Minimally invasive reduction and percutaneous fixation versus open reduction and internal fixation for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures : a systematic review of the literature

The aim of this article is to systematically identify and analyse research evidence available to compare the outcomes of minimally invasive reduction and percutaneous fixation (MIRPF) versus open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Articles from 2000 to 2016 were searched through MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge using Boolean logic and text words. Of the 570 articles identified initially, nine were selected including three randomized controlled trials and six retrospective comparative studies. All nine studies had a total of 1,031 patients with 1,102 displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Mean follow-up was 33 months. Of these, 602 (54.6%) were treated with MIRPF and 500 (45.4%) were treated with ORIF. Overall incidence of wound-related complications in patients treated with MIRPF was 4.3% (0% to 13%) compared with 21.2% (11.7% to 35%) in the ORIF group Functional outcomes were reported to be better in the minimally invasive group in all studies; however, the results did not reach statistical significance in some studies. All the studies had methodological flaws that put them at either ‘unclear’ or ‘high’ risk of bias for multiple domains. Overall quality of the available evidence is poor in support of either surgical technique due to small sample size, flaws in study designs and high risk of bias for various elements. Individual studies have reported minimally invasive techniques to be an effective alternative with lower risk of wound complications and better functional outcomes.</ul

The Sensitivity and Specificity of Potassium Hydroxide Smear and Fungal Culture Relative to Clinical Assessment in the Evaluation of Tinea Pedis: A Pooled Analysis

Background. There are relatively few studies published examining the sensitivity and specificity of potassium hydroxide (KOH) smear and fungal culture examination of tinea pedis. Objective. To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of KOH smear and fungal culture for diagnosing tinea pedis. Methods. A pooled analysis of data from five similarly conducted bioequivalence trials for antifungal drugs was performed. Data from 460 patients enrolled in the vehicle arms of these studies with clinical diagnosis of tinea pedis supported by positive fungal culture were analyzed 6 weeks after initiation of the study to determine the sensitivity and specificity of KOH smear and fungal culture. Results. Using clinical assessment as the gold standard, the sensitivities for KOH smear and culture were 73.3% (95% CI: 66.3 to 79.5%) and 41.7% (34.6 to 49.1%), respectively. The respective specificities for culture and KOH smear were 77.7% (72.2 to 82.5%) and 42.5% (36.6 to 48.6%). Conclusion. KOH smear and fungal culture are complementary diagnostic tests for tinea pedis, with the former being the more sensitive test of the two, and the latter being more specific

Health and welfare profile of Australian baby boomers who live in rented accommodation – implications for the future

Incorrect spelling of Helen Barrie on the publication, left Statement of responsibility to reflect incorrect pdf.Baby boomers who rent are often overlooked as an important sub-group. We aimed to assess the chronic conditions, risk factors, socio-economic factors and other health-related factors associated with renting in private or public housing. Data from telephone interviews conducted each month in South Australia between and were combined. Prevalence estimates were assessed for each risk factor and chronic condition by housing status. The association between housing status and variables of interest were analysed using logistic regression models adjusting for multiple covariates (age, gender, income, smoking, physical activity, area and year of data collection). Overall, per cent of the baby boomers interviewed were renting, either privately or using government-subsided housing. The health profile of renters (both private and public) was poorer overall, with renters more likely to have all of the chronic conditions and ten risk factors assessed. For public renters the relationships were maintained even after controlling for socio-economic and risk factor variables for all chronic diseases except osteoporosis. This research has provided empirical evidence of the considerable differences in health, socio-economic indicators and risk factors between baby boomers who rent and those who own, or are buying, their own homes.Anne W. Taylor, Rhiannon Pilkington, Eleonora Dal Grande, Constance Kourbelis and Helen Barr

A hybrid neural network/rule-based technique for on-line gesture and hand-written character recognition

A technique is presented which combines rule-based and neural network pattern recognition methods in an integrated system in order to perform learning and recognition of hand-written characters and gestures in realtime. The GesRec system is introduced which provides a framework for data acquisition, training, recognition, and gesture-to-speech transcription in a Windows environment. A recognition accuracy of 92.5% was obtained for the hybrid system, compared to 89.6% for the neural network only and 82.7% for rules only. Training and recognition times are given for an able-bodied and a disabled user

‘It’s like equality now; it’s not as if it’s the old days’: an investigation into gender identity development and football participation of adolescent girls

This article explores the influence participating in football has on the development of adolescent girls’ gender identity, an area which currently lacks academic attention. Data were taken from an ethnographic study with a group of adolescent girls and boys and compared to Jeanes’ research. A social constructionist framework was deployed with links to both critical theory and feminist literature. Qualitative and participatory methods were used to fully engage with the complex issue of gender identity. The girls within this study were aware of the normative gender expectations linked to ‘being a female’ but did not find this restrictive. The girls moved between many changing identities and organised their ‘web of selves’ accordingly. The apparent need to measure success by the parameters of male standards created a barrier to girls’ identity development

Minimizing energy consumption of yarn winding in ring spinning

Ring spinning has been and will continue to be an important system for making staple yarns from different fibers in the textile industry. But high power consumption and low productivity remain the two outstanding problems with ring spinning. Based on an analysis of power distribution during yarn winding in ring spinning, models for the ratio of energy consumption to yarn production over a full yarn package are established. Spindle speed, yarn count, and package diameter are the three key parameters affecting this ratio. The effects on energy consumption of these parameters are discussed through a case study. The energy-to-production ratio increases with increased package diameter but decreases with increased spindle speed and/or yarn count (tex). The results will help guide spinners in minimizing energy consumption in ring spinning