Cordless-Microscope

This study assessed the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and to determine the best ultrasound criterion for diagnosis. Forty wrists of 27 patients with surgically proven moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome and 30 wrists of 15 controls were examined. Measurements of the cross-sectional area and the anteroposterior diameter of the median nerve at the inlet and outlet of the carpal tunnel were obtained. Patients also underwent electrophysiological evaluation. Median nerve ultrasonographic measurements were significantly higher in patients. The cross-sectional area of the median nerve at the tunnel inlet was found to be the most useful diagnostic criterion. The optimal cut-off value was 6.5 mm² (sensitivity 89.5%, specificity 93%). Ultrasound parameters failed to correlate with the electrophysiological findings. The usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is discussed.

In this study, we describe the transport of gold (Au) nanoparticles from the surface into crystalline silicon (Si) covered by silicon oxide (SiO₂) as revealed by in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Complete crystalline Au nanoparticles sink through the SiO₂ layer into the Si substrate when high-dose electron irradiation is applied and temperature is raised above 150°C. Above temperatures of 250°C, the Au nanoparticles finally dissolve into fragments accompanied by crystallization of the amorphized Si substrate around these fragments. The transport process is explained by a wetting process followed by Stokes motion. Modelling this process yields boundaries for the interface energies involved.