International low back pain guidelines: A comparison of two research based models of care for the management of acute low back pain.

Evidence based guidelines for the management of acute low back pain (ALBP) have been formulated by numerous countries. There are discrepancies between guidelines regarding physiotherapy treatment. The aim of this study was to compare two research based models derived from international LBP guidelines. A single-blind randomised controlled trial was undertaken in a physiotherapy outpatients department. Subjects with ALBP were randomly allocated to an ‘assess/advise/treat’ group (n = 50) or an ‘assess/advise/wait’ group (n = 52). The primary outcome measure was the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Secondary outcome measures of pain (VAS, usual pain intensity) depressive symptoms (MZSRDS) somatic distress (MSPQ) anxiety (STAIS) quality of life (SF36) and general health (EuroQol) were also obtained. Outcomes were assessed at 6-weeks, 3-months and 6-months. At 6-weeks subjects in the assess/advise/treat group demonstrated less LBP related disability (p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.01), as well as better general health (p = 0.006, p = 0.05), vitality (p \u3c 0.001), social functioning (p = 0.004) and mental health (p = 0.002). At long-term assessment (3 and 6 months) subjects in the assess/advise/treat group were less distressed (p = 0.004), anxious (p = 0.01) and had fewer depressive symptoms (p = 0.001), as well as reporting better general health (p = 0.009, p = 0.05), emotional role (p = 0.03) and mental health (p = 0.04). Active physiotherapy produces better short-term outcomes than advice. Delaying treatment has no long-term consequences on pain or disability, but affects the development of psychosocial features

Direct simulation for a homogenous gas

A probabilistic analysis of the direct simulation of a homogeneous gas is given. A hierarchy of equations similar to the BBGKY hierarchy for the reduced probability densities is derived. By invoking the molecular chaos assumption, an equation similar to the Boltzmann equation for the single particle probability density and the corresponding H-theorem is derived

Auroral thermosphere temperatures from observations of 6300 A emissions

Doppler temperatures determined from observations of the atomic oxygen OI 6300 A line during March 1984 at the University of Alaska/Fairbanks are presented. Temperatures are obtained from Fabry-Perot Interferometer pressure scans using a Fourier transform smoothing and fitting technique; this technique is presented in detail. The temperatures and the spread in the temperatures are consistent from day to day. On the clear nights of March 10 to 13, the temperatures were 800, 750, 750 and 800 K, respectively, with a spread of + or - 100 K. These temperatures are compared to the MSIS (84) model atmosphere for similar geomagnetic conditions and found to be in general agreement; they are also consistent with results obtained by other investigators

Gaussian approximation for finitely extensible bead-spring chains with hydrodynamic interaction

The Gaussian Approximation, proposed originally by Ottinger [J. Chem. Phys., 90 (1) : 463-473, 1989] to account for the influence of fluctuations in hydrodynamic interactions in Rouse chains, is adapted here to derive a new mean-field approximation for the FENE spring force. This "FENE-PG" force law approximately accounts for spring-force fluctuations, which are neglected in the widely used FENE-P approximation. The Gaussian Approximation for hydrodynamic interactions is combined with the FENE-P and FENE-PG spring force approximations to obtain approximate models for finitely-extensible bead-spring chains with hydrodynamic interactions. The closed set of ODE's governing the evolution of the second-moments of the configurational probability distribution in the approximate models are used to generate predictions of rheological properties in steady and unsteady shear and uniaxial extensional flows, which are found to be in good agreement with the exact results obtained with Brownian dynamics simulations. In particular, predictions of coil-stretch hysteresis are in quantitative agreement with simulations' results. Additional simplifying diagonalization-of-normal-modes assumptions are found to lead to considerable savings in computation time, without significant loss in accuracy.Comment: 26 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables, 75 numbered equations, 1 appendix with 10 numbered equations Submitted to J. Chem. Phys. on 6 February 200

Rouse Chains with Excluded Volume Interactions: Linear Viscoelasticity

Linear viscoelastic properties for a dilute polymer solution are predicted by modeling the solution as a suspension of non-interacting bead-spring chains. The present model, unlike the Rouse model, can describe the solution's rheological behavior even when the solvent quality is good, since excluded volume effects are explicitly taken into account through a narrow Gaussian repulsive potential between pairs of beads in a bead-spring chain. The use of the narrow Gaussian potential, which tends to the more commonly used delta-function repulsive potential in the limit of a width parameter "d" going to zero, enables the performance of Brownian dynamics simulations. The simulations results, which describe the exact behavior of the model, indicate that for chains of arbitrary but finite length, a delta-function potential leads to equilibrium and zero shear rate properties which are identical to the predictions of the Rouse model. On the other hand, a non-zero value of "d" gives rise to a prediction of swelling at equilibrium, and an increase in zero shear rate properties relative to their Rouse model values. The use of a delta-function potential appears to be justified in the limit of infinite chain length. The exact simulation results are compared with those obtained with an approximate solution which is based on the assumption that the non-equilibrium configurational distribution function is Gaussian. The Gaussian approximation is shown to be exact to first order in the strength of excluded volume interaction, and is found to be accurate above a threshold value of "d", for given values of chain length and strength of excluded volume interaction.Comment: Revised version. Long chain limit analysis has been deleted. An improved and corrected examination of the long chain limit will appear as a separate posting. 32 pages, 9 postscript figures, LaTe

Photomechanical Investigation of Structural Behavior of Gyroscope Components. Task IV - Analysis of Initial Redesign of AB5-K8 GYROSCOPE

Photomechanics of structure and materials in redesigned AB5-K8 gyroscope component

TB89: Motor and Elective Activity of the Duodenum of Broilers

Recordings of pressure changes and electrical activity from the proximal small intestine of seven to eight-week-old unanesthetized chickens were made with chronically implanted transducers. The recordings were used to quantitate and determine the relationships among basic electric rhythm (BER), spike potentials (SP), and intestinal contractions (IC) of the duodenum. The omnipresence of the BER was demonstrated. SP were recorded whenever IC were detected. SP numbers and amplitudes were directly related to the strength of IC. Acetylcholine caused a general increase in the number and amplitude of both SP and IC. Epinephrine completely abolished both SP and IC. The results suggest that BER may represent the stimulus that initiates SP, and therefore, IC of the duodenum.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1096/thumbnail.jp

Human papillomavirus type 18 is associated with less apoptosis in fibroblast tumours than human papillomavirus type 16.

In human cervical neoplasia human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 has a higher cancer/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) prevalence ratio than HPV 16. Fibrosarcomas derived from rat fibroblasts transfected with HPV 16 or 18 genomes showed increased apoptosis compared with controls. However, HPV 18 was associated with significantly less apoptosis than HPV 16, affording one possible explanation for the more rapidly progressive cervical neoplasia associated with HPV 18

Non-linear rheology of active particle suspensions: Insights from an analytical approach

We consider active suspensions in the isotropic phase subjected to a shear flow. Using a set of extended hydrodynamic equations we derive a variety of {\em analytical} expressions for rheological quantities such as shear viscosity and normal stress differences. In agreement to full-blown numerical calculations and experiments we find a shear thickening or -thinning behaviour depending on whether the particles are contractile or extensile. Moreover, our analytical approach predicts that the normal stress differences can change their sign in contrast to passive suspensions.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, appear in PR