 21; 12 males (BMI = 43.37 kg/m2), 9 females (BMI = 41.86 kg/m2)] receiving rehabilitation alone. ROM for spine-related (i.e., anterior flexion, lateral bending, rotation) and shoulder-related (i.e., frontal rise, lateral rise, backward push) motor tasks was assessed at different time-points using a marker-based optoelectronic motion capture (MoCap) system. Repeated-measures (RM-ANOVA) analyzed changes within groups over time, post hoc t-tests identified significant effects, and mixed RM-ANOVA compared changes between groups. Results: Except for anterior flexion, WG showed significant improvements (p < 0.05) in ROM and task duration across all movements, with moderate to large effect sizes (0.20 ≤ d < 0.80). For instance, improvements were reported for ROM in shoulder flexion (acute-post: p = 0.045, d = 0.43) and extension (pre-post: p < 0.001, d = 0.51), as well as for spinal rotation (pre-post: p = 0.029, d = 0.42). Similarly, task duration reductions across all tasks, such as spinal rotation (pre-post: p = 0.040, d = 0.45) and lateral bending (pre-post: p < 0.025, d = 0.54). Conversely, CG showed no significant ROM changes. Discussion: WBC, when combined with rehabilitation, led to significant improvements in spinal and shoulder ROM. Acute and short-term benefits were observed in ROM and task duration, supporting WBC as a valuable addition to rehabilitation for individuals with obesity. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05443100, identifier NCT05443100. 2025 Cerfoglio, Verme, Fontana, Alito, Galli, Capodaglio and Cimolin
Tackling Kinesiophobia in Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Case Report on the Combined Effect of Pain Education and Whole-Body Cryostimulation
No full textBackground: Chronic shoulder pain may cause significant functional disability and reduced psychosocial well-being. Detailed Case Description: In this case, we propose the use of pain neuroscience education and whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) to treat a 64-year-old woman with severe functional limitations and chronic right shoulder pain. The aim was to overcome kinesiophobia and improve her motor function, autonomy, and quality of life. Functional and clinical assessments were conducted at admission, discharge, and at a one-month follow-up via phone call. The patient’s global health, shoulder function, and quality of life showed improvement during hospitalisation and were maintained after one month. Discussion: Pain education is crucial in managing chronic shoulder pain, especially in addressing kinesiophobia and promoting positive patient outcomes. In this context, WBC was used as a supplementary treatment to traditional pain relief and exercise tolerance therapies. This can help individuals to participate more actively in their rehabilitation process, ultimately promoting functional recovery and an improved quality of life. Conclusion: The combination of cryostimulation, tailored physical exercises, pain education, manual therapy, and psychological support created a synergistic effect that addressed both the physical and psychological aspects of pain and kinesiophobia
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Cerebellar Atrophy Associated with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Virtual Reality Rehabilitation: A Case Report
No full textCerebellar involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an uncommon condition, with only a limited number of cases described worldwide. A 43-year-old woman affected by cerebellar atrophy associated with pSS was referred to our center to undergo a cycle of physical rehabilitation therapy. Although motor symptoms started when the patient was 23 years of age, the underlying disease remained undiagnosed for several years. Neurological examination before rehabilitation revealed ataxic gait, dysmetria, nystagmus, and hypermetric saccades; the patients complained about unsteadiness while standing or walking. To improve balance and gait abilities, a 20-session cycle of balance rehabilitation, based on a combination of conventional physical therapy and virtual reality exergames, was prescribed. The outcomes of rehabilitation were evaluated with balance tests and three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first case describing the diagnostic workout for cerebellar atrophy associated with pSS and the subsequent motor rehabilitation. This work highlights the importance of early diagnosis and rehabilitation in patients with central nervous system involvement in pSS
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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