The strain sensitivity of brass fiber reinforced concrete

The structures are challenged by earthquakes and other environmental factors. Structural health monitoring is crucial to protect the lives. The strain gages used in structural health monitoring have low durability and can get point wise measurements which limit their use. In this study, five different concrete mixtures with different brass fiber volume fractions were designed. Along with the control mixture which does not have brass fiber, six mixtures were designed and three cube samples from each mixture were cast and cured. Compression test was conducted with simultaneous measurement of electrical resistance. The brass fiber reinforced concrete has strong linear relationship between the electrical resistance change and strain. Important progress was achieved in development of “Smart Concrete” which can sense its strain and damage

The strain sensitivity of copper powder reinforced concrete

Earthquakes, material deteriorations and other environmental factors challenge the structural safety. In order to protect the lives, structural health monitoring is crucial. The metal foil strain gages have low durability, low sensitivity and can get point wise measurements which are disadvantages. In this study six different concrete mixtures were designed; one without any copper powder, the rest five having different copper powder volume fractions. Three cube samples from each mixture were cast and cured. Simultaneous measurement of electrical resistance and strain were conducted during the compression tests. A strong linear relationship between strain and electrical resistance change was obtained for copper powder reinforced concrete. The results are contribution to the development of “Smart Concrete” which can sense its strain and damage

Test-retest reliability and validity of the timed up and go test and 30-second sit to stand test in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Background: Timed up and go (TUG) and sit to stand (STS) tests that required less space and easier to be performed in respiratory and cardiac diseases for assessing functionality. Aim was to test the reliability of TUG and 30-second STS (30STS) tests and determine the validity of TUG and 30STS tests in patients with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). Methods: Thirty-eight patients with diagnosed PH were included. We collected TUG, 30STS, quadriceps muscle strength, physical activity level, and 6MWT. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine test-retest reliability and correlations with quadriceps muscle strength, physical activity level and 6MWT for validity of the TUG and 30STS tests. Results: The TUG and 30STS tests were associated with age, functional class, muscle strength, physical activity and functional exercise capacity in patients with PAH (p < 0.05). 6MWT was associated with age, functional class, muscle strength, physical activity and functional exercise capacity (p < 0.05). ICC (95%) for TUG test and 30STS were 0.96 (0.93-0.98) and 0.95 (0.90-0.97), respectively. Conclusions: The TUG and 30STS tests were reliable and valid tests for measuring physical performance in PH. This study supports using the TUG and 30STS tests as practical assessment tools in patients with PH. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

THE ROLE OF SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTION ON STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Yapı temel sistemlerinin projelendirilmesinde, yapı-temel-zemin üçlüsü arasındaki etkileşimin dikkatealınması, zemine aktarılan yükler nedeniyle zemin tabakalarında oluşan deformasyonların temel elemanı veüstyapı taşıyıcı sistemindeki iç kuvvetler ve yük dağılımı üzerindeki etkilerinin hesaba katılması gerekir.Bu gereklilik rutin mühendislik uygulamalarında, yapı ve zemin arasındaki ilişkiyi sabit yatak katsayısı ilekuran Winkler yöntemi kullanılarak sağlanmaya çalışılmaktadır. Ancak Winkler yönteminin temel tabanbasıncı dağılımını temsil etmekte yetersiz kaldığı literatürde belirgin bir biçimde ortaya konmuştur. Temelelemanının elastik eğrisini gerçeğe daha yakın modelleyen yöntemler geçmişte birçok araştırmacıtarafından önerilmiştir. Ne var ki, yatak katsayısı modelinin betonarme yapı tasarımı üzerindeki rolüşimdiye dek ortaya konmamıştır. Bu çalışmada zemin yapı etkileşiminin yapısal tasarıma etkisi örnek biranaliz çalışmasıyla incelenmiştir. Rijit yapı-zemin, sabit ve değişken yatak katsayısı yöntemleri ile yapısalçözümler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yürürlükteki ulusal yönetmelikler çerçevesinde betonarme kolonkesitlerindeki donatı oranları hesaplanarak, yapı-zemin etkileşiminin yapısal tasarımdaki etkisi ortayakonmuştur While designing foundations of structures, structure-foundation-soil interaction must be considered andthe effect of deformations occurring due to the structural loads in soil layers on the load distributions andsectional forces of structural elements must be taken into account. Winkler method is used in order torelate the soil and the structure by means of constant subgrade modulus in routine engineeringapplications. In the literature, it is clearly stated that, Winkler method is insufficient to represent thecontact pressure distribution beneath the foundation. In the past, methods capable of modeling actualelastic curve of the foundation element were suggested by researchers. However, the role of subgradereaction on the structural design has not been stated yet. In this study, the effect of soil-structureinteraction on structural design of reinforced concrete structures is investigated via a case analysis study.Structural analyses were performed using fixed base-soil, constant subgrade modulus and variablesubgrade modulus methods. Reinforcement ratios in reinforced concrete column sections were calculatedaccording to national codes and specifications. The effect of soil-structure interaction on structural designis presented

Balance performance in patients with heart failure

Background: It has been suggested that patients with heart failure (HF) have an increased fall rate. Although balance is one of the most important risk factors for fall, there is not sufficient information about balance in HF. Objective: To compare static, dynamic and functional balance between patients with HF and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with HF and 22 healthy controls were recruited in this study. The Unilateral Stance (US) and Limits of Stability (LOS) tests were used to measure static and dynamic balance, respectively. Functional balance was assessed with Berg Balance Scale. Results: There was no significant difference in age, gender and body mass index between the groups (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in US with open eyes between the groups (p < 0.05). Reaction time (backward and left), endpoint excursion (backward), maximum excursion (forward and backward) and directional control (forward and right) variables of LOS were significantly different between the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients with HF have impaired static, dynamic and functional balance. Considering the balance impairment, a comprehensive balance assessment performed and balance training should be included in the management of HF as a part of the cardiac rehabilitation program. © 2020 Elsevier Inc

Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Heart Turkish Version Study: cross-cultural adaptation, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability

PURPOSE: Individuals with cardiac problems avoid physical activity and exercise because they expect to feel shortness of breath, dizziness, or chest pain. Assessing kinesiophobia related to heart problems is important in terms of cardiac rehabilitation. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia Swedish Version for the Heart (TSK-SV Heart) is reliable and has been validated for cardiac diseases in the Swedish population. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability, parallel-form validity, and exploratory factor analysis of the TSK for the Heart Turkish Version (TSK Heart Turkish Version) for evaluating kinesiophobia in patients with heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved translation, back translation, and cross-cultural adaptation (localization). Forty-three pulmonary arterial hypertension and 32 heart failure patients were evaluated using the TSK Heart Turkish Version. The 17-item scale, originally composed for the Swedish population, has four factors: perceived danger for heart problem, avoidance of exercise, fear of injury, and dysfunctional self. Cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency) and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the questionnaire’s reliability. Results of the patients in the 6-minute walk test, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Nottingham Health Profile were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation analysis with the TSK Heart Turkish Version to indicate the convergent validity. RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha for the TSK Heart Turkish Version was 0.75, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Although exploratory factor analysis showed a different subgroup distribution than the original questionnaire, the model was acceptable for the four-factor model hypothesis. Therefore, the questionnaire was rated as reliable. CONCLUSION: These results supported the reliability of the TSK Heart Turkish Version. Since the acceptable four-factor model fits the subgroups and measures of reliability are sufficiently high, the questionnaire seems reliable for pulmonary arterial hypertension and heart failure patients

Assessment the effect of diabetes education on self-care behaviors and glycemic control in the Turkey Nursing Diabetes Education Evaluating Project (TURNUDEP): a multi-center study

Background: Diabetes education in Turkey is provided by diabetes nurse educators in almost all healthcare organizations. However, the education is not standardized in terms of learning content, duration, and methods. This multi-center study was performed to assess the self-care behaviors and glycemic control following education provided to the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by diabetes nurse educators. Methods: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study and included 1535 patients admitted to 28 public hospitals for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The education was assessed by using a Patient Identification Form and Self-care Scale. Results: The proportion of individuals who received diabetes education within the last year was 78.5%, with 46.7% of them having received it once. Of the patients, 84.8% reported that they received diabetes education individually. It was found that the proportion of individuals who received education about oral antidiabetics (78.5%) and glucose testing at home (78.5%) was higher than the proportion of individuals who received education about exercise (58.8%) and foot care (61.6%). The status of diabetes education, education intervals, and the correlation of the education method with self-care and glycemic control was evaluated. Self-care and glycemic control levels were better among the patients who received diabetes education thrice or more and in patients who received education both individually and in a group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Approximately three-quarters of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus received education by diabetes nurse educators in Turkey. Diabetes education is positively correlated with self-care and glycemic control levels among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Efforts for generalization and standardized education for all diabetes patients are necessary. © 2022, The Author(s)

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts