Effect of Joint Mobilization Versus Soft Tissue Mobilization Along with Conventional Exercise on Pain, Quality of Life and Hip Range of Motion in Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

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Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a clinically important hip disorder that may contribute to the development of early hip osteoarthritis. It is frequently identified in physically active young and middle-aged adults, with symptomatic presentations commonly occurring in individuals between 20 and 40 years of age.

Methods: Twenty individuals diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome who fulfilled the predetermined selection criteria were recruited for the study. The participants were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A received joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise, whereas Group B received soft tissue mobilization combined with conventional exercise. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), hip-related functional status was evaluated using the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), and hip internal rotation range of motion was measured using a goniometer.

Result: Statistically significant improvements were observed in both groups for pain intensity, Hip Outcome Score, and hip internal rotation range of motion following the intervention. Between-group analysis also demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the post-intervention outcomes, with Group A showing greater improvement compared with Group B.

Conclusion: Both treatment approaches were associated with improvements in pain, hip-related functional outcomes, and hip internal rotation range of motion in individuals with FAIS. However, joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise demonstrated greater improvements compared with soft tissue mobilization combined with conventional exercise in the present study. These findings suggest that joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise may be a beneficial conservative physiotherapy approach for individuals with FAIS.

Spatial Distribution of Insects Associated with Stored Maize and Assessment of Damage in Odienné Department (North-East Côte d’Ivoire)

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In Côte d’Ivoire, maize (Zea mays L.) is the second most widely grown and consumed cereal after rice. However, this crop suffers significant post-harvest losses due to pests. This study aimed to map the spatial distribution of the main pests and to assess the damage caused to maize stocks. A sample of 189 kg of maize grains was collected from 21 storage structures across seven localities. The insects collected after sifting the grains were identified under a binocular magnifying glass using identification keys. This study identified 10 species belonging to 9 families and 10 genera. The most dominant and omnipresent species across all the surveyed sites were Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum. The highest mean infestation rate was 94.0 ± 0.48%, followed by a mean weight loss of 71.1 ± 1.85%. The findings highlight the importance of implementing monitoring strategies to develop effective methods for managing stock pests, given the high levels of infestation.

Beliefs About Protection Against Sexually Transmitted Infections Attributed to Emergency Contraception Among University Students

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Objective: To describe beliefs about protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) attributed to oral emergency contraception among university students.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study included 377 records from a survey conducted in 2025. Responses to a question about protection against STIs, sources of information on contraceptive methods, and demographic characteristics were analyzed. Absolute frequencies and percentages were calculated without hypothesis testing.

Results: Participants included 254 women (67.4%) and 123 men (32.6%). A total of 264 students (70.0%) selected the response indicating no protection against STIs; 113 (30.0%) attributed some protection to the medication. The most frequent misconception was that it protects against vaginal infections (70; 18.6%). The internet was the most frequently reported information source (233; 61.8%), followed by school (92; 24.4%). Among those reporting the internet, 76 (32.6%) selected a response attributing protection against infections.

Conclusions: Three in ten participants attributed protection against infections to emergency contraception. The findings support proposing educational content that distinguishes pregnancy prevention from STI prevention. They do not establish sexual behaviors or causal effects of information sources.

A Role of Siddha Medicine in the Management of Vathasthambam: A Case Report

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Vathasthambam is commonly affects middle age individual and characterized by aggravated Vatham, penetrating or boring pain, low back pain radiating to the posterior aspect of the thigh, swelling, numbness and bow like stiffness. Based on the similarities of its clinical manifestations Vathasthambam can be correlated with Sciatica. This case reported a 30-year-old male patient who has 10-days history of Vathasthambam like symptoms following trauma. The patient received Siddha internal and external therapies with an integrated Siddha treatment protocol for 15 days. The patient was treated with internal medicines namely, pavalamalli ilai kudineer, Mudakku and Thripala chooranams along with external therapies including ennai seelai, Thokkanam and vedhu. Clinical outcomes were assessed before and after treatment using pain intensity, tenderness, walking distance, Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test and other relevant clinical examinations and selected Siddha diagnostic parameters. These observations indicate improvement in symptoms and clinical findings during the treatment period. However, as an uncontrolled single case, spontaneous recovery, regression to the mean, and placebo effects cannot be excluded. Therefore, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis generating rather than evidence of treatment efficacy. Controlled clinical studies using standardized outcome measures and appropriate safety required. After 15 days of treatment, the recorded symptom score improved from 11 to 1, and the SLR and Slump tests became negative. This case suggests that Siddha therapeutic interventions may effective in the management of Vathasthambam, providing significant pain relief and functional improvement without any observed adverse effects. However further well-designed clinical studies with large sample sizes are required to establish efficacy and safety of this intervention. However, the report does not provide a structured adverse event monitoring method. The case therefore supports the feasibility of documenting an integrated Siddha treatment protocol in a patient with Vathasthambam, but it cannot establish efficacy of safety.

The Role of Opinion Leaders in Advancing Teenage Education Through Behaviour Change Communication: Evidence from Mount Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya

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Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) plays an important role in influencing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that affect educational outcomes among teenagers. Within rural communities, opinion leaders can serve as important communication actors because of their familiarity with local contexts and the trust placed in them by community members. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how opinion leadership communication approaches contribute to advancing teenage education in rural settings such as Mt. Elgon Sub-County. This study examined the perceived effectiveness of opinion leadership communication approaches used by Restore A Dream Africa (RADA) in advancing teenage education in Mt. Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to students, parents/guardians and teachers, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews with community leaders and RADA staff and focus group discussions with students and parents/guardians. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data were organized thematically. The findings indicated that opinion leaders were perceived to play an important role in advancing teenage education through encouraging teenagers to remain in school, influencing education-related decisions, providing trusted educational information and helping to change attitudes towards teenage education. Questionnaire findings showed generally positive perceptions of opinion leaders, with agreement across the four indicators ranging from 73.6% to 78.7%. Community leaders were particularly identified as important links between RADA, parents and teenagers through community meetings, sensitization activities and direct engagement with families and young people. Religious leaders also communicated educational messages through sermons, worship settings and informal community discussions. The study concludes that opinion leadership communication approaches were perceived to provide an important mechanism through which BCC messages could be communicated, interpreted and reinforced within the community. The study recommends strengthening the involvement of trusted community and religious leaders in education-focused communication initiatives and enhancing their collaboration with RADA, parents, schools and teenagers to support continued school participation.

From Gatekeepers to Gatekeeping Systems: Rethinking Journalism Theory in the Age of Algorithms and Generative AI

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Gatekeeping has remained one of the foundational theoretical approaches for explaining how information becomes news. From Kurt Lewin’s conceptualisation of gates and channels to David Manning White’s study of the newspaper wire editor, traditional gatekeeping theory located considerable power in human actors who selected, rejected and organised information before it reached audiences. The contemporary news environment, however, complicates this model. News selection is increasingly distributed across journalists, newsroom analytics, search engines, social media platforms, recommender systems and generative artificial intelligence. This paper re-examines gatekeeping theory through an interdisciplinary synthesis of journalism studies, platform studies, artificial intelligence research and communication theory. Drawing on a structured conceptual review of more than 29 major scholarly contributions, it argues that contemporary journalism is moving from identifiable gatekeepers towards interconnected gatekeeping systems. Within these systems, editorial judgement has not disappeared; rather, it interacts continuously with computational selection, platform infrastructures, audience behaviour and generative systems capable of producing, summarising and reorganising information. The paper proposes a five-layer model of contemporary gatekeeping comprising source, editorial, algorithmic, platform and generative gates. It further distinguishes between selection power, traditionally exercised by editors, and visibility power, increasingly exercised through technological infrastructures. The study concludes that gatekeeping theory remains valuable but requires conceptual expansion from the question of who controls the gate to the broader question of how interconnected human and computational systems determine what information becomes visible, credible and socially consequential.

Tumor Detection with PET and CT: A Comparative Physical Review

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Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important molecular imaging modality in oncology because it provides functional and metabolic information that complements the anatomical information obtained from computed tomography (CT). However, the ability of PET to detect tumors is fundamentally determined by several physical characteristics of the imaging system, including spatial resolution, sensitivity, image contrast, noise, photon attenuation, scatter, random coincidences, and partial-volume effects. This review aims to examine the physical basis of PET for tumor detection and to compare its principal imaging characteristics with those of CT. A comparative narrative review was conducted using relevant literature on PET physics, detector instrumentation, image formation, image-quality determinants, tumor detectability, and the physical principles of CT. The reviewed evidence indicates that PET provides high sensitivity to radiotracer distribution and functional abnormalities, making it particularly valuable for detecting metabolically active tumors. However, its relatively limited spatial resolution and susceptibility to attenuation, scatter, noise, and partial-volume effects can restrict the detection and accurate characterization of small or low-contrast lesions. In contrast, CT provides superior anatomical detail and spatial resolution through X-ray attenuation measurements but offers substantially less direct functional information. The evidence therefore indicates that PET and CT possess complementary physical capabilities: PET is primarily advantageous for functional and metabolic tumor characterization, whereas CT is superior for anatomical localization and structural delineation. Understanding these physical differences is essential for interpreting the respective strengths and limitations of PET and CT in tumor detection and for optimizing their complementary use in hybrid PET/CT imaging.

Evaluation of the Role of Local Government in Strengthening Flash Flood Disaster Mitigation Capacity in Teluk Wondama Regency

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Teluk Wondama Regency remains highly exposed to flash-flood hazards, particularly along the Wasior-Wondiboy-Rasiei corridor, where settlements, public services, transport networks, and government functions are concentrated. The 2010 Wasior flash flood demonstrated the severity of potential consequences, while current evidence indicates that mitigation capacity still requires systematic strengthening. This study evaluates the role of local government in flash-flood mitigation, identifies enabling and constraining factors, and formulates strategies to strengthen mitigation capacity. A qualitatively oriented mixed-methods approach was applied within an evaluative case-study design. Data were obtained from disaster-management, development-planning, spatial-planning, environmental, program, and budget documents; semi-structured interviews with nine purposively selected informants; field observations in Wasior, Wondiboy, and Rasiei; and descriptive quantitative scoring of 30 indicators across six mitigation-capacity dimensions. The local government has performed roles as regulator and planner, coordinator, facilitator, service implementer, development controller, and community enabler; however, these roles have not yet formed a fully integrated mitigation system. The overall capacity score was 54 of 120, equivalent to 45.0 on a 0-100 scale and categorized as less adequate. Policy-planning and spatial planning-watershed management each scored 50, whereas technical systems-early warning-evacuation and community capacity each scored 40. The principal finding is a persistent gap between normative capacity and operational functionality. Priority strategies include updating risk and disaster-management plans, strengthening inter-agency coordination, operationalizing the emergency operations center and sub-watershed-based early warning, testing evacuation networks, controlling risk-prone land use, sustaining preventive financing, and institutionalizing community preparedness.

Water Demand Management in the Island of Crete, Greece

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The supply and demand management of water resources in Crete is necessary to avoid water shortages in the island predicted in the future due to climate change. Water demand management in Crete should aim not simply to reduce water consumption, but to ensure that available water is used efficiently, economically and sustainably. Several studies related to water resources in Crete have been reviewed and the water consumption in several sectors has been estimated. The island is sufficient in water resources under average meteorological conditions while climate change is foreseen to reduce water precipitation in the coming decades resulting in water shortages. Agriculture is by far the greatest water consumer in the island using around 80% of the total water use. Crete’s tourism industry is growing fast while its share in total water demand is around 3%. Several technical and non-technical measures can be used to reduce the water demand in Crete. The efficient use of water in agriculture and tourism can reduce significantly the total water consumption which was estimated at 610.94 hm3 in 2016. A 10% reduction in water consumption in these two sectors can reduce the total annual water consumption in the island by 8.15 % or by 49.78 hm3/year. Appropriate water pricing, use of financial tools, awareness raising and education of several water-related stakeholders would contribute in the decrease of water demand in Crete. The results of the current study could be used from policy makers, local and regional authorities as well as from water-related organizations in the island.

Investigating The Influence of TikTok English Video Clips on Improving Listening Skills of EFL Sophomores

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Listening comprehension plays a pivotal role in English language acquisition, many EFL learners often struggle with real world listening skills due to limited exposure to authentic materials. With the rapid growth of social media, TikTok has emerged as an engaging, accessible platform offering authentic, bite sized video content that can potentially support language learning. This study investigated the influence of TikTok English video clips on improving the listening skills of EFL sophomores at Nguyen Tat Thanh University quantitavely. It aims to examine how regular integration of TikTok video clips enhances learners’ listening performance, comprehension strategies, and motivation. Its participants were 35 sophomores. The qualitative data indicated that students hold positive perceptions toward using TikTok, highlighting its benefits in exposing them to natural speech rates, diverse accents, and contemporary vocabulary in low stress environments. Pedagogical implications are also discussed to offer practical recommendations for incorporating short form video platforms into tertiary EFL listening curricula.