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Black locust is a tree species considered suitable for afforestation in Turkey because of its rapid growth and ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in disturbed soil ecosystems. Quantitative indicators of soil health and quality can be usefully derived from a data set of soil physical, chemical and microbial characteristics. In this study changes in soil characteristics after afforestation with black locust were assessed by comparing several afforestation sites with control (no vegetation) sites randomly chosen along the roadside in Ulus-Bartin, the western Black Sea region (Turkey). Results showed that some physical and chemical characteristics of the soil (soil bulk density, clay content, soil organic C and total N) were higher at the afforestation sites as compared with the control sites. Similarly, afforestation sites showed higher values for mean soil microbial biomass C (afforestation: 311.97 µg g-1;control: 149.68 µg g-1) and N (afforestation: 43.07 µg g-1; control: 19.21 µg g-1), and basal respiration (afforestation: 0.303 µg CO2-C g-1 h-1; control: 0.167 µg CO2-C g-1 h-1). However, the mean metabolic quotient (qCO2) assessed at the control sites was higher (1.47 mg CO2-C g-1 Cmic h-1) than that observed the afforestation sites (0.96 mg CO2-C g-1 Cmic h-1), likely due to difficulties in the utilization of organic substrates by the microbial community. In addition, the correlation between the qCO2 and Cmic/Corg percentages was negative (r = - 0.586, P < 0.01) in both sites. Our results indicated that afforestation with black locust could be advantageous, not only for soil improvement and regeneration, but also for sustainable land management.

Background: The acetabular version is crucial for hip function, and its accurate assessment is necessary for treating patients with hip disorders. Current studies reveal discrepancies in the precision of quantitative radiographic measurements versus CT measurements, but there is a lack of focused analysis on anteverted versus retroverted hips. This study aims to fill this gap by directly comparing the reliability of these two methods in assessing varied hip configurations., Questions/purposes: (1) How reliable are quantitative radiographic and CT methods in measuring the acetabular version angle? (2) Is there any difference in the reliability of acetabular version angle measurements using radiography compared with CT in anteverted and retroverted hips? (3) What is the extent of variation in acetabular version measurements when quantitative radiographic and CT methods are compared in anteverted and retroverted hips?, Methods: We searched our image archives for patients who had received both radiographs and CT scans between January 2020 and June 2022 and found 84 patients who met the criteria. From these patients, we selected those who presented with hip pain of different causes and who had no previous elective and/or hip trauma surgery, no hip dysplasia, and results from adequate radiographic examinations. Accordingly, 73% (61 of 84) of the patients were included in this study, and angle measurements were performed on both hips of these patients (122 hips). Standardized positioning was meticulously verified for all plain radiographs and CT scans utilized in the measurement process. We measured quantitative angles and assessed qualitative signs of retroversion, including crossover, posterior wall, and ischial spine findings. We considered a hip with at least one of these findings a retroverted hip, and the hips without these findings were included in the anteverted hip group. Three clinicians took measurements independently. Measurement reliability and agreement were examined using intraobserver and interobserver intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), with statistical analyses including paired and independent t-tests. To investigate the reliability of quantitative radiographic and CT methods, we assessed both intraobserver and interobserver agreements. To explore the reliability disparities in measuring the acetabular version via radiography and CT in anteverted and retroverted hips, we analyzed the agreement between measurements from both modalities in the hip groups. Furthermore, to evaluate the degree of variation in acetabular version measurements when comparing quantitative radiographic and CT methods in anteverted and retroverted hips, we utilized paired and independent t-tests to examine the measurement differences within these hip categories. The difference between radiographic and CT measurements was also evaluated by Bland-Altman analysis., Results: Quantitative radiographic measurements showed intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities with ICCs of 0.87 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.91) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.82), respectively, and CT measurements demonstrated higher reliabilities with ICCs of 0.92 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.93) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.92), respectively. The reliability of measuring the acetabular version in anteverted hips was moderate, with an ICC of 0.59 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.68). In contrast, retroverted hips showed an ICC of -0.41 (95% CI -1.17 to 0.08), indicating a lack of consistency between quantitative radiographic and CT measurements. Variation in measurement on plain radiographs in anteverted hips was less than that of retroverted hips (mean ± SD absolute difference between anteverted hips and retroverted hips 3° ± 3° versus 6° ± 4°; p = 0.0001), indicating greater variability in the radiographic measurement of retroverted hips. According to Bland-Altman analysis, we observed that the difference between radiographic and CT measurements was well outside the CI, especially in retroverted hips., Conclusion: Although quantitative radiographic measurement demonstrates acceptable intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities, its precision is lower than that of CT-based measurements. Specifically, quantitative radiographic methods are prone to a larger margin of error in retroverted hips. For more precise assessments of acetabular version, especially in retroverted hips, we recommend using CT measurement instead of the radiographic method., Level of Evidence: Level III, diagnostic study., Competing Interests: Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Objectives: During the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, masks have become mandatory for protection against the virus transmitted by breathing. This study examined the impact of surgical masks used daily on civilian facial skin., Materials and Methods: Moisture, elasticity, pore, melanin, acne, wrinkle, and sensitivity parameters of 83 volunteers were measured numerically using an API-100 skin analyzer and camera recordings. Numerical values were compared following the device's algorithm calibrated according to age, gender, and race. Finally, the obtained data were statistically evaluated and compared with the averages., Results: Pore, melanin, acne, and wrinkle parameters were higher without gender discrimination, whereas moisture and elasticity parameters were low. While a significant increase was observed in women for sensitivity, the increase was not statistically significant in men., Conclusion: The negative effects of long-term daily wearing of surgical masks on facial skin were statistically significant. Therefore, taking outdoor breaks during mask use, washing the face intermittently, using moisturizing and purifying cosmetic products, and anti-wrinkle effects have been proposed to reduce the possible defects., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

This work presents a detailed review of the development of distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) and their newest scientific applications. It covers most areas of human activities, such as the engineering, material, and humanitarian sciences, geophysics, culture, biology, and applied mechanics. It also provides the theoretical basis for most well-known DAS techniques and unveils the features that characterize each particular group of applications. After providing a summary of research achievements, the paper develops an initial perspective of the future work and determines the most promising DAS technologies that should be improved.

Objective: The D-SPIRIT registry is designed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate in patients with atrial fibrillation in routine clinical practice., Methods: D-SPIRIT is the first national, multicenter, prospective, observational, postmarketing registry that investigates the usage of dabigatran in real life. A total of 326 noveloral anticoagulant-eligible patients with atrial fibrillation who have been taking dabigatran etexilate therapy for stroke prevention at least 6 months from 9 different centers were enrolled into the registry. Patients were followed up for 2 years to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. All adverse clinical events including bleeding, thromboembolic events, stroke, systemic embolism, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and all-cause death were recorded., Results: The mean age was 71.1±9.6 years, and 57.4% of the study participants were female. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack [TIA], vascular disease, age 65-74 years, sex category) score was 3.4±1.6. The cumulative adverse clinical events rate was 6.30% per year. The rate for embolic events including TIA, ischemic stroke, and peripheral embolism was 1.26% per year. The rate for major bleeding was 2.20% per year, and the mortality rate was 0.94% per year., Conclusion: This registry obtained an important overview of the current safety and effectiveness of the dabigatran etexilate in Turkey. Our results indicate similar rates of thromboembolic and bleeding events with pivotal phase 3 trial and other real-life registries. However, rate of undertreatment usage of dabigatran etexilate in real life was found to be considerable.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role of hip arthrography in the treatment decision making for children with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD)., Methods: A total of 47 consecutive children with LCPD (42 boys, 5 girls; mean age=7.5 years; range=6-10 years) who underwent operative treatment were included in the study. The patient demographics, physical examination findings (pain and hip range of motion [ROM]), standard anteroposterior and Löwenstein lateral hip radiographs, and hip arthrography data were retrospectively collected. The arthrographies were performed immediately before the surgery under general anesthesia. The patients were staged according to the Catterall and Herring classifications and examined in terms of head-at-risk signs before the study. Four sets of patient files were established based on the aforementioned data, with each child in a randomized and blinded order. Ten consultant pediatric orthopedic surgeons randomly assessed the patient files on 4 separate occasions (Set 1 vs Set 2 and Set 3 vs Set 4), with a minimum time interval of 4 weeks. In the first and second sets, the demographic and clinical information, including the age, gender, hip ROM, and hip radiographs, were presented. In the third and fourth sets, hip arthrography was presented in addition to the data from Set 1 and Set 2. The observers were instructed to choose the best treatment options. The percent agreement (PA) and Gwet's AC1 statistics were used to establish a relative level of agreement among the observers., Results: The mean intra-observer reliabilities ranged from fair to moderate after adding the hip arthrography data (Gwet's AC1 = 0.36 for Set 1 vs Set 2 and 0.42 for Set 3 vs Set 4). The mean PA was 56.6% (range = 29.8% to 78.7%) with a Gwet's AC1 value of 0.51 (range: 0.21 to 0.77) between Set 1 and Set 3 (moderate intra-observer reliability). The decision for the treatment strategy was changed in 43.4% of the patients. For inter-observer reliability, Gwet's AC1 was computed as 0.48 (moderate reliability). The correlation between the intra-observer reliability and stage progression was not significant (p>0.05) for any of the subgroups. Thus, there is a negative correlation with the disease progression., Conclusion: Hip arthrography seems to have a significant role in the treatment decision making for children with LCPD, especially in the advanced stages of the disease., Level of Evidence: Level IV, Therapeutic study.

Type-I fiber Bragg gratings photo-inscribed in hydrogen-loaded B/Ge co-doped silica single-mode optical fibers have been regenerated efficiently at 450°C, which is the lowest temperature reported so far. The mechanical strength of the annealed fiber is preserved while ensuring temperature sensing of the regenerated gratings up to 900°C. Unlike low temperature cycles (≤600°C), an annealing process at higher temperatures revealed faster regeneration for strong gratings. Changes in grating strength were also measured before the regeneration cycle. These behaviors suggest the contribution of different mechanisms to the regeneration process with different relative dynamics.

European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a final decision on September 01, 2014 that restricts the maximum daily dose of domperidone to 30 mg and treatment duration to 7 days. This paper presents a critical review of the scientific basis of the literatures having a role in the decision of EMA on domperidone with an approach based on statistical and epidemiological perspective. Although observational studies used by EMA were published, the EMA didn't use an algorithm including "randomized clinical trials" according to evidence-based medicine when presenting their results. In conclusion, the results obtained from published studies are controversial, especially for the bias. From these publications, it cannot be concluded that domperidone exposure definitely increases the risk of "sudden cardiac death", "death associated with ventricular arrhythmia" or "ventricular arrhythmia" The most concrete result of these studies is that the risk is higher with metoclopramide exposure compared to domperidone exposure.

Background: Collagen-based synthetic bone grafts which contain tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA), and collagen-based synthetic bone grafts containing only TCP have some advantages compared to autografts. Therefore, these grafts are frequently used to fill bone defects and pseudoarthrosis., Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical, radiological and histopathological effects of TCP-HA and TCP alone + Type-1 collagen in healing lower extremity fractures in a pseudoarthrosis model in rat femurs., Material and Methods: A total of 36 female Wistar rats were randomly separated into 4 groups. Group 1 (n = 10) was the control group. A femur pseudoarthrosis model was created in Groups 2, 3 and 4. On the 90th day after the 1st surgery in Group 2 (n = 10), TCP-HA + Type-1 collagen was applied, in Group 3 (n = 10), TCP alone + type-1 collagen was applied, and in Group 4 (n = 6, the placebo group), saline solution was applied. Fixation was performed with an intramedullar pin. After 60 days and clinical and radiological scoring, all animals were sacrificed and a histopathological evaluation of the pseudoarthrosis areas was conducted., Results: In all the clinical, radiological and histopathological measurements used in the evaluations of the differences between the groups, a higher rate of union was determined in Group 2 (TCP-HA). No significant difference was determined between Group 3 and Group 4 in terms of union rates., Conclusions: The clinical, radiological and histopathological results of this study showed that TCP alone was less effective than TCP-HA in the union of a femur pseudoarthrosis model in rats. The reason for this difference was considered to be hydroxyapatite (HA).

Purpose: The two-tunnel coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction (CLR) technique is one of the treatment approaches commonly used in the surgical treatment of acromioclavicular (AC) injuries. Clavicular tunnel malposition is one of the major causes of failure in coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of clavicular tunnel placement on tendon loading in the CLR technique with finite element analysis., Methods: Models of clavicle and scapula were constructed using computerized tomography images. Two clavicular bone tunnel reconstruction models were created with the tendon passing through the conoid and trapezoid tunnels. Four models based on the tunnel ratio (TR) method and defined as primary, anatomic, medialized, and lateralized were constructed to evaluate the effect of tunnel placement on loading conditions during tendon graft. All models were loaded by insertion from the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The loading on the tendon were evaluated with the finite element analysis., Results: The highest load value measured on the tendon was in the anatomic model (0.789 kPa), and the lowest load value (0.598 kPa) was measured in the lateralized tunnel model. The load value of the primary model was (0.657 kPa), and the medialized model's value was (0.752 kPa)., Conclusions: In two-tunnel CLR technique, tendon loadings are related to tunnel placement. Medialized tunnel placement increases tendon loading. The TR method may be an appropriate option for determining tunnel placement.

We aimed to answer the following three questions in this study: (1) Does tranexamic acid (TA) reduce the amount of bleeding in total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? (2) Does TA reduce requirement for blood transfusion? (3) Is there any difference on reliability and efficacy between topical and intravenous (IV) applications of TA? Patients were allocated into three groups randomly by a software program as topical, IV, and control group. TA was applied as 20 mg/kg to the IV group and as 3 g/100 mL saline to the topical group. The hemoglobin values were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively on the same day and on day 1 and day 2. Removal of the drain postoperatively and length of hospital stay, as well as any complications such as pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis, were also noted. The study comprised 40 patients in the IV group, 42 in the topical group, and 41 in the control group. The drain output values were similar in the IV and topical groups ( p  = 0.161), while those of the control group were significantly higher than both the IV and topical groups ( p  < 0.001 and < 0.001). Transfusion was applied to 19.5% of cases in the control group, 4.8% in the topical group, and 5.1% of the IV group ( χ 2  = 6.522; p  = 0.038). The results of the study showed that 20 mg/kg single-dose IV bolus or 3 g topical TA application reduced blood loss and transfusion requirement without increasing the rate of thromboembolic complications in unilateral primary TKA., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)