Development and pilot of equine facilitated physical therapy outcome measure tool for chronic low back pain patients.

Equine Facilitated Physical Therapy (EFPT) lacks consistent documentation due to being an unconventional physical therapy treatment to chronic low back pain patients (LBP) and lacking rehabilitation outcome measure tools for a stable (equestrian) environment. The objectives were to develop an online evaluation tool as well as to define inter- and intra-rater reliability to validate the outcome measurement tool "Evaluation of maintaining sitting position (on a horse) and walking (short distances)" designed for LBP patients in EFPT". A total of 48 movement related functions (n = 48), were derived from the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) and organized to an online evaluation tool. Depending on the state of validation two to six (2-6) raters scored randomized patient (n = 22) video material, recorded during a 12-week EFPT intervention, with the designed tool. Inter-rater agreement level between the experts reached good (α = 87) reliability for the scoring of the items and calculated per patient excellent (α = 100). Intra-rater reliability reached good (α = 87) and per patient good (α = 80) repeatability. For the healthy adults the reliability between raters reached acceptable (α = 72) levels and per rated excellent (α = 100). The developed assessment tool was found satisfactory to fulfil the requirement for the therapeutic practice. With the use of the tool physical therapist may detect postural changes for LBP patients as outcome report in EFPT. The tool may be used to identify treatment progress and to help design home exercises. The created tool will help to collect similar outcome measures from LBP patients in EFPT and to validate the treatment within industry.

[About non-specific prophylaxis of infections typical for organized groups].

Respiratory tract infections and pyodermia are typical for personnel doing military service under conscription. Risk of progression of these infections is connected with activation of carry-over of causative agents among military personnel during replacement and decrease in immunity of conscripts. Usage of medication "Karmolis Kapli" for the purpose of prophylaxis allows to reduce cases of respiratory tract infections among the military personnel. Among the military servicemen who had take "Karmolis Kapli" was noted reduction of community-acquired pneumonia, tonsillitis and pyodermia morbidity. Non-specific protective effect of medication "Karmolis Kapli" is conditioned by increase of the common resistance of the body. For the purpose of prophylaxis it is necessary to use this medication during the personnel formation before the beginning of seasonal morbidity.

Monitoring of metabolic profiling and water status of Hayward kiwifruits by nuclear magnetic resonance.

The metabolic profiling of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, Hayward cultivar) aqueous extracts and the water status of entire kiwifruits were monitored over the season (June-December) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodologies. The metabolic profiling of aqueous kiwifruit extracts was investigated by means of high field NMR spectroscopy. A large number of water-soluble metabolites were assigned by means of 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The change in the metabolic profiles monitored over the season allowed the kiwifruit development to be investigated. Specific temporal trends of aminoacids, sugars, organic acids and other metabolites were observed. The water status of kiwifruits was monitored directly on the intact fruit measuring the T(2) spin-spin relaxation time by means of a portable unilateral NMR instrument, fully non-invasive. Again, clear trends of the relaxation time were observed during the monitoring period. The results show that the monitoring of the metabolic profiling and the monitoring of the water status are two complementary means suitable to have a complete view of the investigated fruit.

NMR and chemometrics in tracing European olive oils: the case study of Ligurian samples.

An NMR and chemometric analytical approach to classify extra virgin olive oils according to their geographical origin was developed within the European TRACE project (FP6-2003-FOOD-2-A, contract number: 0060942). Olive oils (896 samples) of three consecutive harvesting years (2005, 2006, and 2007) coming from Mediterranean areas were analyzed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Olive oil samples from Liguria, an Italian region, were chosen as a case study and PLS-DA and SIMCA modeling analyses were used to build up statistical models both to discriminate between Ligurian and non-Ligurian olive oils and to define the Ligurian olive oil class to confirm the declared provenience.