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Background and Aims: Hemiarthroplasty is a common method of treating displaced femoral neck fractures, especially among elderly non-active patients with frailty syndrome. Complications arising from the use of a modern, modular hemiendoprosthesis via a posterior approach have been poorly reported in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate complications and mortality associated with the use of Lubinus sp II cemented, unipolar hemiarthroplasty prosthesis and posterior approach during a 9-year follow-up.Material and Methods: All patients (244) who received hemiarthroplasty due to an acute fracture of the femoral neck in Central Finland Hospital, Jyvaskyla, Finland, during 2007 and 2008 were included. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed for intraoperative and postoperative complications.Results and Conclusion: Women composed 70% (n = 171) of the study population. Mean age was 83 years for women and 80 years for men. A total of 31 (12%) complications were found in 30 patients. These were 12 dislocations (5% of all patients), 5 (2%) periprosthetic fractures, 2 (0.8%) superficial and 5 (2%) deep infections, 1 (0.4%) protrusion of the prosthesis, 2 (0.8%) intraoperative fractures, and 2 (0.8%) partial sciatic nerve palsies. Conversion to total hip replacement was performed in 9 cases (4%) and a reoperation was required in 15 (6%) cases. Mortality rate at 9 years was 78% (95% confidence interval = 72%–83%). The overall rate of complications was acceptable although mortality was high in this comorbid patient population. The need for conversion to total hip arthroplasty and reoperation is low.

Traditional 2×2 game theory focuses on conflict situations where each participant perceives the game in an identical manner. The hypergame theory does away with this assumption. The hybrid games consisting of the Assurance Game, Prisoner’s Dilemma and Chicken are discussed in an effort to find out what difference from the stability viewpoint the perceptual differences might make. The extreme type of knowledge concerning the opponent’s choices is omniscience. It seems that in certain games like Chicken the omniscience is not beneficial but even downright harmful for the omnscient player provided that his opponent knows of it. The equilibrium concept of the one-shot game theory seems too restrictive to be taken as a model of real world conflicts where the games are often sequential. The concept of nonmyopic equilibrium of Brams and his associates is used to analyze the hybrid games and their stable outcomes. Finally a brief review of the state of the art of institutional design is presented in order to show the relevance of the social choice theory for research on international stability and to point to some of the problems that lie ahead in this field.

We evaluated the performance of new enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits (Pyloriset; Orion Corporation, Orion Diagnostica, Espoo, Finland) for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies to Helicobacter pylori in serum. Serum samples from 195 patients with upper abdominal complaints were collected. Biopsy specimens of the gastric mucosae were taken for histological analysis and bacterial culture. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values, and efficacy of the Pyloriset EIA-G in detecting IgG antibodies to H. pylori were 92, 84, 88, 90, and 89%, respectively, when compared with those of the reference methods used. The corresponding data for detection of IgA antibodies were 80, 89, 89, 79, and 84%, respectively. The overall prevalence of defined H. pylori positivity was 54%. Moreover, the antibody tests showed a very good correlation with the biopsy findings. IgG antibodies were found in 93% of sera from patients with documented gastritis and H. pylori positivity, whereas only 4% of the sera from patients with documented gastritis and H. pylori-negative patients was positive. The results obtained for IgA antibodies were 81 and 6%, respectively. We conclude that the Pyloriset EIA-G, the test for IgG antibodies, is a good and reliable test for the detection of antibodies to H. pylori and as an indication of H. pylori infection. The determination of IgA antibodies may be used as a test that complements the IgG antibody assay.

This paper discusses a method of setting the popping point of safety valves using a hydraulic cylinder to aid the steam pressure in popping the safety valve. This method has been successfully tested on various boilers ranging in operating pressure from 1500–2700 psig. The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee have agreed that this method meets the intent of the Code. Use of the hydraulic cylinder, while at reduced boiler pressures, to set safety valve popping points produces significant economic gains and improves community relations.