Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Requiring Surgical Decompression: A 10.5-Year Review of 2,309 Patients.

Purpose: To describe the demographics, neurophysiological grading, and incidence of patients undergoing carpal tunnel decompression (CTD) for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a single region.

Methods: A retrospective review of 2,313 patients aged greater than 16 years who underwent 3,073 CTDs between January 2000 and August 2010. Crude annual and age- and sex-specific incidences were calculated for the study period.

Reproductive toxicity screen of trifluoroiodomethane (CF(3)I) in Sprague-Dawley rats.

CF(3)I is being considered by the U.S. Air Force as a replacement for Halon 1301 for fire-extinguishing requirements in unoccupied spaces.

Evaluation of the respiratory tract after acute exposure to a pyrotechnically generated aerosol fire suppressant.

Fischer 344 rats (250-300 g) were exposed to the resulting aerosols from the pyrolysis of Spectrex Fire Extinguishant (SFE) Formulation A, a pyrotechnically generated aerosol fire suppressant, at a loading equivalent of 50 or 80 g m(-3) air for 15 or 60 min. Exposures were conducted in a 700-1 whole-body inhalation chamber under static conditions. The chamber atmosphere was analyzed for mass aerosol concentration and size distribution.

Acute and subchronic inhalation studies on trifluoroiodomethane vapor in Fischer 344 rats.

Trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I) is being considered as a replacement compound for halon fire suppressants. Its structure is similar to that of Halon 1301 (CF3Br), but it has very low ozone depletion potential compared to CF3Br. As part of the process of developing environmental and health effects criteria, acute, 2-week, and 13-week nose-only inhalation toxicity studies were conducted in Fischer 344 rats.

Optical computing and related microoptic devices.

We investigate scaling with the cross-sectional area of energy and speed for optical devices and of optical design, speed, and thermal dissipation for device arrays. Theory and experiments clearly point to lower energy and faster speed for smaller devices and to simpler optical design, smaller propagation time delays, and higher thermal dissipation capability for smaller array sizes. We conclude that the development of high speed digital optical processors will depend on small devices interconnected by microoptic systems.

Spatial light modulator and optical dynamic memory using a 6 x 6 array of self-electro-optic-effect devices.

Using a 6 X 6 array of integrated quantum-well self-electro-optic-effect devices, we demonstrate an optically addressed spatial light modulator able to convert a visible, incoherent image into coherent infrared (IR) light. Depending on the IR wavelength used, the output is either a positive, binary-thresholded version of the input (bistable mode) or its linear, negative (self-linearized) mode. This device can also function as a dynamic bistable memory that can retain its internal state without power for times as long as 30 sec.