Eight Fermion Terms in the Effective Action of the ABJM Model

We study eight fermion terms in the effective action of the ABJM model. We show the non-renormalization of $v^2$ terms. After classifying all the possible eight fermion structures, we show that $\mathcal{N}=6$ supersymmetry determines all these terms completely up to an overall constant. This confirms the one loop non-renormalization of $v^4$ terms.Comment: 12 page

Monitoring of multi-frequency polarization of gamma-ray bright AGNs

We started two observing programs with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) monitoring changes in the flux density and polarization of relativistic jets in gamma-ray bright AGNs simultaneously at 22, 43, 86, 129 GHz. One is a single-dish weekly-observing program in dual polarization with KVN 21-m diameter radio telescopes beginning in 2011 May. The other is a VLBI monthly-observing program with the three-element VLBI network at an angular resolution range of 1.0--9.2 mas beginning in 2012 December. The monitoring observations aim to study correlation of variability in gamma-ray with that in radio flux density and polarization of relativistic jets when they flare up. These observations enable us to study the origin of the gamma-ray flares of AGNs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the conference "The innermost regions of relativistic jets and their magnetic fields", Granada, Spai

Interlocking contoured intramedullary nail fixation for selected diaphyseal fractures of the forearm in adults

BACKGROUND: Plate osteosynthesis is the most commonly used technique for the treatment of diaphyseal forearm fractures in adults. However, application of a plate can disrupt the periosteal blood supply and necessitates skin incisions that may be unsightly, and there is a risk of refracture if the implant is removed. The purpose of this study was to assess the early results of the use of a contoured interlocking intramedullary nail to stabilize displaced diaphyseal fractures of the forearm. METHODS: Between January 2004 and July 2006, a total of thirty-eight interlocking intramedullary nails were inserted into the forearms of twenty-seven adults. Eighteen nails were used in the radius and twenty were used in the ulna to stabilize a diaphyseal fracture. The mean follow-up period was seventeen months. Functional outcomes were assessed with use of the Grace and Eversmann rating system, and patient-rated outcomes were assessed by completion of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. RESULTS: The average time to fracture union was fourteen weeks. There was one nonunion of an open comminuted fracture of the middle third of the ulna. There were no deep infections or radioulnar synostoses. According to the Grace and Eversmann rating system, twenty-two patients (81%) had an excellent result; three (11%), a good result; and two (7%), an acceptable result. The DASH scores averaged 15 points (range, 5 to 61 points). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience indicates that the advantages of an interlocking intramedullary nail system for the radius and ulna are that it is technically straightforward, it allows a high rate of osseous consolidation, and it requires less surgical exposure and operative time than does plate osteosynthesis. We suggest that the interlocking intramedullary nail system be considered as an alternative to plate osteosynthesis for selected diaphyseal fractures of the forearm in adults

Modified Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure for Wassel type-II and III polydactyly of the thumb. Surgical technique

BACKGROUND: The Bilhaut-Cloquet operation is a combined surgical procedure for the treatment of a symmetric bifid thumb. Although this procedure can obtain a normal-sized thumb with a stable interphalangeal joint, it has limitations, such as the technical difficulty of combining all segments of a duplicated thumb, possible later physeal growth arrest, joint stiffness, and nail plate deformity. We reviewed the results of our modification of this procedure for the treatment of Wassel type-II and III polydactyly of the thumb. METHODS: Seven patients, two with type-II and five with type-III polydactyly of the thumb, underwent this modified Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure and were followed for an average of fifty-two months. Cosmetic and functional assessments were made. RESULTS: All patients and parents were satisfied with the cosmetic and functional results. Compared with the preoperative motion, the postoperative range of motion of the interphalangeal joint was preserved in thumbs with type-III deformity and was increased in those with type-II deformity. No nail deformity or growth arrest occurred, and remodeling and hypertrophy of the distal phalanx occurred with time. CONCLUSIONS: Our modification of the Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure for the treatment of type-II and III thumb polydactyly is effective in preserving interphalangeal joint motion, minimizing nail deformity, and preventing growth arrest

Bilateral acromial stress fractures in a patient with a massive rotator cuff tear

Stress fractures of the acromion and scapular spine are well-known complications following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. However, these fractures in patients with massive rotator cuff tear or cuff tear arthropathy are extremely rare, and the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of these fractures are poorly understood. We report a case of bilateral stress fracture of the posterior angle of the acromion in a patient with massive rotator cuff tear and discuss the pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and treatment with a review of the literature

Factors Affecting Willingness to Undergo Carpal Tunnel Release

Background: Factors regarding patient willingness to undergo or avoid joint replacement have been studied; however, these factors have not been studied in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. To further understand the aspects that are important for a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome in deciding whether to have surgery, we identified factors that affect this decision in women and that are not related to Workers` Compensation status. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 282 female patients with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome without a known cause who were recommended for carpal tunnel release by a single hand surgeon in a tertiary medical setting. Of those, thirty-six female patients who were not entitled to Workers` Compensation canceled the operation during the waiting period, which averaged four weeks. Thirty-three of them were surveyed with a questionnaire sent by mail, and eighteen completed surveys were reviewed at a mean follow-up of thirty-two months. Furthermore, seventy female patients who underwent carpal tunnel release were randomly sampled, and thirty-eight patients completed the survey. The operation and cancellation groups were compared with regard to the reasons for choosing or canceling surgery. Results: The groups were similar with regard to age, sociodemographic variables, follow-up length, initial electro-physiological findings, and functional status. The highest-ranked reason for choosing surgery was symptom severity rather than fear of progression or a positive electrodiagnostic result. Those who canceled the operation rated symptom improvement during the waiting period as the leading reason for doing so, but they were also concerned about transient weakness, the financial burden, and a scar or pillar pain. Disease persistence or recurrence was the issue of most concern in both groups. At the time of the final review, the functional status was significantly improved in both groups and no significant difference between the groups was detected. Conclusions: Women with carpal tunnel syndrome report that subjective symptom severity is the most important reason for undergoing surgery. Understanding this and other patient concerns may help physicians during patient-oriented consultation and decision-making. In particular, recommendations for carpal tunnel release on the basis of symptoms are reasonable from the perspective of the patient who has carpal tunnel syndrome without a known cause.Lee JY, 2008, J SHOULDER ELB SURG, V17, P570, DOI 10.1016/j.jse.2007.12.005Hudak PL, 2008, J BONE JOINT SURG AM, V90A, P1427, DOI 10.2106/JBJS.G.01077Park KK, 2007, CLIN ORTHOP RELAT R, P143, DOI 10.1097/BLO.0b013e31804ea0bcTaylor-Gjevre RM, 2007, CAN FAM PHYSICIAN, V53, P1186Rigler I, 2007, EUR J NEUROL, V14, P783, DOI 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2007.01855.xBallantyne PJ, 2007, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V57, P27, DOI 10.1002/art.22472*AAOS CARP TUNN SY, 2007, AM AC ORTH SURG GUIDSCHOLTEN RJ, 2007, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, V17, P3905Hawker GA, 2006, CURR OPIN RHEUMATOL, V18, P526Mazur DJ, 2005, HEALTH EXPECT, V8, P97FIGARO MK, 2005, J AMBUL CARE MANAGE, V28, P41Hawker GA, 2004, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V51, P635, DOI 10.1002/art.20524Figaro MK, 2004, HEALTH PSYCHOL, V23, P324, DOI 10.1037/0278-6133.23.3.324Chang HJ, 2004, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V51, P117, DOI 10.1002/art.20073AKELMAN E, 2004, HAND SURG, P867Moran M, 2003, J ARTHROPLASTY, V18, P442, DOI 10.1016/S0883-5403(03)00061-5RESENDE LA, 2003, ELECTROMYOGR CLIN NE, V43, P301Ang DC, 2002, MED CARE, V40, P471Hawker GA, 2001, MED CARE, V39, P206Bland JDP, 2000, MUSCLE NERVE, V23, P1280Trousdale RT, 1999, MAYO CLIN PROC, V74, P978Atroshi I, 1999, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V282, P153Homan MM, 1999, SCAND J WORK ENV HEA, V25, P115Padua L, 1998, ITAL J NEUROL SCI, V19, P357Aulisa L, 1998, J HAND SURG-AM, V23A, P687Nathan PA, 1998, MUSCLE NERVE, V21, P711Concannon MJ, 1997, PLAST RECONSTR SURG, V100, P1452Asch DA, 1997, J CLIN EPIDEMIOL, V50, P1129Hudak PL, 1996, AM J IND MED, V30, P372Deber RB, 1996, ARCH INTERN MED, V156, P1414Hudak PL, 1996, AM J IND MED, V29, P602WRIGHT JG, 1994, J BONE JOINT SURG BR, V76B, P229LEVINE DW, 1993, J BONE JOINT SURG AM, V75A, P1585SIMINOFF LA, 1991, SOC SCI MED, V32, P813GRUNDBERG AB, 1983, J HAND SURG-AM, V8, P348

The natural history of pediatric trigger thumb

BACKGROUND: Pediatric trigger thumb is a condition of flexion deformity of the interphalangeal joint in children. Although the surgical outcome is satisfactory, the indications for nonoperative treatment for this condition are not clear. The aim of the present study was to determine the rate of resolution of untreated pediatric trigger thumb. METHODS: Data on seventy-one thumbs in fifty-three children were collected prospectively. The dates of the first visits ranged from April 1994 to March 2004. Patients were diagnosed with pediatric trigger thumb during initial outpatient department visits. During the present study, no treatment such as passive stretching or splinting was applied. The amount of flexion deformity at the thumb interphalangeal joint was measured at every six-month follow-up visit, and the duration of follow-up was at least two years after diagnosis. The end point of follow-up was when the deformity caused pain or secondary deformity or prevented normal use of the hand. The median duration of follow-up was forty-eight months. RESULTS: Of the seventy-one trigger thumbs, forty-five (63%) resolved spontaneously. The median time from the initial visit to resolution was forty-eight months. There was no significant difference in the pattern of resolution between patients with unilateral and bilateral trigger thumb. Although resolution was not observed in the remaining twenty-six thumbs, flexion deformities improved in twenty-two thumbs. For the first two years after the initial visit, the mean flexion deformity significantly decreased over the one-year intervals (p 60% of patients. Moreover, the flexion deformity can be expected to show an improving pattern in patients who do not have resolution. This information may help both parents and surgeons to make decisions regarding the treatment of pediatric trigger thumb

Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Translaminar Keyhole Approach to Treat High-grade Up-migrated Lumbar Disc Herniation: Technical Note

The incidence of lumbar disc fragment migration is approximately 35%–72% of which 34% are high-grade up-migrated discs. Translaminar keyhole approach is a minimally invasive and true tissue sparing technique which has been applied to approach migrated disc herniation. The unilateral biportal endoscopic approach is an emerging technique among endoscopic spine surgery that combines the advantages of microscopic surgery with endoscopic surgery. In this technical report we demonstrate the surgical technique of performing the translaminar keyhole approach with unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery to treat high-grade up-migrated discs. As far as we know, this is the first technical report of unilateral biportal endoscopy with translaminar keyhole approach to treat high-grade up migrated lumbar disc herniation