Fixed-Bearing Trabecular Metal Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using the Transfibular Approach for End-Stage Ankle Osteoarthritis: An International Non-Designer Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

This multicenter prospective cohort study assessed the safety and performance of the Trabecular Metal Total Ankle System (TM Ankle; Zimmer) for primary total ankle arthroplasty (TAA).Methods: One hundred and twenty-one consecutive patients qualifying for primary TAA were enrolled in the study. All patients received the TM Ankle implant. Clinical outcome examinations and radiographic evaluations were conducted at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were evaluated with use of the EuroQol-5 Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D), Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society questionnaire (AOFAS), and patient satisfaction at each time point. Complications were classified according to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) system.Results: The average AOFAS, EQ-5D, AOS pain, and AOS difficulty scores showed significant improvement at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years as compared with the preoperative baseline (p Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that patient well-being significantly increased following TAA with use of the TM Ankle. Radiographic parameters also demonstrated a low incidence of abnormal findings.Level of evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.</p

Vertical profiles of volatile organic compounds and fine particles in atmospheric air by using an aerial drone with miniaturized samplers and portable devices

The increase in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions released into the atmosphere is one of the main threats to human health and climate. VOCs can adversely affect human life through their contribution to air pollution directly and indirectly by reacting via several mechanisms in the air to form secondary organic aerosols. In this study, an aerial drone equipped with miniaturized air-sampling systems including up to four solid-phase microextraction (SPME) Arrows and four in-tube extraction (ITEX) samplers for the collection of VOCs, along with portable devices for the real-time measurement of black carbon (BC) and total particle numbers at high altitudes was exploited. In total, 135 air samples were collected under optimal sampling conditions from 4 to 14 October 2021 at the boreal forest SMEAR II station, Finland. A total of 48 different VOCs, including nitrogen-containing compounds, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, and hydrocarbons, were detected at different altitudes from 50 to 400 m above ground level with concentrations of up to 6898 ng m−3 in the gas phase and 8613 ng m−3 in the particle phase. Clear differences in VOC distributions were seen in samples collected from different altitudes, depending on the VOC sources. It was also possible to collect aerosol particles by the filter accessory attached on the ITEX sampling system, and five dicarboxylic acids were quantified with concentrations of 0.43 to 10.9 µg m−3. BC and total particle number measurements provided similar diurnal patterns, indicating their correlation. For spatial distribution, BC concentrations were increased at higher altitudes, being 2278 ng m−3 at 100 m and 3909 ng m−3 at 400 m. The measurements aboard the drone provided insights into horizontal and vertical variability in BC and aerosol number concentrations above the boreal forest.</p

Current Advances in Internet of Underground Things

The latest developments in Internet of Underground Things are covered in this chapter. First, the IOUT Architecture is discussed followed by the explanation of the challenges being faced in this paradigm. Moreover, a comprehensive coverage of the different IOUT components is presented that includes communications, sensing, and system integration with the cloud. An in-depth coverage of the applications of the IOUT in various disciplines is also surveyed. These applications include areas such as decision agriculture, pipeline monitoring, border control, and oil wells

Signals in the Soil: Underground Antennas

Antenna is a major design component of Internet of Underground Things (IOUT) communication system. The use of antenna, in IOUT, differs from traditional communication in that it is buried in the soil. Therefore, one of the main challenges, in IOUT applications, is to establish a reliable communication. To that end, there is a need of designing an underground-specific antenna. Three major factors that can impact the performance of a buried antenna are: (1) effect of high soil permittivity changes the wavelength of EM waves, (2) variations in soil moisture with time affecting the permittivity of the soil, and (3) difference in how EM waves propagate during aboveground (AG) and underground (UG) communications. For the third challenge above, it is to be noted that lateral waves are dominant component in EM during UG2UG communication and suffer lowest attenuation as compared to other, direct and reflected, components. Therefore, antennas used for over-the-air (OTA) communication will not be suitable for UG communication because of impedance mismatch. This chapter focuses on developing a theoretical model for understanding the impact of soil on antenna by conducting experiments in different soil types (silty clay loam, sandy, and silt loam soil) and indoor testbed. The purpose of the model is to predict UG antenna resonance for designing efficient communication system for IOUT. Based on the model a wideband planar antenna is designed considering soil dispersion and soil–air interface reflection effect which improves the communication range five times from the antennas designed only for the wavelength change in soil. Furthermore, it also focuses on developing an impedance model to study the effect of changing wavelength in underground communication. It is also discussed how soil–air interface and soil properties effect the return loss of dipole antenna

Internet of Things in Water Management and Treatment

The goal of the water security IoT chapter is to present a comprehensive and integrated IoT based approach to environmental quality and monitoring by generating new knowledge and innovative approaches that focus on sustainable resource management. Mainly, this chapter focuses on IoT applications in wastewater and stormwater, and the human and environmental consequences of water contaminants and their treatment. The IoT applications using sensors for sewer and stormwater monitoring across networked landscapes, water quality assessment, treatment, and sustainable management are introduced. The studies of rate limitations in biophysical and geochemical processes that support the ecosystem services related to water quality are presented. The applications of IoT solutions based on these discoveries are also discussed

Wireless Underground Channel Modeling

A comprehensive treatment of wireless underground channel modeling is presented in this chapter. The impacts of the soil on bandwidth and path loss are analyzed. A mechanism for the UG channel sounding and multipath characteristics analysis is discussed. Moreover, novel time-domain impulse response model for WUC is reviewed with the explanation of model parameters and statistics. Furthermore, different types of the through-the-soil wireless communications are surveyed. Finally, the chapter concludes with discussion of the UG wireless statistical model and path loss model for through-the-soil wireless communications in decision agriculture. The model presented in this chapter is also validated with empirical data

Randomized controlled trial of postoperative exercise rehabilitation program after lumbar spine fusion: study protocol

Abstract Background Lumbar spine fusion (LSF) effectively decreases pain and disability in specific spinal disorders; however, the disability rate following surgery remains high. This, combined with the fact that in Western countries the number of LSF surgeries is increasing rapidly it is important to develop rehabilitation interventions that improve outcomes. Methods/design In the present RCT-study we aim to assess the effectiveness of a combined back-specific and aerobic exercise intervention for patients after LSF surgery. One hundred patients will be randomly allocated to a 12-month exercise intervention arm or a usual care arm. The exercise intervention will start three months after surgery and consist of six individual guidance sessions with a physiotherapist and a home-based exercise program. The primary outcome measures are low back pain, lower extremity pain, disability and quality of life. Secondary outcomes are back function and kinesiophobia. Exercise adherence will also be evaluated. The outcome measurements will be assessed at baseline (3&#8201;months postoperatively), at the end of the exercise intervention period (15&#8201;months postoperatively), and after a 1-year follow-up. Discussion The present RCT will evaluate the effectiveness of a long-term rehabilitation program after LSF. To our knowledge this will be the first study to evaluate a combination of strength training, control of the neutral lumbar spine position and aerobic training principles in rehabilitation after LSF. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00834015peerReviewe

Signals in the Soil: An Introduction to Wireless Underground Communications

In this chapter, wireless underground (UG) communications are introduced. A detailed overview of WUC is given. A comprehensive review of research challenges in WUC is presented. The evolution of underground wireless is also discussed. Moreover, different component of UG communications is wireless. The WUC system architecture is explained with a detailed discussion of the anatomy of an underground mote. The examples of UG wireless communication systems are explored. Furthermore, the differences of UG wireless and over-the-air wireless are debated. Different types of wireless underground channel (e.g., In-Soil, Soil-to-Air, and Air-to-Soil) are reported as well

Internet of Things for Sustainable Community Development: Introduction and Overview

The two-third of the city-dwelling world population by 2050 poses numerous global challenges in the infrastructure and natural resource management domains (e.g., water and food scarcity, increasing global temperatures, and energy issues). The IoT with integrated sensing and communication capabilities has the strong potential for the robust, sustainable, and informed resource management in the urban and rural communities. In this chapter, the vital concepts of sustainable community development are discussed. The IoT and sustainability interactions are explained with emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and communication technologies. Moreover, IoT opportunities and challenges are discussed in the context of sustainable community development