Comparison of electrodiagnostic criteria for primary demyelination in chronic polyneuropathy

Three sets of electrodiagnostic criteria for establishing primary demyelination in chronic poly neuropathy are evaluated. Sensitivity is assessed in 70 patients with clinically established chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). The criteria use different abnormal values, one adjusts for the effects of axonal loss, while another relies only on conduction velocity. However, even when consideration is given to sufficient number of nerves tested, there is no significant difference ( P = 0.37) in diagnostic sensitivity among them, with 48% to 64% of CIDP patients fulfilling criteria for primary demyelination. Specificity is assessed by applying the criteria to 47 patients with motor neuron disease and 63 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. No patients meet any of the criteria. Further analysis shows that as sensitivity increases specificity decreases, because of overlapping distributions of nerve conduction abnormalities in these neuropathic disorders. A sensitivity of approximately 66% is a practical limit for electrodiagnostic criteria in CIDP.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50151/1/880141007_ftp.pd

Towards a greener Europe: analysis of the SeaBubble waterline in Rotterdam

The current work focuses on the performance analysis of a novel vehicles that use the principle of hydro foiling and re-chargeable batteries. These vehicles will emit zero pollution. They will be used for partially replace the operation of Ferries in the waterline of Rotterdam in The Netherlands, bringing as a benefit, a more efficient transport which is greener and cheaper to the government. The authors have done a study based on simulation for analysing the future performance of the waterlines in Rotterdam. The results reveal that the impact will be positively high in all aspects; it will reduce the pollution drastically, it will allow an on-demand service, better service for the passengers and the operational costs will be reduced