Musculoskeletal disorders early diagnosis: A retrospective study in the occupational medicine setting

Electrodiagnostic Functional Assessment (EFA) objectively evaluates injuries to muscles by incorporating surface electromyography (EMG) to measure myoelectrical signals of muscle groups recorded from up to 18 sensors placed on the skin surface while simultaneously assessing functional capacity at rest and during full range of motion. The evaluation is non-invasive and non-loading and provides measurements in real time. Soft-tissue damage of ligaments, tendons, and muscles, commonly referred to as sprains and strains, has proven to be very difficult to accurately diagnose and assess and represents the highest incidence rate, lost days and medical costs in the workers' compensation system. 100 patients presenting with work-related musculoskeletal injuries exhibiting physical complaints that persisted for at least two consecutive weeks for which no general medical explanation could be established after medical history and exam, were evaluated using EFA in our Occupational Clinic in New Jersey over a 36 month period. The results of this study demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of the EFA as an objective diagnostic aid for identifying and quantifying soft tissue injuries and devising site specific physical therapy treatment regimen to return the injured worker to full duty work release

Is planning for driving cessation critical for the well-being and lifestyle of older drivers?

Background: Driving cessation has demonstrated impacts on well-being and lifestyle. Despite the recognized reluctance of older people to plan for driving cessation, this study has identified a new group who has a stated plan to stop driving within 12 months. Although gradual reduction of driving has been documented as part of the usual driving cessation, this study explored the differences between retired drivers and those with a stated plan to retire within 12 months in sociodemographic, well-being and lifestyle outcomes

Group 3 sigma factor gene, sigJ, a key regulator of desiccation tolerance, regulates the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharide in cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120

The changes in the expression of sigma factor genes during dehydration in terrestrial Nostoc HK-01 and aquatic Anabaena PCC 7120 were determined. The expression of the sigJ gene in terrestrial Nostoc HK-01, which is homologous to sigJ (alr0277) in aquatic Anabaena PCC 7120, was significantly induced in the mid-stage of dehydration. We constructed a higher-expressing transformant of the sigJ gene (HE0277) in Anabaena PCC 7120, and the transformant acquired desiccation tolerance. The results of Anabaena oligonucleotide microarray experiments showed that a comparatively large number of genes relating to polysaccharide biosynthesis were upregulated in the HE0277 cells. The extracellular polysaccharide released into the culture medium of the HE0277 cells was as much as 3.2-fold more than that released by the control cells. This strongly suggests that the group 3 sigma factor gene sigJ is fundamental and conducive to desiccation tolerance in these cyanobacteria

Authoring Indeterminacy: A Study into the Collaborative Process of Open-Compositions with a Focus on Themes of Identity and Authorship

Authoring Indeterminacy presents an analysis of the author’s portfolio of compositions contextualised by a theoretical discussion on open-compositions. In particular, the thesis investigates issues of identity and authorship that arise when involving performers in the compositional process. Part I: Open-Compositions, organises historical examples of open-compositions according to common strategies used to engage performers in the compositional process. Part II: Open-Compositions and Identity, investigates issues of identity concerning open-compositions and considers their ontological status as musical works: a label which seems to contradict their open-ended, evolving nature. Part III: Invitation for Co-creation: Authorship of Open-Compositions, examines the concept of authorship as it pertains to open-compositions and if performers, as co-creators of works, have any co-authorship claims for their creative contributions. Part IV: My Portfolio: Analytical Notes, presents an analysis of the portfolio of compositions in relation to their identity based on reflective analysis of the recordings and score

Assessing aberrant muscle activity patterns via the analysis of surface EMG data collected during a functional evaluation

Abstract Background Surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings collected during the performance of functional evaluations allow clinicians to assess aberrant patterns of muscle activity associated with musculoskeletal disorders. This assessment is typically achieved via visual inspection of the surface EMG data. This approach is time-consuming and leads to accurate results only when the assessment is carried out by an EMG expert. Methods A set of algorithms was developed to automatically evaluate aberrant patterns of muscle activity. EMG recordings collected during the performance of functional evaluations in 62 subjects (22 to 61 years old) were used to develop and characterize the algorithms. Clinical scores were generated via visual inspection by an EMG expert using an ordinal scale capturing the severity of aberrant patterns of muscle activity. The algorithms were used in a case study (i.e. the evaluation of a subject with persistent back pain following instrumented lumbar fusion who underwent lumbar hardware removal) to assess the clinical suitability of the proposed technique. Results The EMG-based algorithms produced accurate estimates of the clinical scores. Results were primarily obtained using a linear regression approach. However, when the results were not satisfactory, a regression implementation of a Random Forest was utilized, and the results compared with those obtained using a linear regression approach. The root-mean-square error of the clinical score estimates produced by the algorithms was a small fraction of the ordinal scale used to rate the severity of the aberrant patterns of muscle activity. Regression coefficients and associated 95% confidence intervals showed that the EMG-based estimates fit well the clinical scores generated by the EMG expert. When applied to the clinical case study, the algorithms appeared to capture the characteristics of the muscle activity patterns associated with persistent back pain following instrumented lumbar fusion. Conclusions The proposed approach relies on EMG-based measures to generate accurate estimates of the severity of aberrant patterns of muscle activity. The results obtained in the case study suggest that the proposed technique is suitable to derive clinically-relevant information from EMG data collected during functional evaluations

Nostoc PCC7524, a cyanobacterium which contains five sequence-specific deoxyribonucleases

Five nucleotide sequence-specific deoxyribonucleases present in cell-free extracts of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC7524 have been purified and characterized. One of these enzymes, designated Nsp(7524)I cleaves at a new kind of nucleotide sequence i.e. 5'-PuCATG λ Py-3'. The other four restriction enzymes in this organism, designated Nsp(7524)II, Nsp(1524)III, Nsp(1524)IV and Nsp(1524)V, are isoschizomers of enzymes which have been previously described. The cleavage site of Nsp(1524)ll which is an isoschizomer of SduI was determined

Appraisal of the impact of multiple retailers' quality assurance schemes (QAS) on the environment

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