Psychoeducational interventions for people living with chronic communicable disease: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Psychoeducation is increasingly recognised for its value in facilitating adaption to a chronic disease diagnosis. This study aimed to synthesise available literature on the psychoeducation interventions available to adults living with chronic communicable disease. METHODS: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, SocINDEX, PsycINFO and PsycArticles were systematically searched up to May 2023. Peer-reviewed studies, published in English, investigating the impact of psychoeducational interventions on adults living with chronic communicable disease were included, across a range of outcome measures. Narrative synthesis was performed. The Effective Public Health Practice Project tool and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool were used to assess risk of bias. RESULTS: In total, 22 studies were included in the review. The majority (n=16) of study populations focused on people living with HIV, followed by hepatitis C (n=5) and genital herpes (n=1). Interventions were delivered online (n=2), via telephone (n=1) and in-person (n=19). The majority of interventions were delivered in group sessions (n=16) and studies emphasised the value of group cohesion for social support, encouraging participants to share their own knowledge in addition to standard didactic presentations. Four studies facilitated peer-led delivery of the psychoeducation. Studies aiming to improve psychological well-being were beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms and/or emotional distress or showed improvement in the participant group overall. There was some evidence to suggest psychoeducation can improve readiness to attend treatment and medication adherence. CONCLUSION: The findings of this review highlight potential benefits of psychoeducation but indicate more robust clinical trials will be required to examine their effectiveness and elucidate the mechanisms by which they best operate. Future interventions incorporating a broader focus on resilience enhancement and coping skills specific to stigmatisation could more comprehensively serve the needs of adults living with chronic communicable disease, particularly with HIV. The role of peer support in group psychoeducation merits further exploration. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021243058.

The Running Injury Continuum: A qualitative examination of recreational runners' description and management of injury.

INTRODUCTION: A critical step in understanding and preventing running-related injuries (RRIs) is appropriately defining RRIs. Current definitions of RRIs may not represent the full process of injury development, failing to capture lower levels of injury that many athletes continue to train through. Understanding runners' description and management of the injury development process may allow for a more appropriate examination of all levels of injury. This study aimed to examine recreational runners' description and management of the injury development process. METHODS: A qualitative focus group study was undertaken. Seven semi-structured focus groups with male (n = 13) and female (n = 18) recreational runners took place. Focus groups were audio and video recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were reflexively thematically analysed. A critical friend approach was taken to data coding. Multiple methods of trustworthiness were executed. RESULTS: Runners describe injury on a nine-level continuum, ranging from injury-free to career-ending injury. There are lower and higher levels of injury. Each level of injury is described across four categories of descriptors; physical description, outcome (effect on running and daily life), psychological description, and management. CONCLUSION: The Running Injury Continuum is a tool that can be used for injury surveillance (for healthcare professionals and researchers) and for research investigating RRI risk factors. Healthcare professionals, researchers and coaches must ensure they monitor the development of all levels of RRIs, across all categories of descriptors. Runners need to be educated regarding appropriate self-management strategies for lower level injuries, with access to evidence-based information being a critical management tool.

Running towards injury? A prospective investigation of factors associated with running injuries.

BACKGROUND: Given the high incidence and heavy burden of running related injuries, large-scale, prospective multifactorial investigations examining potential risk factors are warranted. This study aimed to identify factors associated with running related injuries and to evaluate their potential in injury screening. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-four recreational runners were recruited. Clinical measures (strength, range of motion, foot position), injury and training history (via questionnaire), impact loading (via accelerometery) and running technique measures were collected at baseline. Runners were tracked for injury for one year via fortnightly check-ins. A binary logistic regression, (injury versus no injury), was performed for each variable univariably, and then adjusting for age, sex and mileage. A multivariable regression was also performed to evaluate the model's discriminative ability. RESULTS: Of the 225 runners included in the final analysis 52% experienced a running related injury. Injury history in the past year, less navicular drop, and measures of running technique (knee, hip, and pelvis kinematics) were associated with increased odds of injury (p < .05). The multivariable logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ2(11) = 56.45, p < .001, correctly classifying 74% of cases with a sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 76%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.79 (CI95% = 0.73-0.85), demonstrating acceptable discriminative ability. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a number of clinical and running technique factors to be associated with prospective running related injuries among recreational runners. With the exception of injury history, the factors identified as being significantly associated with injury may be modifiable and therefore, could form the basis of interventions. Range of motion, spatiotemporal parameters and strength measures were not associated with injury and thus their utilisation in injury prevention practices should be reconsidered.

Aetiological Factors of Running-Related Injuries: A 12 Month Prospective "Running Injury Surveillance Centre" (RISC) Study.

BACKGROUND: Running-related injuries (RRIs) are a prevalent issue for runners, with several factors proposed to be causative. The majority of studies to date are limited by retrospective study design, small sample sizes and seem to focus on individual risk factors in isolation. This study aims to investigate the multifactorial contribution of risk factors to prospective RRIs. METHODS: Recreational runners (n = 258) participated in the study, where injury history and training practices, impact acceleration, and running kinematics were assessed at a baseline testing session. Prospective injuries were tracked for one year. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was performed in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 51% of runners sustained a prospective injury, with the calf most commonly affected. Univariate analysis found previous history of injury < 1 year ago, training for a marathon, frequent changing of shoes (every 0-3 months), and running technique (non-rearfoot strike pattern, less knee valgus, greater knee rotation) to be significantly associated with injury. The multivariate analysis revealed previous injury, training for a marathon, less knee valgus, and greater thorax drop to the contralateral side to be risk factors for injury. CONCLUSION: This study found several factors to be potentially causative of injury. With the omission of previous injury history, the risk factors (footwear, marathon training and running kinematics) identified in this study may be easily modifiable, and therefore could inform injury prevention strategies. This is the first study to find foot strike pattern and trunk kinematics to relate to prospective injury.

Comparison of impact accelerations between injury-resistant and recently injured recreational runners.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Previous injury has consistently been shown to be one of the greatest risk factors for running-related injuries (RRIs). Runners returning to participation following injury may still demonstrate injury-related mechanics (e.g. repetitive high impact loading), potentially exposing them to further injuries. The aim of this study was to determine if the magnitude (Peakaccel) and rate of loading (Rateaccel) at the tibia and sacrum differ between runners who have never been injured, those who have acquired injury resistance (runners who have not been injured in the past 2 years) and those who have been recently injured (RRI sustained 3-12 months ago). METHODS: Runners completed an online survey capturing details of their RRI history over the previous 2 years. Never injured runners were matched by sex, quarterly annual mileage and typical training speed to runners who had acquired injury resistance and to runners who had been recently injured. Differences in Peakaccel and Rateaccel of the tibia and sacrum were assessed between the three groups during a treadmill run at a set speed, with consideration for sex. RESULTS: A total of 147 runners made up the three injury status groups (n: 49 per group). There was a significant main effect of injury status for Peakaccel and Rateaccel at the sacrum, with recently injured runners demonstrating significantly greater Rateaccel than never injured and acquired injury resistant runners. There was also a significant main effect for sex, with females demonstrating greater tibial Peakaccel, sacrum Peakaccel and Rateaccel than males. CONCLUSION: Rateaccel at the sacrum distinguishes recently injured runners from never injured runners and runners who may have acquired injury resistance, potentially highlighting poor impact acceleration attenuation in recently injured runners.

Are impact accelerations during treadmill running representative of those produced overground?

BACKGROUND: Although many runners train overground, measuring impact accelerations on a treadmill may be advantageous for researchers and clinicians. Previous investigations of peak and rate of acceleration (peakaccel, rateaccel) during treadmill running compared to overground running have not examined both the relative consistency and absolute agreement of these measures, or the effect of treadmill stiffness. RESEARCH QUESTION: (1) Are peakaccel and rateaccel produced during running on a stiff and less stiff treadmill 'representative' of those produced during overground running? (2) Are peakaccel and rateaccel measured on treadmills of different stiffness 'representative' of each other? METHODS: Eighteen participants ran at a self-selected pace on three surfaces: Treadmill 1 (reduced stiffness), Treadmill 2 (increased stiffness) and overground on asphalt, whilst peakaccel and rateaccel were recorded at the shank and lower back. Relative consistency (ICC (3,1)), absolute agreement (Bland-Altman analysis) and systematic differences (ANOVA/Friedman's Tests) were assessed. RESULTS: ICCs revealed moderate to excellent relative consistency in peakaccel and rateaccel between surfaces, with higher consistency for measures at the lower back. Absolute agreement was low, with the Bland Altman limits of agreement exceeding the clinical acceptable range for all comparisons. For systematic differences in means, peakaccel and rateaccel at the shank were significantly higher overground than on either treadmill; with no difference evident at the lower back. No differences were found for surface with respect to shank or lower back peakaccel and rateaccel between treadmills. SIGNIFICANCE: Moderate to excellent relative consistency of peakaccel and rateaccel between the surfaces suggests that using different surfaces in research involving rank ordering of participants by acceleration magnitude may be acceptable (e.g. prospective studies examining if impact accelerations are related to injury). However, low absolute agreement indicates that data collected on treadmills of different stiffness and overground should not be used interchangeably (e.g. running-retraining studies).

Relative and absolute reliability of shank and sacral running impact accelerations over a short- and long-term time frame.

Whilst running is hugely popular, running-related injuries (RRIs) are prevalent. High impact loading has been proposed to contribute to RRIs, with accelerometers becoming increasingly popular in estimating segmental loading for injury detection and biofeedback training. However, there is a lack of research examining the reliability of measures of impact acceleration across short- and long-term time periods, both prior to and following exerted running. The aim of this study was to assess the absolute and relative reliability of shank and sacral impact accelerations over a short- and long-term time period. Peak (Peakaccel) and rate (Rateaccel) of impact acceleration at the shank and sacrum were assessed in 18 recreational runners over short- and long-term time frames, across fixed and self-selected speeds. The relative and absolute reliabilities were investigated for pre- and post-exerted states of running. There was high-to-excellent relative reliability, and predominantly moderate absolute reliability for shank and sacrum Peakaccel and Rateaccel in the short- and long-term time frames between pre- and post-exerted states. High to excellent relative reliability of Peakaccel and Rateaccel at the shank and sacrum are appropriate and acceptable measures across short- and long-term time frames. These findings were consistent with different levels of speed and exertion. The minimal detectable change % was large for both sensors and associated measurements, indicating that their use may be limited to intervention studies that elicit large change (>30%) in these measures.

Risk Factors for Injuries in Runners: A Systematic Review of Foot Strike Technique and Its Classification at Impact.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that foot strike technique (FST) at initial contact is related to running-related injuries (RRIs). PURPOSE: To explore the relationship between FST and RRIs. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A systematic electronic search was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Included were studies published in the English language that explored the relationship between FST and RRIs between January 1960 and November 2020. Results were extracted and collated. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was applied to synthesize the quality of evidence. RESULTS: We reviewed 13 studies exploring the relationship between FST and RRIs. Of these, 6 studies reported FST categorically (foot strike pattern [FSP]), and 7 reported continuous measures (foot contact angle, ankle flexion angle, and strike index). Three of the 6 studies looking at categorical FSP found rearfoot strikers have a significantly greater retrospective injury rate than do non- rearfoot strikers, with 1 other study noting a greater risk associated with midfoot and forefoot strike. Regarding the continuous measures of FST, only 1 of the 7 studies reported a significant relationship with RRIs. CONCLUSION: There was low evidence to suggest a relationship between FST (or its subcategories of categorical FSP and continuous measures) and RRIs. While two-thirds of the categorical studies found a relationship between FSP and RRIs, these studies were very low quality, with limitations such as retrospective study design, low participant numbers, and poor FSP assessment methods. More large-scale prospective studies are required.

Do Injury-Resistant Runners Have Distinct Differences in Clinical Measures Compared with Recently Injured Runners?

INTRODUCTION: Although lower extremity muscle strength, joint motion, and functional foot alignment are commonly used, time-efficient clinical measures that have been proposed as risk factors for running-related injuries, it is unclear if these factors can distinguish injury resistance in runners. PURPOSE: This study compares clinical measures, with consideration of sex, between recently injured runners (3 months to 1 yr prior), those with a high level of injury resistance who have been uninjured for at least 2 yr, and never-injured runners. METHODS: Averaged bilateral values and between-limb symmetry angles of lower limb isometric muscle strength, joint motion, navicular drop, and foot posture index (FPI) were assessed in a cohort of recreational runners, and their injury history was recorded. Differences in clinical measures between injury groupings were examined, with consideration of sex. RESULTS: Of the 223 runners tested, 116 had been recently injured, 61 had been injured >2 yr ago and were deemed to have acquired reinjury resistance, and 46 were never injured. Plantarflexion was greater in both recently injured (P = 0.001) and acquired reinjury resistance runners (P = 0.001) compared with never-injured runners. Recently injured runners displayed higher hip abduction strength compared with never-injured runners (P = 0.019, η2 = 0.038, small effect size). There were no statistically significant differences in the remaining measures between the injury groupings. With the exception of FPI, there was no interaction between sex and injury grouping for any of the measures. CONCLUSION: Commonly used clinical measures of strength, joint motion, and functional foot alignment were not superior in injury-resistant runners compared with recently injured runners, questioning their relevance in identifying future injury resistance of runners.

A high-intensity, intermittent exercise protocol and dynamic postural control in men and women.

CONTEXT: Deficits in dynamic postural control predict lower limb injury. Differing fatiguing protocols negatively affect dynamic postural control. The effect of high-intensity, intermittent exercise on dynamic postural control has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a high-intensity, intermittent exercise protocol (HIIP) on the dynamic postural control of men and women as measured by the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING: University gymnasium. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Twenty male (age = 20.83 ± 1.50 years, height = 179.24 ± 7.94 cm, mass = 77.67 ± 10.82 kg) and 20 female (age = 20.45 ± 1.34 years, height = 166.08 ± 5.83 cm, mass = 63.02 ± 6.67 kg) athletes. INTERVENTION(S): We recorded SEBT measurements at baseline, pre-HIIP, and post-HIIP. The HIIP consisted of 4 repetitions of 10-m forward sprinting with a 90° change of direction and then backward sprinting for 5 m, 2 repetitions of 2-legged jumping over 5 hurdles, 2 repetitions of high-knee side stepping over 5 hurdles, and 4 repetitions of lateral 5-m shuffles. Participants rested for 30 seconds before repeating the circuit until they reported a score of 18 on the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A mixed between- and within-subjects analysis of variance was conducted to assess time (pre-HIIP, post-HIIP) × sex interaction effects. Subsequent investigations assessed the main effect of time and sex on normalized maximal SEBT scores. We used intraclass correlation coefficients to determine the test-retest reliability of the SEBT and paired-samples t tests to assess the HIIP effect on circuit times. RESULTS: We found a time × sex effect (F(8,69) = 3.5; P range, <.001-.04; η(2) range, 0.057-0.219), with women less negatively affected. We also noted a main effect for time, with worse normalized maximal SEBT scores postfatigue (F(8,69) = 22.39; P < .001; η(2) range, 0.324-0.695), and for sex, as women scored better in 7 SEBT directions (F(8,69) = 0.84; P range, <.001-008; η(2) range, 0.088-0.381). The intraclass correlation coefficients demonstrated high (0.77-0.99) test-retest repeatability. Paired-samples t tests demonstrated increases in circuit time post-HIIP (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The HIIP-induced fatigue negatively affected normalized maximal SEBT scores. Women had better scores than men and were affected less negatively by HIIP-induced fatigue.

The use of mixture model theory in CFD for the chemical reaction between CO2 and soda lime in closed circuit rebreather scrubbers.

A mixture model simulation is presented by modeling the axial scrubber in a Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR). The mixture model is a good substitute for the full Eulerian multiphase model because the interphase laws are unknown in this case. Analysis of mesh size, mesh type and inflation are made to independently characterize their accuracy by means of convergence before further comparisons with experimental data. The importance of mesh refinement is demonstrated near the wall with satisfactory results seen on the near grid wall of the boundary where a finer mesh is utilized. The contribution of inflation and grid independence to the accuracy of the model is presented in the results section.

Dietary (sensory) variety and energy balance.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in US adults is currently 68%, compared with about 47% in the early 1970s. Many dietary factors have been proposed to contribute to the US obesity epidemic, including the percentage of energy intake from fat, carbohydrate and protein; glycemic index; fruit and vegetable intake; caloric beverage intake; and fast food or other restaurant food intake. One factor that may also be important is the variety of foods in the diet having different sensory properties, that is, flavors, textures, shapes and colors. A host of studies show that when presented with a greater variety of foods within a meal, humans consume about 22% more energy compared to when only one food is available. These data are supported by laboratory animal studies on the effects of sensory variety on consumption as well as body weight and fat gain. Longer term experimental trials in humans lasting 1-2wk had mixed results but generally showed an increase in intake of 50-60kcal/d per additional food offered, provided at least 5 different foods per day were available. In only two studies to date has reducing dietary variety been explored as a potential method for weight loss. In those studies, which also incorporated a standard behavioral weight loss approach, there was no difference in weight loss when either snack food variety or low nutrient dense, high energy dense variety was limited. However, a broader treatment approach may be more effective, for example limiting the excess variety of foods high in energy density yet which provide little benefit to vitamin and mineral intake at each meal, and further studies are needed in this area.

Amine-functionalised SBA-15 of tailored pore size for heavy metal adsorption.

This study examines the synthesis of SBA-15 with tailored pore sizes through controlled thermal treatment for the adsorption of Pb and Cd ions. The aim is to produce a material that can adsorb heavy metals at both high and low concentrations. The materials were characterised by means of N(2) physisorption, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), microanalysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface areas ranged from 410 to 871 m(2)g(-1), and pore diameter was increased from 5.9 to 10.8 nm. This method allows for maximum adsorption of metal ions at very low concentrations. Metal ion adsorption was determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The effects of pH were found to play a major role in the precipitation and, therefore, adsorption of metal ions. This method proved to be efficient at adsorbing large quantities of both metals (39 and 41 mg g(-1) for Pb and Cd, respectively).

Large pore bi-functionalised mesoporous silica for metal ion pollution treatment.

Here we demonstrate aminopropyl and mercatopropyl functionalised and bi-functionalised large pore mesoporous silica spheres to extract various metal ions from aqueous solutions towards providing active sorbents for mitigation of metal ion pollution. Elemental analysis (EA) and FTIR techniques were used to quantify the attachment of the aminopropyl and mercatopropyl functional groups to the mesoporous silica pore wall. Functionalisation was achieved by post-synthesis reflux procedures. For all functionalised silicas the functionalisation refluxing does not alter particle morphology/agglomeration of the particles. It was found that sorptive capacities of the mesoporous silica towards the functional groups were unaffected by co-functionalisation. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used to establish the pore diameters, packing of the pores and specific surface areas of the modified mesoporous silica spheres. Atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) techniques were used to measure the extraction efficiencies of each metal ion species from solution at varying pHs. Maximum sorptive capacities (as metal ions) were determined to be 384micromolg(-1) for Cr, 340micromol g(-1) for Ni, 358micromol g(-1) for Fe, 364micromol g(-1) for Mn and 188micromol g(-1) for Pd.