Clinical and radiological evaluation of fracture union in pathologic fractures after closed intramedullary nailing and adjuvant radiotherapy: A retrospective study

Introduction/Objective. Pathologic fractures are devastating complications in metastatic bone disease. Treatment of these condition varies, and includes systemic therapies and surgical interventions. Lack of evidence still exists for standardized care. The aim of this study is to analyze radiological healing response and clinical outcomes after intramedullary nailing (IMN) and adjuvant radiotherapy in complete pathologic fractures of femur or humerus Methods. A total of 19 patients who presented with pathological fracture were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes and radiologic images were obtained from hospital records. All patients in this cohort were treated with closed, unreamed IMN and adjuvant radiation treatment. Results. Pain relief and full range of motion was obtained in all patients. The mean postoperative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scores at last follow-up were 69% (range 50?85). All patients demonstrated complete radiographic healing between 2 and 6 months. Only one patient required reoperation for refracture at the tip of the nail which was revised with a longer nail. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that pathologic fractures managed with closed unreamed IMN and adjuvant multifractional 20 Gy dose radiotherapy yielded good clinical outcomes with complete radiologic response regardless of patient?s life expectancy, adjuvant treatments and overall condition. Closed unreamed IMN was also associated with decreased surgical time in these high-risk patients

Outcome of COVID-19 in Patients With Autoimmune Hepatitis: An International Multicenter Study

Background and Aims: Data regarding outcome of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are lacking. Approach and Results: We performed a retrospective study on patients with AIH and COVID-19 from 34 centers in Europe and the Americas. We analyzed factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes, defined as the need for mechanical ventilation, intensive care admission, and/or death. The outcomes of patients with AIH were compared to a propensity score?matched cohort of patients without AIH but with chronic liver diseases (CLD) and COVID-19. The frequency and clinical significance of new-onset liver injury (alanine aminotransferase > 2 × the upper limit of normal) during COVID-19 was also evaluated. We included 110 patients with AIH (80% female) with a median age of 49 (range, 18-85) years at COVID-19 diagnosis. New-onset liver injury was observed in 37.1% (33/89) of the patients. Use of antivirals was associated with liver injury (P = 0.041; OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.05-10.78), while continued immunosuppression during COVID-19 was associated with a lower rate of liver injury (P = 0.009; OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09-0.71). The rates of severe COVID-19 (15.5% versus 20.2%, P = 0.231) and all-cause mortality (10% versus 11.5%, P = 0.852) were not different between AIH and non-AIH CLD. Cirrhosis was an independent predictor of severe COVID-19 in patients with AIH (P < 0.001; OR, 17.46; 95% CI, 4.22-72.13). Continuation of immunosuppression or presence of liver injury during COVID-19 was not associated with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: This international, multicenter study reveals that patients with AIH were not at risk for worse outcomes with COVID-19 than other causes of CLD. Cirrhosis was the strongest predictor for severe COVID-19 in patients with AIH. Maintenance of immunosuppression during COVID-19 was not associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19 but did lower the risk for new-onset liver injury during COVID-19.Fil: Efe, Cumali. Harran University Hospital; TurquíaFil: Dhanasekaran, Renumathy. University of Stanford; Estados UnidosFil: Lammert, Craig. University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Ebik, Berat. Gazi Yaşargil Education and Research Hospital; TurquíaFil: Higuera de la Tijera, Fatima. Hospital General de México; MéxicoFil: Aloman, Costica. Rush University Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Rıza Calışkan, Ali. Adıyaman University; TurquíaFil: Peralta, Mirta. Latin American Liver Research Educational And Awareness Network; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Infecciosas "Dr. Francisco Javier Muñiz"; ArgentinaFil: Gerussi, Alessio. University of Milano Bicocca; Italia. San Gerardo Hospital; ItaliaFil: Massoumi, Hatef. Montefiore Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Catana, Andreea M.. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Torgutalp, Murat. Universitätsmedizin Berlin; AlemaniaFil: Purnak, Tugrul. McGovern Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Rigamonti, Cristina. Azienda Ospedaliera Maggiore Della Carita Di Novara; Italia. Università del Piemonte Orientale; ItaliaFil: Gomez Aldana, Andres Jose. Universidad de los Andes; ColombiaFil: Khakoo, Nidah. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Kacmaz, Hüseyin. Adıyaman University; TurquíaFil: Nazal, Leyla. Clínica Las Condes; ChileFil: Frager, Shalom. Montefiore Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Demir, Nurhan. Haseki Training and Research Hospita; TurquíaFil: Irak, Kader. SBU Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital; TurquíaFil: Ellik, Zeynep Melekoğlu. Ankara University Medical Faculty; TurquíaFil: Balaban, Yasemin. Hacettepe University; TurquíaFil: Atay, Kadri. Mardin State Hospital; TurquíaFil: Eren, Fatih. Ordu State Hospital; TurquíaFil: Cristoferi, Laura. University of Milano Bicocca; Italia. San Gerardo Hospital; ItaliaFil: Batibay, Ersin. Harran University Hospital; TurquíaFil: Urzua, Álvaro. Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Medicina.; ChileFil: Snijders, Romee. Radboud University Medical Center; Países BajosFil: Ridruejo, Ezequiel. Latin American Liver Research Educational and Awareness Network; Argentina. Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine; Turquía. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The efficacy of a music education programme focused on creative thinking

hi this research, the aim is to designate the effect of a music education programme focused on creative thinking on 3rd grade students' creative thinking in music. 46 students were selected randomly, including 23 students in both experimental and control groups. Webster's Measure of Creative Thinking in Music (MCTM) was used to examine students' ability of creative thinking in music before and after the educational programme. The results revealed that the experimental group has improved significantly M three dimensions of MCTM (Musical Flexibility, Musical Originality and Musical Syntax), while the control group stayed in the the same level of the MCTM. Considering the results of the study, it is suggested that creative thinking approach can be used as a means for developing an alternative music education programme to improve students' creative thinking in music. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboyl

Web 2.0 Uygulamalarının Türkçe Eğitiminde Motivasyona Etkisi: Kahoot Örneği

Yapılan araştırmada Web 2.0 araçlarından biri olan Kahoot’un Türkçe dersinde motivasyona etkisini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Ön test-son test kontrol gruplu deneysel desenin kullanıldığı araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Mamak Vehbi Dinçerler Ortaokulunda öğrenim gören 7. sınıf öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Deney grubunda (n=27) Kahoot destekli etkinliklerle ders işlenmiş olup kontrol grubunda (n=25) ders kitabındaki etkinliklere bağlı kalınarak öğretim yapılmıştır. Araştırma süreci dört haftadan (20 ders saati) oluşmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak Özerbaş tarafından geliştirilmiş olan Motivasyon Testi kullanılmıştır. Motivasyon Testi’nin ölçüm güvenirliği için bulunan α katsayısı ,88 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Veriler toplandıktan sonra verilerin normallik dağılımları incelenmiş olup grup içi ve gruplar arası puanların karşılaştırılmasında Bağımlı Örneklemler t Testi ve Bağımsız Örneklemler t Testi kullanılmasına karar verilmiştir. Test sonuçlarına göre Kahoot destekli etkinliklerle işlenen Türkçe dersinde motivasyon yüksek oranda (η2= ,56) artmıştır

The efficacy of a music education programme focused on creative thinking

AbstractIn this research, the aim is to designate the effect of a music education programme focused on creative thinking on 3rd grade students’ creative thinking in music. 46 students were selected randomly, including 23 students in both experimental and control groups. Webster's Measure of Creative Thinking in Music (MCTM) was used to examine students’ ability of creative thinking in music before and after the educational programme. The results revealed that the experimental group has improved significantly in three dimensions of MCTM (Musical Flexibility, Musical Originality and Musical Syntax), while the control group stayed in the the same level of the MCTM. Considering the results of the study, it is suggested that creative thinking approach can be used as a means for developing an alternative music education programme to improve students’ creative thinking in music

Wettability of AH Plus on root dentin treated with irrigation solutions with conventional methods or PIPS activation

Amaç: Bu in vitro çalışmanın amacı; epoksi rezin içerikli kökkanal patının (AH Plus) sodyum hipoklorit (NaOCl), klorheksidin glukonat (CHX), etilendiamintetraasetik asit (EDTA) yıkama solüsyonlarının geleneksel yöntemle ya da foton indüklüfotoakustik dalgalanma (PIPS) aktivasyon tekniğiyle uygulandığı dentin yüzeyini ıslatabilirliğini değerlendirmektir.Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışma için 60 adet tek köklü diş hazırlandı ve dişler silikon ölçü maddesi içerisine sabitlendi. Silikonsertleştikten sonra dişler bukkolingual yönde dikey olarak ikiparçaya ayrıldı. Bir yarım diş örneği tekrar silikon içerisine yerleştirildi. Örnekler 6 deney grubuna ayrıldı (n10) ve şu yıkama prosedürleri uygulandı: Grup 1, NaOCl; Grup 2, CHX; Grup3, EDTA; Grup 4, NaOClPIPS; Grup 5, CHXPIPS; Grup 6, EDTAPIPS. İşlem görmeyen diğer yarım diş örneklerinden rastgele seçilen 10 tanesi kontrol grubu olarak kullanıldı ve distilesu içerisinde bekletildi. Bir damla kök kanal patı her bir kurudentin yüzeyine damlatıldı. Kanal patı ve kök dentini arasındaki temas açısı dinamik temas açısı ölçüm cihazıyla belirlendi.Veriler, tek yönlü varyans analizi ile istatistiksel olarak analizedildi.Bulgular: Ortalama temas açısı değerleri NaOCl grubunda60.93, CHX grubunda 57.77, EDTA grubunda 64,61 olupdeney grupları ve kontrol grubunun temas açıları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmamıştır (p0,05). Yıkamasolüsyonlarının PIPS ile aktivasyonu AH Plus’ın ıslatma davranışını değiştirmemiştir (p 0,05).Sonuç: Bu in vitro çalışmanın sınırları dahilinde yıkama solüsyonunun türü ve uygulama metodu AH Plus’ın ıslatma davranışını etkilememiştir.Aim: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the wetting behavior of epoxy-resin based sealer (AH Plus) on rootdentine treated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) and ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid(EDTA) with conventional methods or photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) combination.Materials and Methods: Sixty single rooted teeth were prepared and fixed in silicone impression material. After setting,teeth were sectioned vertically on buccolingual direction.One half was removed and the other half was placed into thesilicone. Then, the samples were divided into 6 groups (n10)and following irrigation procedures were applied: Group 1,NaOCl; Group 2, CHX; Group 3, EDTA, Group 4, NaOClPIPS;Group 5, CHXPIPS; Group 6, EDTAPIPS. Untreated halvesof randomly selected ten teeth were used as control and incubated in distilled water. One droplet of sealer was placedon each dried sample. Dynamic Contact Angle Analyzer wasused to measure contact angle between sealer and root dentin. Data was statistically analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test.Results: The mean contact angle value was 60.93 in NaOCl group, 57.77 in CHX group, 64,61 in EDTA group andthere was no statistically significant difference betweencontact angles in experimental groups and control group(p0,05). PIPS activation of irrigation solutions did not significantly change wetting behavior of AH Plus (p0,05).Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study,wetting behavior of AH Plus on dentin, was not affectedby the type of the irrigation solution or application technique

Co-sputtered Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) absorbers for thin film solar cells

Thin film solar cells are an exciting topic for low cost and high efficient solar cells. Owing to the high price of the indium metal in the fabrication of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cells, Cu2ZnSn(SSe)(4) thin films are used as a new material to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency. As an alternative absorber material for solar cell production, Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) thin films were deposited by the co-sputtering method at various temperatures. During the deposition, Cu, ZnSe and Ti targets were used as metal sources. The Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) thin films were annealed in H2S:Ar (1:9) atmosphere. The morphological, structural and optical properties of Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) thin films was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer. It was seen that the thin films had good optical absorption till the infrared region and the band gap of the Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) thin films were smaller than the conventional Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films. Furthermore, fabrication of a solar cell with 1.96% power conversion efficiency was reported using a Cu2ZnTi(S:Se)(4) thin film as a low cost absorber layer