Physical Practice Research Articles

Youth, Associational Life and Civic Engagement in Northern Cameroon: Association des Jeunes Élèves et Étudiants de la Faada

ABSTRACT This article analyses the ways in which youths in Northern Cameroon have been able to access social citizenship. Tracing the nature of this access over an extended period – from the early 1990s to the mid-2020s – I underline the importance of youth civic engagement through associational life. Associational life is a hidden or covert way of engaging in politics, and leads to a reinvention of their interaction with hegemonic power, as they are not positioning themselves as moral stakeholders in their community. Drawing on a case study involving the members of the Association des Jeunes Élèves et Étudiants de la Faada, with longitudinal ethnographic data combined with interviews, the article articulates changes and continuities in civic engagement, based on learning by doing through discursive practices (in street parliaments), physical practices (amateur football clubs) and associative practices (in non-profit associations).

Mothers' experiences of privacy in neonatal intensive care units: A qualitative study.

Examining the privacy experiences of mothers in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can play a crucial role in bolstering patient privacy safeguards and elevating the overall quality of health care. However, our understanding of mothers' experiences regarding privacy issues they may face after their infants' hospitalization in the NICU is limited. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of mothers concerning privacy within NICUs to contribute valuable insights for improving infant care and privacy protection. A qualitative content analysis using a conventional approach was conducted. A total of 18 participants, with diverse sociodemographic backgrounds, were interviewed using open-ended questions. Qualitative content analysis was undertaken for data analysis. The study was conducted in the NICU of an urban teaching hospital in Iran. The study identified four main themes: 'understanding of privacy', 'fluctuating respect for privacy', 'efforts to maintain privacy' and 'privacy barriers'. Participants viewed privacy as multidimensional, influenced by cultural and religious factors. Respect for privacy varied, with instances of both adherence and violation. Mothers employed strategies to preserve privacy, emphasizing the importance of their infants' privacy. Privacy barriers included hospital attire, the physical space of the NICU, inhomogeneous human resources and insufficient supervision and training. This study, the first of its kind in the NICU context, provides valuable insights into maternal experiences of privacy. Integrating these insights into practice and future research can contribute to creating more empathetic and privacy-respecting NICU environments. Health care providers can use these findings to enhance support for mothers, potentially reshaping physical spaces and communication practices within NICUs.

‘Social Darwinism has moved to the cycle path’: framings of micromobility in the Dutch and British press

The media’s agenda-setting function in terms of selecting and presenting issues to the public and policymakers is crucial for the urgently needed transition towards more sustainable mobilities, including how the media frames micromobility. Media framings are representations, a key component of mobility, alongside physical movement and practice, all involving power relations. Drawing on mobility studies and discourse analysis, this paper compares how the Dutch and British national press frame micromobility. We identify five frames of micromobility: (1) as sustainable and active shift, predominant in the British press; (2) as disruption of the Dutch pedal-powered cycling regime; (3) as catalyst of conflicts in public space, both in the Dutch and British press; (4) around the shortcomings of micromobility regulations in both contexts; and (5) concerning lifestyle in the Dutch context. We demonstrate how media framings of micromobility only limitedly discuss its potential to transition from automobility, focusing instead on social status changes, regulatory challenges, and conflicts between different forms of micromobility, that are already marginalized. Our findings emphasize the urgency to put the transition from automobility—the elephant in the room—on the agenda.

Hybrid care potential of teledermatology: The importance of linking digital and physical practice and acceptance of online services: A cross-sectional study.

Telemedicine, with Teledermatology, has become a central component of modern medicine. Its importance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, underlines its potential to optimize access for dermatological needs. The study aims to assess the potential of teledermatology, understand the importance of linking digital and physical practices, and analyze the adoption of online services based on participants' demographic and experiential factors. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among users of the telemedicine platform from July 2022 to March 2023. The platform ("OnlineDoctor") allows users to contact dermatologists for remote dermatological consultations. The survey included questions about the participants' dermatological concerns, their reasons for using teledermatology, their satisfaction with the recommendations and their willingness to continue using telemedicine in the future. Data was collected via the RedCap online platform. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were carried out. Overall, 1141 people participated in the study (mean age 44.0 years [SD 14.6], 61.4% women). Results showed that 52.7% of participants with skin conditions had not consulted a dermatologist in the previous year. Shorter waiting times and the lack of face-to-face appointments were the main reasons for using the online platform. In total, 77.6% (n = 885) of participants indicated they would use teledermatology as their first choice if they had an upcoming skin condition. Age, gender, and satisfaction with previous consultations impacted the use of teledermatology as the first choice for future skin conditions. Teledermatology is characterized by various benefits, including reduced waiting times and improved accessibility to treatment. Nevertheless, the study underscores the importance of a hybrid care approach with direct interaction with the physician. Teledermatology can be transformative in meeting dermatologic needs, mainly when traditional face-to-face consultation is limited. A deep understanding of user preferences and widespread adoption of digital services can pave the way for the successful adoption of teledermatology platforms, improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

Description of Specialty Practice-10 Years Onward: The Changes in Geriatric Physical Therapy.

An analysis of practice is conducted by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) every 10 years to revalidate, update, and revise the description of specialty practice (DSP) for each specialty. The Geriatric Specialty Council recently conducted an analysis of practice and revised its content consistent with established procedures by the ABPTS. The purpose of this article is threefold: first, to describe the process of the most recent practice analysis; second, to report revisions to the description of specialty practice based on the analysis of practice; and third, to identify elements of practice that define current specialist practice in geriatric physical therapy. A 10-member committee of subject matter experts (SMEs) and a psychometric consultant developed a survey instrument addressing geriatric physical therapy specialty practice areas. The survey was initially pilot-tested and subsequently administered online to a sample of 801 board-certified geriatric clinical specialists. The consultant facilitated the consensus process to determine decision rules in selecting the final competencies describing current geriatric physical therapy specialty practice. A total of 372 respondents fully or partially completed the survey, resulting in a response rate of 46.4%. Based on a priori decision rules regarding survey data, consensus of the group of SMEs, and input from the ABPTS, the DSP for geriatric physical therapy specialty practice was revised. Revisions (elimination [-] of prior items and addition [+] of new items) were made in Section 1: Knowledge Areas (-8 and +6), in Section 2: Professional Roles, Responsibilities, and Values (-14 and +4), and Section 3: Practice Expectations (-53 and +28). The revised DSP will be used as the basis for the development of the examination blueprint for the specialist examination in geriatric physical therapy and the curricula for residency programs in geriatric physical therapy.

Effectiveness of Detailed Information on Subconscious Motor Sequence Learning in Acute Stroke

Introduction: Stroke is defined as a rapidly developing clinical sign of focal disturbance of central function of presumed vascular origin & of more than 24-hours duration1. Clinically a variety of deficits are possible including changes in the level of consciousness & impairment of sensory, motor, cognitive , perceptual & language functions2. Although it is unequivocal that the extremities contra lateral to the unilateral cerebral lesion are more affected than the ipsilesional extremities, there is now a large body of research that suggests that the ipsilesional extremities are not normal often clinically assumed as “the non affected side” ,particular to the upper extremity there is increasing evidence of sensory-motor control deficits on the ipsilesional side3. These ipsilesional deficits may reflect motor control deficits that are masked on the contralateral side by hemiplegia and hemisensory loss3. The non-dominant hemisphere plays a primary role in the function of complex visuo-spatial accuracy, whereas the dominant hemisphere is mainly involved in the motor control of bilateral upper limbs as well as the performance of complex tasks. Although the cause of ipsilesional movement abnormalties have not been elucidated accurately, several possible mechanisms have been suggested i.e. the injury of the uncrossed corticospinal system, inhibitory transcallosal influence on the unaffected hemisphere, the different roles of side-to-side hemispheric function depending on the specific properties of the task & bilateral hemispheric processing for high cognitive activity4. In persons with stroke, deficits in targeted movements, compared with comparison groups, have been identified in the ipsilateral extremities, even when clinical measures of the upper extremities reveal little or no deficit5 Objective: To study effectiveness of detailed information on subconscious motor sequence learning in acute stroke Research Design: Observational design Methodology: A total of 22 subjects with anterior circulation stroke (diagnosed by neurologist) were included in the study. In the group A (No-Explicit Information group) 13 subjects were recruited (total 15 subjects were recruited, but 2 patients left in between). In the group B (Explicit Information Group) 9 subjects were recruited. Result: Descriptive statistics is used to analyze subject characteristics. 22 subjects recruited for the study were randomly assigned to each group, group A (Non EI) with 9 males and 4 females with mean age of 59.94 years and mean score on MMSE, & COVS, were 27.92 and 6.00. Group B (EI) with 8 males and 1 female with mean age of 58.22 years and mean score on MMSE, & COVS were 29.00 and 6.56.On comparing the Age (p=0.75), MMSE score (p=0.09), and COVS score (p=0.08) between the two groups, the results were not significant (at p<0.05). Thus both the groups are comparable. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that explicit information when given prior to physical practice improved implicit motor sequence learning in subjects with acute stroke; however subjects were not able to express it explicitly. Keywords: non-dominant hemisphere, Stroke, disability, uncrossed corticospinal, explicit and implicit learning

Determinants of substance use and the impact on mental health status, risky sexual and physical health behaviors among unmarried students

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the prevalence of substance use and its association with other risky behaviors among unmarried male students. Methods This was a cross-sectional study at the University of Nigeria on the use of cigarette, alcohol and psychoactive drugs among students who resided off-campus. Questionnaires were analyzed using SPPS (Version-25). Descriptive statistics were utilized in summarizing the responses. The correlates and predictors of substances use were also determined. Results A total of 491 students participated in the study (response rate = 98.1%). The prevalence of recent use of tobacco, psychoactive drugs, and alcohol was 28.1%, 20.6%, and 46.8% respectively. Also, 13% considered committing suicide, 22.4% were victims of sexual assault, while 56.1% experienced serious injury. Alcohol use (aOR = 0.078, [0.029–0.210], p < 0.001) and driving being drunk (aOR = 0.123, [0.030–0.503], p < 0.001) influenced the current use of tobacco. Previous suicide attempt (aOR = 5.765, [1.148–28.944], p < 0.05) was a predictor of alcohol use. Recent use of psychoactive drugs was influenced by their age and been driven by a drunk driver (p < 0.05). Conclusion Unmarried male students exhibited high prevalence of substance use and other risky health behaviors. These risky substances use practices were also influenced by their age, risky sexual and physical practices induced by alcohol and mental health status.

Watershed-Based Participatory Sustainable Land Management using Integrated physical SWC Measure in Ilasa Watershed of Goba District, Bale Highland South-Eastern Ethiopia

Soil erosion is among the most challenging and continuous environmental problems in the highlands of Bale particularly in Ilasa Watershed of Goba District. Soil erosion which emanates from both anthropogenic and natural causes currently results decline in agricultural productivity, crop production on the other hand increases downstream flooding and reservoir sedimentation, and loss of valuable plant nutrients. Soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been carried out to solve land degradation and erosion severity problems in the Ilasa Watershed through participatory approaches the objective of this study was to implement integrated physical SWC practices through participatory approach in the Ilasa watersheds; to rehabilitate degraded watershed using different physical SWC measures and to minimize the risk of soil erosion and increasing soil depth by trapping sediment loss from Ilasa watershed. Hence, different participatory integrated watershed management practices were introduced in the Ilasa watershed for five consecutive years to avert the problem of soil erosion. Community participatory in integrated watershed management particularly soil and water conservation measures interventions for degraded rehabilitation and gulley treatment were capacitated through training, practical field works, and researchable materials support. Awareness creation, increasing knowledge and skill of farmers, providing technical and resource supports, and implementing slope based appropriate SWC structure could help sustainable land management that ensures environmental quality and food security in the study area as well as in the other areas having related biophysical and socioeconomic settings. Among the major types of physical SWC structures and gulley rehabilitation structures constructed in the study watershed were soil bund; stone bund; stone-faced soil bund and cut-off drains, gully reshaping and filling, brushwood check dam, loose stone check dame, sandbag check dam ...

Enhancing Flexibility through Chinese Auriculotherapy: Investigating the Impact on Sit and Reach Test – A Randomized Controlled Trial

Chinese auriculotherapy (CA) is a technique that is part of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Acupuncture techniques have been utilized in physical practices to enhance performance and manage pain. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether CA can enhance performance in stretching exercises. Thus, this study aims to determine if CA can have an ergogenic effect on the sit and reach test and to evaluate the impact of CA on pain perception and effort during the test. Our hypotheses is that CA will positively influence performance in the sit and reach test by reducing pain perception through the implemented protocol. The study employed a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. The sample consisted of 15 individuals (12 women and 3 men, mean age 22.33 ± 6.4 years, BMI 23.43 ± 4.24). The participants underwent a flexibility assessment protocol using the sit and reach test under three different conditions: I) CA protocol; II) CA placebo protocol (CAP); III) control group without any therapeutic intervention (CG). Subjective pain and effort perception were evaluated using the CR-10 Borg scale. A statistical difference was observed between CA vs. CAP and CA vs. CG in the sit and reach test. No statistical changes were found for the other variables and conditions studied. A significance level of 5% was adopted. Therefore, CA can enhance performance in the sit and reach test; however, the mechanisms responsible for this improvement are still unclear.

Efficacy of American physical therapy clinical practice guidelines in treating lower back pain among track and field athletes

Lower back pain has a significant impact on track and field athletes, affecting their performance and quality of life. This study explores the application of the American Physical Therapy Clinical Practice Guidelines (APTA Guidelines) in the management of lower back pain at this level. The physical therapy in the United States, which has a history of over 75 years, includes unarmed therapy, coordination, muscle endurance training, hip mobility therapy, stretching exercises, lower limb nerve mobility surgery, traction... It provides a solid framework for the treatment of lower back pain. In this paper, we explore these treatment methods in the context of track and field competitions and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting the specific needs of athletes. In addition, we also verified the research status of the incidence of low back pain in track and field athletes, identified its causes, and proposed an effective treatment scheme using massage, acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, therapeutic sports and other methods. The results indicate that the use of APTA guidelines can significantly alleviate athletes lower back pain, helping them better perform and recover. This study helps to further discuss how to improve clinical practice to manage specific injuries.

Correction: Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ)

Correction: Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ)

Clinical Application and Prospect of New Radiotherapy Technology in Cancer Treatment

Objective: Carbon ion therapy, a new radiotherapy technology, has shown its remarkable efficacy and potential in cancer treatment, especially in the treatment of refractory tumors. Methods: This paper clarifies the physical basis, technological change, and clinical practice effect of carbon ion therapy, comprehensively discusses the future prospects, and evaluates the clinical application effect. Results: The technology has significantly improved the treatment effectiveness and received a positive response from patients. Conclusion: Carbon ion therapy technology has become a major innovation in the field of cancer treatment. It not only has a profound impact on many current cancer therapy methods but also indicates the application blueprint for a wider range of cancer types in the future, showing a new chapter of medical technology advancement.

Melanoma and People of Color: The Role of Physical Therapists

While the incidence of melanoma in people of color is low, when melanoma is diagnosed, it is often at later stages, resulting in the likelihood of death when compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. This is a health disparity that needs to be addressed. This disparity demands the attention of first-line health care providers, especially providers serving minority populations. Physical therapists (PTs) in the United States are allowed direct access to patients (access specifics vary by state) and are well-positioned to be part of the solution to this health disparity. The skin is an organ highly accessible to and frequently encountered by PTs, and early detection is associated with better melanoma-related outcomes. However, there is limited literature available regarding PTs and their role in aiding melanoma detection in skin, much less among people of color. This perspective paper introduces a novel, inclusive screening approach, following the mnemonic NO SUN, as an adjunct to the well-established asymmetry, borders, color, diameter, and evolution/evolving rule to address the disparity. The mnemonic NO SUN stands for Non-sun-exposed, Oral, Soles and palms, Underneath genitalia, and Nail beds—areas where suspicious lesions are commonly found in people of color. Both patient and PT education on melanoma and how its presentation differs in people of color are included in this strategy. Highlighting the needs of this special population and addressing those needs with standard physical therapy practice serves as a path toward health equity within an interdisciplinary framework.

Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ)

Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ)

Physical activity and the pressures of ‘good’ motherhood: navigating changing bodies, other mothers and role modelling for the active family

ABSTRACT In a context of complex and contradictory discourses of ‘good’ motherhood, women are often expected to quickly resume or take up a physically active lifestyle postpartum for both their own health and that of their children. Guided by post-structuralist feminism and drawing upon interviews with 12 mothers with young children living in Aotearoa New Zealand, we reveal the various ways mothers navigate social pressures and expectations surrounding ‘good’ motherhood. A reflexive thematic analysis revealed the various pressures on mothers in relation to their physical activity practices. A key element was achieving ‘good mother’ status by taking control of their bodies through exercise and role-modelling proactive physical activity practices for their children and families. While some mothers worked to achieve this unrealistic ideal, others problematised and resisted such pressures. Concerns about body image, pressures from ‘other mothers’, limited time and energy, and feelings of guilt were all key contributing factors influencing mothers’ physical activity practices. Mothers also considered themselves integral in their children’s lives, expressing a desire to increase physical activity time and role modelling for an active family. Focusing on New Zealand mothers’ lived experiences of negotiating the various pressures and expectations of motherhood, including the pursuit of a physically active lifestyle, this paper makes an original contribution to a growing body of literature on the complex relationship between motherhood, sport, and physical activity.

An integrative review on physical restraint in adult critical care unit.

Physical restraints (PRs) are frequently used in adult critical care units to protect staff and prevent self-harm, despite the fact that they represent significant safety risks. Restraint complications may have an impact on the patient's long- and short-term outcomes. This integrative review aimed to meticulously evaluate existing evidence pertaining to physical restraint practices in adult critical care settings. The review was specifically geared towards examining the prevalence of PR, identifying influential factors, elucidating the role of nurses in PR implementation, exploring nurses' experiences in caring for patients under restraint, and scrutinizing the complications associated with PR application. This integrative review included the studies published between January 2009 and December 2019 and the literature search was conducted in July 2020. The databases searched included EBSCOhost, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect. The keywords included in the search were restraint, critical care, intensive care, ICU, mechanical ventilation, intubation, nursing, and experience. A checklist based on the CASP checklist and the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool was used to assess the methodological quality. The findings were evaluated and summarized into seven key topics after twenty-one publications were found to be evaluated. i) High prevalence of PR application in adult critical care unit; ii) determinants of PR applications; iii) types of PR in adult critical care units; iv) decision maker of PR; v) moral and ethical dilemma in PR application; vi) awareness and guidelines for PR applications; vii) common complications and use of sedation, analgesics, antipsychotic drugs in PR application. The number of days PR is used is related to the risk of an adverse event. In order to standardize nursing practice, ICU nurses require greater training on the ideas of PR use. Evidence-based recommendations will assist critical care nurses in making the best judgments possible concerning the use of PR.

Efficacy of Physical and Mental Practice in Improving Strength of Biceps Brachi in Youngadults

Efficacy of Physical and Mental Practice in Improving Strength of Biceps Brachi in Youngadults

Change in Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices in Early Childcare and Education Settings in Illinois During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

For many young children, early childcare and education (ECE) programs are the only source of nutritious meals and physical activity (PA); however, the COVID-19 pandemic led to program closures, restrictions, and changed practices. To examine changes in nutrition and PA-related best practices in ECE settings in Illinois from 2019, just prior to the pandemic, as compared to 2022. We also examined how changes over time varied by program type (ie, centers vs homes), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) status, and/or Head Start/Early Head Start status. The study design is a repeated cross-sectional survey administered in December 2019 and October 2022. State of Illinois. A total of 888 and 1162 ECE providers completed initial and follow-up surveys, respectively. NA. Provider report of meeting 14 nutrition and 9 PA-related best practices. Overall, 9 nutrition-related best practices were maintained and 5 declined over time. Centers, CACFP, and Head Start providers reported significant declines in meeting nutrition-related practices over time. A total of 8 PA-related best practices were maintained and 1 declined over time. Centers reported a significant decline in 5 of the PA-related best practices over time, and these declines were significantly different than in homes over time. Similarly, Head Start programs reported a decline in 4 PA-related best practices over time, and the change was significantly different from non-Head Start programs in 3 of the 4 practices. The findings of this study should be considered a new baseline for ECE nutrition and PA-related best practices in Illinois and should serve as a wake-up call for advocates nationwide with regard to the provision of nutrition and PA-related best practices in centers and by CACFP and Head Start providers postpandemic.

Once upon a time in superspace: the diegetic ideal for the interpretation of physical theories

This paper offers a novel argument for superspace substantivalism. Superspace is a modified spacetime represented formally through combining ordinary spatial dimensions with anticommuting dimensions whose coordinates are labelled in Grassmann numbers rather than real numbers. At supersymmetric worlds, physical laws exhibit supersymmetry—viz., a symmetry that transforms bosons into fermions and vice versa. Superspace substantivalism is the thesis that, at supersymmetric worlds, among the most fundamental structures is superspace. Initially, the focus will be on a prevalent doctrine in the philosophy of physics literature which I call the mimetic ideal. On the mimetic ideal, interpreting physical theories aims primarily at specifying their ontology, namely at achieving accurate reference (in natural-language accounts of those theories) or representation (in model-theoretic portrayals of those theories) with respect to aspects of physical reality. However, I show that the mimetic ideal doesn’t seem able to account for important aspects of physics practice (Sect. 2). In Sect. 3, therefore, I articulate and defend a new, diegetic ideal, according to which the interpretation of physical theories should aim at perspectival coordination between interpreters and practising physicists. Perspectival coordination, in the context of interpreting physical theories, means that interpreters and practising physicists share a perspective or a point of view on some aspect of physical reality described by that theory. In Sect. 4, I apply this analysis to the study of supersymmetric quantum field theories (QFTs): reframing the realist framework which underlies Baker’s (2020) agnosticism, I examine the exciting upshot that superspace substantivalism is true. I conclude with some reflections on what perspectival coordination means for realism (Sect. 5).

Changes in corticospinal excitability during motor imagery by physical practice of a force production task: Effect of the rate of force development during practice

Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have indicated that the physical practice of a force production task increases corticospinal excitability during motor imagery (MI) of that task. However, it is unclear whether this practice-induced facilitation of corticospinal excitability during MI depends on a repeatedly practiced rate of force development (RFD). We aimed to investigate whether corticospinal excitability during MI of an isometric force production task is facilitated only when imagining the motor task with the same RFD as the physically practiced RFD. Furthermore, we aimed to examine whether corticospinal excitability during MI only occurs immediately after physical practice or is maintained. Twenty-eight right-handed young adults practiced isometric ramp force production using right index finger abduction. Half of the participants (high group) practiced the force production with high RFD, and the other half (low group) practiced the force production with low RFD. Questionnaire scores indicating MI ability were similar in the two groups. We examined the force error relative to the target force during the force production task without visual feedback, and motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles during the MI of the force production task under practiced and unpracticed RFD conditions before, immediately after, and 20 min after physical practice. Our results demonstrated that the force error in both RFD conditions significantly decreased immediately after physical practice, irrespective of the RFD condition practiced. In the high group, the MEP amplitude of the FDI muscle during MI in the high RFD condition significantly increased immediately after practice compared to that before, whereas the MEP amplitude 20 min after practice was not significantly different from that before practice. Conversely, the MEP amplitude during MI in the high RFD condition did not change significantly in the low group, and neither group had significant changes in MEP amplitude during MI in the low RFD condition. The facilitatory effect of corticospinal excitability during MI with high RFD observed only immediately after physical practice in the high RFD condition may reflect short-term functional changes in the primary motor cortex induced by physical practice.