2,121 research outputs found
Exploring evidence-based practice by occupational therapists when working with people with apraxia
Short Report
Evidence in the literature supports a number of interventions that occupational
therapists may utilise when working with people with apraxia, although there
is no gold standard approach. A large-scale survey (n = 304, 36% response
rate) was conducted with the membership of the College of Occupational
Therapists Specialist Section – Neurological Practice to explore therapists’
understanding of apraxia and to provide a benchmark of current practice.
Consensus was found in the majority of belief statements regarding the condition,
although the respondents were unclear about the relationship between
cognition and apraxia. When the therapists were asked to indicate their choice
and use of interventions for apraxia, the results showed that the main
consideration was the context in which a person performs activities, with
moderate use of specific techniques including errorless learning and chaining.
The results are related to the evidence base and the implications for
occupational therapy practice and education are discussed
The effectiveness of origami on overall hand function after injury: A pilot controlled trial
This pilot study measured the effectiveness of using origami to improve the overall hand function of outpatients attending an NHS hand injury unit. The initiative came from one of the authors who had used origami informally in the clinical setting and observed beneficial effects. These observed effects were tested experimentally. The design was a pilot non-randomised controlled trial with 13 participants. Allocation of the seven control group members was based on patient preference. The experimental group members attended a weekly hour of origami for six weeks, in addition to their conventional rehabilitation.
Hand function of all participants was measured using the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test before and after the six-week period, and additional qualitative data were gathered in the form of written evaluations from patients. The quantitative data were analysed using the Mann Whitney U test or Fisher’s exact test. Themes were highlighted from the qualitative data.
The results show that there was a greater difference in the total score of the experimental group using the impaired hand between pre- and post-intervention of 11.8 seconds, compared with 4.3 seconds in the control group, but this was not statistically significant at the 5% level (p=0.06). Additionally, differences in the sub-test scores show a markedly larger improvement in the experimental group. Qualitative data indicate that the experimental group experienced the origami sessions as being enjoyable and beneficial. Further research with a larger sample and randomised group allocation is recommended to verify and expand these preliminary findings
Spectral properties of molecular oligomers. A non-Markovian quantum state diffusion approach
Absorption spectra of small molecular aggregates (oligomers) are considered.
The dipole-dipole interaction between the monomers leads to shifts of the
oligomer spectra with respect to the monomer absorption. The line-shapes of
monomer as well as oligomer absorption depend strongly on the coupling to
vibrational modes. Using a recently developed approach [Roden et. al, PRL 103,
058301] we investigate the length dependence of spectra of one-dimensional
aggregates for various values of the interaction strength between the monomers.
It is demonstrated, that the present approach is well suited to describe the
occurrence of the J- and H-bands
Data-Mining a Large Digital Sky Survey: From the Challenges to the Scientific Results
The analysis and an efficient scientific exploration of the Digital Palomar
Observatory Sky Survey (DPOSS) represents a major technical challenge. The
input data set consists of 3 Terabytes of pixel information, and contains a few
billion sources. We describe some of the specific scientific problems posed by
the data, including searches for distant quasars and clusters of galaxies, and
the data-mining techniques we are exploring in addressing them.
Machine-assisted discovery methods may become essential for the analysis of
such multi-Terabyte data sets. New and future approaches involve unsupervised
classification and clustering analysis in the Giga-object data space, including
various Bayesian techniques. In addition to the searches for known types of
objects in this data base, these techniques may also offer the possibility of
discovering previously unknown, rare types of astronomical objects.Comment: Invited paper, to appear in Applications of Digital Image Processing
XX, ed. A. Tescher, Proc. S.P.I.E. vol. 3164, in press; 10 pages, a
self-contained TeX file, and 3 separate postscript figure
Non-Markovian quantum state diffusion for absorption spectra of molecular aggregates
In many molecular systems one encounters the situation where electronic
excitations couple to a quasi-continuum of phonon modes. That continuum may be
highly structured e.g. due to some weakly damped high frequency modes. To
handle such a situation, an approach combining the non-Markovian quantum state
diffusion (NMQSD) description of open quantum systems with an efficient but
abstract approximation was recently applied to calculate energy transfer and
absorption spectra of molecular aggregates [Roden, Eisfeld, Wolff, Strunz, PRL
103 (2009) 058301]. To explore the validity of the used approximation for such
complicated systems, in the present work we compare the calculated
(approximative) absorption spectra with exact results. These are obtained from
the method of pseudomodes, which we show to be capable of determining the exact
spectra for small aggregates and a few pseudomodes. It turns out that in the
cases considered, the results of the two approaches mostly agree quite well.
The advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches are discussed
Recommended from our members
Virtual Surgical Planning in Subscapular System Free Flap Reconstruction of Midface Defects.
OBJECTIVES: Reconstruction of the midface has many inherent challenges, including orbital support, skull base reconstruction, optimizing midface projection, separation of the nasal cavity and dental rehabilitation. Subscapular system free flaps (SF) have sufficient bone stock to support complex reconstruction and the option of separate soft tissue components. This study analyzes the effect of virtual surgical planning (VSP) in SF for midface on subsite reconstruction, bone segment contact and anatomic position.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort of patients with midface defects that underwent SF reconstruction at a single tertiary care institution.
RESULTS: Nine cases with VSP were compared to fourteen cases without VSP. VSP was associated with a higher number of successfully reconstructed subunits (5.9 vs 4.2, 95% CI of mean difference 0.31-3.04, p = 0.018), a higher number of successful bony contact between segments (2.2 vs 1.4, 95% CI of mean difference 0.0-1.6, p = 0.050), and a higher percent of segments in anatomic position (100% vs 71%, 95% CI of mean difference 2-55%, p = 0.035). When postoperative bone position after VSP reconstruction was compared to preoperative scans, the difference in anteroposterior, vertical and lateral projection compared to the preoperative \u27ideal\u27 bone position was82% of measurements. There were no flap losses.
CONCLUSION: VSP may augment SF reconstruction of the midface by allowing for improved subunit reconstruction, bony segment contact and anatomically correct bone segment positioning. VSP can be a useful adjunct for complex midface reconstruction and the benefits should be weighed against cost
Molecular cloning and analysis of zebrafish voltage-gated sodium channel beta subunit genes: implications for the evolution of electrical signaling in vertebrates
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Action potential generation in excitable cells such as myocytes and neurons critically depends on voltage-gated sodium channels. In mammals, sodium channels exist as macromolecular complexes that include a pore-forming alpha subunit and 1 or more modulatory beta subunits. Although alpha subunit genes have been cloned from diverse metazoans including flies, jellyfish, and humans, beta subunits have not previously been identified in any non-mammalian species. To gain further insight into the evolution of electrical signaling in vertebrates, we investigated beta subunit genes in the teleost <it>Danio rerio </it>(zebrafish).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified and cloned single zebrafish gene homologs for beta1-beta3 (<it>zbeta1-zbeta3</it>) and duplicate genes for beta4 (<it>zbeta4.1, zbeta4.2</it>). Sodium channel beta subunit loci are similarly organized in fish and mammalian genomes. Unlike their mammalian counterparts, <it>zbeta1 </it>and <it>zbeta2 </it>subunit genes display extensive alternative splicing. Zebrafish beta subunit genes and their splice variants are differentially-expressed in excitable tissues, indicating tissue-specific regulation of <it>zbeta1-4 </it>expression and splicing. Co-expression of the genes encoding zbeta1 and the zebrafish sodium channel alpha subunit Na<sub>v</sub>1.5 in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells increased sodium current and altered channel gating, demonstrating functional interactions between zebrafish alpha and beta subunits. Analysis of the synteny and phylogeny of mammalian, teleost, amphibian, and avian beta subunit and related genes indicated that all extant vertebrate beta subunits are orthologous, that beta2/beta4 and beta1/beta3 share common ancestry, and that beta subunits are closely related to other proteins sharing the V-type immunoglobulin domain structure. Vertebrate sodium channel beta subunit genes were not identified in the genomes of invertebrate chordates and are unrelated to known subunits of the <it>para </it>sodium channel in <it>Drosophila</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The identification of conserved orthologs to all 4 voltage-gated sodium channel beta subunit genes in zebrafish and the lack of evidence for beta subunit genes in invertebrate chordates together indicate that this gene family emerged early in vertebrate evolution, prior to the divergence of teleosts and tetrapods. The evolutionary history of sodium channel beta subunits suggests that these genes may have played a key role in the diversification and specialization of electrical signaling in early vertebrates.</p
Influence of Complex Exciton-Phonon Coupling on Optical Absorption and Energy Transfer of Quantum Aggregates
We present a theory that efficiently describes the quantum dynamics of an
electronic excitation that is coupled to a continuous, highly structured phonon
environment. Based on a stochastic approach to non-Markovian open quantum
systems, we develop a dynamical framework that allows us to handle realistic
systems where a fully quantum treatment is desired yet the usual approximation
schemes fail. The capability of the method is demonstrated by calculating
spectra and energy transfer dynamics of mesoscopic molecular aggregates,
elucidating the transition from fully coherent to incoherent transfer
Diclofenac Prolongs Repolarization in Ventricular Muscle with Impaired Repolarization Reserve
Background: The aim of the present work was to characterize the electrophysiological effects of the non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drug diclofenac and to study the possible proarrhythmic potency of the drug in ventricular muscle.
Methods: Ion currents were recorded using voltage clamp technique in canine single ventricular cells and action potentials
were obtained from canine ventricular preparations using microelectrodes. The proarrhythmic potency of the drug was
investigated in an anaesthetized rabbit proarrhythmia model.
Results: Action potentials were slightly lengthened in ventricular muscle but were shortened in Purkinje fibers by diclofenac
(20 mM). The maximum upstroke velocity was decreased in both preparations. Larger repolarization prolongation was
observed when repolarization reserve was impaired by previous BaCl 2 application. Diclofenac (3 mg/kg) did not prolong
while dofetilide (25 mg/kg) significantly lengthened the QT c interval in anaesthetized rabbits. The addition of diclofenac
following reduction of repolarization reserve by dofetilide further prolonged QT c . Diclofenac alone did not induce Torsades
de Pointes ventricular tachycardia (TdP) while TdP incidence following dofetilide was 20%. However, the combination of
diclofenac and dofetilide significantly increased TdP incidence (62%). In single ventricular cells diclofenac (30 mM) decreased
the amplitude of rapid (I Kr ) and slow (I Ks ) delayed rectifier currents thereby attenuating repolarization reserve. L-type calcium
current (I Ca ) was slightly diminished, but the transient outward (I to ) and inward rectifier (I K1 ) potassium currents were not
influenced.
Conclusions: Diclofenac at therapeutic concentrations and even at high dose does not prolong repolarization markedly and
does not increase the risk of arrhythmia in normal heart. However, high dose diclofenac treatment may lengthen
repolarization and enhance proarrhythmic risk in hearts with reduced repolarization reserve
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