Internal fixation of femoral neck stress fractures in young female athletes with a dynamic locking plate.

PURPOSE: Displaced stress fractures of the femoral neck in young female athletes are a rare but a difficult injury to treat with a favourable outcome, as there is a reported high incidence of avascular necrosis. Traditionally they are internally fixed with either cannulated screws or a sliding hip screw. Our study aims to highlight the Targon Femoral Neck (FN, B-Braun, Aesculap Inc, Germany) implant as a safe alternative for fixation of these injuries. METHODS: Three consecutive young female recreational athletes were reviewed from our institution with a displaced stress fracture of the femoral neck treated with the dynamic locking plate. RESULTS: Two patients achieved good results with full union and no complications. One patient had a poor result as she developed avascular necrosis 5 months post-operatively requiring revision to a total hip arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the Targon FN implant is a safe alternative for internal fixation of displaced stress fractures of the femoral neck in young female recreational athletes.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior in critical and emergency nurses in south east of Iran.

BACKGROUND: Several factors including emotional intelligence affect the efficiency of people. It seems that organizational behavior of each person is strongly influenced by emotional intelligence. Therefore, the present study is aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior in critical and emergency nurses in teaching hospitals supervised by Kerman Medical University in Southeast of Iran. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive cross sectional design. A census sample consisted of 150 critical and emergency nurses working in teaching hospitals supervised by Kerman Medical University participated in this study. Emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire was used to assess nurses' emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior by available sampling method. RESULTS: The results showed that the mean age of the participants was 35 years. Most participants (94%) were females and belonged to the age group of 26-30 years. Overall mean score of organizational citizenship behavior scale was 88.21 (±10.4). In the organizational citizenship behavior categories, altruism mean score was higher than the other mean scores. Overall mean score of emotional intelligence was (121.08 ± 17.56). In the subgroups of emotional intelligence, mean score of the relationship management, was higher than the average of other factors. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior (p ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that health care managers should organize systematic and dynamic policies and procedures in dealing with emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior to assist critical and emergency nurses.

Smith-chart diagnostics for multi-GHz time-domain-reflectometry dielectric spectroscopy.

A time-domain-reflectometry Smith-chart display is demonstrated to be a valuable diagnostic tool in a variety of situations in time-domain-reflectometry dielectric spectroscopy. A relative reflection coefficient is formed by dividing the Laplace transform of the reflected sample transient by the Laplace transform of the empty-sensor transient and displaying in the complex plane, with the approximate sensor admittance read from susceptance and conductance circles. The Smith chart provides, as a diagnostic tool, an initial estimate of the dielectric behavior in the multi-GHz range and a means of identifying artifacts in acquisition and Laplace transform, in a way which does not require multiple steps of calibration and is only one step removed from the direct transient. Results are presented for a simple 3.5-mm flat sensor immersed in various liquid media, showing variations in the Smith chart for typical variations in sample permittivity, loss, and conductivity. Results are matched to vector network analyzer (VNA) measurement over an identical frequency range, as well as to finite-element field simulation. Results are also presented for a 3.5-mm sensor with various terminating pin lengths, typically employed at low frequencies and low permittivity media to increase sensor capacitance. For an unshielded pin, the Smith chart detects reflections from sample boundaries and measures the effectiveness of shielding used to eliminate these reflections. For a shielded pin, it characterizes the effect of pin length on the susceptance variation and the onset of pin resonance at high frequencies and high-permittivity values. The effect of artifacts appearing in the Smith chart on the actual calibration is shown by tracking them through the calibration process to the final result. Results are also presented for a 9-mm flat termination used for concrete hydration monitoring, showing effects of transmission-line discontinuities within a terminating plug and the onset of waveguide-like modes in a surrounding shield, with results compared to VNA measurement.

[Cerebral metastasis for the identification of carcinomas of the lung: the use of mulimodality medical images. A case repport]. / Metastase cerebrale revelatrice d'un carinome epidermoide pulmonaire: apport de l'imagerie multinodalite.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosis of carcinomas of unknown primary site has proved to be difficult for many reasons. PATIENT AND METHODS: In this study, case in which cerebral metastasis is confirmed by biopsy technique with no identified primary site at the onset of treatment is presented here in. RESULTS: The multimolity medical images was used to detect pulmonary hearths compatibles with a malignant histology. Further analysis diagnosed a primitive neoplasm. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the interest of this technology in medical imagery in the early detection of primitive cancers on which the forecast depends.