Prophylactic Cerclage Cabling Decreases the Intraoperative Periprosthetic Fracture Rate during Cement-Less Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with Severe Developmental Hip Dysplasia.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Cementless stems in highly dysplastic hips are considered to increase the risk of femoral fracture and associated morbidity. Several authors speculated to use prophylactic cabling in this patient group to prevent intraoperative fractures. This study aims to reveal objective results regarding the perioperative complications in a large and consecutive patient group with respect to use of prophylactic cabling. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective comparative study was planned. A total of 122 consecutive patients with dysplastic hips of Crowe type 3 or 4, operated on with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and shortening osteotomy using a rectangular femoral stem were included. Patients were stratified according to use of a diaphyseal prophylactic cerclage cable. Perioperative complications were recorded. Clinical outcome was measured in terms of Harris Hip Score and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. All results were compared between the groups. RESULTS The mean follow-up time was 27 months. Two (2%) versus five (14%) patients had a fracture at the diaphyseal level in cabled versus non-cabled groups. Difference between groups was statistically significant (p=0.01). Relative risk of fracture in case of a non-cabling was 5.8 (p=0.03). Eleven (9%) patients had a non-displaced fracture at the metaphyseal level. No significant differences were detected with respect to preoperative clinical outcome scores or change in these scores between groups. CONCLUSIONS Femoral diaphyseal fracture rates are low when cementless, rectangular stems are used in dysplastic high riding hips. Prophylactic cerclage cabling further decreases the fracture risk and eases treatment in case of a fracture without causing additional complications and therefore is recommended. Key words: intraoperative fracture, periprosthetic fracture, total hip arthroplasty, cerclage cabling, developmental hip dysplasia, transverse shortening osteotomy.

Smart agriculture through using cost-effective and high-efficiency solar drying.

BACKGROUND: Challenges must be handled in an integrated manner when addressing food security and climate change. More efficient designs for food production systems, as well as their logistics, are needed in order to increase food production and to reduce emissions intensity. Specifically, any enhancements done on this purpose would contribute to mitigating climate change. Five important dimensions are being considered in smart agriculture: food security, availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. SCOPE AND APPROACH: Food supply-demand chain can seriously be effected by uncontrolled population growth. Thus, any perspective to solve these uncontrolled conditions can have a positive impact. Especially giving emphasis on reduction of food losses via expoloring various ways of production, or increasing productivity, or ensuring food security are effective ways for solutions. For example, the use of solar drying for agricultural, marine or meat products is very important for preservation, thus minimizing food losses. However, traditional sun drying is a relatively slow process. Also, the product quality worsens due to several factors: microorganism growth, enzymatic reactions, insect infestations. It is known that utilizing solar energy involves several factors that need attention. Thus, a lot of effort is directed toward improving solar energy technology for drying processes. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION: This study presents a smart agriculture design for drying using low cost and highly-efficient solar selective absorber. The system is based on an air heating flat plate solar absorber. Levelized cost of heat (LCOH) for the prototype using solar renewable energy is calculated and compared with the fossil fuel energy sources; natural gas, electricity, and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). In addition; a comparison of the costs for air collectors using various selective absorbers; unglazed or glazed, is presented. It is shown that solar energy, in the long run, will be more advantageous compared to fossil fuels.

Length, thickness, and elasticity of the patellar tendon after closed wedge high tibial osteotomy: a shear wave elastographic study.

PURPOSE: To compare the length, thickness, and elasticity of the patellar tendon between operated and non-operated knees following closed wedge high tibial osteotomy (CWHTO). METHODS: Three men and 17 women aged 52 to 75 (mean, 64.8) years who underwent unilateral CWHTO by a single surgeon and were followed up for a mean of 11 (range, 5-22) years were included, as were 3 male and 17 female healthy controls aged 35 to 61 (mean, 47.9) years. The length, thickness, and elasticity of the bilateral patellar tendons in the patients and healthy controls were measured using shear wave elastography. RESULTS: In the CWHTO patients, the patellar tendon on the operated side was thicker (4.4 vs. 3.3 mm, p=0.001) and stiffer (74.1 vs. 47.7 kPa, p<0.001) than on the non-operated side. CONCLUSION: Patellar tendon contracture (thickening and stiffening) is associated with CWHTO.

The investigation of radionuclide distributions in soil samples collected from Bursa, Turkey.

The distributions of (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs activity concentrations were determined using a high-purity germanium detector in uncultivated surface soil samples collected from Bursa. The range of (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs activity concentrations varied from 10±1 to 61±3 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 25±3 Bq kg(-1)), from 12±1 to 50±2 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 26±3 Bq kg(-1)), from 257±5 to 1010±11 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 435±44 Bq kg(-1)) and from 1.01±0.07 to 48.97±0.54 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 8.52±2.59 Bq kg(-1)), respectively. In addition, the mean outdoor absorbed dose rates in air, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity and external hazard index were found to be 45 nGy h(-1), 56 µSv y(-1), 96 Bq kg(-1) and 0.26, respectively. The gross beta activity concentrations were determined using a Tennelec LB 1000-PW detector. The range of gross beta activity concentrations varied from 46±9 to 1199±113 Bq kg(-1) with a mean value of 541±19 Bq kg(-1).

Evaluation of radon concentration in well and tap waters in Bursa, Turkey.

(222)Rn measurements in water samples collected from 27 wells and 19 taps that were supplied from the investigated wells were conducted using the AlphaGUARD PQ 2000PRO radon gas analyser at sites across several geologic formations within the city of Bursa, Turkey. The measured radon concentrations ranged from 1.46 to 53.64 Bq l(-1) for well water and from 0.91 to 12.58 Bq l(-1) for tap water. Of the 27 sites sampled, only 7 had radon levels above the safe limit of 11.1 Bq l(-1) recommended by the USEPA. In general, all determined concentrations were well below the 100 Bq l(-1) revised reference level proposed by the European Union. These values of radon concentrations in water samples are compared with those reported from other countries. Doses resulting from the consumption of these waters were calculated. The minimum and the maximum annual mean effective doses due to (222)Rn intake through water consumption were 0.02 µSv a(-1) and 1.11 µSv a(-1), respectively.

Calculation of angular distribution of 662 keV gamma rays by Monte Carlo method in copper medium.

This paper presents results on the angular distribution of Compton scattering of 662 keV gamma photons in both forward and backward hemispheres in copper medium. The number of scattered events graph has been determined for scattered gamma photons in both the forward and backward hemispheres and theoretical saturation thicknesses have been obtained using these results. Furthermore, response function of a 51 x 51 mm NaI(Tl) detector at 60 degrees angle with incoming photons scattered from a 10mm thick copper layer has been determined using Monte Carlo method.

Calculation of total counting efficiency of a NaI(Tl) detector by hybrid Monte-Carlo method for point and disk sources.

This paper presents results on the total gamma counting efficiency of a NaI(Tl) detector from point and disk sources. The directions of photons emitted from the source were determined by Monte-Carlo techniques and the photon path lengths in the detector were determined by analytic equations depending on photon directions. This is called the hybrid Monte-Carlo method where analytical expressions are incorporated into the Monte-Carlo simulations. A major advantage of this technique is the short computation time compared to other techniques on similar computational platforms. Another advantage is the flexibility for inputting detector-related parameters (such as source-detector distance, detector radius, source radius, detector linear attenuation coefficient) into the algorithm developed, thus making it an easy and flexible method to apply to other detector systems and configurations. The results of the total counting efficiency model put forward for point and disc sources were compared with the previous work reported in the literature.

Investigation of the properties of oil at the bleaching unit of an oil refinery.

Color removal from neutralized sunflower oil was studied with different kinds of commercial bleaching earths. The effect of changes in time (25 and 35 min), temperature (80-125 degrees C), and bleaching earth dosage (0.1-0.9% by weight) on color, chlorophyll and carotene concentrations, and oxidation degree were investigated. To obtain adsorption curves from coloring compounds adsorbed onto activated bleaching earths, the Langmuir and Freundlich equations was used, the constant parameters and correlation coefficient R were calculated for each type of bleaching earth, and color changes were explained by both adsorption isotherms. It was observed that an increase in bleaching earth dosage decreases color. Its effect on oxidation state, however, is complex and related to both primary and secondary oxidation products. In addition, an increase in temperature seems to decrease chlorophyll and carotene adsorptions. Generally, time beyond equilibrium is considered useless for the removal of unwanted components. This study also confirms this claim and reveals that the peroxide value does not indicate the oxidation state of the oil completely.

Attitudes and practices of breastfeeding mothers regarding fasting in Ramadan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the attitudes and practices of breastfeeding mothers regarding fasting in Ramadan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational survey. SETTING: Well-child care clinic at Ankara University Medical School and a health station serving an impoverished population in Ankara, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Breastfeeding mothers of infants aged 12 months or younger. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fasting during Ramadan. RESULTS: Of the 164 participating mothers, 61 (37%) were from the health station and 103 (63%) from the university clinic. Most mothers were older than 25 years of age (55%), had more than primary school education (64%), a single child (53%), were living in a nuclear family setting (70%), supplementing breastfeeding (73%) and fasting (52%). Among the 129 mothers of infants aged 6 months or younger, 22% perceived a decrease in their breast milk and 23% an increase in the amount of solid supplements the infant was receiving. Belief that breastfeeding mothers should fast (RR = 6.45, 95% CI: 2.44-17.06), that fasting does not decrease breast milk (RR = 6.24, 95% CI: 1.85-21.05), receiving well-child care at the health station (RR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.33-7.44), giving supplements (RR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.09-7.27) and having multiple children (RR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.23-6.28) were associated with fasting, in a logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting by breastfeeding mothers of infants is common during Ramadan, and rates are affected by beliefs of mothers on the effects of fasting on breastfeeding. We believe that child health care providers need to be knowledgeable about religious and cultural phenomena, study the effects of Ramadan fasting and form links with Islamic teachings to find religiously and culturally appropriate methods to combat the possible unfavourable effects for infants and children.