Here, other initiatives, such as www physiotherapyexercises com,

Here, other initiatives, such as www.physiotherapyexercises.com, are useful. This website, which is appraised in detail in this issue of the journal, allows free online access to definitions of a wide array of exercises used in rehabilitation. Each exercise is described using text, diagrams, and photographs, in some cases supplemented

by video. It therefore provides comprehensive definitions of over 900 exercises. Physiotherapists wishing to describe an exercise can refer to the site knowing that the exercise they name will not be misinterpreted. Other selleck products aspects (such as resistance, repetitions, and any modifications) still need to be defined, but at least the basic description can be unambiguously agreed upon by reference to the site. Other sites do much to standardise even more complex interventions, such as pulmonary rehabilitation on the Australian Lung Foundation’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Toolkit website. Physiotherapists should consider using and supporting initiatives such as those described above. Increasing standardisation of the terms we use clinically and in research has the potential to improve communication within the profession. “
“Interest in the therapeutic alliance between clinician and patient began in the fields of medical care (Stewart 1995) and psychotherapy (Hovarth and Symonds 1991, Martin et al Navitoclax 2000). The therapeutic alliance, also referred to in the literature as the working

alliance, therapeutic bond, or helping alliance, is a general construct that usually includes in its theoretical definition the collaborative nature, the affective bond, and the goal and task agreement between patients

and clinicians (Martin et al 2000). Other constructs, such as trust (Hall et al 2002) the and empathy (Mercer et al 2004), may overlap with this definition and are also used to assess the quality of the alliance. More recently, this concept has been considered in the field of physical rehabilitation, including physiotherapy settings (Hall et al 2010). The evidence has shown that a good therapeutic alliance can positively influence treatment outcomes such as improvement in symptoms and health status and satisfaction with care (Hall et al 2010). A good example comes from musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Patients undergoing physiotherapy for chronic low back pain with a strong therapeutic alliance showed an increase as high as four points on a 0–10 scale of global perceived effect compared to those with a weak therapeutic alliance (Ferreira et al 2009). In the field of physiotherapy, the nature of most interventions is usually long-term. Hence, patients’ adherence to longterm treatment regimens is vital to achieve effective clinical practice (WHO 2003). More broadly, it has been recognised that lack of adherence to long-term therapies results in poor clinical outcomes and unnecessarily high costs of health care (WHO 2003).

, 1998 and Vertzoni et al , 2005)

, 1998 and Vertzoni et al., 2005). Selleck Z-VAD-FMK Ethanol can act as a cosolvent and increase the Sapp in gastrointestinal fluids. This may therefore affect the absorption of poorly soluble drugs. Common modified release formulations carrying high doses of drugs have been shown to disintegrate prematurely and unload the complete dose in the small intestine

in response to ethanol intake ( Fadda et al., 2008 and Walden et al., 2007). This phenomenon is referred to as dose dumping and can lead to increased and potentially hazardous plasma concentrations and adverse side effects of drugs with narrow therapeutic window ( Lennernäs, 2009). A well-known example of this phenomenon is hydromorphone for which one formulation was withdrawn from the market in 2005 after reports of ethanol-induced, dose-dumping-related, adverse drug reactions (ADR). The withdrawn product was a capsule with an extended release formulation consisting of hotmelt extruded granules of the drug, ammonio methacrylate copolymer type b and ethylcellulose. The latter BI 6727 cell line has been shown to be

sensitive to ethanol in dissolution tests ( Fadda et al., 2008). Following this observation the FDA composed a number of substance specific guidelines (e.g., bupropion hydrochloride, morphine sulfate and trospium chloride) to test for ethanol sensitivity of modified release formulations. In these guidelines dissolution behavior should be assessed for 2 h with 0%, 5%, 20% and 40% v/v ethanol in an acidic medium reflecting the gastric milieu ( Anand et al., 2011). We hypothesized that immediate release formulations of drugs with low solubility in gastrointestinal fluids may, in a similar fashion as extended release formulations during dose-dumping,

show increased absorption in response to alcohol intake. This hypothesis is based on the large drug load of such compounds which is not dissolved during gastrointestinal transit under normal fasted conditions. If the presence of ethanol in gastrointestinal fluids increases the dissolution rate and/or the Sapp of a compound, it may also affect the absorption most profile of that drug ( Fig. 1). Indeed, in a previous study investigating 22 compounds in FaSSIF, we found that non-ionizable compounds and weak acids in particular were at a high risk for obtaining significantly different dissolution profiles when administered with ethanol. However, ethanol is rapidly absorbed in the intestinal tract and the impact on absorption was not revealed in the previous study. For instance, it has been shown that if ethanol is co-administered with water, the ethanol disappears from the gastric compartment within 30 min and half of the dose is emptied into the duodenum within 5 min ( Levitt et al., 1997).

Copper proteins have diverse roles in biological electron transpo

Copper proteins have diverse roles in biological electron transport

and oxygen transportation, processes that exploit the easy interconversion of Cu(I) and Cu(II).1 In the field of bioinorganic chemistry, the development of reagents ATM inhibitor that can specifically recognize and cleave DNA under physiological conditions via oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms has been attracting a great interest.2, 3 and 4 In DNA strand scission chemistry, the intermediates responsible for DNA cleavage, active oxygen species, particularly the hydroxyl radical and perhaps their adducts with metal complexes, have been directly or indirectly demonstrated.5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 A number of metal complexes have been reported as anticancer agents in the literature; however, copper, iron, cobalt and nickel complexes are also regarded as promising alternatives to platinum complexes, particularly biocompatible copper(II) complexes

that bind click here and cleave both DNA and protein under physiological conditions and on the use of these synthetic nucleases and proteases for potential anticancer drug development. Copper complexes, which possess biologically accessible redox potentials and demonstrate high nucleobase affinity, are potential reagents for cleavage of biomolecules. Sadler and co-workers have reported mixed ligand bis(salicylato)copper(II) complexes with diimines as co-ligands exhibit cytotoxic and antiviral activities.11 Very recently, Reedijk and co-workers

have reported [CuII(pyrimol)Cl] complex, which shows efficient self-activated DNA cleavage and cytotoxic effects on 11210 murine leukaemia and A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cell lines. The biological studies of metal complexes highlighted the potential of antioxidant activity of copper(II) complex with bioactive ligand.12 and 13 In the present work, we synthesized and characterized a copper(II) complex of the ligand 1-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N-(tetrahydrofuran-2-ylmethyl)methanamine and also the DNA cleavage and in vitro-antioxidant activities were explored. The synthetic route for the present complex is shown in Scheme 1. 1-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)methanamine, copper(II) chloride, agarose (molecular biology grade) and ethidium bromide were procured from Sigma Aldrich, USA and used as received. Other materials like sodium borohydride and solvents like methanol, whatever acetonitrile and dichloromethane were of reagent grade. Benzimidazole carbaldehyde was prepared using published procedure.14 Buffers were prepared using deionised and sonicated triple distilled water. Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane–HCl (Tris–HCl) buffer (pH, 7.2) was used for DNA cleavage studies. UV–visible spectrum of the complex was recorded on a Perkin–Elmer Lambda 35 double beam spectrophotometer at 25 °C. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the copper(II) complex was obtained on a Varian E 112 EPR spectrometer.

Gene expression was measured by real time PCR (RT-PCR) using the

Gene expression was measured by real time PCR (RT-PCR) using the Corbet Research Rotor gene 6000 with the QuantiTech SYBR Green kit (QIAGEN). The FOXP3 sequences used were: forward primer 5′-ACCTGGAAGAACGCCAT and reverse primer Ulixertinib nmr 5′-TGTTCGTCCATCCTCCTTTC both at a final concentration of 0.4 μM. FOXP3 copy numbers were expressed in relation to human acidic ribosomal protein (HuPO), the house keeping gene. The standards were prepared as above using blood donated by an adult and the RT-PCR product

pooled and purified using the QIAquick PCR Purification kit (QIAGEN). The DNA was then quantified using the nanodrop and FOXP3 copy numbers calculated using the Avogadro constant formula. Statistical analyses: For paired comparisons between two time points random effects models were used to allow for the clustering effect of subject. For the antibody responses

GSI-IX cost where there were 7 time points a generalised estimating equation was used with an exchangeable correlation structure. Responses were appropriately transformed and in the absence of a suitable transformation the data was ranked. All regressions were adjusted for possible confounding affects of sex, but due to well balanced groups there was very little evidence of confounding. Where appropriate, time and dose group interactions were tested. Significance was measured at the 5% level and all analyses were performed in Stata 11 (Statacorp) and figures drawn using Matlab 7.9 (The MathWorks Inc.). The number of participants and their loss to the study at different time points are shown in Fig. 1. The overall refusal rate was 11.5%, loss to follow up due to the participant travelling was 17.4% and 3.8% of the children received an unscheduled measles vaccine. The two dose through regimen was safe since side effects were mild and infrequent. They did not differ in frequency or timing between group 1 and group 2 either at 4 months of age or at 9 months of age. The most frequent complaints were diarrhoea and fever with a mean prevalence of 7.9 ± 2.4% and 6.6 ± 2.7% respectively. Before vaccination at 4 months of age median HAI titres were log2 2 (IQR 0–3) and log2 3 (IQR 1–4) in

groups 1 and 2 respectively (Fig. 2 and Supplementary Table). At 9 months before the second measles vaccination the median HAI titre in group 2 was log2 3 (IQR 1–6) which is significantly higher than that of group 1 which was zero; 77% of group 2 children had detectable antibody and 66% had protective levels whereas antibody was detected in only 6% of group 1 children. Two weeks after the second dose of E-Z vaccine antibody titres had risen sharply in group 2 with all but one child reaching protective levels whereas only 25/65 (36.4%) of group1 children attained these levels after their first measles vaccination. At 18 months of age antibody titres in group 2 (median 4, IQR 3–5) fell significantly lower than those in group 1 (median 6, IQR 5–7) but then stabilised between 18 and 36 months.

Anshu Dandia and coworkers reported mild and ecofriendly tandem s

17 Ahmad et al reported that synthesis of triheterocyclic 4H-pyrimido[2,1-b]benzothiazole ring systems by using one pot three component

Akt assay reaction. Melting points were determined in open capillaries. Reactions were monitored by thin layer chromatography using silica gel-G as adsorbent using benzene as mobile phase. IR spectra (KBr pellet) were recorded on Bruker α FT-IR spectrometer, at Amrutvahini College of Pharmacy, Sangamner. 1H NMR spectra (DMSO-d6) were taken on NMR Bruker (Swiss) Avance II 400 MHz spectrometer from Punjab University,

Chandigarh. Equimolar mixture of ethyl cynoacetate, (0.01 mol) substituted benzaldehyde (0.01 mol); substituted 2-amino benzothiazole (0.01 mol) and 25 ml ethanol in RBF were BKM120 irradiated independently inside microwave oven at 640 W for 5 min (TLC control). The crystalline product was started to separate out just after cooling the reaction mixture at room temperature. The crystalline solid that separated out was filtered and found to be pure by TLC. Recrystallization was done with ethanol. Physicochemical properties of all synthesized compounds depicted in Table 1. FT-IR (KBr): 3425(N–H str), 3036(C–H str), 1723(C O str), 1610(C N str), 1534(C C str),1266(C–S

str), 727(C–Cl str).1H NMR (DMSO-d6) δ ppm:, 1.34–1.38(t,3H,CH3), δ3.35(s,2H,NH2), δ4.29–4.35(q,2H,CH2), δ6.12(s,1H,CH), δ7.71–7.93(m,3H,Ar H), δ7.48(m,4H,Ar H)., EI–MS: (m/z:, %RA): 419(M+ 92%),418(M+2 56%); % Anal.: calculated: ADP ribosylation factor C 54.29,H 3.60%,N 10.00%,O 7.61% Found: C 54.32%,H 3.46%,N 9.06%,O 7.52%. FT-IR (KBr): 3418(N–H str), 3030(C–H str), 1719(C O str), 1606(C N str), 1540(C C str), 1528(–NO2str), 1267(C–S str). 1H NMR (DMSO-d6) δ ppm:, δ 1.33–1.37(t,3H,CH3), δ 4.12(s,2H,NH2), δ4.32(q,2H,CH2), δ 6.16(s,1H,CH), δ 7.61–7.73(m,4H,Ar H), δ 7.94(m,3H,Ar H)., EI–MS: (m/z:RA): 429(M+ 87%),427(M+2 48%); % Anal.: calculated for C 52.96%,H 3.51%,N 13.00%,O 14.85%,Found: C 52.78%,H 3.72%, N 13.06%,O 14.56%. FT–IR (KBr): 3455(N–H str), 3324(–OH str), 3021(C–H str), 1714(C O str), 1645(C N str), 1540(C C str),1270(C–S str). 1H NMR (DMSO-d6) δ ppm:, δ 1.31–1.36 δ(t,3H,CH3), δ 3.35(s,2H,NH2), δ 4.27–4.32(q,2H,CH2), δ 6.21(s,1H,CH), δ 5.1(s,1H,OH), δ 7.70–7.85(m,3H,Ar H), δ 7.90(m,4H,Ar H). EI–MS: (m/z: RA): 400(M+ 71%), 398(M+2 52%); % Anal.: calculated: C 56.79%,H 4.01%, N 10.46%,O 11.94%, Found: C 56.82%,H 4.00%.N 10.36%,O 11.78%. FT–IR (KBr): 3455(N–H str), 3284(–OH str), 2987(C–H str), 1723(C O str), 1585(C N str), 1270(C–S str).

2 For visual laser ablation of the prostate a side-firing laser i

2 For visual laser ablation of the prostate a side-firing laser is used to treat the prostatic urothelium and underlying tissue, which leads to eventual sloughing of the prostatic urothelium and underlying tissue, and opening of the prostatic channel. During the postoperative period the patient typically experiences severe storage

voiding symptoms. On the other hand, with interstitial laser coagulation a similar low power laser is applied deep to the prostatic urothelium in an effort to decrease the lower urinary tract symptoms.2 Due to lack of long-term durable outcomes, high production costs and results no better than those of other MIST, this office based technology has fallen out of favor. However, despite declining

use of MIST in the U.S. in the last 5 years, is there still a role in our therapeutic armamentarium for them? It should be noted R428 supplier that this decrease in MIST has been largely driven by declining BIBF 1120 purchase reimbursement as well as less than optimal long-term sustainability of efficacy. One of the newest devices to fill the gap between medication and surgical intervention is the prostatic urethral lift device known as the UroLift® system (fig. 1, NeoTract, Inc., Pleasanton, California). The UroLift system is a nonablative technique that uses solely mechanical compression to open the prostatic urethra. We discuss the advantages and potential limitations of this procedure being performed in an office setting. The initial experience with this system required a 25Fr cystoscope, which precluded routine use Bumetanide in the office, but as the system was refined, PUL can now be done with a rigid 20Fr cystoscope. With the patient in the lithotomy position, the cystoscope is placed into the bladder (fig. 2, a), and a custom delivery device, preloaded with a suture, is deployed in the anterolateral position to compress lateral tissue ( fig. 2, b). A handheld

delivery device is fired with transurethral sutures at the anterolateral lobes of the prostate. A 19 gauge, 33 mm needle is fired, traverses the capsule and then anchors itself to compress the prostate. For small prostates (ie 60 gm) 2 to 4 sutures are needed and more sutures are required for larger prostates ( fig. 3). An absolute contraindication for the procedure is a prominent median lobe.4 In addition, patients with other concomitant indications for surgical intervention, including recurrent urinary tract infection or hematuria, bladder stones or renal insufficiency, should not undergo the procedure. Finally, men with a history of acute urinary retention or concern/diagnosis of detrusor underactivity or decompensation may also require more formal removal of obstructing tissue.

A particular concern relating to the administration of pneumococc

A particular concern relating to the administration of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPS) to unprimed young children is the theoretical risk that hyporesponsiveness CH5424802 clinical trial may occur following re-challenge or subsequent pneumococcal exposure following PPS [20]. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in studies with Group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine [21]. Studies in young children using different valencies and formulations ranging from five

to 100 μg/serotype of PPS have shown inconsistent results including reduced responses to some serotypes following revaccination [15] and [22]. Conversely, one infant study showed no evidence of hyporesponsiveness on revaccination with PPS [16]. The assays used in these studies were less specific than techniques currently in use, and the clinical relevance of these immunological findings

remains unknown. The seven serotypes included in PCV are responsible for 55% of IPD episodes in children aged under 5 in Fiji [23]. This potential serotype coverage would increase to 83% if the 23vPPS, which does not contain serotype 6A, was used, and 87%, if the new 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine produced by Wyeth Vaccines (which includes serotypes 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F and 19A) was used [23]. The aim of this study was to find an optimal vaccination strategy for resource CHIR-99021 clinical trial poor countries in terms of serotype coverage, flexibility, and affordability. We undertook a Phase II vaccine trial in

Fiji to document the safety and immunogenicity of various pneumococcal vaccination regimens combining one, two, or three doses of PCV in infancy. To broaden serotype coverage, the additional benefit of a booster of 23vPPS at 12 months of age was also assessed. To address the concerns of hyporesponsiveness to PPS following re-challenge, this paper presents the immunological response at 17 months of age to a small challenge dose of 20% of the 23vPPS (mPPS) in infants who had or had not received the 23vPPS at 12 months of age. The study was a single blind, open-label randomized Phase II vaccine trial undertaken in Suva, the capital Phosphoprotein phosphatase of Fiji. Healthy infants aged between six and eight weeks were eligible for enrolment. Details of the selection criteria and the randomization procedure have been reported elsewhere [24]. Infants were stratified by ethnicity and randomized into one of eight groups The seven-valent CRM197 protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccine containing polysaccharide antigen from pneumococcal serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, 23F (Prevenar®, Wyeth Vaccines) was used. The vaccine contains 2 μg/serotype, except serotype 6B which is 4 μg.

In a rare example, Masood (2007) investigated the influence of co

In a rare example, Masood (2007) investigated the influence of compactness of a 3D printed model tablets and the inter-filament space on dye penetration through the printed tablets. More recently, Sandler et al. (2014b) demonstrated the fabrication of an anti-biofilm medical device using a 3D printer and antibacterial loaded PVA filaments. Goyanes et al. (2014) investigated

the influence of changing the degree of infill percentage on fluorescein release from cylindrical matrix. However, limited research is available on the use of FDM in the fabrication of dosage forms as well as the accuracy of weight and dosage of this manufacturing technique. The aim of this work ISRIB in vitro is to investigate the feasibility of producing extended-release prednisolone tablets as well as controlling the dose via digital manipulation of the printed volume. Poly(vinyl

alcohol) (PVA) is biodegradable and widely used in the pharmaceutical field as an extended release matrix for oral delivery (Carstensen et al., 1981), transdermal patches (Wan and Lim, 1992) as well as mucoadhesive and viscosity enhancer for ocular preparations (Davies buy OSI-744 et al., 1991 and Wilson et al., 1983). The availably of PVA as a filament for 3D printer enabled its use as a model polymer in this study. Prednisolone was purchased from Severn Biotech Ltd (Kidderminster, UK). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) filaments (melting point 160–170 °C, specific heat 0.4 Cal/g °C, density 1.25–1.35 g/cm3) were purchased from Reprapcentral (UK). Glycerol, acetonitrile and methanol were supplied by British Drug Houses (BDH, London, UK). Scotch blue painter’s tape 50 mm was supplied by 3 M (Bracknell, UK). PVA filaments were loaded with prednisolone via incubation in a saturated solution of prednisolone in methanol at 30 °C for 24 h. After which, the filaments were dried in over at 40 °C and weighed

every 1 h until a stable weight obtained. To assess loading efficiency, three representative samples of PVA (100 mg) were incubated in 100 ml of 1:1 methanol: water mixture under sonication for 2 h and were assessed using HPLC as detailed in Section 2.5. The loading percentage of the filament was calculated as shown in Eq. (1). equation(1) Loading percentage(S)=100×Mass of prednisoloneTotal mass of filament Blank and drug loaded new PVA tablets were designed in an ellipse shape using Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2012 software version 14.0 (Autodesk, Inc., USA) and saved in STL format (Fig. 1a and b). The design was imported to the 3D printer’s software, MakerWare Version 2.4.0.17 (MakerBot Industries, LLC., USA) (Fig. 1). A series of tablets with increasing volumes were printed by modifying the dimensions of the design: length × width × heights (L, H, W) without altering the ratios between these dimensions (W = H = 0.4 L). The volume of the design (V) was calculated as: equation(2) V=πL2W2H=0.

Second, it is a composite score including different constructs (s

Second, it is a composite score including different constructs (sleep, pain, stiffness). Third, the threshold for clinical important difference for this score is not known. It is interesting that the highest difference in pain scores was found comparing the self-management group with the attention-control group, and not the usual care group. However, this lack of ‘attention effect’ is not addressed in the discussion.

Potentially, the health education interventions increased attention towards screening and awareness of potential health problems resulting in adverse effects. This study includes a relevant, low cost, feasible self-management support intervention. see more Telephone-based interventions are particular suitable for trials in rural areas and for older persons

with mobility limitations. As this study mainly included men (93% of sample) who were overweight, further studies are warranted before the results can be generalised to a larger population. “
“Summary of: Balducci S et al (2010) Effect of an intensive exercise intervention strategy on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in subject s with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 170: 1794-1803. [Prepared by Nicholas Taylor, CAP Co-ordinator.] Question: Does an intensive exercise program improve glycaemic control, physical activity, and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus? Design: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation and blinded outcome assessment. Setting: 22 diabetic outpatient clinics in Italy. Participants: The trial included sedentary patients with Type 2 diabetes. Any conditions limiting or contraindicating this website physical activity were exclusion criteria.

Randomisation of 606 participants allocated 303 to the intervention group and 303 to a comparison group. Interventions: Both groups received structured individual counselling every 3 months over 12 months, which consisted of encouragement and strategies to achieve recommended levels of physical activity. In addition, the intervention group participated in an intensive exercise program. The 12 month exercise program consisted of 150 minutes per week in 2 sessions of progressive aerobic and resistance exercises supervised by an exercise specialist. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was not the reduction in HbAlc (glycosylated haemoglobin) at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures were physical activity, and a range of cardiovascular risk factors including waist circumference, blood pressure, and coronary heart disease risk scores. Results: 563 participants (93%) completed the study. The median exercise training attendance was 80%. At 12 months, the reduction in HbAlc was significantly more in the exercise group by 0.30% (95% CI 0.10 to 0.49). At 12 months, total physical activity improved significantly more in the exercise group than in the comparison group by 10 MET-h/wk (95% CI 8.6 to 11.6).

Table 1 presents the standard

Table 1 presents the standard Selleck Duvelisib costs (year 2009) that were used in the economic evaluation. The analysis included the intervention costs, direct healthcare costs, and indirect non-healthcare costs resulting from loss of production due to work or school absenteeism. The costs

associated with the implementation of the preventive exercises were included as intervention costs (Table 1). The accumulated intervention costs were €287 per team, corresponding to €14.14 per participant. Use of healthcare facilities as a result of injuries sustained was included as direct healthcare costs (Hakkaart-van Roijen et al 2011). This included the costs of consulting a general practitioner, physiotherapist, or medical specialist (eg, orthopaedist, surgeon), hospital stay, and injury-related costs of supplementary diagnostics (eg, ultrasound, CT scan), medical devices (eg, crutches, braces), medication, and secondary preventive devices (eg, tape, braces, insoles, groin pants) as presented in Table 1. Costs of productivity losses due to absence from work were included and valued using the friction cost method (Koopmanschap et al 1995), according to Dutch standards for health economic evaluations (Hakkaart-van Roijen et al 2011). At present, the Dutch friction period, ie, the time needed

Autophagy Compound Library manufacturer to replace an ill or injured employee, is 23 weeks on average (Hakkaart-van Roijen et al 2011). All costs due to productivity losses were also corrected for an elasticity of 0.8, as the reduction in productivity is non-linearly related to the reduction in working time (Hakkaart-van Roijen et al 2011). Based on the age range of 18 to 40 years and male gender, isothipendyl the mean cost price for one hour of work absenteeism was estimated at €26.41 (Table 1). The costs of school absenteeism were calculated using the net minimum youth wage for the age of 21 (the average age of students in our sample), which was €5.85 per hour. An intention-to-treat procedure was adopted for the analysis of differences in effects and costs between the two groups. The differences in the proportion of injured players between the groups were analysed using Chi-square analysis, controlled

for baseline differences between the groups. The difference in injury risk between the two groups, calculated as the number of injuries divided by the total number of players in each group, was analysed using 95% CIs based on the Poisson model. Data collected from the recovery form were used to derive the costs of injuries. Due to the skewed distribution of the cost data, confidence intervals around the cost differences were calculated using non-parametric bootstrapping with 5000 replications (Efron and Tibshirani 1986). Cost-effectiveness pairs were also obtained by bootstrapping with 5000 replications. Cost-effectiveness planes were obtained by plotting the incremental costs (vertical axis) against the incremental effects (horizontal axis) of each single bootstrap (Black 1990).