Simplified Earthquake Analysis of Suspensi

This paper presents the finite element analysis of a suspension bridge subjected to earthquake ground motion using simplified models. For this purpose, two simplified models are considered. It is assumed that each element compose of the deck, cable and hangers in the first model. As second model, the elastic foundation analogy method is used. Also, actual bridge model is selected. Finite element earthquake analyses of the simplified and real bridge models are performed. One of the world's longest modern type suspension bridges, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, is selected as a numerical example. As ground motions, Kocaeli earthquake occurred on August 17, 1999 in Kocaeli, Turkey is chosen since it took place at the vicinity of the bridge. The response values obtained from simplified and actual bridge models are compared with each other

Evaluation of nutritional status in pediatric intensive care unit patients: the results of a multicenter, prospective study in Turkey

IntroductionMalnutrition is defined as a pathological condition arising from deficient or imbalanced intake of nutritional elements. Factors such as increasing metabolic demands during the disease course in the hospitalized patients and inadequate calorie intake increase the risk of malnutrition. The aim of the present study is to evaluate nutritional status of patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Turkey, examine the effect of nutrition on the treatment process and draw attention to the need for regulating nutritional support of patients while continuing existing therapies.Material and MethodIn this prospective multicenter study, the data was collected over a period of one month from PICUs participating in the PICU Nutrition Study Group in Turkey. Anthropometric data of the patients, calorie intake, 90-day mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay and length of stay in intensive care unit were recorded and the relationship between these parameters was examined.ResultsOf the 614 patients included in the study, malnutrition was detected in 45.4% of the patients. Enteral feeding was initiated in 40.6% (n = 249) of the patients at day one upon admission to the intensive care unit. In the first 48 h, 86.82% (n = 533) of the patients achieved the target calorie intake, and 81.65% (n = 307) of the 376 patients remaining in the intensive care unit achieved the target calorie intake at the end of one week. The risk of mortality decreased with increasing upper mid-arm circumference and triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.871/0.894; p = 0.027/0.024). The risk of mortality was 2.723 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h (p = 0.006) and the risk was 3.829 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at the end of one week (p = 0.001). The risk of mortality decreased with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.894; p = 0.024).ConclusionTimely and appropriate nutritional support in critically ill patients favorably affects the clinical course. The results of the present study suggest that mortality rate is higher in patients who fail to achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h and day seven of admission to the intensive care unit. The risk of mortality decreases with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with Hydrocephalus

Exposure to alcohol in the fetal period leads to various structural abnormalities and is called as fetal alcohol syndrome. Cranial and facial anomalies are the common features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Microcephaly is frequently associated with fetal alcohol syndrome, but hydrocephalus may be rarely seen

The effect of concrete slab-rockfill interface behavior on the earthquake performance of a CFR dam

WOS: 000285901900005Earthquake response of the concrete slab is mostly depended upon its conjunction with rockfill This study aims to reveal the effect of concrete slab-rockfill interface behavior on the earthquake performance of a concrete-faced rockfill dam considering friction contact and welded contact Friction contact is provided by using interface elements with flue numbers of shear stiffness values 2D finite element model of Torul concrete-faced rockfill dam is used for this purpose Linear and materially non-linear time-history analyses considering dam-reservoir interaction are performed using ANSYS Reservoir water is modeled using fluid finite elements by the Lagrangian approach The Drucker-Prager model is preferred for concrete slab and rockfill in non-linear analyses Horizontal component of 1992 Erzincan earthquake with peak ground acceleration of 0 515g is used in analyses The maximum and minimum displacements and principal stresses are shown by the height of the concrete slab and earthquake performance of the dam is investigated considering different joint conditions for empty and full reservoir cases In addition potential damage situations of concrete slab are evaluated (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserve

The prevalence and systemic risk factors of diabetic macular edema: a cross-sectional study from Turkey

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of diabetic macular edema (DME) utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to clarify the effects of the systemic findings and risk factors on the development of DME. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the departments of ophthalmology and endocrinology at the Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine in Izmir, Turkey. The demographics, type and duration of diabetes mellitus, treatment modality, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, as well as the systemic blood pressure, renal functional tests, hemoglobulin A1c level, serum lipid profile, and 24-h urine albumin level were noted and statistically analyzed. The relationships between the systemic findings and DME were studied. Results Four-hundred and thirteen eyes of 413 diabetic patients who were examined between January 2011 and July 2012 were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of DME was 15.3% among the patients. The males exhibited DME significantly more frequently than the females (p = 0.031), and the duration of diabetes was significantly longer in those patients with DME (p < 0.001). Those patients without DME frequently used antihyperlipidemic drugs and had a higher level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.040 and p = 0.046, respectively). The patient’s alcohol consumption, nephropathy, neuropathy, previous cataract surgery, severity of diabetic retinopathy, and insulin usage were statistically significant factors with regard to the DME prevalence. Conclusions This study demonstrated the prevalence of DME in Turkey by utilizing OCT. The development of DME can be avoided or limited and the response to treatment may be improved by the regulation of the DME risk factors

Efficacy of ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis: a retrospective analysis.

Background: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, laboratory results, imaging findings, and histopathological features of 28 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy from a hepatic lesion and were diagnosed with alveolar echinococcosis. Results: Among 28 patients included in the study, 16 were females and 12 were males. The mean age of the studied population was 53 +/- 16 years, and the age range was 18-79 years. The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain, which was observed in 14 patients. A total of 36 lesions were detected in the patients' livers, out of which 7 had a cystic appearance. Hepatic vascular involvement, bile duct involvement, and other organ involvement were depicted in 14, 5, and 7 patients, respectively. The average number of cores taken from the lesions was 2.7, ranging between 2 and 5. In histopathological evaluation, PAS+ parasitic membrane structures were visualized on a necrotic background in all cases. Regarding seven patients, who were operated, the pathological findings of preoperative percutaneous biopsies were in perfect agreement with the pathological examinations after surgical resections. None of the patients developed major complications after biopsy. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy is a minimally invasive, reliable, and effective diagnostic tool for the definitive diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis

Efficacy of ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis: a retrospective analysis

Background: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, laboratory results, imaging findings, and histopathological features of 28 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy from a hepatic lesion and were diagnosed with alveolar echinococcosis. Results: Among 28 patients included in the study, 16 were females and 12 were males. The mean age of the studied population was 53 ± 16 years, and the age range was 18–79 years. The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain, which was observed in 14 patients. A total of 36 lesions were detected in the patients’ livers, out of which 7 had a cystic appearance. Hepatic vascular involvement, bile duct involvement, and other organ involvement were depicted in 14, 5, and 7 patients, respectively. The average number of cores taken from the lesions was 2.7, ranging between 2 and 5. In histopathological evaluation, PAS+ parasitic membrane structures were visualized on a necrotic background in all cases. Regarding seven patients, who were operated, the pathological findings of preoperative percutaneous biopsies were in perfect agreement with the pathological examinations after surgical resections. None of the patients developed major complications after biopsy. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy is a minimally invasive, reliable, and effective diagnostic tool for the definitive diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis