Regular Duty Research Articles

Chiropractic Care of a Patient with Low Back Pain Associated with Subluxations and a Malgaigne-Type Pelvic Fracture

Objective To describe the chiropractic care of a patient with a pelvic ring fracture and concomitant subluxations of multiple segments of the spinal column. Clinical Features A 23-year-old male, after falling down a flight of stairs, was initially hospitalized for fractures of the pelvis. Five weeks posthospitalization, the patient initiated chiropractic care with complaints of severe low back pain with lower extremity involvement. He also complained of neck pain and occipital headache. The patient had several positive low back orthopedic tests with bilaterally absent Achilles deep tendon reflexes. The anteroposterior radiographic view revealed ununited fractures at the left superior and inferior pubic ramus, noted as a type I Malgaigne fracture. Subluxations were detected at the left innominate (ie, fracture-subluxation) and at the patient's lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine. Intervention and Outcome The patient was cared for with contact-specific, high-velocity, low-amplitude adjustments to sites of vertebral and sacroiliac subluxations. The patient's response to care was positive, receiving great pain relief. Less than 3 months after initiating care, the patient returned to work on regular duty. Conclusion There are indications that patients suffering from the injuries described above may derive benefits from chiropractic care. The practitioner must pay careful attention to issues of biomechanical and vascular stability and adjustment modifications in these types of patients.

Bilateral endoscopic carpal tunnel releases: Simultaneous versus staged operative intervention

Purpose: Open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release techniques have achieved excellent results for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms frequently occur bilaterally but there are no reports of simultaneous operative intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate results in patients who underwent staged bilateral endoscopic carpal tunnel releases and in those who underwent simultaneous bilateral releases. Type of Study: Retrospective review. Methods: The efficacy of simultaneous and staged bilateral endoscopic carpal tunnel releases was evaluated using a retrospective chart review. This included patients who underwent these procedures during a 48-month period. Group A (48 patients) underwent staged procedures; group group B (48 patients) underwent simultaneous procedures. Inclusion criteria were a positive history and physical examination, positive electrical studies, and failure of conservative measures. Single-incision endoscopic releases were performed on an outpatient basis. Early rehabilitation with intermittent splinting was utilized. The analysis included complications, satisfaction, return to work, physician visits, physical therapy sessions, days to maximum medical improvement for all, and average percentage permanent partial impairment for Workers’ Compensation patients. Results: A decrease in return to work at regular duty was noted in the simultaneous group compared with the staged group for patients who had not filed Workers’ Compensation claims (P =.0158). The simultaneous group had fewer physician visits than the staged group (P =.0002). Overall patient satisfaction was equal. Conclusions: Simultaneous bilateral endoscopic carpal tunnel releases are well tolerated with mild restrictions and a decrease in cost.Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 18, No 3 (March), 2002: pp 316–321

The Well-Tempered Search: Hiring Faculty and Administrators for Mission

FIND YOURSELF CALLED, ONCE AGAIN, to serve on a search committee. It's a regular duty these days, often considered part of your community service. But if it feels like a chore, it is also one of the most important responsibilities you assume in professional life. An institution is its people, so whether you're hiring a faculty member, administrator, or president, that person makes a difference.

Automated measurement and compensation of thermally induced error maps in machine tools

In this paper, a direct method of machine tool calibration is adopted to model and predict thermally induced errors in machine tools. This method uses a laser ball bar (LBB) as the calibration instrument and is implemented on a two-axis computerized numerical control turning center (CNC). Rather than individually measuring the parametric errors to build the error model of the machine, the total positioning errors at the cutting tool and spindle thermal drifts are rapidly measured using the LBB within the same experimental setup. Unlike conventional approaches, the spindle thermal drifts are derived from the true spindle position and orientation measured by the LBB. A neural network is used to build a machine model in an incremental fashion by correlating the measured errors with temperature gradients of the various heat sources during a regular thermal duty cycle. The machine model developed by the neural network is further tested using random thermal duty cycles. The performance of the system is also evaluated through cutting tests under various thermal conditions. A substantial improvement in the overall accuracy was obtained.

Israeli doctors oppose "black medicine" bill

The Israel Medical Association has criticised a new government bill that could make it a criminal act for a doctor to accept from a patient an “under the table” fee in exchange for preferential treatment. Known as the Black Medicine Bill, it will soon be presented to the parliament at the initiative of Health Minister Dr Ephraim Sneh. Under existing laws, doctors who accept money illicitly and give special or speedier treatment or agree to treat a patient outside the regular duty roster violate civil laws. Sometimes doctors solicit “contributions” from patients to their department's research fund; the money is either pocketed by the department heads or divided among a wider circle of doctors to cover the cost of medical conferences abroad. In other cases a doctor may invite the patient home and explain the “risks” …

Returning to work after a unilateral hand fracture.

We complied a case series involving 556 employed patients who sustained unilateral hand fractures requiring open reduction and internal fixation and a modification of their normal work activities and schedules. Time from injury to limited duty averaged 5 days, with 62% of the patients returning to work 1 day after surgery. Time from injury to resuming regular duty averaged 56 days. Both sexes averaged a return to work on limited duty after 5 days, but women returned to regular duty an average 5 days later than men. Patients with workers' compensation injuries, joint fractures, multiple fractures, tendon and/or nerve disruptions, and fractures requiring metal fixation rather than periosteal sutures required longer periods on off-duty and limited-duty statuses.

Utilization of an operant conditioning model for the treatment of character and behavior disorders in a military setting.

The operant conditioning model was applied to a ward program for delinquent military recruits diagnosed as having character and behavior disorders. Early findings reported here indicate that the program has been quite successful in helping such men adjust to Army requirements and return to regular military duty.

Mr. H. Harries

WITH the death of Mr. Henry Harries on Feb. 8, at the age of seventy-nine years, we lose one of the older generation of meteorologists. Born on Jan. 20, 1852, he entered the Marine Division of the Meteorological Office in 1875. In 1903 he was transferred to the Forecast Division, where he took regular duty as a forecaster. In 1919 he returned to the Marine Division, where he held the post of assistant superintendent until his retirement in March 1920.

Selection of electrical apparatus for cranes

This paper is intended to assist crane designers and electrical engineers in mills and factories to select the proper size and kind of motor by mathematical calculation from given data, and refers particularly to the electric overhead traveling crane. The paper does not apply to heavy duty cranes which undergo regular duty cycles, nor to very small hoists such as the monorail hoist. It is hoped that at some future date someone else will write papers on these two kinds of cranes to supplement this paper. Cranes are classified here for purposes of reference within the paper. It is then shown how to calculate the power required of a motor for hoisting and how to select the particular kind of motor needed; the same information is given for bridge travel with particular reference to the live loads or accelerating loads, and also for trolley travel. The paper discusses direct-current motors separately from alternating-current motors. The calculations for each are also given separately. This is the first of a series of papers covering the field of applications of electrical equipment. This paper is on application of motors to cranes. One will follow by Mr. H. W. Eastwood on auxiliary electrical equipment such as magnetic friction brakes, overload protective panels, and limit switches. To complete the series it is planned to have the third paper on the subject of controller equipment.

Selection of Electrical Apparatus for Cranes

This paper is intended to assist crane designers and electrical engineers in mills and factories to select the proper size and kind of motor by mathematical calculation from given data, and refers particularly to the electric overhead traveling crane. The paper does not apply to heavy duty cranes which undergo regular duty cycles, nor to very small hoists such as the monorail hoist. It is hoped that at some future date someone else will write papers on these two kinds of cranes to supplement this paper. Cranes are classified here for purposes of reference within the paper. It is then shown how to calculate the power required of a motor for hoisting and how to select the particular kind of motor needed; the same information is given for bridge travel with particular reference to the live loads or accelerating loads, and also for trolley travel. The paper discusses direct-current motors separately from alternating-current motors. The calculations for each are also given separately. This is the first of a series of papers covering the field of applications of electrical equipment. This paper is on application of motors to cranes. One will follow by Mr. H. W. Eastwood on auxiliary electrical equipment such as magnetic friction brakes, overload protective panels, and limit switches. To complete the series it is planned to have the third paper on the subject of controller equipment.

The Development of the Experimental Study of Heat Engines

IT was Mr. Forrest's intention that the annual lecture bearing his name should illustrate the dependence of the engineer in his practical professional work on the mathematical and physical sciences. It therefore naturally takes the form of a review of Regular duty determinations were made for all Watt's engines. Generally they gave a duty of 20,000,000. When Watt's connection with Cornwall ceased in 1800; the duty determinations were neglected, and the engines deteriorated.