CHARACTERISTICS AND PREVENTION OF SPORTS INJURIES IN TAEKWONDO TRAINING

ABSTRACT Introduction: With the extensive and in-depth development of Taekwondo in China, more and more people participate in Taekwondo training. Due to the lack of experience of some coaches and the misunderstanding of scientific sports training by young athletes, injuries occur from time to time. This has a bad effect on Taekwond itself, and it can also damage the health of athletes. Objective: This article discusses joint injuries in Taekwondo and analyzes the characteristics of Taekwondo sports injuries and preventive methods. Methods: This article uses a questionnaire applied to young athletes to gain an understanding of the sports injuries situation. Results: The most common injury sites were feet and joints. The nature of the injuries is mostly soft tissue injury, ligament laceration, and muscle strain. The most serious injuries are kidney and perineal damage. Conclusion: Improving the level of training, strengthening medical supervision, and paying attention to the timely treatment of acute injuries are important ways to reduce the occurrence of trauma. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

Human health care against COVID-19 via environmental management

Although vaccines are successfully developed against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19), and many anticancer, anti-malarial, antibiotic drugs have been repurposed against the disease, it has been just impossible to save valuable human lives in specific conditions. Therefore, medical care has been developed against COVID-19 but not fully able to save human life from the disease. As a result, the third wave is noticed in many countries. Preventive methods such as social distancing, wearing masks, and hand salinization have been accepted as the main strategies to break the chain of the disease. Due to the reduction in pollution under less or no industrial and vehicular operations, water and air ecosystems have been restored in an unseen manner. Especially, NO₂, SO₂ and particulate matters etc. modulated higher expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the receptor of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus -2 in humans have also been emphatically documented. Therefore, along with medical care, environmental protection (especially to regulate NO₂ emissions) along with practicing COVID-19 guidelines is to be maintained fully to combat COVID-19 the disease. Human beings must use this knowledge and experience as a spotlight to save nature in current and future times.

Analysis of Experiences in Preventing COVID-19 in Hemodialysis Centers of the North of Poland before the Era of Vaccination

Background: The appearance of very contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning vaccine immunity may indicate the need to return to using universal methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort survey study to describe the methods used in dialysis units to prevent and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and also the association between these methods and the incidence of COVID-19 among hemodialyzed (HD) patients before the era of vaccination. The study population included all maintenance HD patients (n = 1569) in 14 dialysis units in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Results: The group of 352 patients (199 men, 153 female) were confirmed for COVID-19. The absolute cumulative incidence in the studied period was 22.4%. It varied widely by dialysis units, ranging from 9.4% to 36.9%. Universal preventive methods were applied by all units. Different additional methods were implemented in some stations with varying frequency (36–86%). In order to quantify the scale of the applied additional preventive methods, we calculated a summary prevention index (PI), i.e., one point for one additional method. Lower incidence was found in centers applying dialysis in isolation of patients hospitalized due to diseases requiring hospitalization (17.42% ± 6.89 vs. 26.54 ± 6.34; p = 0.028) and higher incidence in medium-size dialysis centers (ANOVA F: p = 0.017). Significant inverse correlation between PI and incidence was demonstrated as well (r = −0.759; p = 0.002). Conclusions: The higher the number of implemented preventive measures, the lower the risk of COVID-19 infection in HD patients. Among applied procedures the isolation of hospitalized patients is of significant importance. The measures proved to be effective in prevention before the vaccination era should be continued, as the threat of SARS-CoV-2 still exists.

Risk Assessment and Preventive Treatment for Peritoneal Recurrence Following Radical Resection for Gastric Cancer

As the most common recurrence pattern after radical gastric cancer resection, peritoneal recurrence is a major cause of mortality, which affects the prognosis of patients to a very large extent. Peritoneal status and risk of peritoneal recurrence can be evaluated by peritoneal lavage cytology, photodynamic diagnosis, imaging examination, and pathologic analysis. Presently, there is no standard approach for preventing peritoneal recurrence after radical surgery; furthermore, controversies exist regarding the effects of some preventive methods. Among the preventive methods, there are high expectations about the potential of preoperative therapy, surgical skill improvement, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and postoperative treatment to reduce the incidence of peritoneal recurrence after radical gastrectomy. This study aimed to analyze the results of previous studies on the risk assessment and preventive methods of peritoneal recurrence after radical gastrectomy in recent years. We hope to provide references for better approach to clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies for peritoneal recurrence after radical gastrectomy.

Review of Cracked Tooth Syndrome: Etiology, Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention

Cracked tooth syndrome refers to a series of symptoms caused by cracked teeth. This article reviews the current literature on cracked tooth syndrome from four aspects, etiology, diagnosis, management, and prevention, to provide readers integrated information about this. The article begins with an introduction to the odontiatrogenic factors and then covers the noniatrogenic factors that induce cracked tooth syndrome. While the former discusses inappropriate root canal therapy and improper restorative procedures, the latter covers the topics such as the developmental and functional status of cracked tooth syndrome. This is then followed by the description of common clinical diagnosis methods, the prospects of new technologies, and summaries of current clinical management methods, including immediate management and direct and indirect restoration. In the final section, preventive methods and their importance are proposed, with the aim of educating the common population.

An Instrumental Variable Probit Modeling of COVID-19 Vaccination Compliance in Malawi

COVID-19 remains a pressing development concern in Malawi. The third wave of viral infection upsurge raised significant concerns on people’s compliance with preventive methods already introduced by the government, among which vaccination is notable. This study analysed the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination compliance in Malawi. The data were the ninth round of the telephone-based survey that was conducted by Malawi National Statistical Office (NSO) in 2021. The data were analysed with Instrumental Variable Probit model. The results showed that awareness of COVID-19 vaccines arrival was very high (98.19%). Additionally, 11.59% and 60.71% were already vaccinated and planning to be vaccinated, respectively. The Probit regression results showed that age of household heads, need of medical services, being worried of contracting COVID-19 and wearing of masks increased the probability of vaccination compliance, while stress indicators, being employed and not worried at all of contracting COVID-19 reduced it. It was concluded that drastic behaviour change would be needed to address corona virus pandemic in Malawi. There is the need to ensure equity across different age groups in access to vaccines. Further, interventions to ensure proper assessment of an individual’s COVID-19 risk and address psychological and emotional stress that are associated with ongoing pandemic would enhance vaccination compliance.

Effectiveness of Health Interventions towards HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Background: Plentiful development has been achieved in interventions for the prevention of HIV. Although, progression of prevention programs based on evidence – informed methods that interpret the effectiveness of these approaches in population is still a challenge. In developing countries, not many interventions are implemented for reduction of HIV burden. The single most important identified problem is lack of demand, supply, and adherence approaches. In current systemic review, recent evidence for the prevention of HIV in a cascade manner is described to see status of current interventions and further needs for improvements. Methodology: Systemic reviews regarding effectiveness on interventions of HIV prevention were searched. Primary studies were identified from eligible review that evaluated one of following factors: prevalence of HIV, incidence of HIV, testing uptake of HIV and use of condom. Interventions were categorized that pursued demand for prevention of HIV, improvement in supply for preventive approaches, support related to preventive behaviors or prevent HIV directly. A rating was assigned for each intervention based on evidence strength or randomized controlled trials. Results: Out of 91 eligible reviews, 264 primary studies were included in this review. Primary studies related to direct mechanisms of prevention that showed strong data for circumcision and effectiveness of pre – exposure prophylaxis. Evidence implies that interventions related to increased supply of preventive methods including clean needles or condoms can be operative. Interventions related to demand – side and adherence approaches were less clear with some studies showing effectiveness. Quality evidence was assessed among various categories. Various interventions showed supportive outcomes and results. In our findings, it was observed that difference between behavioral and structural has not evidently distinguished the interventions. Conclusion: Growing data is present for the support of effectiveness of products, behaviors, and procedures for prevention of HIV. In developing countries, negligible data is present for implementation of such approaches on community level. Interventions will be required for transforming this evidence to produce impact on population. It will empower the demand for prevention of HIV, supply of preventive technologies and utilization of preventive approaches against HIV. The findings can be eye opener to see actual burden of HIV and their implanted interventions and can be useful to design further intervention programs in future.

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Preventive Methods Efficacy - A Simulation Case Study

The world has been facing the SARS-CoV-2, a.k.a. COVID-19, pandemic with different preventive methods including social distancing, face masking, screening tests (a.k.a. active surveillance), and vaccination. There are many publications and studies on the efficacy of each of these preventive methods for the last couple of years. Not all methods are readily available in each country and not all methods are accepted by all people in each society. In this study, we explore the interaction of the three preventive methods: face masking, vaccinations, and screening tests. We study a confined space to represent schools, businesses, or healthcare facilities and we model the spread of the COVID-19 virus for a 60-day period among a sample population while varying the percentage of people adopting one or more of the three preventive methods. To interpret the simulation results, we define a (Health Goal) target, for example achieving <5% infection rate, i.e., protecting 95% or more of the sample population. We then construct a (Decision Tree) that depicts all valid combinations that achieve this goal. Multiple scenarios are derived from the decision tree to guide decision makers in drawing effective policies to contain the virus spread. We demonstrate a ramping vaccination rate scenario, a removal of the face-masking mandate scenario, and a cost-minimizing goal scenario. The study highlights the efficacy of combining the three prevention methods to constrain the virus spread among the sample population. For example, results show that a combination of 0% vaccination rate, 6% daily screening test rate, and 80% face masking rate will achieve the target ≥95 protection rate, which can represent a scenario in which vaccination is not yet readily available. As the vaccination rate ramps up to 80% among the sample population, the screening test rate can be 0%, while the face masking rate can be as low as 5% to still achieve the health target. Many other scenarios are derived from this study to meet the defined health target, which represents the flexibility afforded to policy and decision makers when trying to adopt a combination of these preventive methods to contain virus spread. The study also reveals the higher efficiency of either the vaccination or screening test over face masking under the assumed virus transmissibility rates in the study.