Full Electrostatic Control of Nanomechanical Buckling

Buckling at the micro and nanoscale generates distant bistable states which can be beneficial for sensing, shape-reconfiguration and mechanical computation applications. Although different approaches have been developed to access buckling at small scales, such as the use heating or pre-stressing beams, very little attention has been paid so far to dynamically and precisely control all the critical bifurcation parameters, the compressive stress and the lateral force on the beam. Precise and on-demand generation of compressive stress on individually addressable microstructures is especially critical for morphologically reconfigurable devices. Here, we develop an all-electrostatic architecture to control the compressive force, as well as the direction and amount of buckling, without significant heat generation on micro/nano structures. With this architecture, we demonstrated fundamental aspects of device function and dynamics. By applying voltages at any of the digital electronics standards, we have controlled the direction of buckling. Lateral deflections as large as 12% of the beam length were achieved. By modulating the compressive stress and lateral electrostatic force acting on the beam, we tuned the potential energy barrier between the post-bifurcation stable states and characterized snap-through transitions between these states. The proposed architecture opens avenues for further studies that can enable efficient actuators and multiplexed shape-shifting devices

Difference between spinecor brace and rigid brace in deformity correction and quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Although there are several conservative treatment options only bracing found effective in preventing curve progression and subsequent need for surgery. The objective of this study is to compare the results of SpineCor brace and rigid brace in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis radiologically and clinically.Sixty-four adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients treated with brace included in this study. Height, T1-Coccygx distance, gibbosity was measured. Rib hump deformity was evaluated with scoliometer. SRS-22 questionnaire used to determine the quality of life of patients after the first year of brace treatment.Differences in Cobb angles and gibbosity were insignificant in both groups. SRS-22 questionnairre results showed significant difference in pain, self image and function/activity subgroups. Mental health and satisfaction scores of patients were insignificant.These braces has similar effect on deformity correction. Surgery rates and success rates braces are approximately equal. Major difference between SpineCor and rigid brace is health related quality of life

The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment in Congenital Scoliosis

SUMMARY AIM: this study evaluates how early diagnosis of congenital scoliosis affects results and complication rates of of surgical treatment. METHOD: We have evaluated the efficiency and effectivity of modern posterior spinal instrumentation methods in congenital scoliosis cases who were diagnosed and treated in Gulhane Military Medical Academy Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department. We have evaluated 53 patients (13 male,29 female) who were operated for congenital scoliosis between 1995 and 2009. Patients were divided into two groups according to the time of diagnosis to evaluate fusion levels, numbers of surgery, surgery methods, reduction rate, intraspinous and other system abnormalities and complications. RESULTS: 9 of 24 patients with diagnosis age before 5 and 11 of 29 patients with diagnosis age after 5 treated with single operation. Correction of main curve was %35.4 and compensatory curve was %13. Main curve correction of patients under 5 age was %36,3 and main curve correction of older group was %34,8 (p>0.05). Average number of fused levels in first group was 2,3±2,1 and in the older group 7,5±3,1. CONCLUSION: In patients before 5 age less invasive surgeries were needed to accomplish succesful treatment and early diagnosis of congenital scoliosis is the most important part of the treatment. KEY WORDS: Congenital ,Scoliosis, Posterior, Instrumentation [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(4.000): 441-446

The frequency of autoimmune thyroid disorders in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Few studies have been performed to investigate autoimmune diseases associated with organ non-specific rheumatological disorders in children, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The objective in this study was to determine the frequency of autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland in children with JIA. Eighty patients with JIA and 81 healthy sex- and age-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Serum free T3, free T4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, and anti-peroxidase antibodies were evaluated. The mean age was 11.5 +/- 5.5 years in the patient group and 10.5 +/- 4.9 years in the control group. Twenty-seven of the cases were classified as oligoarticular, 26 as polyarticular, 17 as enthesitis-related, 6 as systemic, and 4 as psoriatic arthritis. Autoimmune thyroid disease was found in 4 patients in the JIA group (5%). There were no significant differences between the study and control groups regarding the existence of anti-thyroid antibodies (p=0.17). Girls were more likely to develop autoimmune thyroiditis (3 girls, I boy). Autoimmune thyroiditis was more frequent in patients who had a family history of thyroid disease (p=0.02). There was no statistical correlation between rheumatoid factor (RF) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity and autoimmune thyroiditis (p > 0.05). We conclude that there is no need for routine screening of serum thyroid function tests and thyroid antibody levels in patients with JIA in the absence of clinical symptoms

Pediatric Behcet'S Disease With Sinus Venous Thrombosis: Three Center Experience From Turkey

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The Role of Preconditioning and N-Acetylcysteine on Oxidative Stress Resulting From Tourniquet-Induced Ischemia-Reperfusion in Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on oxidative stress resulting from tourniquet-induced ischemia-reperfusion (IR) period in arthroscopic knee surgery

Coccygectomy with or without periosteal resection

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and wound complications in coccygectomy with or without subperiosteal resection. This retrospective study included 25 patients who underwent coccygectomy. Resection of all mobile coccygeal segments including the periosteum was performed in 11 patients (group 1) and resection was performed subperiostally sparing the periosteum in the remaining 14 patients (group 2). A visual analogue scale was used for pain assessment before and after the surgery both in sitting and standing positions. A questionnaire to evaluate subjective patient satisfaction was also used. The two groups were statistically similar in terms of age, sex, aetiology, duration of symptoms before surgery and follow-up time. Both surgical techniques resulted in a statistically similar clinical outcome. Overall, 84% of patients who underwent coccygectomy benefited from surgery. We observed four wound infections (two superficial and two deep) that caused delayed wound healing in group 1. The rate of infection in group 1 was statistically higher than in group 2. The results of this study suggest that periosteal preservation and closure are related to low risk of infection

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in Turkey: results of a nationwide multicenter study

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease that is prevalent among eastern Mediterranean populations, mainly non-Ashkenazi Jews, Armenians, Turks, and Arabs. Since a large proportion of all the FMF patients in the world live in Turkey, the Turkish FMF Study Group (FMF-TR) was founded to develop a patient registry database and analyze demographic, clinical, and genetic features. The cohort was composed of 2838 patients (mean age, 23.0 +/- 13.33 yr; range, 2-87 yr), with a male:female ratio of 1.2:1. There was a mean period of 6.9 +/- 7.65 years from disease onset to diagnosis; the period was about 2 years shorter for each decade since 1981. Ninety-four percent of patients were living in the central-western parts of the country; however, their familial origins (70% from the central-eastern and Black Sea regions) reflected not only the ongoing east to west migration, but also the historical roots of FMF in Turkey. Patients' clinical features included peritonitis (93.7%), fever (92.5%), arthritis (47.4%), pleuritis (31.2%), myalgia (39.6%), and erysipelas-like erythema (20.9%). Arthritis, arthralgia, myalgia, and erysipelas-like erythema were significantly more frequent (p < 0.001) among patients with disease onset before the age of 18 years. Genetic analysis of 1090 patients revealed that M694V was the most frequent mutation (51.4%), followed by M680I (14.4%) and V726A (8.6%). Patients with the M694V/M694V genotype were found to have an earlier age of onset and higher frequencies of arthritis and arthralgia compared with the other groups (both p < 0.001). In contrast to other reported studies, there was no correlation between amyloidosis and M694V homozygosity in this cohort. However, amyloidosis was still remarkably frequent in our patients (12.9%), and it was prevalent (27.8%) even among the 18 patients with a disease onset after age 40 years. Twenty-two patients (0.8%) had nonamyloid glomerular diseases. The high prevalence of vasculitides (0.9% for polyarteritis nodosa and 2.7% for Henoch-Schonlein purpura) and high frequency of pericarditis (1.4%) were striking findings in the cohort. Phenotype II cases (those patients with amyloidosis as the presenting or only manifestation of disease) were rare (0.3% or less). There was a high rate of a past diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever, which suggested a possible misdiagnosis in children with FMF presenting with recurrent arthritis. To our knowledge, this is the largest series of patients with FMF reported from 1 country. We describe the features of the disease in the Turkish population and show that amyloidosis is still a substantial problem