678 research outputs found
Socket interface pressure and amputee reported outcomes for comfortable and uncomfortable conditions of patellar tendon bearing socket: a pilot study
The objectives of the current study were to compare intra-socket pressure differences between comfortable and uncomfortable socket conditions, and the usefulness of subject perception of satisfaction, activity limitations, and socket comfort in distinguishing between these two socket conditions. Five unilateral trans-tibial amputees took part in the study. They answered the Socket Comfort Score (SCS) and Trinity Amputation and Prosthetic Experience Scale (TAPES) questionnaires before the interface pressure (in standing and walking) was measured for the uncomfortable socket condition at five regions of the residual limb. Participants were then provided with a comfortable socket and wore it for two weeks. Participants who were satisfied with the socket fit after two weeks repeated the SCS and TAPES questionnaires and interface pressure measurements. The differences between the test results of the two conditions were not statistically significant, except for the interface pressure at the popliteal region during the early stance phase, TAPES socket fit subscale, and the SCS. Due to large variability of the data and the lack of statistical significance, no firm conclusion can be made on the possible relationship between the interface pressure values and the patient-reported outcomes of the two socket conditions. A larger sample size and longer acclimation period are required to locate significant differences.N/
Potential-density pairs for axisymmetric galaxies: the influence of scalar fields
We present a formulation for potential-density pairs to describe axisymmetric
galaxies in the Newtonian limit of scalar-tensor theories of gravity. The
scalar field is described by a modified Helmholtz equation with a source that
is coupled to the standard Poisson equation of Newtonian gravity. The net
gravitational force is given by two contributions: the standard Newtonian
potential plus a term stemming from massive scalar fields. General solutions
have been found for axisymmetric systems and the multipole expansion of the
Yukawa potential is given. In particular, we have computed potential-density
pairs of galactic disks for an exponential profile and their rotation curves.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, corrected version to the one that will appear in
Gen. Relativ. Gravit., where a small typo in eq. (13) is presen
Conformal aspects of Palatini approach in Extended Theories of Gravity
The debate on the physical relevance of conformal transformations can be
faced by taking the Palatini approach into account to gravitational theories.
We show that conformal transformations are not only a mathematical tool to
disentangle gravitational and matter degrees of freedom (passing from the
Jordan frame to the Einstein frame) but they acquire a physical meaning
considering the bi-metric structure of Palatini approach which allows to
distinguish between spacetime structure and geodesic structure. Examples of
higher-order and non-minimally coupled theories are worked out and relevant
cosmological solutions in Einstein frame and Jordan frames are discussed
showing that also the interpretation of cosmological observations can
drastically change depending on the adopted frame
Astrophysical structures from primordial quantum black holes
The characteristic sizes of astrophysical structures, up to the whole
observed Universe, can be recovered, in principle, assuming that gravity is the
overall interaction assembling systems starting from microscopic scales, whose
order of magnitude is ruled by the Planck length and the related Compton
wavelength. This result agrees with the absence of screening mechanisms for the
gravitational interaction and could be connected to the presence of Yukawa
corrections in the Newtonian potential which introduce typical interaction
lengths. This result directly comes out from quantization of primordial black
holes and then characteristic interaction lengths directly emerge from quantum
field theory.Comment: 11 page
Test of CPT Symmetry and Quantum Mechanics with Experimental data from CPLEAR
We use fits to recent published CPLEAR data on neutral kaon decays to
and to constrain the CPT--violation parameters
appearing in a formulation of the neutral kaon system as an open
quantum-mechanical system. The obtained upper limits of the CPT--violation
parameters are approaching the range suggested by certain ideas concerning
quantum gravity.Comment: 9 pages of uuencoded postscript (includes 3 figures
Rationale and design of the IRON-AF study: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study to assess the effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in patients with atrial fibrillation and iron deficiency
Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with significantly impaired quality-of-life. Iron deficiency (ID) is prevalent in patients with AF. Correction of ID in other patient populations with intravenous iron supplementation has been shown to be a safe, convenient and effective way of improving exercise tolerance, fatigue and quality-of-life. The IRON-AF (Effect of Iron Repletion in Atrial Fibrillation) study is designed to assess the effect of iron repletion with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in patients with AF and ID. Methods and Analysis: The IRON-AF study is a double-blind, randomised controlled trial that will recruit at least 84 patients with AF and ID. Patients will be randomised to receive infusions of either ferric carboxymaltose or placebo, given in repletion and then maintenance doses. The study will have follow-up visits at weeks 4, 8 and 12. The primary endpoint is change in peak oxygen uptake from baseline to week 12, as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer. Secondary endpoints include changes in quality-of-life and AF disease burden scores, blood parameters, other CPET parameters, transthoracic echocardiogram parameters, 6-minute walk test distance, 7-day Holter/Event monitor burden of AF, health resource utilisation and mortality. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the Central Adelaide Local Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee, Australia. The results of this study will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.Samuel J Tu, Adrian D Elliott, Nicole Hanna-Rivero, Celine Gallagher, Ricardo S Mishima, Ellen Lyrtzis, Danielle Wlochowicz, Nicholas AR Clarke, Kurt C Roberts-Thomson, Michael B Stokes, Mehrdad Emami, Dennis H Lau, Prashanthan Sanders, Christopher X Won
The Structure of Interpretations in Family Therapy: A Video-Enhanced Exploration *
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73991/1/j.1545-5300.2000.39204.x.pd
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Their potential role in blood pressure prevention and management
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from fish and fish oils appear to protect against coronary heart disease: their dietary intake is in fact inversely associated to cardiovascular disease morbidity/mortality in population studies. Recent evidence suggests that at least part of their heart protective effect is mediated by a relatively small but significant decrease in blood pressure level. In fact, omega-3 PUFAs exhibit wide-ranging biological actions that include regulating both vasomotor tone and renal sodium excretion, partly competing with omega-6 PUFAs for common metabolic enzymes and thereby decreasing the production of vasocostrincting rather than vasodilating and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. PUFAs also reduce angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, angiotensin II formation, TGF-beta expression, enhance eNO generation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The final result is improved vasodilation and arterial compliance of both small and large arteries. Preliminary clinical trials involving dyslipidemic patients, diabetics and elderly subjects, as well as normotensive and hypertensive subjects confirm this working hypothesis. Future research will clarify if PUFA supplementation could improve the antihypertensive action of specific blood pressure lowering drug classes and of statins
Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset
corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected
during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the
couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and
right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary
mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b,
leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing
transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W'
boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to
the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for
masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC
data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed
coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant
improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe
Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The
analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC
from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an
integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross
section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected
exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the
standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The
analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model
Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The
largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is
observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance
of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local
significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is
estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of
this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
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