Ultrasonographic median nerve cross-section areas measured by 8-point "inching test" for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome: a correlation of nerve conduction study severity and duration of clinical symptoms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Incremental palmar stimulation of the median nerve sensory conduction at the wrist, the "inching test", provides an assessment with reference to segments proximal and distal to the entrapment. This study used high-resolution ultrasonography (US) to measure the median nerve's cross-section areas (CSAs) like the "inching test" and to correlate with the nerve conduction study (NCS) severity and duration of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two hundred and twelve (212) "CTS-hands" from 135 CTS patients and 50 asymptomatic hands ("A-hands") from 25 control individuals were enrolled. The median nerve CSAs were measured at the 8-point marked as <it>i</it>4, <it>i</it>3, <it>i</it>2, <it>i</it>1, <it>w</it>, <it>o</it>1, <it>o</it>2, and <it>0</it>3 in inching test. The NCS severities were classified into six groups based on motor and sensory responses (i.e., negative, minimal, mild, moderate, severe, and extreme). Results of US studies were compared in terms of NCS severity and duration of clinical CTS symptoms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was significantly larger CSA of the NCS negative group of "CTS-hands" than of "A-hands". The cut-off values of the CSAs of the NCS negative CTS group were 12.5 mm², 11.5 mm²and 10.1 mm²at the inlet, wrist crease, and outlet, respectively. Of the 212 "CTS-hands", 32 were NCS negative while 40 had minimal, 43 mild, 85 moderate, 10 severe, and two extreme NCS severities. The CSAs of "CTS-hands" positively correlated with different NCS severities and with the duration of CTS symptoms. By duration of clinical symptoms, 12 of the 212 "CTS-hands" were in the 1 month group; 82 in >1 month and ≤12 months group, and 118 in >12 months group. In "inching test", segments <it>i</it>4-<it>i</it>3 and <it>i</it>3-<it>i</it>2 were the most common "positive-site". The corresponding CSAs measured at <it>i</it>4 and <it>i</it>3, but not at <it>i</it>2, were significantly larger than those measured at points that were not "positive-site".</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Using the 8-point measurement of the median nerve CSA from inlet to outlet similar to the "inching test" has positive correlations with NCS severity and duration of CTS clinical symptoms, and can provide more information on anatomic changes. Combined NCS and US studies using the 8-point measurement may have a higher positive rate than NCS alone for diagnosing CTS.</p

Neutrinos from Stored Muons nuSTORM: Expression of Interest

The nuSTORM facility has been designed to deliver beams of electron and muon neutrinos from the decay of a stored muon beam with a central momentum of 3.8 GeV/c and a momentum spread of 10%. The facility is unique in that it will: serve the future long- and short-baseline neutrino-oscillation programmes by providing definitive measurements of electron-neutrino- and muon-neutrino-nucleus cross sections with percent-level precision; allow searches for sterile neutrinos of exquisite sensitivity to be carried out; and constitute the essential first step in the incremental development of muon accelerators as a powerful new technique for particle physics. Of the world's proton-accelerator laboratories, only CERN and FNAL have the infrastructure required to mount nuSTORM. Since no siting decision has yet been taken, the purpose of this Expression of Interest (EoI) is to request the resources required to: investigate in detail how nuSTORM could be implemented at CERN; and develop options for decisive European contributions to the nuSTORM facility and experimental programme wherever the facility is sited. The EoI defines a two-year programme culminating in the delivery of a Technical Design Report

List of Content

Ab-‐initio calculations based on density functional theory have been enormously successful. They allow the understanding of real materials and the design of new materials with improved properties and functionalities and can be applied to all condensed matter systems. The success is such that in certain fields new experimental activities are not meaningful without accompanying ab-‐initio calculations. However, when one is asked to list the very important contributions of ab-‐intio calculations to materials science, or to the design of new materials with much improved functionalities, or with properties which are extremely important for applications etc., then one finds out, that this is a very difficult task. Exactly these aims are behind the present effort to collect success stories in our field. These are stories written for non-‐experts in our field, with the aim of demonstrating the success of ab-‐initio calculations and e.g. convincing funding agencies about the importance of the field. Thus, please, read the following stories. We hope that you will enjoy them. In case that you know about another success story, worth to be written up, please let me know. With best regards

Eurotunnel An illustrated history of the Channel Tunnel scheme

Reprint of 1973 edAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q94/00328 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo