Power grip, pinch grip, manual muscle testing or thenar atrophy - which should be assessed as a motor outcome after carpal tunnel decompression? A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Objective assessment of motor function is frequently used to evaluate outcome after surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However a range of outcome measures are used and there appears to be no consensus on which measure of motor function effectively captures change. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the methods used to assess motor function in randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. A secondary aim was to evaluate which instruments reflect clinical change and are psychometrically robust.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The bibliographic databases Medline, AMED and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. Data on instruments used, methods of assessment and results of tests of motor function was extracted by two independent reviewers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-two studies were retrieved which included performance based assessments of motor function. Nineteen studies assessed power grip dynamometry, fourteen studies used both power and pinch grip dynamometry, eight used manual muscle testing and five assessed the presence or absence of thenar atrophy. Several studies used multiple tests of motor function. Two studies included both power and pinch strength and reported descriptive statistics enabling calculation of effect sizes to compare the relative responsiveness of grip and pinch strength within study samples. The study findings suggest that tip pinch is more responsive than lateral pinch or power grip up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although used most frequently and known to be reliable, power and key pinch dynamometry are not the most valid or responsive tools for assessing motor outcome up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS. Tip pinch dynamometry more specifically targets the thenar musculature and appears to be more responsive. Manual muscle testing, which in theory is most specific to the thenar musculature, may be more sensitive if assessed using a hand held dynamometer – the Rotterdam Intrinsic Handheld Myometer. However further research is needed to evaluate its reliability and responsiveness and establish the most efficient and psychometrically robust method of evaluating motor function following surgery for CTS.</p

Control of sulphide during anaerobic treatment of S-containing wastewaters by adding limited amounts of oxygen or nitrate

Sulphide generated during anaerobic treatment of S-containing wastewaters represents an environmental problem. Adding limited amounts of oxygen or nitrate (or nitrite) to biologically (or chemically) oxidise sulphide forms a simple process level strategy to control this problem. This short review evaluates the feasibility and limitations of this strategy on the basis of the results of bioreactor studies.Sulphide generated during anaerobic treatment of S-containing wastewaters represents an environmental problem. Adding limited amounts of oxygen or nitrate (or nitrite) to biologically (or chemically) oxidise sulphide forms a simple process level strategy to control this problem. This short review evaluates the feasibility and limitations of this strategy on the basis of the results of bioreactor studies.Spanish Ministry of Education and Science; AEA Technology Environment; Nova Energie; The Swedish Gas Centre; University of Southern Denmark

Transport of Folded Proteins by the Tat System

The twin-arginine protein translocation (Tat) system has been characterized in bacteria, archaea and the chloroplast thylakoidal membrane. This system is distinct from other protein transport systems with respect to two key features. Firstly, it accepts cargo proteins with an N-terminal signal peptide that carries the canonical twin-arginine motif, which is essential for transport. Second, the Tat system only accepts and translocates fully folded cargo proteins across the respective membrane. Here, we review the core essential features of folded protein transport via the bacterial Tat system, using the three-component TatABC system of Escherichia coli and the two-component TatAC systems of Bacillus subtilis as the main examples. In particular, we address features of twin-arginine signal peptides, the essential Tat components and how they assemble into different complexes, mechanistic features and energetics of Tat-dependent protein translocation, cytoplasmic chaperoning of Tat cargo proteins, and the remarkable proofreading capabilities of the Tat system. In doing so, we present the current state of our understanding of Tat-dependent protein translocation across biological membranes, which may serve as a lead for future investigations

The full angle-dependence of the four-loop cusp anomalous dimension in QED

The angle-dependent cusp anomalous dimension governs divergences coming from soft gluon exchanges between heavy particles, such as top quarks. We focus on the matter-dependent contributions and compute the first truly non-planar terms. They appear at four loops and are proportional to a quartic Casimir operator in color space. Specializing our general gauge theory result to U(1), we obtain the full QED four-loop angle-dependent cusp anomalous dimension. While more complicated functions appear at intermediate steps, the analytic answer depends only on multiple polylogarithms with singularities at fourth roots of unity. It can be written in terms of four rational structures, and contains functions of up to maximal transcendental weight seven. Despite this complexity, we find that numerically the answer is tantalizingly close to the appropriately rescaled one-loop formula, over most of the kinematic range. We take several limits of our analytic result, which serves as a check and allows us to obtain new, power-suppressed terms. In the anti-parallel lines limit, which corresponds to production of two massive particles at threshold, we find that the subleading power correction vanishes. Finally, we compute the quartic Casimir contribution for scalars in the loop. Taking into account a supersymmetric decomposition, we derive the first non-planar corrections to the quark anti-quark potential in maximally supersymmetric gauge theory

Cathodoluminescence in single and multiwall WS2 nanotubes: Evidence for quantum confinement and strain effect

[EN] For nanoparticles with sub-10 nm diameter, the electronic bandgap becomes size dependent due to quantum confinement; this, in turn, affects their electro-optical properties. Thereby, MoS2 and WS2 monolayers acquire luminescent capability, due to the confinement-induced indirect-to-direct bandgap transition. Rolling up of individual layers results in single wall inorganic nanotubes (SWINTs). Up to the present study, their luminescence properties were expected to be auspicious but were limited to theoretical investigations only, due to the scarcity of SWINTs and the difficulties in handling them. By optimizing the conditions in the plasma reactor, relatively high yields of WS2 SWINTs 3–7 nm in diameter were obtained in this work, compared to previous reports. A correlative approach, transmission electron microscopy coupled with a scanning electron microscope, was adapted to overcome handling obstacles and for testing individual nanotubes by low-temperature cathodoluminescence. Clear cathodoluminescence spectra were obtained from WS2-SWINTs and compared with those of WS2 multiwall nanotubes and the corresponding bulk material. Uniquely, the optical properties of INTs acquired from cathodoluminescence were governed by the opposite impact from quantum size effect and strain in the bent triple S-W-S layers. The experimental findings were confirmed by the Density Functional and Time-Dependent Density Functional theoretical modeling of monolayer and bilayer nanotubes of different chiralities and diameters. This study provides experimental evidence of the quantum confinement effect in WS2 SWINTs akin to WS2 monolayer. The ability to tune the electronic structure with morphology or number of layers may be exploited toward photoelectrochemical water splitting with WS2 catalysts, devising field effect transistors, photodetectors, and so on.The research of A.Z. was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (No. 330/16). The work of J.A.A. was supported by Junta de Castilla y León (Grant No. VA021G18) and the University of Valladolid (GIR Physics of Nanostructures). J.I.M. acknowledges financial support from Spanish MINECO (No. MAT2017-85089-C2–1-R, RYC-2015-17730), Comunidad de Madrid via Programa de Investigación Tecnologías 2018 (No. FOTOART-CM S2018/NMT-4367), and the innovation program under grant agreements 785219 and 881603 (GrapheneCore2 and GrapheneCore3-Graphene-based disruptive technologies, respectively). The authors are grateful to Dr. Alex Idelevich from HIT, who synthesized multiwall WS2 nanotubes. The authors thank Dr. A. Quade and A. Albrecht, of the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, who performed the XPS and XRD analysis, respectively.Peer reviewe

Planning of sanitation of industrial enterprise on the basis of sanitation controlling

Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня кандидата економічних наук за спеціальністю 08.00.04 - Економіка та управління підприємствами (за видами економічної діяльності). – Національний гірничий університет, Дніпропетровськ, 2010.Диссертация на соискание научной степени кандидата экономических наук по специальности 08.00.04 – Экономика и управление предприятиями (по видам экономической деятельности). – Национальный горный университет, Днепропетровск, 2010.Thesis for a degree of Candidate of Economics on 08.04.00 Speciality – economics and enterprise management (on types of economic activities). – National mining University, Dnipropetrovs’k, 2010.Дисертація присвячена розвитку науково-методичних основ, розробці інструментарію та практичних рекомендацій щодо планування санації на основі впровадження і використання санаційного контролінгу в системі управління промисловими підприємствами в стані кризи. Науково обґрунтовано методологічну базу та удосконалено теоретичні засади системи санаційного контролінгу та понятійний апарат щодо трактування понять «санаційний контролінг», «санаційні ризики». Удосконалено інструментарій контролінгу щодо використання при встановленні причин та глибини кризи підприємства, визначенні санаційної спроможності та стратегічних цілей санації, аналізу найважливіших кредиторів і дебіторів. Науково обґрунтовано економічну сутність моделей відбору екстрених заходів, оптимальної виробничої програми і кредитної політики підприємства, оцінки ефективності санаційних заходів і відбору плану санації. Удосконалено та доповнено методичні підходи до впровадження та організації роботи служби санаційного контролінгу. Розроблено методичні підходи до аналізу ефективності впровадження і функціонування санаційного контролінгу як складової санаційного управління на основі комплексного підходу відповідно можливих економічних ефектів.Диссертация посвящена развитию научно-методических основ, разработке инструментария и практических рекомендаций относительно планирования санации на основе внедрения и использования санационного контроллинга в системе управления промышленными предприятиями в состоянии кризиса. Научно обоснована методологическая база и усовершенствованы теоретические основы санационного контроллинга, уточнен понятийный аппарат. Сформулирована система санационного контроллинга (цель, задачи, принципы, функции, объекты, субъекты, инструменты, оценка, организация), выделен ряд особенностей и установлена их существенность, что стало основой для выделения санационного контроллинга среди прочих разновидностей контроллинга. Предложено авторское определение санационного риска, и основываясь на предложенной классификации, установлены взаимосвязи между субъектами, выделенными группами и видами санационных рисков. Усовершенствован инструментарий контроллинга с целью использования при планировании санации для установления причин и глубины кризиса предприятия, определения санационной способности и стратегических целей санации, анализа важнейших кредиторов и дебиторов. Научно обоснован методический подход к выбору санационных мероприятий, основывающийся на предложенной классификации соответственно срокам их внедрения: экстренные и долгосрочные. Разработана комплексная модель, в состав которой вошли три модели: выбора экстренных мероприятий, оптимальной производственной программы и кредитной политики предприятия, оценки эффективности санационных мероприятий и выбора плана санации. Учитывая специфические черты санационного контроллинга, усовершенствованы и дополнены методические подходы к внедрению и организации работы службы санационного контроллинга, обоснованы ее состав, функции и подчиненность. Предложены следующие должностные единицы службы санационного контроллинга: контроллер-аналитик, контроллер информационного обеспечения, контроллер санационного управления. Путем исследования существующих информационных связей предприятия и функциональных обязанностей контроллеров, определено место службы санационного контроллинга в информационной среде предприятия, установлено движение и состав её входящих и исходящих информационных потоков. Разработаны методические подходы к анализу эффективности внедрения и функционирования санационного контроллинга на основе комплексного подхода соответственно возможным экономическим эффектам, что предусматривает: расчет экономической эффективности санации с использованием санационного контроллинга; качественную оценку эффективности санационного контроллинга как составляющей санационного управления предприятием; определение экономичности функционирования службы санационного контроллинга.Thesis is about the development of scientific methodical bases, development of tool and practical recommendations in relation to planning of sanitation on the basis of introduction and use of sanitation controlling in the system of management of crisis enterprise. Here is scientifically proved methodical background and theoretical principles of the system of sanitation controlling and are improved in relation to interpretation of concepts of «sanitation controlling», «sanitation risks». The tool of controlling is improved in relation to using for establishment of reasons and depth of crisis of enterprise, determination of sanitation possibility and strategic aims of sanitation, analysis of major creditors and debtors. Scientifically founded economic essence of models of selection of urgent measures, optimum production program and crediting of enterprise, estimation of efficiency of sanitation measures and selection of plan of sanitation. Methodical approaches to introduction and organization of work of service of sanitation controlling are improved and complemented. Methodical approaches to the analysis of efficiency of introduction and functioning of sanitation controlling on the basis of complex approach accordingly possible economic effects are developed