Injury Risk Estimation Expertise Assessing the ACL Injury Risk Estimation Quiz

Background: Available methods for screening anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk are effective but limited in application as they generally rely on expensive and time-consuming biomechanical movement analysis. A potential efficient alternative to biomechanical screening is skilled movement analysis via visual inspection (ie, having experts estimate injury risk factors based on observations of athletes’ movements). Purpose: To develop a brief, valid psychometric assessment of ACL injury risk factor estimation skill: the ACL Injury Risk Estimation Quiz (ACL-IQ). Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 660 individuals participated in various stages of the study, including athletes, physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, exercise science researchers/students, and members of the general public in the United States. The ACL-IQ was fully computerized and made available online (www.ACL-IQ.org). Item sampling/reduction, reliability analysis, cross-validation, and convergent/discriminant validity analysis were conducted to optimize the efficiency and validity of the assessment. Results: Psychometric optimization techniques identified a short (mean time, 2 min 24 s), robust, 5-item assessment with high reliability (test-retest: r = 0.90) and consistent discriminability (average difference of exercise science professionals vs general population: Cohen d = 1.98). Exercise science professionals and general population individuals scored 74% and 53% correct, respectively. Convergent and discriminant validity was demonstrated. Scores on the ACL-IQ were most associated with ACL knowledge and various cue utilities and were least associated with domain-general spatial/decision-making ability, personality, or other demographic variables. Overall, 23% of the total sample (40% exercise science professionals; 6% general population) performed better than or equal to the ACL nomogram. Conclusion: This study presents the results of a systematic approach to assess individual differences in ACL injury risk factor estimation skill; the assessment approach is efficient (ie, it can be completed in\3 min) and psychometrically robust. The results provide evidence that some individuals have the ability to visually estimate ACL injury risk factors more accurately than other instrument-based ACL risk estimation methods (ie, ACL nomogram). The ACL-IQ provides the foundation for assessing the efficacy of observational ACL injury risk factor assessment (ie, does simple skilled visual inspection reduce ACL injuries?). It also provides a representative task environment that can be used to increase our understanding of the perceptual-cognitive mechanisms underlying observational movement analysis and to improve injury risk assessment performance

Prospectus, April 18, 2001

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2001/1013/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, November 15, 2000

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2000/1031/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, February 21, 2001

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2001/1006/thumbnail.jp

Cost Analysis of Outpatient Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Autograft versus Allograft

Prior studies suggest the cost of allograft anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is less than that for autograft reconstruction. Charges in these studies were influenced by patients requiring inpatient hospitalization. We therefore determined if allograft ACL reconstruction would still be less costly if all procedures were performed in a completely outpatient setting. We retrospectively reviewed 155 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction in an ambulatory surgery center between 2001 and 2004; 105 had an autograft and 50 had an allograft. Charges were extracted from itemized billing records, standardized to eliminate cost increases, and categorized for comparison. Surgeon and anesthesiologist fees were not included in the analysis. Groups were compared for age, gender, mean total cost, mean cost of implants, and several other cost categories. The mean total cost was $5465 for allograft ACL reconstruction and$4872 for autograft ACL reconstruction. There were no differences in complications between the two groups. Allograft ACL reconstruction was more costly than autograft ACL reconstruction in the outpatient setting. The cost of the allograft outweighs the increased surgical time needed for harvesting an autograft. Level II, economic and decision analyses. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Prospectus, January 31, 2001

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2001/1003/thumbnail.jp

Scale-Dependent Growth Modes of Selective Area Grown III-V Nanowires

Due to their flexible geometry, in-plane selective area grown (SAG) nanowires (NWs) encompass the advantages of vapor-liquid-solid NWs and planar structures. The complex interplay of growth kinetics and NW dimensions provides new pathways for crystal engineering; however, their growth mechanisms remain poorly understood. We analyze the growth mechanisms of GaAs(Sb) and InGaAs/GaAs(Sb) in-plane SAG NWs using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). While GaAs(Sb) NWs consistently follow a layer-by-layer growth, the InGaAs/GaAs(Sb) growth transitions from step-flow to layer-by-layer and layer-plus-island depending on the InGaAs thickness and the NW dimensions. We extract the diffusion lengths of Ga adatoms along the [11̅0] and [110] directions under As during GaAs(Sb) growth. Our results indicate that Sb may inhibit the layer-by-layer to step-flow transition. Our findings show that different growth modes can be achieved in the MBE of in-plane SAG NWs grown on the same substrate and highlight the importance of the interplay with NW dimensions

Prospectus, March 7, 2001

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2001/1008/thumbnail.jp

Interdisciplinary Training in Mathematical Biology through Team-based Undergraduate Research and Courses

Inspired by BIO2010 and leveraging institutional and external funding, Truman State University built an undergraduate program in mathematical biology with high-quality, faculty-mentored interdisciplinary research experiences at its core. These experiences taught faculty and students to bridge the epistemological gap between the mathematical and life sciences. Together they created the infrastructure that currently supports several interdisciplinary courses, an innovative minor degree, and long-term interdepartmental research collaborations. This article describes how the program was built with support from the National Science Foundation's Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biology and Mathematics program, and it shares lessons learned that will help other undergraduate institutions build their own program

Incidence and predictors of onboard injuries among Sri Lankan flight attendants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Occupational injuries among flight attendants have not been given appropriate attention in Sri Lanka. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of onboard injury among Sri Lankan flight attendants and to describe the determinants of onboard injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among Sri Lankan flight attendants. All flight attendants undergoing their annual health and first aid training were invited to participate. Flight attendants who flew continuously for a six-month period prior to data collection were included in the study sample. Recall history of injuries for a period of six months was recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study sample consisted of 98 (30.4%) male and 224 (69.6%) female flight attendants. The mean age of the study sample was 31 years (SD = 8) and the average duration of service was 10 years (SD = 7). A total of 100 onboard falls, slips or trips in the previous six months were reported by 52 (16.1%) respondents. Of the total sample, 128 (39.8%) cabin crew members reported an injury in the six months preceding the study. This represents a total injury incidence of 795 per 1000 person per year. The leading causes of injury was pulling, pushing or lifting (60.2%). The commonest type of injuries were strains and sprains (52.3%). Turbulence related injuries were reported by 38 (29.7%) flight attendants. The upper limbs (44.5%) and the back (32%) were the commonest sites affected. After controlling for other factors, female flight attendants had 2.9 times higher risk (95% CI 1.2–7.2) of sustaining and injury than males. Irrespective of sex, body weight less than 56 kilograms (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4–5.8) and less than seven years of on board experience (OR 10.5, 95% CI 3.6–31.0) were associated with higher risk of injury.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Work related injury is a major occupational hazard to flight attendants. Appropriate preventive strategies are required to minimize them.</p