Prognosis and course of work-participation in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: a 12-month follow-up cohort study

AbstractOBJECTIVE:To investigate the clinical course of, and prognostic factors for, work-participation in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.METHODS:A total of 1,608 patients with chronic non-specific low back pain received a multidisciplinary therapy and were evaluated at baseline and 2-, 5- and 12-month follow-ups. Recovery was defined as absolute recovery if the patient worked 90% of his contract hours at follow-up. Potential factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis.RESULTS:Patients reported a mean increase in work-participation from 38% at baseline to 82% after 12 months. Prognostic factors for ≥ 90% work-participation at 5 months were being married (odds ratio (OR) 1.72 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.12-2.65)), male (OR 1.99 (95% CI 1.24-3.20)), a higher score on disability (OR 1.00 (95% CI 0.997-1.02)) and physical component scale (Short-Form 36 (SF-36)) (OR 1.05 (95% CI 1.02-1.07)), previous rehabilitation (OR 1.85 (95% CI 1.14-2.98)), not receiving sickness benefits (OR 0.52 (95% CI 0.24-1.10)) and more work-participation (OR 4.86 (95% CI 2.35-10.04)). More work-participation (OR 5.22 (95% CI 3.47-7.85)) and male sex (OR 1.79 (95% CI 1.25-2.55)) were also prognostic factors at 12-month follow-up.CONCLUSION:At 12 months 52% of patients reported ≥ 90% work-participation. The strongest prognostic factor was more work-participation at baseline for the recovery of chronic non-specific low back pai

A duality of generalized metric spaces

AbstractWe develop a duality theory for Lawvereʼs generalized metric spaces that extends the Lawson duality for continuous dcpos and open filter reflecting maps: we prove that the category of relatively cocomplete and continuous [0,∞]-categories considered with open filter reflecting maps is self-dual

Collective dynamics of liquid aluminum probed by Inelastic X-ray Scattering

An inelastic X-ray scattering experiment has been performed in liquid aluminum with the purpose of studying the collective excitations at wavevectors below the first sharp diffraction peak. The high instrumental resolution (up to 1.5 meV) allows an accurate investigation of the dynamical processes in this liquid metal on the basis of a generalized hydrodynamics framework. The outcoming results confirm the presence of a viscosity relaxation scenario ruled by a two timescale mechanism, as recently found in liquid lithium.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Density fluctuations and single-particle dynamics in liquid lithium

The single-particle and collective dynamical properties of liquid lithium have been evaluated at several thermodynamic states near the triple point. This is performed within the framework of mode-coupling theory, using a self-consistent scheme which, starting from the known static structure of the liquid, allows the theoretical calculation of several dynamical properties. Special attention is devoted to several aspects of the single-particle dynamics, which are discussed as a function of the thermodynamic state. The results are compared with those of Molecular Dynamics simulations and other theoretical approaches.Comment: 31 pages (in preprint format), 14 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Development of a self-report measure of capability wellbeing for adults: the ICECAP-A

Purpose The benefits of health and social care are not confined to patient health alone and therefore broader measures of wellbeing may be useful for economic evaluation.\ud This paper reports the development of a simple measure of capability wellbeing for adults (ICECAP-A).\ud Methods In-depth, informant-led, interviews to identify the attributes of capability wellbeing were conducted with 36 adults in the UK. Eighteen semi-structured, repeat interviews were carried out to develop a capability-based descriptive system for the measure. Informants were purposively selected to ensure variation in socio-economic status, age, sex, ethnicity and health. Data analysis was carried out inductively and iteratively alongside interviews, and findings were used to shape the questions in later interviews.\ud Results Five over-arching attributes of capability wellbeing were identified for the measure: ‘‘stability’’,‘‘attachment’’, ‘‘achievement’’, ‘‘autonomy’’ and ‘‘enjoyment’’. One item, with four response categories, was developed for each attribute for the ICECAP-A descriptive system.\ud Conclusions The ICECAP-A capability measure represents a departure from traditional health economics outcome measures, by treating health status as an influence over broader attributes of capability wellbeing. Further work is required to value and validate the attributes and test the sensitivity of the ICECAP-A to healthcare interventions

Creating a low-dimensional quantum gas using dark states in an inelastic evanescent-wave mirror

We discuss an experimental scheme to create a low-dimensional gas of ultracold atoms, based on inelastic bouncing on an evanescent-wave mirror. Close to the turning point of the mirror, the atoms are transferred into an optical dipole trap. This scheme can compress the phase-space density and can ultimately yield an optically-driven atom laser. An important issue is the suppression of photon scattering due to ``cross-talk'' between the mirror potential and the trapping potential. We propose that for alkali atoms the photon scattering rate can be suppressed by several orders of magnitude if the atoms are decoupled from the evanescent-wave light. We discuss how such dark states can be achieved by making use of circularly-polarized evanescent waves.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Re-Evaluation of the Action Potential Upstroke Velocity as a Measure of the Na+ Current in Cardiac Myocytes at Physiological Conditions

Background: The SCN5A encoded sodium current (INa) generates the action potential (AP) upstroke and is a major determinant of AP characteristics and AP propagation in cardiac myocytes. Unfortunately, in cardiac myocytes, investigation of kinetic properties of INa with near-physiological ion concentrations and temperature is technically challenging due to the large amplitude and rapidly activating nature of INa, which may seriously hamper the quality of voltage control over the membrane. We hypothesized that the alternating voltage clamp-current clamp (VC/CC) technique might provide an alternative to traditional voltage clamp (VC) technique for the determination of INa properties under physiological conditions. Principal Findings: We studied INa under close-to-physiological conditions by VC technique in SCN5A cDNA-transfected HEK cells or by alternating VC/CC technique in both SCN5A cDNA-transfected HEK cells and rabbit left ventricular myocytes. In these experiments, peak INa during a depolarizing VC step or maximal upstroke velocity, dV/dtmax, during VC/CC served as an indicator of available INa. In HEK cells, biophysical properties of INa, including current density, voltage dependent (in)activation, development of inactivation, and recovery from inactivation, were highly similar in VC and VC/CC experiments. As an application of the VC/CC technique we studied INa in left ventricular myocytes isolated from control or failing rabbit hearts

Quantum-state control in optical lattices

We study the means to prepare and coherently manipulate atomic wave packets in optical lattices, with particular emphasis on alkali atoms in the far-detuned limit. We derive a general, basis independent expression for the lattice operator, and show that its off-diagonal elements can be tailored to couple the vibrational manifolds of separate magnetic sublevels. Using these couplings one can evolve the state of a trapped atom in a quantum coherent fashion, and prepare pure quantum states by resolved-sideband Raman cooling. We explore the use of atoms bound in optical lattices to study quantum tunneling and the generation of macroscopic superposition states in a double-well potential. Far-off-resonance optical potentials lend themselves particularly well to reservoir engineering via well controlled fluctuations in the potential, making the atom/lattice system attractive for the study of decoherence and the connection between classical and quantum physics.Comment: 35 pages including 8 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev. A. March 199