The Impact of Mass Media-Delivered Family Planning Campaigns in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Meta-Analysis of Advertising and Entertainment-Education Format Effects.

Effective family planning methods are shown to save lives, contribute to gender equality, and boost economic development. Mass media communication campaigns in low- and middle-income countries have been effective in increasing contraceptive use, although the strategies that increase the likelihood of success are unclear. The present study uses meta-analyses to uncover the average effect of media campaigns on family planning behaviors in low- and middle-income countries and to examine the effectiveness of two communication strategies: entertainment-education and advertising/public service announcements.

Haptic control of a pneumatic muscle actuator to provide resistance for simulated isokinetic exercise; part II: control development and testing.

Pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) have a high power to weight ratio and possess unique characteristics which make them ideal actuators for applications involving human interaction. PMAs are difficult to control due to nonlinear dynamics, presenting challenges in system implementation. Despite these challenges, PMAs have great potential as a source of resistance for strength training and rehabilitation.

Haptic control of a pneumatic muscle actuator to provide resistance for simulated isokinetic exercise: Part I--dynamic test station and human quadriceps dynamic simulator.

Pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) have a high power to weight ratio and possess unique characteristics which make them ideal actuators for applications involving human interaction. PMAs are difficult to control due to nonlinear dynamics, presenting challenges in system implementation. Despite these challenges, PMAs have great potential as a source of resistance for strength training and rehabilitation.

Evaluation of the Avon Foundation community education and outreach initiative Community Patient Navigation Program.

Introduction: Black women in the United States experience disproportionate breast cancer mortality. Culturally appropriate community education on the importance of breast health coupled with the availability of free or low-cost mammography screening services may help improve the use of mammography screening services among Black women. The Avon Foundation Community Patient Navigation Program seeks to fill this need.

Pneumatic muscle actuator for resistive exercise in microgravity: test with a leg model.

Introduction: A proof-of-concept demonstration is described in which a DC servomotor (simulating the quadriceps of a human operator) rotated a pulley 90 degrees (simulating knee extension). A pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) generated an opposing force (antagonist) to the rotating pulley. One application of such a device is for use in microgravity environments because the PMA is compact, simple, and of relatively small mass (283 g).