Number Of Feet Research Articles

The 1 + 1 = 1 and 1 + 1 = 3 Integration Formulas in Mixed Methods Research: A Poem Promoting Peaceful and Productive Co-Existence

In their editorial published in the International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, Archibald and Onwuegbuzie (2020) called for the inclusion of poetic representation in mixed methods research. With this in mind, in this editorial, I provide a poetic representation that synthesizes my thoughts regarding the recent formal emergence of two integration formulas, namely, the 1 + 1 = 3 integration approach (Fetters & Freshwater, 2015) and the 1 + 1 = 1 integration approach (Onwuegbuzie, 2017; Onwuegbuzie & Hitchcock, 2019). In this editorial, I present only a poem, with no further commentary, in order to ensure that this poem takes center stage. This poem represents an integration of found poetry (Prendergast, 2006) and research poetry (Faulkner, 2009). Found poetry involves the creation of poems by selecting and (re-)arranging existing text from research works, emphasizing themes or ideas present in the source text in order to create new meaning. In contrast, research poetry involves integrating academic research and scholarly content into poetic compositions in order to present the concept of integration in mixed methods research in a creative, accessible, understandable, and engaging manner through poetry. This poem, which also can be classified as a literature-voiced poem (i.e., stemming from literature; Prendergast, 2009), represents a quatrain (Chisholm, 2014)—specifically, a poem with four-line stanzas that involve a traditional rhyme wherein the end of every pair of lines within each stanza rhymes (i.e., an AABB rhyme scheme, wherein each letter indicates which lines rhyme). These stanzas do not have a common metric, with the number of feet per line varying—hopefully, yielding what Lahman et al. (2011) referred to as “good enough research poetry” (p. 894) that is characteristic of novice research poets like me. I hope you find the research poem meaningful.

Value of Acid-Fast Bacilli and Fungal Cultures in Foot and Ankle Surgery in a US Hospital System.

Acid-fast bacilli(AFB) and fungi are generally slow-growing, difficult to culture, and rarely the cause of infection. The goal of this study was to evaluate the value of routinely obtaining AFB and fungal cultures in foot and ankle surgery at a US hospital. A retrospective review was conducted to determine the number of positive AFB and fungal cultures out of the total number of foot and ankle samples tested. Between 2014 and 2019, patients who underwent surgery for a foot and ankle infection for soft tissue infection, septic arthritis, infectious postoperative complications were identified. Charts were reviewed to identify the results of the microbiological tests performed. To determine the value of running AFB and fungal cultures, the costs of each were provided by the microbiology lab at our institution. Of the 322 patient charts reviewed, there were 434 AFB and 525 fungal cultures performed. None of these cultures were indicated to be positive for AFB (0%), and 22 (4.19%) were positive for fungi. The total labor and material costs were calculated to be $38 767. The AFB cultures cost $23 967, the positive fungal cultures cost $2371, and the negative fungal cultures cost $36 395.36. This 322-case series of surgically managed foot and ankle infections showed 0% and 4.1% positivity rates of AFB and fungal cultures, respectively. Additionally, only 20% of cases with positive cultures were identified as pathologic requiring antifungal treatment. Further analysis is needed to determine best practices for obtaining vs declining to culture for AFB or fungal species, including assessing patient outcomes in the series of culture-positive(fungal-only) cases. Our results suggest that in our clinical setting of a US hospital system, routine fungal and AFB cultures may not be necessary but should be considered for chronic/recalcitrant infections, immunocompromised patients, and those with high surgeon suspicion. Level IV, case series.

Geotechnical investigation and stabilization of soils through limestone powder at Abbottabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a cost effective and sustainable approach

This study was designed to determine the geotechnical parameters and stability of soils in the Abbottabad region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The seven major sites with high population density were selected, covering the entire city, which includes Kalapul, Mandian, Jhangi, Nawanshehr, Cantonment, Abbottabad Courts and Jinnahabad. A total of thirty-two (32) boreholes were drilled to a depth of 5 m for standard penetration assessment and thirty two (32) field densification tests were performed at the designated sites. The standard penetration tests were carried out at every meter depth of the bore hole for recording penetration resistance, bearing potential and sample collection. Laboratory tests consisting of Grain-size analysis, Atterberg limits, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), Direct Shear Box, and Proctor Compaction were conducted according to the ASTM standards on the accrued samples. The values of the performed tests were utilized for soils characterization and inspecting the Liquidity Index, Consistency Index, and Foundation evaluation for quite a number of footings. The results showed that most of the soils of the area belong to the Clay category (CL and A6 class) with excessive values of Plasticity Index (16.9%–18.6%), Liquidity Index (−47.33% to −23.07%) and Lower CBR (3%–6%), Angle of Internal Friction (15°–20°), UCS (79 kPa–121 kPa), Dry Density (15.13 kN/m3–17.66 kN/m3), Consistency Index (123.07%–147.33%) and Bearing Capacities, except the parts of Kalapul area, which belonged to the GP (poorly graded gravels) category with significant geotechnical properties. Based on the obtained results, we found that the land in the vicinity needs significant improvement before construction. For this purpose, various concentrations of limestone (12.5% and 25%), which is heavily mined in the area, were used as an additive. The results showed that the addition of limestone powder produced a significant improvement in all investigated properties and made the soft soil suitable for construction, in addition to any extended stabilization measures. The main reason for this improvement is the presence of more dense and lower water-absorbing minerals in the limestone than in the ground, or mineralization reactions between them.

IWGDF/IDSA Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes-related Foot Infections (IWGDF/IDSA 2023).

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence-based guidelines on the management and prevention of diabetes-related foot diseases since 1999. The present guideline is an update of the 2019 IWGDF guideline on the diagnosis and management of foot infections in persons with diabetes mellitus. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used for the development of this guideline. This was structured around identifying clinically relevant questions in the P(A)ICO format, determining patient-important outcomes, systematically reviewing the evidence, assessing the certainty of the evidence, and finally moving from evidence to the recommendation. This guideline was developed for healthcare professionals involved in diabetes-related foot care to inform clinical care around patient-important outcomes. Two systematic reviews from 2019 were updated to inform this guideline, and a total of 149 studies (62 new) meeting inclusion criteria were identified from the updated search and incorporated in this guideline. Updated recommendations are derived from these systematic reviews, and best practice statements made where evidence was not available. Evidence was weighed in light of benefits and harms to arrive at a recommendation. The certainty of the evidence for some recommendations was modified in this update with a more refined application of the GRADE framework centred around patient important outcomes. This is highlighted in the rationale section of this update. A note is also made where the newly identified evidence did not alter the strength or certainty of evidence for previous recommendations. The recommendations presented here continue to cover various aspects of diagnosing soft tissue and bone infections, including the classification scheme for diagnosing infection and its severity. Guidance on how to collect microbiological samples, and how to process them to identify causative pathogens, is also outlined. Finally, we present the approach to treating foot infections in persons with diabetes, including selecting appropriate empiric and definitive antimicrobial therapy for soft tissue and bone infections; when and how to approach surgical treatment; and which adjunctive treatments may or may not affect the infectious outcomes of diabetes-related foot problems. We believe that following these recommendations will help healthcare professionals provide better care for persons with diabetes and foot infections, prevent the number of foot and limb amputations, and reduce the patient and healthcare burden of diabetes-related foot disease.

IWGDF/IDSA guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes-related foot infections (IWGDF/IDSA 2023).

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence-based guidelines on the management and prevention of diabetes-related foot diseases since 1999. The present guideline is an update of the 2019 IWGDF guideline on the diagnosis and management of foot infections in persons with diabetes mellitus. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used for the development of this guideline. This was structured around identifying clinically relevant questions in the P(A)ICO format, determining patient-important outcomes, systematically reviewing the evidence, assessing the certainty of the evidence, and finally moving from evidence to the recommendation. This guideline was developed for healthcare professionals involved in diabetes-related foot care to inform clinical care around patient-important outcomes. Two systematic reviews from 2019 were updated to inform this guideline, and a total of 149 studies (62 new) meeting inclusion criteria were identified from the updated search and incorporated in this guideline. Updated recommendations are derived from these systematic reviews, and best practice statements made where evidence was not available. Evidence was weighed in light of benefits and harms to arrive at a recommendation. The certainty of the evidence for some recommendations was modified in this update with a more refined application of the GRADE framework centred around patient important outcomes. This is highlighted in the rationale section of this update. A note is also made where the newly identified evidence did not alter the strength or certainty of evidence for previous recommendations. The recommendations presented here continue to cover various aspects of diagnosing soft tissue and bone infections, including the classification scheme for diagnosing infection and its severity. Guidance on how to collect microbiological samples, and how to process them to identify causative pathogens, is also outlined. Finally, we present the approach to treating foot infections in persons with diabetes, including selecting appropriate empiric and definitive antimicrobial therapy for soft tissue and bone infections; when and how to approach surgical treatment; and which adjunctive treatments may or may not affect the infectious outcomes of diabetes-related foot problems. We believe that following these recommendations will help healthcare professionals provide better care for persons with diabetes and foot infections, prevent the number of foot and limb amputations, and reduce the patient and healthcare burden of diabetes-related foot disease.

The Effect of Inpatient Step Count on Complications in the Elderly Patient After Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery

The number of elderly patients undergoing adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery has increased with the advent of new techniques and more nuanced understanding of global malalignment as patients age. The relationship between inpatient physical activity after ASD surgery and postoperative complications in elderly patients has not been reported; thus, we sought to investigate this relationship. We performed a medical record review of 185 ASD patients older than 65 years (age: 71.5 ± 4.7; body mass index: 30.0 ± 6.1, American Society of Anesthesiologists: 2.7 ± 0.5, and levels fused: 10.5 ± 3.4). We derived the number of feet walked over the first 3 days after surgery from physical therapy documentation and evaluated for association with 90-day perioperative complications. Patients who sustained an incidental durotomy were excluded from the study. The 185 patients were divided into groups based on whether they were among the 50th percentile for number of feet walked (62 ft). Walking less than 62 ft after ASD surgery was associated with higher incidence of postoperative complications (54.3%, P = 0.05), cardiac complications (34.8%, P = 0.03), pulmonary complications (21.7%, P = 0.01), and ileus (15.2%, P = 0.03). Patients who developed any postoperative complication (106 ± 172 vs 211 ± 279 ft, P = 0.001), ileus (26 ± 49 vs 174 ± 248 ft, P = 0.001), deep venous thrombosis (23 ± 30 vs 171 ± 247 ft, P = 0.001), and cardiac complications (58 ± 94 vs 192 ± 261 ft) walked less than patients who did not. Elderly patients who walked less than 62 ft in the first 3 days after ASD surgery have a higher rate of postoperative complications, specifically pulmonary and ileus compared with those patients who walked more. Steps walked after ASD surgery may be a helpful and practical addition to the surgeon's armamentarium for monitoring the recovery of their patients. Monitoring the steps walked by patients after ASD surgery can be a practical and useful tool for surgeons to track and improve their patients' recovery.

Korean EFL Learner’s Suprasegmental Features

This study delves into some aspects of suprasegmental features such as syllable structure, stress, and rhythm and compares them between NS and NNS. It is investigated in spectrograms and sound waveforms that 1. On the aspect of syllable structure in English, the onset and the coda in English syllable structure are characterized to have a maximum of 3 and 4 consonant clusters, respectively. In contrast, Korean allows only 1 single consonant in onset and coda position. This cross-linguistic difference gives rise to the insertion of the neutral vowel /ɨ/ to break up the consonant clusters in English words, in which the inserted vowel forms an independent wave chunk. 2. Refer to stress in English, it is universally recognized as every single English word or sentence consist of its own stress. On the contrary, Korean lacks stress placed at the level of the word. It follows that Korean EFL learners tend to put an approximately equal prominence on every syllable in a word and to exhibit a tendency to put a strong prominence particularly on the first syllable of a word with more than 2 syllables, which is dubbed an ‘initial prominence phenomenon’in this paper. 3. In relation to English rhythm, English is certainly a stress-timed rhythm, but Korean is a syllable-timed rhythm. The core differences between the stress-timed rhythm and the syllable-timed are on the form of ‘foot’, which is established when stressed and unstressed syllables occur in relatively regular alternating patterns in sentences, led to a phenomenon of that the number of feet depends on the timing of articulation within a whole sentence. “This paper finds significance in exhibiting suprasegmental features in visualization between NS and NNS, given that these features play a more important role than segmental ones. It can also serve a milestone for future researchers in the EFL phonetic filed.”

Development and Intertester Reliability of a Novel Device to Measure Nonweightbearing Ankle Joint Dorsiflexion Range of Motion.

Ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion is essential to normal gait. Ankle equinus has been implicated in a number of foot and ankle pathologies included Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, ankle injury, forefoot pain, and foot ulceration. Reliable measurement of ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion, both clinically and in a research setting, is important. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the intertester reliability of an innovative device for measuring ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion. A total of 31 (n = 31) participants volunteered to take part in this study. A paired t-test was performed to assess for systematic differences between the mean measures of each rater. Intertester reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and their 95% confidence intervals. A paired t-test demonstrated that the mean ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion did not significantly differ between raters. The ankle joint ROM mean for rater 1 was 4.65 SD (3.71) and rater 2 was 4.67 SD (3.91). Intertester reliability for the use of the Dorsi-Meter was excellent and demonstrated a very narrow range of error. The ICC (95%CI) was 0.991 (0.980 to 0.995) the SEM (in degrees) was 0.07, the MDC95, in degrees was 0.19 and 95% LOA, degrees was -1.49 to 1.46. We found the intertester reliability of the Dorsi-Meter to demonstrate higher levels of intertester reliability compared to previous studies investigating other devices. We reported the MDC values to provide an estimate of the smallest amount of change in the ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion that must be achieved to reflect a true change, outside the error of the test. The Dorsi-Meter has been established as an appropriate reliable device to measure ankle joint dorsiflexion for clinicians and researchers with very small minimal detectable change and limits of agreement.

The Truths in the Songs of the Woman's Statement in Ainkurunooru Kurinjithinai

Ainkurunooru of the Sangam literature has the lowest number of feet. This book serves as a mirror to capture the events that take place in the lives of similar people who are in love. In it, there are twenty-one songs sung by Kapilar in Kurinjithinai songs, which are composed of the woman's statements. The songs are full of reality and show the events that take place in the mind. Among the realities mentioned by the Tolkappiar are the reality of crying, with movement as the stationary field the reality of lightness is because of tenderness, and the reality of fear in the substance of its God The reality of pride is centered on the truth in the materiality of innocence. In this article, it has been explained and examined that the reality of the ego is also based on perception.

Time-Series Analysis for the Number of Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak Episodes in Cattle Farms in Thailand Using Data from 2010-2020.

Thailand is one of the countries where foot and mouth disease outbreaks have resulted in considerable economic losses. Forecasting is an important warning technique that can allow authorities to establish an FMD surveillance and control program. This study aimed to model and forecast the monthly number of FMD outbreak episodes (n-FMD episodes) in Thailand using the time-series methods, including seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), error trend seasonality (ETS), neural network autoregression (NNAR), and Trigonometric Exponential smoothing state–space model with Box–Cox transformation, ARMA errors, Trend and Seasonal components (TBATS), and hybrid methods. These methods were applied to monthly n-FMD episodes (n = 1209) from January 2010 to December 2020. Results showed that the n-FMD episodes had a stable trend from 2010 to 2020, but they appeared to increase from 2014 to 2020. The outbreak episodes followed a seasonal pattern, with a predominant peak occurring from September to November annually. The single-technique methods yielded the best-fitting time-series models, including , , , and . Moreover, SARIMA-NNAR and NNAR-TBATS were the hybrid models that performed the best on the validation datasets. The models that incorporate seasonality and a non-linear trend performed better than others. The forecasts highlighted the rising trend of n-FMD episodes in Thailand, which shares borders with several FMD endemic countries in which cross-border trading of cattle is found common. Thus, control strategies and effective measures to prevent FMD outbreaks should be strengthened not only in Thailand but also in neighboring countries.

Management of Spina Bifida Related Non Idiopathic Club-Foot with Ponseti's Method

Objective: To determine the outcome of Ponseti’s method among children with spina bifida related non-idiopathic clubfoot at a leading pediatric tertiary care children hospital of South Punjab, Pakistan. Study Design: A retrospective cohort. Place and Duration of the Study:Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, The Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Multan Pakistan from 1st January 2016 to 31st March 2022. Material and Methods: A total of 24 children (41 feet)of both genders aged up to 3 months presenting with non-idiopathic clubfoot related to spina bifida who underwent Ponseti’s method for treatment of clubfoot, with a minimum post-treatment follow up of 3 years were included. Demographic data, severity of clubfoot disease along outcomes in terms of successful correction, unsuccessful correction, relapse were noted during the study period. Results: In a total of 24 children, 15 (62.5%) were boys. Overall, mean age was calculated to be 2.6±2.2 weeks while 14 (58.3%) children were aged between 0-2 weeks. Bilateral feet were involved in 17 (70.8%) children while unilateral feet involvement was noted in 7 (29.2%) cases so total number of feet were 41. Out of these 41 feet, 38 (92.7%) had severity of clubfoot as per Pirani Score as 6. Number of casts performed were 8 or below in 39 (95.1%). Mean duration of follow up was 3.8±0.6 years. Correction of clubfoot was achieved in 36/41 (87.8%) feet. During the follow-ups, recurrence occurred in 11 (26.8%) feet. Conclusion:Initial clubfeet correction in the spina bifida cases achieved good correction rates. Rate of recurrence was considerably high with a minimum follow up period of 3 years among spina bifida associated clubfeet. Keywords: Achilles tendon, clubfoot, Pensoti’s method, spina bifida.

A climbing robot with paired claws inspired by gecko locomotion

AbstractClimbing robots that use bionic claws can climb vertical or even inverted rough surfaces. However, wall-climbing robots with unidirectional spiny feet cannot crawl horizontally or downward on vertical rough surfaces. In this paper, a pair of gripping spiny feet is used to give a robot the capacity to crawl in any direction on a rough wall. On the basis of observations of the gecko’s method for grasping onto a vertical rough surface, a multilevel interlocking structure is proposed. A spherical contact model of the claw tip on a vertical rough surface is established, and the influences of the contact angle, friction coefficient, and other factors on the grappling claw action are analyzed. Moreover, the optimal structure of the grappling claws is proposed. The force during the grasping and detachment of the mechanism and the influence of the number of feet on grasping performance are determined through experiments. Furthermore, a six-legged wall-climbing robot is designed and evaluated in terms of crawling on a vertical rough surface at various angles. The feasibility of using an opposed gripping mechanism to allow a robot to crawl in any direction on a vertical rough surface is also verified.

IDF21-0015 Can weekly ‘foot alerts’ using a bespoke mobile app improve patient diabetic foot care knowledge and practices in Kuwait

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation, occurring every 20-secs. An important step in disrupting the pathway to amputation is improving patient awareness and foot care practices. Improvement in short-term knowledge and behaviour following education programs has been reported, but without sustained improvement. Two recent Cochrane reviews reported that not enough high-quality evidence existed to prove the effectiveness of patient education programs on the prevention of DFU, as delivery methods are not evidence-based, nor are the right patients targeted. We propose that patients who receive weekly foot alerts alongside their regular Podiatry appointments will have better foot care knowledge and behaviours at 12-months compared to a control group. Aim: This study aims to determine if targeted weekly diabetic foot alerts improve diabetic foot care behaviour and knowledge in patients with high and moderate diabetic foot risk classification, compared to participants who only receive regular podiatry interventions. Method: This randomized, investigator-blinded, two-armed, study aims to pilot an innovative approach to education delivery. Participants will be included if they have been classified as high or moderate risk of developing DFU using the NICE classification system. Ninety-eight Participants will be randomised to (1) control group, who will receive usual diabetic foot care education, including daily foot inspections, foot hygiene, and footwear advice, supplemented by an information leaflet or (2) intervention group, in addition to the diabetic foot care education and information leaflet given to the control group, participants will receive a 10-minute audio-visual pre-recorded presentation based on the foot care education and an application will be downloaded onto their smart phone. This application will deliver weekly foot alerts based on the presentation, repeating at 12-weekly intervals. Podiatry appointments will be scheduled depending on risk classification. Participants will complete an adapted Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities behaviour questionnaire (SDSCA) and a Foot Care Knowledge questionnaire at first Podiatry appointment and 12-months. Results: The primary outcome measure will compare means of each questionnaire between the two groups. It is anticipated that participants in the intervention group will have improved foot care knowledge and practices. Secondary outcomes will include assessing the association between participants knowledge and behaviour and the number of foot alert engagements, and the number of podiatry appointments. Lastly, the number of new DFUs and change in HbA1c will be compared between the two groups. Discussion: This novel approach to diabetic foot care education could have a significant impact on patients' foot health and quality of life. Moreover, the financial burden to healthcare facilities and governments may be lessened by improving foot care behaviour and reducing DFU frequency.

Factors associated with the relapse in Ponseti treated congenital clubfoot

ObjectivesWe retrospectively investigated the clinical materials to seek the factors that lead to relapse after using the Ponseti method.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all children with congenital clubfoot treated with the Ponseti method in our hospital from June 2008 to June 2013. The data included the following factors: age, gender, initial Pinari score, number of casts, number of feet (unilateral or bilateral), age at the first casting, age of mother, tenotomy, walking age, and compliance with using bracing. All investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical standards. This study was approved by Guilin Peoples’ Hospital Ethics Committee.ResultsIn this study, there were 148 cases (164 ft) in total that underwent the Ponseti method, with the follow–up period at least 5 years. Of them, 64 children presented with left side, 58 with right side, and 26 with bilateral cases. This study included 75 males and 73 females; sex did not affect the outcomes. The mean age of the first casting was 2.50 ± 2.15 months. The average initial Pirani score was 4.98 ± 1.33, and the average number of casts was 5.71 ± 2.28 times. The mean age of mothers at birth was 25.81 ± 2.38 years old. The walking age of children was at a mean of 14.83 ± 1.18 months. Forty-nine cases could not tolerate using braces, namely the rate of noncompliance in this study was 33.1%. Tenotomy was performed on 113 ft (76.4%). The average follow–up period was 7.27 ± 1.29 years (from 5 to 10 years). The rate of relapse was 21.6% (32 cases) at the end of the follow-up. The rate of relapse in the noncompliance with using bracing group was significantly higher compared to the compliance group .ConclusionThe initial Pirani score, compliance with the foot abduction brace and the age at the first casting are three independent factors for relapse in clubfoot.

Retrospective Study Analyzing Risk Factors of Foot and Ankle Amputation in Patients with Diabetes Diagnosed with Osteomyelitis

Category:Ankle; Diabetes; Midfoot/ForefootIntroduction/Purpose:Osteomyelitis is an invasive infection of the bone that commonly afflicts patients with diabetes mellitus. This bacterial infection can lead to the need for amputation of portions of the foot or ankle. While the association between Osteomyelitis and amputation has been studied, little is known about additional underlying health conditions that can predispose diabetic patients to an increased risk of amputation. Understanding these relationships will be useful in early screening to prevent severe effects associated with the loss of the foot or ankle. Thus, a retrospective analysis was performed using EMR data to evaluate the effect of prior Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) or Neuropathy on amputations in Type 2 DM patients with Osteomyelitis.Methods:Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Osteomyelitis who had a foot or ankle amputation within 12 weeks of diagnosis, compared to those who also had PVD or neuropathy were identified. This was done in the EMR database using ICD 10 codes for Osteomyelitis (M86), Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus diagnosis (E11), Foot or Ankle amputations (1005524, 1005529, 28810, 1005525, 28805, 1800300006, 371186005, 180040009, 726651003, 723726002, 723731000, 180038004, 78785006, 28800, 180157006, 723312009, 773821000, 773819005, 397218006), Peripheral Vascular Diseases (I73), and Neuropathy (G62). We then stratified these patients by age (18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69,70-79, 80-89), gender (male, female), and year by decade (2001, 2010, and 2020).Results:Our search identified 125,741 patients with T2DM and Osteomyelitis, of whom 10,850 had a foot or ankle amputation within 3 months of diagnosis. 28,242 patients with T2DM, Osteomyelitis, and prior PVD were identified. These patients were found to be 2.6 times more likely to receive a foot or ankle amputation. 12,860 patients with prior Neuropathy were identified.. These patients were found to have 1.36 times more likely to receive a foot or ankle amputation. When stratified by gender, Women were found to be at greater risk of Amputation than Men, for both prior PVD and Neuropathy (2.9 vs 2.47 times greater risk, respectively). Age stratification revealed patients aged 50-59 have the highest risk for a foot or ankle amputation (10% higher risk). This was more than triple the risk seen in patients aged 18-29. The above differences were found to be statistically significant at a p-value of <.0001.Conclusion:This analysis provides insight into the pre-disposing risk factors of Foot and Ankle amputations in patients who have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Osteomyelitis. Of the two risk factors analyzed, Peripheral Vascular Disease was associated with the highest risk of amputation. Overall, females and patients aged 50-59 are at the highest risk of amputation with underlying PVD. As comorbidities become more frequent and the number of foot or ankle amputations continues to rise since 2001, more research on associated risk factors will be necessary to more effectively screen these patients.

Bearing Capacity of Interfered Adjacent Strip Footings on Granular Bed Overlying Soft Clay: An Analytical Approach

In the present paper, the interference effects on bearing capacity of two and three closely spaced strip footings resting on granular bed overlying clay are being studied. A simple analytical model is proposed to predict the load-carrying capacity and the interference factor of an interfered footing, when adjacent strip footings are optimally placed on the surface of a Granular Bed (GB) overlying clay and both the footings are simultaneously loaded. A punching shear failure mechanism is envisaged in the analytical model. The load-carrying capacity of the footing is taken as the sum of total shearing resistances along the two vertical planes through the edges of the strip footing in the upper granular layer and the load-carrying capacity of the soft clay beneath the GB. Insights gained from finite element simulations are used to develop the new modified punching shear model for interfering footing. Bearing capacity can be easily calculated by using the proposed punching shear model for interfering footing. The analytical model is validated with numerical analyses and previous experimental results and found to be in reasonably good agreement. The influence of different parameters such as granular bed thickness, width of footing, number of footings are carried out in this study. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091723 Full Text: PDF

Multivalent Diffusive Transport

We present here a model for multivalent diffusive transport whereby a central point-like hub is coupled to multiple feet, which bind to complementary sites on a two-dimensional landscape. The available number of binding interactions is dependent on the number of feet (multivalency) and on their allowed distance from the central hub (span). Using Monte Carlo simulations that implement the Gillespie algorithm, we simulate multivalent diffusive transport processes for 100 distinct walker designs. Informed by our simulation results, we derive an analytical expression for the diffusion coefficient of a general multivalent diffusive process as a function of multivalency, span, and dissociation constant Kd. Our findings can be used to guide the experimental design of multivalent transporters, in particular, providing insight into how to overcome trade-offs between diffusivity and processivity.

Prevalence and Temporal Dynamics of White Line Disease in Sheep: An Exploratory Investigation into Disease Distribution and Associated Risk Factors.

Lameness in sheep is a global health, welfare and economic concern. White line disease (WLD), also known as shelly hoof, is a prevalent, non-infectious cause of lameness, characterised by the breakdown of the white line. Little is known about the predisposing factors, nor the individual disease dynamics over time. Our exploratory study aimed to investigate the prevalence and temporal dynamics of WLD, and the associated risk factors. Feet of 400 ewes from four UK commercial sheep farms were inspected for WLD at four time points across 12 months. The change in WLD state at foot-level (develop or recover) was calculated for three transition periods. We present WLD to be widespread, affecting 46.8% of foot-level and 76.6% of sheep-level observations. States in WLD changed over time, with feet readily developing and recovering from WLD within the study period. The presence of WLD at foot-level, the number of feet affected at sheep-level and dynamics in development and recovery were driven by a variety of foot-, sheep- and farm-level factors. We provide key insight into the multifaceted aetiology of WLD and corroborate previous studies demonstrating its multifactorial nature. Our study highlights an opportunity to reduce WLD prevalence and informs hypotheses for future prospective studies.

ЧТО ТАКОЕ МИФ ОБ ЭДИПЕ: К ВОПРОСУ О СТРУКТУРЕ СЮЖЕТА

Object of the article:the myth of Oedipus. Subject of the article:the structure of the Oedipus story. Purpose of research: the analysis of the specific characteristics of the story of Oedipus which distinguish it from a traditional folklore story. Research methods:methods of the structural and semantic analysis applied. Results: The author argues that the specific nature of the story of Oedipus is characterised by the “prophetic” function of the combination of two interrelated motifs: the number motif and motif of feet. Those motifs, which are conveyed in the riddle of the Sphinx by the words “four-footed”, “two-footed” and “three-footed”, semantically connect with each other the riddle, Oedipus' fate and his name (Οἰδίπους). The riddle about a creature which changes the number of its feet corresponds to 1) Oedipus' biography (he changes the number of his feet when he becomes “three-footed” - a blind man with a staff); 2) Oedipus's name (which foreshadows the answer to the riddle - “man” (alias “two-footed”) as part of the name Οἰδίπους - δίπους means “two-footed”; 3) number symbolism related to Oedipus (“three days” after Oedipus' birth his father pierced his feet and cast him upon a hillside; Oedipus killed his father where “three roads meet”). Field of application: literary studies. Conclusion:The author argues that story of Oedipus is a result of the semantic adaptation (accommodation) of a traditional folklore story to the ancient numerological riddle about a creature with a changing number of feet by adding of the imagery connected to the number motif and motif of feet. The systematic manifestation of the number motif and of motif of feet on various levels of the structure suggests that the “telling name” of Οἰδίπους (“swollen foot” and “two-footed”) has been integrated into a traditional folklore tale in order to semantically adapt it to the ancient riddle about “feet”. The author is indebted to Svetlana Gracheva, Dan Whitman and Oleg B. Zaslavsky for stimulating discussions and helpful advice.

Effect of Time Factor on the Battery Voltage State of Charge from Foot Beats Piezoelectric System

Aim: The study examined the effect of time on amount of voltage generated in a foot beat electricity generating system stored in a battery.&#x0D; Study Design: A system made of piezoelectric materials was designed such that the foot beats of dancers on a platform would cause a mechanical deformation that would lead to conversion of mechanical energy due to pressure from the foot beats to electrical energy; and can be stored in a rechargeable lead acid battery for future use.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Awka Anambra State, Nigeria, between November 2018 and April 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: A sheet of plywood measuring 300 mm x 300 mm x 3 mm thick was placed on a hard wooden board of 300 mm x 300 mm x 25 mm thick where twelve piezoelectric sensors were connected in series with foam spring inserted as separators and to aid in returning after deformation. As the dancers step on the platform, multimeter was used to take the voltage and current readings, while Lead acid rechargeable battery could be connected at the output point to store energy generated in the system and or Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) outputs. A stop clock was also used to take the time.&#x0D; Results: The study revealed that it would require 901 seconds for a 50kg dancer to increase a unit voltage state of charge in a battery. It also found that it would require 749 seconds for a 60 kg dancer; and 595 seconds for an 80kg dancer respectively to increase the same 1-unit voltage state of charge in a battery. The study showed that the voltage in the battery would continue to increase until the battery is fully charged at which point it is expected that there would no longer be any increase in charge in the battery irrespective of increase in the number of foot beats or time.&#x0D; Conclusion: The result implies that the charge in battery caused by pressure from the foot beats is subject to the maximum voltage capacity of the battery in the system. Likewise, the amount of time and number of foot beats required to add a unit voltage state of charge in a battery in the system is subject to the applied pressure from the foot beats. In view of this, the study craves for popularisation of this technology through large scale research supported by government, corporate organisations or international organisations and institutions that will support new products development in the building and construction industry as it is the case in India and other developed countries.