Validation of a CT-free navigation system for the measurement of native acetabular alignment

Computer assisted surgery is becoming more frequently used in medical world. OrthoPilot Hip Suite CT-free navigation system (BBraun Aesculap) is one such computer assisted navigation system used for total hip replacement surgery. The validity of OrthoPilot system remains to be determined independent of the manufacturer. The main aims of this study were to investigate the accuracy of OrthoPilot data, while using surgical instruments and to confirm the suitability of the cup navigation algorithm. OrthoPilot was compared with the gold standard of a VICON movement analysis system. An aluminium pelvic phantom was machined with high accuracy to perform the experiments. Data were captured simultaneously from both OrthoPilot and VICON systems and acetabular angles were compared. Both systems produce comparable results for the distance between anatomical landmarks and acetabular angles. It can be concluded that data from OrthoPilot system, if used correctly, are sufficiently accurate for orthopaedic applications

Artificial intelligence to predict soil temperatures by development of novel model

Soil temperatures at both surface and various depths are important in changing environments to understand the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil. This is essential in reaching food sustainability. However, most of the developing regions across the globe face difficulty in establishing solid data measurements and records due to poor instrumentation and many other unavoidable reasons such as natural disasters like droughts, floods, and cyclones. Therefore, an accurate prediction model would fix these difficulties. Uzbekistan is one of the countries that is concerned about climate change due to its arid climate. Therefore, for the first time, this research presents an integrated model to predict soil temperature levels at the surface and 10 cm depth based on climatic factors in Nukus, Uzbekistan. Eight machine learning models were trained in order to understand the best-performing model based on widely used performance indicators. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model performed in accurate predictions of soil temperature levels at 10 cm depth. More importantly, the models developed here can predict temperature levels at 10 cm depth with the measured climatic data and predicted surface soil temperature levels. The model can predict soil temperature at 10 cm depth without any ground soil temperature measurements. The developed model can be effectively used in planning applications in reaching sustainability in food production in arid areas like Nukus, Uzbekistan

Validation of a navigated hip replacement surgery system

Strathclyde theses - ask staff. Thesis no. : T13139Navigation of surgical instruments and implants plays an important role in the computer assisted surgery. OrthoPilot (TM) Hip Suite (BBraun Aesculap) is one such system used for hip navigation in orthopedic surgery. However the accuracy of this system remains to be determined independently of the manufacturer. The manufacturer supplies a technical specification for the accuracy of the system (± 2 mm and ± 2°) and previous research has been undertaken to compare its clinical accuracy against conventional hip replacements by x-ray. This clinical validation is important but contains many sources of error or deviation from an ideal outcome in terms of the surgeons' use of the system, inaccurate palpation of landmarks, variation in actual cup position from that given by the navigation system and measurement of the final cup position. It is therefore not possible to validate the claims of the manufacturer from this data. There is no literature evaluating the technical accuracy of the software i.e. the accuracy of the system given known inputs. The main aims of this study were to validate the OrthoPilot data capturing and to validate the cup navigation algorithm. The OrthoPilot was compared with the gold standard of a VICON movement analysis system. An aluminium pelvic phantom was machined with high accuracy to perform the experiments. Data were captured simultaneously from both OrthoPilot and VICON systems. Distances between the anatomical land marks, which defines the anterior pelvic plane on the pelvic phantom were compared to test the accuracy and the repeatability of the OrthoPilot data capturing. The accuracy of the hip navigation algorithm was tested by applying similar algorithm to calculate the native anteversion and inclination angles of the acetabulum using the VICON system. Both systems produce comparable results with small standard deviations. Finally, it can be concluded that from the laboratory based data, the OrthoPilot system, if used correctly, for the radiographic definition of the acetabular alignment using passive trackers, are sufficiently accurate for the orthopedic applications.Navigation of surgical instruments and implants plays an important role in the computer assisted surgery. OrthoPilot (TM) Hip Suite (BBraun Aesculap) is one such system used for hip navigation in orthopedic surgery. However the accuracy of this system remains to be determined independently of the manufacturer. The manufacturer supplies a technical specification for the accuracy of the system (± 2 mm and ± 2°) and previous research has been undertaken to compare its clinical accuracy against conventional hip replacements by x-ray. This clinical validation is important but contains many sources of error or deviation from an ideal outcome in terms of the surgeons' use of the system, inaccurate palpation of landmarks, variation in actual cup position from that given by the navigation system and measurement of the final cup position. It is therefore not possible to validate the claims of the manufacturer from this data. There is no literature evaluating the technical accuracy of the software i.e. the accuracy of the system given known inputs. The main aims of this study were to validate the OrthoPilot data capturing and to validate the cup navigation algorithm. The OrthoPilot was compared with the gold standard of a VICON movement analysis system. An aluminium pelvic phantom was machined with high accuracy to perform the experiments. Data were captured simultaneously from both OrthoPilot and VICON systems. Distances between the anatomical land marks, which defines the anterior pelvic plane on the pelvic phantom were compared to test the accuracy and the repeatability of the OrthoPilot data capturing. The accuracy of the hip navigation algorithm was tested by applying similar algorithm to calculate the native anteversion and inclination angles of the acetabulum using the VICON system. Both systems produce comparable results with small standard deviations. Finally, it can be concluded that from the laboratory based data, the OrthoPilot system, if used correctly, for the radiographic definition of the acetabular alignment using passive trackers, are sufficiently accurate for the orthopedic applications

Nanoadsorbents as an effective wastewater treatment candidate for pharmaceutical contaminants; towards sustainable policy development

Access to clean water is one of the most basic human needs for health and well-being and it is accepted as the 6th goal of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Emerging Contaminants from pharmaceutical compounds are one of the main pollutants of water bodies all over the world. Efficient and sustainable treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants is a challenging issue across the globe as these contaminants have complex chemical compositions that are poisonous to living beings. In addition, most of the treatment practices are ineffective or cost prohibitive. Hence, the effective removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from water bodies is important in enhancing access to safe water for people across the world. This review discusses the recent development of innovative applications of nanotechnology-based adsorption techniques currently practiced in the water treatment process, with the objective of reviewing different variants of nanoadsorbents utilized for removing pharmaceutical contaminants from water bodies. Nonadsorbents such as Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their unique features, were found to have comparably higher potential to efficiently remove pharmaceutical wastes from water bodies. This review audit can be implemented in associated policy decisions and practices in the water treatment industry to shift contemporary emphasis from inefficient traditional methods to focus on developing cost-effective CNT treatments for pharmaceutical pollution. Implementing such treatment interventions as policies will help to reach the SDGs for the betterment of the world

Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Spatiotemporal Variation of Forest Cover; World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest, Sri Lanka

Rainforests are continuously threatened by various anthropogenic activities. In addition, the ever-changing climate severely impacts the world’s rainforest cover. The consequences of these are paid back to human at a higher cost. Nevertheless, little or no significant attention was broadly given to this critical environmental issue. The World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka is originating news on its forest cover due to human activities and changing climates. The scientific analysis is yet to be presented on the related issues. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive study on the possible impact on the Sinharaja Rainforest due to changing climate. Landsat images with measured rainfall data for 30 years were assessed and the relationships are presented. Results showcased that the built-up areas have drastically been increased over the last decade in the vicinity and the declared forest area. The authorities found the issues are serious and a sensitive task to negotiate in conserving the forest. The rainfall around the forest area has not shown significant trends over the years. Therefore, the health of forest cover was not severely impacted. Nevertheless, six cleared-up areas were found inside the Singaraja Rainforest under no human interactions. This can be due to a possible influence from the changing climate. This was justified by the temporal variation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) assessments over these six cleared-up areas. Therefore, the World Heritage rainforest is threatened due to human activities and under the changing climate change. Hence, the conservation of the Sinharaja Rainforest would be challenging in the future.publishedVersio

Technical validation of the accuracy of measurement of pelvic planes and angles with a navigation system

Computer assisted surgery is becoming more frequently used in the medical world. Navigation of surgical instruments and implants plays an important role in this surgery. OrthoPilot™ Hip Suite (BBraun Aesculap) is one such system used for hip navigation in orthopaedic surgery. However the accuracy of this system remains to be determined independently of the manufacturer. The manufacturer supplies a technical specification for the accuracy of the system (± 2 mm and ± 2°) and previous research has been undertaken to compare its clinical accuracy against conventional hip replacements by x-ray. This clinical validation is important but contains many sources of error or deviation from an ideal outcome in terms of the surgeons' use of the system, inaccurate palpation of landmarks, variation in actual cup position from that given by the navigation system and measurement of the final cup position. It is therefore not possible to validate the claims of the manufacturer from this data. There is no literature evaluating the technical accuracy of the software i.e. the accuracy of the system given known inputs. This study had two main aims 1) validating the accuracy of the OrthoPilot data while navigating the surgical instruments and 2) validating the accuracy of navigation algorithm inside the OrthoPilot system which determines cup implant placement. The OrthoPilot validation was performed and compared against the gold standard of a VICON movement analysis system. The system used was OrthoPilot™ with a Spectra camera from Northern Digital Inc. (Ontario, Canada). Software investigated was the Hip Suite THA cup only navigation software Version 3.1. The validation was performed and compared against the VICON Nexus version 1.4.116 with Bodybuilder software version 3.55. An aluminium pelvis phantom was used for measurement allowing accurate and repeatable inputs. The OrthoPilot system has three types of instruments sets; passive, active and hybrid. This study was carried out with the passive instruments set. Data were captured simultaneously from both the OrthoPilot and VICON systems for the supine position of the phantom. Distances between the anatomical land marks on the phantom were compared to test the data capturing accuracy of the OrthoPilot system. Anatomical land marks of right anterior superior iliac supine (RASIS), left anterior superior iliac supine (LASIS) and Pubic Symphasis (PS) were palpated to define the Anterior Pelvic Plane (APP). Distances between the anatomical landmarks of RASIS to LASIS, RASIS to PS and LASIS to PS were considered for comparison. Width and height of the pelvis was varied to examine different APPs. The width and height used were 170 mm and 53 mm, 230 mm and 88 mm, and 290 mm and 123 mm respectively. One hundred APP data sets were captured at each instance. The accuracy of the hip navigation algorithm was tested by applying similar algorithm to calculate the native anteversion and inclination angles of the acetabulum using the VICON system. Data were captured simultaneously from both OrthoPilot and VICON systems. Radiographic anteversion and inclination angles were obtained with phantom model, which had 14° of anteversion angle and 45° of inclination angle. APP of 230 mm in width and 88 mm in height was used to obtain anterior pelvic plane data. Position vectors for each anatomical land mark from the OrthoPilot system were extracted from relevant transformation matrices, while position vectors from the VICON system were extracted from static trial modelling. The distance data from both systems were compared with calibrated distance data from the phantom model. Mean values of the distances between anatomical landmarks were found to be similar for both OrthoPilot and VICON systems. In addition, these distances were comparable with the pelvic phantom model data, within 1 mm for all measured distances for the VICON and 2 mm for the OrthoPilot. Furthermore, the standard deviations were less than 1% of the measured value. Comparison was also made for the anteversion and inclination angles of the acetabulum of the pelvic model with OrthoPilot and VICON data. Both systems produced similar results for the mean angle values, within 0.5° of the known angles for the VICON and 1° for the OrthoPilot and with standard deviations of the measured values of less than 1%. All the data were captured simultaneously from both OrthoPilot and VICON systems under the same laboratory conditions. According to the above results it is clear that the distance readings obtained from the OrthoPilot are comparable to the results obtained from the gold standard VICON system and the calibrated distance readings of the phantom. In addition, acetabular angle results obtained from OrthoPilot are almost equivalent to results obtained from VICON and the calibrated phantom angles. Finally it is can be concluded that, both the data palpation with OrthoPilot system and acetabular angle calculation algorithm of the OrthoPilot system are accurate enough for the real world clinical tasks they are expected to perform

Analysing bone remodeling patterns after THA using patient specific FEM

<p>Finite element analysis technique incorporates bone remodeling theories and it is extensively used in predicting bone remodeling patterns around the implant. However, a patient-specific finite element model would be more advantageous. Because, the influences of bone geometry, bone strength and gait patterns can be considered in a patient specific model. Therefore, this study leads to create accurate and more realistic algorithm to predict bone remodeling patterns for patients with total hip replacement using patient-specific finite element models. Patient-specific finite element models are being created for a number of patients and then the resulting bone remodeling patterns are being discussed.</p

Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Spatiotemporal Variation of Forest Cover; World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest, Sri Lanka

Rainforests are continuously threatened by various anthropogenic activities. In addition, the ever-changing climate severely impacts the world’s rainforest cover. The consequences of these are paid back to human at a higher cost. Nevertheless, little or no significant attention was broadly given to this critical environmental issue. The World Heritage Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka is originating news on its forest cover due to human activities and changing climates. The scientific analysis is yet to be presented on the related issues. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive study on the possible impact on the Sinharaja Rainforest due to changing climate. Landsat images with measured rainfall data for 30 years were assessed and the relationships are presented. Results showcased that the built-up areas have drastically been increased over the last decade in the vicinity and the declared forest area. The authorities found the issues are serious and a sensitive task to negotiate in conserving the forest. The rainfall around the forest area has not shown significant trends over the years. Therefore, the health of forest cover was not severely impacted. Nevertheless, six cleared-up areas were found inside the Singaraja Rainforest under no human interactions. This can be due to a possible influence from the changing climate. This was justified by the temporal variation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) assessments over these six cleared-up areas. Therefore, the World Heritage rainforest is threatened due to human activities and under the changing climate change. Hence, the conservation of the Sinharaja Rainforest would be challenging in the future

Assessment of youth fitness under long-term exposure to toxic environmental conditions due to pesticides: Case from Aral Sea region

Ill-planned irrigation systems and pesticide overuse during 1950-1960 severely impacted the soil system in the Aral Sea region. Organochlorine compounds including DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloromethylmethane), DEE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene), DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloromethane), HCCH (hexachlorane) and toxic metals are readily available in soil systems. Thus, long-term exposure to these toxic environmental conditions increases the health risk of the people. Hence, this study investigates environmental influence on the development of power motor qualities, physical endurance, and oxygen capacity in young people living in this region. The study cohort included 609 volunteers aged 18-25 in two different geographical regions, North and Nukus in Uzbekistan. All participants were assessed based on the one-mile walking test for strength motor qualities, dynamic and static power endurance, and maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) in addition to hematological indices. Data analysis revealed significantly lower values of all fitness test parameters and MOC in young men and only parameters of dynamic power endurance living in the North region. Both male and female participants of the North cohort had lower red blood cell (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels compared to the cohort from Nukus. A high prevalence (28% of males and 96% of females) and the nature of anemia (normocytic and normochromic) were found. This study has sufficiently characterized the change in muscular strength and physical endurance in youth in this region. The decrease of MOC and muscle strength and endurance in young men and women may have an influence from organochlorine pesticides on haemopoiesis and subsequent decreasing of oxygen capacity in the blood