171 research outputs found
Standardization of Nomenclature in Acupuncture Research (SoNAR)
As more clinical acupuncture trials for pain are published, it becomes increasingly difficult to compare and evaluate the merits and shortcomings of such studies. A major contributory factor to this centers on the description of, and the assumptions made about, the control intervention used. In considering an acupuncture control, it is important to evaluate its physiological activity and thus far, this has not been done. A variety of different and sometimes very novel controls have been tried and used in the research setting and the inevitable consequence of this is confusion, particularly when attempting to interpret the results of trials. Researchers and other interested parties such as patients, primary care practitioners, funding agencies etc., searching for evidence in the literature are likely to be misled or confused by such variability. There is therefore a need to define and standardize many of these terms, to clarify reporting and to convey the correct information in a way that it is not misleading. This paper details the background and need for this and is primarily intended to assist those who intend to publish primary and secondary acupuncture research. However, standardization of reporting will be of benefit to anybody who will need to examine the literature for evidence. This article proposes and recommends a nomenclature when reporting future acupuncture clinical research. This nomenclature arose through discussion at a meeting convened by the World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Regional Office) and will be incorporated into their policy document later this year
ANALYSIS OF THE MOTION PLANES OF THE âFUNCTIONAL DOUBLE-PENDULUMâ POINTS IN GOLF
The purpose of this study was to investigate the swing characteristics of the skilled and less skilled golfers by comparing the properties of the functional swing plane (FSP) and motion planes (MPs) formed by the clubhead and key functional double-pendulum points. Twenty-seven male golfers were recruited: skilled (n = 15; handicap ? 3) and less skilled (n = 12; 12-18 handicap). The slopes and direction angles of the FSP and MPs were quantified. The skilled group was characterized by steeper MPs than the less skilled (p < 0.05). The skilled group also revealed more closed (or less open) FSP and MPs than the less skilled with an exception: the left shoulder plane. The skilled group aligned the left hand plane with the FSP closely, whereas the less skilled group aligned the left shoulder plane with the FSP
Biomechanical evaluation of shape-memory alloy staples for internal fixationâan in vitro study
Background: The field of orthopaedics is a constantly evolving discipline. Despite the historical success of plates, pins and screws in fracture reduction and stabilisation, there is a continuing search for more efficient and improved methods of fracture fixation. The aim of this study was to evaluate shape-memory staples and to compare them to a currently used implant for internal fracture fixation. Multi-plane bending stability and interfragmentary compression were assessed across a simulated osteotomy using single and double-staple fixation and compared to a bridging plate. Methods: Transverse osteotomies were made in polyurethane blocks (20 Ă 20 Ă 120Â mm) and repairs were performed with one (n = 6), or two (n = 6) 20Â mm nitinol staples, or an eight-hole 2.7Â mm quarter-tubular plate (n = 6). A pressure film was placed between fragments to determine contact area and compressive forces before and after loading. Loading consisted of multi-planar four-point bending with an actuator displacement of 3Â mm. Gapping between segments was recorded to determine loads corresponding to a 2Â mm gap and residual post-load gap. Results: Staple fixations showed statistically significant higher mean compressive loads and contact areas across the osteotomy compared to plate fixations. Double-staple constructs were superior to single-staple constructs for both parameters (p < 0.001). Double-staple constructs were significantly stiffer and endured significantly larger loads before 2Â mm gap formation compared to other constructs in the dorsoventral plane (p < 0.001). However, both staple constructs were significantly less stiff and tolerated considerably lower loads before 2Â mm gap formation when compared to plate constructs in the ventrodorsal and right-to-left lateral loading planes. Loading of staple constructs showed significantly reduced permanent gap formation in all planes except ventrodorsally when compared to plate constructs. Conclusions: Although staple fixations were not as stable as plate fixations in particular loading planes, double-staple constructs demonstrated the most consistent bending stiffness in all planes. Placing two perpendicular staples is suggested instead of single-staples whenever possible, with at least one staple applied on the compression side of the anticipated loading to improve construct stability
Providing affordable housing through urban renewal projects in Australia: Expert opinions on barriers and opportunities
This paper examined the impact of providing affordable rental housing through inner-city urban renewal projects in Australia. Providing affordable rental housing for lower-income households remains a challenge for planners, builders, policymakers and residents alike. Government intervention for inclusionary zoning in Australia has enhanced affordable housing supply but has also generated negative impacts such as NIMBY-ism, decreasing house price and urban sprawl. This study conducted in-depth interviews with housing and planning experts in affordable housing projects in Australia and evaluated the barriers and opportunities of providing affordable rental housing as stand-alone projects, or as part of urban renewal projects. This study found several existing challenges such as limited longevity of related policies and limited financing sources for renewal projects. The findings inform policymakers that the existing housing affordability issue can be tackled by adopting more innovative approaches such as negative gearing
Detection of CFIRB with AKARI/FIS Deep Observations
The Cosmic Far-Infrared Background (CFIRB) contains information about the
number and distribution of contributing sources and thus gives us an important
key to understand the evolution of galaxies. Using a confusion study to set a
fundamental limit to the observations, we investigate the potential to explore
the CFIRB with AKARI/FIS deep observations. The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) is
one of the focal-plane instruments on the AKARI (formerly known as ASTRO-F)
satellite, which was launched in early 2006. Based upon source distribution
models assuming three different cosmological evolutionary scenarios (no
evolution, weak evolution, and strong evolution), an extensive model for
diffuse emission from infrared cirrus, and instrumental noise estimates, we
present a comprehensive analysis for the determination of the confusion levels
for deep far-infrared observations. We use our derived sensitivities to suggest
the best observational strategy for the AKARI/FIS mission to detect the CFIRB
fluctuations. If the source distribution follows the evolutionary models,
observations will be mostly limited by source confusion. We find that we will
be able to detect the CFIRB fluctuations and that these will in turn provide
information to discriminate between the evolutionary scenarios of galaxies in
most low-to-medium cirrus regions.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, uses elsart.cls, Accepted for publication in
Advances in Space Research, 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly Beijing, China,
16 ~ 23 July 200
Progression in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia:A longitudinal study
Importance: A gap in the literature exists regarding progression in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (BVFTD). Guidance is needed concerning markers that will enable clinicians to discriminate FTD more effectively from phenocopies and to identify factors that determine progression and thereby prognosis. Â Objectives: To observe longitudinal outcomes and progression in probable and possible BVFTD in accordance with international diagnostic criteria and to identify features that may aid clinicians to prognosticate better in cases of possible BVFTD. Â Design, Setting, and Participants: Longitudinal cohort study performed in a specialist tertiary FTD research clinic. Fifty-eight consecutive patients were followed up longitudinally from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2013, and classified as having possible, probable, or definite BVFTD at presentation and latest review. Final follow-up was completed on December 31, 2013, and data were analyzed from January 1 to August 1, 2014. Â Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical, pathological, genetic, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging data were analyzed to categorize patients, to compare differences between groups with changed and unchanged diagnoses, to determine rates of progression in BVFTD, and to identify prognostic features in possible BVFTD. Â Results: At presentation, 38 of the 58 patients fulfilled criteria for probable BVFTD; of these, 36 continued to satisfy probable criteria or underwent conversion to definite criteria over time. The remaining 20 patients satisfied possible criteria only, and 11 of these patients changed categories over time to probable or definite BVFTD and showed progression on cognitive and functional measures (termed changed status). Of these 11 patients, 8 (73%) carried the C9orf72 expansion. A positive family history, memory impairment, and clinical abnormalities at presentation were key features of progression (Pâ<â.05). A continuum of neuropsychological scores, progression rates, and atrophy severity emerged across patients in probable, possible, changed status, and nonchanged status groups; patients with probable BVFTD exhibited the most severe abnormalities. Â Conclusions and Relevance: Behavioral variant FTD shows variable progression over time. Clinicians can use a detailed neurologic and cognitive assessment to identify key predictive features of progression when faced with possible BVFTD, whereas a diagnosis of probable BVFTD is accurate in a clinical setting
Recommended from our members
Elevated CO2 and high salinity enhance the abundance of sulfate reducers in a salt marsh ecosystem
Salt marshes are anticipated to be exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 and high salinity due to sea-level rise in the future. This study aims to investigate the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and high salinity on microbial communities using intact cores collected from a salt marsh in North Wales, UK. The cores were exposed to two levels of CO2 (ambient vs. ambient + 200 ppm) and two levels of salinity (control vs. control + 10 ppt) over a growing season in the Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) facility. We focused on the abundances of bacteria, sulfate reducers (SRB), methanogens and denitrifiers as they play a central role in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the activities of extracellular enzymes were determined to assess the effects on microbial activity, followed by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to elucidate possible mechanism for the changes we observed. Elevated CO2 significantly increased DOC in pore water for the control salinity treatment during a vigorous growing season (i.e., May - Aug) but not the high salinity treatment. Microbial diversity presented by Shannonâs diversity derived from T-RFLP analysis showed no significant changes except for nirS genes, suggesting potential influence of elevated CO2 on denitrification. Microbial abundances changed substantially for certain functional groups; For example, the abundance of SRB increased both by elevated CO2 and high salinity. In contrast, total bacterial abundance declined under the treatment of high salinity. SEM suggests that elevated CO2 increases DOC in pore-water, which increased sulfate reducers. Salinity plays an additional role in this process to selectively increasing SRB without affecting methanogens. Overall, the results of this study suggest that SRB will play a key role in organic matter decomposition in salt marshes as atmospheric CO2 and salinity increase. This is most likely to be mediated by changes in the quantity and the quality of organic carbon derived from salt marsh vegetation
The Evolutionarily Conserved LIM Homeodomain Protein LIM-4/LHX6 Specifies the Terminal Identity of a Cholinergic and Peptidergic C. elegans Sensory/Inter/Motor Neuron-Type
The expression of specific transcription factors determines the differentiated features of postmitotic neurons. However, the mechanism by which specific molecules determine neuronal cell fate and the extent to which the functions of transcription factors are conserved in evolution are not fully understood. In C. elegans, the cholinergic and peptidergic SMB sensory/inter/motor neurons innervate muscle quadrants in the head and control the amplitude of sinusoidal movement. Here we show that the LIM homeobox protein LIM-4 determines neuronal characteristics of the SMB neurons. In lim-4 mutant animals, expression of terminal differentiation genes, such as the cholinergic gene battery and the flp-12 neuropeptide gene, is completely abolished and thus the function of the SMB neurons is compromised. LIM-4 activity promotes SMB identity by directly regulating the expression of the SMB marker genes via a distinct cis-regulatory motif. Two human LIM-4 orthologs, LHX6 and LHX8, functionally substitute for LIM-4 in C. elegans. Furthermore, C. elegans LIM-4 or human LHX6 can induce cholinergic and peptidergic characteristics in the human neuronal cell lines. Our results indicate that the evolutionarily conserved LIM-4/LHX6 homeodomain proteins function in generation of precise neuronal subtypes
Using present-day observations to detect when anthropogenic change forces surface ocean carbonate chemistry outside preindustrial bounds
© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Biogeosciences 13 (2016): 5065-5083, doi:10.5194/bg-13-5065-2016.One of the major challenges to assessing the impact of ocean acidification on marine life is detecting and interpreting long-term change in the context of natural variability. This study addresses this need through a global synthesis of monthly pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) climatologies for 12 open ocean, coastal, and coral reef locations using 3-hourly moored observations of surface seawater partial pressure of CO2 and pH collected together since as early as 2010. Mooring observations suggest open ocean subtropical and subarctic sites experience present-day surface pH and Ωarag conditions outside the bounds of preindustrial variability throughout most, if not all, of the year. In general, coastal mooring sites experience more natural variability and thus, more overlap with preindustrial conditions; however, present-day Ωarag conditions surpass biologically relevant thresholds associated with ocean acidification impacts on Mytilus californianus (ΩaragâŻ<âŻ1.8) and Crassostrea gigas (ΩaragâŻ<âŻ2.0) larvae in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) and Mya arenaria larvae in the Gulf of Maine (ΩaragâŻ<âŻ1.6). At the most variable mooring locations in coastal systems of the CCE, subseasonal conditions approached Ωaragâ=ââŻ1. Global and regional models and data syntheses of ship-based observations tended to underestimate seasonal variability compared to mooring observations. Efforts such as this to characterize all patterns of pH and Ωarag variability and change at key locations are fundamental to assessing present-day biological impacts of ocean acidification, further improving experimental design to interrogate organism response under real-world conditions, and improving predictive models and vulnerability assessments seeking to quantify the broader impacts of ocean acidification.The CO2 and ocean acidification observations
were funded by NOAAâs Climate Observation Division (COD)
in the Climate Program Office and NOAAâs Ocean Acidification
Program. The maintenance of the Stratus and WHOTS
Ocean Reference Stations were also supported by NOAA COD
(NA09OAR4320129). Additional support for buoy equipment,
maintenance, and/or ancillary measurements was provided by
NOAA through the US Integrated Ocean Observing System
office: for the La Parguera buoy under a Cooperative Agreement
(NA11NOS0120035) with the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing
System, for the ChĂĄ bËa buoy under a Cooperative Agreement
(NA11NOS0120036) with the Northwest Association of Networked
Ocean Observing System, for the Grayâs Reef buoy under
a Cooperative Agreement (NA11NOS0120033) with the Southeast
Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, and for the Gulf of
Main buoy under a Cooperative Agreement (NA11NOS0120034)
with the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean
Observing Systems
- âŠ