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Objective: To evaluate the use of acrylic bone cement with a Tutopatch collagen implant for frontal sinus obliteration after mucocele excision using a subjective assessment of patient satisfaction. Methods: Patients with a recurrent frontal sinus mucocele with posterior table erosion, for whom an endoscopic approach was not feasible, and who underwent osteoplastic frontal sinus obliteration, were included. The post-operative outcomes were evaluated using a non-standardised questionnaire, comparing pre- and post-operative scores. Results: All patients expressed post-operative satisfaction. Except for hyposmia, significant improvements were observed in all symptom scores. No major complications were observed during the post-operative course. Conclusion: Acrylic bone cement with Tutopatch can be effectively used in frontal sinus reconstruction in cases where an endoscopic approach is not feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Cutaneous findings are well known in atopic dermatitis (AD), but nail changes have not received as much attention. Aim: To determine the clinical and disease‐related capillaroscopic findings of nail findings in paediatric patients with AD. Methods: In total, 100 participants aged 2–16 years were sourced from the dermatology outpatient clinic: 50 of these had been diagnosed with AD according to the Hanifin–Rajka criteria, and the others were 50 healthy controls (HCs) without AD. The AD severity score (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; SCORAD) was calculated for all patients with AD. A digital epiluminescence device was used for nailfold capillaroscopy. Results: The nail findings detected in patients with AD were pitting, punctate leuconychia, trachyonychia, onycholysis and onychomadesis. Pitting was significantly (P < 0.01) more frequent in the patient group (26%) than in the HC group (6%). Similarly, the patient group had significantly higher rates for capillary density decrease (P < 0.01), capillary array irregularity (P < 0.001), capillary dilatation increase (P < 0.001), tortuosity (P = 0.04), ramification increase (P = 0.02), bush‐like appearance (P = 0.02) and avascular areas (P < 0.01). Significant correlations were determined between pitting and trachyonychia (P < 0.05, r = 0.21), capillary density decrease (P < 0.05, r = 0.25), avascular areas (P < 0.001; r = 0.29) and SCORAD (P < 0.05, r = 0.35). Conclusion: The nailfold capillaroscopic images of children with AD were similar to those of scleroderma spectrum disorder. Thus, we believe it would be beneficial to support detailed clinical examination of patients with a capillaroscopic examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the spectral resolution achieved with a cochlear implant in users who were implanted using round window route electrode insertion versus a traditional cochleostomy technique. Methods: Twenty-six patients were classified into two groups according to the surgical approach: one group (n = 13) underwent cochlear implantation via the round window technique and the other group (n = 13) underwent surgery via cochleostomy. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in spectral ripple discrimination scores between the round window and cochleostomy groups. The round window group performed almost two times better than the cochleostomy group. Differences between Turkish matrix sentence test scores were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The spectral ripple discrimination scores of patients who had undergone round window cochlear implant electrode insertion were superior to those of patients whose cochlear implants were inserted using a classical cochleostomy technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of ventilation tube insertion and balloon Eustachian tuboplasty as a first line treatment for otitis media with effusion in children. Method: This was a retrospective evaluation of 62 children, 30 cases that underwent balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (group 1) and 32 cases that underwent ventilation tube insertion (group 2), from July 2016 to April 2018. Results: The pre-operative air–bone gap of patients who underwent balloon Eustachian tuboplasty was 15–35 dB (mean: 27.6 ± 8.2 dB). The mean pre-operative air–bone gap decreased to 9.6 dB after a mean of 14.4 months (p < 0.05). The air–bone gap decreased from 25.6 dB to 17.6 dB in the ventilation tube group. There was a significant improvement in the air–bone gap values in both groups; however, this decrease was significantly higher in the balloon Eustachian tuboplasty group (p = 0.043). Conclusion: Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty may be an effective and safe method for use as a first-line treatment of otitis media with effusion in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his dermatological examination, heterogeneous red-white discoloration in all his nails, and two round onycholytic areas surrounded by erythema in the distal part of the second nail on the left hand were detected (Fig. 6 Mendez-Flores S, Zaladonis A, Valdes-Rodriguez R. COVID-19 and nail manifestation: be on the lookout for the red half-moon nail sign. Reports include half-moon-shaped transversal red bands;3 Beau lines;4 leukonychia in addition to Beau lines;5 and red half-moon nail signs.6 This case report describes nail symptoms detected in a patient who applied to the dermatology outpatient clinic. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term results of ossiculoplasty using bone cement. Method: Forty patients (24 females and 16 males; mean age: 34.1 ± 11.8 years; range, 9–54 years) with chronic otitis media with perforation but without cholesteatoma who had undergone incudostapedial rebridging ossiculoplasty using bone cement were evaluated retrospectively. Pre-operative and post-operative audiograms were evaluated. Bone conduction, air conduction and air–bone gaps were calculated according to international guidelines. Results: There was a mean reduction in pre-operative and post-operative air conduction (12.30 ± 11.98 dB), and this result was significant (p = 0.0001). There was a mean reduction in pre-operative and post-operative bone conduction (4.30 ± 6.69 dB), and this result was significant (p < 0.0001). The pre-operative air–bone gap was 27.65 dB and decreased to 19.65 dB during follow-up (p = 0.0001). No adverse reactions or complications were observed. Conclusion: Bone cement is reliable for the repair of incudostapedial-joint defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate patients with severe degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee and extra-articular femoral deformities treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and acute deformity correction.Methods: Ten patients with severe degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee and extra-articular femoral deformities were included, and the median age was 63 years (range 38-67). The etiology was post-traumatic malunion in four patients, rickets sequelae in four patients, and surgical sequelae due to multiple epiphyseal dysplasia in two patients. The severity of degenerative osteoarthritis and deformity analyses were assessed according to the Kellgren-Lawrence and Paley criteria, respectively. The median number of previous operations the patients had undergone was two (range 0-3), and the median Oxford Knee Society score was 9 (range 5-13) before treatment. All patients were treated with primary TKA and deformity correction in the same surgery. The TKA was completed first, followed by an osteotomy at the apex of the deformity. Finally, a retrograde intramedullary nail was inserted.Results: The median follow-up period was 44 (31-60) months. A stable and functional knee joint, a physiological mechanical axis, and solid osseous union were achieved in all patients. Late prosthetic failure was seen in one patient due to deep infection. The median Oxford Knee Society score was 42 (range 37-47) at the final follow-up.Conclusions: Combining several procedures in single setting for the treatment of severe knee osteoarthritis accompanied by extra-articular deformity may eliminate the need for multiple surgeries. Furthermore, a proper physiological mechanical axis can be obtained without causing substantial bone loss.Level Of Evidence: IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size and shape data of agricultural crops provide great sources for food processing technologies. The physical attributes of different fruits should be known for the design, developing and innovation of food technologies. In this study, the size and shape distinctions of fifteen national and international walnut cultivars (Midland, Sütyemez-1, Serr, Maraş-18, Maraş-12, Sütyemez-2, Kaman-1, Kaman-5, Pedro, Howard, Chandler, Şebin, Şen-2, Bilecik and KR-1) were determined using elliptic Fourier and multivariate approaches. Firstly, the gravitational features of walnut cultivars were determined, and their dimensional, area and shape attributes were revealed by image processing. Cluster analysis was used to designate the walnut cultivars. Elliptic Fourier descriptors obtained from walnut outlines provided the comparisons among walnut cultivars in shape. The shape index indicated that Serr, Sütyemez-2, Midland and Şen-2 cultivars were oval-shaped, and the others were spherical. The cluster analysis divided the walnut cultivars into four subgroups. Elliptic Fourier descriptors perfectly distinguished the walnut cultivars according to shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) contributes to vasodilatation that is observed during normal pregnancy. Hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) is a vascular risk factor associated with placental microvascular diseases and pre-eclampsia. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been linked to endothelial dysfunction. Maternal ADMA has been reported to be higher in women with pre-eclampsia and HHcy leads to accumulation of ADMA. The aim of this presented study is to evaluate the alterations of plasma homocysteine, ADMA and NO levels in mild pre-eclampsia. A total of 40 pre-eclamptic women and 40 healthy controls were included into the study. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean serum homocysteine and ADMA levels were significantly higher and NO level was lower in patients. Serum homocysteine, ADMA and NO levels found to be correlated among them and with blood pressure. In conclusion, we found that homocysteine and ADMA levels were increased and NO levels decreased in pre-eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effects of total laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy (TLH-BS) and total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy (TAH-BS) on ovarian function among women of reproductive age.Study Design: One hundred and three patients with a diagnosis of benign uterine disorder were divided into two groups in this prospective longitudinal study. Patients who had never had sexual intercourse and patients with uterovaginal disproportion underwent TAH-BS (n=57), and the remaining patients (n=46) underwent TLH-BS. Ovarian function was assessed before and 6 months after surgery; ovarian volume was assessed by gray-scale ultrasonography, and levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestradiol (E2), anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B were measured.Results: Postoperative serum FSH, LH and inhibin B decreased significantly in both groups. Postoperative serum E2 did not change significantly. Postoperative serum AMH and ovarian volume decreased significantly in the TAH-BS group (p=0.016 and p<0.001, respectively), but not in the TLH-BS group. Significant differences were observed between the TLH-BS and TAH-BS groups with respect to change in FSH (p=0.012) and ovarian volume (p=0.001); between-group differences were not significant for changes in AMH and inhibin B.Conclusions: Although serum AMH did not change significantly in patients who underwent TLH-BS, ovarian aging commenced following both surgical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click here for the corresponding questions to this CME article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel change-detection-driven transfer learning (TL) approach to update land-cover maps by classifying remote-sensing images acquired on the same area at different times (i.e., image time series). The proposed approach requires that a reliable training set is available only for one of the images (i.e., the source domain) in the time series whereas it is not for another image to be classified (i.e., the target domain). Unlike other literature TL methods, no additional assumptions on either the similarity between class distributions or the presence of the same set of land-cover classes in the two domains are required. The proposed method aims at defining a reliable training set for the target domain, taking advantage of the already available knowledge on the source domain. This is done by applying an unsupervised-change-detection method to target and source domains and transferring class labels of detected unchanged training samples from the source to the target domain to initialize the target-domain training set. The training set is then optimized by a properly defined novel active learning (AL) procedure. At the early iterations of AL, priority in labeling is given to samples detected as being changed, whereas in the remaining ones, the most informative samples are selected from changed and unchanged unlabeled samples. Finally, the target image is classified. Experimental results show that transferring the class labels from the source domain to the target domain provides a reliable initial training set and that the priority rule for AL results in a fast convergence to the desired accuracy with respect to Standard AL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel iterative active learning (AL) technique aimed at defining effective multitemporal training sets to be used for the supervised detection of land-cover transitions in a pair of remote sensing images acquired on the same area at different times. The proposed AL technique is developed in the framework of the Bayes' rule for compound classification. At each iteration, it selects the pair of spatially aligned unlabeled pixels in the two images that are classified with the maximum uncertainty. These pixels are then labeled by an external supervisor and included in the training set. The uncertainty of a pair of pixels is assessed by the joint entropy defined by considering two possible different simplifying assumptions: 1) class-conditional independence and 2) temporal independence between multitemporal images. Accordingly, different algorithms are introduced. The proposed joint-entropy-based AL algorithms for compound classification are compared with each other and with a marginal-entropy-based AL technique (in which the entropy is computed separately on single-date images) applied to the postclassification comparison method. The experimental results obtained on two multispectral and multitemporal data sets show the effectiveness of the proposed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the presented study is to determine the effect of different sperm parameters on the pregnancy rate of intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles in women with favourable fertility characteristics treated for infertility. Medical records of 212 infertile couples who had undergone a total of 253 cycles were reviewed retrospectively. Inclusion criteria for women were age <35 years, antral follicle count >5, FSH <15  IU/ml, and at least one patent tube documented by HSG or laparoscopy. Clinical pregnancy rates were achieved as 15.8%% per cycle, and 18.8%% per couple. Woman''s age, partner''s age, total number of motile sperm (TMS) and motility, significantly influenced pregnancy rate. Pregnancy rate was the highest when women were aged <25 and TMS >10  ××  106. Partner''s age significantly affected the pregnancy rate per cycle in women aged <30 years and TMS >10  ××  106. Woman''s age (OR: 5.4 95%% CI: 1.2--24.3) and TMS (OR: 0.06 95%% CI: 0.003--0.89) were predictor variables as regards to pregnancy. Pregnancy rate was the highest in IUI cycles when woman was <25 years old, TMS was >10  ××  106, and morphology was >4%%. Male age was found to be another determining factor for IUI success, even if they had a normal spermiogram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pelvic support osteotomy and femoral lengthening are sometimes employed in cases of hip instability. We assessed the efficacy of surgery following sepsis and congenital dislocation in relation to functional results. Between March 2005 and May 2007 we performed pelvic support osteotomy and femoral lengthening for 21 hips in 20 patients. Preceding pathology included congenital dislocation in 13 hips (12 patients) and sequelae of sepsis in 8 hips. All surgical procedures were performed as described by Ilizarov. The mean follow-up period was 33.5 months. There was no significant difference between the final Harris Hip Scores of the 2 groups. The number of patients with persisting abductor weakness was similar between the 2 groups. Complications were more frequent following congenital dislocation, and additional physiotherapy to restore knee motion was required in almost half of these. Patient satisfaction was higher in cases with sequelae of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this investigation, two steels with different chemical compositions were used to study the hardenability of austenite with different alloy content and dispersion in dual-phase steel. The results showed that ferrite carbide aggregate did not form and considerable amount of the austenite present at the intercritical annealing temperatures transformed to martensite even at the cooling rate of 0.01°C/s (furnace cooling) in the specimens. In dual-phase steels the absence of the carbide formation is unusual at this cooling rate and the critical cooling rates for the martensite formation is so low, compared to the previous studies. It is concluded that without a high quenching power, these steel compositions are suitable for industrial production of dual-phase steel through continuous annealing line of iron and steel plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different durations of menopause at the time of bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and of different age at menopause intervals on the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis among untreated postmenopausal women. We also assessed related factors leading to low BMD. Methods: A total of 2769 postmenopausal women who had not taken any anti-osteoporosis treatment and/or hormone replacement therapy were divided into three groups according to duration of menopause at the time of BMD measurement. The women were also evaluated in four different age groups according to their age at menopause onset. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine related factors leading to low BMD. Investigated parameters include demographic characteristics, plasma glucose, lipids, and lipoproteins. Results: According to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, among 2769 patients, 449 (16.2%) were identified as having osteoporosis, 1085 (39.2%) as having osteopenia, and 1235 (44.6%) as having normal BMD. Osteoporosis was determined in 10.6% and 16.2% of women with menopause duration of 0–3 years and 4–7 years, respectively, whereas this rate was 31.9% in women with menopause duration of over 7 years (p =0.001). The percentages for osteopenia remained constant among the three different menopause durations (0–3 years: 37.2%, 4-7 years: 42.1%, and >7 years: 40.9%). Thirty percent of women with age at onset of <40 years were osteoporotic. However, the percentages of women with osteoporosis among the other age groups were similar (40–46 years: 18.3%, 47–52 years: 14.1%, and >52 years: 15.4%). The percentages for osteopenia remained relatively constant among the four age groups (36.7, 40, 39.1 and 39%). According to the multinomial logistic regression analysis, duration of menopause at the time of BMD test and parity were positively correlated with both osteoporosis and osteopenia, while glucose level was negatively correlated with both osteoporosis and osteopenia. Age at menopause was negatively correlated only for osteoporosis. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) level may be accepted as a clinically significant factor for osteopenia (OR: 1.01; CI95%: 1.00–1.02). No differences were determined in the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in women with menopause duration of >7 years when evaluated according to the four menopause age groups as described before (p =0.74). Contribution to the regression model was 0.8% by age at menopause, 5.6% by menopause duration at time of BMD measurement, 5.8% by both factors. Conclusion: According to our results, osteoporosis is related more to the duration of menopause at the time of BMD measurement rather than the age at menopause among untreated postmenopausal women. High parity was determined as another risk factor for low BMD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This letter describes a method to increase hyperspectral image classification accuracy (CA) and segmentation accuracy (SA) using spectral warping, which is a nonlinear transformation that warps the frequency content of a signal. In the proposed approach, the frequency content corresponding to spectral data for the hyperspectral image was nonlinearly transformed along the spectral axis using warping. Classification and segmentation algorithms were estimated for the transformed spectral values to show the impact of warping. Experimental results are provided for different values of the warping parameter and it is shown that applying spectral warping increases CA and SA for appropriate warping parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature weighting based band selection provides a computationally undemanding approach to reduce the number of hyperspectral bands in order to decrease the computational requirements for processing large hyperspectral data sets. In a recent feature weighting based band selection method, a pair-wise separability criterion and matrix coefficients analysis are used to assign weights to original bands, after which bands identified to be redundant using cross correlation are removed, as it is noted that feature weighting itself does not consider spectral correlation. In the present work, it is proposed to use phase correlation instead of conventional cross correlation to remove redundant bands in the last step of feature weighting based hyperspectral band selection. Support Vector Machine (SVM) based classification of hyperspectral data with a reduced number of bands is used to evaluate the classification accuracy obtained with the proposed approach, and it is shown that feature weighting band selection with the proposed phase correlation based redundant band removal method provides increased classification accuracy compared to feature weighting band selection with conventional cross correlation based redundant band removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study has been made of the cold deformation aging susceptibility of dual phase steel with 14 and 22% martensite by volume. It was found that yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) increased with increasing testing temperature up to 200°C and then decreased at 250°C which indicated that static strain aging is dominant up to 200°C. This aging is associated with free dislocations in the ferrite as a result of the austenite–martensite transformation, which become preferential sites for solute atom diffusion. At higher temperature (250°C) a softening effect is dominant due to tempering of martensite. It was also observed that at a given aging temperature YS, UTS and ΔY (increase in stress due to strain aging) increased with by volume of martensite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile shear stresses and microstructure of dual steels with different volume fractions of martensite are studied after spot resistance welding. A Mn-Ni low-carbon steel heated in the intercritical temperature range and cooled in water and in air is studied. Spot resistance welding of test pieces is performed for different times at constant welding pressure and peak value of the welding current. The microstructure of the welded specimens is investigated and their permissible tensile shear stresses are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive modification to the two-bit transform-based low-complexity block motion estimation approach is proposed. Initially, video frames are converted into two-bit representations using the two-bit transform (2BT), and binary block-based motion estimation is performed using these two bit-planes. Modification to the original 2BT-based motion estimation scheme is introduced by conditional local or full searches using the mean absolute difference criterion to improve the initial motion estimation accuracy. The condition threshold is adaptively varied according to block detail using the block variance already computed for the 2BT process. Experimental results show that the proposed adaptive modified 2BT-based motion estimation technique can significantly improve peak signal-to-noise ratio performance compared with 2BT only motion estimation, and outperforms modified one-bit transform (1BT)-based motion estimation as well as modified 2BT-based motion estimation without adaptation at the same motion estimation cost. The main contribution of this work is to provide an adaptive decision on whether a modified search should be carried out after the low-complexity motion estimation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty female patients with lumbar disc herniation were assessed in order to evaluate their depression, psychosocial status, and stress symptoms and to analyze the relation with activities of daily living, stair activity and walking speed, agility, disability, and occupational handicap. In addition, depression and stress symptoms were also assessed in 20 healthy female subjects. Statistically positive correlations were obtained. Depression was correlated positively with disability, functional limitation, stair activity and walking speed, social isolation, and stress symptoms; psychosocial status was correlated with disability, functional limitation, and pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported a novel polymeric surface coating, namely, HaloFilm™ that can immobilize and extend the antimicrobial activity of chlorine on surfaces. In this study, we demonstrated the continuous antiviral efficacy of HaloFilm when applied on stainless steel and cotton gauze as two representative models for non‐porous and porous surfaces against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Forty‐eight hours post HaloFilm application and chlorination and 2 h post the viral challenge, the inoculum titre was reduced by 2.25 ± 0.33 and ≥4.36 ± 0.23 log10 TCID50 on non‐porous and porous surfaces, respectively. The half‐life of the virus was shorter (13.86 min) on a HaloFilm‐coated surface than what has been reported on copper (46.44 min). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research related to obstetrics with emphasis caesarean delivery rates in Turkish adolescents. The study is aimed to compare caesarean rates with the results of 20-year-old adults' in a maternity hospital. It mentions that the review of medical records of 14,135 pregnant women who delivered in 2007 is critical in the realization of the study.

Modafinil is used in the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness associated with several conditions. Modafinil has also been suggested to improve antipsychotic-associated sedation in patients with schizophrenia. Although a small risk of psychosis exacerbation has been reported due to modafinil adjunct treatment, modafinil-induced mania or hypomania has not been described in schizophrenia up to now. Herein, we present a 31-year-old patient diagnosed as having schizophrenia according to DSM-IV-TR, who developed a hypomanic episode with irritability, motor activation and uninterruptible speech soon after adding modafinil to clozapine. In this context, the risks and benefits of adjunct therapy with modafinil in treatment- resistant schizophrenic patients who have been prescribed clozapine will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the spray angle and flow uniformity of different hydraulic spray nozzles at different spray pressures with the aid of image processing operations. Spray images were captured with a digital camera to determine spray angles and spray patterns. Captured images were transferred to computer environment and analyzed with different image processing software. The spray angle at 3 bar pressure was measured as 107.2° for anti-drift nozzles, as 105.6° for air-injection nozzles, as 69.9° for ST 80 flat-fan nozzles, as 84.0° for ST 90 flat-fan nozzles, as 103.2° for ST 110 flat-fan nozzles and as 54.2° for hollow-cone Ø1.0 mm nozzles. Cone angle at 3 bar pressure was measured as 106.7° for anti-drift nozzles, as 103,9° for air-injection nozzles, as 75.1° for ST 80 flat-fan nozzles, as 86.4° for ST 90 flat-fan nozzles, as 105.2° for ST 110 flat-fan nozzles and as 46,4° for hollow-cone Ø1.0 mm nozzles. Spray pattern obtained with the image processing method was identical with the flow uniformity obtained with line-profile method. It was concluded that spray pressures had significant effects on spray angles (p =0.05) of all nozzles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Chorioamniotic membrane separation in patient diagnosed with epidermolysis bullosa-pyloric atresia syndrome," by B. Cetinkaya Demir, N. Celik, and Y. Kimya is presented.

The promotion of organ donation requires a better understanding of the profiles of individuals who are more or less likely to become organ donors. Yet, beyond some demographic attributes, we do not know much about the personality attributes of the typical donor. In the present study, we first examined the structure of organ donation attitudes and behaviors among university students ( N = 367). Next, we conducted decision-tree based segmentation analyses to see how this structure was related to various individual differences such as conscientiousness, empathy, time orientation, religiosity, and interpersonal trust. These analyses were preferred because distributions of the reasoned action variables were skewed and there were complex interactions among them. Decision trees not only revealed these complex interactions, but also the personality profiles of the typical donor, contemplator, and the rejecter. We believe, identification of these interactions suggests new directions for the design of more effective campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal tuberous sclerosis complex," by B. Cetinkaya Demir, S. Ozsoy Akesen, and Y. Kimya is presented.

An abstract of the article "Antenatal diagnosis of Fraser syndrome without cryptophthalmos at 18 weeks" by B. Cetinkaya Demir and N. Bolca is presented.

Background Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific, T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease that is characterized by non-scarring hair loss. Objective We aimed to find the factors that may affect the response to topical therapy in AA. Methods The study included a total of 60 patients with AA and 30 healthy control patients. The AA patients were randomized into two groups. 40 patients used 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream, and 20 patients used petrolatum (placebo). Both groups applied topical treatments to their lesions twice daily for 12 weeks. Results The mean extent of AA was 21.88 ± 16.75% in patients with autoantibodies and 12.16 ± 13.55% in those who were negative for autoantibodies ( P = 0.021). Ophiasic pattern and nail involvement were observed more frequently in patients with atopy ( P < 0.05). Relapse was more frequent in patients with atopy ( P = 0.002) and nail involvement ( P = 0.02). Conclusions We observed that the presence of autoantibodies was associated with more extensive AA, and that ophiasic hair loss pattern and nail dystrophy were significantly associated with atopy. Topical clobetasol propionate treatment produced a modest advantage in hair regrowth as compared with placebo. Notably, atopic AA patients have a higher risk of relapse and redevelopment of AA after completing a course of topical corticosteroid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative paucity of deceased donor organs and the progressive increase in patients with cirrhosis have led transplant centers to consider organs from marginal donors (elderly donors, prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), liver steatosis—steatotic grafts, severe hypernatremia, and use of inotropes). Recently, the use of those marginal grafts has increased, but splitting liver is still debatable. Herein, we present a 28-year-old deceased donor who had a history of traumatic brain injury. The patient stayed in ICU for 3 days with high sodium level (188 mEq/L) and was hemodynamically supported with single inotrope. At the time of procurement, core biopsies were taken from the right lobe and left lateral segment of the liver, with results demonstrating 5% necrosis. A decision was made for split liver transplant as left lateral sector and extended right lobe. Liver graft was divided into a left lateral segment to be transplanted to a 4-year-old child with secondary biliary cirrhosis due to previous liver transplant and a right extended liver lobe for an adult patient with hepatocellular carcinoma waiting 10 months on the waiting list. Both liver transplants were performed uneventfully. Patients were discharged on the 11th and 56th days after transplant. The liver function tests remained normal during the follow up period of 2 years. A marginal graft with more than one risk factor should not be discarded liberally. Splitting such grafts could be considered in a highly selective recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinoma telangiectaticum is an unusual type of cutaneous metastasis originating from various malignant tumors and characterized by telangiectases. This disorder appears with the spread of malignant cells to the skin via superficial lymphatics. It presents as small pink to purplish pseudovesicles, purpuric papules, plaques and telangiectases.A 58-year-old female patient with extensive internal organ metastasis, the primary of which could not be determined, was consulted for bluish lesion on her abdomen, while she was receiving cisplatinum and etoposide combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Histopathologic examination revealed that the superficial lymphatics in dermis were attacked by tumoral cells. Final diagnosis was established by clinical and histopathological findings as carcinoma telangiectaticum due to metastasis of a malignant tumor of unknown origin. Unfortunately our patient succumbed during her chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver transplantation is the final treatment option for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure, although availability of donor organs is a major limitation. The large gap between the growing list of patients awaiting liver transplantation and the scarcity of donor organs has fueled efforts to maximize the existing donor pool and identify new avenues. We treated a 13-year-old boy who had acute liver failure, due to Wilson's disease, with transplantation of a liver from a deceased liver donor with a calcified hydatid cyst. After 3 years of follow-up, liver function tests remained normal, hydatid cyst serology was negative, and no hydatid cyst or other problems were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]