31,940 research outputs found
Patient-oriented and performance-based outcomes after knee autologous chondrocyte implantation: a timeline for the first year of recovery
It is well established that autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) can require extended recovery postoperatively; however, little information exists to provide clinicians and patients with a timeline for anticipated function during the first year after ACI. Objective: To document the recovery of functional performance of activities of daily living after ACI. Patients: ACI patients (n = 48, 29 male 35.1 ± 8.0 y). Intervention: All patients completed functional tests (weight-bearing squat, walk-across, sit-to-stand, step-up/over, and forward lunge) using the NeuroCom long force plate (Clackamas, OR) and completed patient-reported outcome measures (International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, Lysholm, Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index WOMAC, and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey) preoperatively and 3, 6, and 12 mo postoperatively. Main Outcome Measures: A covariance pattern model was used to compare performance and self-reported outcome across time and provide a timeline for functional recovery after ACI. Results: Participants demonstrated significant improvement in walk-across stride length from baseline (42.0% ± 8.9% height) at 6 (46.8% ± 8.1%) and 12 mo (46.6% ± 7.6%). Weight bearing on the involved limb during squatting at 30°, 60°, and 90° was significantly less at 3 mo than presurgery. Step-up/over time was significantly slower at 3 mo (1.67 ± 0.69 s) than at baseline (1.49 ± 0.33 s), 6 mo (1.51 ± 0.36 s), and 12 mo (1.40 ± 0.26 s). Step-up/over lift-up index was increased from baseline (41.0% ± 11.3% body weight BW) at 3 (45.0% ± 11.7% BW), 6 (47.0% ± 11.3% BW), and 12 mo (47.3% ± 11.6% BW). Forward-lunge time was decreased at 3 mo (1.51 ± 0.44 s) compared with baseline (1.39 ± 0.43 s), 6 mo (1.32 ± 0.05 s), and 12 mo (1.27 ± 0.06). Similarly, forward-lunge impact force was decreased at 3 mo (22.2% ± 1.4% BW) compared with baseline (25.4% ± 1.5% BW). The WOMAC demonstrated significant improvements at 3 mo. All patient-reported outcomes were improved from baseline at 6 and 12 mo postsurgery. Conclusions: Patients' perceptions of improvements may outpace physical changes in function. Decreased function for at least the first 3 mo after ACI should be anticipated, and improvement in performance of tasks requiring weight-bearing knee flexion, such as squatting, going down stairs, or lunging, may not occur for a year or more after surgery
A simulation survey of galaxy interactions
Many carefully selected samples of interacting galaxies have been observed extensively in attempts to clarify whether interaction produces activity in galaxies. Because the sample members represent a wide range of encounter parameters and times, one can then study whether there are correlations between observable encounter features and, for example, Seyfert activity. On the other hand, in theoretical studies, simulations typically deal with either time-consuming detailed modelling of single galaxy pairs or tracing a few model encounters over time. The authors extend the observational survey approach by combining it with a simulation survey. The authors are conducting a survey of model encounters, covering the most important encounter parameters over a wide range. Some parameters, such as companion structure and initial velocity, are demonstratably less important and can be ignored in a first pass. The parameter range must be richly enough sampled so that the authors can evaluate the uniqueness of the observable morphology and velocity structure of the resulting simulated pairs to diagnose unobservable companion orbit parameters. They are using a self-gravitating polar n-body code run on the Cray X-MP at the Alabama Supercomputer Network. For each simulation, the authors have stellar and gas distributions predicted over, typically, a billion years, along with information on gas motions within the disk and any material captured by the companion or lost to the system. Features of disturbed spiral galaxies are sensitive enough to time and encounter parameters so that a match of the simulation survey results to observations can be applied as starting points to infer unobservable orbital or system parameters in actual sample members. This should enable them to examine whether interesting observed properties (Seyfert activity, nuclear star-formation rate) are functions of unobservable dynamical properties which characterize each encounter. Any correlations (or lack of some expected ones) will provide strong clues as to how or whether these phenomena are related to interactions. Aside from its use with such observed samples, this survey should greatly speed determination of initial orbital parameters for more detailed subsequent simulations of individual systems
Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report
This report, written by Abt Associates and MDRC and published by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, finds that Reading First increased the amount of time that teachers spent on the five essential components of reading instruction, as defined by the National Reading Panel. While Reading First did not improve students' reading comprehension on average, there are some indications that some sites had impacts on both instruction and reading comprehension. An overview puts these interim findings in context
Automated analysis of quantitative image data using isomorphic functional mixed models, with application to proteomics data
Image data are increasingly encountered and are of growing importance in many
areas of science. Much of these data are quantitative image data, which are
characterized by intensities that represent some measurement of interest in the
scanned images. The data typically consist of multiple images on the same
domain and the goal of the research is to combine the quantitative information
across images to make inference about populations or interventions. In this
paper we present a unified analysis framework for the analysis of quantitative
image data using a Bayesian functional mixed model approach. This framework is
flexible enough to handle complex, irregular images with many local features,
and can model the simultaneous effects of multiple factors on the image
intensities and account for the correlation between images induced by the
design. We introduce a general isomorphic modeling approach to fitting the
functional mixed model, of which the wavelet-based functional mixed model is
one special case. With suitable modeling choices, this approach leads to
efficient calculations and can result in flexible modeling and adaptive
smoothing of the salient features in the data. The proposed method has the
following advantages: it can be run automatically, it produces inferential
plots indicating which regions of the image are associated with each factor, it
simultaneously considers the practical and statistical significance of
findings, and it controls the false discovery rate.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS407 the Annals of
Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of
Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org
Interaction of Phonons and Dirac Fermions on the Surface of Bi2Se3: A Strong Kohn Anomaly
We report the first measurements of phonon dispersion curves on the (001)
surface of the strong three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. The
surface phonon measurements were carried out with the aid of coherent helium
beam surface scattering techniques. The results reveal a prominent signature of
the exotic metallic Dirac fermion quasi-particles, including a strong Kohn
anomaly. The signature is manifest in a low energy isotropic convex dispersive
surface phonon branch with a frequency maximum of 1.8 THz, and having a
V-shaped minimum at approximately 2kF that defines the Kohn anomaly.
Theoretical analysis attributes this dispersive profile to the renormalization
of the surface phonon excitations by the surface Dirac fermions. The
contribution of the Dirac fermions to this renormalization is derived in terms
of a Coulomb-type perturbation model
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Public discomfort at the prospect of autonomous vehicles: Building on previous surveys to measure attitudes in 11 countries
There have been many surveys of public responses to Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), both reported in peer-reviewed journals and in the mainstream media. People anchor their representations of novel technological objects within their existing experience. What elements of such experience anchor AVs? We review academic English language survey studies from 2015 to 2017 and surveys publicised in UK National newspapers which typically reveal discomfort about the prospect of AVs. Against this background we report the results of our own survey of 11,827 drivers across 11 European countries, addressing attitudes to driving alongside AVs as well as to riding in them. We establish a composite indicator of perceptions of AVs that combines responses on using AVs and sharing the road with them, and analyse its relationship with a set of covariate measures. Respondents’ technological optimism and uptake of driving technology was associated with more positive perceptions of AVs, and measures of respondents’ enjoyment of driving, and how ‘sociable’ they were towards fellow road users, was associated with more negative perceptions. The negative association between driving ‘sociability’ and enthusiasm for AVs was attenuated by levels of general technological optimism. We discuss the difficulties in researching public responses to novel technological objects and make suggestions for improvement in future survey research on AVs
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