175 research outputs found
The influence of elastic orthotic belt on sagittal profile in adolescent idiopathic thoracic scoliosis: a comparative radiographic study with Milwaukee brace
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effectiveness of bracing on preventing curve progression in coronal plane for mild and moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients has been confirmed by previous radiographic researches. However, a hypokyphotic effect on the sagittal plane has been reported by a few studies. A relatively increasing number of AIS patients were noticed to wear a new kind of elastic orthotic belt for the treatments of scoliosis without doctors' instructions. We postulate the correcting mechanism of this new appliance may cause flattening of the spine. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the effects of this new orthosis on the sagittal profile of AIS patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of elastic orthotic belt and Milwaukee brace on the sagittal alignment in AIS patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty-eight female AIS patients with mild or moderate thoracic curves were included in this study. Standing full-length lateral radiographs were obtained in three conditions: natural standing posture without any treatment, with elastic orthotic belt and with Milwaukee brace. Thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumber lordosis (LL) and pelvic incidence (PI) were measured and compared between the above three conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both elastic orthotic belt and Milwaukee brace can lead to significant decrease of TK, however, the decrease of TK after wearing elastic orthotic belt is significantly larger than that after wearing Milwaukee brace. Compared with no treatment, LL was found to be significantly smaller after wearing Milwaukee brace, however, such significant decrease was not noted after wearing elastic orthotic belt. No significant changes were observed for the PI between 3 conditions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The elastic orthotic belt could lead to more severe thoracic hypokyphosis when compared with Milwaukee brace. This belt may not be a suitable conservative method for the treatment of mild and moderate AIS patients.</p
Associations between Body Mass and the Outcome of Surgery for Scoliosis in Chinese Adults
BACKGROUND: In this study we intended to prove that being overweight has an unfavorable impact on the surgical treatment outcome of adult idiopathic scoliosis (AdIS). METHODS: This is a retrospective study on the surgical treatment of seventy-one more than 30 years old (58 females and 13 males; mean age 42.9±12.2) idiopathic scoliotic patients with a minimum follow up of at least 2 years. The patients were divided into an overweight group (BMI≥23) and a non-overweight group (BMI<23). Preoperative, postoperative first erect and final follow-up radiographic measures, perioperative data, the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the visual analog scale (VAS) were reviewed and compared. FINDINGS: In the overweight group, no significant differences in radiographic measures, perioperative data, preoperative comorbidities, or postoperative complications, except for the more frequent concomitance of preoperative thoracic kyphosis 37.9±7.7 vs. 26.5±11.8 (P = 0.000) and thoracolumbar kyphosis 14.9±10.1 overweighted group vs. 6.5±9.9 non-overweighted group respectively (P = 0.002) were found. A higher morbidity of hypertension 36.8% vs. 9.6% (P = 0.004) was also observed in the overweight group. Postoperative ODI and VAS improved significantly in both groups compared to pre-operative values. The postoperative ODI of the overweight group (19.6±12.4) was significantly higher than that of the non-overweight group (12.4±7.9) (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight adult idiopathic scoliotic patients had more frequent concomitance of preoperative thoracic kyphosis and thoracolumbar kyphosis and more serious postoperative pain. However, BMI did not affect the outcomes of surgical correction for coronal and sagittal scoliotic deformity and their postoperative complication rates were not significantly affected
Universal emission intermittency in quantum dots, nanorods, and nanowires
Virtually all known fluorophores, including semiconductor nanoparticles,
nanorods and nanowires exhibit unexplainable episodes of intermittent emission
blinking. A most remarkable feature of the fluorescence intermittency is a
universal power law distribution of on- and off-times. For nanoparticles the
resulting power law extends over an extraordinarily wide dynamic range: nine
orders of magnitude in probability density and five to six orders of magnitude
in time. The exponents hover about the ubiquitous value of -3/2. Dark states
routinely last for tens of seconds, which are practically forever on quantum
mechanical time scales. Despite such infinite states of darkness, the dots
miraculously recover and start emitting again. Although the underlying
mechanism responsible for this phenomenon remains an enduring mystery and many
questions remain, we argue that substantial theoretical progress has been made.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, Accepted versio
Measurement of the Relative Branching Fraction of to Charged and Neutral B-Meson Pairs
We analyze 9.7 x 10^6 B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded with the CLEO detector to
determine the production ratio of charged to neutral B-meson pairs produced at
the Y(4S) resonance. We measure the rates for B^0 -> J/psi K^{(*)0} and B^+ ->
J/psi K^{(*)+} decays and use the world-average B-meson lifetime ratio to
extract the relative widths f+-/f00 = Gamma(Y(4S) -> B+B-)/Gamma(Y(4S) ->
B0\bar{B0}) = = 1.04 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.04(syst). With the assumption that
f+- + f00 = 1, we obtain f00 = 0.49 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.01(syst) and f+- =
0.51 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.01(syst). This production ratio and its uncertainty
apply to all exclusive B-meson branching fractions measured at the Y(4S)
resonance.Comment: 11 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
First Observation of the Decays and B^{0}\to D^{*-}p\bar{n}$
We report the first observation of exclusive decays of the type B to D^* N
anti-N X, where N is a nucleon. Using a sample of 9.7 times 10^{6} B-Bbar pairs
collected with the CLEO detector operating at the Cornell Electron Storage
Ring, we measure the branching fractions B(B^0 \to D^{*-} proton antiproton
\pi^+) = ({6.5}^{+1.3}_{-1.2} +- 1.0) \times 10^{-4} and B(B^0 \to D^{*-}
proton antineutron) = ({14.5}^{+3.4}_{-3.0} +- 2.7) times 10^{-4}. Antineutrons
are identified by their annihilation in the CsI electromagnetic calorimeter.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Study of the Decays B0 --> D(*)+D(*)-
The decays B0 --> D*+D*-, B0 --> D*+D- and B0 --> D+D- are studied in 9.7
million Y(4S) --> BBbar decays accumulated with the CLEO detector. We determine
Br(B0 --> D*+D*-) = (9.9+4.2-3.3+-1.2)e-4 and limit Br(B0 --> D*+D-) < 6.3e-4
and Br(B0 --> D+D-) < 9.4e-4 at 90% confidence level (CL). We also perform the
first angular analysis of the B0 --> D*+D*- decay and determine that the
CP-even fraction of the final state is greater than 0.11 at 90% CL. Future
measurements of the time dependence of these decays may be useful for the
investigation of CP violation in neutral B meson decays.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A Search for
We report results of a search for in a sample of 9.7 million
charged meson decays. The search uses both and
decay modes of the , and demands exclusive reconstruction of the
companion decay to suppress background. We set an upper limit on the
branching fraction at 90%
confidence level. With slight modification to the analysis we also establish
at 90% confidence
level.Comment: 10 ages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Measurements of B --> D_s^{(*)+} D^{*(*)} Branching Fractions
This article describes improved measurements by CLEO of the and branching fractions, and first evidence
for the decay , where
represents the sum of the , , and
L=1 charm meson states. Also reported is the first
measurement of the polarization in the decay . A partial reconstruction technique, employing only the fully
reconstructed and slow pion from the decay, enhances sensitivity. The observed branching fractions are
, , and , where the first error is statistical,
the second systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainty in the branching fraction. The measured longitudinal
polarization, , is consistent with
the factorization prediction of 54%.Comment: 26 pages (LaTeX), 15 figures. To be submitted to PR
Precise Measurement of B^{0}\to \bar{B^{0} Mixing Parameters at the S)$
We describe a measurement of B^0-B^0bar mixing parameters exploiting a method
of partial reconstruction of the decay chains B0 -> D^{*-}\pi^+ and B0 ->
D^{*-}\rho^+. Using 9.6 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected at the Cornell Electron
Storage Ring, we find \chi_d = 0.198 +- 0.013 +- 0.014, |y_d|<0.41 at 95%
confidence level, and |Re(\epsilon_B)|<0.034 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 11 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Measurement of B(/\c->pKpi)
The /\c->pKpi yield has been measured in a sample of two-jet continuum events
containing a both an anticharm tag (Dbar) as well as an antiproton (e+e- ->
Dbar pbar X), with the antiproton in the hemisphere opposite the Dbar. Under
the hypothesis that such selection criteria tag e+e- -> Dbar pbar (/\c) X
events, the /\c->pkpi branching fraction can be determined by measuring the
pkpi yield in the same hemisphere as the antiprotons in our Dbar pbar X sample.
Combining our results from three independent types of anticharm tags, we obtain
B(/\c->pKpi)=(5.0+/-0.5+/-1.2)
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