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Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative articular disease that causes disability and poor quality of life (QoL) of the individuals. Electrotherapeutic agents such as therapeutic ultrasound (US), interferential current (IFC), and infrared radiation are used in the treatment. It is not clear which of these agents is the best in improving these variables. Objective: The study aimed to compare the effects of the combined application of US and IFC therapies and infrared radiation on pain, functional activities, and QoL in people with KOA. Methods: In a randomized controlled study, 60 participants were randomized into two groups, the combination therapy group (CTG) and the infrared radiation group (IRG). Each group received 15-min treatment three times per week for 12 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for functional activities and the Short Form Health Survey questionnaire for QoL. Results: Participants in the CTG had a significant (p

Abstract Background Effective control of non-communicable diseases and promotion of population-wide physical activity participation require the active engagement of health professionals. Physiotherapists and physicians, as part of their practice, routinely screen and assess physical activity status, and recommend health enhancing physical activity participation for their patients. This study aims to compare Nigerian physiotherapists and physicians’ knowledge of physical activity message, role perception and confidence, perceived feasibility and barriers, and overall disposition to promoting physical activity in their practice. Methods A total of 153 physicians and 94 physiotherapists recruited from 10 government hospitals in five states in Northern Nigeria completed a standardized physical activity promotion questionnaire that elicited information on the knowledge of physical activity, role perception and confidence, feasibility, and barriers to physical activity promotion. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results The physiotherapists and physicians were fairly knowledgeable on physical activity message (14.2 ± 2.1/20), reported minimal or little barrier to physical activity promotion (23.7 ± 3.1/30), perceived physical activity promotion as their role (13.0 ± 1.8/15), were confident in their ability to discuss and recommend physical activity promotion (7.6 ± 1.6/10) and believed promoting physical activity was feasible for them (15.6 ± 2.6/20). However, over 40% of the physiotherapists and physicians do not know the correct dosage of physical activity that could confer health benefits to patients. The physicians showed better overall disposition to physical activity promotion than the physiotherapists (P = 0.048), but more physiotherapists than the physicians believed ‘it is part of their role to suggest to patients to increase their daily physical activity’ (95.7% vs 88.2%, P = 0.043) and were more ‘confident in suggesting specific physical activity programs for their patients’ (87.2% vs 64.5%, P

Aerogels, due to their unique features like lightweight, ultra-low thermal conductivity, and design variations, have gotten a lot of interest in thermal insulation, photocatalysis, and protective areas. Besides their superior thermal properties, aerogel thermal insulation and photocatalyst materials also possess many inherent flaws, such as handling issues, high manufacturing costs, and low strength as well as toughness. The most persuasive and successful ways to improve photocatalytic and thermal insulating qualities while lowering costs are composition optimization and microstructure reconstruction. Their high surface area and porosity make them ideal for enhancing the efficiency and capacity of these devices. Research may lead to more efficient and longer-lasting energy storage solutions. This review describes the characteristics, microstructural reconstruction, design variation, and properties of all aerogel fabrication techniques and provides a comprehensive overview of scientific achievements linked to them. The effectiveness of raw material compositions, properties, and mechanical parameters are also discussed. The major goal of this review is to highlight the aerogel-based materials and design variations and to explore the most potential development trends for photocatalysis and thermal applications. The industrial as well as technical applications of silica aerogels are also highlighted. This review highlights futuristic applications of aerogel-based textile materials to alleviate the CO2 burden on our atmosphere, either by providing next-level thermal insulation or by employing them in CO2 mitigating technologies such as CO2 capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dextrin‐based nanosponges (NSs) are hyper‐crosslinked polymers characterized by the ability to encapsulate a great variety of substances in liquid phase. More importantly, dextrin‐based NSs are nanostructured within a three‐dimensional network. Here, an amorphous modified polyetheretherketone (PWC) and NS‐derived from crosslinking dextrin and β‐ciclodextrins are used to prepare flat‐sheet membranes. The presence of NSs in the membrane changes the features of PWC. The PWC/NS membrane displays very low oxygen permeability, good ionic conductivity, and assure a suitable interfacial stability with Li metal. For such properties, the membrane is suitable to protect the highly reactive Li‐metal anode from oxygen crossover, dendrite formation, and from side reactions due to the oxygenated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)‐based electrolyte. Li−O2 lab‐scale cells are assembled with the membrane sandwiched between Li and the separator soaked by electrolyte, with continuous oxygen flow of 3 mL/min at the cathode side. XRD analysis demonstrates that the membrane does not interfere with the formation and decomposition of Li2O2. Membranes assure long cell‐cycle life at reversible capacity and better capacity retention during cycling in full discharge/charge conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]