Irish journal of medical science
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Despite the undeniable effect of vaccination against COVID-19 in reducing disease severity, there is still a need to monitor and limit SARS-CoV-2 circulation and transmission. Thus, this study evaluated the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome on the surfaces of highly touched objects manipulated in the biological sample collection point and at the reception unit of the diagnostic laboratory. Surfaces were sampled once a week, for 6 weeks, between September 18th and October 23rd, 2020. ⋯ It can also reflect the low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 during the study's development period. Despite the low frequency of SARS-CoV-2 genome detection, our findings show that the virus was present in the environment at some point. This highlights the importance of adopting personal preventive measures to reduce respiratory virus spread, especially during epidemics and outbreaks.
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Braces have been a popular treatment option for scoliosis among healthcare professionals for many years. However, the effect of braces on scoliosis treatment remains a subject of ongoing debate and research. ⋯ Our study suggests that wearing a scoliosis brace may negatively affect an individual's vertical and standing long jumps, and forward reach distances. However, wearing or not wearing the brace had no significant effect on postural control and timed stand-up test. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of scoliosis braces in treating AIS.
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One of the means of easing increased pressure on emergency care worldwide has been the development of advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice in the emergency department setting. This model of care is in its infancy in Ireland. ⋯ The findings of this study indicate that an advanced practice physiotherapist can provide a timely, effective, and safe service for patients attending the emergency department with musculoskeletal complaints in Ireland.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently made a long-term commitment towards fostering open science. The NASA Transform to Open Science (TOPS) initiative provides recommendations, best practices, and tools related to open science. ⋯ In this paper, we summarize several key points open science that were presented as part of NASA's Open Science 101 Module 1 at an in-person training event in Washington, D. C., and include how open science can be beneficial for researchers and society as a whole.
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Vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency is common in patients with hyperparathyroidism, but the importance of replacement before surgery is controversial. It can be predicted that hypocalcemia risk will be higher in patients with high bone turnover. ⋯ Vit D deficiency increases the risk of postoperative hypocalcemia, but it is not sufficient alone to predict it. The risk increases more in patients with high bone turnover. The preoperative ALP/Vit D ratio is the strongest predictor of postoperative hypocalcemia risk.