The Effects of Tai Chi and Neck Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

© 2016 American Pain Society This study aimed to test the efficacy of Tai Chi for treating chronic neck pain. Subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of group Tai Chi or conventional neck exercises with weekly sessions of 75 to 90 minutes, or a wait-list control. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity (visual analogue scale). Secondary outcomes included pain on movement, functional disability, quality of life, well-being and perceived stress, postural and interoceptive awareness, satisfaction, and safety. Altogether, 114 participants were included (91 women, 49.4 ± 11.7 years of age). After 12 weeks Tai Chi participants reported significantly less pain compared with the wait list group (average difference in mm on the visual analogue scale: −10.5; 95% confidence interval, −20.3 to −.9; P = .033). Group differences were also found for pain on movement, functional disability, and quality of life compared with the wait list group. No differences were found for Tai Chi compared with neck exercises. Patients’ satisfaction with both exercise interventions was high, and only minor side effects were observed. Tai Chi was more effective than no treatment in improving pain in subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain. Because Tai Chi is probably as effective as neck exercises it may be considered a suitable alternative to conventional exercises for those with a preference toward Tai Chi. Perspective This article presents results of a randomized controlled trial comparing Tai Chi, conventional neck exercises, and no treatment for chronic nonspecific neck pain. Results indicate that Tai Chi exercises and conventional neck exercises are equally effective in improving pain and quality of life therefore representing beneficial interventions for neck pain

Continuous engagement of a self-specific activation receptor induces NK cell tolerance

Natural killer (NK) cell tolerance mechanisms are incompletely understood. One possibility is that they possess self-specific activation receptors that result in hyporesponsiveness unless modulated by self–major histocompatability complex (MHC)–specific inhibitory receptors. As putative self-specific activation receptors have not been well characterized, we studied a transgenic C57BL/6 mouse that ubiquitously expresses m157 (m157-Tg), which is the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV)–encoded ligand for the Ly49H NK cell activation receptor. The transgenic mice were more susceptible to MCMV infection and were unable to reject m157-Tg bone marrow, suggesting defects in Ly49H+ NK cells. There was a reversible hyporesponsiveness of Ly49H+ NK cells that extended to Ly49H-independent stimuli. Continuous Ly49H–m157 interaction was necessary for the functional defects. Interestingly, functional defects occurred when mature wild-type NK cells were adoptively transferred to m157-Tg mice, suggesting that mature NK cells may acquire hyporesponsiveness. Importantly, NK cell tolerance caused by Ly49H–m157 interaction was similar in NK cells regardless of expression of Ly49C, an inhibitory receptor specific for a self-MHC allele in C57BL/6 mice. Thus, engagement of self-specific activation receptors in vivo induces an NK cell tolerance effect that is not affected by self-MHC–specific inhibitory receptors

Periodic solutions for a class of nonlinear partial differential equations in higher dimension

We prove the existence of periodic solutions in a class of nonlinear partial differential equations, including the nonlinear Schroedinger equation, the nonlinear wave equation, and the nonlinear beam equation, in higher dimension. Our result covers cases where the bifurcation equation is infinite-dimensional, such as the nonlinear Schroedinger equation with zero mass, for which solutions which at leading order are wave packets are shown to exist.Comment: 34 page

The Alzheimer's Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome: Rationale and methodology.

INTRODUCTION: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) are at exceptionally high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with virtually all individuals developing key neuropathological features by age 40. Identifying biomarkers of AD progression in DS can provide valuable insights into pathogenesis and suggest targets for disease modifying treatments. METHODS: We describe the development of a multi-center, longitudinal study of biomarkers of AD in DS. The protocol includes longitudinal examination of clinical, cognitive, blood and cerebrospinal fluid-based biomarkers, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography measures (at 16-month intervals), as well as genetic modifiers of AD risk and progression. RESULTS: Approximately 400 individuals will be enrolled in the study (more than 370 to date). The methodological approach from the administrative, clinical, neuroimaging, omics, neuropathology, and statistical cores is provided. DISCUSSION: This represents the largest U.S.-based, multi-site, biomarker initiative of AD in DS. Findings can inform other multidisciplinary networks studying AD in the general population

Multi-fingered haptic palpation utilizing granular jamming stiffness feedback actuators

This paper describes a multi-fingered haptic palpation method using stiffness feedback actuators for simulating tissue palpation procedures in traditional and in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Soft tissue stiffness is simulated by changing the stiffness property of the actuator during palpation. For the first time, granular jamming and pneumatic air actuation are combined to realize stiffness modulation. The stiffness feedback actuator is validated by stiffness measurements in indentation tests and through stiffness discrimination based on a user study. According to the indentation test results, the introduction of a pneumatic chamber to granular jamming can amplify the stiffness variation range and reduce hysteresis of the actuator. The advantage of multi-fingered palpation using the proposed actuators is proven by the comparison of the results of the stiffness discrimination performance using two-fingered (sensitivity: 82.2%, specificity: 88.9%, positive predicative value: 80.0%, accuracy: 85.4%, time: 4.84 s) and single-fingered (sensitivity: 76.4%, specificity: 85.7%, positive predicative value: 75.3%, accuracy: 81.8%, time: 7.48 s) stiffness feedback

Search for Kaluza-Klein Graviton Emission in ppˉp\bar{p} Collisions at s=1.8\sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV using the Missing Energy Signature

We report on a search for direct Kaluza-Klein graviton production in a data sample of 84 ${pb}^{-1}$ of \ppb collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 1.8 TeV, recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We investigate the final state of large missing transverse energy and one or two high energy jets. We compare the data with the predictions from a $3+1+n$-dimensional Kaluza-Klein scenario in which gravity becomes strong at the TeV scale. At 95% confidence level (C.L.) for $n$=2, 4, and 6 we exclude an effective Planck scale below 1.0, 0.77, and 0.71 TeV, respectively.Comment: Submitted to PRL, 7 pages 4 figures/Revision includes 5 figure

Measurement of the average time-integrated mixing probability of b-flavored hadrons produced at the Tevatron

We have measured the number of like-sign (LS) and opposite-sign (OS) lepton pairs arising from double semileptonic decays of $b$ and $\bar{b}$-hadrons, pair-produced at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data samples were collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) during the 1992-1995 collider run by triggering on the existence of $\mu \mu$ and $e \mu$ candidates in an event. The observed ratio of LS to OS dileptons leads to a measurement of the average time-integrated mixing probability of all produced $b$-flavored hadrons which decay weakly, $\bar{\chi} = 0.152 \pm 0.007$ (stat.) $\pm 0.011$ (syst.), that is significantly larger than the world average $\bar{\chi} = 0.118 \pm 0.005$.Comment: 47 pages, 10 figures, 15 tables Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Holographic Vitrification

We establish the existence of stable and metastable stationary black hole bound states at finite temperature and chemical potentials in global and planar four-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sitter space. We determine a number of features of their holographic duals and argue they represent structural glasses. We map out their thermodynamic landscape in the probe approximation, and show their relaxation dynamics exhibits logarithmic aging, with aging rates determined by the distribution of barriers.Comment: 100 pages, 25 figure

The unexpected resurgence of Weyl geometry in late 20-th century physics

Weyl's original scale geometry of 1918 ("purely infinitesimal geometry") was withdrawn by its author from physical theorizing in the early 1920s. It had a comeback in the last third of the 20th century in different contexts: scalar tensor theories of gravity, foundations of gravity, foundations of quantum mechanics, elementary particle physics, and cosmology. It seems that Weyl geometry continues to offer an open research potential for the foundations of physics even after the turn to the new millennium.Comment: Completely rewritten conference paper 'Beyond Einstein', Mainz Sep 2008. Preprint ELHC (Epistemology of the LHC) 2017-02, 92 pages, 1 figur