Auckland University of Technology

About: Auckland University of Technology is a education organization based out in Auckland, New Zealand. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 4116 authors who have published 13461 publications receiving 353076 citations. The organization is also known as: AUT & AUT University.

A prospective study of shoulder pain in primary care: Prevalence of imaged pathology and response to guided diagnostic blocks

Abstract: The prevalence of imaged pathology in primary care has received little attention and the relevance of identified pathology to symptoms remains unclear. This paper reports the prevalence of imaged pathology and the association between pathology and response to diagnostic blocks into the subacromial bursa (SAB), acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) and glenohumeral joint (GHJ). Consecutive patients with shoulder pain recruited from primary care underwent standardised x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound scan and diagnostic injections of local anaesthetic into the SAB and ACJ. Subjects who reported less than 80% reduction in pain following either of these injections were referred for a magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) and GHJ diagnostic block. Differences in proportions of positive and negative imaging findings in the anaesthetic response groups were assessed using Fishers test and odds ratios were calculated a for positive anaesthetic response (PAR) to diagnostic blocks. In the 208 subjects recruited, the rotator cuff and SAB displayed the highest prevalence of pathology on both ultrasound (50% and 31% respectively) and MRA (65% and 76% respectively). The prevalence of PAR following SAB injection was 34% and ACJ injection 14%. Of the 59% reporting a negative anaesthetic response (NAR) for both of these injections, 16% demonstrated a PAR to GHJ injection. A full thickness tear of supraspinatus on ultrasound was associated with PAR to SAB injection (OR 5.02; p < 0.05). Ultrasound evidence of a biceps tendon sheath effusion (OR 8.0; p < 0.01) and an intact rotator cuff (OR 1.3; p < 0.05) were associated with PAR to GHJ injection. No imaging findings were strongly associated with PAR to ACJ injection (p ≤ 0.05). Rotator cuff and SAB pathology were the most common findings on ultrasound and MRA. Evidence of a full thickness supraspinatus tear was associated with symptoms arising from the subacromial region, and a biceps tendon sheath effusion and an intact rotator cuff were associated with an intra-articular GHJ pain source. When combined with clinical information, these results may help guide diagnostic decision making in primary care.

Changing ecological constraints of practice alters coordination of dynamic interceptive actions

Abstract: Ecological constraints of practice significantly affect the acquisition of functional information-movement couplings and learners need to converge on information-specifying perceptual variables. Consequently, prolonged and widespread use of ball projection machines for practice of interceptive actions may lack theoretical foundation because they afford information-specifying variables which are not present in competitive performance. To examine this issue, timing and coordination of the forward defensive stroke in cricket batting were examined in experienced batters under two typical practice task constraints: batting against a representative 'real' bowler (B) and a representative bowling machine (BM) (mean delivery velocity 26.76 m s-1 under both conditions). Results showed significant adaptation of coordination and timing under the different practice task constraints. For example, initiation of the backswing was later against a bowler and downswing was faster with a different ratio of backswing–downswing when batting in the BM condition (47%: 53%) compared to B (54%: 46%). Peak bat height differed under the two constraints (BM: 1.56m, s=19.89 m and B: 1.72m, s=10.36 m). Mean length of front foot stride was shorter against the BM (0.55m, s=0.07 m) compared to B (0.59m, s=0.06 m). Correlation between initiation of backswing and front foot movement was much higher against B (r=0.88) than BM (r=0.65). Results suggested that coaches should ensure opportunities for regular practice against 'real' bowlers, so that batters become attuned to the information available for pick up in those specific practice constraints. Projectile machines may be best used under special conditions in which coaches randomise the bounce point and deliver balls at slower speeds to allow batters to sample early ball flight before selecting shot responses.

Understanding the popular users

Abstract: Context: the ability to follow other users and projects on GitHub has introduced a new layer of open source software development participants who observe but do not contribute to projects. It has not been fully explored how following others influences the actions of GitHub users. Objective: this paper studies the motivation behind following (or not following) others and the influence of popular users on their followers. Method: a mixed methods research approach was used including a survey of 800 GitHub users to uncover the reasons for following on GitHub and a complementary quantitative analysis of the activity of GitHub users to examine influence. Our quantitative analysis studied 199 popular (most followed) users and their followers. Results: we found that popular users do influence their followers by guiding them to new projects. As a user's popularity increases, so does their rate of influence, yet the same is not true for a popular user's rate of contribution. Conclusions: these results indicate that a new type of leadership is emerging through GitHub's following feature and popularity can be more important than contribution in influencing others. We discuss implications of popularity and influence and their impact on social structure and leadership on OSS projects.

The High Time Resolution Universe Pulsar Survey - XIII. PSR J1757-1854, the most accelerated binary pulsar

Abstract: We report the discovery of PSR J1757$-$1854, a 21.5-ms pulsar in a highly-eccentric, 4.4-h orbit around a neutron star (NS) companion. PSR J1757$-$1854 exhibits some of the most extreme relativistic parameters of any known pulsar, including the strongest relativistic effects due to gravitational-wave (GW) damping, with a merger time of 76 Myr. Following a 1.6-yr timing campaign, we have measured five post-Keplerian (PK) parameters, yielding the two component masses ($m_\text{p}=1.3384(9)\,\text{M}_\odot$ and $m_\text{c}=1.3946(9)\,\text{M}_\odot$) plus three tests of general relativity (GR), which the theory passes. The larger mass of the NS companion provides important clues regarding the binary formation of PSR J1757$-$1854. With simulations suggesting 3-$\sigma$ measurements of both the contribution of Lense-Thirring precession to the rate of change of the semi-major axis and the relativistic deformation of the orbit within $\sim7-9$ years, PSR J1757$-$1854 stands out as a unique laboratory for new tests of gravitational theories.