Two resonance modes, corresponding to the vibration

of th

Two resonance modes, corresponding to the vibration

of the cylinder along the long and short axes, give rise to resonance reflections of elastic waves. One mode in between the two modes, related to the opposite vibration of the two cylinders in the unit cell in the direction along the layer, results in the total transmission of elastic waves due to zero effective mass density at the frequency. The resonance frequency of this mode, which has not yet been identified before, changes continuously with the orientation angle of the elliptic resonator.”
“Objective. This study aimed to compare the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of urine cytology, BladderChek Navitoclax in vivo nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP22) and UroVysion<SU (TM)(TM)</SU fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) tests in patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer, those with recurrent bladder cancer, and those with bladder

cancer but in remission during surveillance. Material and methods. Voided urine samples obtained from 178 patients with suspected or known bladder cancer AZD0530 ic50 about to undergo diagnostic or surveillance cystoscopy and 25 control subjects without the disease were divided into four and used for urine culture and cytology, NMP22 BladderChek and UroVysion FISH tests. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for each test were calculated. Comparison was made between the ability of each test to detect bladder cancer in the three category of patients listed. Results. Of the 178 patients with bladder cancer, 43 were newly diagnosed, 58 had recurrent disease and 77 were in remission. The sensitivity of each test in newly diagnosed patients was: urine cytology 28%, NMP22 88% and FISH 80%; and in patients with recurrent disease: urine cytology 33%, NMP22 57% and FISH 85%. The mean specificity for urine cytology, NMP22 and FISH was 95%, 67% and 48%, respectively. Conclusion. Of the tests used in the study for detection of bladder cancer, NMP22 appeared to be most cost-effective and

rapid, with relatively high sensitivity and specificity in all categories of patients. The click here NMP22 test may be considered a new gold standard for the assessment of patients with known or suspected bladder cancer.”
“Introduction. As healthcare budgets continue to contract, there is increased payer scrutiny on the use of implantable intrathecal drug-infusion devices. This study utilizes claims data to evaluate the economic effects of intrathecal drug delivery (IDD) based on health services utilization and costs of care before and after implantation. Methods. We performed a retrospective database study involving 555 noncancer pain patients that received an IDD system implant within a 3-year service period (1/20061/2009).

It is shown that the pinning energy and pinning field increases m

It is shown that the pinning energy and pinning field increases monotonically with increasing pore diameter. A magnetic storage concept is introduced which combines percolated media and graded media which allows to write on magnetic films with ultra high anisotropies. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3372611]“
“We FK228 in vivo have developed a zero-shear viscous model in terms of temperature- and pressure-dependent hole fraction computed

from Simha-Somcynsky Hole Theory. This model successfully interprets the viscosity data of PS, PP, and ABS as a function of hole fraction for a broad range of temperature and pressure. We have also introduced and discussed a new term: Viscoholibility; the derivative of logarithm of viscosity with respect to hole fraction. When the hole fraction takes highest available value, the viscoholibility approaches asymptotically to a constant value by which the viscosity

changes linearly with the hole fraction. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Selleck Baf-A1 Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 110-113,2010″
“Background: Patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are supersensitive to volume overload, and a striking increase in left atrial pressure (LAP) often occurs transiently and is rapidly resolved by intravascular volume reduction. The arterial baroreflex is a powerful regulator of intravascular stressed blood volume. We examined whether arterial baroreflex failure (FAIL) mimicked by constant carotid sinus pressure (CSP) causes a striking increase in LAP and systemic arterial pressure (AP) by volume loading in rats with normal left ventricular (LV) function.

Methods and Results: In anesthetized Sprague-Dawley GDC-0068 in vivo rats, we isolated bilateral carotid sinuses and controlled CSP by a servo-controlled piston pump. We mimicked the normal arterial baroreflex by matching CSP to instantaneous AP and FALL by maintaining CSP at a constant value regardless of AP. We infused dextran stepwise (infused volume [Vi]) until LAP reached 15 mm Hg and obtained the LAP-Vi relationship. We estimated the critical Vi as the Vi at which LAP reached 20 mm Hg.

In FAIL, critical Vi decreased markedly from 19.4 +/- 1.6 mL/kg to 15.6 +/- 1.6 mL/kg (P < .01), whereas AP at the critical Vi increased (194 +/- 6 mm Hg vs 163 +/- 6 mm Hg; P < .01). We demonstrated that an artificial arterial baroreflex system we recently developed could fully restore the physiologic volume intolerance in the absence of native arterial baroreflex.

Conclusions: Arterial baroreflex failure induces striking volume intolerance in the absence of LV dysfunction and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute heart failure, especially in states of HFpEF.”
“In this review, the controversy regarding the preservation or degradation of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) as chloroplasts develop their photosynthetic capacity and leaves reach maturity is addressed.

Further, the ATR-FTIR spectral analysis as well as DSC analysis s

Further, the ATR-FTIR spectral analysis as well as DSC analysis supported existence of ionic interactions between conjugates (Eudragit RS or RL with iron oxide) and the tissue surface. Hence, the findings point out toward the expected potential use and application of Eudragit EL-iron oxide conjugate in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems, gastro retentive drug delivery systems, etc.”
“Vigabatrin (VGB) is an antiepileptic drug that was designed to inhibit GABA-transaminase, and increase levels of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), a major

see more inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. VGB has demonstrated efficacy as an adjunctive antiepileptic drug for refractory complex partial seizures (CPS) and for infantile spasms (IS). This review focuses on its use for complex partial seizures. Although VGB is well tolerated, there have been significant safety concerns about intramyelinic edema and ICG-001 Stem Cells & Wnt inhibitor visual field defects. VGB is

associated with a risk of developing bilateral concentric visual field defects. Therefore, the use of VGB for complex partial seizures should be limited to those patients with seizures refractory to other treatments. Patients must have baseline and follow-up monitoring of visual fields, early assessment of its efficacy, and ongoing evaluation of the benefits and risks of VGB therapy.”
“The aim of this in vitro study was to analyze hybrid layer and nanoleakage of composite resin restorations in cavities prepared by either Er,Cr:YSGG laser or bur, followed by acid etching in primary teeth. Ten extracted primary molar teeth were randomly allocated into two groups consisting of ten cavities according to surface treatment regimen: Er,Cr:YSGG laser + acid etching(group 1) and bur + acid etching(group 2). Restorations of all samples were completed. Then, teeth were sectioned and immersed to ammoniacal silver nitrate solution. After polishing, hybrid layer thicknesses were examined under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ion analysis was carried out with SEM/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

preparation in terms of nanoleakage. Hybrid layer thickness and the amount of silver ions were assessed for the acid-etched groups. The collected data were analyzed with independent sample t test and this website Spearman’s rank correlation. In groups 1 and 2, the mean hybrid layer thicknesses were 4.25 +/- 1.41 and 5.24 +/- 1.07 mu m and the silver ion percentages were 10.97 +/- 13.81 and 22.79 +/- 21.62 %, respectively. Although no significant correlation was observed between the increase of hybrid layer thickness and the amount of silver ions, more silver ions were observed in group 2 (p < 0.05). According to the results of this study, acid-etched cavities prepared with laser promoted better results when compared to the acid-etched cavities prepared with bur.

Nine different styrylquinolinum dyes coupled with n-butyltripheny

Nine different styrylquinolinum dyes coupled with n-butyltriphenylborate as a coinitiator have been used as photoinitiating systems. Reactive radicals that initiate the polymerization are formed by the well-known mechanism of photoinduced electron transfer between dye cations acting as electron acceptors and borate anions acting as electron donors. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals,

Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 165-172, 2010″
“Modeling of the electrical large-signal response of granular n-type semiconductors is carried selleck out at following three different levels: (i) simple fully analytical model, (ii) semianalytical numerical model, and (iii) numerical device simulation. The electrical transients induced by both voltage and temperature changes are calculated. The analysis is based on the dynamic electrical model of the grain-boundary (GB) region, the drift-diffusion theory, and electronic trapping in the acceptor-type electronic interface states at the GBs. The electronic trapping is described using the standard rate equation. The models are verified by performing numerical device simulations

using SILVACO ATLAS. The agreement between the proposed semianalytical model and ATLAS results Z-VAD-FMK purchase is excellent during the whole transient and up to rather high electric fields. Compared to ATLAS, the calculations performed with the present semianalytical model are four orders of magnitude faster on a standard PC computer. The approximative analytical

formulas describing the response are valid when the voltage and temperature changes are small. The semianalytical model is also fitted to reported experimental data obtained from dc and transient measurements of ZnO powder samples. The semianalytical model fits to the data well. The current in the GB region has following three components: potential-barrier limited current, charging and discharging current, and capacitive current. The results show that the large-signal transient responses of granular semiconductors are complex, as they vary highly in both duration and magnitude. During a transient the current can change many orders of magnitude. This is mainly caused by the change in the GB trap occupancy. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3457854]“
“Background: Cyclosporin A purchase Dietary carotenoids are related to a decreased risk of certain diseases. Serum and adipose tissue carotenoid concentrations are used as biomarkers of intake.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate site-specific concentrations of carotenoids in adipose tissue and to examine relations between carotenoid concentrations in the diet, serum, and adipose tissue.

Design: Healthy adults (12 women and 13 men) participated in this cross-sectional study. Dietary carotenoids over the past year were assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire.

The gene was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the cys

The gene was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the cysteine peptidase was successfully expressed, secreted, and purified using affinity chromatography with a yield of approximately 10 mg/L. A polyclonal antibody produced against cysteine peptidase from X. citri subsp citri fused with HIS tag ((HIS)CPXAC) recognized the purified recombinant cysteine peptidase (HIS)CPXAC, confirming the correct production of this protein in P. pastoris. The same selleck kinase inhibitor antibody detected the protein in the culture supernatant of Xac grown in pathogenicity-inducing medium. Kinetic analysis revealed that (HIS)CPXAC hydrolyzed the carbobenzoxy-Leu-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin substrate with a catalytic efficiency

(k(cat)/K-m) of 47 mu M-1.s(-1). The purified (HIS)CPXAC displayed maximal catalytic activity at pH 5.5 and 30 degrees C. The recombinant enzyme was inhibited by the www.selleckchem.com/products/shp099-dihydrochloride.html specific cysteine peptidase inhibitor E-64, as well as by the recombinant

cysteine peptidase inhibitors CaneCPI-1, CaneCPI-2, CaneCPI-3, and CaneCPI-4, with K-i values of 1.214, 84.64, 0.09, 0.09, and 0.012 nM, respectively. Finally, the N-terminal sequencing of the purified protein enabled the identification of the first 5 amino acid residues (AVHGM) immediately after the putative signal peptide, thereby enabling the identification of the cleavage point and corroborating previous studies that have identified this sequence in a secreted protein from Xanthomonas spp.”
“PURPOSE:

To study the impact on the subjective depth of field of find protocol 4th-order spherical aberration and its combination with 6th-order spherical aberration and analyze the accuracy of image-quality metrics in predicting the impact.

SETTING: Laboratoire Aime Cotton, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite Paris-Sud, Orsay, France.

DESIGN: Case series.

METHODS: Subjective depth of field was defined as the range of defocus at which the target (3 high-contrast letters at 20/50) was perceived acceptable. Depth of field was measured using 0.18 diopter (D) steps in young subjects with the addition of the following spherical aberration values: +/- 0.3 mu m and +/- 0.6 mu m 4th-order spherical aberration with 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm pupils and +/- 0.3 mu m 4th-order spherical aberration with +/- 0.1 mu m 6th-order spherical aberration for 6.0 mm pupils.

RESULTS: The addition of 0.3 and +/- 0.6 mu m 4th-order spherical aberration increased depth of field by 30% and 45%, respectively. The combination of 4th-order spherical aberration and 6th-order spherical aberration of opposite signs increased depth of field more than 4th-order spherical aberration alone (ie, 63%), while the combination of 4th-order spherical aberration and 6th-order spherical aberration of the same signs did not (ie, 24%). Whereas the midpoint of the depth of field could be predicted by image-quality metrics, none was found a good predictor of objectionable depth of field.

When the zero-index medium has Kerr-type nonlinearity, the thresh

When the zero-index medium has Kerr-type nonlinearity, the threshold for optical bistability can be reduced noticeably due to the enhanced uniform fields. Based on a transmission line, we fabricate an effective zero-index medium

sandwiched in electric and magnetic walls and experimentally demonstrate the enhanced nearly uniform fields. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3573506]“
“We have previously shown that islet emboli in the portal vein block blood flow and induce local inflammatory reaction, resulting in functional loss of islet grafts following intraportal transplantation. This study was designed to test whether Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation mediates early islet graft failure. Syngeneic islet grafts were transplanted into chemically induced diabetic mice, and https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ON-01910.html TLR deficient mice were used as donors and/or recipients of islet grafts. Islet viability, proinflammatory cytokines, high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and NF-kappa B activation were analyzed by bioluminesce imaging (BLI), quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR)

and histology. Early islet graft failure was observed in mice with intraportal islet engrafts with increased proinflammatory cytokines, HMGB1 expression, NF-kappa B activation, caspase-3 and TUNEL positive cells. Deficiency of TLR4 in donor, but not in recipient, inhibited NF-kappa B activation, reduced proinflammatory cytokines and improved viability of islet grafts. Blockade of HMGB1 with anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody (mAb, 2g7) inhibited inflammatory reactions, as evidenced by reduced ISRIB in vivo GSK J4 datasheet TNF alpha and IL-1 ss production, and improved islet viability. We conclude that TLR4 activation mediates early graft failure following intraportal islet transplantation. Inhibition of TLR4 activation represents a novel strategy to attenuate

early graft failure following intraportal islet transplantation.”
“An electromagnetic design of a double-sided high temperature superconducting (HTS) linear synchronous motor (HTSLSM) with an HTS bulk magnet secondary is introduced in this paper. A HTS magnetic suspension system is applied to replace the sliding rail to levitate the secondary mover resulting in the HTSLSM moving without sliding friction. The thrust model of the HTSLSM is built using a magnetic circuit method and the thrust characteristics obtained from the model are compared with finite element analysis and practical testing results. The theoretical analysis on the prototype has also been verified by measurements. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3572237]“
“Although glomerular hematuria is likely a sign of chronic kidney disease that will develop into overt nephropathy after donation, it remains unclear whether prospective donors with hematuria should be excluded. We reviewed the medical records of 242 donors who donated at our institution from 2001 to 2007 and surveyed the prevalence of hematuria pre- and postdonation.


“Vascular clamping during lung cancer resection may be dif


“Vascular clamping during lung cancer resection may be difficult in patients with short vessels or large neoplasms preventing adequate and safe exposure. In addition, the physiological vicinity of some vessels to rigid structures like the bronchi may interfere with ideal clamp positioning even in ordinary procedures. We have

modified the original Blalock clamp to facilitate the control of pulmonary vessels and physiologically compress the vessel walls, thereby allowing optimal vascular resection and reconstruction during lung cancer surgery. This clamp allows easy, safe and physiological control of pulmonary vessels thanks to its double-branched guillotine mechanism.”
“Introduction. A dysregulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) could CSF-1R inhibitor play a major role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Sex-dependent differences as well as the impact of hormonal changes in the incidence

and severity of asthma are widely recognized. Emerging evidence suggests that asthma symptoms are alleviated in female patients taking hormone oral contraceptives (OCs). The impact of OCs on the PHA-739358 cost generation of induced Tregs (iTregs) was assessed in a cohort of female patients with asthma. Methods. Thirteen patients were included in this pilot study. During three distinct phases of their menstrual cycles, we measured exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) levels, forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1s), asthma control

test (ACT) score, sex steroid hormone levels in serum, natural Tregs in peripheral blood, and the ability of CD4(+) T cells to generate iTregs ex vivo. Results. The luteal serum levels of estradiol and progesterone negatively correlated with the proportion of iTregs generated ex vivo in patients not taking OCs. In addition, physiological doses of estradiol and progesterone prevented the acquisition of a suppressor T cell phenotype in vitro. Interestingly, patients taking OCs had reduced serum sex hormone levels associated with higher iTreg induction, a better ACT score, and a tendency toward lower eNO levels. Conclusions. Our results identify an impact Sonidegib of sex hormones on the capacity of T cells to polarize towards a regulatory phenotype and suggest the regulation of peripheral T cell lineage plasticity as a potential mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of OCs in women with asthma.”
“Organophosphates such as methamidophos, usually used in the agricultural field, have harmful effects on humans. Exposures to insecticides has been associated with many disorders, including damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Chronic exposure to organophosphates may lead to persistent neurological and neurobehavioral effects.

Generalised estimating equations (GEEs)

were used to esti

Generalised estimating equations (GEEs)

were used to estimate the percentage increase in mortality and morbidity outcomes with a 10 degrees C increment in temperature, with adjustment for air pollutants. Effect estimates are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). The health impact of heatwave days (three or more days of >= 35 degrees C) was also investigated. A 9.8% increase in daily mortality (IRR 1.098; 95%CI: 1.007-1.196) was associated with a 10 C increase in maximum temperature above threshold. Total ED presentations increased by 4.4% (IRR 1.044; 95%CI: 1.033-1.054) and renal-related ED presentations by 10.2% (IRR 1.102; 95%CI: 1.071-1.135) per 10 degrees C increase in maximum temperature. Heatwave days were associated with increases in daily mortality and ED presentations, while total hospital admissions were decreased on heatwave days. Public health interventions will be increasingly important to minimise the adverse health Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor impacts of hot weather in Perth, particularly if the recent LY3023414 mw trend of rising average temperatures and more hot days continues as projected. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the cervix are very rare. A 28-year-old pregnant woman presented with a cervical mass. The tumor was staged as IB2. The

biopsy from tumor was suggestive of malignant small round cell tumor. She then underwent termination of pregnancy followed by radical hysterectomy. Based on morphologic and immunohistochemical profile, a diagnosis of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix was made. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The patient is alive and disease-free 33 months post-surgery. The present case highlights the importance of keeping primitive neuroectodermal tumors in the differential diagnosis of small cell neoplasms of the uterine cervix. Pregnancy should not be a barrier to early detection and treatment of this potentially aggressive tumor. The optimal treatment methods have not yet been established because of the rarity of the tumor.”
“Background:

In the current age of minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer MI-503 has been established as oncologically equivalent to conventional open surgery. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery have translated into smaller incisions and shorter recovery. However, the narrow confines of the bony pelvis and angling limits in current stapling technology, along with the standard practice of autonomic nerve-sparing total mesorectal excision, have made laparoscopic surgery in the setting of rectal cancer more challenging. The available literature focusing on laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer has been predominantly retrospective in nature, with a limited number of prospective studies.

Methods: This article discusses the current status of laparoscopic rectal cancer resection.

Particularly, we underlined the role of MIBG scintigraphy in diff

Particularly, we underlined the role of MIBG scintigraphy in differential diagnosis of movement disorders. As described by recent studies, MIBG scintigraphy is a valuable diagnostic tool for differentiation between Lewy body diseases and parkinsonian syndromes or other movement disorders with parkinsonism. Furthermore,

this method may provide a powerful differential diagnostic tool between dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease. We also reported the results of clinical investigations about the correlation between characteristics of Parkinson’s disease and myocardial MIBG uptake.”
“We have successfully demonstrated a lateral spin valve device using a silicon nanowire for the nonmagnetic channel. Low-temperature transport measurements with in-plane magnetic field were performed in both local

and nonlocal configurations. Hysteretic behavior was observed in the local PU-H71 concentration magnetoresistance curves, with a maximum change of 0.18% at 2.4 K. The shape of the magnetoresistance curves indicates spin valve behavior with two switching fields. In the nonlocal voltage configuration, RSL3 cell line distinct dips were observed when the injector and detector contacts had antiparallel magnetization states. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3562904]“
“Background: Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein-1 (SATB1), a new type of gene regulator, has been reported to be expressed in several human cancers and may have malignant potential. However, no data on SATB1 expression and its relationship to tumor progression in cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has yet been reported.

Objective: We examined the immunohistochemical expression of SATB1 in CMM to determine whether it could serve as a prognostic marker.

Methods: A total of 97 samples of primary CMM and controls

were immunostained for SATB1. The following clinicopathologic variables were evaluated: age, gender, subtype, SATB1 expression, Breslow thickness, Clark level, presence of ulceration, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and survival. Statistical analyses were performed to assess for associations. Several parameters were analyzed for survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional-hazards model.

Results: Forty cases (85.1%) of CMM showed positive staining for SATB1 by ABT 737 immunohistochemistry. The intensity of SATB1 staining was significantly higher in CMM than in nevus NV and normal skin (NS) (P < 0.01). High SATB1 expression was significantly correlated with Breslow thickness, Clark level, mortality, presence of ulceration, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that SATB1 overexpression was significantly associated with worse survival (P < 0.01). Further univariate analysis and multivariate regression analysis indicated that SATB1 expression was an independent prognostic marker for CMM (P = 0.03).

0% [P < 0 05] and 20 0% [P < 0 05], respectively) No treat

0% [P < 0.05] and 20.0% [P < 0.05], respectively). No treatment-related adverse events were noted.

Conclusions.

Dietary agmatine sulfate is safe and efficacious treatment for alleviating pain and improving quality of life in lumbar disc-associated radiculopathy.

Study Registration.

ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration System Identifier: NCT00405041.”
“Contents This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seminal collection method (artificial vagina or electroejaculation)

on the protein composition of seminal plasma and sperm quality parameters in Corriedale rams. To address this question, we assessed the effect of seminal collection method on motility, plasma membrane integrity and functionality, mitochondrial functionality and the

GW-572016 research buy decondensation state of nuclear chromatin in sperm cells. Volume, pH, osmolarity, protein concentration, total protein content and protein profile using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and 2-D polyacrylamide electrophoresis of seminal plasma collected with artificial vagina and electroejaculation were also analysed. The main findings from this study were that ejaculates obtained with electroejaculation had (i) a higher number of spermatozoa with intact plasma membrane and functional mitochondria and (ii) a higher proportion of seminal plasma, total protein content and relative abundance of low molecular weight proteins than ejaculates obtained with artificial SBE-β-CD order vagina. Five

of these proteins were identified by mass spectrometry: binder of sperm 5 precursor; RSVP14; RSVP22; epididymal secretory protein E1 and clusterin. One protein spot with molecular weight of approximately 31kDa and isoelectric point of 4.8 was only found in the seminal plasma from electroejaculation.”
“Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a common diagnosis. It is unclear LBH589 Epigenetics inhibitor if intervention studies use uniform definitions and criteria for patient selection. Our objective was to assess the uniformity of diagnostic criteria and definitions used in intervention studies to select patients with CR.

We electronically searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Studies were included when evaluating conservative interventions in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in patients with CR. Selection criteria and definitions for patients with CR were extracted and evaluated on their uniformity.

Thirteen RCTs were included. Pain was used as an inclusion criterion in 11 studies. Inclusion based on the duration and location of pain varied between studies. Five studies used sensory symptoms in the arm as inclusion criterion. Four studies used cervical range of motion and motor disturbances as inclusion criteria, while reflex changes were used in two studies. Three studies included patients with a positive Spurling’s test and two studies used it within a cluster of provocation tests.