Radiofrequency-based treatment in therapy-related clinical practice – a narrative review. Part I : acute conditions

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Physical Therapy Reviews on 24 June 2015, available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/1743288X15Y.0000000016Background: Radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RFEMF or simply RF)-based electrophysical agents (EPAs) have been employed in therapy-related clinical practice for several decades. They are used to reduce pain and inflammation and enhance tissue healing. Although these agents have generally become less popular in contemporary therapy practice, surveys have shown that some of these modalities are still reasonably widely used. Objective: To review the evidence for the use of non-invasive low frequency RFs (30 kHz–30 MHz) in therapy-related clinical practice. Major findings: All peer reviewed therapy-related clinical studies published in English and concerning low frequency RF were sought. Identified literature was divided into acute and chronic segments based on their clinical area and analysed to assess the volume and scope of current evidence. The studies on acute conditions were reviewed in detail for this paper. One hundred twenty clinical studies were identified, of which 30 related to acute conditions. The majority of studies employed Pulsed Shortwave Therapy (PSWT). Twenty-two studies out of 30 were related to conditions of pain and inflammation, seven to tissue healing and one to acute pneumothorax. No studies were identified on frequencies other than shortwave. Conclusions: Evidence for and against RF-based therapy is available. There is reasonable evidence in support of PSWT to alleviate postoperative pain and promote postoperative wound healing. Evidence for other acute conditions is sparse and conflicting. A general lack of research emphasis in the non-shortwave RF band is evident, with studies on acute conditions almost non-existent. Further and wider research in this area is warranted.Peer reviewe

Lessons from the Subprime Meltdown

This paper uses Hyman P. Minsky's approach to analyze the current international financial crisis, which was initiated by problems in the American real estate market. In a 1987 manuscript, Minsky had already recognized the importance of the trend toward securitization of home mortgages. This paper identifies the causes and consequences of the financial innovations that created the real estate boom and bust. It examines the role played by each of the key playersincluding brokers, appraisers, borrowers, securitizers, insurers, and regulatorsin creating the crisis. Finally, it proposes short-run solutions to the current crisis, as well as longer-run policy to prevent it (a debt deflation) from happening again

La codification en Belgique :le droit de la consommation dans le nouveau Code de droit économique: in n L. Arcelin Lécuyer (éd.), Quels moyens pour un droit de la consommation effectif et efficace à l’ère numérique ?

Cet article, rédigé suite à un colloque international tenu à l’Université de La Rochelle le 10 octobre 2014 ( intervention consultable ici :http://portail-video.univ-lr.fr/La-pertinence-d-un-code-de-la), a pour objet de montrer et analyser l’approche suivie en droit belge dans le domaine de la codification du droit de la consommation. Cette approche a plusieurs particularités :au contraire de pays comme l’Allemagne, les Pays-Bas ou l’Autriche, la Belgique a d’emblée régi le droit de la consommation en-dehors Code civil ;mais, par ailleurs, au contraire d’autres Etats membres de l’Union européenne, comme la France, elle n’a pas non plus fait le choix de l’adoption d’un Code propre au droit de la consommation. Depuis l’origine (récente) de ce droit en Belgique, le législateur régit en un seul corps de texte le droit de la concurrence déloyale (les normes de loyauté dans les rapports entre professionnels), d’une part, et le droit de la consommation (normes d’information et de protection des consommateurs), de l’autre, ce qui présente des avantages mais pose aussi des problèmes aigus lors de la transposition des directives européennes lorsque celles-ci ne concernent que le droit de la consommation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe