The Impact of a 12-Week Aqua Fitness Program on the Physical Fitness of Women over 60 Years of Age.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the impact of a 12-week Aqua Fitness program on the physical fitness of older women and emphasize sustainable health practices for aging populations. We focused on evaluating the program's effectiveness, using the Senior Fitness Test to measure improvements in physical capabilities. METHODS: An experimental research design was implemented, with 30 participants aged 60 and older. The participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group, each comprising 15 individuals. The control group received aqua Fitness exercises, and the experimental group received aqua fitness exercises and isometric (combined) exercises. Lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, dynamic balance, agility, and endurance were assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-training. RESULTS: For a comparison within the group, combined exercises (aqua fitness and isometric exercises) had a significant effect on lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility on the right side, dynamic balance, agility, and endurance. Aqua fitness exercises alone showed significant effects on upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, and endurance and no significant effects on other variables. For the comparison between groups, no significant differences were found between the effects of aqua fitness exercises and combined exercises on lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, and endurance. Significant differences were found only in dynamic balance and agility between the two groups of aqua fitness and combined exercises. CONCLUSIONS: Although the combined program (aqua fitness and isometric exercises) had a greater effect on improving the physical fitness of older adults than aqua fitness alone, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, the results of this study highlight the potential of aqua fitness in promoting sustainable health and physical fitness in the older adult population.

Cognitive functional therapy as a complementary treatment for posture and disability of chronic neck pain: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of scapular stabilization exercise with and without cognitive functional therapy (CFT) on disability and scapular kinematics in people suffering from chronic neck pain. METHODS: A total of 72 patients with chronic non-specific neck pain were randomized into scapular stabilization exercise alone, n = 24, combined (scapular stabilization exercise + CFT), n = 24, and a control group, n = 24. Scapular kinematic and disability were measured at baseline and after the intervention. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in neck pain and disability scale (NPAD) were found when the multimodal physiotherapy group including a cognitive functional approach was compared with stabilization exercises group at 6 weeks (effect size (95%CI) = -1.63 (-2.55, -.71); P = 0.019)). Regarding the neck disability index (NDI), a significant between-group difference was observed at six-week (effect size (95%CI) = -2.69 (-3.80, -1.58); P = 0.007), with the superiority of effect in multimodal physiotherapy group. A significant between-group difference was observed in the scapular upward rotation and scapular osterior tilt at 30°, 60°, 90° and 120° of shoulder adduction. CONCLUSIONS: A group-based multimodal rehabilitation program including scapular stabilization exercise plus cognitive functional therapy was superior to group-based stabilization exercises alone for decreasing disability and, improving scapular kinematic in patients with chronic neck pain.

Pain Neuroscience Education Combined with Therapeutic Exercises Provides Added Benefit in the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic neck pain is common in the adult general population. Although the etiology of chronic neck pain is under debate, it is clear that chronic neck pain is multifactorial, with both physical and psychosocial contributors. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adding pain neuroscience education (PNE) to therapeutic exercises improved their pain-disability index, pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain self-efficacy in subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain. METHODS: This study was a three-arm randomized control trial. Seventy-two patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain were allocated to three groups: therapeutic exercises alone (n = 24), combined (therapeutic exercises + PNE; (n = 24), and a control group (n = 24). Each program took place three times a week, lasting for six weeks. The disability index, pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain self-efficacy measured by the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPAD), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), respectively. Participants were assessed before and after the six-week intervention, and there was no further follow-up. RESULTS: For the outcomes NPAD, PSC, and FABQ, combined intervention demonstrated more significant improvements than therapeutic exercises alone (p ≤ 0.05), whereas no differences were observed between the two intervention groups for PSEQ (p = 0.99). In addition, significant differences were favoring experimental groups versus control for all outcomes (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: Therapeutic exercises combined with pain neuroscience education reduced the pain-disability index, pain catastrophizing, and fear-avoidance beliefs more than therapeutic exercises alone in patients with chronic neck pain. For pain self-efficacy, there was no statistically significant difference between the two intervention groups; however, the combined group had a more significant effect than therapeutic exercises alone. Further studies with longer periods and follow-up are required.

Role of sequence of feeding on the properties of polyurethane nanocomposite containing halloysite nanotubes.

Polyurethane/Halloysite Nantubes nanocomposites containing 1 wt.% nanoparticles were prepared using in situ polymerization method with different mixing sequences. Various experiments have been performed in order to evaluate the effect of nanoparticle dispersion and the different orders of mixing of the samples on the mechanical properties and morphology of nanocomposites. The results obtained from the ATR-FTIR test demonstrated that the presence of nanoparticles led to an increase in phase separation, and the sample with the best nanoparticle dispersion has shown more phase separation than the other samples. Furthermore, the results of the Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also confirmed more phase separation and the crystallinity of the samples in the presence of nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were utilized in order to investigate the dispersion of nanoparticles in polyurethane matrix and to examine surface fracture of the samples. Moreover, differential mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) revealed that the presence of nanoparticles has altered the glass transition temperature of polymers, and there are physical and chemical interaction and hydrogen bonding between nanoparticles and hard and soft polyurethane segments. In addition, in the presence of nanoparticles the damping of the samples was reduced compared to the neat sample. Change in behavior from liquid like to solid like in the range of low angular frequencies was observed which is in agreement with the formation of a network structure that can be broken even at low shear rates. In the second step, kinetics of the phase separation process of thermoplastic polyurethane and nanocomposites was studied by rheological experiments. The results showed that the kinetics of phase separation process of thermoplastic polyurethane is similar to that of the crystallization process. Phase separation kinetics of neat samples and nanocomposite have been studied. The presence of nanoparticles by nucleation mechanism increased the rate of the phase separation.

Designing an immunosensor for detection of Brucella abortus based on coloured silica nanoparticles.

Brucellosis has always been a threat to the health and economics of societies. We report a new colorimetric immunoassay based on colored silica nanoparticles for detection of Brucella abortus. An immunosensor was designed based on blue-SiNPs and paramagnetic nanoparticles (PMNPs). The synthesized immunosensor was conjugated with a polyclonal antibody against B. abortus, which was activated by 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to form detection and capture probes, respectively. After adding the conjugates to the bacterial suspension, sandwich structure of PMNPs B. abortus-blue-SiNPs was formed and then separated by a magnet. The blue dye was released from the silica structure and its absorbance was measured at 670 nm with a spectrophotometer. Under optimal conditions, results showed a wide dynamic range from 1.5 × 103 to 1.5 × 108 cfu mL-1 with a detection limit of 450 cfu mL-1. The specificity of the sensor was confirmed in comparison with 5 other bacteria. Also, during the 120-days period, the complex was stable. The results suggested that it can be used in real samples (R2 = .9865). This designed colorimetric immunoassay strategy can be used as an alternative, user-friendly and on-site tool for the rapid detection of Brucella spp. compared to other common methods with high sensitivity and specificity in a short time.

Highly selective and sensitive detection of Staphylococcus aureus with gold nanoparticle-based core-shell nano biosensor.

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive and opportunistic pathogen that is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections; therefore, its rapid diagnosis is important and valuable. Today, the use of nanoparticles is expanding due to their unique properties. The purpose of the present study is the determination of S. aureus by a colorimetric method based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Firstly, S. aureus was cultured on both LB media (broth and agar) and their chromosomal DNA was extracted. Afterwards, primers and biosensor were designed based on Protein A sequence data in the gene bank. PCR assay was performed under optimal conditions and the PCR product was electrophoresed on 2-percent agarose gel. The synthesized biosensors were conjugated with AuNPs and, eventually, a single-stranded genome was added to the conjugated AuNPs and hybridization was performed. The results were evaluated based on color change detected by the naked eye, optical spectrophotometry, and transient electron microscopy. Finally, the sensitivity and specificity of the AuNP-biosensor were determined. The results of the present study showed a 390 bp band on the agarose electrophoresis gel, which confirmed the presence of Protein A genes on the chromosome of the bacteria. The PCR and colorimetric methods were compared with each other. The sensitivity of the PCR and colorimetric methods were 30 ng µL-1 and 10 ng µL-1, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) equaling 8.73 ng µL-1 was determined and the specificity of the method was confirmed by the DNA of other bacteria. According to the results, the present method is rapid and sensitive in detecting S. aureus.