Long-term Symptomatic, Functional, and Work Outcomes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome among Construction Workers

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcomes of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) including symptoms, functional status, work disability, and economic impact are unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 234 active construction workers with medical claims for CTS and 249 workers without CTS claims; non-cases were matched on age, trade, and insurance eligibility. We conducted telephone interviews with cases and non-cases and collected administrative data on work hours. RESULTS: Compared to non-cases, CTS cases were more likely to report recurrent hand symptoms, decreased work productivity/quality, decreased performance of physical work demands, and greater functional limitations. Surgical cases showed larger improvements on multiple outcomes than non-surgical cases. Minimal differences in paid work hours were seen between cases and non-cases in the years preceding and following CTS claims. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent symptoms and functional impairments were present several years after CTS diagnosis. Long-term functional limitations shown by this and other studies indicate the need for improved prevention and treatment

Ten Trigger Fingers in an Adult Man : A Case Report

Trigger finger is a common disease particularly in the middle aged women. A very rare case in which an adult man had 10 trigger fingers was experienced. He was treated with local steroid injections in both thumbs, but trigger finger disease has been aggravated in every digit of both hands. We performed an early operative treatment. Three months after the operation, the patient could perform his work without discomfort in his hands and showed normal range of motion in all fingers

Trigger finger: etiology, evaluation, and treatment

Trigger finger is a common finger aliment, thought to be caused by inflammation and subsequent narrowing of the A1 pulley, which causes pain, clicking, catching, and loss of motion of the affected finger. Although it can occur in anyone, it is seen more frequently in the diabetic population and in women, typically in the fifth to sixth decade of life. The diagnosis is usually fairly straightforward, as most patients complain of clicking or locking of the finger, but other pathological processes such as fracture, tumor, or other traumatic soft tissue injuries must be excluded. Treatment modalities, including splinting, corticosteroid injection, or surgical release, are very effective and are tailored to the severity and duration of symptoms

Creation of a script for efficient and productive training for heterogeneous types of learners

Vor dem Hintergrund der Mitarbeiterentwicklung ist es schwierig unterschiedliche Mitarbeiter gleich effizient zu schulen. Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit behandelt eingangs die Theorien um das Lernen und die unterschiedlichen Lerntypen, sowie die Grundlagen der Kommunikation. Anhand des 4 Mat Designs wird eine Beispielsschulung erstellt, welche auf heterogene Lerntypen gleichermaßen eingeht. Durch das Ergebnis ist ein effizientes und ergiebiges schulen Teilnehmer unterschiedlichster Lerntypen möglich

Does newspaper reading still matter?: exploring the connection between the news media habits and political participation of Canadian youth

Bibliography: p. 110-12

Trichoderma reesei: Neue Einblicke in seine Genregulation und seine Anwendung als Zellfabrik

Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersDer filamentöse Ascomyzet Trichoderma reesei ist vor allem für seine großartigen Eigenschaften in der industriellen Produktion von Proteinen bekannt. Trichoderma reesei wird vor allem für die industrielle Produktion von Zellulasen, Hemizellulasen und anderen biopolymer-abbauenden Enzymen eingesetzt. Daher wurden in der vorliegenden Arbeit die folgenden Themen behandelt, um weitere Einblicke in die Regulation der Genexpression und den möglichen Einsatz von Trichoderma reesei als Zellfabrik zu erhalten. Die Regulation der Zellulase- und Hemizellulase-codierenden Gene wird von verschiedenen unterschiedlichen Transkriptionsfaktoren beeinflusst. Um die Induktionsmuster der Proteinexpression zu verstehen ist die Untersuchung von Protein-DNA-Interaktionen in vivo von größter Bedeutung. Daher verbesserten wir die traditionelle Methode des "in vivo footprinting", um eine reproduzierbare, stabile und zuverlässige Methode für die Identifikation von Protein-DNA-Interaktionen zu erhalten. In Kombination mit der neuen computerunterstützten, automatisierten Datenanalyse gewährleistet dieser Ansatz eine objektive Auswertung von Hochdurchsatzprojekten. Eine einzige Punktmutation im Transaktivator Xyr1 führt zu einer Deregulation der Xylanaseexpression, während die Induktion der Zellulaseexpression weiterhin durch Sophorose induzierbar bleibt. CD-Analysen von Xyr1 und Xyr1A824V zeigen eine Änderung der Sekundärstruktur und einen Verlust der Strukturänderung als Reaktion auf die Gegenwart bestimmter Zuckermoleküle nahe. Diese Ergebnisse legen den Schluss nahe, dass Xyr1 eine sogenannte "nuclear Rezeptor" - ähnliche Domäne besitzt. Trichoderma reesei ist ein wichtiger industrieller Produzent von hydrolytischen Enzymen. Daher wäre auch ein Einsatz als Zellfabrik denkbar. Daher wurde zum ersten Mal die heterologe Expression einer bakteriellen Zwei-Enzymkaskade in Trichoderma reesei durchgeführt. Das Ziel war die Produktion von N-Acetylneuraminsäure, einem wertvollen Rohstoff für die pharmazeutische Industrie, durch Fermentation auf kolloidalem Chitin, einem billigen und ergiebigen Rohstoff.The filamentous ascomycete Trichoderma reesei is known for its high protein production and secretion capabilities. In industry Trichoderma reesei has been used extensively for the production of cellulases, hemicellulases, and other biopolymer-degrading enzymes. Therefore, the following topics were addressed in order to obtain further insights into gene regulation and the potential use of Trichoderma reesei as a cell factory. The regulation of cellulase- and hemicellulase-encoding genes is subject to a number of different transcription factors. In order to understand the induction patterns responsible the study of protein-DNA interactions in vivo is highly relevant. Therefore we improved traditional in vivo footprinting to obtain a reproducible, stable and reliable method to identify protein-DNA interaction events. The combination with automated data analysis ensures objective evaluation of high-throughput projects. A single point mutation in Xyr1 was shown to cause strong deregulation of xylanase expression, while cellulase expression remained inducible by sophorose. CD analysis of the wild-type Xyr1 and Xyr1A824V suggests a change in secondary structure as well as loss of structural response to the carbohydrate present. This points towards the presence of a nuclear receptor-like domain in Xyr1. Trichoderma reesei is an important industrial producer of hydrolytic enzymes, which suggests the potential use of Trichoderma reesei as cell factory. For the first time the heterologous expression of a bacterial two-enzyme cascade was attempted, which resulted in the production of N-acetyl neuraminic acid, a valuable chemical for the pharmaceutical industry, through fermentation of colloidal chitin, a cheap and abundant carbon source.9