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Objectives: To explore physiotherapists' experiences and perceived acceptability of delivering a bracing intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the 'PROvision of braces for Patients with knee OA' (PROP OA) randomised controlled trial. Method: Semi‐structured telephone interviews with consenting physiotherapists who received the PROP OA training programme and delivered the knee bracing intervention (advice, information and exercise instruction plus knee brace matched to patients' clinical and radiographic presentation and with adherence support). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two‐stage analytic framework: inductive thematic analysis preceded mapping to constructs of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Results: Eight physiotherapists were interviewed and six key themes were developed. Perceptions of the training programme were generally positive, but additional formal training and experiential learning consolidated confidence and skills in novel intervention components. Advice, information, and exercise instruction reflected usual physiotherapy care for knee OA. Physiotherapists were confident in delivering the knee brace, but determining the pattern of knee OA to inform brace type selection was challenging. Physiotherapists valued brace adherence enhancing strategies and the follow‐up appointment to facilitate adherence. Perceived impact of the bracing intervention for people with OA was positive. The bracing intervention was perceived as acceptable, although improving self‐efficacy to deliver novel intervention components (e.g., reading x‐rays) would enhance acceptability. Conclusion: The complex knee bracing intervention was broadly perceived as acceptable by physiotherapists. If implemented within clinical practice beyond the trial, physiotherapists might benefit from not only initial training in brace selection but also ongoing support and mentoring to increase self‐efficacy in delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our thesis is more finely tuned to Thomas Merton (1915-68) the writer, more specifically, the poet/artist/writer and thinker. These are the components of the "Merton" voice. Merton senses the quality of innocence as the "sine qua non" of the poet or writer's vocation: "His art depends on an ingrained innocence which he would lose in business, in politics, or in too organized a form of academic life" ("Raids" 156). Simply put: Merton would lose his voice in some work; he would find a way to use his prophetic voice in others. Clearly then, knowing well the ways of the world, its newness and its sins as they touched him personally, Merton claims the monastery as his megaphone, as providing and sustaining that innocence he so explicitly requires as necessary for clear thinking and good writing, clear communication. However, "Conjectures" marks a turn, a change in Merton's voice in this neatly thought-through process. (Contains 1 note.)

Data collected during initial primary care consultations could be a source of baseline prognostic factors associated with changes in outcome measures for patients with knee pain. To identify, appraise and synthesize studies investigating prognostic factors associated with changes in outcome for people presenting with knee pain in primary care. EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, MEDLINE and MedRxiv electronic databases were searched from inception to March 2021 and repeated in August 2022. Prospective cohort studies of adult participants with musculoskeletal knee pain assessing the association between putative prognostic factors and outcomes in primary care were included. The Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool and The Modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, specific to prognostic reviews were used to appraise and synthesize the evidence respectively. Eight studies were included. Eight knee pain outcomes were identified. Methodological and statistical heterogeneity resulted in qualitative analysis. All evidence was judged to be of low to very low quality. Bilateral knee pain (multivariable odds ratio (OR) range 2.60–2.74; 95%CI range 0.90–8.10, p value = 0.09) and a lower educational level (multivariable (OR) range 1.74–5.6; 95%CI range 1.16–16.20, p value = <0.001) were synonymously associated with persisting knee pain at 12-month follow up. A total of 37 univariable and 63 multivariable prognostic factors were statistically associated with outcomes (p ≤ 0.05) in single studies. There was consensus from two independent studies that bilateral knee pain and lower educational level were associated with persistent knee pain. Many baseline factors were associated with outcome in individual studies but not consistently between studies. The current understanding, accuracy and reliability of the prognostic value of initial primary care consultation data for knee pain outcomes are limited. This review will provide an essential guide for candidate variable selection in future primary care prognostic confirmatory studies. Bilateral knee pain and lower educational level were associated with persistent knee pain. Many baseline factors were associated with outcome in individual studies but not consistently between studies. The current understanding, accuracy and reliability of the prognostic value of initial primary care consultation data for knee pain outcomes are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propose of this study was to systematically review the current literature and meta-analyse the effects of dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation on the contractile properties of skeletal muscle. A literature search of three databases was conducted in June 2021, with 19 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were included if a placebo versus dietary NO3−-only supplementation protocol was used in healthy human, assessed muscle contraction or activities that was < 3 minutes in duration and focused on the lower-body. For the meta-analysis, a pooled standardised mean difference (SMD) was determined for maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) (n = 11), cycling, running and inertial load squad peak power output (PPO) (n = 8), mean power output (MPO) (n = 6) and time to PPO (n = 4). NO3− supplementation demonstrated a small improvement in PPO (SMD = 0.25, P = 0.030) and MPO (SMD = 0.28, P = 0.030) when compared to the placebo. NO3− also resulted in an enhanced time to PPO (SMD = -0.78, P < 0.001). There was no clear effect of NO3− on isometric MVC (SMD = 0.03, P = 0.758). This review reports that NO3− supplementation may have potential to enhance PPO, MPO and time to PPO during dynamic exercise, which may transfer to brief explosive actions commonly observed in sporting activities. Due to the variability in studies, we encourage researchers to use this work to explore areas where evidence in lacking and standardize the study design and procedures. Findings from this meta-analysis highlight the potential positive ergogenic effect of dietary NO3-supplementation on PPO, MPO and time to PPO during short duration (<10 s) dynamic exercise. NO3- supplementation might be considered as an ergogenic aid when executing power-based actions (e.g., 100 m sprinter or weightlifter). This review highlights that further research is required to address some of the contrasting findings presented here using a standardised procedure to allow for improved synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]