1,209 research outputs found
Effects of fear-avoidance beliefs on Chinese patients with neck pain.
Key Messages 1. The Chinese version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) has good content validity, testretest reliability, internal consistency, construct validity, responsiveness, and factor structure. Thus, fear-avoidance beliefs can be used in Chinese patients with neck pain. 2. The validated FABQ facilitates future research on the effects of fear-avoidance behaviour on patients with neck pain and hence a better service for and evaluation of patients with neck pain can be provided. It may also facilitate cross-cultural studies on this common problem between western and Chinese populations. 3. The construct of fear-avoidance beliefs can be applied to patients with neck pain. 4. The fear-avoidance beliefs are an important psychosocial measure in predicting future disability level and return to complete work capacity (immediately and 3 months after physiotherapy).published_or_final_versio
Measurement of craniovertebral angle with electronic head posture instrument : criterion validity
Author name used in this publication: Herman Mun Cheung Lau2010-2011 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe
Risk-stratified seroprevalence of SARS coronavirus in children residing in a district with point-source outbreak compared to a low-risk area.
1. SARS coronavirus has low transmissibility at the community level. 2. Subclinical SARS coronavirus infection is rare in children.published_or_final_versio
Recent results from systematic parameterizations of Ginsparg-Wilson fermions
The Fixed Point Dirac Operator and Chirally Improved Fermions both use large
numbers of gauge paths and the full Dirac structure to approximate a solution
of the Ginsparg-Wilson equation. After a brief review of the two approaches we
present recent results for quenched QCD with pion masses down to 210 MeV. We
discuss the limits and advantages of approximate parameterizations and outline
future perspectives.Comment: Lattice2002(plenary). References and Fig. 5 updated. Final version
submitted to the proceeding
Numerical Methods for the QCD Overlap Operator IV: Hybrid Monte Carlo
The extreme computational costs of calculating the sign of the Wilson matrix
within the overlap operator have so far prevented four dimensional dynamical
overlap simulations on realistic lattice sizes, because the computational power
required to invert the overlap operator, the time consuming part of the Hybrid
Monte Carlo algorithm, is too high. In this series of papers we introduced the
optimal approximation of the sign function and have been developing
preconditioning and relaxation techniques which reduce the time needed for the
inversion of the overlap operator by over a factor of four, bringing the
simulation of dynamical overlap fermions on medium-size lattices within the
range of Teraflop-computers.
In this paper we adapt the HMC algorithm to overlap fermions. We approximate
the matrix sign function using the Zolotarev rational approximation, treating
the smallest eigenvalues of the Wilson operator exactly within the fermionic
force. We then derive the fermionic force for the overlap operator, elaborating
on the problem of Dirac delta-function terms from zero crossings of eigenvalues
of the Wilson operator. The crossing scheme proposed shows energy violations
which are better than O() and thus are comparable with the
violations of the standard leapfrog algorithm over the course of a trajectory.
We explicitly prove that our algorithm satisfies reversibility and area
conservation. Finally, we test our algorithm on small , , and
lattices at large masses.Comment: v2 60 pages; substantial changes to all parts of the article; v3
minor revsion
Resolving the L/T transition binary SDSS J2052-1609 AB
Binaries provide empirical key constraints for star formation theories, like
the overall binary fraction, mass ratio distribution and the separation
distribution. They play a crucial role to calibrate the output of theoretical
models, like absolute magnitudes, colors and effective temperature depending on
mass, metallicity and age. We present first results of our on-going
high-resolution imaging survey of late type brown dwarfs. The survey aims at
resolving tight brown dwarf binary systems to better constrain the T dwarf
binary fraction. We intent to follow-up the individual binaries to determine
orbital parameters. Using NACO at the VLT we performed AO-assisted
near-infrared observations of SDSS J2052-1609. High-spatial resolution images
of the T1 dwarf were obtained in H and Ks filters. We resolved SDSS J2052-1609
into a binary system with a separation of 0.101" \pm 0.001". Archival data from
HST/NICMOS taken one year previous to our observations proves the components to
be co-moving. Using the flux ratio between the components we infer J, H and Ks
magnitudes for the resolved system. From the near-IR colors we estimate
spectral types of T1 +1 -4 and T2.5 \pm 1 for component A and B, respectively.
A first estimate of the total system mass yields Mtot > 78 Mjup, assuming a
circular orbit.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication by A&
New Hepatitis E Virus Genotype in Bactrian Camels, Xinjiang, China, 2013
published_or_final_versio
Recent development and perspectives of machines for lattice QCD
I highlight recent progress in cluster computer technology and assess status
and prospects of cluster computers for lattice QCD with respect to the
development of QCDOC and apeNEXT. Taking the LatFor test case, I specify a
512-processor QCD-cluster better than 1$/Mflops.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures, Lattice2003(plenary
Hedgehog Pathway as a Potential Intervention Target in Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer (EC) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. Treatment resistance is a major challenge in successful anti-cancer therapy. Pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is low, thus requiring therapy optimization. The Hedgehog (HH) pathway has been implicated in therapy resistance, as well as in cancer stemness. This article focusses on the HH pathway as a putative target in the treatment of EC. Immunohistochemistry on HH members was applied to EC patient material followed by modulation of 3D-EC cell cultures, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and gene expression analysis after HH pathway modulation. Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) and its receptor Patched1 (PTCH1) were significantly enriched in EC resection material of patients with microresidual disease (mRD) after receiving nCRT, compared to the control group. Stimulation with SHH resulted in an up-regulation of cancer stemness in EC sphere cultures, as indicated by increased sphere formation after sorting for CD44+/CD24- EC cancer stem-like cell (CSC) population. On the contrary, inhibiting this pathway with vismodegib led to a decrease in cancer stemness and both radiation and carboplatin resistance. Our results strengthen the role of the HH pathway in chemoradiotherapy resistance. These findings suggest that targeting the HH pathway could be an attractive approach to control CSCs.</p
Universal antenatal human immunodeficiency virus testing in Hong Kong: consensus statement.
Following the recommendations of the Advisory Council on AIDS, Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority announced plans to introduce universal antenatal screening for human immunodeficiency virus infection and hence, a consensus conference was held to discuss strategies for implementing such screening in Hong Kong. This paper reports the discussions of the consensus conference. The consensus meeting group consisted of 15 clinicians and scientists from Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand. Seven commonly asked questions concerning mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus were selected for discussion by the participating panellists. Information on the laboratory diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection and the efficacy of preventive measures in reducing mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus were reviewed. Data from local studies was also presented and discussed. The timing, potential problems, and cost issues involved in testing all pregnant women in Hong Kong for human immunodeficiency virus were then considered.published_or_final_versio
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