440 research outputs found
COMMENT: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING SOCIAL COSTS OF THE TOBACCO PROGRAM
Institutional and Behavioral Economics,
King-Devick concussion test performs poorly as a screening tool in elite rugby union players: a prospective cohort study of two screening tests versus a clinical reference standard
BACKGROUND: The King-Devick (KD) test is an objective clinical test of eye movements that has been used to screen for concussion. We characterised the accuracy of the KD test and the World Rugby Head Injury Assessment (HIA-1) screening tools as methods of off-field evaluation for concussion after a suspicious head impact event. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed in elite English rugby union competitions between September 2016 and May 2017. The study population comprised consecutive players identified with a head impact event with the potential to result in concussion. The KD test was administered off-field, alongside the World Rugby HIA-1 screening tool, and the results were compared with the preseason baseline. Accuracy was measured against a reference standard of confirmed concussion, based on the clinical judgement of the team doctor after serial assessments. RESULTS: 145 head injury events requiring off-field medical room screening assessments were included in the primary analysis. The KD test demonstrated a sensitivity of 60% (95% CI 49.0 to 70) and a specificity of 39% (95% CI 26 to 54) in identifying players subsequently diagnosed with concussion. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prolonged KD test times was 0.51 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.61). The World Rugby HIA-1 off-field screening tool sensitivity did not differ significantly from the KD test (sensitivity 75%, 95% CI 66 to 83, P=0.08), but specificity was significantly higher (91%, 95% CI 82 to 97, P<0.001). Although combining the KD test and the World Rugby HIA-1 multimodal screening assessment achieved a significantly higher sensitivity of 93% (95% CI 86% to 97%), there was a significantly lower specificity of 33% (95% CI 21% to 48%), compared with the HIA-1 test alone. CONCLUSIONS: The KD test demonstrated limited accuracy as a stand-alone remove-from-play sideline screening test for concussion. As expected with the addition of any parallel test, combination of the KD test with the HIA-1 off-field screening tool provided improved sensitivity in identifying concussion, but at the expense of markedly lower specificity. These results suggest that it is unlikely that the KD test will be incorporated into multimodal off-field screening assessments for concussion at the present time
v-K-data for silica from lifetime measurements under step-shaped loading history
Different methods were applied so far in order to determine subcritical crack growth for silica. Mostly, fracture mechanics standard tests with macro cracks were used for this purpose. In this report, we evaluated the subcritical crack growth curves from lifetime tests on silica bending specimens. The survivors were then tested under increased stress. Crack growth rates down to v=10m/s were reached in this way. In the plot of v=f(K/K) slight material differences could be eliminated and suitable agreement with macro-crack results by Wiederhorn and Bolz [1] on DCB-specimens and Michalske et al. [2] on DCDC-specimens could be stated
A video analysis of head injuries satisfying the criteria for a head injury assessment in professional Rugby Union: a prospective cohort study
Objectives
Concussion is the most common match
injury in professional Rugby Union, accounting for 25%
of match injuries. The primary prevention of head injuries
requires that the injury mechanism be known so that
interventions can be targeted to specifically overall
incidence by focusing on characteristics with the greatest
propensity to cause a head injury.
Methods
611 head injury assessment (HIA) events
in professional Rugby Union over a 3-year period were
analysed, with specific reference to match events,
position, time and nature of head contact.
Results
464 (76%) of HIA events occur during
tackles, with the tackler experiencing a significantly
greater propensity for an HIA than the ball carrier (1.40
HIAs/1000 tackles for the tackler vs 0.54 HIAs/1000
tackles for the ball carrier, incidence rate ratio (IRR)
2.59). Propensity was significantly greater for backline
players than forwards (IRR 1.54, 95%CI 1.28 to 1.84),
but did not increase over the course of the match. Head
to head contact accounted for the most tackler HIAs,
with the greatest propensity.
Conclusions
By virtue of its high propensity
and frequency, the tackle should be the focus for
interventions that may include law change and technique
education. A specific investigation of the characteristics
of the tackle is warranted to refine the approach to
preventative strategies
Knowledge and Skill Retention of a Novel Lay-Provider Trauma Training Curriculum in Rural Peru: A Longitudinal Study
A quality improvement clinical pathway for enhanced recovery after elective Caesarean Section: results of a consensus exercise and survey
Automatic detection of limb prominences in 304 A EUV images
A new algorithm for automatic detection of prominences on the solar limb in 304 A EUV images is presented, and results of its application to SOHO/EIT data discussed. The detection is based on the method of moments combined with a
classifier analysis aimed at discriminating between limb prominences, active regions, and the quiet corona. This classifier analysis is based on a Support Vector Machine (SVM). Using a set of 12 moments of the radial intensity profiles, the algorithm performs well in discriminating between the above three categories of limb structures, with a misclassification rate of 7%. Pixels detected as belonging to a prominence are then used as starting point to reconstruct the whole prominence by morphological image processing techniques. It is planned that a catalogue of limb prominences identified in SOHO and STEREO data using this method will be made publicly available to the scientific community
OC-0071: Analysis and reporting patterns of failure in the era of IMRT: head and neck cancer applications
Neutrino flavor conversion in a neutrino background: single- versus multi-particle description
In the early Universe, or near a supernova core, neutrino flavor evolution
may be affected by coherent neutrino-neutrino scattering. We develop a
microscopic picture of this phenomenon. We show that coherent scattering does
not lead to the formation of entangled states in the neutrino ensemble and
therefore the evolution of the system can always be described by a set of
one-particle equations. We also show that the previously accepted formalism
overcounts the neutrino interaction energy; the correct one-particle evolution
equations for both active-active and active-sterile oscillations contain
additional terms. These additional terms modify the index of refraction of the
neutrino medium, but have no effect on oscillation physics.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, minor typos correcte
Coordinating domestic legislation and international agreements to conserve migratory species: a case study from Australia
Migratory movements of animals frequently span political borders and the need for international collaboration in the conservation of migratory species is well recognized. There is, however, less appreciation of the need for coordinated protection within nations. We explore consequences of multilevel governance for top-down implementation of international agreements, drawing on examples from Australia and with reference to the United States and European Union. Coherent implementation of legislation and policy for migratory species can be challenging in federal jurisdictions where environmental law making can be split across multiple levels of governance and local and federal priorities may not necessarily be aligned. As a result of these challenges, for example, two-thirds of Australian migratory birds remain unprotected under national legislation. In Australia and elsewhere, coordinated protection of migratory species can be implemented within the current framework of conservation law and policy by actions such as designating national migration areas, negotiating nationally coordinated agreements or listings of migratory species and pursuing new bilateral agreements with key countries along migratory routes.Claire A. Runge, Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao, Mark J. Carey, Stephen T. Garnett, Richard A. Fuller, Phillipa C. McCormac
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