Smoking among Nurses in Turkey: Comparison with Other Countries

The purpose of this study was to obtain baseline information on smoking among nurses. An attempt was made to contact, in person, all 301 nurses working for the university hospital in Sivas, Turkey, and when contacted they were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Each unit of the hospital was visited three times, and 239 (79%) nurses were reached who all completed the questionnaire. Of the 239 respondents, 107 (45%) were current smokers, reflecting a substantially higher prevalence compared to that among the adult female population. The quit ratio was 22.5%. Of 127 ever-smoker nurses who responded to the related item, 90% started smoking during or after nursing education. This pattern of smoking initiation was different from the pattern in developed countries where nurses had already started smoking before beginning that training. Nurses with a high school education had a significantly higher prevalence of ever-smoking. Most respondents frequently or sometimes saw doctors smoking in rooms for nurses and in rooms for doctors in inpatient services. In-depth qualitative studies are needed to determine the reasons for the different smoking-initiation pattern

The Real Time Implementation of a Chaotic System’s Synchronization for Secure Communication

The chaotic systems are preferred in secure communication systems as well as used in many different implementation areas. Real time chaos synchronization is also required for secure communication systems. In this study, the Master–Slave synchronization of chaotic Chen system was performed on a real time implementation for the secure communication systems. Active control method was used in the design of controller required for the realization of synchronization. The successful realization of the Master-Slave synchronization of the Chen system by using the controller designed on MATLAB/Simulink was shown by the obtained simulation results. Moreover, by using analogue outputs of NI-DAQ card, the Master-Slave synchronization of the Chen system was obtained and secure communication was achieved on a real time basis under LabVIEW environment

Bearing capacity of strip footing on reinforced layered granular soils

In this study a limit equilibrium method is proposed to determine the bearing capacity of strip foundations on geosynthetic reinforced sand soils. A two-layered granular soil was foreseen to represent the loose in situ soil and the compacted fill above the reinforcement. First the modified bearing capacity factors Nq and Nγ were derived for the two layered granular reinforced soil. The bearing capacities were also calculated for different reinforcement geometries and soil properties using Finite Element analyses. The bearing capacities obtained from Finite Element and Limit Equilibrium analyses were compared, it was seen a good agreement. Therefore, it was concluded that the new limit equilibrium method proposed in this paper for reinforced two-layered soils can be successfully used in calculating the bearing capacities of geosynthetic reinforced soils

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Laboratory and field testing for utilization of an excavated soil as landfill liner material

This study investigates the feasibility of using a silty soil excavated in highway construction as landfill liner material. The tests were conducted both at laboratory and in situ scales, and the soil was tested in pure and lime treated forms. Different levels of compaction energy were used. For the field study, a test pad was constructed and in situ hydraulic conductivity experiments were conducted by sealed double ring infiltrometers (SDRI). Laboratory testing revealed that while lime treatment improved the shear strength, it resulted in higher hydraulic conductivity values compared to pure soil. It was observed that leachate permeation did not change the hydraulic conductivity of the pure and lime treated samples. Laboratory hydraulic conductivities were on the order of 10(-9) m/s and met the 1.0E-08 m/s criterion in the Turkish regulations, which is one order of magnitude higher than the value allowed in most developed countries. SDRI testing, which lasted for 6 mo, indicated that lime treatment increased the hydraulic conductivity of pure soil significantly in the field scale tests. In situ hydraulic conductivities were on the order of 1E-08 and 1E-07 m/s, and exceeded the allowable value in the Turkish regulations. Undisturbed samples collected from the test pad were not representative of field hydraulic conductivities. Contrary to laboratory findings, higher compaction efforts did not result in lower hydraulic conductivities in field scales. The study verified the importance of in situ hydraulic conductivity testing in compacted liners. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Estimation of Horizontal Displacements for Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Wall

Nowadays, the geotechnical design trend is increasingly heading towards the serviceability limit state. However, the current practice in the design of geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) walls mostly relies on ultimate limit state. Commonly available design software programs provide typical factor of safety values against various failure modes. With increasing height and variability in GRS walls, the deformation characteristics of the GRS walls also become an important parameter in the design. In this paper, an expression has been developed to predict the horizontal deformation of a GRS wall using a set of data obtained from about sixty-four finite element model configurations. The horizontal deformation expression includes wall-height, internal friction angle and elastic modulus of backfill, length, spacing and stiffness of geosynthetic reinforcements. It has been found out that all these parameters contribute to the horizontal displacement of a GRS wall. In addition, some comparisons have been made to reveal the influence of each individual parameter on the horizontal displacement of the wall

Growth of ZnO nanoflowers: effects of anodization time and substrate roughness on structural, morphological, and wetting properties

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflowers were grown on pure zinc plates through electrochemical anodization. Prior to anodization, zinc plates were artificially roughened by sanding with emery papers #1000, #1500, and #2000 grits so as to obtain varying substrate surface profiles. Thus, the effect of zinc plates' roughness on the structural, morphological, and wetting properties was investigated by means of anodization time. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the grown nanostructures were of wurtzite structure. Scanning electron microscope images revealed that anodization time increased the fraction of anodized surface. Additionally, increasing anodization time yields an increase in the aspect ratio of the micrometer long nanoflower spines, as well as, by increasing anodization time, from 0 to 600 s, contact angle gradually decreases for all substrate surface roughness values. The best wettability performance with the lowest contact angle with 13.46 degrees was recorded for the sample with highest roughness (sanded with #1000) and anodized for 600 s. It is expected that the electrochemical anodization method which enables rapid and controlled formation of metal oxide nanostructures can further be a promising way to develop structures with tunable wettability

Seismic Response of MSE Walls with Various Reinforcement Configurations: Effect of Input Ground Motion Frequency

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls perform well under earthquake loads, and hence they are preferred in earthquake-prone regions. The multifaceted load transfer between the components of the MSE wall under seismic loads can be captured using numerical analysis. This study presents the results of a series of numerical analyses performed to investigate the effects of the frequency of the input ground motion on the seismic response of MSE walls. MSE wall design configurations were prepared using various reinforcement designs (length, vertical spacing, and stiffness). A frequent wall height of 8 m was selected for the analysis. Using two-dimensional finite element analysis, each MSE model was excited with seven (7) different input ground motion accelerograms with equal Arias Intensity, but with different frequencies ranging between 1 Hz and 8 Hz. The results of the numerical analyses indicated rotation at the top of the MSE wall in seismic conditions. The frequency versus acceleration plot for a point close to the top of the MSE wall indicated peaks for the excitations with frequencies f = 1.5 Hz and f = 4 Hz, which are close to the estimated natural frequency of the overall model (including the foundation soil) and the MSE wall, respectively. The highest normalized acceleration amplification factor solely within the MSE wall was recorded as 1.86 for the excitation with a frequency equivalent to its fundamental frequency (f ≅ 4 Hz). In this study, the 8 m high MSE wall models placed on a firm clayey foundation soil with the reinforcement parameters with length over height ratio in 0.5–1 range, axial stiffness in 600–1200 kPa range, and reinforcement vertical spacing in 0.4–0.6 m range performed satisfactorily under moderate seismic loads